The Shitshow Macro Weekly Prep Podcast for Monday (yes, it's late on a Thurs) January 23, 2025 is out:
Domestic Politics:
-Donald Trump was inaugurated on Monday, making him POTUS 45 and 47, without a hitch. In case you were living under a rock, he’s gone full blitzkrieg from moment 1 with EOs and other moves that are a welcomed sight from 46 who seemed to have a 4-hour work day (when he wasn’t on vacation, at that).
--It’s especially hilarious to watch the media try to keep up with the speed at which 47 is moving.
--Their typical Alinsky tactics of focusing on one thing (freeze your target in place) are totally ineffective, as by the time they start running hoaxes & false narratives, Trump has made a half dozen or more new moves.
-On his way out of the door, Biden (more likely his handlers) signed a wave of presidential pardons, including many that were called “preemptive pardons” of people like Fauci, the J6 committee members and their staff, Mark Milley, an activist who murdered 2 FBI agents, other murders, rapists, pedophiles, and a whole motley crew of others.
--I’m just reading the tea leaves, but I don’t think we’ve seen the end of the discussion. The idea of a “preemptive pardon” that doesn’t even pardon a specific crime is questionable at best.
--Whether Biden actually wrote/signed them is another question, as is whether or not he had the mental status to do so (per the Hur report).
-In spite of “preemptive pardons,” Barry Loudermilk’s subcommittee that has been investigating the lies, lawlessness, and coverups of the J6 committee has been moved into a Senate Judiciary Committee.
--The new formation will have the power to subpoena FBI agents and, perhaps, informants.
--Legal beagles have added that any J6 Cmte member or staff member who accepts a Biden pardon cannot legally invoke the 5th Amendment, nor will the pardon cover them for any perjury they may commit if they were subpoenaed.
thefederalist.com/2025/01/22/bre…
-Among the tidal wave of EOs that he signed on day 1, a handful done in public, he has also made good on some “promises made, promises kept” pledges:
--He ordered the immediate release of J6 prisoners; while many started being released that day, there are handfuls of them who are still in custody for a variety of reasons (many are judges or BOP officials who seem to be purposely dragging their feet).
--The media is still really, really trying to ignore the Biden pardons and focus on the J6 pardons. They are big mad their Reichstag Fire didn’t have its intended effect.
--Here’s MTG trying to help a hapless DC reporter understand why the American public outside of DC isn’t falling for their crocodile tears:
x.com/bonchieredstat…
--Silk Road founder Russ Ulbricht has been freed, a promise that Trump made when he spoke to the Libertarian Party last year.
--He pardoned the pro-life protestors today who had been jailed by the Biden admin under the FACE Act.
--He removed the security clearances of the “51 Spies Who Lied” about the Hunter Biden laptop and influenced the 2020 election (there is specific polling data proving this was a factor).
--War Walrus Bolton and Fat Mike Pompeo also had their security teams removed.
--Why were we paying for them to have security teams?
--DEI has been ordered to be totally disbanded from the USGOV.
--ICE immediately started rounding up illegal gang members and others who had been committing crimes; despite all that the Biden admin and Mayorkas had said about the difficulty of doing so, over 400 were located and arrested within 24hrs.
--Japan’s SoftBank CEO has pledged $500bn of investment into the US; Saudi Arabia promised another $600bn.
--He ordered the USMIL to protect the US border, citing a national emergency. The DoD pushed back on his request for 10k troops, but 1500 have reportedly already been deployed.
--He labeled the drug cartels as terrorist groups, which brings its own authorities for actions and intelligence with it - this could get very interesting.
Domestic Politics:
-Donald Trump was inaugurated on Monday, making him POTUS 45 and 47, without a hitch. In case you were living under a rock, he’s gone full blitzkrieg from moment 1 with EOs and other moves that are a welcomed sight from 46 who seemed to have a 4-hour work day (when he wasn’t on vacation, at that).
--It’s especially hilarious to watch the media try to keep up with the speed at which 47 is moving.
--Their typical Alinsky tactics of focusing on one thing (freeze your target in place) are totally ineffective, as by the time they start running hoaxes & false narratives, Trump has made a half dozen or more new moves.
-On his way out of the door, Biden (more likely his handlers) signed a wave of presidential pardons, including many that were called “preemptive pardons” of people like Fauci, the J6 committee members and their staff, Mark Milley, an activist who murdered 2 FBI agents, other murders, rapists, pedophiles, and a whole motley crew of others.
--I’m just reading the tea leaves, but I don’t think we’ve seen the end of the discussion. The idea of a “preemptive pardon” that doesn’t even pardon a specific crime is questionable at best.
--Whether Biden actually wrote/signed them is another question, as is whether or not he had the mental status to do so (per the Hur report).
-In spite of “preemptive pardons,” Barry Loudermilk’s subcommittee that has been investigating the lies, lawlessness, and coverups of the J6 committee has been moved into a Senate Judiciary Committee.
--The new formation will have the power to subpoena FBI agents and, perhaps, informants.
--Legal beagles have added that any J6 Cmte member or staff member who accepts a Biden pardon cannot legally invoke the 5th Amendment, nor will the pardon cover them for any perjury they may commit if they were subpoenaed.
thefederalist.com/2025/01/22/bre…
-Among the tidal wave of EOs that he signed on day 1, a handful done in public, he has also made good on some “promises made, promises kept” pledges:
--He ordered the immediate release of J6 prisoners; while many started being released that day, there are handfuls of them who are still in custody for a variety of reasons (many are judges or BOP officials who seem to be purposely dragging their feet).
--The media is still really, really trying to ignore the Biden pardons and focus on the J6 pardons. They are big mad their Reichstag Fire didn’t have its intended effect.
