What happened today-16 April 2025

What happened today – 16 April 2025

Today’s Themes
Remembering Our Fallen: Demanding Answers After the Loss of Two Service Members on AMERICAN SOIL 
Trump’s Harvard Obsession vs. Real Threats: USDA Cuts Are Hurting Universities and America
Freedom of Speech on the Line: Town Halls and Tasers
Trump’s Latest Truth Social Outbursts
Accountability in Action: Criminal Contempt Charges Move Forward
Market Turmoil and the Tariff Rollercoaster
Leavitt’s Press Briefings: When the Spokesperson Becomes the Story and did she have her cross on today?

Two United States TROOPS died on the border….here we go folks – is THIS what you asked for?
TWO U.S. service members were killed and a third injured in a vehicle accident near the U.S.-Mexico border this week. The incident happened around 8:50 a.m. on Tuesday near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, during support operations for President Trump’s border security mission. The service members were part of the deployment supporting the Joint Task Force Southern Border, which was established earlier this year to increase military presence along the border. 
While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, reports indicate the accident involved a civilian vehicle, and no civilians were harmed. The military has not released the names of those involved yet, pending family notifications. The deaths are the first known fatalities linked to the current border mission, which involves thousands of troops. The incident underscores the ongoing risks associated with this deployment.
NOT a fun fact:  Since Operation Lone Star began in 2021, at least 17 Texas National Guardsmen have died while assigned to the border mission, but those deaths occurred over several years and for various reasons—including suicides, accidents, and other causes—not all at once or in a single incident.  But one death ON OUR soil no matter the reason is too much.  (Gov Abbott stood this program up for clarity)

Trump is so mad at Harvard…for being “stupid”
Trump went on a full-blown rant against Harvard on Truth Social this morning, calling the university a “JOKE” that “teaches Hate and Stupidity” and saying it shouldn’t get a dime of federal funds anymore. He specifically blasted Harvard for refusing to cave to his administration’s demands—like gutting diversity and inclusion programs, changing how they hire and admit students, and letting the government basically dictate how the school is run. Trump also took shots at Harvard’s leadership, calling them “the WORST and MOST INCOMPETENT” and mocking their “ridiculously high salaries.” He even dragged former mayors Bill de Blasio and Lori Lightfoot for being hired as lecturers, saying Harvard is “hiring almost all woke, Radical Left, idiots and ‘birdbrains’ who are only capable of teaching FAILURE.” He went so far as to suggest Harvard should lose its tax-exempt status and be taxed like a political entity if it keeps “pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness’”. 
Trump is using Harvard as his punching bag to go after what he calls “woke” universities, and he’s threatening their funding and tax status to force them to fall in line.

Speaking of Stupid…this is such a bad move on the administrations behalf
The recent cuts to USDA research are a huge blow, not just for the scientists and researchers who do the work, but for the farmers who rely on their findings. This research is what helps farmers stay ahead—whether it’s new crop varieties, better pest control, or figuring out how to deal with drought and climate change. Now, with projects getting axed and funding drying up, farmers are losing out on the kind of support and innovation they need to keep their operations running and competitive. They’re basically being left to fend for themselves, and that’s going to make things tougher and more expensive for everyone down the line.
For folks like my sister-in-law, who’s a biolgest with customers in agriculture, this is a direct hit. She and her colleagues depend on these research grants to keep their labs open and to keep providing real help to farmers and ag businesses. Now, with so many grants frozen or canceled, jobs are at risk—not just in government labs, but at universities too. Schools are already talking about hiring freezes and layoffs, and a lot of important research is just getting shelved.
Bottom line: these cuts are bad news all around. Farmers lose out on new tools and knowledge, scientists lose their jobs and research opportunities, and the country risks falling behind when it comes to food security and agricultural innovation. It’s a short-sighted move that’s going to hurt a lot of people who are just trying to do good work and keep our food system strong.

MTG – pushing the freedom of NOT speech…
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s town hall in Acworth, Georgia last night was pure chaos from the jump. Protesters started interrupting her within minutes, and by the end of the night, at least six people had been removed by police, three were arrested, and two were actually tased inside the venue. One protester got tased after refusing to leave, and another was stunned by police outside the hall. Charges ranged from obstructing and battering a law enforcement officer to disorderly conduct and vulgar language.
MTG, true to form, had no problem with how things went down. She told reporters, “I’m glad they got thrown out. That’s exactly what I wanted to see happen,” and doubled down by saying, “This isn’t a political rally or a protest. This is a town hall tonight. You know who was out of line? The protesters.” She repeatedly thanked the police for their “great work” and told the crowd, “If you want to protest or shout, we will have you removed, just like that man was thrown out.”
As for her usual greatest hits, Greene called the media “shameful” for “defending an illegal alien that is a member of MS-13 that was deported to his home country, El Salvador,” even though Kilmar Abrego Garcia was here legally. She also claimed, “We’re not cutting Social Security or Medicare,” despite backing Trump’s budget cuts, and when asked about reining in Trump or protecting benefits, she mocked the questioners as “brainwashed.” Greene even insisted that DOGE had uncovered “9.9 million people over 120 years old fraudulently receiving Social Security,” which is about as believable as her other conspiracy theories.
The bottom line: two people tased, three arrested, at least six booted, and MTG using the whole scene as a platform to double down on her wildest talking points and take shots at anyone who dared to push back.

