Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

One of our two political parties is a cult whose leader admires Vladimir Putin.

Roe is not about choice. It is about freedom.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

They are not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

’Where will you hide, Roberts, the laws all being flat?’

No one could have predicted…

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. do not touch it.”

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Disagreements are healthy; personal attacks are not.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

You are here: Home / Politics / Proud to Be A Democrat / Open Thread: Tim Walz Is A Good Leader & A Good Man

Open Thread: Tim Walz Is A Good Leader & A Good Man

by | 184 Comments

This post is in: ,

'It feels different in here': Walz returns to the Capitol after death of friend and colleague

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— Raider (@iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 5:06 PM


===

Honestly Tim is dealing with enough, he shouldn't have to endure a conversation with Trump.

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— Jeff Fecke (@jkfecke.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 8:01 AM


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Spokesperson for Gov. Walz: "Governor Walz wishes that President Trump would be a President for all Americans, but this tragedy isn't about Trump or Walz. It's about the Hortman family, the Hoffman family, and the State of Minnesota, and the Governor remains focused on helping all three heal."

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— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 2:55 PM


===

NEW: A source with direct knowledge of the matter says that Trump has been relentlessly trash-talking Minnesota Governor Tim Walz since the horrific news of the assassination of Rep. Melissa Hortman broke.
“He’s not letting up,” the source said.

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— Rolling Stone (@rollingstone.com) June 17, 2025 at 12:33 PM


===

… By Tuesday morning, it appeared the president was not just committed to giving Walz the silent treatment, but to openly spurning the governor, who ran against him and J.D. Vance as the vice presidential candidate on the 2024 Democratic ticket.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday on Air Force One, Trump stated that he had no interest in calling the former vice presidential candidate. “I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I’m not calling,” Trump said. “The guy doesn’t have a clue, he’s a mess… so, you know, I could be nice and call him, but why waste time?”

This wasn’t a one-off moment of being loose-lipped with reporters. A source with direct knowledge of the matter says that Trump has been relentlessly trash-talking the Minnesota governor behind the scenes since the horrific news broke. “He’s not letting up,” the source said.

When Trump asserted to reporters on the presidential plane that he had no interest in speaking to Walz, he justified himself by claiming that the governor had “appointed this guy to a position,” seeming to suggest that Walz himself may bear some responsibility for the tragedy. Boelter — who allegedly had a hit list of over 45 local and state lawmakers, including Walz — previously served as a political appointee on the Minnesota governor’s Workforce Development Board. The appointment did not originally take place under Walz, but under his predecessor — former Governor Mark Dayton, also a Democrat. Walz renewed Boelter’s term in the low-profile political position in 2019…

… Terrorism charges remain conspicuously absent from the federal indictment against Boelter, and Trump was not the only GOP lawmaker to downplay the assassination.

Reader Interactions

184Comments

  1. 1.

    cain

    Hrmph. Trump represents only himself and not American. Of course, this is just par for the course. The man has no scruples on anything.

  4. 4.

    H.E.Wolf

    I appreciated the title of this post:

    “Tim Walz Is A Good Leader & A Good Man”.

    Amen to that!

  6. 6.

    Suzanne

    This was posted by WeRateDogs on Facebook this morning:

    This is Gilbert. He was the family dog of the late Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. We’ve learned today that Gilbert was also killed during the targeted political assassination that took the lives of his humans. In addition to her work championing progressive legislation and expanding protections for abortion and gender-affirming care, Rep. Hortman was a volunteer with Helping Paws, Inc. The nonprofit trains and places assistance dogs with community members with physical disabilities, as well as veterans and first-responders with PTSD. The Hortman family raised Minnie, who is currently a working service dog for a veteran, and they were working on training Gilbert as well, but he decided to change careers and became their family pet instead. We extend our deepest condolences to the Hortmans’ family and friends after this unspeakable loss. 14/10 for all

    You can donate to Helping Paws in Gilbert’s memory through the link below ❤

    https://helpingpaws.org/donation-page/

  7. 7.

    bbleh

    Look, the Orange Guy is perfectly okay with rioters assaulting and murdering Capitol Police, why should anyone think he’s not okay with right-wing nut-jobs murdering Democratic politicians?  Or his supporters likewise?

    When it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck …

  8. 8.

    dc

    I’m tired of news organizations not including “Democratic” with elected officials on the assassination list.

  9. 9.

    Miss Bianca

    @hells littlest angel: At this point, I don’t recognize him as an alleged human being. He’s no better than a shambling ambulatory garbage heap. And I’m not certain that that isn’t an insult to garbage.

  10. 10.

    MattF

    The alleged assassin is an actual no-foolin’ lunatic who believes he is following God’s commands. Anyone with a single molecule of decency would stand back and not try to score political points.

  11. 11.

    WaterGirl

    FFOTUS is a sick, sick man.  I was going to write “human being” but I’m not sure he’s quite up to that standard.  Something seriously wrong with him.

  13. 13.

    Suzanne

    Terrorism charges remain conspicuously absent from the federal indictment against Boelter

    No war on terror when it’s Democrats who are terrified.

    I radiate contempt.

  14. 14.

    Jeffro

    never, EVER, stop expressing outrage at trumpov’s mindless goon-speak

    make every MAGAt you know bear the weight

    they’d love to keep looking away, because they have no morals whatsoever, so KEEP MAKING NOISE about what an utter scumbag the leader of their party is

  16. 16.

    1,000 flouncing lurkers (was fidelioscabinet)

    Two things:

    Brad Lander has been released from jail in NYC after his arrest by the ICE. All the other Democratic mayoral candidates showed up at he courthouse to demand his release—except for Cuomo.

     

    Tina Smith has demonstrated to Mike Lee that there is an exact limit to Minnesota Nice, and that being read for filth by a woman whose language would not distress a Mormon women’s group may be worse than being called a cocksucking dirtbag who’s been a sheepfucker too long to have any grasp of human decency left, let alone basic morals, good manners, or minimal personal hygiene, (with various forms of “fuck” liberally sprinkled throughout that). 

