Donald Trump is riding high

President-elect Donald Trump is enjoying a honeymoon period in the wake of his election victory, largely staying out of the spotlight as positive developments have piled up. Trump has quickly put together a Cabinet for his incoming administration, has seen his legal problems dissolve and has benefited from a bump in polling since winning a second term earlier this month.

An Emerson College poll published Tuesday found Trump’s favorability rating had increased by 6 percentage points since the election, putting him at 54 percent.

The postelection period has not been entirely free of drama for Trump, however, as one of his Cabinet nominees, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, has already withdrawn, and another, Pete Hegseth, is facing allegations of sexual assault that cloud his chances of confirmation.

Here are five reasons Trump is riding high three weeks after Election Day.

Quick Cabinet assembly

Trump has rolled out new picks for his incoming administration almost daily in the past two weeks, wasting little time installing allies at top posts in the White House and nominating staunch loyalists to lead major government agencies.

Following his 2016 victory, Trump did not name his first Cabinet picks until 10 days after the election. This time around, he has named choices for nearly his entire Cabinet, plus several top White House positions, within three weeks of his victory.

Trump allies said the quick pace showed a more cohesive transition than eight years ago, reflected his team’s preparedness for victory this time around and underscored how Trump was ready to rely on those he knew rather than more establishment figures.

“The people that he is surrounding himself with now are all committed to advancing the agenda,” former White House press secretary Sean Spicer said.

The rapid pace of nominations has kept headlines moving from one pick to the next, but some of Trump’s choices are likely to face intense scrutiny as the confirmation process moves along. 

In particular, Hegseth, his choice for Defense secretary, is facing allegations of sexual assault, which he denies. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s choice for director of national intelligence, has faced criticism for parroting pro-Russian talking points. And Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the man tapped to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has spread anti-vaccine rhetoric, among other controversial views.

End of legal cases

Trump and his legal team spent more than a year fighting to delay various legal cases against him in the hopes that a victory in the presidential election would effectively end his court battles.

This week proved that effort was a success when special counsel Jack Smith moved to dismiss both his election interference case and classified documents case against Trump, citing Department of Justice policy against prosecuting a sitting president.

The motion for the election interference case was approved by Judge Tanya Chutkan, bringing to a close the prosecutorial effort to hold Trump accountable for seeking to thwart the peaceful transfer of power that culminated with his supporters storming the Capitol.

In Trump’s Florida documents case, where he is facing charges for violating the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice, Smith also moved to dismiss an appeal to a motion tossing the case.

Trump was convicted earlier this year on 34 felony counts over a hush money scheme to keep an alleged affair quiet during the 2016 campaign. But his sentencing has been indefinitely adjourned, and Judge Juan Merchan now faces a choice of freezing the case in place until he leaves the White House or tossing it entirely.

Fewer signs of Democratic resistance

After Trump’s first victory in 2016, Democrats quickly rallied from the top down with vows to oppose and resist his agenda. 

The Women’s March took place one day after Trump was inaugurated, lawmakers planned for how to delay confirmation of Trump’s nominees and critics seized on questions about Russian influence in the 2016 election.

This time around, Democrats appear more focused on sorting out where their own party went wrong during the 2024 campaign than on forming an organized resistance to Trump’s plans. With President Biden on his way out of the White House and Vice President Harris defeated, there is no clear leader of the party.

Instead of vowing to oppose Trump’s Cabinet picks, senators like Sen. John Fetterman have openly talked about supporting nominees such as Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of State and even Dr. Mehmet Oz, who was nominated to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Fetterman defeated Oz in 2022 to win his Pennsylvania Senate seat.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis drew backlash when he expressed excitement over Trump’s choice of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

Some state-level leaders, particularly those with aspirations for 2028, have appeared keener to position themselves as a bulwark against Trump. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vowed to push back against certain Trump policies, while Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signaled he would fiercely protect his state’s rights.

Middle East peace deal

One major victory for Trump since the election came thanks to the work of the Biden administration, which announced Tuesday a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.

President Biden made the announcement that Israel and Hezbollah agreed to pause their fighting in and around the border with Lebanon as of early Wednesday morning following months of fighting and airstrikes in the region. 

The terms of the deal include a 60-day truce during which Israel will gradually withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah will withdraw its troops north of the Litani River in Lebanon.

Trump has not publicly commented on the announcement, but the Biden team briefed Trump transition officials twice in recent weeks about the ongoing push for a ceasefire.

