Narcissists and dictators have one play--more power, more me. They will not stop until they are stopped. And I agree, Jen, it's our daily job to use EVERY peaceful means under the sun to say no to DJT. We have a lot of talented, gutsy, committed people in this country. Let's keep at the good fight, Friends. The whole world needs us to do this.
It has often been commented here and elsewhere on Substack and Bluesky that tRump is the archetypal mad king... but he has progressed to barking mad. Never a bright man, he was at the outset unable to understand that government does useful things for the public good. Now he is trying to destroy what he cannot understand and cannot control.
Not only "trying to destroy" - he's unrestrainedly destroying. What next? "TRUMP HOUSE" in gold letters over the portico? This isn't even funny, and what we might now call the "civilised" world (rather than "free") is watching in alarm and disbelief.
"Narcissists and dictators have one play--more power, more me."
The "more power" theme also applies to both political parties.
"They will not stop until they are stopped."
At least here, this "dictator" is term-limited and will leave office in January 2029.
"And I agree, Jen, it's our daily job to use EVERY peaceful means under the sun to say no to DJT."
As has been the pattern during Trump's term, he wants to "legislate" through executive orders, while the Dems want to "legislate" through the courts. It seems both sides have forgotten what Congress is for.
The MAGA-controlled congress will not act to limit the madman's excesses. As Rubin calls them seals, they are ineffective, and as the Democrats are in the minority, the duty to limit the insanity falls to the courts, and thank goodness.
"As Rubin calls them seals, they are ineffective..."
Members of Congress always act like a bunch of trained seals for their party. Dems are no more immune to that than the Repubs.
On occasion, one person within the party bucks the trend. Do you remember Dean Phillips? He was a Democrat who refused to be such a seal during the Democratic Party's 2024 primary season, arguing that Joe Biden's age might be a handicap - how was he treated by fellow Dems and the media? Turns out his fears were not unfounded or irrational after all.
"...and as the Democrats are in the minority, the duty to limit the insanity falls to the courts..."
The duty of all three branches of government is to do things according to the Constitution, whether it's Congress writing the laws, the President reviewing the laws before signing them, or the federal courts if said laws are challenged.
And I don't see among your list Executive Orders. The signing of one document with DJT seems to be instantly taken as law. Has that always been true and I've just missed it?
Didn't J Rubin say the trained seals was a Raskin quote? I love it, anyway: ever watched trained seals, performing and then sitting up waiting for their reward of a fish being thrown to them?
The responsibility also lies with us as voters. It is our duty to fulfill our obligations as members of this republic to vote the bastards out and to support candidates in other states who will help our country. VOTE!
It's mainly on Trump. He is incapable of governing in a democratic system. The EOs enable him to rule as an autocrat without having to deal with Congress. Republican Congressional "leadership" will not stand up to Trump. So yes, it is also on Congress due to it's abdication of responsibility!
Yes, and the irony is that dictators depend on others to carry out their will. NBC and ABC didn't cover his speech, and he threatened them, which shows that he needed them. He arranges for Ellison to buy CBS as another mouthpiece, and audience flees from CBS News with top reporters. So he is left with Fox News, which is not a broad enough audience. Law firms and universities stand up to him and win because his DOJ loses over and over in court. Yields on Treasury bonds are high because people aren't buying. Trump threatens to send in the army.
With modest strategic non-cooperation, things grind to a halt because there are so many of us. Many forms of non-cooperation are legal. What we have seen so far is the tip of the iceberg. More and more people are engaging in non-cooperation, and there are so many ways to do it. The wheels are falling off the regime so quickly that they can't keep up with it.
I’ll never forgive the imbeciles in Congress who are so afraid for either their lives or their jobs that they let this clownish, ignorant, decaying grifter drive our country off a cliff. My hope is that the GOP has at last convinced its supporters that the lot of them are just hypocritical hucksters and that they have ensured a good half century of Democratic rule.
Hope you're right, Chris. Remember that it takes a lot to convince a cult that they took a wrong turn in supporting/enabling an out of control narcissist.
Steve, when they suffer enough pain, they can be broken. And for many, unfortunately, that pain is coming Jan. 1 when they get kicked off Medicaid. Makes me sick to think this is called the MAGA movement, but Trump and his dumb goons are doing everything they can to turn it into a third-world country.
