Feathering his own nest, Trump trades on his position in crypto, updated 5/7/2025

It seems like a century ago, but it has been only a handful of years. Do you remember the years the GOP tried to find evidence and proof of the Biden crime family and other than a weapons charge, found nothing that connected Hunter's questionable dealings in Ukraine with making his father rich? How about what the Trump "crime family" is up to in plain sight? And no one on the MAGA aisle cares and both Trump and his kids are feeding at the trough of conflicts of interest and trading on the position of dad in the Oval  Office.  Where's the outrage now?  Is it Nixon's arrogant boast: if the president does it, it isn't a crime? The  Trump administration is clearing the way for corruption. Buying access through buying Trump's coin gets you a dinner or a night in the Lincoln bedroom. There is probably nothing more corrupt than this that even those who do not grasp crypto details can understand.. Trump offers private dinner to the top investors in his meme coin | CNN Politics  Access to the president from foreign and domestic "investors" is sold to the highest bidder and the proceeds go into the president's pocket.  Meme coins are a form of crypto.

Updated 5/7/2025 and revised and moved to a separate posting. https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/crypto-trump-and-his-family-investments.html

Continue with original post.

 April 8, 2025, the Trump administration's controlled Department of Justice closed down its crypto section.  As Trump now raises money for himself, the use of crypto technology like meme coins and cryptocurrency is now freed from federal law enforcement. Hear no evil, see no evil, so did no evil? scrutiny. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-justice-dept-disbands-cryptocurrency-enforcement-unit-2025-04-08/  The Trump family is also heavily invested in cryptocurrency and their Stablecoin venture which also can convert cryptocurrency into US dollars.  

And now the Trump kids are taking crypto to the most corrupt and greedy level yet,. " A deal for a state-backed Emirati firm to use a Trump-affiliated digital coin was announced in a panel that included the president’s son and his business partner, who promised, "This is only the beginning.' ” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/us/politics/trump-cryptocurrency-usd1-dubai-conference-announcement.html?unlocked_article_code=1.D08.4Tst.3jIYRxMCYbaI&smid=url-share

Since Trump now controls the entire executive branch, has already gained control over official federal scrutiny of his crypto dealings and or foreign influence.  Left to expose will be by what is left of the free press with enough guts and resources to take it on. An outcry from voters objecting to this on the basis of conflict of interest or any violation of a law will depend upon the lay public becoming very knowledgeable about  how a crypto system that can hide wrongdoing, even if they do not understand the nitty gritty speculative nature of crypto itself.  

One job that the press, the resistance, and elected Democratic officials can do is to educate the public about why and how the Trump family benefits from trading on the Oval Office occupation. Education about what crypto is itself is as complicated as the system itself. However, the fact that the Trump family profits from fees in owning and promoting their cryptocurrency and direct sales of meme coins lines the pockets of Trump himself is not a concept hard to understand.  Also, it is easy to hide who contributes, including foreigners and very difficult to trace. Hint: Access to these private, nonofficial currencies is encrypted, and investors and traders are identified by addresses, not by name. It will also depend if enough of the public cares a whit. A congress launching an investigation or impeachment will depend on the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections, which will give Democrats control and the ability to do it. 

 Senate Democrats are targeting pending legislation to spotlight Trump and family crypto dealings and to propose reforms that would ban elected Washington decision makers from investing in crypto. https://www.axios.com/2025/05/06/trump-coin-democrats-crypto-stablecoin   Other Democrats in Congress are calling for hearings.  The term being connected to the Trump family and Trump himself crypto business acts is "ethic violations", not criminal acts. Of course, the President himself is immune to criminal prosecution due to the rulings of the Supreme Court. However, he is not immune to impeachment, though that would take a cataclysmic change in who gets elected to Congress in 2016. 

For more: go to  https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2025/03/how-trump-administration-is-clearing.html    How the Trump administration has cleared the way for corruption

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2025/04/trumps-corruption-grist-for-impeachment.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/us/politics/trump-crypto-world-liberty-financial.html

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: When it comes to corruption, Trump is now the fox in the henhouse

Some ideas to fix the Democratic Party's sink in the polls. Messaging again.

