Malicious Compliance With Radical Orders
Piling absurdity atop cruelty.
There have been a handful of instances where senior non-appointed leaders in the Defense Department (and I would imagine elsewhere in the executive branch) have issued rather obviously over-the-top, sweeping orders rescinding longstanding, uncontroversial policies in response to President Trump’s Day 1 executive orders banning DEI programs. Most notably, the commander of the US Navy Reserve canceled anti-harassment, anti-fraternization, and safety and occupational health policies. And, more famously, the Air Force canceled a lesson on the Tuskegee Airmen.
Senator Katie Britt (R, AL) and newly-confirmed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth criticized the last of these as “malicious compliance.” Which, honestly, was my initial reaction as well. The standard procedure for interpreting over-broad orders is to ask for clarification before doing obviously stupid things.
But here’s the thing: the combination of the reckless manner in which the orders were issued and the ruthless disregard for consequences with which some programs are being carried out makes it hard to distinguish “malicious compliance” from “I was just followink orderz.”
I woke up this morning to these stories on memeorandum:
“White House pauses all federal grants, sparking confusion” (WaPo)
The White House budget office is ordering a pause to all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government, according to an internal memo sent to agencies Monday, creating significant confusion across Washington.
In a two-page document, Matthew J. Vaeth, the acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, instructs federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance.” The memo, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, also calls for each agency to perform a “comprehensive analysis” to ensure its grant and loan programs are consistent with President Donald Trump’s executive orders, which aimed to ban federal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and limit clean energy spending, among other measures.
The memo states its orders should not be “construed” to impact Social Security or Medicare recipients, and also says the federal financial assistance put on hold “does not include assistance provided directly to individuals.”
“Trump administration orders sweeping freeze of federal aid” (POLITICO)
One week in, the Trump administration is broadening its assault on the functions of government and shifting control of the federal purse strings further away from members of Congress.
President Donald Trump’s budget office Monday ordered a total freeze on “all federal financial assistance” that could be targeted under his previous executive orders pausing funding for a wide range of priorities — from domestic infrastructure and energy projects to diversity-related programs and foreign aid.
In a two-page memo obtained by POLITICO, the Office of Management and Budget announced all federal agencies would be forced to suspend payments — with the exception of Social Security and Medicare.
“The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,” according to the memo, which three people authenticated.
The new order could affect billions of dollars in grants to state and local governments while causing disruptions to programs that benefit many households. There was also widespread confusion over how the memo would be implemented and whether it would face legal challenges.
While the memo says the funding pause does not include assistance “provided directly to individuals,” for instance, it does not clarify whether that includes money sent first to states or organizations and then provided to households.
“Top USAID career staff placed on immediate leave” (POLITICO)
The Trump administration has ordered dozens of top career employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development to go on administrative leave, according to six people told of the decision.
The order — sent via email to members of the senior executive and senior Foreign Service — was issued close to the end of the business day Monday and was effective immediately, according to two current USAID officials and three former USAID officials told of the communication. It comes as USAID and the State Department have been ordered to impose halts on a vast number of humanitarian and related programs around the world.
The decision appears to affect nearly every career staffer who holds a top leadership role at the agency, at least in Washington — around 60 officials, the current and former officials said.
The cuts have left many offices within the agency entirely devoid of senior non-political leadership. The entire cadre of leaders who run USAID’s bureau for global health, for example, was put on leave, according to two of the officials.
“This is a huge morale hit,” said a former senior Trump administration official who was also told of the move. “This is the leadership of the agency. This is like taking out all the generals. I don’t know what they hope to accomplish by it.”
“Trump Administration Halts H.I.V. Drug Distribution in Poor Countries” (NYT)
The Trump administration has instructed organizations in other countries to stop disbursing H.I.V. medications purchased with U.S. aid, even if the drugs have already been obtained and are sitting in local clinics.
