Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Team Agrees to Transition Plan

The "big" news today is that the incoming Trump transition has finally agreed with the GSA, with many modifications designed to avoid the pitfulls of the "deep state" spying on the incoming administration, and setting various and sundry administrative traps, like they did in the 2016-2017 transition. At WaEx, Trump signs transition agreement with Biden White House after delay "According to the Trump team’s statement, the transition will not use taxpayer money, government buildings, or GSA-provided technology, and will operate as a “self-sufficient organization.” “This organizational autonomy means a streamlined process that guarantees the Trump administration is ready on Day 1,” the announcement reads. “The transition already has existing security and information protections built in, which means we will not require additional government and bureaucratic oversight.” Trump’s team says its own ethics plan meets GSA requirements for incoming personnel and confirmed that it will be posted to the GSA’s website." Needless to say, the Biden administration was not entirely thrilled. Sundance at CTH has a more complete description of the problems and the process, Trump Transition Team Signs Modified White House Agreement, Without Govt Technology to Conduct Surveillance. "In the first Trump administration, the GSA had wiretaps, office bugs, and gave all the electronic communication information from the Trump transition to the FBI, IC and later Robert Mueller. In essence, the GSA spied on the Trump team, then gave all the data to the operatives who were in place to target them. The Trump team is not making this mistake again. The Trump transition team is also not going to use the office space provided by the GSA and will instead have their own offices and security systems in place to coordinate the transition to power." In the spirit of bipartisanship the incoming Trump administration should also follow the Biden administration policy of cancelling the outgoing President's secret clearances, and those of his staff, and immediately ordering the FBI to search their houses and outside places of work for any classified documents or other government property.

OTP, Trump Makes Day One Vow To Raise Tariffs On Canada, China, Mexico. At Hat Hair Capt. Ed sees the Sheriff Tariff Rides Back Into Town "Should America's trading partners take Donald Trump literally? Seriously? Or both?" and John Sexton says Trump Makes Xi an Offer He Can't Refuse: Cut the Supply of Fentanyl Precursors or Else. Althouse, "This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!" ""Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!" At Ace\s, Trump Announces 25% Tariffs on Mexico and Canada If They Don't Stop the Flow of Illegals and Drugs Across the Border, "I hope this works." Sundance, Canada Responds to Trump Tariffs – Trudeau Talks About “Feelings”, Doug Ford Says, “Hey, We’re not Mexicans,” and A Winnamin Overdose – Mexico Threatens to Retaliate Against Trump Border Security Tariffs. AP, Mexico suggests it would impose its own tariffs to retaliate against any Trump tariffs. 

From ET, Trump Names 3 More Key White House Selections, James Braid as director of legislative affairs, Matt Brasseaux as director of the Office of Political Affairs and Alex Latcham as director of the Office of Public Liaison. Sundance, President Trump Announces Two More Economic Positions – U.S. Trade Ambassador, and Director of National Economic Council, Jamieson Greer to be the United States Trade Representative and Kevin Hassett as Director of the White House National Economic Council. He is happy. Matt Margolis at PJM, This Trump Nomination Will Make Leftists' Heads Spin "Kash Patel, the former chief investigator of the Trump-Russia investigation for the House Intelligence Committee under former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), to a prominent position within either the FBI or the Justice Department, according to top transition sources cited by Axios." Breitbart cites Bolton: Gabbard’s Extreme Views ‘Are on a Different Planet’ — She’s ‘Unqualified’ to Lead Intelligence. Sundance, President Trump Announces Additional Nominees for RFK JR Team at HHS "President Trump has announced Jay Bhattacharya as nominee to serve as Director of the National Institutes for Health (NIH), and Jim O’Neill to serve as Deputy HHS Secretary to Robert F Kennedy Jr." Bob Hoge at RedState celebrates when Trump Nominates Professor Who Sounded Alarm on COVID Lockdowns—and Was Censored—to Lead NIH, "Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, author of "The Great Barrington Declaration." From Fox Business Treasury secretary nominee Scott Bessent's '3-3-3' plan: What to know. "Bessent modeled his 3-3-3 plan off late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's '3 arrows' idea." Capt. Ed at VIP agrees with the WSJ: Chris Rufo for Secretary of Gelding Academia. Breitbart, Hulk Hogan Suggests Trump Might Give Him a Role in His Administration "“My president said, ‘You know something, you’d be great to run the President’s Council on Physical Fitness,’” Hogan said of their conversation at the Madison Square Garden rally in New York." Might be OK. Twitchy has some excellent ideas for DOGE, 'Make 'Em SQUEAL'! Joni Ernst's Thread on How to Cut More Than 2 TRILLION of D.C. Waste an EPIC Must-Read.

