Want to get out of paying hundreds of millions to bilked investors? Just buy a pardon from Cheeto.

Normally, I don't use this blog/outlet to write about the misdeeds of Cheeto, et. al. (that's what I use the social media app Bluesky for), but this one has Arizona ties.

From The Copper Courier -

Convicted of bilking investors, founder of Phoenix-based Nikola gets a presidential pardon

Nikola, which was a hot start-up and rising star on Wall Street before becoming enmeshed in scandal, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February.

Trevor Milton, the founder of electric vehicle start-up Nikola who was sentenced to prison last year for fraud, was pardoned by President Donald Trump, the White House confirmed Friday.

The pardon of Milton, who was sentenced to four years in prison for exaggerating the potential of his technology, could wipe out hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution that prosecutors were seeking for defrauded investors.

Milton, 42, and his wife donated more than $1.8 million to a Trump re-election campaign fund less than a month before the November election, according to the Federal Election Commission.

There are other links to Cheeto.

From later in the same story -

During his securities fraud case, Milton was defended by two lawyers with connections to Trump: Marc Mukasey, who has represented the Trump Organization; and Brad Bondi, the brother of Pam Bondi, who Trump appointed as U.S. Attorney General.

According to FEC records, Milton gave millions to Cheeto, RFK Jr., state and national Republican parties, state and national Libertarian parties, and Republican candidate all over the country.

Based on the pardon, it seems to have been money well spent.

Cheeto orders many voters to be disenfranchised. State-level elections officials push back.

And some folks, like AZ's Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, think that Cheeto may have another endgame in mind, one that goes beyond disenfranchising those who disagree with him.

From AP -

Trump signed an order to reshape how elections in the US are run. Is it constitutional?

With the stroke of his pen, President Donald Trump restructured the way Americans can register to vote and when they can cast their ballots. Or did he?

After the president signed his executive order Tuesday calling for broad election changes, such as proof of citizenship for voter registration and an Election Day return deadline for mailed ballots, election officials, state attorneys general and legal experts said it would face legal challenges for encroaching on state powers outlined in the U.S. Constitution.

Nope, some folks believe that his ultimate goal is to disenfranchise *everyone.*

From Democracy Docket (emphasis added by me) -

Trump Anti-Voting Order Draws Furious Pushback

[snip]

Fontes called Trump’s order a “cheap substitute” for the SAVE Act — the GOP’s nationwide proof of citizenship bill — that he doesn’t think will pass through the Senate, but also offered a particularly nefarious reading of its true purpose: setting up a way to cancel the 2026 midterm elections.

“I genuinely believe that the Trump administration wants to cancel the 2026 elections so that he and his party can stay in power,” he said. “And we have to fight like hell against that by every means available.”

Even Trumpkins like Marco Rubio don't like criminals

Of course, he may not really believe that applies to Cheeto, Musk, himself, or their ilk, but he's on record as saying criminals don't belong here.

From the transcript of CBS' Face the Nation -

[snip]

I don't know how hard that is to understand. We want people- we don't want people in our country that are going to be committing crimes and undermining our national security or the public safety.

Under that standard (which doesn't seem to be Constitutionally sound, BTW), should we say "bye" to co-presidents Cheeto and Elon, or should we just wave as they leave?

And our waves will have more than one finger.  Trust me. :)

Can You Be Deported for What You Say?

From CNN -

Can You Be Deported for What You Say?

A Trump administration effort to deport prominent Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has sparked fear on college campuses across the country that other international students could be targeted for their views. A year after student protests unsettled the nation, we look at the new administration’s moves on college campuses and hear from someone worried even US citizens could soon be caught up in the crackdown.

Guests: Belinda Davis, Rutgers University Professor of History

Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895.

Short answer: In Trumpworld the First Amendment, and the rest of the U.S. Constitution doesn't apply.

So, *yes.*

,

Stores in Canada have removed American-made booze from their shelves. I responded appropriately.

From Snopes -

Video shows Canadian stores removing American booze from shelves

Claim:

A March 2025 video authentically shows a liquor store in Ontario, Canada, removing American liquor bottles from its shelves in response to U.S.-imposed tariffs.

Rating:

True

About this rating

In early 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump levied tariffs on thousands of Canadian goods, leading to retaliation from Canada. The province of Ontario announced it would be pulling U.S. alcohol from stores in response to the tariffs, leading to a flurry of social media footage ostensibly showing Canadian liquor store employees removing U.S. bottles from their shelves.

This seemed a little drastic, so naturally, I responded in a similar way - I removed a Canadian product from a store shelf.

Of course, I did so a little differently than the Canadian did...or that Cheeto would have preferred.

I purchased a bottle of Clearly Canadian sugar water when I went shopping this week.  