The directive is part of a broader freeze on foreign aid initiated last week. It includes the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the global health program started by George W. Bush that is credited with saving more than 25 million lives worldwide.
The administration had already moved to stop PEPFAR funding from moving to clinics, hospitals and other organizations in low-income countries.
Appointments are being canceled, and patients are being turned away from clinics, according to people with knowledge of the situation who feared retribution if they spoke publicly. Many people with H.I.V. are facing abrupt interruptions to their treatment.
But most federal officials are also under strict orders not to communicate with external partners, leading to confusion and anxiety, according to several people with knowledge of the situation.
U.S. officials have also been told to stop providing technical assistance to national ministries of health.
“The partners we collaborate with are in shock, and they do not know what to do because their lifesaving mission and commitment has been breached,” said Asia Russell, executive director of the advocacy group Health Gap.
“CDC ordered to stop working with WHO immediately, upending expectations of an extended withdrawal” (AP)
U.S. public health officials have been told to stop working with the World Health Organization, effective immediately.
A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official, John Nkengasong, sent a memo to senior leaders at the agency on Sunday night telling them that all staff who work with the WHO must immediately stop their collaborations and “await further guidance.”
Experts said the sudden stoppage was a surprise and would set back work on investigating and trying to stop outbreaks of Marburg virus and mpox in Africa, as well as brewing global threats. It also comes as health authorities around the world are monitoring bird flu outbreaks among U.S. livestock.
This is all just batshit insane. Even if one supported the goals being sought, the manner in which this is being carried out is simply destructive. It will quite literally result in people’s deaths. And, as frustrating as dealing with the WHO might be, there’s some bizarre irony in suspending work on the bird flu after getting elected largely on the high price of eggs.
Further, it’s hard to argue that taking absurd measures in the wake of the DEI order is “malicious” when we get actual policy directives like this:
“State Department Urged to Observe ‘Spirit’ of Trump’s Anti-DEI Order During Black History Month” (WSJ):
The State Department should observe the “spirit” of the Trump administration’s elimination of diversity programs in its public messaging, according to a Monday directive viewed by The Wall Street Journal, likely prohibiting the agency from openly observing Black History Month in February.
The new public affairs guidance states that any communications should reflect President Trump’s priorities, which have included the closure of diversity, equity and inclusion offices throughout the government and revocation of a six-decade-old executive order that required government contractors to proactively root out discrimination on the basis of race and sex. The DEI rollbacks prompted State Department officials over the last week to seek permission to release public statements about Black History Month as well as other “heritage months and commemorative events.”
The answer arrived in an email: Public diplomacy staff should highlight the “valuable contribution of individual Americans throughout U.S. history, while ensuring our public communications maintain the spirit of the directive eliminating DEAI programs,” referring to diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion.
There would be “no restrictions,” however, on content or any programming related to accessibility or people with disabilities.
A State Department official said it was clear there would be no public-facing messages or events about Black History Month when it begins on Saturday.
“That’s how we’re reading it,” the official said. “The diplomats I spoke to today, with decades of experience, couldn’t remember a time we failed” to mark Black History Month, the official added.
At least we know they’re allowed to say good things about the Tuskeegee Airmen. So there’s that.
Serious question: how is this not 100% illegal? There is a federal budget approved by Congress. How can the President unilaterally decide to not spend this money?
Why isn’t Congress up in arms?
I wonder how long it will take for our brave Senators and Representatives to step into the breach when the calls start coming in.
@drj: @Scott: The problem is that, with rare exception, orders of the President are presumptively legal within the Executive branch. To the extent they may violate a statute, the remedy is for someone with standing (which itself is complicated) to take the matter to court for adjudication.
@drj:
He can’t, legally. It’s called “impoundment” and it’s specifically prohibited by law.
Congress has been shoveling its powers over to the Executive for decades now. Not to mention the majority is perfectly fine with Trump-as-emperor.
