The Week in Trumpland—May 18-24

What Trump Is Doing to Make America “Great”

May 24, 2025

This week, House Republicans passed Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” containing provisions that will prove so unpopular they had to do it in the middle of the night and only managed to pass it by one vote. The bill includes deep cuts to both Medicaid and SNAP to fund tax breaks for the top one percent of earners in this country. What the budget also does, however, is raise the deficit to the point where it triggers automatic cuts to Medicare (and no, that is NOT a typo).

Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill” Is a Nightmare for Medicare and Medicaid

After an all-night session, the House narrowly passed the budget bill demanded by Trump on Thursday morning.

The final vote was 215-214-1 with two Republicans, Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Warren Davidson (R-OH), joining all House Democrats in opposition. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) would only vote “present.”

The bill would have substantial negative consequences for the poorest Americans, including children, the elderly, the disabled, and military families who rely on the very programs the Republicans slashed.

According to the non-profit watchdog organization Centered America, the bill contains the following:

· Cuts approximately $700 billion from Medicaid over 10 years. Able-bodied adults without dependents must work, study, or volunteer 80 hours per month to remain eligible (although “able-bodied” is not defined) beginning in December 2026.

· Cuts approximately $267 billion over 10 years from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and expands work requirements to people up to 64 years of age. States must also pay 5 percent of benefit costs and 75 percent of administrative expenses beginning in 2028.

· Medicare will be cut under the PAYGO law. The Pay-As-You-Go rule ensures that any new legislation passed by Congress does not increase the deficit by triggering automatic spending cuts, known as sequestration. Because the permanent tax cuts included in the bill will add up to $2.3 trillion to the deficit, automatic cuts to Medicare would occur between 2026 and 2034. This means that $45 billion in cuts to Medicare will occur in 2026 alone.

· Replaces the student loan repayment options with only two plans, one standard and another that is more restrictive, and ends programs that provided relief for students defrauded by colleges.

· Cancels clean energy tax credits enacted by the Biden administration.

· Reduces royalty rates for oil and gas drilling.

· Allows the sale of thousands of acres of federal land in Nevada and Utah for the development and harvesting of resources.

· Temporarily removes taxes on tips, overtime pay, and some auto loans. It also temporarily raises the child tax credit to $2,500, boosts the standard tax deduction, and raises the standard deduction for seniors to $4,000. These would all expire in 2028, although tax cuts for the rich are permanent.

According to economist Robert Reich, Americans making between $17,000 and $51,000 will lose about $700 per year under this Republican budget. Americans with annual incomes under $17,000 will lose more than $1,000 per year. However, if your income is among the top 0.1% of earners in the U.S., you will gain nearly $390,000 a year.

One thing it does not do is end taxes on Social Security, which Trump vowed to do.

The bill now goes to the Senate, where more battles will undoubtedly ensue, especially regarding cuts to Medicaid and the automatic cuts to Medicare. Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

US Credit Rating Drops

On Monday, stocks opened lower as Moody’s downgraded the U.S. credit rating from Aaa to Aa1 last Friday.

According to USA Today, the credit rating drop was due to “likely difficulty financing the federal government’s growing budget deficit and the ramifications of rolling over existing U.S. debts in a period of high borrowing costs.”

Treasury yields did increase, with the 10-year Treasury yield rising to 4.519 percent and the 30-year yield increasing to 5 percent before falling to 4.997 percent.

The credit rating decrease can impact borrowing costs and potentially lead to market volatility. It may result in higher interest rates on mortgages, car loans, and credit cards.

Biden Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

On Sunday, former President Joe Biden revealed he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has already metastasized.

Biden’s office said in a statement, “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday evening that, “Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis.” He added that they “extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”

The compassion and eloquence of the statement, likely not written by Trump, lasted only a few hours. He later went on a late-night rant, demanding investigations into Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and other celebrities for the apparent crime of exercising their First Amendment right to speak out and back Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

After reposting his father’s statement of good will towards Biden, Donald Trump Jr. then jumped on the MAGA train of hate that went speeding forward with the news, later mocking former First Lady Jill Biden by posting, “What I want to know is how did Dr. Jill Biden miss stage five metastatic cancer or is this yet another coverup???”

Jill Biden holds a doctorate in education, not a medical degree.

He then reposted a message on X declaring it “highly likely” that Biden was diagnosed with cancer during his presidency.

The internet proceeded to blast Junior for his callousness and cruelty. One poster responded: “I lost both of my parents to Cancer. This is disgusting and an insult to every patient and family dealing with this insidious disease. Grow the f**k up.”

