Flotsam and Jetsam - Bannon Credits God with Saving Trump for a Second Term

Althouse, "I can tell you... '16 was providential. That was the hand of God.... The pandemic and the stealing of the 2020 election was also the hand of God." ""At the time, it didn't seem that [way] but if we had gone right into a second term, it would have been like trench warfare. It would have been like the Western Front in World War I, just two sides dug in, and they kind of had Trump surrounded. God's hand worked that we would step back.… We had the time to regroup. Trump had the time to think.... You had those four years of preparation." Said Steve Bannon." Dan Chaitin at Da Wire, Trump Drops Two Names When Asked About A Successor. Vance and Rubio. I could live with either one. 

Fox reports Trump's 16th week in office to include WH meeting with Canada, ongoing trade negotiations. "Trump's week to also include talks about ending Russia-Ukraine war." Sundance at CTH sees the American Consumer Market Just Too Valuable – India Agrees to Align with Trump Tariff and Trade Terms and German Automaker Smartly Shifts Business Plan in Response to Tariffs – Mercedes Will Make More Vehicles in USA. John Sexton at Hat Hair hears Tariffs Are Having a Dramatic Impact on China's Economy. "Estimates of China's annual growth are already being cut sharply." Althouse highlights the plight of "The tariffs have made it impossible for Mr. Liu to continue selling on Amazon, where he previously made about $1 on every garment but now just 50 cents." ""And he felt he could not cut his employees’ pay, Mr. Liu said, as workers at a labor market crowded past his motorbike, which he had parked on the sidewalk with a dress sample draped over the handlebars. 'You can’t sell anything to the United States right now,' Mr. Liu said. 'The tariffs are too high.'" From "China’s Garment Factories Face a Tipping Point After New Tariffs/As a U.S. tax loophole ends, the apparel makers that sell to America are forced to consider alternative markets or cheaper locations in and outside China" (NYT)." At Da Caller, Bessent Demands Europe Scrap ‘Unfair’ Regulatory Shakedown. CNN whines Trump says he would extend TikTok deadline if no deal reached by June 19. Dave Strom at Hat Hair wonders Did the Media Notice That the Stock Market Recovered? They noticed, and scrupulously avoided pointing it out. 

Paul D. Thacker@thackerpd "Trump signs Executive Order to end federal funding for gain-of-function virus research which many now believe caused the COVID pandemic." It seems nearly certain that gain-of-function research made COVID, the big remaining question is how much American money contributed to the effort. UPI, Trump honors space exploration on National Astronaut Day. "Observance marks 64th anniversary of Alan Shepard becoming first American in space." Katy Perry not invited. Sundance hosts President Trump Announces Location for 2027 NFL Draft, and Takes Media Questions, "on the National Mall Washington DC". I guess if I can sing and play guitar there, the NFL can use it for the draft. Dave Strom presents A Unified Theory of Trump Trolling. The Dank Knight @capeandcowell, "Tell AI to make you the pope and post it. Every lib will suddenly become pro catholic. Trust me."

'Becca Downs at TownHall sees Judge Boasberg Keeps Getting Assigned Trump Cases. Lawmakers Want to Know Why. Just Facts Dayly looks at all the Misinformation About the Arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan. Seth Barrett Tillman has some PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON THE RECENT LITIGATION INVOLVING SECTION THREE OF THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT. 

Sarah Anderson at PJM hears The Nanny State Shut Down a Small New Hampshire Church. Now Pam Bondi Is Involved. Tom Knighton at BA, FBI Issues Warning On Swatting.

Althouse catches a weird story about Elon Musk, "Neighbors soon grew frustrated with the constant hubbub at the house. They saw people coming and going carrying gun holsters..." "... as the security team ballooned along with Mr. Musk’s safety concerns. Though Texas has permissive gun laws, the activity stood out. 'I call that place Fort Knox,' said Mr. Hemmer, a retired real estate agent who lives across the street and is president of the neighborhood homeowners association.... Mr. Hemmer, who has long owned a Tesla, grew so frustrated with his neighbor that he began flying a drone over the house to check for city violations, and he keeps a video camera trained on the property around the clock. Last year, he complained to West Lake Hills officials about Mr. Musk’s fence, the traffic and how he thought the owner was operating a security business from the property. Mr. Musk’s security team also contacted the West Lake Hills Police Department about Mr. Hemmer, according to city records. One security official accused Mr. Hemmer last year of standing naked in the street, according to the records. Mr. Hemmer denied that he was naked and said he was on his property wearing black underwear. On another night, he said, he was walking his dog fully clothed and stopped when he suddenly needed to urinate — which Mr. Musk’s camera captured. 'The cameras got me,' Mr. Hemmer said. 'It’s scary they have guys sitting and watching me pee.'"

