Thats certainly the assumption trump is functioning under. My initial response -👇🏻
So. “[Himes] noted Hegseth’s own writing, which argues for “a lot less lawyers and a lot more lethal,” and pointed to reporting that top commanders were told to follow orders “regardless of your view if they’re legal or not.”
“Kingsley Wilson, Trump’s newly installed Pentagon press secretary, stepped to the microphone and declared that the boat strikes, including the follow-on strike that killed the survivors, were “presidentially directed.” Her exact words were, “The Secretary has been very clear in every statement that we’ve released about these strikes that they are presidentially directed…At the end of the day, the Secretary and the President and the ones directing these strikes.”
Huh. It all sounds a bit “nixonesque”. “When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal".
That nuisance, the Constitution. And the bothersome rule of law with all those pesky rules. Who needs all that when it’s so much quicker and easier with a dictator who’s surrounded by bootlicking sycophants who will gladly sidestep all that!
And that’s exactly what SCOTUS had in mind, right?
An authoritarian, oligarchic, theocratic dictatorship.
I just found an "official" (so it says, and it certainly looks like one) website that calls the U.S. Department of Defense the "Department of War". Got there from looking for Kingsley, who popped up on Wikipedia referenced to "Department of War". THERE IS NO U.S. DEPARTMENT OF WAR. Can anyone in this regime be held legally responsible for characterizing the U.S. Department of Defense as the "..of War"?
Trump has brazenly tossed aside all respect for and acknowledgment of what’s “legal”. He simply ignores the law, the process.
The truth is this. “No, the President cannot legally change the official name of the Department of Defense to the "Department of War" without an act of Congress. The power to create and rename executive departments rests with the U.S. Congress, as established by the Constitution.”
He can only use Dept of War, as a secondary or sub-title. But he’s probably already been ignoring that legal requirement, in many instances. Unless or until someone is willing to step up, stop him and hold him accountable, the constitution and rule of law are meaningless. And therein lies the rub.
Probably? Just told you it comes up on web search as the official site. So as what you're saying is that only "Congress" (meaning both houses?)can stop this? If so, how? If not, there is nothing to be done?
There’s so much emphasis on killing these 2 people with a second strike. Wasn’t the first strike equally as bad? And what about the other 78 people that are now murdered by our government. Let’s not forget them.
Canadian here Robert. The answer for me is that the US can not be trusted in any way. Nothing the “leadership” says or publishes can be believed, business arrangements hold no water, and ethics standards have ceased to exist. To me, the US has become a rogue nation to be avoided whenever possible. And all this stated with close friends and family living in the country. The US just makes me very sad and angry.
It makes me angry too, although I am an American who never voted for Trump. Trump’s disrespectful treatment of Canada and its national sovereignty disgusts me. The tariffs he imposed on Canada and other nations are totally stupid and unnecessary. The only thing the tariffs do is to make imported products more expensive for American consumers, and they add to our already high inflation, which Trump cares to do nothing to fix.
Trump knows nothing about economics, taxation, tariffs and even the most basic information as he is an utter and complete moron. He thinks foreign countries, not American consumers, pay tariffs, and he fails to understand that shifting the tax burden away from the morbidly rich (Thom Hartmann’s description) will cause our economy to implode.
I’ve heard that unfortunately, our inflation problems are spilling over to Canada, and I’m sorry for that. As an economist, I think PM Carney is well equipped to deal with it more effectively than Trump can. I also want to encourage you with a phrase I hear Canadians mention to each other, “elbows up!”
The most frustrating part is Congress the very people who are supposed to be looking out for us keeping the president in check are lame and not protecting our Constitution. All I can do is hope that the next administration holds them accountable, and Canada forgives us when this whole mess is over.
I’m fairly sure they are disgusted with us and with our government. They also have every right to be, and I utterly share that disgust. I never neglect my obligation to vote in every election, but it didn’t work this time, any more than it did in 2016. My concern is the majority of citizens will pay a fearful and ruinous cost for the voters who chose to elect this maladministration.
