Donald Trump threatened the 2020 result must “never happen again”, and gave out “Trump 2028” hats to Republicans while continuing to demolish the White House
At some point America is going to have to acknowledge that Donald Trump has no intention of ever leaving the White House during his lifetime. He keeps saying he’s not a “king” or a “dictator”. But he also keeps doing and saying things that suggest he very much would like to be. He’s remodelling the White House to be more like his holiday home, a project which will clearly not be finished before he’s supposed to leave office in 2029. He has had merch made for a 2028 election campaign that would be illegal. He’s terrorising communities in areas run by his enemies with a pseudo-military force loyal to him under the guise of immigration enforcement. He’s set up a ‘court’ at the White House modelled after the terrace at the aforementioned holiday home, where flunkies and sycophants – many of them elected Republican politicians – can visit and pay gushing tribute. He’s using the Justice Department to punish all the people who tried to hold him to account for his behaviour during his first term. He keeps ignoring the checks and balances that are supposed to ensure the Presidency is an equal partner with Congress and the Courts. And both of those bodies keep letting him do it. And let’s not forget – as it seems many, many people have – that last time he lost an election, he tried to cling on to power with a violent coup – the perpetrators of which he immediately pardoned and praised the very second he was able to.
Anyway, meanwhile in Trumpworld…
- Trump obliquely threatened another coup if the public vote against him again
- Republicans came to pay tribute and went away with branded bags containing ‘Trump 2028’ hats
- He demanded the Justice Department pay him – personally – a very specific amount of money
- He directly threatened to punish New York if they elect someone he doesn’t like
- He continued to demolish the White House
- The Trump meeting is off, and he kind of shrugged about the future of Ukraine
None of this is normal. Pay attention.
King Trump
1. Trump threatens another coup if Republicans ever lose an election again
Sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office last night, Donald Trump appeared to threaten another violent coup if Republicans ever lose an election again.
“We can never let what happened in the 2020 election happen again,” he said. What happened in the 2020 election is he was voted out of office. He lost an election. That is what happened. He continued: “We just can’t let that happen. I know [FBI director] Kash [Patel] is working on it, everybody is working on it. And certainly [National Security Advisor] Tulsi [Gabbard] is working on it. We can’t let that happen again to our country.”
Next year, Trump is on course to lose control of the House and the Senate in the midterm elections, something that would – theoretically, at least – put an obstacle in the way of him doing whatever he wants. And if you think Donald Trump is going to let that happen, you haven’t been paying even a little bit of attention.
2. Don Jr says Americans should be grateful that Trump isn’t even more authoritarian.
During an interview with (who else?) Fox News, Donald Trump Jr declared: “If he was a king, he probably would have never left office the first time.”
First of all, Don Jr, that’s not at all reassuring. Second of all, Don Jr, he tried his best not to leave office last time, and has been moaning that he shouldn’t have been made to leave office constantly ever since.
3. Republicans flock to pay tribute to Trump and leave with alarming goody bags
As we wrote yesterday, Trump hosted Republican politicians at lunch and dinner on the paved over White House Rose Garden last night. And everyone attending this meeting of the (boak) Rose Garden Club left with a beautifully branded goody bag, bearing the President’s signature in gold.
Inside the bags were hats which read “Trump 2028” and “Four more years”.
4. Trump moans because someone paid him a compliment that was insufficiently glorifying
During his speech at one of the soirees, Trump told an anecdote about being “extremely angry” because someone told him he was only the third best president of all time. “Somebody said, ‘You’re the third best president behind George Washington and Abraham Lincoln,'” he said. “And I got extremely angry, hey, they didn’t put out eight wars.” (Washington “put out” the War of Independence and Lincoln the Civil War, but details, eh?)
5. Happy Diwali, everyone!
Trump held an event in the Oval Office to mark Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. He spent much of his PREPARED REMARKS for the event ranting about tariffs, complaining about losing the 2020 election and calling the Federal Reserve Chairman a “stiff”.
6. He made a sinister threat to New York
Trump has taken to making threats to the people of New York, suggesting he will punish them if they elect Zohran Mamdani, a left-wing politician (by American standards, anyway), as Mayor in a free, democratic election.
