If all they were doing was detaining illegals you would have a point. That's not what they're doing. ICE doesn't need a warrant to search or detain anyone. They don't have to show probable cause for their actions. They just round up brown people and sort it out later. Even Navaho Indians have been caught up in it and been detained.
When you give any agency unbridled authority with no checks and balances a lot of innocent people get caught up in their net. That's what's happening here. Pay attention.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
If all they were doing was detaining illegals you would have a point. That's not what they're doing. ICE doesn't need a warrant to search or detain anyone. They don't have to show probable cause for their actions. They just round up brown people and sort it out later. Even Navaho Indians have been caught up in it and been detained.
When you give any agency unbridled authority with no checks and balances a lot of innocent people get caught up in their net. That's what's happening here. Pay attention.
Hey, news flash. He don't care. Thats exactly what he voted for.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
Trump fires officials who worked for prosecutor Jack Smith, Fox News reports
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Justice Department is firing more than a dozen officials who worked on Special Counsel Jack Smith's cases against President Donald Trump on charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat and mishandling of classified documents, Fox News reported on Monday.
The officials were fired after Acting Attorney General James McHenry said they could not be trusted in "faithfully implementing the president’s agenda," Fox reported, citing a Justice Department official.
"Today...McHenry terminated the employment of a number of (Justice Department) officials who played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump," Fox cited the official as saying.
"In light of their actions, the Acting Attorney General does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President’s agenda," the official said.
Smith, who resigned before Trump took office, concluded in a report released this month that the president engaged in an "unprecedented criminal effort" to hold on to power after losing the 2020 election, but was thwarted in bringing the case to trial by the his November election victory.
Trump's lawyers have called Smith's report politically motivated. The president denies any wrongdoing in the cases, which Smith dropped shortly after Trump's election win.
In a separate development, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that a Trump-appointed prosecutor had opened an internal review of the Justice Department's decision to charge hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants with felony obstruction offenses in connection with the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Correction don't be illegal. We have laws and they must be followed.
Tell that to the vet they detained the other day. You know what, I’m ashamed of the fact that you served and act like this. Look what your fascist fuhrer is doing now. He’s hiring and firing with loyalty tests, not to country but to him and his agenda. Any idiot should know this is a bad sign:
AND YOU TOOK AN OATH, maybe you should remember that.
Correction don't be illegal. We have laws and they must be followed.
IF you had bothered to read the article I replied to you would see that they were detraining Native Americans, not illegals Why? Because they were brown, not because they were illegal
I would be interested in seeing how many brown illegal immigrants have been arrested and deported as compared to white illegal immigrants
Last edited by Jester; 01/27/2506:17 PM.
Am I perfect? No Am I trying to be a better person? Also no
So agent orange let a J6 guy go and he was killed by a deputy Sheriff that he resisted and tried to fight. Good job Golden Goober! A MAGAt got what he had coming for J6. Evil but BrIlLiAnT plan.
All federal grants and loan disbursement paused by White House
The White House budget office has ordered a pause on all federal grants and loans, according to an internal memorandum sent Monday, potentially impacting trillions in government spending and halting public programs that affect millions of Americans.
Federal agencies “must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance,” White House Office of Management and Budget acting director Matthew Vaeth said in the memorandum, a copy of which was obtained by CNN. The pause also blocks the issuance of new grants.
The memo specifies that the pause will not affect Social Security or Medicare benefits, nor does it include “assistance provided directly to individuals.”
The freeze on federal assistance is slated to take effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday. It marks the latest move by the Trump administration to exert control over federal funding, even that which has already been allocated by Congress.
“This temporary pause will provide the Administration time to review agency programs and determine the best uses of the funding for those programs consistent with the law and the President’s priorities,” Vaeth wrote.
The memo suggests that the pause is in line with President Donald Trump’s executive orders last week.
The pause also applies to “other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal,” according to the memo.
“Career and political appointees in the Executive Branch have a duty to align Federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through Presidential priorities,” Vaeth wrote.
“Financial assistance should be dedicated to advancing Administration priorities, focusing taxpayer dollars to advance a stronger and safer America, eliminating the financial burden of inflation for citizens, unleashing American energy and manufacturing, ending ‘wokeness’ and the weaponization of government, promoting efficiency in government, and Making America Healthy Again,” he continued. “The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve.”
