#senile

Trump's stupidity and narcissism shift into overdrive

August 14, 2025

Robert B. Hubbell

Trump's stupidity and narcissism shifted into overdrive on Wednesday. Does observing that fact matter to our efforts to defend and reclaim democracy? Yes. We have long ago learned that there is no “Rubicon” that will mark the definitive turning point against Trump. But we also learned in 2018 and 2020 that Trump alienates Independents and enough of his supporters to make a difference in election outcomes.

He alienates swing voters by taking positions and actions that are just too stupid for words. And yet, we have the burden of putting that stupidity into words so that we can remind swing voters (again) that Trump and his enablers are unfit to run the federal government.

In this newsletter, I will focus on three stories that highlight the heights (depths?) of Trump's idiocy and incompetence. Tell a friend.

Trump claims that invalidating his tariffs will lead to a 1929-style “great depression.”

You can’t make this up.

Trump has collected more than $100 billion in illegal tariffs in 2025 from American businesses (not foreign countries)

Trump’s tariffs were declared illegal by the US Court of International Trade in a ruling in May that is now on appeal before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.

Trump is now arguing that if the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals declares the tariffs to be illegal, such a ruling “could lead to a 1929-style result . . . people would be forced from their homes, millions of jobs would be eliminated, hard-working Americans would lose their savings, and even Social Security and Medicare could be threatened.”

Wait, what?

Trump collects illegal taxes from American businesses and then argues that refunding those taxes to those same businesses would lead to another Great Depression.

Why would returning illegal taxes result in a Great Depression? Answer: It won’t.

More importantly, how stupid does Trump believe the judges on the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals are?

Even more importantly, if the government attorneys making that ludicrous argument actually believe it to be true, how did they pass the bar exam, or even dress themselves this morning?

The short answer to all of the above is that lawyers in the Department of Justice have stooped to “cutting and pasting” Trump's incoherent ramblings from Truth Social into a letter brief to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. See MSNBC, Trump’s DOJ warns of another Great Depression in court filing to save tariffs.

Per MSNBC,

On Monday, the Justice Department basically copied and pasted a hysterical plea from Donald Trump’s Truth Social account, in which the president claimed the country would experience another Great Depression if the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit confirms and enforces a May decision from a Court of International Trade panel that found many of Trump’s tariffs on foreign countries were illegal. Judges at the appeals court have already expressed skepticism about the Trump administration’s arguments.

The letter brief was signed by one of Trump's former criminal defense attorneys, John Sauer, who is now the Solicitor General of the United States.

Sauer wrote,

These deals for trillions of dollars have been reached, and other countries have committed to pay massive sums of money. If the United States were forced to unwind these historic agreements, the President believes that a forced dissolution of the agreements could lead to a 1929-style result. In such a scenario, people would be forced from their homes, millions of jobs would be eliminated, hard-working Americans would lose their savings, and even Social Security and Medicare could be threatened.

It is difficult to express how stupid this argument is. If the tariffs are invalidated, the illegally collected funds would be pumped back into the economy by refunding the money to American businesses. It is Republican orthodoxy that allowing companies to keep their money rather than giving it to the government is the road to prosperity and growth for the American economy. Trump (through John Sauer) now says that allowing companies to avoid US tariffs will cause another Great Depression.

John Sauer is a smart guy. Duke University. Harvard Law. Rhodes Scholar. He knows that the letter he submitted to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals is garbage. If he has an ounce of self-respect left in his rapidly evaporating reservoir of dignity and pride, he is probably silently sobbing into his pillow tonight, wondering how he ever allowed himself to throw away such a promising career.

Ft. Inui siblings

Angst + Trauma bonds. (This is late. Idc you can't rush perfection). (Pretend it was posted on Apr 1, his bday). (ALSO LESSGO I GOT HIS LIMIT BREAK LESGGO PUZZ REVE).

Heyy guys this was late but it's Kokonoi's brithday. Why not give him what he wants. A good ending?

