Tag Archives: donald-trump

Poof! It’s Gone. Maybe.

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We think Donald Trump‘s name has been removed from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. At least, that what Trump’s handpicked board of directors told the District Court for the District of Columbia in a filing on Saturday. The removal had been ordered by the court two weeks earlier in a decision enforcing the Center’s original statutory name.

Trump’s name was added in December 2025 after he replaced the Kennedy Center’s leadership and the new board voted to rename the institution. The court found this action illegal, ruling that the board cannot unilaterally change the name of a national memorial.

In his 94-page decision, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper wrote, “The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board’s unilateral say-so. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”

The renaming triggered a large outcry and a boycott of the Center by patrons, performers, and donors. A crowd of several hundred people gathered on Saturday at the Center to witness the removal of Trump’s name from the exterior. Which brings us to my use of the word “maybe.”

While the Trump lettering was put up by workers on simple lifts, workers Saturday first erected an expansive scaffold in front of the lettering. Then they draped a large curtain or tarp to prevent people from watching their work. Several web cams had been pointed on the sign, transmitting the image around the world. The curtain remains up on Sunday morning. We have only the sworn statement of Trump’s board of directors that the name has been removed.

Why is the curtain still up? Perhaps Trump just couldn’t stand to see the empty space his name once filled. And didn’t want to watch his name coming down.

This is not the end of the lawsuit, which had been brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), an ex officio trustee who sued her fellow trustees for adding Trump’s name to the title of the Kennedy Center. Hours before Friday’s deadline, two courts denied the Kennedy Center’s last-ditch attempt to delay the removal, even as crews erected scaffolding next to the building.

Judge Cooper ruled at 1 p.m. that the Kennedy Center’s lawyers failed to demonstrate they were likely to win their appeal or that the center would suffer “irreparable harm” if Trump’s name were removed. At 3:46 p.m., Justice Department lawyers representing the center appealed Cooper’s denial, filing an emergency motion for a stay with the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Shortly after 7 p.m., the appeals court denied the second attempt. But the appeal will continue.

The addition of Trump’s name sparked immediate backlash from the arts community and members of the Kennedy family, who argued that the renaming desecrated a living memorial to the assassinated president. Congress established the center in 1964, two months after Kennedy’s death, designating it “the sole national monument to his memory within the city of Washington and its environs.”

Trump’s Department of Justice, paid for by taxpayers, represents him in these cases.

Last week the Center was also sued by the Washington National Opera. The WNO performed in the Center for fifty years but decamped when Trump took over. The opera claims the Center is refusing to return more than $17 million dollars of endowment contributions, gifts and donations which it managed on behalf of the WNO.

June 16 Update

Official word from The Kennedy Center is that the tarps will stay up for the “two-year renovation” and “replacement” of the marble facade slabs. Trumpian subtext, “OK, my name may be removed, but I’m not going to let you see it!!!! Na Na Na Na-Na.” And make no mistake about it, Trump is still the Chairman of The Kennedy Center, and his “Board” are 100% partisan sycophants.  The Kennedy Center is still in mortal danger.

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Trump Meets the Press

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This goes on my list of most memorable television interviews. And I have seen many.

Donald Trump sat for an interview with Kristen Welker, host of NBC’s Meet the Press. I have no idea why. Welker announced that she and her crew had been invited to follow Trump to a rally in Wisconsin, where Trump addressed farmers, one of his most supportive constituent groups. Why they continue to overwhelmingly support him is something else I don’t understand. His policies have crippled their export markets and put them on government subsidies, welfare, and threatened their livelihood. Still, he found himself addressing a friendly crowd. Then he sat down with Welker in a barn in the midst of a pouring rainstorm. As the interviewed progressed, the storm moved inside.

You can find both the transcript and the full video here. You should really see it for yourself.

It began as most Trump interviews do. They spoke about the war with Iran, the “anti-weaponization” fund, and the economy. Trump told his usual lies and Welker just moved on. Then something happened. When Welker moved on to talk about elections, including the recent primary in California, and Trump repeated his lies, Welker followed up and demanded proof. That is a rare event. Welker asked the president for any evidence on the gubernatorial race being fraudulent. He responded by accusing the reporter of being “crooked”. “They’re crooked, just like you’re crooked, your press is crooked. And Meet the Press is crooked,” said Trump.

Welker then defended herself and tried to ask additional questions, with Trump replying: “You’re either crooked or you’re stupid. You play right into their hands with this crap. You know that these elections are rigged. Your network knows that they’re rigged.” Trump then brought up previously repeated false claims that he won the 2020 US presidential election.

When Welker tried to ask additional questions, Trump continued to assert that NBC was “crooked” and ended the interview. “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough,” said Trump, taking off his microphone. “Thank you, darling. Have a good time.” He stomped on the microphone as he left. These broadcast-standard microphones typically cost between $350 and $450.

I’ve seen interview subjects walk out on interviews before. But never a president. Some mental health experts have analyzed the walkout through the lens of political psychology. They argue that his sudden exit and verbal attacks (e.g., calling the interviewer and networks “crooked”) illustrate his inability to cope with objective pushback. Professionals point out that because he is used to an environment where his statements are frequently accepted without challenge, being confronted with factual discrepancies causes significant volatility.

