DAMN!! How will HISTORY look back on Trump, Fox News & all his supporters during Coronavirus & AFTER he leaves office? UPDATE: Trump WON

reason.com

How Trump Imperils Free Markets and Personal Liberties

Jeff Bezos, owner of the Washington Post, recently said the Post opinion page should be "writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal
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The Volokh Conspiracy​

Mostly law professors | Sometimes contrarian | Often libertarian | Always independent
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Donald Trump

How Trump Imperils Free Markets and Personal Liberties​

Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank provides a helpful summary, with a little help from me.​

Ilya Somin | 2.28.2025 4:26 PM

Jeff Bezos, owner of the Washington Post, recently said the Post opinion page should be "writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets." This inspired Post columnist Dana Milbank to write a helpful piece outlining some of the many ways in which the new Trump administration threatens those values:
Personal liberties and free markets are part of the American creed. But many readers I've heard from suspect the words are cover for a plan to turn this into a MAGA-friendly outlet.
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I don't yet know for sure. But this much is clear: If we as a newspaper, and we as a country, are to defend his twin pillars, then we must redouble our fight against the single greatest threat to "personal liberties and free markets" in the United States today: President Donald Trump…..
Claiming monarchical powers, attacking the free press, starting trade wars, cutting off legal immigration, siding with despots over free countries, politicizing law enforcement and the military, assaulting the judicial system and injecting crony capitalism at the highest levels of government: These are all the very antithesis of "personal liberties and free markets."
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Milbank also interviewed me about this issue, and quoted a few things I said:
"I think, and many of us (libertarians) think, that the Trump administration is very bad on these metrics of both economic and personal liberty," [Somin] told me. "The massive trade wars that he's starting right and left go against Econ 101 as well as any libertarian principle. There's the mass deportation and immigration restrictions, which restrict both economic and personal liberty on a massive scale. There's his attacks on the freedom of the press, which are also troubling," as is Trump's "kissing the rear end of dictators like Vladimir Putin."
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Somin likes some of Trump's efforts to cut regulations and taxes, but "if you look at the cumulative impact … the horrible things Trump is doing massively outweigh many times over the good that he might do in a few areas."
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He rattled off a list of Trump's offenses against personal liberties and free markets. The president, by circumventing Congress's constitutional spending authority, is making the treasury "essentially the personal piggy bank of one man," which is "extremely dangerous from the libertarian point of view." Trump's attempts to cut federal spending and the workforce, though laudable, "are actually pretty piddling, and some of them may even make the federal budgetary and regulatory situation worse" because of their ham-handed implementation. His takeover of independent federal agencies raises libertarian concerns because it puts massive governmental power "concentrated in the hands of one man." His attempts to dictate school curriculums under the guise of abolishing DEI, and his discrimination against transgender people also offend libertarian principles. The GOP budget that passed the House this week with Trump's help "will massively add to the deficit," Somin pointed out, while doing nothing to stop the major entitlement programs, Medicare and Social Security, from "just handing out money to the nonpoor elderly or even the affluent elderly."
Somin said the handing over of taxpayers' personal information to unvetted members of Musk's team violates personal liberties. Trump's attacks on media outlets critical of him are classic "weaponization of government," Somin added, and his packing of the Justice Department and FBI with loyalists is "scary and dangerous." The presence of "cranks like RFK Jr." overseeing health policy will reduce access to medicines and vaccines, which is "just a straightforward violation of libertarian principles." And the president's crackdown on migration is "a severe restriction on both the economic and personal liberty of native-born Americans. People who want to hire immigrants or engage in social relations with them cannot do that if those people are not allowed to enter the country."
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The professor was heavily critical of the Biden administration, too, most notably for unilaterally forgiving student loans. But "Trump is worse," Somin said, because "under Biden there was just no equivalent to the massive assault on immigration and trade," nor Trump's attempt "to usurp the entire spending power from Congress." In sum, Trump's approach is "irreconcilable" with the principles of free markets and personal liberties.
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I outlined how severe immigration restrictions like those Trump is implementing, threaten liberty in greater detail here. The fundamental problem with Trump's administration is that the modest good he is doing on a few issues is massively outweighed by the immense scale of the harm, which includes massive trade wars with nearly all major trade partners, the most draconian immigration restrictions in modern history (save possibly those in force at the height of Covid), and undermining the Western alliance to the great benefit of authoritarian enemies like Russia and China.



