Submitted by Renee Parsons<\/p>\n
Even before the recent Epstein uproar assaulted the Presidency of Donald Trump, there were early warnings that expectations for Trump\u2019s political performance were about to be disappointed.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Almost immediately after the Inauguration, a metamorphosis appeared to overwhelm Trump with anticipation that he would stop the Ukraine war as he had so loudly and boldly proclaimed before and after the election.\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>In his victory speech on election night, Trump\u00a0said<\/span><\/a>, \u201cI\u2019m not going to start wars, I\u2019m going to stop wars.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n At the very least, Trump\u2019s experience as 45th<\/sup><\/span> President taught him that his familiar chant\u00a0 <\/span>\u2018this\u00a0 <\/span>is not my war\u2019<\/i><\/span><\/a>\u00a0 <\/span>was self serving and that every President becomes Constitutionally responsible for all Federal government policy.\u00a0 <\/span>The President does not get to pick and choose.\u00a0 <\/span>That Presidential authority provides the necessary clout to pull the plug on US support\u00a0 <\/span>for Ukraine.<\/p>\n Abandoning his earlier pledge as a \u2018Peace President<\/i>\u2019<\/span><\/a> with a certainty to end the Ukraine conflict in one day<\/span><\/a>, it is unclear if Trump understood the implications of NATO expansion in Ukraine or the global geopolitical transformation that is underway.<\/p>\n In any case, his fervor to stop the war faded quickly as Trump morphed from being an outspoken MAGA candidate into promoting a chaotic foreign policy at the Deep State\u2019s bidding.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the outset of its SMO (Special Military Operation<\/span><\/a>) in February, 2022, the Russians presented a non-negotiable Twelve Point Peace Proposal<\/span><\/a> of \u2018root causes\u2019\u00a0 <\/span>that remains unacknowledged by the US.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Trump\u2019s rationale for not fulfilling his campaign promise was that resident neocons convinced Trump it was Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s responsibility to adopt a ceasefire; that it was Putin who needed to stop the war despite Trump\u2019s earlier bravado to shut down US support.<\/p>\n By mid-March, however, right out of the gate, Trump further challenged his Nobel Peace prize dream when his foreign policy team met on Signal (along with Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg) to plan an unanticipated bombing run<\/span><\/a> on Yemen.\u00a0 <\/span>The Houthis, probably the poorest people on the planet, had been harassing Israeli ships through the Red Sea in a show of opposition<\/span><\/a> to the genocide on Palestinians in Gaza.<\/p>\n After a two month unconstitutional bombing campaign<\/span><\/a> costing in excess of $1 billion<\/span><\/a>, the US called it quits and withdrew as the US Navy<\/span><\/a> lost two ships. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There have been few indications that Trump ever had a consuming interest in the broad range of foreign policy issues awaiting his attention.\u00a0 <\/span>His first term in the Oval Office confirmed that while Trump is a tough talker, he has little ability to address international issues with a diplomatic tact or attention to detail.<\/p>\n Trump has always marched to a different drummer as his first six months in office provided\u00a0 <\/span>a disconnected approach<\/span><\/a> to foreign policy with an unpredictable performance on Ukraine, no mention of the genocide in Gaza, a struggling tariff policy, an unprovoked attack on Iran and perpetuating a crisis with China.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One partial explanation for Trump\u2019s flawed performance on foreign policy<\/span><\/a> might include\u00a0 <\/span>a majority of mediocre cabinet appointments who lack the depth of necessary experience to assist a struggling President.\u00a0 <\/span>Other than Vice President JD Vance, Tulsi Gabbard at DNI Director and RFK jr. as Secretary of HHS, none are members of the A team.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To date, the Trump administration has no US Ambassador to Ukraine or to Russia, keeps the US-Russian Consulate closed and has not renewed air flights to Russia.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n As the Trump campaign geared up for the November vote, prominent big tech entrepreneur Elon Musk joined the campaign to elect Trump.\u00a0 <\/span>In recognition of the country\u2019s $37 trillion debt, Musk gave birth to DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) identifying bureaucratic waste, fraud and abuse in an effort to bring fiscal sanity to government agencies.