A historical classic conflict: morality of the pope vs immorality of Trump: update 4/15/26

JD Vance, newly minted Catholic, spoke to a youth group this weekend and basically told the Pope to sit down, shut up, stay in his lane, and just preach the gospels. Perhaps we can forgive Trump for being immoral and only transactional without any moral compass, because there is evidence he has a hard time comprehending the written word, so he probably never read the 
Bible and he does not grasp the meaning of Christianity.  He just demonstrated that with the blasphemous posing of a picture of him dressed like Jesus, laying hands on a sick person. Trump has no clue.  But Vance? https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/14/jd-vance-defends-trump-pope-leo-spat

We need more morality in governance, not less.

Here is the problem: the last guy to try that was Hitler, who made the deal with the Pope.  Stay in your lane, too, and you will just be fine.  Some clerics had other thoughts. Thousands of priests and protestant clerics met death in Dachau. Since World War II and the Atomic bomb, and the Nuremberg trialsg trials, there has been an attempt to bring minimal morality into political and military practices through the Geneva Conventions and the establishment of international tribunals in order to try and imprison those found guilty of war crimes as defined by international law.

That, too, has been trashed by Pete Hegseth (also a professed Christian), who finds rules of engagement "stupid" and igniting conflict within the military over whether they should obey an illegal order.  Note: those orders considered illegal were directly the result of the fallout of Hitler/World War II, and the Nuremberg Laws. Those subalterns to Hitler who tried to claim they were just following orders were either hanged or imprisoned as a way to teach the civilized world that such actions were no longer acceptable.

 This world desperately needs more morality as a standard in practice, even in politics and governance, not less. Many in the grassroots are opposing Trump's policies,, motivated by moral outrage, over whether it is starting a war or ICE snatching people and throwing them into prisons with no opportunity to make their case in court. Morality has come into conflict with abuse of legal intent of  laws in the Trump era. Contrary to the Constitution and any sense of morality, the detainees are being kept in gulag warehouses where inhumane treatment will cause the detainee to self-deport, whether they had a right to stay in the US or not. Cruelty is not a Christian value, nor is the mass slaughter of civilians in war. It is also considered a war crime even to threaten it in order to force capitulation.

Continuing with the original post

The Pope openly rebuked Trump, and called off trips to the US as the battle between morality vs immorality comes out in the open.  , prompted by Trump's threats to wipe out a whole civilization to get the Gulf of Horuz open, Trump got closed. Pope Leo vows now not to visit the US while Trump is president per reports early 4/9/2026, https://www.thenational.scot/news/26006429.pope-leo-refuses-go-us-donald-trump-president/   Also, a factor, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth threatened the Pope; https://newrepublic.com/post/208820/pentagon-threatened-pope-criticized-donald-trump. Trump did TACO, a "cease fire," and negotiations have begun, but demands on both sides are so far apart, the prospect of this is iffy.  It is an off-ramp for Trump's blunders, causing strategic failures and blowbacks, even if the military executed target orders brilliantly.

 This is only part of the Pope's condemnation of Trump's policies. The dispute had already become public over Trump's inhumane treatment of migrants in  Milwaukee. https://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/explainers/faith-action-milwaukee-churches-confront-human-toll-immigration-policy/

https://www.dbu.edu/mitchell/medieval-resources/medpapalimperialconflict.html

The same moral outrage is appearing in protestant Texas over the treatment of immigrants in the rise of Talarico.  https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2026/03/james-talaricos-victory-in-texas.html   Talarico is a Presbyterian theologian student.

https://baptistnews.com/article/its-pete-hegseths-theology-that-ought-to-concern-us

Post World War II attempts to codify what constitutes acceptable behavior by warring factions also reflect a level of morality generally supported by international law.  It is expressed in what is considered as a war crime, worthy of criminal prosecution in international tribunals, and was the outgrowth of the Nuremberg trials that sent a large number of Nazi leadership to the gallows or to prison. Trump may have backed off his threat of genocide and wiping out a whole civilization in Iran because someone whispered in his ear that what he threatened was a war crime in itself, but for sure if he carried it off with a bombing campaign  Trump may think he can commit war crimes in the US and get away with it because the Supreme Court granted him immunity, but the Hague can still bring him to justice and trial if a warrant for his arrest is issued.  FYI: the rest of the Trump administration, from cabinet members to military brass, are not protected from criminal prosecution in the US and in the Hague.  Particularly at risk is Secretary of "War", Pete Hegseth, who calls the Geneva Conventions and other laws and military rules of engagement that keep military actions that protect innocent civilians as "stupid". https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/03/02/us-defense-secretarys-media-remarks-on-rules-of-engagement# 

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2026/04/trump-advocating-war-crime-t-when-hague.html

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2026/03/iran-hegseths-holy-war.html

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2026/02/moral-indignation-rises-as-major.html

Hegseth is not the only cabinet member or major policy shaper in the White House. In fact, Trump has handed much power to White Christian Nationalists who see the future of America in racial terms and draw on their religion to justify their intent. The gospels are dominated by taking care of the least of these and how to treat "strangers", completely contradicting the intent of Jesus as he is reported to speak .https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2026/02/white-christian-nationalism-has-taken.html

Update 4/1//2026:  Why is Trump so immoral? 

Trump has a personality problem. Why does Trump keep making bad judgment calls like the Iran war and adding costs of daily living to so many in America, while enriching the already rich with taxes and public policy favors? I keep searching for answers. Here is what I conclude. It is based on observations of what he does as much as what he says with bluff, puffery, and lies. It is more than just Trump being Trump. He has his standards, and doing moral things is not his goal or his own measure of success. Being "transactional" means making deals that benefit himself. It is not what is moral or good for even his supporters. It's not what is legal or Constitutional. Trump has always been that way, but now it seems in his second term, his personality quirks are on steroids. Trump is consumed wth amassing wealth and power for himself in the short time he has left in office. He is stuffing his pockets with crypto and building monuments to himself, from ballrooms to soaring arches, his name on currency and concert halls, his face frowning down on citizens from public buildings, and throwing his military muscle around. Everything else is secondary as he makes Trump great again after his loss in 2020. That is the problem with having an egomaniac, self-aggrandizing president. Those with bad judgment are his enablers who think that what is good for Trump is good for the rest of America and their very own lives.

James Talarico's victory in the Texas primary may signal the rising of moral outrage

Talarico speaks the language of many Texans, which may puzzle those not from the South, as I see the media dominated and housed on the East Coast try to explain why he won. For those who were raised inthe "bible belt" or came of age in the evangelical Christian movements that dominate the culture of the South, it is not hard to understand. (I am a native of Eastern Oklahoma) 

Talarico speaks their language, a language that comes naturally to him as the grandson of a Baptist preacher and now a Presbyterian pastor/seminarian. He cites the words of Jesus freely: to love God with all his heart and love his neighbors as he would love himself. He shares much with the theology of Pope Leo.   He also puts his economic populist message into theological references, caring for the least of these or Jesus overturning the money changers' tables in the Temple.

 Talarico is the antidote to a political movement based on fear and loathing of neighbors who are not like them, in race, sometimes in religion, and in culture,  and/or who worship wealth as the sign of success as persons.  He simply quietly incorporates his political beliefs without raising his voice or delivering a proselytizing, fiery sermon. In subtle ways, he preaches without being preachy. 

 Democrats can hope there are enough in Texas in the general election in November who are troubled by the immorality of the president and his staff and administrators seeking more political power by inhumane treatment of anyone brown speaking Spanish, snatched and warehoused until they can prove their legality, in an attempt to purge this country of as many brown people as they can. They have convinced so many who claim to be Christian by the righteousness of racial hatred that I wonder how many are left in the South who are uncomfortable with that approach and are indeed swayed by a view of Christianity of Talarico's that is the polar opposite of the tone of others in the White House.

This may also show a meeting of minds of both Christians and northern liberals when morality and human rights, and economic populism, find common cause. It is where disgust with the immorality of  Epstein and his clients and affordability meet in a common purpose.

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: White Christian Nationalism has taken over the White House

From last July, MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Messaging again: a new messenger who speaks to many in red states: James Talarico

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Moral indignation rises as a major imperative of anti-ICE protests

In 25-Country Survey, Americans Especially Likely To View Fellow Citizens as Morally Bad | Pew Research Center

An interesting poll:

David Brooks posed the question and gave a thoughtful answer in the Atlantic. He did it without mentioning the role of organized religion, diminished but still strong in mostly the South. Religion used to set the standards for what was moral or not.  Religion has become a powerful political tool, particularly for the political right. However, Talarico has turned that on its head by showing that Christianity is in harmony with the political left. Texas may be a special case where Hispanics are a very large population; social liberals but religious conservatives, and Pope Leo and Talarico have been on the same page on ICE issues. It may still resonate in other southern states, even those without large Hispanic minorities. Stay tuned.