I hope so. WE have to remember that picking away at OUR leaders isn't a good tactic for this particular time in history. I just saw yet another post last night claiming "all" our electeds are worthless and we need to sweep them all out and replace them with unknown, inexperienced "fresh faces." Seriously? You think people like Jamie Raskin, Robert Garcia, Melanie Stansbury, Becca Balint, Joe Neguse and many more are not chomping at the bit for a bite out of Donald Trump's hide and that they won't follow through? I call b.s.
Anastasia, whoever believes that is not paying attention. If any good has come from these 10-plus years of having to worry EVERY DAY about Trump, it's that a new generation of leaders has emerged from the people, not the RICH people, but normal folks who understand how difficult it's become just to exist, let alone thrive.
Thank you to Jen and to all. Let’s not overlook the atrocities carried out by ICE every day. Please check out today’s NY Times front page and read “Deportees Flown to Africa Tell of Shackles snd Agony.” While Trump and his wealthy buddies are expanding their fortunes, the US is inching towards a degradation most of us could never imagine.
So horrible. I worry so much about the Haitians being flown back to their country, many of them likely to be murdered. A couple I know sponsored a Haitian refugee here in Ohio who fled after being severely beaten. They visited him in a local jail, sent him reading material and eventually sprung him by allowing him to live with them while he searched for a job and got settled. They also moved mountains to bring his wife and two children here. Everything was fine — and then January 20, 2025 happened. Once again they moved mountains and with great effort and several tries, they got the family into Canada, where they now happily reside in Montreal. His employer really misses him, said he was a great worker. Unlike our "president."
Shame on the morally crippled ghouls like Stephen Miller who take joy in this.
Thank you for your story! What kind of country are we living in? So many who support ICE say that they are so religious. What religion teaches this? I guess they missed Matthew 25:35.
I was sad to see that Google Maps (but not Apple Maps?) has already complied with the EO about Lake Ontario, so it now is named Lake America. I have seen one comment suggesting that the Canadians should rename their part of the Lake, for now, as Lake Obama just to retaliate against that poor decision!
This renaming foolishness is yet another distraction, and a really poor and cheap one at that. To expect any better from Trump as his mind deteriorates is too high a bar.
Mapquest took a stand and they aren't renaming. They also added a Custom Button for you to rename----"Epstein Lake?" "Lake Obama or Biden!" Thanks Canada!
We have all made Mistakes in our Lives. I believe Many of the People that Voted for the Trump Regime or just stayed Home will Vote Democratic in a few weeks.
I don't want to write any of them off.
To Save Democracy, we need as many People as we can get!
My Closing Comment (long term) reflects what has happened in America that Americans did deserve better Healthcare, Housing Support, etc. The Rich and Connected have taken our TAX money for years in various ways. And THEY received Preferential Treatment.
Finally, the Majority of Americans are Waking up to this Fact. No longer will it be the Rich and Connected and then Everyone Else. The Wave of Change is coming!
What about Epstein? tRump is a firehose of distraction. Epstein is a critical weakness. While you're at it, look at the tax cheating by the uberwealthy. Per Paul Krugman that accounts for over $600B/year, about 40% of the federal budget! Why did DOGE gut IRS and kill its audit capability? Does he have something to hide?
Agree... the persistent erosion began well before tRump and has been assisted by both parties. However, the biggest hits happened during tRump 2.0 with Muck's help. Both staffing (DOGE) and budget were gutted (Beadaceous Barf Bill).
Note: the current audit rate for the top is about 0.7% per Robert Reich.
Search Assist
The decline in the IRS budget and staffing for auditing wealthy individuals began around 2010. This reduction has led to a significant drop in audit rates for high-income individuals and large corporations.
The decline in the IRS budget and staffing specifically for auditing wealthy individuals began around 2010. This period marked the start of significant budget reductions that have continued over the years.
Impact on Audit Rates
The consequences of these budget cuts have been profound, particularly in the following areas:
Audit Rates: The audit rates for high-income individuals and large corporations have sharply decreased since 2010.
Staffing Levels: The IRS has lost a substantial number of revenue agents, which has directly affected its ability to conduct thorough audits.
