Trump 2025

[Doodoo]

ELON's PAY

"Greg revealed the figure after asking Mr. Talvoc, "Do you know how much a day Mr. Musk will receive from the federal government for his contracts?" to which Mr. Talvoc replied, "No." Greg then stated, "The answer is $8 million per day."

[Bandung_Dero]

Gimme a break, Musk wouldn't get out of bed for that.

[Declan MacPherson]

The reciprocal tariffs and trade barriers are now in place. All countries who treated the US unfairly with tariffs and trade barriers will now be faced with the equivalent tariffs and trade barriers to balance what has been billions in US trade deficits.


https://nypost.com/2025/02/13/us-news/t ... rosshairs/

A White House official told reporters that the US will take special aim at India, which the person called “the maharaja of tariffs,” as well as the European Union’s value added tax (VAT) averaging 21.8%, which “works effectively like a tariff,” and Japan, which the official said has steep non-tariff barriers to US imports.

“We expect every country to take action, because it is patently obvious on its face that they are cheating us,” the official said, dissing India’s trade policies mere hours before Trump met with visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House.

“If we can balance our trade, that’s a trillion-dollar gain annually.”

America First Marches On

[jackspratt]

https://nypost.com/2025/02/13/us-news/t ... rosshairs/

A White House official told reporters that the US will take special aim at India, which the person called “the maharaja of tariffs,” as well as the European Union’s value added tax (VAT) averaging 21.8%, which “works effectively like a tariff,” and Japan, which the official said has steep non-tariff barriers to US imports.

“If we can balance our trade, that’s a trillion-dollar gain annually.”

The "White House Official", just like your good self, has NFI.

VAT is a domestic tax, applied to imported and domestic goods.

But while we are here, what are your thoughts (corruption-wise) on Musk shutting down The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), at the same time he is trying to open up X as a payments platform?

And one more - how's those eggs going. Is Mexico going to pay for them?

[Doodoo]

At least you are reading my posts Timtim

[Doodoo]

Bandung_Dero
"Gimme a break, Musk wouldn't get out of bed for that"
How would you know that unless you were there.

[tamada]

At least you are reading my posts Timtim

Assumptions in lieu of citations now?

[tamada]

Bandung_Dero
"Gimme a break, Musk wouldn't get out of bed for that"
How would you know that unless you were there.

Maybe UM should place tariffs on dumb posts?

[Doodoo]

"Maybe UM should place tariffs on dumb posts?"

Here once again are the narcissistic comments answering posts directed to others
Time to get back on medication???

[tamada]

"Maybe UM should place tariffs on dumb posts?"

Here once again are the narcissistic comments answering posts directed to others
Time to get back on medication???

Medication? Thick on assumptions aren't we?

Or just thick.

[Declan MacPherson]

The EU has not been a real friend or ally to the United States for quite awhile. The Europe of the 21st century is not the Europe of WW2, and Americans recognize it. It's long overdue for Europe to take care of themselves.

The reality of that situation is coming to a head as Trump seeks to remove large numbers of the military from Europe.

I have been calling for this for years.

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-us-troop ... to-2019728

President Donald Trump plans to pull about 20,000 U.S. troops from Europe, according to a leading Italian news agency.

A European diplomatic source told ANSA that Trump, who entered office on Monday for a second term, wants to reduce the American contingent in Europe by about 20 percent and plans to ask for a "financial contribution" for the maintenance of the remaining troops.

[Declan MacPherson]

JD Vance puts the EU on notice to their face regarding their suppression of speech and other draconian efforts against citizens.

[tamada]

JD Vance puts the EU on notice to their face regarding their suppression of speech and other draconian efforts against citizens.

Scotland isn't a member of the EU.

[FrazeeDK]

Around 100,000 American troops are stationed in Europe. More than 65,000 are based permanently on the continent, while the rest are rotating staff and mostly reinforcements.