“It looks like we’re gonna have a Communist as the mayor of New York,” he said in the Oval last night. “But here’s the good news: He’s gotta go through the White House. Everything goes through the White House. At least this White House it does.”
Legally, this is untrue. Trump has control over some aspects of funding for specific projects, but “everything” does not go through the White House. It’s not supposed to, anyway.
7. Trump said the federal government owes him money – and its a curiously specific figure
In a situation that the New York Times report has “no parallel in American history”, Donald Trump has declared the Justice Department owes him “a lot of money” in restitution for investigations into his antidemocratic and illegal actions during his first term. And he said he would have final say on whether and how much they will pay out, because it has to “go across my desk.”
It follows a New York Times story that said he had filed legal claims against the Justice Department before being re-elected, seeking roughly $230 million in damages related to the FBI raid on Mar A Lago, searching for – and finding – classified documents he had removed from the White House after losing the election.
And if you’re thinking $230 million is a familiar figure, you’re right. It’s more or less the estimated cost of the ballroom he’s building on the side of the White House. The one he promised wouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer’s cash.
During the Oval Office Q&A, Trump suggested the money could be donated to charity…or perhaps to the White House.
Speaking of which…
The Gold House
8. The white house demolition is even worse today
People’s worst fears about Trump’s demolition job on the White House have come true today. He’s not just knocking down a wall of the East Wing of the People’s House…he’s knocking down the entire East Wing.
The Surge
9. Trump’s ICE recruits keep failing their physicals
Veteran ICE officers are reportedly concerned about the quality of the heavies Trump is fast tracking onto the streets in his personal army. According to The Atlantic, an email from ICE headquarters to the agency’s top officials complained about “a considering amount of athletically allergic candidates.” About a third of new recruits are failing the modest fitness test ICE agents – 15 press ups, 32 sit ups and a 1.5 mile run in 14 minutes.
President of Peace
11. The Hungary Games
The White House has confirmed that, following speculation last night, the summit between Trump and Putin announced to take place in Hungary next week is not happening. A White House official confirmed last night there are “no plans” for the two leaders to meet in the “immediate future”.
12. Trump shrugs about Ukraine
Asked about the chances of a ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump kind of shrugged and distanced himself from the whole thing. “It’s a vicious war,” he said. “Doesn’t really affect us.”
13. Hegseth locks down Pentagon communications with Congress
“Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth has issued new rules for how Pentagon Officials will deal with Congress. In a memo, Hegseth and his deputy, Steve Feinberg, ordered Pentagon officials – including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the most senior military officer – to obtain permission from the his office before they have any communication with Congressmen and women. According to the memo, a copy of which was authenticated by a Pentagon official, “unauthorised engagements with Congress by (Pentagon) personnel acting in their official capacity, no matter how well-intentioned, may undermine Department-wide priorities critical to achieving our legislative objectives.” The memo was issued on the same day as the vast majority of Pentagon reporters walked out rather than sign up to Hegseth’s draconian rules for journalists, another attempt by Hegseth to exert tighter control over the military’s communications with the outside world.
And finally…
14. ‘Nazi texts’ Trump appointee pulled
Trump ’s pick to lead a federal watchdog agency withdrew from consideration Tuesday evening, after his offensive text messages were made public and Republican senators – unusually – revolted. Paul Ingrassia, who was nominated to lead the Office of Special Counsel, had been scheduled to have his confirmation hearing this week. But on Monday Politico reported on a text chat that showed him saying the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell.” Ingrassia also described himself in the chat as having “a Nazi streak” at times. After the texts came to light, several Republican senators said they would not support his nomination. They included some of the most conservative and stalwart Trump allies in the Senate. “I will be withdrawing myself from Thursday’s HSGAC hearing to lead the Office of Special Counsel because unfortunately I do not have enough Republican votes at this time,” Ingrassia posted in an online message. “I appreciate the overwhelming support that I have received throughout the process and will continue to serve President Trump and the administration to Make America Great Again!” HSGAC is the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs.