What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Syt]

https://apnews.com/article/trump-government-shutdown-firings-layoffs-vought-1fd57313272ec4db5984f653b095be33

Trump uses government shutdown to dole out firings and political punishment

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has seized on the government shutdown as an opportunity to reshape the federal workforce and punish detractors, by threatening mass firings of workers and suggesting "irreversible" cuts to programs important to Democrats.

Rather than simply furlough employees, as is usually done during any lapse of funds, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said layoffs were "imminent." The Office of Management and Budget announced it was putting on hold roughly $18 billion of infrastructure funds for New York's subway and Hudson Tunnel projects — in the hometown of the Democratic leaders of the U.S. House and Senate.

Trump has marveled over the handiwork of his budget director.

"He can trim the budget to a level that you couldn't do any other way," the president said at the start of the week of OMB Director Russ Vought, who was also a chief architect of the Project 2025 conservative policy book.

"So they're taking a risk by having a shutdown," Trump said during an event at the White House.

Thursday is day two of the shutdown, and already the dial is turned high. The aggressive approach coming from the Trump administration is what certain lawmakers and budget observers feared if Congress, which has the responsibility to pass legislation to fund government, failed to do its work and relinquished control to the White House.

Vought, in a private conference call with House GOP lawmakers Wednesday afternoon, told them of layoffs starting in the next day or two. It's an extension of the Department of Government Efficiency work under Elon Musk that slashed through the federal government at the start of the year.

"These are all things that the Trump administration has been doing since January 20th," said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, referring to the president's first day in office. "The cruelty is the point."

With no easy endgame at hand, the standoff risks dragging deeper into October, when federal workers who remain on the job will begin missing paychecks. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated roughly 750,000 federal workers would be furloughed on any given day during the shutdown, a loss of $400 million daily in wages.

The economic effects could spill over into the broader economy. Past shutdowns saw "reduced aggregate demand in the private sector for goods and services, pushing down GDP," the CBO said.

"Stalled federal spending on goods and services led to a loss of private-sector income that further reduced demand for other goods and services in the economy," it said. Overall CBO said there was a "dampening of economic output," but that reversed once people returned to work.

"The longer this goes on, the more pain will be inflicted," said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., "because it is inevitable when the government shuts down."

Trump and the congressional leaders are not expected to meet again soon. Congress has no action scheduled Thursday in observance of the Jewish holy day, with senators due back Friday. The House is set to resume session next week.

The Democrats are holding fast to their demands to preserve health care funding, and refusing to back a bill that fails to do so, warning of price spikes for millions of Americans nationwide. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates insurance premiums will more than double for people who buy policies on the Affordable Care Act exchanges.

The Republicans have opened a door to negotiating the health care issue, but GOP leaders say it can wait, since the subsidies that help people purchase private insurance don't expire until year's end.

"We're willing to have a conversation about ensuring that Americans continue to have access to health care," Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday at the White House.

With Congress as a standstill, the Trump administration has taken advantage of new levers to determine how to shape the federal government.

The Trump administration can tap into funds to pay workers at the Defense Department and Homeland Security from what's commonly called the "One Big Beautiful Bill" that was signed into law this summer, according to CBO.

That would ensure Trump's immigration enforcement and mass deportation agenda is uninterrupted. But employees who remain on the job at many other agencies will have to wait for government to reopen before they get a paycheck.

Already Vought, from the budget office, has challenged the authority of Congress this year by trying to claw back and rescind funds lawmakers had already approved — for Head Start, clean energy infrastructure projects, overseas aid and public radio and television.

The Government Accountability Office has issued a series of rare notices of instance where the administration's actions have violated the law. But the Supreme Court in a ruling late last week allowed the administration's so-called "pocket rescission" of nearly $5 billion in foreign aid to stand.

[garbon]

So anyways, I was thinking that if your opponent's (should be called the enemy by this stage) key strategy is to create chaos, conflict and division so they can dismantle the remnants of democratic institutions, then perhaps shutting down the federal government is not the right counter-strategy to pursue.

But of course this is where the trap is. The fascists shut down the government when you are in power so either you follow suit when they are in, or you make it look like they can govern better.

Okay but we shouldn't forget it is the Republican party that is moving forward with dismantling and firings. The blame for that belongs on them not the Dems.

