Taking Trump to Task

Feeling deceived by their party and a president who deserted them, Magats are furious and have begun to eat their own.

When such major GOP influencers as Marjorie Taylor Greene, Laura Loomer, Tucker Carlson, Matt Walsh, and Steve Bannon (among others) publicly express outrage against this administration’s actions, we know that something’s stewing and rotten inside.

Driving the most recent hellabaloo is Trump’s decision, announced by his defense (“war”) secretary, Pete Hegseth, that the USA would allow Qatar to build a military base in Idaho.

The move comes months after Trump accepted a luxury Boeing 747 from the Qatari government, which drew criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, including Loomer.

In an executive order, Trump also declared that the United States will regard any attack on Qatar’s territory, sovereignty or critical infrastructure “as a threat to the peace and security of the United States” itself. Quite notably, the language of the executive order closely resembles the security guarantee that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) gives to member countries. (Qatar is not a NATO member).

MAGA feels betrayed.

Many conservative commentators questioned how the move is aligned with Trump’s “America First” agenda.

“There isn’t a single Trump supporter who supports allowing Qatar to have a military base on US soil,” argued Loomer. “I don’t know who told President Trump this was a good idea, but it has made people not want to vote. This is the type of thing I would expect from a President Ilhan Omar.”

Conservative commentator Amy Malek wrote in an X post: “Qatar has spent $100 billion buying influence in the U.S., and it’s paying off. I am in shock that Washington would approve a deal letting Qatar, Hamas’s #1 financier, open a Qatari Air Force facility on U.S. soil. Qatar bankrolls Hamas, ISIS, the Taliban, al-Nusra, and the Muslim Brotherhood. This isn’t ‘shared defense goals.’ It’s a shared delusion. We’re not building peace. We’re building a launchpad for the Islamic disaster.”

Conservative radio show host Mark Levin wrote in an X post: “I never dreamed of anything like this. We’ve not only agreed to go to war for Qatar but they’re now building an air force facility in our country. Shocking.”

Alexander Duncan, a Texas Republican Senate candidate, said in another X post: “Qatar is not an ally. Qatar is an Islamic State ruled by Sharia. Qatar has the same ultimate objective as the rest of Islam: to conquer the entire world until it is all under one Islamic State (Caliphate) ruled by Sharia.”

Trump himself earlier had condemned Qatar. In June 2017, Trump said Qatar “has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level” and supported a blockade against the country, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. 

A Qatar military base in the USA is only the latest in a series of actions taken by this felon in the White House that defy the Constitution, breaking laws, conventions, and convictions long held sacred by this country.

This isn’t an America anyone voted for.

MAGA, Trump’s base, holds him contemptible for lying and breaking promises made during his campaign to release the entire Epstein file. Since then, however, he’s employed every evasive tactic–including ignoring and firing essential personnel who strongly advised him against pushing his appointed admins for grudge and retribution indictments against such notables as former FBI chief James Comey,  New York Attorney General Letitia James, Fulton County (GA) District Attorney Fani Willis, former Trump National Security Advisor turned Trump critic John Bolton, and California Senator Adam Schiff.

Trump isn’t even hiding what he’s doing: the evidence is in his September 20 post addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi which mentions Comey, James, and California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” Trump wrote.

MAGA isn’t alone in its anger against Trump & Company’s actions.

  • The vast majority of Americans, including Republicans and those who identify as strong supporters of President Donald Trump, want Congress to renew the enhanced tax credits for people who buy their health insurance from the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.

Holding health care for Americans hostage, Democrats, Independents, and several Republican members of Congress are aghast at what the government shutdown can do to the USA’s stability … financial and family-wise.

Trump’s response – laying off even more essential employees from “Democratic” programs, departments, and agencies – isn’t helping, especially when increasing numbers of Americans are having difficulty getting their already earned Social Security payments.

