Greetings! Dept. of Ridiculous: In a bizarre extension of his ill-considered trade war with Canada (see next item), Trump is threatening to rename Lake Ontario – one of the five Great Lakes that sits on the border with Canada – and call it Lake America. That’s according to an early morning Truth Social post today...The National Review has joined with the Wall Street Journal in denouncing the tariff feud with Canada.  Here’s their on-the-nose headline today: “The Pointless Trade War with Canada.” Yesterday, the Journal described the economic conflict as “the dumbest trade war.” So that makes two of the most respected news outlets on the right critical of Trump’s threats...Sec. of Transportation hits ethical potholes. Last week, Sec, of Transportation Sean Duffy quietly released his six-episode reality-TV series “Great American Road Trip” on YouTube.  It featured Duffy and his family (including his nine kids and wife Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy) traveling around the country in a car.  However, as the Wall Street Journal first reported, the trip was funded in part by corporate sponsors like Boeing and Toyota shelling out $1 million each. In episode four, Duffy’s family visited the Boeing factory in Charleston, SC.  No wonder why even the conservative Daily Caller expressed outrage. “Duffy’s department is responsible for regulating these deep-pocketed donors,” wrote editor at large John Loftus. “Rather than inspiring Americans to take a road trip and explore a truly beautiful and unique country, Duffy ended up drawing all attention to these conflicts of interest.” Worth noting: In an unfortunate bit of timing, the Transportation Secretary’s visit to the Boeing factory coincided with Netflix’s release of Rory Kennedy’s investigative documentary Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing. The program explored alleged safety failures and lax inspections at Boeing plants including the one in South Carolina that the Duffy’s visited....If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard

Greetings! Dumb: The conservative editorial board of the Wall Street Journal just labeled Trump’s tariff feud with Canada as “the dumbest trade war"...Changing my tune about Harp dig: Last week, I criticized Sen. Jon Ossoff’s (D-GA) interview with Jen Psaki of MS NOW.  He evaded her two questions asking him to clarify last weekend’s comments that Trump just wants to “fly with Natalie (Harp),”  the president’s attractive executive assistant. I thought it was a low blow because it insinuated that there might some sort of May-December romance. But now, I’ve reconsidered because Ossoff’s brief  comment – three words actually –  opened the gates for a healthy national discussion about the exact role of a formerly mostly unknown aide who apparently spends more time with Trump than just about anyone in his administration. It’s obvious, based on reporting like this NY Times article, that the relationship is deeply twisted. But what else did you expect in Trump world? Worth noting: PJ Media’s Scott Pinsker sees Harp’s role differently: “A young, attractive, single woman lost her father in a traumatizing way, nearly died of cancer herself, miraculously recovered, and then decided to channel her energies into helping the leader whose healthcare policies gave her a second chance at life. That’s no scandal! You kidding me?! This is a feel-good Hallmark movie in the making!”...A weighty presidency:  The Washington Post points out that Trump may have gained 23 pounds during his second term. The portly POTUS now tips the scales at 238 pounds, making him just under two pounds of being classified as obese, according to the Post...While our Mac-munching president may be gaining weight, he’s lost his mojo. At least that’s the opinion of TheRighting’s astute contributor Richard Zoglin in his latest column for us...If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard