This past week the Trump administration has put on a bravura display of impunity and seeming incompetence, but perhaps we can glean some insight into how they function.<\/p>\n
As I posted last week, competence, corruption and control limit the powers of Team Trump<\/a>, but their audacity and ambition mean they must be watched closely.<\/p>\n There is always an immense WTF factor when monitoring POTUS Trump and maybe the apparent impunity and incompetence is concealing other things.<\/p>\n Impunity<\/strong><\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t get much more flagrant than this, per MSNBC<\/a> (of course it\u2019s MSNBC):<\/p>\n https:\/\/t.co\/0K6Hg9diWk<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/5zNXLjRsgg<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nat Wilson Turner (@natwilsonturner) September 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In an undercover operation last year, the FBI recorded Tom Homan, now the White House border czar, accepting $50,000 in cash after indicating he could help the agents \u2014 who were posing as business executives \u2014 win government contracts in a second Trump administration, according to multiple people familiar with the probe and internal documents reviewed by MSNBC.<\/p>\n The FBI and the Justice Department planned to wait to see whether Homan would deliver on his alleged promise once he became the nation\u2019s top immigration official. But the case indefinitely stalled soon after Donald Trump became president again in January, according to six sources familiar with the matter. In recent weeks, Trump appointees officially closed the investigation, after FBI Director Kash Patel requested a status update on the case, two of the people said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear what reasons FBI and Justice Department officials gave for shutting down the investigation. But a Trump Justice Department appointee called the case a \u201cdeep state\u201d probe in early 2025 and no further investigative steps were taken, the sources say.<\/p>\n \u2026 White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson slammed the probe as a \u201cblatantly political investigation, which found no evidence of illegal activity, is yet another example of how the Biden Department of Justice was using it\u2019s resources to target President Trump\u2019s allies rather than investigate real criminals and the millions of illegal aliens who flooded our country.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTom Homan has not been involved with any contract award decisions. He is a career law enforcement officer and lifelong public servant who is doing a phenomenal job on behalf of President Trump and the country,\u201d she added on behalf of Homan, a senior White House employee.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Megyn Kelly, formerly of Fox News, formerly of NBC, spoke up in defense of Homan and dismissed the caper:<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/8lIuXOG43o<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nat Wilson Turner (@natwilsonturner) September 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Time magazine outlined<\/a> the Trump administration\u2019s plan to expand its attack on media companies<\/a> to include NGO\u2019s:<\/p>\n In the wake of Charlie Kirk\u2019s assassination earlier this month, President Donald Trump and members of his administration have openly discussed punishing left-leaning organizations they believe fuel political violence. Experts say one tactic that\u2019s been mentioned could be especially harmful to some of the targeted groups: going after their tax-exempt status.<\/p>\n The charge was made most explicitly last Monday, when Vice President J.D. Vance singled out the Ford Foundation and the George Soros-funded Open Society Foundations while hosting Charlie Kirk\u2019s podcast<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cWe are going to go after the NGO network that foments and facilities and engages in violence,\u201d Vance said, referring to non-governmental organizations.<\/p>\n Asked about the Administration\u2019s plans, a White House official told TIME in a statement: \u201cThe White House is exploring a wide variety of options to put pen to paper to address left-wing political violence and the network of organizations that fuel and fund it. Specifics on what that looks like continue to be discussed.\u201d Trump himself had other prosecutions on his mind. In a Truth social post that he might have intended to send as a direct message<\/a> to Attorney General Pam Bondi, he called for scalps of his enemies:<\/p>\n https:\/\/t.co\/upHJLkII7e<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/nSISdVeTCa<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nat Wilson Turner (@natwilsonturner) September 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n NBC News<\/a> had more:<\/p>\n Alongside the extraordinary demand to prosecute his adversaries, the president also named his former defense attorney, now a senior White House aide, to replace the head of a key prosecutor\u2019s office<\/a> he forced out a day earlier.<\/p>\n \u2026 Comey led the investigation into Trump\u2019s possible ties to Russian leadership, which concluded that Trump\u2019s campaign did not collude with Russian operatives.<\/p>\n Schiff, as a member of the House, led the first impeachment of Trump during his first term.<\/p>\n James brought a successful civil suit against Trump in 2022 that accused him of overvaluing assets, including real estate, in loan applications. The suit\u2019s financial penalty against Trump was later voided.<\/p>\n In a follow-up post<\/a> an hour later, Trump praised Bondi.<\/p>\n \u201cPam Bondi is doing a GREAT job as Attorney General of the United States,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n In a statement to NBC News, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said: \u201cPresident Trump appreciates all Attorney General Bondi is doing to Make America Safe Again. The President wants justice and accountability for the many corrupt criminals and politicians who weaponized our justice system against him and his millions of patriotic supporters.