Trump/Admin Policies

Halifax2TheMax · October 22

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

Sounds like the normalization of extra judicial killings has begun. Less outrage and a “meh” when it’s a tractor trailer full of migrants or a bus full of No Kings protestors on their way to DC to encircle the White House, eh? Get ready for a lot more “we were being threatened and had to act to protect our courageous law enforcement officers.”

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.

Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.

President Donald Trump is reportedly spending millions more on weapons for his masked militia descending on American cities—who will now have access to “guided missile warheads.”

Independent journalist Judd Legum reported Monday that between Trump’s inauguration and October 18, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased weapons spending by 700 percent compared to the same period last year. In the last nine months, ICE has spent a whopping $71,515,762 on purchases of “small arms, ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing.”

“Small arms” include armor, explosives, chemical weapons, pistols, and rifles. “Ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing” refers to other materials, such as artillery, barrels, extractors, and mounts.

For comparison, in 2019, ICE spent just $5.7 million on the “small arms” category through October 18, and during Trump’s first administration, the government spent an average of $8.4 million per year.

While most of the spending was on guns and armor, Legum reported that ICE had also purchased “guided missile warheads and explosive components.” So while Trump has backed off selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, it seems he’s more than happy to arm his immigration authorities with lethal projectiles. It’s not immediately clear what part of a good-faith deportation operation would involve localized destruction and murder—but that’s because no such thing exists.

Clearly, Trump has plans to ramp up his federal immigration crackdown, which has gone hand-in-hand with his federal takeover of American cities. In Chicago, federal agents have conducted violent arrests of U.S. citizens and journalists, fired a pepper ball at a faith leader, unleashed tear gas on police, and shot two people, killing a father of two.

While bolstering his private army, Trump is planning to eliminate funding for SNAP benefits—starting four days ago.

https://newrepublic.com/post/202031/donald-trump-ice-increase-weapons-spending

tbergs · October 22

And there is no end to the corruption and fleecing of the US Government and taxpayers. This is beyond ridiculous.

Trump wants DOJ to pay him $230 million for previous investigations: Sources - ABC News https://share.google/NurvNeOBzaNFTp0tg

Lerxst1992 · October 22

Halifax2TheMax said:

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

Sounds like the normalization of extra judicial killings has begun. Less outrage and a “meh” when it’s a tractor trailer full of migrants or a bus full of No Kings protestors on their way to DC to encircle the White House, eh? Get ready for a lot more “we were being threatened and had to act to protect our courageous law enforcement officers.”

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.
Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.
President Donald Trump is reportedly spending millions more on weapons for his masked militia descending on American cities—who will now have access to “guided missile warheads.”
Independent journalist Judd Legum reported Monday that between Trump’s inauguration and October 18, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased weapons spending by 700 percent compared to the same period last year. In the last nine months, ICE has spent a whopping $71,515,762 on purchases of “small arms, ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing.”
“Small arms” include armor, explosives, chemical weapons, pistols, and rifles. “Ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing” refers to other materials, such as artillery, barrels, extractors, and mounts.
For comparison, in 2019, ICE spent just $5.7 million on the “small arms” category through October 18, and during Trump’s first administration, the government spent an average of $8.4 million per year.
While most of the spending was on guns and armor, Legum reported that ICE had also purchased “guided missile warheads and explosive components.” So while Trump has backed off selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, it seems he’s more than happy to arm his immigration authorities with lethal projectiles. It’s not immediately clear what part of a good-faith deportation operation would involve localized destruction and murder—but that’s because no such thing exists.
Clearly, Trump has plans to ramp up his federal immigration crackdown, which has gone hand-in-hand with his federal takeover of American cities. In Chicago, federal agents have conducted violent arrests of U.S. citizens and journalists, fired a pepper ball at a faith leader, unleashed tear gas on police, and shot two people, killing a father of two.
While bolstering his private army, Trump is planning to eliminate funding for SNAP benefits—starting four days ago.
https://newrepublic.com/post/202031/donald-trump-ice-increase-weapons-spending

As we’ve been warned these comments are visible to the general internet, perhaps a tad of caution editorializing like that on a terrible investment by the govt. Unless you truly believe this is funny and not serious.

Halifax2TheMax · October 22

Lerxst1992 said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

Sounds like the normalization of extra judicial killings has begun. Less outrage and a “meh” when it’s a tractor trailer full of migrants or a bus full of No Kings protestors on their way to DC to encircle the White House, eh? Get ready for a lot more “we were being threatened and had to act to protect our courageous law enforcement officers.”

