Trump striking at the Deep State with bold cabinet picks
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Today’s Videos
From this weekend’s “Huckabee” on TBN, my monologue about the call from President Trump to become Ambassador to Israel and what changes it may bring.
Watch here: Mike Huckabee's Show Monologue - Read Mike's News Analysis - Mike Huckabee
Here’s the interview with Breitbart News senior editor-at-large Joel Pollak about his new book, “The Agenda,” his suggestions for reforms that President Trump should make right away.
https://www.mikehuckabee.com/latest-news?id=494CF564-D484-4AFB-A4FF-0EC84D345E38
This is a MUST-SEE interview because one suggestion he made is already making news: that each press conference should start with a prayer. Even at his own website, Breitbart.com, the reactions run the gamut, from strong approval to complaints that it would violate the (imaginary) “separation of church and state.” Some commenters pointed out that the Constitution only bars the establishment of an official state religion, not expressions of faith in public, and that Congress already opens with a prayer.
But our favorite replies are those from readers worried that if White House press conferences started with a prayer, a lot of the reporters might burst into flames or disappear in a puff of smoke.
Biden & company seem determined to undermine Trump
Despite his surprisingly cordial transition meeting with Trump, President Biden and his staffers seem determined to do everything they can to undermine Trump before he takes office. We already told you how they’re shoveling billions of dollars from the “Inflation Reduction Act” to shady green “nonprofits” recently formed by their cronies, to keep Trump from canceling the spending. They reportedly just promoted three DEI-pushing woke military leaders that Trump wants to replace. They were also trying to send as much money as possible to Ukraine to continue the war Trump vowed to end. But Biden’s latest move might be not merely unscrupulous but dangerous.
During a press conference in the South American rainforest to promote a reforestation program, Biden announced that he’s given permission to Ukraine to use American-made long-range missiles that can reach into Russia. The reason is that Russia has reportedly amassed 50,000 troops in the Kursk region, including 10,000 North Korean troops, and this will allow Ukraine to go on the offensive and maybe dissuade Kim Jong-Un from further involvement.
But critics across the political spectrum are alarmed that this escalation brings us a step closer to World War III. Vladimir Putin has said that he will consider it an act of war against Russia if any nuclear nation provides Ukraine with weapons to attack inside Russia’s territory, and he reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response.
The leader of an opposition party in Russia said that allowing Ukraine to bomb Russia directly would mean “direct US participation in the military conflict in Ukraine. Which will inevitably entail the harshest response from Russia.” He warned, “The Biden administration cannot help but understand that it leaves the Trump team with the problem of resolving not only the Ukrainian conflict, but also an even more acute one – preventing a global confrontation.”
I assume the Biden Administration does understand that, even if Biden himself doesn’t. He ended his press conference by bizarrely turning around and walking into the rainforest. It would be a blessing for America and the world if his entire Administration would go away now by doing the same thing.
Senator Bob Casey refuses to concede
Sen. Bob Casey still refuses to concede his loss to Republican Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania, and the revelation that Democrat election officials are on video, openly defying the state Supreme Court to count illegal ballots, is reverberating like an alarm bell. The RNC has accused them of brazenly trying to steal a Senate seat. Even the Washington Post blasted them, and the election officials could face serious legal consequences. As they should, considering Republicans have been indicted just for trying to prevent election fraud.
Meanwhile, Utah Sen. Mike Lee warned that the Senate has the constitutional authority to judge the elections of its own members, and if Casey relies on illegal votes to win, the GOP Senate could refuse to seat him. Lee wrote on X, “Bob Casey, you’re better than this. It’s time to concede.” We agree with half of that statement.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/lee-threatens-not-seat-casey-senate-he-continues-refusal-concede
President Trump makes new appointments
President-elect Trump named a few more members of his second term team over the weekend.
Trump named Chris Wright, the CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, to be his Energy Secretary. Wright is a proponent of more oil and gas development, including fracking, and a critic of the global climate change movement, which he has said is “collapsing under its own weight.”
https://www.breitbart.com/news/trump-names-fossil-fuel-executive-chris-wright-as-energy-secretary/
Trump also continued his anti-woman policies (sarcasm alert!) by naming his campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt to be White House press secretary. At 27, she will be the youngest person ever to hold that job. But she’s already proven she’s tough enough to take on the hostile press, having been cut off by a CNN host for defending Trump against their biased debate moderators, then coming back just four days after giving birth to her son. She’s conservative, Catholic and “proudly pro-life.” That sound you hear is liberal reporters’ knees knocking. Here’s more about her.
And Trump announced that Brendan Carr, senior Republican on the FCC, will be made chairman. This will help stop the recent leftward lurch of the FCC, since Carr is a strong defender of the First Amendment and free speech and a longtime fighter against government censorship of political speech on media platforms.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/saraharnold/2024/11/17/trump-announces-his-fcc-pick-n2647902
Thousands volunteer to help
Say, have you heard some Democrats declaring that it would be impossible to do a mass deportation of illegal aliens because we just don’t have the manpower? They forgot about America’s can-do spirit: Thousands of retired Border Patrol agents and military veterans are volunteering to help with the effort.
Kurt Schlichter: Why Hegseth is a great choice
The Democrats and their media poodles are already trying to slander Trump’s Cabinet picks, with one of the lowest blows coming from a White House official on MSNBC who called Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth a “known white supremacist” because of his tattoo. That happens to be a Jerusalem Cross, which countless Christians have gotten for centuries.
https://redstate.com/beccalower/2024/11/16/pete-hegseth-white-supremacist-n2182077
As an antidote to that disgusting slander and bigotry, here’s Kurt Schlichter on why Hegseth is a great choice, from a combat veteran’s point of view.
Quick and easy
We first reported this story last summer, but it’s taken on new life with Trump’s election. An audit by the Treasury IG found that 149,000 federal employees owe $1.5 billion in unpaid taxes. As Sen. Joni Ernst noted, “Tens of thousands are repeat tax cheats, failing to file tax returns year after year, and the number is steadily increasing.” And that includes more than 5,800 employees of the IRS, the agency that harasses the rest of us as far as into prison to wring every dime out of us. They owe a collective $50 million in back taxes.
Republicans had introduced a bill to bar anyone with serious delinquent tax debt from federal employment, but it hadn’t gone anywhere. Now, maybe it will. If Trump wants to slash the IRS, this would be a quick and easy way to remove 5,800 IRS agents, which would be a good start on rolling back the 8,300 new agents the Democrats voted to hire.
Trump striking at the Deep State with bold cabinet picks
Trump’s cabinet nominations are the clearest sign he could give that it’s no longer business as usual for the Deep State. (And for those who still question the use of the term “Deep State” and whether or not it’s even real or just a conspiracy theory, we say YES, it’s real, and YES, that’s our preferred term. Expect to see much more discussion of it here in the next months, as we watch it being dismantled.)
(Note: For those who scoff at the idea of Trump being able to dismantle these agencies, Vivek Ramaswamy of Trump’s new Government Efficiency agency explained that the “dirty little secret” of DC is that the government isn’t being run by the people we elect but by unelected executive branch bureaucrats. And most of their power and the damages they cause stem from regulations that the Supreme Court has recently ruled they had no unconstitutional power to impose. So yes, Trump will have the authority to gut them. Remember that some of the same people crying that a smaller government can’t do its job also said Twitter couldn’t function if Elon Musk cut 80% of the work force. It seems to be functioning just fine.)
Matt Gaetz for Attorney General is the most obvious example of a jolt to the Deep State, as the left is freaking out over what they wrongly see as retribution or revenge against the DOJ. Former federal prosecutor Andrew Cherlasky told the DAILY CALLER that “Gaetz is clearly an outsider and disruptor, and that’s the point.” He’s “exactly what President Trump promised for the DOJ during his campaign, namely to end the department’s left-leaning focus on lawfare, censorship, and election interference.”
Sounds perfect. On the other hand, legal analyst Andrew McCarthy isn’t too pleased, suggesting that Gaetz lacks qualification because he was “among the leading proponents of the effort to reverse the results of the 2020 presidential election.” Sigh. We have to wonder what McCarthy’s assessment of that election might be one day, after everything comes out in the wash.