--Here’s MTG trying to help a hapless DC reporter understand why the American public outside of DC isn’t falling for their crocodile tears:
x.com/bonchieredstat…
--Silk Road founder Russ Ulbricht has been freed, a promise that Trump made when he spoke to the Libertarian Party last year.
--He pardoned the pro-life protestors today who had been jailed by the Biden admin under the FACE Act.
--He removed the security clearances of the “51 Spies Who Lied” about the Hunter Biden laptop and influenced the 2020 election (there is specific polling data proving this was a factor).
--War Walrus Bolton and Fat Mike Pompeo also had their security teams removed.
--Why were we paying for them to have security teams?
--DEI has been ordered to be totally disbanded from the USGOV.
--ICE immediately started rounding up illegal gang members and others who had been committing crimes; despite all that the Biden admin and Mayorkas had said about the difficulty of doing so, over 400 were located and arrested within 24hrs.
--Japan’s SoftBank CEO has pledged $500bn of investment into the US; Saudi Arabia promised another $600bn.
--He ordered the USMIL to protect the US border, citing a national emergency. The DoD pushed back on his request for 10k troops, but 1500 have reportedly already been deployed.
--He labeled the drug cartels as terrorist groups, which brings its own authorities for actions and intelligence with it - this could get very interesting.
The Federalist
BREAKING: J6 Investigation To Move To Judiciary Committee
Biden pardoned Cheney, but congressional investigators will continue to uncover what really happened at the 2020 election protest.
--NSC holdovers from the Biden admin were told not to come into work, a sign that he took some lessons away from the Vindman/Ciaramella fiasco.
--To that point, it looks like Ciaramella may have been directly involved in Biden’s “quid pro quo” corruption in UKR, for which they tried to impeach Trump over looking into Biden’s corruption:
realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2024/…
--In a speech Trump gave to the WEF in Davos today, he dropped an interesting tidbit saying that he, China’s Xi, and Russia’s Putin would be working to denuclearize their nations.
--Today (Thursday) he signed EOs to declassify the JFK, RFK, and MLK Jr files.
--Still no Epstein files, tho.
--It looks like Trump also signed an EO prohibiting any form of CBDC in the US; this sentiment was already pre-empted by JPoww (Fed) last year and Bissent (Treasury) recently.
--He nuked the USGOV censorship operations against the American people.
--I’m pretty sure we have @MikeBenzCyber to thank for that
--Rubio has been confirmed to lead the State Department this week, and is already en route to Panama, most likely to discuss the canal.
--Ratcliff was voted in to lead the CIA today (Thursday).
In his hearing, Ratcliffe had some choice words about former director Brennan. I agree:
breitbart.com/politics/2025/…
--Mike Turner has long been known as a shill for the MIC and IC; he’s one of the two pushing back hard against the disclosure legislation, and he’s also the one who pushed a fake story last year to try to scare the public into more UKR war support.
--He was removed from his position on HIPSC by Speaker Johnson; the initial stories said it was at Trump’s urging, but now others are saying there are other reasons he was taken off the committee:
dailycaller.com/2025/01/21/mik…
--Speaking of Mike Turner and him and Senator James Lankford (R-OK) lying to the American public about the domestic spying apparatus (702 and others), a Federal judge ruled that FISA is unconstitutional this week.
War/Military:
-Our listeners & readers probably know by this point that I’m not exactly a fan of Zelensky or the choices that he’s made. It is important to listen to the other side to understand where one may be wrong or mistaken, so here’s a chance to do that.
--Podcaster Lex Fridman recently interviewed Zelensky on his podcast. Lex has family in both Russia and Ukraine, so while he is far more pro-Zelensky than I, he has a more nuanced perspective than one will get from most places.
--Here’s his interview with Rogan discussing his viewpoint on the whole thing:
open.spotify.com/episode/7yCBL6…
-Did anyone know that the US is currently building a $1.2 billion, 19-building compound in Lebanon on 43 acres of land just 10 miles outside of Beirut?
--Now you do:
armstrongeconomics.com/world-news/war…
Religion:
-A woke female Episcopalian Bishop chose to use the traditional inauguration prayer service to push her trans ideology on her congregation for the day that included Trump, Vance, and their families.
--In case you had any false notion that it was purely “speaking her mind” rather than politics from the pulpit, she promptly showed up on CNN, MSNBC, and even The View to take a victory lap.
--This is not a one off for this Bishop in particular; here’s video from her activism during the 2020 George Floyd riots:
x.com/MrAndyNgo/stat…
-If it is surprising to you that a “Christian” Bishop would do this from the pulpit, boy do I have some news for you. This was the main drive behind my post The Splintering of Christianity:
open.substack.com/pub/robertplew…
--Most Christians today have no idea just how divergent some of the various denominations have become from the foundations of the Christian Faith.
Business:
-It started being reported today that CNN is laying off hundreds of employees in a “post inauguration transformation.”
--Reminder that last week CNN was the latest (but not the last) media org to lose a defamation lawsuit in court.
--To that point, it looks like Ciaramella may have been directly involved in Biden’s “quid pro quo” corruption in UKR, for which they tried to impeach Trump over looking into Biden’s corruption:
realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2024/…
--In a speech Trump gave to the WEF in Davos today, he dropped an interesting tidbit saying that he, China’s Xi, and Russia’s Putin would be working to denuclearize their nations.
--Today (Thursday) he signed EOs to declassify the JFK, RFK, and MLK Jr files.
--Still no Epstein files, tho.
--It looks like Trump also signed an EO prohibiting any form of CBDC in the US; this sentiment was already pre-empted by JPoww (Fed) last year and Bissent (Treasury) recently.
--He nuked the USGOV censorship operations against the American people.
