I see he's knocking down part of the White House, which seems symbolic.
Not an original part, apparently, but the East Wing which was put up during the Second World War.
It's going to be a ballroom.
We should not overlook the incident that happened near Camp Pendleton, a Marine base near San Diego, CA. It was ostensibly an exercise--a simulated beach landing-- to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Marines, although it just happened to be scheduled during the time the No Kings rally were being held. The Marines had proposed firing live artillery rounds over the I5 freeway, the busiest North/South freeway in the West. They claimed nothing would happen, everyone would be safe. Gov. Newsom disagreed. He ordered 17 miles of the freeway closed during the exercise. JD Vance and Pete Hegseth were in attendance. JD pooh poohed Newsoms decision. Guess what? Several of the live rounds exploded prematurely and sprayed shrapnel on a California Highway Patrol car. A CHIP motorcycle patrolman also said it sounded like metal rain falling along the freeway.
The exercise was terminated.
Good one, Pete.
Camp Pendleton has other areas which could have been used for live round exercises where the public would not have been endangered. Why weren't these used?
If this had happened during the Obama or Biden administration, Congress would be up in arms. Now? crickets.
A couple of notes on this. It was a CHP motorcycle, not a patrol car, that was damaged by shrapnel. The motorcycle was actually part of Vance's motorcade, so this could have been a lot worse. There's a blog analysis of what went wrong by someone with some expertise titled simply "This is just batshit insane". Be sure to click through to the Bluesky update at the end for an analysis of what seems to be the most likely failure point, given what we know now.
I'm also not sure we should ascribe decision making to vague collective entities like "the Marines" in this case. Some specific individuals decided this was a good idea (and others failed to say "wait a minute . . . ) and I think we should know who they are.
We should not overlook the incident that happened near Camp Pendleton, a Marine base near San Diego, CA. It was ostensibly an exercise--a simulated beach landing-- to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Marines, although it just happened to be scheduled during the time the No Kings rally were being held. The Marines had proposed firing live artillery rounds over the I5 freeway, the busiest North/South freeway in the West. They claimed nothing would happen, everyone would be safe. Gov. Newsom disagreed. He ordered 17 miles of the freeway closed during the exercise. JD Vance and Pete Hegseth were in attendance. JD pooh poohed Newsoms decision. Guess what? Several of the live rounds exploded prematurely and sprayed shrapnel on a California Highway Patrol car. A CHIP motorcycle patrolman also said it sounded like metal rain falling along the freeway.
The exercise was terminated.
Good one, Pete.
Camp Pendleton has other areas which could have been used for live round exercises where the public would not have been endangered. Why weren't these used?
If this had happened during the Obama or Biden administration, Congress would be up in arms. Now? crickets.
A couple of notes on this. It was a CHP motorcycle, not a patrol car, that was damaged by shrapnel. The motorcycle was actually part of Vance's motorcade, so this could have been a lot worse. There's a blog analysis of what went wrong by someone with some expertise titled simply "This is just batshit insane". Be sure to click through to the Bluesky update at the end for an analysis of what seems to be the most likely failure point, given what we know now.
I'm also not sure we should ascribe decision making to vague collective entities like "the Marines" in this case. Some specific individuals decided this was a good idea (and others failed to say "wait a minute . . . ) and I think we should know who they are.
I knew I should have listed my source. It was from CBS News. CBS reported it was a patrol car, specifically an SUV. The photo included in the report shrapnel. appears to be the top of the vehicle and it is not a motorcycle. The report also quotes a motorcycle patrolman said the shrapnel sounded like rain.
So, here we have a blog report written on Bluesky and another report written by a major news outlet. Essentially, both reports agree the artillery round either fell short or went off prematurely. Both reports agree the exercise was poorly planned.
I do wonder if anyone in the chain of command on the base objected to the plan or refused to follow the order to fire across the freeway.
At least Newsom and the people from CHP realized the danger and closed the interstate.
Going to the dictator tearing down the East Wing. Who authorized it? He claims it will not cost the taxpayers a thing, except it was destruction of public property, and then there will be the ongoing costs of upkeep for the new building.