Why Do So Many People Think Trump Is Good? - The Atlantic

  

Moral indignation rises as a major imperative of anti-ICE protests updated 4/9/2026 Pope on Iran war

Update 4/9/2026 The Pope openly rebuked Trump, and calls off trips to the US as the battle between morality vs immorality comes out in the open.  , prompted by Trump's threats to wipe out a whole civilization to get the Gulf of Horuz open, Trump got closed. Pope Leo vows now not to visit the US while Trump is president per reports early 4/9/2026, https://www.thenational.scot/news/26006429.pope-leo-refuses-go-us-donald-trump-president/

 This is only part of the Pope's condemnation of Trump's policies. The dispute  had already become public over Trump's inhumane treatment of migrants in  Milwaukee. https://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/explainers/faith-action-milwaukee-churches-confront-human-toll-immigration-policy/

Continue with original post:

Ameri ca sours on Trump's immigration policies in new poll. The fallout to Milwaukee's resistance of ICE's overreaching invasion is spreading nationally and impacts Trump's approval rating.  The legalism approach as a basis for argumentation, like NO  Kings advocating on behalf of keeping and supporting our Constitutional democracy, has been joined by those with moral outrage that human beings, regardless of legal status or race, are treated this way. The fear that all immigrants are somehow criminals has been replaced by the word "neighbor," and its meaning in biblical terms is as defined by the words of Jesus.

 Yes, if polled, most Americans approve of deporting illegal migrant violent criminals, but that is not what is happening. In ICE's  dragnet approach, there are far more innocent victims of their violent techniques. Yes, No Kings still has great significance and protections in the amendments of the Constitution that need to be respected and upheld.

 Moral outrage is becoming even more significant as the stories emerge of the treatment, the denial of civil and human rights, the warehousing of thousands of children and adults, disappeared with no recourse, no sunlight, into a chain of concentration camps.  These are echoes of what we know and see as evil, the Japanese internment in WWII, or Russia throughout history, the gulag archipelago. Cruelty is not a humane value nor an American one. 

Note, too, while polls reflect attitudes of a wide cross-section of Americans, these protests are mostly by white participants. The demographic profile of protestors seen on TV is significant. The street demonstrations (big one scheduled in Chicago today led by the Catholic church on Ash Wednesday) are by, yes, mostly white people on behalf of brown and black people, risking to die for them, as two did, and still speak out against ICE trying to intimidate them as they photo and blow their whistles..New Filings Detail Harrowing Accounts of ICE and  In this current atmosphere, black and brown people keep a low public profile, especially brown people racially profiled by ICE and persecuted for just being brown, or without documents and with documents, so terror keeps them hidden.

 For those who still harbor racism in their souls, or white nationalism /or white supremacy, these polls must come as a shock, especially if they only listen to friends restricted to those they know who already agree with them, or only get their news and information from social media and TV media that cater to their preferred political beliefs and prejudices. MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: I fear white supremacy has raised its ugly head again.

Trump said “forget about separation of church and state." He meant it.

Christian leaders denounce Trump actions, warn of 'crisis of faith'

“The Thought of Holding Thousands of Families in Massive Warehouses Should Challenge the Conscience of Every American,” Says Bishop Cahill | USCCB

In 25-Country Survey, Americans Especially Likely To View Fellow Citizens as Morally Bad | Pew Research Center

I fear white supremacy has raised its ugly head again.

 I fear white supremacy has raised its ugly head again. From my Muftic Forum facebook posting today edited a bit. 

Some personal musings and hand-wringing in the marching orders to the Department of Justice, to focus instead on White rights instead of the civil rights of minorities. https://www.cbsnews.com/.../justice-department-reverse...

Except for eggs (the bird flu epidemic seems to be over), the price of groceries has either stayed the same since Trump promised to lower the prices or has risen dramatically in beef and pork. And, no, gas for my car is not under $2 per gal. AAA says it is averaging well over $2 per gal.