--I’m pretty sure we have @MikeBenzCyber to thank for that
--Rubio has been confirmed to lead the State Department this week, and is already en route to Panama, most likely to discuss the canal.
--Ratcliff was voted in to lead the CIA today (Thursday).
In his hearing, Ratcliffe had some choice words about former director Brennan. I agree:
breitbart.com/politics/2025/…
--Mike Turner has long been known as a shill for the MIC and IC; he’s one of the two pushing back hard against the disclosure legislation, and he’s also the one who pushed a fake story last year to try to scare the public into more UKR war support.
--He was removed from his position on HIPSC by Speaker Johnson; the initial stories said it was at Trump’s urging, but now others are saying there are other reasons he was taken off the committee:
dailycaller.com/2025/01/21/mik…
--Speaking of Mike Turner and him and Senator James Lankford (R-OK) lying to the American public about the domestic spying apparatus (702 and others), a Federal judge ruled that FISA is unconstitutional this week.
War/Military:
-Our listeners & readers probably know by this point that I’m not exactly a fan of Zelensky or the choices that he’s made. It is important to listen to the other side to understand where one may be wrong or mistaken, so here’s a chance to do that.
--Podcaster Lex Fridman recently interviewed Zelensky on his podcast. Lex has family in both Russia and Ukraine, so while he is far more pro-Zelensky than I, he has a more nuanced perspective than one will get from most places.
--Here’s his interview with Rogan discussing his viewpoint on the whole thing:
open.spotify.com/episode/7yCBL6…
-Did anyone know that the US is currently building a $1.2 billion, 19-building compound in Lebanon on 43 acres of land just 10 miles outside of Beirut?
--Now you do:
armstrongeconomics.com/world-news/war…
Religion:
-A woke female Episcopalian Bishop chose to use the traditional inauguration prayer service to push her trans ideology on her congregation for the day that included Trump, Vance, and their families.
--In case you had any false notion that it was purely “speaking her mind” rather than politics from the pulpit, she promptly showed up on CNN, MSNBC, and even The View to take a victory lap.
--This is not a one off for this Bishop in particular; here’s video from her activism during the 2020 George Floyd riots:
x.com/MrAndyNgo/stat…
-If it is surprising to you that a “Christian” Bishop would do this from the pulpit, boy do I have some news for you. This was the main drive behind my post The Splintering of Christianity:
open.substack.com/pub/robertplew…
--Most Christians today have no idea just how divergent some of the various denominations have become from the foundations of the Christian Faith.
Business:
-It started being reported today that CNN is laying off hundreds of employees in a “post inauguration transformation.”
--Reminder that last week CNN was the latest (but not the last) media org to lose a defamation lawsuit in court.
-The parent company of Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler (Stellantis) announced they’re bringing 1,500 jobs back to one of their US plants in IL.
-Rio Tinto, one of the largest mining outfits, has had an Arizona copper mine held up for 12 years. It’s now betting big that Trump will greenlight this project that can provide 25% of US copper needs, from @chigrl :
x.com/chigrl/status/…
Geopolitics:
-With all that is going on between their debt crisis, collapsed (and it’s still collapsing) public support, and a report from Mario Draghi that all but said the EU project failed, the UK PM Keir Starmer now thinks that the thing their gov needs to focus on is “common sense knife control.”
--This is in response to a migrant (that reports say he may have directly helped bring into the country) killing and injuring innocent children with a kitchen knife.
--No, seriously. What in the bloody hell is going on over there in Britain?
Social dynamics/societal/culture war/Legal:
-Does everyone remember that Christian baker in Colorado who has been under lawfare assault by leftist radicals for over a decade because he didn’t want to bake cakes that went against his religious beliefs?
--Oh, how the turn tables.
--A leftist-run bakery in Flower Mound, Texas (near Dallas) is now quite upset that people are asking them to bake Trump cakes; they are refusing.
x.com/libsoftiktok/s…
Conspiracy-y:
I’m going against my standard practice this week and suggesting a Substack rather than book in the “weekly read” section below, for reasons that we’ll get into in that section.
While I was down hard this weekend and couldn’t keep my eyes open, I listened to a lot of podcasts and some documentaries to keep my mind at work. I had not quite realized just how many threads were starting down this disclosure route, and how many whistleblowers have started to come out of the woodwork.
Due to the compartmentalized nature of these programs, these people and claims are some of the most notoriously difficult to run down and/or verify. Because of the history of coverups, secrecy, and intelligence or intel-adjacent people involved, it’s doubly difficult to ascertain whether the whole thing is a “limited hangout” or a misdirection operation entirely.
One of the whistleblowers who has been given a large platform dropped a name that I know personally, so I’m doing my best to verify that, but doing so is not exactly easy given the current environment. I’m not going to go into that any deeper for you at this point.
There have been plenty of whackadoodle UFO documentaries, books, claims, etc over the years, but James Fox has been one that has included some pretty serious people discussing their experiences - USMIL members and commanders, US and foreign political leaders, etc.
If you didn’t know, there is a lot going on in that domain now; legislation has been introduced in the US and has a lot of wind in its sails to create a “disclosure timeline” to let the public know what the gov (and its contractors) know about the phenomena so far.
Below are links to Fox on Rogan, his latest documentary, and other whistleblowers who seem to be coming out of the shadows with some serious people who have vetted them and their stories.
James Fox on Rogan talking about The Program
open.spotify.com/episode/1x40iD…
The Program documentary by James Fox
amazon.com/Program-James-…
newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/hfr-…
x.com/rosscoulthart/…
x.com/GoodTroubleSho…
White Pill:
I’m not gonna lie; even though I could barely keep my eyes open or sit up, I kept the inauguration festivities going hoping that things would go off without a hitch. That they did and that this administration is up and running is the whitest of white pills that can be had (for now).