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.
Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.
President Donald Trump is reportedly spending millions more on weapons for his masked militia descending on American cities—who will now have access to “guided missile warheads.”
Independent journalist Judd Legum reported Monday that between Trump’s inauguration and October 18, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased weapons spending by 700 percent compared to the same period last year. In the last nine months, ICE has spent a whopping $71,515,762 on purchases of “small arms, ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing.”
“Small arms” include armor, explosives, chemical weapons, pistols, and rifles. “Ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing” refers to other materials, such as artillery, barrels, extractors, and mounts.
For comparison, in 2019, ICE spent just $5.7 million on the “small arms” category through October 18, and during Trump’s first administration, the government spent an average of $8.4 million per year.
While most of the spending was on guns and armor, Legum reported that ICE had also purchased “guided missile warheads and explosive components.” So while Trump has backed off selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, it seems he’s more than happy to arm his immigration authorities with lethal projectiles. It’s not immediately clear what part of a good-faith deportation operation would involve localized destruction and murder—but that’s because no such thing exists.
Clearly, Trump has plans to ramp up his federal immigration crackdown, which has gone hand-in-hand with his federal takeover of American cities. In Chicago, federal agents have conducted violent arrests of U.S. citizens and journalists, fired a pepper ball at a faith leader, unleashed tear gas on police, and shot two people, killing a father of two.
While bolstering his private army, Trump is planning to eliminate funding for SNAP benefits—starting four days ago.
https://newrepublic.com/post/202031/donald-trump-ice-increase-weapons-spending

As we’ve been warned these comments are visible to the general internet, perhaps a tad of caution editorializing like that on a terrible investment by the govt. Unless you truly believe this is funny and not serious.

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

I’m dead serious. Where the fuck have you been since January 20, 2025, 12:00 pm? An 800 number has been provided.

Halifax2TheMax · October 22

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

Too far fetched for an administration full of Nazis, eh? “Alleged.” Because they “can” and “do”.

US military kills two people in strike on alleged drug-trafficking boat in Pacific

Latest strike was off coast of Colombia while seven previous attacks in Caribbean killed at least 32

The US military has attacked and destroyed another boat in its ongoing and controversial fight against what it says are drug-trafficking activities.

The strike for the first time was carried out on the Pacific side of South America. Previous attacks have hit seven vessels in the Caribbean and killed at least 32 people.

The latest strike took place off the coast of Colombia and killed two people, according to a person briefed on the operation. It marked a departure from previous strikes, which have occurred off the coast of Venezuela, where the US has deployed an extraordinary military presence.

In a brief video released by US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a small boat, half-filled with brown packages, is seen moving along at sea. Several seconds into the video, the boat explodes and is seen floating motionless in flames.

In his post, Hegseth took the unusual step of equating the alleged drug traffickers to the terror group that conducted the attacks on the US on September 11, 2001.

“Just as al-Qaida waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people,” Hegseth said, adding that “there will be no refuge or forgiveness – only justice”.

In striking a boat in the Pacific, the administration widened the scope of its campaign, although the reasons for the expansion were not immediately clear. The White House did not respond to a request for comment and Hegseth gave no additional details other than the video on X.

Donald Trump announced what appears to have been the first strike on a boat on 3 September, releasing a brief video of the attack.

Since then, the Trump administration has detailed more strikes without disclosing many details about the targets other than the number of people killed, and the allegation that the boats carried narcotics. The attacks have prompted widespread condemnation, both from civil liberties groups and South American countries.

On Tuesday the Guardian revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) is providing the bulk of the intelligence used to carry out the airstrikes. Experts say the agency’s central role means much of the evidence used to select the targets will almost certainly remain secret.

The president confirmed last Wednesday that he had authorized covert CIA action in Venezuela, but not what the agency would be doing.

White House officials have tried to justify the increasing number of strikes with a dubious legal theory that claims the boats are affiliated with “designated terrorist organizations” with which the US was now in a “non-international armed conflict”, the Guardian has reported.

Until this month, the administration has referred to Tren de Aragua and other cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, or FTOs. Legal experts suggested that simply characterizing drugs cartels as an FTO did not give the administration any additional authority to use lethal force.

White House officials have also sought to justify the strikes internally and externally by claiming Trump was exercising his article two powers, which allow the president to use military force in self-defense in limited engagements.

The self-defense argument revolves around Trump’s designation of Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, a claim advanced by Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, in order to defend the deportations of dozens of Venezuelans earlier this year under the Alien Enemies Act.

The administration claimed that Tren de Aragua had infiltrated the regime of the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro – and so the presence of the cartel’s members in the US amounted to a “predatory incursion” by a foreign nation, allowing for the deportation of any Venezuelan national.

But the administration has yet to provide concrete evidence that Tren de Aragua has become an instrument of the Venezuelan government, and legal experts contacted for this story said the White House could only justify the strikes if it could make that showing.

The strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats have largely been overseen by Miller and Tony Salisbury, his top lieutenant at the White House homeland security council (HSC), the Guardian has previously reported.

Miller empowered the HSC earlier this year to become its own entity in Trump’s second term, a notable departure from previous administrations where it was considered part of the national security council and ultimately reported to the national security adviser.

That was the case, for instance, with the second Venezuelan boat hit with hellfire missiles on 15 September. While the White House was informed the Pentagon had identified the boat as a viable target more than four days before, many top White House officials only learned of the impending strike hours before it happened.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/22/military-boat-strike-pacific-pete-hegseth

tbergs · October 22

I wonder what price we the American people will eventually pay for these war crimes? Hegseth claiming "justice" when blowing up a boat without any type of judicial or legal process during a made up war against drug cartels, how arrogant. I can't imagine what the response would be if another country did this to a US citizen in a boat or car or just walking and the other country claimed some criminal activity.

Halifax2TheMax · October 22

tbergs said:

I wonder what price we the American people will eventually pay for these war crimes? Hegseth claiming "justice" when blowing up a boat without any type of judicial or legal process during a made up war against drug cartels, how arrogant. I can't imagine what the response would be if another country did this to a US citizen in a boat or car or just walking and the other country claimed some criminal activity.

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

If you hold a US passport, you may want to reconsider travelling to Mexico, or Central/South America. There will be “blowback”.

gimmesometruth27 · October 22

Halifax2TheMax said:

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

Too far fetched for an administration full of Nazis, eh? “Alleged.” Because they “can” and “do”.

US military kills two people in strike on alleged drug-trafficking boat in Pacific
Latest strike was off coast of Colombia while seven previous attacks in Caribbean killed at least 32
The US military has attacked and destroyed another boat in its ongoing and controversial fight against what it says are drug-trafficking activities.
The strike for the first time was carried out on the Pacific side of South America. Previous attacks have hit seven vessels in the Caribbean and killed at least 32 people.
The latest strike took place off the coast of Colombia and killed two people, according to a person briefed on the operation. It marked a departure from previous strikes, which have occurred off the coast of Venezuela, where the US has deployed an extraordinary military presence.
In a brief video released by US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a small boat, half-filled with brown packages, is seen moving along at sea. Several seconds into the video, the boat explodes and is seen floating motionless in flames.

In his post, Hegseth took the unusual step of equating the alleged drug traffickers to the terror group that conducted the attacks on the US on September 11, 2001.

“Just as al-Qaida waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people,” Hegseth said, adding that “there will be no refuge or forgiveness – only justice”.
In striking a boat in the Pacific, the administration widened the scope of its campaign, although the reasons for the expansion were not immediately clear. The White House did not respond to a request for comment and Hegseth gave no additional details other than the video on X.
Donald Trump announced what appears to have been the first strike on a boat on 3 September, releasing a brief video of the attack.
Since then, the Trump administration has detailed more strikes without disclosing many details about the targets other than the number of people killed, and the allegation that the boats carried narcotics. The attacks have prompted widespread condemnation, both from civil liberties groups and South American countries.
On Tuesday the Guardian revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) is providing the bulk of the intelligence used to carry out the airstrikes. Experts say the agency’s central role means much of the evidence used to select the targets will almost certainly remain secret.
The president confirmed last Wednesday that he had authorized covert CIA action in Venezuela, but not what the agency would be doing.
White House officials have tried to justify the increasing number of strikes with a dubious legal theory that claims the boats are affiliated with “designated terrorist organizations” with which the US was now in a “non-international armed conflict”, the Guardian has reported.
Until this month, the administration has referred to Tren de Aragua and other cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, or FTOs. Legal experts suggested that simply characterizing drugs cartels as an FTO did not give the administration any additional authority to use lethal force.
White House officials have also sought to justify the strikes internally and externally by claiming Trump was exercising his article two powers, which allow the president to use military force in self-defense in limited engagements.
The self-defense argument revolves around Trump’s designation of Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, a claim advanced by Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, in order to defend the deportations of dozens of Venezuelans earlier this year under the Alien Enemies Act.
The administration claimed that Tren de Aragua had infiltrated the regime of the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro – and so the presence of the cartel’s members in the US amounted to a “predatory incursion” by a foreign nation, allowing for the deportation of any Venezuelan national.
But the administration has yet to provide concrete evidence that Tren de Aragua has become an instrument of the Venezuelan government, and legal experts contacted for this story said the White House could only justify the strikes if it could make that showing.
The strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats have largely been overseen by Miller and Tony Salisbury, his top lieutenant at the White House homeland security council (HSC), the Guardian has previously reported.
Miller empowered the HSC earlier this year to become its own entity in Trump’s second term, a notable departure from previous administrations where it was considered part of the national security council and ultimately reported to the national security adviser.
That was the case, for instance, with the second Venezuelan boat hit with hellfire missiles on 15 September. While the White House was informed the Pentagon had identified the boat as a viable target more than four days before, many top White House officials only learned of the impending strike hours before it happened.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/22/military-boat-strike-pacific-pete-hegseth

someone needs to stop this.

trump ordering extrajudicial executions should be cause for his arrest.