Key Statistics
Year Audit Rate for High-Income Individuals Revenue Agents Lost
2010 High (specific rate not provided) N/A
2017 4.4% (down from 12.5% in 2011) Over 3,600
The ongoing reductions in budget and staffing have led to a significant decrease in the IRS's capacity to enforce tax compliance among the wealthy, resulting in a less effective tax collection system.
There's an answer to all this. It's called the 25th Amendment. The problem isn't Trump's dementia any longer, it's the cowardice of the cabinet and Congress to do the job they were elected to do.
Never have so many done so little in so great a time of need.
“Ping pong ball in a wind tunnel” If I weren’t petrified that his main goal is to “bollix” our right to vote (mid terms) I would rejoice even more in your writing and opinions.
He and his minions are evil —defunding hospice care because too few are dying—his satan health Secretary.
For the first time in months, we drove through DC today on an errand and had to cross the Arlington Memorial Bridge. We were abhorred by the sight of the newly gilded statues on the end of the bridge. They screamed out “Horrible, Cheap, Awful, and Grotesque.”
I'm so looking forward to the moment whatever monstrosities he's managed to build on the East Wing, the helipad, the Arc de Dumpf, get taken down as TV cameras roll for primetime viewing later on.
Perhaps The Contrarian can have a contest to name the event. May I submit "Operation Sledgehammer" in advance?
Trump destroys everything he touches; it was only a matter of time before he destroyed himself. We are seeing that now in real time, though if it proceeded a little faster than real time, I wouldn't complain.
It is rather amusing to read that "Republicans are privately wondering if this strikes the right tone..." I can enlighten them if they are so obtuse to not realize the situation. It is a total disaster for them as we get bombarded with advertisements touting all of the orange moron's "accomplishments". They only have themselves to blame for the orange toddler and his hissy fits until he gets his own way. Even in their alternate universe the constant reminder of the pathetic loser's blunders, failures and constant con job to enrich himself at our expenses is not going to play well. Those fools jump on the orange moron's clown car and have spent years applauding every stupid utterance he has made and turning a blind eye to every illegal act. They are headed for a colossal ass kicking in November and they are going to kick it off with a several days celebration of the fool the vast majority of Americans loath and want to depart the stage. So, yes, it is going to set the wrong tone but please indulge the orange fool!
If we prove he is incompetent will his pardons be legal? Can we appoint a conservator to regain the money he and his friends and family have illegally taken? If they insist he is competent can we send him to Iran to negotiate a deal?
We are quickly learning what Trump's ideas of 'deals' are. We already had one with Iran about nuclear proliferation. It took years to craft, and he dumped it for an inferior article that that he pieced together. It won't stand the test of time or be effective. His 'deal' without input from the Afghan government was a dud. Let's not permit him to make another that would weaken and shortchange us.
Democrats need to share HOW they will reduce pricing - specifically. This is easy but no one is doing it. Without a visible plan or even a preliminary one, all you have are promises which is what we got from Trump and Harris in 2024 and Trump had the better promises.
Not doubt about that, but Trump's message was more appealing. All Harris had to do was to demand a plan for reducing prices. Do it often and loudly. That would have reduced his promises to just that, political promises. The other side of that coin would have been Harris publishing her specific plans to accomplish what she was proposing.
I guess he had better lies, while she didn't lie and promise what she knew she couldn't pay off on. However, she was vocal about what she supported, and evidently health care, helping those disadvantaged, and women's rights weren't compelling for a sufficient number of voters, including women who voted against their best interests..
There was absolutely nothing wrong with her platform. The problem is that politicians are full of platitudes without providing any sense of how their platforms will be accomplished. The first party to do this will be way ahead in the future.
Exactly. And it's clear that even people on the left simply put their hands over their ears and hummed loudly, like we did a kids when our sibling called us names.
She had one; you, like most voters, weren't listening. Also Trump had no promises beyond "I'll make everything affordable, no more wars and I'll send those dark-skinned people out of the country." The latter was the most important.
The Dem messages need to be razor sharp and focused. Cannot be lax about this. In the past communicating well has not often been a strength of the Democrats. This is an opportunity to change that. Be bold, precise and keep repeating key messages.
Yes, it has been. Balanced reporting has not been a strength of the "mainstream" media which looks for conflict, controversy and hits. Democrats do everything you say they SHOULD do and the media insisted on asking Harris "What do you think about what Donald Trump said?" and accusing her of being evasive when she said she preferred to focus on her own agenda. Then WE shoot the corpse.
