Idiocracy

Trump Seeks $15B For Farmers Hurt By His Tariffs

The Huffington Post reports: President Donald Trump is seeking an additional $15 billion in U.S. subsidies in an effort to protect farmers from the devastating impact of his trade war with China. That’s on top of $12 billion already earmarked for the farmers to help them weather the fallout. That would be an additional bill for U.S. taxpayers already shouldering …

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Trump Takes Credit For Boston Red Sox Winning Streak

Boston’s CBS News affiliate reports: The Boston Red Sox are on a five-game winning streak and it seems President Donald Trump wants some of the credit. The Sox had won two in a row before visiting the White House last Thursday to celebrate their 2018 World Series Championship. They returned home to Fenway Park Friday and swept the Seattle Mariners …

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Ivanka’s Company Spared From Trump’s China Tariffs

Fortune reports: On Friday morning, Trump implemented $34 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods ranging from auto parts to medical devices. Clothing and shoes, like those imported by Ivanka Trump’s company, were spared. The Office of the United States Trade Representative explained that the goods to be levied with tariffs were chosen based on what would disrupt the U.S. economy …

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Trump Warns China Not To Retaliate On His Tariffs

Reuters reports: President Donald Trump on Monday warned China not to retaliate against a hike in tariffs he imposed last week and said U.S. consumers would not pay for any increase in duties. There “is no reason for the U.S. Consumer to pay the Tariffs, which take effect on China today … China should not retaliate-will only get worse!” Trump …

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Trump Attacks Don McGahn: I Was “Never A Big Fan”

Politico reports: President Donald Trump lashed out at Don McGahn late on Saturday, tweeting that he was “Never a big fan” of the former White House counsel amid an ongoing battle between House Democrats and the administration over documents and testimony related to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. “I was NOT going to fire Bob Mueller, and did not fire …

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US Among Few Holdouts On UN Plastic Waste Pledge

The Associated Press reports: Almost every country in the world has agreed on a legally binding framework for reducing polluting plastic waste, with the United States a notable exception, United Nations environmental officials said Friday. An agreement on tracking thousands of types of plastic waste emerged at the end of a two-week meeting of U.N.-backed conventions on plastic waste and …

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Trump To Hijack DC’s Fourth Of July Celebration, Move Fireworks, Give Speech, Turn Event Into Campaign Rally

The Washington Post reports: President Trump has effectively taken charge of the nation’s premier Fourth of July celebration in Washington, moving the gargantuan fireworks display from its usual spot on the Mall to be closer to the Potomac River and making tentative plans to address the nation from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, according to top administration officials. The …

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Trump Rages With Early Morning 60 Retweet-Storm

The Huffington Post reports: Donald Trump hit the retweet button hard on Saturday morning. The president went on yet another retweet rampage as he re-shared 60 posts in around 45 minutes that praised him, defended him or echoed his main talking points. Posts from ultra-conservative website Breitbart News, Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, GOP chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, Sen. Lindsey Graham …

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Mayor Pete Says “I Had To Google That” After Trump Calls Him 1950s Cartoon Character “Alfred E. Neumann”

Politico reports: President Donald Trump dismissed Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg on Friday in a single sentence. “Alfred E. Neuman cannot become president of the United States,” the president told POLITICO in a 15-minute telephone interview, when asked what he thought of the South Bend, Ind., mayor. Neuman’s freckled, gap-toothed face and oversized ears have for decades graced the cover …

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China Vows Retaliation As Trump’s Tariffs Go Into Effect

The Associated Press reports: President Donald Trump’s latest tariff hike on Chinese goods took effect Friday and Beijing said it would retaliate, escalating a battle over China’s technology ambitions and other trade tensions. The Trump administration raised duties on $200 billion of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%. China’s Commerce Ministry said it would impose “necessary countermeasures” but gave no …

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Trump Rages After James Comey Says He Would Have Been Charged If He Weren’t Sitting President [VIDEO]

CNN reports: Former FBI Director James Comey said Thursday night on CNN that it appears President Donald Trump obstructed justice and that there is “no doubt” he would have been charged with crimes if he weren’t the sitting president, which shields him from prosecution. Comey said he agrees with the more than 800 former federal prosecutors who said this week, …

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John Kelly Dodges On Trump’s “Stable Genius” Claim

The Washington Examiner reports: Former White House chief of staff John Kelly took a pass on Wednesday on the question of whether President Trump is a “stable genius.” The president has labeled himself as a “stable genius” on multiple occasions, and during an event in Las Vegas, former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci asked his former boss what his …

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White House Welcomes Champion Boston Red “Socks”

Boston’s CBS News affiliate reports: It looks like someone on the White House staff doesn’t know much about Boston or baseball. The Boston Red Sox will meet with President Trump at the White House Thursday afternoon to celebrate their 2018 World Series championship. The event has already been clouded by issues of politics and race. Now there’s the embarrassing typo. …

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Trump: Maybe I’ll Stay In Office For “10 Or 14” Years

Politico reports: President Trump on Wednesday joked he could stay in office for “10 or 14” years, saying it would be a good way to provoke the news media. Trump told supporters at an outdoor rally that if he suggested he might stay in office past two terms, the media would respond by saying, “See, he’s a despot.” “There’ll be …

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PEW SURVEY: Half Of White Republicans Are “Bothered” By Hearing Foreign Languages Being Spoken In Public

Just in from Pew Research: Most Americans (70%) say they would not be particularly bothered if they heard people speak a language other than English in a public place, including 47% who say they would not be bothered at all. Still, a sizable share (29%) says this would bother them at least some. According to the new survey, 47 percent …

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BREAKING: New York Times Gets Trump’s Taxes From 1985-1994, Numbers Show Massive $1.17 Billion Loss

The New York Times reports: Printouts from Mr. Trump’s official Internal Revenue Service tax transcripts, with the figures from his federal tax form, the 1040, for the years 1985 to 1994 — represents the fullest and most detailed look to date at the president’s taxes, information he has kept from public view. Though the information does not cover the tax …

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White House Claims Trump Was Only Joking About Two Extra Years To Replace Those “Stolen” By Mueller Probe

The Washington Post reports: President Trump for months has griped, complained and tweeted about what he says is the unfair Russia “witch hunt” investigation that has consumed nearly half of his presidency. Now, the president has floated a possible solution: two bonus years. White House officials and others close to the president said he was joking and is not serious …

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Pompeo Cheers Shrinking Sea Ice For Clearing Trade Routes: “The Arctic Is At The Forefront Of Abundance”

ABC News reports: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday praised the Arctic region — and its rapidly shrinking levels of sea ice — for its economic opportunities, despite continued warnings about the catastrophic effects of climate change. “The Arctic is at the forefront of opportunity and abundance,” Pompeo said in remarks in Rovaniemi, Finland. “It houses 13 percent of …

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Trump Launches Cybersecurity Competition: $25K Prize

Roll Call reports: President Donald Trump issued an executive order today that directed the Department of Homeland Security to work with the Office of Management and Budget to create a rotational program that will “serve as a mechanism for knowledge transfer” across agencies. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, part of DHS, along with OMB and other agencies will also …

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Trump Campaign Sells “Total Exoneration!” Merchandise

Fox News dutifully reports: Nancy Pelosi won’t be stockpiling this swag. President Trump’s post-Mueller-report victory lap includes new merchandise such as $30 “Collusion Delusion” T-shirts and “Witch Hunt!” mugs. Buyers are also snatching up white tees that reproduce Trump’s March 24, 1:42 p.m. tweet following Attorney General William Barr’s announcement of his summary of Mueller’s findings: “Complete and Total EXONERATION.” …

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