Politics

President Donald Trump is celebrating an enormous win: allegedly getting Coca-Cola to switch its sweetener from high fructose corn syrup to real cane sugar in the United States.  “I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so,” he wrote on Truth Social Wednesday. “I’d like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!” The official White House X account even shared a bizarre Coke-inspired promotion of the very dumb announcement.  Despite being a Diet Coke drinker himself—with his very own “Diet Coke button” in the Oval Office—Trump’s move of getting U.S. Coke to be made with cane sugar effectively makes it the same as Mexican Coke.  And for a man who has touted mass deportations and a U.S.-Mexico border wall while claiming that people coming into the United States are murderers and rapists, his promotion of the Mexican drink is certainly an interesting move.  Then again, this is the same man who celebrated Cinco de Mayo in 2016 by hunching over a taco bowl and declaring, “I love Hispanics.”  So anything is possible.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly fired two of his top aides, rattling his department’s leadership team amid his broader attack on the nation’s public health apparatus. The two ousted officials—chief of staff Heather Flick Melanson and deputy chief of staff for policy Hannah Anderson—were dismissed after only a few months on the job. CNN, which first reported the firings, said Kennedy had lost confidence in both, though it’s unclear what triggered the move. In a statement to CNN, an HHS spokesperson confirmed the departures and said White House liaison Matt Buckham would serve as acting chief of staff effective immediately.  “He brings valuable experience in personnel strategy and organizational management to this new role,” the spokesperson said. “Secretary Kennedy thanks the outgoing leadership for their service and looks forward to working closely with Mr. Buckham as the Department continues advancing its mission to Make America Healthy Again.” No permanent replacements have been named. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, shown in 2013. HHS oversees the work of major federal health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health—institutions now squarely in the crosshairs of Kennedy’s largely anti-science agenda. The leadership churn hasn’t stopped with Kennedy’s own staff, either. According to The Washington Post, NIH’s chief operating officer, Eric Schnabel, was recently fired as well.  The various shakeups come mere months into Kennedy’s tenure and leave him scrambling to fill key leadership roles amid mounting scrutiny of his radical plans to reshape health policy, gut vaccine programs, and overhaul the structure of the department itself. Flick Melanson was one of Kennedy’s more seasoned Washington players, having previously served as acting general counsel and senior adviser to then-HHS Secretary Alex Azar during Trump’s first term. Anderson, a former GOP Hill staffer and policy adviser to Senate Republicans, had recently worked on health care at the America First Policy Institute, a pro-Trump think tank. Politico reported that Flick Melanson had been viewed by some as a steadying hand—someone who understood the functions of the department, given concerns about how aggressively Kennedy might pursue his anti-science agenda. And yet, backed by President Donald Trump, Kennedy has charged ahead with his “Make America Healthy Again” crusade. Not only did he fire all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel and replace them with loyalists, but he also published a widely criticized, error-filled report on childhood illnesses. And he’s moved to axe 20,000 HHS staffers and slash dozens of agency divisions—all while facing a wave of legal challenges. His war on synthetic food dyes faces industry changes. And under his watch, HHS has taken a series of anti-vaccine actions that experts say have eroded public confidence in immunizations. More chaos at HHS under Kennedy. No surprise there.

A daily roundup of the best stories and cartoons by Daily Kos staff and contributors to keep you in the know. Trump really, really wants to tank the economy And like so much of Trump’s agenda, it’s probably illegal. Democrats slam Trump and GOP for cover-up of Epstein files “Did anyone really think the sexual-predator president who used to party with Jeffrey Epstein was going to release the Epstein files?” 👀 Pentagon scales back its invasion of Los Angeles Who knew TACO also applied to domestic military campaigns? Bye-bye, Big Bird: GOP inches closer to gutting public media Trump’s agenda will hit rural America the hardest. Trump is gutting Medicaid—but rural America still won’t wake up Seriously, it’s like the guy is trying to crush his rural base. Cartoon: Tanks for nothing First, Trump tanks the economy, then he tanks education. Click here to see more cartoons.