No, they don't. Voters are NOT interested in specifics — their eyes glaze over. Even on our side, people make snap decisions about politicians based on vague generalities, all they will listen to. See — YOU didn't even listen to Harris who had lots of specifics.
I listened and even voted for her. She still lacked the specifics to be able to understand HOW she would implement her plans. If you have evidence that contradicts me, I would live to see it.
Again, it's not on me to convince you. And again, voters' eyes glaze over when candidates start talking about implementation details and specifics, which they don't care about — why virtually no candidate does this. Typically it will be on their website: for instance, Liz Warren had an almost 10,000 word vertical on health care with deep details about implementation when she ran for president. She never provided those details at rallies because people would've gotten bored.
Here are the specifics I found. All she or any other candidate would need to do is post the plans on their websites and solicit comments. How har can the be.
There were many campaign strategies but almost no specific plans to accomplish these goals that I could find. Here are the specifics I found.
• Grocery Price-Gouging Ban: Work with Congress to enact federal rules against excessive food pricing, mirroring existing state-level emergency guardrails.
o No specifics on how to accomplish this
• Housing Affordability: Spur the construction of 3 million new homes and offer up to $25,000 in down-payment assistance for first-time homebuyers.
o How? Even just an outline
• Prescription Drug Caps: Expand Medicare drug-price negotiations and cap insulin and out-of-pocket prescription expenses for all Americans.
o How would she go about this.
As the Vice President, she knew exactly what needed to be done and how to go about it. But I could find no evidence of any specific plan to do so. Not even an outline of the steps to accomplish them.
• Child Tax Credit Expansion: Permanently raise the credit to $3,600 per child under six ($3,000 for older children) and provide $6,000 for newborns.
o Again, nice promise but no plan, not even an outline of one.
• Small Business Support: Increase the startup tax deduction from $5,000 to $50,000 and create a standard deduction for small businesses.
o Same comment as above
• Revenue Offsets: Raise the corporate tax rate to 28% and quadruple the tax on stock buybacks to fund middle-class tax cuts.
o This is closer, but doesn’t lay out any process to execute this strategy
• Immigration Reform: Resurrect and sign the bipartisan Senate border security bill to increase border enforcement and restrict emergency asylum access.
o This is better
• Reproductive Rights: Pledge to sign federal legislation restoring nationwide abortion protections if passed by Congress.
o a promise to but no pan to get the legislation to get it in place plan to get it done.
In general, a lot of promises and a hint at some of the details but no attempt to show the steps in the process.
I was able to put together a plan to Provide Universal Health care for all US residents and provide the steps to accomplish this without having ever been in Congress or the white house. If I can do it, every politician can do it as well. You can check the plan out on my Substack. This took me a while, but I don’t have a team of hundreds working for me like many political candidates do either.
I voted for Harris because Trump's promises were so outrageous and at least Harris had some specific goals
Narcissists and dictators have one play--more power, more me. They will not stop until they are stopped. And I agree, Jen, it's our daily job to use EVERY peaceful means under the sun to say no to DJT. We have a lot of talented, gutsy, committed people in this country. Let's keep at the good fight, Friends. The whole world needs us to do this.
It has often been commented here and elsewhere on Substack and Bluesky that tRump is the archetypal mad king... but he has progressed to barking mad. Never a bright man, he was at the outset unable to understand that government does useful things for the public good. Now he is trying to destroy what he cannot understand and cannot control.
Some investors make a living by shorting.
Most Trump investors have lost bigly.
Not only "trying to destroy" - he's unrestrainedly destroying. What next? "TRUMP HOUSE" in gold letters over the portico? This isn't even funny, and what we might now call the "civilised" world (rather than "free") is watching in alarm and disbelief.
"Narcissists and dictators have one play--more power, more me."
The "more power" theme also applies to both political parties.
"They will not stop until they are stopped."
At least here, this "dictator" is term-limited and will leave office in January 2029.
"And I agree, Jen, it's our daily job to use EVERY peaceful means under the sun to say no to DJT."
As has been the pattern during Trump's term, he wants to "legislate" through executive orders, while the Dems want to "legislate" through the courts. It seems both sides have forgotten what Congress is for.
