Yesterday was the very first cabinet meeting for the new administration….and this is how it went…
President Trump held his first Cabinet meeting of his second term on Tuesday—and a lot of the talking was done by somebody who wasn’t seated at the table. Trump asked Elon Musk, who is not an official Cabinet member, to discuss his work with DOGE. “Is anyone unhappy with Elon? If you are, we’ll throw them out of here,” Trump joked, per the Wall Street Journal. More:
- DOGE. Trump praised Musk’s email asking federal workers to justify their jobs, which some agency chiefs have resisted. Musk described it as a “pulse check,” not a performance review, and said the email was sent with the president’s approval, the New York Times reports. Musk praised Trump for putting together the “best Cabinet ever.” The Times reports that Musk, who said he was confident he could cut $1 trillion from the federal budget, dominated the first part of the meeting. Trump later discussed a wide range of subjects.
- Ukraine. Trump opened the meeting by confirming that Volodymyr Zelensky will visit the White House on Friday to sign a deal involving Ukrainian minerals and other resources. He later said that the deal would not include security guarantees, the Guardian reports. He said Vladimir Putin would have to make some concessions, but Ukraine should “forget about” joining NATO. “I think that’s probably the reason the whole thing started,” he said.
- Tariffs. Trump said he plans to hit the European Union with 25% tariffs on the import of cars, among other goods, the Times reports. “The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States,” he said. Trump also criticized Canada, saying, “Without us, Canada can’t make it. I say Canada should be our 51st state.”
- Measles. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official, was asked about the death of a child in the Texas measles outbreak. He described the outbreak as “not unusual” and said his agency is “watching” the outbreak, without providing specifics, the AP reports.
- Afghanistan. Trump said all the generals involved in the US withdrawal from Afghanistan should be fired, the Hill reports. “I’m not going to tell this man what to do, but I will say that if I had his place, I’d fire every single one of them,” he said, gesturing to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth said the Pentagon is conducting a “complete review.”
Now after reading this short summary you can see why I enclosed the word minds thusly…..
The tariff thing is interesting soon the whole world will be under a Trump tariff and things will get expensive and out of reach for most Americans….but maybe that is the plan all along.
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
The first steps of the eventual dictatorship. Nobody can say they were not told what Trump would do. Seems like Don and Vlad have agreed to carve up the world between them.
Best wishes, Pete.
Interesting is there some validity to Trump’s recruitment by the KGB in 1987? Just wondering. chuq
The question of whether Donald Trump was recruited by the KGB in 1987 is a fascinating one that has sparked plenty of speculation, but there’s no definitive answer—at least not based on publicly available evidence. It stems from claims made by a former Soviet and Kazakh intelligence officer, Alnur Mussayev, who posted on Facebook in February 2025 that Trump was recruited by the KGB during a 1987 trip to Moscow, under the codename “Krasnov.” Mussayev, who says he worked in the KGB’s 6th Directorate at the time, alleges this was part of a broader effort to target Western businessmen. Trump did indeed visit Moscow in 1987 to explore a hotel project, a trip facilitated by Soviet officials, which has fueled theories about potential intelligence connections.
However, there’s a catch: no concrete evidence—like documents, recordings, or corroborating testimony from other credible sources—has surfaced to back up Mussayev’s claim. His career timeline also raises questions—some accounts suggest he was with the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs, not the KGB, in 1987, which muddies the waters. Other ex-KGB officers, like Yuri Shvets, have made similar claims about Trump being cultivated as an asset over decades, pointing to his 1987 visit and subsequent actions, like taking out newspaper ads criticizing U.S. foreign policy. But again, these are assertions without hard proof.
On the flip side, Trump has consistently denied any such ties, calling allegations of Russian collusion “fake news.” The FBI’s extensive background checks during his presidential runs didn’t flag anything definitive either, and you’d think his political opponents would’ve jumped on any smoking gun if it existed. Intelligence experts note that the KGB did target prominent Westerners during the Cold War, so the idea isn’t implausible—just unproven. The lack of declassified files or leaks from Russian archives keeps it in the realm of speculation.
So, is there validity? It’s possible but far from certain. The story hinges on one man’s word and a lot of circumstantial dots—Trump’s Moscow trip, his later pro-Russia leanings, and the KGB’s known tactics. Without more, it’s a juicy theory that’s still waiting for its big reveal—or debunking. What do you think about it, Chuq? Anything specific catch your eye?
Just another conspiracy theory…kinda like the ones when Obama was president….makes good fodder for the media and the idiots. chuq
The worse people are in charge and this meeting shows just how bad they are. chuq
Why would he make tarrifs so everything would be too expensive for everybody ? That would be stupid. Perhaps the goal is we buy Made in America only. Isn’t he getting world companies to move here and pay no tarrifs ? Create jobs here. That’s the plan.
If the resources come from countries under a tariff then US companies would pay more for the end product and the consumer would be on the hook…not a good plan. chuq
Yes, that could happen but if countries reduce prices and/or build facility here = no tarrif. That’s the plan. If that results I have no idea. Economic theory not in my head. American consumer gains.
That is a big reach like the lie of trickle down economics…..the consumer will pay more. chuq
A lot of things are already out of reach for most Americans and eggs is getting to be one of thoe things —-
Trump has a plan….post to follow chuq
First Meeting Of The Mindless (Suggested headline rewrite)
Another great title chuq
The question of whether Donald Trump was recruited by the KGB in 1987 is a fascinating one that has sparked plenty of speculation, but there’s no definitive answer—at least not based on publicly available evidence. It stems from claims made by a former Soviet and Kazakh intelligence officer, Alnur Mussayev, who posted on Facebook in February 2025 that Trump was recruited by the KGB during a 1987 trip to Moscow, under the codename “Krasnov.” Mussayev, who says he worked in the KGB’s 6th Directorate at the time, alleges this was part of a broader effort to target Western businessmen. Trump did indeed visit Moscow in 1987 to explore a hotel project, a trip facilitated by Soviet officials, which has fueled theories about potential intelligence connections.
However, there’s a catch: no concrete evidence—like documents, recordings, or corroborating testimony from other credible sources—has surfaced to back up Mussayev’s claim. His career timeline also raises questions—some accounts suggest he was with the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs, not the KGB, in 1987, which muddies the waters. Other ex-KGB officers, like Yuri Shvets, have made similar claims about Trump being cultivated as an asset over decades, pointing to his 1987 visit and subsequent actions, like taking out newspaper ads criticizing U.S. foreign policy. But again, these are assertions without hard proof.
On the flip side, Trump has consistently denied any such ties, calling allegations of Russian collusion “fake news.” The FBI’s extensive background checks during his presidential runs didn’t flag anything definitive either, and you’d think his political opponents would’ve jumped on any smoking gun if it existed. Intelligence experts note that the KGB did target prominent Westerners during the Cold War, so the idea isn’t implausible—just unproven. The lack of declassified files or leaks from Russian archives keeps it in the realm of speculation.
So, is there validity? It’s possible but far from certain. The story hinges on one man’s word and a lot of circumstantial dots—Trump’s Moscow trip, his later pro-Russia leanings, and the KGB’s known tactics. Without more, it’s a juicy theory that’s still waiting for its big reveal—or debunking. What do you think about it, Chuq? Anything specific catch your eye?
Again you were “someone’ in the comments….chuq
somebody doesn’t like me–
LOL it is that wonderful AI we hear glowing things about. chuq