Scott Pinsker at PJM, This Issue Will Define Trump’s Legacy — and in a Shock Poll, 3 Out of 4 Americans Now Say It’s a Priority, illegal immigration. Liz Stauffer at LI, California Allegedly Threatens Police Officers Over Deportation Compliance, "CA mayor: The State of California “is threatening to take pensions and charge police officers with felonies if they comply with federal deportation laws.”" At Da Wire, Tom Homan On Denver’s Mayor Resisting ICE: ‘I’m Willing To Put Him In Jail.’ "Homan said that harboring illegal aliens from federal law enforcement constituted a felony." From ZeroHedge, New York To Close 12 Migrant Shelters Ahead Of Trump Deportation Agenda. NewsMax, Canada Braces for Migrant Surge Ahead of Trump Deportations. Ace likes the new
CBS Poll: Trump Now At Highest Approval of His Political Career; 73% Say That Deporting Illegals Is Either a Medium or High Priority "Polls are for strippers, but good polls are for nice ladies who want to exercise in Lycra."

Stacy McCain enjoys The Agony of #NeverTrump: His Comeback Has Destroyed Their Prestige, "If you want to see something funny — that is, assuming you have a sadistic sense of humor — you should go watch YouTube highlights of The Bulwark’s Election Night podcast, featuring Bill Kristol, Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, Jonathan V. Last and company in a slow downhill slide from hope to despair. Perhaps never in human history has disappointment been more well deserved." Lorenzo from Oz has a A unified theory of Trump Derangement Syndrome, "TDS is how the US professional-managerial class avoids looking in the mirror and facing its own failings." Sundance, As Senate UniParty Prepares Their Defenses Against President Trump, Watch for One Remaining Announcement  "Watch who Thune and McConnell make the SSCI Chairman."  Insty, THE PROBLEM WITH THE MONSTER UNDER THE BED IS THAT NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT IS: Tim Young @Tim RunsHis Mouth "The left has such a huge problem with Project 2025 that they can't even explain why... WATCH this leftist absolutely panic when Piers Morgan gives him a chance to ask @KevinRobertsTX (president of @Heritage) whatever he wants about it..." At Front Page, the Great Victor Davis Hansen,  calls The Trump Counterrevolution A Return to Sanity, "A lethal challenge to entrenched elites, bureaucracies, and progressive ideologies." From Fox, Democrats can't buy anything like Trump's genuine authenticity, "Americans wanted Trump to fight the elite and make America great again." From the Telegraph, I ate like Trump for a week. I don’t understand how the man is still alive.

Paul Bedard at WaEx exalts, Biden exits at all-time low, Trump in with highest approval. At NewsMax, Grenell to Newsmax: Biden Saddling Trump with WWIII. It is starting to feel like the runup to something big. The Sunday Guardian, ATACMs? What are they thinking? At OTP, Biden Wants Another $24B For Ukraine To Fund Proxy War With Russia. Breitbart notices Thanksgiving Turkey Prices Up 23% in Joe Biden’s America. Matt Van Swol@matt_vanswol, "FEMA is actively blocking volunteers from delivering RVs, tiny homes, and other housing units to people living in tents in #WNC because they are "in a flood zone". The Fox News host can't even believe it. The truth is so much more horrifying than any conspiracy theory." Don't go away mad, Joe, just go away.

