‘Big Donald Is Watching You': MSNBC Host Mocks Gigantic Banner Of Trump
Velshi argued the oversized image of Trump now hanging on the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. is straight from the strongman playbook and similar to the grandiose imagery used by authoritarian leaders worldwide.
The tribute to Trump is 'far from the norm' in the U.S. and just one of the norms Trump has broken since returning to the White House, Velshi continued, referencing the fawning over Trump in Cabinet meetings and more.
'It may not matter to you,' Velshi acknowledged, 'But all of these changes can seem small and petty but it's the erosion of democratic norms. It's softening people up for potentially more immoral and authoritarian behavior.'
'If he can put up a giant poster of himself, then why not put up more until Trump becomes omnipresent?' he asked. 'Until you're reminded everywhere you go that old Big Donald is watching you.'
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Washington Post
a few seconds ago
- Washington Post
Live updates: Trump prepares for ‘listening exercise' with Putin in Alaska on Friday
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Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How the unraveling of two Pentagon projects may result in a costly do-over
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But seven months into his presidency, some of his own actions have complicated DOGE's work, from firing the Pentagon's inspector general to issuing an executive order prioritizing speed and risk-taking in defense acquisitions. Coupled with high-level vacancies in the Navy and Air Force that persisted well into the summer, the moves limit oversight of the Pentagon's contracting process and risk wasting hundreds of millions of additional taxpayer dollars as old projects are thrown out and new projects are agreed to, Reuters reporting based on sources, internal emails and documents, shows. 'There is a very real sense that we are in the regulatory Wild West with this administration – and it should come as no surprise that the traditional limits of 'normal contracting' are repeatedly going to be pushed and pressed in this environment,' said Franklin Turner, a federal contracting lawyer at McCarter & English. He said it is legal for the government to terminate any contract "for convenience," but said the Pentagon would be on the hook to reimburse the companies for wind-down costs plus take on the cost of any new replacement project. Trump officials say the administration is striving to make the contracting process more efficient. "Defense Secretary Hegseth is doing a great job restoring a focus on warfighters at the DOD while carrying out the American people's agenda to more effectively steward taxpayer dollars," White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said the agency is taking "swift action" to fix the "antiquated" defense contracting process by implementing Trump's executive orders. "This is how we will rebuild the military with necessary speed while ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely in the process,' she added. 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Costello, who has since retired, was reacting to pressure from other Air Force officials who wanted to steer a new HR project to SalesForce and Palantir , three sources said. Palantir co-founder Thiel was an early backer of President Donald Trump and has close ties with key Washington lawmakers, including Vice President JD Vance, whom he supported in a 2022 U.S. Senate race. Palantir in April won a $30 million contract from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to develop an operating system that identifies undocumented immigrants and tracks self-deportations, its largest single award from the agency among 46 federal contract actions since 2011. The Air Force said in a statement that it "is committed to reforming acquisition practices, assessing the acquisition workforce, and identifying opportunities to improve major defense acquisition programs." Accenture, Costello, Palantir and SalesForce did not respond to requests for comment. Space Force, which operates within the Air Force, was set to receive the Air Force's new payroll system in the coming months. But it is also pulling out of the project because officials there want to launch yet another HR platform project to be led by Workday, according to three people familiar with the matter. The service put out a small business tender on May 7 for firms to research HR platform alternatives, with the goal of selecting a company that will recommend Workday as the best option, the people said. Space Force did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Now the Air Force and Space Force "want to start over with vendors that do not meet their requirements, leading to significant duplication and massive costs," said John Weiler, director of the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council, a government-chartered nonprofit group that makes recommendations to improve federal IT contracting. 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USA Today
29 minutes ago
- USA Today
New data show the US's immigrant population declining dramatically. Is it true?
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