Due Process

 

As we are painfully seeing, Trump and his followers seem to find difficulty in understanding what tariffs and due process are.

While not trying to denigrate them, I’ll explain the latter for their edification . (And for Trump followers, denigrate means "to put down" and edification means "to be instructed.) 😉

For the more curious, open-minded, and clever type of Trump supporters:  

"Due process" is a Constitutional* guarantee that applies to all "persons", not just citizens. This includes illegal immigrants. The rule of law with due process is absent in fascist dictatorships and communist police states.

Only in a dictatorship can the criminal leader simply declare a person like Abrego Garcia a terrorist and gang member without showing evidence, (Due process) and then send him to a life sentence in a gulag. The Administration even admitted deporting him was a mistake. The unreliable police detective who accused Garcia of being a member of the gang MS-13 was suspended days later for leaking confidential information to a woman he was paying for sex. Not that Trump and his mob care.

And remember, without due process Trump can accuse anybody he doesn’t like of being, or doing, whatever he says he is, or did. It could be you or me next. Only the courts can stop him from this illegal autocratic behavior. 

Now Garcia will need to move to a sane country to be safe from TRUMP and his legions of thugs. Yes, he now needs asylum from the Trump Gang. 

KilmarAbrego Garcia is 29-year-old man from El Salvador who has been is married to a U.S. citizen and a father of three children. He was deported on March 15, 2025, from the United States in what the Trump administration called an "administrative error" and is currently in prison in El Salvador.

Garcia has never been convicted or charged with a crime and in 2019, a judge in Maryland granted him a "withholding of removal" status. That allowed him to legally work and live in the U.S. He was granted a work permit by the Department of Homeland Security and lived and worked in Maryland up until his deportation.

Now Trump is refusing to have Garcia released, even after the Supreme Court upheld an order to facilitate his return. This is also what a fascist dictator does. 

Even US citizens are being illegally detained.

American born Twenty-year-old Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez was detained in a Florida jail even after his mother presented his birth certificate in court. Another American citizen, Nicole Micheroni was ordered to leave the country within seven days.

See? No DUE PROCESS!

===

DUE PROCESS IN IMMIGRATION PROCEEDINGS

I. DUE PROCESS

A. Generally

“Immigration proceedings, although not subject to the full range of constitutional protections, must conform to the Fifth Amendment’s requirement of due process.” Salgado-Diaz v. Gonzales, 395 F.3d 1158, 1162 (9th Cir. 2005) (as amended); see also Grigoryan v. Barr, 959 F.3d 1233, 1240 (9th Cir. 2020); Gonzaga-Ortega v. Holder, 736 F.3d 795, 804 (9th Cir. 2013) (as amended); Vilchez v. Holder, 682 F.3d 1195, 1199 (9th Cir. 2012); United States v. Reyes Bonilla, 671 F.3d 1036, 1045 (9th Cir. 2012); Pangilinan v. Holder, 568 F.3d 708,709 (9th Cir. 2009).

“[O]ur immigration laws have long made a distinction between those aliens who have come to our shores seeking admission . . . and those who are within the United States after an entry.” Leng May Ma v. Barber, [357 U.S. 185, 187] (1958). Aliens “who have once passed through our gates, even illegally,” are afforded the full panoply of procedural due process protections, and “may be expelled only after proceedings conforming to traditional standards of fairness.” Shaughnessy v. United States ex rel. Mezei, [345 U.S. 206, 212] (1953)

===

OK. All in favor of the rule of law with due process, a show of hands, please.

Thank you. 

And now, all in favor of dictatorship, feel free to insult, denigrate, or ignore me and my facts. Chances are you didn't read this far anyway, amirite?

Notice what color the guy is, and what he's done, who gets a break.

~~~~~~

*Fifth Amendment

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

*Fourteenth Amendment, Section 1:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Maher & Trump

 

Let's have a look at the recent meeting between Trump and Bill Maher that has become such a hot topic. I instinctively avoided watching Maher's HBO show, knowing what I know about both men. It would have spoiled a perfectly good evening.

But transcripts work just as well for this discussion. Maher's remarks are in quotation marks. Mine follow in parenthesis. 

 “He’s much more self-aware than he lets on in public. Look, I get it. It doesn’t matter who he is at a private dinner with a comedian. It matters who he is on the world stage. I’m just taking as a positive that this person exists, because everything I’ve ever not liked about him was, I swear to God, absent.”

(“Self-aware”? What does that mean? He never stops thinking about himself? What wasn’t absent was Trump's manipulation of celebrities to get more attention.)

“At least on this night with this guy, Bob, Kid Rock told me the night before, he said, ‘If you want to get a word in edgewise, you’re going to have to cut him off. He’ll just go on.’ Not at all. I’ve had so many conversations with prominent people who are much less connected.”

(Much less connected to reality, decency, or humanity? Please.) 

“People who don’t look you in the eye, people who don’t really listen because they just want to get to their next thing. People whose response to things you say just doesn’t track. Like what? None of that with him. And he mostly steered the conversation to, ‘What do you think about this’?”

(Ah, yes. So Maher was actually being interviewed on the Trump Show.)

“I know your mind is blown. So is mine.”

(Speak for yourself, Bill.)

“You can hate me for it, but I’m not a liar. Trump was gracious and measured. And why isn’t that in other settings, I don’t know, and I can’t answer and it’s not my place to answer. I’m just telling you what I saw, and I wasn’t high.”

(He was “gracious and measured” for reasons beyond Maher’s grasp.)

"I had supported him in the idea that Gaza could be Dubai."

(Yes, build those beachfront casinos. MAGA Lite Maher rarely, if ever, condemns Netanyahu’s brutality or Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes, and theft of their land.)

“I never felt like I had to walk on eggshells around him. And, honestly, I voted for Clinton and Obama, but I would never feel comfortable talking to them the way I was able to talk with Donald Trump. That’s just how it went down. Make of it what you will.”

(OK. This is what I make of it. Clinton and Obama are much smarter than Maher. He’s more relaxed with someone closer to his level of intelligence.)

“I feel it’s emblematic of why the Democrats are so unpopular these days", Maher concludes.

(Maher conveniently ignores the real factor. Fascists are better at propaganda because they have no moral boundaries or regard for truth. Far Right propaganda networks have been more successful in deluding Americans with lies than traditional corporate media has been with reaching them with facts. Trump’s criminal behavior and attempts to overturn the 2020 election were sidelined by corporate media’s paucity of reporting lower inflation, their obsession with Biden’s age, and the usual horse race normalization of the 2024 election.)

Tyrants don't become tyrants without an ability to charm and dupe the most gullible, egotistical, resentful, and angry people who’ve been indoctrinated by their propaganda. Maher has fallen for the charms of a criminal sociopath and doesn't know it.

One more point. Let’s not overlook the most obvious reason Maher jumped at the opportunity to meet Trump. He wants MAGA viewers to boost his falling ratings.

No Worries

 

Absolutely!* 

Such gross incompetence should be immediately punished! 

The Dow, April 4, 2025: – 1,679.39

The Dow, April 5, 2025: – 2,231.07

The Dow drops 3,910.46 in two days and Trump goes golfing. 

Nothing to see here. Forget 2012. The Black Guy was president in 2012. Now it's totally different. 

That was then. 

This is now.

Trump, April 4, 2025: “This is a great time to get rich, richer than ever before!!!”

No worries. It's time to CELEBRATE!

Our Tangerine Tyrant is a proven stable genius and is in complete control. If you don't believe him you're a commie who hates America.

*While this 2012 tweet may be fake, PolitiFact Notes: Searching the Trump Twitter Archive, a database of Trump’s X posts, using keywords like "Dow" and "impeached" showed no such post, although it does not include deleted posts before September 2016.

So, even if it's fake, it sounds just like what he'd say.

On June 4, 2014. Trump did tweet, "Are you allowed to impeach a president for gross incompetence?"

Trump Means Business

 

Trump means business with his tariffs! Tough measures are needed! No more Mr. Nice Guy and no more unfair deals with penguins.

 

"In the end, they're not coming after me. They're coming after you — and I'm just standing in their way."

Those penguins will NOT stop Trump from making America great again! 

Their Bottom Line

 

 

There are far too many gullible and duped Americans who BELIEVE every word from Trump and other radical Right extremists is gospel. It's no coincidence that wrapping their dishonesty in religion has been an effective tactic in deception. It's also no coincidence they would think the rest of us are commies. They are so deeply INDOCTRINATED with those delusions that the True Believers will side with greedy oligarchs over everyone else, including their own best interests.