According to the memo, the budget office “may grant exceptions allowing Federal agencies to issue new awards or take other actions on a case-by-case basis.”
“To the extent required by law,” agencies may also take “certain administrative actions” like closing out grants, it states.
The memo calls on agencies to submit to OMB “detailed information on any programs, projects or activities subject to this pause” by February 10.
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state and Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut — the top Democratic appropriators in Congress — wrote a letter to the White House on Monday night outlining their “extreme alarm” with the move.
“The scope of what you are ordering is breathtaking, unprecedented, and will have devastating consequences across the country,” the lawmakers wrote. “We write today to urge you in the strongest possible terms to uphold the law and the Constitution and ensure all federal resources are delivered in accordance with the law.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also quickly criticized the pause.
“Congress approved these investments and they are not optional; they are the law,” the New York Democrat said in a statement Monday night. “These grants help people in red states and blue states, support families, help parents raise kids, and lead to stronger communities.”
Schumer added that the action jeapordizes “billions upon billions of community grants and financial support that help millions of people across the country.”
“It will mean missed payrolls and rent payments and everything in between: chaos for everything from universities to non-profit charities,” he said.
Let me remind people that food assistance, school breakfast and lunch programs, assistance to schools that insure teachers get paid fall in this category. These payments are based on money and funds that were approved by congress who under law controls spending. trump is directly undermining the way government is supposed to operate by trying to use presidential powers to overrule the actual job congress does. This is in direct opposition to the purpose of the three separate branches of government.
Many laughed at the idea trump wanted to be king. They laughed at the idea he wanted to be a dictator. Hopefully they have enough common sense that they aren't laughing now.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Don’t waste your time bro. Hell, MAGA is out now talking about “charge me more”! Everything is going up. Trump lied. So they are moving the goalposts. And MAGA cucks are covering for this debacle. It’s shameful bro. Snakey ass Trumpians.
Both sides using the AI threat that literally does not exist. Yes we want to reach ASI first and will.
And have you all seen the new Zeig Hiel salutes on tiktok? These fascist have them saying my heart goes out to you while giving the Nazi salute. It’s like were stuck in the worst episode of twilight zone ever produced. Vile.
Trump is touting this AI infrastructure deal that the government won’t be funding… hmmm? Agenda?
Who can go make something and have value… sponge off the government… keep them on welfare is an inner city issue… they are saying it all now. Buckle up, things are about to get really rough. He may crash the economy before the end of February at this pace. Trade wars, check. Scaring the hell out of black and brown people, check. Crapping on our allies, check. Condoning wiping out GAZA and removing all Palestinians, check.
Now kids need to work for those school lunches in the summertime… because billionaires need tax cuts. MAGA is full of fools.
I was listening to squawk box and they said something this morning that I found perplexing. That coming out of an election, this is the most giddy business has been in like 40-50 years, the hosts kept saying that everything is gonna turn around from the Biden era. And I understand the tax cuts and deregulation, but Bidens last 2 years the market went up by over 50%, infrastructure bills and chips act-we came out of covid better than pretty much anybody-
Now we are going to greatly reduced govt spending, cutting stuff like FEMA aid, limiting programs for the poor, almost daily threats of tariffs with somebody, and we are getting rid of all the low wage workers on top of the market has shown "irrational exuberance" and some areas of the country are definitely in a housing bubble. I don't have a good feeling for a few months down the road-and I have already taken some steps and will be taking more.
Medicaid, Head Start, health centers say they're locked out of federal funding website By Alexander Tin, Kathryn Watson
Updated on: January 28, 2025 / 3:01 PM EST / CBS News
A wide range of organizations and agencies that depend on federal health department funds say they have been locked out of the online system responsible for tracking and depositing their money, in the wake of the White House's move to freeze funding across the Trump administration.
These include state Medicaid programs which have been unable to log into the Payment Management Services web portal, or PMS, run by the Department of Health and Human Services, which handles billions of dollars of payments every year.
The website currently warns that due "to Executive Orders regarding potentially unallowable grant payments, PMS is taking additional measures to process payments. Reviews of applicable programs and payments will result in delays and/or rejections of payments."
