Trump Begins Dismantling Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Initiatives

 

A very limited sampling of the white nationalist/ misogynist transformation going on in the Malignant Fascist's Washington, DC.

White- and- man-washing history

The Air Force has removed training courses with videos of its storied Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs — the female World War II pilots who were vital in ferrying warplanes for the military — to comply with the Trump administration's crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

The videos were shown to Air Force troops as part of DEI courses they took during basic military training.

In a statement, the Air Force confirmed the courses with those videos had been removed and said it “will fully execute and implement all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued by the President, ensuring that they are carried out with utmost professionalism, efficiency and in alignment with national security objectives.”...

The Tuskegee Airmen?  WASPs?  You don't get any more American than that.  WTF.

Science- washing DEI from the FDA

The Food and Drug Administration has removed webpages about diversity and inclusion in clinical trials for cancer drugs.

The page for Project Equity, a 2021 initiative launched by the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence to ensure that cancer drugs were evaluated for approval based on data from a diverse group of study participants, has gone dark.

The program aimed to develop policies to make clinical trials for treatments more accessible to people who had been underrepresented in this research in the past. The removal comes amid the Trump administration's push to terminate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs and initiatives.

According to archived Project Equity pages, historically underrepresented groups included "racial and ethnic minorities, individuals who live in rural areas, sexual and gender minorities, and individuals with economic, linguistic, or cultural barriers to healthcare services."...

We can only hope it's the webpages that have been removed, not the accessibility to clinical trials. But if the information is deleted, how do people find out in order to participate (rhetorical question)?

Rolling back civil rights protections

Among the flurry of executive orders since his Jan. 20 inauguration, President Donald Trump has taken aim at rooting out diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs within the federal government. But his efforts go beyond DEI, with one recent order rescinding a Civil Rights-era rule that has helped protect millions of workers from discrimination. 

Mr. Trump's Jan. 21 order — "Ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity" — revokes the Equal Employment Opportunity rule signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 — which is still law today — had a loophole that excluded federal employees. 

Johnson signed the Equal Employment Opportunity rule to close the loophole, and those protections were signed into law in 1972. That rule bars federal contractors, who today employ 3.7 million people, from discriminating against job applicants or workers on the basis of race, gender, religion and other protected characteristics. It also gave the Labor Department the authority to take action against discrimination. 

Mr. Trump's order does not invalidate the law, and private and federal employees are still protected from discrimination as laid out under the Civil Rights Act...

We noted this last item yesterday in our "Skeets," but it bears repeating.  

Some of the above is overreaction by bureaucrats trying to make sense of the senseless flurry of orders signed by the MF, but the chaos and the white Christian revanchment are real and are all part of the plan for this ugly kakistocracy.  Of course, there's much more and there will be much more to come, and the sooner we get off our asses and fight back, the better.

BONUS:  Oliver Willis writes on "The origins of Trump's war on diversity."

(Image: via the Southern Heritage Air Foundation's 2023 Rise Above traveling exhibit)

Trump Begins Attack On Birthright Citizenship, Constitution

 

The first of what we expect to be many un- American assaults on the U.S. Constitution was launched on Monday when the lawless Malignant Fascist signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship, enshrined in the 14th Amendment. Democratic- led states, cities, and advocacy groups were prepared to fight this cruel manifestation of the MF's white nationalist authoritarianism:

Two dozen Democratic-led states and cities are challenging President Donald Trump’s bid to end birthright citizenship in court, a major constitutional challenge to one of the White House’s signature policies.

The lawsuits allege that a Trump executive order signed Monday violates the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which gives a constitutional right of citizenship to all children born in the United States.

“Despite a President’s broad powers to set immigration policy, however, the Citizenship Stripping Order falls far outside the legal bounds of the President’s authority,” states a lawsuit from 18 states, Washington, DC, and San Francisco.

