The Morning Sixpack - August 26, 2025
Trump wages war on Fed, courts, schools, allies & even his own voters—firing, deporting, banning, taxing, and gaslighting nonstop. Or, a typical Trump Tuesday.
Trump Tries to Fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook—But Does He Even Have the Power?
Trump says he’s firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over alleged mortgage fraud, but Cook insists he has no authority to remove her—and she’s not budging.
President Trump announced he is ousting Cook, a Biden appointee and the first Black woman to serve on the Fed’s board, claiming she lied on mortgage applications by listing two homes as her “primary residence” within two weeks of each other. Trump posted a letter on social media declaring her removal, but Cook quickly fired back:
“President Trump purported to fire me ‘for cause’ when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so. I will not resign.”
The allegations stem from Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Bill Pulte, who accused Cook of mortgage fraud and promised a criminal referral to the Justice Department. Trump wasted no time weaponizing the claim, posting a photo of Cook with a big red X over it and labeling her “The Fraudster.” It’s the kind of personal attack he’s made routine in his renewed war with the Fed.
Cook’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, dismissed Trump’s attempt as legally hollow: “His demands lack any proper process, basis or legal authority. We will take whatever actions are needed to prevent his attempted illegal action.”
Legal experts agree this could land in untested territory—the Federal Reserve Act says governors can only be removed “for cause,” but courts have never ruled on whether a president can push out a sitting Fed governor.
Republicans like biggest Medicar fraudster EVER Sen. Rick Scott cheered Trump’s move as “protecting American families,” while Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren blasted it as an “authoritarian power grab” that any court should overturn. If Cook hangs on, her term runs until 2038. But if Trump manages to pry her seat open, he’ll get to stack even more loyalists onto the Fed board—and tilt monetary policy his way.
Trump’s endgame is at least two-fold: 1) Kill any discernable line between Article II and complete control of every aspect of the government, and 2) install a Fed that will drastically lower interest rates to offset the disastrous burden he’s placing on his constituents.
Except that lowering rates while raising tariffs will BLOW UP inflation. Gold is already soaring. This guy is stupid. But he’s a goddamn survivor (think lizard) and will come out of this far wealthier than any person on Earth. Mark my words.
NOTE that he’s amassed at least $100 million in bonds. When rates drop, bond prices rise. Do the fucking math, sheeple.
Oh, and he picked Cook because she’s Black. In fact, she is the first Black woman on the Fed Board. Of course, she was a Biden pick.
Source: Wall Street Journal (gift article)
More: Trump moves to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook
Judge Slams Brakes on Trump’s Plan to Deport Man to Uganda
A federal judge told Trump’s administration it is “absolutely forbidden” from deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia—at least for now.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, an Obama appointee, blocked the administration’s attempt to ship Abrego Garcia off to Uganda, ordering that he stay put until a hearing can determine whether he can contest his removal. The case erupted after Abrego Garcia was scooped up by ICE in Baltimore just three days after being freed from a separate criminal case in Tennessee.
Xinis made her position crystal clear from the bench: “Your clients are absolutely forbidden at this juncture to remove Mr. Abrego Garcia from the continental United States.”
Even the Justice Department’s lawyer had to nod along, admitting they understood the order. Still, the government hinted deportation wasn’t exactly around the corner, saying third-country removals “often take some time.”
Earlier this year, Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador despite a court order protecting him. After the Trump administration finally brought him back, they slapped him with federal charges in Tennessee. His lawyers argue the whole thing reeks of “selective and vindictive prosecution,” especially since the government allegedly dangled a plea deal: Serve time, then deportation to Costa Rica—refuse, and face deportation to Uganda instead.
In mobspeak: I have an offer you can’t refuse.
Xinis didn’t like the sound of that deal one bit. “You can’t condition the relinquishing of a constitutional right in that regard,” she said, also warning that nothing guarantees Uganda wouldn’t just send him straight back to El Salvador. Costa Rica, meanwhile, has offered assurances he’d be free to live there. For now, Abrego Garcia remains in a Virginia detention center with access to his lawyers as the case winds toward an evidentiary hearing.
This administration treats deportation like a twisted game of “spin the globe”—Uganda today, maybe North Korea tomorrow.
