An NBC poll showed President Donald Trump’s approval rating is highest among “no news” voters, by 26 points. Voters who read newspapers had favored Biden 70% to 21%. Trump is exciting. He arouses passions. Actually solving problems is much harder.
Trump has furiously attacked “the deep state” of government. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said “he’s running afoul of the Constitution,” but “nobody should bellyache about that.” Trump fired the head of the Office of Government Ethics.
The New York Times reported on Jan. 20 that Elon Musk’s six businesses were under 32 investigations by 11 federal agencies. Trump quickly fired 17 inspectors general. Their jobs had been to guard against any illegality in federal agencies.
Unlike previous presidents and other public servants, neither Trump nor Musk has surrendered control of their personal businesses. The inspectors general are gone, and Trump’s executive orders ended the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Now they can freely cut deals with foreign businesses and governments. Apparently congressional Republicans still haven’t smelled a skunk.
Musk’s employees, whose security clearances remain unconfirmed, are not financial or tax experts. They are coders. They could reprogram computers, plant bugs or be leakers. Edward Coristine, 19, with access to CIA files, was fired from his internship for leaking.
Closing the U.S. Agency for International Development isn’t saving money. Fired USAID inspector general Paul Martin says $489 million of food and medicine is rotting, expiring or being stolen. Children are dying unnecessarily. Our tax money will repay pharmaceutical companies’ and farmers’ losses
MaryEllen Davidson
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Source: Berkshire mont