Going to the dictator tearing down the East Wing. Who authorized it? He claims it will not cost the taxpayers a thing, except it was destruction of public property, and then there will be the ongoing costs of upkeep for the new building.
From NPR:
The White House has moved ahead with the massive construction project despite not yet having sign-off from the National Capital Planning Commission, which approves construction work and major renovations to government buildings in the Washington area.
Its chairman, Will Scharf, who is also the White House staff secretary and one of Trump's top aides, said at the commission's September meeting that agency does not have jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation work for buildings on federal property.
"What we deal with is essentially construction, vertical build," Scharf said last month.
It was unclear whether the White House had submitted the ballroom plans for the agency's review and approval. The White House did not respond to a request for comment and the commission's offices are closed because of the government shutdown.
So I guess the argument is that the NCPC is only responsible for approving construction, not demolition and Trump decided to move forward despite not currently having approval for the former.
The Republican president had said in July when the project was announced that the ballroom would not interfere with the mansion itself.
"It'll be near it but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of," he said of the White House.
Trump lied. What a shock! As for who's paying . . .
At a dinner he hosted last week for some of the wealthy business executives who are donating money toward the $250 million construction cost, Trump said the project had grown in size and now will accommodate 999 people. The capacity was 650 seated people at the July announcement.
The White House has said it will disclose information on who has contributed money to build the ballroom, but has yet to do so.
It's essentially an excuse for the wealthy and powerful to give money to Trump.
I remember back in July, he was spotted on the roof of the East Wing. Reporters asked him what he was doing then. Essentially, his reply was "Nothing." Typical--for him.
Since taking office he was added two giant flag poles both of which actually interfere with the landing approach of Marine one. He has added a lot of glitter to his office at least and put up numerous pictures.
All without prior authorization.
Having lived in parsonages owned by congregations, I know I could not change the house without prior authorization of the trustees. In essence, Trump is the temporary occupier of the People's House. He is like a renter. If a renter did this to the property s/he was leasing without the permission of the owner, would not this be grounds for eviction plus a lawsuit for damages?
I agree about the tenant of public housing, especially a protected structure, wrecking the place should be grounds for eviction. If he needs a gilded hall to flaunt his gilded balls, he can surely afford to hire one at his own expense like the rest of us.
Aside... I've noticed that comments on American politics often end with the word "crickets". What does that mean?
Aside... I've noticed that comments on American politics often end with the word "crickets". What does that mean?
Usually what's being indicated is there is an expectation that an official or an official body of some sort should be addressing an issue and they aren't. They're so silent that we can hear crickets.
Edit to add an example. The Los Angeles Dodgers have an enormous Latino fanbase, many of whom are being terrorized by federal agents kidnapping people off the streets. The Dodgers' response? Crickets.
Aside... I've noticed that comments on American politics often end with the word "crickets". What does that mean?
Usually what's being indicated is there is an expectation that an official or an official body of some sort should be addressing an issue and they aren't. They're so silent that we can hear crickets.
This, though it doesn’t necessarily need to be a response or statement from an official or official body. The first use I remember hearing of “crickets” decades ago was along the lines of “I’ve emailed him three times now to ask if he’s coming to the party, and all I get in response is crickets.”
Aside... I've noticed that comments on American politics often end with the word "crickets". What does that mean?
Usually what's being indicated is there is an expectation that an official or an official body of some sort should be addressing an issue and they aren't. They're so silent that we can hear crickets.
Edit to add an example. The Los Angeles Dodgers have an enormous Latino fanbase, many of whom are being terrorized by federal agents kidnapping people off the streets. The Dodgers' response? Crickets.
I think it comes from old Warner Brothers cartoons, maybe even specifically One Froggy Evening, where after the advertised "singing frog" is put on stage and fails to sing, all that can be heard is crickets.
Or at least, that's a very prominent use of the motif. Maybe the animators were just appropriating an existing expression?
Crickets are certainly singing in our area right now due to the fall weather. They want to get in on before they can't.
Here is an explanation of how the term crickets means silence, though it does say they are really very loud.
Regarding the demolition of the east wing of the whitehouse. Did it not have listed building status?