A spokesperson for HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why recipients have been locked out of the portal.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday that Medicaid recipients and others who directly receive federal funding will continue to receive it. "It does not affect individual assistance that's going to Americans," she said. She also insisted the funding pause is "temporary."
The video player is currently playing an ad. You can skip the ad in 5 sec with a mouse or keyboard But other recipients of federal health dollars have also reported being locked out of the payment system, including Head Start early childhood education programs and community health centers.
"My staff has confirmed reports that Medicaid portals are down in all 50 states following last night's federal funding freeze. This is a blatant attempt to rip away health care from millions of Americans overnight and will get people killed," Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden posted on X.
"Multiple states locked out of Medicaid portal," Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii tweeted. "This is a Trump shutdown, except this time it's unlawful."
Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley said he was assured Medicaid would not be affected.
"What the White House has told us just now is that Medicaid is not, categorically not, covered by this," Hawley said. "In other words, there will be no interruption to Medicaid or Medicare or any grant that floats to individuals."
A spokesperson for the National Association of Medicaid Directors says they have formally sought guidance from the Trump administration to explain the interruption.
Joann Alker of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families called on the administration to issue a statement clarifying that Medicaid should not be affected, warning it is a "major crisis" as states look to draw down funding for the month.
"Any pause in federal funding of Medicaid — the largest source of federal funding received by states — would be disastrous for states as they need to draw down federal funds to meet their financial obligations to the health care providers and health plans serving Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries," Alker said.
In a statement ahead of the lockout, HSS also announced that it would be reevaluating "all programs, regulations, and guidance to ensure Federal taxpayer dollars are not being used to pay for or promote elective abortion" following a previous executive order by President Trump.
In a statement, the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association warned that health centers could face "significant disruption" to operations even with a "temporary funding pause."
"For many patients, Title X-funded health centers serve as their sole source of health care. The Title X family planning program is already chronically underfunded, and this executive action risks destabilizing a health provider network that is already operating under immense strain," said Clare Coleman, president and CEO of the association.
Although the White House's Leavitt said direct payments to Americans won't be affected, she did not specifically address which grant programs will survive the funding pause.
Legal challenges to the freeze have already been filed by a coalition which includes the National Council of Nonprofits and the American Public Health Association, asking a federal judge for an emergency order to block the action from taking effect.
Several Democratic state attorneys general also announced Tuesday afternoon that they will sue the Trump administration over the Office of Management and Budget's memo about freezing federal funds, and will seek a temporary restraining order to block it from being implemented.
School lunches, other programs worry about impact of funding freeze The implications of the federal grant pause go beyond HHS, but the full effects are still unknown.
It's unclear whether the National School Lunch Program, which reimburses schools and school districts each month for the meals they serve children, will still receive funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program feeds about 28 million American schoolchildren each month.
Diane Pratt-Heavner, director of media relations at the School Nutrition Association, said her organization is asking the USDA for more information.
"We're urging Congress to increase reimbursements for school meals given the financial crisis facing meal programs today, so certainly there's just no room in the budget for missed reimbursements," she said.
Meals on Wheels, a nonprofit organization that delivers about 250 million meals each year to more than 2 million seniors, receives federal grant funding. They're not sure what's next either.
"If in fact this order includes the Older Americans Act, this would presumably halt service to millions of vulnerable seniors who have no other means of purchasing or preparing meals," a Meals on Wheels spokesperson said. "And the lack of clarity and uncertainty right now is creating chaos for local Meals on Wheels providers not knowing for sure whether they should be serving meals today, which unfortunately means seniors will panic not knowing where their next meals will come from."
They added that since the program is already underfunded, local providers generally "don't have the ability to absorb a blow like this, especially if it persists for any extended period."
I don’t think this information would be helpful to you furthering your phony agenda, but for those who want a true picture it might help if we knew how many of the millions Biden dumped into our country, mostly unvetted, were white versus the number that were brown. Might give you a true picture.
Amazing hearing the wailing and gnashing of teeth from you lefties as we collect and deport these illegals. Most of them commited crimes here in the U.S. or back in there home country. And you folks just can’t stand it, can you?? Just shows what I have said all along l. You lefties care more about these illegals than you do about the Americans they have robbed, raped , injured or murdered. Fortunately we have an administration now that puts Americans first.
