President Trump laid the legal groundwork for war and/or covert action against Venezuela on the basis that the Maduro regime is part of the “Cartel de los Soles.” As the New York Times reports, however, no such organization exists. It’s a derisive term invented by Venezuelan journalists to describe the corrupt generals—those with stars on their uniforms—who traffic drugs.
After decrying each other as enemies of all that is good and decent, Donald Trump and NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani make nice. On the one hand, it’s good to see some civility. On the other hand, you have to ask yourself if—and when—these politicians ever really mean anything they say.
Democrats did manage to restore food stamps. But they lost healthcare. Without subsidies, millions of Americans will drop out of the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, which were already fragile, leading to the imminent collapse of the entire system. As imperfect as it was, Obamacare was the only significant legislative achievement of the Democratic Party since the 1960s, and now it’s on the way out.
Polls showed that voters were blaming Republicans, not Democrats, for the shutdown. Nevertheless, Democrats caved in completely to the Republicans. It was as if, during World War II, the Allies had invaded Europe and gone all the way to Berlin only to surrender to Hitler.
The Democrats were winning the battle for public opinion over the government shutdown. Inexplicably, they chose to cave in anyway to the Republicans without getting anything in return. Even more strangely, Democrat-aligned journalists and opinion mongers argue that somehow this will turn out to be a victory because they raised the issue of healthcare without trying to win it.
Trump’s campaign of retribution is so widespread and far-reaching that at a certain point, you have to wonder if you really matter if you are not in his crosshairs.
Anyone who ever wondered whether the movie Idiocracy was coming to pass has only to consider the fact that the White House will celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026, with a UFC cage match on the White House lawn, assuming there’s any lawn left after Trump’s humongous ballroom of death is completed.
Trump promised to improve the economy for his second term. Instead, he’s focused on getting even with his enemies, real and imagined. He’s having his former prosecutorial persecutors indicted, shaking down elite institutions for cash, and generally making life miserable for anyone who ever crossed him. What happens when he no longer has anyone to take out his lust for vengeance upon?
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