<\/p>\n At the same time, Trump ran into a buzzsaw when the contentious\u00a0 <\/span>HR 1, One Big Beautiful Bill<\/span><\/a> Act (BBB) hit a brick wall<\/span><\/a> as Members of Congress announced their opposition<\/span><\/a> to increasing the Federal debt by $3 Trillion in the name of a tax cut. \u00a0 <\/span>Congress added another $150 billion which, according to a Brown University study, 50% of which\u00a0 <\/span>will end up in the pockets of the US military industrial complex.<\/p>\n Musk described the BBB as a \u201cdisgusting abomination<\/span><\/a>\u201d warning that next November, \u201call politicians who betrayed the American people\u00a0 <\/span>should be fired<\/i>\u201d adding that \u201cWhen it comes to bankrupting our country with waste and graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy<\/i>,\u201d<\/p>\n Even before Musk publicly dissed<\/span><\/a> Trump\u2019s contentious<\/span><\/a> Bill,\u00a0 <\/span>Congressional opposition surfaced with two House GOP Members led by Rep. Tom Massie (Ky.) voted against<\/span><\/a> the Bill. \u00a0 <\/span>On the Senate side, Sen. Tom Tillis\u2019 (NC) opposition<\/span><\/a> earned him a Trump dismissal<\/span><\/a>, causing Tillis to announce his drop-out from the 2026 Senate election.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Soon after publicly dissing the BBB, Musk, who offered a much needed diplomatic presence, was out the door.<\/p>\n He took the opportunity to announce formation of the America Party<\/span><\/a> wisely strategizing the 2026 mid term elections with a handful of Senate and House candidates rather than an impractical attempt to replace the entire 435 Members of Congress in one fell swoop. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In response to the threat of a new political party, Trump said he was \u201csaddened to see Musk go\u00a0 <\/span>completely off the rails.\u201d<\/span><\/a>\u00a0 <\/span>Predicting that third parties create \u201ccomplete and total destruction and chaos” <\/i> and by the next day, changed his tune with \u201cI think it\u2019ll help us. I think it\u2019ll help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n On the heels of Musk\u2019s departure and as if to disdain his desire for the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump ordered an unprecedented\u00a0 <\/span>bombing raid on Iran\u2019s three enrichment facilities\u00a0 <\/span>claiming \u201ccomplete and total obliteration<\/i>\u201d in what became known as the\u00a0 <\/span>Twelve Day War<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n Alas, the American unconstitutional effort to support Netanyahu failed to produce the desired results.\u00a0 <\/span>MIT Prof Ted Postol confirmed<\/span><\/a> that Trump\u2019s bombing results were not accomplished as implied.<\/p>\n Given Trump\u2019s long term relationship with Israeli premier Netanyahu, the President joined the chorus denouncing Iran\u2019s legal right as a member of the NPT<\/span><\/a> to enrich uranium. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n *** \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, the concept of an America Party becomes more stimulating and inspiring as HR 4016, the always notorious NDAA<\/span><\/a> bill (National Defense Appropriations Act) was adopted on a 221 \u2013 209 final passage vote<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 <\/span>The 2026 NDAA will fund the Defense Department at $832 billion.<\/p>\n As usual, a minority opposed funding of the Pentagon budget with only three Republicans<\/span><\/a> voting NO on final passage.\u00a0 <\/span>They were GOP Reps. Tim Burchett (Tennessee), Marjorie Greene (Georgia) and Tom Massie (Ky).<\/p>\n Rep. Greene offered an amendment<\/span><\/a>\u00a0 <\/span>that would decrease $500 Million<\/span><\/a> in military aid to Israeli Nuclear Armed missile defense system (ie Iron Dome). \u00a0 <\/span>Greene added that the US already provides $3.8 Billion annually to Israel in foreign aid and in April, 2024, the US provided an additional \u2018supplemental\u2019 of $8.7 Billion.<\/p>\n The backstory on her amendment\u00a0 <\/span>is that the Holy Family Catholic Church<\/span><\/a> in Gaza was bombed by Israel as it was providing refuge for hundreds of Palestinians including children and as the parish priest was injured.\u00a0 <\/span>That amendment failed by an appalling 422 voting No with six voting Aye including only two Republicans (Greene and Massie).<\/p>\n Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), Rep. Betty McColllum (D-Minn) and Zionist Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) all spoke in opposition to Greene\u2019s amendment.<\/p>\n Rep. Greene introduced a second amendment to cut all funds<\/span><\/a> from Project Ukraine\u00a0 <\/span>which had already received $175 billion in direct military and economic aid. \u00a0 <\/span>Greene\u2019s America Last amendment would assure that no further US resources will be sent to Ukraine.