Sorry if you don’t like the way we are going about it but let me know the first time we deport a Navajo Indian American citizen. Pretty sure the people going on those buses and planes are the ones who should be there.
I don’t think this information would be helpful to you furthering your phony agenda, but for those who want a true picture it might help if we knew how many of the millions Biden dumped into our country, mostly unvetted, were white versus the number that were brown. Might give you a true picture.
Amazing hearing the wailing and gnashing of teeth from you lefties as we collect and deport these illegals. Most of them commited crimes here in the U.S. or back in there home country. And you folks just can’t stand it, can you?? Just shows what I have said all along l. You lefties care more about these illegals than you do about the Americans they have robbed, raped , injured or murdered. Fortunately we have an administration now that puts Americans first.
Sorry if you don’t like the way we are going about it but let me know the first time we deport a Navajo Indian American citizen. Pretty sure the people going on those buses and planes are the ones who should be there.
J/c using your post as an example, my response is how I feel, not directed toward you personally. But feel free to take it that way if you want.
Post like this make me want to throat punch MAGA voters who support Trump’s worst ideas. Dude is tossing America into a meat grinder of illegal chaos for no reason other than getting his jollies and hurting people.
Sent to all federal employees today. The title of the email is "Fork in the Road."
During the first week of his administration, President Trump issued a number of directives concerning the federal workforce. Among those directives, the President required that employees return to in-person work, restored accountability for employees who have policy-making authority, restored accountability for senior career executives, and reformed the federal hiring process to focus on merit. As a result of the above orders, the reform of the federal workforce will be significant.
The reformed federal workforce will be built around four pillars: 1) Return to Office: The substantial majority of federal employees who have been working remotely since Covid will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week. Going forward, we also expect our physical offices to undergo meaningful consolidation and divestitures, potentially resulting in physical office relocations for a number of federal workers. 2) Performance culture: The federal workforce should be comprised of the best America has to offer. We will insist on excellence at every level — our performance standards will be updated to reward and promote those that exceed expectations and address in a fair and open way those who do not meet the high standards which the taxpayers of this country have a right to demand. 3) More streamlined and flexible workforce: While a few agencies and even branches of the military are likely to see increases in the size of their workforce, the majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force. These actions are likely to include the use of furloughs and the reclassification to at-will status for a substantial number of federal employees. 4) Enhanced standards of conduct: The federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work. Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward. Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination.
Each of the pillars outlined above will be pursued in accordance with applicable law, consistent with your agency's policies, and to the extent permitted under relevant collective-bargaining agreements.
If you choose to remain in your current position, we thank you for your renewed focus on serving the American people to the best of your abilities and look forward to working together as part of an improved federal workforce. At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions.
If you choose not to continue in your current role in the federal workforce, we thank you for your service to your country and you will be provided with a dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program. This program begins effective January 28 and is available to all federal employees until February 6. If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30, 2025 (or earlier if you choose to accelerate your resignation for any reason). The details of this separation plan can be found below.
Whichever path you choose, we thank you for your service to The United States of America. *********************************************************************
Upon review of the below deferred resignation letter, if you wish to resign: 1) Select “Reply” to this email. You must reply from your government account. A reply from an account other than your government account will not be accepted. 2) Type the word “Resign” into the body of this reply email. Hit “Send”.
THE LAST DAY TO ACCEPT THE DEFERRED RESIGNATION PROGRAM IS FEBRUARY 6, 2025.
