Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Matt Gaetz's mother thinks her son is a moron (she's right!)

Another night, another new comic,  Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Imbeciles Appear Before Congress


imbeclies in front of congress


Pretty cool, right?  Three comics in three days.  


You know what's not cool?  Ignorance.


Paige Skinner (HUFFINGTON POST) reports on a man so stupid that he can't grasp it when his own mother finds him too stupid to believe:

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz was secretly recorded on a flight texting his mother about “guiding” President Donald Trump against the U.S. getting involved in the Iran and Israel war.

The video recording was uploaded to TikTok on Monday and has more than 1 million views as of press time. In the texts captured in the video, Gaetz inadvertently let slip some private family news while also defending his attempts to sway the president on foreign policy and his abilities as a Trump whisperer in response to his mother’s warning against opposing him.

[. . .]
His mom at one point texted Gaetz that he shouldn’t criticize Trump or his actions.

“He’s trying to keep us safe,” Gaetz’s mom wrote. “That’s his job. MAGA will turn on you. You will lose viewership. Your days in congress are over, practice of law? Let’s not mess up the media gig. The president has been a very good friend to you. He hates betrayal. Be smart, not stubborn.”

Read those last two paragraphs again:

His mom at one point texted Gaetz that he shouldn’t criticize Trump or his actions.

“He’s trying to keep us safe,” Gaetz’s mom wrote. “That’s his job. MAGA will turn on you. You will lose viewership. Your days in congress are over, practice of law? Let’s not mess up the media gig. The president has been a very good friend to you. He hates betrayal. Be smart, not stubborn.”


His mother thinks he's an idiot.  She thinks he can't do anything, that he's a f**k up and that he's about to f**k up his latest job.  

Her statements remind me of PRIVATE BENJAMIN. Goldie Hawn's husband has died so she enlists in the military.  She hates it and just wants to drop out.  Then her parents show up to take her home and they talk to her like she's an idiot -- the way Matt's mom just talked to him -- and she decides not to leave.  


It's Pride month.  Someone might want to share that with Aaron Rodgers.  The 41-year-old says he's not gay.  I don't believe him.  I believe he and Kevin were a couple.  I believe the Tweets Kevin put up after Kevin moved out.  I believe Aaron's been in a homosexual panic his entire adult life.  But he wants to pretend otherwise.  Andrew Joseph (FOR THE WIN) reports:

Aaron Rodgers surprised much of the Pittsburgh media when he showed up to his first Steelers practice wearing a wedding ring. In the time since (and before, really) the 41-year-old quarterback confirmed he was married, nobody had seen the couple together publicly.

Rodgers plans to keep it that way, apparently.

The Steelers quarterback joined the Pat McAfee Show for his regular Tuesday appearance, and when McAfee approached the subject of his wife, Rodgers went off on a three-minute rant about how his privacy has been violated. The entire rant took McAfee off guard as he jokingly just wanted to lobby for an invite to a reception — if Rodgers were to have one.

Instead, Rodgers had this to say, claiming that his mystery wife — who married a public figure — never signed up for a public life.


A man gets married but doesn't want to even name the spouse?  Yeah, sounds like love.  Like the real love between Rock Hudson and Phyllis Gates, right?  Here are some comments on the article:


Here's some reactions to the article: 


Angie Gamez
6 minutes ago
I would not be surprised at all if this was all a hoax of his and he is NOT, in fact, married. I seriously believe there is NO wife.  Watch and see - it will all come out.

Bob K
18 hours ago
Is it just me, or does it sort of sound like maybe he married his friend, Mike?

She's Spoiled
19 hours ago
Yes, she's tucked away in a box, in the closed, waiting to be aired up.

Profile Picture
OBXMAR .
19 hours ago
Profile Picture
OBXMAR .
Comments
1752
Likes
691
Followers
4
She, uh, goes to another school. For real.


user-25cvf3cs86
12 hours ago
Profile Picture
user-25cvf3cs86
Comments
18
Likes
-
Followers
-
Married to a guy


Mike Kralj
16 hours ago
"wife"

Rrrrright. Husband maybe, but no wife

Davis
18 hours ago
He is going to be very worn out.  He has to go visit his wife, who is in Canada.  She's a model, you know, but you can't meet her.


If he's gay, Aaron should come out already.  Most of us who remember the break up with Kevin have thought he was gay for years now. 


Here's C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"


Wednesday, June 25, 2025.  Donald Chump continues to terrorize immigrants but makes sure that your tax dollars go towards paying Kristi Noem's stud services fee.


Let's start with a taxpayer note. The Chump economy is a bad economy.  Prices have not gone down, they've continued to increase as the May figures proved.  Many people across the country are struggling.  So I'm sure all Americans are thrilled to know that we'll now be paying -- our tax dollars -- for Kristi Noem's boy toy to fly the friendly skies.

What?

You missed that?

So did many outlets covering yesterday's news.  Here's Holmes Lybrand (CNN):


President Donald Trump announced his appointments to an advisory council inside the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday, with a list that includes a right-wing news commentator, former lawmakers, Trump’s former attorney Rudy Giuliani and a top former campaign adviser.

The announcement by Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the council, established first in 2002, will provide “real-time, real-world and independent advice on homeland security operations.”

The list includes right-wing political commentator Mark Levin, as well as Giuliani, who helped lead efforts to try and overturn the 2020 election results and was later sued for defamation by two Georgia election workers; a lawsuit he lost before a jury in Washington, DC.

“This new-look, America First HSAC will draw upon a deep well of public and private sector experience from homeland security experts committed to fulfilling President Trump’s agenda,” the press release on the new council states.

The appointments also include Corey Lewandowski, a Trump campaign leader in 2016 who is currently a chief adviser to Noem.


No, not Rudy G.  We said "boy toy," not "horror whore."  Besides, like Donald Chump, Rudy G can't manage stud services anymore.  Not at his age.  

No.