Note that after the Trump goon squad brought him back from El Salvador (after saying repeatedly that they couldn’t), they arrested him for some bullshit charges in Tennessee several years ago. When he went into an ICE hearing to comply with his return, they arrested him outside the courtroom (like they’ve done with dozens of other “undocumented”) and threatened him with deportation to Uganda… unless he admits guilt.
This is some authoritarian bullshit right here.
Source: The Hill
Texas Orders Schools to Post Ten Commandments—Even After Federal Judge Blocks It
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is telling schools to hang the Ten Commandments in classrooms, defying a federal court ruling that said doing so is unconstitutional.
Just days after Judge Fred Biery halted enforcement of Senate Bill 10 for 11 school districts, Paxton doubled down, claiming the Ten Commandments is “irrevocably intertwined with America’s legal, moral, and historical heritage.” So is slavery, by the way.
Gov. Greg Abbott had signed the law in June, requiring every public school classroom in Texas to display the Ten Commandments starting September 1.
Biery’s ruling pulled no punches, declaring the law “crosses the line from exposure to coercion” and burdens students’ religious freedom.
In a memorable aside, the judge warned about inevitable awkward moments: “Teenage boys, being the curious hormonally driven creatures they are, might ask: ‘Mrs. Walker, I know about lying and I love my parents, but how do I do adultery?’” Teachers, he noted, already have enough on their plates.
Despite the injunction, Paxton’s directive applies to districts not covered by the ruling. The ACLU of Texas quickly fired back, reminding superintendents that “all school districts have an independent obligation to respect students’ and families’ constitutional rights” and that the U.S. Constitution supersedes any state law.
This isn’t uncharted territory—back in 1980, the Supreme Court struck down a similar Kentucky law. Which means Texas Republicans aren’t blazing a new trail here; they’re just relitigating a fight they already lost four decades ago.
If Texas politicians spent half as much time fixing their schools as they do trying to turn them into Sunday School, maybe the kids could learn something more useful than “thou shalt not commit adultery” or “Everything is bigger in Texas” including their asses.
Source: UPI
Veteran Burns Flag at White House to Protest Trump’s Anti-Flag-Burning Order
A retired Army combat veteran set fire to an American flag near the White House, directly challenging President Trump’s new executive order targeting flag burning.
The protest happened in Lafayette Square on Monday evening, just hours after Trump signed the order.
But here’s the kicker: The man wasn’t arrested for burning the flag or violating Trump’s decree. Instead, authorities charged him under an old law against setting fires on federal property.
Video posted online shows the veteran declaring, “I fought for every one of your rights,” before igniting the flag as a crowd of onlookers gathered. “We burn this flag in protest,” he said, blasting Trump’s order as illegal and unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has long recognized flag burning as protected speech under the First Amendment.
Mark my words: The corrupt MAGA Supreme Court Justices will rationalize the Executive Order and say, “Well, if the President decrees it, it must be so.” Or something to that effect.
Once the flag was lit, a law enforcement officer rushed in with a fire extinguisher. The man was then detained by Secret Service agents and handed over to U.S. Park Police. Both agencies were careful not to mention the flag specifically, instead describing the incident as a “prohibited fire” at a federal park.
Trump’s order nods to the Court’s precedent but tries to carve out exceptions for acts he claims could incite “imminent lawless action.” That’s a legal stretch, and this protest may be the first real-world test of just how far Trump can push executive power against symbolic speech.
Only in Trump’s America do you get arrested for “illegal campfires” while torching Old Glory to protest a president who thinks the Bill of Rights comes with an asterisk.
Source: Washington Post
Trump Slaps 50% Tariffs on Indian Goods as Trade Talks Collapse
Indian exporters are bracing for a brutal hit after Washington confirmed steep new tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods, starting Wednesday.
The tariffs, ordered by President Trump and finalized by Homeland Security, are retaliation for India’s increased purchases of Russian oil. What was once capped at under 1% of imports now makes up 42%, and U.S. officials accuse New Delhi of indirectly fueling Moscow’s war machine. Five rounds of trade talks failed, leaving India facing some of the highest duties Washington has imposed on any partner.
“The government has no hope for any immediate relief or delay in U.S. tariffs,” one commerce ministry official admitted, while exporters warned orders from American customers had already dried up. Pankaj Chadha, head of the Engineering Exports Promotion Council, said bluntly: “With these additional tariffs, the exports could come down by 20% to 30% from September onward.”