Deferred resignation is available to all full-time federal employees except for military personnel of the armed forces, employees of the U.S. Postal Service, those in positions related to immigration enforcement and national security, and those in any other positions specifically excluded by your employing agency. DEFERRED RESIGNATION LETTER January 28, 2025 Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from employment with my employing agency, effective September 30, 2025. I understand that I have the right to accelerate, but not extend, my resignation date if I wish to take advantage of the deferred resignation program. I also understand that if I am (or become) eligible for early or normal retirement before my resignation date, that I retain the right to elect early or normal retirement (once eligible) at any point prior to my resignation date. Given my impending resignation, I understand I will be exempt from any “Return to Office” requirements pursuant to recent directives and that I will maintain my current compensation and retain all existing benefits (including but not limited to retirement accruals) until my final resignation date. I am certain of my decision to resign and my choice to resign is fully voluntary. I understand my employing agency will likely make adjustments in response to my resignation including moving, eliminating, consolidating, reassigning my position and tasks, reducing my official duties, and/or placing me on paid administrative leave until my resignation date. I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition during my remaining time at my employing agency. Accordingly, I will assist my employing agency with completing reasonable and customary tasks and processes to facilitate my departure. I understand that my acceptance of this offer will be sent to the Office of Personnel Management (“OPM”) which will then share it with my agency employer. I hereby consent to OPM receiving, reviewing, and forwarding my acceptance. ********************************************************************* Upon submission of your resignation, you will receive a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of your email. Any replies to this email shall be for the exclusive use of accepting the deferred resignation letter. Any other replies to this email will not be reviewed, forwarded, or retained other than as required by applicable federal records laws. Once your resignation is validly sent and received, the human resources department of your employing agency will contact you to complete additional documentation, if any. OPM is authorized to send this email under Executive Order 9830 and 5 U.S.C. §§ 301, 1103, 1104, 2951, 3301, 6504, 8347, and 8461. OPM intends to use your response to assist in federal workforce reorganization efforts in conjunction with employing agencies. See 88 Fed. Reg. 56058; 80 Fed. Reg. 72455 (listing routine uses). Response to this email is voluntary. Although you must respond to take advantage of the deferred resignation offer, there is no penalty for nonresponse.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
It's a good offer to be able to telework for 8 months and resign?
Also, there is a $25,000 cap on severance for federal employees...so that might be a problem.
Also, this is pretty much a copy/paste of what Musk sent out to Twitter employees in 2022. The subject heading is the exact same. Didn't exactly make Twitter a better place. Oh, and lawsuits were also filed because people claimed they didn't get their severance.
No deal.
Also, how is this helping our every-day citizen again?
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
It's a good offer to be able to telework for 8 months and resign?
Also, there is a $25,000 cap on severance for federal employees...so that might be a problem.
Also, this is pretty much a copy/paste of what Musk sent out to Twitter employees in 2022. The subject heading is the exact same. Didn't exactly make Twitter a better place. Oh, and lawsuits were also filed because people claimed they didn't get their severance.
No deal.
Also, how is this helping our every-day citizen again?
for whatever reason, people seem to view government employees in a negative light. It's like they think every federal employee is a suit looking to regulate something, and not mostly normal people doing normal jobs at the federal level.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
100%. Either that, or they think of us as lazy bureaucrats. It's a brain-washed stereotype. One that the administration is taking advantage of to create a straw-man enemy. People latch onto it because it doesn't affect them. It's painful to see some of the comments out there sometimes, even those that some people on this board write. This ish affects me, personally. Other people don't have a clue how this actually goes, and it's extremely frustrating.
I mentioned this before, but I used to work for a downtown law firm out of law school for a couple years before moving into the Government. If you told me I had to lead a high stakes negotiation and I had to either choose my teammates from the law firm or choose from the people I currently work with, I would choose the people from my current office 10/10 times.
What's also really STOOPID about this is that they are ending remote work blanketly. We have two people who work remotely who are insanely sharp that we are going to lose. The remote work was a way to keep them. They were also able to travel on-site to defense contractors who lived close to them and examine things in real time, which was added leverage. Both will be gone under this new order.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
Yesterday in New York City, Kristi Noem went on a "deportation publicity stunt". A total of 90 officers from multiple government agency were used in immigration raids. The results?
A total of 20 illegal immigrants were arrested. 12 with criminal records and 8 had no criminal record.
You're being fooled again as usual.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
I've seen my fair share of RIF offers and this is a joke. This is an offer for govt employees to put in an 8-month notice of resignation and a thinly-veiled threat.
I'm really curious what protections are in place for govt workers that would hinder Musk in following through with this plan. It's the same guy following a very similar playbook, but a private company is a VERY different environment vs the federal govt to be trying this type of stuff.
Not to mention the potential collateral damage... I'm trying to imagine the chaos from the Twitter acquisition going on throughout our govt.
There is no level of sucking we haven't seen; in fact, I'm pretty sure we hold the patents on a few levels of sucking NOBODY had seen until the past few years.
