Everything feels out of whack in the United States.
asserted
Everything → feel → States
First of all, the president’s behavior is becoming more and more erratic.
asserted
behavior → become → all
Earlier this week, he walked past the open door of his armored car, known as “The Beast” and wandered toward an open field before Secret Service agents redirected him.
asserted
agents → walk → him
And he is losing any filter he used to have.
asserted
he → lose → filter
At campaign rallies, he has taken to commenting on how he finds Ohio Republican senator Jon Husted physically attractive.
asserted
Husted → take → rallies
“I looked at his a‑‑, and then I looked at his legs, and my—I said, ‘His a‑‑ is like, it’s like a pile of muscle.’
asserted
it → look → muscle
Then I looked at his legs, and I said, ‘Man, his feet are big.’
asserted
feet → look → legs
Then I looked at his shoulders, and I tapped him on the shoulder, and it actually hurt my hand.
asserted
it → look → hand
I said, ‘This guy’s a monster.’”
Today he snarled at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins: “You don’t know what you’re talking about.
asserted
you → say → what
You’re a dummy.
asserted
You → ’re → ?
You’re a low-IQ person, you’re a dummy, and you work for CNN.”
asserted
you → ’re → CNN
In the news, Trump’s abandonment of the traditional allies of the United States to embrace Vladimir Putin and Russia remains front and center.
asserted
abandonment → embrace → Putin
Today, videos circulated of Trump’s special envoy to Russia, Steve Witkoff, praising Putin as a “humanitarian” even as the Russian military continues to bombard Ukrainian civilians, this week killing a baby in a stroller at a public park.
asserted
military → circulate → park
Today, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton told Kara Swisher: “I continue to believe that Putin has things on Trump.
asserted
Putin → tell → Trump
I continue to believe that he is holding photos, videos, whatever it might be.”
uncertain
it → continue → videos
Clinton reiterated that Trump “is a willing Putin puppet to help Putin.
asserted
Trump → reiterate → Putin
Putin’s not going to stop with Ukraine….
asserted
Putin → go → Ukraine
I guess Trump has this idea that he wants to divide the world,” Clinton said.
asserted
Clinton → guess → world
“He gets the Western Hemisphere, Putin gets Russia and Europe, and Xi Jinping gets the rest of the world.
asserted
Jinping → get → world
Meanwhile, Trump claims he had nothing to do with the slowing of Starlink over Ukraine, telling a reporter: “I wasn’t involved.”
uncertain
I → claim → reporter
When asked if Elon Musk ordered it, Trump responded: “I don’t know who did it, but I was not involved.”
asserted
I → ask → it
Congress members, including Republicans, have vowed to hold whoever was responsible for the cuts accountable.
asserted
was → include → cuts
Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) said on Monday that those limiting Starshield “will be fully investigated and will be held fully accountable.”
asserted
those → say → Starshield
He said Congress would investigate and mete out “immediate harsh and punitive budget cuts to any responsible agency or agency head.”
asserted
Congress → say → agency
Musk is not taking that threat calmly.
asserted
Musk → take → threat
In response to a report by Calen Razor in Politico that Democrats intend to investigate Musk’s role in cutting Ukraine’s access to Starlink communications networks, leaving Ukraine vulnerable to Russian attacks, Musk posted on social media: “Live by the sword, die by the sword.
asserted
Musk → intend → sword
Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets …”
asserted
who → pick → them
His was a shocking threat against members of Congress, but the move of Europeans and Canadians to develop their own satellite communications systems given the dangers of relying on Starlink seems to be worrying Musk.
asserted
move → develop → Musk
If Congress also moves the United States away from his contracts, he could be in real trouble.
uncertain
he → move → trouble
As Douglas P. McCormick noted in Fortune last June, Musk’s trillion-dollar fortune is not real.
asserted
fortune → note → Fortune
Almost all of his net worth is unrealized equity in companies he runs.
asserted
he → run → companies
His wealth is simply the market’s estimate of the worth of his promises to deliver in the future, and those promises depend on government contracts.
asserted
promises → deliver → contracts
Americans are beginning to see the costs of Trumpism more generally.
asserted
Americans → begin → Trumpism
As Paul Krugman noted in his newsletter this morning, twelve million Americans have lost healthcare coverage under Trump, and those who still have it have seen the cost of their premiums rise sharply.
asserted
cost → note → premiums
The situation will get worse in the future, since when they wrote their One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Republicans put the worst of their cuts off until after the midterms.
asserted
Republicans → get → midterms
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fell by more than 5 million people, or nearly 13%, between July 2025, when the Republicans enacted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and June 2026.
asserted
Republicans → report → Act
Nearly half of those no longer receiving benefits are children.
asserted
half → receive → benefits
Starting this month, more of the costs of SNAP will fall to states.
asserted
more → start → states
The amount of their payment will be based on their error rates, causing them to err on the side of denying benefits and cut costs, leading even more to lose benefits in the future.
asserted
them → base → future
Some states may have to withdraw from SNAP altogether.
uncertain
states → have → SNAP
…and 43 more, not listed.
The Aporia