Gern Blansten · October 22

It will backfire at some point. If he hasn't done it already there will be an innocent death or deaths.

gimmesometruth27 · October 22

Gern Blansten said:

It will backfire at some point. If he hasn't done it already there will be an innocent death or deaths.

they blow up the boats and it destroys evidence, so he is getting away with all of it.

Lerxst1992 · October 22

Halifax2TheMax said:

Lerxst1992 said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

Sounds like the normalization of extra judicial killings has begun. Less outrage and a “meh” when it’s a tractor trailer full of migrants or a bus full of No Kings protestors on their way to DC to encircle the White House, eh? Get ready for a lot more “we were being threatened and had to act to protect our courageous law enforcement officers.”

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.
Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.
President Donald Trump is reportedly spending millions more on weapons for his masked militia descending on American cities—who will now have access to “guided missile warheads.”
Independent journalist Judd Legum reported Monday that between Trump’s inauguration and October 18, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased weapons spending by 700 percent compared to the same period last year. In the last nine months, ICE has spent a whopping $71,515,762 on purchases of “small arms, ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing.”
“Small arms” include armor, explosives, chemical weapons, pistols, and rifles. “Ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing” refers to other materials, such as artillery, barrels, extractors, and mounts.
For comparison, in 2019, ICE spent just $5.7 million on the “small arms” category through October 18, and during Trump’s first administration, the government spent an average of $8.4 million per year.
While most of the spending was on guns and armor, Legum reported that ICE had also purchased “guided missile warheads and explosive components.” So while Trump has backed off selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, it seems he’s more than happy to arm his immigration authorities with lethal projectiles. It’s not immediately clear what part of a good-faith deportation operation would involve localized destruction and murder—but that’s because no such thing exists.
Clearly, Trump has plans to ramp up his federal immigration crackdown, which has gone hand-in-hand with his federal takeover of American cities. In Chicago, federal agents have conducted violent arrests of U.S. citizens and journalists, fired a pepper ball at a faith leader, unleashed tear gas on police, and shot two people, killing a father of two.
While bolstering his private army, Trump is planning to eliminate funding for SNAP benefits—starting four days ago.
https://newrepublic.com/post/202031/donald-trump-ice-increase-weapons-spending

As we’ve been warned these comments are visible to the general internet, perhaps a tad of caution editorializing like that on a terrible investment by the govt. Unless you truly believe this is funny and not serious.

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.
I’m dead serious. Where the fuck have you been since January 20, 2025, 12:00 pm? An 800 number has been provided.

I wouldn't make jokes about threatening the White House on a publicly viewable forum, especially if I believed the country was a dangerous place.

Either this outrage is genuine or it isn't. You decide. But it shouldn't be funny

Halifax2TheMax · October 22

Lerxst1992 said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

Lerxst1992 said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

Sounds like the normalization of extra judicial killings has begun. Less outrage and a “meh” when it’s a tractor trailer full of migrants or a bus full of No Kings protestors on their way to DC to encircle the White House, eh? Get ready for a lot more “we were being threatened and had to act to protect our courageous law enforcement officers.”

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.
Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.
President Donald Trump is reportedly spending millions more on weapons for his masked militia descending on American cities—who will now have access to “guided missile warheads.”
Independent journalist Judd Legum reported Monday that between Trump’s inauguration and October 18, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased weapons spending by 700 percent compared to the same period last year. In the last nine months, ICE has spent a whopping $71,515,762 on purchases of “small arms, ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing.”
“Small arms” include armor, explosives, chemical weapons, pistols, and rifles. “Ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing” refers to other materials, such as artillery, barrels, extractors, and mounts.
For comparison, in 2019, ICE spent just $5.7 million on the “small arms” category through October 18, and during Trump’s first administration, the government spent an average of $8.4 million per year.
While most of the spending was on guns and armor, Legum reported that ICE had also purchased “guided missile warheads and explosive components.” So while Trump has backed off selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, it seems he’s more than happy to arm his immigration authorities with lethal projectiles. It’s not immediately clear what part of a good-faith deportation operation would involve localized destruction and murder—but that’s because no such thing exists.
Clearly, Trump has plans to ramp up his federal immigration crackdown, which has gone hand-in-hand with his federal takeover of American cities. In Chicago, federal agents have conducted violent arrests of U.S. citizens and journalists, fired a pepper ball at a faith leader, unleashed tear gas on police, and shot two people, killing a father of two.
While bolstering his private army, Trump is planning to eliminate funding for SNAP benefits—starting four days ago.
https://newrepublic.com/post/202031/donald-trump-ice-increase-weapons-spending

As we’ve been warned these comments are visible to the general internet, perhaps a tad of caution editorializing like that on a terrible investment by the govt. Unless you truly believe this is funny and not serious.

