Just Ask The Question Newsletter - 2.5.24
The world descends into chaos...
Welcome back to the Just Ask the Question newsletter where we share insights on the White House and politics through podcast interviews, original articles and commentary.
And because everyone deserves a break now and then from all that is D.C., we will also share the lighter side of the news with exclusive interviews from leading pop culture figures. sign up here
Also, if you’d like to be a part of our podcast, send us any QUESTION you want answered on any News topic of the day, we WILL answer on the show, recognize you by name, and thank you for your contribution.
JUST ASK THE QUESTION with MICHAEL COHEN
Brian Karem has a conversation about the first 100 days of Donald Trump with Michael Cohen.
Team Trump meets the press — and eats the press
White House press corps is now mostly "content creators" delighted to be there, who prefer gossip to news
On his ninth day, Donald Trump’s new administration finally summoned the White House press corps to the Brady Briefing Room. It was vintage Trump.
For close to an hour on Tuesday, the youngest White House press secretary in history, Karoline Leavitt, decried legacy media, disparaged the Biden administration and personally insulted the former president. At one point she said that Joe Biden probably hadn’t taken presidential action on the price of eggs because he was “upstairs in the residence sleeping.”
That’s right. She bore false witness against her neighbor while wearing a cross around her neck declaring her Christian beliefs. Leavitt also said she was committed to telling the truth while speaking on behalf of President Donald Trump. So if he lies, as he does on a daily basis, will she repeat it? She didn’t say and no one asked. I guess she thinks she can have it both ways.
Other things that went unasked and unanswered? No one asked how the president, through an executive order, could freeze government spending. The Constitution specifically states that Congress has the job of imposing taxes and spending money, giving it what is colloquially known as “the power of the purse.” On Wednesday, the White House rescinded that budget memo, which had sparked confusion and multiple legal challenges. To create still more confusion, Leavitt said later on Wednesday afternoon that while the memo had been rescinded, the actions of the president remained in full force. Hello?
TRUMP: First 100 Days
A preview of things to come. Brian Karem, Mark Zaid, and John T. Bennett discuss what could happen in Donald Trump's First One Hundred Days in office.
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“I believe almost everything he says”: Why Trump just unleashed homegrown criminals on America
This is Donald Trump at his most destructive — and it’s only week one
I've often said it would be a cold day in hell before Donald Trump walked back into the White House. Monday was a cold day in Washington. Many people think the place is hell. And Donald Trump just walked back into the White House. Snow on Bourbon Street in New Orleans was merely icing on the cake.
Trump’s second administration began in his typical fashion: divisive, destructive, delusional and defeating, with a side order of bombastic baloney followed by anger, petulance, darkness and threats. It was like watching Darth Vader getting inaugurated — all that was missing was "The Imperial March," though Elon Musk tried his best to substitute that with a Nazi-like salute.
Trump fans focused on his idea of merit-based hiring, ending DEI and his promises to protect free speech while declaring there are only two genders. Trump detractors focused on his divisive nature, threats against Panama his political enemies, and everything else, including how the first lady dressed and that oddball Musk, who looks more and more like a cartoon criminal from a 1970s "Scooby Doo" episode.
Just Ask the Press - Trump, Musk, and the future of the free world
In this episode, Brian Karem, Mark Zaid, and John T. Bennett discuss the latest news, including Elon Musk's controversial access to federal data, the implications of Trump's trade war, and the changing dynamics of media access within the Department of Defense. The conversation highlights concerns over national security, the potential impact of Trump's policies on his supporters, and the broader implications of these developments for democracy and governance. In this conversation, the speakers discuss the ongoing political targeting within the FBI, the implications of revealing the identities of agents involved in politically sensitive cases, and the intimidation tactics being employed against them. They also explore the lack of due process in disciplinary actions against FBI personnel, the scrubbing of health information related to DEI policies, and the broader implications of extreme political discourse in America.
"A series of criminal efforts to retain power”: The stench of American politics overwhelms us all
We have two parties in this country — one has no heart and the other has no head
Imagine living in a country dominated by two political parties.
This imaginary country is ostensibly a representative democracy, though some call it a republic just to be obtuse.
Further, imagine the country’s political climate is horribly divided. Family members, friends and acquaintances live side by side and in a jurisdiction whose motto is “United We Stand. Divided We Fall.” However, in these so-called united territories, the citizens call each other enemies because of political differences. Imagine more than four dozen different provinces constitute the country. Some of these regions are run by one of the main parties while other territories are run by the other – though members of both parties live in each zone.
The two main parties seem to take turns leading the country, but the divisive national politics has taken its toll in the last five decades. There’s been little progress. Cultural stagnation is commonplace. Infrastructure, education, healthcare and common courtesy are all failing. Many of the elected representatives do not represent their districts, but rather the most vocal, well-heeled and easiest-bought members of the district. A great national malaise infects the rest, who rarely, if ever, pay attention to the political forces tearing them apart.
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