In the category of keeping it classy as usual, Vice President J.D. Vance echoed Don Jr.’s idiocy by saying to reporters on Air Force One: "Whether the right time to have this conversation is now or at some point in the future, we really do need to be honest about whether the former president was capable of doing the job."

Even Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who specializes in hate speech, said she was “sorry” to hear of the diagnosis and offered prayers for Biden and his family.

Walmart Announces Imminent Price Hikes

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said that despite lower Trump tariffs, the company will be forced to raise prices on certain items from China. Tariffs on Chinese items are now at 30 percent.

"We can control what we can control," McMillon said during Walmart’s first quarter earnings call Thursday, adding, "Even at the reduced levels, the higher tariffs will result in higher prices.”

Prices are set to go up later this month.

The announcement sparked a social media storm from Trump, who ranted on Truth Social, “Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain.”

Despite constantly claiming that the economy under Biden was terrible, Trump continued, “Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China, they should, as is said, ‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!”

The post clearly indicates that Trump understands how tariffs work, knows price hikes will be his fault, and is trying to blame Walmart for consumers' higher prices. It is odd that Walmart needs to “eat” the tariffs when the whole purpose of Trump’s trade war is to “stick it to China.”

Home Depot, clearly not wanting to be the subject of a Trump social media blitz, announced on Tuesday that it will not raise prices.

However, according to NPR, the company indicated that some items may no longer be available at Home Depot if extra import costs make them too expensive to carry.

On Monday, Subaru of America announced it had raised prices on several models by between $750 and $2,055 in response to “current market conditions,” according to Reuters.

Ford has also raised prices on some models produced in Mexico, including the Maverick, Bronco Sport, and Mustang Mach-E, by up to $2,000.

FDA Announces It Will Limit COVID Vaccines

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced it will limit access to COVID-19 shots to people over 65 or those with underlying health conditions.

The FDA is under the direction of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine conspiracy theorist who has spread multiple falsehoods regarding the safety of vaccinations, including the COVID shot.

These restrictions will remain unless vaccine makers are willing to pay for placebo-controlled trials. However, a long trial would be difficult with a continually mutating virus. Former acting Center for Disease Control (CDC) director Richard Besser told ABC news that “by the time you finish the trial, the strain that's out there in the community is probably long gone. So, they're basically saying, unless you're in those higher-risk groups, you can forget about getting the COVID vaccine.”

According to the CDC, 300 people died each week in April 2025 from COVID-19. Death rates at the beginning of 2025 were even higher, with almost 1,000 Americans dying each week in January.

SCOTUS Issues Key Decisions

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to remove Temporary Protective Status (TPS) from approximately 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants, leaving them vulnerable to deportation and revoking their work visas.

Before leaving office, Biden administration officials had extended the TPS protections for Venezuelan immigrants by 18 months, reasoning that the corrupt regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made it too risky for these immigrants to return home.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem vacated the decision only three days after being confirmed. Trump lawyers claimed that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, which issued the emergency request to stay TPS orders, undermined “the Executive Branch’s inherent powers as to immigration and foreign affairs” when it extended protections and work permits to October 2026.

The emergency order was unsigned, but Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only justice to dissent publicly.

On Thursday, SCOTUS blocked two Catholic dioceses' efforts in Oklahoma to establish a religious charter school funded by taxpayer money. The 4-4 ruling upheld an Oklahoma Supreme Court decision that the school violated both the Constitution and state law regarding the separation of church and state.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the case.

U.S. Government “Shopped” for Gift Plane from Qatar

After Trump bragged incessantly about Qatar “gifting” him a luxury jet, news broke on Monday that the Trump regime approached the Qataris regarding the floating place that Trump could use for Air Force One and, later, for his personal use after U.S. taxpayers overhauled it.

According to CNN, Boeing informed the Pentagon in January that it would not be able to replace the aging planes now used as Air Force One for two years. Not wanting to ride around on used planes when you can buy one with U.S. tax dollars, Trump directed Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to find a list of suitable replacements, according to a senior White House official.

Boeing had provided the White House with a list of customers with acceptable planes, and Qatar was one of them. The Pentagon then began discussions with the Qataris regarding leasing the plane when Trump announced the royal family would give it as a “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE.”

Retrofitting the plane to be used as Air Force One could take up to two years and will cost taxpayers an estimated $1 billion.

Both Qatar and the Trump regime reject the idea that this constitutes a “bribe.” However, it is unclear why the Qatari royal family would give the American President a $400 million jet it intended to sell without strings attached.