OK, it was Wild Cherry sparkling water. :)

From the website of Clearly Canadian -

Mexico and Canada are Arizona's two largest trading partners, but I didn't include a picture of a product of Mexico for two reasons -

1. I haven't heard of any reports of stores in Mexico removing American-made products from their shelves.

2. I didn't quickly find a product with "Mexico" (or "Mexican") in the name.  *Many* products that were made or grown in Mexico; so many, in fact, that can't afford to buy them all.

5 Cs, 4 Cs, what's a C between friends?

Of course, U.S. House Speaker isn't a friend.

On Tuesday, he ejected Representative Al Green (D-TX) from the House chamber for having the utter audacity to disagree with Cheeto.

Today, the Republicans in the House censured (reprimanded) Green.

House Democrats didn't react well.

From ABC News -

Screaming match breaks out in House after vote to censure Democrat Al Green

The House voted on Thursday to censure Democrat Al Green over his outburst at President Donald Trump's speech to Congress on Tuesday night.

The Republican-led effort passed 224-198 with two members voting present, one of them being Green. Ten Democrats voted to censure Green

[snip]

"Mr. Speaker and still I rise," Green said, "and still I rise a proud, liberated Democrat, unbought, unbossed and unafraid."

Green continued to criticize Trump's agenda and animatedly explained why he and other Democrats sang in the well, calling it an "act of incivility."

"We have to not allow [Trump's] incivility, his requirement of fealty, to prevent us from taking the necessary actions to protect liberty and justice for all, to protect government of the people, by the people, for the people ... We have to do what is necessary. I believe we have to engage in a level of positive, righteous incivility.

[snip]

Moments before the vote, Johnson had told ABC News he took "no pleasure in making history like this" and hoped Green would "acknowledge his mistake."

From Bluesky, Green's response -

Not sure if Green's response will appease Johnson.

One thing I'm sure of - while Arizona has five Cs, Johnson has just four.

Arizona Cs, from the website of the Arizona State Library -

Arizona's Five C's are: Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus and Climate.

Johnson's Cs, from me -

He was installed as Speaker of the House, not as Cheeto's Chief Collaborator in Congress.

Even though he behaves like one, not a leader of a co-equal branch of government.

Andy Biggs: The man who would be governor believes that part of the job description is *hates* a LOT of things".

I fully realize this post may actually help him in the R primary, but so?  The fact that certain Rs will vote for him says a LOT about them and their characters.

Not just hating on migrants and health care choice for women (all Rs hate those things),but he's pretty eclectic in his hate.  He hates many things.

Since the first of the year, he has proposed 82! bills and resolutions.

He's well-rounded by R standards; in addition to abortion and people with skin darker than a Sun City golfer's tan, he hates -

Poor people

Criminals being held accountable for their acts (and I'm not even talking about Cheeto and his bad acts, though he's sponsored a lot of legislation intended to protect Cheeto)

The humanities

Covid mitigation measures (there are many examples of this; I picked only one)

Workplace safety

FISA

Healthcare in general

Democracy

Pakistan (not sure where that one came from)

Give him time though - now that he's running for governor, I'm sure he'll get his on some more.

Cheeto won AZ, right? So why is he trying to hurt AZ with his tariffs?

Geez, when I started researching this post, I was only thinking the number of people with Mexican ancestry in Arizona (2.3 millions Hispanic people in AZ, with 84% of them having some Mexican ancestry or the number of snowbird who migrate here from Canada,

From The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) -

.

.

.

From KNXV (Phoenix Channel 15), written by Garrett Archer, emphasis theirs -

Data: What products does Arizona trade with Mexico and Canada

From January to November of 2024 Arizona companies made over $24 billion of trade with Mexico and Canada.

Mexico is by far, the state’s largest trading partner with census data showing $10.6 billion worth of imports passing through customs to Arizona as well as $8.2 billion in exports. Canada, the state’s second largest trading partner does $5 billion in trade with Arizona, which is split evenly between imports and exports.

Well, it's official: violent treason is acceptable to Cheeto

From NBCNews -

Trump pardons roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack

President Donald Trump on Monday issued roughly 1,500 pardons and commuted the sentences of 14 of his supporters in connection with the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when thousands of them stormed the building amid his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against him.

Trump commuted the sentences of individuals associated with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who were convicted of seditious conspiracy. He then issued "a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021," a category that included people who assaulted law enforcement officers.

I know who Cheeto will pardon first

Rape? Florida? 

Definitely in Cheeto's wheelhouse.

If it even gets that far - Pam Bondi, Cheeto's pet AG nominee may simply tank the case before it ever gets to that.

From AP -

NY federal judge denies bail for two real estate brokers and their brother in sex trafficking case

Two luxury real estate brokers and their brother accused of raping dozens of women over two decades will remain in jail to await their trial on sex trafficking charges, a federal judge in New York City ruled Wednesday.