Kathy, it's you and so many others on this thread that give me hope for the future of the US, and by extension the world. As frustrated and saddened as so many of us are, we know that there are millions of caring and thoughtful Americans who are doing what they can to push back against the current regime. My heart and confidence is with you all. Like any dark storm, this 4 year assault must pass.
And they are getting away with it. I hope there will be some repercussions from the rest of the world since no matter what the Dems say about how horrific these actions are, here in the US there will be no consequences.
Congress has the legal authority to stop this. Congress makes the laws under the Constitution that govern this country. They have the power to delegate some of their power to the Executive, and historically they have. The Executive can suggest that Congress make some laws, such as recommend that Congress declare war, or authorize the use of "war powers." The role of the Executive is solely to "execute" the laws enacted by the Congress. Period. This "unitary theory" is BS. The Founders were scared to death of a strong Executive, and if George Washington wasn't around, there is a strong likelihood the Constitution never would have been ratified, because they trusted and had confidence in Washington. This Supreme Court has seen itself fit to re-write the Constitution for the benefit of Donald Trump. Why? We can only assume it is because 6 of the nine Justices like what he is doing. So they are making policy, which is not their job, so, in fact, what they are doing is un-Constitutional. And, again, Congress has the power to put an end to what they are doing.
What Congress right now doesn't have is the will to exert its strong authority. I hope this is changing and will dramatically change come Jan. 2027.
I hope we get a Congress with the political will to take on Trump, despite the Supreme Court letting Texas get away with using a racially discriminatory map which blatantly favors white Republican voters at the expense of Black Democratic voters. Crooked Ken Paxton is gloating at the whole thing and deliberately mischaracterizes his critics as “left wing.” Ken can’t understand that his critics’ position is mainstream. He is also a Christian Nationalist whose picture should be in the dictionary next to the definitions of political hack and whited sepulcher.
Because they do exactly that and they get away with it every single time. Right now, I’m putting the blame on Congress because they could have stopped the killings and the kidnappings and all the other BS this regime has been doing over the past 11 months, but they have chosen not to.
Who is that guy? It’s not fentanyl & the boat was totally blown up they were hanging on but WHERE is the Coast Guard to pick them up & arrest n question. They do NOT want anyone alive to speak. These small open vessels couldn’t make it to the U.S.! Meanwhile you pardon the #1 head of Honduras who DID bring in 4-500 TONS of cocaine so DON’T tell me this is about drugs‼️ Venezuela has the largest amount of OIL than any other country🙀☠️😫
Some sheriff and accomplices down in the MS Delta region have been arrested for facilitating the supply of drugs up into Memphis. So maybe resources should be devoted to busting up domestic supply chains that are being protected by "law enforcement," right?
As far Trump sees it, only Democrats should be criminally prosecuted. Republicans who commit crimes are given a pass. Trump completely ignored Tom Homan getting caught taking a $50,000 bribe, and if the Sheriff and his accomplices are Republicans, Trump will ignore that too. If the Sheriff and his accomplices are tried in federal court and convicted, Trump will either pardon them or commute their sentences.
There is one example of Trump doing something similar to this during his first term. Former Las Vegas City Council member and current (nonattorney) Justice of the Peace of Nye County, Nevada Michele Fiore was pardoned by Trump.
Ms. Fiore is a wingnut associated with Cliven and Ammon Bundy and their family. She was involved in brokering the withdrawal of Ammon Bundy and his accomplices when they took over a BLM office some years ago. One of Bundy’s accomplices was killed immediately when he attempted to fire at a Federal officer.