This has been the strategy of the radical Right economic elites since the rise of Hitler. Most Americans have no idea that antisemitic fascists like Charles Lindbergh and Henry Ford HATED FDR and praised Hitler. Hitler’s American fans incessantly accused FDR and Democrats of being communists. It was perhaps their first Big Lie. Like today’s Republicans they were the usual mix of white racists and sociopathic greedheads.

Today the vast radical Right media empire has succeeded spectacularly in indoctrinated semi-literate, low-information dupes who can’t even attempt critical thinking. They’re the sort who’ve been conned into thinking social justice, critical race theory, Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, and other public services are communism and even critical thinking is “Marxist".

Now the fascist elites are empowered to eliminate all the "Marxist" agencies and programs of the US Government that are clearly supported by OUR CONSTITUTION. Social services and public health and education are demonized by the fascist elites because they have no use for them. And they have no empathy or concern for the millions of Americans who need them.

How dare a constitutional government try to have power over the rich?

Taxes? Check.

Regulation of commerce? Check.

Provision for the general welfare? Check.

Wow. The founders were such commies, amirite? That’s all gotta go. Trump and Musk know best.

So, what's NOT in the US Constitution?

"Presidential immunity" isn't there. Neither is a provision for an unelected oligarch billionaire to recklessly shut down agencies on his own whims.

Impeachment is in the Constitution. But Mitch McConell and his party refused to convict Trump for his criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.

Then six highly partisan and corrupt Supreme Court Justices bent their knees to protect the CRIMINAL President Trump from accountability. America’s descent into fascism and ruin is now entirely on them.

Their bottom line is clearly visible to anyone who looks.

All of the hate, lies, misery, division of our people, and senseless cruel destruction of our government and federal jobs is deliberately inflicted by unpatriotic rich assholes so they can wield power over our government and to grift and reap its largesse without having to pay taxes.

Screw public employees. Screw the unemployed. Screw the poor, Screw the hungry. Screw the sick. And screw the middle class. Screw our allies. And screw America. Trump’s Republican Party is imposing their version of Putinism in America. He is their role model. 

They are actively and successfully corrupting, rigging, and destroying the system to perpetuate their dictatorship. And we are frighteningly close to the tipping point, if not already past it.

They truly ARE the fascist Greedy Oligarch Party.

Loyalty over Merit

Donald Trump (2016): “In my administration, I’m going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified information.”

Unless secret intelligence is released by Trump and his people, right, Tulsi?

It’s understood by now that the only necessary “qualification” for a job with the Trump Mob is loyalty. As with every dictator, Trump’s authoritarian rule has always favored loyalty over merit. Devotion to the leader is essential, while competence is secondary, if even a factor at all.

Let’s set the scene of this recent case of gross incompetence with a sneering arrogant boast from the embarrassingly unfit Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. “Under the previous administration, we looked like fools. Not anymore.”

That’s the kind of loyalty to Trump that got him the job.

Then this story by editor in chief  Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic broke:

 

“The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans”

U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.

The world found out shortly before 2 p.m. eastern time on March 15 that the United States was bombing Houthi targets across Yemen.

I, however, knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming. The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, had texted me the war plan at 11:44 a.m. The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing.

This is going to require some explaining.

And someone needs to be held accountable

When a reporter questioned Trump about the security breach he responded, “I don’t know anything about it.” (Yeah, right.) And like any fascist would do he demeaned the source of the story.

After another reporter asked Hegseth about his security breach, It was his turn to do what all fascists would do. He deflected and attacked the journalist. “You’re talking about a deceitful highly discredited, so-called journalist who’s made a profession of pedaling hoaxes time and time again..” unironically wailed the former FOX (R) TV personality and well known wife abusing alcoholic. He lied, “Nobody was texting war plans.” (Yeah, right. Just precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing.)

The reporter should have followed up with, "Oh, so it's OK with you for us publish the entire text. Thank you."

Of course, the patriotic and respected journalist responsibly withheld the most secret information knowing the risk to our deployed military personnel.

During questions by Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee two participants on the group chat denied there was classified content.  But, alas, poor Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director Ratcliffe both developed a sudden onset of severe memory impairment. 

In addition, it appears another member of the group chat was Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, listening in from Moscow! Isn't that precious? 

We do have to wonder about the extent of this gross negligence by Trump’s mob that was hired out of loyalty over merit and qualifications. There can be no doubt foreign powers are listening in on these arrogant incompetents. And there’s also no doubt that other countries will stop sharing intelligence with the US because allies know this country cannot be trusted with Trump in power. 