A cartoon by Pedro Molina. Related | Trump and MAGA turn on each other over Epstein files

PoliticusUSA is 100% reader-supported with no corporate or political party influence. Please consider supporting our work by becoming a subscriber. Subscribe now After Trump called his supporters stupid for wanting the release of the Epstein files, the president pulled another distraction that he hoped would make his fans forget that he broke a major promise to them with Coca-Cola. Trump posted on Truth Social: I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so. I’d like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better! Trump’s supporters want the Epstein files. Instead, they are going to get cane sugar in Coca-Cola. PoliticusUSA is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Donald Trump has taken away healthcare from 17 million Americans and he is replacing it with cane sugar. The whole situation is beyond absurd. How bad is this for Trump? Here is what MAGA influencers had to say to Axios: “By continuing to go to war with the online MAGA class, he only continues to keep his unpopular stance on the issue front of mind,” one right-wing influencer told Axios. “It’s definitely become an inflection point online.” As one MAGAworld operative put it: “Villainizing your base for caring about the thing you told them to care about is never a good strategy.” Trump is going to war with his base, and that is a terrible idea. Donald Trump is becoming a man without a political country. The Epstein blowback is so dramatic because the same president who just bullied the Republican majority into passing legislation that they had reservations about is now getting more open and public criticism from his own supporters than he has ever gotten before. This is a turning point for MAGA, and Trump isn’t going to be able to buy his way out of this with Coke and cane sugar. What do you think about Trump’s attempt at distraction? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Leave a comment

The Trump administration has been deporting immigrants to random countries, and they couldn’t be more proud. On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin boasted on X that “a safe third country deportation flight to Eswatini in Southern Africa has landed,” with 5 immigrants aboard. “This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back,” she wrote. “These depraved monsters have been terrorizing American communities but thanks to Trump and [Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem], they are off of American soil.” To back up the assertion, McLaughlin posted some photos of the alleged barbarians, along with their criminal convictions. Of course, their names are not provided, so as per usual, there’s no way to fact check the now-standard assertion that the people being deported are the very worst of the worst.  King Mswati III of Eswatini Similarly, when the Trump administration deported immigrants to South Sudan, McLaughlin made an almost identical statement, saying that it was necessary because “no country on earth wanted to accept them because their crimes were so uniquely barbaric.” Just as the Trump administration decided it was fine to deport people to South Sudan despite warning people not to travel there because it’s too dangerous, it’s also content to ignore government reports on the human rights crisis in Eswatini.  The State Department’s 2023 report found “significant human rights issues” in Eswatini, including torture by the government, extrajudicial killings, lack of independence of the judiciary, trafficking, and child labor. Of course, neither immigrants nor their lawyers have any idea what exactly they will endure, but the report detailed overcrowding, nutrition deficiencies, lack of health services equipment, and gang violence in Eswatini’s prisons.  A spokesperson for the Eswatini government confirmed that the 5 immigrants are imprisoned in “isolated units” and that both Eswatini and the U.S. government will work with the United Nations to “facilitate the transit” of the men to their countries of origin.  It’s not entirely clear what that means, as it makes it sound like somehow the Trump administration deported people to Eswatini only to work jointly with that country to eventually send them home. Of course, that does not at all seem like the intent. According to a report from The New York Times report last month, the Trump administration has explored these trafficking arrangements with dozens of countries, many beset by violence, poverty, and human rights abuses. And of the 58 countries the administration has approached, many are covered by or are being considered for President Donald Trump’s latest travel ban.  Related | Rubio callously revokes visas for entire country over US mistake So it’s too dangerous to allow people from those countries into the United States, but it’s totally safe and cool to send people to their prisons. And in case countries were on the fence, the State Department told diplomats that these countries could possibly evade the travel ban if they take deportees.  We can expect much more of these blatant human rights violations, thanks to the Supreme Court blocking a lower court order requiring immigrants to have a reasonable chance to challenge their deportations. Now, people can be deported to any random country of Trump’s liking with as little as 6 hours’ notice.  The conservatives on the Supreme Court knew full well that their decision would open the floodgates to these evil actions. They just don’t care.

