Douglas Thumm

Sox/Pats/Tar Heels Fan | USMC Veteran | Aircrew Trainer | EdD Candidate at UNCW

[Angry Staffer @Angry_Staffer]

This is precisely what I was talking about yesterday (and when this retrofit started).

There’s simply no way to turn a regular plane into a mobile command center for a nuclear-armed nation in 10 months.

Even allowing Trump to fly on the Qatari plane is a security risk.

[Norman Ornstein @NormOrnstein]

They’ve taken away the three eyewitnesses and they’re trying to deport them before they can testify. The pure evil involved here is mind blowing. And the dumb as a post Secretary of Homeland Security says and does nothing. Evil.

[Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1]

MS NOW Exclusive: Kash Patel has been demanding special perks from bureau employees during his taxpayer-funded travels throughout the country, including helicopter tours and jet ski excursions, according to whistleblower accounts given to Democrats on the House and Senate Judiciary committees. https://t.co/Lg4sgzxvNz

[Leslie Proll @LeslieProll]

Of all the lawyers in NY, Trump nominates his own to highly coveted appellate seat. When asked what case or legal matter he’s most proud of, he cites his work for Trump.

Trump should stop nominating his personal lawyers to lifetime judgeships & Senate must stop confirming them.

[Rick Wilson @TheRickWilson]

This is so good.

[Citizens for Ethics @CREWcrew]

Lockheed Martin, which donated $1M to Trump's inauguration and over $10M to his ballroom project, is reportedly donating $5M to build the White House helipad.

So far, the company has received over $40B in in new and expanded government contracts.

https://t.co/B2JbpKzMtX

[Adam Cochran (adamscochran.eth) @adamscochran]

It’s been more than 24 hours since the Governor of Kentucky formally requested McConnell share a health update.

Republicans claim he is well enough for 20 minute policy phone calls.

If that were true, he could easily dictate out a first person statement saying:

“I’m still in hospital, I remain under rehab and supervision for the physical impacts of my event, but continue to recover well.”

That would be reasonable.

Instead for 4 weeks, nothing attributed to him.

Only 3rd person references from his staff, with no direct quote and no attribution.

And for the past week the same canned response to the press, with a refusal to explicitly state if he is conscious.

If he is alive, awake, and well, what possible reason remains for not saying so?

[Moe Davis (U.S. Air Force, Retired) @ColMoeDavis]

Wednesday — Democrats force a candidate out for being a sexual predator

Thursday — Republicans name an airport in honor of a sexual predator

[Chuck Schumer @SenSchumer]

Trump’s shameless self-enrichment has turned into a serious national security threat. His rampant, reckless, and rotten corruption comes at a real cost to our safety and Americans’ bank accounts.

A year ago, I warned that this $400 million Qatari jet was not simply the largest, most corrupt foreign bribe to an American president in history – it was also a grave national security risk. That’s why I introduced the Presidential Airlift Security Act, which would prohibit the use of any foreign plane to be utilized as Air Force One.

Republicans refused to join our effort to block taxpayer funding for the jet. They let the President waste nearly $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to retrofit and operate his luxury jet – and yet it’s still not secure.

When the Senate returns, we must pass the Presidential Airlift Security Act and ensure that not another cent goes toward maintaining Trump’s national security nightmare.

[MeidasTouch @MeidasTouch]

USDA had to revise its late June U.S. beef export numbers DOWN 90%. Quite the "error."

[Sofia B. Kinzinger @sofiakinzinger]

Man, what a perfect illustration of the way this administration operates and its entire governing mindset: it’s all about the optics—making people believe something exists when it doesn’t.

“Optics” was probably the number one word I heard in meetings during Trump’s first term. Everything was about creating the appearance of success, strength, or action, whether or not the substance was actually there.

[Sarah Longwell @SarahLongwell25]

One side effect of Platner embarrassing the Democrats is that it’s kept the spotlight off of the absolute psychos the GOP continues to nominate. Like this GOP candidate for Governor of CO who keeps bragging about killing a guy.

[Michael McFaul @McFaul]

We've become remarkably desensitized to Trump's rhetoric. Declaring the Iran ceasefire "over," threatening to end all trade with Spain, calling Japan an "Islamic Republic"—a few years ago, each would have been a major story. Now they barely register. Why?

[Norman Ornstein @NormOrnstein]

Cold-blooded murder

[Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1]

MS NOW Exclusive: Senate Democrats want to know why the FBI is requiring hundreds of intelligence analysts to perform records checks related to the 2020 election probe in Georgia.

"This misuse of taxpayer dollars … is negligence and abuse of power of the highest order." https://t.co/367FIQrsSz

[The Lincoln Project @ProjectLincoln]

Taxpayers funding Trump using two jets for a single trip is the actual "waste, fraud and abuse" that they're telling you rural hospital funding, Social Security, or Medicare is.

[Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦 @AdamKinzinger]

The new "Air Force One" was supposed to replace the old one forever.

Then, after tensions with Iran, Trump quietly flew the old aircraft instead.

That's understandable. The old jet reportedly has more defensive capabilities. What's not understandable is the story he made up to explain it.

He just can't stop lying—even when the truth would have been easier.

[Bill Kristol @BillKristol]

🚨🚨
So ICE removed all Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's personal effects--wallet, phone, etc--after shooting him before they put him in an ambulance. Is that normal law enforcement practice? Or does it suggest a coverup or attempt to manage information was underway from the beginning?

[Desirée Townsend @Cheering4Change]

You better believe I have the resolve to follow this through. Senator Mitch McConnell is incapacitated. There is no other way to look at this, I don’t care if he’s in rehab, in a step down unit, or most likely still plugged into life-support and the ICU. But his inability to come to the Senate floor and vote and move appropriation bills forward, throws my military and federal government workforce followers into food bank lines. So you better believe that not only am I going to have the resolve to follow-through I am going to raise pure hell on the Hill next week if someone doesn’t get this man to resign or pull the plug. This is the last time they are going to put the military and federal workforce through this BS.

[Tom Nichols @RadioFreeTom]

"Communism is a system of government in which the ruling party controls major investment decisions while hoarding wealth for itself and suppressing all opposition.

Nevertheless, Donald Trump professes to dislike it."

- @jonathanchait

https://t.co/goiH5kM5ZX