In the 1st dozen days of Trump's second term ,the theme of the next 4 years has been defined . Can anyone beat the deep state ;does the President ;who is constitutionally the Chief Executive of the Executive Branch have the power to run the state ?

Article II Section 1.

The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.





It is an open question .

Presidents have 4 year and a max of 8 years in office. Many in the Executive Branch bureaucracy spend their whole careers doing their job. Because of the misguided decision to unionize them too many of them think they have immunity from decisions of the President that they disagree with; and they often actively oppose these decisions by openly defying and delaying .

So in effect they have acted as a 4th unelected branch of the government not beholden to the decisions of the Chief Executive.

This has never been more apparent than the opening days of Trump's 2nd term. (forget his 1st term ..... they treated him as an enemy and tried to lock him up .... they almost succeeded )

If he doesn't succeed in reigning them in ,I predict they will be waiting for him on his last day in office with handcuffs .

We see already what is at stake during the confirmation hearings . There is resistance to a number of his appointees that borders on hysteria . Getting them confirmed is but one part of the solution . Once they are in can they take control of their agencies is the larger question. That is yet to be determined .

I have my doubts . Congress has the oversight of these agencies . But in many cases their inquires go unanswered even with the threat of subpoenas and contempt charges . Most of the information they request is delivered by whistle blowers .

Congress has requested information from the intel agencies about the 2 assassination attempts on Trump last year.


“The Secret Service is being forthcoming about its failures in communication guidance to locals having appropriate command posts. The FBI, on the other hand, is completely stonewalling this task force,” Waltz said. “It has not been forthcoming.”......

On Thursday, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., ranking member of the HSGAC Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said that what few documents the FBI provided lawmakers were “heavily redacted.” " And when asked about it behind closed doors, the FBI would not give us any information to the Intelligence Committee,” Waltz said. “Just this week. It’s completely unacceptable and we need to issue those subpoenas.”



FBI ‘stonewalling’ Trump attempted assassination task force, member says (https://nypost.com/2024/09/22/us-news/fbi-stonewalling-trump-attempted-assassination-task-force-member-says/)

Here is another more recent example. This was Senator Ron Johnson's questioning RFK Jr during his confirmation hearing .

So Mr. Chairman, I'd like to enter this in the record. Without objection. I also do want to, Mr. Kennedy, as long as I have you here, I've written over 70 oversight letters to the federal health agencies under the Biden administration. I've virtually gotten squat out of them, okay?

What I get is we get, for example, 50 pages of Anthony Fauci's emails redacted. By the way, the latest one was 17 pages. Instead of issuing a health alert on the myocarditis they knew was impacting young men, early in 2021, instead of issuing an alert on the health alert network, they developed 17 pages of talking points.

This was given to the public under a FOIA request. They had to go to court. They've got a new way of redacting.

They don't black things out. They just give you white pages. So you don't even know what they have redacted.

So again, I've issued a subpoena now to cover the information I've requested in 70 oversight letters.


Sen. Ron Johnson at RFK Jr. Hearing: "Can't We Come Together As A Nation And Do This?" | Video | RealClearPolitics (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2025/01/30/sen_ron_johnson_at_rfk_jr_hearing_cant_we_come_tog ether_as_a_nation_and_do_this.html)

The deep state accepts no accountability of themselves . How do you handle a workforce like that ? It is difficult to fire them because protections are built into the union rules .(it would be redundant of me the get into why I think public service employees unions should be outlawed)

Reforming these agencies is a monumental task that will require the purging of 10s of thousands of bureaucrats .