Trump Repeats Misinformation During Meeting with South African Delegation

During a contentious meeting between Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday, Trump yelled at a reporter when asked about the floating palace gift from Qatar. He called NBC reporter Peter Alexander a “jerk” and a “terrible reporter” for not questioning the “genocide” of white South Africans.

Trump has frequently repeated the unsubstantiated accusations and conspiracy theories that white South Africans known as “Afrikaners” are the victims of “genocide” by Black South Africans.

Black South Africans were victims of a brutal form of racism known as “apartheid,” which led to the slaughter of millions of black residents until it was outlawed in 1994. Trump has repeatedly insisted that Afrikaners are now the victims of discrimination. He has used this claim as an excuse to allow them into the U.S. with refugee status at the encouragement of Elon Musk, who is South African.

Ramaphosa and his delegation, which included several Afrikaners, pushed back against Trump’s rhetoric, insisting that the issue is not white genocide but crime in general across all demographics.

"There is criminality in our country," Ramaphosa said. "People who do get killed unfortunately through criminal activity, are not only White people. Majority of them are Black people."

Trump again became angry with a reporter when asked why he is allowing white people to emigrate while denying entry to other refugees. He again insisted that whites are being “persecuted.”

He displayed several images and videos claiming they show the persecution and slaughter of Afrikaners, specifically white farmers. However, The Guardian reported that at least one of the images Trump touted as “evidence” was from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Guardian reported that the picture Trump attempted to pass off as evidence was a screen grab of a video released by Reuters in February, and this has been verified by Reuters. It showed humanitarian workers lifting body bags in Goma, Congo following a battle with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.

The video Trump played, claiming to show the graves of white farmers, is not a graveyard at all, but a memorial site. That video also showed Julius Malema, a member of the Marxist-inspired Economic Freedom Fighters party known for his radical rhetoric, calling for supporters to “cut the throats of whites.”

Trump falsely claimed that Malema was a government official whose inflammatory speech reflected the government’s policy toward Afrikaners rather than a member of an opposition party. The misinformation angered the South African delegation, who pushed back hard against Trump’s lies. One delegation member, South African Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, told Trump he joined Ramaphosa’s multiparty coalition “precisely to keep these people out of power.”

Trump Throws Tariff Tantrum

On Thursday, Trump threatened Apple with a 25% tariff if iPhone production is not moved to the United States. He is upset that Apple moved production of the phones from China to its India factory when Trump insists they be produced in the U.S.

However, according to CNBC, analysts have determined that new iPhones produced in the United States would cost anywhere from $1,500 to $3,500 due to increased labor costs, construction costs of factories which would take years to build, and parts that would still likely need to be imported into the U.S. and subject to tariffs.

Trump is also reportedly angry at Apple CEO Tim Cook for not buying into his $TRUMP memecoin after he reduced tariffs for the company.

On Friday, Trump once again threatened the European Union with tariffs, calling for a 50% tariff by June 1 and claiming that the EU has been “very difficult to deal with.”

Interestingly, the tariff rant came following a Thursday report in The Economic Times that Greenland has awarded a Danish-French consortium a 30-year mining permit to extract minerals.

Trump has been salivating over the idea of acquiring Greenland for its location in the Arctic Circle and mineral properties. He even sent Vance to the autonomous nation, which is part of the kingdom of Denmark, on a less-than-well-received tour, which was scaled back to a simple U.S. base visit.

U.S. stock markets, of course, responded to Trump’s outburst by falling.

Germany Deploys Troops to Lithuania

On Friday, NBC News reported that Germany has deployed troops beyond its borders for the first time since WWII.

A permanent military brigade has been sent to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius. During a military ceremony in the city, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that “the security of our Baltic allies is also our security.”

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda announced that Russia and Belarus have been conducting joint military exercises along the Lithuanian border, which he perceives as a threat to his country and all Eastern Europe.

Following Trump’s policies of stepping away as a world leader in favor of U.S. nationalism and attempting to end the war in Ukraine by coddling Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have been wary of Russia’s behavior and have stepped up security efforts.

Despite attempts at peace talks, Russia has continued to launch missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian citizens. Last week, Putin reportedly threatened to seize the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Sumy if Ukraine did not agree to a surrender.

With the U.S. essentially abandoning a democratic ally to an authoritarian dictator, European countries have stepped up and pledged funds to keep Ukraine fighting against Russian aggression and tyranny.