Recent polls show that Trump's policies take a dive, but the Democratic Party takes one, too. That has got to be fixed. A damning finding in recent polls that show Trump is underwater in public policy issues, but the trust in Congressional Democrats is even worse. Americans Still Trust Donald Trump Over Democrats  Democrats have been floundering around with messages that are almost all anti-Trump. Still, they have not been able to offer a vision of what they can offer that is a positive alternative to MAGA. Here are some thoughts for some rephrasing. They are the flip side of Trump's negatives expressed in positives and based on values as umbrellas over issues   Resistance is still the strongest message, but that is helped by Trump's own failures on the economy and creating chaos amid incompetence, for which he is taking the blame. It has little to do with anything the Democratic party made happen, but was of Trump's own doing..  Will Democrats come out with something meaningful for the future, too, that is different from just warming up stale toast phrases of the past ? 

Messages on "cultural issue" emphasize fairness 

Fear of revenge using government tools or access to the President as favors will not be tolerated. 

 Strengthen  and protect our Constitutional democracy and the rule of law 

 Acting humanely is  a value we support 

Strengthen the middle class and  working people's standard of living .  

Reform government functions to provide better customer services and staffed with non-partisan personnel who are chosen by ability and merit

 Restore the US  leadership in the world so we can influence what is good for our own national interests 

For the case for each, continue:

Waiting for a Trump-like demagogue to arise on the Democrats' side has just not happened.  Once in a while, lightning strikes Democrats with an Obama able to deliver soaring oratory and a media presence.  Instead, Democrats will have to rely on messaging delivered clearly and in simple words with an appeal that is as broad as their historical values permit. There will be lots of voices, but even then, there needs to be common themes for the greatest impact, and still, there is no one coordinating this, not even in Congress, or in the Democratic National Committee. 

While it is easy to be the party of resistance to Trump's arrogant power grabs and insensitivity to economic populist concerns, polls also show Trump is losing independents, even chunks of blue-collar, non-college-educated voters, which is likely due to Bernie Sanders and AOC's anti-oligarch tour.   Hispanics who boosted him into his second term are also fleeing MAGA. Democrats need to get real. 2024 was a rejection of the party's policy priorities on the economy and "cultural issues," and that hangover is still there.   What is missing are themes that indicate what the Democrats would do in the future besides being resistant to Trump's unpopular policies. 

Resistance is still the strongest message, but that is helped by Trump's own failures on the economy and creating chaos amid incompetence, for which he is taking the blame. It has little to do with the Democratic Party's strategy.  Repeating past themes was not a winner for Democrats either.  

 Democrats also must consider the possibility that Trump, faced with bad polls and crashing Wall Street, and an alarmed GOP about the 2026 midterms, could cause him to reverse course on key issues. He certainly has demonstrated flexibility, so much so that he has created instability by nearly daily changing positions. There are vulnerabilities like corruption and self-dealing that could also become enduring resistance themes, and the damage he has done to the economy could linger despite any policy adjustments that last all the way to midterms.  Corruption has yet to be made into a big issue, but it is ripe to make it a big deal already. MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Trump's grift: grist for the impeachment mill?

The peaceful street demonstrations, led by non-partisan outsiders, like 50501 and Indivisible, contain many clues about resistance themes that are umbrellas for various Trump initiatives that fuel public anger. "Hands off 'social security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and our Constitutional democracy has caught on. That theme has legs that last longer than just months because it encompasses so many victims or potential victims regardless of party, race, or religion..  

So, what are the positives that Democrats can offer going forward? Maybe even those too cowardly to take Trump directly on, could at least support positive, constructive statements. Here are some ideas to consider. These fortify values all Democrats support, and getting a consensus on the umbrella positions should not be that hard.They still can't help but reflect the resistance themes, but they can be rephrased in the positive: They also can rephrase popular historical themes wth broad appeal while contrasting their values with MAGA's. The problem is keeping the Democratic party's shopping list from getting tied up in details. Still, it is better if they stick to themes that are broad umbrellas that avoid jargon and technical terms and focus on the impact on ordinary people's lives. The details do not have to be ignored, but they need to constantly be related to the umbrella theme. For example, inflation and/or recession are indeed  concerns because they harm the middle class who still have budgets they need to balance. 

 How about Democrats' messages on "cultural issue" emphasize fairness? For example, observe and support Constitutional protections of individual rights, instead of subverting them with threats of persecution and favoring one race or ideology over another.

I notice that the word "fair" permeates these  other suggestions as well.

 How about a government that will treat all fairly without fear or favor? (As opposed to white Christian nationalist stranglehold on the GOP with Project 2025, under the guise of anti-DEI,  that is being implemented by Trump's appointees, the writers of the Project, to key personnel positions in his administration.) . This use of fear and favor accounts for the attack on academic freedom and autocratic control over thought, expression, speech, and and press that demand toeing the ideological line of that ideology at the risk of losing funding.  Fear of revenge using government tools or access to the President as favors will not be tolerated. 