The MAGA-controlled congress will not act to limit the madman's excesses. As Rubin calls them seals, they are ineffective, and as the Democrats are in the minority, the duty to limit the insanity falls to the courts, and thank goodness.
"As Rubin calls them seals, they are ineffective..."
Members of Congress always act like a bunch of trained seals for their party. Dems are no more immune to that than the Repubs.
On occasion, one person within the party bucks the trend. Do you remember Dean Phillips? He was a Democrat who refused to be such a seal during the Democratic Party's 2024 primary season, arguing that Joe Biden's age might be a handicap - how was he treated by fellow Dems and the media? Turns out his fears were not unfounded or irrational after all.
"...and as the Democrats are in the minority, the duty to limit the insanity falls to the courts..."
The duty of all three branches of government is to do things according to the Constitution, whether it's Congress writing the laws, the President reviewing the laws before signing them, or the federal courts if said laws are challenged.
And I don't see among your list Executive Orders. The signing of one document with DJT seems to be instantly taken as law. Has that always been true and I've just missed it?
Didn't J Rubin say the trained seals was a Raskin quote? I love it, anyway: ever watched trained seals, performing and then sitting up waiting for their reward of a fish being thrown to them?
The responsibility also lies with us as voters. It is our duty to fulfill our obligations as members of this republic to vote the bastards out and to support candidates in other states who will help our country. VOTE!
And I believe EOs are not law. So how do they get so much traction? Is that all on Congress?
It's mainly on Trump. He is incapable of governing in a democratic system. The EOs enable him to rule as an autocrat without having to deal with Congress. Republican Congressional "leadership" will not stand up to Trump. So yes, it is also on Congress due to it's abdication of responsibility!
It goes back to Trump 1, Day 1: "Hey! I'm the President!" and he signs his first EO, holding it up to be photographed.
At least the courts are DOING something.
Yet congress will not do their job.
All the more reason to fix Congress first. I suggest we start with term limits.
You bet, for congress, the Senate and SCOTUS.
Yes, and the irony is that dictators depend on others to carry out their will. NBC and ABC didn't cover his speech, and he threatened them, which shows that he needed them. He arranges for Ellison to buy CBS as another mouthpiece, and audience flees from CBS News with top reporters. So he is left with Fox News, which is not a broad enough audience. Law firms and universities stand up to him and win because his DOJ loses over and over in court. Yields on Treasury bonds are high because people aren't buying. Trump threatens to send in the army.
With modest strategic non-cooperation, things grind to a halt because there are so many of us. Many forms of non-cooperation are legal. What we have seen so far is the tip of the iceberg. More and more people are engaging in non-cooperation, and there are so many ways to do it. The wheels are falling off the regime so quickly that they can't keep up with it.
With you all the way.
Thank you again for always hitting the proverbial nail on the head.
I’ll never forgive the imbeciles in Congress who are so afraid for either their lives or their jobs that they let this clownish, ignorant, decaying grifter drive our country off a cliff. My hope is that the GOP has at last convinced its supporters that the lot of them are just hypocritical hucksters and that they have ensured a good half century of Democratic rule.
Hope you're right, Chris. Remember that it takes a lot to convince a cult that they took a wrong turn in supporting/enabling an out of control narcissist.
First they have to become reattached to reality.
That would certainly help, Harvey!
So true! We've seen people commit mass suicide in the name of cult leader. I'm thinking of J Jones, but he's only one.
Steve, when they suffer enough pain, they can be broken. And for many, unfortunately, that pain is coming Jan. 1 when they get kicked off Medicaid. Makes me sick to think this is called the MAGA movement, but Trump and his dumb goons are doing everything they can to turn it into a third-world country.
Heartily agree!
I hope so. WE have to remember that picking away at OUR leaders isn't a good tactic for this particular time in history. I just saw yet another post last night claiming "all" our electeds are worthless and we need to sweep them all out and replace them with unknown, inexperienced "fresh faces." Seriously? You think people like Jamie Raskin, Robert Garcia, Melanie Stansbury, Becca Balint, Joe Neguse and many more are not chomping at the bit for a bite out of Donald Trump's hide and that they won't follow through? I call b.s.