We're talking about Kristi's boy Corey.  Let's go to WIKIPEDIA:


Lewandowski met his future wife Alison Hardy when he was in ninth grade and she was in eighth grade. In 1998, Hardy married Brian Kinney, who was killed onboard United Airlines Flight 175 on September 11, 2001. Four years later, in 2005, Lewandowski married Hardy.[16] Together they have four children.[24] Lewandowski is a Catholic.[16]

In 2018, Lewandowski featured in Sacha Baron Cohen's prank comedy series Who Is America?, discussing the presidency and views of Donald Trump with Baron Cohen's alter-ego, conspiracy theorist Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr. During that interview, Lewandowski suggested that one "had to respect" white supremacists while discussing the racist and violent 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.[115]

In September 2021, Lewandowski was removed from his role as chairman of a super PAC called Make America Great Again Action after reports of sexual harassment accusations from a donor.[116][117]

That same month, conservative media outlet American Greatness reported that Lewandowski was having an extramarital affair with South Dakota governor Kristi Noem, for whom he had long been a political advisor. Noem called the report a "disgusting lie", saying, "these old, tired attacks on conservative women are based on a falsehood that we can't achieve anything without a man's help."[118][119][120] In September 2023, the New York Post and the Daily Mail published similar reports about Noem and Lewandowski, which Noem's spokesman denied.[121][122]


Congratulations, America, you're on the hook for Kristi's stud service fee. 

Remember, Kristi's married too.  Was when news leaked about the affair and still is.  But, of course, she lives in the DC area while her husband Byron lives in South Dakota.  

You know raving loon Marjorie Taylor Greene has been insisting Jesus is 'returning' this week.  Let's hope so for Kristi's sake.  Without Jesus' compassion, MAGA will be left with the directive to stone Kristi for being married and having an affair.  What would be a problem in functional administrations is the norm in a Chump administration.  After all, Donald's motto is: We'll get at least a little slap and tickle by any means necessary.



Are you safe in the US?  Are you comfortable calling 911?  Sadly, the answer to the questions are not automatically yes.  Especially not if you're a victim of violence.  Matt deGrood and Sam González Kelly (HOUSTON CHRONICLE) report:


Houston police called federal immigration agents on a woman who dialed 911 to report domestic abuse by her ex-husband in April, newly released records show. 

The woman, an immigrant from El Salvador who has lived in Houston for seven years, had a removal order stemming from the denial of her asylum claim. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents declined to pick her up because they said there was no one to take custody of her children, according to a copy of the police report obtained by the Houston Chronicle through a public records request.
The woman hasn't yet been taken into federal custody, but victims' advocates said the incident is a worst-case scenario for those worried about the worsening state of domestic violence in the region and the likelihood that women will avoid reporting problems to law enforcement.

"Anecdotally, we know there's a huge fear in the immigrant community about reporting any type of incident to law enforcement because of the fear of being deported," said Amy Smith, deputy director at the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council.

An HPD spokesperson defended the officer's actions, saying he was simply following protocol. 


So if someone is a victim of domestic violence and the victim looks like they might possibly be from another country, the best response at this time is apparently not to call 911.  Doing so, whether you are an American citizen or not, could get you rounded up by ICE.

That's very sad, very disgusting and very telling about the Chump administration.


A coalition of immigrant rights, faith and pro-democracy organizations presented a letter with 12,000 signatures Tuesday to the National Sheriffs' Association Conference in Florida, urging them to protect public safety rather than work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The letter urges sheriffs agencies to refrain from immigration-related issues, and stay away from what the organizers consider as the dangers of President Donald Trump's “anti-immigrant rhetoric and harmful immigration agenda.”

About 30 people attended a rally outside Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the annual sheriffs' association conference was taking place.

“When sheriffs take on the responsibility of federal immigration authorities, it undermines your core mission, stretches already limited resources, and most importantly, causes real harm," the letter said.

 
Will the sheriffs give serious thought to the request?  Good question.  But at least it appears the FBI is not willing to break the law for ICE anymore.  Josh Fiallo (DAILY BEAST) notes:


White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller’s push to have the FBI assist in the Trump administration’s migrant crackdown has been put on ice.

Instead of going on immigration raids, sources told Fox News and NBC News that the majority of FBI agents on immigration duty are now returning to traditional roles to thwart possible threats from Iran and its proxies.
The pivot back to counterterrorism will place FBI agents in a more traditional role. It comes a month after Miller mandated ICE make at least 3,000 migrant arrests a day in a heated meeting at its D.C. headquarters. NBC reported at the time that 2,000 agents from the FBI, DEA, and the Marshals Service were ordered to embed with ICE to boost arrest numbers. Many of those agents are now being pulled back to their day jobs.

“Guess they are realizing this whole national security thing is important, after all,” a source with direct knowledge of the matter told NBC.

The FBI wrote in a statement that it “does not comment on specific operational adjustments or personnel decisions.”

“However, we continuously assess and realign our resources to respond to the most pressing threats to our national security and to ensure the safety of the American people,” the statement added.


As the roundups increase and continue, more and more people are impacted and aware.  Coverage of what's actually happening also spreads the word and spreads revulsion towards Donald Chump. 

 



It's inhumane and it's impacting lives and it's impacting the economy.  KLAS reports, " A growing sense of fear and uncertainty is spreading through immigrant communities across the country following a wave of recent ICE raids. In the Las Vegas valley, the impact is being felt in deep, personal ways, even leading to the temporary closure of a popular North Las Vegas marketplace. What used to be a busy weekend hotspot is now quiet as Broadacres Marketplace, a beloved swap meet in the northeast valley, has temporarily closed."  You're seeing that across the country.  Cindy Carcamo, Dianne Solis and Alfredo Corchado  (GUARDIAN) note:


At Hector’s Mariscos restaurant in the heavily Latino and immigrant city of Santa Ana, California, sales of Mexican seafood have slid. Seven tables would normally be full, but diners sit at only two this Tuesday afternoon.

“I haven’t seen it like this since Covid,” manager Lorena Marin said in Spanish as cumbia music played on loudspeakers. A US citizen, Marin even texted customers she was friendly with, encouraging them to come in.

“No, I’m staying home,” a customer texted back. “It’s really screwed up out there with all of those immigration agents.”

