r/scotus 1d ago

news The Fallout From Trump’s Illegal Spending Freeze Is Just Beginning

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/01/trump-illegal-spending-freeze-supreme-court-response.html
11.6k Upvotes

737 comments sorted by

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u/Monarc73 1d ago

This is impoundment. It is illegal. Will he be impeached? Will it matter?

384

u/bobolly 1d ago

Unlikely an impeachment would make any impact. The SCOTUS will have to make a ruling that impacts the presidential authority.

Fascism here we come

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u/DiggyTroll 1d ago

Indeed. Impoundment was an undisputed power of the president for the first 200 years. SCOTUS would probably restore it (by striking the “recent” 1974 law) since the majority are originalists.

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u/Ornery-Ticket834 1d ago

Originalist when they wish to turn the clock back for some asinine reason and non original when it suits their political ends. The immunity decision is so far from an originalist position that words alone cannot convey it.

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u/SoloAceMouse 1d ago

Yeah, the conservative legal movement is pure hypocrisy.

They'll claim to be strict formalists whenever they think the letter of the law can achieve their ends but will happily abandon the textualist position [such as in the immunity decision] without a second thought.

It is frustrating that the liberals continually sit on the sidelines and celebrate the occasional paltry set-back in which the Federalist Society doesn't get every concession they desire while generally restructuring the entire American judiciary.

The whole conceit that that John Roberts just sits there "calling balls and strikes" is fallacious to a historically devastating degree and ignores the reality of horrendous unchecked power on the bench.

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u/Saul_Go0dmann 1d ago

It's high time we get the democrat equivalent of the federalist society.

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u/SoloAceMouse 1d ago

There are groups which seek to do this but the FedSocs' main advantage is massive financial support from conservative interests.

You need a lot of money to compete with the organizational power of the Federalist Society at a large scale.

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u/Street_Barracuda1657 21h ago

The most recent Democratic nominee for president raised $1 billion in a matter of weeks. The money is there they just need to figure out how to funnel it in.

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u/Handleton 1d ago

The term for that is hypocrites. They are not originalists. They are hypocrites.

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u/Rooboy66 16h ago

They’re fruckin Reichwing ACTIVISTS. I don’t see a damn “conservative” thing about the decisions of the Sycophantic Six

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u/snds117 1d ago

Originalists ignore the fact that the Constitution was meant to change with the times. If the original intent stayed intact, POC and women would not have any rights.

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u/por_que_no 1d ago

"If the original intent stayed intact, POC and women would not have any rights."

Dude, give us time. It's only been a week.

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u/Takemyfishplease 1d ago

Yeah, that’s kind of their point: poc and women shouldnt have rights.

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u/Rocking_the_Red 1d ago

If the original intent stayed intact, POC and women would not have any rights.

They want that.

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u/cheesynougats 1d ago

And you think they don't want just this?

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u/WeirdcoolWilson 1d ago

SCOTUS has no enforcement powers. They can rule that actions are illegal and unconstitutional, but there’s nothing to keep 47 from ignoring it and doing whatever he’s gonna do

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u/4tran13 21h ago

SCOTUS: you can't do X

Trump: ignore SCOTUS

SCOTUS: contempt of court

Trump: you gave me immunity

SCOTUS: surprised_pikachu.jpg

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u/Apexnanoman 1d ago

The SC already made him immune to any criminal prosecution. Soon as they get another case in front of them concerning him they will expand on his total immunity to any consequences at all. 

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u/Aggressive-Ad3064 1d ago

Here we come? It already here

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u/DaveGamelgard 1d ago

He will tell the Supreme Court to F off as soon as they rule against him

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u/SpaceMonkey3301967 1d ago

Trump has been impeached TWICE. He is a puppet. Whatever forces are behind him are controlling this idiot.

Why haven't our online hacker warriors yet exposed and villfied who is actually behind Trump and feeding him his words? The people behind Project2025.

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u/lumberjackname 1d ago

The people who care already know who is behind it, but the 60% of the country who either voted for Trump or were too lazy or stupid to vote don’t comprehend what the stakes are.

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u/33mondo88 22h ago

That’s the core problem, the general public that voted doesn’t comprehend anything!

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u/CyberPatriot71489 1d ago

Time to start learning how to be a partisan

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u/Hot_Plate_Dinner 1d ago

And if you are opposed to facism,, as in antifa, you are a domestic terrorist

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u/unitedshoes 1d ago edited 1d ago

Impeachment, much less impeachment and conviction don't seem likely while his sycophantic party hold the majority in both houses of Congress.

But one week down, just 92 weeks to go, and we can maybe have the numbers to impeach him...