The case could end up becoming the first major Supreme Court showdown for Trump’s second-term agenda. The 18 states filed in a Massachusetts federal court, which means any appeal of a ruling from that court will come up through the First US Circuit Court of Appeals, where all the judges are Democratic appointees. 

“The president’s entitled to put forth a policy agenda that he sees fit,” New Jersey Democratic Attorney General Matthew Platkin, who is co-leading the new lawsuit, told CNN.

“When it comes to birthright citizenship – something that’s been part of the fabric of this nation for centuries, that’s been in the Constitution for 157 years since the Civil War, that’s been upheld by the Supreme Court twice – the president cannot, with a stroke of a pen, rewrite the Constitution and upend the rule of law,” he added.

Also Tuesday, the attorneys general of Washington, Arizona, Oregon and Illinois brought their own lawsuit on the west coast. It was filed at a federal court in Seattle that is within the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, a traditionally left-leaning court that has become less liberal in recent years.

Both suits are also seeking a preliminary order blocking the policy before the Trump administration can take steps to implement it.

Similar lawsuits targeting Trump’s order were brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and immigration rights groups on Monday...

There's more at the link about the scope and timing of the executive order.  American Civil Liberties Union executive director Anthony D. Romero had this to say about the assault on the 14th Amendment:

“Denying citizenship to U.S.-born children is not only unconstitutional — it’s also a reckless and ruthless repudiation of American values. Birthright citizenship is part of what makes the United States the strong and dynamic nation that it is. This order seeks to repeat one of the gravest errors in American history, by creating a permanent subclass of people born in the U.S. who are denied full rights as Americans. We will not let this attack on newborns and future generations of Americans go unchallenged. The Trump administration's overreach is so egregious that we are confident we will ultimately prevail.”

Our concern is, while the litigants have legal precedent on their side, all bets are off once it reaches the MAGA Republican Supreme Court, which has blissfully ignored precedent in the past, overturning 50 years of it in Dobbs.  But, however hard it might be for SCOTUS to ignore the Amendment's plain language and 157 years of precedent in this instance, service to the cult leader and his authoritarian agenda could well "trump" all else.  Remember, these are the same servile 6 "justices" that determined the MF had full immunity for official acts. 

If he gets away with this egregious authoritarian overreach, don't be shocked if he reinterprets the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution in order to stay in power after the next 4 ugly years are up.

(Cartoon:  Jack Ohman, Tribune Content Agency)

Don't Know Much About History? Nikki Haley And Slavery

 

 

Lightweight- who- will- never- be- President Nikki Haley is used to talking in front of white nationalist Republican crowds who don't like to hear "woke"/ Critical Race Theory discussions about things like, um, American history -- specifically things like the Civil War.  It might make them feel (there's that word again) uncomfortable about the institution of slavery, the North's hostility toward which was the first reason Haley's home state of South Carolina cited when it seceded from the Union in 1860.  It's not the first time she's been asked, and we're certain Haley knows all about this history but was too chickenshit to mention it when she was confronted at a New Hampshire town hall yesterday: 

Nikki Haley had talked about a litany of issues America is confronting today — including fentanyl, inflation and wars abroad — before an audience member at a town hall here Wednesday raised his hand to question the Republican presidential candidate about a 162-year-old event.

“What was the cause of the United States Civil War?” the man asked Haley, a former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor who is campaigning this week in this key early primary state.

Haley’s answer did not include any mention of slavery, which scholars agree was the main driver of the conflict. It prompted surprise from her questioner and swift criticism and rebuttals from Democrats and Republicans beyond New Hampshire, including President Biden. It also resurfaced Haley’s previous comments that the war was the result of disagreements over “tradition versus change.”

At first, when she heard the question, Haley appeared caught off guard. The recreation room in this northernmost city in New Hampshire, a place that has leaned red in recent elections, grew quiet, and Haley looked at the man dressed in a plaid shirt who stood behind his sons seated in the back row.

She paused and responded, “Well, don’t come with an easy question.” Then she proceeded to answer.

