Trump/Admin Policies

*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.

Trump’s comparison of Iran to Venezuela is also important. Clearly, he intended his strike on Iran to mimic January’s rapid strike on Venezuela that enabled the U.S. to grab Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, leaving Maduro’s second-in-command Delcy Rodríguez to run the country. Rodríguez has been willing to do what the Trump administration asks, and the Trump administration has eased sanctions against her, allowing her to work with U.S. investors in Venezuela’s oil sector. Late last month, Joshua Goodman, Alanna Durkin Richer, and Jim Mustian of PBS reported that the Trump administration quietly told federal prosecutors in Miami to back off on long-standing criminal investigations of Rodríguez for drug trafficking.

Although Venezuela’s high court ordered that Rodríguez could fill Maduro’s position for only ninety days, there is no sign that elections are happening any time soon.

Instead, as Trump suggested this morning, the U.S. appears to be controlling Venezuela’s oil exports. Sanctions expert Roxanna Vigil of the Council on Foreign Relations reported on June 3 that “almost one hundred million barrels of oil worth an estimated $8 billion have flowed through a process marked by no transparency and minimal oversight.” Vigil notes that the Trump administration maintains this arrangement benefits both countries, but “it has not publicly disclosed how much Venezuelan oil it has sold, how much revenue it has collected, or how it has used those funds.”

In January, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress that the U.S. was using a “short-term” account in Qatar and that the administration would provide an audit of that account, but it has not done so, declining to report “how the funds were spent or what safeguards were in place to prevent corruption and money laundering.” Vigil adds: “The administration has also not released the written agreements it has entered into with the Venezuelan government, traders, buyers, banks, and other entities involved in the process.”

Vigil notes that this hidden arrangement involves not just oil, but also gold and other mineral exports.

Democratic lawmakers have sent a formal request to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) asking for an audit of the system and have also introduced legislation, the Venezuela Oil Proceeds Transparency Act, to require an independent GAO audit, but so far it has not passed in either Republican-dominated chamber of Congress.

Kevin Liptak, Natasha Bertrand, and Alayna Treene of CNN reported today that Trump is furious that the U.S. media and Iranian officials don’t view U.S. military action against Iran as powerful enough, and his threats now are designed to force Iranian leaders into a deal.

Dasha Burns and Adam Wren of Politico reported today that the mood inside the White House is “angry, insular, grievance-driven and increasingly shaped by a group of loyalists with direct access to the president.” Trump’s determination to force Republicans to do his bidding shows not just in his extreme demands last night that the Republicans pass an additional $350 billion for his military buildup and the SAVE America Act to suppress voting, but also in his insistence on making loyalist Bill Pulte acting director of national intelligence for the time period spanning the 2026 midterms.

Tim Simmons said:

live stream of workers removing Trmps name from the Kennedy center.

https://www.youtube.com/live/aAhm880quUg?si=03lDklmNcGAqybqd

lol

*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.

Poncier said:

Tim Simmons said:

live stream of workers removing Trmps name from the Kennedy center.

https://www.youtube.com/live/aAhm880quUg?si=03lDklmNcGAqybqd

lol

What in the F are these knuckleheads using for staging.
Have they never heard of an aerial lift?

*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.

Hard to tell but if I had to fathom a guess, perhaps due to weight restriction or damage potentially caused by thereof and/or the floor surface and tire tracks. Yes, they could put plywood down to protect the floor but it may still be susceptible to damage, particularly from dripping oil, grease, etc. If I recall, the outdoor area around the building is soft marble, which can be porous and easily damaged. Plus, they're probably a Chuck Schumer donor company and they're billing by the hour.

gimmesometruth27 said:

so we get to keep his name off of there, but a judge ruled he can still have his birthday ufc fight sunday.

i have never wanted a tornado to hit so badly.

Bentleyspop said:

gimmesometruth27 said:

so we get to keep his name off of there, but a judge ruled he can still have his birthday ufc fight sunday.

i have never wanted a tornado to hit so badly.

Washington, DC is experiencing severe, hot, and humid weather with high temperatures near 95°F (35°C) and a feels-like temperature over 100°F (38°C). Scattered thunderstorms are expected to move through the area in the afternoon and evening, with some storms potentially containing damaging winds.