Be Afraid -- Be VERY Afraid!

 

Friends, things are getting very, very interesting inside the Beltway, as Musk and DOGE take aim at entrenched bureaucrats and Deep State power centers.  The sweeping nature of the personnel changes in the federal bureaucracy has already been astonishing, but now Musk is trying to abolish an entire agency: USAID.  One wonders when a leftist federal judge will swoop in and slap an injunction on all things DOGE...  I'm surprised it hasn't happened already, in fact.  In the meantime, Musk is cutting a swath of destruction through the Deep State, and I couldn't be happier!

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjdmx12j9no

 

In other news, Trump's tariffs on Canada and Mexico have already been suspended for 30 days, as both countries have agreed to step up enforcement measures at the northern and southern border, respectively.  This certainly signals a short-term win for Trump in these trade wars/negotiations, but we're not quite out of the woods yet...

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/3309313/canada-dodges-trump-tariffs-with-border-commitments/ 

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/03/trump-tariffs-mexico-canada-china-sheinbaum-responds.html

 

Finally, Panama has agreed to uncouple itself from Chinese influence, at least to a degree.  That's a positive sign, and another win for America via Trumpian bluster, but is it smoke and mirrors or can we finally breathe a sigh of relief?

 

https://www.foxnews.com/world/panama-pledges-end-key-canal-deal-china-work-us-after-rubio-visit 

A Nearly Spotless Record

 

Friends, this week's Newsmakers show, featuring, among others, ME, was a broadcasting tour de force.  You'll want to listen in as I reflect on the extraordinary accomplishment of our aviation industry, which went 16 years without a single fatality in commercial operations.  All good things must come to an end, however, and, as you will know, we had a midair collision at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.  I reflect on this, as well as Trump's newly-confirmed cabinet officers, the quick victory that DJT won over Colombia on the issue of deportations, the debate over birthright citizenship, the abortive "pause" on federal funding of grant programs, the new efforts to secure California's secession from the Union, the prospects for a resolution of the Russia-Ukraine War, and the growing threat to U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence from China.  It's well worth a few minutes of your time, if I do say so myself!

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-2-1-25/

No More Mr. Nice Guy

 

Friends, I'm not crazy about Trump's tariffs against Canada and Mexico, in themselves, but my guess is that they are part and parcel of a broad strategy to realign America's relationship with a host of international "partners" in a way that is more respectful of the interests and sovereignty of the USA.  That I can live with, and in fact such an effort is long overdue.  And that's the subject of my latest article:

Trump Drops the Hammer on America's Fair-Weather Friends

President Trump's shock and awe tactics against Democrats and the Deep State appear to be bearing fruit, but equally impressive has been his strong, unapologetic stance vis-à-vis other countries, allies and adversaries alike.

Setting the tone in a dramatic way, Trump wasted no time in responding to the refusal of Colombia's socialist president to receive a planeload of deportees. Trump threatened harsh, escalating tariffs as well as other sanctions and penalties, and the Colombian government caved almost instantly. Score one for Trump and Trumpism!

In the days and weeks ahead, a higher stakes battle will play out with the two countries that are, in many respects, our most important allies, neighbors, and trade partners: Canada and Mexico. Trump promised on the campaign trail to raise tariffs on a host of countries, including his bête noire: China. But why target seemingly harmless Canada and Mexico, specifically? He says it's because both are failing to control the flow of illegal migrants and fetanyl across our common borders. He also says that Canada and Mexico don't play fair in terms of trade, and thus they maintain large trade surpluses with the U.S. and drive American companies out of business.

Neither of these justifications is completely off-base, but the problem is that they are very different from one other, and Trump has set down no clear metrics for how Canada and Mexico (or any other country) can avoid tariffs. How much progress has to be made at the border before Trump will rescind his tariffs? How much must Canada and Mexico's trade surpluses be reduced before Trump's ire abates? Are these tariffs, fundamentally, retaliatory, or are they part of a protectionist philosophy that aims to revive American manufacturing, agriculture, and energy production? The answers to these questions, even for Trump's most wholehearted supporters, are obscure, but could this be intentional on Trump's part?