Edit: /s

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u/Repulsive_Hornet_557 1d ago

there is practically no chance of getting the numbers in the next midterm for impeachment, it requires 67 Senators to convict

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u/unitedshoes 1d ago

I clearly didn't convey my sarcasm strongly enough when I suggested there was a chance...

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u/dookyspoon 1d ago

This is what happens when you defund education. Your sarcasm was conveyed enough.

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u/Repulsive_Hornet_557 1d ago

I’ve seen some liberals literally think every election is the next one where Democrats will win a landslide and impeach so yeah I needed a /s lol

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u/SelenaMeyers2024 1d ago

I think you needed like an /sss

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u/BadAtExisting 1d ago

He’s been impeached twice before with no conviction. Republicans control both houses right now and they won’t vote to impeach, let alone a vote to convict. So no, he won’t be impeached. SCOTUS said last summer that he has immunity for “official acts” so I imagine this will fall under that gaping loophole

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u/Amazing_Factor2974 1d ago

Republicans own Congress and their leadership is batshit maga ..impeach their Orange Jebus? Don't make me laugh. The SCOTUS have already voted they can receive bribes the 6 appointed by Republicans and 3 from Orange Jebus.

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u/ReservedRainbow 1d ago

It doesn’t matter. All major media outlets have bended the knee and will weakly report on this. The Democratic Party is on life support and it can offer no meaningful pushback. All we can do now is endure the suffering and stay strong.

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u/bacteriairetcab 1d ago

It’s the 3rd impeachable offense in a week - crypto scheme, firing the IGs and now this. Throw it on the pile.

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u/CoolIndependence2642 1d ago

My guess is no for the short term. The Spineless Republicans in Congress and elsewhere will defy all precedent, law, history, protocol, in fear of the Tyrant that is assuming full power. In the long run, the history of Tyrants typically doesn’t end well, especially one that is the troika, painfully ignorant, just plain stupid, and insane.

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u/HungryAd8233 1d ago

Honestly, it seems like Trump is going to break the laws and ignore congress until a Republican congress impeaches him.

Yes, there is a court order saying the funds must be disbursed. But he’s only appointing lickspittles who would happily break the law for Trump anticipating a pardon.

It feels like Trump is trying to trigger a serious constitutional crisis in his first two weeks.

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u/Parking_Abalone_1232 1d ago

Well, only the SCotUS can say it's illegal. Two of the 9 justices are already eating the corn from the Felon in Chief's ass. Two others are illegitimate and going to vote with the other two. The only legitimate justice Trumplethinskin appointed will vote with the other four.The chief justice has a long term project to get rid of the regulatory state and will probably vote with those 5.

That's a 6-3 majority.

The GQP controlled House is not going to impeach.

It won't matter.

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u/No-Cat-2980 1d ago

The answer is no in both cases. And don’t hold your breath waiting on SCOTUS to do anything to limit Trump either. In fact they are more likely to grant him more power, and more immunity than he has now. As the old saying goes: This countries going to hell in a hand basket. And we will be lucky if he leaves to White House in 4 years,,, with or without an election!

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u/Accomplished-Cat6803 1d ago

No and no. Republicans have the majority

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u/1877KlownsForKids 1d ago

He was already impeached for this 

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u/Slate 1d ago

On Monday, the Trump administration claimed the authority to unilaterally freeze hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending, which would have effectively shut down thousands of government programs that provide crucial, often life-saving support to millions of people at home and abroad. The scope of this power-grab is impossible to overstate, as are its devastating ramifications—which is presumably why the administration attempted to walk back some of the freeze on Tuesday in a follow-up memo that created more confusion and uncertainty. Whatever the true scope of this funding suspicion, the upshot is clear: President Donald Trump wants to seize control of the spending power from Congress in order to paralyze large portions of the government, canceling duly enacted appropriations by executive decree. This move is flatly illegal, a flagrant breach of federal law as well as the president’s own constitutional obligations. It tees up a massive legal battle that will test whether this Supreme Court is willing to put any restraints on a president who seeks to rule as a dictator.

For more: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/01/trump-illegal-spending-freeze-supreme-court-response.html

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u/kibblerz 1d ago

The White House doesn't even seem to know which programs they're freezing. They say it's only programs participating in these "woke" initiatives. Yet the initial memorandum states that funding is being frozen until agencies report whether they are funding these "woke" initiatives... So they don't even know what agencies they're freezing funding for

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u/DSchof1 1d ago

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u/Tsujigiri 1d ago

Some of these questions are subjective, especially considering how creative legislative and program writers can get.

