What Happened Today - 19 Aug 2025
What Happened Today – 19 August 2025
Zelensky meeting update
Gerrymandering in Texas update
Newsmax to pay $67M in defamation-on 2020 Election claims
More Tarriff Changes…
Big Beautiful Bill Update
Promises Made, Promises Broken….
Other Ridiculous Statements he’s made since Jan 2025
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Zelensky meeting update
Yesterday’s summit in DC was intense, with Trump, Zelensky, and a big lineup of European leaders all gathered to try and forge a path toward ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. Zelensky actually came out feeling encouraged by some new commitments—mostly around security guarantees and ongoing military, intel, and financial support. The European heads of state and NATO leaders were right there alongside him, pressing Trump for real backing and making it clear that nobody’s interested in just rubber-stamping a deal that lets Putin walk away with Ukrainian territory.
Meanwhile, Trump underscored the urgency by calling Putin during the summit, actively pushing for a direct face-to-face between Zelensky and Putin—maybe even before Trump himself jumps back in the ring. There’s lots of energy in these talks, but it’s still just momentum—there’s no actual peace deal on the table yet. Putin did his usual move, saying Russia is “open” to talks, but honestly, after he just launched yet another drone attack on Ukraine a couple days ago, plenty of folks are questioning how serious he truly is about negotiation.
Looking ahead, the diplomatic hustle is nowhere near over and, no, not everyone has gone home yet. World leaders and their teams are still in DC, working through follow-up meetings and hammering out details on security guarantees and how to set the stage for these next-level negotiations. Zelensky and the main European players have all stuck around, keeping up the pressure and strategizing, while Trump’s people are still trying to line up that crucial first Zelensky-Putin direct meeting. There isn’t any major event on the calendar for today, but the action behind closed doors is nonstop—everybody’s deep in planning, and nobody’s packed up just yet. With so much still up in the air, all eyes are glued to DC, hoping that this wave of talks finally leads to real progress, and maybe even a breakthrough for peace.
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Gerrymandering in Texas Update
Here’s the gist for anyone just catching up: Texas Republicans are trying to redraw voting districts to grab more seats, and Democrats have been pushing back hard. Rep. Nicole Collier, a Democrat, refused to sign a permission slip that would’ve made her be watched by State Police every time she left the House chamber, just for doing her job. Because she wouldn’t go along with it, they locked her in the Capitol overnight—she’s not allowed to leave without an escort now.
Most Dems signed the slip so they could come and go, but Collier stood her ground and said enough is enough. Basically, the Texas GOP is flexing their power to the max, using police and old school legislative rules to pressure lawmakers. Even though it’s technically legal, it’s super sketchy and feels more like intimidation than anything democratic. They’re risking basic rights and representation just to rush their redistricting plans through. It’s wild, over-the-top, and straight up anti-democratic.
She’s expected to be allowed to leave after the House votes on the redistricting bill tomorrow (20 Aug). Until then, she’s stuck at the Capitol unless she agrees to that police escort—which she’s not backing down on. So, all this drama and her forced lock-in should end once the vote wraps up.
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Newsmax to pay $67M in defamation-on 2020 Election claims
Newsmax just shelled out $67million to settle a monster defamation lawsuit—and it’s all because they kept pumping out those wild election fraud claims after 2020. Honestly, it’s another reminder that spreading conspiracy theories actually has real consequences, even for big media names. They’re doing their best to spin it like no big deal, but you know this stings. The legal fallout from the 2020 election mess is still slamming headlines, and it’s looking like anyone who played fast and loose with the facts is now paying the price.
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More Tarriff Changes…
The Trump administration just cranked up the pressure on China again by adding more industries—think steel, copper, lithium, and a bunch of others—to the top of the “we’re watching you” list under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. What does this mean for us living here in the U.S.? Basically, it could make everything from cars to tech gear a lot pricier or harder to get if those materials are coming from China. It’s another round in the trade war, and it’s all about trying to push back on forced labor and unethical practices. But let’s be real—it also means big supply chain headaches for American companies and shoppers, possible shortages, and more drama for anyone trying to buy stuff that depends on these raw materials. Bottom line: we might feel the squeeze in our wallets and deal with even more tension between the U.S. and China.
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Big Beautiful Bill Update
Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” was supposed to be his big win—a package loaded with taxes and spending meant to jumpstart American industries and smack China around with new tariffs. But it’s backfiring hard. Prices are soaring at the grocery store, car dealerships, and anywhere you try to buy tech, because all those new tariffs just make stuff more expensive for regular people. Even businesses that usually back Trump are sounding the alarm, warning that these trade moves are killing profits and making it tougher to hire folks.
A lot of Americans expected this bill to help out, boost jobs, and protect U.S. products, but what they’re actually seeing is the cost of living climbing and lots of uncertainty. The frustration is spilling over, with more voices—on both sides of the aisle—calling the bill a flop and questioning who’s really benefiting. His support is crumbling, and social media is lit up with people complaining that government feels more chaotic and less responsive than ever.
In a nutshell, the grand promises haven’t delivered, and everyday Americans are left picking up the tab. Confidence in Trump’s leadership is slipping, and people are hungry for real solutions rather than hype and headlines.