The Washington Post reported earlier this month that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aimed to reach a ceasefire with Hezbollah as a gift to the incoming Trump administration.

While Trump must still contend with the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and Israel’s war with Hamas, which has decimated Gaza, the truce between Israeli forces and Hezbollah takes one foreign policy concern off the table.

Out of the public eye

Trump has largely been absent from the public eye in the roughly three weeks since he secured a second term.

He appeared in Washington DC, to meet with House Republicans and President Biden at the White House, and he made a trip to Texas to witness a SpaceX rocket launch alongside Elon Musk, the founder of the company.

But he has not held a press conference or delivered remarks on camera, making announcements largely through press releases from his transition team or on Truth Social.

Trump has in the past enjoyed some of his stronger political stretches when he has stayed out of the spotlight and avoided the kind of self-created controversies that come from his own on-camera remarks to the press or at rallies.

The question is how long he can keep it up. Some of his Cabinet picks are sure to come under growing scrutiny in the weeks ahead, his threat of tariffs against allies Mexico and Canada have rankled officials and could upend the economy, and there will be an even greater focus on Trump’s every move once he takes office in January.

Courtesy: The Hill

 

 

 

 

 

US Election: Selecting Lesser (Bigger) Evil

I have been writing these blogs since June 2012. Over the years I have developed certain premises that include: 1) the United States is the biggest war monger, it creates conflicts around the world and supplies funds to perpetuate these conflicts to maintain its hegemony, 2) US foreign policy is driven by military complexes, the biggest beneficiary of conflicts/ wars, 3) US oil companies that earn windfall profits during conflicts, particularly in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region are the major donors in presidential election and 4) dishonest western media often run concocted stories to prove that the US is right in imposing economic sanctions on certain countries.

I have also come to the conclusion that United States, is not a true democracy but controlled-democracy. The citizens are forces to elect either of the two candidates. They term it selecting the lesser evil, but I term it “selecting the bigger evil” on the basis of above stated premises.

The US president and the entire US administration is supplying tons of lethal arms to Ukraine and Israel to perpetuate wars, rather than negotiating ceasefire. In Gaza alone nearly 40,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed and the entire enclave has been reduced to debris, but US administration refuses to accept it is genocide.

Lately, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu was invited to address US Congress Members for the fourth time, whereas he should have been handed over to the authorities who have held him responsible for the genocide in Gaza.

My readers may recall one of my recent posts, “Neither Biden nor Trump fit to be US President”. Ironically, the US electoral system does not support candidature of an independent and US citizens will be forced to choose between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the darlings of military complexes and Wall Street and fully supported by the western mainstream media, of course in exchange for tons of dollars given to them to tow the US policies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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US hates and destroys three types of countries dated July 11 2024

https://shkazmipk.blogspot.com/2024/07/us-hates-and-destroys-three-types-of.html

 

This a very complicated subject but we have tried to be brief, concise and to the point. Let us say point blank that United States just can’t stand three types of countries: 1) countries not willing to accept its hegemony, 2) countries rich in mineral resources, especially energy products and 3) countries having strong social and cultural bonding.

The first category is led by China and Russia, which has a long history on conflict/ wars called ‘Cold War Era’. The later addition is Iran, which has been facing US sanctions for more than four decades because it termed United States ‘The Biggest Satan’.

In the second category most prominent are the oil and gas producing countries. These are hostage of US hegemony because of restriction on energy trade in ‘petro-dollars’ only. The countries facing extreme US hostilities include, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Venezuela and Russia.

United States suffers from worst social evils that include distance from religion, drug/ alcohol addiction, extra marital relation, abortion etc. Therefore, the US hate Muslim countries, some of them rich in energy resources, on top of the list are Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Ironically, the US foreign policy is dictated by three groups: 1) military complexes, 2) oil exploration and production companies and 3) companies owned and operated by Zionists.

The name of the game is create conflict, supply funds and arms to rebel groups and weaken the states. Till yesterday Venezuela was friend and biggest partner in oil trade, but at present it faces sanctions.

United States follows hybrid war and always chose battle grounds thousands of miles away from its borders, which include Korean Peninsula, Arabian Peninsula, Middle East and North Africa. This time Ukraine has been chosen to fight a proxy war against Russia. Let no one forget United States dropped two atom bombs on Japan in the Second World War.

