The Beginning of "The End"?

[SYZ]

Trump has said he's chosen Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy,
two of his most prominent wealthy backers, to lead what is being
called the Department of Government Efficiency.



Calling it “the Manhattan Project” of this era, Trump said the
department would propel “drastic change” throughout the
federal bureaucracy by 4 July 2026.

How do you slash, cut, restructure and even dismantle parts
of the US federal government?

Trump has selected "anti-everything" Kristi Noem  to run the
Homeland Security Department, a critical position in charge of
the nation’s immigration system.

Trump said in a statement that he would nominate Pete Hegseth,
a Fox News host and veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars,
to be his next defense secretary, elevating a television ally to
run the Pentagon and lead 1.3 million active-duty US troops.

Laughably,  Trump announced that that Steve Witkoff, a real estate
developer(!) who is a close friend(!), as a special envoy to the
Middle East.  Jobs for the boys?  Anyway, I thought this envoy was
going to be Mike Huckabee?

I'm having trouble (again the tyranny of distance) sorting out Trump's
actual nominees for a lot of these positions as they seem to change on a
daily basis.

[jerry mcmasters]

Laughably,  Trump announced that that Steve Witkoff, a real estate
developer(!) who is a close friend(!), as a special envoy to the
Middle East.  Jobs for the boys?  Anyway, I thought this envoy was
going to be Mike Huckabee?

I'm having trouble (again the tyranny of distance) sorting out Trump's
actual nominees for a lot of these positions as they seem to change on a
daily basis.

Huckabee is tapped for ambassador to Israel.

[SYZ]

Justice department special counsel Jack Smith plans to end
his two prosecutions of Donald Trump and resign before the
president-elect takes office, the New York Times reports.

Smith last year indicted Trump for allegedly plotting to overturn
his 2020 election defeat, and for conspiring to hide classified
documents. Neither case made it to trial before Trump’s election
victory last week, which appeared to make it impossible for Smith
to continue. Justice department policy prohibits the prosecution
of sitting presidents, and Trump has vowed to fire Smith within
“two seconds” of becoming president again.

  —It's so reassuring to see US democracy and its judiciary at work.     

[pattylt]

We peons are hoping Jack Smith releases all the evidence gathered so we can, at the least, see just how guilty Trump was. No idea if that will happen but hope springs eternal.

And yes, Trump is making sure only his devoted fans (and those with money especially) are given appointments that none of them are qualified for. All we can look forward to is the upcoming chaos.

[Thumpalumpacus]

We peons are hoping Jack Smith releases all the evidence gathered so we can, at the least, see just how guilty Trump was.  No idea if that will happen but hope springs eternal.

And yes, Trump is making sure only his devoted fans (and those with money especially) are given appointments that none of them are qualified for.  All we can look forward to is the upcoming chaos.

I'll bet dollars against your doughnuts that one of Trump's first actions after swearing-in is to classify the evidence top-secret and then destroy it.

[Rhythmcs]

Rock and a hard place. Releasing it is necessary to fixing us, but releasing it would likely threaten methods and sources, removing those things from being useful to fixing us. So the institutionalists will hide it somewhere very convenient for the nihilists to set on fire.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Rock and a hard place.  Releasing it is necessary to fixing us, but releasing it would likely threaten methods and sources, removing those things from being useful to fixing us.  So the institutionalists will hide it somewhere very convenient for the nihilists to set on fire.

Exactly.

[Minimalist]

Welcome to the FSA....Fucked States of America.

Release it all and let the chips fall where they may.

[pattylt]

We peons are hoping Jack Smith releases all the evidence gathered so we can, at the least, see just how guilty Trump was.  No idea if that will happen but hope springs eternal.

And yes, Trump is making sure only his devoted fans (and those with money especially) are given appointments that none of them are qualified for.  All we can look forward to is the upcoming chaos.

I'll bet dollars against your doughnuts that one of Trump's first actions after swearing-in is to classify the evidence top-secret and then destroy it.

Biden and Jack Smith have two months and Biden has “Presidential immunity”.  Too bad he hasn’t any balls.

[SYZ]

As sitting president, does Biden still have Executive
powers now that Trump is the president elect? Or is
he technically only a "caretaker" president?

[Fireball]

Biden's still the president. But he's a law-abiding citizen, and probably is just going to roll over, as far as I can tell. Abiding by the law until the chump is sworn is probably how the current government will handle it. I truly wish that that kid hadn't missed. 