According to an article in The Times, Trump’s interest in ending the war is not peace, but a Nobel Prize. He is reportedly losing interest in the war in Ukraine for that reason. Trump will now likely turn his attention toward India-Pakistan and the Middle East, since coveting a shiny prize is a far worthier goal than world peace.

Former National Security Advisor John Bolton told The Times that Putin has no incentive to placate Trump and bolster Trump’s claims that he could “end the war in 24 hours” once he was President. Trump gave Putin exactly what he wanted: a long, direct conversation, no ceasefire, and no additional sanctions from the U.S. Putin has no reason to back down, and Trump has no reason to pursue peace further.

“I think Trump has realized this isn’t going anywhere. He doesn’t want to impose additional sanctions on Russia, and so he’ll just walk away from it,” Bolton said.

Judge Blocks Trump’s Dismantling of Education Department

On Thursday, a federal judge blocked Trump’s executive order to end the Department of Education and reinstate fired employees.

According to the Associated Press, U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston issued the preliminary injunction to dismantle the department, which Trump signed in March. The ruling results from two consolidated lawsuits—one filed by two school districts and another by the American Federation of Teachers and other education groups—that said Trump’s order to close the Education Department was illegal.

On Friday, another federal judge blocked the Trump administration from denying Harvard the right to enroll foreign students. The AP reported that the injunction, also issued in a Boston court, upheld Harvard’s claim that the Trump regime violated the university’s First Amendment rights and will have “immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders.”

The Trump administration is expected to appeal both rulings.

Target Sales Decline After Bowing to Trump

Target announced on Wednesday that sales have continued to decline after the retailer bowed to the Trump regime’s anti-diversity policies. The company has missed Wall Street estimates for the last quarter.

According to The Daily Kos, the drop comes less than six months after the company “adopted a hostile approach to diversity, echoing President Donald Trump.”

CEO Brian Cornell told investors and reporters during a call that sales fell 3 percent in one year, and sales have declined both online and at retail locations. Customers who still patronize the retail giant visit less frequently and spend less per visit.

Cornell attributed the sales decline to “ongoing pressure in our discretionary business, plus five consecutive months of declining consumer confidence, tariff uncertainty, and the reaction to the updates we shared on belonging in January.”

The “updates on belonging” Cornell refers to came in a January 24th memo sent to employees. The memo stated that the company would no longer hold diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and would eliminate a program that highlighted products from minority-owned businesses.

Target also ceased all reports to the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, which monitors corporate policies, practices, and benefits for LGBTQ employees.

Cabinet Members and Nominees Receive More Congressional Grilling

The Congressional roast of Trump cabinet members and nominees continued this past week. A Senator also had a “come to Jesus” moment.

After tornadoes devastated Missouri last Friday, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) begged Homeland Security Secretary Noem for FEMA help, saying his state has lost 20 people in major storms in two months and is in “desperate need” of assistance.

Hawley was one of 10 Republican senators who voted against the American Rescue Plan last year, which provided $29 million in FEMA response and recovery funds for disasters. He usually is a sycophant of Trump, who has repeatedly promised to do away with the agency. FEMA has yet to make an appearance in Missouri.

Noem was appearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee regarding FEMA’s budget for 2026. Once again, the hearing did not go well for Noem, who has been traveling around for photo ops with imprisoned migrants in recent weeks, replete with costume changes.

When Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) asked Noem for a definition of habeas corpus, the Constitutional right of an individual to challenge their imprisonment in a court of law, Noem responded, "Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country."

Hassan corrected her, saying, "Habeas corpus is the foundational right that separates free societies like America from police states like North Korea."

When asked whether she supports "the core protection" of habeas corpus, which states that the government must present a public justification to detain or imprison someone, Noem responded, "Yes, I support habeas corpus. I also recognize that the President of the United States has the authority under the Constitution to decide if it should be suspended or not."

Republicans last week spread the story that President Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus during the Civil War, when Washington, DC, was surrounded by seceding states. What they failed to acknowledge, however, was that the Supreme Court ended Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus until Congress approved it in 1863.

Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution only permits the suspension of habeas corpus "when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it."

Brandon Garrett, a Duke University law professor, told NPR that Noem's comments are the latest in "a series of recent misstatements by federal officials regarding the basic constitutional protections of habeas corpus."

"The Suspension Clause is quite restrictive, permitting Congress to suspend habeas corpus only in exceptional circumstances. The President cannot suspend the writ," Garrett said.