Judge Valerie E. Caproni heard bail arguments before agreeing with two federal magistrate judges in Florida who previously ruled that the three brothers should remain locked up as a danger to the community.

The men, who all reside in Miami, were not in Manhattan federal court because they remain jailed in Florida. They have pleaded not guilty. Caproni also found that they were a risk to flee.

[snip]

In an indictment unsealed last month and a detention letter, New York prosecutors alleged that Oren Alexander, 37, and Tal Alexander, 38, using their wealth and influence they gained by brokering deals on high-end properties in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles, teamed up with sibling Alon Alexander, 37, to rape and sexually abuse women from at least 2002 to 2021. Several of the victims, a prosecutor said Wednesday, were minors.

Short Attention Span Musing - Wahhh!!! Edition

I could have named this one the "Snowflake Edition", but individual snowflakes are unique, and there's a certain similarity here.

....Maybe, just maybe, it's not a good thing to lie about others...and dressing up as a mythical character will not change that.

From MSNBC -

Giuliani, who has said he’s broke, dresses as Santa to hawk coffee

Rudy Giuliani, who has said that he cannot afford to pay his bills in protracted court proceedings over his assets handover to two former Georgia election workers, has turned to his self-branded coffee line to make some money during the Christmas season.

This week on X, the former New York City mayor has shared multiple Christmas-themed ads touting Rudy Coffee, some of which feature him dressed in a Santa Claus costume and handing it out.

From CBS News -

Rudy Giuliani files for bankruptcy following $146 million defamation suit judgment

Former New York City mayor and Donald Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani filed for bankruptcy Thursday, according to a court filing. 

Giuliani filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy less than a week after a jury ordered him to pay $146 million in damages to Fulton County election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, who sued him for defamation. He estimates his liabilities are between about $100 million and $500 million. The damage award was originally set at $148 million, but the federal judge presiding over the case later reduced it to $145,969,000.

"This maneuver is unsurprising, and it will not succeed in discharging Mr. Giuliani's debt to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss," Michael Gottleib, a lawyer for the two women, said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, ordered Giuliani to compensate the pair of election workers immediately, expressing concern that he may have been dishonest about his finances and that he might not comply with the judgment.

...Don't say something negative about the Fuhrer-elect - he might sue you.

From AP -

Trump sues Des Moines Register, pollster for ‘election interference’ after pre-election poll

President-elect Donald Trump sued the Des Moines Register and its pollster for “brazen election interference” in publishing a survey the weekend before the election that showed Democrat Kamala Harris with a surprising lead of three percentage points in the state.

The Register’s parent Gannett Co. on Tuesday dismissed the lawsuit as meritless and said it would vigorously defend its First Amendment rights.

...The tendency of having easily-ruffled tender sensibilities displayed by certain public figures isn't limited to national ones - there are Arizona politicos with similarly tender sensibilities.

From the Fountain Hills Times Independent, written by Howard Fischer, dated 12/19 -

Fountain Hills legislator holding up funds for UofA over Palestinian painting

The head of the Senate Appropriations Committee is holding up the ability of the University of Arizona to borrow millions of dollars over a painting on display supporting Palestinians that he contends is offensive.

But it may end up being a big fuss over nothing: the University of Arizona Museum of Art where the picture is located will be shutting down anyway at the end of the week.

Maybe Cheeto and his acolytes should eschew a limousine when traveling to his inauguration and just travel by Wahhmbulance.

Maybe they can turn up the radio loud enough so that they aren't bothered by any dissent.

The Gaetz report: A little light Christmas reading for ya

My gift to you :) .

This CBS News article has the full report.

From the summary -

It's not really a surprise that Cheeto wanted this guy to be the nation's Attorney General.

If direct analogy questions are ever re-added to the SAT, I've got a new one for them!

SAT = "Scholastic Aptitude Text"; it was, and remains, something of a rite of passage for most high school students.

Analogy questions have since been removed from the SAT, but if they're ever returned to the test, the events of the past week have inspired a new one (and in a bonus, there's even a pop culture reference [admittedly, the reference is nearly 50 years old :) ]) -

Donald Trump is to Elon Musk as Grand Moff Tarkin is to__________.

A. Luke Skywalker

B. Princess Leia

C. Darth Vader

One hint (probably not going to be on a test) - the correct answer isn't A or B

Note:

Tarkin was a wholly evil character in the original Star Wars movie who was under the impression that he was in charge.  At least, he thought that until Vader disabused him of that notion.

This isn't a perfect analogy - in the movies, Vader had a spark of humanity...a deeply buried one, but one that was there; Musk hasn't shown any such thing.

He *has* shown a propensity for interceding.