“I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run, the freedoms and what people could and couldn’t do,” Haley said.

She then turned the question to the man who asked it: “What do you think the cause of the Civil War was?”

The man responded that he is not running for president and wanted to hear her thoughts.

“I think it always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are,” Haley continued. “And I will always stand by the fact that I think government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people. It was never meant to be all things to all people. Government doesn’t need to tell you how to live your life. They don’t need to tell you what you can and can’t do. They don’t need to be a part of your life.”

The man then responded, “In the year 2023, it’s astonishing to me that you answer that question without mentioning the word slavery.”

Haley quickly replied with a question: “What do you want me to say about slavery?”

The man said, “You’ve answered my question, thank you.” Haley replied, “Next question.”... (our emphasis)

Our next question would be, "Where and at what point did you lose your soul?"

One of our lasting political myths is that "character counts" when selecting a presidential nominee. Any number of candidates for president (including a few Democrats along the way) have failed to meet that standard, and the most recent Republican cult leader has completely obliterated it from that party's list of criteria for eternity.  Haley, being the ambitious lightweight that she is, will happily say whatever she thinks will help her in the moment.  Of course, she's a hypocrite like all of her Republican cult mates.  A daughter of immigrants, she's all over the place on immigration policy.  She's the current darling of the Republican- wired  horse race media, which has been desperately trying to brand her as a "different kind of Republican" for years now.  She ain't no "moderate."  She was reportedly vying to be the Malignant Loser's running mate in 2020.  Don't be surprised if she doesn't try the same move in 2024.  We could go on, but when it comes to Haley, there's no there there.  Suffice it to say, this should be disqualifying for anyone running for the Office of President of the United States, and with any luck, this unprincipled windsock is not likely to get within sniffing distance of the Oval Office again.

(Image:  via Wonkette)

BONUS:

It was about slavery. https://t.co/q9bTDvtPne

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 28, 2023

 

 

We Did Nazi That Coming (Yes, We Did)

 

When they tell you who they are the first time (and the second, third, fourth, etc.), believe them:

Two months after a prominent conservative activist and fundraiser was caught hosting white supremacist Nick Fuentes, leaders of the Republican Party of Texas have voted against barring the party from associating with known Nazi sympathizers and Holocaust deniers.

In a 32-29 vote on Saturday, members of the Texas GOP’s executive committee stripped a pro-Israel resolution of a clause that would have included the ban. In a separate move that stunned some members, roughly half of the board also tried to prevent a record of their vote from being kept.

In rejecting the proposed ban, the executive committee's majority delivered a serious blow to a faction of members that has called for the party to confront its ties to groups that have recently employed or associated with outspoken white supremacists and extremists.

In October, The Texas Tribune published photos of Fuentes, an avowed admirer of Adolf Hitler who has called for a “holy war” against Jews, entering and leaving the offices of Pale Horse Strategies, a consulting firm for far-right candidates and movements.

Pale Horse Strategies is owned by Jonathan Stickland, a former state representative and at the time the leader of a political action committee, Defend Texas Liberty, that two West Texas oil billionaires have used to fund right-wing movements, candidates and politicians in the state — including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Matt Rinaldi, chairman of the Texas GOP, was also seen entering the Pale Horse offices while Fuentes was inside for nearly 7 hours. He denied participating, however, saying he was visiting with someone else at the time and didn’t know Fuentes was there...

There's much more of the background and intra- party jousting at the link.  All we need to know is that anyone associating with a fascist, white nationalist, anti-Semitic scumbag like Fuentes should be known by the company they keep.  The Republican Party of Texas is now upfront as an anti-Semitic, Christofascist organization. Period.

(Photo:  Fuentes, hatless, with fellow incels on November 14, 2020, getting ready to speak at a "Stop the Steal" rally in Washington, DC / Leah Mills, Reuters)

 

Aiming For Dictatorship With A Dying Base

Two authors look into what the MAGAt Republican Party is up to before it succeeds in killing off its base.