Now I am seeing some shifting in polls, with focus instead on groceries and gas is now on the cost of health care, housing, and retirement, which are big-ticket items that even the middle class is feeling the pain about. Other evaluators and opinion writers watch to see if the MAGA devotees are losing their love of TruImp. Still, his MAGA base, by any estimmates comprise 30 to 35% of the total vote, and the majority of the GOP are holding firm. Any shifts recently to blue have come mostly from independents and Hispanics.

I have always felt the cost of living was not the real concern for MAGA, but it was the stand-in issue for other issues still not politically correct to be so open about. Outweighing the cost of living and affordability of modern life is what I would most kindly identify as "cultural". This umbrella term includes racist attitudes. and that the "again" part of the MAGA slogan most likely refers to pre-civil rights legislation of the 1950's. Anti-DEI removal from every government standard in the past year is just fine for Trump's base, and now the DOJ, under Trump's direction, is to protect the rights of White people who have been so discriminated against, even though they are the majority.

The recent 'Monkey flap depicting the Obamas as monkeys' is revealing, given the silence coming from the right with a few exceptions. Trump blames it on a staffer, but has not apologized. Update: 2/14/2026, Trump has even attacked members of the GOP who have criticized the monkey business as disloyal to him. What that says to me is that he himself believes his MAGA base is as racist as he is, and who also believe that black people are directly descended from apes and are still inferior to White people. Trump privately lashes out at GOP lawmakers over racist video blowback, sources say

That view of Black people was in my most racist Jim Crow eastern Oklahoma birth place and what I experienced and heard until I went off to college in 1956." Negroes were inherently descended from a branch of apes, so it went ,who were therefore inferior and incapable of governing (good at sports and music, however), either to be treated, like children paternalistically, andalso to keep them separate from us White folks. (The Obamas, intellectually, behaviorally, and oratorically, were a slap in the face of the old trope.)

There appears to be still a large segment of Americans stuck in the attitudes of the 1950's, even though there are subsequent generations in leadership. The silence from all but a few to the monkey posting on Trump's media on the right is incriminating. While being called "racist" by those on the left as an insult hurled at MAGA, I fear there are many in MAGA who look in the mirror and are OK with being called one and who are comfortable with a president who has a lifetime history of racist dog whistles and policies that resemble their own feelings.

The icing on the cake, in case you are still upset or sceptical of my view is what happened this past week: While DEI is now removed as a standard for government behavior, the orders from above to the DOJ are now to protect the majority racial groups in power, us White people, who have been so discriminated against by DEI and civil rights legislation. White supremacy has now come out of the closet and into the light as official public policy.

White Christian nationalism is closely related to racism and white supremacy. It has overtaken the White House and Trump, himself, as Trump says the separation of church and state is no more. https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2026/02/moral-indignation-rises-as-major.html

Trump refuses to apologize after posting meme condemned as racist | Watch. Would it be because he would turn off part of this MAGA base who agrees with the belief that the Obamas are descended from apes so they are lesser.

Modern anthropology and science have found the following, per a Goog;e AI search of the question if White people are also descended from apes. The answer:

•  Early hominid species (human ancestors) diverged from the ancestors of chimpanzees and gorillas in Africa
• Race and Evolution: All modern human populations (white, Black, Asian, etc.) share a common ancestor that lived around 200,000 years ago in Africa.
• Light Skin Development: The development of white skin in Europeans is a relatively recent evolutionary adaptation (roughly 8,000–12,000 years ago) as populations moved into higher latitudes. 

Racists and white Christian nationalists are laying the groundwork for a future of conflict

 

Racists and white Christian nationalists are laying the groundwork for a future of conflict.  Racist speech is still considered to be politically incorrect in most quarters. To be a racist, advocates still need to use code words and jargon that some would call dog whistles,  but more and more others are right out in front with the words. In a private chat lately, some members and leaders in the Young Republicans were caught using vile, racist language.  The result was some tongue wagging, some GOP members called for their firing, but it was just another story from which the media is moving on. ‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat - POLITICO

For those who are still concerned about sounding like they are racists with some bad fallout, the challenge is difficult: How can they be racist without sounding like one? There are some terms used that are basic euphemisms. Closely connected to the concept of Christian nationalism is the more racist part of its companion: white Christian nationalism.  The racist element is kissing kin.  Is Trump or members of his regime racist? If there was ever a question whether Trump is a white nationalist himself, or just a demagogue who sees a political advantage in such appeal to the racists among us, a recent proposal from Trump should add to suspicions he is both.. We should not be surprised, given his first-term pronouncements, that he would particularly welcome Norwegians as immigrants, as he promotes immigration policy to favor refugees who are white . Trump Considers Overhaul of Refugee System That Would Favor White People - The New York Times

Some terms like migrants adulterating our blood, regeneration, and replacement theories, are often popping up on the radical right and radical reactionaries. These terms are among those used by white nationalists.