Ms. Fiore solicited money by mail claiming she was collecting funds to build a monument to slain law enforcement officers. She received the money, then used the money for personal expenses, including cosmetic surgery. Unfortunately, postal investigators discovered how Fiore actually used the money, and ultimately, she was indicted, tried and convicted of 7 counts of postal fraud. While Fiore was awaiting sentencing, Trump pardoned her and she gave effusive thanks to Trump while denying her guilt. Fiore’s scam has some similarities to a similar scam David Duke carried out in the 1990s. Unlike Fiore, no president has ever pardoned Duke for his offense. I don’t think Duke should be pardoned, and Trump should never have pardoned Fiore.
"Presidentially directed..." language expressly to be in Supreme Court's "court" of unlimited power (pretty much). And hey, any trouble? got a pardon for ya, no prob.
This is their world view - we christian nationalists now own this place. Suck it up and live with it.
And there is no room for Catholics here. Too bad so many Catholics don't realize it and make common cause with these people who call them Papists, heretics and the Pope, the Anti Christ.
Proportionally, Roman Catholicism is well represented in the "2025" bunch, however. Pope Leo has allegedly said he's going to go after (no, that's not his terminology) Opus Dei.
I want him to do it. Pope Francis had been taking action against OD, and Pope Leo might be keeping quiet on what action he intends to take. I subscribe to Gareth Gore’s Substack, and he wrote an excellent history of Opus Dei and its political machinations. Gore, who is a financial journalist, detailed Opus Dei’s role in the collapse of Spain’s Banco Popular, and interviewed the brother of the man who ran the bank. The man who ran Banco Popular had a lot of hidden accounts for Opus Dei in the bank, and those accounts helped contribute to the bank’s collapse in 2017. Regulators shut down Banco Popular and forced it to undergo a fire sale to rival Banco Santander.
Gore has expressed concerns about Pope Leo possibly being unaware of the cult mentality which pervades Opus Dei. He would be well advised to get advice on from American expert on cult mentality Dr. Steven Hassan. I recommend reading Gareth Gore’s book Opus for a detailed picture of Opus Dei’s history and its role in the fall of Banco Popular. Opus Dei issued press releases and videos condemning Gore and his book. What that told me is that Gore had found some unwelcome truths and it clearly hit a nerve with Opus Dei.
As a Catholic Christian, I stand with my fellow Christians of all faiths who reject Christian Nationalism. I’ve always believed that if the Protestant wing of Christian Nationalism ever manages to defeat everyone else they want to defeat, they’ll attack the Catholic wing of Christian Nationalists. Catholic Christian Nationalists largely come from groups which constitute a cancer on my church, including Opus Dei. Dark money distributor Leonard Leo as well as Trump’s former AG Bill Barr and the Napa Institute’s Tim Busch are all OD members. They want to create a church through which the wealthy and powerful can execute control over the ordinary people in the pews. I recommend reading Gareth Gore’s book Opus for a fuller study of Opus Dei.
Please don't call it a 'right thinking' person but rather ... 'a sane and thinking person'. This is all so very sad and absolute lunacy. People keep talking about what people outside of the United States are thinking about what has been happening and I can't understand how ANYONE can not KNOW what the rest of the world is thinking. What has been happening and IS happening is the ranting and raving of a mad man and it's sycophants.
Even if the House votes to impeach, seems unlikely it would get past the Senate. And the Supreme Court has already given the president the authority to do what he wants. He does not care about being impeached
Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I'm getting the impression that not a few Republicans are wishing for a way to detach from this regime. What if a number of cabinet members, advisors, sycophants were indicted (on whatever) so's each (and all) would have to spend considerable time (as anyone must) preparing a defense, leaving them very little time for their jobs. I doubt many Republicans would make much of a fuss. Seems to me that playing their (his) game against them (him) might have some interesting effects.
If you believe that the 🍊 💩 is actually calling all the shots... You aren't paying attention. The Regime is making most of the decisions, it is clear as day.
We are NOT at war! Venezuela is NOT trafficking fentanyl! These MAGA people are full of BS! They MUST be voted out. Please American people come out and vote them away so that we NEVER see them again!