The issue of fairness is also relevant to immigration policy. While all would like to see criminals without documentation of legal status deported, the recent Trump shift is to family separation and due process for non-gang-related undocumented people.  How we administer deportation is as important as what we do about immigration. Acting humanely is also a value we support instead of acting cruelly.   Cruelty should never be a strategy. Instead, we should fund effective border security in compliance with the rule of law. That is the fair way. Trump had made headway on stopping illegal border crossings. Still, he is now underwater because of failure or flubs in mass deportation or following due process, even the Supreme Court ruled 9-0, to which deportees were entitled. Trump's declining favorability in polls, even on his signature issue of mass deportation, indicates that even some of his supporters still value fairness and are uncomfortable with cruelty.

How about a promise to strengthen our Constitutional democracy  and the rule of law(as opposed to grabbing power for the executive branch that grants power to a wannabe dictator). This is the opposite of respecting and abiding by the judicial branch. At issue is a subset of who controls the courts.  Trump is testing how far he can go in defying court orders, and arresting or impeaching judges who do not abide by Trump ideology or policies.  

 Issues to watch develop:  Issues to watch: Trump's use of active military to enforce domestic laws: on the road to fascism. https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/trumps-expanded-domestic-military-use-should-worry-us-all?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ9rTFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFxa3RZYUk1eGNIUzZvRDh4AR5FNQQWstd9vC-72FR1pc7wavt5RbVDFxwmOxy0x-ey1rLnUpffrb2XL46vXw_aem_2A5GiPRJPFYVUySi8-cVsQ

https://newrepublic.com/article/194463/100-days-trump-clown-show-fascism

How about favoring strengthening the middle class and  working people's standard of living (instead of the very rich and billionaires) in economic policies? A correlative is how about requiring federal budgets and new legislation to have realistic payfors and be fair to the middle class as well as to the poor and sick people, instead of padding bank accounts of those who are already ultra-rich?  This may be the most fertile ground because most people are sensitive to both prices and service, accessibility, competence, and responsiveness, and it impacts most people of various demographics and similar income levels.

How about reforming government functions to provide better customer services and staffed with non-partisan personnel who are chosen by ability and merit (instead of loyalty to a certain ideology or person) 

 While foreign policy is never high on voters' minds unless we are involved in a major war, how about involvement in the world in ways that restores US in leadership in the world so we can influence what is good for our own national interests  (instead of letting our adversaries fill a leadership vacuum with China and Russia). We should strengthen NATO, support Ukraine, counter Chinese attempts to control economies and governments in Africa and Southeast Asia, because withdrawal (isolationism) only strengthens our adversaries' power for their national agenda, which is not ours.

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: A proposition: a loose coalition of many with the theme: Save our democracy

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Democracy in context: abstract vs reality. Messaging again.

Pete's Opening Message, Live in Iowa  Pete Buttigieg sets the stage by 1)saying the Party cannot go back like it was before 2) and must come up with a new approach.  

Democracy in context: abstract vs reality. Messaging again.

 The defenders of democracy as we have known it for 250 years face challenges. It is how to explain an abstract political science term to those who do not think in the abstract, but have a hard time understanding how it relates to the reality of the lives they are living now. It is a messaging problem that Democrats have not yet learned how to fix.  How do you get it across that a King does away with rights you may need sometime? Some ideas. Just calling Trump a King ( a gentler stand-in term for autocracy, dictatorship, or fascism) or invoking due process and the rule of law, or protecting an independent judiciary, is not enough. These terms must be related to the experiences people are having now. The opportunity is there even in the two major reasons he won the last election: immigration and reversing high prices (the economy).

Update 5/2/2025 My own seat of the pants guess has been that about half of Americans view Trump as a danger to democracy and about half want Trump to have more power to accomplish the goals of which they approve. A recent poll however, shows that more than a majority , 54% of Americans see him as a dangerous dictator. Of course, the divide is still heavily partisan, but it shows a shift that some who voted for him in November 2024 are getting the message that Trump is indeed a danger to democracy. Most Americans Describe Donald Trump as 'Dangerous Dictator'—New Poll - Newsweek    

Continuing with the original post

One blowback from an out-of-control president acting like a King is easy to bring down to reality. Trump has his own agenda that is more important than yours that was to bring down the cost of groceries and gas at the pump. Not only that, he is doing things that you did not vote for: sabotaging social security and veterans' benefits and protections against being ripped off by lenders.