What is driving this? My theory is a fear among those who are white nationalists that by 2045, twenty years from now, those who are white will become the minority, per some think tanks and government data.. Among Hispanics, immigration would account for only one third of the growth of this group, so no matter how theTrump administration plans to slow down this by deporting everyone brown they can, criminals or not, they will still not be able to stop the trend, just slow it down. The disturbing result of this is that if combined with suppression and the end of civil rights protections, this is not going to be a country free of internal conflicts. We will never be like Hungary, which has a population of 94% of the same ethnic group and is led by a dictator who rose to power opposing Syrian refugees. Either we learn to get along together, or it is going to be a sad future for the USA and my grandchildren.

The US will become 'minority white' in 2045, Census projects | Brookings  " Among the minority populations, the greatest growth is projected for multiracial populations, Asians and Hispanics with 2018–2060 growth rates of 176, 93, and 86 percent, respectively. The projected growth rate for blacks is 34 percent.* The demographic source of growth varies across groups. For example, immigration contributes to one-third of Hispanic growth over this time span, with the rest attributable to natural increase (the excess of births over deaths). Among Asians, immigration contributes to three quarters of the projected growth"

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: What is MAGA? Whatever you call it, it is not conservative, but something else.

From Google AI: 

• Latin America and Central America: Reports from the American Immigration Council show that a large portion of ICE detainees are from Mexico or Central American countries.
  • One 2025 report indicated that in 2024, Mexican nationals made up about 43% of the detainee population, and individuals from the Northern Triangle region (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) made up about 46%.
  • Latino individuals with no criminal history are also arrested at disproportionate rates, with a Cato Institute analysis finding that nearly one in five ICE arrests between January and July 2025 were of a Latino with no criminal background.

.

What is MAGA? Whatever you call it, it is not conservative, but something else.

 Reaching back into a college course way before MAGA even existed,  this political science major has always been confused about how political movements are tagged by the media.  Here is my case for calling MAGA radical reactionaries, but they are definitely not conservatives.

Political scientists did and will write books and more books with the rise of Trump and MAGA, and tag this as a conservative movement. Recently, its more radical nature was branded "right-wing" by some liberal journalists. Radical and reactionary are brands that are not in current usage, but join them together, and they are quite descriptive of the movement.  My observation is that MAGA is an extremely revolutionary and dramatic change from the way the majority governed in the past. It uproots the very nature of the purpose of the Constitution which was to protect us from dictators and tyrannical kings, setting up a balance between three equal power centers with a degree of control over each other, while keeping an all-powerful federal government from trampling on the rights of individuals who might dissent.   

That is not the nature of MAGA, which is a radical change from the kind of governance my father and those like him supported. Back in my olden days growing up in Oklahoma, I considered someone conservative to be someone who did not want change without serious thought and debate. They usually opposed change that was any more than tweaks, keeping to the past very cautiously and reluctantly dealing with and updating present needs and conditions. That was my father. Liberals, even liberals plus called "progressives", were not terms often used, but are now in common usage. They have become more or less "whatever is ok" if it is needed and works, with less conformity to the past and a willingness to make more fundamental changes using government to suit the times. The radicals, if we called them that in political science jargon,  were those who wanted to upend the old order in favor of some different political or religious beliefs and install entirely new methods and systems.

My father hated "extremists", the term he used to describe radicals, who were going off on tangents, such as the Christian evangelicals rising in power in Tulsa on the one issue of "choice" while feathering their pastoral nests. My parents were pro-choice, and viewed with disgust hate mongers like the Klan, and, socialists and communists. Some who wanted to turn back the clock to days in the past and reject moderate change or the status quo were called "reactionaries" by political scientists in the spectrum of political ideologies. Dad was a district telephone company executive with a major corporation. They would never have considered themselves intellectuals, but they were, and well-educated ones, too. My parents may have voted for FDR and the New Deal through two terms, but then, when they thought FDR had gone too far, they reverted to traditional Republican voters in the next two elections, even in the midst of World War II.  My parents passed away in the mid-1980s, but if my father were alive today, I am pretty sure he would never have voted for Donald Trump whom he would have called an extremist. My guess, they would have become independents who quietly voted for Biden.  Trump was everything my conservative father disdained.