Trump started the process.
He gave ultimatum to senior FBI leaders to either retire ,resign, or be fired .
Senior FBI leaders ordered to retire, resign or be fired by Monday | CNN Politics (https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/30/politics/senior-fbi-leaders-demoted-wray/index.html)

I believe they will chain themselves to their desks rather than go quietly

He used EO to change the status of some to schedule F meaning they could be fired . He is being sued .
Government workers sue over Trump order to rescind employment protections | Courthouse News Service (https://www.courthousenews.com/government-workers-sue-over-trump-order-to-rescind-employment-protections/)

He has offered them via email the option to buy them out .
Trump offering federal workers buyouts with about 8 months' pay in effort to shrink government - ABC News (https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/trump-offering-federal-workers-buyouts-8-months-pay-118198797)

You see getting emails from the Chief Executive is harassment . They only want to communicate through their immediate supervisors knowing their management will just ignore the man who occupies the White House for 4 years.
Lawsuit alleges new Trump administration email system for federal employees raises privacy concerns | CNN Politics (https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/27/politics/federal-employees-email-system-privacy-concerns-lawsuit/index.html)

He has ordered those who have worked remote since covid to report to their offices by the end of next week. (that's 90% of them according to Senator Joni Ernst )
Cover! (https://www.ernst.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/6_update.pdf)

Government workers dismayed by Trump's return-to-office mandate (https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/return-to-office-federal-employees-telework-policy-rcna188629)

You wonder why you can never get a live person when you call ?

How bad is the resistance ? According to Rassmussen Napolitano poll 42% of Federal Government managers plan to resist Trump.

Resist Trump Survey | PDF | Republican Party (United States) | American Government (https://www.scribd.com/document/815266229/Resist-Trump-Survey) (page 7)

The rank and file is hearing from the union to not take the offer and dont resign . Just show up for work as if nothing has changed ,
Federal workers warned not to take Trump resignation offer : NPR (https://www.npr.org/2025/01/29/nx-s1-5279365/federal-workers-resign-offer-buyout)

The Game of Thrones has been joined and the stakes could not be higher ,
USDA inspector general escorted out of office after defying Trump order | Trump administration | The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/29/usda-inspector-general-phyllis-fong)

What did Phyllis Fong do to deserve dismissal ? She oversaw USDA and did nothing while a $250 million scheme that took funds from hungry children took place


Federal prosecutors say the Feeding Our Future fraud case is the biggest pandemic-era fraud in the country, with 70 defendants allegedly stealing a total of $250 million through Minnesota nonprofits.
Defendants are accused of spending the money on vacations, homes, fancy cars and a beach resort in Kenya, among other items.
The case involved the Minnesota Department of Education distributing federal money meant to feed underserved children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The department gave the money to the sponsor organizations Feeding Our Future and Partners in Quality Care, which distributed it further to food vendors and food sites that were supposed to serve ready-to-eat meals.
Some organizations allegedly reported serving more meals than they actually did in order to receive more federal money. Some never served any meals at all.


Feeding Our Future trial (https://sahanjournal.com/feeding-our-future-trial/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAqfe8BhBwEiwAsne6gZTOgFRtM8CJmvYwCDSP zQTTzJrBw6jIcYdRzCGPwkG66AMvS4URVRoCBwwQAvD_BwE)

Many administrators would resign in disgrace . But not Fong . She had to be escorted out . This is what Trump is dealing with.
hmmm Minnesota . Isn't Tim Walz the Guv there ?
Maybe if he spent less time supplying boys bathrooms with tampons .................

Great post, Tom.


Once they are in can they take control of their agencies is the larger question. That is yet to be determined .That is a chilling question. If the answer turns out to be "no", then the republic is essentially dead. It's why we just need to do away departments such as education. It is very likely to be too corrupt to effectively reform.

update
The defendants in the largest covid fraud case were found guilty on all counts.

Minnesota nonprofit leader convicted in largest known COVID-19 fraud scheme (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/minnesota-nonprofit-leader-convicted-in-largest-known-covid-19-fraud-scheme/ar-AA1Bl0et?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6a83ab2b6c224825b7a5d625a8591b6f&ei=87)

This happened to the state run by the man who could beat us up. (31:07 - 32:25) mark of video )(I think I could kick most if their a$$es )

And, This is Governor Tim Walz | This is Gavin Newsom - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhvc06_obOE&t=5s)

There is real panic over Trump's intention to shut down the Department of Education. There will be hurt that is clear.