 The real impact of Trump's policies is already being realized by many, but so far, it is a matter of fear about what may happen: The real experience that prices will go up, shelves will be empty, has not even been felt yet. Voters are beginning to grasp t that this will happen and Trump seems not tocare. That explains why his favorability is polling lower. Not only have prices not been rolled back, but they understand they may even get higher if he continues as he is doing now. So what. Trump knows he does not have to face voters again. So sorry, he thinks, he has other fish to fry like tariffs and tax policy, and in time, he will get back to you, he promises and promises and promises. Tariffs will be good for you in the meantime. The lesson to learn from this: Rule by what people want is not the same as what Trump wants in this case. You elected him, but now he is off on his own agenda that hurts you. That is the consequence of having a King,(a strong leader), who is focused on giving himself more power. It is the opposite of rule by what the people want expressed through their representatives in  Washington.  The rule of, by, and for the people is the fundamental meaning of "democracy". People should have the power to set priorities and influence their execution by the government.  Rule by a strong leader who thinks he can do what he wants is the opposite.

 The issue of immigration is much more difficult to deal with than the realities of the economy. Most ordinary citizens do not think in abstract legal terms or think about unintended consequences that could hurt them if due process protections did not exist. When they hear warnings that such and such will happen if, for example, due process, the rule of law, and an independent judiciary are replaced by a strong leader who will ignore or even destroy such niceties, so what? It sounds like political fear-mongering, more political noise, so it is dismissed as just that. That stuff is standing in the way of what they voted for Trump to do on immigration, right?

 What does, for example, the treatment of Abrego Garcia have to do with non-immigrant lives or them as citizens?. That's too bad, or he had it coming to him. Right?  What is at stake is far larger than the fate of an undesirable resident of our country. You are not one of those, so why care?    In short: If no one enforces those rights and protections, they are as good as useless, whether you are a citizen or are in this country with or without documents.  Imagine if you are wrongfully charged with, say tax evasion, or a crime you did not commit. You had better hope you still have the right to your day in court, that the judge is not beholden to the president to rule in his favor, and that you can be fairly treated to defend yourself. That is what due process, the rule of law, and an independent judiciary mean... they can protect you from unfair treatment by a government. However, if the president believes it is in his interest to ignore all of those niceties, and no one stops him, your rights can also be ignored and not enforced on your behalf and anyone else you care about, because the king has already gotten away with it before, and he can do it again in yours or others cases. 

(I am using the accusatory "you" but I apologize. I am a political science major who has a professional lifetime of putting democracy into practice, advocating for people to use it to solve their problems, and explaining it to a wide variety of people, as an author, talk show host, and election commissioner. I have the unique experience of seeing firsthand what it is to live like an ordinary person in a dictatorship. I have a sense of urgency. It is not abstract to me; it is reality.  Democracy has never been questioned or attacked like this before, so our constitutional democracy now needs so much defending. We have been taking our individual rights for granted. We as a nation are just beginning to understand that we could lose them and what that means.) 

 Issues to watch: Trump's use of active military to enforce domestic laws: on the road to fascism. https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/trumps-expanded-domestic-military-use-should-worry-us-all?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ9rTFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFxa3RZYUk1eGNIUzZvRDh4AR5FNQQWstd9vC-72FR1pc7wavt5RbVDFxwmOxy0x-ey1rLnUpffrb2XL46vXw_aem_2A5GiPRJPFYVUySi8-cVsQ

https://newrepublic.com/article/194463/100-days-trump-clown-show-fascism

Growing list of Trump's unconstitutional initiatives:

Trump not sure if he has to uphold the Constitution:

https://www.msn.com/.../trump-says-i-don-t.../ar-AA1E9aNM...

THOUGHT THAT WAS WHAT HE SWORE TO DO WHEN INAUGURATED!!!

Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

msn.com

Trump Says ‘I Don't Know' When Asked if He Has to ‘Uphold the Constitution'

Trump's grift: grist for the impeachment mill?

 "Remove Trump" will be one of the themes in demonstrations on May 1, according to organizers' announcements. One way the removal of the president happens in our democracy is through impeachment. Trump may just have given his opponents some ammunition to impeach him when he offered access to him at dinners for the top buyers of his meme coin.   For more on Trump's meme coin and cryptocurrency ventures and how Trump and his family benefit. https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2025/03/how-trump-administration-is-clearing.html 

Other removal methods include political pressure to force resignation and the 25th Amendment outlined below, which is less likely given the loyalists Trump appointed to the cabinet, whose action is required first before a vote by Congress.)The question about impeachment is whether 'high crimes and misdemeanors,' the impeachment-charging required words, if such charges can be proven, and if enough Congresspeople will support it. Could Trump's grift be enough grist for the impeachment mill?