Yet, you still defend the unconstitutional covid lock down executive orders because citizens should be forced to obey executive orders but not government officials.
@Paul L.: You realize Trump was President during the COVID lockdowns? And that most of the orders came from governors and other local officials? And that these orders were quite specific, requiring considerably less guessing as to how to implement?
NIH and NIH-funded investigators are getting wrecked by this. Among other things, entire programs are being disappeared so as to not run afoul of the “ending wokeness” dictate.
Eg, diversity supplements are a common way to fund trainees from historically underrepresented groups. This is a wonderful program that supports all kinds of trainees, including first-gens. Many of my trainees have benefitted and currently benefit from these supplements.
Indeed, we’re about to submit a new proposal for a one. Putting the finishing touches on the proposal. Well, looks like not so much.
The entire diversity supplement program has likely* been abolished. All mention of it has been removed from NIH websites.
*I say “likely” because no one really knows. NIH officials are forbidden from communicating with the public right now. So we have no idea what’s going to happen in the short/long run. Will this only impact new proposals going forward? Will current supplements (ie, those that were previously funded and currently support trainees) be ended?
@drj:
Legal or illegal has nothing to do with the law anymore, only what someone is or isn’t prepared to force you to do or stop doing.
@Stormy Dragon:
I know, but at least the Dems should be making some noise, I would say.
This is the point. The Project 2025 crew are hard-line Republicans and have wanted this for decades. Have you ever heard a Republican complain about sending money overseas when “we have so much that needs to be done here”? This is what they WANT. They WANT chaos. And they don’t care if people die. They really, really, don’t.
@Paul L.:
Covid mismanagement and “lockdowns” happened under Trump.
Heil MAGA
Heil Trump
Competence was never a hallmark of the Trump Administration.
No one should be surprised by any of this.
@drj:
Meh.
I say let them fuck up as much as they can.
Give them the rope to hang themselves.
@Paul L.: Setting aside a variety of problems with your assertion, I want to note that you are engaging in whataboutism. I note this because you often use the term but do not appear to understand its meaning.
In this case James is writing about of host of things happening now. Instead of engaging with that subject you are saying, “But what about the COVID lockdowns?” Raising that issue has nothing to do with addressing James’ post or the actions of the Trump administration in the now.
@drj:
Because it is controlled by his co-partisans.
And the only real tool the opposition party has is press conferences.
@Daryl:
I fear that this isn’t incompetence. They are blocking things they don’t like and don’t care about the chaos or, in fact worse, the chaos is part of the point.
Whatever this is, it isn’t incompetence.
@James Joyner: Fascinating how some quarters talk about covid like it was some political thing a long time ago and didn’t involve people doing their honest best to prevent millions of people from dying from an unknown disease.
@Steven L. Taylor: Por qué no los dos?
I see that Paul L is still a whiny bitch even when his favorite cock is in power. Trumpies are sore losers AND sore winners, a potent combo
@Steven L. Taylor:
True.
Intentionally f’ing things up is something different.
@Mimai: Mimai, it’s a federal policy which treats people differently on the basis of race, right?
On the other hand, for the uniformed members at say the Air Force Academy, there is a judgement criteria in their fitness reports.
As for taking it to court, might be that is what is sought. Get someone to take the DEI programs into court and then let them try to explain how they worked that weren’t violations of the laws against discrimination.
I believe these early bold moves are there to get the lawsuits going so they can go through the courts and, if upheld, implemented before 2028. Democrats were going to use lawfare as they did in Trump’s first term no matter what, so get the cases on the judicial calendars early is a good strategy.
Bonus is some of these malicious compliance acts by the bureaucrats as it reveals them for removal or reassignment early.
And for fun here is how the New York Magazine cropped a photo of the inauguration so they could claim “the entire room was white”. While others fight against the first non-white Director of the FBI nomination and ignore the first openly gay Secretary of the Treasury.
@Mikey:
That’s certainly how Trump and the Republicans see it.