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.
I’m dead serious. Where the fuck have you been since January 20, 2025, 12:00 pm? An 800 number has been provided.

I wouldn't make jokes about threatening the White House on a publicly viewable forum, especially if I believed the country was a dangerous place.

Either this outrage is genuine or it isn't. You decide. But it shouldn't be funny

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

AI has ruined your reading comprehension. Where did I “threaten the White House”? AI has also ruined your ability to put comments in context and like your economic theories about the housing market, are making shit up. Try again.

See, everyone? This is how normalization begins. Reference to a hypothetical No Kings rally around the White House is a “threat.” Rather than the extrajudicial killings and militarized police actions against US citizens that are occurring in reality. We’re so fucked.

What a faux dem.

mickeyrat · October 22

gimmesometruth27 said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

Too far fetched for an administration full of Nazis, eh? “Alleged.” Because they “can” and “do”.

US military kills two people in strike on alleged drug-trafficking boat in Pacific
Latest strike was off coast of Colombia while seven previous attacks in Caribbean killed at least 32
The US military has attacked and destroyed another boat in its ongoing and controversial fight against what it says are drug-trafficking activities.
The strike for the first time was carried out on the Pacific side of South America. Previous attacks have hit seven vessels in the Caribbean and killed at least 32 people.
The latest strike took place off the coast of Colombia and killed two people, according to a person briefed on the operation. It marked a departure from previous strikes, which have occurred off the coast of Venezuela, where the US has deployed an extraordinary military presence.
In a brief video released by US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a small boat, half-filled with brown packages, is seen moving along at sea. Several seconds into the video, the boat explodes and is seen floating motionless in flames.

In his post, Hegseth took the unusual step of equating the alleged drug traffickers to the terror group that conducted the attacks on the US on September 11, 2001.

“Just as al-Qaida waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people,” Hegseth said, adding that “there will be no refuge or forgiveness – only justice”.
In striking a boat in the Pacific, the administration widened the scope of its campaign, although the reasons for the expansion were not immediately clear. The White House did not respond to a request for comment and Hegseth gave no additional details other than the video on X.
Donald Trump announced what appears to have been the first strike on a boat on 3 September, releasing a brief video of the attack.
Since then, the Trump administration has detailed more strikes without disclosing many details about the targets other than the number of people killed, and the allegation that the boats carried narcotics. The attacks have prompted widespread condemnation, both from civil liberties groups and South American countries.
On Tuesday the Guardian revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) is providing the bulk of the intelligence used to carry out the airstrikes. Experts say the agency’s central role means much of the evidence used to select the targets will almost certainly remain secret.
The president confirmed last Wednesday that he had authorized covert CIA action in Venezuela, but not what the agency would be doing.
White House officials have tried to justify the increasing number of strikes with a dubious legal theory that claims the boats are affiliated with “designated terrorist organizations” with which the US was now in a “non-international armed conflict”, the Guardian has reported.
Until this month, the administration has referred to Tren de Aragua and other cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, or FTOs. Legal experts suggested that simply characterizing drugs cartels as an FTO did not give the administration any additional authority to use lethal force.
White House officials have also sought to justify the strikes internally and externally by claiming Trump was exercising his article two powers, which allow the president to use military force in self-defense in limited engagements.
The self-defense argument revolves around Trump’s designation of Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, a claim advanced by Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, in order to defend the deportations of dozens of Venezuelans earlier this year under the Alien Enemies Act.
The administration claimed that Tren de Aragua had infiltrated the regime of the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro – and so the presence of the cartel’s members in the US amounted to a “predatory incursion” by a foreign nation, allowing for the deportation of any Venezuelan national.
But the administration has yet to provide concrete evidence that Tren de Aragua has become an instrument of the Venezuelan government, and legal experts contacted for this story said the White House could only justify the strikes if it could make that showing.
The strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats have largely been overseen by Miller and Tony Salisbury, his top lieutenant at the White House homeland security council (HSC), the Guardian has previously reported.
Miller empowered the HSC earlier this year to become its own entity in Trump’s second term, a notable departure from previous administrations where it was considered part of the national security council and ultimately reported to the national security adviser.
That was the case, for instance, with the second Venezuelan boat hit with hellfire missiles on 15 September. While the White House was informed the Pentagon had identified the boat as a viable target more than four days before, many top White House officials only learned of the impending strike hours before it happened.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/22/military-boat-strike-pacific-pete-hegseth

someone needs to stop this.

trump ordering extrajudicial executions should be cause for his arrest.

ahem

I'll refer you back to a fairly recent SCOTUS decision.....

gimmesometruth27 · 2:50AM

mickeyrat said:

gimmesometruth27 said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

Too far fetched for an administration full of Nazis, eh? “Alleged.” Because they “can” and “do”.

