Some weeks you get angry.  Other weeks you shake your fist in the air.  Still others you simply shake your head in disbelief and embarrassment.  Those are the reactions that naturally come from the Trump Administration’s baffling, unhinged, and lawless (as so many court orders have shown) decisions and behavior.  Ordinarily I try to focus on a single theme or governing topic.  This week, I can only be reminded that this is the way the United States is behaving and is being represented.  

The most discussed topic of the week is the use of a public messaging service called Signal by our nation’s most senior national security officials to debate, plan, and discuss an attack by the US on terrorists (Houthi) in Yemen.  The use of this service was likely on cell phones of these national security leaders (Secretary of State Rubio, National Security Advisor Waltz, Defense Secretary Hegseth, Vice President Vance, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Miller, CIA Director Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Gabbard, Middle East & Ukraine envoy Witkoff) although none of them will admit publicly how they were accessing the service (even to Congress, because why should we expect any accountability from this bunch?).  We already know the vulnerabilities of mobile phones (just google “iPhone security threats” to begin your worries), and this is aside from the tech capabilities of government spy agencies.  But even though we take them seriously, this group of appointees that Trump called “the best cabinet ever” couldn’t be bothered to take care.  Because not only did they freely discuss our views on foreign intervention, leadership in the war on terror, need for a good marketing message (essentially to drive decisions), strategic details of a strike on foreign soil, and the name of a foreign CIA intelligence officer – well they shared all of this with Jeffrey Goldberg from the The Atlantic magazine (with no one questioning who JG was in the chat and why they were on the chat).  Reckless?  Incompetent?  Embarrassing?  Choose your own adjective.

While the administration attempted to deny and misinform the public on something that was confirmed as true to Congress, we also saw (via video) numerous people being swept up off of the streets by ICE agents and detained with the intent to deport.  Some of the people were green card holders while others held student visas.  The thing they had in common – connections to populations out of favor with the current government.  Some were pro-Gazan (and thereby pro Hamas, as argued by the Administration).  Some were Venezuelan (and thus assumed to be members of Venezuelan gangs by ICE).  Some were pro-Ukrainian Russians.  Now it is true that our laws do provide for people with visas to be subject to certain responsibilities (don’t break the law, don’t oppose our democracy), but they are still afforded the five freedoms (speech, religion, assembly, press, petition the government) – or at least Justice Scalia thought so.  In fact, the Constitution rarely distinguishes the rights of citizens and non-citizens in this country (excepting when voting).  But the Trump Administration wishes to take a page out of the Pinochet playbook and ‘disappear’ people from our streets.  They even invoke a truly random law from 1798 (the Alien Enemies Act) to support their actions in some cases (despite the triggering mechanism of this Act being that Congress has declared war on another country).  Once again, the courts have roundly rejected these actions, not once but twice.

But the most jarring use millions of our tax dollars this week were the TV ads those of us who still watch television were subjected to by this Administration.  Guised as public service announcements, over half of the time is used by Secretary Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary, to sing the praises of her dear leader (the President) with about 15 seconds messaging that self-deportation is an option and illegal immigration is a crime.  Some of the ad just appears to be Noem’s attempt to confirm with the audience that she looks good in a tailored suit and has really good hair.  Mind you, the ad is only in English – not the language of the targeted deportees – so I’m uncertain how the ad will have the supposedly desire effect. There was a time when blatantly political ads could not be paid for with American tax dollars.  I guess those days are over.  Heck maybe the President will resurrect “The Apprentice” the next time he fires someone in his administration and create videos for all of us to see – assuming he has the guts to fire anyone in person anymore.

Take your pick – reckless with our national security, disappearing people who exercise their freedom of speech and assembly, video saber-rattling for the political base. This is how our country’s tax dollars were spent this week.

And the national disgrace continues…