The White House and its grounds are a National Park, so I imagine there are some restrictions on what can be done to the physical structure. That being said, as the seat of the executive branch the president has a lot of leeway in making alterations. For example, remodeling or adding some kind of electronic countermeasure to the Situation Room can usually be done by fiat. Of course, altering the external, cosmetic appearance of the structure is a different matter.
Regarding the demolition of the east wing of the whitehouse. Did it not have listed building status?
In addition to what @Crœsos said, the US doesn’t have the same sort of of “listed building” schema as the UK. We do have the National Register of Historic Places, but it doesn’t really function in the same ways. And while the White House has been designated a National Landmark, it, the Capitol and the Supreme Court Building are statutorily excluded from inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
As I understand it, citizen Trump does have the right to file a claim against the DOJ since he was never convicted of alleged collusion with the Russians in his first election nor for alleged possession of classified documents at Mar A Lago.
I can see it now, some future historian will be writing about the (Alleged) Fleecing of America.
If you are on Facebook, go to the National Park Service page and scroll down to see what Trump did. No, he could not just go changing the White House, but he did.
After a photograph of the demolition was first published Monday by The Washington Post and drew wide attention, the Treasury Department on Monday evening instructed employees not to take and share photos of the White House construction without permission, according to a person who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail an internal email. The Treasury Department’s headquarters is next to the White House, with some of its offices providing a close view of the East Wing.
I'm sure if there are no photographs no one will notice that the east wing is gone.
Sorry I have been incognito for a while. I can see Trump trying to use a secret police force world wide. Look at the number of alleged and I do mean alleged drug boats he has ordered sunk.
Hey, remember this? So last Thursday (16 October) there were survivors (two men) for the first time from one of these strikes. The U.S. decided to return these two survivors to their countries of origin (Ecuador and Columbia). This seems very much at odds with Donald Trump's assertion that the U.S. is at war with "narcoterrorists". After all, those captured in war are usually held as prisoners, not released (unless it's some form of prisoner exchange, which isn't the case here). Turning them over to third party governments "for detention and prosecution" is an admission that this isn't really a military problem.
Surely, as with Putin, the badness of the lies is part of the point? It is part of the demonstration of power that others should perceive the lie but feel powerless to do anything about it.
They also sunk a boat in the eastern Pacific today. They claim it was a drug boat, but I saw no indication of any drugs on board. Also, regards the Columbian boat they sank the other day, the wife of one of the boaters killed said all they were doing was fishing.
This is clearly a violation of international law.
We need a regime change PDQ so Trump and company have to answer for their crimes.
I know, we still have at most about three years and some months before it can happen.
Right now, the White House looks like a dilapidated shack one can find on the backroads of any rural area in the United States.
Arial pictures now show the East Wing completely destroyed. Grrr
In other news. Here is more information on that live fire incident at Camp Pendleton. The entire California Congressional delegation has sent a letter of inquiry to Secretary of War Defense demanding an explanation. Do you think they will receive one? If I were a betting man, not likely.
There is also an article saying Trump has backed off surging federal ICE agents into San Francisco in the link above.
Wonder why he backed off. Could it be some of his high tech supporters have warned him they would withdraw their contributions to the big, beautiful ballroom?
Comments
Not an original part, apparently, but the East Wing which was put up during the Second World War.
It's going to be a ballroom.
A couple of notes on this. It was a CHP motorcycle, not a patrol car, that was damaged by shrapnel. The motorcycle was actually part of Vance's motorcade, so this could have been a lot worse. There's a blog analysis of what went wrong by someone with some expertise titled simply "This is just batshit insane". Be sure to click through to the Bluesky update at the end for an analysis of what seems to be the most likely failure point, given what we know now.
I'm also not sure we should ascribe decision making to vague collective entities like "the Marines" in this case. Some specific individuals decided this was a good idea (and others failed to say "wait a minute . . . ) and I think we should know who they are.
I knew I should have listed my source. It was from CBS News. CBS reported it was a patrol car, specifically an SUV. The photo included in the report shrapnel. appears to be the top of the vehicle and it is not a motorcycle. The report also quotes a motorcycle patrolman said the shrapnel sounded like rain.