The logical conclusion is, “United States is merchant of death, the biggest war monger and the biggest arms supplier, which wants to establish its hegemony around the world. It has the capacity to find and feed the touts, install and topple the governments and eliminate the agents when they become redundant”.

 

Kamala Harris: Darling of billionaires

Till yesterday little was known to the world about Kamala Harris, likely choice of Democrats to be the next president of United States. It may be of some interest to the people living outside the US to know more about the likely presidential candidate.

It is a historic opportunity for the US citizens and the world that Democrats are in disarray and selection of Kamala Harris demonstrates once and for all that they don’t at all care for real democracy. Instead they chose to elevate a party insider who is backed by billionaires, lobbyists, and Super PACs. It is even more apparent that they are corporate controlled when one considers that Biden only stepped down after the billionaires withheld donations. In the hours since Biden announced he would not seek reelection, and his quick endorsement of Kamala, the anti-Democratic party raised US$50 million, suggesting that the big donors are lining up to support yet another pro-war, corporate candidate.

A follow up with some opposition research about the candidate the anti-democratic party appears to be coronating who has zero delegates. First, let’s look closely at her record as Attorney General, California’s Top Cop.

Her office fought tooth and nail against an order to decrease the inmate population after the Supreme Court ruled that the severe overpopulation of their prisons amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.

Her AG office’s attorneys explicitly argued that prisoners were needed to prop up the state’s firefighters needed to combat the wildfire crisis – these inmates were making one dollar an hour for this dangerous work.

Kamala jailed the parents of young people who were skipping classes. And laughed about it.

In 2014, Kamala refused to investigate a series of police shootings in San Francisco, where she had previously been District Attorney, ignoring pleas to do so following the police murder of Michael Brown.

Now let’s look at the Gaza genocide and where she really stands. Her presidential campaign coffers include access to US$5,395,227 of contributions from AIPAC.

She has stood by as the Biden administration has provided approximately US$25 million a day in military aid to Israel that has enabled them to carry out this genocide against the people of Gaza.

She co-sponsored a resolution condemning Barak Obama for his failure to veto a UN resolution denouncing illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

She waxed poetic about the Israeli Supreme Court’s architectural design, saying “The beauty of the architecture and spirit of design left a lasting impression…The Court, like Israel, is a beautiful home to democracy and justice in a region where radicalism and authoritarianism all too often shape government.”

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Between her political history and her dismal polling, she is clearly a terrible candidate. But the billionaires love her. She has raised tens of millions since Biden’s endorsement of her on X (formerly Twitter). 

 

 

Iran rejects statements made by US official

Iran has firmly rejected recent statements made by a US administration official concerning the country's presidential election, labeling the remarks as "worthless" and "meddlesome." 

On Friday, Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, responded forcefully to comments by Abram Paley, the deputy special envoy for Iran at the US State Department. Paley had taken to his X social media account to accuse Iran of "suppressing election coverage" and asserted that the election was neither "free nor fair," among other allegations deemed false by Iranian authorities.

Kanaani criticized these comments, stating, "American authorities gain nothing from such worthless statements. The Iranian people will firmly respond to these interventionist remarks by participating effectively and enthusiastically in the polls, as they have done in the past."

He emphasized the significant role that the Iranian populace plays in shaping their political future, an aspect he described as an "obvious principle" that has been consistently demonstrated in practice.

He further asserted that the integrity and fairness of Iran's electoral processes have been validated in previous elections.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran and its election organizers view the people's vote as a trust and a fundamental right, which they are obligated to protect," Kanaani said.

He suggested that the American officials' understanding of this principle might be limited by what he described as their "totalitarian mentality."

Kanaani also took the opportunity to critique the state of American democracy, both domestically and internationally.

He highlighted the "bitter taste" of American democracy experienced by global nations, particularly pointing to the situation in the occupied territories.

"The outcome of American democracy and human rights there includes criminals known for occupation, racism, war, bloodshed, and terrorist acts," he remarked.

He continued by saying that if the US democratic system allowed it, American citizens would undoubtedly elect better leaders. 

Additionally, Kanaani condemned the U.S. treatment of pro-Palestine students and professors in American universities, citing it as clear evidence of Washington’s poor track record on human rights and freedom of expression. "The world is witnessing how discussions on human rights in America have turned into an empty slogan, marred by beatings, illegal arrests, and dismissals," he said.