[Tamas]

So anyways, I was thinking that if your opponent's (should be called the enemy by this stage) key strategy is to create chaos, conflict and division so they can dismantle the remnants of democratic institutions, then perhaps shutting down the federal government is not the right counter-strategy to pursue.

But of course this is where the trap is. The fascists shut down the government when you are in power so either you follow suit when they are in, or you make it look like they can govern better.

Okay but we shouldn't forget it is the Republican party that is moving forward with dismantling and firings. The blame for that belongs on them not the Dems.

Unless you are a Republican or listen to Republican media. In which case the blame is squarely on the Democrats.

[garbon]

So anyways, I was thinking that if your opponent's (should be called the enemy by this stage) key strategy is to create chaos, conflict and division so they can dismantle the remnants of democratic institutions, then perhaps shutting down the federal government is not the right counter-strategy to pursue.

But of course this is where the trap is. The fascists shut down the government when you are in power so either you follow suit when they are in, or you make it look like they can govern better.

Okay but we shouldn't forget it is the Republican party that is moving forward with dismantling and firings. The blame for that belongs on them not the Dems.

Unless you are a Republican or listen to Republican media. In which case the blame is squarely on the Democrats.

Yeah because I guess the Republicans must immediately fire people, even though they never have before, because the Democrats are just that powerful.

[Syt]

https://nltimes.nl/2025/10/01/dutch-man-living-us-40-years-facing-deportation-1997-drug-conviction

Dutch man living in the U.S. for 40 years facing deportation over 1997 drug conviction

A 44-year-old Dutch man with permanent residency in the United States was arrested in Chicago last week, with officials saying he was due to be deported over two drug-related convictions dating back nearly three decades ago. Owen Romann Ramsingh was taken into custody by Customs and Border Patrol officers at O'Hare Airport on September 27 after a three-week trip to visit family in the Netherlands, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed to media outlets.

"His criminal history includes convictions for cocaine possession and marijuana possession," said a department spokesperson in a statement. She confirmed he was transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility "pending removal proceedings."

But Ramsingh's only conviction on record is for a 1998 charge related to cocaine possession when he was a teenaged boy in Nebraska, reported ABC 17 in Columbia, Missouri. The arrest took place when he was 17, and he pleaded guilty. The teen "was tried as an adult and found guilty. It was another devastating example of the system failing him: a child, living on the streets, with no representation, no guidance, and no support—pushed through the system and jailed with adults," a family friend wrote on a Facebook page built to raise awareness about the case.

"We did not know he had been tried as an adult, nor did we know this would ever resurface. It has never affected any of his past green card renewals," said Samantha Gage Bryan. Ramsingh was also ticketed for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana in Nebraska, and paid a 100-dollar fine in 2000, according to the broadcaster.

At that time, the marijuana charge was considered to be a minor civil infraction for first-time offenders, and was not commonly prosecuted as a misdemeanor. Though he was again convicted on a 2011 charge for marijuana possession in Boone County, Missouri, that guilty verdict was expunged, Diane Ramsingh told ABC 17. Boone County also includes Columbia, where the Ramsingh's live with their children.

Ramsingh was born in the Netherlands but has lived in the U.S. since he was five years old, when his mother brought him to the country, while cutting off all contact between the boy and his father in the Netherlands. In 1986, he was given a green card, or Permanent Residency Card, which usually has validity for ten years. It was the arrest in Nebraska that led to a reconnection with his father, and the two have remained close ever since, his family stated.

Diane Ramsingh, confirmed in several interviews and social media posts that her husband did not let his immigration status lapse. The family shared documents with KBIA showing that Ramsingh applied to renew his green card before it expired in March. Because he filed on time, his permanent resident status qualified for an automatic 36-month extension, they said.

Government records confirm his application was received and that he was allowed to continue working and traveling while the new card was being processed, the radio broadcaster reported. With his renewal secured, Ramsingh confidently traveled to Europe with his friend, Robert Olson, on September 2, though the latter returned a week earlier.

Aside from spending time in Amsterdam, they also visited locations in Limburg, and Antwerp, Belgium. "It was the trip of a lifetime! It is really sad that the amazing time we had will be overshadowed and forgotten, and that his current situation will be what we remember," Olson wrote on social media.

