STEPH ✨ @Stephfleet

Here’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in April announcing the end of the military’s mandatory annual flu vaccine requirement, calling it “Not rational.”

Republicans against Trump @RpsAgainstTrump

3 days ago

A major flu outbreak has sickened nearly 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that U.S. troops would no longer be required to be vaccinated for the flu—NYT

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A company owned by Trump donor and Mar-a-Lago neighbor John J. Cafaro, whom Trump has described as a “fantastic man,” was given a $1.7 million no-bid contract to install a water-purification system in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

"Greenwater Services" is the entirely too-literal name of the company responsible for destroying our historic Reflecting Pool. At this point, it is no surprise that the Trump administration's Reflecting Pool debacle is layered with deep corruption, turning a predictable farce into a national tragedy. Back in April, Trump allocated $1.2 million for a "renovation" of the iconic monument. By the time the pool was refilled around June 5, the cost had skyrocketed to nearly $15 million in a move familiar to anyone who has encountered old-school slumlords. Almost immediately, the water turned a toxic shade of green straight out of a low-budget horror film. As National Park Service workers in waders desperately dumped hydrogen peroxide into the water to battle the massive algae bloom, the cheap latex paint plastered over its floor began peeling away in massive chunks of "American flag blue." As the public demanded answers, attention turned to the contractor — an entity with zero experience managing priceless national monuments — and the details became even more incredibly seedy: The Shady Contractor: Several outlets recently identified the overpaid developer behind the mess as John Cafaro. His Past: Cafaro previously pled guilty in 2002 for attempting to bribe the late Representative Jim Traficant. He was also later penalized for violating federal campaign finance laws. The Pay-For-Play: The Daily Beast exposed the sweetheart deal as a blatant favor exchange. Cafaro has backed Trump since 2016, starting with a $50,000 donation, and later funneled over $300,000 into pro-Trump political committees. In exchange for this “support,” the Trump administration handed a convicted crook free rein to wreck one of America's most sacred public spaces. The pool's current state — choked with toxic scum and peeling paint chips — serves as a literal metaphor for the rot contaminating our institutions. When questioned, Interior Department spokesperson and Trump loyalist Katie Martin claimed with a straight face that the firm was chosen strictly because they had the "expertise, work force and materials." Meanwhile, the monument continues to visibly decompose right outside her office windows. Once again, public treasury and national pride have been sacrificed to enrich a well-connected donor. We are not even two years into this vengeance-fueled looting spree, and the damage is visible everywhere we look. A midterm victory for democracy is the only way to halt the destruction — remember this when you vote in November. [Image, left: REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon. Image, right: Unknown source.]

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More than 40 years ago, I arrived in Chicago in search of an idea. I was a young man looking for purpose, who believed deeply in America, was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, and wanted to be a part of something larger. The America I believed in was one where everyone has opportunity, everyone is seen, everyone belongs—because that was an America that had a place for me, too.

🚨 TRUMP SPARKS DIPLOMATIC CRISIS WITH ITALY: Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has canceled his planned June 21–22 trip to Washington after President Trump insulted Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, claiming she “begged” for a photo with him at the G7 and that he “felt sorry for her.” Meloni released a video firing back at Trump’s comments, calling them “completely fabricated.” “I am frankly appalled,” she said. “I don’t know why the President of the United States behaves this way towards his allies.” She added that Trump appears to show more accommodation toward “the enemies of the West” than America’s allies and concluded by saying: “Italy and I never beg.”

Holy shit. This video of a Trump advisor saying on CNN that the White House is “not afraid” to cut Medicaid and says “everything” is “on the table” including cuts on Social Security. MAGA is about to lose their health care. #HandsOffOurSocialSecurity

Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth’s crusade to purge women and people of color from our Armed Forces has never been subtle. But today, a New York Times exposé revealed exactly how far he’s gone to dismantle the careers and achievements of our finest servicemen and women. More than a dozen military insiders — both active duty and those already purged — spoke to the Times anonymously to unmask a horrific ongoing attack. They detailed a process used by Hegseth and his team to halt senior officer advancements for reasons completely unrelated to merit, job performance, or fighting wars. Hegseth’s efforts are part of a quest to advance his white-and-male centered worldview, facts, history, and actual service be damned. In the absence of any such evidence, insiders confirmed that he has used his position to withhold promotions from qualified, decorated veterans. The Times cited several enraging examples: • Last fall, Hegseth ordered Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll to remove two Black and two female officers from a 29-person promotion list. Driscoll repeatedly refused, citing their decades of exemplary service. In March, Hegseth bypassed him, removed their names, and sent the modified list to the White House. • In total, Hegseth has removed 32 officers from Air Force and Navy one- and two-star promotion lists. He also pulled the only Black officer and the only female officer from a Marine Corps list, leaving their promotions in limbo. • Vice Adm. Sara Joyner, a highly decorated three-star fighter pilot, saw her advancement stalled over a 2021 Navy recruiting ad where she said, "I’m not just a girl with a dream. I’m a sailor with one." Hegseth deemed the line a "big problem." Joyner has since retired. • Rear Adm. Stephen D. Barnett was recommended for a promotion after successfully managing the aftermath of a massive Navy fuel spill in Hawaii. Hegseth blocked his advancement after Barnett participated in a Navy-sponsored Pride event back in 2018. It is an outrage to watch a media personality whose greatest battles have been with hangovers intentionally harm the careers of people who risked everything to keep America safe. Hegseth’s actions are insult to all who have served and a risk to national security. [Image: REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov]

An aerial view shows crews dismantling the UFC fighting venue on the South Lawn of the White House. The grass on the Ellipse has been completely destroyed following the UFC viewing party. REUTERS/Aaron Schwartz

The extent of Trump's destruction of Washington, D.C., is truly stunning. It's the ultimate metaphor. The algae-infested Reflecting Pool. The destroyed grass from the UFC event. The bulldozed East Wing grounds. "86 47" etched into the lawn near the Reflecting Pool. REUTERS/Aaron Schwartz

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Trump spectacularly failed his latest cognitive test

Trump speaking in front of the new Qatar Force One which he will keep after leaving the WH, claims that Qatari generosity was necessary to uphold the prestige of the United States. How far we have fallen under this corrupt buffoon.

Acyn @Acyn

2 days ago

Trump on Qatar: I asked the Emir if we could use the brand new 747 that he got. A normal president wouldn’t do that but our country has to be represented properly.

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JD Vance on Fox & Friends this morning: "One of the things the president has set us out to do as a high priority is to open the straits. That's now happened." (The strait has since been closed lol)

He broke every promise. Remember that in November.

Trump delivers a rambling speech at Joint Base Andrews about accepting a jet from Qatar to complete and utter silence. You can't hear a single sound from the audience in this 90 second clip.

This is genocidal rhetoric. Period. Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir just declared: "For every tear of an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep." "All of Lebanon must burn." A senior member of Netanyahu's government is openly calling for the suffering of an entire civilian population. That is sick. That is depraved. That is the kind of rhetoric that should be condemned by every decent human being.

Trump on his bullsh*t ballroom: "I don't need it through the Senate. I'm paying for it myself. I don't know what they're talking about, giving a billion? I don't need money from the Senate; I'm putting up my own money." WTAF: Trump stole $352M for Secret Service training and used it to build the ballroom after failing to bully the Senate, trying to fire the parliamentarian is now GASLIGHTING and straight-up lying.

The contrast

It appears the paint or whatever the Trump regime used to cover the large "86 47" etched into the lawn near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has worn away, and the numbers are once again visible. June 19, 2026. REUTERS/Aaron Schwartz

🚨 BREAKING: Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, citing what it calls U.S. failure to uphold the “end-of-war agreement,” Israel’s continued strikes in southern Lebanon, and Israel’s refusal to withdraw from the area. Iran’s Armed Forces warned: “This step is the first response to the enemy’s breach of promise, and if the aggression continues, subsequent steps will be planned and taken to compel the enemy to fulfill its commitments.” (via Fars News)

According to the book Regime Change, Donald Trump repeatedly called Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick a "pussy" after Lutnick initially pushed back on Trump's tariff plans. The book says Lutnick eventually embraced the insult, allegedly referring to himself as Trump's "$25 billion pussy."