 There is more than just a stench of corruption in the Trump administration that could serve as a basis for impeachment and removal. Possibly the most damning evidence is that report of  Trump's recent offering moonlight dinners with him to the highest domestic or foreign buyer, of his meme coin, the profits of which from sales go into his pockets. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-coin-dinner-with-president-meme-coin-price/  That is a starting point, the low-hanging fruit. For more about Trump and corruption, see https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2025/03/how-trump-administration-is-clearing.html  

How meme coins work. https://community.magiceden.io/learn/how-to-buy-meme-coins  It uses blockchain technology.  https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/blockchain/   Meme coins are a form of crypto. 

On April 8, 2025 the Trump administration's controlled Department of Jusice closed down its crypto section.  As Trump now raises money for himself, the use of crypto technology like meme coins and cryptocurrency is now free of federal law enforcement scrutiny. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-justice-dept-disbands-cryptocurrency-enforcement-unit-2025-04-08/

Crypto itself it is a favorite of those who want to disguise their transaction since the buyers and the exchanges that facilitate trades and transactions only record the "address" of the participant and not the name. Transactions can be traced but they take time, effort, and skill for law enforcement to trace to actors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrency_and_crime#   Per Google AI, cryptocurrency transactions are generally traceable due to the blockchain's public ledger and the reporting requirements of exchanges. While not directly tied to a person's name, transactions are recorded with public addresses and can be traced through blockchain analysis and by linking these addresses to individuals through exchanges or other data. 

For simplistic descriptions of crypto, Google AI has  the best.  Search google: what is crypto

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/us/politics/trump-crypto-world-liberty-financial.html

 Disagreement with policies, gutting agency functions by laying off personnel, and a personal liking of Putin, or even tanking the economy, are part of Trump's executive functions and are not strong arguments for meeting the criteria of high crimes and misdemeanors. (Thanks to the Supreme Court, he has immunity from criminal prosecution.) Evidence that leads to impeachment takes convincing proof, and there is lengthy argumentation to make the case, much like a trial.  It is, however, not like a criminal trial before a jury, since the final outcome is loss of a political position, the presidency. It is a political act voted on by elected politicians. 

 The political value of impeachment threats for Democrats would be that the political blowback might influence public opinion sufficiently to convince enough of the spineless House GOP to vote with the Democrats for impeachment before the midterms. That is a slim possibility, made even slimmer by Trump's willingness to use his powers of revenge, retribution, and funding primaries to prevent party revolts from happening.  Otherwise, it will take Democrats getting the House majority in the midterms.  

Trump may also be sensitive to his vulnerability to accusations of corruption. True to his modus over the years is to charge his opponents with the same charges they levy against him, setting up a propaganda initiative of false equivalences. It has political value because it does allow his propaganda media to wag tongues of "what about", as if two wrongs make it right. That pre-emptive strike began on 4/25/2025, with Trump directing loyal AG Pam Bondi via a publicly written memorandum, signed with a flourish, to "investigate" the Democratic Party's fundraising vehicle, Act Blue. GOP  congresspeople have suspicions of wrongdoing, though no hard evidence was presented. Musk claimed, "Something stinks". https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/27/politics/elon-musk-republicans-target-actblue/index.html That is not the way serious criminal prosecution by a prosecutor usually works.  It is putting the cart before the horse, inferring guilt without a trial, publicly announcing it with trumpets blaring. There is a crime with "probable cause" that was not first found by a grand jury.   It looks like  "What about Act Blue" is a political act by a bully abusing his power, in anticipation of being charged himself for accepting bribes from foreign actors to gain access to the Oval Office.  

What are the chances Trump would be removed from office by the Senate even if he is impeached?. Normally, it is very unlikely because the makeup of the Senate, which has the power to convict and remove, is rarely one-sided enough.  But these are not normal times, nor is Trump a normal political actor. Trump has already survived two impeachments held by a Democratic-controlled House, but the effort died in the Senate for lack of the supermajority of 2/3 required by the Constitution to remove him.  There will be an impeachment if there is a change of control in the House in the 2026 midterms. Democrats are likely to retake it the House majority, per pundits and pollsters.  Only a simple majority, 1 plus 50%,  is required by the House to impeach (similar to a grand jury finding probable cause to believe a crime was committed).  A Senate supermajority is a big hill to climb without a revolt from Trump's own party. There are not enough Senate seats up for grabs in 2026 that would give Democrats a 2/3 control of the Senate needed to oust Trump by themselves. It will take enough very brave GOP defectors to make Trump's removal happen.

