Sycophancy and toadying are de rigueur in Trump’s court of self-aggrandizement | Sidney Blumenthal
Gestures of servility from administration members and world leaders alike are sickeningly common in the mad king’s court
Sycophancy is the coin of the realm. In Donald Trump’s court, flattery is the only spoken language. He does not need an executive order to enforce it. Fear is the other side of the coin. Loyalty must be blind. Obedience is safety. Cronyism secures status. His whim is dogma. Criticism is heresy. Debate is apostasy. Expertise is bias. Objectivity is a hoax. Truth is just your opinion. Lies are defended to the death as articles of faith. New ones are manufactured on an industrial scale by his press office for social influencers to spread. Denying facts proves fealty. The rule of law is partisan. Russia is our trusted ally. Britain and France are “random countries”. Retribution is policy.
The deeper the submission to madness, the greater his supremacy. The subjugation is more thorough if the things people are forced to accept are irrational or, better, the reverse of what they had believed. When previously held beliefs are abandoned to conform to their opposite, like the secretary of state Marco Rubio’s formerly adamant support of Ukraine, which went to his core as the son of refugees from Castro’s Cuba, the more Trump’s dominance is demonstrated. Rubio has gone full circle, from his family fleeing one kind of tyranny to Trump sneering at him as “Little Marco” to ambitious embrace of his tormentor. He finds himself as a supplicant to Trump complaining about Elon Musk’s mindless wreckage of the state department. Formally the ranking constitutional officer of the cabinet, Rubio is below Musk in Trump’s hierarchy.
Continue reading...-
Courts grapple with 'King' Trump
The White House sees few, if any, limits on President Trump's executive powers in his second term, but the federal court system is much less sure. Trump's mass firings and dismantling of various ...The Hill - 1d -
The Roberts court is America's last safeguard against Trump’s tyranny
How will history judge the nation's highest court?The Hill - 1h -
Lucky loser Van de Zandschulp stuns struggling Djokovic at Indian Wells
Five-time champion loses 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in second round Jack Draper and Sonay Kartal advance to third round Novak Djokovic’s difficult start to the season continued on the North American hard ...The Guardian - 1d -
DOGE's secrecy to be tested in court with sworn testimony, depositions
Over the next week, several judges have ordered top Trump administration officials to testify about efforts to reduce the size of the federal government.ABC News - 2d -
Aftershocks of Supreme Court’s Immunity Ruling Echo in New Trump Cases
The real legacy of the case, scholars say, is not its protection of former presidents from prosecution but its expansive understanding of presidential power.The New York Times - 3h -
Comme des Garçons, Rick Owens, Undercover: Catching Feelings
Comme des Garçons, Rick Owens, and Undercover embrace the power of human scale.The New York Times - 20h -
‘Nothing like this in American history’: the crisis of Trump’s assault on the rule of law
Even if the supreme court were to resist the president’s onslaught, it has little means to enforce its decisions. When the chief justice of the US supreme court , John Roberts, delivered his ...The Guardian - 1d -
Trump defends Amy Coney Barrett: ‘She’s a very good woman’
President Trump defended Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, calling her a “very good woman” even as she breaks with conservatives on some issues. “She’s a very good woman. She’s very smart, ...The Hill - 11h -
Wisconsin Democrats look to harness anger with Musk in court race
Wisconsin Democrats are launching a full-court press against Elon Musk as they look to use angry voter sentiment against him as a tool to turn out voters in the high-stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court ...The Hill - 3h
More from The Guardian
-
Mark Carney to be next Canada PM after winning Liberal leadership race
Former central banker will be only second prime minister in Canadian history without a seat in parliament. ‘Boring guy’ whose economic acumen could help Canada tackle Trump Mark Carney, the ...The Guardian - 14h -
Coastguard providing emergency response after reports of collision between oil tanker and cargo vessel in North Sea – live
Coastguard rescue helicopter and fixed wing aircraft scrambled alongside lifeboats and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability. Full story: UK coastguard scrambled after ship collision ...The Guardian - 30m -
Ukraine to push air and sea ceasefire with Russia during US talks in Saudi – Europe live
Kyiv official says ceasefire options would be ‘easy to install and monitor’ following plan recently proposed by Macron. Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv officials to meet Trump aides The UK rejected ...The Guardian - 36m -
‘I hate to predict things’: Trump doesn’t rule out US recession amid trade tariffs
US president downplays recent stock market volatility that followed his ducking and weaving over tariff policy. US politics live – latest updates Donald Trump on Sunday refused to rule out the ...The Guardian - 17h -
Israel to cut off electricity in Gaza in apparent effort to force hand of Hamas
Humanitarian officials say move could hit already meagre water supply, as ceasefire talks grow increasingly chaotic. Israel is to cut off any remaining electricity supplies to Gaza in an apparent ...The Guardian - 14h
More in World
-
Everyone Has a Plan For Gaza. None of Them Add Up.
Since President Trump suggested expelling the territory’s population, Middle East leaders have rushed to propose options for postwar Gaza. Each is unacceptable to either Israel or Hamas, or both.The New York Times - 30m -
Coastguard providing emergency response after reports of collision between oil tanker and cargo vessel in North Sea – live
Coastguard rescue helicopter and fixed wing aircraft scrambled alongside lifeboats and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability. Full story: UK coastguard scrambled after ship collision ...The Guardian - 30m -
Ukraine to push air and sea ceasefire with Russia during US talks in Saudi – Europe live
Kyiv official says ceasefire options would be ‘easy to install and monitor’ following plan recently proposed by Macron. Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv officials to meet Trump aides The UK rejected ...The Guardian - 36m -
Motta’s painful Gasperini reunion leaves him gasping for air at Juventus | Nicky Bandini
After Motta expresses gratitude to his former manager, Atalanta’s 4-0 win may end his plans for a second season. Thiago Motta has never been shy with his gratitude towards Gian Piero Gasperini. He ...The Guardian - 40m -
Romania’s pro-Russia presidential candidate to fight election ban
Cǎlin Georgescu to contest decision to bar him from election rerun in May after claims of Russian meddling. Romania’s pro-Russia far-right presidential contender Cǎlin Georgescu has said he will ...The Guardian - 41m