The Apprentice Season 2 - The Second Presidency of Donald Trump

[Skinypupy]

Wow. That has to suck to hear but definitely your fault.

Harsh.

[LawBeefaroni]

Wow. That has to suck to hear but definitely your fault.

Harsh.

Shit, edited. Typo.

[Max Peck]

I'd say the original was harsh but fair funny.

[Skinypupy]

Wow. That has to suck to hear but definitely your fault.

Harsh.

Shit, edited. Typo.

LOL, I figured.

[Holman]

I just got a call from a former client letting me know that up to 100 people at their agency are potentially subject to "administrative action", primarily because they attended a DEI training course that I sold to them. This was loooooong before any of the current DEI executive orders happened, during first and second year of the Biden administration. Two of their senior leaders have been placed "administrative leave", apparently with that program specifically called out as one of the reasons why.

I need to go vomit now.

Holy shit.

You're saying clients are being punished because they attended DEI training years before Trump's anti-DEI action was in place?

I cannot believe this shit. I cannot believe we're putting up with it.

[Skinypupy]

Holy shit.

You're saying clients are being punished because they attended DEI training years before Trump's anti-DEI action was in place?

Appears that way. Here's the article (the program they refer to is mine).

According to the client who called me tonight, the agency has asked specifically for the names of anyone who went through the program. The expectation is that they will receive some sort of disciplinary action this week.

[Holman]

Fucking monstrous.

[waitingtoconnect]

https://fortune.com/2025/02/02/musk-dog ... n-charity/

How is this legal???? How is it legal to put up this information. Are these guys openly passing around confidential government payment data????

Markets are crashing as well; 1-2% falls coming up for the nasdaq and Wall Street today.

[waitingtoconnect]

Now? People are worried that 'civil disobedience' that this nation was built on will end their freedom, their careers, even see their families face reprisals.

That's clearly the goal. And if everyone yields, it's over. Fear and normalcy bias ("this is fine" dog) are what they're counting on.

And as we are seeing that’s happening for being assigned to the Jan 6 investigation, or for attending a DEI course.

And democrats are silent out of incompetence or complicity or because they to have been silenced I can’t say.

[Isgrimnur]

[waitingtoconnect]

This is a disaster.. I knew this would happen but that doesn’t help

[waitingtoconnect]

Wow. That has to suck to hear but definitely your fault.

Harsh.

Shit, edited. Typo.

LOL, I figured.

I was thinking mirror universe LawBrefaroniwithGoatee…

Sorry about what happened to you. I am aware of others who had MANDATORY courses who are being punished or put on leave now as well.

[Punisher]

Holy shit.

You're saying clients are being punished because they attended DEI training years before Trump's anti-DEI action was in place?

Appears that way. Here's the article (the program they refer to is mine).

According to the client who called me tonight, the agency has asked specifically for the names of anyone who went through the program. The expectation is that they will receive some sort of disciplinary action this week.

Just curious, but wouldn't those be a class that their job required them to take? Or was it something each person asked for?
I mean if ot was a job requirmentd, what were they supposed to di?

[Victoria Raverna]

Holy shit.

You're saying clients are being punished because they attended DEI training years before Trump's anti-DEI action was in place?

Appears that way. Here's the article (the program they refer to is mine).

According to the client who called me tonight, the agency has asked specifically for the names of anyone who went through the program. The expectation is that they will receive some sort of disciplinary action this week.

Just curious, but wouldn't those be a class that their job required them to take? Or was it something each person asked for?
I mean if ot was a job requirmentd, what were they supposed to di?

From the article, it was a voluntary two-day training.

[Victoria Raverna]

Elon Musk says President Donald Trump has ‘agreed’ USAID should be shut down

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Agency for International Development is on the cusp of being shuttered, according the Trump administration’s billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk — who has been wrestling for control of the agency in recent days.

Early Monday, Musk held a live session on X Spaces, previously known as Twitter Spaces, and said that he spoke in detail about USAID with the president. “He agreed we should shut it down,” Musk said.

“It became apparent that its not an apple with a worm it in,” Musk said. “What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.” “We’re shutting it down.”

His comments come after the administration placed two top security chiefs at USAID on leave after they refused to turn over classified material in restricted areas to Musk’s government-inspection teams, a current and a former U.S. official told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Members of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, eventually did gain access Saturday to the aid agency’s classified information, which includes intelligence reports, the former official said.