He was held at a location in Broadview, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago for a total of 80 hours. Ramsingh is currently being held in a detention center in El Paso, Texas, pending a court hearing in Illinois in two weeks, according to the ICE website. However, the website also cautioned that some information has not been updated, as a political stalemate in Washington, D.C. led to the shutdown of the federal government, cutting off funding for many services.

Ramsingh has been able to call his family a few times from the detention center. But according to his wife, the calls cost 50 dollars for 15 minutes. The family has set up a fundraising effort to help cover legal fees and their living expenses while Ramsingh is in custody. The campaign on GoFundMe raised over 14,000 dollars by Wednesday evening.

Referring to the man as "a criminal alien," the Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said, "A green card is a privilege, not a right, and under our nation's laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused."

Instead, Olson described Ramsingh as "a stand-up guy that does not deserve to be where he's at right now."

[Josquius]

So anyways, I was thinking that if your opponent's (should be called the enemy by this stage) key strategy is to create chaos, conflict and division so they can dismantle the remnants of democratic institutions, then perhaps shutting down the federal government is not the right counter-strategy to pursue.

But of course this is where the trap is. The fascists shut down the government when you are in power so either you follow suit when they are in, or you make it look like they can govern better.

Okay but we shouldn't forget it is the Republican party that is moving forward with dismantling and firings. The blame for that belongs on them not the Dems.

Unless you are a Republican or listen to Republican media. In which case the blame is squarely on the Democrats.

Isn't that just called media

[grumbler]

In the meantime, the reviews are in on the Trump/Hegseth show at Quantico on Tuesday, and they are not good. At the time, Trump knew he was in trouble because the brass was sitting on its hands during the applause and laugh moments, but it appears that Hegseth bringing all of the brass together to explain to those 30 to 40-year veterans what "warfighting" was was the real insult. Many of those (talking anonymously) also seem to feel that the meeting was a political rally and extremely unsuitable for the audience.

Trump's claim that Portland OR was more dangerous than Kabul ever was was also seen as insane.

[Syt]

Saw a comment that Hegseth's "cut your hair, look presentable" speech was something you'd give to fresh recruits when they join. Not career officers/NCOs.

[The Brain]

Maybe they will finally drop the Bomb on beatniks.

[Valmy]

https://apnews.com/article/trump-government-shutdown-firings-layoffs-vought-1fd57313272ec4db5984f653b095be33

Trump uses government shutdown to dole out firings and political punishment

Yeah this is what I was saying. Trump was absolutely fine with the government being shut down, which was the problem last time. He conceded absolutely nothing and demanded total surrender by the Democrats on everything. He sees this as a win-win...which is insane as this is a horrible time for a government shut down. But the best interests of the country are never his priority.

He got the Democrats to go along with it once. But it was inevitable that the government was going to be shut down if the President wants it to be shut down.

[Valmy]

The homeless have been traveling in the US for a long time.  Hobo's jumping the rails and such.

Well my experience isn't that rural people flee to urban areas when they are in desperate poverty. And I don't think they, despite basically living in pathetic squalor, technically count as homeless.

The idea that MAGA areas and rural areas are doing great with no visible poverty and that is only a problem for urban areas is just laughably stupid. Go outside and look around.

[Admiral Yi]

Isn't that just called media

 

[Razgovory]

https://nltimes.nl/2025/10/01/dutch-man-living-us-40-years-facing-deportation-1997-drug-conviction

Dutch man living in the U.S. for 40 years facing deportation over 1997 drug conviction

A 44-year-old Dutch man with permanent residency in the United States was arrested in Chicago last week, with officials saying he was due to be deported over two drug-related convictions dating back nearly three decades ago. Owen Romann Ramsingh was taken into custody by Customs and Border Patrol officers at O'Hare Airport on September 27 after a three-week trip to visit family in the Netherlands, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed to media outlets.

"His criminal history includes convictions for cocaine possession and marijuana possession," said a department spokesperson in a statement. She confirmed he was transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility "pending removal proceedings."

But Ramsingh's only conviction on record is for a 1998 charge related to cocaine possession when he was a teenaged boy in Nebraska, reported ABC 17 in Columbia, Missouri. The arrest took place when he was 17, and he pleaded guilty. The teen "was tried as an adult and found guilty. It was another devastating example of the system failing him: a child, living on the streets, with no representation, no guidance, and no support—pushed through the system and jailed with adults," a family friend wrote on a Facebook page built to raise awareness about the case.