A cartoon by Tim Campbell. Related | Republicans block Epstein files release as they bow to Trump

After weeks of infighting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday night ordered the withdrawal of roughly 2,000 National Guard troops from Los Angeles—about half of the total force stationed there—amid mounting political backlash over their controversial presence. “Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement. The move marks a major scaling back of a military operation that began in early June, after a wave of immigration raids triggered citywide protests. President Donald Trump had federalized the California National Guard and dispatched 4,000 troops, along with more than 700 active-duty Marines, in one of the largest domestic deployments in recent history. Protesters gather near the metropolitan detention center on June 9, in downtown Los Angeles. The White House initially signaled a 60-day mission, but it’s unclear why the drawdown began ahead of schedule—or how long the remaining forces will stay. What’s clear is that the decision follows intense criticism from state and local Democrats, who slammed the mobilization as a politically motivated show of force. By mid-June, most protests had quieted down, and Mayor Karen Bass lifted a curfew she had imposed in parts of downtown Los Angeles. But the troops remained. According to The New York Times, National Guard members were seen standing with rifles outside federal buildings and maneuvering through Los Angeles traffic in armored vehicles, raising alarm in immigrant communities already rattled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. Trump’s decision to activate the Guard without California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s consent was unprecedented—it marked the first time a president had federalized National Guard troops over a governor’s objections since 1965. California sued, with Attorney General Rob Bonta calling the move unconstitutional and an infringement on state authority. But a federal appeals court rejected the challenge, ruling that Trump had “exercised his statutory authority.” Despite the legal defeat, California officials kept the pressure on. Bass and other leaders demanded a full withdrawal and framed the issue as one of state sovereignty and civil rights. “This happened because the people of Los Angeles stood united and stood strong,” Bass said Tuesday. “We organized peaceful protests, we came together at rallies, we took the Trump administration to court—all of this led to today’s retreat.” Newsom, meanwhile, called the deployment an “assault on democracy” and accused the White House of targeting “people who are least able to defend themselves.” Related | Trump and his minions keep lying about heinous ICE raids caught on camera The military has insisted that troops are not authorized to arrest civilians, only to detain individuals who pose a threat to federal personnel or property until law enforcement can take over. Still, the heavy presence has altered daily life in parts of the city, particularly immigrant-heavy neighborhoods. One LA-area mayor, Arturo Flores, a Marine veteran, described the actions of ICE and the presence of troops as a “campaign of domestic terror” and “psychological warfare.” The drawdown is a meaningful shift, but not a full retreat. About 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines remain in the region. Los Angeles is still under military watch, but for the first time since the deployment began, there’s a sense that the end may finally be in sight.

Newly uncovered documents detailing the process of building Florida’s so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” immigrant detention facility show that equipment meant to be used to respond to natural disasters was diverted to the right-wing project. Talking Points Memo examined the contracts between vendors and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, uncovering one with Baker’s Electronics & Communications Inc. that refers to an “Atlas trunked radio system,” which is used by public safety agencies for communication. The document indicates that the system was “pulled” from an existing disaster preparedness platform and sent to “Alligator Alcatraz.” The contract also indicated that the system had to “be back-filled to prevent a response gap during hurricane season given the unknown duration of detention center operation.” Flooding is seen in Florida following Hurricane Irma in 2017. No U.S. state has more hurricanes than Florida. The storms, flooding, and other destruction associated with such weather events have taken thousands of lives over the years. Despite Florida’s need for an extensive preparedness infrastructure, the contract appears to prove that the right’s pet project took priority instead. In addition to concerns about diverted emergency equipment, recent reporting from the Miami Herald revealed that several contractors involved in the facility’s construction were also donors to DeSantis and the Florida GOP. The detention facility is operating similar to a black site, run by the state government with little to no oversight. The reasons for why people are being detained are hidden from the public, and those inside are not informed of the terms of their incarceration. The state is receiving funding from the Trump administration as a reward for operating. Democratic officials in Florida recently sued the state after they were denied entry to conduct standard oversight. The DeSantis administration is notoriously secretive and has threatened the press over investigations into the governor’s wife, Casey Desantis. The tactic echoes the Trump administration’s approach at the federal level, where Democratic lawmakers have been arrested while trying to investigate ICE detention facilities. “Alligator Alcatraz”—a brand that Florida Republicans have now monetized with merchandise—is a manifestation of Trump’s previously expressed desire for an inhumane immigration detention facility.  He and other leading Republicans have expressed glee at the prospect of violating human rights—and they’re clearly willing to hobble emergency response systems for the opportunity to do so.

