The Trump Presidency Is Going Great

Turns out the “Proud Boys” aren’t so proud anymore—at least not legally. A Washington judge just stripped the far-right group of its own name, handing over control of their brand, symbols, and merchandise sales to none other than the Black church they attacked in 2020. That’s right: if they want to keep slapping their name on tacky t-shirts, they’ll need permission from the very people they terrorized. This poetic justice stems from a $2.8 million judgment against the group after its former leader, Enrique Tarrio, and his goons decided to torch a Black Lives Matter banner at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. When the Proud Boys didn’t cough up the cash, the church went for their most valuable asset—their name—and won. Tarrio, freshly pardoned by Trump in his mass January 6 clemency spree, is predictably throwing a tantrum, ranting about the church losing its nonprofit status and demanding the judge be impeached. (Because nothing says “rule of law” like pardoning domestic terrorists while calling for judges to be removed when they rule against you.) Meanwhile, the ruling means that any Proud Boys chapter hoping to keep their brand alive now has to get a nod from the church they tried to intimidate. A more humiliating corporate takeover has never been seen. From street brawlers to intellectual property casualties—this is what happens when a gang of wannabe fascists meets actual consequences.

Rohit Chopra, the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has been fired—because why have a watchdog protecting consumers when you can let banks run wild instead? Chopra, who made a career out of holding Wall Street accountable for fraud and junk fees, had the nerve to take on big banks and shady lenders, so naturally, Donnie Tic Tac showed him the door. The CFPB, which was literally created to prevent another 2008-style financial meltdown, has been a thorn in the side of predatory financial institutions—something Republicans and their donors have been desperate to change. Now, with Chopra out, the industry is licking its chops, hoping Donnie Tic Tac's pick will gut consumer protections and roll back those pesky rules on overdraft fees and credit card penalties. But don’t worry, they assure us it’s all in the name of “reform.” This agency came after a for-profit school that was issuing predatory loans and saved me, its too bad its gone cuz this shit was awesome