  • Tariffs forcing Americans and countries worldwide to pay more for essential goods and services are the province of Congress … not the Executive Branch. Yet Trump has stamped and stampeded his will on these taxes, driving up “kitchen table” matters like the cost of living, rather than lowering them as promised.
  • Seeing armed and masked military causing havoc in the streets of such major cities as Los Angeles, DC, Chicago, Portland, Memphis (with others targeted to come), is provoking outrage throughout the country and around the world. Innocent people, law-abiding immigrants, and USA citizens are caught up in the carnage caused by unidentified men rounding them up, taking them down, and deporting them to places unknown.

Their devil-may-acre attitude with all of its trappings is horrifying many, including clergy caught up in the web. A federal agent firing pepper balls at protesters outside the ICE processing center in the Chicago suburb of Broadview last month struck a praying pastor in the head. Said another protesting pastor, “It’s like the gates of hell crashing against the kingdom of heaven.”

That’s why millions of Americans protest daily, culminating on October 18th with thousands of “No Kings” marches (referred to as “Hate America” riots by prominent Republicans and their newscasters) across the country, the Atlantic, and around the world.

  • Along with many Democrats, Independents and a few on the other side of the aisle, I find the insolence and arrogance of Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, and RFK Jr. while testifying before congressional oversight committees revolting.

Bondi and Patel have politicized the USA’s Justice Department and FBI, while RFK Jr. has cut programs keeping Americans healthy, hearty, and hale.

  • Blackmail and intimidation are being used against the legal profession, educational institutions, government employees, our judicial system, and private citizens.
  • Increasingly, “insurrection” and “insurrectionists” are words used by this administration, preparing the nation for Martial Law.
  • Redistricting is held every ten years, following the official Census, not midterm for partisan favors initiated by the president and counter-balanced by states blue and red.

With lawmakers on a continuing hiatus, ignoring their roles and responsibilities as well as their constituents as dear leader assumes ever more control, “taxation without representation” is taking on a renewed meaning.

Millions of Americans are protesting daily, culminating on October 18th with thousands of “No Kings” marches (referred to as “Hate America” riots by prominent Republicans and their newscasters) across the country, the Atlantic, and around the world. Marches like these will continue over and again.

What else can we do to stop Trump’s march toward fanatical fascism?

Petition for impeachment hearings against not only Trump, but his entire team. The Constitution gives Congress the power to impeach federal officials: The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. (Article II, Section 4). They’re all guilty!

► By all and every means, protest.

► Join organizations and online groups whose causes and concerns align with yours. There’s strength in numbers!

► Thousands of lawsuits, including 20 brought by states and at least 190 active cases are challenging Trumpian actions. Support them.

► Demand an independent investigation into how Trump “won” (or stole) the 2024 election. Many people wiser than me believe Trump conspired with Putin and Musk (et al) to put Trump over the top.

► Refuse to pay federal taxes. Are your elected officials truly representing you?

► Begin now to support candidates of your choice for the 2026 midterm elections.

► Petition for impeachment hearings against not only Trump, but his entire team. The Constitution gives Congress the power to impeach federal officials: The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. (Article II, Section 4).

They’re all guilty!

The Biggest Lie

If the “Big Lie” purported by Donald Trump referred to his verifiable loss of the 2020 election, fact-checkers to his continuing series of reckless lies (“alternate realities,” as one of his first-termers called them) have counted hundreds — possibly thousands — of other lies … especially since he was elected to a second term.

But, perhaps, his election is an even a bigger lie?

“Donald Trump filled his first 100 days back in office with the same relentless lying and inaccuracy that was a hallmark of his first presidency and his 2016 and 2024 presidential campaigns,” stated CNN’s Daniel Dane, who listed 100 separate false claims from Trump since his inauguration on January 20, fact-checked concisely with hyperlinks to more information.

During his first term as the 45th President (2017–2021), The Washington Post’s Fact Checker team documented 30,573 false or misleading claims over four years, averaging about 21 per day. This number increased over time: roughly 6 claims per day in his first year, 16 in the second, 22 in the third, and 39 in the fourth, especially spiking around the 2020 election.