    She left him looking as if he’d be eating his meals standing up for a bit.

  19. 19.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @dc:

    I’ve not been paying close attention to the corporate media coverage but have been wondering if they’re consistently using the word “assassin” and/or “assassination”.

    As opposed to “murder”.

    My low expectations of them means I assume they’ll use “murder” because “assassination” is to…something.

  21. 21.

    mappy!

    I ran across some scuttlebutt a few days ago about how Taco’s handlers were terrified of what Taco might do at the G7, the import being that some sort of false-flag blowup was going to be thrown allowing Taco to leave in a huff without having to appear in public, something along those lines anyway…  Apparently, per those in-the-know (as it was put), Taco’s physical and cognitive state have deteriorated to the point that his handlers want to avoid any spontaneous or prolonged public exposure. I’d take Taco’s Waltz comments to be something of a benchmark…

  23. 23.

    Flanders Other Neighbor

    In a weird way I’m kind of okay with his response.  I’d much rather keep compiling evidence of his being a horrible human being rather than pretending and fooling stupid people like W. Maybe the normies will eventually figure it out.

    Besides, I can’t imagine Walz in any way even wanting to speak to him.  If he’s still throwing bile at Walz, it means he really got under his (thin) skin.  Good.

  30. 30.

    They Call Me Noni

    All you have to do is watch the Gus Walz interview posted a few days ago to know what kind of people and parents Tim and Gwen are.  DJT can’t even dream of being that kind of person, parent or leader and he is beneath contempt.  Were he not so destructive and hateful it would be easy to pity him.

  34. 34.

    WTFGhost

    There are things that can almost make me imagine punching someone in the face until I’ve done some real damage, but they’re few and far between, or, were, until Trump showed his ugly fat ass can’t even descend a flight of effing stairs.

    Thankfully, nowadays, it can only *almost* make me imagine that, and I remember the few times I almost let the animal loose, and how glad I am that I never. If you don’t rule the animal, you are the animal.

  37. 37.

    WTFGhost

    @They Call Me Noni: I wish him long life, and good health, so he can see the utter repudiation of trumpism, prison cell optional, but highly recommended… for his own protection, donchaknow.

  39. 39.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @WaterGirl:

    I woulda laid odds that *no* corporate media outlet would use that term.  So then searched:

    MN political assassination

    And boy is my gob smacked.  Of all outlets, FTFNYT had this two days ago:

    Manhunt for Suspect in Political Assassination Rattles Minnesota

    Fucking CNN put “political assassination” in quotes and the good folks at Totebagger Radio would only use the term as part of a quote from the acting state AG.

    And they’re not really alone in that omission.  Seems nobody else but FTFNYT is headlining it that way and referring to it that way frequently.  They all instead say “shooting”.

    Just imagine how these clowns as they exist now would have covered Dr King’s assassination and Bobby Kennedy’s back in the day.

  41. 41.

    cmorenc

    @1,000 flouncing lurkers (was fidelioscabinet): Mike Lee R-Utah is a paradigm example of the sorts of people who would be an even more substantial portion of the Senate, if the 17th Amendment requiring direct election of Senators was repealed.  Although Utah technically elects US Senators by popular vote, Utah has been from its founding an overwhelmingly R state,  and the R Senator nomination is decided at a state R convention, not by popular vote.  And so the Senator is effectively chosen by a small party elite without popular electoral input, just as in many states pre-17th A.

  42. 42.

    Sure Lurkalot

    This horrible creature is idolized by millions of American citizens. Today, the spokesperson for the State Department, Tammy Bruce, had this to say:

    “We live in a fascinating, exciting time where we’ve got a man who can make the difference, and he’s generous about making that difference. He could’ve chosen to have his term be about anything other than peace and making America great again … all of us are grateful.”

    It is hard to have “a country” based on the consent of the governed when such delusion abounds.

  44. 44.

    Bupalos

    Here’s the thing. Trump isn’t just a “terrible person” or “evil” or whatever mystical kind of name we like to give it. He’s a clinical narcissist. It’s entirely predictable that he is trash talking Walz. This is because he’s jealous and angry. He’s upset that Walz is getting attention, and trash talking him is a way to try and get some of the narcissistic supply these deaths can provide, just like that lucky asshole Tim Walz.

    I think Trump is actually advancing the science around narcissism here. He’s literally the most talked about and worshipped and detested…. the single least ignored person on the planet out of 8 billion. And he’s feeling ignored here.

  45. 45.

    Another Scott

    [ sigh ]

    The sanewashing of 47 continues.

    I’m sure these writers and editors know that saying “I’m not calling him” is very different from “I have no plans to call him” or “I have no interest in calling him”.

    The first is an emphatic statement that he will not do it.

    The second and third are not.

    Sanewashing him that way does a disservice to readers and the public.

    They should cut that crap out.

    Grr…

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  46. 46.

    WTFGhost

    @SuzieC: Well, his parents must bear some responsibility….

    @different-church-lady: boy, do my visitors seem puzzled now! Still, you’re right, saying it out loud was meaningful.

    @Flanders Other Neighbor: I do agree with the spirit of what you say. People need to remember that he’s not just cold hearted and mean, he’s *poison mean*, and no one likes to get too close to “poison mean” in case they get any on them, like poison ivy or oak.

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: On some level, I hear “assassin” and I think (ref: The Irishman) “housepainter” – paid killer. Of course, this murderer was paid in whatever coin his filth-ridden mind came up with, so assassin fits, but it still feels weirdly unnatural to me, and only me, but, if others have the same weird feeling, that might explain part of the problem.

    Still: our media really does need to take a stand on “words mean something, and when the right word is needed, we will use it,” like “lie” and “unlawful” and “illegal, because if violates a court order – remember, the President is sworn to obey the law, and the law is what the courts say it is, unless and until overruled!”

  49. 49.

