#47 President Donald Trump

shecky

Have you read President Trump's actual "Hiring Freeze Memorandum" document, dated Jan. 20, 2025?

I've attached it for you below.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order a freeze on the hiring of Federal civilian employees, to be applied throughout the executive branch.  As part of this freeze, no Federal civilian position that is vacant at noon on January 20, 2025, may be filled, and no new position may be created except as otherwise provided for in this memorandum or other applicable law.  Except as provided below, this freeze applies to all executive departments and agencies regardless of their sources of operational and programmatic funding.

This order does not apply to military personnel of the armed forces or to positions related to immigration enforcement, national security, or public safety.  Moreover, nothing in this memorandum shall adversely impact the provision of Social Security, Medicare, or Veterans’ benefits.  In addition, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) may grant exemptions from this freeze where those exemptions are otherwise necessary.

Within 90 days of the date of this memorandum, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with the Director of OPM and the Administrator of the United States DOGE Service (USDS), shall submit a plan to reduce the size of the Federal Government’s workforce through efficiency improvements and attrition.  Upon issuance of the OMB plan, this memorandum shall expire for all executive departments and agencies, with the exception of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  This memorandum shall remain in effect for the IRS until the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Director of OMB and the Administrator of USDS, determines that it is in the national interest to lift the freeze.

Contracting outside the Federal Government to circumvent the intent of this memorandum is prohibited.

In carrying out this memorandum, the heads of executive departments and agencies shall seek efficient use of existing personnel and funds to improve public services and the delivery of these services.  Accordingly, this memorandum does not prohibit making reallocations to meet the highest priority needs, maintain essential services, and protect national security, homeland security, and public safety.

This memorandum does not limit the nomination and appointment of officials to positions requiring Presidential appointment or Senate confirmation, the appointment of officials to non-career positions in the Senior Executive Service or to Schedule A or C positions in the Excepted Service, the appointment of officials through temporary organization hiring authority pursuant to section 3161 of title 5, United States Code, or the appointment of any other non-career employees or officials if approved by agency leadership appointed by the President.  Moreover, it does not limit the hiring of personnel where such a limit would conflict with applicable law.

This memorandum does not abrogate any collective bargaining agreement in effect on the date of this memorandum.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So, in summation, the memorandum explains that the "hiring freeze" lasts only 90 days (not year after year as you erroneously claim).
At the end of 90 days, the OMB is to submit their plan for reducing the Federal workforce.

At the end of 90 days, this memorandum - and the hiring freeze - expires for most departments - including the V.A.

One very salient paragraph is as following:

"In carrying out this memorandum, the heads of executive departments and agencies shall seek efficient use of existing personnel and funds to improve public services and the delivery of these services.  Accordingly, this memorandum does not prohibit making reallocations to meet the highest priority needs, maintain essential services, and protect national security, homeland security, and public safety."

Who knows - the OMB could determine that the V.A. is not overstaffed, or that it is even understaffed.
We'll have to wait and see.

Perhaps I'm not the one who needs to "think about this better".

shecky

Pete Hegseth confirmed to lead Pentagon after VP Vance casts tie-breaking vote

All Dems opposed the confirmation — a far cry from an earlier vote for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was confirmed unanimously

By Morgan Phillips , Julia Johnson Fox News

Published January 24, 2025 9:50pm EST

The Senate voted to confirm President Donald Trump's nominee, Pete Hegseth, as defense secretary on Friday night after a high-tempered battle to sway lawmakers in his favor that was almost derailed by accusations about his behavior. 

The final vote came down to the wire: three Republicans opposed, making for a 50 to 50 vote. Vice President JD Vance was needed to break the tie in the upper chamber, putting the final tally at 51-50.

"Congratulations to Pete Hegseth. He will make a great Secretary of Defense!" Trump wrote on Truth Social after Hegseth's confirmation.

The Senate’s two moderate Republican women: Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted no. As did Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the former GOP leader. 

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis' support was not a given, and he did not reveal his stance until the vote was already underway. He ultimately said he would back Trump's pick, giving him enough support to be confirmed with Vance's tie-breaking vote. 

In her reasoning, Murkowski cited infidelity, "allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking" and Hegseth's previous comments on women serving in the military. 

The behaviors he has admitted to alone, she said, show "a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces."

Concerned Veterans for America (CVA), the nonprofit advocacy group at the center of many of the accusations brought up during Hegseth's confirmation hearing, praised his confirmation in a statement. 