Increasing immigrant arrests in California have begun to gut-punch the economy and wallets of immigrant families and beyond. In some cases, immigrants with legal status and even US citizens have been swept into Donald Trump’s dragnet.

The 2004 fantasy film A Day Without a Mexican – chronicling what would happen to California if Mexican immigrants disappeared – is fast becoming a reality, weeks without Mexicans and many other immigrants. The implications are stark for many, both economically and personally.

“We are now seeing a very significant shift toward enforcement at labor sites where people are working,’ said Andrew Selee, president of the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. “Not a focus on people with criminal records, but a focus on people who are deeply integrated in the American economy.”


No, those being rounded up are not "the worst of the worst," are not violent criminals.  They are productive workers contributing to this country.   and


U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is holding around 59,000 detainees in facilities across the country, likely setting a record high as the Trump administration aggressively expands nationwide immigration arrests, according to internal government data obtained by CBS News.

On Monday, June 23, ICE's detention level was — on paper at least — at over 140% capacity, since Congress last allocated 41,500 detainee beds for the agency, the figures show.

The federal statistics show nearly half — or 47% — of those currently detained by ICE lack a criminal record and fewer than 30% have been convicted of crimes, a sign of the widening scope of President Trump's escalating crackdown on illegal immigration. On the campaign trail, Mr. Trump vowed to expel dangerous criminal migrants, though top officials in his administration have said no one in the U.S. illegally will be immune from deportation.


The administration is lying to the American people.  They are targeting workplaces and where day laborers gather.  These are not criminals guilty of murder or rape.  These are workers in this country.  And with the Nazi Stephen Miller instituting his quota, ICE agents are no better than traffic cops at speed traps at the end of each month trying to make their quota.

There is no noble mission.  There is only abuse and discrimination.



Recent deportations of immigrants have caused a nationwide outrage leading to widespread protests and a heightened sense of fear among immigrants and their families. This blog post summarizes some of the major themes associated with an upcoming webinar Wednesday June 25, featuring this author team that focuses on the implications of these deportations and the larger climate on Latino immigrants. The panel will make reference to their recently fielded (April to May, 2025) Latino Immigrant National Attitude Survey (LINAS) (n=1,000) which provides a timely snapshot to how immigrants are faring in the first five months of a second Trump administration.

The webinar will highlight findings related to the deportation policy’s implications for everyday life among Latino immigrants, along with how the threat of deportation is shifting the behavior of these vulnerable communities. Below are some of the highlights that the panel will be discussing in more detail: 

  • The survey makes clear that Latino immigrants are feeling the effects of this shift in political and policy climates, with over half (53%) of Latino immigrants reporting that they worry a family member or close friend will be deported, and nearly one-in-five (19%) reporting that they worry a great deal and all the time.  
  • A robust 69% of the sample feels that there is “a lot” of anti-immigrant, and anti-Hispanic, sentiments, policies, and attitudes in the United States. Similarly, 82% of the sample believe that there is either some or a lot of discrimination directed at immigrants right now. 
  • One of the most well-documented implications of the increasing threat of deportation is the shift in behavior associated with fear of being deported or putting friends or family in harm’s way. According to the survey, 16% of Latino immigrants have avoided contacting police to report a crime or calling the police due to the deportation plans of the Trump administration and the current political environment. Similarly, one-in-10 Latino immigrants have avoided going to their children’s school or interacting with educational professionals in their children’s school. 

The panel will also examine the policy attitudes of Latino immigrants as reflected in the survey, as well as the implications of the current political climate on the health and political behavior of Latino immigrants. Below are some of the data points and emerging political views of Latino immigrants that the panel will discuss.  

  • The president’s campaign suggested their deportation efforts would focus on removing violent criminals, a consistent theme across messaging from the White House more recently. However, only 29% of Latino immigrants believe that most Latino immigrants who are held in immigration detention facilities have probably committed serious crimes in the United States. 
  • When asked if any aspects of their health or their personal behavior have shifted since President Trump was re-elected in 2024, over one-in-five (22%) of the sample reported that their mental health has gotten worse.  
  • Political scientists have found that Latino immigrants have mobilized themselves in response to discriminatory immigration policies, which has led to an increase in both naturalization and voter registration in the past. There is early evidence that this same process is starting to develop now, as nine percent of the sample reported that they have registered to vote and eight percent have started the process to acquire permanent residency or citizenship since the Trump administration came into office in 2025.


Across the country, Americans protest daily.  Here's Spokane, Washington yesterday.



KQED's Katie DeBenedetti reports on those who showed up at City Hall to register their support for immigrants:


Hundreds of activists flooded San Francisco’s City Hall Monday to protest cuts to nonprofit funding in the city’s pending budget, saying the mayor is pulling back support for working-class and low-income San Franciscans at a time these communities are facing threats from the federal government.

During more than eight hours of public comment on the city’s spending plan, hundreds of housing caseworkers, immigrants’ rights advocates and nonprofit employees set to have their budgets and roles slashed to cure the city’s massive shortfall, voiced their frustrations to city supervisors.

“San Francisco was built on the backs of immigrants and working-class communities of color, and right now, we need San Francisco to put its money where its mouth is,” said Claire Lau, a campaign coordinator with the Chinese Progressive Association. “We see that in all levels of government, our social safety net is already falling apart … We need the city to strengthen our social safety net here, right at home.”

[. . .]

The coalition is especially concerned about reduced services for immigrants, given the recent escalation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions throughout the state.

Lurie’s budget plan cuts $250,000 from the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigration Affairs during its second year, and makes deep cuts to nonprofits that serve immigrant families in need of legal support and housing.

In recent weeks, at least 20 people have been disappeared by ICE agents at court hearings and asylum case check-ins in San Francisco. In Southern California, ICE agents have arrested people at high school graduations, workplaces and gas stations.

“Immigrant families are being torn apart at schools, at workplaces, and in communities,” Lau said. “Some are afraid to go to school, some are afraid to go work and those who do go to work are afraid to speak up when their rights are being violated.”


Violated now?  Absolutely and about to get even worse with Florida's plan for Alligator Alcatraz. 