    Josie

    @mappy!: ​
     My granddaughter is nine years old, and I can assure you she has a firm grasp on morality. She believes in kindness and fairness, among other things. Do not compare that monster to children.

  50. 50.

    Bupalos

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: I don’t know. People can have different interpretations on whether it’s salutary or not to use that term. I can see someone being like “that dignifies, sane washes, and perhaps encourages something that really is mostly just insanity colliding with culture.”

    I can see the opposite too. It just isn’t that cut and dried, and I don’t think it’s really something to divide over. We should be able to hold both interpretations in our head and understand the validity of each.

  51. 51.

    WaterGirl

    @MattF: Thank you.  I thought there was video, but maybe not.  Or maybe video of someone else reading what she had written?  Oh well.

  53. 53.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Bupalos:

    I’m not bringing this up as something for us to divide over, at least not in the way I bring up lotsa other things along those lines.  It’s just another rant against the media.

    The Merriam Webster definition of assassination:

    1: murder by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons : the act or an instance of assassinating someone (such as a prominent political leader)

    So, perhaps technically, editors might not think they need to put “political” in front of that.  Fine, I’ll give them that.  But the fact they won’t say “assassination” outside of a quotation is all too predictable.

    It’s similar to how none of them would ever say “torture”, instead going with the moronic “enhanced interrogation techniques” back in Dubya’s day.  Nothing. Has. Changed.

  54. 54.

    kindness

    Expecting any level of class or good will in Trump is a fools errand.  It would be nice if the MSM was as horrified over Trump’s breaking every ‘norm’ as they were over Joe Biden being old.  I’m fairly convinced the MSM we have is all too happy whistling by the graveyard thinking they won’t end up in some gulag in Cuba if they just play nice with Trump.

  58. 58.

    Scout211

    Law Dork with some good news:

    A federal judge in Massachusetts on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from refusing to process and issue passport applications for transgender and nonbinary people in accordance with their gender identity.

    U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick granted class certification in the lawsuit challenging Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s anti-trans and anti-nonbinary passport policy. Specifically, she certified a class of transgender people seeking “an ‘M’ or ‘F’ sex designation that is different from the sex assigned to that individual under“ the Trump administration’s anti-trans policy and a class of those people seeking “a U.S. passport with an ‘X’ designation.“

    Kobick, a Biden appointee who previously issued a preliminary injunction applying only to the named plaintiffs who sued, expanded that injunction to the whole class, ordering Rubio and others to “process and issue passports” as would have been allowed on January 19 — through self-selection.

    . . .

    Finally, Kobick ordered that her ruling goes into effect immediately.

  59. 59.

    Shakti

     

    @Bupalos: You’re probably right about the clinical narcissism. But I also think he’s gloating about the deaths and the fact Walz can’t fuck him up even if he wanted to.

    As always Trump and his ilk (Mike Lee,etc) signal their disregard for their political opponents by excluding them from even pro forma sympathy for their murders. I don’t think all of these Republicans are clinical narcissists.

    I’m sure Trump has plenty of supply. He had a big parade and just *wink* bombed Iran.

    Walz has real friends he loves and who he mourns. And he will be mourned in turn. And missed when that day comes.

    Trump, I’m sure has plenty of friends, but I’m sure none of them are the type I’d want to have. He doesn’t notice.

  60. 60.

    Another Scott

    Zoinks! I should bookmark this one – the day is coming…

    NY Times Pitchbot
    ‪@nytpitchbot.bsky.social‬

    America should deport all foreigners working in slaughterhouses and give their jobs to children. This takes advantage of a child’s natural urge to torture and kill animals.

    by Stephen Miller

    June 17, 2025 at 10:13 AM

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  61. 61.

    Bupalos

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage:But the fact they won’t say “assassination” outside of a quotation is all too predictable.

    I just think it’s worth considering that there might be reasons for doing that other than the ones you’re insisting on. Like, there’s a sense in which someone could consider “assassination” to be a word that encodes more rationality and rational purpose than they think belongs here. That it in some sense “martyrs” the perpetrator. And as far as just straight accuracy… I don’t know. This guy seems like the type that might have heard whispers in his ear about demons. I don’t really know.

    Not to say I agree with any particular interpretation, just saying I think there’s room here for all kinds of quote marks and elipses and whatnot… just because it’s an evolving thing. I don’t really know that I want to call Trump’s would-be assassin a political assassin either. I think we might want to think about the way the increasing salience of political identity is colliding with existing mental health issues.

  62. 62.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    More good legal news…

    On Tuesday evening, a federal judge granted class certification to transgender people seeking to update the gender marker on their passports. The ruling expands a prior decision—previously limited to a handful of named plaintiffs—to now cover all transgender individuals applying for a passport or seeking to renew one with an accurate gender marker. The order took effect immediately, meaning transgender people should be able to begin submitting updated applications, though appeals could stall implementation or throw applications into chaos and thus some caution may still be warranted. Still, the ruling marks one of the most significant legal victories for transgender people under Trump’s second presidency, striking at one of the administration’s most punitive policies to date.

    Via the always excellent Erin in the Morning.

    https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/federal-judge-grants-class-status?utm_source=substack&publication_id=994764&post_id=166189506&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=e1ge0&triedRedirect=true

  68. 68.

    Hoodie

    @mappy!: Go back and watch that appearance with Carney in Calgary.  Trump was launching off into a rant about immigration, Biden, etc., and Carney cut him off like someone cutting off a demented parent.   I wouldn’t be surprised if that  inflicted a giant narcissistic injury on Trump.  He’s been acting out since then with rants about “Democrat cities” and now this particular bit of psychopathy.   He is a deeply mentally ill man and very dangerous to have in the office of the presidency.  This is not just because he’s mean or angry.  He’s also extremely vulnerable to manipulation, which we’re seeing from the likes Putin, Miller, etc.

  69. 69.