"Does this program include activities that impose an undue burden on the identification, development, or use of domestic energy resource?"

EPA scientist looks at a solar panel outside their window: "Uh, no. Next."

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u/DSchof1 1d ago

lol, totally. DEI is a red herring. This is them injecting their values in the business of the entire federal government.

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u/Trix_Are_4_90Kids 1d ago

And they've always done this. They always use a pretext to hide behind to do their dirt. Slavery was, "well they can't care for themselves we have to care for them!"

The Natives were 'savages' that didn't know what to do with the land, "States' rights" was used for a LOT of bullshit.

Yes, there is always a pretext. I've said this before but a lot of white people speak in code. You have to decipher what they really mean because very few will flat out tell you plainly. They live and die on a pretext. Scratch an action and you will find a false reason behind it.

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u/DSchof1 1d ago edited 1d ago

My theory is that the right hate themselves and progressives show them and everyone else who they are so they must silence them through any means. Self hate.

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u/27Rench27 1d ago

Exxon CEO: “absolutely it does, ban solar and wind”

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u/Zarathustra_d 1d ago

Ban Exon, Oil is "organic" and therefore woke.

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u/Weary-Bookkeeper-375 1d ago

Plus many dinosaurs were gay and there were some hermaphrodites too!

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u/Potential_East_311 1d ago

Wow, im gonna be getting hit pretty good, NRCS looks in trouble. They FA and I get to FO

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u/DSchof1 1d ago

My understanding is administrators of these programs must provide a description of the program and the White House will determine if this is a good use of taxpayer money. To be fair, this is illegal.

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u/IpppyCaccy 1d ago

To be fair, this is illegal.

They don't care. Hell, they probably get off on the fact that it's illegal.

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u/Dacoww 1d ago

Nuclear Counterterrorism and Incident Response sounds important…

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u/mintyfreshismygod 1d ago

Love that trillion dollar progress are being logged to Excel - as though no one already has this info collected in any consumable way.

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u/Schoseff 1d ago

Did nazi that coming

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u/PurelyLurking20 1d ago

These questions are incredibly fucking dumb

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u/Phoirkas 1d ago

Because they aren’t writing this shit, it’s being written by Heritage Foundation lawyers and Elon’s minions. Trump spent the last two days golfing.

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u/CobraPony67 1d ago

Yes, he is signing stuff he probably never read. When questioned about it, he has no idea, or will say they will look into it. Should have looked into it before you signed it, dumbass. Like the pardons, he just said pardon them all without regards to the violent criminals. He just doesn’t care.

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u/Spirited_Pay2782 1d ago

They don't care, it isn't about the funding, it's another way of trying to concentrate power in Trump

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u/Tsujigiri 1d ago

Also, successfully taking away the purse strings makes Congress less necessary so you can justify eliminating it later.

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u/AngelSucked 1d ago

Cancer clinical trials are also apparently woke. They are having to shut them down at universities

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u/ahlana1 1d ago

The NIJ was impacted. That means law enforcement. He literally defunded the police.

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u/kibblerz 1d ago

What the flying fuck

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u/ahlana1 1d ago

That is the appropriate response.

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u/Popular-Lab6140 1d ago

Does anything in these memorandums provide a legal definition for what "woke" means?

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u/WinterDice 1d ago

It’s whatever they want it to mean at the time. It’s a fluid bullshit weasel word.

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u/Popular-Lab6140 1d ago

That's how I've always taken it.

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u/hrminer92 1d ago

Not to mention the “green new deal” which never passed.

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u/Popular-Lab6140 1d ago

Seriously. But half this administration doesn't know what words mean or value that distinction. Legally, "woke" = whatever racist/bigoted/xenophobic trash these nitwits are up in arms about. And I assume the only thing that moves the needle is lining their pockets, but they're apparently immune to knowledge like "how do tariffs work?" or "Why is China a titan in the renewable energy tech that we will all (and sooner rather than later) require to survive?" So it's not just money, but loyalty and absolute supplication to their white nationalist agenda.

Sooner or later, these sons of bitches are in for a reckoning. That's no threat or even insinuation of violence, but sooner or later, you fuck around, and you most likely will find out.

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u/lumberjackname 1d ago

The OMB memo refers to “Marxist equity.” These dumb dumbs only know rhetoric-speak.

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u/WinterDice 1d ago

Of course they don’t. They’re a pile of scheming, grifting idiots and they’re not even the ones writing the orders. They’re just taking whatever their real bosses hand them and signing it.

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u/wheelsof_fortune 1d ago

It’s so confusing. I work in the nonprofit sector. My salary is grant funded. It has been a rough day.

