Politics

The mood in Washington, at least in the quarters I frequented, has been almost giddy these past few days. I watched Donald Trump’s second inauguration ceremony from the snug fastness of a secure, undisclosed location close to the White House. Joining me were about 300 politically mature citizens. Some were young, some old; some male, some female; many walks of life were represented. There were periodic cheers during the address, beginning with Trump’s declaration of “a national emergency at our southern border. “All illegal entry will immediately be halted,” he said, “and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.” My comrades liked that.

I am on my way to Washington, DC for zero hour, which as I write is a scant twenty-four hours away.   In fact, I am going to celebrate two zero hours. Naturally, the first cause for celebration is the second inauguration of Donald Trump, an event that by my reckoning (and not mine alone) will mark the beginning of a new golden age for America. At the same moment, however, we have a second zero hour in which to rejoice: zero hour for the country’s principal zero, the departure of Joe Biden from the White House, power and anything resembling a public platform.

TikTok is hoping that 2025 can be its year — but what comes next for the social media company is truly anyone’s guess. Will someone buy it? Will it divest from its Chinese Communist Party ownership? Will it exist in America next week (the app is fully banned in China as is)? Stay tuned.The social-media app is seeking yet another revival at the eleventh hour. Despite a bipartisan bill signed by President Joe Biden that restricts the ability for foreign adversaries to run social-media companies in the United States, TikTok is activating its army of supporters once more (the app is presumably hoping that its child soldiers will not threaten to kill themselves or lawmakers this time)... and it just might work.

Four days away from inauguration, the Senate is moving quickly with confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet. The saga began with defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth’s contentious hearing Tuesday and quickly moved to half-a-dozen other hearings the next day, including that of secretary of state nominee, Senator Marco Rubio.  This morning, Congress continued with more hearings for top Trump nominees, including one with treasury secretary pick Scott Bessent, as well as with former representative Lee Zeldin, former governor Doug Burgum and former NFL player Scott Turner — who were nominated to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Interior and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, respectively.

The British royals are coming after American free speech, just days before Donald Trump is set to take office as president for the second time. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle expressed outrage that Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, changed policy to rely on community notes versus a dedicated fact-checking department. Ironically, the pair suggested Meta’s policy change “directly undermines free speech.” How exactly? Because, according to Harry and Meghan, Mark Zuckerberg is, allegedly, prioritizing those using social media “to spread hate, lies and division.

Pete Hegseth was the first cabinet nominee to the breach, leading Donald Trump’s collection of outsiders, populists and hellraisers into the Capitol Hill combat they can all expect to navigate in the coming weeks. And in terms of a first confrontation with the opponent, Hegseth handled his mission manfully — taking the slings and arrows from the Democratic side of the aisle with relative ease. At one point, exasperated Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal — you’ll remember him from not serving in Vietnam and falsely claiming that he did — said, “I don’t dispute your communication skills.” And how could he? Hegseth seemed more than ready to address the accusations from Senate Democrats head on, and the Republicans on the committee seemed unperturbed by their attacks.

Thousands of Californians have lost their homes and livelihoods to an ongoing inferno. I write this while tracking the flames approaching my property. For many of us, the fires are both a natural disaster and a deathly reminder of the catastrophic consequences of government incompetence. A government that has promised to protect and serve us has proven itself to be woefully unprepared and grossly inept in the face of crisis. Amidst the Californian ashes, anger and frustration are growing.  The consequences of the Los Angeles fires are not entirely shocking. They serve as a grim confirmation of a long-standing trend. For nearly a decade, California has been trotting down a path of self-destruction, rejecting all affinity for competence in favor of ideological dogma.

One of the outcomes of November’s election is that Americans can once again trust their own eyes and call out the obvious when they see it. President Biden long ago lost the mental acuity to serve as the nation’s chief executive. Progressive causes like climate change, diversity hiring and transgender men participating in women’s sports are ridiculous. And highly dubious prosecutions seemingly launched as political weapons are exactly what they appear to be. In a Friday morning double-header Americans witnessed in real time the crumbling of the last two vestiges of the lawfare campaign against former and future president Donald Trump. What were once touted as a dream of the left to bring down a king will at best be reduced to obscure footnotes in the annals of history.

Past, present and president-elect presidents, along with their wives — and current and former veeps — put on brave faces at the funeral of President Jimmy Carter Thursday. Not so much because they were in mourning, but because, Cockburn suspects, they had to interact with one another. The solemn event made for some interesting viewing: smooshed together in the front pews of the Washington National Cathedral were all five living presidents. President Joe Biden buffered himself from his predecessor/successor, President-elect Donald Trump, with First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff in between. Next came Trump and First Lady Melania. In the second row were President Bill and First Lady (is that what we call her?