The Opposition Takes Shape: ‘BradCast’ 2/4/2025

Agency insiders, elected Dems, civil suits, public actions coalesce to take on the radical rightwing extremism of Trump, Musk and the DOGE Bros...

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Today on The BradCast: The last 4 or 5 days since Elon’s DOGE Bros have, with the apparent permission of Trump, started taking command and control of computer systems and databases at federal agencies — including the U.S. Treasury’s system which pay out nearly $6 trillion per year — have been, to say the least, chaotic, disturbing and insane. [Audio link to full show follows this summary.]

As we discussed yesterday, Trump, his co-Prez and their flunkies are unlawfully taking over and disassembling the U.S. Constitutional order and its Administrative State. In response, however, their lawless overreach also seems to be having the effect of coalesce the Opposition in a number of ways…

  • Career federal agency insiders and whistleblowers are either pushing back against assaults on their agencies or otherwise informing the public of what is happening inside them;
  • Civil lawsuits are being filed by both affected individuals at the agencies and by outside groups attempting to enforce the rule of law, informing the public of what is going on inside those agencies in the bargain.
  • Public pressure is being brought to bear on elected officials through phone calls, attendance at protest rallies, etc.
  • Democratic elected officials seem to be having a fire lit under them by all of this, and are finally beginning to lead rallies and take other actions in their overdue Opposition roles.

That is not an exhaustive list. For example, the free press, where we still have one, also play a key role in all of the above. In helping to let you know what is actually happening, public perception and opinion can change. From a wildly disinformed electorate last November to, perhaps, a more accurately informed populace as we all move forward and take action on those things, with at least some of the urgency that this historic moment demands

An Opposition is emerging. How effective and sustained it will be remains to be seen. But, I believe the outlines are finally beginning to coalesce. At least, I hope that is the case.

Today, we report some of the stories, connect some of the dots, and share some of the signs of that emerging Opposition, through a number of breaking news items over the past 24 hours or so…

  • Disgraced Gen. Michael Flynn‘s stunning threat against insiders at CIA, FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence who dare speak up against Trump’s wildly unqualified nominees for HHS (RFK Jr.), Director of Nat’l Intelligence (Tulsi Gabbard) and FBI Director (Kash Patel).
  • After the Acting FBI Director last week tried to courageously stand up to Trump’s personal defense lawyer turned Acting Deputy AG at the DoJ, the Bureau turned over answers to questionnaires from some 5,000 employees who were assigned to work on January 6 cases. The head of the FBI’s New York field office vows to defend his agents against the Administration’s unlawful purges. The FBI Agents Association advises its members: “Do NOT resign or offer to resign.” Lawyers for DoJ prosecutors and FBI agents threaten to sue against “violation of due process rights.”
  • Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) vows to place a “blanket hold” on all of Trump’s nominees to the State Dept. until the Administration pulls back its attack on — and DOGE Bro takeover of — USAID.
  • Trump prepares an Executive Order to shut down the Dept. of Education, even though he can’t actually do so without approval by Congress, which he will not receive. Musk’s DOGE Bros have reportedly now moved in there as well, and are said to be scheming to cut spending and staff while accessing sensitive computers systems with personal information on millions of students who have received financial aid.
  • Federal employee unions and advocates for retired Americans sue to block Musk’s DOGE Bro takeover of the U.S. Treasury Department‘s payment system. And who is it who has gained access to the incredibly sensitive computers that handle payments of some $6 trillion, annually, in Social Security checks, Medicare payments, veterans benefits, tax refunds, federal worker paychecks and almost everything else the U.S. pays for? Apparently, it’s a 25-year old employee of Musk’s named Marko Elez who has remarkably been allowed to obtain full access and Administrative privileges to the system, to cut off payments, and even rewrite the incredibly sensitive and (previously) highly-guarded code that handles some 95% of spending by the U.S. Department insiders are flabbergasted and speaking to the press about what is going on.

All of these stories, as terrible as they are, actually include positive indications of an overdue Opposition finally beginning to assemble.

And, before we go, Desi Doyen joins us for our latest Green News Report, on how Trump’s dumb tariff threats on imports from Canada imports are spiking energy prices; how the Administration is literally deleting “climate change” across the entire federal government; how Trump’s deranged California water stunt has dumped billions of gallons of water, much of it into the oceans and none of it to Southern California (where our reservoirs are already full!)…

The BradCast with Brad Friedman 2/4/2025
The Opposition Takes Shape: ‘BradCast’ 2/4/2025  |  Agency insiders, elected Dems, civil suits, public actions coalesce to take on the radical rightwing extremism of Trump, Musk and the DOGE Bros...   · · · · ·   The Opposition Takes Shape: ‘BradCast’ 2/4/2025  |  Agency insiders, elected Dems, civil suits, public actions coalesce to take on the radical rightwing extremism of Trump, Musk and the DOGE Bros...
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The Opposition Takes Shape: ‘BradCast’ 2/4/2025

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5 Responses

  1. 2)
    Bev said on 2/5/2025 @ 10:15am PT: [Permalink]

    In case you have answered the following in your podcast, apologies, I still need to hear it.

    Have Congress, the Social Security Administration and/or the big banks indicated any remedy for what Musk has done to steal our most sensitive information and payment systems?

    I can’t find such information yet, but I have yet to call the Social Security Administration or my bank. Waiting for what? For them to figure this one out? When to call? Now?

  2. 3)
    Bev said on 2/5/2025 @ 10:49am PT: [Permalink]

    We need to remedy legal voters being purged by the millions which permits losers to take power.

    Quoting:
    https://www.gregpalast.com/trum...ppression-won/

    In other words, Democracy can win, despite the 2.3% suppression headwind.

    And that’s our job as Americans: to end the purges, the vigilante challenges, the ballot rejections and the attitude that this is all somehow OK.

    Martin Luther King gave us our marching orders in 1965, in words just as important today.

    “Let us march on ballot boxes, march on ballot boxes until race-baiters disappear from the political arena. I want to say to the people of America and the nations of the world, that we are not about to turn around. We are on the move now.”

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