Noem appeared frustrated and looked like she swiped away tears during the hearing. When Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) asked how FEMA would meet disaster needs in the U.S. when the Trump regime was cutting 20 percent of the agency’s employees, Noem refused to answer and instead repeated Trumpian talking point of how FEMA’s shortcomings were really the fault of the Biden administration. However, it is the Trump regime who are gutting it.

During an Appropriations Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies meeting, HHS Secretary Kennedy had an equally jolly time. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) asked Kennedy whose decision it was to withhold childcare and block grant funding. Kennedy immediately attempted the oldie but goodie excuse of blaming the Biden administration.

The Republican committee chair had to call Kennedy to order as he continued to rant at Murray, blaming her for “presiding over the destruction of the health of the American people.” He then admitted that his department cut funding, but he bore no responsibility himself.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) then questioned Kennedy regarding the dismissal of researchers from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes and the pausing of research grants for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and dementia. He read him a list of cuts and dismissals from various agencies, including the National Institutes of Health.

Kennedy replied, “I do not know about any cuts to ALS research.”

When Durbin responded, “I just read them to you,” Kennedy, the head of the agency responsible for the cuts, insisted he did not “know about them until you told…me about them at this moment.”

Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) asked Kennedy about cuts to a CDC program to prevent childhood lead poisoning. Kennedy insisted the program was still funded, citing a Milwaukee team working with the local health department.

However, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called out Kennedy, saying, “There are no staff on the ground deployed to Milwaukee to address the lead exposure of children in schools, and there are no staff left in that office at the CDC, because they have all been fired.”

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee hammered Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the administration’s defiance of a court order to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant with protected status, back from an El Salvador prison. Sen. Jackie Rosen (D-NV) said she was disappointed in his leadership and asked, “I wonder if you're proud of yourself in this moment when you go home to your family?" after he had abandoned all his principles in favor of fealty to Trump.

However, Senators were just getting warmed up before they grilled former Missouri representative William “Billy” Long, Trump’s nominee for commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.

A former auctioneer, realtor, and talk show host, Long’s tax experience stems from working with companies promoting the Employee Retention Credit Program, which was suspected of fraud and investigated by the agency he is appointed to lead.

He attended a three-day seminar to obtain a “certified tax and business advisor” credential and has no management experience with a large organization. However, Long is a Trump loyalist who had previously co-sponsored legislation to abolish the IRS.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) pointed out Long’s lack of experience as an individual tax professional or a manager and his involvement in fraudulent tax schemes. However, he added that Long would be helpful to Trump as an instrument to “use the IRS as a cudgel to beat his adversaries into submission.”

Long denied meeting with any tax promoter and promising them special treatment. However, Wyden noted that staff investigators had obtained tapes of a tax promoter indicating he had met with Long during Trump’s inauguration and was promised favorable treatment. The incident is under investigation.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) asked Long if it would be illegal for a president to use the IRS to punish taxpayers or revoke non-profit status out of spite, as Trump has threatened to do with institutions like Harvard University. When Long refused to agree, Warren said, “The fact that you want to sit there and dance around about this tells me that you shouldn't be within 1,000 miles of the directorship of the IRS.”

Not wanting to miss the crazy train Trump apparently pulled his cabinet from, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) accused her ex-fiancé and several other men of sexual abuse. She showed what she claimed were naked photos of herself and other women taken without consent during a House Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Subcommittee hearing.

Mace claims the accusations she made in Congress (she made similar claims during a House speech in February) are legally protected by the Constitution. However, the men she accused deny the allegations, and one is suing her for defamation of character.

Romania Rejects Nationalist Candidate

On Monday, the people of Romania rejected a far-right nationalist for a centrist, pro-European Union candidate.

George Simion, a Trump-like candidate and the far-right leader of the Alliance for Unity of Romanians, was defeated by Nicusor Dan, the incumbent mayor of Bucharest.

The outcome was somewhat surprising, as Simion was ahead by more than double digits during the first round of voting in the election on May 4. During the second round, however, voters rejected Simion’s criticism and mistrust of the EU, which Romania joined in 2007. Dan picked up almost 900,000 votes in the second round for the victory.

In true Trump fashion, Simion claimed France interfered with the election and cost him the victory.

This is the second election held in Romania. Last year’s presidential election was voided during first-round voting by a Romanian court due to Russian interference and electoral violations.

Wishing you a Safe Holiday

I wish everyone a safe Memorial Day holiday. Regardless of your feelings right now, I hope each of you will take a moment to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for what America SHOULD be: a place of diversity, equity, fairness, adherence to the laws and Constitution of this country, and a safe harbor of liberty and justice for ALL.