I agree with you 100%. It is more about rare ores and minerals. Natural resources that the US does NOT have. The US has oil. I also believe it is about 'control' and ego of the filthy fotus. It is INSANE and it wants what it wants. This regime takes top place for corrupt and egregious acts committed by the leadership of a/any country throughout time.
We also don’t know those two individuals were “bad as they may be.” We have no idea who they were! They could’ve been innocents and/or just people trying to make a buck who are desperate.
Although im not at all surprised that this command was indeed directed by Trump and Hegseth, I feel completely sickened, furious, disillusioned and determined to do anything and everything within my very limited power as an American citizen to bring this horrific regime to an end. These two criminals at the helm of our nation need to be removed and prosecuted.
It is possible that there is a diabolical strategy with this acknowledgement: because of our cowardly SCOTUS, if Trump is the one to be held to account then he is immune. He will argue that his orders were within the ambit of presidential duties (the "fog of war") and he is therefore immune. Of course it would not help Hegseth, but this would be why Trump takes "full responsibility" amid a grand gesture of "accountability".
Of course. The Supreme Court has already ruled he is immune in regards to "presidential actions". Like papal decisions, the Orange Man is infallible. Hegseth? That's were the pardon comes in, if needed.
Not sure the US has much moral standing left. I predict someone will leak the video and the world will recoil in horror. We must hold accountable the crooks and murderers running our country or we will be a pariah nation in the years ahead. Folks like Hines and his colleague from CT Sen. Murphy must fight loud and hard for the soul of this nation. We must REFORM our sick country so we can move forward with respect and honor, a country where bigotry is not tolerated and sadism and cruelty are seen for what they are.
She is a smug, snotty child with the ever-present Vocal Fry. This generation’s Valley Girl accent. She looks and sounds like a Kardashian. To be lectured and lied to by her on behalf of this Administration of criminally unethical, preposterously unqualified misanthropes is unacceptable.
Everyone is calling the strikes on the boats a war crime. My question: How can this be a war crime when there is no war? I would think it would be murder. Can you please explain this to me. Thanks.
I am completely with and grateful to Europe and their defense of Ukraine.
What, tell me, is Jared Kushner doing supposedly representing the U.S. in negotiations? I think we all know what the Wytkoff/Kushner agenda is here, and it has zero to do with democracy, freedom and justice for Ukraine. It’s their own Greed.
This is so distressing. They feel they can do whatever they want to whomever they want!!
Their policy to everything is “try and stop me”.
"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK? It's, like, incredible".
Felon47 knows he's got a get-out-of-jail-free-card so why not just keep the extrajudicial killings going?
Thats certainly the assumption trump is functioning under. My initial response -👇🏻
So. “[Himes] noted Hegseth’s own writing, which argues for “a lot less lawyers and a lot more lethal,” and pointed to reporting that top commanders were told to follow orders “regardless of your view if they’re legal or not.”
“Kingsley Wilson, Trump’s newly installed Pentagon press secretary, stepped to the microphone and declared that the boat strikes, including the follow-on strike that killed the survivors, were “presidentially directed.” Her exact words were, “The Secretary has been very clear in every statement that we’ve released about these strikes that they are presidentially directed…At the end of the day, the Secretary and the President and the ones directing these strikes.”
Huh. It all sounds a bit “nixonesque”. “When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal".
That nuisance, the Constitution. And the bothersome rule of law with all those pesky rules. Who needs all that when it’s so much quicker and easier with a dictator who’s surrounded by bootlicking sycophants who will gladly sidestep all that!
And that’s exactly what SCOTUS had in mind, right?
An authoritarian, oligarchic, theocratic dictatorship.
I just found an "official" (so it says, and it certainly looks like one) website that calls the U.S. Department of Defense the "Department of War". Got there from looking for Kingsley, who popped up on Wikipedia referenced to "Department of War". THERE IS NO U.S. DEPARTMENT OF WAR. Can anyone in this regime be held legally responsible for characterizing the U.S. Department of Defense as the "..of War"?
