Please note this is an opinion piece only.
The doozie of the day is the promise of a $5000 DOGE dividend check to 79 million Americans.
No doubt MAGA cult members are already out there spreading the word of the big Trump giveaway to the little guy. However, I would strongly recommend you don’t go out and buy a new 100” flatscreen just yet, on the strength of it. I’d highly recommend you bookmark this post because the chance of these checks materialising are as likely as Trump telling the truth.
To begin with, DOGE would have to come up with $2 trillion in savings. Let me be clear, that would have to be a REAL $2 trillion not a fantasy number as we are seeing right now. My guess is, it’s going to be another ‘No tax on tips and no tax on overtime’ yarn. Trump is going to lead Americans right up the garden path, only to say he couldn’t quite make it happen despite his best efforts.
Right now, he needs to keep the hook baited because soon, the impact of tariffs is going to start to bite. Americans are going to be told ‘Don’t worry about higher prices you have a $5000 check coming your way soon. Poor Americans will go to the newly deregulated loan sharks and borrow on the strength of another false promise. PLEASE I BEG YOU, be very very careful trusting this man. He’s a convicted criminal. This is simply a roose. He’ll inject the narcotic of hope, to obscure the shit storm that’s about to hit, all without mentioning the additional inflationary impact.
Americans are vulnerable right now because tens of thousands of federal workers are losing their jobs. But don’t worry, Mad King Don has plans for you. Remember those jobs that immigrants had who are now being deported? I’m sure there are plans for a workfare program to ‘encourage’ newly unemployed federal workers to fill that hole.
At this early stage, it’s very difficult to properly assess Trump’s economic plan, but rest assured, it does not include a living wage or enough welfare to live on, should you loose your job.
It’s my honest opinion, this dovetails into his alignment with Putin. Trump believes if he delivers Ukraine for Putin, and lifts sanctions, this will put the fear of God into Europe and associated regional powers including Canada. In addition, Trump feels this would peel Russia away from China. However, The Brookings Institute has looked at this and concludes, if this is his intent, ‘…the administration badly misunderstands Putin’s relationship with Xi Jinping and Russia’s dependence on China.
Such a “plan” would fail to drive a wedge between Moscow and Beijing’ leaving Trump with egg on his face.
Zelenskyy’s refusal to give in on oil and mineral rights has infuriated Trump, hence his verbal onslaught against the Ukrainian president. As we all know, he never likes to be told no, so he’s now going after Zelenskyy with Russian talking points, none of which hold water of course’
As with all Trump tantrums, they are personal and are intended to humiliate. I do not intend to re-litigate why elections during a time of war are contrary to Ukraine law, or that Zelenskyy’s approval rations are actually higher than Trump. We all know Trump is lying.
I am struggling to provide an informed position on Zelenskyy’s options because it’s unclear from the press conference if there’s outstanding military equipment to delivered from funds already appropriated by Congress. The implication was, Trump had put a halt to any outstanding military aid deliveries.
He wants to now apply maximum pressure on Ukraine to extort Zelenskyy for access to minerals and oil in perpetuity. A measure unique in history, given Trump is for the first time seeking reparations from the victim and not the aggressor.
My advice would be to hold firm, but I’m not sure what the military implications are with allies filling the gaps for any military aid now held hostage by Trump.
I’m hoping the next 24 hours will bring some clarity to the situation, but who knows?
That’s my wrap for the day.
