The Needle: Secret Handshake Strikes Again With Foot Soldier Sculpture, MPD Interim Chief Says He Didn’t Know About Military Boost in D.C., House Speaker Blames Voters for GOP Loss, and More
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Gail O'Hara (via Washington CityPaper)
Old dodger: Artist collective the Secret Handshake has installed its latest work on the National Mall: “The Foot Soldier” depicts a tired-looking convicted felon and President Donald Trump in a seated position massaging his alleged bone spurs, along with text that commemorates his draft dodging—just in time for Veterans Day. Naturally coated in gold, the statue reads: “We honor the service and sacrifice of our Commander in Chief, Donald J. Trump. He’s a soldier in spirit, who marched to the front lines of dodging the draft, armed with a perfect diagnosis of bone spurs.” At the end it quotes Trump: “I can be very military.” Plus four points for art and humor. +4 [Post, City Cast DC]
Presence not required: MPD’s Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll says he was unaware of the Trump administration’s plans to boost its military presencein D.C., and that he learned about it from a news alert on his phone. In addition to the thousands of National Guard troops deployed in the city, the Pentagon plans to add boats, 60 marked police cars, and military vehicles, which silence buyer and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says will focus on gang and drug enforcement. The D.C. Council wants Democrats in Congress to conduct more oversight of the federal police presence in January. The timing is concerning: “There shouldn’t be war equipment on the streets of the District or any place in the United States of America,” says University of D.C. professor Emily Cassometus. Minus one point for keeping MPD in the dark and another for the increased presence. -2 [NBC4]
Our ballot, our choice: House Speaker (but not for much longer) Mike Johnson has blasted voters for making the “wrong choice” in the midterm elections. Democrats only needed to flip three seats to take the House, and they snagged 44; in the Senate Dems won key races in reliably Republican states. Minus one point for failing to listen to the people. -1 [Independent]
Shake it up: As White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was replaced with evil elf Stephen Miller on Friday, the shakeup inside the Trump administration continues. Richard Walters, one of Wiles’ “closest political lieutenants,” announced his departure. Harmeet Dhillon, the head of the DOJ’s civil rights division, has resigned, along with Brett Shumate, head of the department’s civil division, John Eisenberg, head of the national security division, and Jason Reding Quiñones, the top prosecutor in South Florida. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reportedly on “resignation watch.” And of course Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie is introducing impeachment articles on Hegseth. Plus one point because they’re dropping like flies. +1 [Independent, Post, Guardian, Independent]
Market crash: The same time Trump lost bigly in the midterms a week ago, his crypto business bottomed out. For two years, his family has been turning crypto into billions of dollars in new wealth. But as the election results started coming in, his fortune changed and the markets started turning against some of the Trumps’ most valuable ventures. The $TRUMP meme coin slipped to around $1.23 on Wednesday after hitting a high of $74. The World Liberty Financial token saw a similar fate, falling to 4.6 cents. Shares in Trump Media & Technology Group also plunged, falling to an all-time low. Plus one point for plummeting values. +1 [Mother Jones]