Macro takeaways/lessons for the week:
-The biggest arguments against Trump are falling flat quickly. He learned the importance of personnel choices, and doesn’t seem bashful about seizing the advantage anymore.
-Rio Tinto, one of the largest mining outfits, has had an Arizona copper mine held up for 12 years. It’s now betting big that Trump will greenlight this project that can provide 25% of US copper needs, from @chigrl :
x.com/chigrl/status/…
Geopolitics:
-With all that is going on between their debt crisis, collapsed (and it’s still collapsing) public support, and a report from Mario Draghi that all but said the EU project failed, the UK PM Keir Starmer now thinks that the thing their gov needs to focus on is “common sense knife control.”
--This is in response to a migrant (that reports say he may have directly helped bring into the country) killing and injuring innocent children with a kitchen knife.
--No, seriously. What in the bloody hell is going on over there in Britain?
Social dynamics/societal/culture war/Legal:
-Does everyone remember that Christian baker in Colorado who has been under lawfare assault by leftist radicals for over a decade because he didn’t want to bake cakes that went against his religious beliefs?
--Oh, how the turn tables.
--A leftist-run bakery in Flower Mound, Texas (near Dallas) is now quite upset that people are asking them to bake Trump cakes; they are refusing.
x.com/libsoftiktok/s…
Conspiracy-y:
I’m going against my standard practice this week and suggesting a Substack rather than book in the “weekly read” section below, for reasons that we’ll get into in that section.
While I was down hard this weekend and couldn’t keep my eyes open, I listened to a lot of podcasts and some documentaries to keep my mind at work. I had not quite realized just how many threads were starting down this disclosure route, and how many whistleblowers have started to come out of the woodwork.
Due to the compartmentalized nature of these programs, these people and claims are some of the most notoriously difficult to run down and/or verify. Because of the history of coverups, secrecy, and intelligence or intel-adjacent people involved, it’s doubly difficult to ascertain whether the whole thing is a “limited hangout” or a misdirection operation entirely.
One of the whistleblowers who has been given a large platform dropped a name that I know personally, so I’m doing my best to verify that, but doing so is not exactly easy given the current environment. I’m not going to go into that any deeper for you at this point.
There have been plenty of whackadoodle UFO documentaries, books, claims, etc over the years, but James Fox has been one that has included some pretty serious people discussing their experiences - USMIL members and commanders, US and foreign political leaders, etc.
If you didn’t know, there is a lot going on in that domain now; legislation has been introduced in the US and has a lot of wind in its sails to create a “disclosure timeline” to let the public know what the gov (and its contractors) know about the phenomena so far.
Below are links to Fox on Rogan, his latest documentary, and other whistleblowers who seem to be coming out of the shadows with some serious people who have vetted them and their stories.
James Fox on Rogan talking about The Program
open.spotify.com/episode/1x40iD…
The Program documentary by James Fox
amazon.com/Program-James-…
newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/hfr-…
x.com/rosscoulthart/…
x.com/GoodTroubleSho…
White Pill:
I’m not gonna lie; even though I could barely keep my eyes open or sit up, I kept the inauguration festivities going hoping that things would go off without a hitch. That they did and that this administration is up and running is the whitest of white pills that can be had (for now).
Macro takeaways/lessons for the week:
-The biggest arguments against Trump are falling flat quickly. He learned the importance of personnel choices, and doesn’t seem bashful about seizing the advantage anymore.
-It’s still early, but something certainly seems like this is an entirely new “game.” The GOP senators who postured and fake news articles claiming that Trump’s cabinet members wouldn’t get approved seem to be also falling flat quickly. I’m sure Elon offering to fund primaries and @mrddmia with his @Article3Project promising not to let RINOs get away with it unscathed has something to do with it.
-I’ve been saying for several months that the EU is cooked, and they seem to be doubling down on stupid lately. While I certainly wouldn’t mind French Riviera real estate becoming affordable, I’d rather not see the Old World fall back into total chaos on account of virtue signalling midwits.
Implications:
The entire world (sans the EU autocrats) seem to be breathing a sigh of relief that Trump was not only elected, but has officially been sworn in - and got right to work.
Some of these EOs and appointments are doing things that people don’t even know the full effects of, but are moving things in very good directions for the nation and world as a whole.
And that, my friends, is a very good sign of things to come.
The Weekly Read (Monday):
One of the interesting things about casting a wide net for information is when you begin to see the same macro currents, theses, and insights begin to show up in multiple, disparate places.
The idea of an incoming “apocalypse” recently emerged via Peter Theil in an op-ed he penned in the Financial Times, a few Substack posts by Pippa Malmgren (daughter of Harald Malmgren, advisor to Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson, and Ford), and an interview with Izabella Kaminska (financial writer for Politico Europe and the Financial Times).
In the original Greek form of the word (Apokalypsis), apocalypse isn’t the fire & brimstone that we equate with in modern day - it’s an “unveiling” of hidden information.
Of the three noted above - each of whom is a brilliant follow if you’re interested in keeping up with the world - Pippa’s explanations in her last two Substack posts are probably the best.
If you understand the people that Trump has put in his cabinet positions, the EOs that he’s already signed, and the overall current of where things are heading, it most certainly seems that many things that have been hidden will be forced out into the open in the very near future.
While that may be terrifying for those who have built their entire legacies on lies…
Ugly truth > beautiful lies
open.substack.com/pub/drpippa/p/…
Links mentioned in the show:
Intro & Outro music: Blind by Mike Amabile and Run Over Twice
open.spotify.com/track/6SG99nL3…
-I’ve been saying for several months that the EU is cooked, and they seem to be doubling down on stupid lately. While I certainly wouldn’t mind French Riviera real estate becoming affordable, I’d rather not see the Old World fall back into total chaos on account of virtue signalling midwits.
