LetMyPeopleVote
LetMyPeopleVote's Journal'Really is unhinged': Trump stuns by breaking 'protocol' in effort to shame world leaders
trump shared copies of confidential communications with other world leaders. If any world leader thought that they could work with trump, these leaders now know that trump cannot be trusted.
'Really is unhinged': Trump stuns by breaking 'protocol' in effort to shame world leaders
— Raw Story (@rawstory.com) 2026-01-20T16:21:00Z
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-2674911464
Trump shared screenshots of private text exchanges with two European leaders: French President Emmanuel Macron, who appeared perplexed by Trump’s fixation on acquiring Greenland, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who seemed to express support for the idea.
The unorthodox behavior for a sitting U.S. president didn’t go unnoticed by critics, including X user “War Monitors,” who provides news and commentary on world events and has amassed more than 1.2 million followers.
“The ‘president’ is sharing private messages with world leaders online as if he’s in [the] middle of his first high school drama,” they wrote in a social media post on X Tuesday.
Another critic, Areih Kovler, a writer and political analyst, expressed confusion as to Trump’s intent behind sharing the messages, particularly his private text exchange with Macron.
“There's nothing embarrassing in this message for Macron. No gotcha. No obvious tactical reason to break diplomatic protocol by releasing it,” Kovler wrote to their more than 80,000 followers in a social media post on X. “It makes every world leader reluctant to put anything in writing. Just another sign Trump is losing it.”
MaddowBlog-Trump admin. reveals to court: DOGE members may have misused Social Security data
For those concerned with the integrity of the Social Security system, the latest allegations are extraordinary — legal accountability or not.
https://x.com/Rod_dk/status/2013720341214847475
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-admin-reveals-to-court-doge-members-may-have-misused-social-security-data
In fact, The New York Times reported that the database in question included “individuals’ full names, addresses and birth dates, among other details that could be used to steal their identities, making it one of the nation’s most sensitive repositories of personal information.”
As this year gets underway, not only is the DOGE team facing new accusations about the misuse of Social Security data, but the Trump administration revealed in a court filing last week that this might actually have happened. Politico reported:
Two members of Elon Musk’s DOGE team working at the Social Security Administration were secretly in touch with an advocacy group seeking to ‘overturn election results in certain states,’ and one signed an agreement that may have involved using Social Security data to match state voter rolls, the Justice Department revealed in newly disclosed court papers.
Elizabeth Shapiro, a top Justice Department official, said SSA referred both DOGE employees for potential violations of the Hatch Act, which bars government employees from using their official positions for political purposes.
.....But for those concerned with the integrity of the Social Security system, the allegations are extraordinary, whether or not these individuals face any accountability. The court filing describes incidents in which members of DOGE shared Social Security data on unapproved third-party servers and might also have retrieved private information they weren’t supposed to be able to access under an existing court order.
An Axios report characterized the court filing as “a stunning admission from the Trump administration, after it battled in court over DOGE’s rights to access and use Social Security data as part of its effort to uncover fraud and waste.”
Federal judges formally strip Lindsey Halligan of U.S. attorney title
This makes me smile
🚨BREAKING: Federal judges in eastern Virginia have moved to strip Lindsey Halligan, the embattled loyalist lawyer President Donald Trump handpicked to prosecute his enemies last year, of her alleged U.S. attorney title more than a month after a court formally disqualified her from the role.
— Marc Elias (@marcelias.bsky.social) 2026-01-20T17:37:42.990Z
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/federal-judges-strip-lindsey-halligan-us-attorney-title/
On Tuesday, M. Hannah Lauck, the chief judge of the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a court notice that since Halligan’s 120-day appointment — which was found to have been unlawful — formally ends Tuesday, the U.S. attorney title in the district would be vacant. Lauck also asked for qualified attorneys to apply to fill the role.
The move represents the latest development in the monthslong struggle between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and federal judges over who should lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The notice and job posting come just days after Trump, in a desperate attempt to keep Halligan at the helm of the key U.S. attorney’s office, nominated her to the position for a second time.
In the court notice, Lauck said that because the Senate had not confirmed Halligan, federal judges in the district now had the authority to appoint someone to replace her.
Judge slams Bondi and Blanche for responding to him with "a level of vitriol more appropriate for a cable news talk show
A week ago, the DOJ (Bondi and Blanche) and Halligan filed a response to a question asked by a federal judge that was beyond arrogant and was out right disrespectful to the judge. See https://upload.democraticunderground.com/10143598130 and
https://upload.democraticunderground.com/100220935905
Today the judge responded to this filing. This judge is pissed at Bondi, Blanche and Halligan
Judge David Novak, a Trump appointee, slams Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche for responding to him with "a level of vitriol more appropriate for a cable news talk show" than the DOJ.