Tristan Wood (WFSU) reports on one person objecting to this inhumane nonsense:

But Orlando Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost is angered by the plan. He has concerns about the potential living conditions.

“They want to make a mass tent detention facility in the middle of the Everglades, in the hot, burning Florida sun, in the swamp, and have these people living in damn tents. It's cruel. It's a tragedy. It's horrible, and we're gonna do everything we can to fight against it,” he said.

Frost, who has visited other immigrant detention facilities in Florida, told WFSU he will visit it if it opens.

“I went to Baker here in Florida unannounced, and that's a building that has real infrastructure, and the conditions are horrible, so I can only imagine what the conditions will be in a place that's being built up in about a month,” he sai.d









 Yesterday, we noted USA TODAY's bad typing piece on polling.  Let's note a much better piece, Christian Paz (VOX) notes:


President Donald Trump is now the most unpopular he has been during his second term.

More than half of American adults disapprove of the job he is doing, and he’s underwater on nearly every important issue of the day.

The polling averages show this net disapproval clearly: On the economy, he’s down 13 percentage points. On inflation, he’s down 20 points. Even on immigration, he’s down 2 points. (Those negative marks include foreign policy, though it’s too soon to say how the public is reacting to Trump’s decision to join Israel’s bombing of Iran.) 

Still, Trump’s popularity decline has been a dramatic development: After entering office with a positive approval rating and popular support for his agenda, he’s squandered much of it away through various political fights, policy decisions, and public spectacles.

That reversal has come in fits and starts, yet also demonstrated a curious trend in Trump’s popularity. When Trump is at the center of the news, using his bully pulpit and making high-profile efforts to pursue his agenda, his popularity falls. When he recedes into the background, and the public is focused elsewhere, his popularity somewhat recovers.

In short, the more people pay attention to Trump, the less they like him — which creates a kind of conundrum. Trump, who’s uniquely capable of capturing the limelight, has shown he’s also incapable (or unwilling) to do anything quietly.

 



We'll wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:

Women’s Health Protection Act comes as Trump and Congressional Republicans move to restrict a woman’s right to choose and toward a national abortion ban

Washington, D.C. — Today, on the third anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in introducing the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025, legislation to guarantee access to abortion everywhere across the country and restore the right to comprehensive reproductive health care for millions of Americans. The bill’s introduction comes as the Trump Administration further attacks a woman’s right to choose and Congressional Republicans barrel ahead with a bill that defunds Planned Parenthood. Put together, Trump and Congressional Republicans’ assault on Americans’ reproductive rights is a backdoor national abortion ban, ripping away millions of women’s access to abortion care and right to control their bodies.   

“Three years ago, Donald Trump and Republicans succeeded in overturning Roe, ripping away a Constitutional right for the first time in American history, and causing a full-blown health care crisis in our nation. Since then, we have seen with painful clarity how Republican abortion bans are putting women’s lives in danger, forcing providers to close their doors, decimating access to maternal health care, and forcing women to remain pregnant—no matter their circumstances,” said Senator Murray. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing the Women’s Health Protection Act to restore the right to abortion and end the national nightmare Republicans created by overturning Roe. Democrats will never stop fighting to restore abortion access nationwide—nothing less.”

“First, Donald Trump and Republicans overturned Roe v Wade. Now, they are continuing their crusade for a national abortion ban, stripping away a woman’s right to choose and control her body, healthcare, and future. Republicans continue to show that they will stop at nothing in their pursuit to stop a woman from having the right to choose,” said Senator Baldwin. “In Wisconsin, we’ve seen how these attacks on women’s reproductive rights and freedoms have hurt our neighbors, friends, and families – and we won’t stand for it. The Women’s Health Protection Act is a necessary step to restore Americans’ constitutional right to choose what’s best for their families, stop Congressional and state-level Republicans from further putting themselves between a doctor and a woman, and once and for all, give women their rights and freedoms back.”

“This issue is about more than health care; it is about women’s rights, individual rights, and human rights. The foundation of the Women’s Health Protection Act is simply the right to make your own health care decisions. Three years after Dobbs, American women don’t have that right. Today, thanks to Republican lawmakers and conservative courts, a woman in America might walk into an ER and faint, bleeding, and be refused treatment. That woman might die,” said Senator Blumenthal. “By restoring abortion access and implementing basic protections against medically unnecessary restrictions on health care, the Women’s Health Protection Act overturns the death sentence handed down by Dobbs.”

President Trump appointed the Supreme Court Justices who ruled in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case to overturn Roe v. Wade and nearly 50 years of precedent. Since the Dobbs decision, 19 states have banned abortion or severely restricted women from being able to access the procedure, leaving one in three American women without access to safe, legal abortion care. Additionally, state legislatures across the country have introduced hundreds of bills to include medically unnecessary restrictions that limit access to abortion care.

In his second term, President Trump has continued to relentlessly attack reproductive rights, including freezing Title X funding for clinics that offer reproductive care, cutting Biden-era emergency abortion protections, pardoning anti-abortion extremists, and fighting to defund Planned Parenthood. Additionally, the House-passed Republican budget bill kicks 16 million people off their health insurance and defunds Planned Parenthood – threatening the closure of 200 health centers across the country and putting access to vital reproductive care for millions of families at risk.

The Women’s Health Protection Act creates federal rights for patients and providers to protect abortion access. Specifically, the Women’s Health Protection Act would:

  • Prohibit states from imposing restrictions that jeopardize access to abortion earlier in pregnancy, including many of the state-level restrictions in place prior to Dobbs, such as arbitrary waiting periods, medically unnecessary mandatory ultrasounds, or requirements to provide medically inaccurate information.
  • Ensure that later in pregnancy, states cannot limit access to abortion if it would jeopardize the life or health of the mother.
  • Protect the ability to travel out of state for an abortion, which has become increasingly common in recent years.

The legislation is sponsored by the entire Democratic caucus, including Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D- DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The full text of the bill is available here.