Implications:
The entire world (sans the EU autocrats) seem to be breathing a sigh of relief that Trump was not only elected, but has officially been sworn in - and got right to work.
Some of these EOs and appointments are doing things that people don’t even know the full effects of, but are moving things in very good directions for the nation and world as a whole.
And that, my friends, is a very good sign of things to come.
The Weekly Read (Monday):
One of the interesting things about casting a wide net for information is when you begin to see the same macro currents, theses, and insights begin to show up in multiple, disparate places.
The idea of an incoming “apocalypse” recently emerged via Peter Theil in an op-ed he penned in the Financial Times, a few Substack posts by Pippa Malmgren (daughter of Harald Malmgren, advisor to Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson, and Ford), and an interview with Izabella Kaminska (financial writer for Politico Europe and the Financial Times).
In the original Greek form of the word (Apokalypsis), apocalypse isn’t the fire & brimstone that we equate with in modern day - it’s an “unveiling” of hidden information.
Of the three noted above - each of whom is a brilliant follow if you’re interested in keeping up with the world - Pippa’s explanations in her last two Substack posts are probably the best.
If you understand the people that Trump has put in his cabinet positions, the EOs that he’s already signed, and the overall current of where things are heading, it most certainly seems that many things that have been hidden will be forced out into the open in the very near future.
While that may be terrifying for those who have built their entire legacies on lies…
Ugly truth > beautiful lies
open.substack.com/pub/drpippa/p/…
Links mentioned in the show:
Intro & Outro music: Blind by Mike Amabile and Run Over Twice
open.spotify.com/track/6SG99nL3…
The Shitshow Macro Weekly Wrapup Podcast for Friday, January 24, 2025 is out:
Domestic:
-Border crossings are already 35% down in Trump’s first week from where they were in Biden’s final 2 days in office:
foxnews.com/politics/borde…
--This could have something to do with Marines arriving via Osprey rotary wing aircraft today (video clip taken from @Mrgunsngear ) :
x.com/Mrgunsngear/st…
--Some are complaining this is “overkill,” but IMO it’s a wise “show of force.”
--While media and BlueAnon midwits who don’t understand MIL strategy will often lie to people and call a “show of force” an offensive tactic, it’s quite the opposite: it's an age old tactic in which a force shows its size and/or abilities in order to stave off an adversary (cartels and coyotes, in this situation) from choosing to even enter a confrontation.
--See: Alexander of Macedon, Julius Caesar, Sun Tzu, Von Clausewitz, and many others throughout the long history of strategic maneuvers
-President Trump visited those affected by Hurricane Helene in NC today, something that Biden and his handlers were apparently unable (see: unwilling) to do.
-Two Politico reporters are publicly saying their bosses at the outlet directly told them not to write, tweet, or mention the Hunter Biden laptop in the runup to the 2020 election.
--To reiterate, public polling post-election showed that as many as 10% of Biden’s actual voters said they would not have voted for him had they known Hunter’s laptop was real.
--Biden’s “margin” was far lower than 10%, which makes this a pretty clear cut example of election interference, in my personal opinion.
dailycaller.com/2025/01/23/for…
-I’m really not a fan of the new tweet thread format that starts with a “tease” and has “BREAKING” and all kinds of other stuff littered through it, as it’s usually an indicator of a bullshitter or engagement farming.
--This thread, however, seems to have broken that mold. While I didn’t believe it at first pass due to the things noted above, I’ve seen many of the points made about shakeups at DOJ, FBI, EDNY, and SDNY verified in other places.
--This is important because it shows a potential backup strategy being implemented by the Trump admin; while the Senate delays & drags their feet on his cabinet confirmations, the acting leadership at DOJ and FBI are cleaning house in their stead anyway:
x.com/RodDMartin/sta…
nydailynews.com/2025/01/21/tru…
-We mentioned briefly yesterday that a Federal judge had ruled the usage of FISA to spy on Americans as unconstitutional.
--While the case itself still ended up finding the defendant guilty, the judge had a look at the way the FBI currently uses the NSA’s database warehouse for warrantless “backdoor” searches, and determined that they were violating their own rules for FISA use, and that the current procedures violate the 4th amendment:
theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/01/2…
-As more fires break out in California (San Diego and Castaic), things just keep getting worse for (Governor) Newsom and (Mayor) Bass.
--The LA Times reviewed a list of about 3 dozen “highest priority” projects to improve fire fighting capabilities in the areas that the Palisades Fire ravaged that had been identified yet stymied with red tape and regulations for years.
--The kicker: the total budget estimate was $57mm for the projects. Despite not being done with “lack of budget” cited as a major excuse, Gavin Newsom just approved $50mm to “Trump proof California.”
latimes.com/california/sto…
-We have not even come close to understanding the total amount of f-ery that was at play regarding the real story of J6 versus that the narrative the media, committee, and DC wanted to sell you.
--A new story by @NationalFile highlights just one of the many severe oddities that sticks out in a massive way once one looks at it closely.
Domestic:
-Border crossings are already 35% down in Trump’s first week from where they were in Biden’s final 2 days in office:
foxnews.com/politics/borde…
--This could have something to do with Marines arriving via Osprey rotary wing aircraft today (video clip taken from @Mrgunsngear ) :
x.com/Mrgunsngear/st…
--Some are complaining this is “overkill,” but IMO it’s a wise “show of force.”
--While media and BlueAnon midwits who don’t understand MIL strategy will often lie to people and call a “show of force” an offensive tactic, it’s quite the opposite: it's an age old tactic in which a force shows its size and/or abilities in order to stave off an adversary (cartels and coyotes, in this situation) from choosing to even enter a confrontation.