Defense secretary revokes security detail and clearance for Trump critic Gen. Mark Milley, orders investigation
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday revoked the security detail and security clearance for Gen. Mark Milley, according to Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot, an unprecedented move against the former top US general who became a frequent target of President Donald Trump.
Hegseth, in only his second full day on the job, also directed the department’s inspector general to launch an investigation into Milley’s “conduct” to determine whether a review of his rank is necessary. The statement does not specify what conduct Hegseth believes would warrant a review of Milley’s rank.
CNN has reached out to Milley for comment. Fox News first reported that Milley’s detail had been pulled.
Only hours after Trump was inaugurated last week, administration officials had Milley’s portrait as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff removed from where it was displayed in the Pentagon. As of Tuesday afternoon, a second portrait of Milley from his time as the Army’s chief of staff was still hanging in the Pentagon.
Trump nominated Milley to be the top US general in 2018, but their relationship rapidly deteriorated during the closing months of the first Trump administration. At one point, Milley called Trump a ”fascist” and, in his final speech as Joint Chiefs chair in 2023, said the military does not take an oath to a “wannabe dictator.” It was an oblique reference to the then-former president that underscored the enmity between the two.
Trump has accused Milley of treason for a pair of phone calls Milley held with his Chinese counterpart in 2020. Trump described the calls on social media as “an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!” Milley has testified that the calls were coordinated with the defense secretaries at the time and other national security agencies.
Trump has also accused Milley of botching the withdrawal from Afghanistan, even though Milley opposed the withdrawal of US forces from the country.
Joe Kasper, the Defense Department’s chief of staff, said, “Undermining the chain of command is corrosive to our national security, and restoring accountability is a priority for the Defense Department under President Trump’s leadership.”
On former President Joe Biden’s final morning in office, he issued a blanket pardon for Milley after Trump vowed to seek retribution against those he viewed as opposing his first presidency. Biden said that Milley, in more than 40 years in the military, had deployed “to some of the most dangerous parts of the world to protect and defend democracy.”
Milley thanked Biden for the pardon, saying in a statement, “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve our great country in uniform for over four decades, and I will continue to keep faith and loyalty to our nation and Constitution until my dying breath.”
Biden’s pardon protects Milley from prosecution under criminal law and military law, but an inspector general investigation could reduce Milley’s rank if it finds wrongdoing.
In a Friday night purge, Trump fired the inspectors general from more than a dozen federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, failing to give Congress the required 30-day notice or provide a substantive rationale for the firings. An IG conducts investigations and audits into any potential malfeasance, fraud, waste or abuse by a government agency or its personnel, and issues reports and recommendations on its findings. An IG office is intended to operate independently.
During his first week in office, Trump started to carry out the political retribution he promised to unleash if voters returned him to the White House, CNN previously reported.
Within hours of his swearing in, Trump terminated his former national security adviser John Bolton’s Secret Service detail, which had been assigned to him because of threats from Iran.
Trump also revoked the security detail for his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who, like Bolton, also received protection due to threats from Iran. And he yanked the detail from Dr. Anthony Fauci, which was being provided and paid for by the National Institutes of Health due to ongoing threats from his public-facing role during the Covid-19 pandemic.
I've seen my fair share of RIF offers and this is a joke. This is an offer for govt employees to put in an 8-month notice of resignation and a thinly-veiled threat.
I'm really curious what protections are in place for govt workers that would hinder Musk in following through with this plan. It's the same guy following a very similar playbook, but a private company is a VERY different environment vs the federal govt to be trying this type of stuff.
Not to mention the potential collateral damage... I'm trying to imagine the chaos from the Twitter acquisition going on throughout our govt.
Trump and DOGE are taking a blitzkrieg approach to implementing their plan. They are moving at a pace faster than unions and government agencies can respond. I feel really bad for my immediate leadership because they basically have to say "We have no idea how this will be implemented, but we want to say that, despite all you are hearing, that I value each and every one of you."