Trump and his madness on Truth Social
Today on Truth Social, Trump was back at it with his usual mix of bragging and half-truths. He praised farmers, saying he gave them $28 billion through a “great trade deal” with China—except that’s misleading. That money actually came from U.S. taxpayers to bail out farmers hurt by his tariffs, not from China. He also claimed China was “brutal” only during his term and that Biden let them off the hook, but China never fully lived up to the deal under either administration.
He’s hyping upcoming trade talks with Japan, talking tariffs and military support, but this sounds more like political theater than anything concrete right now. And then there’s the usual tough-guy talk about military moves and border security—he’s hinting at things like the Insurrection Act without any real plan or authority to back it up.
On the business side, Trump’s pushing “non-woke” investment portfolios through his company, which smells like a marketing scam to cash in on culture wars rather than a serious financial product. These “patriotic” investment pitches are mostly hype designed to rally his base and make money off political loyalty.
Trump’s posts today are full of misleading claims, empty threats, and questionable business schemes. It’s the same old story—big talk, little substance, and a lot of smoke and mirrors. If you’re listening, keep your guard up and don’t fall for the hype.

Criminal Contempt….please and thank you
Today, a federal judge issued a criminal contempt order against Trump and his administration because they blatantly ignored a court order stopping the deportation of Venezuelan migrants to a dangerous prison in El Salvador. The judge, James Boasberg, said there’s “probable cause” that they knowingly broke the law after rushing deportation flights out of the country—even while he was holding an emergency hearing and told them to stop.
Boasberg made it clear that the administration’s actions were a “willful disregard” of the court’s authority, and that the Constitution doesn’t give them the right to just ignore judicial orders. He’s now giving them one week to explain how they plan to fix this—like giving those migrants a real chance to challenge their deportation—or to identify who was responsible for ignoring his order. If they don’t cooperate, he can require sworn testimony or even refer individuals for criminal prosecution. If the Justice Department refuses to move forward, he can appoint an outside attorney to do it.
Trump’s team is now facing serious criminal charges for knowingly disobeying a court order, and the judge is demanding accountability. This is a rare move that could have big consequences for everyone involved.

Garcia…man this is so heartbreaking (hopefully the news changes by tonight…doubt it)
Garcia is still stuck in a brutal prison in El Salvador after being wrongly deported by the Trump administration, even though a federal judge ordered his return. Senator Van Hollen just went down there to push for his release, but the Salvadoran government is stonewalling—saying they won’t let him go and even claiming Garcia is some kind of “terrorist,” which his lawyers and family strongly deny. To make things worse, it looks like the Trump administration isn’t doing much to get him out, and the judge is furious, demanding daily updates and accusing them of dragging their feet. The Supreme Court backed the judge’s order, but El Salvador’s president is refusing to cooperate. 
Garcia’s still trapped, the U.S. government isn’t stepping up like they should, and it’s going to take a lot more pressure to get him home.

Well, this is great
Right now, Russian TV is running nonstop coverage of Trump’s recent meeting with Zelenskyy. They’re showing clips of Trump’s aggressive, confrontational tone, framing it as a big win for Russia and a sign that he’s undermining U.S. support for Ukraine. The coverage is all about how Trump’s criticizing Biden and claiming Ukraine started the war, which they’re using to push the idea that the U.S. is divided and weak. They’re calling Trump the “strong leader” who’s shaking up the global order in Russia’s favor, and they’re playing these clips on a loop to boost Putin’s image and create more chaos among Western allies. It’s classic propaganda—trying to show Trump as the guy helping Russia’s interests by tearing apart Ukraine and splitting NATO.

