INTERNATIONAL RESPECT FOR CHICKENS DAY UPDATES

What? You Mean The Price of Eggs Didn’t Make You Respect Them??!?!

-When last I Substacked, I noted how part of the Second First 100 Days of Suck from Team Trump were marked by the decision to allow Stephen Miller out of his crypt to address the world and more or less threaten children with forcing them to be compliant American Patriots in the name of … (checks notes) … ending Communism, aka Democrats. While there are reports that one of the most repellent Trumpers in the White House (and imagine what you have to be to make THAT statement true) may very well be the primary power amid an increasingly erratic Trump (and more on that later), some other moves on Friday indicate that, amazingly, Miller may be assuming an ever larger and more public role for the Second Second 100 Days of Suck.

-First, stories began to emerge on Friday that Miller’s name is being seriously circulated as the new leader to become Trump’s new permanent National Security Advisor. The role opened up when Mike Waltz was first “fired” but then nominated to be United Nations Ambassador in the wake of the (still ongoing) Signal social media scandal, with the role currently being filled by Marco Rubio (who becomes the first SoS to also be NSA since, gulp, Henry Kissinger – who, happily, is still deader than dead). Whether Rubio continues to hold the position remains to be seen, but a Miller appointment would continue to signal the expulsions of brown people to be perhaps the primary directive of foreign policy, such as it us, under Trump 2.0.

-Even more looming, however, was a new court filing that took place Friday evening. It is not as well-known, but during the Biden Presidency Miller created America First Legal, which calls itself “the long-awaited answer to the ACLU” but is essentially a legal goon squad aiming to sue away any and all forms of liberalism and replace it with something that would make Project 2025 look, well, liberal. America First Legal still exists, though, and on Friday they filed a lawsuit claiming two administrative arms of the Judiciary (that were created by Congress) are unconstitutional because they should actually be branches of the executive branch – and went so far as to name Chief Justice John Roberts as a Defendant in the filing.

-As the invaluable Marc Elias, among others, note, what Miller and American First Legal are trying to do with that case is nothing less than to upend Marbury v. Madison, the first and most important Supreme Court ruling of them all that established three co-equal branches of government that needs to exist to maintain checks and balances, which Miller goes to sleep dreaming of killing (at least when he’s also not dreaming about pulling wings off butterflies), and it needs to be noted that this is also a direct response to the judiciary doing an actual good job of stopping and flipping Trump proclamations and Project 2025 nonsense.

-Don’t believe me? Also on Friday, a Federal court made Stephen Miller and the rest of Team Trump AN-GRI-ERRR by flat-out nullifying the Trump Proclamation against the Perkins Coie law firm, calling the entire order and everything in it blatant violations of the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments and declaring its goals dead. It is all but certain that Trump and his pet Attorney General Pam Bondi will appeal – but with Amy Coney Barrett becoming increasingly anti-Trump and siding with the three other liberals (forming a women’s bloc at SCOTUS?) and the Chief Justice just named in a lawsuit essentially asking SCOTUS to commit suicide, let’s see how well those appeals really go …

-Sadly, we are at the final day of The Worst First 100 Days of a Presidency Ever (yes, even outpacing the first 100 days of William Henry Harrison, most of which were with Harrison dead of an illness after one of the longest inaugural speeches in American history), so that means we have to have Trump slurspit through another Legacy Media, Inc. interview, which was aired today with Kristin Welker Todd and MEET THE PRESS.