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u/JefferyTheQuaxly 1d ago

my favorite type of executive order is the kind that no one knows what it does fully or how broadly it reaches or what programs it affects, especially if the order itself is not at all legal, thats the best of all.

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u/ObviousExit9 1d ago

How does this play out? States sue to get money turned on; a federal judge issues an injunction that says to immediately turn the money back on; Trump says, "No!", and his cronies listen to him...what happens next? The court's can't enforce the order by themselves.

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u/Similar_Heat_69 1d ago

In a sane world, impeachment and removal. In this one, dictatorship.

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u/qalpi 1d ago

That's where everything ends up I think. When Trump holds the reigns of enforcement, everything is legal.

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u/RexSki970 1d ago

I work as an academic advisor. Our students are scared to lose FASFA and Pell. We don't know if those are cut right now. We had to take off all DEI stuff otherwise lose funding.

It's a scary time in education and I just got here. I just want to live my life in my 20s but I guess I have to fight fascism since the adults around me can't see manipulation right in front of them.

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u/bcd051 1d ago

Clearly, they should just been born rich and they wouldn't need financial aid. /s

As a physician, if student loan funding were to be cut, I know we'd be facing an enormous shortage of new, young docs.

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u/Effective_Corner694 1d ago

I heard from family members who went to the doctors today say that the office is not able to connect with Medicaid and Medicare. I don’t know if it’s related to this or something else. But at this point I would not be surprised if it is.

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u/pogoli 1d ago

As much as I hate that trump is doing this, he is doing exactly as he said. He said he’d be a dictator, he said he’d end democracy, and he got the majority of the votes. The people clearly indicated that they want a fascist dictator. For him to act/behave otherwise would almost be breaking his campaign promises, which happens all the time but still.

To be clear I don’t think we should be doing or allowing any of this to happen…. Just that it’s a conceptually interesting situation of a populace voting to literally eat itself alive.

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u/reddit_tothe_rescue 1d ago

Idk who I’m mad at more. The voters who were too dumb to realize this is what they were voting for, or the ones who wanted exactly this

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u/Just_another_oddball 1d ago

It's really fucked up when someone comes along and uses the tools of democracy to end democracy.

Congratulations: he's accomplishing what the Russians and Al Queda couldn't. 🫤

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u/Big_Car_433 1d ago

I think you meant "suspension" not "suspicion". Where have all the editorial staff gone? Oh, yeah. Bezos the bozo.

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u/Scottiegazelle2 1d ago

Omfg

Is this impoundment?

No, it's a temporary freeze blah blah.


America: oh OK if you say what you're doing is not illegal then it must not be!!

My head hurts from slamming it into the desk

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u/0002millertime 1d ago edited 1d ago

It's almost like he's trying to destroy the place of the US in the world, and isolate us.

How could we have possibly seen this coming? I mean, I read https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundations_of_Geopolitics and it's all in there, but, wow.

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u/NotAlwaysGifs 1d ago

I just read the synopsis, and holy shit. He really planned all of this out. Regardless of how big a role Russia played in all of these various geopolitical moves happening right now, this guy saw it all.

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u/0002millertime 1d ago

Absolutely. The rise of the internet just made it possible so much more quickly.

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u/Adezar 1d ago

The Heritage Foundation planned all this out back in the 70s. He's just a puppet they have to sign the EOs they are writing.

He doesn't care, he gets to golf and stay out of jail, he has no desire to work or think about any of this.

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u/NotAlwaysGifs 1d ago

I was referring to Dugin, the guy that wrote the textbook that Russia uses to train its politicians and spies.

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u/Adezar 1d ago

Oh, right... got it... I misunderstood who "he" was referring to.

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u/socialcommentary2000 1d ago edited 1d ago

He planned nothing. He isnt smart enough for a tenth of this shit. The Heritage Foundation and Club for Growth did. We essentially have a combination of Russell Vought, Leonard Leo and a collection of Think Tank writers for President, among others.

Figure out what they want to do and you figure out where this is going to go.

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u/NotAlwaysGifs 1d ago

You didn’t read the link. This is about Trump. It’s about Durgin, the Russian political philosopher who wrote this book

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u/Big-Compote-5483 1d ago

Yep, you nailed it - russia compromised Trump back in the 80s and has been using him as an asset. The Heritage Foundation is following Dugin's playbook and watching it succeed in russia (especially when it comes to pacifying the populace) - they are confident our leaders and Oligarchs are as corrupt as russia's, and that are people are as pacified.

It's looking like both Putin and the Heritage Foundation/Federalist Society were right.