Here’s more on the Gaetz pick and others from the DAILY CALLER.
https://dailycaller.com/2024/11/17/trump-doj-bureaucrats-unexpected-leadership-picks/
Speaking of the 2020 election, another sign that things are changing is the discussion of revoking the security clearances for those 51 former intel officials who signed the infamous “classic earmarks” letter about Hunter Biden’s laptop being Russian disinformation. That letter might have been the biggest single piece of election interference of all time. The signers are lucky if they’re not prosecuted.
One might wonder what any FORMER intel officials need with security clearances, anyway. Wouldn’t you think that once they leave the government, they shouldn’t retain them? California Rep. Darrell Issa is asking that question.
Gaetz was the subject of an ethics investigation in the House, and Speaker Mike Johnson is saying that since he has already resigned his House seat --- a curious move --- it would violate House rules for the House Ethics Committee to release it.
Whatever happens with this, and whether or not Gaetz wins Senate confirmation, we trust that whoever ends up with that job will be as tenacious as he is. Details at THE EPOCH TIMES…
As we said last week, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is at the hub of the intelligence wheel. Now Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for DNI, has reportedly sparked “a special kind of unease among Democratic lawmakers, the liberal media, and elements of the intelligence community.” And for ridiculous “reasons” that sound like a rehash of the Trump I Russia Hoax.
Tom Nichols at THE ATLANTIC is having a cow. Likewise, Bill Kristol. Wow, that sounds like the best recommendation FOR Tulsi Gabbard we could possibly have! This piece at THE BLAZE is a must-read…
“Trump” collectibles --- terrific or tacky? And where does the money go?
by Laura Ainsworth, Huckabee writer/researcher
Over the weekend, a subscriber commented on the continued merchandising of President-elect Trump through commemorative watches, shoes and other products, raising the question of appropriateness. I had to admit that in my opinion, the look was unseemly now that the campaign is over and Trump is President-elect, adding that I’d look into who was doing the marketing and where the money goes.
The WASHINGTON EXAMINER included this information in a story from before the election:
"The websites for Trump’s various products bear disclaimers explaining that sale proceeds do not go to Trump’s campaign nor the Trump Organization.
"According to a disclaimer on a sales website, the watches are covered by a similar agreement to license Trump’s name, image, and likeness, and proceeds from their sales do not go to Trump’s campaign or the Trump Organization and 'are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals.'"
But that still doesn't tell us who IS doing this and pocketing the money.
Ads are still running, and former-and-incoming President Trump’s image and voice are still being used in them.
I went to the “official” website gettrumpsneakers.com and found a huge assortment of sneakers (some really cool-looking), plus fragrances (the smell of victory, ha) and even an “official” cooler. In the Q&A at the end, the products are described as “a testament to the 45th President, Donald J. Trump.” (Apparently, this hasn’t been updated since he won re-election.) Each product is made to order, thus the long lead time. And in answer to the question, “Is any of the money from this collection going to The Donald J. Trump campaign for President?” the website says this:
“NO. GetTrumpSneakers.com is not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign. 45Footwear is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Ventures LLC or any of their respective principals or affiliates. 45Footwear uses Donald J. Trump's name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”
In other words, CIC Ventures holds the trademarks, which are licensed to 45Footwear. According to NEWSWEEK back in February:
“CIC Ventures LLC was established in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2021, after being formed in Delaware. At the time its two managers were listed as Nicholas Luna, who served as Trump's personal assistant in the White House, and John B. Marion IV, a local lawyer who also worked for Trump, state business records show.”
As for 45Footwear, NEWSWEEK reported:
“45Footwear LLC...is registered in Sheridan, Wyoming, a city with a population of around 19,000. Its registered address—an unassuming building on an industrial estate in the southwest of the city—is that of a local law firm which specializes in establishing LLCs in the state and whose address is used for numerous other companies.
“The name listed on state filings for 45Footwear is Andrew Pierce, a paralegal for the law firm Wyoming Trust & LLC Attorney who previously lived in the Caribbean "where he owned a successful business development company" and "learned to navigate the various tax regimes each island offered to maximize value for his investors," according to the law firm's website.
As of April 2023, the address given for CIC Ventures has been that of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. Regarding these products, it would seem they just have a basic licensing agreement with 45Footwear, one they can revoke at any time. I’m not an attorney, but it seems obvious that if someone else is making these products, they SHOULD have such an agreement in place, to protect Trump’s image if need be.