The opening paragraph of the Vaeth ( budget office) memo is a piece of work:
Impoundment and all other inconvenient legalities be damned. With a 1.5% margin plurality win in the general election, the American people have given Trump a mandate to do whatever the hell he wants to call a Presidential priority. That’s democracy, byotches. “We’re only doing what’s been demanded by those we serve.”
@Steven L. Taylor: This might have been discussed before but when you use “Whatabout” as a rhetorical device such as “So and so did it so why can’t I?” you are implicitly concurring on what had occurred previously as opposed to disagreeing with what occurred previously. It’s creates an illogic and makes no sense. Kind of drives me crazy.
Shitty people with shitty values. Teve said it all when it comes to today’s gop and their trolls.
@Steven L. Taylor:
Thank you for noting this. I’m getting a little tired of the blame shifting already putting all this on the Democrats for not resisting hard enough.
@Jon: Los dos is the correct answer.
@becca: Part of me is glad Teve, Ozark and Doug don’t have to witness this shit. The other part misses their commentary greatly.
@Jen:
PEPFAR was George W. Bush’s initiative. Before Trump, Republican Presidents routinely supported disaster relief and foreign aid programs.
That old military saw about “s___ rolling down hill,” crazy also rolls down hill, over, under, and sideways. Trump’s counting on it.
The only thing more disingenuous than saying Trump has a mandate is saying that *half the country* supports every petty, vindictive and likely illegal action he takes. We are truly- and deeply- in the post-truth era.
@Rob1: That “commander” is entirely unfit for command, but he will probably make full Admiral in the Trump era.
@James Joyner: Yes, I know. That’s precisely why Bush, and to an even greater extent his father, get squawked about as RINOs and establishment Republicans.
I had a LOT of interaction with grassroots Republican activists when I worked on campaigns, and I can say without any hesitation that there are a lot of Republicans who absolutely hate it when we send any money, at all, overseas. They do not care about the rest of the world. They truly don’t. And they are in charge now.
ETA: Do you truly not have any Republican friends cheering about this? I do, and I’m really questioning why I am still maintaining relationships with people who hold such awful views.
@James Joyner: George H.W. Bush was the last of the solid post WWII Republican Presidents, and even then he was an increasing minority in the Republican Party. The last of the old school Republicans at the Federal level who had real power and used it was probably McCain. (Romney was essentially Susan Collins – “Concerns”, ten fingers in the wind, and a backbone like a wet noodle whenever their votes actually would make a difference.)
So “No Republicans” definitely eschews history, but “No Federal Republicans Today” is accurate. Today’s Republicans consists of Crazy True Believers, Malignant Opportunists, and Vichy.
@Rob1: But extremism in the military is not a problem, if it even exists at all.
Wow! Way back when I was in the military more than one base commander “encouraged” Bible study and prayer sessions. Attending was not mandatory but attendance was noted. Those who attended got better work hours, were more likely to get promoted, got general favoritism and even benefitted from the occasional basket leave, if you are familiar with the term. Also, if memory serves I think this was an issue at one of the academies, Air Force?
Also, I suspect the base commander noted in the piece is really missing out on beach volleyball. Since they wear bikinis he could make it mandatory that selected women service members, meaning the hot looking ones, would be required to perform, I mean practice, during mess hours so that the (manly) men could observe and offer comments on how to improve.
Steve
@Scott: Except that the message is “you were silent when X did Y, why complain now” and is not particularly illogical. The illogic comes from the paradigm shift–saying “but what about (unrelated thing)” pulls the conversation off topic. Additionally, and more importantly, most what about claims are false analogies (ETA: or blatant untruth) where “Y” isn’t like “now” at all.
Pointing out a real conflict of interest/ double standard is a powerful tool for real argument. What happens online is mostly quarreling. Quarrels are ALWAYS fatiguing. That’s part of the point– war by attrition.
