The Fire Next Time?

[Stavros]

There are some key questions to which we do not yet have an answer.

Will the ferocious rhetoric of his campaign translate into actual policy when Trump becomes President in 2025?

A lot may depend on the team he assembles to draft his policies, and the relationship he has with Congress in order to implement it, and respond to the laws that they pass.

Re the Supreme Court -are any of the current Justices going to retire? Even if Alito and Thomas did so, they would surely be replaced by two more Justices nominated by the Federalist Society and congenial to Trump and his supporters.

Re the Economy: Trump inherits an economy stronger and more vibrant than it has been for decades, though he is not the kind of man to give thanks to the Biden Administration that delivered it. Thus

"President-elect Donald Trump is poised to inherit a remarkably healthy economy when he takes office in January. By almost all measures, the U.S. economy is doing exceptionally well. Gross domestic product was up an annual 2.8% last quarter, inflation is just about down to the Federal Reserve’s target rate of 2% and unemployment is low by historic standards".
Trump inherits a sturdy economy

The key unknown here concerns Tariffs and Taxes, and how far Trump is willing to sacrifice all the benefits he inherits from Biden for some ideological obsession, given that his previous diet of Tariffs did not produce the outcomes he said they would-

"The results of those policies fell far short of the Trump administration’s goals of eliminating the trade deficit, stimulating economic growth, and narrowing the budget deficit. Indeed, during the Trump presidency, the trade deficit in goods widened by some 20 percent to reach over $900 billion in 2020. Meanwhile, even before the 2020 Covid-induced recession, economic growth under the Trump presidency was little different from that of the Obama administration, while the budget deficit steadily increased before blowing out to 13.3 percent of GDP in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.".
Will Donald Trump Trigger a Debt and Dollar Crisis? | The National Interest

And this in turn could create huge problems in the management of the Debt, and undermine further Trump's promises

"One of the major drawbacks of massive resort to tariffs is that they will substantially raise import prices. That will hit the common man hard in the pocket and will add to inflation. According to the Peterson Institute of International Economics, Mr. Trump’s tariff proposal will cost a typical US household in the middle-income distribution around $2,600 a year.

Another major drawback of an “America First” program is that it could tip an already weak Chinese and European economy into recession. It could also invite trade policy retaliation by China and Europe in the form of higher tariffs on American imports. That, in turn, could take us down the economically destructive beggar-thy-neighbor policies of the 1930s.

As if all of this were not enough reason for concern about our economic outlook, Mr. Trump has promised to deport up to 11 million undocumented immigrants. If such a program were implemented, it would almost certainly put upward pressure on food prices and cause production disruptions in those industries employing large numbers of immigrant workers.

The best we can hope for economically in a second Trump administration is that Mr. Trump walks back many of the economic proposals he made on the campaign trail. If not, we should brace ourselves for the eventual return of the bond vigilantes, a flight from the US dollar, and some very rough economic sledding ahead.".
Donald Trump: A Threat to the U.S. Economy? | American Enterprise Institute - AEI

The man is on fire, but when the reckoning comes, will it all have turned out to be smoke and mirrors?

[Stavros]

Here is a thought: Boris Johnson, the Champion of Brexit, the man who said he would 'Get Brexit Done' and swept to victory in the General Election of 2019 and thought he would be Prime Minister for 10 years, was out of power in 2022, the architect of his own downfall because of his lies, his incompetence and is erratic behaviour -all of which he continues to defend, as if he was a victim of other people's motives.

Sound familiar?

[Stavros]

Looks like for Kevin Roberts of Project 2025 fame it really will be Fire!

"“There’s plenty of fuel. Like deadwood in a forest, many of America’s institutions have been completely hollowed out … Decadent and rootless, these institutions serve only as shelter for our corrupt elite. Meanwhile, they block out the light and suck up the nutrients necessary for new American institutions to grow. For America to flourish again, they don’t need to be reformed; they need to be burned. A nice start would include:“

Every Ivy League college, the FBI, the New York Times, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Department of Education, 80% of ‘Catholic’ higher education, BlackRock, the Loudoun County Public School System, the Boy Scouts of America, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Economic Forum, the Chinese Communist Party, and the National Endowment for Democracy.”".
Project 2025 chief’s book urges ‘burning’ of FBI, New York Times and Boy Scouts | Project 2025 | The Guardian

What happens to all those books in Harvard's libraries? Book burning?