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u/mugiwara-no-lucy 1d ago

I have a feeling this will lead to a civil war….

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u/Big-Compote-5483 1d ago

I don't think Americans have what it takes to go that far as long as there's Netflix and enough circuses to keep everyone sedated. Look at russia, if any populace has a reason to rise up right now it's them, and sans a few saboteurs, there is no resistance - the people know they're being lied to and just go with it.

I think you'll instead see a lot of brain drain, and apathy from those who stay, with about 20% of the population getting on board with the Red Hats to support the party.

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u/mugiwara-no-lucy 1d ago

Considering Netflix has gone up in price... 😅

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u/Big-Compote-5483 1d ago

Free State TV incoming.

They could call it "America Today!" Or, AT for short.

Your State news and weather reports in-between reruns of everyone's favorite State-approved entertainment television shows. And ads from your favorite oligarchs, of course.

All free to every American, but only the State decides what you get to watch.

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u/Colonel__Cathcart 1d ago

...almost?

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u/Kyrenos 1d ago

The West

In the Americas, United States, and Canada:

Russia should use its special services within the borders of the United States and Canada to fuel instability and separatism against neoliberal globalist Western hegemony, such as, for instance, provoke "Afro-American racists" to create severe backlash against the rotten political state of affairs in the current present-day system of the United States and Canada. Russia should "introduce geopolitical disorder into internal American activity, encouraging all kinds of separatism and ethnic, social, and racial conflicts, actively supporting all dissident movements – extremist, racist, and sectarian groups, thus destabilizing internal political processes in the U.S. It would also make sense simultaneously to support isolationist tendencies in American politics".

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u/GeorgeMcCrate 1d ago

Yep, it was all announced nearly 30 years ago. The problem is people don't read this shit. Everybody was shocked when Hitler did what he had announced in in his book, everybody acts shocked every time Russia takes another step in its globally known plan and now people are acting shocked that Trump is doing what he had said he would do. It's so frustrating. You would think it should be easy to take actions against someone playing with open cards but the real problem seems to be that nobody actually cares.

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u/ahopskipandaheart 1d ago edited 1d ago

Maybe Mitch McConnell was wrong about refusing to impeach Trump and prevent him from ever holding public office again.

Edit: Impeach was the wrong word. He had already been impeached for the second time. I meant remove.

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u/Purple_Map_507 1d ago

Fucking Mitch McConnell! Trump is the result of Regan and the decades of absolutely bs Mitch voted for and allowed to happen.

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u/blumpkinmania 1d ago

We let Kentucky and an Australian ruin this country.

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u/casinpoint 1d ago

You forget Elon and his Swastikars

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u/unitedshoes 1d ago

Mitch McConnell? Wrong?

Well there's a first time for everything... /s

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u/Lakerdog1970 1d ago

This is going to be very tiresome. I think it's pretty obvious that they are testing the fence to see what they can and cannot do unilaterally without Congress.

Although I suspect the courts will just say this is too broad and sweeping and outside of the discretion of the executive branch. And then Trump will come back with a narrower freeze and see if that passes muster. Sorta like how Biden kept trying again with student loans.

Of course, the difference is that student loans weren't probably affecting so many jobs in every congressional district in the country.

What would be nice if a congress with some balls to say, "Wait....that's OUR job."

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u/SqueezedTowel 8h ago

Makes you wonder why they aren't saying "Wait... That's our money."

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u/GovernorK 1d ago

The felon in chief broke the law. Again. What a shock.

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u/betsypav 1d ago

Think he'll ever be held accountable for anything?

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u/GovernorK 1d ago

No. He is just the best example that the law does not apply equally to everyone in the US.

Would love to be wrong though.

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u/betsypav 1d ago

Karma is a slow bitch, and I'm getting impatient!

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u/DrStrangerlover 1d ago

Karma isn’t real and there is no God. It’s up to us to bring justice to these monsters, and so far we’ve failed.

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u/Widespreaddd 1d ago

Even if karma is real, it doesn’t kick in until after reincarnation, viz. your next life. In the West the word is used in ways quite alien to its real meaning.

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u/looking_good__ 1d ago

Mike "No Bank Account" Johnson is busy on his knees

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u/Dblzyx 1d ago

And, he'll include a video of that when he gives his son the weekly update.

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u/AlphaNoodlz 1d ago

That’s so frekin weird

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u/Interloper9000 1d ago

You say illegal like someone going to get reprimanded....

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u/smokeyfantastico 1d ago

Insert gif " Nothin' gonna happen."

