Two song lines have been reverberating in my head all week: Bruce Springsteen’s, “Bring on your wrecking ball,” and Miley Cyrus’ “I came in like a wrecking ball.”
A week into Trump’s second term and the U.S. is a much more dangerous place. On Day One of his second term, the self-described “Law and Order President” pardoned 1,500 of his supporters at the Capitol, pretty much cancelling the Department of Justice’s largest prosecutions in history.
These so called “patriots” smashed windows, defecated in hallways, and brought nooses to hang Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence. Three hundred of them pleaded guilty to brutally assaulting police officers.
Had they served their terms, the perpetrators would not have been allowed to purchase firearms after their release. Already, one perpetrator, Daniel Ball, has been arrested since his release on federal gun charges.
On Pro-Trump websites many people said they hoped judges would be executed and police would be “pummeled to death.”
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio have both said they are now free to pursue revenge and they “want it.” A son who testified against his father and the family of Stuart Rhodes are afraid for their lives.
In the midst of all this, Trump put on paid leave all Federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Federal workers. That’s right, U.S. taxpayers are now paying these workers not to go to work.
And then the Senate, thanks to Vice President’s Vance’s tie-breaking vote, confirmed Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. Thank God we got rid of DEI so qualified candidates like Hegseth can serve. Now he can rid the department of “woke generals” and replace them with more people of his caliber. You know, people like Tulsi Gabbard, Kristi Noem, Kash Patel, and RFK, Jr.
Couple that with Trump firing at least 17 inspectors general that same week. No need to worry that Hegseth might need guardrails as unlikely as he is to get drunk on his own power. (These dismissals appear to violate federal law which requires 30 days’ notice to Congress in an intent to fire a Senate-confirmed inspector general.)
And wait, more breaking news, Trump cancelled security protection for former officials John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, and Dr. Fauci. I guess they deserve to die because all three of them have been critical of Trump’s knowledge and intelligence in the past.
In the midst of all this chaos, the Trump team suspended research grant reviews indefinitely at the National Institute of Health which includes vital cancer research and clinical trials—perhaps until vaccine-denier RFK Jr can take the helm. And oh, by the way, avian flu is raging and has recently surfaced in dairy cows. No need to research how to stem that tide.
Yesterday stock futures dropped sharply because of China’s much less costly Deepseek AI announcement and egg prices have cracked $6 per dozen. Well done, American voters.
Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music and nature.
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