The Market today…dumpster fire—more gasoline poured on by Trump – I mean I feel like even Navarro’s imaginary friend would make better choices then what Trump decided to do today.
Trump just took the trade war with China to a whole new level, threatening tariffs on Chinese goods as high as **245%**—the biggest we’ve ever seen. The White House is spinning this as a national security move, saying it’s payback for China’s own tariffs and their ban on exporting critical tech materials. But let’s be honest: this is pure escalation, and it’s already rattling the markets. Stocks are down, big tech companies are losing billions, and regular folks are bracing for even higher prices.
Meanwhile, the whole “peasants” insult got started by Trump’s VP, JD Vance, who tried to defend the tariffs by saying America borrows money from “Chinese peasants” to buy the stuff those peasants make. Well, China didn’t let that slide. Their top official, Xia Baolong, fired back by calling Americans “peasants” and telling us to “wail before 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.” China’s not just talking, either—they slapped up to 125% tariffs on U.S. goods and told their airlines to stop buying Boeing jets. They’re making it crystal clear they’re not backing down, and they’re happy to hit us right where it hurts.
So now we’ve got Trump threatening 245% tariffs, China mocking us and punching back, and the markets taking a beating. All this started with Vance’s “peasants” comment, and now it’s spiraled into a full-blown slugfest where American farmers, businesses, and consumers are the ones caught in the middle. The uncertainty is sky-high, and it feels like we’re the ones paying the price while the politicians just keep trading insults.

The price of Gold….
Yes, the price of gold is still way up—actually, it’s at record highs right now. Gold futures are trading above $3,350 an ounce, up more than 25% just this year, and investors are piling in as the markets get rattled by Trump’s tariff chaos and all the uncertainty with China. Every time there’s more talk of trade wars or inflation, gold just keeps climbing.
And here’s the kicker—the irony is almost too much. While Trump is busy turning the Oval Office into a gold-plated palace, the real “gold rush” is happening because his own policies are making people so nervous about the economy that they’re running to buy actual gold as a safe haven. So, while he’s surrounding himself with gaudy gold décor, the price of the real stuff is soaring thanks to all the instability coming out of his administration. You can’t make this up.

Karoline Leavitt. True to form, she delivered several eyebrow-raising comments that quickly made the rounds on social media and in the press.
Here are some of the more notable—and frankly, dumb—things she said:
On Harvard: Leavitt doubled down on Trump’s attacks, saying, “If Harvard wants to continue teaching anti-American values and hiring failed politicians, maybe they should move their campus to Beijing.” She offered no evidence for her claims about Harvard’s curriculum or hiring.
On the economy and tariffs: When asked about the market downturn and rising prices, Leavitt insisted, “The American people are winning under President Trump’s tariffs. Any pain is just proof that the medicine is working.” She ignored multiple reports showing that U.S. consumers and retirees are bearing the brunt of the costs.
On the Garcia deportation case: Leavitt claimed, “This administration follows the law 100 percent of the time,” despite ongoing court orders and bipartisan criticism over the mishandling of Garcia’s case.
On border troop deaths: When pressed about the tragic deaths of two service members at the border, she awkwardly pivoted to say, “This just shows how committed President Trump is to protecting the homeland,” without addressing the specifics of the incident or offering condolences to the families.
On protests: Leavitt dismissed concerns about police using tasers at Marjorie Taylor Greene’s town hall, saying, “If you break the law, you get what’s coming to you. That’s how we keep America safe.”
Today, like many other days – just chaos.  She dodges questions and pushes a reality that NONE of the rest of us are in.  
Today…Karoline had her cross on…..

Honestly, I don’t know about you, but today just wiped me out. I’m heartbroken, anxious, and honestly scared for where we’re headed. I’ve never hidden how much I can’t stand Trump—he’s mean, cruel, and acts like he’s untouchable. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself, thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room, and it’s all on full display now. This is exactly why we begged people to move on from MAGA. He’s tearing this country apart—just wrecking us.
And the worst part? If this administration isn’t stopped, there’s so much more damage coming. They will SLASH Medicaid, Medicare, Meals on Wheels, SNAP and MORE, and if Trump keeps following the Project 2025 playbook, it’s only going to get worse. Every safety net, every bit of help for regular people, is on the chopping block. We’re just seeing the beginning, and if he gets his way, millions more will be hurt.
We could do this NOW…and have Mr. “Say Thank You” Vance…but 18 Republicans need to flip (if all 49 democrats voted to impeach)

If this has helped, please like and share—cause good trouble.  

Go Cause Good Trouble, with Your Elbows Up!

**These are facts that I researched and verified – AI helped put together some sentence structure, but the words and tone are mine. These are my views based upon facts, research and thoughtful consideration using logic. I own the copyright to any images attached. I’m comfortable to stand alone to uphold truth, feel free to join me. Also feel free to check me on anything posted, but do not attack me. I am only causing good trouble.**