\u00a0 <\/span>It failed on a 76 \u2013 353 vote. <\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n Reps. McCollum and Rep. Calvert spoke against the amendment while supporting President Trump\u2019s \u2018decisive action\u2019<\/i> to provide new NATO weapons to Ukraine.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n In addition to incurring the wrath of President Trump for outspoken comments against the BBB and the bombing of Iran, Rep. Tom Massie has been targeted\u00a0 <\/span>by the President and\u00a0 <\/span>MAGA Ky<\/span><\/a> which has already spent $1.8 million to defeat Massie in a GOP Kentucky primary.<\/p>\n Never one to hold back, Trump laid it on Massie:<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think he does a good job for the country<\/i><\/span><\/a>. \u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019s always a No. I call him Rand Paul Jr. \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Nothing\u00a0 <\/span>constructive at all. \u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019s just terrible.\u00a0 <\/span>Thomas Massie from Kentucky. Nothing constructive\u2026 I don\u2019t think he is a very smart guy; a good education but that\u2019s about it.\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>I oppose somebody; I oppose somebody. \u00a0 <\/span>If the voters, for some reason, the voters\u2026. they almost always seem to go along with me. \u00a0 <\/span>They know I\u2019m working hard;\u00a0 <\/span>\u2026have a high IQ; they like high IQ people.\u00a0 <\/span>I make good decisions.\u00a0 <\/span>Trump is right about everything. \u00a0 <\/span>You know I don\u2019t like guys who vote no, vote no.\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>there\u2019s nothing,. let him get what he wants, let him vote yes but if you look at his voting record, he\u2019s going to have an opponent, a big opponent, a good opponent who\u2019s going to win\u2026 a poll just came out and it shows that anybody I endorse against Massie loses by 25 points..he\u2019s going to be history I think\u2026I thought the Senate was going to be tougher than the House; we got there- pretty much what we wanted; it\u2019s the biggest bill ever passed if we get this done.\u00a0 <\/span>Most people wanted 7 or 8 different bills. \u00a0 <\/span>By doing it this way, the bill has something for everybody.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cAfter Trump obliterated Iran\u2019s nuclear weapons program, Massie sided with <\/i>Democrats and the Ayatollah,<\/i><\/span><\/a>\u201d<\/i> the ad says.\u00a0 <\/span>The truth is that the US did NOT \u2018obliterate\u2019 Iran\u2019s nuclear research facilities per Prof. Ted Postol\u2019s lengthy analysis<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n Trump further predicted that we \u201cwill have a wonderful American Patriot running against him.\u201d\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n No stranger to Congressional hanky-pank<\/span><\/a>, Rep. Tom Massie\u00a0 <\/span>(Ky<\/span><\/a>) offered a Resolution (HR 581) that would require the DOJ<\/span><\/a> to release all unclassified Epstein List documents,\u00a0 <\/span>plea bargains, records and all other communications in its possession. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After the House Rules Committee, using parliamentary trickery,\u00a0 <\/span>blocked a Discharge Petition<\/span><\/a> to allow the Resolution<\/span><\/a> to reach the House floor for a vote. \u00a0 <\/span>Speaker Mike Johnson released the House<\/span><\/a> early for a five week summer recess in order to avoid a confrontation.\u00a0 <\/span>Massie and his co-sponsor Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Caif) hope to secure the necessary 218 signatures to force a House Floor vote<\/span><\/a> immediately after the August recess.<\/p>\n Currently eleven Republicans have co-sponsored the Resolution including Reps. Boebert (Colo), Van Drew (NJ), Burlison (Mo), Greene (Ga), Burchett (Tenn), Mills (Fla), Miller, (Ohio). Crane (Az), Mace (Sc), Self (Texas) and Barrett (Mich).\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Democratic co-sponsors include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Jim McGovern (Mass.), Hank Johnson (Ga.), Jamie Raskin (Md.), Ryan Patrick (N.Y.), Debbie Dingell (Mich.), Joe Neguse (Colo.), Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Nydia Velazquez (N.Y.).<\/p>\n Trump went on Massie attack mode with a Truth Social\u00a0 <\/span>essay on 7-21 \u00a0 <\/span>\u201cFire Thomas Massie – Thomas Massie\u2026.the worse Republican Congressman and an almost guarantee NO VOTE each and every time..is an embarrassment to Kentucky.\u00a0 <\/span>He is lazy, slow moving and totally disengenuous.\u00a0 <\/span>A real loser.\u00a0 <\/span>Never has anything positive to add.\u00a0 <\/span>Looking for someone good to run against his guy.\u00a0 <\/span>Someone I can endorse and vigorously campaign for.\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n