In Iran, over 61 million people are eligible to vote, with the election headquarters reporting that voting took place at 58,640 polling stations, mainly located in schools and mosques. Early projections of the election results are anticipated by Saturday morning, with official results expected by Sunday.

The new administration, the 14th since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, is expected to assume power in late June or early July and will hold office for four years.

 

Iran: Candidates receive mixed response

Schedules of the six candidates running for president in the June 28 elections were abuzz with activities and interviews, as they faced conflicting views on their announced policies

Each of the six candidates has selected a campaign manager. Notably, Ali Nikzad, the former Iranian minister of housing and urban development, has been chosen by Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf to lead the candidate's promotional efforts. Nikzad was unable to secure approval from the Guardian Council to run as a candidate.

The candidate who garnered the most attention on Tuesday was Masoud Pezeshkian, seen as the reformists' sole chance to reclaim influence. Pezeshkian's earlier statements on national television drew backlash from conservatives, who argued that the candidates appear to lack concrete strategies for crucial matters such as the economy, housing, and foreign policy.

Pezeshkian’s supporters and prominent figures holding moderate and reformist views were quick to come to his defense. The secretary general of the Servants of Construction Party argued that even though Pezeshkian has outlined no plans, he would never do something “detrimental” to the general public as he is “close to the masses”.  

Notably, former Vice President Is’haq Jahangiri, another face among the 74 failing to run for president this year, announced his full support for Pezeshkian. “He is the epitome of sincerity, assertiveness, courage, and moral living,” Jahangiri wrote in a post on X. 

Jahangiri was the vice president under Hassan Rouhani, who won the presidential elections twice with high votes. While the former vice president is undoubtedly considered to be a valuable source of support for Pezeshkian, analysts argue that the collapse of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has caused many voters to decouple from Rouhani and his allies, potentially limiting Jahangiri's influence in helping Pezeshkian collect votes. 

Remarks by conservatives on national television did not seem to stir much debate on Tuesday. Reformists and moderates mostly drew on previous assumptions to portray some of them as politicians with no flexibility. 

A prominent analyst suggested that none of the four conservatives stand a chance of winning the presidency unless some of them withdraw in support of others. Similar cautionary signals suggest that Pezeshkian may still present a significant challenge to his conservative rivals, despite uncertainties surrounding his popularity.

Mostafa Pourmohammadi, who is believed to hold somewhat moderate views, also spoke to the people on Tuesday. In his remarks, he had a vague emphasis on “happiness”, stating that the government should prepare means of becoming and staying happy for the citizens.

Courtesy: Tehran Times

 

Can Nikki Haley be the next US president?

According to The Hill, the political wing of the conservative network led by billionaire Charles Koch has endorsed former South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley for president, throwing its weight behind a top Republican challenger to former President Trump.

Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP) released a memo Tuesday backing Haley, who served as ambassador to the UN during the Trump administration, arguing she is the strongest candidate to defeat Trump in the GOP primaries as well as President Biden in next year’s general election.

This marks the first time the deep-pocketed group has thrown its support behind a Republican candidate in a presidential primary and opens up vast resources for Haley’s challenge to Trump.

“AFP Action is proud to throw our full support behind Nikki Haley, who offers America the opportunity to turn the page on the current political era, to win the Republican primary and defeat Joe Biden next November,” reads the memo from AFP senior adviser Emily Seidel.

“She has what it takes to lead a policy agenda to take on our nation’s biggest challenges and help ensure our country’s best days are ahead. With the grassroots and data capability we bring to bear in this race, no other organization is better equipped to help her do it,” it continued.

The memo stated the group was getting involved in a presidential primary for the first time because it wants a candidate who will turn the page on the past. It added that Trump and Biden will only further perpetuate the country’s downward spiral in politics.

This comes nearly a year after the conservative network signaled it would not back Trump in the Republican primary, saying it would support a candidate who represents a new chapter. The endorsement demonstrates the group’s attempt to distance the Republican Party from Trump, who the group said would lose to Biden.

“In sharp contrast to recent elections that were dominated by the negative baggage of Donald Trump and in which good candidates lost races that should have been won, Nikki Haley, at the top of the ticket, would boost candidates up and down the ballot, winning the key independent and moderate voters that Trump has no chance to win,” the memo states.

Haley has battled Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the top challenger to Trump in the GOP race and has seen her standing in polls tick up amid several strong debate performances. Trump, for his part, has maintained large leads in polls both nationally and in early voting states.