"The confirmation of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense presents a real opportunity to prioritize the security and prosperity of our citizens, champion prudence and effectiveness in our defense strategy, and focus our Department of Defense on America’s most vital interests," the statement read. 

The New Yorker reported in December that Hegseth was forced out of CVA, the group he once ran, over allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual impropriety and personal misconduct. 

All Democrats opposed the confirmation, a far cry from an earlier vote this week, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio was confirmed unanimously, 99-0.

Hegseth will now lead the government’s largest agency, having long promised to root out Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) measures across each branch. 

The Pentagon under Trump, however, has not waited for a confirmed secretary. 

This week, the commander of the Air Force's 613th Air Operations Center in Hawaii, who had advocated for more women in roles like her own, was removed from her position. Gen. Kevin Schneider, commander of Pacific Air Forces, relieved Col. Julie Sposito-Salceies from the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, "due to loss of confidence in her ability to command the organization."

Shortly after Trump took office, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, the first uniformed woman to lead any military branch, was removed from her position. 

Trump this week also nominated former Space Force Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier and former Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller to top Defense Department posts – both men who were deeply critical of the Biden administration's policies at the Pentagon. 

Lohmeier, who had been nominated to serve as undersecretary of the Air Force, was fired as commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force base, after he wrote a book and appeared on podcasts claiming Marxism had infiltrated the armed forces and criticizing diversity policies.

Scheller made headlines for posting videos in uniform criticizing senior military leaders over the Afghanistan withdrawal. Scheller, the new senior advisor to the Department of Defense Under Secretary for personnel and readiness, was sent to the brig and court-martialed over the clips. 

Hegseth’s nomination was dealt a last-minute hurdle earlier this week when reports emerged that his ex-sister-in-law alleged he had abused his second wife. 

On Tuesday, Fox News obtained an affidavit from Hegseth's former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which alleged he had an alcohol abuse problem and at times made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. Danielle Hegseth was previously married to Pete Hegseth's brother and has no relation to Samantha.

But Danielle Hegseth added that she never witnessed any abuse herself, physical or sexual, by Pete against Samantha. 

Samantha Hegseth has also denied any physical abuse in a statement to NBC News.

Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker said in a statement Wednesday night that reports "regarding a confidential briefing on the FBI background investigation of Pete Hegseth that I received last week are starkly and factually inaccurate," and that he stands by Hegseth’s nomination.

Earlier Thursday, Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged Republicans to join him in opposing the former Fox News host and Army national guardsman. 

"Hegseth is so utterly unqualified, he ranks up there [as] … one of the very worst nominees that could be put forward," Schumer said.

Hegseth, who has been married three times, has admitted he was a "serial cheater" before he became a Christian and married his current wife, Jenny. 

shecky

The nomination of Gov. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., to be the next Homeland Security secretary defeated a key hurdle in the confirmation process on Friday night, advancing to a final vote later this weekend. 

Her confirmation vote is expected to take place early Sunday morning. 

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is sworn in during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on her nomination to be Secretary of Homeland Security, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on Jan. 17, 2025. (Getty Images)

If confirmed, Noem will become the fourth of President Donald Trump's picks to be advanced out of the Senate, behind Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and incoming Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. 

Votes that are expected soon after Noem's are those for Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent, followed by Transportation Secretary pick Sean Duffy. 

The South Dakota governor is expected to receive bipartisan support for her confirmation to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Her nomination advanced out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) by a vote of 13-2. Only two Democrats voted against her. 

A group of over 100 migrants attempting to enter the US illegally rush a border wall Thursday, March 21, 2024. (James Breeden for New York Post / Mega)

"I was the first Governor to send National Guard troops to Texas when they were being overwhelmed by an unprecedented border crisis," Noem told the committee during her confirmation hearing last week. 

"If confirmed as Secretary, I will ensure that our exceptional, extraordinary border patrol agents have all the tools and resources and support they need to carry out their mission effectively."

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner. 

HughFreakingDillon

“The call is coming from inside the house”

shecky

North Carolina residents Curtis A. Wright and Amber Wright, who were heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene, met with President Donald Trump during his visit to their state on Friday.

Curtis A. Wright argued in an appearance on "The Will Cain Show," that he thinks that North Carolinians have "been ignored" in the wake of the hurricane and said that Trump's visit was a "big relief."

