As of the close of the day on May 14, my positive/negative score on the Trump administration stands at -663.
14 May 2025
-1: Headline: Trump Makes Stunning Deal With Mexican Cartel Leader (New Republic) [242]
-1: Headline: Trump’s Prized Tax Bill Doesn’t Do Anything He Promised (New Republic) [243]
-1: Reported: Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem refuses to acknowledge Trump displayed a doctored photo to the press [244]
-1: US Senator Josh Hawley says Trump “can’t be bought because he has lots of money” [245]
References
242. Subhead: Why were family members of notorious cartel leader El Chapo allowed into the United States?
243. Subhead: Donald Trump’s pet “big beautiful bill” conveniently leaves out some major campaign promises.
244. Via Aaron Rupar: This is absolutely incredible -- Kristi Noem repeatedly refuses to acknowledge that Trump brandished an doctored image of Abrego Garcia’s tattoos, prompting Eric Swalwell to have a staffer of his brandish an image of them right in her face. Totally dystopian.
245. Hawley dismisses Trump lining his pockets with his memecoin: “Listen, I think nobody believes that Donald Trump can be bought. I mean, what does Donald Trump need more money for?”
13 May 2025
0: Headline: Trump Appointees Thrown Out of Library of Congress After Botched Takeover Attempt (Daily Boulder)
-2: Trump apparently accepts a gift of a $400 million Boeing 747 from Qatar (-2 for illegal)
-1: Trump defends accepting the gift of a $400 million jetliner from Qatar [240]
-1: US Senator Roger Marshall claims people demonstrating against Medicaid cuts are being paid [241]
References
240. Trump: “The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME! It is a gift from a Nation, Qatar, that we have successfully defended for many years. It will be used by our Government as a temporary Air Force One, until such time as our new Boeings, which are very late on delivery, arrive. Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done.
”This big savings will be spent, instead, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
241. Sen. Roger Marshall on Medicaid demonstrators: “My guess is they’re probably hired to do that ... everybody is on a sugar high the last four years because of covid, and it’s hard to come off that sugar high.”