If anything, the public, lay people, non-lawyers, has a recent history of the impeachment of Trump to serve as a refresher course on impeachment. Trump has also learned some lessons from his first term's two successful impeachments. For the public, impeachment does not get Trump removed. It takes a supermajority of the Senate and many defections from his own party to find him guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors, and a guilty verdict did not happen twice..  For Trump, his lesson about impeachment without conviction was just sound and fury signifying nothing, and he returned after one defeat to a second term.

Google: AI The U.S. Constitution outlines two primary ways to remove the president: impeachment and the 25th Amendment. Impeachment, as described in Article II, Section 4, requires the House of Representatives to bring articles of impeachment, which are then tried by the Senate. The Senate must vote to convict with a two-thirds majority for removal. The 25th Amendment addresses situations where a president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office, allowing the vice president and cabinet to declare the president's inability. Congress then determines whether the president is unable to serve. 

The Trump administration guts cyber security, favors Russia, endangering national defense,update 5/14/2025

 One of the most puzzling effects of Musk and Trump is the damage they are doing to national security in defending us against cyber attacks from our adversaries in national defense issues. The administration has gutted the cybersecurity agencies charged with protecting us and favored Russia.  Why? There are some theories, but leaving those aside, the practical impact is setting off alarm bells.Update 5/14/2025 And while they are at it, the Trump administration just fired its top CIA analysts because they reported findings Trump did not want to hear: Tulsi Gabbard fires top officials citing intelligence politicization

 From a recent Politico newsletter:

“This administration is unilaterally disarming in the midst of an attack,” argued Sen. ANGUS KING (I-Maine), a member of both the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services panels."

 "There’s no national cyber director or CISA director in place, and oversight of cybersecurity on the National Security Council has been downgraded to a senior director position from a deputy national security advisor under the Biden administration. In addition, the Trump administration directed Cyber Command to stand down operations against Russia — traditionally one of the key adversaries to the U.S. in cyberspace.  https://www.politico.com/newsletters/national-security-daily/2025/04/10/cyber-threats-abound-as-trump-guts-cyber-agencies-00284735

Cybersecurity as a national security issue raised by politicians has mostly focused on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's disregard for it as he used hackable, commercially available Signal to disclose what should be secret plans or immediate attacks on the Houthis to a reporter and family members. That is not the worst of it; the entire destruction of national security interests has a far greater impact on the United States.  The media is focusing on one tree while the forest around it is on fire. 

Two critical agencies supporting cyber national security have received funding cuts and demotions in importance. CSIS and CISA.  Per Google AI: The key difference between CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) and CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies) lies in their roles and objectives. CISA is a US government agency focused on cybersecurity and infrastructure protection. CSIS is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization providing insights and analysis on national security and international affairs.

 https://www.wired.com/story/cve-program-cisa-funding-chaos/CSIS  Both suffer cuts in funding. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/03/11/trump-administration-halts-funding-for-two-cybersecurity-efforts-including-one-for-elections

https://www.wired.com/story/cve-program-cisa-funding-chaos/

 One example of a role cybersecurity can play as a weapon adversaries can use  in undermining security:https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/inside-new-security-threats-in-the-skies?srsltid=AfmBOopl8MNRLZ6KJK-GNvESr0K49TMGpfn8Ox2bs5MH71IX9EgytXxZ

Another example of how cybersecurity and space warfare can harm national security from , one of the agencies getting gutted in the first 100 days of the Trump regime. https://www.csis.org/analysis/space-and-cyber-warfare-

For an excellent example of how cyber security works and hacks can be detected, a whistleblower detailed in his agency of how the DOGE kids may have done it. Whistleblower details how DOGE may have taken sensitive NLRB data : NPR

Trump's power grab : federalizing election counts, challenging the judiciary and Tina Peters case again

 Trump is attempting to federalize elections by an executive order,but he may run into a buzz saw called the Constitution, "Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution says states get to determine the “times, places and manner” of how elections are run." per an excellent factual discussion at https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-order-elections-voting-constitution-8908477167fd65dc9cd485e1fde5b804 

Update: 5/31/2025 'Illegal effort to consolidate his nonexistent power': States urge court to reject Trump executive order targeting vote-by-mail systems

Update: 4/24/25: Judge blocks parts of Trump’s overhaul of US elections | AP News  The shortening of mail in ballot times was permitted but the proof of citizenship requirement was ruled against by the judge.