For his second term as the 47th President (starting January 20, 2025), CNN’s fact-check of Trump’s first 100 days (through April 2025) noted “relentless dishonesty” with at least 100 specific false claims identified, though they didn’t provide a daily average. NPR’s analysis of a single August 2024 news conference found 162 misstatements, exaggerations, or lies in 64 minutes, over 2 per minute. These snapshots suggest the pattern of frequent false claims has continued, though comprehensive data for the second term is still emerging.

PolitiFact, fact-checking Trump since 2011, reviewed 1,078 claims as of March 2025, rating about 77% as Mostly False, False, or Pants on Fire (their term for egregious falsehoods).

Trump’s falsehoods are unprecedented in scale and impact.

Critics note his repetition of false claims, like those about the 2020 election, exploits the “illusory truth effect,” where repeated exposure makes falsehoods seem believable, especially among supporters. Nonetheless, they’re still lies.

“During and between his terms as President of the United States, Donald Trump has made tens of thousands of false or misleading claims,” begins Wikipedia. “Fact-checkers at The Washington Post documented 30,573 false or misleading claims during his first presidential term, an average of 21 per day. The Toronto Star tallied 5,276 false claims from January 2017 to June 2019, an average of six per day. Commentators and fact-checkers have described Trump’s lying as unprecedented in American politics, and the consistency of falsehoods as a distinctive part of his business and political identities. Scholarly analysis of Trump’s X posts found significant evidence of an intent to deceive.”

So, it should come as no big shock that Trump is lying about his contribution to Jeffrey Epstein’s so-called Birthday Book. “Fake!” screamed Trump. And many of his Republican supporters on the Hill supported him, quibbling over the veracity of his signature.

They’ve got to be kidding!

This is no smoking gun. Rather, it’s not unlike Bill Clinton’s blue dress scandal. In November 1997, Monica Lewinsky told her confidant and supposed friend, Linda Tripp, that she had in her possession a blue Gap dress that still bore the semen stain that resulted from her administering oral sex to President Clinton in February of that year. In late July, 1998, Lewinsky turned the dress over to Kenneth Starr’s investigators after signing an immunity agreement. A blood sample was taken from Clinton on August 3, and on August 17, the FBI reported its conclusion that Clinton was the source of the semen on the dress “to a reasonable degree of scientific certainty.”

When news of the the existence of the dress surfaced in published reports in early August, politicians and commentators alike agreed that the blue dress proved Clinton lied when he denied a sexual relationship with Lewinsky. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) called the evidence “very critical.” Senator Arlen Spector (R-Pa) agreed that it would be “the most powerful kind of corroboration” of an affair. A George Washington law professor, Jonathan Turley, appearing on “Meet the Press” said of the semen stain: “No one will be able to spin him out of that.”

A US congressional panel has released a redacted copy of an alleged “birthday book” given to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 celebrating his fiftieth birthday. The 238-page book contains messages and photos sent by many of Epstein’s friends, including a letter carrying a signature resembling US President Donald TrumpThe alleged entry from Trump contains a signed note outlined by a sketch of a woman’s body. The final line reads: “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

Trump denied ever writing the birthday note.

As for his doodles and signature in the book, he’s lying when claiming that they’re not his, as doubters and forensic experts already have expressed. The Wall Street Journal reports that the signature is consistent with Trump’s autographs in the past.

If not Trump’s, whose are they?

Why would someone — over 20 years ago — insert a fraudulent, forged greeting that echoed a younger Trump’s bawdy behavior and his clearly documented friendship with pal Epstein? What could be a possible motive? By whom? To what end?

It makes no sense whatsoever.

Except that Trump, once again, is lying.

Rather than a red herring, he’s been caught red-handed in a really big lie that may well cost him voters, even among his base.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee also released a photo from the book showing Epstein holding a novelty check selling a “fully depreciated” woman to Trump for $22,500.

Ironically, Jeffrey Epstein reportedly had an oil painting of Bill Clinton conspicuously displayed in his Manhattan townhouse. The artwork by Petrina Ryan-Kleid shows the former US president draped over a chair in the Oval Office, dressed in a blue dress and red heels recalling his tryst with Monica Lewinsky.