    WTFGhost

    For some reason, in my browser (Duckduckgo browser), the rotating tags flash on the screen, just for an instant, and then go away. This is one of those things where I could believe it was by browser-design, but, if I don’t mention it, no one can ponder whether its the browser, or something else.

  71. 71.

    Bupalos

    @Shakti: I’m sure Trump has plenty of supply.

    OK someone needs to go do some research on narcissism. Also his wet fart of a parade and Big Things Happening Without Him like the attack on Iran are narcissistic injuries, not supply. I don’t think you could devise a better juxtaposition than Israel’s hyper competent real military operation and Trump’s sad fake military parade.

  72. 72.

    Bupalos

    @Shakti: Trump has no friends, and he would know that, except he isn’t actually capable of understanding the idea of friendship.

    I guess the way I’d probably put it is that Trump doesn’t believe that anyone has any friends in any sense that normal humans would use. He thinks all relations are fundamentally win/lose transactions.

  73. 73.

    Hoodie

    @Bupalos: Notice how he keeps saying “we” about the actions taken by the IDF.   It’s like those losers that dial into sports talk radio and talk about things “we” (the team they don’t actually play for) need to do.  I think the episode that put him into a spiral was the G7, where he got handled by Carney and then left in a huff.  It was compounded by the protest and the lameness of the parade.  He is desperate for anything to blot out all that embarrassment.

  74. 74.

    TheflipPsyd

    I think Trump’s absolutely off the hook dislike of Walz is because Walz called the whole MAGA movement weird and Trump weird. I’d really like to go yell at the  ‘democratic consultant’ who told the Harris Walz campaign to stop calling Trump weird.

  75. 75.

    Hoodie

    @TheflipPsyd: Yeah, particularly because it got to the root of the matter.  The main problem with them is that they’re fucking weird.  Other Republican administrations were assholes, but the weren’t weird like this.  Even W recognized that the Trumps are bunch of weirdos.

  76. 76.

    gene108

    Trump being an asshole doesn’t bother. All the people cheering on his cruelty bothers me. Trump is not an outlier in modern American politics. Emulating him is the aspirational goal of millions.

  77. 77.

    EarthWindFire

    he justified himself by claiming that the governor had “appointed this guy to a position,” seeming to suggest that Walz himself may bear some responsibility for the tragedy

    I don’t get this line of thought at all, even if it meant this murdering scum and Walz had an actual working relationship. I know that FFOTUS and his cult believes his staff adores him but certainly they’ve heard of other people hating their bosses.

  78. 78.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @Hoodie: Notice how he keeps saying “we” about the actions taken by the IDF.

    So do I. It wouldn’t have been possible without us.

    We fund Israel’s military with our tax dollars. We have nurtured a bipartisan consensus where Israel’s actions can’t be challenged.  We decided that we have a right to rule other nations over and beyond what we’re allowed to do governing our own.

    Yes, “we” did that.

  80. 80.

    Hoodie

    @EarthWindFire: He was on some minor advisory panel, probably appointed after he was nominated by someone else.  Happens all the time in government, i.e., the governor doesn’t know every little advisory board member or minor functionary.   I would bet Walz didn’t know him from Adam.

  81. 81.

    Another Scott

    @WTFGhost: The same thing happens with Chrome (on Winders, and Chromium on Linux) and Brave (Android).  It’s been happening for a while.  They still show up on Firefox for me.

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  82. 82.

    Sister Golden Bear

    In today’s They Want to Eradicate Trans People news….

    You may have heard for the new VA guidelines that allows their healthcare professionals to deny care to Democrats because of political affiliation and martial status. But it also allows them to refuse to treat trans vets. You know the people who served to protect your right to hate them.

    Meanwhile a new report shows Fox News aired 424 weekday segments mentioning trans athletes over just four months. Nationwide there’s fewer than ten trans college athletes and five K-12 players in the entire country. That’s more than 28 segments per school athlete.

  84. 84.

    Sister Golden Bear

    However, the good news is that a judge blocks anti-trans order on passport markers that forced trans people to list the sex they were assigned at birth.

    The judge just extended the scope of an April injunction that initially only affected six individuals to a nationwide order covering all trans people.

    As with other state efforts to mandate birth sex on IDs—I now could be arrested in Texas because my CA ID lists my true gender—the intent isn’t just to humiliate trans people, but to also to out them and put them at risk of legalized discrimination and physical danger.

    In grim times, celebrate the wins.

  86. 86.

    Jackie

    @Hoodie:

    I think the episode that put him into a spiral was the G7, where he got handled by Carney and then left in a huff.

    That was a beeuteeful moment! FFOTUS was transitioning from prepared remarks to a rally, starting to vent about the 2020 election being stolen… Carney cut him off abruptly and decisively LOL! You’d think Carney was anticipating it ;-)

    Carney has been added to FFOTUS’s enemies list – if he wasn’t on there already.

  87. 87.

    Raoul Paste

    All Trump ever does is insult people.  If he ever compliments anyone, it’s actually about taking indirect credit.

    It’s hard to relax these days.

  88. 88.

    EarthWindFire

    @Hoodie: Oh yeah. I bet Walz literally never met the guy. My point was, even if Walz worked with him personally everyday, he could still be on a hit list. Hating your boss is practically a national pastime.

  89. 89.

    Jay

    @Hoodie:

    and just like he chased “importance” by Ministry in the DRC, trying to convert Muslims, until either the money dried up or he was chased out.

    he chased importance with a totally fake resume on linked in when he was a 7/11 store manager.

    he chased every opportunity to seem important and connected, such as the minor Committee of almost 50 people.

  90. 90.

    RSA

    @hells littlest angel:  All the worst creatures on this planet are human beings.

    Right. It’s a good cautionary measure to remember that we’re all made up of the same stuff, even the worst among us.

    I’m reminded of Ripley’s philosophical take on non-humans: “You don’t see them fucking each other over for a goddamn percentage.”

  92. 92.

    Soprano2

    @Baud: Yes, his cult members love that he’s like that. They want to be that way too, and he gives them permission to do it.

