Trump signed a memorandum
Trump has terminated former Vice President Kamala Harris’s Secret Service protection, according to a letter obtained by The New York Times. Mr. Trump signed a memorandum on Thursday that will end Ms. Harris’s protection as of Monday.
The Secret Service usually protects a former vice president for six months after they leave office, but President Joseph R. Biden Jr. had signed an order extending Ms. Harris’s protection for a year beyond that, according to two people familiar with the arrangement.
Ms. Harris’s aides had asked Mr. Biden’s team for the extended protection because of security concerns. Without the order from Mr. Biden, Ms. Harris’s protection would have ended in July.
The White House memorandum, signed by Mr. Trump, directed Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security secretary, “to discontinue any security-related procedures previously authorized by Executive Memorandum, beyond those required by law,” for Ms. Harris.
Psychopaths gonna psychopath.
Ms. Harris, as the first woman and the first Black person to serve as vice president, faced an elevated threat profile throughout her time in office, according to the people familiar with her security arrangement.
Because, you know, lots of people hate women and lots of people hate Black people. Also, lots of Republicans love guns. Also also lots of people love Trump. Put them all together and –
I was just remembering Trump’s dispute with Ed Koch back in the 80’s over taxes on his gawdy behemoth NYC skyscraper. Even back then his corrupt, narcissistic arrogance was apparent. Without teams of lawyers arguing legal minutiae he wouldn’t have had a leg to stand on. Here we are later with the same guy, unchanged, self righteous, but with way too much power. The vengeance he exacts on his perceived political and personal enemies is excessive. Typical of arrogant bullies with inferiority problems. And he is inferior, in most any measurement one can make. It’s really extraordinary how far an inheritance fueled greedy dipshit can go in this society. (see also Elon Musk). The real problem is that a lot of people don’t know just how malicious and utterly devoid of morality he is. He is loaned money for failed vanity projects which come to naught, which he defaults on, he is awarded television shows to boost his fragile, yet gigantic ego that no one but the most bored and depraved person could watch, he preys on people who think how much money one has is a sign of character or intelligence or goodness for that matter (see tech bros and other nouveau riche types), and he passes on the expenses of his failures to taxpayers and people who don’t deserve to pay them on his behalf, banks, residents, and so on. Nowadays, since he is so political, it’s all about vengeance on people who are so much more worthy than him in humanistic terms, and that this is all he has left. This is a game of an aging, demented, lifelong idiot. Good people can’t play that game for long. Look at how Bezos became the poster child for outlandish displays of wealth, while his ex wife McKenzie (the one who remained sane) got out of that life and became a prominent philanthropist. Quite a contrast. It’s a sick and twisted situation, and one where people who have zero self awareness (or become that way), and zero shits to give, fall for — hard. I remember thinking back then about Trump, 40 plus years ago now, who is this idiot and why is he getting so much attention? It says something about American society, and not anything good. I hope our democracy can survive whatever time is remaining of his administration, because it’s an absolute dumpster fire. Hopefully the mid-terms will slow down the devastation, but there again it feels like unwarranted optimism.
Or do know and couldn’t be happier about it.
Like a certain retired (from a Japanese university) American academic I know here in Japan, Bjarte. Alas, you couldn’t be more right.
Twilighter:
Should Musk & Trump be put in the same box?
For all his many faults, Musk has some genuine accomplishments. Tesla actually made a commercially successful electric car. SpaceX cut the cost of putting satellites in orbit by making the 1st stage of a rocket reusable. Whether SpaceX will succeed in making the top stage reusable is an open question.
Musk’s judgement seems to have become poor in recent years. Is it the ketamine?
Jim @4
I think in the case of inheritance and self admiration, yes that box. Of course the two are not the same sort of idiots, just two of those at the fringe who make wealth look like it carries more than it does. Musk is good at employing people to do profitable things, while Trump is good at… Hmm, maybe nothing. Musk made more money than Trump because Trump squandered most of his. At a certain level wealth is self perpetuating, and Trump started at that level, while Musk probably did too, but barely. Ambition levels are similar between the two as well, but ambition is not necessarily a virtue either.
I don’t know about Musk’s special K usage, other than what he self reported. I do know that ketamine has detrimental effects by all accounts. It’s rich people doing rich people things — with MJ it was propofol, with Prince it was fentanyl, etc. etc.