Thoughts for the Day, May 14, 2025: Even his supporters are questioning his decision

Even his staunch supporters are perplexed

Per multiple sources, some of President Donald Trump’s staunchest supporters are among the loudest critics of his plan to accept a jet from Qatar for use as Air Force One.

In a rare break from the cheerleading that typifies MAGA media outlets, some commentators are using their platforms to urge Trump to change his mind about the highly unusual gift. Others are encouraging Trump voters to consider how they’d react if a Democratic president hatched the same plan.

“I think if we switched the names to Hunter Biden and Joe Biden, we’d all be freaking out on the right,” Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro said Monday on his podcast. Shapiro also linked the potential Qatari deal with other reports of “influence peddling,” like Trump’s cryptocurrency sweepstakes. “The administration’s policy is too important for this sort of activity,” Shapiro said, emphasizing that he wants Trump to succeed. “President Trump promised to drain the swamp. This is not, in fact, draining the swamp.”

A surprising number of Trump boosters sound almost as outraged as the Democratic lawmakers who say accepting the plane would be profoundly unethical and possibly illegal. Long time Trump supporter Laura Loomer voiced her objections on Qatar’s relationship with the militant group Hamas.

Loomer criticized Trump’s potential jet deal on Sunday and Monday by writing a series of anti-Qatar posts on X. “This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true,” she wrote. “And I say that as someone who would take a bullet for Trump. I’m so disappointed.”

Fox News host Mark Levin shared her post and wrote, “Ditto.”

Please call your members of Congress today. The U.S. Capitol switchboard is 202-224-3121. Tell the operator where you’re from and the operator will connect you to your representatives and senators. I tested this out today. It is very simple. They will ask for the congress member you want to contact. They will then switch you to that office.

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Judge indicted

Per multiple articles from the NY times, Judge Hannah C. Dugan, a state judge in Wisconsin who has been accused of obstructing immigration agents, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday on charges of concealing a person from arrest and obstruction of proceedings.

Lawyers for Judge Hannah C. Dugan sought on Wednesday to dismiss the federal charges against her.

A court filing by her defense lawyers, asserted that the “government cannot prosecute Judge Dugan because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts.” “Since at least the early 17th century in England and carried on through common law in the United States, judges of record have been entitled to absolute immunity for official acts with a few exceptions not applicable here,” the filing said, adding that the efforts to prosecute the judge were “virtually unprecedented and entirely unconstitutional.”

Justice Department officials have defended their prosecution of Judge Dugan. They say the judge directed an undocumented immigrant who was appearing in her courtroom last month to an exit that was separate from a hallway where immigration officers were waiting to arrest him.

I will be watching this case as it progresses. The Trump administration’s attack on federal and state judges is straight out of the authoritarian playbook. Trump knows that he is immune from prosecution while president, so judges who stand in the way of his agenda are now fair game for his attacks.

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A baseball game for the ages

In all the baseball games I have seen in my 70 plus years last night’s game between the Red Sox and Tigers was as good as it gets. The game was like a boxing match as each team traded punches. The Tigers would take the lead, and the Red Sox would tie it (three times). The Red Sox would take the lead, and the Tigers would tie it (once) The Red Sox took the lead on a two-run home run and then the Tigers took the lead with a three-run home run. At the end of nine innings, it was tied 6-6.

In extra innings the Red Sox scored one in the top of the tenth to take the lead. The Tigers down to their last strike tied the game 7-7. In the top of the 11^th, the Red Sox took a two-run lead on a home run and the Tigers looked doomed.

As we are learning these Tigers, they will fight until the last out. With runners on first and third and no outs, Javy Baez came to bat. Javy had hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to put the Tigers ahead by two. The crowd was wondering whether he could do it again. The crowd didn’t have to wait long as Javy launched a first pitch blast over the left field fence for a walk-off three-run home run.

The crowd and the Tigers’ bench erupted as one. Javy was greeted by his entire team as crossed the plate. After a Gatorade and baby powder bath, Javy was serenaded by the crowd with chants of “Javy, Javy”.

See my Video of the Day

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Javy the baserunner

Javy hit two three-run home runs in last night’s game, which was the talk of the media last night and today as it should have been. For me the play of the game by Javy occurred in the second inning.

I believe Javy is one the best baserunners in MLB history. His instincts are second to none. In the second inning, Javy was on third and the Red Sox catcher had him picked off with a quick throw to third. But Javy being Javy drifted into the view of the third baseman Alex Bregman as Javy was scampering back to third base. Bregman could not see the ball, and the ball went past him into left field and Javy scored to put the Tigers ahead 2-1.

Without this run, the opportunity to hit a walk-off home run would not have occurred. This play leads to my Quotes of the Day:

“He is the most instinctual player on our team. What looked like a kind of a kick-start turned out to be pretty pivotal in a game like this.” Tiger manager, A.J. Hinch.

“Honestly, I didn’t do it on purpose. I moved closer to the line, but I was just trying to get back to the bag.” Javy Baez.

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Onion of the Day

Per the Detroit News, former Detroit Riverfront Conservancy Chief Financial Officer William Smith signaled plans Wednesday to appeal, according to a notice filed in court three weeks after the disgraced nonprofit executive was sentenced to 19 years in prison for orchestrating one of the largest, longest-running and most lucrative frauds in Detroit history.

Smith's lawyer, Gerald Evelyn, filed a notice that his client plans to appeal the judgment issued against him by U.S. District Judge Susan DeClercq, despite Smith waiving a right to appeal the conviction "on any grounds," according to terms of Smith's plea agreement with the federal government….

Smith was sentenced to 228 months by the judge, punishment that was longer than the 18 years sought by federal prosecutors. The sentence, however, fell one year short of the 20-year maximum sentence sought by conservancy officials.

"If the defendant's sentence does not exceed...235 months...the defendant also waives any right he may have to appeal his sentence on any grounds," the plea agreement reads.

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Quotes of the Day: See above “Javy the baserunner”

Orchid of the Day: Tarik Skubal’s pregame pitching routine of going to the stadium wall where his wife and young son are sitting and then handing his son his warmup ball. His son gives it back to him and then they touch lips and blow a kiss to each other.

Onion of the Day: Former Detroit River Front Conservancy CFO William Smith. See above

Lyrics of the Day: You say, although we broke up You still wanna be just friends But how can we still be friends When seein' you only breaks my heart again? And there ain't nothin' I can do about it

(Whoa-oh-oh) set me free, why don't cha, baby?
(Whoa-oh-oh) get outta my life, why don't cha, baby? (Ooh-ooh)
Set me free, why don't cha, baby? Get outta my life, why don't cha, baby?

Answer to Lyrics of the Day for May 12, 2025: Sunshine of Your Love by Cream

Question of the Day: Can the Tigers sustain their torrid start? Their 17-5 record at home in the first 22 games ties the 1984 team with the best home start ever.

Video of the Day: FULL INNING: Tigers walk it off in the 11th on Javy Báez’s 2nd home run of the game!

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