Bill O'Reilly to Newsmax: Biden Owns Worst Policy Gaffe Ever, revoking remain in Mexico. The Free Bacon reports Nearly 1 Million Migrants Have Entered the US Through the Biden-Harris Admin's Controversial Asylum Program, "Internal Figures Show "Migrants who enter the country via CBP One are not counted by law enforcement agencies as traditional border crossers." Da Fetched hears the Former Obama ICE Director Admits Sanctuary Policies ‘Went Way Too Far.’ Madeline Leesman at TownHall, Remember Those Haitian Migrants in Springfield, Ohio? Well..., they're leaving. John Lott at Da Signal says Crime Rate for Illegal Aliens Vastly Understated, Data Shows. Insty has a REMINDER:

Scott Pinsker, CBS Reporter: Network Killed Hunter Biden Laptop Story with ‘Liberal Use of N-Word’ & Joe Biden Emails. At NewsMax, Ex-CBS Reporter Alleges Network Defied Bosses Over Biden Probe.

At HuffPoo, Kamala Harris Campaign Aides Suggest Campaign Was Just Doomed "The Harris campaign’s internal polling apparently never had her ahead of Trump." So all that bullshit about how close the polls were was just that. Joe Cunningham at RedState, How the Democrats Lost Their Base—and Knew It All Along. At WokeSpy, Demographic Breakdown Of Trump’s Gain Shows Scale Of Shift Away From The Democrats. Capt. Ed, hears Carville to Progressive Staffers: Please Have a Cup of Steamin’ Hot STFU. S k y@Skkyyyyyyyyyyy "@ComfortablySmug LMFAO “So I blew through your 1.5B… but anyways, here’s my cornbread stuffing recipe!!!” Quote Teddy Schleifer@teddyschleifer "New — Kamala Harris tells her major donors on the National Finance Committee debrief call that her campaign raised $1.5 billion over the course of the 107-day race. She also offered her corn bread stuffing recipe to anyone who doesn't have it." At the Free Bacon, These Four Democratic Firms Raked in $600 Million Running Ads for Kamala's Failed Campaign, "Nearly 70 percent of the Harris campaign's known total spending went to just four media consulting firms." and MSNBC Says It Was 'Unaware' of Harris Campaign Contributions to Al Sharpton Nonprofit—But Won't Say Whether It's Taking Action. Ace, Democrat Megadonor: The Kamala Harris Campaign "Legally Stole" the $1.5 Billion They Raised from Donors. "He means they were so profligate with their spending that they effectively stole it, but they can't be prosecuted for it, because it was a "legal" theft. This makes Kamala Harris a non-viable candidate going forward -- if she can't run a campaign, she can't be president, he says." Lincoln Brown at PJM, Will Campaign for Food: DNC Staffers Pink-Slipped After Election, when you're on the losing end. Blaze, Kamala Harris already scheming for her next office: 'I am staying in the fight'. Althouse posts I thought maybe "The Democrats" was a satirical account and this new video of Kamala Harris was A.I. "But no, "The Democrats" is really the Democratic Party . . . X provides a summary of posts about this: "The video, posted by the Democratic Party, has sparked discussions on social media regarding her appearance and speech, with some users speculating about her sobriety."" She doesn't look good. She never sounded good.

John Sexton at Hat Hair catches Politico trying to shape the narrative, Maybe Trump's Would-Be Assassin Wasn't Really Inspired by Democratic Talking Points.