Trump has brazenly tossed aside all respect for and acknowledgment of what’s “legal”. He simply ignores the law, the process.
The truth is this. “No, the President cannot legally change the official name of the Department of Defense to the "Department of War" without an act of Congress. The power to create and rename executive departments rests with the U.S. Congress, as established by the Constitution.”
He can only use Dept of War, as a secondary or sub-title. But he’s probably already been ignoring that legal requirement, in many instances. Unless or until someone is willing to step up, stop him and hold him accountable, the constitution and rule of law are meaningless. And therein lies the rub.
https://www.military.com/feature/2025/10/17/department-of-war-not-legally-what-trumps-executive-order-really-does.html
Probably? Just told you it comes up on web search as the official site. So as what you're saying is that only "Congress" (meaning both houses?)can stop this? If so, how? If not, there is nothing to be done?
The Department of Defense was Department of War prior to WWII. But Drumpf changed it sometime in the last 146 years of this second term 🙈
Here is a Wikipedia page of the history of how it all came to be. It's actually quite interesting!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_War
There’s so much emphasis on killing these 2 people with a second strike. Wasn’t the first strike equally as bad? And what about the other 78 people that are now murdered by our government. Let’s not forget them.
I want to hear plans for punishment
I can't imagine what the rest of the free world thinks about us
Canadian here Robert. The answer for me is that the US can not be trusted in any way. Nothing the “leadership” says or publishes can be believed, business arrangements hold no water, and ethics standards have ceased to exist. To me, the US has become a rogue nation to be avoided whenever possible. And all this stated with close friends and family living in the country. The US just makes me very sad and angry.
I think/hope the rest of the world agrees with you even though it is very very sad.
It makes me angry too, although I am an American who never voted for Trump. Trump’s disrespectful treatment of Canada and its national sovereignty disgusts me. The tariffs he imposed on Canada and other nations are totally stupid and unnecessary. The only thing the tariffs do is to make imported products more expensive for American consumers, and they add to our already high inflation, which Trump cares to do nothing to fix.
Trump knows nothing about economics, taxation, tariffs and even the most basic information as he is an utter and complete moron. He thinks foreign countries, not American consumers, pay tariffs, and he fails to understand that shifting the tax burden away from the morbidly rich (Thom Hartmann’s description) will cause our economy to implode.
I’ve heard that unfortunately, our inflation problems are spilling over to Canada, and I’m sorry for that. As an economist, I think PM Carney is well equipped to deal with it more effectively than Trump can. I also want to encourage you with a phrase I hear Canadians mention to each other, “elbows up!”
The most frustrating part is Congress the very people who are supposed to be looking out for us keeping the president in check are lame and not protecting our Constitution. All I can do is hope that the next administration holds them accountable, and Canada forgives us when this whole mess is over.
I’m fairly sure they are disgusted with us and with our government. They also have every right to be, and I utterly share that disgust. I never neglect my obligation to vote in every election, but it didn’t work this time, any more than it did in 2016. My concern is the majority of citizens will pay a fearful and ruinous cost for the voters who chose to elect this maladministration.
Kathy, it's you and so many others on this thread that give me hope for the future of the US, and by extension the world. As frustrated and saddened as so many of us are, we know that there are millions of caring and thoughtful Americans who are doing what they can to push back against the current regime. My heart and confidence is with you all. Like any dark storm, this 4 year assault must pass.
I certainly hope so, but right now, the circumstances don’t look too good.
And they are getting away with it. I hope there will be some repercussions from the rest of the world since no matter what the Dems say about how horrific these actions are, here in the US there will be no consequences.
Because no one stops them! It is criminal that these people are running this country!
The question remains WHO CAN STOP THIS AND HOW?