From Business Insider -

Jeff Bezos and Trump had dinner at Mar-a-Lago, and were joined by Elon Musk

Jeff Bezos seems to be trying to patch up his feud with Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

The former Amazon CEO was pictured at Mar-a-Lago with fiancé Lauren Sánchez on Wednesday night in images circulating on social media, as he joined the president-elect for dinner.

[snip]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk was also in attendance, confirming that the meeting had taken place in a post on X, describing it as a "great conversation."

Of course, dinner isn't the only place where Musk has thrown his weight around. He used his influence to defeat a short-term federal spending bill.  The unelected Musk's interference in political matters hasn't been unnoticed.

From Rolling Stone -

Dems Troll Trump by Calling Elon the Real President

Elon Musk has not been elected to any public office, but after tanking Republicans’ most recent attempt at a stopgap funding bill to avoid a shutdown, some right-wing lawmakers are entertaining the idea of installing him as speaker of the House. Democrats, by contrast, are pointing out that if the party — which claims to loathe the unelected bureaucracy — is going to let themselves be controlled by the social media posts of the world’s richest man, they may as well hand him the keys to the White House.

“The US Congress this week came to an agreement to fund our government,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote on Wednesday. “Elon Musk, who became $200 BILLION richer since Trump was elected, objected. Are Republicans beholden to the American people? Or President Musk? This is oligarchy at work.” 

With Cheeto's, I expect him to kick Musk to the curb, or to otherwise bring him to heel...unless Emperor Palatine Vlad brings Cheeto to heel first.

Tom Horne: Arizona's version of Cheeto

I saw Tom Horne, Arizona's Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), on today's episode of Sunday Square Off and Channel 12.attempting to rationalize his attempt to ignore fraud in AZ's ESA (school voucher) program.  He terms it "bulk approval" of reimbursement claims.

What struck me is how much he resembles Cheeto:

1) He never takes responsibility for his own failures.

2) He steals credit for any successes by his office (I'm guessing that he doesn't inspire much loyalty among staff).

3) He blame shifts to Democrats.

4) He really doesn't like women.  He blamed his troubles on AZ AG Kris Mayes and his predecessor as SPI, Kathy Hoffman.  It helps him that both Mayes and Hoffman are Democrats.

5) He habitually cheats on his wife with a future wife.  Though to the best of my knowledge, he hasn't yet boinked a porn star.

If he wants to be more like Cheeto, maybe he should cheat at golf, too.

Is there a post office with a blank wall? Cheeto has a list of names of people who should be on it.

Some have even already been convicted and served some prison time.

From USA Today, via Yahoo! -

Just four months out of prison, Peter Navarro to join Trump White House as trade advisor

Peter Navarro will head back to the White House as a top advisor on trade and manufacturing, President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday on Truth Social.

Navarro is an economist who served in Trump's first administration, running a newly created National Trade Council and then the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy.

A loyal supporter to the president-elect, Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison after a federal jury convicted him of refusing to comply with a subpoena from the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He spoke at the Republican National Convention in August just after being released.

CBS News has a list of Trump nominees/future convicts.

Axios has a list of previous supporters/allies of Cheeto who've done prison time.

Frying pan, meet fire

Leave to Cheeto to go from bad to worse.

From Axios -

Trump considers DeSantis to replace Hegseth as Defense Secretary pick

President-elect Trump is considering replacing Pete Hegseth — his current nominee to lead the Defense Department — with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, multiple outlets reported.

Why it matters: Hegseth's path to confirmation appears in jeopardy. Some Senate Republicans have expressed reservations about the Fox News host after a sexual assault allegation against him resurfaced last month.

• If four Republicans withhold their support, Hegseth's nomination would founder — a prospect that could preempt his withdrawal.

Driving the news: Trump and DeSantis have personally discussed the possibility of DeSantis replacing Hegseth as the Defense Secretary nominee, The Bulwark's Marc Caputo, who is joining Axios in 2025, reported.

It's probably not going to happen, though.  DeSantis seems to fail to meet Cheeto's idea of the primary qualification for *any* position in his administration/coteries of followers. 

From later in the same story -

• Trump has repeatedly attacked DeSantis for being insufficiently loyal. He also gave him the disparaging nickname "Ron DeSanctimonious."

Of course, it *could* happen.  It's not as if I'm on Cheeto's "loyal" list.

Constantly referring to him as "Cheeto" may have contributed to that. :)

This may be the best argument in favor of keeping time changes and Daylight Saving Time

The dumbest man in D.C. hates them.

From The Hill -

Tuberville calls on Musk, Ramaswamy to make daylight saving time permanent

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) encouraged the new “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) to create a year-round standard time in a Wednesday post on the social platform X.

His goal is to have the department, led by X owner Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, replace daylight saving time.

[snip]

President-elect Trump has previously been in favor of making daylight saving time permanent, and his nominee for secretary of State, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), sponsored a bill in support of the change last year.