Here are the last few minutes from NBC’s transcript:

KRISTEN WELKER:

This $1.8 billion so-called anti-weaponization fund that’s going to compensate people who say the federal government weaponized the legal system against them. It’s been blocked by the courts, met with opposition from Republicans –

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

And Democrats.

KRISTEN WELKER:

– in Congress, and Democrats.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Most, excuse me, mostly Democrats.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Mostly Democrats and some Republicans.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Some. Very few Republicans.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Just to be very clear, are you backing off the fund completely as your acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has said, or are you looking for another avenue to revive the fund?

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

So let — let me explain what the fund is. People have been hurt so badly by radical left lunatics that worked for the Biden administration and Sleepy Joe. They’re vicious. They’re violent, what they did to people. And of course they went after me more than anybody else. They raided Mar-a-Lago and all the other things. But people have been badly hurt. They’ve committed suicide. They’ve lost their jobs. They’re lost their families. They’ve lost their wives. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost everything over a fake weaponization of government. Now, let me just tell you –

KRISTEN WELKER:

So are you looking for a way to revive it?

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Well, look. If it was up to me, I’d pay them the kind of money that they deserve. People have been destroyed. Lives have been destroyed. Many suicides, think of it. People have committed suicide because a bunch of thugs went after them.

KRISTEN WELKER:

You don’t –

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

So me, personally, I think the weaponization fund is a great idea, and so do many other Republicans. You have to get it approved. If they get it approved, that’s great. If they don’t get it approved, I’d be disappointed.

KRISTEN WELKER:

All right. We’re going to motor through this.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

But you have to understand, people have — have been destroyed by crooked politicians, and they should be reimbursed for that.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Do you think anyone who attacked police officers on January 6th should get taxpayer money?

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

I wouldn’t be inclined to say so, but I have to see it. I can tell you this: 97% of those people, you look at them, the FBI or whoever it was, cause you had a lot of crooked cops, you had dirty cops. Comey was a dirty cop.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Well, there is no evidence to –

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

A guy like Bolton was a dirty cop –

KRISTEN WELKER:

But there is no evidence that– but there’s no evidence that people who –

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Wait a minute, wait a minute. Oh, you think Comey was a straight cop?

KRISTEN WELKER:

We had 170 people who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Comey was a dirty cop.

KRISTEN WELKER:

No, no, but the people who assaulted police officers.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

They had FBI — listen to me. They had FBI agents ushering them into the building. They had FBI “Go into the building.” Those people are walking around, they’re looking, “Oh, isn’t this nice?” They weren’t in– they were being ushered into the building.

KRISTEN WELKER:

There’s no evidence of that, sir. There’s no evidence of that.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

You had a bunch of dirty cops, and frankly, what they did was weaponization of our government.

KRISTEN WELKER:

But sir, there– there’s no evidence of that. More than a thousand people pleaded guilty to crimes –

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

No, well, yeah, no, there’s none. You know what they do?

KRISTEN WELKER:

Would you –

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Try looking at the tapes one time.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Would you take it off the table?

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Look at the tapes one time.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Okay, but 172 people did plead guilty to assaulting police officers.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

You know why they pled guilty?

KRISTEN WELKER:

Should they be exempt –

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Because they told they were going to jail for 15 years –

KRISTEN WELKER:

– from receiving funds?

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

– if they didn’t.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Should they –

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

They pled guilty because they were frightened. They went down. They were ushered into a building. Many of them were arrested without even going into the building.

KRISTEN WELKER:

You’d be okay with them receiving taxpayer dollars?

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

The people were destroyed by dirty cops and by weaponization. Many of those people should be compensated. Now, with that being said, the, as I understand it, the weaponization fund was going to set up a group of people, people that could be picked by anybody, fair people, smart people, and they will go on an individual case basis.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Okay.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Now, I don’t know what’s going to happen with the weaponization fund. I love the idea, because people like you, the fake dirty press, the crooked press, people like stupid Biden, he’s not smart enough to know what’s going on, but people that surrounded him, surrounded his beautiful Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, what they did to the lives of people, they destroyed people. They sent people to jail who did nothing wrong.

KRISTEN WELKER:

All right, this is, just to be very clear, there’s no evidence of what you’re saying, but let me ask about Todd Blanche.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

There’s a lot of evidence.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Let me ask about Todd Blanche.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Listen — listen to me — listen to me.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Let’s talk about Todd Blanche.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

There’s tremendous evidence. There’s nothing but evidence.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Well, it’s not been presented in a court of a law.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

The election was rigged. It was a dirty election.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Mr. President –

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

And it’s happening again right now in California.

KRISTEN WELKER:

— you’ve never presented evidence –

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

It’s happening right now in California

KRISTEN WELKER:

– that the 2020 election was rigged.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Right now, it’s look at what’s happening in California.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Where’s the evidence to that?