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Promises Made, Promises Broken….
Here’s a breakdown of Trump’s broken promises since he took office in January 2025—just about everything he hyped and hasn’t actually delivered on:
- Gold Cards: Trump pitched special “Gold Cards” for select immigrants, claiming they’d get fast-tracked status and VIP perks. So far, the program never launched, and nobody’s gotten a card.
- Refund Checks (DOGE, Tariff): He said Americans would get $5,000 refund checks from savings using Elon Musk’s DOGE government efficiency cuts. Reality: no checks have landed, savings from DOGE were wildly overstated, and the whole concept fizzled out.
- Tariff Refunds & Dividends: Trump promised to return tariff revenues (“Tariff Dividends”) to taxpayers. The plan stalled, and Americans haven’t seen a dime—just higher prices at the store.
- Lower Prices:“Day One,” Trump claimed, prices would drop. Not even close—food, cars, electronics, and everyday goods all got more expensive thanks to tariffs and trade wars.
- More Jobs: He promised a job boom, but actual job growth slowed down and job losses piled up in industries hit by tariffs and supply chain headaches.
- End the War in Ukraine & Gaza: Promised he’d settle both wars “before even arriving in office.” Both are still raging.
- Eliminate Deep State/Birthright Citizenship: Claimed he’d wipe out the “Deep State,” end birthright citizenship, mass deport hundreds of thousands—none of those happened, and attempts mostly got blocked in court.
- Dissolve Department of Education: Said he’d shut down the Dept. of Ed and hand everything back to local governments. Congress blocked the move, and the department is still open.
- Free IVF, Tax-Free Social Security: Said IVF would be free and Social Security income tax would be eliminated. Not delivered, not even close.
- Make Housing, Childcare, Healthcare Affordable: Promised lower costs on all three and delivered none—prices continue to climb.
- Ban Vote by Mail and Voting Machines: Announced he’d ban mail-in voting and voting machines by executive order. States ignored him; federal courts blocked him.
- Government Efficiency (DOGE): Said he’d trim $2 trillion in government waste and hand it out to Americans. Actual cuts fell way short, whole thing is bogged down, and taxpayers have seen zero “dividends.”
Trump’s second term has been a string of big, flashy promises that fizzled out, got blocked, or never even made it off the ground. Americans were told to expect cash in their pockets, a government overhaul, and quick fixes for global crises, but none of it has materialized. Instead, we’ve got higher prices, more confusion, and way too much hype with nothing to show for it.
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Other Ridiculous Statements he’s made since Jan 2025
Here’s a list of some of the most ridiculous, off-the-wall things Trump has said or proposed since January 2025:
- Reopening Alcatraz: He announced he wants to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz as a “super-prison” for the country’s “most ruthless and violent offenders,” claiming it would symbolize law and order. He posted about it multiple times, and even referenced being inspired by movies set on the island.
- 100% Tariffs on Foreign Movies: Trump claimed he would slap massive tariffs—100%—on all movies made outside the U.S. to “save the American film industry.” He linked it to his love of classic American cinema.
- Bring Back Firing Squads: Trump made statements about the need to bring back firing squads and even joked about “televising” executions as a deterrent.
- End Birthright Citizenship by Executive Order: He claimed on several occasions he could end birthright citizenship in the U.S. with the stroke of a pen.
- Ban Mail-In Voting and Voting Machines: Trump said he would ban all mail-in ballots and the use of voting machines “by executive order,” despite having no authority to do so.
- Fake “Deep State” Mass Firings: He promised to fire “tens of thousands” of career civil servants immediately, promising to “clean house” and replace them with loyalists.
- Accepting Gifts for Air Force One: Trump bragged about accepting a $400million luxury jet from Qatar to use as Air Force One, which caused a major ethics outcry.
- Project 2025 Extremes: He floated supporting proposals that would abolish the Department of Education, criminalize abortion pills, and eliminate job protections for all federal workers—much of it echoing wish-list items in a right-wing “Project 2025” plan.
- Crackdowns on “Woke” and DEI: Trump said he’d ban “woke” language and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the entire federal government, which led to a series of confusing, controversial executive orders.
- Govt. Censorship of Porn/Tech: He suggested government should “ban pornography” and even threatened tech companies that don’t restrict access to adult content, despite little legal authority to actually enforce these ideas.
- “Ending War Overnight”: Claimed he’d end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza “before even taking office,” though nothing changed.
This is just a selection—his list of wild promises and out-there statements is long, and a lot of it sounds more like tabloid headlines or Twitter rants than real policy. It’s been a nonstop parade of “did he really say that?” moments.
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Honestly, we’re all beyond fed up with Trump’s nonstop crazy talk and the circus of people still cheering him on. It’s exhausting and just plain embarrassing at this point. Seriously—how much more of this do we have to put up with? When does everyone say enough is enough? We need real leadership and some sanity back in politics, because this endless chaos and nonsense has got to stop. Something’s gotta give.
Speak Truth! Keep speaking TRUTH!
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 used. I’m comfortable to stand alone to uphold truth. Feel free to check me, but do not attack me. I am only causing good trouble.**