Once it all catches up, I imagine the fighting will be intense. Elon has shown he does not know how to run a company that is not cutting edge, emerging tech when he took over Twitter. Like you said, his initiative on the Government side will have blowback. We just haven't seen it yet.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
Metadata on U.S. government memos reveals authors linked to Project 2025 The information has reportedly since been scrubbed from the documents. By Amanda Yeo on January 29, 2025
Scenes from outside the United States Office of Personnel Management in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday May 21, 2019. Credit: Sarah Silbiger for The Washington Post via Getty Images The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has reportedly rushed to wipe the metadata from some of its memos after the embedded information indicated that they were written by people associated with Project 2025. While many members of President Donald Trump's administration have links to The Heritage Foundation's controversial movement, questions have been raised regarding whether some of these authors are even part of the OPM.
Spotted by Reddit user r/AdeptGreen, several memos issued by the OPM since Trump's inauguration have had metadata showing them to be written by people linked to Project 2025. Metadata is information about another set of information, such as its author, the date it was created, and the file's size. It is frequently embedded within the file.
For example, the OPM states that Jan. 22 memo Guidance on Presidential Memorandum: Return to In-Person Work is from its Acting Director Charles Ezell. However, the document's metadata indicates that it was actually created by Noah Peters, an attorney linked to Project 2025. Mashable downloaded the memo on Tuesday prior to its alteration, and was able to view the original metadata.
While Peters' name was in the metadata of some OPM memos, others were apparently penned by James Sherk, who Trump has announced will serve on the White House Domestic Policy Council. He has also been linked to Project 2025, previously working for The Heritage Foundation for over a decade. According to the metadata, Sherk authored two joint memos with the OPM and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
While the OPM has reportedly removed the metadata and reuploaded its memos, Mashable was unable to access them at all at time of writing on Wednesday, the links to each one now failing to load. Tech researcher Molly White has archived the original documents.
It's common practice for managers to have employees draft documents which they subsequently sign off on. However, it's much less common for people to write memos for departments that they aren't a part of. Though Peters' LinkedIn page now lists him as a full-time Senior Advisor at OPM, Mashable was unable to find any information suggesting Sherk has any role with either this department or the OMB.
Peters' and Sherk's apparent work on the OPM's memos appear to be the product of Trump's increasing politicisation of the federal workforce. Last week Trump issued an executive order reinstating Schedule F, a policy from his first term which reclassified thousands of federal workers as political appointees. This reclassification granted Trump's administration the authority to hire, dismiss, or otherwise manage people in these roles — including installing workers who adhere to the president's politics.
Such consolidation of power was also a goal for Project 2025, which stated in its policy agenda that a conservative U.S president must have the "boldness to bend or break the bureaucracy to the presidential will."
Regardless of its appropriateness, it wouldn't be surprising to see more federal documents with surprising authors in the future — especially considering Trump's plans to shrink the U.S. government. Almost all federal employees were offered buyouts on Tuesday, with promises of around eight months of wages on the condition that they voluntarily leave their jobs by Feb. 6. Over two million workers reportedly received the offer.
Though the Trump administration likely doesn't expect everyone to accept its offer, doing so looks like a smart move right now. Trump has made no secret of his intent to eliminate millions of government jobs via the newly-created, Elon Musk-led U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The organisation had been planned to be co-led by Vivek Ramaswamy, who previously expressed an intention to reduce the federal workforce by 75 percent, including firing one million people in 2025.
While Ramaswamy is no longer involved with the project, DOGE's goal to execute drastic cuts amongst federal personnel appears to remain in place.
What is Project 2025? Organised by conservative think-tank The Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 is a political movement which aims to swiftly and decisively steer the U.S. toward the right.
In its policy agenda "Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise," Project 2025 lays out a lengthy set of proposals and plans for a right-wing U.S. administration, spanning over 900 pages. These plans include significantly downsizing the Department of Education, criminalising pornography, eliminating gender-affirming healthcare, and abolishing federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
Initially published in 2023, Project 2025's policy agenda has garnered the condemnation of Democratic politicians while becoming a guiding force for Republicans.
Trump previously distanced himself from Project 2025 in 2024, stating that he had "no idea who is behind it."
"I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social last July. "Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them."
Even so, Trump's slew of executive actions since his inauguration have closely mirrored Project 2025's wishlist. The president has also appointed individuals involved with the document to key roles in his administration. Such appointees include Russell Vought, one of the authors of Project 2025's policy agenda and Trump's pick to head the OBM after having taken on the role during the president's first term. Vought was the previously quoted Project 2025 author who called for federal agencies to "bend or break" to Trump's demands.
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