Speaking of Fascism

Damn it's a shame they got direct orders from Tom Homan to do that to a baby or else you might have to confront some uncomfortable realities about their personal culpability
 
Its been a while since I took Constitutional Law, if you ever have the chance read Central Missouri Political Science professor James Staab's books on Scalia and the Supreme Court, but anyways like I said its been some years (21 years in fact) since I've taken Con Law but didn't the courts rule as far back as the War of Southern Aggression that as long as the courts were open among other things that habeas corpus and the right to a trial by a jury of your peers could not be suspended?

Why yes, yes they did. The fog of time has eaten away much but that case, Ex Parte Milligan, is one that I still remember:


In our times the courts found that even an American who sought to commit terrorism against the country had the right to habeas corpus as they damn well should. I am no fan of Padilla but he had that right enshrined in our constitution.

 
A film we could all learn from, Bridge of Spies. Great film about how we defeated the communists while staying in the very clear bounds of the constitution.
 

White South Africans arrive in U.S. after Trump administration grants refugee status​


A plane carrying dozens of White South Africans arrived at Dulles International Airport on Monday, a State Department official said, after the Trump administration granted them refugee status in the United States.

The group — which includes families with children — was greeted at the D.C.-area airport by U.S. officials, including Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar. Landau told reporters the group has faced "egregious discrimination" in South Africa — which the country's government has denied.

Landau said the new arrivals were "carefully vetted" in South Africa prior to their arrival. They departed the country's capital city of Johannesburg via a charter plane on Sunday.

Earlier this year, President Trump directed his government to allow South Africans of European descent — particularly Afrikaners, who are largely descended from Dutch settlers — to be resettled through the U.S. refugee program.

The administration and its allies, including South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, allege members of South Africa's White minority have faced discrimination by the country's post-apartheid government, including through a controversial law that allows the government to take private land in some circumstances.

US-SAFRICA-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-IMMIGRATION
The first group of Afrikaners from South Africa to arrive for resettlement listen to remarks from US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar (both out of frame), after they arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, on May 12, 2025. SAUL LOEB/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

The South African government has strongly denied any discrimination, and argues the land seizure law respects private property rights and only targets land that isn't used or doesn't serve the public interest. Land ownership has long been a sensitive issue in South Africa, which was ruled by its White minority under the apartheid system until the mid-1990s.
 

Trump administration poised to accept 'palace in the sky' as a gift for Trump from Qatar: Sources​


The luxury jumbo jet is to be used as Air Force One, sources told ABC News.

Luxury jet from Qatar for Trump’s use is ‘legally shocking’: ExpertABC News’ Katherine Faulders and legal contributor Kim Wehle discuss the ethical and national security concerns related to the proposed gift.

In what may be the most valuable gift ever extended to the United States from a foreign government, the Trump administration is preparing to accept a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar -- a gift that is to be available for use by President Donald Trump as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation, sources familiar with the proposed arrangement told ABC News.

The gift had been expected to be announced next week, when Trump visits Qatar on the first foreign trip of his second term, according to sources familiar with the plans. But a senior White House official said the gift will not be presented or gifted while the president is in Qatar this week.

In a social media post Sunday night, Trump confirmed his administration was preparing to accept the aircraft, calling it a "very public and transparent transaction" with the Defense Department.

Trump had previously toured the plane, which is so opulently configured it is known as "a flying palace," while it was parked at the West Palm Beach International Airport in February.

PHOTO: A 13-year-old private Boeing aircraft that President Donald Trump toured to check out new hardware and technology features and highlight the aircraft maker's delay in delivering updated versions of the Air Force One presidential aircraft.

A 13-year-old private Boeing aircraft that President Donald Trump toured on Saturday to check out new hardware and technology features and highlight the aircraft maker's delay in delivering updated versions of the Air Force One presidential aircraft, takes off from Palm Beach Internatio...Show more Ben Curtis/AP

The highly unusual -- unprecedented -- arrangement is sure to raise questions about whether it is legal for the Trump administration, and ultimately, the Trump presidential library foundation, to accept such a valuable gift from a foreign power.