###






 Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Fatal Repulsion" went up last night.  The following sites updated:






Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Idiot Bobby Junior, PRIDE, MIDCENTURY MODERN, OVERCOMPENSATING, GLAMOROUS

First up,  Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Fatal Repulsion


fatal repulsion


David Hogg is a cheap con artist. I love that cartoon.  

In the news?  Junior sported his stupidity yet again.  Allison Detzel (MSNBC) reports:

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was on the defense Tuesday during an appearance before a House subcommittee. While Kennedy was there to answer questions about his department’s fiscal 2026 budget request, Democratic lawmakers seized on the opportunity to grill him over three-plus hours.

Democratic Rep. Raul Ruiz of California used his time to question Kennedy about “The MAHA Report: Make Our Children Healthy Again.” The congressman asked whether Kennedy, as chair of the Make America Healthy Again Commission, had read and fact-checked the report’s sources before publication

After Kennedy conceded that he had not fact-checked the report, Ruiz pointed out that the document had several citation errors, with references to papers that do not exist.

“How does that happen under your leadership, sir?” Ruiz asked. Kennedy responded by telling the congressman that “all of the foundational assertions in that report are accurate.”

“They did not exist,” Ruiz interjected. “How can they be accurate if they did not exist, sir?”

Ruiz added: “I was a premed [student] at UCLA. … If somebody turned this in, as an undergrad, to their professor at UCLA, they would have received an ‘F,’ sir, an ‘F’ — for the misinterpretation, the falsehoods, the denials, and also citing references that don’t even exist. That’s lying and dishonest, sir.”

When it came time for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to question Kennedy, the New York Democrat asked whether he knew that the Justice Department is reportedly investigating UnitedHealth Group over allegations of Medicare fraud.

“I am not aware of that investigation,” Kennedy replied.

Ocasio-Cortez appeared to be in disbelief: “You are not aware that the Trump Department of Justice is investigating the largest insurance company in America for fraud in Medicare Advantage?”


Also in the news, January 6th insurrectionists who think they can get away with anything.  Marcia's "Lock him up" covers a traitor who thinks Chump pardoning him for January 6th means he's also cleared for his plot to build bombs targeting the FBI and to kill FBI agents.  Treason.  There should have been no pardons. 


For Pride month, let's do a lesson via LOVEBSCOTT:


Anti-LGBTQIA+ Christians often rely on a handful of Bible verses to justify their condemnation of queer people. One of the most commonly cited is Genesis 19:1–38, which tells the story of Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction. Traditionally, many interpret this as God punishing homosexuality. But a closer look shows something different. The story actually centers on an attempted gang rape of angelic visitors, not a consensual same-sex relationship. Outreach scholars agree that the passage is about sexual violence, power, and inhospitality, not LGBTQIA+ love.
Leviticus 18–20 also includes a verse that forbids a man from “lying with a man as with a woman,” and many interpret it as a blanket condemnation of homosexuality. However, scholars argue the passage likely focused on concerns about procreation, preserving tribal identity, or preventing incest. Some even suggest it aimed to protect against intrafamily sexual abuse. Notably, Leviticus never mentions female same-sex relations at all.

Another set of frequently referenced verses comes from 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Timothy 1, where Paul uses Greek terms that are notoriously difficult to translate. Many scholars argue these words refer to sexual exploitation, such as men paying for sex with young male prostitutes, rather than condemning consensual same-sex relationships. During that time, there was no such thing as same-sex marriage. That’s why some theologists believe Paul wasn’t talking about LGBTQIA+ relationships at all, but rather condemning excessive abuse and coercion.

While some folks misquote the bible regarding LGBTQIA+ people, it’s important to remember that people will make interpretations and move accordingly. That said, there will always be some contention where religion and sexuality are concerned.


So try remembering that when some bigot tries to cite THE BIBLE.  Kaiya Shunyata (STACKER) has an interesting list of LGBTQ musicians over time including blues pioneer Ma Rainey, blues legend Bessie Smith,  Lady Gaga, Queen Latifah, Lil Nas X, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Tracy Chapman, Frank Ocean, Janelle Monáe, kd lang, Janis Joplin and many others.  I'm surprised that they didn't note Melissa Etheridge or the late Laura Nyro or George Michael or Sam Smith.  There's one person they note but that person's name will never appear at my site.  That person lied and lied for years about being gay and was willing to look stunted -- I just live with my mananager and his wife because that's what people in their 30s and 40s do.  This person lies about everything.  Ava and C.I. busted this person for lying to NPR and busted NPR for airing the obvious lie.  NPR did do correction after Ava and C.I. called them out. 

 BUZZFEED has a list of LGBTQ+ shows to catch.  OVERCOMPENSATING isn't on the list and I'd note that.  It's on AMAZON PRIME.  Ava and C.I. reviewed it in "MEDIA: Happy Pride." .  One of my three brothers is visiting and, yes, he's my gay brother.  We watched OVERCOMPENSATING together on Monday -- we binged -- it was really good.  So good, in fact, that we asked Ava and C.I. if there was another one we might like?  OVERCOMPENSATING is about a college freshman athlete coming to terms with the fact that he's gay.  It's funny and has a lot of twists and turns and -- warning -- ends on a cliffhanger. 


So the other one Ava and C.I. recommended was NETFLIX's GLAMOROUS.  Kim Cattrall is a former super model who now runs her own cosmetic company.  Her son Chad is her right hand.  All he wants to do is work out -- in his office.  He's gay and is forever reminding people of that when they don't think he'll get something.  He's annoying but a stick a pin in him.  Kim's second personal assistant is the main character Marco played by Miss Benny.  Marco starts to work there and meets a non-work guy that he doesn't realize is gay until, at the gym, the guy drops his own towel and tells him before strutting off.  There's also a guy at work that is quiet and kind and nice that likes Marco.  Marco ends up breaking up with gym guy because he can't accept that Marco likes to dress in femme clothes and wear makeup.  My brother and I agreed from the first episode (I think there are 10 episodes) that the gym guy was not right for Marco.

But we disagreed about who Marco should be with. My brother thought the work guy Ben who is nice and loves Marco.

I thought Chad.

Chad is a jerk.  

Yes.

But Chad does warm to Marco and does appreciate him (he hates him until he overhears Marco lying to Chad's mom to make Chad seem more competent than he actually is). .  And when Chad has scenes with Marco's mother they really talk and you see a different side of Chad.  And you know it's a real side because Marco's mother can see through anything.  So I felt like those scenes were gearing us up to the fact that Chad and Marco could be a couple.

We'll never know because NETFLIX didn't give the show a second season.  But it's worth watching.

Third one would be MID CENTURY MODERN which stars Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham.  That's on HULU and on DISNEY+ and it's a very, very funny sitcom -- see Ava and C.I.'s "Media: The intended and the unintended jokes."

I need to write more bout Pride this month.  I love all my brothers (and my four sisters too).  And if you're not okay with my gay brother, you're not okay with me -- or with anyone in my family. If you're part of the LGBTQ+ community, I hope you're having a happy Pride and I hope you know that the bigots re not going to win.  This country is better than that.  And you are our friends and our family members and so many of us will stand with you. 


Here's C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"


Tuesday, June 24, 2025.  The senators strike back and liberate The Kennedy Center, Chump claims credit for a cease-fire but apparently his self-brag didn't reach Israel, ICE agents continue to kidnap and beat up people on the streets of America, and much more.

Last night, Rachel Maddow reported, The Kennedy Center celebrated Pride last night thanks to 
Senators Tammy Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren, Jacky Rosen, Brian Schatz and John Hickenlooper.
 



Senator John Hickenlooper's office issued the following:

Musical theater concert produced by acclaimed Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller, with music directed by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley

WASHINGTON – Tonight, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Tammy Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren, Jacky Rosen, and Brian Schatz hosted a Pride celebration and musical performance titled “Love is Love”, which was produced by acclaimed Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller, at the Kennedy Center’s Justice Forum.

In the last years of the 20th century, and the early years of this century, gay marriage went from being vilified by some to being widely accepted. “Love is Love” is a celebration of the important role that Broadway, Hollywood, and other creative enterprises played in this dramatic transformation of the America we love. 

The actors and other creative talent who created this show gave their time and creative energy to recognize and amplify this cultural transformation. The Kennedy Center, long an outpost and a beacon for equality in the arts, seemed the perfect venue. 

The performance reminds us that our fight for equality – and for democracy – isn’t over. It’s happening right now, all around us.

“In our darkest hours, we must continue to seek out the light,” said Hickenlooper. “Tonight, we honor the role that the freedom of expression and the theatrical arts play in continuing to expand LGBTQ rights in America.”

“We have made incredible progress in our fight for true equality, but we cannot mistake progress for victory and we still have some big hills to climb. Look no further than the Trump Administration’s shameful attacks on the LGBTQ community and our right to live a life with dignity, respect, and free from discrimination. While this administration won’t say it, we will: To all LGBTQ members of our community, we see you, we respect you, and we are proud to celebrate you,” said Baldwin.

“As the Trump administration keeps up its hateful attacks on LGBTQ+ Americans, we’re meeting their bigotry with resilience and joy. Tonight, we’re celebrating that joy at the Kennedy Center with artists and stage workers for a special performance. I’ll never stop fighting to make sure every single person is free to live exactly who they are,” said Warren.

“The Trump Administration’s cruel and harmful attacks against the LGBTQ community are having dire consequences,” said Rosen. “Trump is not only actively targeting LGBTQ Americans with discriminatory policies, he’s seeking to erase LGBTQ history and culture. That’s why it’s more important than ever before to stand up and proudly celebrate the LGBTQ community.”

“Every attack on LGBTQ+ rights by the Trump administration is an attack on human rights, on freedom, and on every American’s right to equal protection under the law. We have come too far to go backward. Now is the time to stand up and fight back in every way we can – in the courts, at the ballot box, in peaceful protests, and with the arts,” said Schatz.

For a full list of the cast and crew, click HERE.









 

 

 
 

 

Photos from the event can be found HERE and attributable to the Office of U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper

###


Good for the senators and for all the artists who took part.  Discrimination isn't compatible with real democracy.  DEADLINE notes that sour queen and Chump's token gay Richard Grenell had another one of hissy fits in public.  We don't have time for that mama's drama and we won't quote him.  He's a liar and we went over all of this when he was attacking Harvey Fierstein.  Love is Love and love, the arts and freedom won last night.




"Hello I'm Stupid and I Shouldn't Have A Job."  That's not the headline to Kinsey Crowley and Sudiksha Kochi latest garbage for USA TODAY but it should be.  General studies majors.  Remember that's all most journalists are -- glorified general studies majors. The dim bulbs type:


Immigration was a flashpoint going into the 2024 presidential election, and it remains President Donald Trump's strongest issue in a recent poll.

A NBC News Decision Desk Poll released June 15, conducted along with SurveyMonkey, found that 45% of Americans approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, while 55% disapprove. Those figures remain unchanged from an NBC News survey in April. (The survey was conducted among 19,410 adults nationwide between May 30 and June 10. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.)

According to the survey, 51% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of border security and immigration, while 49% disapprove, the exception to his negative overall rating.


I really hate stupid idiots who think they can address a topic but lack the training to do so.  Chump's not winning on immigration in that poll.  The results do not demonstrate that.  You have 51% approval and 49% disapproval and the typists run with that.  But that's not how the social sciences work.  Let me repeat what I've said over and over for years now -- right here, for years.  If you did not take a college research and methodology course, sit your tired ass down because you clearly don't know what you're talking about.  2.1%.  That's the margin of error.  Social sciences are not true sciences.  The polling is not just the numbers for and against, it's also the margin of error.  The true result of the poll that the two idiots are too stupid to be writing about?  It's a tie.  The results are within the margin of error.

That's not a win.  