Musk’s DOGE crew lacked high enough security clearance to access that information, so the two USAID security officials — John Voorhees and deputy Brian McGill — believed themselves legally obligated to deny access.

The current and former U.S. officials had knowledge of the incident and spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the information.


Musk on Sunday responded to an X post about the news by saying, “USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die.” He followed with additional posts on X about the aid agency.

Kate Miller, who serves on an advisory board for DOGE, said in a separate post that no classified material was accessed “without proper security clearances.”

It comes a day after DOGE carried out a similar operation at the Treasury Department, gaining access to sensitive information including the Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems. The Washington Post reported that a senior Treasury official had resigned over Musk’s team accessing sensitive information.

Musk formed DOGE in cooperation with the Trump administration with the stated goal of finding ways to fire federal workers, cut programs and slash federal regulations.

USAID, whose website vanished Saturday without explanation, has been one of the federal agencies most targeted by the Trump administration in an escalating crackdown on the federal government and many of its programs.

“It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics. And we’re getting them out,” Trump said to reporters about USAID on Sunday night.

The Trump administration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have imposed an unprecedented freeze on foreign assistance that has shut down much of USAID’s humanitarian, development and security programs worldwide — compelling thousands of layoffs by aid organizations — and ordered furloughs and leaves that have gutted the agency’s leadership and staff in Washington.

The U.S. is by far the world’s largest donor of humanitarian aid, with USAID administering billions of dollars in humanitarian, development and security assistance in more than 100 countries.

Peter Marocco, a returning political appointee from Trump’s first term, was a leader in enforcing the shutdown. USAID staffers say they believe that agency outsiders with visitors badges asking questions of employees inside the Washington headquarters are members of Musk’s DOGE team.

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a post on Sunday that Trump was allowing Musk to access people’s personal information and shut down government funding.

“We must do everything in our power to push back and protect people from harm,” the Massachusetts senator said, without giving details.

[Skinypupy]

Holy shit.

You're saying clients are being punished because they attended DEI training years before Trump's anti-DEI action was in place?

Appears that way. Here's the article (the program they refer to is mine).

According to the client who called me tonight, the agency has asked specifically for the names of anyone who went through the program. The expectation is that they will receive some sort of disciplinary action this week.

Just curious, but wouldn't those be a class that their job required them to take? Or was it something each person asked for?
I mean if ot was a job requirmentd, what were they supposed to di?

It was voluntary. It was also about the most innocuous DEI program you could imagine. Focused on how to recognize the contributions of all employees, ensure people felt safe and engaged so they could contribute their best efforts, build cultures of trust and inclusion, and tools to stand up for others when you saw instances of bias or discrimination occur. With the primary goal of helping agencies achieve better results with ALL their stakeholder group. Just pure evil, obviously.

It's a program that was offered at over a dozen other federal agencies. So now everyone who went through it (over 1,800 federal employees since 2010) is potentially at risk.

[Skinypupy]

“It became apparent that its not an apple with a worm it in,” Musk said. “What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.” “We’re shutting it down.”

Musk on Sunday responded to an X post about the news by saying, “USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die.” He followed with additional posts on X about the aid agency.

I'm sure he has actual evidence of this criminal activity and it's not just shit he makes up in his mind during one of his ketamine-fueled episodes, right?

Who am I kidding...it doesn't matter. We're fucked.

[GreenGoo]

“It became apparent that its not an apple with a worm it in,” Musk said. “What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.” “We’re shutting it down.”

Musk on Sunday responded to an X post about the news by saying, “USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die.” He followed with additional posts on X about the aid agency.

I'm sure he has actual evidence of this criminal activity and it's not just shit he makes up in his mind during one of his ketamine-fueled episodes, right?

Who am I kidding...it doesn't matter. We're fucked.

Facts cannot be checked in a free society.

[LawBeefaroni]

What is the standqrd for a "criminal organization"? If it's violating laws, then Tesla and SpaceX and Starlink are all criminal organizations. All three have been fined for violating laws and federal regulations.


If it's, just "waaaahh, I don't like them" the I gots nothing.

[hepcat]

I'm sure he has actual evidence of this criminal activity and it's not just shit he makes up in his mind during one of his ketamine-fueled episodes, right?

I've got to speak up when you write things like that.

I think it's grossly unfair of you to assume it's JUST ketamine.

[Grifman]

What is going on with AID is patently unconstitutional. Congress set it up and Congress funds it. A president just can’t arbitrarily shut down a govt agency. The Democrats need to draw a line here, else this will only be the first agency illegally shut down. A lawsuit needs to be filed that this is unconstitutional and a stay issued.

The Republican Congress doesn’t even care about their constitutional prerogatives. Why are they even serving if they are just going to rubber stamp everything Trump does? Just let him rule by decree.

[LawBeefaroni]

The Republican Congress doesn’t even care about their constitutional prerogatives. Why are they even serving if they are just going to rubber stamp everything Trump does? Just let him rule by decree.

I know it's probably a rhetorical question but they need to contine to "serve" to maintain all the benefits and income streams of the office. It's an elite club with elite privileges.

Constitution ain't got nothing to do with it. Obviously.

[waitingtoconnect]

What is going on with AID is patently unconstitutional. Congress set it up and Congress funds it. A president just can’t arbitrarily shut down a govt agency. The Democrats need to draw a line here, else this will only be the first agency illegally shut down. A lawsuit needs to be filed that this is unconstitutional and a stay issued.

The Republican Congress doesn’t even care about their constitutional prerogatives. Why are they even serving if they are just going to rubber stamp everything Trump does? Just let him rule by decree.

It’s also against the court order to cease doing what they were doing with funding. Instead they are openly flaunting things like payment data to charities claiming criminality.

The Republican house and some democrats are basically proving Congress to be an irrelevancy.

What will they do when Elon stops funding that.

To an extent so are the courts. And the public by not protesting this.

[hepcat]

Trump does whatever he feels like and doesn't care if it goes to court. His entire business career revolved around doing as much as he could and only stopping once a court said to...and even then, he'd continue to fight them. He's seen more courts than Louis XIV.

[El Guapo]

I personally think slash hope this effect will not last and we will start to see massive protests as the real pain starts to be experienced. And particularly hoping so for three letter agencies, military and business power brokers that have played nice so far that will quickly learn they have been conned badly.

I get all that, but short of a general strike nationwide, I'm not sure what we can actually do at this point that will change anything. It's pretty clear the Democrats in Congress are (at best) neutered and at worst, complicit. I don't think the military leadership is going to engage in a coup so that means we need to hope that corporations somehow strong arm the administration into doing things that stop harming the average citizen? If that is the plan you''ll excuse me for thinking we are well and truly boned - and that's just as an "average" American. None of this addresses marginalized populations that have been clearly and actively targeted in the last ~2 weeks.

I'm all for protests, but I'm not sure we're going to protest our way out of this one.

Protests aren't a cure all, but they're not useless, and they're probably one of the best tools available. Protests give the media something to cover, increasing pressure on Democrats to do something. Anything big that Democrats do energizes protests, which further pressures Democrats (and other public servants / business / figures), etc.

Of course, someone needs to do something to get all of this started. I don't really know why, for example, there isn't a Democratic senator at the USAID offices with cameras and media, for example.

[Smoove_B]

Protests aren't a cure all, but they're not useless, and they're probably one of the best tools available. Protests give the media something to cover, increasing pressure on Democrats to do something. Anything big that Democrats do energizes protests, which further pressures Democrats (and other public servants / business / figures), etc.

Well it's a good thing we have a free and fair press that currently laser-focused on exposing what's happening.

Of course, someone needs to do something to get all of this started. I don't really know why, for example, there isn't a Democratic senator at the USAID offices with cameras and media, for example.

Not nearly as exciting as the red carpet looks at the Grammy Awards last night. Did you see Taylor's dress?!

EDIT: There were protests in the LA area yesterday over immigration deportations; that did make some news - especially when the police were seemingly ready to roll in and crack skulls and then they just left instead.

I don't mean to sound so dismissive, but I just don't think protesting is going to work here. Unfortunately our very systems are being infiltrated and so we're reliant on our representatives in the system to do something and it's pretty clear over the last two weeks, they won't. Should have known after 1/6/21 when they all just went back to work and acted like everything was fine for the next 2+ years that we were in trouble.