Anastasia, whoever believes that is not paying attention. If any good has come from these 10-plus years of having to worry EVERY DAY about Trump, it's that a new generation of leaders has emerged from the people, not the RICH people, but normal folks who understand how difficult it's become just to exist, let alone thrive.
Thank you to Jen and to all. Let’s not overlook the atrocities carried out by ICE every day. Please check out today’s NY Times front page and read “Deportees Flown to Africa Tell of Shackles snd Agony.” While Trump and his wealthy buddies are expanding their fortunes, the US is inching towards a degradation most of us could never imagine.
So horrible. I worry so much about the Haitians being flown back to their country, many of them likely to be murdered. A couple I know sponsored a Haitian refugee here in Ohio who fled after being severely beaten. They visited him in a local jail, sent him reading material and eventually sprung him by allowing him to live with them while he searched for a job and got settled. They also moved mountains to bring his wife and two children here. Everything was fine — and then January 20, 2025 happened. Once again they moved mountains and with great effort and several tries, they got the family into Canada, where they now happily reside in Montreal. His employer really misses him, said he was a great worker. Unlike our "president."
Shame on the morally crippled ghouls like Stephen Miller who take joy in this.
Thank you for your story! What kind of country are we living in? So many who support ICE say that they are so religious. What religion teaches this? I guess they missed Matthew 25:35.
I was sad to see that Google Maps (but not Apple Maps?) has already complied with the EO about Lake Ontario, so it now is named Lake America. I have seen one comment suggesting that the Canadians should rename their part of the Lake, for now, as Lake Obama just to retaliate against that poor decision!
This renaming foolishness is yet another distraction, and a really poor and cheap one at that. To expect any better from Trump as his mind deteriorates is too high a bar.
You are correct, it is just one more diversion/distraction to keep us unfocused on the big schtuff. But I am extremely disappointed in Google, too.
I haven't often used Google for some time, but this pitiful act of appeasement makes me a complete user of Startpage as a search engine.
SJR,
Mapquest took a stand and they aren't renaming. They also added a Custom Button for you to rename----"Epstein Lake?" "Lake Obama or Biden!" Thanks Canada!
Americans deserve better.
More than 77 million Americans do not deserve better!
Christina,
This is why I disagree.
We have all made Mistakes in our Lives. I believe Many of the People that Voted for the Trump Regime or just stayed Home will Vote Democratic in a few weeks.
I don't want to write any of them off.
To Save Democracy, we need as many People as we can get!
My Closing Comment (long term) reflects what has happened in America that Americans did deserve better Healthcare, Housing Support, etc. The Rich and Connected have taken our TAX money for years in various ways. And THEY received Preferential Treatment.
Finally, the Majority of Americans are Waking up to this Fact. No longer will it be the Rich and Connected and then Everyone Else. The Wave of Change is coming!
Been Waiting Decades!
Americans deserve better.
Also they only did this in the U.S. because this country is now so stupid and detached from the rest of the world.
True. I just looked up Toronto and on Google maps in Europe it's still Lake Ontario.
They're just humoring an infant, which is really pathetic.
😁great idea!
What about Epstein? tRump is a firehose of distraction. Epstein is a critical weakness. While you're at it, look at the tax cheating by the uberwealthy. Per Paul Krugman that accounts for over $600B/year, about 40% of the federal budget! Why did DOGE gut IRS and kill its audit capability? Does he have something to hide?
IRS was gutted long before DOGE. It's been a hassle for years to talk to anyone there.
Agree... the persistent erosion began well before tRump and has been assisted by both parties. However, the biggest hits happened during tRump 2.0 with Muck's help. Both staffing (DOGE) and budget were gutted (Beadaceous Barf Bill).
Note: the current audit rate for the top is about 0.7% per Robert Reich.
Search Assist
The decline in the IRS budget and staffing for auditing wealthy individuals began around 2010. This reduction has led to a significant drop in audit rates for high-income individuals and large corporations.
cbpp.org
Yale University
Decline of IRS Budget and Staffing
Timeline of Budget Cuts
The decline in the IRS budget and staffing specifically for auditing wealthy individuals began around 2010. This period marked the start of significant budget reductions that have continued over the years.
Impact on Audit Rates
The consequences of these budget cuts have been profound, particularly in the following areas:
Audit Rates: The audit rates for high-income individuals and large corporations have sharply decreased since 2010.