Many analysts believe that the purpose of these tariffs is not to restrict North American trade on a permanent basis, but to prove Trump's seriousness to the likes of Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and Mexican President Sheinbaum. Trump may be angling for substantial concessions from Canada and Mexico, on border enforcement, trade policy, and other issues, that a more conventional American administration would never even dream of asking for. Whether these stiff tariffs would need to remain in place for a day, a week, a month, or a year in order to bring the necessary pressure to bear and make Canada and Mexico crack is hard to say, but the gravity with which these actions are viewed in Ottawa and Mexico City in undeniable. “Business as usual” is frankly no longer an option in North America, whether U.S., Canadian, and Mexican elites like it or not.

And this is why the long-term impact of Trump's international strength/intransigence (depending on your perspective) could be revolutionary: by bending our closest neighbors and erstwhile friends to our will, we will send a message to the entire world that no longer is the United States of America a nation to be trifled with. No longer will we subsidize the defense of half the world without expecting anything in return. No longer will we open up our own markets to all comers, while foreign governments and their corporate allies conspire to freeze out American products and seize control of whole industries. Certainly, no longer will the U.S. accept an unlimited number of migrants in the guise of “refugees” from the four corners of the earth.

Imagine, then, how much easier it will be for President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio to negotiate with China, and Europe, and Russia, and Iran, and North Korea, and countless other nations, friend and foe alike, when the new administration has proven its mettle in a miniature “trade war” with Canada and Mexico. Why, if they aren't already, the Panamanians and the Danes must be quaking in their boots!

The smart money says that the 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico aren't really about Canada and Mexico at all – they're about transplanting a spine into America itself, which, under President Biden, so conspicuously lacked one. Thanks to President Trump, the USA is no longer a nation to be taken for granted, derided, and abused. For the 77 million people who voted for Trump, all they can say is: “It's about time!”

Dr. Nicholas L. Waddy is an Associate Professor of History at SUNY Alfred and blogs at: www.waddyisright.com. He appears on the Newsmakers show on WLEA/WYSL.

 

And here it is at World Net Daily:

 

https://www.wnd.com/2025/02/trump-drops-the-hammer-on-americas-fair-weather-friends/ 

 

***

 

In other news, there's an argument to be made that Trump's approach to Colombia, Canada, and Mexico is redolent of the consciously erratic and blustering negotiating style of President Nixon.  In other words, Trump is in esteemed company!

 

https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/david-shribman/2025/02/02/shribman-madman-theory-trump-nixon/stories/202502020041  

The dastardly Dems are electing new leaders, and so far it's hard to read the tea leaves and ascertain what shape the Democratic Party is going to take in the next four years.  "Attack Trump!" is the easy choice, and I'm sure the Dems will do plenty of that, but the evidence is that those relentless assaults based on TDS have proved counterproductive.  What else have they got in their playbook?  We shall see.

https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/ken-martin-democratic-national-committee-chair-dnc-rcna190219

 

https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2025/02/02/david-hogg-elected-vice-chair-dnc-after-gun-control-message-fails-resonate-young-voters/ 

Vice-President Vance continues to hold out hope that the U.S. will end up in control of Greenland, as do I!  The real question is why the U.S. didn't secure possession of Greenland decades ago, when the Cold War was raging and the Arctic was a key theater in our incipient conflict with the Soviets.

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/02/02/vance-u-s-could-control-greenland-even-if-europeans-scream-at-us/

Pay Up Or Become a State, Already!

 

Friends, President Trump says that stiff tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico are due to begin on Saturday.  That could have devastating effects on the economies of Canada and Mexico, as well as create major disruptions in North American trade.  Why is Trump doing it?  He says it's because Canada and Mexico are failing to control the flow of illegal migrants and fetanyl across our common borders, and it's because they maintain trade surpluses with the U.S.  Neither of these justifications is completely off-base, but the problem is that they are very different from one other, and Trump has set down no clear metrics for how Canada and Mexico (or any other country) can avoid tariffs.  How much progress has to be made at the border before Trump will rescind his tariffs?  How much must Canada and Mexico's trade surpluses be reduced before Trump's ire abates?  Are these tariffs, fundamentally, retaliatory, or are they part of a protectionist philosophy that aims to revive American manufacturing, agriculture, and energy production?  If I, as a supporter of Trump, don't know the answers to these questions, then one assumes that our trade partners don't know them either.  This is a problem.  I hope Trump will provide some clarity on these issues sooner rather than later.  My educated guess is that Trump intends to use tariffs mainly as a negotiating tactic in order to squeeze concessions out of our allies.  I'm not opposed to that, but it is a dangerous game to play, because the ground rules are nebulous and the shocks to long-established trading relationships and to prices for consumers could be severe.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg0m79gm10o