 The MAGA movement itself contains those who want their own agenda to be implemented, whether it is to roll back the gains of the civil and women's rights movement that began in the 1960s and/or to boost the priorities of the white nationalist evangelical Christianity with their anti-DEI edicts. This form of evangelical Christianity is dominating old-time mainstream protestant Christianity, and Pope Leo, who still keeps the Beatitudes and the Golden Rule in the forefront.  This support of the evangelical branch of Christianity is a movement in itself,  a reaction to modern social norms and a desire to return to the days of the 1950s.

 Compromising with anything to the governmental and ideological left of MAGA's radical vision is a dirty word for MAGA, and they are bent on shoving their priorities and beliefs down the throats of those who do not agree and using government power to execute a plan to do so in Project 2025, which is playing out in domestic politics and governance before our very eyes.  This is about as radical as we have seen, at least in my memory.

Use of violence and force, militarization, federalization in defiance of state's rights, de facto destruction of the checks against a strong man leader, will get their MAGA agenda done, this Trump regime thinks.  This is not conservatism: it is a radical change in the way we have been governed,  and one with the support of an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the voters who remain personally loyal to Donald Trump and his actions and goals, no matter how he behaves.  It is not a gradual, carefully considered change, a tweaking of values and methods, but rather rapid and fundamental changes that create a future of conflicts, as this very large minority butts heads with a slowly awakening majority. The MAGA takeover is not a gradual work in progress, but a nine-month blitzkrieg so far. It is carrying out the agenda of some powerfully placed ideologues. It is a reversion to the 1950s pre-civil rights days and some would say to the pre-depression days of the early 1930s, no social security, Medicare, Medicaid, or any other government provision of social services to those struggling in a modern society and economy. Government must be pared back to the size and objectives of the 1920's say the most radical of the radicals. 

 Stephen Mlller and  Russell Vought are the most powerful influencers surrounding Trump. Neither is elected, but Miller is a deputy chief of staff, and Vought is the controller of personnel as Director of Management and Budget. In my lexicon, they are radical reactionaries, and they are calling the tune of their willing and accommodating president, who is absorbed in becoming all-powerful, using governmental tools to get revenge on his detractors and suppress opposition with fear of his unbridled and unconstrained abuse of power. 

This relationship with the ideologues works for Trump's power-grabbing goals just as it works for both Miller and Vought's visions. Those visions include a strong-man executive's rule and the submission of the legislative and judicial branches to the executive's will by appointing and supporting only loyalists to Trump to carry out their duties. They are making a mockery of the original intent of the founders' Constitution and the rule of law that once democracy was crafted to be for, by, and of the people expressed through the ballot box, and not for, by, and of a Donald Trump.

 The Supreme Court, composed of fellow ideologues approved by idologically compatible think tanks, is the only one of the three divisions of government that stands in the way of certain policies. It is possible that if enough dissent and take to the streets, Congress could flip from red to blue and get a backbone. We still have free and fair elections, for now. Trump et al may have other plans for 2028, I suspect, but enthusiasm and math of voter turnout still count in 2026.  Over the past ten years, the GOP has been able to execute a strategy to replace the Supreme Court's retiring members and those who lost the battle for life with those approved by those think tanks, such as the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation. So far, most decisions granting the executive superpowers have been upheld by a 6-3 majority.. The floodgates for abuse were open when the Supreme Court exempted the president from criminal prosecution while performing his executive duties. Trump took the gift and made the most of it.

Trump sees his kinship in the world as modern-day dictators like Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban, and Erdogan of Turkey. Even now, Trump wants to send billions of aid to a president he sees as like him, in Argentina, and punishes Brazil with extreme tariffs for persecuting another Trumpist wannabe past president. History and the fate of the dictators of the 1930s seem to hold no meaning for him as he strives to repeat what he never learned. His is a reaction to who and what stood in his way in the past to achieve power and scare off those who would dissent from acting in the future. 

 We in the USA have not had a model of an executive like Trump govern us since 1776.  Even Nixon fades in comparison, and even he ultimately abided by the rule of law and the intent of the Constitution.

So, media, what do you call MAGA? Please do not call them "conservatives". They are more than just "right wing" on the political spectrum. They are radical reactionaries.