US military kills two people in strike on alleged drug-trafficking boat in Pacific
Latest strike was off coast of Colombia while seven previous attacks in Caribbean killed at least 32
The US military has attacked and destroyed another boat in its ongoing and controversial fight against what it says are drug-trafficking activities.
The strike for the first time was carried out on the Pacific side of South America. Previous attacks have hit seven vessels in the Caribbean and killed at least 32 people.
The latest strike took place off the coast of Colombia and killed two people, according to a person briefed on the operation. It marked a departure from previous strikes, which have occurred off the coast of Venezuela, where the US has deployed an extraordinary military presence.
In a brief video released by US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a small boat, half-filled with brown packages, is seen moving along at sea. Several seconds into the video, the boat explodes and is seen floating motionless in flames.

In his post, Hegseth took the unusual step of equating the alleged drug traffickers to the terror group that conducted the attacks on the US on September 11, 2001.

“Just as al-Qaida waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people,” Hegseth said, adding that “there will be no refuge or forgiveness – only justice”.
In striking a boat in the Pacific, the administration widened the scope of its campaign, although the reasons for the expansion were not immediately clear. The White House did not respond to a request for comment and Hegseth gave no additional details other than the video on X.
Donald Trump announced what appears to have been the first strike on a boat on 3 September, releasing a brief video of the attack.
Since then, the Trump administration has detailed more strikes without disclosing many details about the targets other than the number of people killed, and the allegation that the boats carried narcotics. The attacks have prompted widespread condemnation, both from civil liberties groups and South American countries.
On Tuesday the Guardian revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) is providing the bulk of the intelligence used to carry out the airstrikes. Experts say the agency’s central role means much of the evidence used to select the targets will almost certainly remain secret.
The president confirmed last Wednesday that he had authorized covert CIA action in Venezuela, but not what the agency would be doing.
White House officials have tried to justify the increasing number of strikes with a dubious legal theory that claims the boats are affiliated with “designated terrorist organizations” with which the US was now in a “non-international armed conflict”, the Guardian has reported.
Until this month, the administration has referred to Tren de Aragua and other cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, or FTOs. Legal experts suggested that simply characterizing drugs cartels as an FTO did not give the administration any additional authority to use lethal force.
White House officials have also sought to justify the strikes internally and externally by claiming Trump was exercising his article two powers, which allow the president to use military force in self-defense in limited engagements.
The self-defense argument revolves around Trump’s designation of Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, a claim advanced by Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, in order to defend the deportations of dozens of Venezuelans earlier this year under the Alien Enemies Act.
The administration claimed that Tren de Aragua had infiltrated the regime of the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro – and so the presence of the cartel’s members in the US amounted to a “predatory incursion” by a foreign nation, allowing for the deportation of any Venezuelan national.
But the administration has yet to provide concrete evidence that Tren de Aragua has become an instrument of the Venezuelan government, and legal experts contacted for this story said the White House could only justify the strikes if it could make that showing.
The strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats have largely been overseen by Miller and Tony Salisbury, his top lieutenant at the White House homeland security council (HSC), the Guardian has previously reported.
Miller empowered the HSC earlier this year to become its own entity in Trump’s second term, a notable departure from previous administrations where it was considered part of the national security council and ultimately reported to the national security adviser.
That was the case, for instance, with the second Venezuelan boat hit with hellfire missiles on 15 September. While the White House was informed the Pentagon had identified the boat as a viable target more than four days before, many top White House officials only learned of the impending strike hours before it happened.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/22/military-boat-strike-pacific-pete-hegseth

someone needs to stop this.

trump ordering extrajudicial executions should be cause for his arrest.

ahem

I'll refer you back to a fairly recent SCOTUS decision.....

i say arrest them too.

mickeyrat · 4:58AM

President Donald Trump rebuked cattle ranchers after they criticized his idea to import Argentinian beef, writing on Truth Social on Wednesday they “don’t understand” his policies—as the proposal has prompted criticism from Republican lawmakers in farm states while consumers face record-high beef prices.

