Trump Is Sowing Confusion

I saw this woman today as I was stopped at a traffic light. I took her photo and drew her. She seemed very stressed.

Trump is sowing confusion with all his tariff talk which he is communicating on social media and in letters “dictating terms” to trading partners. The NY TImes reports that is leaves countries confused and in chaos, wondering what Trump will do next. He appears to have no structure to his tariff pronouncements. It is as if at-will, depending on his mood.

Immigration arrests spike in Los Angeles, nearly 3000 people have been arrested since June. My stepmother lives in LA and she described to me how bad it is: Hispanic grocery stores are shuttered, and her Mexican American housekeeper is afraid to be out in the open or even drive on the freeway because of the color of her skin. She carries her American citizenship papers with her at all times. Thousands of people are living in fear —this is what Trump is creating. And yet people still worship him. I don’t get it.

From the NY Times:

“LA Mayor Bass announced this week that the city was seeking to join a lawsuit against the Trump administration led by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups that accuses the Trump administration of racial profiling and using other unconstitutional tactics to question and detain immigrants. The County of Los Angeles and several other municipalities also asked a judge to let them join the case.”

The White House posted this on X today:

I show you the above because I am disgusted.

I am in Maine right now, so lovely to be here, it’s so beautiful I will write more tomorrow. Thanks for being here, you all are the best. Have a good Friday night if you can.