They then want to offer proof that he's 'winning' because they're apparently some zonked out on tigers blood Charlie Sheen wanna be:


Economist/YouGov poll: (June 13-16, 1,512 U.S. adult citizens, margin of error plus or minus 3.3%). Overall approval rating: 41% approve, 54% disapprove; Immigration issue approval rating: 44% approve, 52% disapprove. That's a new low, according to this pollster.
Morning Consult: (June 13-15, 2,207 registered voters, margin of error plus or minus two percentage points). Overall approval rating: 46% approve, 52% disapprove; Immigration approval rating: 51% approve, his best rating among the issues.
Fox News Poll with Beacon Research and Shaw & Co. Research: (June 13-16, 1,003 registered voters, margin of error plus or minus three percentage points.) Overall approval rating: 46% approve, 54% disapprove; Immigration approval rating: 46% approve, 53% disapprove. The poll also asked about border security, which received higher approval at 53% compared to 46% who disapproved.


The ECONOMIST-YOU GOV Poll (and I typed that correctly -- it's a joint poll requiring a "-" between the two organizations) shows disapproval and it's beyond the margin of error.  The same is true of the FOX "NEWS" Poll.  "His best rating among the issues!" they gush of the MORNING CONSULT Poll -- you know, the one they refuse to provide the number for disapproval. 

You know what else the bad USA TODAY typist fail to provide regarding the MORNING CONSULT polling?  This finding:


Voters are souring on Trump’s immigration, national security handling: Since the beginning of June, Trump’s net approval ratings on immigration and national security have been cut in half. Voters are still 7 percentage points more likely to approve than disapprove of his handling of immigration, but that’s down from a 12-point gap, and his 6-point net approval rating on national security is down from 13 points over the same time frame.

Per MORNING CONSULT, that's the main finding of their poll but somehow USA TODAY's typists miss that. 

NJ ADVANCE MEDIA employs actual journalists which is how Lauren Sforza can report on the MORNING CONSULT poll that USA TODAY's typists so bungled:


The poll also found that Trump’s approval rating on immigration and national security has also dropped in recent days.

“Since the beginning of June, Trump’s net approval ratings on immigration and national security have been cut in half. Voters are still 7 percentage points more likely to approve than disapprove of his handling of immigration, but that’s down from a 12-point gap, and his 6-point net approval rating on national security is down from 13 points over the same time frame,” the analysis stated.



The polls show that the trend is more and more people opposing Chump's immigration 'plan.'  

Why is that?

Because of things like this.

 


And this.



As people see what's going on, they grow more and more repulsed.  Masked persons are kidnapping people off the streets.  Frequently, they push the suspected immigrant to the ground and then they -- plural ICE agents -- begin whaling on the unarmed immigrants.  

As we see the thugs of ICE beat up one person after another, take actions that law enforcement is not allowed to, the country grows more repulsed.  

Every day, this abuse happens.  Every day people are abducted.  During the abduction, they are often beaten.  In what world is this law enforcement?

It's not.

And we've noted before that by using masks and not identifying themselves, they're at risk of a good Samaritan in an open carry state witnessing this abuse and trying to rescue the person being attacked. 

We've noted Job Garcia a few times now.  Isabel Keane (INDEPENDENT) reports:


A U.S. citizen who was violently arrested in a California ICE raid and detained for 24 hours said it was all worth it if an undocumented person was able to use that moment to flee.

Job Garcia, a 37-year-old PhD student at Claremont Graduate University, was arrested during an ICE raid last Thursday at a Home Depot in Hollywood, ABC 7 reported.

Video captured an ICE agent telling Garcia, who is a U.S. citizen, “You want to go to jail? Fine, you got it.”

Garcia recalled the horrifying moment he was placed into custody by the officer: “The pressure of like, the knee on my back, and his hand on my neck, I thought like ‘Is this it for me?’”

Footage of the violent arrest, which came as ICE agents detained about 30 people at the store, quickly went viral.


Job's not going to back down.  Others aren't either.  ICE's actions are unAmerican and illegal.  At some point, that reality sinks in -- it even sinks in for ICE agents which is why I've noted that you can't buy back you soul and a lot of people working for ICE will have a future of drug abuse and/or suicide.  You can't carry out these inhuman acts be left untouched.  You know what you're doing is wrong.  You know it's destroying lives and you're not going to be able to walk away from your actions in five or ten years nor are you going to be able to live with what you've done without the aid of drugs. 





Each day, we see more and learn more and the number of people opposed to Chump's immigration abuse grows.  That is the trend.  USA TODAY typists can't or won't tell you that but that is what is happening.  

Americans are watching with outrage as a secret police -- that's what ICE has become -- terrorizes people on the streets, beats them up and kidnaps them.  That's not America and you must be a crazy USA TODAY typist if you believe this is no big deal.



Also a big deal?  Getting rid of needed service members.  Jonathan Edwards (WASHINGTON POST) reports:


U.S. Space Force Master Sgt. Sabrina Bruce didn’t know her life was about to change forever when she got into her car last month to head to the Pentagon and reenlist for another six years.

Bruce, 34, was excited to continue a career that had set her on a life-altering path. She’d enlisted in the Air Force in 2013 to escape her gender dysphoria, she said, referring to the medical term for the distress felt when one’s sex assigned at birth does not align with their gender. Instead, she found a culture that empowered her to come out as a transgender woman.
But just before Bruce began the drive to her reenlistment ceremony on May 6, she saw the news on her phone. The U.S. Supreme Court had ruled the Trump administration could execute plans to bar her and thousands of other transgender service members from the armed forces. Despite her intent to keep serving, Bruce realized her military career doing top-secret cybersecurity work would probably be measured in weeks or months — not years.

“I was in shock,” she said, adding: “I was intending to serve out my time and keep working and keep contributing to the nation.”

Bruce started transitioning in 2017, seven months after the military lifted its ban prohibiting transgender troops from serving openly. Nine years after that ban ended, the same military is now kicking them out.

