Don’t Let The Chaos Mask Trump’s Lawless Power Grabs

May Be Interested In:Two Jan. 6 Boosters Are Now Trump Appointees Strangling USAID From The Inside


A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version.

Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Attempted Spending Freeze

Amid chaos over everything from Medicaid access to scientific research to HIV treatment abroad, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., put a hold on the Trump administration’s abrupt spending freeze.

In a sign that the White House power grab had exceeded its reach, it was forced to issue a follow-up memo midday that purported but mostly failed to offer clarity.

At heart, the move was not about spending but about control. The White House press secretary gave away the game when she told reporters that the door was open for departments and agencies to make direct appeals for exemptions from the freeze to Russell Vought, Trump’s yet-to-be-confirmed nominee to run OMB.

It’s a practical impossibility for the White House to directly approve every expenditure in the vast federal government, but Trump’s transactional orientation to power is as clear as it is unconstitutional: Every government service, benefit, and contract is a thing of value that he’ll dangle as inducement for things he wants.

It’s Not A ‘Buyout’

An Elon Musk-inspired mass email to federal government workers has been badly mischaracterized as a buyout or severance package. Setting aside for these purposes the broader questions of presidential authority to make such an offer, it appears best described as an exemption from Trump’s return-to-the-office edict.

If you confirm before Feb. 6 that you’re resigning, then you can continue to work from home and receive pay and benefits until Sept. 30, at which point your resignation takes effect.

The email predictably set off mass confusion, with departments and agencies in some cases sending follow-up emails to confirm that the bizarro email from the Musk-saturated OPM was real.

The best rundown comes via political scientist Don Moynihan.

Trump Is Doing To Gov’t What Musk Did To Twitter

Former Twitter data scientist offers government workers some of her lessons learned from Elon Musk wrecking Twitter:

I’ve spent about 2-3 hours each day on calls or chats with my US gov friends. Here’s an anonymized recap of what’s going on. First, I am so very sorry that they are living our last year at Twitter. I never wanted to think about that time again, and I hope my advice is helpful. 1/

— Rumman Chowdhury (@ruchowdh.bsky.social) January 29, 2025 at 7:30 AM

White House Ordered DOJ Purge

The Guardian:

But in a remark during her first briefing on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, when asked whether the president had authorized the firings, said the firings were tied to a memo issued by the White House personnel office.

“This was a memo that went out by the presidential personnel office and the president is the leader of this White House, so yes,” Leavitt said in response.

Trump Purges Continue …

  • EEOC: Trump purported to fire two Democratic EEOC commissioners before the ends of their terms and prematurely tilt the commission to a Republican majority, TPM reports.
  • NLRB: “Donald Trump is forcing out top leaders of the US labor board, ushering in a swift reboot of workplace law enforcement while testing the limits of presidential authority,” Bloomberg reports.
  • EPA: “Acting EPA Administrator James Payne has ousted all members of two of the agency’s most influential science advisory panels, giving President Donald Trump’s administration the opportunity to reshape them with its own appointees,” Politico reports.

Trump Takes Corrupt Retribution Against Milley

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 07: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Army General Mark Milley looks on after a briefing from senior military leaders in the Cabinet Room at the White House on October 7, 2019 in Washington, DC. Trump spoke about the pull-out of U.S troops in northeastern Syria and the impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Politico:

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has revoked the security detail and clearance for retired Gen. Mark Milley, making him the latest high-level official to face retribution from President Donald Trump for going against him.

Hegseth also directed the Pentagon’s acting inspector general to launch an investigation into whether the former Joint Chiefs of Staff chair upended the chain of command, which could lead to the four-star general getting demoted to three-star rank.

Doing Baghdad Bob Proud

This one clip captures the tone and tenor of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s first press briefing (although this exchange on Medicaid was pretty indicative too):

Reporter: Could you please clarify what the military did with the California water per Trump’s social media post?Karoline Leavitt: “The water has been turned back on in California.” Reporter: What was the military’s role? Where did the water come from?Leavitt: “The water was turned on.”

[image or embed]

— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona.bsky.social) January 28, 2025 at 1:56 PM

Worst Headline Of The Day

NYT: White House Press Secretary Makes Steely and Unflinching Debut

Best Headline Of The Day

Dana Milbank: The Trump White House has no idea what the Trump White House just did

Today’s Lesson On The Impoundment Act

Matt Glassman with a solid thread explaining the Impoundment Control Act and consequences of the Trump White House’s insane expansive assertion of presidential authority:

Ok. Impoundment. Some links to relevant authorities and commentary, and then thoughts of my own. What Trump is proposing potentially amounts to an upending of the separation of powers, and while that’s not *inherently* bad, in this case it’s bad. Very bad. 1/ 🧵

— Matt Glassman (@mattglassman312.bsky.social) January 28, 2025 at 10:41 AM

RFK Jr. In the Hot Seat Today

TPM will have live coverage from the Hill of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearing for secretary of Health and Human Service beginning at 10 a.m. ET

In advance of the confirmation hearing, Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the late president, sent a scathing letter to senators warning of her cousin’s manifest unfitness for a Cabinet position. Then she recorded herself reading the letter. I’ve never seen such a withering denunciation from such a placid public person:

Trump II Clown Show

Targeting The Most Vulnerable

  • Immigrants: “White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed immigrant rights groups’ fears that the Trump administration sees all undocumented immigrants as “criminals” and isn’t just seeking to deport those who commit violent acts,” Axios notes.
  • Transgender people: “In his third order in eight days focused singularly on attacking trans people, Trump issued an executive order on Tuesday attempting to block the availability of gender-affirming medical care for transgender children and teenagers across America,” Chris Geidner reports.
  • Immigrants: “The Trump administration has revoked an extension of deportation protections that President Joseph R. Biden Jr. had granted to more than 600,000 Venezuelans already in the United States, according to a copy of the decision obtained by The New York Times,” the NYT reported.

Who Goes MAGA?

Talia Lavin updates Dorothy Thompson’s iconic “Who Goes Nazi?” for the digital age. It’s the best thing you’ll read all day.

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