Though the so-called Department of Government Efficiency doesn’t grab as many headlines as it did in its Elon-Musk-led heyday, its workers cling like wood ticks on various agencies and continue to have access to a staggering amount of data.  Take the Department of Agriculture.  On Tuesday, Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin wrote a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on behalf of Wisconsin farmers, expressing the legitimate concern that letting DOGE rummage around in USDA databases of private data seems not great. Baldwin also pointed out that DOGE also has access to the National Payment System, giving it control over billions of dollars in loans and payments to farmers.  Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, shown in February. DOGE intrusion “not only breaches [farmers’] privacy, but also raises serious concerns about the future of USDA payments, our nation’s food security, and the consolidation of farmland and processing operations,” Baldwin wrote. This project seems to be led by a DOGE bro named Jordan Wick. Who is Jordan Wick? Surely someone with deep experience in agriculture, the intricacies of farm finances, and/or government payment systems? Oh, heavens no. He’s a 28-year-old former software engineer for Waymo, the self-driving car company. Yes, the very same Waymo that just recalled over 1,200 vehicles because they were prone to crashing into barriers, which is really not what you want in a taxi.   Nonetheless, Wick appears to have unprecedented access to USDA data. A source provided NPR with access logs revealing that Wick can see all the private, personal, and financial information at USDA, and can change or cancel payments and loans. He has access that no one else at USDA has. Even those tasked with the professional responsibility of explaining why Wick needs this level of access can come up with only a series of buzzwords. The “USDA Efficiency Team”—which is apparently what they’re calling the burrowed-in DOGE kids now—is reviewing “many loans, guarantees, and payments” for supposed fraud and national security concerns, per a USDA spokesperson.  Why? Because “the abuse of USDA systems and data centers is a serious issue,” said a USDA spokesperson, and the DOGE team has been “immensely supportive due to their unmatched skillset in protecting our data and ensuring those that use their positions to access systems to defraud American taxpayers.” It’s unclear if the spokesperson is accusing farmers or USDA employees of defrauding American taxpayers, but let’s talk about that “unmatched skillset” part. What skillset, exactly? Wick’s past experience programming self-driving cars? Or perhaps the spokesperson meant Wick is a genius at keeping data safe. Well, except for the part where he may have been a part of DOGE’s illegal exfiltration of National Labor Relations Board data.  Letting Wick determine what contracts and payments are valid will probably go as well as when the government let a different DOGE bro review Department of Veterans’ Affairs contracts. The bro wrote an AI program—or rather, he co-wrote it with another AI. Said new AI program then was turned loose in the VA systems, where it promptly and incorrectly determined that over 1,000 contracts were worth $34 million apiece, when some of them were worth more like $35,000.  These tech kiddies don’t have an “unmatched skillset.” They don’t even have a normal baseline skillset for the jobs they have barged into. The Trump administration’s project of firing all federal workers with specialized knowledge was bad enough, but it’s just adding insult to injury that we now have to pretend that random software guys understand the inner workings of government far better.