DeSantis’s campaign panned the AFP Action endorsement in a statement released Tuesday, saying the establishment is lining up behind a moderate who has no mathematical pathway of defeating the former president.

AFP Action acknowledged DeSantis in its memo, praising him as a strong advocate for many important freedom-oriented policies and fiscal responsibility in the Sunshine State. The group noted that it endorsed his successful gubernatorial reelection bid last year.

“We also understand that some of the Governor’s supporters, including some who support AFP, will be disappointed in our decision,” the memo reads.

“However, as the 2024 primary season heats up, we are entering a time period that demands choices. Donald Trump won the nomination in 2016 largely because of a divided primary field, and we must not allow that to happen again, particularly when the stakes are even higher in 2024.”

Haley welcomed the group’s endorsement in a statement, reiterating that the 2024 election “is a choice between freedom and socialism, individual liberty and big government, fiscal responsibility and spiraling debt.”

Americans for Prosperity

 

AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY CHARLES KOCH JOE BIDEN NIKKI HALEY NIKKI HALEY RON DESANTIS RON DESANTIS

 

 

Iranian presidential elections and fate of JCPOA negotiations

The next elections in Iran are scheduled for 18th June 2021. It is but obvious that the best efforts of President Rouhani’s team would be to get the sanctions imposed on the country removed and make a place for themselves in the history. He has stated that within the last 100 days of his presidency he would be able to get the sanctions lifted and relieve the economy.

As against this, the European countries, especially those not too keen in removing the sanctions may chose to slow down the process. Their choice would be to pressurize the newly elected regime to agree on revised terms and conditions.

The Vienna negotiations entered their third week on Tuesday 27th April 2021. Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s top negotiator, described the last meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions (JCPOA) ‘on the right track’.

 However, it is evident that a confrontation is going on. Iran, China and Russia unanimously and unequivocally called for the immediate lifting of the sanctions. Iran is patiently waiting for E3 (Germany, France and Britain) to call on the US to lift all the sanctions.

But that is unlikely to happen, as E3 has shown in the past that they have no free will of their own. Time and again, they have followed what the US has said.

The Biden administration is said to be looking into possibilities of easing banking, oil and finance sanctions on Iran. Immediate removal of all sanctions in a verifiable way is the only demand Iran has.

The JCPOA experience proves that when sanctions are lifted on paper, nothing practical is done. After the JCPOA, Iran kept struggling with issues such as transferring its money withheld in other countries. 

The Biden administration must understand that delaying tactics will not help. Leader of the Islamic Revolution is asking all sides not to engage in ‘erosive and prolonged’ negotiations, but expedite the process. Yet, the United States keeps saying that they do not want to rush into a deal. 

“We expect this to be a long process. And we're very much at just the beginning period,” Jen Psaki, the White House spokesperson, said on April 8.

The US seems to be insisting that the negotiations would take longer than expected. History suggests that the US is likely to wait and see what happens in the elections, as they reportedly did in 2013, when John Kerry halted the negotiations. 

There are many details that need to be ironed out. For example, the sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with the sanctions on the office of Ayatollah Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, need to be resolved. According to the Wall Street Journal, there is a big difference of opinion about the removal of sanctions on these two sides.

As regards stance of potential presidential candidates, they have announced their plans for the continuation of negotiations, if elected.

Rostam Ghasemi, former Minister of Petroleum during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration and a presidential candidate, stated that sanctions removal is his first priority, and he will take the control of the negotiations himself if elected. 

Making the sanctions ineffective is his next priority. “If I want to negotiate, I will strengthen the country’s economy,” Ghasemi said.

“We should change the ‘imploring diplomacy’ to the diplomacy of power,” he said on his possible government’s diplomacy.

He added that the United States “must return to the JCPOA without any preconditions.”

Saeed Jalili, another potential and highly anticipated presidential candidate, is expected to continue the negotiations if elected. Based on his past experience as the Secretary General of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and him being Iran’s Chief Nuclear Negotiator between 2010 and 2013, it is likely that he would continue the negotiations. 

Saeed Mohammad, the former Director of Khatam-al -Anbiya Construction Headquarters and a mysterious figure to many Iranians, has officially announced that he is running for president.

He has also declared that he is open to negotiations, on the condition that Iran “strengthens itself internally.”