-There, while again claiming he was “not a lawyer” and couldn’t say whether anyone Team Trump says was an illegal immigrant was an illegal immigrant who therefore did not deserve at least a hearing (they do, it’s what America has always done and why Miller and their ilk hate it), telling his minions that the only reason people are fussing over tariffs are because girls are getting “30 dolls” for Christmas when they should make due with three or four (first, talk to farmers to see how much his own voters are “fussing” over tariffs; second, anyone wanna go over/under on how many dolls Ivanka has?), absurdly claiming that because we are not doing business with China amid the trade war with them we are not buying anything from China and thus saving money (… my brain hurts …), and again threatened Canada to become the 51^st state despite being the primary reason Conservatives got trounced in their elections last week (sure Grandpa, have another pudding cup and wait for THE PRICE IS RIGHT), Donny Dementia popped up again with a question whose response is known by every American at least once during their schooling …

-The question to Trump: “Don’t you need to uphold the Constitution?” Trump’s response: “I don’t know.” BZZZZZZZZT – WRONG! From THE ACTUAL OATH OF OFFICE that the President takes – including, sadly, Trump himself … QUOTE: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Yours truly added the emphasis. Whether Trump does not know it, knows it but doesn’t care, or is still thinking about those “beautiful girls” and their dolls (YES that was his quote – EEEUUUU), there are moments when we need to capture pure and righteous anger at this man. That is one of those moments, at least for me.

-But don’t worry, there are other moments that are just so slap-your-hand-on-your-head insane in a this-man-clearly-IS-insane way (and so are his followers) that it is a moral imperative to mock him and them for it. This week’s head-slapper spun off an odd question asked by one of the (likely right-wing) reporters as Trump was getting of the Presidential helicopter. For some reason Trump was asked if he wanted to become … Pope. As in Catholic Church Pope.

-And, because he must always be the star of everything in his mind and because most (white) Catholics voted for him, Trump answergrunted, “I’d like to be Pope. That would be my Number One choice.” That remark was actually amplified by Trump’s favorite (golf) ball washer, Lindsay Graham, which we’ll call the Petty Atrocity for today.

-But, instead of issuing their standard “Trump Was Joking – Enjoy The Veal!” response, the White House instead went to their artificial intelligence image generators to create – and post, on the White House Social Media site, an image of Trump as the Pope in (of course) white and gold garb, giant crucifix, and pointing his finger upward. With Catholics still in mourning over the death of Pope Francis and the conclave to choose the next Pope set to begin this week, Cardinals from New York to Italy the Philippines condemned Trump for the posting (Italian paper La Repubblica called it “infantile”). Team Trump and MAGA, of course, defended it.

-The Trump social media feed has been particularly grotesque in its use of AI images to create images of Trump that somehow go beyond mere propaganda (which it certainly is) into utter fetishness. Amid Studio Ghibli-styled memes that have worked to make the immigration arrests make ICE agents look heroic amid images of women in tears as they are arrested, Trump-as-Rambo (right down to hyper-detailed muscled arms and torso) are a big favorite – so much so THIS JUST IN: another official White House post has Trump depicted as Han Solo holding a light saber – albeit also wearing an Indiana Jones vest, because they are Dumb Fetishists as well.

-Sorry to have to do that. May the Fourth be with you indeed!

-And since it’s gonna be and is May (do I have all my pop culture May references referenced?), the first big day in May was May 1, and on International May Day there were more street protests against all things Trump, and again attendance was strong nationally and internationally. Organizers labelled them a success and are reportedly aiming at May 17 for the next national wave, building towards the 11 million of active non-violent protestors that has been named as a ‘tipping point’ for regime change.

-And, word is calls for Trump to resign may soon begin to be a central demand of the movement. Another date to look out for: June 14, a Saturday that is Flag Day and Trump’s birthday where a military parade a la North Korea and Russia is now being planned in Washington, DC , and could be a date for the largest anti-Trump rallies to date (and press Legacy Media, Inc. on what to cover).

-One thing Trump appears to be becoming, however, is a weird savior for left- and center-left parties internationally. We already know that Trump was directly responsible for turning the Canadian elections from a sure Conservative romp to a stunning Liberal victory – now another area of the world follows suit! Bravo to Australia, where Anthony Albanese’s Labour Party is projected to win a clear Parliament majority (81 out of 150 seats) in which Trumpism and the threat/promise of a DOGE-esque commission and affiliation to Trump dooming the country’s Conservative Party.

