Under Cover Of ‘Shock And Awe,’ Trump Takes Concrete Steps To Hobble Government

January 29, 2025
STERLING, VIRGINIA - JANUARY 18: (Editors Note: Alternative Crop) U.S. President-elect Donald Trump attends a private party and fireworks show at Trump National Golf Club on January 18, 2025 in Sterling, Virginia. Tr... STERLING, VIRGINIA - JANUARY 18: (Editors Note: Alternative Crop) U.S. President-elect Donald Trump attends a private party and fireworks show at Trump National Golf Club on January 18, 2025 in Sterling, Virginia. Trump has arrived in the Washington, DC region ahead of his inauguration ceremony on January 20 which has been moved inside the U.S. Capitol as temperatures are expected to be the coldest in forty years. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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January 29, 2025

Amid a flurry of executive actions meant to demoralize his opponents and flex his supposed “mandate” from a historically narrow election win, Donald Trump has begun the real work of neutering the government and punishing his enemies.

In the first 24 hours of his presidency, that has entailed a vengeful stripping of security clearances, firing top immigration court officials and abruptly shutting down an app tens of thousands of legal immigrants were using to set up appointments for work permits and asylum requests.

Follow along with TPM’s live coverage:

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Amid a flurry of executive actions meant to demoralize his opponents and flex his supposed “mandate” from a historically narrow election win, Donald Trump has begun the real work of neutering the government and punishing his enemies.

In the first 24 hours of his presidency, that has entailed a vengeful stripping of security clearances, firing top immigration court officials and abruptly shutting down an app tens of thousands of legal immigrants were using to set up appointments for work permits and asylum requests.

Follow along with TPM’s live coverage:

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  1. That fuckwit could use some concrete overshoes.

  2. Avatar for jp jp says:

    It helps when you’re wondering if you’re alone feeling this way and then see an article making it clear that was the expectation and the gleeful cruelty was to help keep people off-base and scattered.

  3. Well the Potomac is deep enough. Imagine the splash. It would be Yuuuuge.

  4. Incompetence is already setting in:

    https://bsky.app/profile/amazonchique.bsky.social/post/3lg7z2whj422y

  5. Just stating the obvious here, the “shock and awe” is also aimed at R Senators, an attempt to establish a sense of inevitability for his cabinet nominations. How dare they oppose the King in his moment of triumph!

    I’m hoping a few of the nominees like RFK Jr., Gabbard, and maybe Patel are radioactive enough that it won’t work. Not every R Senator is up for reelection in the midterms.

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