[hepcat]

Sadly/Happily, a democracy is only as democratic as its majority allows. We need to either educate people on how awful Trump is (which doesn't seem to work) or wait for rising prices in stores/on auto lots due to tariffs and lack of migrant workers to get things sane again. Unfortunately, non cult members are going to have to suffer too until then....hopefully it's "until".

Meanwhile, I'll continue praying to a giant effigy of Ronald McDonald I had made.

[Holman]

[Smoove_B]

It's not just the USAID stuff and South Africa - he's escalated.

US President Donald Trump has said he will cut all future funding to South Africa over allegations that it was confiscating land and "treating certain classes of people very badly".

Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law a bill that allows land seizures without compensation in certain circumstances.

Land ownership has long been a contentious issue in South Africa with most private farmland owned by white people, 30 years after the end of the racist system of apartheid.

Between this, the need for heavy metals in Greenland and targeting trans folks it kinda feels like Leon is actually running the show in the White House.

[waitingtoconnect]

Edit was fake never mind

[Archinerd]

Sadly/Happily, a democracy is only as democratic as its majority allows. We need to either educate people on how awful Trump is (which doesn't seem to work) or wait for rising prices in stores/on auto lots due to tariffs and lack of migrant workers to get things sane again. Unfortunately, non cult members are going to have to suffer too until then....hopefully it's "until".

Meanwhile, I'll continue praying to a giant effigy of Ronald McDonald I had made.

Agreed. Too many complacent people still, who can just shrug and say this sucks if they even think about it at all. I don't think there will be any real energy in opposition until things get really uncomfortable... Hopefully it won't be too late.

[hepcat]

Edit was fake never mind

let me guess: you were outraged that Biden was sending 50 million dollars worth of condoms to Hamas?

[waitingtoconnect]

No it was a fake tweet from musk saying he’d ban anyone who tweeted badly of the trump administration..

Given where we are, it could be real lol

[Isgrimnur]

[hepcat]

No it was a fake tweet from musk saying he’d ban anyone who tweeted badly of the trump administration..

Given where we are, it could be real lol

The difference between you and a Trumper is you deleted it, you didn't double down.

[Smoove_B]

It's amazing to me how quickly things are changing. 10 years ago floating something like this would have been laughable. But today? It's a badge of honor:

On January 3, 2025, Andy Biggs (R - AR - 5) introduced a new, if exceedingly brief, piece of legislation that would result in the abolition of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Its formation was the result of the Occupation Safety and Health Act, signed into being by former Republican President Richard Nixon on December 29, 1970.

According to OSHA's website, their mission is to, "Assure safe and healthy working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance."

As part of his media release regarding the new bill, H.R.86 - NOSHA Act, in which the law has a grand total of only 67 words, Andy Briggs was quoted saying, "OSHA’s existence is yet another example of the federal government creating agencies to address issues that are more appropriately handled by state governments and private employers."

[Alefroth]

Of course, someone needs to do something to get all of this started. I don't really know why, for example, there isn't a Democratic senator at the USAID offices with cameras and media, for example.

Justifiable fear for their and their family's safety?

[Isgrimnur]

Can't come see what we're doing if we close the office

Staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development were instructed to stay out of the agency’s Washington headquarters, and yellow police tape and officers blocked the agency’s lobby on Monday, after billionaire Elon Musk announced President Donald Trump had agreed with him to shut the agency.

USAID staffers also said more than 600 additional employees had reported being locked out of the agency’s computer systems overnight. Those still in the system received emails saying that “at the direction of Agency leadership” the headquarters building “will be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, Feb. 3.” The agency’s website vanished Saturday without explanation.

[GreenGoo]

Police tape.

What in the actual fuck. It's like being swatted, but by the actual government. I assume Leon can't order the cops to do anything. Yet.

[Smoove_B]

https://bsky.app/profile/artcandee.bsky ... c67vplok27

Outside of USAID headquarters, Senator Brian Schatz:

"If you want to change an agency, introduce a bill and pass a law. You cannot wave away an agency that you don't like or that you disagree with by executive order, or by literally storming into the building and taking over the servers."

BOOM!

EDIT: Looks like the post is only visible for people that are logged in to the site and it can't be linked? Didn't know that was a thing for BlueSky