— Adam Klasfeld (@klasfeldreports.com) 2026-01-20T18:42:06.529Z
Judge posts job opening for top prosecutor spot that DOJ claims Lindsey Halligan occupies
Though a judge disqualified Halligan from her position, the Justice Department as recently as last week referred to her as the interim U.S. attorney.
NEW: Judge posts job opening for top prosecutor spot that DOJ claims Lindsey Halligan occupies
— Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray†(@ryanjreilly.com) 2026-01-20T18:26:26.993Z
www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/judge-posts-job-opening-top-prosecutor-spot-doj-claims-lindsey-halliga-rcna254982
Chief Judge M. Hannah Lauck entered an order on Tuesday ordering the clerk of the court to post a vacancy announcement, soliciting applications from attorneys interested in filling the position of Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
“In the exercise of the authority conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 546(d) to appoint an Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia until the position is filled by a Senate confirmed person, the Court is soliciting expressions of interest in serving in that position,” the order read.
Under the law, when the position is vacant — as the chief judge declared it was — the court can “appoint a United States Attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled" by a Senate-confirmed candidate. The application deadline is listed as Feb. 10, 2026.
A judge previously ruled that Halligan was unlawfully serving in the role and dismissed cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. After President Donald Trump urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute James and Comey, frequent targets of the president's ire, Halligan— who had no prior prosecutorial experience — presented the cases against them to federal grand jurors.
Judge posts job opening for top prosecutor spot that DOJ claims Lindsey Halligan occupies
Source: NBC
WASHINGTON — A top federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia has posted a job opening for a top federal prosecutor position that the Trump administration claims is occupied by Trump loyalist Lindsey Halligan.
Chief Judge M. Hannah Lauck entered an order on Tuesday ordering the clerk of the court to post a vacancy announcement, soliciting applications from attorneys interested in filling the position of Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
“In the exercise of the authority conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 546(d) to appoint an Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia until the position is filled by a Senate confirmed person, the Court is soliciting expressions of interest in serving in that position,” the order read.
Under the law, when the position is vacant — as the chief judge declared it was — the court can “appoint a United States Attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled" by a Senate-confirmed candidate. The application deadline is listed as Feb. 10, 2026.
A judge previously ruled that Halligan was unlawfully serving in the role and dismissed cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. After President Donald Trump urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute James and Comey, frequent targets of the president's ire, Halligan— who had no prior prosecutorial experience — presented the cases against them to federal grand jurors.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/judge-posts-job-opening-top-prosecutor-spot-doj-claims-lindsey-halliga-rcna254982
NEW: Judge posts job opening for top prosecutor spot that DOJ claims Lindsey Halligan occupies
— Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray†(@ryanjreilly.com) 2026-01-20T18:26:26.993Z
www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
Expert taken aback by court's 'staggering new rejection' of hand-picked Trump prosecutor
Piro keeps losing
A former federal prosecutor was taken aback on Monday by a jury's "staggering new rebuke" of one of President Donald Trump's hand-picked prosecutors.
— Raw Story (@rawstory.com) 2026-01-20T14:10:40Z
https://www.rawstory.com/jeanine-pirro-2674910484
Last week, a federal jury acquitted a 33-year-old man named Jacob Winkler after Trump's Department of Justice charged him with crimes stemming from shining a green laser at the presidential helicopter last year. The case was brought by former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, who currently serves as the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., and the jury deliberated for just 35 minutes, according to reports.
Glenn Kirschner, a former assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., described the ruling in a new reaction video for his podcast, "Justice Matters," as a "staggering new rebuke" of Pirro.
"Every hour spent on this case was an hour not spent addressing real threats to our community," Kirschner said.
"But for 12 jurors sitting in a wooden box as the conscience of the community to conclude like that that the prosecutor just completely failed to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt," he added. "It's pretty unusual because we tend not to bring extraordinarily weak cases."
Kirschner said that Pirro's case showed the government "failed miserably in its duty, its responsibility, its obligation to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."
MaddowBlog-Trump's weird letter to Norway's prime minister renews 25th Amendment talk
The last time the president confronted chatter about the 25th Amendment, it was in the immediate aftermath Jan. 6.
The last time Trump confronted public chatter about the 25th Amendment, it was in the immediate aftermath of Jan. 6.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-01-20T13:57:34.069Z
It’s good to see at least some evidence of this returning to the fore. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-weird-letter-to-norways-prime-minister-renews-25th-amendment-talk
In fact, according to Trump, because Norway hurt his feelings by failing to give him an award he wanted but did not earn, he no longer feels “an obligation to think purely of Peace.”.....
The senator added regarding the American president, “He isn’t OK. He’s degraded significantly in the last year and he’s about to get us into a war with our allies.” Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii sounded a similar note, adding, “I don’t see how you can be a serious person and not find this extremely worrisome. He is not stable at all and his reality is warped.”