I was, as Milbank notes, highly critical of many Biden policies, such as massive unilateral use of executive power to institute student loan forgiveness, and the abuse of the Covid emergency to perpetuate a nationwide eviction moratorium and bogus public health immigration restrictions. But Trump's assaults on liberty and constitutional government are substantially worse.

I don't agree with every point Milbank makes. For example, while Trump may be wrong to seek a federal takeover of the DC government, it isn't really a matter of personal liberties or free markets. But he's right about the overall picture.

I speak only for myself. But it's worth noting that I'm far from the only libertarian or libertarian-leaning commentator to sound the alarm about the new administration. For example, my Cato Institute colleagues Walter Olson, Alex Nowrasteh, David Bier, Scott Lincicome, Michael Cannon, and Patrick Eddington have also outlined the grave dangers posed by many of the new administration's policies.
 

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variety.com

Marc Maron Tells Bill Maher: ‘You’re a Bitch’ for Agreeing With ‘Some of the Stuff Trump Is Doing’

Marc Maron called out Bill Maher for agreeing with Donald Trump.
variety.com variety.com

Marc Maron Tells Bill Maher: ‘You’re a B—-‘ for Agreeing With ‘Some of the Stuff Trump Is Doing’​


By Zack Sharf
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marc maron bill maher

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images | Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Electric Entertainment
Marc Maron called out Bill Maher on the latest episode of the “WTF” podcast, which featured CNN host W. Kamau Bell as a guest (via The Daily Beast). Maron took issue with the “Real Time” host for being partial to “some of the things” Donald Trump is doing in his second administration as U.S. president.
“Are you going to be like Bill Maher, you know, ‘I’m going to agree with some of the things that Trump is doing,’” Maron said. “It’s like, dude, you’re a bitch.”
Per The Daily Beast: “[Maron] host continued to make fun of Maher for finding points of connection with members of the MAGA coalition, imitating him as he added, “”I like Kid Rock.” And now you’re gonna blow him with a slightly disdainful look on your face? That’s who you are?”



Maron has been critical of podcasters supporting Trump in the past. Before last year’s election, Trump appeared on Joe Rogan’s popular Spotify podcast. Shortly after, Maron posted a blog post in which he called out “comedians with podcasts” who “joke around” with “shameless, self-proclaimed white supremacists and fascists on their show,” saying, “all it does is humanize and normalize fascism.”


“Even though I do not do a political show I have been very clear in my specials and on the podcast that I believe, and have believed for years, what is brewing in this country is an American fascist movement rooted half in grievance and half in Jesus and enabled by tech oligarchs and an inundation of propaganda from many sources,” Maron wrote at the time. “Well, it’s fully percolated and pouring into the minds of all of us. It is shameless and proud. Culturally, the combination of blatant racist fear mongering and the anti-woke movement has delivered their message for the future. A future that marginalizes almost all voices.”
He continued that the “anti-woke flank of the new fascism” is being “driven almost exclusively by comics, my peers. Whether or not they are self-serving or true believers in the new fascism is unimportant. They are of the movement. Whether they see themselves as acolytes or just comics doesn’t matter. Whether they are driven by the idea that what they are fighting for is a free speech issue or whether they are truly morally bankrupt racists doesn’t matter. They are part of the public face of a fascist political movement that seeks to destroy the democratic idea.”


Listen to Maron’s latest episode of the “WTF” podcast here.
 
D24OHA said:
This mfkr is making Jon Voight AND Mel Gibson ambassadors......?