  93. 93.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @Baud: Trump was elected to be a monster.

    I’m pretty sure that confirmed monster status is a Constitutional requirement for all federal elected offices.

  95. 95.

    Jackie

    For you Floridian jackals:

    Federal judge holds AG James Uthmeier in contempt of court: Florida Phoenix

    For the first time in recent history, a federal judge on Tuesday found Florida’s attorney general in contempt of court for referring to the court’s order blocking a new state immigration law as illegitimate and unlawful.

    While U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams’ ruling is extraordinary, she spared James Uthmeier from paying hefty fines or spending time in jail. Instead, Williams ordered the state’s chief legal officer to submit biweekly reports to ensure police don’t arrest anyone under an immigration law she blocked in April.

    Quoting Humpty Dumpty in her order, Williams chastised Uthmeier.

    “Litigants cannot change the plain meaning of words as it suits them, especially when conveying a court’s clear and unambiguous order,” she wrote. “Fidelity to the rule of law can have no other meaning.”

    The order followed a May 29 hearing, where Williams repeatedly locked horns with Jesse Panuccio, the prominent lawyer defending Uthmeier, during arguments about whether to hold him in contempt.

    At issue in the contempt decision was a letter Uthmeier sent to law enforcement agencies, sheriffs, and police chiefs on April 23, stating that he couldn’t stop them from making arrests under SB 4C, a law making it a first-degree misdemeanor for a person to enter the state as an “unauthorized alien.”

    “If being held in contempt is what it costs to defend the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump’s agenda on illegal immigration, so be it,” Uthmeier wrote on X.

    Much more information at the above link :-D

  96. 96.

    Glory b

    @TheflipPsyd: I think the story of the political consultant might be apocryphal.

    I understand that Walz said it didn’t happen & that he called them weird after the time it was said that he was given that advice.

    I think it’s just a matter of moving on to other topics, not a directive.

    But I can see not wanting a “Here he goes again” reaction to the word.

  97. 97.

    They Call Me Noni

    @Bupalos: Well the demons were whispering about democrats. He was, from what we know, hunting democrats. I don’t care how fine a point you put on it that’s political assassination. Of course he’s not right in the head because no sane person would do this.

  98. 98.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @Baud: Trump isn’t even the most monstrous Republican. And being a monster is a clear advantage in either party’s primary.

  100. 100.

    Hoodie

    @Jackie: Oh, Trump despises Carney alright, because Carney represents everything Trump wishes he was but at least subconsciously knows he isn’t – smart, accomplished, respected.  It’s funny that two Canadian PMs can so get under Trump’s skin.

  104. 104.

    Jeffro

    @TheflipPsyd:I’d really like to go yell at the  ‘democratic consultant’ who told the Harris Walz campaign to stop calling Trump weird.

    I understand the temptation, but let’s use our powers for good, ie, hammering MAGAts

    We both/all know Walz was right  ;)

  105. 105.

    mrmoshpotato

    Three cheers – no, three billion cheers – to the person who is the first to punch Dump’s fat, orange, Kremlin-ass-sucking, fascist, manbaby corpse in the face!

  106. 106.

    WaterGirl

    @Hoodie: As I recall, the guy was originally appointed by a Republican and Walz just renewed or re-upped the guy when his original term was up.

    You know, being bipartisan.

  107. 107.

    Jeffro

    @Raoul Paste:All Trump ever does is insult people.

    It’s funny…in a FB post about trumpov insulting Walz by not calling after the horrific MN shootings, I noted as an aside that “if trump’s name-calling and open corruption ended tomorrow, he might well cease to exist, leaving behind only a pocketful of rubles”

    I mean…what else is there?

  108. 108.

    Shakti

    @Bupalos: If you mean there’s never enough supply for a narcissist from the narcissist’s pov, sure.   You must really think he was caught by surprise and he was left fumbling to claim he knew all along and gave the green light — not that Rubio pretended not to know and said Israel acted on its own.  He’s really doing a lot to make it seem like he’s running the war — demanding an unconditional surrender, claiming he’s holding off on killing Khamanei for now but knows where he is and Huckabee thinks Iran should be nuked.

    Supposedly the best way to deal with a narcissist is to leave. Or grey rock forever. But this asshole is President of the United States.

    What would be the equivalent of irreversibly crushing his ego into aerosol powder? Like in an objectively bad, no power, no money, no wealth, no dignity kind of way. To me, everything which has happened to him is an ego boo boo — because he has no shame.

  109. 109.

    WaterGirl

    @Jackie: Why not let Trump show himself as he really is in public?  Cutting him off almost seems like sane washing to me.

  111. 111.

    MagdaInBlack

    @WaterGirl: Probably because they have real business to discuss and didn’t want the meeting turned into “the trump show.”

    Just a guess

  112. 112.

    Jackie

    The leopards are striking again!

    Executives in charge of rural hospitals are horrified by the newest changes in the Senate version of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” on tax cuts, Politico reported on Tuesday.

    The House version of the bill already slashed $600 billion from Medicaid, a move that could cause millions of lower-income Americans to lose coverage. But the Senate goes even further, restricting how much states can charge in federally-matched provider taxes.

    “Hospital executives weren’t happy last month when the House included a provision in its version of the bill freezing a loophole states have used to boost payments to hospitals serving the low-income patients enrolled in Medicaid. Hospitals have long enjoyed deference from lawmakers — since they both care for and employ their constituents,” said the report. “But they were infuriated when Senate Republicans on the Finance Committee released their version of the bill on Monday. Their proposal went even further than the House measure in curtailing the ability of states to impose taxes on providers. States have used those taxes to gain a larger federal Medicaid contribution, which they have then directed back to hospitals with higher reimbursements.”

    The Senate version of the bill, which lowers the cap on provider taxes from 6 percent to 3.5 percent, has executives fuming, particularly as many areas that stand to lose the most money from the change are rural areas in Republican-controlled states.