Congress has the legal authority to stop this. Congress makes the laws under the Constitution that govern this country. They have the power to delegate some of their power to the Executive, and historically they have. The Executive can suggest that Congress make some laws, such as recommend that Congress declare war, or authorize the use of "war powers." The role of the Executive is solely to "execute" the laws enacted by the Congress. Period. This "unitary theory" is BS. The Founders were scared to death of a strong Executive, and if George Washington wasn't around, there is a strong likelihood the Constitution never would have been ratified, because they trusted and had confidence in Washington. This Supreme Court has seen itself fit to re-write the Constitution for the benefit of Donald Trump. Why? We can only assume it is because 6 of the nine Justices like what he is doing. So they are making policy, which is not their job, so, in fact, what they are doing is un-Constitutional. And, again, Congress has the power to put an end to what they are doing.
What Congress right now doesn't have is the will to exert its strong authority. I hope this is changing and will dramatically change come Jan. 2027.
Congress is not acting. The question stands.
Unfortunately, this is true. No one in the GOP possesses the testicular fortitude to take on Trump and Kegseth and their blatant war crimes.
I hope we get a Congress with the political will to take on Trump, despite the Supreme Court letting Texas get away with using a racially discriminatory map which blatantly favors white Republican voters at the expense of Black Democratic voters. Crooked Ken Paxton is gloating at the whole thing and deliberately mischaracterizes his critics as “left wing.” Ken can’t understand that his critics’ position is mainstream. He is also a Christian Nationalist whose picture should be in the dictionary next to the definitions of political hack and whited sepulcher.
Because they do exactly that and they get away with it every single time. Right now, I’m putting the blame on Congress because they could have stopped the killings and the kidnappings and all the other BS this regime has been doing over the past 11 months, but they have chosen not to.
Who is that guy? It’s not fentanyl & the boat was totally blown up they were hanging on but WHERE is the Coast Guard to pick them up & arrest n question. They do NOT want anyone alive to speak. These small open vessels couldn’t make it to the U.S.! Meanwhile you pardon the #1 head of Honduras who DID bring in 4-500 TONS of cocaine so DON’T tell me this is about drugs‼️ Venezuela has the largest amount of OIL than any other country🙀☠️😫
There is always an alternative motive for trumps decisions. If it benefits his pockets he's all for it, otherwise it's not important.
Some sheriff and accomplices down in the MS Delta region have been arrested for facilitating the supply of drugs up into Memphis. So maybe resources should be devoted to busting up domestic supply chains that are being protected by "law enforcement," right?
As far Trump sees it, only Democrats should be criminally prosecuted. Republicans who commit crimes are given a pass. Trump completely ignored Tom Homan getting caught taking a $50,000 bribe, and if the Sheriff and his accomplices are Republicans, Trump will ignore that too. If the Sheriff and his accomplices are tried in federal court and convicted, Trump will either pardon them or commute their sentences.
There is one example of Trump doing something similar to this during his first term. Former Las Vegas City Council member and current (nonattorney) Justice of the Peace of Nye County, Nevada Michele Fiore was pardoned by Trump.
Ms. Fiore is a wingnut associated with Cliven and Ammon Bundy and their family. She was involved in brokering the withdrawal of Ammon Bundy and his accomplices when they took over a BLM office some years ago. One of Bundy’s accomplices was killed immediately when he attempted to fire at a Federal officer.
Ms. Fiore solicited money by mail claiming she was collecting funds to build a monument to slain law enforcement officers. She received the money, then used the money for personal expenses, including cosmetic surgery. Unfortunately, postal investigators discovered how Fiore actually used the money, and ultimately, she was indicted, tried and convicted of 7 counts of postal fraud. While Fiore was awaiting sentencing, Trump pardoned her and she gave effusive thanks to Trump while denying her guilt. Fiore’s scam has some similarities to a similar scam David Duke carried out in the 1990s. Unlike Fiore, no president has ever pardoned Duke for his offense. I don’t think Duke should be pardoned, and Trump should never have pardoned Fiore.
"Presidentially directed..." language expressly to be in Supreme Court's "court" of unlimited power (pretty much). And hey, any trouble? got a pardon for ya, no prob.
This is their world view - we christian nationalists now own this place. Suck it up and live with it.
And there is no room for Catholics here. Too bad so many Catholics don't realize it and make common cause with these people who call them Papists, heretics and the Pope, the Anti Christ.
Proportionally, Roman Catholicism is well represented in the "2025" bunch, however. Pope Leo has allegedly said he's going to go after (no, that's not his terminology) Opus Dei.
I want him to do it. Pope Francis had been taking action against OD, and Pope Leo might be keeping quiet on what action he intends to take. I subscribe to Gareth Gore’s Substack, and he wrote an excellent history of Opus Dei and its political machinations. Gore, who is a financial journalist, detailed Opus Dei’s role in the collapse of Spain’s Banco Popular, and interviewed the brother of the man who ran the bank. The man who ran Banco Popular had a lot of hidden accounts for Opus Dei in the bank, and those accounts helped contribute to the bank’s collapse in 2017. Regulators shut down Banco Popular and forced it to undergo a fire sale to rival Banco Santander.
Gore has expressed concerns about Pope Leo possibly being unaware of the cult mentality which pervades Opus Dei. He would be well advised to get advice on from American expert on cult mentality Dr. Steven Hassan. I recommend reading Gareth Gore’s book Opus for a detailed picture of Opus Dei’s history and its role in the fall of Banco Popular. Opus Dei issued press releases and videos condemning Gore and his book. What that told me is that Gore had found some unwelcome truths and it clearly hit a nerve with Opus Dei.
As a Catholic Christian, I stand with my fellow Christians of all faiths who reject Christian Nationalism. I’ve always believed that if the Protestant wing of Christian Nationalism ever manages to defeat everyone else they want to defeat, they’ll attack the Catholic wing of Christian Nationalists. Catholic Christian Nationalists largely come from groups which constitute a cancer on my church, including Opus Dei. Dark money distributor Leonard Leo as well as Trump’s former AG Bill Barr and the Napa Institute’s Tim Busch are all OD members. They want to create a church through which the wealthy and powerful can execute control over the ordinary people in the pews. I recommend reading Gareth Gore’s book Opus for a fuller study of Opus Dei.
They are doing whatever they want to whomever they want!
I agree. I think they think they're Gods, in that they're un- touchable. They are all vile and disgusting.
And so far they're right
These people need to pay for their actions. They are not above the law. This is not America. We are better than this!
Ben, thank you for keeping us informed and updated on this horrific mess.
We need to hear the punishment these people are going to face
😝😝😝
Anybody from Colorado resisting?
Have I missed that a war was declared? If not it is therefore it is quite simply straight up murder in the mind of any right thinking person.
Please don't call it a 'right thinking' person but rather ... 'a sane and thinking person'. This is all so very sad and absolute lunacy. People keep talking about what people outside of the United States are thinking about what has been happening and I can't understand how ANYONE can not KNOW what the rest of the world is thinking. What has been happening and IS happening is the ranting and raving of a mad man and it's sycophants.
What about Trump ?shouldn’t he be getting Impeached too..
Rep. Al Green is bringing articles of impeachment before Christmas.
The bravest member of Congress.
Unfortunately, this Congress and the Senate won’t do diddly squat on them.
Even if the House votes to impeach, seems unlikely it would get past the Senate. And the Supreme Court has already given the president the authority to do what he wants. He does not care about being impeached
I totally agree as long as the Republicans are in charge we will continue to be screwed over
Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I'm getting the impression that not a few Republicans are wishing for a way to detach from this regime. What if a number of cabinet members, advisors, sycophants were indicted (on whatever) so's each (and all) would have to spend considerable time (as anyone must) preparing a defense, leaving them very little time for their jobs. I doubt many Republicans would make much of a fuss. Seems to me that playing their (his) game against them (him) might have some interesting effects.
they pardoned a convicted drug trafficker? do they they really care about the American people?
EXACTLY. This regime has pardoned over 1500 people so far…. That is more people than the last six presidencies including his first term.
"This regime" has not pardoned anybody.
As of December 3, 2025... President Trump has issued over 1,500 pardons. [Source: https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/12/03/trump-pardons/]
Phoenix: Yep. He is not “the regime.” Was my point.
If you believe that the 🍊 💩 is actually calling all the shots... You aren't paying attention. The Regime is making most of the decisions, it is clear as day.
No "they" pardoned anyone.
Trump pardoned the January 6 rioters
Yep. He is not the regime. He is not they.
We are NOT at war! Venezuela is NOT trafficking fentanyl! These MAGA people are full of BS! They MUST be voted out. Please American people come out and vote them away so that we NEVER see them again!
They just want what they want - Venezuelan oil.
Well thats just false. Its about taking over the entire country, minerals, ports business opportunities… remember Trump-Gaza resorts,
? golf resorts on the Mediterranean… oil is such a tiny part of it..
I agree with you 100%. It is more about rare ores and minerals. Natural resources that the US does NOT have. The US has oil. I also believe it is about 'control' and ego of the filthy fotus. It is INSANE and it wants what it wants. This regime takes top place for corrupt and egregious acts committed by the leadership of a/any country throughout time.
And we don't need the oil!
And, more likely, rare earth minerals!
I’m not sure we should give this admiral such a pass. I’m sorry, I just don’t. I think that he needs to really start telling the truth.
We also don’t know those two individuals were “bad as they may be.” We have no idea who they were! They could’ve been innocents and/or just people trying to make a buck who are desperate.
Very insightful.
We need to court martial that Admiral for following illegal orders
He's maga
He's maga
Although im not at all surprised that this command was indeed directed by Trump and Hegseth, I feel completely sickened, furious, disillusioned and determined to do anything and everything within my very limited power as an American citizen to bring this horrific regime to an end. These two criminals at the helm of our nation need to be removed and prosecuted.
It is possible that there is a diabolical strategy with this acknowledgement: because of our cowardly SCOTUS, if Trump is the one to be held to account then he is immune. He will argue that his orders were within the ambit of presidential duties (the "fog of war") and he is therefore immune. Of course it would not help Hegseth, but this would be why Trump takes "full responsibility" amid a grand gesture of "accountability".
Of course. The Supreme Court has already ruled he is immune in regards to "presidential actions". Like papal decisions, the Orange Man is infallible. Hegseth? That's were the pardon comes in, if needed.
Thank you, Ben. Shining a light matters, even if we're not sure yet how the war criminals will be held responsible. We will not forget...
Not sure the US has much moral standing left. I predict someone will leak the video and the world will recoil in horror. We must hold accountable the crooks and murderers running our country or we will be a pariah nation in the years ahead. Folks like Hines and his colleague from CT Sen. Murphy must fight loud and hard for the soul of this nation. We must REFORM our sick country so we can move forward with respect and honor, a country where bigotry is not tolerated and sadism and cruelty are seen for what they are.
She is a smug, snotty child with the ever-present Vocal Fry. This generation’s Valley Girl accent. She looks and sounds like a Kardashian. To be lectured and lied to by her on behalf of this Administration of criminally unethical, preposterously unqualified misanthropes is unacceptable.
Everyone is calling the strikes on the boats a war crime. My question: How can this be a war crime when there is no war? I would think it would be murder. Can you please explain this to me. Thanks.
Is anyone reviewing Venezuelan news to find out who these people are? I’m sure there’s a way to find out who they are.
Yes. Is there any truth coming out of Venezuela?
I am completely with and grateful to Europe and their defense of Ukraine.
What, tell me, is Jared Kushner doing supposedly representing the U.S. in negotiations? I think we all know what the Wytkoff/Kushner agenda is here, and it has zero to do with democracy, freedom and justice for Ukraine. It’s their own Greed.