@Jen: Over the years I’ve seen any number of polls saying a majority of Americans say we spend too much on foreign aid, and when asked for an appropriate amount, or percent of the budget, throw out a number an order of magnitude higher than what we spend. The MAGA, and maybe Trump himself, believe cutting foreign aid is a huge cost saving, and it isn’t. Also, too, do they realize aid isn’t selfless. Like buying a Justice a bus, we’re buying influence.
I’ll add that I’ve said for years there are only two kinds of Republicans, the ones making money off it, and the marks.
@Rob1: BTW, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation was founded by Mickey Weinstein directly as a result of his experiences at the AF Academy from which he was an Honors graduate. His two sons also attended the AFA and experienced beyond the pale Christian proselytizing.
It is going to get worse in the military WRT to Christian nationalism now that we have an unqualified and unfit Secretary of Defense Hegseth at the helm.
@Charley in Cleveland: While I won’t say “half…” or “every,” I’m willing to bet that a significant plurality approves most (so 50%+), and either doesn’t disapprove of or doesn’t care about most of the rest.
So “shitty people with shitty values” may well be “us” (in aggregate–and with apologies to Pogo and Walt Kelly, both).
Paul, like all Republicans, has Liberal Derangement Syndrome.
He desperately wants liberals to agree with him [because it’s all Just A Team Sport And Nothing Really Matters Hahaha], but at the same time knows he doesn’t begin to understand the actual discussion taking place.
So, he changes the subject, whataboutisms to 6 months ago, etc etc.
Antisocial personality disorders explain quite a lot once you’re aware how common they are.
@gVOR10:
And that a lot of the “foreign” aid is supplied in kind by US companies. So much of this consists of subsidies to business.
There’s a line in The Darkest Hour, where Churchill tells FDR on the phone “But we paid for those planes with the money you loaned us.”
@Daryl:
I remember the outrage from the Democrats when Trump tried to reopen the country by Easter and the lockdowns continued until the Covid vaccine was available thanks and praise be to Biden to the public and was required to not be subject to the lockdowns.
@James Joyner:
And RE: USAID, WHO, State Department etc. American “soft power” is too subtle a concept for the average American voter. Probably, for Trump as well, who by default loves to “go in g̶u̶n̶s bluster blazing.”
Much more readily assimilated are things like “transgender storybook hour at the local library.” This tendency does not bode well for America’s future in a complex, interrelated world. (Hell yeah! Cut off foreign aid, and let’s just take Greenland!)
Trump’s got the megaphone (see my post in Forum), and he’s got power, SCOTUS, a good chunk of the Appellate Courts, Congress. America is in a bad spot and half of the population doesn’t know or care. And he’s just getting started.
@Gavin:
Bingo! Another subtle but critical concept affecting our lives, yet of which we have such little grasp.
@JKB: It’s clear you don’t like affirmative action, etc.
I am curious about something, genuinely curious.
Do you feel that affirmative action is something we once needed but is now past its time? OR
Do you feel that affirmative action was never needed at all, and only succeeded in harming people?
@Fortune:
Here are the groups that qualify:
A. Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the NSF to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis. In addition, it is recognized that underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting; individuals from racial or ethnic groups that can be demonstrated convincingly to be underrepresented by the grantee institution should be encouraged to participate in this program.
B. Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended.
C. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined as those who meet two or more of the following criteria:
1. Were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
2. Were or currently are in the foster care system, as defined by the Administration for Children and Families
3. Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years
4. Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor s degree
5. Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants
6. Received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as a parent or child
7. Grew up in one of the following areas: a) a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer, or b) a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas
Students from low socioeconomic (SES) status backgrounds have been shown to obtain bachelor’s and advanced degrees at significantly lower rates than students from middle and high SES groups and are subsequently less likely to be represented in biomedical research
Again, as others have noted, the lockdowns were controlled at the state level. If you look at actual lockdown times they varied widely with eight (8) states having no lockdowns and 2 going on well over a year. The large majority lasted 1-2 months.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/lockdown-by-state
As an aside, it’s incredibly easy to find this info. It’s sort of amazing that this stuff keeps getting repeated but as noted in other posts, people just blindly believe whatever their leader tells them or their tribal affiliation leads them to believe.