--See: Alexander of Macedon, Julius Caesar, Sun Tzu, Von Clausewitz, and many others throughout the long history of strategic maneuvers
-President Trump visited those affected by Hurricane Helene in NC today, something that Biden and his handlers were apparently unable (see: unwilling) to do.
-Two Politico reporters are publicly saying their bosses at the outlet directly told them not to write, tweet, or mention the Hunter Biden laptop in the runup to the 2020 election.
--To reiterate, public polling post-election showed that as many as 10% of Biden’s actual voters said they would not have voted for him had they known Hunter’s laptop was real.
--Biden’s “margin” was far lower than 10%, which makes this a pretty clear cut example of election interference, in my personal opinion.
dailycaller.com/2025/01/23/for…
-I’m really not a fan of the new tweet thread format that starts with a “tease” and has “BREAKING” and all kinds of other stuff littered through it, as it’s usually an indicator of a bullshitter or engagement farming.
--This thread, however, seems to have broken that mold. While I didn’t believe it at first pass due to the things noted above, I’ve seen many of the points made about shakeups at DOJ, FBI, EDNY, and SDNY verified in other places.
--This is important because it shows a potential backup strategy being implemented by the Trump admin; while the Senate delays & drags their feet on his cabinet confirmations, the acting leadership at DOJ and FBI are cleaning house in their stead anyway:
x.com/RodDMartin/sta…
nydailynews.com/2025/01/21/tru…
-We mentioned briefly yesterday that a Federal judge had ruled the usage of FISA to spy on Americans as unconstitutional.
--While the case itself still ended up finding the defendant guilty, the judge had a look at the way the FBI currently uses the NSA’s database warehouse for warrantless “backdoor” searches, and determined that they were violating their own rules for FISA use, and that the current procedures violate the 4th amendment:
theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/01/2…
-As more fires break out in California (San Diego and Castaic), things just keep getting worse for (Governor) Newsom and (Mayor) Bass.
--The LA Times reviewed a list of about 3 dozen “highest priority” projects to improve fire fighting capabilities in the areas that the Palisades Fire ravaged that had been identified yet stymied with red tape and regulations for years.
--The kicker: the total budget estimate was $57mm for the projects. Despite not being done with “lack of budget” cited as a major excuse, Gavin Newsom just approved $50mm to “Trump proof California.”
latimes.com/california/sto…
-We have not even come close to understanding the total amount of f-ery that was at play regarding the real story of J6 versus that the narrative the media, committee, and DC wanted to sell you.
--A new story by @NationalFile highlights just one of the many severe oddities that sticks out in a massive way once one looks at it closely.
--One of the main logic bombs for Americans was that the demographics who were present and largely charged with the “insurrection” claims from that day were unarmed, despite being a demographic that is well known to probably own firearms.
--To be fair, Biden’s DOJ did bring weapons charges against many J6ers, but the actual “weapons” in question were often bike racks, flagpoles, and other things that no rational human being outside of DC prosecutors would consider as such.
--There was one person who brought and discharged a firearm in the scaffolding that day; when one looks into that person, who had killed someone in Utah, been rolled up for it, then released without charges, it starts to look like there may be a “there there.”
--There’s a lot to this story that can’t quite be covered here, so read the thread:
x.com/NationalFile/s…
-The nationwide arrests of criminal immigrants by ICE surpassed 500 today.
War/Military:
-There are a lot of stories going around that Rubio, at the order of Trump, has halted UKR aid and paused nearly all foreign aid except for Israel and Egypt.
--From what I can gather, the UKR bit isn’t exactly true; while some development aid was cut, not all funding was.
--People are wondering why Israel and Egypt would continue receiving aid. If you remember, the Houthis stopping traffic through the Suez pretty much destroyed Egypt’s economy.
--They were also recently amassing troops near their border (we discussed this a week or so ago), so this could be a hope of staving off another conflict in the region.
-This story about UKR, however, seems to be true: the UKR MIL Chief Army Psychiatrist was arrested in a $1mm corruption charge:
bbc.com/news/articles/…
-On another note, Zelensky is demanding 200k “peacekeepers” to enforce any ceasefire agreement with RUS.
--As NATO could only provide around 40k, he’s essentially saying that the US needs to send +150k troops to UKR.
Hard no.
sofx.com/zelensky-calls…
-Taliban POW American Ryan Corbett has now been released after being held in Afghanistan since 2022.
-Multiple hostages held by Hamas have now been released and sent home, some to their homes in the US (they were holding US citizens hostage) and some to their homes in Israel.
-It was largely drowned out with everything going on, but US forces began withdrawing from Conoco Gas Field in Syria on 1/19.
-US PMCs have arrived in Israel and will be managing checkpoints in Gaza in line with the new ceasefire agreement.
--On a personal note, I saw this contract when it was sent out; based on the caliber of people it’s hiring and what they are paying, I would highly suggest that anyone considering f-ery in that specific region consider otherwise.
--It would not go well for you.
sofx.com/us-security-co…
-Over 200 people have been killed and thousands displaced in the Eastern Congo as the M23 rebel group pushes forward and has been clashing with the DRC military.
sofx.com/m23-rebel-adva…
Markets/economics:
-DOGE has apparently identified between $1-2 trillion worth of GOV spending that can be cut, with approximately $420mm of direct DEI contracts that have been canceled and 2 leases that have been canceled.
--I know a lot of very intelligent macro financial people who were worried that DOGE cutting GOV spending would actually be harmful for growth.
--As with most Americans, I’m certain they don’t really understand just how much taxpayer money is spent on $0 value-add vanity projects, especially abroad (how are transgender programs in Pakistan supposed to add to US GDP?).
-Moody’s has upgraded the credit rating of Argentina by one notch to Caa3, citing Milei’s efforts to stabilize the government’s finances as lowering the likelihood it will renege on debt obligations.
