Let’s see if I get this right:

1. If Canada and/or Mexico refuses to boost their border activities, the United States will put tariffs on their exports to the United States.
2. If any country puts tariffs on their imports from the United States, the United States will put reciprocal tariffs on them.
3. If Jordan and/or Egypt refuses to take, on a temporary or permanent basis, as many as 2.5 million refugees from Gaza, the United States will not give them the financial assistance (totally almost $3 billion) that we give them every year.
4. If Hamas does not free ALL hostages this weekend, “all hell will break loose”.
5. If Denmark does not simply give to the United States (as if it could) Greenland, Denmark will no longer be an ally of the United States.
6. If Russia does not give Marc Fogel to the United States, the United States will not support Russia in its war in Ukraine. But if it does…..
7. If Ukraine doesn’t give to the United States at least $500 billion of rare minerals, the United States will stop giving Ukraine support for its war against Russia.

Donald Trump and Elon Musk have spent their lives being bullies. You can’t teach old dogs new tricks.

Trump’s foreign policy is a bully policy, to be sure. His America First policy has nothing to do with trying to make the world of the future better than the world of the present. It is simply a policy which seems to have no concern whatsoever about the future of the world outside of the United States of America. And seems to assume that if the United States gets everything that Trump wants it to get, the world of the United States will be better irrespective of what happens elsewhere. Here, he certainly is wrong.

And of course, this gives Trump the benefit of doubt. It assumes he is thinking that what he is doing is going to benefit the United States, rather than just satisfy his ego. And frankly, I doubt whether he deserves the benefit of doubt.

While writing this, I am watching the House Government Efficient and Waste Committee hearing, with three witnesses who are giving more than reasonable testimony how government efficiency. But it is really a shame that the Republicans will not ask Elon Musk to testify, since he is the prime mover in trying to make the government more efficient, right? And why doesn’t the hearing talk about the legality of what is being done by our co-presidents? And what about the illegal firing of so many Inspectors General? And what about stopping the various investigations into Musk’s various companies?

These are the things that this Committee should be looking at. But bullies do not look at themselves and, although Congress should be looking at this, they too (the GOP majority) are victims of the same bully. If they say anything that Trump dislikes, they will either lose their seats in 2026, or – if they can keep their seats – it will cost them much more money than they, or perhaps their supporters, have.

One last thing. In yesterday’s Presidents Musk and Trump press conference, there was an important guest, whose father is already thinking about the 2056 presidential race. It is four year old X æ A-Xii Musk. How old will he be before he goes down to court to request a name change?

Just wondering.