Update: 5/6/2025: Federal judge orders NC to certify Supreme Court election results with Democrat leading    Judge, a Trump appointee

Update: 5/7/2025 https://coloradosun.com/2025/05/06/tina-peters-donald-trump-social-media-post/  Trump calls for Peters to be released from jail, as his feds try to intervene in state and local courts.

Continuing with original post:

At the same time, Trump is conducting a war on the judiciary, attempting to show that decisions regarding vote counts were bogus because they were made by liberal judges.  He is trying to revisit old cases and re-open them. First on his list: Tina Peters, a case in Colorado that got a county clerk elections officials sentenced to prison for giving codes to the vote machines to a partisan for Trump that was not a staff member or authorized to have them. 

Update 5/6/2025: Trump says Tina Peters should be released from prison.   Trump says Tina Peters should be released from prison

Continuing with original post. According to the publication, Colorado Politics, the US Attorney General has filed papers showing interest in protecting federal interests in the Tina Peters case, alleging she was the victim of a political prosecution, but presented no evidence of that. Peters is appealing her conviction, and a magistrate judge's eyes were raised to ask why.  Peters was sentenced to  9 year jail term for her actions and she wants to get out while the appeal is made.  There is an excellent summary in Colorado Politics.  I will not repeat it, but refer those curious about this to them.  I have also written extensively on this blog about the case. 

https://www.coloradopolitics.com/courts/federal-judge-grills-government-on-its-interest-in-tina-peters-case/

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Update on the Tina Peters trial: 9 years for criminal election interference

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Colorado, an epicenter of the conflict between election deniers and established voting systems.

Abrego Garcia was Trump's screw up in 2019 and 2025...There is a history here. updated 6/6/2025

Update: 6/6/2025 Kilmar Abrego Garcia Returned to US to Face Criminal Charges: DOJ - Newsweek   Out of the frying pan into the fire? He's being charged with human trafficking. 

The Trump administration is trying to make the Abrego Garcia case the one they want to go to the mat to show how adamant they are about deporting gang members. It's good politics. However, it's also not a good case to make a stand on and try to defy the 5th Amendment due process clause. In 2019 Abrego Garcia was given protection from separation from an immigration judge, due process and all.  Abrego Garcia was Trump's screw up twice. Trump's Team Caved on Abrego Garcia Deportation in 2019 | TIME    

Update 4/24/25: Judge Pauses Abrego Garcia Case After Parties Reach Secret Agreement

Continuing with original post

The court in 2019 ruled Abrego Garcia had special protection status from deportation because he feared for his live and the Trump administration failed to appeal the ruling. That was in Trump's first term. It was not because he was or was not a gang member. It was fear for his life if he was shipped back to his native El Salvador. If he had a chance to bring this up before an immigration judge under the "due process" clause in April 2025 and not put on a plane in the middle of the night before he had a chance to tell a judge, this would not have been an issue.

It would be a simple thing to bring Abrego Garcia back to stand before a due process immigration judge (a full trial is not required) to bring up the 2019 order. That is probably why the Trump administration. has been defying the court orders to do so. It would be very embarrassing and the Trump administration. could not plead ignorance since they were the one who screwed up in 2019. In addition, is there any evidence that Abrego Garcia has been actively involved in gang activity since 2019?

By the way...are the photos of Abrego Garcia's M-13 knuckles photo shopped? You fell for it, MAGA fools. This issue is not whether he was once a gang member. It was not that in 2019 in the court order preventing his deportation. It was whether he feared for his life in El Salvador's gang wars, but there certainly is an issue about photo-shopped "evidence" floating around social media. Internet Sleuths Slam Trump for ‘Photoshopping’ MS-13 Tat on Deported Dad’s Hand

(20+) Liz Cheney/Adam Kinzinger Against Trump | This photo of Kilmar Abrego Garcia clearly shows his knuckles - they show no gang name - like the 

As a country we sorely need an education in civics and the Abrego Garcia case is an opportunity.