The money trail goes cold, at least for me, once the paid orders come in to 45Footwear. But apparently, Trump and the Trump Organization don’t receive any money from this licensing of the Trump “brand.” I’d love to be able to tell you that at least some of it is going to charitable causes but will have to keep digging. If it isn’t, I think that with Trump’s re-election, it should be.
RELATED: Ever since Trump first jumped into politics as a Republican in 2015, Democrats who used to schmooze with him at parties have called him monstrously selfish. The common refrain, heard nonstop at the 2016 DNC Convention and ever since, was, “Donald Trump has never done anything for anyone but himself, in his entire life.” Like so much of what they say about Trump, it was based on nothing, completely made up.
But if it turns out the current merchandising of Trump is benefiting some worthy cause or causes, that will be in character for him. It’s true --- and even PolitiFact had to admit --- that Trump donated his presidential salary during his first term as he said he would, turning it back to specific worthwhile projects within government agencies.
FORBES has a detailed accounting of where the money went. (They were still missing the last couple of quarters at the time their article came out in April 2022, but for all others, they can show that 100 percent of it was turned back.) As they explain, Presidents aren’t legally allowed to refuse their salary but “can donate it to organizations of their choosing.”
John F. Kennedy was the last President before Trump to donate his salary, and VERY few have. Herbert Hoover did. George Washington did not want to take a salary --- $25,000 back then --- but Congress made him.
Trump’s first quarterly donation was to the National Park Service in the exact amount of $78,333. He thoughtfully got an anonymous donor to make up the difference to bring the total up to a nice round $100,000. The money was designated for “maintenance backlog at historic battlefields” and was used to restore the Newcomer House on the Antietam battlefield and to replace the deteriorated rail fencing there.
From then on, his personal checks were for that rounded-up amount, meaning he was reaching into his own pocket to give the recipients even MORE than what he had been paid.
The FORBES piece goes through quarter-by-quarter, listing the agencies which got Trump’s $100,000 check and what the money was used for. The year 2018 was particularly impressive, with checks going to…
--- the VA, for “caregiver support in the form of mental health and peer support programs, financial aid, education, training and research.”
--- the Small Business Administration, for a seven-month training program for veteran entrepreneurs.
--- The National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. As you know, President Trump’s older brother died of alcohol-related causes at only 43.
The last payment on record at that time, from July 2020, was to the National Park Service to help pay for repairs to our national monuments. I find it telling that at the time Democrats were vandalizing and pulling down historic monuments, Trump was helping with his own money to pay for their repair.
“...It is my honor to give $100,000 to the National Park Service to help repair and restore our GREAT National Monuments,” he tweeted. “So important to our American History! Thank you!!”
One bright spot in the controversy over Trump merchandise: MAGA hats and other MAGA products are currently on the list of the top sellers on Amazon! And it’s becoming increasingly acceptable (depending on where you are) to actually wear one in public without risking public shaming or even a trip to the ER. On Sunday, Scott Adams posed the question, “What do you think it was that changed Trump from somebody you couldn’t possibly support in public to somebody that you WANT to support in public?”
He has a few thoughts on that, saying it was “sort of a perfect storm sort of situation”...
1. Trump won, and “everybody likes winning.” But Adams notes that this was starting to change before Election Day and even before the assassination attempt.
2. The economy. Inflation got so bad that fixing it became the priority.
3. “...Kamala Harris is the worst candidate we’ve ever seen in our lives, and Trump is the best.” With Trump’s cameos at McDonalds and in the garbage truck, “he just broke through some kind of barrier.” And people realized that, gosh, Trump isn’t Hitler after all!
4. (This is a big one.) Prominent one-time Democrats like Tulsi Gabbard, Elon Musk and RFK Jr. “saw the light and moved over.” I would add a number of influential podcasters.
Hey, I wonder what the market for Biden merchandise is right now! Seriously, I’ll keep dredging for details on the Selling of the President-Elect 2024. Thanks to our subscribers who sometimes bring up questions that hardly anyone in the news is addressing, except perhaps in useless hit pieces. Having this kind of connection is one advantage of your subscribership, for you and for us.
(Full disclosure: I am the proud owner of a bottle of “Ivanka” perfume, which smells delightful.)