One senator, however, took an additional step down the same path. HuffPost reported:
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) is calling on President Donald Trump’s Cabinet and Vice President JD Vance to remove him from office via the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution over his latest threat to Greenland. […]
‘Invoke the 25th Amendment,’ Markey replied, referring to a constitutional process by which the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet can declare a president unable to perform his duties. If the president contests that declaration, Congress would ultimately decide whether he remains in power.
....If the American president is aware of such concerns about his mental stability and fitness for office, he’s not showing it. On the contrary, hours after his bonkers message to the Norwegian prime minister reached the public, Trump leaked a private message from French President Emmanuel Macron and used his social media platform to promote weird images, including one that showed a map of the Western Hemisphere in which Greenland, Canada and Venezuela are under American control.
Lars-Christian Brask, deputy speaker of the Danish parliament, told Sky News, “If I could come with some advice, it would be for the Senate and the House to start to take control of the political power in America, because with this mad and erratic behavior, you have to ask the question: Is the president capable of running the United States?”
Under the circumstances, that need not be a rhetorical question.
MaddowBlog-At the one-year mark, Trump runs headfirst into the dreaded 'fifth-year curse'
History is filled with presidents suffering through awful fifth years, but those who study the ‘curse’ should prepare for an ugly new chapter to their work.
At the One-Year Mark, Trump Runs Headfirst Into the Dreaded ‘fifth-Year Curse’
— (@economynewsus.bsky.social) 2026-01-20T00:00:23Z
At year one of his second term, Trump confronts the "fifth-year curse" with polls showing a failing first year. Dive in to find out why! #Trump #FifthYearCur...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/at-the-one-year-mark-trump-runs-headfirst-into-the-dreaded-fifth-year-curse
In 2020, the University of Virginia’s Miller Center and the Center for Presidential Transition published a memorable report on “the fifth-year curse,” which took note of a curious historical phenomenon. “While the president’s fifth year should be a symbolic and substantive fresh start, it is often marred by political infighting, major crises, and failed legislative agendas,” the report explained.
Several years earlier, in 2013, Politico had a related report on the trend.
There’s just something about Year Five itself — some immutable law of the American political calendar that condemns our presidents to a miserable time after their second inaugural. Maybe it’s about presidents and their re-election hangovers, or their opponents’ renewed determination to thwart the White House agenda, or perhaps it’s simply the problem of the public’s inevitable fatigue.
While there’s no reason to take seriously the idea of an actual “curse,” there’s no denying the fact that a great many presidents have struggled in their fifth year in the White House. In Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s fifth year, for example, the legendary Democratic president backed off New Deal spending, which reversed economic progress, and tried to pack the U.S. Supreme Court......
There are competing theories to explain why “the fifth-year curse” endures, but I tend to think it comes down to one thing: hubris. By Year Five, presidents not only start to have an exaggerated sense of their powers and skills, they also know that they’ll never again have to face the electorate.
Trump, fueled by an authoritarian vision, goaded by sycophants, and emboldened by a Congress led by partisans who expect to be treated like doormats, took this to new depths over the course of his fifth year, embracing the idea that he can do as he pleases, disregarding laws and institutions at his own discretion, constrained only by his twisted sense of his own “morality.”
While American history is filled with some catastrophically bad presidential fifth years, those who study the “fifth-year curse” should prepare for a dramatic new chapter to their work — because instead of trying to avoid the historical scourge, Trump rushed headstrong into it, producing the worst Year Five of them all.
MaddowBlog-Study debunks Trump claims, shows no link between acetaminophen and autism
Remember the president's many rants about Tylenol? The latest evidence shows how wrong he was.
“Study debunks Trump claims, shows no link between acetaminophen and autism
— Redeem the soul America (@rneagle.bsky.social) 2026-01-19T22:12:09.148Z
Remember the president's many rants about Tylenol? The latest evidence shows how wrong he was.â€
apple.news/A3EW0ubEtR0K...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/study-debunks-trump-claims-shows-no-link-between-acetaminophen-and-autism
A scientific review of 43 studies on acetaminophen use during pregnancy concluded that there was no evidence that the painkiller increased the risk of autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders.
‘We found no clinically important increase in the risk of autism, A.D.H.D. or intellectual disability,’ Dr. Asma Khalil, a professor of obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine at St. George’s Hospital, University of London, and the lead author of the report, said at a news briefing. The study was published on Friday in the British medical journal The Lancet.
Khalil added that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, remains “the first-line treatment that we would recommend if the pregnant women have pain or fever in pregnancy.”...
The next time the president starts offering advice on over-the-counter pain treatments, however, keep this in mind.
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