As of May 30, 2025
Benchmarks of Democratic Backsliding and Erosion
Trump’s personal battle of evermore with Harvard continues, with the administration banning foreign students from enrolling at Harvard and then a federal court issuing a temporary injunction. Trump further ordered a freeze on all federal government contracts with Harvard, putting on ice about $100 million in funds. This includes several hundred grants for medical research.
But who cares about real medical research when you can just make it up. Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy released a report on Making America Healthy Again (MAHA). The report however, is riddled with problems, primarily that many scientific studies referenced in the report do not exist. Yes, they were made up, fabricated. Additionally, the FDA issued a statement opining that pregnant women and healthy children do not need COVID vaccinations. Two issues, one, normally the Centers for Disease control makes vaccination recommendations, not the FDA, and two, pregnant women are at greater risk for bad outcomes from COVID infections, the science says. Sadly, after Kennedy’s intentions were made clear, the CDC followed suit. So, here we have it. Science based policy decisions are thing of the past. It’s Kennedy’s magical mystery tour.
The Department of Justice announced FBI investigations into several old closed cases. 1) They will reinvestigate pipe bombs left at the Democratic and Republican offices on January 6, you know the day Trump attempted a coup. Conservative conspiracy theories are that the FBI planted them. 2) The Dobbs Supreme Court leak will also be reinvestigated. My guess the “investigative results” it will be used to impeach one of the three remaining liberal justices. 3) During the Biden administration, a bag of cocaine was found and the FBI will reopen that investigation. This follows previous weeks of charging a democratic house member with assaulting a federal agent, dragging former FBI Director James Comey before investigators for allegedly threatening Trump by posting a number on line: 8647, and investigate New York’s Attorney General Letitia James for mortgage fraud.
Regarding foreign affairs, the U.S. Trade Court ruled this week that Trump’s global tariff regime was unconstitutional and that he overstepped his authority to issue such blanket global tariffs. An appeals court promptly stayed the Trade Court’s ruling until that court can weigh in early June. I imagine it will end up in the Supreme Court. It is anyone’s guess how that will end given the court’s propensity to hand over more and broader executive powers to Trump, basically fatally undermining the fundamental structure of separate and equal branches of government.
Meanwhile, Trump in a Friday missive lashed out at China for violating a ‘trade truce’ pending resolution of negotiations, which according to America’s negotiator, has stalled. I imagine he will have TACOs for lunch later this week. This lashing of China comes on the heels of the administrations announcement that it was reviewing visas issued to China. Trump is reimagining the America’s 19th Century “Chinese Exclusion Act.”
Not to be outdone, Rubio’s State Department, announced a new policy targeting foreign government official that allegedly censor social media. The intent of the policy is to target Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Morae, who has made rulings against the social media company X and Elon Musk. This will no doubt alienate one of our largest partners in South America. I guess Putin and Orban and other foreign government officials that censor social media will be target. Just joking.
Meanwhile, after condemning social media censors, the Department of State announced a freeze on foreign student visas pending the imposition of “expanded” social media reviews to detect anti-American or antisemitic posts. I guess our censorship is a different type of censorship, no?
In sum, Trump is picking a fight-to-the- death confrontation with Harvard, basically summoning all the coercive control levers of federal executive power. As I see it, Trump thinks that if he slays Harvard, the rest of academia will quickly surrender. He may be right. I expect him to ratchet up the pressure in the coming weeks.
China is another case of Trump tilting at windmills. I understand our strategic need to address China as an economic competitor – one that is kicking our butts, especially in technology – and a potential peer military opponent, but I just don’t see a comprehensive, well thought out strategy. For instance, on one hand he said he is imposing tariffs on China (and around the world) to bring manufacturing back to America. Yet, in the ‘big, beautiful bill,’ all the billions in investments in American clean energy domestic manufacturing is being killed. It makes no strategic sense.
Trump’s policies and management of foreign and domestic affairs are helter-skelter, undisciplined, score settling, and a way to line his and his family’s pockets with millions. An like a herd of wildebeests charging headlong in to a crocodile infested river, the Republican party follows.
Finally, so long Elon.