 

In other news, efforts to cajole Big Tech into abandoning the Left and embracing the right are bearing yet more succulent fruit.  Facebook has settled with DJT and is paying $25 million to atone for its suspension of Trump's accounts in the wake of the January 6th "insurrection".  Good!  Amazon is also upping its ad spending on X, signaling a possible end to the corporate conspiracy to strangle X commercially in order to punish it for permitting free speech and, thus, conservatism to flourish.  Very good!  What a delight it is to see these incredibly influential and forward-looking platforms become pro-America and pro-freedom, for a change.  Long may it last!

 

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/trump-signs-agreement-calling-for-meta-to-pay-25-million-to-settle-suit-6f734c8c 

https://www.wsj.com/business/media/amazon-raises-its-ad-spending-on-elon-musks-x-in-major-reversal-8a27228b?mod=hp_lead_pos1

MAHA-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!

 

Friends, RFK, Jr. spent the day fielding tough questions from Senators, and, based on his unflappability, it appears more likely than ever that he'll be our next Secretary of Health and Human Services.  Not many people would have predicted that six months or a year ago!

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74mj39dkklo

 

Amid all the "winning" that the Trump Administration has been doing, we got our first tactical retreat today: the rescinding of a memo that had "paused" many federal grant programs.  The White House says that the concept of a pause is still very much alive and well, even though the memo is no more.  The bottom line, in political terms, is that threatening to cut off the federal gravy train was always going to be a controversial move, and this climb-down will be interpreted by many Democrats as a sign of Trumpian weakness and as a victory for them.  Whether that's true or not, we need to be careful about "feeding the beast" of TDS, because one retreat can easily turn into dozens, and we sure don't want that.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv48540n4po 

A lot of Big Tech firms, and their bosses, have been kowtowing to DJT of late, which is glorious to behold, but one notable holdout has been Bill Gates of Microsoft.  We need to keep up the pressure on Microsoft, therefore, and make ole Bill feel as lonely and defeated as he is.  Microsoft frankly has a lot to answer for, and I would strongly suggest that the DOJ put it in its crosshairs.

https://foundationforfreedomonline.com/microsoft-government-censorship-industry-revolving-door/

 

The German establishment continues to berate and isolate the AfD, which it considers to be a "far right" party.  Comparisons between the AfD and the Nazis abound in Germany.  They may even be as common as allusions to Hitler on MSNBC!  Well, the AfD isn't "Nazi", and the Germans who support it should not be treated like political lepers.  It's quite possible that the only way that Germany will ever get a conservative, populist government is if one of the mainstream parties "gets over itself" and agrees to work with the AfD.  I hope they will.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceq901dxjnzo 

Finally, we're learning more about how the building blocks of life may have been distributed about the galaxy by asteroids, and the data strongly suggests that life may have developed on plenty of planets besides this one.  Thus, it's a good thing that we're making a move on Mars before the little gray men beat us to it!

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7vd1zjlr5lo

Strip Tease, Anyone?

 