For more about the ideology of Russell Vought and Stephen Miller, go to MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: What if it is true: Trump's got dementia as some claim

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Chainsaw 1 and Chainsaw 2 : Fulfilling Russell Vought's Project 2025 dreams

John Fugelsang - “Separation of Church and Hate” | The Daily Show - YouTube

MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Racists and white Christian nationalists are laying the groundwork for a future of conflict

So is it fascism? Here is one take on it well stated by another blogger: If it walks like a fascist, talks like a fascist and jokes like a fascist, it's likely a… - Raw Story

nytimes.com

Trump Considers Overhaul of Refugee System That Would Favor White People

The proposals would transform a program aimed at helping the most vulnerable people in the world into one that gives preference to mostly white people who say they are being persecuted.

. A district court judge just called out Trump's attempt to end all temporary protective visas for migrant refugees fleeing violence, persecution, or natural disasters, racist and discriminatory, and put a temporary hold on the execution of the removal of those holding such visas . The purpose of the special visas was to give refugee status until the conditions in their home from which they fled had improved. The judge found that the condition of their home countries of the plaintiffs had not improved. The evidence of racial discrimination was the words of the Trump regime's administrators themselves. No doubt this will go through the appeal process to end up in the lap of "his" Supreme Court, but the damning language from the judge needs to be cited. For those who protest this ruling, first look in your own mirror.

From: Judge halts Trump's termination of TPS for Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua https://www.msn.com/.../judge-halts-trumps.../ar-AA1JHjR7...

"By stereotyping the TPS program and immigrants as invaders that are criminal, and by highlighting the need for migration management, Secretary Noem's statements perpetuate the discriminatory belief that certain immigrant populations will replace the white population."

Thompson also mentioned comments from Trump and other White House officials about migrants that show racial animus."

msn.com

Donald Trump suffers major legal blow over migrant protections

The decision extends protections for more than 60,000 people from countries inclu

Congratulations, MAGA, you have now turned America into the nightmare our founders warned us about

 Congratulations, MAGA, you have now turned America into the very nightmare our founders warned us about. In modern terms, per this opinion piece, we have turned into a fascist state (no ovens yet, just concentration camps and military occupation). Horrors, you say, how dare you call this fascism. If it isn't, what is it? Give me a better word. Then tell me how this benefits your daily life with a president obsessed with amassing power to the extent he can ignore your needs, whether it is affordable and effective modern health care, groceries, shelter, and the ability to object and be heard or to get him to change course. The more power he gets, the less he has to listen to us and how we live our daily lives. We once had a form of government of, by, and for the people. Now we have a government that has become the government of, by, and for, an all-powerful individual. He is taking away ordinary people's ability to cope and the right to object, complain, without fear or favor, or fairness, and affect what he does. He's got his agenda, and if it is not yours, or in the future it turns out not to be yours, you are SOL. Did you vote for this?

My view of white Christian nationalism as personified in the institution of Project 2025 in the Trump regime: The Christian white nationalists are those who failed to convince the majority they failed in enlist to force and bow down to them and comply. The use of government to accomplish their evangelical goals is also a testament to their failure to evangelize by other means.

 What kind of dictator, this wannabe (per Gov. Pritzker) aspires to be: a fascist one?  From, a prior post: MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: What is fascism and does Trump meet the definition rev.8/13/2025 updated 8/14- 15/2025 Trump is acting like a dictator and, in many respects, like a fascist one, depending on the definition or criteria. An Australian political scientist in 2013 published a study of 1930s fascist dictators and identified some common characteristics.  In any case, you do not have to have Nazi extermination ovens to still be called a fascist. Are those who support Trump fascists, too? Take the Britt test below. Dr. Lawrence Britt, an Australian political scientist, wrote "14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism" after studying the fascists of the 1930s.

For those who wonder where they fit in, take the Britt test

In bold print are Britt's defining characteristics of fascism. In Italics, my reason for contending Trump is meeting or not meeting those characteristics.

Nationalism: saying one's own country is better than other countries. Not exactly: Trump contends the US is failing and other countries are taking advantage of us.

Disdain for human rights: The core issues are around due process, and cruelty in imprisonment and snatching off the street because a person looks like a "Mexican". Trump would welcome those from Norway, however, to migrate to the US. Obviously, white people are not targeted.