Active-duty transgender service members faced a June 6 deadline to self-report their gender dysphoria, which President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said is incompatible with military service. Trump called transgender identity a “falsehood” that does not comport with the “humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Advocates for transgender service members say expelling cyber experts like Bruce and others in highly specialized fields — pilots, nuclear engineers, intelligence analysts — will harm the military as leaders try to reverse a years-long trend of recruiting shortfalls.
The Washington Post spoke with 10 transgender troops as some wrestled with the decision to self-report by the deadline, others scrambled to find new jobs and all grieved the sudden, unwanted loss of a life built around military service. Each of them repudiated the Pentagon calling their de facto firings as “voluntary” separations after requiring them to report their gender dysphoria for the express purpose of casting them out.
“This is not voluntary separation. This is separation under duress. This is coercion,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Emily Shilling, a fighter pilot and president of SPARTA Pride, a nonprofit that advocates for transgender troops. She, like the other service members interviewed, spoke in a personal capacity and not on behalf of the military.

While the Chump administration works to run off qualified service members, they recruit uqnalified idiots to fill security positions.  Joe DePaolo (MEDIAITE) reports:

Amid the threats of retribution from Iran following the U.S. military strike on three Iranian nuclear sites, critics have ramped up their scrutiny of the 22-year-old who was assigned to a major terrorism-prevention post by President Donald Trump.

In a Sunday morning post to X, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) called out Trump for appointing 22-year-old Thomas Fugate to a role at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in which he oversees the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) — a division of the agency which is tasked with terrorism prevention.
“As our nation girds for possible Iranian terrorist attacks, this is the person Trump put in charge of terrorism prevention,” Murphy wrote — referring to Fugate. “22 years old. Recent work experience: landscaping/grocery clerk. Never worked a day in counter-terrorism. But he’s a BIG Trump fan. So he got the job.”
A June 4 investigation from Pro Publica into Fugate’s background turned up a stunningly thin resume. Fugate got the job in May after William Braniff — an Army veteran with over two decades of national security experience — resigned in protest of cuts to CP3. Per his Linkedin page, Fugate said he spent several months performing “lawn care work around my neighborhood,” and also worked part time as a clerk at an H-E-B supermarket.

“Maybe he’s a wunderkind. Maybe he’s Doogie Howser and has everything at 21 years old, or whatever he is, to lead the office. But that’s not likely the case,” an counterterrorism researcher, who has worked with CP3 officials for years, told ProPublica. “It sounds like putting the intern in charge.”

In light of Iran’s threats, critics are calling out the president for giving a 22-year-old a key job which has now become even more important:




Iran retaliated for recent U.S. military strikes on Monday, June 23, launching a missile strike against a military base in Qatar.

Iran's armed forces claimed a “powerful and destructive missile strike on the United States’ Al-Udeid military base in Qatar," NBC News reported.

Al-Udeid is the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. It is the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command and is home to about 10,000 troops.

Explosions were reported near Doha, the capital city of Qatar, where the base is located and the U.S. Embassy issued a "shelter in place" warning to all citizens.




Just before the explosions, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on social media platform X: "We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer."

The US confirmed the air base was targeted by a missile attack from Iran but added that casualties were reported.

Tehran said the attack in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the US on Iran's nuclear sites over the weekend, signalling its likely desire to de-escalate.

Three Iranian officials told the New York Times they had forecast its strikes with Qatar in a bid to minimise casualties.

Donald Trump was also aware of the attack plans in advance, Western officials said.

The Ain al-Assad base housing US troops in western Iraq was also targeted, an Iraqi security source said, but Iran did not claim that attack, which could have been carried out by militias.


Masoud Pezeshkian wasn't the only one taking to social media.  Matt Atherton and Falyn Stempler (IRISH STAR) report:



President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform to deliver a rambling monologue in the wake of Iran's bombing of U.S. airbases in Qatar.

Rather than addressing the pressing international crisis, the U.S. leader chose to focus his attention on lambasting what he calls "sleazebags in the media" and "fake news."
He posted: "The sites that we hit in Iran were totally destroyed, and everyone knows it. Only the Fake News would say anything different in order to try and demean, as much as possible - And even they say they were 'pretty well destroyed!'
"Working especially hard on this falsehood is Allison Cooper of Fake News CNN, Dumb Brian L. Roberts, Chairman of 'Con'cast, Jonny Karl of ABC Fake News, and always, the Losers of, again, Concast's NBC Fake News. It never ends with the sleazebags in the Media, and that's why their Ratings are at an ALL TIME LOW - ZERO CREDIBILITY!".

Senile Chump has no idea who he is at war with.  Can we get him into a home already?  

He spent last night claiming a ceasefire was now in place and taking credit for it.  







However . . . 

Minutes ago, REUTERS reported, "Iranian and Israeli media reported new Israeli airstrikes on Iran on Tuesday, despite U.S. President Donald Trump having said Israel had called them off at his command to preserve an hours-old ceasefire.  Two explosions were heard in the capital, the judiciary news outlet Mizan reported. Israeli army radio said Israel had struck an Iranian radar site near Tehran."


Let's wind down with this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:


JCT Report on 199A (PDF) | JCT Response on Millionaires Claiming 199A (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, released new data from the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), a nonpartisan Congressional committee dedicated to analyzing tax legislation, revealing that the majority of the benefit from the 199A tax deduction goes to millionaires. 

The 199A tax deduction was created by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, with Congressional Republicans claiming it would support small business owners by allowing them to deduct up to 20 percent of their business’s qualified income from their personal income taxes. 

JCT’s responses provided a breakdown, by income level, of who claims the 199A deduction, in addition to other key information about who the deduction benefits. Key findings include:

  • More than 50% of the benefit of the 199A deduction goes to millionaires. 
  • The top 10% of taxpayers claimed 87% of the benefit of 199A, while the bottom 20% claimed no benefit whatsoever.
  • 84% of the businesses through which individuals claimed the 199A deduction had no employees.
  • More than two-thirds of the 199A deduction goes to individuals above the deduction’s phase-out thresholds, demonstrating that the law’s guardrails to prevent wealthy individuals from taking the benefit are ineffective.
  • The proportion of 199A benefits claimed by millionaires increased over time from 2018 to 2022.

The House version of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” now under consideration by the Senate, includes an expansion of the 199A deduction from a 20 percent deduction to a 23 percent deduction.

###

 Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Meeting Of The Mini-Minds" went up last night.  The following sites updated: