When I blogged The Importance of Marbury v. Madison Today on February 24, I didn’t intend to start an endless series of political and political science posts, but there seems to be no end to the chaos the Trump Administration is creating.
I don’t make this stuff up. I’m trying to put a human face on the madness. All the numbers are huge. The suffering is individual and collective. The grief for what the United States of America used to be is real.
Watching various politicians and representatives of the Republican Party interviewed or speaking as panelists on several Sunday morning news shows on TV only serve to reenforce my fear that worse days lie ahead for the United States of America. Through the voicing of their beliefs, they demonstrated that Republicans have lost their way. They have lost sight of the US Constitution. They have lost sight of the truth.
Here’s just one example. On “Meet the Press” on Sunday, this exchange took place between Host Kristen Welker and US Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2025/04/20/gop_sen_john_kennedy_if_trump_defies_a_court_order_ill_call_him_out.html):
“Kristen Welker: Do you believe that President Trump is following orders of the courts right now?
“Sen. John Kennedy: Yes. And I don’t believe that President Trump will defy a federal judge’s order. If he does, I’ll call him out on it.”
I hope when Senator Kennedy catches up on the news from the last several weeks, he will indeed call out President Trump.
Here we go…
As of April 14, 2025, all grants with the Office on Violence Against Women have been terminated because the US Department of Justice has concluded that these grants “no longer effectuate the agency priorities.” This is an admission by the Justice Department that they used to “effectuate the agency priorities.” I conclude that it is no longer a priority of the US Department of Justice to address violence against women. As a result, on April 14, 2025, the American Bar Association immediately cancelled “all its upcoming trainings.” This apparently refers to training lawyers on how to effectively prosecute men who violently attack women and educating women who find themselves in a dangerous situation. No wonder President Trump said he would “take care of women.” It creeped me out when I heard him say that because we all know how he personally takes care of women, but this official DOJ warning to women is a whole other level. It’s no longer creepy; it’s frightening. To use a term that Trump’s macho hunter friends use, I guess it is now “open season” on women.
- The US Air Force has removed webpages, photos, videos, and biographies about several trailblazing female pilots, including retired Colonel Nicole Malachowski. She served in the Air Force for 21 years and was the first woman to pilot with the elite Thunderbirds team. Does anyone see a pattern here?
- According to a Washington Post report, “Thiry-eight of 43 experts cut last month from the boards that review the science and research that happens in laboratories at the National Institutes of Health are female, Black or Hispanic, according to an analysis by the chairs of a dozen of the boards. The scientists, with expertise in fields that include mental health, cancer and infectious disease, typically serve five-year terms and were not given a reason for their dismissal…. These scientists rate the quality of the science on the nation’s largest biomedical research campus, where 1,200 taxpayer-funded investigators lead laboratories focused on Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, cancer immunotherapy, and other diseases and treatments.” A pattern, or a coincidence?
- Proposed US Department of Health and Human Services budget cuts would slash 40% of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes for Health budget. I hope all the medical researchers and physicians who have lost their jobs due to Donald Trump will be able to find new opportunities in other countries where their knowledge and skills will be appreciated.
- A doctor who is a US citizen born in Pennsylvania received one of the US Department of Homeland Security’s emails informing her that she has to leave the United States immediately. Maybe the new Department of Government Efficiency needs to investigate the top officials at Homeland Security. Seems like they’re making a lot of mistakes in who they’re trying to deport.
- US Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has threated to prevent Harvard University from enrolling international students unless it gives her information on all of its student visa holders’ disciplinary records and protest participation. Harvard has been given an April 30, 2025, deadline or it will “face immediate lost of Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification.” It’s difficult to imagine Harvard University without any international students.
- On Friday, Trump, who was partially elected because he claimed he would bring down the cost of eggs and other groceries, said, “You can have all the eggs. You watch, we have too many eggs. In fact, if anything, the prices are getting too low. So I just want to let you know that the prices are down.” Like he would know or care about the price of a dozen eggs!
In case you needed more proof that Donald Trump does not have a clue what Easter is about or who Jesus Christ is…
Photo by Pisit Heng on Unsplash
Sunday was Easter Sunday, and President Trump chose the occasion to issue perhaps the most off-the-beam Easter greeting ever issued by anyone. I wonder if any Evangelical Christians read it. If they agreed with it and saw it as anything but disrespectful to God, then maybe they need to reevaluate their religious beliefs.
On Easter Sunday, Trump took to social media and wished “Radical Left Lunatics” a happy Easter. He attacked “weak and ineffective judges and law enforcement officials” for calling for the return to the US of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from El Salvador although the Trump Administration had already admitted that his deportation was an “administrative error.”
In light of the US Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling that the Trump Administration must bring Mr. Abrego Garcia back to the United States, in his Easter message, the President blasted the legal pushback as “an attack so violent that it will never be forgotten!”
Violent? It was a decision made by the highest court in our country. There was nothing violent about it. I believe the violence was perpetrated against Mr. Abrego Garcia when he was sent to an El Salvador prison against a court order.
And Trump remains obsessed with President Joe Biden. Constantly drumming into the American people the lie that every immigrant is a criminal, in his Easter greeting he once again claimed that Biden “purposefully” allowed “Millions of criminals to enter our Country, totally unvetted and unchecked” and called it “the single most calamitous act ever perpetrated upon America.”
In case you missed it, this is how Trump concluded his angry Happy Easter greeting to the American people:
“But to him [Biden], and to the person that ran and manipulated the Auto Pen (perhaps our REAL President!), and to all of the people who CHEATED in the 2020 Presidential Election in order to get this highly destructive Moron Elected, I wish you, with great love, sincerity, and affection, a very Happy Easter!!!”
Whoa! That is just bizarre yet, sadly, not surprising.
But the worst thing that’s been proposed yet
This somehow got in under my radar since February 25. Blackwater founder, Erik Prince and its former Chief Operation Officer Bill Matthews sent a proposal to Trump’s advisers before January 20.To say it is chilling and horrific and un-American, is not strong enough language. Words fail me.
In a nutshell, what I read in a New Republic article online last Thursday: For $25 million, Prince and Matthews’ new company, 2USV, will transport 12 million immigrants from America to the notorious prison in El Salvador in two years’ time.
But wait… there’s more… the US will buy part of the prison campus, declare it an American territory, and then the Administration can’t be accused of sending Americans or anyone else to a prison outside the United States.
Let that sink in.
No one outside the Trump Administration or Prince and Matthew’s orbit know what the status of this proposal is.
Keep in mind, it was just last week that Trump and the President of El Salvador discussed the possibility of sending more prisoners from America to El Salvador. Now we know that idea did not just come out of nowhere!
To deport 12 million people in 24 months, an average of 500,000 would have to be rounded up and transported every month. To facilitate this, 10,000 private citizens would be deputized. I’m not making this up.
If this were a novel or a movie, it would be labeled as horror.
Until my next blog post … tomorrow
I hope you’re reading a good book.
Pay attention to what’s happening at the hands of the Trump Administration. This is the time to do what you can to stand up for American democracy.
Remember the people of Ukraine, Myanmar, and western North Carolina.
Janet
Janet's Writing Blog 
Nice post 🙏🎸
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Very scary stuff, Janet. Some one brighter and more disciplined than the Donald has spent a long time developing this plan and has found the willing tool to implement it.
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I tell you Janet that here within the ex-pat US community, and I know a lot of them, they are my friends, everybody is in shock. This man sends the market rollercoasting downwards then invites multi-billionaires to the WH to laugh and tell them how much money they made! Are the people in the US drugged? How can anyone who is not within the 0,1% uber rich support this man??? The dollar is plummeting, the markets are unstable, people getting deported, censorship, racism, hatred and democracy diminished. But have the people forgotten what democracy is? I know folks that supported and voted for him and now they are outraged. But what about the millions of others? No one has dared to do what this man is doing and still he is un-opposed? I tell you Janet, this is unbelievable. A good man, Pope Francis has died and I hope he has a good conversation up there about what is going on here… All the best to you Janer.
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Interesting developments… Let’s hope for the best with the coming days.
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Thank you for visiting my blog and for taking the time to leave a comment.
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Exactly, Pat! They developed Project 2025 and it didn’t take one bit of persuasion or intelligence for him to fall for it, hook, line, and sinker. They are all laughing behind his back.
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Thank you for leaving a comment, Benjamin. I’m afraid the developments have gone way beyond “interesting” and moved into “frightening” territory. We hope for better news in the coming days, but there is little evidence to point in that direction.
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And he both too stupid and vain to realize he merely somebody’s tool. 🪓⛏️
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Such a shallow, miserable little man who must be constantly praised.
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I, too, am in shock. I cannot believe what is happening to my country. I cannot believe how hesitant people in positions of power are afraid to speak up. Here I am, putting my thoughts out on the blogosphere for anyone in the world to read, yet members of Congress say and do nothing! People (me included) contact our Senators and Representatives’ offices and, if we even get a response, it has no substance and maybe isn’t even about the particular piece of outrage about which we contacted the office. The response we get shows little interest. There is absolutely no righteous indignation. Granted, my two Senators and my House Representative all, unfortunately, all Republicans… so they toe the party line. They are afraid to criticize anything Trump does. They should all be fired! They have no backbone. They do not love democracy enough to take a stand against the dismantling of our country. My blog tomorrow will list more things that are happening or proposals under consideration. And I don’t even address the danger posed by the Secretary of Defense! Unbelievable! His negligence and playing lose and fast with bombing plans against the Houthis in Yemen would get any Army private court martialed, yet Pete Hegseth continues to be praised by Trump. God help us! Not enough people are outraged. Congress has relinquished all its power to the President! It infuriates me! I’m doing all I can. What can one 72-year-old woman with multiple health problems, living out in the country do? It is a helpless feeling. I feel terrible about the world my four great-nieces, now in their early 20s, are inheriting. I was blessed to be born in the early 1950s and to grow up in decades of great progress in science, the Civil Rights Movement, and increasing women’s rights and opportunities. I now see a federal government that holds disdain for all the progress that has been made in my lifetime. How can the richest country in the history of the world turn against medicine, science, and human rights? I am encouraged by the comments my blog gets from people within and outside of the US, but how in the world will the reasonable people be able to overcome what is happening? As you say, Pope Francis was a good man. He genuinely loved and cared for the poor and downtrodden people of the world. I hope the next Pope will be equally as caring and compassionate. I’m off to an appointment. No doubt my blood pressure will be sky high!
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I read this with a pounding heart. The contempt for women — especially women with intellect — is terrifying. But it goes deeper: anyone who dares to think, to question, to reason, is under attack.
Trump acts like an enraged toddler, incapable of reflection, endlessly pointing at Biden like a child yelling “He started it!” It’s not just absurd — it’s dangerous.
And then, as if to seal the symbolism, a frail and dying Pope received the devil in the form of Vance. I doubt he wanted the devil to be the last person he met in this life.
This isn’t about politics anymore. It’s about the erosion of justice, dignity, and reason. If this doesn’t keep us awake, what will?
Together with you, I’m deeply concerned. And so are many people here in Europe. We genuinely stand with you.
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Janet, I, and all your readers, know that you are doing all you can. You are disseminating information the which I am sharing with American friends here and they to others. If the ones in elected positions, positions in a co-equal branch of the government do not do anything, what can anyone else do? But please take care of yourself and your health, do not let your blood pressure rise because of this situation. We need to stay well and strong for the duration. Like the old saying says, this too shall pass. All the best.