Staffing Levels: The IRS has lost a substantial number of revenue agents, which has directly affected its ability to conduct thorough audits.
Key Statistics
Year Audit Rate for High-Income Individuals Revenue Agents Lost
2010 High (specific rate not provided) N/A
2017 4.4% (down from 12.5% in 2011) Over 3,600
The ongoing reductions in budget and staffing have led to a significant decrease in the IRS's capacity to enforce tax compliance among the wealthy, resulting in a less effective tax collection system.
There's an answer to all this. It's called the 25th Amendment. The problem isn't Trump's dementia any longer, it's the cowardice of the cabinet and Congress to do the job they were elected to do.
Never have so many done so little in so great a time of need.
“Ping pong ball in a wind tunnel” If I weren’t petrified that his main goal is to “bollix” our right to vote (mid terms) I would rejoice even more in your writing and opinions.
He and his minions are evil —defunding hospice care because too few are dying—his satan health Secretary.
Not the first time I have muttered to myself—
“they are trying to kill us”
Please keep writing!
For the first time in months, we drove through DC today on an errand and had to cross the Arlington Memorial Bridge. We were abhorred by the sight of the newly gilded statues on the end of the bridge. They screamed out “Horrible, Cheap, Awful, and Grotesque.”
Judy,
“Horrible, Cheap, Awful, and Grotesque.”
Accurate description of Trump?
Our Tax Money at Work!
Americans deserve better.
I'm so looking forward to the moment whatever monstrosities he's managed to build on the East Wing, the helipad, the Arc de Dumpf, get taken down as TV cameras roll for primetime viewing later on.
Perhaps The Contrarian can have a contest to name the event. May I submit "Operation Sledgehammer" in advance?
Thank you for your attention to this matter. 😜
I suggest we auction off these monstrosities.
"Operation Giant Flush"
Trump destroys everything he touches; it was only a matter of time before he destroyed himself. We are seeing that now in real time, though if it proceeded a little faster than real time, I wouldn't complain.
Hear hear!!
Trump is destroying himself, but he's dragging us down with him.
Boy howdy.
What a great summary. Love "ping-pong ball in a wind tunnel." Great descriptions of the awful self promotions. Thanks, Jen.
It is rather amusing to read that "Republicans are privately wondering if this strikes the right tone..." I can enlighten them if they are so obtuse to not realize the situation. It is a total disaster for them as we get bombarded with advertisements touting all of the orange moron's "accomplishments". They only have themselves to blame for the orange toddler and his hissy fits until he gets his own way. Even in their alternate universe the constant reminder of the pathetic loser's blunders, failures and constant con job to enrich himself at our expenses is not going to play well. Those fools jump on the orange moron's clown car and have spent years applauding every stupid utterance he has made and turning a blind eye to every illegal act. They are headed for a colossal ass kicking in November and they are going to kick it off with a several days celebration of the fool the vast majority of Americans loath and want to depart the stage. So, yes, it is going to set the wrong tone but please indulge the orange fool!
I agree if obtuse = stupid, craven, and bigoted.
If we prove he is incompetent will his pardons be legal? Can we appoint a conservator to regain the money he and his friends and family have illegally taken? If they insist he is competent can we send him to Iran to negotiate a deal?
We are quickly learning what Trump's ideas of 'deals' are. We already had one with Iran about nuclear proliferation. It took years to craft, and he dumped it for an inferior article that that he pieced together. It won't stand the test of time or be effective. His 'deal' without input from the Afghan government was a dud. Let's not permit him to make another that would weaken and shortchange us.
Democrats need to share HOW they will reduce pricing - specifically. This is easy but no one is doing it. Without a visible plan or even a preliminary one, all you have are promises which is what we got from Trump and Harris in 2024 and Trump had the better promises.
Promises from a known con man and pathological liar. Harris was always the better choice.
Not doubt about that, but Trump's message was more appealing. All Harris had to do was to demand a plan for reducing prices. Do it often and loudly. That would have reduced his promises to just that, political promises. The other side of that coin would have been Harris publishing her specific plans to accomplish what she was proposing.
I guess he had better lies, while she didn't lie and promise what she knew she couldn't pay off on. However, she was vocal about what she supported, and evidently health care, helping those disadvantaged, and women's rights weren't compelling for a sufficient number of voters, including women who voted against their best interests..
There was absolutely nothing wrong with her platform. The problem is that politicians are full of platitudes without providing any sense of how their platforms will be accomplished. The first party to do this will be way ahead in the future.
Exactly. And it's clear that even people on the left simply put their hands over their ears and hummed loudly, like we did a kids when our sibling called us names.
She had one; you, like most voters, weren't listening. Also Trump had no promises beyond "I'll make everything affordable, no more wars and I'll send those dark-skinned people out of the country." The latter was the most important.
Could you please provide any evidence of a plan of action? I would appreciate it.
Totally agree about Trump.
The Dem messages need to be razor sharp and focused. Cannot be lax about this. In the past communicating well has not often been a strength of the Democrats. This is an opportunity to change that. Be bold, precise and keep repeating key messages.
Yes, it has been. Balanced reporting has not been a strength of the "mainstream" media which looks for conflict, controversy and hits. Democrats do everything you say they SHOULD do and the media insisted on asking Harris "What do you think about what Donald Trump said?" and accusing her of being evasive when she said she preferred to focus on her own agenda. Then WE shoot the corpse.
Razor sharp and focused messages definitely came out of DJT's mouth. All lies, of course. I guess that's what people wanted.
Bingo!
repeal all tariffs to start
No, they don't. Voters are NOT interested in specifics — their eyes glaze over. Even on our side, people make snap decisions about politicians based on vague generalities, all they will listen to. See — YOU didn't even listen to Harris who had lots of specifics.
I listened and even voted for her. She still lacked the specifics to be able to understand HOW she would implement her plans. If you have evidence that contradicts me, I would live to see it.
Again, it's not on me to convince you. And again, voters' eyes glaze over when candidates start talking about implementation details and specifics, which they don't care about — why virtually no candidate does this. Typically it will be on their website: for instance, Liz Warren had an almost 10,000 word vertical on health care with deep details about implementation when she ran for president. She never provided those details at rallies because people would've gotten bored.
Here are the specifics I found. All she or any other candidate would need to do is post the plans on their websites and solicit comments. How har can the be.
There were many campaign strategies but almost no specific plans to accomplish these goals that I could find. Here are the specifics I found.
• Grocery Price-Gouging Ban: Work with Congress to enact federal rules against excessive food pricing, mirroring existing state-level emergency guardrails.
o No specifics on how to accomplish this
• Housing Affordability: Spur the construction of 3 million new homes and offer up to $25,000 in down-payment assistance for first-time homebuyers.
o How? Even just an outline
• Prescription Drug Caps: Expand Medicare drug-price negotiations and cap insulin and out-of-pocket prescription expenses for all Americans.
o How would she go about this.
As the Vice President, she knew exactly what needed to be done and how to go about it. But I could find no evidence of any specific plan to do so. Not even an outline of the steps to accomplish them.
• Child Tax Credit Expansion: Permanently raise the credit to $3,600 per child under six ($3,000 for older children) and provide $6,000 for newborns.
o Again, nice promise but no plan, not even an outline of one.
• Small Business Support: Increase the startup tax deduction from $5,000 to $50,000 and create a standard deduction for small businesses.
o Same comment as above
• Revenue Offsets: Raise the corporate tax rate to 28% and quadruple the tax on stock buybacks to fund middle-class tax cuts.
o This is closer, but doesn’t lay out any process to execute this strategy
• Immigration Reform: Resurrect and sign the bipartisan Senate border security bill to increase border enforcement and restrict emergency asylum access.
o This is better
• Reproductive Rights: Pledge to sign federal legislation restoring nationwide abortion protections if passed by Congress.
o a promise to but no pan to get the legislation to get it in place plan to get it done.
In general, a lot of promises and a hint at some of the details but no attempt to show the steps in the process.
I was able to put together a plan to Provide Universal Health care for all US residents and provide the steps to accomplish this without having ever been in Congress or the white house. If I can do it, every politician can do it as well. You can check the plan out on my Substack. This took me a while, but I don’t have a team of hundreds working for me like many political candidates do either.
I voted for Harris because Trump's promises were so outrageous and at least Harris had some specific goals
Nobody says it better, Jen. Thank you, and continued strength to persevere! We are truly grateful for all your insights into all this madness.