Scapegoating: blaming someone else for the country's problems: Trump is constantly whining about migrants from south of the border who are rapists and murderers and criminals; now he and his supporters are hinting they want to stop birthright citizenship and revoke refugee status, as well as revoke already granted citizenships.

Putting the military first: Only if it pledges loyalty to Trump, passes his test for that, or is not led by women, non white people, gays, etc. The assumption is that black and brown people and women are inherently not as competent as men. More faith is put in paramilitary ICE, masked, not in uniform, pardoning militias, unregulated, from violent acts that were found guilty by juries for insurrection. Insurrection is fine if it is done in support of Trump, is the message. His use of the national guard on streets does not address underlying problems of homelessness and crime, but is only for show, a temporary drama, and an attempt to see if he can get away with declaring a bogus emergency, nationally or locally as a way to assert his willingness to use the military against their own fellow citizens as his campaign of fear and suppression of demonstrations of opposition. (His use of the military to get us used to armed occupation to put down any demonstrations and the pretension and show that he cares about crime, as he grants pardons to criminals who supported him.)

Sexism: saying men are better than women: End DEI, equal rights for genders, and a mantra incompetent in military (as above) and tolerates Hegseth's religion that women shouldn't even be able to vote; found in civil suit Trump was liable for rape, has: boasted of p grabbing and now his relationship with Epstein, his attempt to sidestep and hide evidence. is causing suspicion as he is hiding something and apparently fears exposure.

Control of mass media: telling newspapers and other sources of news what they can and cannot tell the people: Threatens to yank broadcast licenses, forces broadcast media mergers until they fire objectionable comedians; cuts funding the public broadcasting; stops access to White House briefings if he does not like the reporter.

Focus on national security: Crickets on this one. Trump undermines cybersecurity funding, trusts Russia's CRU more than the US CIA,... Uses bogus claims of national emergency to bring in active military and national guard; once, Trump tried to get the military to shoot black lives matter protestors in the legs. Ok if Russia interferes in elections or land-grabbing aggression, undermines NATO. Hints would not honor article 5, does not care if Europe feels threatened if Russia takes all of Ukraine, advocates peace at any price, even if it endangers world or regional peace. Thinks appeasement works.

Close ties between religion and government: Follows and achieves white nationalist Christian plan (Project 2025) to replace the personnel in the various branches and agencies with their ideologues..

Protection of businesses and corporations: Destroys or subverts consumer and environmental protection agencies; gives special tax breaks to corporations; tells lies that tariff costs are not passed on to customers in higher prices

Suppression of labor power: preventing labor unions from becoming powerful: against right-to-work laws; promotes non-union auto assembly shops, puts flunkies in charge of the NLRB

Disdain for intellectuals and the arts: telling people not to listen to scientists, scholars, and artists, took over the Kennedy Center; trashes White House historical decor with gold gilt; anti-science in control of scientific agencies like Robert Kennedy Jr.; calls any evidence of global warming a fraud; disbands key climate and weather forecasting agencies. Dictates to Harvard and Columbia what curriculum should be, or lose government contracts, and then uses them to cow every other research institute associated with a private university with similar threats

Focus on crime and crimefighting: Ignores crimes that are committed by supporters or pardons those convicted of crimes who he likes, January 6 rioters, and even criminals and murderers imprisoned in foreign prisons. Using "national security" bogus excuses to crack down on local enforcement agencies in DC and LA, while threatening other major cities that have black mayors.

Corruption: conducted in plain sight with his cryptocurrency, with sales and investments based on his name and position, selling access to foreign interests to him for dinners, etc, hiding campaign contributions in crypto; accepts gifts (747) from princes;

.Fraudulent elections: Claims any vote where the tally goes against him is always because the election was stolen or there was fraud, always without evidence. Tried to get loyalists to get control of voting machines; claimed over 60 state elections were fraudulent in 2020, and no court found evidence of it; Still claims the 2020 election was stolen but never coughed up evidence after 5 years of trying.. Instructed Texas to start gerrymandering districts to get 5 more House seats and in order to misrepresent voters' will, deprive racial minorities of Congressional representation, and fix the 2026 elections. They want to federalize elections and take the administrative power away from states, giving Trump the power to more easily control the outcome to benefit him. Trump wants to control the vote count by federal control of voting machines and banning mail in ballots. He got his advice from Putin, per the New York Times. MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Trump's newest attack democracy's rule by people via a vote. ban mail in ballots and voting machines