Demagogues

“Before our very eyes, an unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government.” —Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer

“The American people will not stand for an unelected secret group to run rampant through the executive branch. Being innovative is good, but Mr. Musk, this isn’t a tech startup. These are public institutions.” —Chuck Schumer forgetting that Donald Trump runs the executive branch and empowered Elon Musk

“We talked about Trump wanting to be a dictator on day one, and here we are. This is what dictatorship looks like.” —Congresswoman Ilhan Omar

Shot/Chasers

“If DOGE attacks USAID today, then you can be sure they’ll move on to another target tomorrow. Who knows, maybe it’ll be the Postal Service, or the IRS, or even the Social Security Administration. They could be next!” —Chuck Schumer

“To my friends who are upset, I would say, with respect, you know, call somebody who cares. They better get used to this. It’s USAID today; it’s going to be [the] Department of Education tomorrow.” —Senator John Kennedy

“After taking a historically awful L in November, the left has decided to rebound by making their galvanizing issue… checks notes… that the Trump admin wants to examine how government agencies spend taxpayer money and determine if it’s in the best interest of America.” —Greg Price

Braying Jenny

“[USAID] not only leads on humanitarian assistance around the world but also works to combat corruption and foreign aid programs. It’s a big part of what they do. I kind of see how that could make Elon Musk a bit uncomfortable.” —MSNBC’s Jen Psaki

Projection

“This dude is probably one of the most unintelligent billionaires I have ever met or seen or witnessed.” —Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez regarding Elon Musk

The BIG Lie

“The people that commit 80% of the most violent crimes in this country are white supremacists.” —Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett

Non Compos Mentis

“Trump claims there are only ‘2 genders.’ Historians say that’s never been true.” —CBC News headline

“I have a trans daughter. There are threats against her life. … There are people that want to annihilate her and people like her. The level of hatred — as if we haven’t learned from fascism. Like we haven’t learned what the result of that is: the extermination of human beings.” —actress Jamie Lee Curtis

“In God’s Kingdom, immigrants and refugees, transgender people, the poor and the marginalized are not at the edges, fearful and alone. They are at the center of the Gospel story.” —Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe

For the Record

“President Trump is working each day like it may be his last. He’s doing everything he can to restore America as a great nation and restore the American people as the custodians and governing citizens of our nation. He’s doing everything he can to rein in the federal bureaucrat army that has usurped our freedom. … It took Joe Biden six months to do what a normal president would do in only a month. Donald Trump does in a day what a normal president does in a month.” —Gary Bauer

“In the 21st century, America can’t afford to be ripped off by friends any more than it can afford to be unwary about Chinese power or Mexican disorder. Trump is using peaceful — if painful — methods to change the behavior of friend and foe alike.” —Daniel McCarthy

“When Elon and the team [at DOGE] started I was very supportive but thought the waste and fraud would top out at $250 billion. The real number will end up much higher.” —JD Vance

“If you didn’t flip out when Biden fired federal workers for not getting a vaccine we don’t really care what you think about Trump firing federal workers for not contributing anything.” —Jimmy Failla

“What do the numbers 15 and 1,283 have in common? They are the number of days that it took Trump and Biden, respectively, to receive PM Netanyahu at the White House.” —former U.S. ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman

“The ‘legacy media’ are in decline and the new media are surging. Part of this has to do with evaporating trust in what many regard as biased coverage by The New York Times — from which broadcast news frequently takes its marching orders — and other major newspapers and networks that reflect built-in biases.” —Cal Thomas

“The latest Nation’s Report Card test scores are dismal and heartbreaking. The crash that started with inexcusable COVID-19-era school closures has continued over a cliff in almost every state.” —Stephen Moore

And Last

“Pretty clear at this point that Democrats weren’t worried about a threat to democracy. They were worried about a threat to the bureaucracy that sustains and subsidizes them when out of power.” —Erick Erickson