Update 5/2/2025: A majority  are getting the message. Per a respected public pollster, 54% of Americans see Trump as a dangerous dictator. The rest think Trump should have more power to accomplish his goals. Most Americans Describe Donald Trump as 'Dangerous Dictator'—New Poll - Newsweek

Continuing with the original post:

Why does it seem eyes glaze over whenever the rule of law, the Constitution, is cited and terms like separation of powers and checks and balances are tossed around? No wonder we are about to lose our democracy. We are a country of civics illiterates.  As a country, we sorely need an education in civics, and the Abrego Garcia case is an opportunity.  Somewhere, our educational system failed us. Naturalized citizens must pass a civics test to become citizens, and according to a 2018 survey, 60% of  Americans would flunk it.  Those over 65 had learned it in school; the younger you are, the more likely you are to fail. "Those 65 years and older scored the best, with 74 percent answering at least six in 10 questions correctly. For those under the age of 45, only 19 percent passed with the exam, with 81 percent scoring a 59 percent or lower."National Survey Finds Just 1 in 3 Americans Would Pass Citizenship Test - Institute for Citizens & Scholars. No wonder the age and educational divide predict who votes for whom in any poll. No wonder we are about to lose our democracy because 60% of voters do not understand how worse it could be without it. This is a challenge for political messaging. Trump's defiance of the Constitution and the rule of law presents an opportunity for a national civics lesson. It is also important for anyone crafting a political message to take heed.   An explanation in common terms must be part of any messaging of what it means and why it is important to all of us.

Update 6/1/2025 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/22/oklahoma-schools-teach-2020-election-big-lie-trump/83731606007/

This is not civics ; this is brain washing. of children. It is what is done in communist and fascist dictatorships. There is a good reason Okahoma education ranks 49th in the nation and is such a ruby red state. There is a correlation. (PS I was born and raised in Oklahoma and left the state after college graduating)

As part of Harvard's answer to Trump's retaliation and revenge campaign for not bowing to him, Harvard is planning to offer a free online course on American civics and the Constitution.

So here is lesson one: What the heck is due process?

We are now aware of a term we may not have learned in school: "due process".Why is due process so important? All persons in the US are protected by the 5th amendment of the Constitution. It protects us from being snatched and disappeared by a tyrannical government. That is why the Supreme ruled 9 to 0 that migrants are covered ..including Abrego Garcia. It is fundamental to our personal freedom from fear of an overpowering "King", tyrant, or dictator. The Abrego Garcia case is a learning opportunity.

The Google AI definition of due process: The Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause guarantees that the federal government cannot deprive individuals of life, liberty, or property without following fair legal procedures. This includes providing notice, a hearing, and a neutral decision-maker when the government is taking action that affects those fundamental rights. The Due Process Clause also limits the government's power to interfere with certain fundamental liberties, regardless of procedures followed. 

If you are ever accused wrongfully of a crime or even disobey a tyrant ..you would be especially grateful for it. If Trump succeeds in defying it..the precedent is set that the due process clause has no teeth and therefore, we all are no longer protected by the due process clause. It is unenforceable no matter how a court rules that it is Constitutional in this case. This is why the Abrego Garcia case and Trump's defiance of court rulings have the makings of a Constitutional crisis. Without adherence by all to court rulings, like them or not, the Constitution is just a piece of paper that once had importance in history.

Lesson number two: The rule of law still rules. It is being challenged by the rule of Trump as Trump demands judges whose judgment he does not like to be impeached, and he tries to get around obeying court orders by pulling a stunt that looks like criminal contempt of a judge's order. For example, in the Abrego Garcia incident. Judge just found probable cause Trump did in this flight of the night incident to avoid complying with court order. "those individuals were on planes being flown overseas, having been spirited out of the United States by the Government before they could vindicate their due-process rights by contesting their removability in a federal court, as the law requires." We have not heard the end of this story.  There will be a full-out trial of the stunt, and if the Trump admin. is found guilty, someone may go to jail over this. https://www.npr.org/2025/04/16/g-s1-60696/judge-contempt-alien-enemies-act   

Update 5/1/2025 : https://www.newsweek.com/trump-appointed-judge-hands-migrants-legal-win-against-president-2066830   and upholds the right of immigrants to protect their due process by objecting to the application of the alien enemies act to their cases.

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: What's the big deal about the rule of law? Who cares? Updated to 4/20/2025

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: What those who support the rule of law should fear the most updated

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: What's the big deal about democracy? Who cares? Updated through 3/29/2025

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/19/politics/supreme-court-alien-enemies-act-order/index.html

Per Google AI 6/1/2025  In rankings related to K-12 education, Oklahoma generally performs poorly, often being ranked near the bottom. Specifically, U.S. News & World Report and The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count report place Oklahoma 48th and 49th respectively in education. WalletHub's study also ranks Oklahoma as having one of the worst public school education systems. 

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