Democracy Watch: Donald Trump uses his safe word with Vladimir Putin, Pete Hegseth’s second Signal scandal, Tesla tanks, and more

Socialite Life is a lively celebrity and pop culture website that offers a daily dose of divas, drag queens, hot male celebrities, models, and all the latest celebrity news. Given that our democracy is currently in turmoil, we feel compelled to keep everyone informed about the chaotic situation the Trump administration is creating in this country.

In Democracy Watch, we’ll share a roundup of the most alarming and mostly illegal activities that the Trump administration engages in a few times a week, along with some ridiculous things that Donald Trump and co-president Elon Musk are attempting to do.

We’ll also offer some useful resources to keep you informed about current events and guide you on how you can help prevent the United States from becoming the next Russia. In the meantime, make sure to follow Socialite Life on Bluesky: @socialitelife.bsky.social.

Russia overnight Thursday launched one of the most devastating bombardments on Ukraine’s major cities since the war began, killing at least eight people, hours after President Donald Trump said he believed he had struck deals with both sides to end the war. After the attacks, Trump wrote “Vladimir, STOP!” on his website Truth Social, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing,” he said. “5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!” [NBC News]

Pete Hegseth sure does love a Signal group chat. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth created another Signal messaging chat that included his wife and brother where he shared similar details of a March military airstrike against Yemen’s Houthi militants that were sent in another chain with top Trump administration leaders. The second chat on Signal — which is a commercially available app not authorized to be used to communicate sensitive or classified national defense information — included 13 people, the person said. They also confirmed the chat was dubbed “Defense ‘ Team Huddle.” The group included Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, who is a former Fox News producer, and his brother Phil Hegseth, who was hired at the Pentagon as a Department of Homeland Security liaison and senior adviser. Both have traveled with the defense secretary and attended high-level meetings. [AP News]

The Pentagon is in meltdown mode after the latest Pete Hegseth Signal scandal. [The Guardian]

Pete Hegseth is handling this just like you expect he would. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday reacted to the revelation he discussed details about an imminent attack on Houthis in Yemen in March in a second Signal group chat — one that included his wife and brother. Speaking to reporters at the White House Easter Egg Roll, which he attended with his family, Hegseth attacked those he said were “disgruntled” former employees and the media for what he said was “anonymous smears.” “I have spoken with the president and we are going to continue fighting. On the same page all the way,” Hegseth said. [ABC News]

The White House may possibly be aiming to get rid of Pete Hegseth. [Mediaite]

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he is streamlining what he’s calling a “bloated” bureaucracy. He’s cutting about 700 positions and 132 offices at the State Department. In an Substack post explaining some of his changes, Rubio takes aim at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, writing that it “became a platform for left-wing activists to wage vendettas against ‘anti-woke’ leaders in nations such as Poland, Hungary and Brazil, and to transform their hatred of Israel into concrete policies such as arms embargoes.” [NPR]

Tesla has a horribly bad quarter that is somehow even worse than it seems. [The Atlantic – Gifted]

Elon Musk’s DOGE has access to 19 sensitive systems at HHS. In at least one instance, it appears that access was granted without the proper security training. Affiliates from Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have significant access to 19 sensitive systems at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to a recent court filing. Nine of those are previously undisclosed. This wide-ranging access, which includes a centralized accounting system for all Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) programs, the cloud for a “robust” and “high-volume data warehouse,” and several additional HHS accounting systems that pay government contractors, demonstrates the breadth of DOGE’s takeover at the federal agency charged with securing health care for millions of Americans. [WIRED]

After decades of making it harder to have kids, the GOP wants to bribe you to have one. [Wonkette]

So much for due process. Amid a tense legal battle over deportations, President Donald Trump is now arguing undocumented migrants should not be given a trial where they could challenge being removed from the country. “We’re getting them out, and I hope we get cooperation from the courts because you know, we have thousands of people that are ready to go out, and you can’t have a trial for all of these people,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Tuesday. [ABC News]

According to a leaked Health and Human Services (HHS) budget draft first obtained by The Washington Post, the federal government plans to eliminate all funding for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services. If approved by Congress, the budget would go into effect on October 1. Funded through HHS, and first implemented in 2022, the program offers LGBTQ+-inclusive emergency crisis support. According to government data, LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services has provided crisis services to over 1.2 million people, and the 988 Lifeline has provided services to over 14 million people. [The Washington Post – Gifted]

How You Can Help Save Democracy

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