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Thank you, Matroos. As always, you have eloquently expressed yourself and my feelings exactly. The anti-women pattern I see is jolting, and I fear for the world my 20- to 27-year-old great-nieces are inheriting. I fear the life choices they will not be able to make for themselves. Your description of Trump as a toddler is spot on. He is forever whining and playing the victim. I think his father had too much influence on him. His behavior is annoying in a toddler, but just plain disgusting in a 78-year-old US President. This is the personality he showed us during his first term, which was just one of a million reasons I thought he would not have a second term. I’m beginning to think half the US population is deaf, blind, and shall I say it? Stupid. Like you, I really hate the fact that dear man Pope Francis had to meet J.D. Vance on his last day on this earth. That whole episode made me sick (and I’m Presbyterian and not Roman Catholic), but I find Vance to be such a fake. I love your description of it! I’m just trying to take it a day at a time. When I wake up in morning, I dread turning the TV on because I know Trump will have done something horrible overnight. It means more than you can imagine for me to know that Europeans are standing with us. It’s embarrassing to be an American… and I never in a million years thought I would say such a thing. My blog in the morning is 16 more unjust things that have happened… and who knows how many more I don’t even know about. I’m exhausted.
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Thank you, Francis. In my heart I know I’m doing all I can, but it just doesn’t seem like enough. It makes me feel good that you’re sharing the information I’m putting in my blog. I don’t always give my source, but I try to when it seems especially important to do so. I try to only repeat things that I have vetted from more than one reputable source. I’m afraid my non-stop worrying and tracking down news stories is starting to catch up with me… some digestion issues and more headaches than usual, but that’s just how important this democracy is to me. I have no descendants, but my four great-nieces are precious to me and I fear they won’t have the America I have had the blessing to have all my life. Trump promises us a “Golden Age,” but I think the life I’ve had was the golden age. The polio vaccine came about when I was a young child, my parents struggled but provided us a comfortable and happy home, the dark days of racial segregation ended and I attended a desegregated school from the 7th grade on up, I was able to work my way through college and study the things I wanted to study, and I had a nice career in government that wasn’t completely open to women working in high place even with advanced degrees… until Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ended that when I was 38 years old. I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve always had everything I needed. I’ve had the love and support or family and various church families. I’ve had access to anything I wanted to read. I’ve done some traveling. I’ve had some amazing dogs in my life — and I’ve found them to be smarter and more compassionate than most people. After my chosen career in government ended, God opened the door for me to study and pursue writing. I didn’t know why He made it possible for me to start a blog in 2010, but now I know the reason. I didn’t know what lay ahead in 2025, but He knew and He has been preparing me to step up and speak up. 2025 is giving me mental whiplash, but my blood pressure was excellent at the doctor’s office this afternoon, and I’m confident that ten days of a prescribed medication will get my stomach back under control. These are the cards I’ve been dealt, and God will bring me safely through to the other side either when our current crisis is over or He calls me home. Like you said, “This, too, shall pass.” All the best from North Carolina.
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All I can say is that I truly admire your diligence, your dedication and your discipline, in this effort and in your writing career. And the reason I share your information is because I trust completely that you have vetted the information from the source. Stay well and stay focused. You are making a difference and it is greatly appreciated. Have a beautiful and blessed day Janet.
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Thank you, Francis. It means a lot to hear that from you.
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My pleasure Janet and all the best to you!
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God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.
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Amen Janet, amen.
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Truly dystopian, Janet. I keep looking for signs that his approval ratings are dropping, but sadly they seem to be pretty static. I guess when you’ve signed up to a cult it’s hard to leave it.
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It truly is like a cult. They cannot admit they were tricked. They continue to believe all his lies, and they get all their news from Fox News which is nothing more than a Trump propaganda machine. It is horrible! I’m running out of adjectives for his followers and the whole mess.
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Another blogger sent me this link:: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/04/trump-motherhood-medal-pronatalist-nazi/. Nothing much new, except I had not heard of the natalism convention, NatalCon. Holey Moley!
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Not surprised these rich men would think that authoritarian bribes for women who prefer to be incubators would be a great idea. I also think it goes hand in hand with offering those production machines no assistance. If this is protecting me, heaven help if they really went after us.
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I cringed back when Trump said he was going to “take care of women.” I know nothing good was going to come out of that promise/threat. Yes, if he ever really turns on us….
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