    A source close to hospital lobbyists said, “No senator wants to be the reason their local hospital shutters its doors, and now is their opportunity to stop that from happening.”

  113. 113.

    No One of Consequence

    @mappy!: I have known 9 year olds, including family members and community members who have SIGNIFICANTLY greater capacity for morality and a stronger moral compass than our commander in chief. I have known PRESCHOOLERS with more reliably sound judgement. OK, maybe not 4 year olds, but I would have trusted mine. Definitely not most kindergartners I have known. Sheesh. Nine-Years-Old-Libel !!! (I kid. Mwuahahahaha, punny.)
    -NOoC

  114. 114.

    Jeffro

    @Baud:

    @The Audacity of Krope:

    more and more, I’m coming around to the view (and it’s not my original thought…I think Ta-Nehisi Coates might have put it out there first) that trumpov was exactly what the white nationalists want and need because he’s such an obvious example of how they view the *worst* white man as light-years better than the *best* black man.

    that, and trumpov’s own obvious and eager willingness to inflict misery on non-white Americans (or non-whites in general)

    it’s almost like they said, “hey, we just need a really shitty old white guy back in charge” and someone spoke up from the back of the room and said, “hey, how about THE shittiest?  and we won’t even have to encourage him, much?”

  117. 117.

    zhena gogolia

    If Walz had called Trump weird every day of the week until November, Trump still would have won.

  120. 120.

    Jackie

    @WaterGirl: I think there was a time restriction, so that ALL the G7 members would get equal speaking time in front of the cameras. I imagine the summit was tightly choreographed, time wise.

  122. 122.

    Other MJS

    @Bupalos:

    He’s upset that Walz is getting attention

    Seconded. He’s not even responding to anything Walz said or did.

  123. 123.

    Jay

    WIRED

    ‪@wired.com‬

    Follow
    SCOOP: The “Appeal To Heaven” flag, a popular symbol for Christian nationalists that was waved by January 6 rioters, was raised over the Small Business Administration headquarters last week.

    Far-Right ‘Appeal to Heaven’ Flag Seen at Jan. 6 Riot Flown Above Government Agency in DC
    The “Appeal To Heaven” flag, a popular symbol for Christian nationalists that was waved by January 6 rioters, was raised over the Small Business Administration headquarters last week.
    http://www.wired.com
    June 17, 2025 at 4:05 PM

    Everybody can reply
    1.8K reposts
    448 quotes
    3.2K likes

    https://bsky.app/profile/wired.com/post/3lrtm7prbcc2d

  126. 126.

    Jay

    Molly Crane-Newman
    ‪@mollycranenewman.bsky.social‬

    Follow
    Lander tells supporters gathered in Foley Square that the ICE agents who detained him today are among the 40% of 8+ million NYers who are foreign-born

    “One of whom is a Pakistani Muslim who lives in Brighton Beach — and the other, an Indo-Guyanese guy in South Ozone Park”

    0:35

    0:24 / 0:59

    June 17, 2025 at 2:14 PM
    291 reposts
    75 quotes
    1.2K likes

    26

    366

    https://bsky.app/profile/mollycranenewman.bsky.social/post/3lrtg2jdnd22y

  127. 127.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @They Call Me Noni: Both parties, with very few outliers in either, have been funding genocide for decades.

    Israel starting a war with Iran really tipped me over the edge on this. The bipartisan consensus on hiring Israel to be the enforcer of our government’s colonialist and Islamophobic aims so our politicians can keep their hands appearing clean is a national shame.

    I realized today, I regret voting for Harris because of Israel. I was so enthusiastic for her last November. But she was part of that bipartisan consensus. Given the opportunity, she showed she wouldn’t be even-handed in the I/P conflict, not even in a performative way.

    The abstainers were right. I decided that today. I’m not supporting anyone for federal office who votes to or agrees conceptually with funding war criminals of any nation. In all likelihood, that’s going to mean leaving the line blank on all future ballots for all federal offices.

  129. 129.

    RevRick

    @Miss Bianca: @WaterGirl:

    The Calvinist in me is compelled to affirm that Trump is all too human… in all the worst ways possible. You are absolutely correct WaterGirl in asserting that he is a sick, sick man. Ultimately, his malignant narcissism means there’s a void in him that can never be filled. He is being eaten away from within. But as much as I would love to exclude him from the category of human, I cannot.
    Don’t get me wrong, he repulses me at a deep level and he is dangerous. But I must acknowledge my own brokenness.

    As Goethe is alleged to have said, “There is no crime of which I do not deem myself capable.”

    But he also said, “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”

  131. 131.

    frosty

    @The Audacity of Krope: ​The abstainers were right. I decided that today. I’m not supporting anyone for federal office who votes to or agrees conceptually with funding war criminals of any nation. In all likelihood, that’s going to mean leaving the line blank on all future ballots for all federal offices.

    Enjoy your purity, dude. People with that attitude are why we’re in this situation. I appreciate your vote for Harris, though, even if you don’t.
    The lesser of two evils is still less evil. That may be the only choice we get.​

  132. 132.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @Baud: I don’t assume anything that would have happened. But she’s been solidly on team outsource genocide her entire career.

    It’s hard to get nominated as a Democrat if you’re not.

  133. 133.

    Hoodie

    @WaterGirl: Nah, everyone already knows how he is.  What people have to learn is (1) he can be handled and (2) how to handle him, not treat him like he’s Zeus.   Narcissists are difficult to deal with but it’s not impossible.  Carney showed some textbook techniques, including maintaining boundaries by short-circuiting Trump’s rambling on with conspiracy theories about 2020 but avoiding direct confrontation by saying they needed to keep on schedule.  You can bet foreign intelligence services have studied Trump’s psychology in detail and have briefed leaders on how to deal with him.  Macron does a lot of the same stuff.

  134. 134.

    dc

    As far as I’m concerned, all Senate Republicans and their staff are assassins now. Democrats are not human beings to them, they want to exterminate us, it’s clear that assassinating Dems is a joke to them, at the very least. Every single one of them is guilty.