Friends, Donald Trump's latest off the cuff remarks are inciting outrage, as per usual.  He suggested on Air Force One that the people of the Gaza Strip ought to be relocated to Egypt and Jordan.  Of course, there are practical reasons to do so, like the devastation of Gaza's residential areas, but removing people from their ancestral homeland is usually condemned as "ethnic cleansing".  There's a long history of ethnic cleansing in world history, and the United States has been involved in quite a bit of it, but it's not an expedient that anyone should choose to embrace lightly.  My two cents?  Bringing peace and stability to Gaza and the West Bank can't realistically be achieved by expelling the people who live there.  Even Israel -- no slouch when it comes to hardball tactics -- has been unwilling to go to those extremes.  Likewise, a Palestinian state has not materialized, despite decades of efforts to create one.  My view, therefore, is that the best outcome for the Palestinian people would be to give Gaza and the West Bank back to Egypt and Jordan, respectively, which controlled these areas before 1967.  Granted, Egypt and Jordan want no part of policing and exercising responsibility over Gaza and Jordan, quite understandably, which is why a very considerable international investment (i.e. bribe) would be required to make it feasible.  I believe, on balance, it would be money well spent, and it could give the Palestinians a considerably brighter future.  And Israel, most importantly, can get along with Egypt and Jordan, as the last few decades have proven.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2025/01/25/trump-suggests-gaza-clean-out-send-residents-to-egypt-jordan/

 

Who can lead the Democrats to a political renaissance in 2028?  Here's a working list of potential presidential candidates, and, I must say, there are only a few that provoke anxiety in me.  Of course, ANY Democrat could win in '28, if the economy tanks and wars proliferate and Americans are writhing in misery.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/elections/the-12-democrats-who-make-the-most-sense-for-2028/ar-AA1xRVEi

 

Presumably, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is on the cusp of approval as our new Secretary of Health and Human Services.  Ergo, Democrats' and progressives' heart palpitations are almost guaranteed to spike.  As this article suggests, however, there is good reason to hope that American truly will be healthier and happier when RFK's work is done.

 

 https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5105844-many-so-called-experts-will-owe-rfk-jr-an-apology-in-4-years/ 

Might Trump's second term be the trigger that leads to the breakup of our country into red and blue halves?  Maybe.  Agitation is already underway to withdraw California from the Union.  Many Republicans are not necessarily opposed to this idea, but on the other hand there is growing speculation that the USA might grow under Trump, adding Canada, Greenland, Panama, and who knows what other territorial gems.  Mexico?  Care to join the party?  The chances of almost all these things happening are not high, but what do you suppose the probability was that Trump would be reelected, calculated on, say, January 7th, 2021?  Not great!  

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/california-secede-2028-ballot-measure-allowed-to-get-signatures/ 

https://polymarket.com/event/will-trump-acquire-greenland-in-2025?tid=1737918889857

 

Finally, the termination of DEI programs at the federal level has led lefties to conclude, as they are wont, that conservatives are trying to ban any and all positive mentions of women and racial minorities.  Well, that's nonsense, but we should expect this adversarial spin.  Kudos to the U.S. Air Force for beginning what will be a long and difficult process, but one which will hopefully result in a fair and even-handed telling of U.S. history, which would be a nice change of pace!

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74e175p40qo

Big Beautiful Brain

 

Friends, today I bring you a VERY special treat: a vintage MAGA Jack declamation, possibly the most exquiste form of literature you will ever encounter.  You see, our pal Jack is having difficulty posting his usual heroic quantity of comments, and thus he has deputized me to share them with you.  I am honored to do so!

BEHOLD:

Re the partisan cleric :  She lamented that the groups for which she stood deserved DJT's mercy and that "their lives were in danger. Clearly she holds that his policies are deserving of a good scolding from the pulpit, no matter the ceremonial setting. Same old far left baloney, irrefutable condemnation upon accusation.  But what exactly was her beef? She seemed to "feel" no responsibility for specificity, even in such a public setting where her profession is traditionally afforded deference. 

We have some of the most generous, democratically promulgated   immigration laws in the world.  The debate preceding these laws manifested all manner of merciful consideration of the conditions which lead so many to seek residency in the US.  The finalized laws, the product of compromise between inevitably disagreed upon views, incorporated some of this mercy. DJT has a Constitutional duty to enforce those laws and demonstrates his resolve to do so. 

Re  her comments on the LGBTQ community:  Is it merciful to take legal action against parents who object to the exposure of their young children to literature dictating  radical leftist social views ( and condemning any misgivings )which contradict long established  traditions, standards and expectations, by teachers and librarians for whom the children are a captive and authority bound audience?  Is it unmerciful of DJT to contradict such presumptuous  lawfare and demagogic indoctrination in very widely held controversial views, to mutable youngsters? Is it unmerciful for DJT to support the multitudes of parents who do not  tolerate such discreditation of their authority and responsibility for their precious childrens'well being ?!

Is it unmerciful of DJT to act to oppose the presumptuous attempted persuasion of  our children to consider themselves fit to make decisions which can irrevocably change their lives and cause them lifetime regret?

Is it unmerciful for DJT to declare that in Federal decision making the common sense view of  the great majority that there  are (gasp) two genders will be honored?

Is it unmerciful of DJT to protect the sanctuaries traditionally accruing to the sexes  ; eg. in athletic competition , locker rooms and rest rooms?  Is it unmerciful of him to oppose the excoriation of people who object to the absurd violations of such established standards promoted by far leftists , who presumptuously misuse some  LGBTQ people, in their customary viciously bigoted manner?

 

HERE ENDETH THE COMMENTARY

 

I must say, I (and this is me, Herr Professor Doktor Waddy) agree wholeheartedly with Jack in this.  It is a standard leftist conceit that their way of thinking and their actions are always consonant with "compassion" and, let's face it, moral goodness more generally.  We conservatives, by contrast, are, by definition, mean and selfish and dumb.  So, yes, Donald Trump ought to show mercy and kindness to, well, everyone, but that Christian duty can and is interpreted in countless ways by well-meaning people.  A strong argument can be made that the pro-illegal immigration movement and the trans lobby have not, in fact, served the true interests of either constituency that they claim to champion...but no doubt these nuances never occurred to Bishop Budde, and we'd be wasting our breath if we brought them to the attention of progressives now.  Suffice it to say that Jack, as usual, is right on point.

 

***

 

In other news, President Trump has issued an executive order commanding that documents related to the assassinations of JFK, RFK, and MLK be released.  Will we learn anything truly shocking?  Time will tell, but it's a nice gesture that our new populist government considers us worthy to receive the truth.

 

https://x.com/MargoMartin47/status/1882528183981146394?mx=2 

The intensification of efforts to deport illegal immigrants is in its very earliest stages, and we still don't know what scale these deportations will occur at, but it sure looks like Trump means business!

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jan/22/blitz-illegal-immigration-underway-troops-border-d/

 

One of the most important things that's happened since Trump's big victory in November has been an uptick in his favorability ratings, which were already historically high.  In fact, for the first time ever in his political career, Trump is now more liked than he is disliked.  This may seem like a minor thing, but it isn't.  Everyone in Washington watches the polls, and a president's credibility and political capital depend on his popularity.  The fact that the media campaign of vilification against Trump has stalled is extremely important.  It will make it far easier for Trump to accomplish his goals.

 

https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/favorability/donald-trump 

Alas, the first instance of judicial obstructionism -- but certainly not the last -- has cropped up in Trump's second term.  His attempt to redefine birthright citizenship has been put on hold.  I say: press on, DJT!  The courts will mostly fall in line, and, if they don't, get busy appointing new and better judges!

https://www.breitbart.com/news/federal-judge-blocks-trump-bid-to-restrict-birthright-citizenship/

 

Finally, here's an article commended to me and to you by the inimitable Jack.  It discusses how little the Left has learned from its recent defeat, and I concur.  God Bless those lefties and their stubbornness!  They make our job as patriots and conservatives so much easier.

 

https://www.amren.com/news/2025/01/the-hills-the-left-will-die-on/ 

Will DEI Finally DIE? Affirmative!

 

Friends, 60 years ago, President Lyndon Johnson started us down the dark path of race preferences, via "affirmative action".  Plenty of subsequent presidents, Democrats and Republicans, compounded his mistake.  Now, it appears that President Trump is determined to restore meritocracy as the SOLE criterion for advancement in the federal government.  Hooray!!!  One sign of this is his recision of President Johnson's original executive order from way back in 1965.

https://www.breitbart.com/2024-election/2025/01/22/trump-ends-affirmative-action-mandate-in-government-contracting/

 

An Episcopal bishop is the heroine du jour among leftists because she implored President Trump to show "mercy" towards members of the LGBTQ+++ community and illegal immigrants.  If you ask me, this isn't quite the affront that some have suggested it is, because "mercy" is all well and good for any Christian.  However, mercy and compassion do not necessarily imply that we should give license to others to do whatever they want, to whomever they want.  Mercy must be tempered by prudence and righteousness.

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/01/22/woke-national-prayer-service-bishop-i-was-trying-to-speak-a-truth-that-i-felt-needed-to-be-said/

 

Are we seeing the beginning of the end of the Russia-Ukraine War?  Time will tell, but Trump is suggesting that Russia might want to wrap things up soon, or else he (Trump) might be forced to redouble the sanctions against Russia.  Well, I'm not sure I take that very seriously.  The West has already hit Russia harder with sanctions than virtually any country in history.  I doubt that there's much more we can do, short of joining the conflict ourselves.  Be that as it may, Trump is obviously trying to increase his leverage over Putin and obtain the best possible settlement for Ukraine, since Republican hawks and our allies in Europe will insist on nothing less.  Can "the Art of the Deal" put an end to this pointless conflict?  We're about to find out.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw4q7v7ez1o 

The Sky IS NOT the Limit

 

Friends, the pace and severity of Trumpian convulsions has slowed a bit in Day Two, but today we still got some impressive news: Trump has attracted a pledge of a $500 billion investment in American A.I. infrastructure.  I know a lot of you pooh-pooh artificial intelligence, but I'd say it's pretty clear that it ain't going away, and in fact its influence on our lives is destined to increase exponentially.  This entails risks, but even more so it entails opportunities.  Trump wants us to be in on the ground floor.  I wholeheartedly agree.  And this is just the beginning: Trump can bolster and/or rejuvenate countless American industries with deregulation, meritocracy, government efficiency, fair taxation, and simple common sense.  Brace yourself for a whole lot of winning, people!!!

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/01/21/trump-announces-500-billion-artificial-intelligence-investment-in-america/

Deliverance

 

Friends, the day we hoped for, but strongly suspected would never arrive, is here!  Donald J. Trump is once again President of the United States.  He's living in the White House, signing executive orders and proclamations and pardons aplenty, and generally stirring up a political hornet's nest.  Whoa, Nelly!  The next four years ain't gonna be dull, that much is clear.

First, there was the inauguration itself, held, ironically, in the U.S. Capitol, where Trump haters, four short years ago, thought they had buried Trump and Trumpism once and for all, since he and it were thoroughly discredited (in their eyes) by the famous "insurrection".  Well, apparently not!  Then there's Trump's speech to consider.  He laid out much of his agenda in extremely stark and unapologetic terms, and he appeared to commit the U.S. to the reacquisition of the Panama Canal!  He spent the rest of the day receiving the accolades of supporters and enemies alike, and rolling out hundreds of initiatives designed to speed the country on the path to GREATNESS.  It's enough to make your head spin...in a good way.

https://nypost.com/2025/01/19/opinion/trump-triumphantly-returns-to-capitol-for-inauguration-the-very-place-democrats-tried-to-destroy-him/

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/01/20/donald-trump-sworn-in-as-47-president-inauguration/77755765007/ 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/01/20/watch-live-donald-trump-sworn-in-as-47th-president-of-the-united-states/

 

Meanwhile, as expected, Sleepy Joe sleepwalked off the stage for ever, but not before issuing a litany of pardons to Dr. Fauci, Liz Cheney, and many of his family members.  Gee, what a surprise!  Of course, if Trump and Bondi decide to get vengeful, there are still plenty of blips on their radar...

 

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-pardons-mark-milley-anthony-fauci-j6-committee-members 

The first member of Trump's cabinet, Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), has been approved unanimously by the Senate.  That's a promising start, but things will get hairier from here on out.  Still, all Trump's nominees are expected to gain approval.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/01/20/first-trump-cabinet-pick-approved-senate-confirms-marco-rubio-as-secretary-of-state/

 

Finally, the "resistance" is already underway.  Granted, the numbers of protestors have been downright pathetic, and the energy on the Left is minimal, but the federal employees' union is swinging into action to oppose the ravages of Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency".  You can see why!  Musk represents an existential threat to the bureaucracy and the Deep State.  A few early legal victories/injunctions against Musk could take the wind out of DOGE's sails in a hurry.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/news/federal-employee-union-sues-trump-over-musks-doge/