“The Cattle Ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing so well, for the first time in decades, is because I put Tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% Tariff on Brazil,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/10/22/trump-says-cattle-ranchers-dont-understand-his-policies-after-they-criticize-argentina-beef-import-plan/?utm_campaign=ForbesMainFB&utm_source=ForbesMainFacebook&utm_medium=social
📸: Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

brianlux · 6:02AM

From today:

Heather Cox Richardson

October 22, 2025 (Wednesday)

“It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.”

Yesterday, former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton cut to the heart of President Donald J. Trump’s destruction of the East Wing of the White House.

Indeed, that might have been the whole point. After saying in July that the ballroom he planned to build would not touch the East Wing, the president tore into the building on Monday, the first workday after about seven million people turned out for the No Kings protests to demonstrate their opposition to his administration.

There are currently no approved plans to rebuild, no permits, no signs of weatherproofing for a construction project begun just before winter, no indication that the history or the paintings or the artifacts in the East Wing were preserved. There is only the destruction of the People’s House.

______________________________________________

R.I.P. The White House.

All he's doing is destroying things, and no body is doing a damn thing about it. How much further down to rock bottom? Probably more than any of us want to think about, except maybe those who think tearing things down without a plan is somehow honorable. What a shit show.

Halifax2TheMax · 6:12AM

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

Hey, but you better be careful what you say on the interwebs, particularly about threats to the White House in the form of a hypothetical No Kings march to surround it in the context of a 700%+ increase in the ICE ICE baby weapons budget. You know, reality and the country as some wish to live in it. From Letter From An American:

“We are not living in a functional democracy any longer. It’s not too late to save it, but it is just important to acknowledge that we aren’t on the precipice of losing our democracy. We are losing it every single day. We are not a functional nation with a rule of law any longer, and those toppled walls in the East Wing are a pretty stark reminder of that.”

Oh, and P fucking S, there’s no / in my comment in the event you suffer from reading comprehension and or context issues, or have AI brain.

PSS: It’s too fucking late.

Halifax2TheMax · 6:28AM

brianlux said:

From today:
Heather Cox Richardson
October 22, 2025 (Wednesday)
“It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.”
Yesterday, former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton cut to the heart of President Donald J. Trump’s destruction of the East Wing of the White House.
Indeed, that might have been the whole point. After saying in July that the ballroom he planned to build would not touch the East Wing, the president tore into the building on Monday, the first workday after about seven million people turned out for the No Kings protests to demonstrate their opposition to his administration.
There are currently no approved plans to rebuild, no permits, no signs of weatherproofing for a construction project begun just before winter, no indication that the history or the paintings or the artifacts in the East Wing were preserved. There is only the destruction of the People’s House.

______________________________________________
R.I.P. The White House.
All he's doing is destroying things, and no body is doing a damn thing about it. How much further down to rock bottom? Probably more than any of us want to think about, except maybe those who think tearing things down without a plan is somehow honorable. What a shit show.

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

We haven’t reached bottom yet, unfortunately, Mr. Lux. Far from it and still a very long way to go.

Lerxst1992 · 12:49PM

Halifax2TheMax said:

Lerxst1992 said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

Lerxst1992 said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

Sounds like the normalization of extra judicial killings has begun. Less outrage and a “meh” when it’s a tractor trailer full of migrants or a bus full of No Kings protestors on their way to DC to encircle the White House, eh? Get ready for a lot more “we were being threatened and had to act to protect our courageous law enforcement officers.”

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.
Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.
President Donald Trump is reportedly spending millions more on weapons for his masked militia descending on American cities—who will now have access to “guided missile warheads.”
Independent journalist Judd Legum reported Monday that between Trump’s inauguration and October 18, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased weapons spending by 700 percent compared to the same period last year. In the last nine months, ICE has spent a whopping $71,515,762 on purchases of “small arms, ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing.”
“Small arms” include armor, explosives, chemical weapons, pistols, and rifles. “Ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing” refers to other materials, such as artillery, barrels, extractors, and mounts.
For comparison, in 2019, ICE spent just $5.7 million on the “small arms” category through October 18, and during Trump’s first administration, the government spent an average of $8.4 million per year.
While most of the spending was on guns and armor, Legum reported that ICE had also purchased “guided missile warheads and explosive components.” So while Trump has backed off selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, it seems he’s more than happy to arm his immigration authorities with lethal projectiles. It’s not immediately clear what part of a good-faith deportation operation would involve localized destruction and murder—but that’s because no such thing exists.
Clearly, Trump has plans to ramp up his federal immigration crackdown, which has gone hand-in-hand with his federal takeover of American cities. In Chicago, federal agents have conducted violent arrests of U.S. citizens and journalists, fired a pepper ball at a faith leader, unleashed tear gas on police, and shot two people, killing a father of two.
While bolstering his private army, Trump is planning to eliminate funding for SNAP benefits—starting four days ago.
https://newrepublic.com/post/202031/donald-trump-ice-increase-weapons-spending

As we’ve been warned these comments are visible to the general internet, perhaps a tad of caution editorializing like that on a terrible investment by the govt. Unless you truly believe this is funny and not serious.