Steve
Perhaps Democrats should put together a Chai Latte party, ala the TEA party of 2009, in response
@JKB:
Not necessary. Democrats didn’t need a Tea Party for their 2018 and 2020 wins, Trump’s ability to bankrupt everything he touches was enough.
The 1,500+ criminals released by Epstein-bestie rapist Trump are already committing more crimes.
Trump is gutting health agencies during a) a tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas, caused by antivaxxer propaganda and b) a bird flu outbreak, with egg prices and shortages hitting records.
Trump’s Colombia threats caused coffee prices to spike yesterday.
Trump promised to end Putin’s Ukraine war on day one of his presidency. He failed to do so.
Housing and healthcare in the US are still unaffordable.
Instead of Nazi salutes and concern trolling about Dem strategy, or about the old news lockdowns necessitied by Trump’s COVID incompetence, maybe Republicans should help their DUI hires like Pete Hegseth solve all the problems getting worse under Trump’s chaotic, destabilizing extremism.
@Rob1: On the one hand, the MAGA Commander has three overlapping rules on female pursuits, and the antitrans “commandment” fits right under the anti-LGBTQ “commandment” so there are really only seven.
On the other hand, do we really need him to rack his walnut sized brain to get another 3?
Finally, I’m sure Sec. of Defense Hegseth will bring this commander in line.
Granted Trump has done, and is doing, many, many things….Trump has only been president for 7 days, literally.
Please tells of all these problems that have gotten worse in the last week.
When as this post is about, the career functionaries have been trying malicious compliance and feigned confusion to avoid following directives.
@Paul L.:
Do you smell toast?
@JKB:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-federal-funding-freeze-widespread-confusion-rcna189581
Also, the price of eggs, tuberculosis in Kansas (great time to be hobbling the CDC!), bird flus (yes, plural, H5N1 and a few reports of H5N5, great time to be hobbling the CDC!)
@Fortune: The other day, to the degree that I can recall, you asserted that you supported equality of opportunity while, to my reading of your comment, were either opposed or ambivalent toward DEI. My disconnect to your position comes from a conviction that DEI (and affirmative action before it) are tools that enhance the nation’s ability to achieve equality of opportunity. The greatest negative factor in equality of opportunity is invisibility–by which I mean the situation of having to go through your life unnoticed. (I’m leaving out bias and prejudice because I conditionally accept your assertion that you support EOO.) Invisibility is a problem specifically because invisibles can’t reliably access the equality you support. It doesn’t ever occur to people in authority to look for these people as employees. Affirmative Action and, subsequently, DEI create the impetus necessary to bring target groups into visibility.
Feel free to disagree with me but admit that, for you, believing in “equal opportunity” excludes groups X, Y, and Z, however you label them.
@Mimai: Thank you for giving me an opportunity to address a point from the weekend that I’ve been trying to find a way to address.
@Paul L.: I remember the outrage from MAGAts toward Trump and the vaccine when he tried to encourage them (however blandly) to get COVID shots after (properly and effectively, I would add) he endorsed actions to get the vaccine to the public in as timely manner as possible.
Selective memory is truly a wonderful thing. I agree! (And here’s where I’ll exit this quarrel.)
@@steve:
No, it’s not; it’s all part of “flood the zone with sh*t” and the OG “big lie.”
@DK: These days, I’m struggling to figure out what JKB’s point is and glad that someone here is fluent (enough) in blithering gibberish to comment.
@JKB:
When all you have is “Trump cannot fail, he can only be failed” every bit of incompetence is explained away by Deep State sabotage versus the same poorly crafted, hastily written policy that was the mark of his first Administration.