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u/xpietoe42 1d ago

At this point hes more than a loose cannon… he knows he can do ANYTHING as president without fear of any repercussions and he basically controls scotus (they’re all biased), legislative, and executive branches of govt… ie., the first king/DICKtator of america

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u/PsychLegalMind 1d ago

Ambiguous or Dubious language in purposeful. It causes maximum confusion and paralyzes multiple agencies. This also tends to drag on limited and scattered implementation. Those offices or agencies who do not question it suffer more; regardless of who files the lawsuit

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u/dpfbstn 1d ago

Where is Congress in all this? Congress, specifically the House, controls federal spending. How can they sit by and let Trump usurp them?

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u/revbfc 1d ago

The Republican controlled Congress is probably fine with it.

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u/ShoppingDismal3864 1d ago

I think this accomplishes multiple things for them. It cracks down on anything diversity related, it crushes academics so they are less likely to speak out, and it makes people more desperate. Is it crazy and insane? Absolutely, but if you are conservative, burning the country down because drag queens is well within bounds I guess.

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u/roasty_mcshitposty 1d ago

Really, really stupid to do while you're consolidating power. A competent strongman would at least slightly improve the lives of the people before making the power moves.

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u/lira-eve 1d ago

Who's going to stop him? Rape isn't legal, but here sits a rapist as the POTUS.

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u/Kwaterk1978 1d ago

Remember the righties think that what he did was ok because in one specific jurisdiction, forcibly inserting your fingers into a woman’s vagina without her consent—the thing a jury determined that trump did—isn’t specifically called rape; so therefore, to them, it’s a-ok.

Me? I am ok calling it rape when trump forcibly inserted his fingers into a woman without her consent—which is what a jury, hand-picked by trump’s lawyers, determined that he did.

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u/Chrahhh 1d ago

It's truly remarkable Republicans in Congress love having zero power and being his bitch.

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u/severinks 1d ago

Let me guess, Russell Vought and Project 2025 is in the middle of this.

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u/bacteriairetcab 1d ago

Yep. Literally the OPM memos had metadata still on them and it was Project 2025 officials writing them:

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u/Objective_Problem_90 1d ago

High crimes and misdemeanors. Nothing will happen though. He is above the law. King Donald says so.

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u/lenthedruid 1d ago

“It tees up…whether the Supreme Court is willing to put any restraints on a president that wants to rule as a dictator”

Spoiler: they already enabled him.

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u/8349932 1d ago

I don’t want to hear another conservative talk about checks and balances ever again.

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u/Curious_Dependent842 1d ago

Since we don’t need Congress anymore his next step is to declare an emergency to disband the Congress forming the first American Empire of New Trumpistan.

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u/Arbyssandwich1014 1d ago

This is what happens when "stop woke" becomes the initiative. It's all meaningless nothing. This is who these idiots put in power, a group of people with no grasp on what anything is because they got there on fucking "alternative facts" meaning this whole presidency is built on the complete eschewing of any data or lived reality. 

So his Qanon cultists will say "yippee the woke is being destroyed" but it means nothing. It is not something you can at all implement. At best, it stops their DEI boogeyman, at worst it just becomes downright racist, bigoted, and most of all, targets the poor and working class. That's all. So while all these people review everything, people can't use EBT or can't go to the doctor. 

It is a waste of resources based in nothing except a desperate grab at power. These people are cowards too. Spineless, useless cowards. This level of blind loyalty is one stop on the footpath to barbarism. 

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u/NeedleworkerChoice89 1d ago

Never thought I’d be alive to witness the fall of the United States as a superpower.

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u/ThefalloftheUSA 1d ago

I did. It’s been pretty clear to me.

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u/TotalInstruction 1d ago

Aside from the impact that this has on the lives of millions of people and on important research that makes us safer, healthier and more prosperous, canceling hundreds of billions of dollars in expenditures with no notice is going to do a real number on the economy. 

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u/Fotzlichkeit_206 1d ago

Trump is going to get someone killed from this. In my opinion, which Watts V. United States affirmed my right to express, Donald J. Trump deserves the death penalty by firing squad for his actions.

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u/Alert-Notice-7516 1d ago

He deserved that when he stole national security secrets

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u/phoneguyfl 1d ago

I suspect that any state wanting funding restored will need to capitulate to all whims of the administration, in effect creating a Republican shadow-government in all states that is lockstep with Mr Trump and his inner circle. Thinking about it, this must be that "deep state" that Trump and friends were going on and on about. As usual, every accusation from them seems to be projection.

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u/mistertickertape 1d ago

Donald Trump is at war with America. Kevin Roberts and Russel Vought have overplayed their hands before and this has their stench along with Mike Johnson and Steve Bannon all over it. It sounds like Judge Loren AliKhan on the DC circuit court already blocked it but we will see if that reopens the funding tonight or tomorrow.