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Perhaps I should have included the last example under the next topic header, but I promised bravura incompetence and I don\u2019t want to disappoint.<\/p>\n Incompetence<\/strong><\/p>\n Trump\u2019s White House dropped the following \u201cfact sheet\u201d<\/a> on Friday:<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/wqJqCrNb8T<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nat Wilson Turner (@natwilsonturner) September 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Points from the fact sheet: <\/p>\n White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt immediately clarified in a tweet<\/a> that drew the dreaded \u201cCommunity Note\u201d from X (nothing says impunity and incompetence like getting slapped by Musk\u2019s community):<\/p>\n To be clear:<\/p>\n 1.) This is NOT an annual fee. It\u2019s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.<\/p>\n 2.) Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will NOT be charged $100,000 to re-enter. <\/p>\n H-1B visa holders can leave and re-enter the\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014 Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) September 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Here\u2019s the complete text of her tweet for those not wishing to click over to X.com to see the impunity and incompetence up close:<\/p>\n To be clear:<\/p>\n 1.) This is NOT an annual fee. It\u2019s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.<\/p>\n 2.) Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will NOT be charged $100,000 to re-enter. <\/p>\n H-1B visa holders can leave and re-enter the country to the same extent as they normally would; whatever ability they have to do that is not impacted by yesterday\u2019s proclamation.<\/p>\n 3.) This applies only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders. <\/p>\n It will first apply in the next upcoming lottery cycle.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Video from the announcement backed the community note, showing Sec of Commerce Howard Lutnick saying the $100,000 H-1B visa fee is annual, five times in a row seemed to back up the MSM\u2019s accusations of impunity and incompetence:<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/2xmbEQfCeh<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nat Wilson Turner (@natwilsonturner) September 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Trump\u2019s enemies at The New York Times<\/a> and NBC News<\/a> were quick to pounce on the perceived impunity and incompetence:<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/s6M8qHMEWX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nat Wilson Turner (@natwilsonturner) September 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n pic.twitter.com\/p1hBXu8mOK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nat Wilson Turner (@natwilsonturner) September 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n From the NYT<\/a>, noted haters of Trump\u2019s impunity and incompetence:<\/p>\n Wall Street banks and tech companies big and small were scrambling on Saturday to figure out how their tens of thousands of employees would be affected by President Trump\u2019s proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee for visas granted to skilled foreign workers.<\/p>\n The change set off immediate confusion over the exact rules and how they would be enforced. Shortly after Mr. Trump signed the proclamation on Friday, employees at Microsoft, Amazon and JPMorgan received notices advising those with H-1B visas who were outside the United States to return before the new rules take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday.<\/p>\n The Trump administration sought to address the confusion on Saturday by saying that the fee would only apply to new applicants, and renewals or current visa holders would not be affected. In a post on social media, the White House said the change would \u201cnot impact the ability of any current visa holder to travel to\/from the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The Financial Times<\/a> had more on the muddied waters of Trump\u2019s visa policy:<\/p>\n Prominent members of Trump\u2019s political coalition have previously expressed support for the H-1B programme, including his largest donor Elon Musk. But others such as former White House strategist Steve Bannon have called for the scheme to be abolished so that American workers are protected.<\/p>\n Garry Tan, chief executive of start-up incubator Y Combinator, said in a post on X that the decision by Trump was a mistake that \u201ckneecaps start-ups\u201d and represented a \u201cmassive gift to every overseas tech hub\u201d including Vancouver and Toronto in Canada.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the middle of an AI arms race, we\u2019re telling builders to build elsewhere. We need American Little Tech to win \u2014 not $100K toll booths,\u201d Tan added.<\/p>\n Lawyers acting for major US companies told the FT that their clients were awaiting further clarification from the Department of State, which issues visas and had yet to make any statement on Sunday. Companies were also considering bringing a legal challenge to contest the proposed fees.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Reuters illustrated <\/a>which countries Trump\u2019s move impacts the most:<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/r6CO3u76f1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nat Wilson Turner (@natwilsonturner) September 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In that same Reuters piece<\/a>, reporters Haripriya Suresh and Sai Ishwarbharath B elaborated on the impact on India and American multi-nationals:<\/p>\n India\u2019s $283 billion information technology sector will have to overhaul its decades-old strategy of rotating skilled talent into U.S. projects following U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s move, opens new tab to impose a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas from Sunday, according to tech veterans, analysts, lawyers and economists.