@Gustopher: “Also, the price of eggs, tuberculosis in Kansas (great time to be hobbling the CDC!), bird flus (yes, plural, H5N1 and a few reports of H5N5, great time to be hobbling the CDC!)”
Trump’s vile new press secretary in her first press briefing today said that eggs were expensive because Joe Biden ordered that a hundred million chickens be killed. Apparently the Trump plan to bring down the price of eggs is simply to let the bird flu run wild all over the country. I’m pretty sure that Connor and JKB will be here complaining the Biden locked down chicken coops while Trump is setting them free.
@Paul L.: No, Paul. What Trump said was that the virus would be gone by Easter. I remember clearly because some twit on Fox News started to call it the American Resurrection. The outrage was that Trump was spewing BS that totally countered reality.
@drj:
They (Congress) don’t even bother with that performative Kabuki anymore.
Congress has, over the past 3-4 decades, ceded much of its power to the Executive Branch. Just look at the Hegseth Nomination. That should have been an easy “No’ vote for both Democrats and Republicans, but Republicans don’t take seriously the advice and consent clause of The Constitution. On merit and qualification Hegseth was an obvious ‘No.’
It’s reached a level where it’s considered ‘bipartisan cooperation’ if they stand together to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
@JKB:
It was Trump, not @DK, whose WHOLE campaign was premised on the idea that solutions to these complex issues were simple and that Trump Will Fix It easily and quickly. Now you want a grace period after voters took him at his word?
Link goes to a bunch of Trump quotes. He mostly said it was going away as numbers mounted and that we had it under control, when we did not. He also said everyone could get a test who wanted one and the tests were perfect. Nothing is perfect and in fact the early test had issues. He clearly tried to lead people to believe the virus would go away when the weather got warm. (Is it OK to use his own words against him? I know there is this weird thing where conservatives interpret things Trump says to show he meant something different but I am not privy to that special Trump interpretive dictionary.)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/timeline-president-donald-trump-changing-statements-on-coronavirus/
BTW, Trump said he would end the Ukraine-Russia war in 24 hours. I can link to the quote if you want. Any idea why he has not ended it yet?
Steve
@Matt Bernius:
I think this second administration is much more competent. They actually planned during the transition, for one thing. But more than that, they do seem to understand what authorities the Executive has and what areas where they can successfully push the limits of that authority toward their desired policy ends. Their EO’s and the policy documents coming out for them are carefully worded and intentional – not ignorant blather – with specific goals, timelines, and responsibilities. They include verbiage stating that all changes must be in accordance with existing law, probably as a CYA, but also to try to guard against dumb excesses so that courts do not block their efforts like last time. They are also effectively using the “flood the zone” strategy in a more systematic and coordinated way. Instead of doing things piecemeal, they are doing everything all at once. As a strategy it is a very good one and allows them to keep the initiative in all kinds of domains.
I think people, if they haven’t already, will come to wish for the days when they could make fun of the first Trump administration’s incompetence. To the extent that people oppose Trump’s policies, this new administration should be much, much more concerning.
@just nutha:
What do you mean “to look for”. Are they shredding the resumes? We agree they shouldn’t. Are they allowing them to apply just like everyone else but not seeking them out in a special way? That’s equal opportunity. Are they bumping them up in the line? That’s not equal opportunity anymore, that’s preferences.
@JKB:
Trump literally spent 2024 promising to lower grocery prices and end Putin’s attack on Ukraine “on day one,” blaming Biden and Harris for not immediately doing so like he insisted he could.
Already did. Trump’s chaotic and unnecessary Colombia threats caused coffee prices to spike yesterday, per reporting from The Wall Street Journal.
The largest tuberculosis outbreak since the 1950s, maybe ever, is hitting Kansas right now, but Trump has already crippled the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes for Health. This is also is deleterious to bird flu mitigation, which stands to negatively impact egg prices and shortages.