But it won't hurt the children. It will hurt the special interests in the teacher's unions.
But the left loves claiming their policies are for the good of the children.

Truth is that Jimmy Carter created DOE as payback for their support.
Why Do We Have a Department of Education? Jimmy Carter's Debt to a Teachers Union. (https://reason.com/2017/02/07/department-of-education-jimmy-carter/)

The facts are indisputable.

54% of adult Americans have a sixth-grade level or lower literacy rate .

NAEP Reading: Reading Results (https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reports/reading/2024/g4_8/)

Literacy Statistics 2022-2023 (https://www.thenationalliteracyinstitute.com/post/literacy-statistics-2022-2023)

That is what the DOE produced in it's tenure even as it's budget ballooned to $268 billion in 2024.


The reading skills of American students are deteriorating further, according to new national test scores that show no improvement in a yearslong slide.
The 67% of eighth-graders who scored at a basic or better reading level in 2024 was the lowest share since testing began in 1992, results from a closely watched federal exam (https://www.wsj.com/articles/math-scores-dropped-in-every-state-during-pandemic-report-card-shows-11666584062?mod=article_inline) show. Only 60% of fourth-graders hit that benchmark, nearing record lows.


American Kids Are Getting Even Worse at Reading, Test Scores Show - WSJ (https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/reading-test-scores-american-students-5fb78d4e)

Chances are that most of the $268 billion will be allocated to education. But it will go to the states in the form of block grants and the states will decide the priorities.

Most Guvs would see a poor response to wildfires taking out a large section of the state
's biggest city ;and lawless riots in the same city as a failure or a negative they need to address . Not Guv Newsom. He sees that as a political opportunity to enhance his political ambitions .

Governor Newsom’s Address to California: Democracy at a Crossroads | Governor of California (https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/06/10/governor-newsoms-address-to-california-democracy-at-a-crossroads/)

In doing so he attacked Federal law enforcement officers calling them the problem in the city . He said that local and state law enforcement efforts "with some exceptions, they were successful.”
Those exception included 1,000 mostly peaceful protesters surrounding Federal law enforcement ;setting fires ;until the LAPD was unleashed 2 hours later...... 'except for that Mrs Lincoln ,how was the play?'

Then he blamed Trump for the mostly peaceful riots that still continue for over a week . He blamed Trump for taking over the California National Guard to do the job Newsom refuses to do.

If only he had not sent in people to enforce the law there would be no law breakers arrested .He broke the peace .
WSJ has it right . He could care less about peace on the streets of LA .Bring the riots on . He is positioning himself as a leader of La Resistance for a run for the Presidency. His attempts to be a podcaster fell flat ;and other would be leaders like Illinois Guv Pritzker have a leg up because he is rich .


Newsom’s pugilistic response to Trump’s provocations has gladdened the hearts of Democrats hungry for a crusader. But at a time when Newsom has attempted to moderate his image, playing to the Democratic base runs the risk of cementing his profile as a left-coast progressive and associating him with images of urban unrest.
California’s Gavin Newsom Leans Into L.A. Unrest to Position Himself as Leader of Opposition - WSJ (https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/california-gavin-newsom-trump-los-angeles-1e2ec00f#comments_sector)

But he needs the base to win the nomination and the Dems are past the time when they could pretend to be Trojan Horse candidate moderates . Kam the Sham tried it . Remember the narrative she tried to float that she was a tough on the border law enforcer ?

He said “I’m not thinking about running, but it’s a path that I could see unfold,”

Wrong ! It is his obsession . And he is using images of rioter waving Mexican flags and burning Waymo taxis as a poster for his campaign . Bizarre!