He’s gone back to purging people he doesn’t like from the government – and is giving serious thought to a huge change that is very much dictator-adjacent
After a few weeks concentrating on tariffs and deporting people to gulags, Donald Trump has returned to one of his other favourite pastimes.
Firing people he doesn’t like, whether he’s legally allowed to or not.
Up for the chop this week were those evil, deep state figures the Librarian of Congress, the head of the disaster response agency and three people in charge of stopping dangerous toys and children’s cots being sold.
Meanwhile, the US government is giving serious thought to scrapping protections against unlawful imprisonment.
Here’s all that, plus some more wild and unhinged things that happened in Trump world overnight.
1. Trump regime considering suspending protections against unlawful imprisonment
The Trump administration is giving serious consideration to suspending constitutional protections against unlawful imprisonment and arbitrary detention.
Known as ‘habeas corpus’, the rules grant any person the right to challenge their detention in court.
That has caused no end of problems for the Trump administration, who have been trying to unlawfully detain and deport people for a while now, and keep getting sued over it.
Last night, Trump’s pallid acolyte, Stephen “Renfield” Miller trotted out to the TV cameras and announced habeas corpus might be suspended.
The Constitution only allows it to be suspended in times of “rebellion or invasion”, neither of which is the case, currently.
Also, it can only be suspended by Congress, not by the President.
Still, Miller claims the administration is “actively looking at” getting rid of it.
2. Trump has fired the librarian of congress
Carla Hayden, the first woman and first African American to hold the post of Librarian of Congress, was abruptly fired on Thursday night, as Trump continued his purge of government officials he doesn’t like for some reason.
Ms Hayden was 9 years into a 10 year term, and had recently been targeted by a wacko conservative pressure group complaining she’d included “radical” content and books written by Trump opponents in the Library.
And defending the decision last night Karoline Leavitt said: “There were quite concerning things that she had done at the Library of Congress in the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in the library for children.”
In an email to staff, deputy Librarian Robert Newlen said of Ms Hayden: “She has been widely recognised as an unbiased, nonpartisan and energetic servant to the United States Congress. She has achieved a level of popularity and acclaim that is surely unfamiliar to most librarians.”
3. Trump wobbles on China tariffs
Trump appears to be losing his game of chicken with China.
Up to last night, he was insisting the 145% tariffs on imports from China were going to stick unless there were concessions from Beijing.
Then yesterday, he started posting on Truth social.
“80% Tariff on China seems right!” He posted.
“Up to Scott B.”
(That’s Scott Bessant, the Treasury Secretary)
Then Howard Lutnick, the Commerce Secretary went on (where else?) Fox News last night, saying it was his expectation the tariff would come down to 34%.
Good to know this is all well thought through, and isn’t being busked on the hop.
4. He also fired the acting head of the disaster recovery agency
Trump fired Cameron Hamilton, who had been acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
His firing came one day after Mr Hamilton had testified to Congress that the agency shouldn’t be disbanded.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that FEMA be shut down, or at least shrunk.
Hurricane season starts in 22 days.
5. Buy Trumpcoin, meet the President!
Trump’s ‘memecoin’ is under the spotlight again today, after it advertised top “investors” in the coin would sit down for dinner with the President this month.
But Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insists he’s “abiding by all conflict of interest laws.”
She said. “He’s been incredibly transparent with his own personal financial obligations throughout the years paid. The president is a successful businessman and I think it’s one of the many reasons that people reelected him back to this office.”
Told at least some buyers of the coin see it as a way to influence his views – and asked whether those buyers were “wasting their money”, Leavitt said: “I can assure you the president acts with only the interest of the American public in mind, putting our country first, and doing what’s best for our country. Full stop.”
6. It’s “ridiculous” to think Trump would do anything for his own profit
Asked more broadly about holding on to his business ventures while in office, Leavitt was…somewhat incredulous.
“I think it’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit,” she said.
“He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service … this is a president who has actually lost money for being president.”
Incidentally, Trump’s company agreed to a new Middle East golf course and real estate deal last month.
President Trump is heading on a tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE next week.
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7. Sure I’ll sign it, what is it?
Trump signed an order scrapping energy efficiency standards for fridges and freezers.
But when it was handed to him, he had no idea what it was, and had to have it explained to him, at length, by staff.
Now to be clear, this wasn’t him asking for details on the order, or for the nuances of the policy.
He had no idea what it was when it was handed to him.
This from a President who keeps claiming – without evidence – that the Biden administration used an “autopen” to sign Executive Orders without him knowing.
8. He’s also dismantling the agency that monitors product safety
In a baffling move, Trump appears to be dismantling the government agency that monitors the safety of products and organises recalls.
The independent Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) “unreasonable risks” of injury, developing uniform safety standards and conducting research into product-related illness and injury.
It also has an absolutely brilliant Twitter account, which explains product safety through memes.
Seriously, you should follow it while you can. It’s amazing.
Anyway, the commission is made up of five members, three of whom are Democrats. And on Thursday night, Trump fired the three Democrats.
The move comes just ahead of a Supreme Court ruling on whether Trump has the authority to sack officials at federal agencies without a good reason.
The law states CPSC commissioners can only be removed for “neglect of duty” or “malfeasance”
But asked about the sackings last night, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “He has the right to fire people within the executive branch. It’s a pretty simple answer.”