The ripple effects are already visible. The rupee fell to a three-week low, Indian stocks logged their worst session in months, and analysts warn the tariffs could shave nearly a full percentage point off economic growth this year and next. Exporter groups estimate more than half of India’s $87 billion in shipments to the U.S. are now at risk, with competitors like Vietnam and Bangladesh ready to swoop in.
Prime Minister Modi insists he won’t compromise the interests of Indian farmers, even as Washington dangles U.S. energy exports as an alternative lifeline. Meanwhile, India is looking to pivot trade toward nearly 50 other countries, but with its diamond industry already at a 20-year low, options look thin. Modi is even dusting off ties with Beijing, planning his first trip to China in seven years at month’s end.
Trade war chess always looks brilliant until the pawns—farmers, exporters, workers—get crushed on the board. Politicians call it strategy. Everyone else calls it Trump Tuesday.
Just wait until Trump gets a bug up his butt about “outsourced” workers in India that US companies heavily rely on. You thought customer service was bad now? LOL. Just wait until some Karen answers your call to Chase…
Source: Reuters
Canada Scrambles for New Trade Partners as U.S. Tariff Threats Loom
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is racing to secure trade deals in Europe and South America as Washington threatens more tariffs on its closest ally.
Carney is meeting leaders in Germany, Latvia, and Poland this week to shore up cooperation on trade, defense, and energy, while also signaling Canada could play “an important role” in Ukraine’s reconstruction. With U.S. tariffs hanging over Ottawa like a guillotine, Canada is hedging its bets.
At the same time, Canadian officials are restarting long-stalled talks with Mercosur, South America’s largest trade bloc. Those negotiations froze in 2021, but now Canada wants to diversify fast—especially since more than three-quarters of its exports still flow south across the U.S. border.
The urgency is clear: Canada’s economy is tethered to the whims of Trump’s Washington. A single tariff threat from Trump can send shockwaves through Ottawa’s economic planning, and the government knows it needs new lifelines. Europe and South America offer alternatives, but hammering out deals will take time Canada may not have.
Bottom line: Canada’s trade diversification strategy is less about opportunity and more about survival. When your top trading partner is run by a tariff-happy Trump manbaby with congestive heart failure and cankles stumbling, mumbling, and bumbling in the White House, scrambling for backup plans isn’t optional—it’s policy.
The irony is rich: America built NAFTA to keep Canada close, and now Trump’s making Ottawa swipe right on Europe and South America just to stay in the game.
Source: Semafor
BONUS:
Missouri Voters Tell GOP Congressman: “Get Your Head Out of Trump’s Ass”
The money shot is around the 3:40 minute mark, near the end. The man, a farmer, made some really great points. Watch and learn how to talk to a MAGA-addled Trump Republican member of the GOP-led House of Representatives. This is how it’s done.
Rep. Mark Alford’s town hall turned into a public roasting as voters demanded he denounce Trump’s lies and stop parroting MAGA talking points.
Alford, a Missouri Republican, was the latest GOP lawmaker to host an in-person town hall despite party leaders urging their members to avoid them. The crowd in Bolivar wasn’t rowdy, but they didn’t hold back either—hammering Alford over Trump’s falsehoods, his Ukraine spin, and his defense of the president’s unpopular “Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
One constituent, Fred Higginbotham, delivered the night’s most blistering rebuke: “You need to take your head out of Trump’s a-- and start doing your representation of us.” The line drew loud cheers and applause, as others accused Trump of being a “dictator” and Alford of enabling his endless stream of lies.
When pressed about Trump repeatedly blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for starting the Russian invasion, Alford tried to deflect. But the audience scoffed, with one woman shaking her head and laughing as she reminded him that yes, Trump had explicitly said it—multiple times. Another voter called out Trump’s pardon of a billionaire who defrauded Medicaid of over $1 billion, contrasting it with Alford’s rhetoric about fraud in entitlement programs.
On immigration, Alford’s claim that Trump “fixed the hole in the boat” at the border was met with loud boos. And when he tried rebranding Trump’s massive spending package as “HR1” while selling its tax cuts as a win for working families, the crowd literally laughed in his face—because everyone knows the bill overwhelmingly benefits the wealthy.
Town halls are supposed to be about accountability. Instead, Republicans like Alford treat them like loyalty tests to Trump—and their own voters aren’t buying it anymore. And it’s fucking glorious to watch!
Source: The Daily Beast