-The major US indices ended Friday trading in the red after a pretty good week.
-Gold ended at $2,777.40, in reach of the $2,800 high.
-European markets didn’t have a great trading day, either, with the French CAC 40 being the only major one to stay in the green all day Friday.
--To be fair, Biden’s DOJ did bring weapons charges against many J6ers, but the actual “weapons” in question were often bike racks, flagpoles, and other things that no rational human being outside of DC prosecutors would consider as such.
--There was one person who brought and discharged a firearm in the scaffolding that day; when one looks into that person, who had killed someone in Utah, been rolled up for it, then released without charges, it starts to look like there may be a “there there.”
--There’s a lot to this story that can’t quite be covered here, so read the thread:
x.com/NationalFile/s…
-The nationwide arrests of criminal immigrants by ICE surpassed 500 today.
War/Military:
-There are a lot of stories going around that Rubio, at the order of Trump, has halted UKR aid and paused nearly all foreign aid except for Israel and Egypt.
--From what I can gather, the UKR bit isn’t exactly true; while some development aid was cut, not all funding was.
--People are wondering why Israel and Egypt would continue receiving aid. If you remember, the Houthis stopping traffic through the Suez pretty much destroyed Egypt’s economy.
--They were also recently amassing troops near their border (we discussed this a week or so ago), so this could be a hope of staving off another conflict in the region.
-This story about UKR, however, seems to be true: the UKR MIL Chief Army Psychiatrist was arrested in a $1mm corruption charge:
bbc.com/news/articles/…
-On another note, Zelensky is demanding 200k “peacekeepers” to enforce any ceasefire agreement with RUS.
--As NATO could only provide around 40k, he’s essentially saying that the US needs to send +150k troops to UKR.
Hard no.
sofx.com/zelensky-calls…
-Taliban POW American Ryan Corbett has now been released after being held in Afghanistan since 2022.
-Multiple hostages held by Hamas have now been released and sent home, some to their homes in the US (they were holding US citizens hostage) and some to their homes in Israel.
-It was largely drowned out with everything going on, but US forces began withdrawing from Conoco Gas Field in Syria on 1/19.
-US PMCs have arrived in Israel and will be managing checkpoints in Gaza in line with the new ceasefire agreement.
--On a personal note, I saw this contract when it was sent out; based on the caliber of people it’s hiring and what they are paying, I would highly suggest that anyone considering f-ery in that specific region consider otherwise.
--It would not go well for you.
sofx.com/us-security-co…
-Over 200 people have been killed and thousands displaced in the Eastern Congo as the M23 rebel group pushes forward and has been clashing with the DRC military.
sofx.com/m23-rebel-adva…
Markets/economics:
-DOGE has apparently identified between $1-2 trillion worth of GOV spending that can be cut, with approximately $420mm of direct DEI contracts that have been canceled and 2 leases that have been canceled.
--I know a lot of very intelligent macro financial people who were worried that DOGE cutting GOV spending would actually be harmful for growth.
--As with most Americans, I’m certain they don’t really understand just how much taxpayer money is spent on $0 value-add vanity projects, especially abroad (how are transgender programs in Pakistan supposed to add to US GDP?).
-Moody’s has upgraded the credit rating of Argentina by one notch to Caa3, citing Milei’s efforts to stabilize the government’s finances as lowering the likelihood it will renege on debt obligations.
-The major US indices ended Friday trading in the red after a pretty good week.
-Gold ended at $2,777.40, in reach of the $2,800 high.
-European markets didn’t have a great trading day, either, with the French CAC 40 being the only major one to stay in the green all day Friday.
-Conversely, Asian markets were largely in the green all day, save for the Nikkei 225 which ended just barely in the red.
-Current bond yields:
--13-week: 4.2050
--5-year: 4.4280
--10-year: 4.6260
--30-year: 4.8480
-Most currency pairs versus the USD are moving in the thousandths, save for the USDJPY.
-BOJ decided to raise their rates from 0.25 to 0.5; the USDJPY is moving away from the “danger zone,” now at 155.92 (still not safe, but moving lower)
-As of this writing, BTC is at $104,839.47
Business:
-Pfizer will pay $59.7mm to resolve charges that a company it acquired paid “kickbacks” to doctors for them to prescribe the migraine drug Nurtec ODT.
finance.yahoo.com/news/pfizer-pa…
-Blackstone Energy Partners is buying a $1bn Virginia power plant (natural gas) near data centers, as reported by Reuters and shared by @chigrl :
x.com/chigrl/status/…
-Luxury brand Chanel is reportedly laying off 3% of its workforce to better adapt to economic challenges, per @MacroEdgeRes
-Bridgestone Americas will close a plant it has in Tennessee at the end of July, affecting 700 employees, per Macro Edge Research
-Santander (Bank) is considering exiting from Britain.
-Banks in Chicago (Pulaski) and Ohio (Butler Heritage Federal Credit Union) were taken over by regulators last week.
Health:
-I don’t think I mentioned this yesterday, but one of Trump’s Day 1 action items was to withdraw the USA from the WHO.
--Winning!
-Nearly 20 years after a medical study was published in journals (it has been cited 144 times) about phytoestrogens in postmenopausal women, one of the study’s authors has admitted that the study never actually took place:
retractionwatch.com/2025/01/24/pap…
Geopolitics:
-Electricity prices have surged again in Germany, now reaching over €200 per megawatt hour.
-Nigeria - the largest oil producer in Africa - joined BRICs last week.
Societal/legal/culture war
One of the more egregious of the political persecutions that took place under the Biden admin (and that’s a pretty high bar) has been dropped by the Trump admin DOJ.