Leslie Eastman at LI, rejoices as EPA Cancels All Environmental Justice Grants "These grants fund many “panda” projects that sound good but actually direct monies to eco-activsts and their anti-American antics." "$52 million EPA “Environmental Justice” grant for Minneapolis Foundation, in partnership with NDN Collective, a communist org that wanted to close Mount Rushmore because it’s a “symbol of white supremacy”."

Rasmussen has a REMINDER: Rasmussen Reports @Rasmussen_Poll "propaganda - noun - prŏp″ə-găn′də - the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person STILL no explanations - no apologies - no comments Harris was never ahead, they knew it, and they did this:" Possibly related, from John Sexton, Biden's Team Decided Not to Give Him a Cognitive Test in Early 2024. Gee, I wonder why. AOL, Former First Lady Jill Biden Finds A New Gig In The Swamp, Miranda Devine@mirandadevine, "Grifters gonna grift." Quote Matt Stoller @matthewstoller, "Jill Biden is going to work for billionaire ex-con Michael Milken - who got pardoned for securities fraud - to work on ‘women’s health.’ That’s DOCTOR Jill Biden, good sir." Liz Stauffer at LI, Breathtaking Remarks from Dem Leaders Reveal Precisely Why Party Is in the Wilderness "“People say to me all the time, ‘James, why don’t we just do like the Republicans do, just stand up and lie?'” Remember, for Democrats telling an inconvenient truth is lying. Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal worries about How Many Biden Appointees ‘Burrowed in’ to the Permanent Bureaucracy? Both parties do it, of course.

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, DHS: We'll Pay You to Self-Deport! NYPo, Trump admin set to pay illegal migrants $1,000 to self-deport, and DHS says it will save taxpayers a ton. It would save a lot of work, but wonder how many will take them up on it.

Jorge Bonilla @BonillaJL, ""EDITED FOR CLARITY": NBC News cuts President Trump's mention of the emergence of damning evidence against Kilmar Abrego García from the Meet the Press broadcast." From Twitchy, WOW: CNN Officially CROSSES A LINE In Their Trump Hate With Disturbing Interview of Drug Cartel. Pop Times, My Respect: CNN’s Interview with Sinaloa Cartel Member About Trump Backfires, Internet Claps Back "Seemingly, the reporter did not get the answer she wanted and thus, asked follow-up questions to strike the right note. However, even the bloody Mexican Sinaloa Cartel, against which the Trump administration has declared war, does not hate the president as much as the left does." Insurrection Barbie @DefiyantlyFree, "CNN is now interviewing cartel members to ask how they feel about being labeled terrorists. You cannot make this stuff up." Mary Margaret Olohan @MaryMargOlohan, "Remember when angel mom Patty Morin emotionally described to the White House press how an illegal immigrant brutally raped and murdered her daughter? CNN cut away from Patty to air segments about Gavin Newsom and the NBA." Monica Showalter at Am Think notices the Pulitzer judges pass over iconic AP photo of Trump defiantly waving his fist with blood running down his face after assassination attempt.  

🚨NEWS: The photographer (Doug Mills) who took the image on the left just received a Pulitzer, not the one (Evan Vucci) who captured the most iconic shot on the right. pic.twitter.com/r08mforOro

— The Gas Stove 🔥 (@TheGasStovee) May 5, 2025

At Splice Today, Mark Judge (remember him?) explains Why NPR Refuses to Have Me on the Air. "One more reason to defund public radio." Dave Portnoy@stoolpresidente "So @6abc begged me to do an interview about the incident at our bar. Since it was local I agreed. Then the reporter tried to say Barstool and I and white men were responsible for the incident. Austin started recording once it got contentious."

From the Remodern Review, Trump Takes Aim at National Endowment for the Arts. PJM's Rick Moran wants to know What Is the Government Doing Funding 'Art' in the First Place? It's another leftist grift. 

SAN, NYU bans dozens of pro-Palestinian students, requires pledge to stop protests. At Am Great Roger Kimball analyzes The Politicized Mind: How the University Lost Its Way. "Academia’s collapse stems not from too much politics, but from the absence of anything but politics—and the virtues needed to resist it are in dangerously short supply."

Jeff Charles at TownHall HHS Releases Damning Report on 'Gender-Affirming Care'. Of course, in a Biden Admin the HHS would release the opposite. The mere fact that the direction of the report depends on who is in office explains why you should heavily discount any government report. At Da Wire, Janet Mills And Her Family Get Rich Off The Maine Governor’s Transgender Stance. ""All a coincidence, I'm sure." There's plenty good money to be made mutilating kids. PJM's Vicky Taft thinks California Democrats Prove Again That They Care More About Perverts Than Kids, "state Assembly Democrats have fought to keep sexual predators from facing felony charges when they approach or victimize 16- and 17-year-old Californians. Republicans want to include much tougher penalties for victims up to the age of 18."

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: A Week of Wins! ready and awaiting clicks at The Other McCain.