So, which 20,000? As for paying for the US, the Poles have offered to host more US troops. They currently have rotating battalion of US troops and a US Headquarters in Poznan which is permanent party. Germany too has always paid a substantial portiong of costs for having US troops in their country..

UK: 10,180 US Troops
Germany: 50,000 (increase from 39,000 in 2019)
Turkey: 1,683
Italy: 12,319
Spain: 3253
Belgium: 1119
Netherlands 405
Greece: 393

Germany will get trimmed back with some of those units going to Poland I'll bet..

[Bandung_Dero]

ELON's PAY

"Greg revealed the figure after asking Mr. Talvoc, "Do you know how much a day Mr. Musk will receive from the federal government for his contracts?" to which Mr. Talvoc replied, "No." Greg then stated, "The answer is $8 million per day."

Believe what you want!!!

The White House has also said Mr Musk is a special government employee, meaning he doesn't get paid and is only allowed to work 130 days or fewer in a year.

This essentially allows Mr Musk to work for the federal government, while possibly avoiding disclosure rules about conflicts of interest and finances that apply to regular government employees.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-15/ ... /104929704

[jackspratt]

The $8m/day appears to be the amount that Musk's various entities are receiving from the Federal Government under various contracts.

It is not what he is receiving for his "work" at DOGE.

https://x.com/RepCasar/status/1889734669442125897

[Declan MacPherson]

No more transgender members or applicants will remain in the US Military. No more transgender surgeries paid for by the US Military.

Trump EO states that anyone who expresses "a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service."

[Declan MacPherson]

Trump and Musk didn't create DOGE. It was created by Obama, but under another name.

Obama created what would be called the United States Digital Service (USDS) in 2014. It was meant as a bureaucratic patch job to fix the Obamacare website meltdown.

Trump simply rebranded it DOGE, kept the acronym and kept the funding. Trump just redefined the mission: Find the Receipts. Legally, DOGE is untouchable without rewriting multiple federal laws because it was already fully funded and operational.

Trump invoked 5 USC 3161, which allowed him to create temporary hiring authorities. DOGE teams get embedded inside every single federal agency. Each team consists of a lawyer, a Human Resources rep, a nerd and an investigator. They report to DOGE, not to the agency where they are embedded.

Trump then invoked 44 USC Chapter 35, which governs federal IT and cybersecurity oversight. Since Obama's USDS was originally an IT oversight body, DOGE now has full access to all federal data systems.

Trump's EO was written in such a way as to block all legitimate legal challenges. It includes language that overrides conflicting EOs. It orders every agency to comply, and refusal means they violate presidential authority. Congress can't defund it because it's not a new program, just a repurposed one. DOJ can't sue for overreach because Trump used existing laws exactly as written. Democrats trying to file legal challenges run into standing issues because DOGE operates within existing frameworks.

Obama built a perfect Executive Branch (Deep State) IT back door. Trump and Musk simply hacked the system and took the administrative controls. Musk now has legal oversight of every major agency's internal systems. The Administrative State can't stop it without rewriting multiple federal laws.

Obama created DOGE, and he created Trump when Obama swung that pendulum too far into an immoral, authoritarian, oppressive and totalitarian Hellscape.

Democrats are the Undisputed Champions of Unintended Consequences, and this is another example of it all blowing up in their faces.

[Doodoo]

Lets put it to the Farmers
Programs slashed
But, despite promises to the contrary, the programs being slashed by the new administration are having a direct effect on an already struggling sector.
Amidst the flurry of executive orders on Trump’s Day One, one was signed requiring the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to freeze funds for these IRA associated initiatives
USAid factor
Exacerbating the situation is Trump’s freeze on USAid. In 2020, the US government bought more than $2.1 billion in food aid from US farmers. Now $340 million worth of food assistance is on hold in US ports.
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/tr ... 2#image=16

This is not the whole story but in short form "Now that we are in Elon lets give it to them Elon"

[Bandung_Dero]

Yep, Mr Doodoo at his best!
Engaging the keyboard before putting the brain into gear.
Can't figure what light banter is!