"It was a lot of relief. You know, people keep saying, how are you guys doing in Asheville? And, you know, we feel like he's [sic] been forgotten. And I don't think we've been forgotten. I think we've been ignored. So for him [Trump] to come and see us today, that was a big relief. We'd previously had JD Vance come out to our house with Samaritan's Purse and some of the Grahams. And, you know, he told us that they were coming, and we were glad to see them."

Trump visited western North Carolina on Friday to meet with residents still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. 

Amber Wright was asked to describe how they have been living in the wake of the hurricane and said that it has been a "true nightmare."

"We just live day by day, one day at a time, trying to clean up, trying to see what our next steps are, if we're going to be able to rebuild, if we're not going to be able to rebuild. Waiting on, you know, insurance or whatever it may be. So it's been a struggle. It really has," she told host Will Cain.

North Carolina was struck by Hurricane Helene in late September and caused over 100 deaths in the state, as well as tens of millions in damage. The catastrophic flooding caused by the hurricane was described by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell as "historic."

FEMA has faced criticism for its relief efforts post-hurricane. During his visit Friday, Trump said, "FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don't know if that's Biden's fault or whose fault it is, but we're going to take over." 

Curtis and Amber Wright said that they had lost "everything they own" in the storm, including all of their farm equipment, and described what they would need in order to rebuild.

"What we're needing right now is a fair evaluation from our insurance company in a timely manner to pay out," Curtis Wright said. "Samaritan's Purse has been a blessing to us,They are willing to fill all the gaps that FEMA and our insurance company has not. We actually have the ability to build on higher ground on another piece of property that connects to our current farm. And that's what our hopes are, to get fair payout and just to tear down the home that we have because it's beyond 50% repairable and then start over."

While in North Carolina, Trump told reporters that he plans to sign an executive order "fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump told reporters, saying, "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good."

He also promised that his administration would step in to assist the clean-up efforts. "We're going to fix it, and we're going to fix it as fast as you can," Trump said.

Only half of the debris recovery from Hurricane Helene is complete, according to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, and thousands of families remain in hotels.  

Fox News' Diana Stacy contributed to this report.

Go Beavers

They felt ignored and were so happy to see Trump. “Maybe I’ll get rid of FEMA”. 

Someone make it stop. 

PJ_Soul

So the chaos has begun again... I can't bring myself to get deep into discussing any of it, like I did sometime in the past. It's too much, and too frustrating, and too distressing. All I can say, as I have probably said before, is WHAT THE FUCK AMERICA?! 

This go 'round is already so much worse than the first and will only get crazier, which is saying a whole lot. Trump is aiming to fuck the whole world over as far as I can tell, and he couldn't care less, and America voted for it. Many Americans themselves will obviously suffer the most, which sucks. It boggles the mind. I am so disturbed by it that I don't really quite know what to do with it. There are so many aspects about it that one could talk about forever... i personally don't have the energy to do it. 

I will mention (perhaps to the chagrin of the handful of Trumpers here) that I happen to be reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich right now (which is an absolutely FABULOUS book btw), and man oh man, has it ever got me thinking about what is happening in America right now. The similarities are undeniable, all specific differences aside. Anyone who balks at that idea (or calls it propaganda or fear mongering, which seems oh-so-popular in the AMT lately, lol) is just choosing to be blind, or doesn't mind. 

battle1

Oh boy, not another one. 

battle1

The similarities are undeniable, all specific differences aside. 

josevolution

😂😂 a poster says he doesn’t know too much about the biggest political crisis this country has endured and he’s not to knowledgeable about it😂😂 please it was only on tv every possible channel except Faux showed the events of that day for weeks. MAGA voters might be uninformed but we are certainly not here take that deflection and spin it somewhere else. 

mickeyrat

battle1 said:

The similarities are undeniable, all specific differences aside. 

she would be referring to the complete utter takeover of governement without the ovens.

similarities  with specific differences aside.

if you have not toured the Holocaust museum in DC, I suggest you do so. The speed with which that regime became what it was is mindboggling.

battle1

mickeyrat said:

battle1 said:

The similarities are undeniable, all specific differences aside. 

she would be referring to the complete utter takeover of governement without the ovens.

similarities  with specific differences aside.

if you have not toured the Holocaust museum in DC, I suggest you do so. The speed with which that regime became what it was is mindboggling.

 Remember when George Bush was also supposed to be Hitler?  Isn’t all this no different than what we rail against in terms of spreading misinformation, false narratives etc?  Posting social media feeds in hopes the information is true, Ive seen this multiple times here just the last couple days.  Let practice what we preach. 