In December 1998, the House impeached Clinton for obstruction of justice and perjury after Starr and his team brought forth documents showing, among other allegations, that the commander in chief had lied under oath about a relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Maybe this page from Epstein’s birthday book will turn out to be Trump’s semen-stained blue dress?

Cause for Pause … and Fear

From the International New York Times, these words give me cause for pause and fill me with fear:

“I watched the Biden-Trump debate alone in a Lisbon, Portugal, hotel room, and it made me weep. I cannot remember a more heartbreaking moment in American presidential campaign politics in my lifetime — precisely because of what it revealed: Joe Biden, a good man and a good president, has no business running for reelection. The Biden family and political team must gather quickly and have the hardest of conversations with the president, a conversation of love and clarity and resolve. To give America the greatest shot possible of deterring the Trump threat in November, the president has to come forward and declare that he will not be running for reelection and is releasing all of his delegates for the Democratic National Convention.”

Other international press reviews were equally sour on Biden:

Wall Street Journal–“In the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign, President Biden gave the kind of delivery that Democrats feared, one that lacked vigor and combativeness. Trump, meanwhile, uncharacteristically was able to keep his composure in a 90-minute show that brimmed with insults and policy contrasts.”

Associated Press–Biden “just didn’t have the spark that we needed tonight,” Rosemarie DeAngelus, a Democrat from South Portland, Maine, said from her watch party at Broadway Bowl. Trump, she said, showed “more spunk or more vigor” even if, in her view, “he was telling a pack of lies.”

CBC–“How bad was it? It had the Democrats on post-debate panels asking if Biden will drop out.”

DW–“One of the biggest takeaways: The Democrats are in trouble. From the very start, Biden’s voice sounded brittle, which several campaign sources after the debate attributed to a cold. This would normally not be a huge deal, normally, it made 81-year-old Biden, whose age has been a major point of contention throughout the campaign, seem extra frail.”

Politico–“Europe’s press was stunned by Joe Biden’s “near-catastrophic” performance in the first U.S. presidential debate of 2024 in the early hours of Friday morning. The Continent’s leading websites splashed with scathing reactions and commentary about the showdown between Biden and former U.S. President Donald Trump, with many singling out Biden for criticism after a rocky display in which he struggled with detail and delivered halting lines.”

CNN–“If Joe Biden loses November’s election, history will record that it took just 10 minutes to destroy a presidency. It was clear a political disaster was about to unfold as soon as the 81-year-old commander in chief stiffly shuffled on stage in Atlanta to stand eight feet from ex-President Donald Trump at what may turn into the most fateful presidential debate in history.”

HuffPost–“Biden struggled to land any real blows himself. Democrats are sounding the alarm about the president’s performance. We knew the stakes of this debate were high — but the impact on November’s election is hard to understate.”

Hollywood Reporter–“The president has been locked away at Camp David engaging in strenuous preparations for the last week, but you wouldn’t know it from his rambling, unfocused performance. From the very beginning, he spoke too quickly, failing to form coherent sentences and frequently losing his train of thought. And why, oh why, did no one think of giving him a lozenge? He didn’t just have a frog in his throat — he had the entire amphibian kingdom.”

The Guardian (UK)–“Could there be a contested Democratic convention? How would that even work? Replacing the president may not be an option, they said, but many acknowledged Democrats are talking about it, spurred by Biden’s troubling debate performance.”

New York Times–“A halting debate performance by President Biden left Democratic strategists reeling, raising questions about his fitness to stay in the race. President Biden’s shaky … debate performance has Democrats talking about replacing him on the ticket.” Later, the NYT’s editorial board issued a call for Biden to step aside.

Bloomberg–“Joe Biden delivered an excruciating performance, at one point freezing mid-sentence, heightening fears about the 81-year-old president’s mental acuity. It also reminded the rest of the world what they’ll get if Trump wins in November.”

BBC–“Before Thursday evening, many Americans had expressed concerns about Joe Biden’s age and fitness for office. To say that this debate did not put those concerns to rest may be one of the greatest understatements of the year.”