Pop Times Special Counsel Jack Smith Drops Trump’s Charges after Burning through $50 Million in Doomed Trials. Dan Greenfield at Front Page thinks Dropping the Trump Cases Shows They Were Election Interference "One wave of lawfare is dead. The next is being developed now." From Breitbart, NY Times: Lawfare-Pushing Democrats Fear Trump’s Executive Orders. Expect subpoenas for your emails. Mia Cathell at TownHall, And This Is Why the Public Doesn't Trust the DOJ "However, in its 59-page report highlighting incidents that have contributed to the department's confidence crisis, the DOJ watchdog largely overlooked transgressions under the Biden-Harris administration, which still reigns. Instead, the OIG looked farther back to Trump's time in office, his first term, as we head into the president-elect's second." At Da Wire, Pro-Life Activist Targeted by Biden DOJ Suffers Serious Head Injury In Prison 'It is like a cruel torture,' William Goodman tells The Daily Wire. 'I just feel dizzy and abandoned and sore and sick.' It was a fall. At NYPo the Divine Ms. Devine is all over Tragic Ashli Babbitt and the buried Jan. 6 truth.

A Larry video at Hat Hair, CNN Panel Rages After Scott Jennings Debunks Liberal Guest! Insty, is WATCHING LEFTIST NARRATIVES BEING DESTROYED IN REAL TIME: Scott Jennings Schools CNN By Pointing Out News Reported by CNN. Note carefully the dates on these two tweets . . . VodkaPundit at PJM, Allow Me to Enlighten You About Your Social Media Problem, Prole. Duane Patterson at Hat Hair sees Regime Media Looking For the Floating Door. "I know, I know, it was not an actual door Rose reclined on in the icy Atlantic after the Titanic split in two. It was a hunk of wood. Regardless, there was no reason she couldn't scoot over a little bit and let Jack out of the frigid water. The improvised flotation device was clearly two-person sized." NewsMax reports Trump Vows to Ban $267M 'Censorship Cartel'. 

VodkaPundit, Too Much Is Never Enough: the Big Lie About Education Spending. The more they spend, the worse it gets. It's almost like cause and effect.  Joanne Jacobs celebrates A black professor leaving academia: 'Critical thinking became critical feeling'. "Erec Smith, formerly a professor of rhetoric and composition, got tired of colleagues calling  him "inauthentically Black" because he embraced "white ways of knowing" such as "argumentation, knowledge of standard English and reason."  

Robby Starbuck@robbystarbuck, "MASSIVE news: Walmart is ending their woke policies. I can now exclusively tell you what’s changing and how it happened. Last week I told execs at @Walmart that I was doing a story on wokeness there. Instead we had productive conversations to find solutions. Below are the changes Walmart committed to. I have to give their executives major credit because this will send shockwaves throughout corporate America. This is the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America. . . . "  Da Blaze exults, 'Wokeness is on its deathbed': Walmart kicking DEI, LGBT activism to the curb. Ace, Robby Starbuck: Walmart Will End or Modify Some DEI /Woke /Transinsanity Policies (While Doubling Down on Others). "This isn't the win that Starbuck suggests it is, but it is moving things in the right direction."

Breitbart, Teen Girl Blasts High School for Allowing Trans Athlete: ‘LGBTQ is Shoved Down Our Throats. From OutKick, Trans SJSU Volleyball Player Eligible For Mountain West Tournament As Judge Denies Motions. A Hawaiian Biden judge. Isabel Brown@theisabelb "When they started reducing women to “birthing people,” know this is exactly what they had in mind. Postmodern feminism is dead - it never wanted to empower women in the first place." Keeping brain-dead women alive as wombs for surrogacy. Althouse, "When J.K. Rowling said that denying any relationship between sex and biology was 'deeply misogynistic and regressive,' a prominent L.G.B.T.Q. group accused her of betraying 'real feminism.'" "From "Transgender Activists Question the Movement’s Confrontational Approach/Facing diminishing public support, some activists say all-or-nothing tactics are not working. 'We have to make it OK for someone to change their minds'" (NYT)." John Sexton, Trans Activists Ponder: Should We Try Not Being Abusive Jerks? Nope, you be you. Libs of TikTok@libsoftiktok "“I condone m*rder!” Trans activist calls to ass*ss*nate @jk_rowling and for the LGBTQ community to m*rder other politicians.
@FBI."

I forgot to send my Rule 5s to the Wombat this week, but he still posted Rule 5 Sunday: Cheerful Bikini and FMJRA 2.0: Roster Like A Hole anyway.