So, here we have a blog report written on Bluesky and another report written by a major news outlet. Essentially, both reports agree the artillery round either fell short or went off prematurely. Both reports agree the exercise was poorly planned.
I do wonder if anyone in the chain of command on the base objected to the plan or refused to follow the order to fire across the freeway.
At least Newsom and the people from CHP realized the danger and closed the interstate.
Going to the dictator tearing down the East Wing. Who authorized it? He claims it will not cost the taxpayers a thing, except it was destruction of public property, and then there will be the ongoing costs of upkeep for the new building.
From NPR:
So I guess the argument is that the NCPC is only responsible for approving construction, not demolition and Trump decided to move forward despite not currently having approval for the former.
Trump lied. What a shock! As for who's paying . . .
It's essentially an excuse for the wealthy and powerful to give money to Trump.
Since taking office he was added two giant flag poles both of which actually interfere with the landing approach of Marine one. He has added a lot of glitter to his office at least and put up numerous pictures.
All without prior authorization.
Having lived in parsonages owned by congregations, I know I could not change the house without prior authorization of the trustees. In essence, Trump is the temporary occupier of the People's House. He is like a renter. If a renter did this to the property s/he was leasing without the permission of the owner, would not this be grounds for eviction plus a lawsuit for damages?
Aside... I've noticed that comments on American politics often end with the word "crickets". What does that mean?
Usually what's being indicated is there is an expectation that an official or an official body of some sort should be addressing an issue and they aren't. They're so silent that we can hear crickets.
Edit to add an example. The Los Angeles Dodgers have an enormous Latino fanbase, many of whom are being terrorized by federal agents kidnapping people off the streets. The Dodgers' response? Crickets.
I think it comes from old Warner Brothers cartoons, maybe even specifically One Froggy Evening, where after the advertised "singing frog" is put on stage and fails to sing, all that can be heard is crickets.
Or at least, that's a very prominent use of the motif. Maybe the animators were just appropriating an existing expression?
Here is an explanation of how the term crickets means silence, though it does say they are really very loud.
The White House and its grounds are a National Park, so I imagine there are some restrictions on what can be done to the physical structure. That being said, as the seat of the executive branch the president has a lot of leeway in making alterations. For example, remodeling or adding some kind of electronic countermeasure to the Situation Room can usually be done by fiat. Of course, altering the external, cosmetic appearance of the structure is a different matter.
As I understand it, citizen Trump does have the right to file a claim against the DOJ since he was never convicted of alleged collusion with the Russians in his first election nor for alleged possession of classified documents at Mar A Lago.
I can see it now, some future historian will be writing about the (Alleged) Fleecing of America.
I'm sure if there are no photographs no one will notice that the east wing is gone.
Hey, remember this? So last Thursday (16 October) there were survivors (two men) for the first time from one of these strikes. The U.S. decided to return these two survivors to their countries of origin (Ecuador and Columbia). This seems very much at odds with Donald Trump's assertion that the U.S. is at war with "narcoterrorists". After all, those captured in war are usually held as prisoners, not released (unless it's some form of prisoner exchange, which isn't the case here). Turning them over to third party governments "for detention and prosecution" is an admission that this isn't really a military problem.
Fast forward to today and Ecuador says it has no evidence that the man returned to them had committed any crime. The constant stream of lies from the Trump administration is bad enough. What's insulting is that they're such bad lies.
This is clearly a violation of international law.
We need a regime change PDQ so Trump and company have to answer for their crimes.
I know, we still have at most about three years and some months before it can happen.
(reworked Turkish proverb)
That's the only version of the proverb I've heard. What was the original?
Thanks.
Arial pictures now show the East Wing completely destroyed. Grrr
In other news. Here is more information on that live fire incident at Camp Pendleton. The entire California Congressional delegation has sent a letter of inquiry to Secretary of War Defense demanding an explanation. Do you think they will receive one? If I were a betting man, not likely.
There is also an article saying Trump has backed off surging federal ICE agents into San Francisco in the link above.
Wonder why he backed off. Could it be some of his high tech supporters have warned him they would withdraw their contributions to the big, beautiful ballroom?