[Stavros]

So the Trump Presidency may not be as close to Project 2025 as it could be with the America First Policy Institute led by Stephen Miller.

Among its proposals is this one -

"Just like Project 2025, AFPI’s policies propose massive changes to the executive branch like relocating physical federal agencies and Cabinet departments to low-income areas of the U.S.It also encourages dismantling the administrative state by requiring congressional vote in order to implement rules and regulations within federal agencies.
Perhaps the most alarming change is making all agency heads “serve to the pleasure of the president.”".
The right-wing organization in Trump’s ear replacing the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025 | The Independent

The pleasure of the President....or as is said when the House of Lords confirms the passing of laws in Parliament Le Roi le veult...

[KnightHawk 2.0]

So the Trump Presidency may not be as close to Project 2025 as it could be with the America First Policy Institute led by Stephen Miller.

Among its proposals is this one -

"Just like Project 2025, AFPI’s policies propose massive changes to the executive branch like relocating physical federal agencies and Cabinet departments to low-income areas of the U.S.It also encourages dismantling the administrative state by requiring congressional vote in order to implement rules and regulations within federal agencies.
Perhaps the most alarming change is making all agency heads “serve to the pleasure of the president.”".
The right-wing organization in Trump’s ear replacing the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025 | The Independent

The pleasure of the President....or as is said when the House of Lords confirms the passing of laws in Parliament Le Roi le veult...

The AFPI Policies is some downright alarming and scary ass shit.

[Stavros]

If Trump has chosen Lee Zeldin to head the EPA, he won't be shutting it down? There's a flame that just went out. Not that it is good news for the environment, or the EV market (with the blessing of Emir Musk?).

Lee Zeldin, Trump's EPA pick, could press deregulatory agenda fast | Overdrive

[Stavros]

Stand up the 'the Great Elon Musk', and the DOGE of the United States.

If you work for the Federal Govt and its agencies, I guess its flames first, then curtains, then nothing.

"Trump has announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the Department of Government Efficiency.
In a statement, Trump said:

"I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”). Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies – Essential to the “Save America” Movement".“This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!” Musk said.".

Note on efficiency in Govt: if the President walks off the job to play golf, is that an efficient use of taxpayers money?

[KnightHawk 2.0]

Stand up the 'the Great Elon Musk', and the DOGE of the United States.

If you work for the Federal Govt and its agencies, I guess its flames first, then curtains, then nothing.

"Trump has announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the Department of Government Efficiency.
In a statement, Trump said:

"I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”). Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies – Essential to the “Save America” Movement".“This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!” Musk said.".

Note on efficiency in Govt: if the President walks off the job to play golf, is that an efficient use of taxpayers money?

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy new job titles will last until July 4th 2026,and will be kicked to the curb afterwards. No it isn't an efficient use of taxpayers money.

[Stavros]

"It is my Great Honor to announce that Congressman Matt Gaetz, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The Attorney General of the United States. Matt is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice. Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponized Government...".
Trump announces Matt Gaetz as attorney general and Tulsi Gabbard for top intelligence post – US politics live

End it or start it? Now they be smokin'!

[KnightHawk 2.0]

"It is my Great Honor to announce that Congressman Matt Gaetz, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The Attorney General of the United States. Matt is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice. Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponized Government...".
Trump announces Matt Gaetz as attorney general and Tulsi Gabbard for top intelligence post – US politics live

End it or start it? Now they be smokin'!

Matt Gaetz who was under investigation by the Department Of Justice for sex trafficking,and Tulsi Gabbard was a democrat has gone Full MAGA. Neither of them have experience in the cabinet positions they are being appointed for,and both will have a difficult time getting confirmed by the US Senate.