"We did not know he had been tried as an adult, nor did we know this would ever resurface. It has never affected any of his past green card renewals," said Samantha Gage Bryan. Ramsingh was also ticketed for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana in Nebraska, and paid a 100-dollar fine in 2000, according to the broadcaster.

At that time, the marijuana charge was considered to be a minor civil infraction for first-time offenders, and was not commonly prosecuted as a misdemeanor. Though he was again convicted on a 2011 charge for marijuana possession in Boone County, Missouri, that guilty verdict was expunged, Diane Ramsingh told ABC 17. Boone County also includes Columbia, where the Ramsingh's live with their children.

Ramsingh was born in the Netherlands but has lived in the U.S. since he was five years old, when his mother brought him to the country, while cutting off all contact between the boy and his father in the Netherlands. In 1986, he was given a green card, or Permanent Residency Card, which usually has validity for ten years. It was the arrest in Nebraska that led to a reconnection with his father, and the two have remained close ever since, his family stated.

Diane Ramsingh, confirmed in several interviews and social media posts that her husband did not let his immigration status lapse. The family shared documents with KBIA showing that Ramsingh applied to renew his green card before it expired in March. Because he filed on time, his permanent resident status qualified for an automatic 36-month extension, they said.

Government records confirm his application was received and that he was allowed to continue working and traveling while the new card was being processed, the radio broadcaster reported. With his renewal secured, Ramsingh confidently traveled to Europe with his friend, Robert Olson, on September 2, though the latter returned a week earlier.

Aside from spending time in Amsterdam, they also visited locations in Limburg, and Antwerp, Belgium. "It was the trip of a lifetime! It is really sad that the amazing time we had will be overshadowed and forgotten, and that his current situation will be what we remember," Olson wrote on social media.

He was held at a location in Broadview, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago for a total of 80 hours. Ramsingh is currently being held in a detention center in El Paso, Texas, pending a court hearing in Illinois in two weeks, according to the ICE website. However, the website also cautioned that some information has not been updated, as a political stalemate in Washington, D.C. led to the shutdown of the federal government, cutting off funding for many services.

Ramsingh has been able to call his family a few times from the detention center. But according to his wife, the calls cost 50 dollars for 15 minutes. The family has set up a fundraising effort to help cover legal fees and their living expenses while Ramsingh is in custody. The campaign on GoFundMe raised over 14,000 dollars by Wednesday evening.

Referring to the man as "a criminal alien," the Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said, "A green card is a privilege, not a right, and under our nation's laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused."

Instead, Olson described Ramsingh as "a stand-up guy that does not deserve to be where he's at right now."

Yeah, he works security at the Blue Note.  Absolute bullshit.

[grumbler]

https://apnews.com/article/trump-government-shutdown-firings-layoffs-vought-1fd57313272ec4db5984f653b095be33

Trump uses government shutdown to dole out firings and political punishment

Yeah this is what I was saying. Trump was absolutely fine with the government being shut down, which was the problem last time. He conceded absolutely nothing and demanded total surrender by the Democrats on everything. He sees this as a win-win...which is insane as this is a horrible time for a government shut down. But the best interests of the country are never his priority.

He got the Democrats to go along with it once. But it was inevitable that the government was going to be shut down if the President wants it to be shut down.

As Adam Schiff pointed out, this was just Trump threatening to do what he has been doing and will be doing regardless.

As long as the Democrats keep pounding that home and emphasize that they are standing on the principal of Stop Screwing the Little Guys, they are winning.

[Iormlund]

In the meantime, the reviews are in on the Trump/Hegseth show at Quantico on Tuesday, and they are not good. At the time, Trump knew he was in trouble because the brass was sitting on its hands during the applause and laugh moments, but it appears that Hegseth bringing all of the brass together to explain to those 30 to 40-year veterans what "warfighting" was was the real insult. Many of those (talking anonymously) also seem to feel that the meeting was a political rally and extremely unsuitable for the audience.

Trump's claim that Portland OR was more dangerous than Kabul ever was was also seen as insane.

I loved that he felt the need to paraphrase Vegetius to fucking general officers.