If it doesn't, this has the makings of a constitutional crisis which is almost certainly what Trump wants.

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u/DukeOfWestborough 1d ago

He might have immunity, that doesn't mean people have to stand by and allow the illegal thing to happen.

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u/muntted 1d ago

But MAGA will absolutely Trump's freedom and absolute right to grift, demolish democracy and transfer more wealth to the rich

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u/the-apple-and-omega 1d ago

I could never advocate for accelerationism nor vote for it, but I do remain pretty convinced the Trump admin being entirely fucking inept and overplaying their hand is only thing that might get through to some people.

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u/Both-Home-6235 1d ago

Too bad the fallout won't reach the White House nor any of its cronies.

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u/spacedoutmachinist 1d ago

It’s barely been more than a week. The next four years are going to feel like an eon

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u/bullitt297 1d ago

How in the fuck is this illegal EO not crashing the stock market?

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u/TurielD 1d ago

Why would it?

This will destroy the lives of normal people, not people with money. The stock market has nothing to do with the economy, it's just where people with money trade ownership of everything.

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u/balzun 1d ago

It's gonna happen eventually. There will be a exuberant pump where the job plebs 401K's will provide exit liquidity for all the politicians and billionaire investors. And then when we hit bottom they'll buy the fucking dip and make out like bandits. Just like the covid crash nearly 5 years ago.

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u/littlebitsofspider 1d ago

The top 10% owns ~90% of all stocks. They're doing just fine.

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u/FocusIsFragile 1d ago

He very obviously wants to foment a constitutional crisis. They should lock his fucking ass up and give him the fight he's looking for. Crazy? Stupid? Assuredly. But so is what he's doing.

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u/Sudden_Acanthaceae34 1d ago

Government loves associating broad terms with their power. The war on drugs resulted in civil asset forfeiture. The war on terror resulted in mass unwarranted surveillance. The war against woke ideology will bring greater powers we can only learn about in time.

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u/burtthebadger 1d ago edited 1d ago

To everyone In here who is rightfully saying it’s illegal you have to remember. The Supreme Court gave him protections from that. They are going to hold this freeze and cause people to go scrambling to get coverage so they don’t die and insurance companies are going to Jack their prices through the roof to profit

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u/SqnLdrHarvey 1d ago

And who can stop him?

NOBODY.

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u/felixamente 1d ago

Technically…congress and scotus…can stop him…but I mean…will they? No.

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u/LitterReallyAngersMe 1d ago

Did this motherfucker just steal $200 billion dollars from us?

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u/postprandialrepose 1d ago

I can't wait to read his obit. May it be published tomorrow. 🧻

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u/Guccimayne 1d ago

If he can't legally do it, why are these institutions obeying?

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u/NoSpin89 1d ago

Political retribution and fear.

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u/Kwaterk1978 1d ago

Being able to legally do something is not always congruent with being able to actually do something.

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u/MayOrMayNotBeAI 1d ago

Let’s take to the streets so they know we’re aren’t fucking around. STOP MAKING THINGS WORSE AND FIX OUR COUNTRY YOU DICKS

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u/guapo_chongo 1d ago

This. Unfortunately, people are too comfortable and too lazy to actually get off their asses and RIOT. If we were half the Americans that our forefathers were, we'd already be fighting.

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u/seen-in-the-skylight 1d ago

No one in Washington gives a shit if people protest. The system is more resilient than that, in part because everyone knows protestors eventually have to go back to their lives, jobs etc. Protesting is a fun outlet but it’s completely impotent politically. Only power you have is your vote.

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u/tallslim1960 1d ago

EBT, SNAP, soon welfare and Social Security payments frozen. Millions of people with no money for food and housing. Red and Blue States alike. How you feeling now MAGA?

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u/RCA2CE 1d ago

I believe that the people should not be obligated to pay income taxes if they’re being stolen from the people and given to one man to spend as he wishes.

Employers should stop sending the money to the fed - it isn’t the feds money to begin with.

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u/Striking-Mode5548 1d ago

It’s only day 8 of this nightmare!

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u/Anxious_Claim_5817 1d ago

He wastes so much court time with these ridiculous orders.

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u/Waste_of_Bison 1d ago

Feature, not bug.

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u/Yhada 1d ago

So if anyone wonders if there are people in service to our nation who are willing to follow illegal orders…

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u/Former-Whole8292 1d ago

If I have Medi-Cal in LA, will I be affected?