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.
I’m dead serious. Where the fuck have you been since January 20, 2025, 12:00 pm? An 800 number has been provided.

I wouldn't make jokes about threatening the White House on a publicly viewable forum, especially if I believed the country was a dangerous place.

Either this outrage is genuine or it isn't. You decide. But it shouldn't be funny

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.
AI has ruined your reading comprehension. Where did I “threaten the White House”? AI has also ruined your ability to put comments in context and like your economic theories about the housing market, are making shit up. Try again.
See, everyone? This is how normalization begins. Reference to a hypothetical No Kings rally around the White House is a “threat.” Rather than the extrajudicial killings and militarized police actions against US citizens that are occurring in reality. We’re so fucked.
What a faux dem.

Your jokes about "encircling the White House." Either you're afraid of the government or you're joking about it.

Halifax2TheMax · 1:55PM

Lerxst1992 said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

Lerxst1992 said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

Lerxst1992 said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

Sounds like the normalization of extra judicial killings has begun. Less outrage and a “meh” when it’s a tractor trailer full of migrants or a bus full of No Kings protestors on their way to DC to encircle the White House, eh? Get ready for a lot more “we were being threatened and had to act to protect our courageous law enforcement officers.”

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.
Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.
President Donald Trump is reportedly spending millions more on weapons for his masked militia descending on American cities—who will now have access to “guided missile warheads.”
Independent journalist Judd Legum reported Monday that between Trump’s inauguration and October 18, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased weapons spending by 700 percent compared to the same period last year. In the last nine months, ICE has spent a whopping $71,515,762 on purchases of “small arms, ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing.”
“Small arms” include armor, explosives, chemical weapons, pistols, and rifles. “Ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing” refers to other materials, such as artillery, barrels, extractors, and mounts.
For comparison, in 2019, ICE spent just $5.7 million on the “small arms” category through October 18, and during Trump’s first administration, the government spent an average of $8.4 million per year.
While most of the spending was on guns and armor, Legum reported that ICE had also purchased “guided missile warheads and explosive components.” So while Trump has backed off selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, it seems he’s more than happy to arm his immigration authorities with lethal projectiles. It’s not immediately clear what part of a good-faith deportation operation would involve localized destruction and murder—but that’s because no such thing exists.
Clearly, Trump has plans to ramp up his federal immigration crackdown, which has gone hand-in-hand with his federal takeover of American cities. In Chicago, federal agents have conducted violent arrests of U.S. citizens and journalists, fired a pepper ball at a faith leader, unleashed tear gas on police, and shot two people, killing a father of two.
While bolstering his private army, Trump is planning to eliminate funding for SNAP benefits—starting four days ago.
https://newrepublic.com/post/202031/donald-trump-ice-increase-weapons-spending

As we’ve been warned these comments are visible to the general internet, perhaps a tad of caution editorializing like that on a terrible investment by the govt. Unless you truly believe this is funny and not serious.

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.
I’m dead serious. Where the fuck have you been since January 20, 2025, 12:00 pm? An 800 number has been provided.

I wouldn't make jokes about threatening the White House on a publicly viewable forum, especially if I believed the country was a dangerous place.

Either this outrage is genuine or it isn't. You decide. But it shouldn't be funny

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.
AI has ruined your reading comprehension. Where did I “threaten the White House”? AI has also ruined your ability to put comments in context and like your economic theories about the housing market, are making shit up. Try again.
See, everyone? This is how normalization begins. Reference to a hypothetical No Kings rally around the White House is a “threat.” Rather than the extrajudicial killings and militarized police actions against US citizens that are occurring in reality. We’re so fucked.
What a faux dem.

Your jokes about "encircling the White House." Either you're afraid of the government or you're joking about it.

* The following opinion is mine and mine alone and does not represent the views of my family, friends, government and/or my past, present or future employer. US Department of State: 1-888-407-4747.

Faux dem alert. No mandami ground.

Who’s joking, eh?

Trump/Admin Policies

Comments

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.

Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.

Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.

Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.

US military kills two people in strike on alleged drug-trafficking boat in Pacific

US military kills two people in strike on alleged drug-trafficking boat in Pacific

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.

Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.

Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.

US military kills two people in strike on alleged drug-trafficking boat in Pacific

US military kills two people in strike on alleged drug-trafficking boat in Pacific

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.

Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.

ICE Spent 700% More on Weapons. What They Bought Will Terrify You.

Donald Trump is arming his masked immigration agents with increasingly lethal weapons.

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