[SYZ]

President-elect Donald Trump said he wanted the polarising
Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as attorney
general, a pick that appears likely to stoke opposition from
Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Republican senators elected John Thune of South Dakota to
serve as their majority leader in the next Congress, choosing
an institutionalist who may not always see eye to eye with
Trump to replace the long-serving Mitch McConnell.

Trump chose Democratic traitor Tulsi Gabbard to be the director
of national intelligence, and climate change denier Marco Rubio
to be secretary of state.

Oh..... and Trump and President Biden spent 29 seconds being
nice to each other at the White House.

[TheGentlemanBastard]

Biden's still the president. But he's a law-abiding citizen, and probably is just going to roll over, as far as I can tell. Abiding by the law until the chump is sworn is probably how the current government will handle it. I truly wish that that kid hadn't missed. 

Had his aim been true, we'd be looking a President J. D. Vance. Don't know if that would be worse, but it sure as fuck wouldn't be any better.

[jerry mcmasters]

As sitting president, does Biden still have Executive
powers now that Trump is the president elect?  Or is
he technically only a "caretaker" president?

The US Constitution makes no distinction in the power or authority of the sitting president before or after the election

[Thumpalumpacus]

I'll bet dollars against your doughnuts that one of Trump's first actions after swearing-in is to classify the evidence top-secret and then destroy it.

Biden and Jack Smith have two months and Biden has “Presidential immunity”.  Too bad he hasn’t any balls.

As @Rhythmcs points out, there are real-world downsides to just letting that intel go public. You don't want to let the other guy you're reading his mail, or maybe have a mole in his inner council. Using dissemination tracking, they can track down your humint source or elint angle.

It follows that while Biden can declassify anything he wants, such may not be in the national interest.

[Thumpalumpacus]

As sitting president, does Biden still have Executive
powers now that Trump is the president elect?  Or is
he technically only a "caretaker" president?

He still has all the powers of the Presidency.

[Minimalist]

As sitting president, does Biden still have Executive
powers now that Trump is the president elect?  Or is
he technically only a "caretaker" president?

The US Constitution makes no distinction in the power or authority of the sitting president before or after the election

Until he is sworn in as president, Fuckface is just another asshole.

And even after he is sworn in, he will remain an asshole.

[Rhythmcs]

Biden's still the president. But he's a law-abiding citizen, and probably is just going to roll over, as far as I can tell. Abiding by the law until the chump is sworn is probably how the current government will handle it. I truly wish that that kid hadn't missed. 

-one group of people the law binds but does not protect, and another the law protects but does not bind.

[Deesse23]

Musk to streamline government agencies. Gaetz as head of justice department, a TV host as minister of foreign affairs. The circus has begun before it actually can begin. What are the chances hat Trump will piss of even a few republican members of the house so much that he will not have their support at any given time?

[LastPoet]

Musk to streamline government agencies. Gaetz as head of justice department, a TV host as minister of foreign affairs. The circus has begun before it actually can begin. What are the chances hat Trump will piss of even a few republican members of the house so much that he will not have their support at any given time?

Between you and me a German and a Portuguese, wouldn't be better for the US to have multiple parties,it is chaotic indeed, needs negotiations, i think those guys need that. Democracy, right?

[Charladele]

Dog knows what type of corruption and illegal activity will occur in the white house with all these circus clowns running it. It will be total chaos. The American people will have no support if there is a national emergency, an attack on the country or another pandemic. For the first time in my life, I actually wished I had taken one of my Dad's handguns when we cleaned out his place after he passed. My two brothers took most them and we sold the rest. Not that that would protect me against another pandemic. But in an uncontrolled riot...

[Huggy Bear]

Trump has said he's chosen Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy,
two of his most prominent wealthy backers, to lead what is being
called the Department of Government Efficiency.

*emphasis mine*







Bull doge! Dogecoin soars as Trump announces a government efficiency group nicknamed DOGE

[brewerb]

We've got a couple of lawyer acquaintances (met thru dog breed stuff) that are moving to France because of the elections.

[Fireball]

I've considered moving, at length. But this is my country, and my extended family lives here. I'll just have to see how things go. ATM, I expect to live another 20 years. It's going to be interesting times...

[Cavebear]

I've considered moving, at length. But this is my country, and my extended family lives here. I'll just have to see how things go. ATM, I expect to live another 20 years. It's going to be interesting times...

Same here.  I would like to move, but where?  A new country would be very different.  I would have the wrong accent, the wrong sports, the wrong understanding of the Government, and the wrong foods.  And, if moving domestically is a pain, moving internationally is much harder.

I think I would rather just stay and fight.