Anticipating those questions, sources told ABC News that lawyers for the White House counsel's office and the Department of Justice drafted an analysis for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concluding that is legal for the Department of Defense to accept the aircraft as a gift and later turn it over to the Trump library, and that it does not violate laws against bribery or the Constitution's prohibition (the emoluments clause) of any U.S. government official accepting gifts "from any King, Prince or foreign State."
https://abcnews.go.com/US/federal-g...ational-security-officials/story?id=118507244
Sources told ABC News that Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump's top White House lawyer David Warrington concluded it would be "legally permissible" for the donation of the aircraft to be conditioned on transferring its ownership to Trump's presidential library before the end of his term, according to sources familiar with their determination.

The sources said Bondi provided a legal memorandum addressed to the White House counsel's office last week after Warrington asked her for advice on the legality of the Pentagon accepting such a donation.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to ABC News, "Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws."

"President Trump's Administration is committed to full transparency," Leavitt added.

Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar's media attaché, said in a statement that the transfer of an aircraft for "temporary use" as Air Force One is current under consideration by Qatar's Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense.

trump-embed_1746938701221_hpEmbed_3x2.jpg

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters after disembarking Marine One upon arrival on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, May 4, 2025. Rod Lamkey/AP

The plane will initially be transferred to the United States Air Force, which will modify the 13-year-old aircraft to meet the U.S. military specifications required for any aircraft used to transport the president of the United States, multiple sources familiar with the proposed arrangement said.

The plane will then be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation no later than Jan. 1, 2029, and any costs relating to its transfer will be paid for by the U.S. Air Force, the sources told ABC News.

According to aviation industry experts, the estimated value of the aircraft Trump will inherit is about $400 million, and that's without the additional communications security equipment the Air Force will need to add to properly secure and outfit the plane in order to safely transport the commander in chief.

As the Wall Street Journal first reported, the aviation company L3Harris has already been commissioned to overhaul the plane to meet the requirements of a presidential jet.

In his social media post, Trump claimed Democrats are insisting the administration pay "TOP DOLLAR" for the aircraft rather than receive it for free.

Following ABC News' reporting, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said via social media, "Nothing says 'America First' like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar. It's not just bribery, it's premium foreign influence with extra legroom."

While Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., cited the Constitution's No Title of Nobility clause, writing, "the corruption is brazen."
https://abcnews.go.com/538/trump-giving-elon-musk-unprecedented-amount-power/story?id=118439637
trump-main_1746938670123_hpMain.jpg

President Donald Trump walks to board Marine One to depart for Alabama, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 1, 2025. Nathan Howard/Reuters

Both the White House and DOJ concluded that because the gift is not conditioned on any official act, it does not constitute bribery, the sources said. Bondi's legal analysis also says it does not run afoul of the Constitution's prohibition on foreign gifts because the plane is not being given to an individual, but rather to the United States Air Force and, eventually, to the presidential library foundation, the sources said.

The primary aircraft used in the current Air Force One fleet includes two aging Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets that have been operational since 1990. The Air Force contract with Boeing to replace those aircraft has been riddled with delays and cost overruns.

The original contract was signed in 2018, but as of last year, Boeing anticipated the aircraft would not be ready until 2029, after Trump leaves office.

The president has expressed deep frustration with the delays, tasking Elon Musk to work with Boeing and the Air Force to speed up the process. Those efforts have been modestly successful. Boeing's most recent estimated delivery date is now 2027, but Trump has made it clear he wants a new plane this year.
 

Trump administration poised to accept 'palace in the sky' as a gift for Trump from Qatar: Sources​


The luxury jumbo jet is to be used as Air Force One, sources told ABC News.

Luxury jet from Qatar for Trump’s use is ‘legally shocking’: ExpertABC News’ Katherine Faulders and legal contributor Kim Wehle discuss the ethical and national security concerns related to the proposed gift.

In what may be the most valuable gift ever extended to the United States from a foreign government, the Trump administration is preparing to accept a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar -- a gift that is to be available for use by President Donald Trump as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation, sources familiar with the proposed arrangement told ABC News.

The gift had been expected to be announced next week, when Trump visits Qatar on the first foreign trip of his second term, according to sources familiar with the plans. But a senior White House official said the gift will not be presented or gifted while the president is in Qatar this week.

In a social media post Sunday night, Trump confirmed his administration was preparing to accept the aircraft, calling it a "very public and transparent transaction" with the Defense Department.

Trump had previously toured the plane, which is so opulently configured it is known as "a flying palace," while it was parked at the West Palm Beach International Airport in February.