<\/p>\n The sector, which earns about 57% of its total revenue from the U.S. market, has long gained from U.S. work visa programs and the outsourcing of software and business services \u2014 a contentious issue for many Americans who have lost jobs to cheaper workers in India.<\/p>\n \u2026<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s move to reshape the H-1B program will force IT firms with clients such as Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab, JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), opens new tab, Walmart (WMT.N), opens new tab, Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab, Meta (META.O), opens new tab and Alphabet\u2019s (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google to pause onshore rotations, accelerate offshore delivery, and ramp up hiring of U.S. citizens and green card holders, experts said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Insight?<\/strong><\/p>\n Perhaps it was only the roll out which was incompetent. <\/p>\n Perhaps the H1-B visa policy change roll out was deliberately chaotic to make things harder on Indian nationals working in the U.S. and India in general.<\/p>\n Perhaps part of Trump\u2019s perceived impunity and incompetence comes from his administration not caring what the MSM makes of their actions. <\/p>\n After all, Trump has repeatedly clashed with Modi, a feud that reportedly began when Modi refused to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize<\/a> for, Trump claims, ending the brief shooting war between India and Pakistan earlier this year. India refused to let Trump mediate between them and Pakistan.<\/p>\n This was followed by Trump suddenly imposing brutal tariffs<\/a> and pressuring the EU<\/a> to cut off their imports of \u201cIndian oil\u201d (ie sanctioned Russian oil resold by India).<\/p>\n Trump has also cancelled a planned visit to India<\/a> later this year.<\/p>\n So there may be a method behind the impunity and incompetence.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s State Dept. is also impacting India with new sanctions<\/a> against Iran that will impact India\u2019s Chabahar Port project, previously exempted from U.S. sanctions.<\/p>\n M. K. Bhadrakumar at Indian Punchline has more<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u2026what is at stake here as Trump 2.0 retracted from the Trump 1.0 decision of November 2018 to give a sanctions waiver for Indian operations at Iran\u2019s strategic Chabahar Port is a fundamental shift. Although Washington flags it as a \u201cmaximum pressure\u201d strategy towards Iran, the point is, Trump 2.0 has taken another overtly unfriendly stance of \u201csecondary sanctions\u201d towards India\u2026 <\/p>\n With the removal of the 2018 sanctions waiver on India\u2019s Chabahar project, the Trump administration aims to complicate India-Iran relationship and to eventually stymie the prospects of a land route to India\u2019s extended neighbourhood for Russian \/ Iranian energy supplies. It, therefore, becomes a vital part of Trump\u2019s strategy to pressure India to buy more of US energy.<\/p>\n \u2026the US sanctions on Chabahar will paralyse India\u2019s capacity to be an effective presence in Central Asia in partnership with Russia and Iran. It is an unfriendly move inconsistent with Trump\u2019s bombastic claims of friendship with Prime Minister Modi at a personal level, etc. and, curiously, it comes at a time when the US-Indian trade talks are reportedly reaching the home stretch. The US is making a determined bid to return to Afghanistan and is working closely with MI6 to re-establish its intelligence presence. Notably, Trump\u2019s dramatic disclosure that the US is demanding control over the Soviet era military base in Bagram followed his talks in London with the UK prime minister Keir Stammer.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Keir Stammer, he he. Good one, M.K.<\/p>\n\n
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In a statement provided to MSNBC, FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said, \u201cThis matter originated under the previous administration and was subjected to a full review by FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors. They found no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing. The Department\u2019s resources must remain focused on real threats to the American people, not baseless investigations. As a result, the investigation has been closed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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\u2026
\u201cThe typical IRS investigations are based on how the money is being used and whether the money is being used to further exempt purposes or if overall the organization is not actually operated for its exempt purposes or providing private benefits or is self dealing, or something like that,\u201d says Roger Colinvaux, professor of law at The Catholic University of America. IRS investigations, he adds, are not usually \u201ctargeted toward an organization\u2019s viewpoint and really viewpoint shouldn\u2019t come into it at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
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He said people were complaining that \u201cnothing is being done\u201d and name-checked some public officials with whom he has tussled: former FBI Director James Comey, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and New York Attorney General Letitia James.<\/p>\n\n
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\u2026
Taking into account the recent Saudi-Pakistani defence pact, which has been noted approvingly by the US Central Command, the sanctions on India-Iran partnership can only be seen as a calculated step in a containment strategy aimed at blocking India\u2019s access to the vast Eurasian hinterland that could provide it with strategic depth, and isolate it instead in the South Asian subcontinent.<\/p>\n
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