  135. 135.

    Jeffro

    @Baud: thanks, sincerely

    I’m going to make that the focus of my posting/sharing tomorrow

    it’s just true folks, we are (far) better people than MAGA: better values and we actually live them, with the kids being the best example of that.

  138. 138.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @Baud: Right, but I’m not assuming any particular way of events panning out, I’m assuming Harris would continue supporting policies she had been supporting for years and clearly expressed continued support for during her Presidential campaign.

    In other words, no counterfactuals necessary.  I’ll stand by a generalized assumption that an individual will continue behaving the way they have in the past as pretty well-founded.

  139. 139.

    Sally

    @Jeffro: I think that trump doesn’t manipulate his base, so much as his base (English for Al Qaeda) manipulates him. Let me explain that thought. trump is a stand up. He throws lines out there, and waits to see how they land. If they take, he uses them, if not he discards them. Remember what he originally said about the “build the wall” mantra. He thought it was a bit silly. But he noted that his “audience” loved it.  So, we have ten years of “btw “. He uses his rallies as try outs for new material. He has no beliefs, or thoughts, or philosophy, just material. He is just an entertainer. A game show host.

    So I am agreeing with you. He reflects his base. He doesn’t lead. He has no original thoughts.

  140. 140.

    Jackie

    @Baud:

    It doesn’t matter. People are free to do what they want.

    If trump gets his way, that will no longer be true. Only certain people will be free to do what they want.

  141. 141.

    Baud

    @The Audacity of Krope:

    If your assuming that she would not have forever cut off Isreal, that’s probably a safe assumption. If you’re assuming she wouldn’t have used her influence as president to bring an end to the Gaza War, and to help rebuild, I think that’s more speculative, and goes against what she actually campaigned on.

    It’s all water under the bridge now anyway. We can only make decisions about the future.

  143. 143.

    Jeffro

    OT but if anyone is watching the VA Lt Gov and AG primary results come in…it’s going to be a nail-biter (and frankly worth a recount)

    I think one candidate is up by less than 100 votes with 92% of the vote in?  Madness!!

  145. 145.

    RevRick

    Way off topic, but less than 1,200 votes separate the top three vote-getters in the Democratic primary for Virginia alt. Governor

  146. 146.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Professor Bigfoot:

    The greatest threat to America is coming from white men like Boelter.  White men with badges.  White men who mask their faces during immigration raids.  White men with Bibles and ballots.  From voters who cheered for blood.  From feckless lawmakers who wink at militias.  From extremists who stalk doctors and bomb clinics.  From a president who calls for violence and pardons insurrectionists.

    Boelter was not a lone wolf.

    He acted on instruction.  From Trump.  From Stephen Miller.  InfoWars and Fox News.  From the algorithmic rage machines of social media platforms run by technofascists who monetize racial hatred.  From the entire MAGA ecosystem that grooms white men into martyrs for a cause soaked in grievance, God, and guns.

    And instead of connecting the dots, our media is hiding the thread. The silence around this violence isn’t accidental; it’s engineered, it’s complicity.  It isn’t balance, it’s surrender.

    Excellent article, thanks for the link

  151. 151.

    mali muso

    @Jeffro: wonder if my little old vote is helping to tip the balance one way or the other. Curious to see the results!

  152. 152.

    schrodingers_cat

    My Twitter mutual, a Hindi author had this to say about Trump

    अमरीका ने अपने इतिहास का सबसे मूर्ख और सबसे बेबस राष्ट्रपति चुना है। क़ीमत सारी दुनिया चुकाएगी।

    Google Translates it to:

    America has elected the most foolish and most helpless president in its history.

    The whole world will pay the price.

  154. 154.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @Baud: Yeah, well, there are countless preferences I’ve subsumed for my entire adult life to vote a straight D ticket for team reality-based community.

    There are now a few things on the international stage that I can’t ignore any more and have to draw bright red lines around and, frankly, should have had them from the start. I know solid majorities of D primary voters are on the other side of that line.

    So the only certain thing I can say about the future is I will not continue to support Democrats for any federal office if they continue as they have.

    ETA: And more rigorous scrutiny for local offices.

  155. 155.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: I was about to ask why that was good news, but I clicked and saw that before all he had was a public defender?  Good god!

  156. 156.

    Lyrebird

    @Baud: Thank you!!! I was hoping some of the top-flight lawyer peeps would step up, and I am so glad they have.

  158. 158.

    Jeffro

    @mali muso: it sure did, one way or another!

    My vote in the GOP primary (VA allows you to select whichever party’s ballot you want) was part of what toppled Bob (No)Good from his supposedly safe seat here in VA-05

    (he was replaced by the equally horrible McGuire, but at least Good got ousted and McGuire is barely an incumbent)

    Let’s see how it shakes out!

    I honestly thought it might be the other way around…Rouse for Lt Gov and Taylor for AG…but the AP just called the AG race for Jones and Hashmi is still in the lead for Lt Gov!

  159. 159.

    Sally

    @RevRick: Yes he is human. And he hates it. I think he can’t stand being a human animal, with bodily functions. It disgusts him.

  160. 160.

    WaterGirl

    @Jeffro: I know nothing about any of the Lt Gov candidates except that I believe Pete Buttigieg endorsed Hashmi, so that’s who I want to win.

    I like that Pete is staying so engaged in things.

  161. 161.

    Jay

    Katie Mack
    ‪@astrokatie.com‬

    Follow
    I still can’t get past the idea that people in America are now supposed to accept that this is a valid form of law enforcement and just assume it’s fine when random dudes in groups with face-coverings, no ID, no warrant, & no uniform grab people off the street and force them into unmarked vehicles

    ‪Jeff Lazarus‬
    ‪@jlazarus.bsky.social‬
    · 7h
    Not an original point but worth saying again – there is not a single element in this picture that identifies any of these folks as law enforcement agents. No badges, no uniforms, no vests. Out of context it just looks like a bunch of random guys are kidnapping a mayoral candidate.

    https://bsky.app/profile/astrokatie.com/post/3lrt6i6etc22j

  163. 163.