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

It’s four days –

KRISTEN WELKER:

The Republicans are doing well in California.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

In California, it’s, no they’re not. They’re dropping fast because it’s a rigged election. Let me tell you, it’s four days and they aren’t even close to coming up with the –

KRISTEN WELKER:

That’s how they count the votes in California.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Do you know why they’re doing that? Because they’re cheating on the election.

KRISTEN WELKER:

There’s — What? Do you have evidence to support that?

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

It’s– all I have to do is look. All I have to do is look.

KRISTEN WELKER:

But that’s not evidence.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

And I listen. And I listen to people. And let’s see what happens.

KRISTEN WELKER:

But sir, that’s not evidence, and that’s how they count the votes in California–

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Do you think it’s appropriate that they have an election and five days later, they’re nowhere close to picking a winner?

KRISTEN WELKER:

State and local officials acknowledge they are slow. They’re urging–

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

No, they’re crooked.

KRISTEN WELKER:

– they’re urging the votes to be counted quickly. That’s how they vote in California.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

They’re crooked just like you’re crooked, your press is crooked. And Meet the Press is crooked.

KRISTEN WELKER:

To be fair, I’m not crooked. But let’s continue.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Really? Well, you play right into their hands then.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Let’s continue.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

You’re either crooked or you’re stupid.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Let’s continue.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

You play right into their hands with this stuff. You know that these elections are rigged. Your network knows that they’re rigged. Do you know that I won an election in a landslide and I got 94% bad press.

KRISTEN WELKER:

But Mr. President –

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

You know why I got that?

KRISTEN WELKER:

– you’ve never presented –

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Because you have no credibility.

KRISTEN WELKER:

-evidence. But you’ve never presented evidence it was rigged. Let’s keep talking about, I want to talk about Todd Blanche.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

You have more evidence, there’s more evidence than ever presented.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Let’s talk about–

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Your elections in this country –

KRISTEN WELKER:

– you went to court.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

We’re like a third world country.

KRISTEN WELKER:

But sir –

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

Your elections are crooked and you’re crooked, and Meet the Press is crooked.

KRISTEN WELKER:

But Mr. President–

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

And so is ABC and CBS and CNN.

KRISTEN WELKER:

But Mr. President–

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

You’re a one-sided crooked network. Sorry. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Mr. President, let’s — please, I traveled all the way to Wisconsin.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

I’ve sat in the rain with you–

KRISTEN WELKER:

I traveled all — I know. I traveled all the way–

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

I sat in the rain with you for an hour.

KRISTEN WELKER:

–to Wisconsin.

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

On and off in the rain, and I’ve given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press, because you know what?

KRISTEN WELKER:

Mr. President–

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

A country can never be great with a dishonest press.

KRISTEN WELKER:

– we traveled all — listen. We traveled all the way to Wisconsin for this interview.

This is one for the record books.

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John Roberts is …

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John Roberts is displeased. John Roberts is exasperated. John Roberts is frustrated. John Roberts is annoyed. John Roberts is irked. John Roberts is any other of the many synonyms my thesaurus suggested instead of the word I originally used, which it found to be “vulgar.”

What has the Chief Justice of the United States in high dudgeon (I thought of that one myself) is the reaction to the Court’s recent decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which drove a stake through the heart of the only section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 the Court had not previously decimated. With the vote falling along party lines, many critics condemned the decision as racist and political.

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R.I.P. V.R.A.

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John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States, has achieved his life goal. With the Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, he has killed the Voting Rights Act. Roberts made the destruction of the VRA of 1965 his lifelong crusade. His opposition to the Act dates back to his days as a law clerk for then Associate Justice William Rehnquist. Rehnquist notoriously wrote a memo in 1952 stating, “I think Plessy v. Ferguson was right and should be re-affirmed.” Plessy was the infamous “separate but equal” case institutionalizing racism in public schools. It was overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

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What Would Tom Say?

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What Would Tom Say? That’s the question running through my mind as I watched Charles III, King of Great Britain and Ireland and lots of other places, address a joint session of the Congress of the United States of America.

Tom is Thomas Jefferson, founding father, first Secretary of State, third President, and principal author of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain by the thirteen colonies henceforth to be known as the United States of America.

In the Declaration, written 250 years ago, Jefferson accuses Britain’s then King George III of being a tyrant, “unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”

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3 Down, 12 to Go

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When Donald Trump began his second term in the White House, there were fifteen original heads of executive departments like State, Defense and Treasury. There were seven additional cabinet-rank officials. Of the fifteen, Trump has fired three.

Trump’s first term saw a revolving door of cabinet-level officials. A newcomer to the Washington bureaucracy, Trump took advice from Republican insiders and appointed several department heads who had some experience in government. They stupidly put their oath to uphold the law and Constitution ahead of their loyalty to Trump. The Donald was not going to make that mistake again.

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Mad as Hell

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I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore. Great line from a great movie (Network, 1976) and a line which perfectly matches my mood.

I am sick and tired of getting into a rage each day, sometimes more than once a day, because of something the monster in the White House has done. I am halfway through writing about one expression of outrage when another matter comes up, and I start all over again. I don’t know who I am most angry with. Donald Trump or the 77 million people who voted for him. I have spent the better part of a month not writing at all. And trying not to pay much attention to the news either.

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