-Want something more positive? Just as in Canada, the leading Conservative who openly affiliated himself to Trump not only saw his party lose ground, but lost his own Parliamentary seat as well. As Pierre Poilievre lost his party and his seat in Canada thanks to his Trump up-sucking, so too did Australia’s Peter Dutton – although in the case of Poilievre, there is talk of “moving” him to a very unpopulous district in deep blue Alberta in order to have him still in power, which is also very American in that the push to make the results you want despite what the voters say is very much an international Conservative thing – which may be why the world is now throwing their middle fingers at Conservatives.

-Thanks, Trump. You did that and are doing that – and we’re coming for you next in the U.S.!

-We wrap the news with what may have been the largest free concert in world history taking place last night with almost no hitches. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Lady Gaga threw a free concert on Copacabana Beach – and reportedly drew nearly 2.5 million people to the event, which included at least 32 video screens going down the strip – and while the event itself went off without a hitch, multiple news reports are claiming Brazilian police arrested two people for what they claim was a plot to set off a bomb at some point during the show.

-Gird your loins as the Papal Conclave kicks off, announcements on 2026 campaigns roll out (yes we are going to have a 2026 midterm, folks), Round Two of the NBA and NHL playoffs jump (LET’S GO CAVS! #LetEmKnow #Cavalanche), and someday spring weather will sustain itself for more than 24 hours here in Chicago – possibly by going from 55 to 80 in a day, but welcome to Chicago weather. ON TO THE HISTORY!

-NEWS ON THIS DATE: In 1814, Napoleon landed on Elba for the first of two exiles. In 1865, Abraham Lincoln was laid to rest. In 1886, police and protestors demanding the right to organize into unions violently clashed at Haymarket Square in Chicago, with up to 15 officers and protestors killed. In 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea helped American troops stem the momentum of Japan five months after their attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister of Great Britain. In 1990, the series finale of NEWHART, Bob Newhart’s second iconic sitcom, itself became one of the best finales in television history thanks to a brilliant callback to the first BOB NEWHART SHOW (and NO it is NOT too soon!).

-DEBUTS ON THIS DATE: Baseball (1869), the phonograph (1878), THE NAKED AND THE DEAD (1948), The Grammy Awards (1959), THE 400 BLOWS (1959), Freedom Riders (1961), THE MUMMY (1999), ONoffON (2004).

-HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Horace Mann, Elmer Layden, Howard Da Silva, Jane Jacobs, Maynard Ferguson, Audrey Hepburn, Roberta Peters, Dick Dale, Mr. Fuji, Ron Carter, Paul Gleason, Nick Ashford, Sybil Danning, Jackie Jackson, Mick Mars, Doug Jones, Pia Zadora, Robert Orrall, Sharon Jones, Keith Haring, Randy Travis, Ana Gasteyer, Dawn Staley, Gregg Alexander, Will Arnett, Mike Dirnt, Laci Peterson, Lance Bass, Cesc Fabregas, and Rory McIlroy.

-REST IN PEACE/POWER: Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer, William Schroeder, Moe Howard, Diana Dors, Paul Butterfield, Alvy Moore, Dom DeLuise, Ernie Harwell, Sada Thompson, Adam “MCA” Yauch, and Don Shula.

-FEED THE WORMS: Hosni Mubarak and George Will entered Earth on this date. Josip Broz Tito bought it on this date.

-NEWS IN CULTURE: The Number One Song in America on this date … in 2025, “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA … in 2015, “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth … in 2005, “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani … in 1995, “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan … in 1985, “We Are The World” by USA For Africa … and in 1975, “He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)” by Tony Orlando and Dawn.

-TODAY’S MUSIC INTERLUDE: On this date in 1970, four were killed and 9 injured when Ohio National Guard troopers shot into a Vietnam War protest at Kent State University. Upon hearing the news, Neil Young wrote this song and played it to David Crosby, who called Graham Nash and Stephen Stills to record it that night and release it ten days later.