Timeskip Kokonoi x Akane. Hajime looked at her deep green eyes, that were shimmering. Despite the fire, her own spark never burned down. That's what made her even more beautiful. Hajime gently slid her shirt off her and took in her delicate form. "To be loved is to be seen," Elizabeth Gilbert had expressed that in her books. Right now, Hajime wasn't just looking at Akane he's seeing her past, her character, her mischievous smile as she slightly tilts her head. She was studying his reaction, everything while he analyzed her body. She was so pretty, so precious…

"Hajime-kun?" 'Is this really okay?' He respected her, they've been together for a while, but this is a big step. A line that was about to be crossed. "Hajime? Hajime." He snapped back. He hadn't realized how long he'd been staring at her. "I didn't know you were such a pervert." That damned mischievous smile widened. That's right, he was staring her breasts for a good 10 seconds. "Listen if you don't want to do this-." He felt a bit of guilt, it felt a little wrong to see your "elder" or someone you admire like this. "I want to. I don't want to wait anymore." Good thing she doesn't care about being straightforward. She was reassuring him that they're on the same playing field. No more waiting. Just them. "Just tell me if you don't like anything." Hajime was on his best behavior from here on. He put his hand on her face, his fingers brushed against the burn on her face. The mark on her face covered her left eye and temple. (A/N: lets be real even if she got out of that fire, there'd be scars. But then again I can see her getting skin or plastic surgery on her body for the scars and reconstruction depending on the damage). ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Kokonoi undid his pants and slid them off. He wasn't in a rush, nor was he taking his time on purpose. Her firm hand didn't even ask, as soon as the fabric fell to his knees on the bed she began to explore him immediately. He didn't want to just please himself though. It had to be for her too. He needed to see that look on her face.

Her blush deepened immensely when Kokonoi found his hands in her pants, stimulating her too before sliding them down to her knees. Kokonoi practically had tunnel vision while staring at her face. He was so focused on her expressions, how the slightest change in made her look better than the last. Like when she leans on her arm more on one side, or she moves her hair back, or when she's looking down at his body before meeting his eyes again. Each expression was cinematic. "A- nngh…~ Koko-kun…~ Koko-kun. Koko-!" He didn't even notice her voice becoming more serious. "Akane… Akane… fuc-." Akane's firm grip stopped him immediately. "Koko-kun." She said it more serious and deeper. Why was she calling him Koko? Did he mess up? "I'm not Akane. I'm Seishu." Kokonoi felt even more confused. She was right in front of him though? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bonus Ending: Seishu put his pants back on, fixed his belt. He felt something in his pocket, it was some colorful rock to him. He threw down a diamond looking gemstone rock near his face- more specifically Moissanite. The rock was roughly smaller than the size of his palm. Our "pillow princess" Koko looked annoyed but still not awake.

Seishu never understood it, never bought into spiritual crystals or rocks like Koko did. To him, all rocks are arguably for "healing" or for "success" whatever bs people made up. He never met anyone that got successful off of rocks. But Koko liked this type of shit, and Inupi had this gemstone in his room somewhere for a while. Thankfully, Moissanite is a common stone - or rather easy to get your hands on in Japan. (i wanna say he stole it from the lost & found).

"Akane… Akane.." Inui's eyes widened, his face turned a little pale when he heard his bestfriend murmur her name in his sleep. "Koko-kun." He felt sick. Inupi just left his place to distract himself. He knew Koko never moved on. (reference to how similar the siblings look. cred to the artist).

Moissanite. Has all the qualities of a diamond, even looks like one. It's known as the "love stone" next to a diamond which is Aprils true "love stone" and birthstone. You can gaze upon the stone, thinking it's a diamond but in the end, it never will be. Moissanite looks more alive, it's known to be more "fiery" by having a more colorful sparkle. Which is fitting since they are also more durable in flames. Unlike a diamond which has a has a white, colder, dead, less colorful shine and sparkle to it while being weaker to flames. April Fools. Lmk if I fooled you. I know Koko def was. Maybe I'll be nicer on Halloween for trick or treat if you follow me. 🔪