Steven Beschloss writes about how the MAGAt Republican Party is "Aiming for Dictatorship" in 2025 and beyond.

... A deeply disturbing New York Times story published Monday described in polite terms a plan for “sweeping expansion of presidential power over the machinery of government,” what might be more accurately described as an aggressive effort underway to install dictatorship if Donald Trump retakes the White House.

This plot is committed to concentrating power in the hands of the president by ending liberal government and the independence of the Department of Justice, the civil service and other federal agencies that have been largely protected (by law or tradition) from presidential political interference. And there’s more—and not just the Trump plan to seek retribution by criminally investigating Biden and removing perceived enemies from Intelligence, Defense and State—but a plan to “impound” funds appropriated by Congress if he opposes their approved purpose.

And the people developing this plan are not hiding their intentions.  [snip]

I urge you to keep all this in mind when struggling to understand why Trump continues to get support not only from a cultist base, but also from Republican leadership and their policy professionals.

They don’t care that he’s a criminal. They don’t care if he’s a convicted sexual abuser or rapist. They don’t care if he’s never read the Bible or espouses violence. They don’t believe in government to make lives better. They reject democracy and the principles of equality.

They want power and they’ll pursue it by any means necessary to get it and keep it. Their plan for 2025 and another term makes clear why so many Republicans have looked away from every desecration and degradation and violation committed by Trump... 

To borrow a phrase, when they tell you who they are the first time, believe them.*

Jonathan Metzl, author of "Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland," is interviewed by Vox's Sean Illing, and the familiar (to us) methods Republicans use to keep their base voting for them and against their best interests:

... I look at the rejection of the Affordable Care Act in the South. I look at policies that make it far easier for people to get guns and carry guns everywhere. I look at tax cuts that benefit wealthy Americans but cut roads, bridges, and schools in poor and working-class areas. Every one of those policies has been sold as a policy that will make America great again. But they have devastating consequences for working-class populations, particularly working-class white populations, in many instances.

You can’t really understand why people might support those agendas if you just start the conversation today. There are long trajectories of anti-government sentiment that course through the South that Trump has tapped into. There are also concerns about what it means to have the government intervene in ways that equally distribute resources that working-class white populations fear might undermine their own sense of privilege.

I think the GOP has also been remarkably successful at tapping into this narrative — a narrative that makes people anxious that immigrants and minorities are going to take away privileges that are theirs...

The resentments manufactured by decades of Republican myth- making about "them vs. us," defending "white privilege" in an increasingly multi- ethnic society, the focus on bullying and circumscribing vulnerable populations, actively working against the interests and well- being of the people who nevertheless vote for you... that's the script.  As Beschloss notes above, Republicans aren't even trying to hide their autocratic, fascistic intentions anymore;  the dog whistles have become bullhorns in their evermore desperate attempt to gain power, then change the rules to stay in power indefinitely.

The frustrating part is that so far they've been successful in convincing millions that they're on their side, when in fact the "politics of racial resentment is killing America's heartland." That's some strategy for gaining and maintaining power!

Meanwhile, this evergreen pictorial says it all:

___________________

* Bonus relevant observation: "If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy." -- conservative writer David Frum.

Tweets Of The Day -- Surprised Not Surprised

Be sure to go to the Buzzfeed article for the details.

Scoop: The Justice Department Sent Immigration Judges A White Nationalist Blog Post With Anti-Semitic Attacks

“The post features links and content that directly attacks sitting immigration judges with racial and ethnically tinged slurs."

https://t.co/lxhgseqKZE via @haleaziz

— Tom Namako (@TomNamako) August 22, 2019

Yikes. “An email sent from the Justice Department to all immigration court employees this week included a link to” the white nationalist site VDare. https://t.co/5iYgiujRQu

— Eric Hananoki (@ehananoki) August 22, 2019

The entire government is Stephen Miller and a snow globe now. https://t.co/hzEidLgvCE

— Schooley (@Rschooley) August 22, 2019