Trump is serving the interests of the Kremlin, Peking and Pyongyang over Western democracies, the American people and the Constitution. 

Russian state TV host Vladimir Solovyov and head of RT Margarita Simonyan rejoiced over Trump's cabinet picks. They were especially thrilled about Kash Patel and Pete Hegseth, predicting, "They will quickly dismantle America, brick by brick." 

This was before Musk started vandalizing the executive branch and terrorizing federal employees. Russians absolutely delight in this destruction of the US Government and pitting of our people against each other, as Trump helps make Russia great again.

But Trump’s angry lush and toady Hegseth blew it. He needs to go.

While we can worry a lot about security breaches from Trump’s cabinet buffoons, I’m pretty sure Putin still gets anything he wants straight from Trump.

And now unlike with the previous administration, we REALLY look like fools.

Biggest Brother

“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” – The Party (1984)

“Just remember, what you are seeing and what you are reading is not what's happening.” – Donald Trump

The destruction of the Department of Education framed as "education" is 1984's "Ministry of Truth" all the way, as is their massive eradication of words they don't want to see in government documents. Words like "equality", "biased", "inequality", "pollution", "racism" and of course, "Gulf of Mexico". Does it get any more Orwellian with this malevolent and mendacious messianic autocracy? 

Maybe a lot more…

The Glorification of Biggest Brother, part one:

The Glorification of Biggest Brother, part two:

Behold the drone spectacle of the Tangerine Tyrant’s "World's Best" ego without substance, empathy, or "ending the war in 24 hours". Only the "liberator" of cop-beating thugs who tried to overturn an election for him. 

This is fascist propaganda only a dictator and his cult would like. So naturally it’s MAGA all the way.

When will Americans wake up to this banana republic tyrant worship? Or is it already far too late for it to matter? Like every dictator Trump wants a police state to enforce his cruelties and to keep all dissenting citizens in their place. "We're going to give our police their power back," he told rallygoers in Waukesha, "and we are going to give them immunity from prosecution."

Presto! An autocrat placed above the law by a corrupt Supreme Court takes the obvious next step to dictatorship, a "legally" unaccountable force of thugs in uniform. Adding further desecration of the rule of law by his fascist regime he's now openly defying court orders. 

We must all love our Biggest Brother or face the consequences. Recall the way Trump would withhold covid equipment from states whose governors failed to publicly praise him.

And more recently at the White House Governors' Conference, Maine Governor Janet Mills referred to Trump's criticism of state policies concerning transgender athletes with, "I'll see you in court".

In response, the dictator demanded submission. "We need a full-throated apology from the Governor herself, and a statement that she will never make such an unlawful challenge to the Federal Government again".

For its "offense" by not harshly punishing anti-Netanyahu protestors adequately Columbia University is submitting its autonomy under Trump's jackboot. After being threatened by Trump the Paul Weisse Law Firm capitulated into serving him.

Watch for this kind of intimidation and punishment to be regularly inflicted upon businesses, agencies, universities, governors, and states who fail the fealty test.

Now let’s note the contrast and reactions between property damage and brutal political violence.

"I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20 year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla." – Donald Trump

Boohoo. Someone is reaping what he sows, but not nearly comparable in the financial pain, anxiety, and life disruption he's inflicted on thousands of Americans, including Trump voters.

“If burning Teslas make you furious, but watching thousands of federal workers get stripped of their jobs, healthcare, and pensions doesn’t move you—YOU are the problem. If scorched cars spark more outrage than billions being slashed from cancer research, humanitarian aid, education, and support for the most vulnerable—your moral compass is broken. This ain’t about Teslas. It’s about twisted priorities, cold-hearted politics, and willful ignorance.” - Bishop Talbert Swan

“But if you viciously beat police officers over the head with flag poles and build a gallows and noose outside the Capitol to hang Democrats, you're let out of jail. Got it. This is how despotism works. Enforce the laws except when they are broken in service of the regime.” – Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy

This is where we are. Will enough sane and decent voices be heard over the din of despotism?

I sincerely hope the human species can survive its tendency to revert to Dark Age beliefs and manages to evolve beyond our gullible tendency to believe in narcissistic and charismatic white nationalist demagogues who disparage science, empathy, and education.

Tragically the human species is far easier to manipulate through fear-mongering lies than by facts and reason. And this is exactly how the vast radical Right media machine is winning the propaganda war. The lying and hateful authoritarian voice of MAGA is at war with our free press and has shut down the democracy-promoting Voice of America, literally and figuratively. 

Inevitable and widespread misery may be the only turning point for this country.

Only the unlikely rapid expansion in the evolution of human conscience and consciousness can really help us, I'm afraid.