Aye, someone ask Ja Rule what he thinks about this!! And then ask Snoop and Nelly
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www.tmz.com

'Cobra Kai's Martin Kove Confident Pal Sly Stallone Can Fix Stagnant Hollywood

Martin Kove is thrilled his old pal Sly Stallone has become a Hollywood ambassador via President Donald Trump ... 'cause he thinks the town has lost its magic by becoming too political -- and who better than "Rambo" to straighten things out?
www.tmz.com www.tmz.com


www.dailymail.co.uk

Karate Kid icon slams 'political' Hollywood

Karate Kid star Martin Kove believes Hollywood has become too political-and he's hopeful his peers Sylvester Stallone, Jon Voight and Mel Gibson can help restore its creative focus.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
 
www.ctvnews.ca

New York rapper who joined Trump in campaign rally pleads guilty to attempted murder

A New York City rapper who joined President Donald Trump during a campaign rally last year has pleaded guilty to attempted murder and conspiracy charges after prosecutors say he used earnings from his music career to fuel gang violence in Brooklyn.
www.ctvnews.ca www.ctvnews.ca


www.theguardian.com

Rapper who appeared with Trump at rally pleads guilty to attempted murder

Prosecutors say Sheff G, who supported the president last year, used career earnings to fuel gang violence in Brooklyn
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com


www.stalbertgazette.com

New York rapper who joined Trump in campaign rally pleads guilty to attempted murder

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City rapper who joined President Donald Trump during a campaign rally last year has pleaded guilty to attempted murder and conspiracy charges after prosecutors say he used earnings from his music career to fuel gang violenc
www.stalbertgazette.com www.stalbertgazette.com
 
ew.com

'Home Alone 2' director calls Donald Trump's cameo a 'curse': 'I just wish it was gone'

Like Kevin McCallister with the Wet Bandits, 'Home Alone' director Chris Columbus just can't escape that Donald Trump cameo in the sequel: 'It's become this curse. It's become this thing that I wish it was not there.'
ew.com ew.com

Columbus previously revealed that Trump, who at the time of filming owned the Plaza Hotel, only agreed to let production film on the property if he could be featured in the movie in some capacity.


truthsocial.com

Truth Social

Truth Social is America's "Big Tent" social media platform that encourages an open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating on the basis of political ideology.
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30 years ago (how time flies!), Director Chris Columbus, and others, were begging me to make a cameo appearance in Home Alone 2. They rented the Plaza Hotel in New York, which I owned at the time. I was very busy, and didn’t want to do it. They were very nice, but above all, persistent. I agreed, and the rest is history! That little cameo took off like a rocket, and the movie was a big success, and still is, especially around Christmas time. People call me whenever it is aired. Now, however, 30 years later, Columbus (what was his real name?) put out a statement that I bullied myself into the movie. Nothing could be further from the truth. That cameo helped make the movie a success, but if they felt bullied, or didn’t want me, why did they put me in, and keep me there, for over 30 years? Because I was, and still am, great for the movie, that’s why! Just another Hollywood guy from the past looking for a quick fix of Trump publicity for himself!
 
www.nbcnews.com

A deadly E. coli outbreak hit 15 states, but the FDA chose not to make the details public

The outbreak linked to romaine lettuce killed one person and sickened at least 88 more, including a 9-year-old boy who nearly died of kidney failure.
www.nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com

"But much of the staff responsible for developing and distributing information to the public about foodborne illnesses was terminated this month as part of the Trump administration’s sweeping effort to shrink the federal government.

“We no longer have all the mechanisms in place to learn from those situations and prevent the next outbreak from happening,” said Taryn Webb, who led the FDA’s public engagement division for human foods until she was laid off during the mass firing this month.

And the administration has separately moved to delay a new federal rule requiring food companies and grocery stores to rapidly track down contaminated food and pull it off the shelves, though the FDA said the delay was meant to give time to ensure better compliance."
 
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