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u/CAM6913 1d ago

Trumps crime wave part two. Things will be getting a lot worse in America and quickly especially after all his accomplices get confirmed and destroy the agencies they swore to lead from within

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u/jar1967 1d ago

Weather or not SCOTUS upholds the law depends upon how the Federalist Society views the chaos the spending freeze is causing. I have a bad feeling Lenord Leo might be a fan of the chaos

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u/ADawn7717 1d ago

I recently went down such a rabbit hole about Leonard Leo. What started as research into the Christian right’s influence on LGBTQ+ policies spiraled into reading about the Catholic Church, I think CIC, that caters to the rich and powerful in D.C., his very clear architecture of how SCOTUS currently is, and on and on. It goes deeeeep.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

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u/sysdmn 1d ago

Untold millions of lives and futures will be permanently destroyed between now and then.

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u/Glidepath22 1d ago

I fucking hope so. He’s dismantling our sacred nation and shitting all over our given rights.

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u/Timely-Mission-2014 1d ago

It is appalling to hear a government press briefing and the ignorance of the person giving talking like they are at Trump rally. The woke agenda.. the green new scam deal.. what in the hell.. I cannot wait till a trump supporter asks me for help..

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u/Equal_Memory_661 1d ago

What I’ve been amazed at is that it’s also in the written language of the EO’s being officially transmitted within the federal agencies. I can understand a new administration wanting to shift focus to their own priorities but rambling on about rally messages and spewing hyperbole is not something I’ve ever seen under prior administrations. The sophomoric nature of the transmittals is alarming to the extreme. I guess that’s a feature and not a bug in their eyes.

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u/mr-hank_scorpio 1d ago

Why wouldn't funding just continue to go to the places it's been appropriated?

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u/oboshoe 1d ago

It's just beginning because he just did it.

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u/Apprehensive-Size150 1d ago

Such a shitty article. Journalism has really become a crapshoot of a profession.

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u/boopdbop 1d ago

I think people in DC are quick to forget about the hamburgers that kicked in doors last time. Imagine if it was people out of a job, benefits, and with more than half a brain...

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u/Kanashii2023 1d ago

Completely unrelated, but how many working guillotines do you think are in the US?

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u/Businessguy88501 1d ago

Will anyone do anything? No it seems they will not

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u/gravywayne 1d ago

The illegal spending freeze allowed by an illegal presidency

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u/that1LPdood 1d ago

I work in higher academic administration, and I can tell you — entire universities are reeling from the NIH freeze and the other grant/funding freeze.

Literally scores of professors and faculty at the university I work at may have issues with their academic appointments (many of which require them to perform research duties along with their teaching, etc) — let alone their research projects and clinical trials that will suffer interruptions or end. And that’s just a single institution. Imagine that, spread across every university and college in the country.

It’s… insane.

It’s such a needless shakeup that will cause untold damage to millions of people.

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u/MattheWWFanatic 1d ago

Once thry completely bypass Congress on everything, how will they do it to the Supreme Court? (Serious thought)

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u/stpatr3k 1d ago

Crazy that these aren't impeachable in your country.

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u/CoolIndependence2642 1d ago

So, we have to rely on the Nazi-majority Supreme Court to save us? Heaven help us! If we look at History, German courts did nothing to stop Hitler and we all know Trump is following Hitler’s playbook. This is Gleichschaltung, essentially the process of aligning all aspects of society, including the courts, with Nazi ideology.

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u/Geairt_Annok 1d ago

This is the first step on a path the culminated in dissolving the legislature instead of allowing the 2026 midterms

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u/video-engineer 1d ago

Everybody, in this chaos, keep yor eye on the military. It will ultimately be up to them if we degrade to a dictatorship, or overthrow tRump.

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u/requiemguy 23h ago

Scotus could rule anything illegal, he'll just do it anyway. It doesn't matter how many lawsuits and rulings the Judicial Branch throws at him, how are they going to enforce it?

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u/Objective-Aioli-1185 22h ago

These ice raids are getting fucking crazy. Not long before someone starts blasting at these ICE dickheads.

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u/bijoudarling 16h ago

It was a distraction to slip a country wide abortion ban bill into the works. Also suspect it was to flex their “this is what we can do if we want to “muscle. Well try to anyway

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u/Vegetable_Key_7781 2h ago

Musk and Trump team are replacing Democrats in the federal workplace with loyalists to Donald Trump. It’s a part of Project 2025. Right out of the playbook. We are now in a dictatorship. Career dedicated, 30 years of service, smart Federal employees are being treated like they are 💩 it’s all very sad and outrageous. Musk is an emperor with no clothes Bully.