    Eyeroller

    @Jay: DRC is mostly Christian, mainly Catholic and mainstream Protestants.  Muslims are a small minority (2%).  So the nut job was trying to convert what we might consider “normal” Christians to insane Christians, not so much Muslims to Christianity, which IMHO is actually worse since more likely to succeed.

  166. 166.

    Archon

    I think we will defeat Trumpism after alot of blood, sweat, and tears but the more profound question is how do we move forward as a country knowing that basically half the voters supported this level of malice from the President of the United States?

  167. 167.

    Jay

    ‪Aaron Reichlin-Melnick‬
    ‪@reichlinmelnick.bsky.social‬
    · 40m
    SIXTY federal agents kitted out like they were taking on Osama Bin Laden to raid a swap meet.

    The ONLY people they ended up arresting were to people already going through immigration court proceedings, seemingly rearrested because ICE agents didn’t want to go home empty-handed.
    “ICE administratively arrested two individuals.
    Both entered the United States near Yuma, Arizona in March 2022. They were placed into removal proceedings and released from custody in 2023. They will now remain in custody pending the completion of removal proceedings,” the spokesperson added.
    ALT

    ‪Amanda Carpenter‬
    ‪@amandacarpenter.bsky.social‬
    · 7h
    Helicopters.

    Armed troops wearing masks.

    All for a freaking military-grade raid at a flea market that appears to have resulted in two measly arrests.

    DHS and ICE are out of control.

    ktla.com/news/local-n…

    Dozens of heavily armed ICE agents swarm popular L.A. County swap meet
    With a Department of Homeland Security helicopter circling, several dozens of heavily armed, masked ICE agents dressed in military tactical gear raided one of the most popular swaps meets in Southe…
    ktla.com

    23

    226

    ‪Aaron Reichlin-Melnick‬
    ‪@reichlinmelnick.bsky.social‬
    · 24m
    We don’t know on what terms these two people were previously released; but ICE’s regulatory authority to “revoke release” is extremely strong and requires almost no process.

    Post-re-detention there can be a new bond hearing, though.
    When an alien who, having been arrested and taken into custody,

    has been released, such release may be revoked at any time in the discretion of the district director, acting district director, deputy district director, assistant district director for investigations, assistant district director for detention and deportation, or officer in charge (except foreign), in which event the alien may be taken into physical custody and detained. If detained, unless a breach has occurred, any outstanding bond shall be revoked and canceled.
    ALT

    Sign-in Required

    Labeled by the author. Learn more.

    2

    6

    https://bsky.app/profile/reichlinmelnick.bsky.social/post/3lrtui6bqjs22

  169. 169.

    Jay

    @Eyeroller:

    A guy did a deep dive into the nutjob. Apparently he found a like minded nutjob who sponsored his “mission” to the DRC to convert Muslims. By some accounts, he left the DRC when the money ran out, other similar accounts say his funding was cut off, other accounts say he was kicked out by the DRC for stirring up shit with a minority.

  170. 170.

    They Call Me Noni

    @The Audacity of Krope: Of course I respect the decision you make for your vote.  The view from my little corner of the world is much different and I do not regret my vote for Kamala Harris in the least.  For one, she would have surrounded herself with intelligent and qualified people to advise her and we don’t know how, or if, that may have changed anything in the Israel Palestine conflict.  Men have been fighting over that land for my whole life and will be after I’m gone.  I had a choice between a decent, intelligent and qualified woman and a grifting, cruel and demented felon.  I don’t vote based soley on foreign policy.  I vote based on the character of the nominee and assume that they will make good decisions.

    Sitting on the sidelines and abdicating my duty as a citizen is not an option for me.  Women before me protested, fought and struggled for my right to vote and I don’t ever intend to disrespect their efforts.

  171. 171.

    Tazj

    Jeff Stein @spytalk

    Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson told Anderson Cooper tonight that Laura Loomer is calling shots on bombing Iran.

    Laura Loomer- “An air strike on a nuclear facility is not a full scale war.Why is this so hard for people to understand?”

    I’m certain that if Kamala Harris were president Laura Loomer wouldn’t be calling anything shots in the White House so I’m good with my vote.

  173. 173.

    Jackie

    @WaterGirl:

    Someone should send FFOTUS the “everybody poops” book! :-)

    Alas, FFOTUS doesn’t read books. Well, maybe if it was set next to his faux gold commode.

  174. 174.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @They Call Me Noni: With respect, I think blindly following a consensus that ranges from afraid to challenge atrocities to enthusiastic for them is abdicating my duty as a citizen.

    This isn’t just I/P. This is about the enforcement first position toward immigration. Iraq. Trade policy that provides for cheap goods with workers young and older working a worse pittance than we get. Joe Biden’s age. Yes, that was an atrocity against voters who showed up in the primary.

  179. 179.

    Captain C

    @frosty: If you vote for the lesser evil you get less evil.  Sometimes that’s the difference between a salvageable situation and one that’s permanently fucked.

  180. 180.

    1,000 flouncing lurkers (was fidelioscabinet)

    @WaterGirl: I haven’t seen any video, just still shots of her with him trapped in her gaze like a mouse by a cobra.
    what I have seen is on BlueSky; I’ll go poke around when I have a chance.

  181. 181.

    Jean

    @Geminid: Yeah.  Pete endorsed Stoney who’s a former mayor.  That may be the connection.  I voted for Ghazala.  She’s wonderful.  She has come to a few meetings of the LWCC (liberal women of Chesterfield County) and spent much time answering questions.  When I’ve talked with her, she tells people I hired her.  I did–as a temporary faculty member of the English department.  Best hire I ever made!  She has been an excellent teacher in more than one college. She has good legislative experience and has had good outside support.  A genuinely kind person too.

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