Público (Portugal)–“Biden had a ‘disastrous’ debate against Trump and left Democrats in ‘panic.'”

Jornal de Noticias (Portugal)–“Biden’s shaky performance, especially at the beginning of the debate, has fueled concerns among many voters who fear an uncertain future with his reelection, sparking a new wave of calls among Democrats for the candidate to step down and make way for someone more capable of standing up to Trump at the polls. Despite playing the offensive role in his speeches, the current president appeared confused and lost his train of thought several times, mixing different topics in the same response and stopping for a few seconds while searching for the right word.”

Diário de Noticias (Portugal)–“US Vice President Kamala Harris emerged early Friday as a critical figure in the Democratic campaign, following Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in the first presidential debate with rival Donald Trump.”

Sky News (UK)–“Democrats are questioning whether Joe Biden should continue his re-election bid after a debate “disaster” against Donald Trump.”

Sueddeutsche Zeitung (Germany)–“The true losers of the first TV debate in the U.S. election campaigns are the Americans.”

Matt Kiser (WTF Happened Today)–“The first presidential debate between the two oldest candidates to ever seek the White House was an embarrassment for America – and a disaster for Biden.”

And this from No Labels–“No Labels saw our effort as a necessary insurance policy against the possibility that both major parties would put forth candidates most Americans don’t want—which is precisely what they have done. If there was one good thing about the presidential debate starting at 9 p.m., it’s that we didn’t have to subject our children to … whatever THAT was. Two men were arguing about their golf handicaps and struggling to make honest, coherent points about solutions for our country. You better believe Hamas terrorists, Russia and China were watching. This is why we tried to add a third choice for president to the ballot. Extreme forces took unprecedented and potentially unlawful action to stop us. Now we’re fighting back “

On June 14th last year (2023), I posted these words on this blog:

“For the greater good of the USA and democracy, per se, I believe President Biden needs to complete his term, step aside, and defer to another.”
https://pastorbrucesblog.com/2023/06/14/political-options-2024/

People may say (or tell pollsters) that they’ll be voting for Biden … but how many, instead, will stay home … or vote for third-party candidates in protest? Even voters who are “resigned” to the current candidates are looking — and hoping — for a lifeboat.

In this perfect storm, the damage has been done.

But, can it be rectified?

I will vote Democrat, regardless of the candidate. But, like those on The View and MSNBC (see links below), I feel only resignation about voting for Biden. No joy or excitement … as Trump is eliciting from his MAGA Repugs.

As my British friend living in Spain put it, “There is a school of thought that debate was scheduled early to ‘manufacture consent’ for Biden’s removal. The article simply represents the consent that has been manufactured.”

We need to nominate charismatic leaders — like Gavin Newsom (CA) or Roy Cooper (NC) and Gretchen Whitmer (MI) or Amy Klobuchar (MN), around whom people will rally … and vote!

Have you seen this discussion among women on The View?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TG7wL2okds

Or this of real voters on MSNBC?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_clVA97rN0

Veteran journalist Bob Woodward declared Biden’s debate performance deplorable, egregious, the worst he’d ever witnessed. The Washington Post Associate Editor said, “We know WHAT happened.” But, “as journalists” reporting to the public, he demanded to know “HOW” and “WHY” it happened. Therein is the real story.

Why weren’t Biden’s spark plugs firing? Was it a matter of not enough rest and sleep? Stress overload? Something clinical, perhaps, and degenerative? Pharmaceutical? A focus on something else, something even more important happening elsewhere? When-how-why might it happen again?

For the sake of the country and its democracy, I am among those who believe Biden should step aside. If he does, his legacy will treat him well for everything he’s accomplished during his four years in office. If he doesn’t and Trump wins — with such razor-sharp margins, perhaps Trump has a better chance of doing so now, after this debate — Biden will be remembered for allowing Trump and his legions to destroy democracy … and the USA.