PHOTO: A 13-year-old private Boeing aircraft that President Donald Trump toured to check out new hardware and technology features and highlight the aircraft maker's delay in delivering updated versions of the Air Force One presidential aircraft.'s delay in delivering updated versions of the Air Force One presidential aircraft.

A 13-year-old private Boeing aircraft that President Donald Trump toured on Saturday to check out new hardware and technology features and highlight the aircraft maker's delay in delivering updated versions of the Air Force One presidential aircraft, takes off from Palm Beach Internatio...Show more Ben Curtis/AP

The highly unusual -- unprecedented -- arrangement is sure to raise questions about whether it is legal for the Trump administration, and ultimately, the Trump presidential library foundation, to accept such a valuable gift from a foreign power.

Anticipating those questions, sources told ABC News that lawyers for the White House counsel's office and the Department of Justice drafted an analysis for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concluding that is legal for the Department of Defense to accept the aircraft as a gift and later turn it over to the Trump library, and that it does not violate laws against bribery or the Constitution's prohibition (the emoluments clause) of any U.S. government official accepting gifts "from any King, Prince or foreign State."
https://abcnews.go.com/US/federal-g...ational-security-officials/story?id=118507244
Sources told ABC News that Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump's top White House lawyer David Warrington concluded it would be "legally permissible" for the donation of the aircraft to be conditioned on transferring its ownership to Trump's presidential library before the end of his term, according to sources familiar with their determination.

The sources said Bondi provided a legal memorandum addressed to the White House counsel's office last week after Warrington asked her for advice on the legality of the Pentagon accepting such a donation.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to ABC News, "Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws."

"President Trump's Administration is committed to full transparency," Leavitt added.

Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar's media attaché, said in a statement that the transfer of an aircraft for "temporary use" as Air Force One is current under consideration by Qatar's Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense.

trump-embed_1746938701221_hpEmbed_3x2.jpg

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters after disembarking Marine One upon arrival on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, May 4, 2025. Rod Lamkey/AP

The plane will initially be transferred to the United States Air Force, which will modify the 13-year-old aircraft to meet the U.S. military specifications required for any aircraft used to transport the president of the United States, multiple sources familiar with the proposed arrangement said.

The plane will then be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation no later than Jan. 1, 2029, and any costs relating to its transfer will be paid for by the U.S. Air Force, the sources told ABC News.

According to aviation industry experts, the estimated value of the aircraft Trump will inherit is about $400 million, and that's without the additional communications security equipment the Air Force will need to add to properly secure and outfit the plane in order to safely transport the commander in chief.

As the Wall Street Journal first reported, the aviation company L3Harris has already been commissioned to overhaul the plane to meet the requirements of a presidential jet.

In his social media post, Trump claimed Democrats are insisting the administration pay "TOP DOLLAR" for the aircraft rather than receive it for free.

Following ABC News' reporting, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said via social media, "Nothing says 'America First' like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar. It's not just bribery, it's premium foreign influence with extra legroom."

While Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., cited the Constitution's No Title of Nobility clause, writing, "the corruption is brazen."
https://abcnews.go.com/538/trump-giving-elon-musk-unprecedented-amount-power/story?id=118439637
trump-main_1746938670123_hpMain.jpg

President Donald Trump walks to board Marine One to depart for Alabama, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 1, 2025. Nathan Howard/Reuters

Both the White House and DOJ concluded that because the gift is not conditioned on any official act, it does not constitute bribery, the sources said. Bondi's legal analysis also says it does not run afoul of the Constitution's prohibition on foreign gifts because the plane is not being given to an individual, but rather to the United States Air Force and, eventually, to the presidential library foundation, the sources said.

The primary aircraft used in the current Air Force One fleet includes two aging Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets that have been operational since 1990. The Air Force contract with Boeing to replace those aircraft has been riddled with delays and cost overruns.

The original contract was signed in 2018, but as of last year, Boeing anticipated the aircraft would not be ready until 2029, after Trump leaves office.

The president has expressed deep frustration with the delays, tasking Elon Musk to work with Boeing and the Air Force to speed up the process. Those efforts have been modestly successful. Boeing's most recent estimated delivery date is now 2027, but Trump has made it clear he wants a new plane this year.
reminds me of an old timey film-

 
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