Dr. Eithan Haim (@EithanHaim ) was a whistleblower at Texas Children’s Hospital, who sounded the alarm that the facility was breaking Texas law by performing gender transition surgeries on minors.
notthebee.com/article/breaki…
x.com/EithanHaim/sta…
Crazy Conspiracy:
People often think that I’m just pulling their leg or being hyperbolic when I tell them that US taxpayers are the ones funding the most radical leftwing groups, both here (domestic) and abroad.
I assure you, this is not the case. If you’ve ever actually looked into where the funding comes from for the many Soros NGOs, you’ll understand why I say this. Things that people claim Soros pays for are largely paid for by the US taxpayer via grants and some pretty complex funding mechanisms.
Don’t take my word for it; here are some examples (but there are many, many more) outlined by @pepesgrandma and @Breeauna9 :
x.com/pepesgrandma/s…
Macro takeaways/lessons from the week:
-Despite everything that we heard out of the media and DC over the past 4 years, it looks like Trump was able to get control over the border extremely quickly. As it turns out, you can just do things when you don’t ask Pat Cippilone for permission.
-Less than a week into the Trump admin and hostages are being returned by the Taliban, Hamas, and the Houthis seem to have dropped off the map. Walk softly and carry a big stick - it’s a thing.
-4 years of unrepentant activism by the Biden DOJ is being unwound across the board. From pro-life protestors to J6ers and whistleblowers, the unjust persecutions are being unwound.
--A reminder from last week’s meditation: “He who spares the wicked injures the good.” Let’s see if those lawfare activists end up facing any legal accountability for what they’ve done.
White pill(s) for the week:
Ladies and gents, the USA has borders again. That’s a pretty good start.
Weekend Meditation:
“Truth is not what you want it to be; it is what it is. And you must bend to its power or live a lie.”
-Miyamoto Musashi
-Current bond yields:
--13-week: 4.2050
--5-year: 4.4280
--10-year: 4.6260
--30-year: 4.8480
-Most currency pairs versus the USD are moving in the thousandths, save for the USDJPY.
-BOJ decided to raise their rates from 0.25 to 0.5; the USDJPY is moving away from the “danger zone,” now at 155.92 (still not safe, but moving lower)
-As of this writing, BTC is at $104,839.47
Business:
-Pfizer will pay $59.7mm to resolve charges that a company it acquired paid “kickbacks” to doctors for them to prescribe the migraine drug Nurtec ODT.
finance.yahoo.com/news/pfizer-pa…
-Blackstone Energy Partners is buying a $1bn Virginia power plant (natural gas) near data centers, as reported by Reuters and shared by @chigrl :
x.com/chigrl/status/…
-Luxury brand Chanel is reportedly laying off 3% of its workforce to better adapt to economic challenges, per @MacroEdgeRes
-Bridgestone Americas will close a plant it has in Tennessee at the end of July, affecting 700 employees, per Macro Edge Research
-Santander (Bank) is considering exiting from Britain.
-Banks in Chicago (Pulaski) and Ohio (Butler Heritage Federal Credit Union) were taken over by regulators last week.
Health:
-I don’t think I mentioned this yesterday, but one of Trump’s Day 1 action items was to withdraw the USA from the WHO.
--Winning!
-Nearly 20 years after a medical study was published in journals (it has been cited 144 times) about phytoestrogens in postmenopausal women, one of the study’s authors has admitted that the study never actually took place:
retractionwatch.com/2025/01/24/pap…
Geopolitics:
-Electricity prices have surged again in Germany, now reaching over €200 per megawatt hour.
-Nigeria - the largest oil producer in Africa - joined BRICs last week.
Societal/legal/culture war
One of the more egregious of the political persecutions that took place under the Biden admin (and that’s a pretty high bar) has been dropped by the Trump admin DOJ.
Dr. Eithan Haim (@EithanHaim ) was a whistleblower at Texas Children’s Hospital, who sounded the alarm that the facility was breaking Texas law by performing gender transition surgeries on minors.
notthebee.com/article/breaki…
x.com/EithanHaim/sta…
Crazy Conspiracy:
People often think that I’m just pulling their leg or being hyperbolic when I tell them that US taxpayers are the ones funding the most radical leftwing groups, both here (domestic) and abroad.
I assure you, this is not the case. If you’ve ever actually looked into where the funding comes from for the many Soros NGOs, you’ll understand why I say this. Things that people claim Soros pays for are largely paid for by the US taxpayer via grants and some pretty complex funding mechanisms.
Don’t take my word for it; here are some examples (but there are many, many more) outlined by @pepesgrandma and @Breeauna9 :
x.com/pepesgrandma/s…
Macro takeaways/lessons from the week:
-Despite everything that we heard out of the media and DC over the past 4 years, it looks like Trump was able to get control over the border extremely quickly. As it turns out, you can just do things when you don’t ask Pat Cippilone for permission.
-Less than a week into the Trump admin and hostages are being returned by the Taliban, Hamas, and the Houthis seem to have dropped off the map. Walk softly and carry a big stick - it’s a thing.
-4 years of unrepentant activism by the Biden DOJ is being unwound across the board. From pro-life protestors to J6ers and whistleblowers, the unjust persecutions are being unwound.
--A reminder from last week’s meditation: “He who spares the wicked injures the good.” Let’s see if those lawfare activists end up facing any legal accountability for what they’ve done.
White pill(s) for the week:
Ladies and gents, the USA has borders again. That’s a pretty good start.
Weekend Meditation:
“Truth is not what you want it to be; it is what it is. And you must bend to its power or live a lie.”
-Miyamoto Musashi
Links mentioned in the show:
Intro & outro music: Mike Amabile and Run Over Twice “Blind”
open.spotify.com/track/6SG99nL3…
Intro & outro music: Mike Amabile and Run Over Twice “Blind”
open.spotify.com/track/6SG99nL3…