I cant get a big enough laugh out of “undeniably similar… once we remove all the specific differences”.  Im literally shaking my head still. 

mickeyrat

battle1 said:

mickeyrat said:

battle1 said:

The similarities are undeniable, all specific differences aside. 

she would be referring to the complete utter takeover of governement without the ovens.

similarities  with specific differences aside.

if you have not toured the Holocaust museum in DC, I suggest you do so. The speed with which that regime became what it was is mindboggling.

 Remember when George Bush was also supposed to be Hitler?  Isn’t all this no different than what we rail against in terms of spreading misinformation, false narratives etc?  Posting social media feeds in hopes the information is true, Ive seen this multiple times here just the last couple days.  Let practice what we preach. 

I cant get a big enough laugh out of “undeniably similar… once we remove all the specific differences”.  Im literally shaking my head still. 

so someone who clains they are purposefully staying away from the bews and all things trump is commenting on observations of whats actually occuring?

laughable.

battle1

mickeyrat said:

battle1 said:

mickeyrat said:

battle1 said:

The similarities are undeniable, all specific differences aside. 

she would be referring to the complete utter takeover of governement without the ovens.

similarities  with specific differences aside.

if you have not toured the Holocaust museum in DC, I suggest you do so. The speed with which that regime became what it was is mindboggling.

 Remember when George Bush was also supposed to be Hitler?  Isn’t all this no different than what we rail against in terms of spreading misinformation, false narratives etc?  Posting social media feeds in hopes the information is true, Ive seen this multiple times here just the last couple days.  Let practice what we preach. 

I cant get a big enough laugh out of “undeniably similar… once we remove all the specific differences”.  Im literally shaking my head still. 

so someone who clains they are purposefully staying away from the bews and all things trump is commenting on observations of whats actually occuring?

laughable.

Im not “purposefully staying away” from anything, mick.  I never participated in the first place. 

HughFreakingDillon

Someone who doesn’t understand what she meant by that is obviously ignorant or just is being a rabble rouser. 

My guess is a bit of both. 

battle1

This brick and this pillow are undeniably similar, once we remove all the specific differences. 

tbergs

battle1 said:

The similarities are undeniable, all specific differences aside. 

We get it. Maybe just post ignorance is bliss because that seems to be your MO. Why bother posting at all. 

Halifax2TheMax

I really don’t understand why some posters can’t just wake up and enjoy their 401K balances? Weird.

battle1

Halifax2TheMax said:

I really don’t understand why some posters can’t just wake up and enjoy their 401K balances? Weird.

Tell me about it, Max. 

Halifax2TheMax

PJ_Soul said:

So the chaos has begun again... I can't bring myself to get deep into discussing any of it, like I did sometime in the past. It's too much, and too frustrating, and too distressing. All I can say, as I have probably said before, is WHAT THE FUCK AMERICA?! 

This go 'round is already so much worse than the first and will only get crazier, which is saying a whole lot. Trump is aiming to fuck the whole world over as far as I can tell, and he couldn't care less, and America voted for it. Many Americans themselves will obviously suffer the most, which sucks. It boggles the mind. I am so disturbed by it that I don't really quite know what to do with it. There are so many aspects about it that one could talk about forever... i personally don't have the energy to do it. 

I will mention (perhaps to the chagrin of the handful of Trumpers here) that I happen to be reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich right now (which is an absolutely FABULOUS book btw), and man oh man, has it ever got me thinking about what is happening in America right now. The similarities are undeniable, all specific differences aside. Anyone who balks at that idea (or calls it propaganda or fear mongering, which seems oh-so-popular in the AMT lately, lol) is just choosing to be blind, or doesn't mind. 

And there you have it From A Letter From An American with some selective edits. 

The Allied soldiers fighting in a bitter cold winter were fighting against fascism, a system of government that rejected the equality that defined democracy, instead maintaining that some men were better than others. American fascists under leader COOTWH had taken that ideology to its logical end, insisting that an elite few must lead, taking a nation forward by directing the actions of the rest. They organized the people as if they were at war, ruthlessly suppressing all opposition and directing the economy so that business and politicians worked together to consolidate their power. Logically, that select group of leaders would elevate a single man, who would become an all-powerful dictator. To weld their followers into an efficient machine, fascists demonized opponents into an “other” that their followers could hate, dividing their population so they could control it.