The agriculture sector reports wide swaths of their workforce going truant — fearing Trump’s mass deportation raids. This will increase prices.
Trump has already disrupted Medicaid administration, threatening Americans’ healthcare.
And some of the 1,500+ criminals Trump released are already committing more crimes. Republicans ran on reducing crime, not creating more of it.
7 days in the crazed extremism of MAGA White House II is already hitting Americans in the pocketbook and making us less safe. Republicans need to fix these problems now, as promised, instead of defending Nazi salutes or empowering drunks and predators.
@Fortune: I’ll take that as “I disagree” and thank you for answering. As Ann Wilson cogently noted, “I can’t sell you what you don’t want to buy.” Go in peace, and serve whatever end you choose.
@JKB:
Heil MAGA.
Heil Trump.
@JKB:
Another MAGAt cult member.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6367710404112
Which is it, JKB?
@Andy:
I completely agree that this is a far more competent administration. And I’m retrospect my comment was wrong in that this is a different type of incompetence or simply interference.
I think what we are seeing here is a different sort of incompetence–having people who still have relatively little experience with the intricacies of the actual implementation of these orders drafting them with a focus on surviving legal scrutiny in the ways you describe.
This is a common occurrence when you have an ideologues driving policy (and a discussion I’ve had with former ideologues who later seriously confronted the issues with their poorly drafted legislation and policy).
So, for example, the entire crash of the Medicaid portal and key programs being locked out of funding should have been easily predictable by anyone who has worked on those programs.
It’s entirely possible that those issues were raised and people were evil enough not to care. But given the amount of time I’ve spent around policy people and government folks, I will always opt for Harlon’s Razor until there’s enough non-circumstantial evidence to the contrary.
Oh trust me, I already wish for the first administration. As a country, we are also about to see how much the confusion created by orders written without concerns about key implementation questions will cause a cascade impact that ultimately harms many people in the short term.
@al Ameda:
That’s more of a sign that Republicans have deferred all authority to Trump, rather than anything about Congress deferring to the Executive.
I don’t think JD Vance would get the same deference if Trump were to die in an electric toothbrush accident next week.
It’s a cult of personality, Trump can’t pass it on, and when he himself passes on, there’s goin to be massive infighting to try to carve up the corpse.
And our anti-anti-Trumpers who definitely don’t support Trump will be devastated.
@just nutha:
You are welcome. I appreciate the courtesy of being thanked. I don’t demand it. Or expect it. But I do appreciate it. 4.5 yelp stars
@Matt Bernius:
It’s like saying my second divorce went way better than my first because of the pre-nup.
Trump’s supporters and his apologists never really had the plot the first time around but they at least had the idea of what a good marriage looked like. This time, it’s just the gutter and no standards. And Trump, to his credit, brought them there.
@just nutha: I like this closing and will steal it. It’s musical
@Jim Brown 32: Help yourself. As I noted, the line isn’t original with me either.
How can you distinguish malicious compliance of malicious executive orders from just compliance of those orders?
Look at this:
Is this a reasonable interpretation of a complete halt of all foreign aid? Could be.
Is this someone being a shithead to show how awful the EO is? Could be.
Is this a True Believer Trump Loyalist going above and beyond? Could be.
I have no way of knowing. I blame Trump because he created this level of chaos. If we had a congress that could/would do oversight, it would make sense to find out whether there was anyone questioning the interpretation of the executive order, and how far up the food chain requests for clarification went.
@Gustopher:
That is a great idea for a family movie.
@Gustopher:
I think this is a really fair question.
@Andy:
.
Actually, I still wish for those days when the very idea of a Trump Administration was laughable and absurd.
I definitely did not enjoy those days when he was both incompetent and incontinent.
@Fortune:
Um, what’s your point?
@Rob1:
Oh, man, I would so love to teach some of those Bible studies. If there’s anything incompatible with Trumpism, it’s the gospels…