Pastor, professor, publisher, and journalist Bruce H. Joffe is an award-winning author of magazine features, academic research, journal articles, self-help manuals, and newspaper stories. His nine books deal with international (intercultural) living, progressive theology, gender studies, “social” politics, our vulnerabilities, marketing, and the media. 

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The System Is Broken

When even Portuguese officials complain publicly about the “broken system” and tell you that it’s “impossible” to schedule an appointment online, by phone, or in person — yet recommend that you show up at the local AIMA office and storm the gates — you know that the problem is dire and probably unfixable.

I’m referring, of course, to AIMA, SEF, and SIGA (they’re all culprits in the conspiracy) … and getting your residency visa renewed.

We’ve lived in Portugal for over six years now, arriving when D7 residency visas were issued for one year … renewed for two … and then renewed again for two, before one could get “permanent” residency (a misnomer, as it’s only good for five years) or even apply for citizenship, if so desired.

During our tenure here, residency changed from 1+2+2 to 2+3 and we were caught betwixt and between, as our last residency was for three years (not two) … requiring us to wait an extra year (totaling six) before applying to renew our residency.

HAH! If it weren’t so serious, the foibles, facts, and fables told about trying to get an appointment with SEF’s current iteration (AIMA) would be the stuff bureaucratic boondoggles are laughed about.

We had tried ourselves through SIGA, Portugal’s official scheduling “app” for all the country’s often overlapping agencies and entities. That led us down a rabbit hole since, when searching by agency, neither AIMA (nor SEF) appear … and, when searching by purpose or keyword (“residency renewal”), we’re taken to Registros where the only real option is to select renewal of citizen, not residency, cards. Once you enter the requested data, however, a pull-down menu magically appears … allowing you to indicate that the purpose of your appointment is specifically residency renewal. When we appeared at the designated place and time, we had to wait almost an hour, only to be told by quite frustrated clerks that, no, they couldn’t renew our residency there … we’d have to go to either Portalegre or Évora. It was then and there that we were told by the frustrated bureaucrats that the system was broken and nothing worked now as regards to renewing one’s residency.

Ultimately, we hired a lawyer (lawyers, we were told had better access to the system) to make an appointment for us. She did. Scheduled for 24 January 2024, officialemail notification showed that our residency renewals would be for two “cases” (i.e., people). The next day, nonetheless, we received a cancellation notice–no reason given. Later that day, another email arrived confirming a new date: 31 January, a week later than originally scheduled.

When we arrived and our number was called, the attendant insisted that only one of us — me — was on the “list.” And my spouse? “Reschedule!” we were told. We called our attorney while seated opposite our interrogator and she spoke directly to him. Back and forth, back and forth, they argued in Portuguese … him finally handing me the phone. “He could handle you both, if he wanted to,” she told me. “He doesn’t want to. So, you’ll be processed now and I will try to schedule another appointment for your partner.”

Again, that was on 31 January.

My better half still doesn’t have an appointment, although our residency expired several months ago. And, despite being told that I’d receive my new residency card within 60 days, it’s been 90 already … and I’m still waiting, my proof of processing and payment in hand.

Is it any wonder that people are protesting, demonstrating in front of AIMA’s headquarters in Lisbon? (https://www.theportugalnews.com/…/immigrants-to…/88011)

Meanwhile, “The Portuguese Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum (AIMA) has said that it needs around one and a half years to resolve 350,000 pending residency applications filed by foreigners until 2025. (https://www.linkedin.com/…/portugal-wont-able-process…)

It will be 2025 before AIMA resolves the 350,000 pending residency applications? What about all the new visas being granted? Are they still good for four months only? How long will it take AIMA to get around to them?

May be a graphic of text that says "aSaS CROWN ROWN AIMA A A The Agency for Integration, Migrations, and Asylum wwww. aima.gov.pt Renewal appointments already open on SIGA WWW.CROWNPORTUGALEU Welcome"

Pastor, professor, publisher, and journalist Bruce H. Joffe is the award-winning author of magazine features, academic research, journal articles, self-help manuals, and newspaper bylines. His eight books deal with international (intercultural) living, interfaith theology, gender studies, “social” politics, marketing, and the media.

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