Published on: Tue, 19 May 2026 20:01:10 GMTOriginal Story: Blanche faces senators on new Trump ‘weaponization’ fund, Epstein, budget cuts – PBS “`html Blanche’s Budget Blues: Weaponization or Just Plain Weird? Okay, so, here we go again. Our girl Shalanda Young, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) – or, as I like to call her, the woman who has to explain to Congress why we’re still spending money on, well, everything – is facing the Senate Appropriations Committee. And wouldn’t you know it, the ghost of Trump past is haunting us all, yet again. She’s there to defend Biden’s budget request, which, let’s be real, is basically a wishlist longer than my student loan debt. But the real kicker? The Republicans, fresh off their “investigations” into the “weaponization” of the federal government, are now hyper-focused on… funding said federal government. The irony is thicker than a government regulation manual. The “Weaponization” Waffle Remember when Trump was all about “draining the swamp” and cutting government spending? Good times, good times. Now, the GOP is crying foul about the “weaponization” of… everything. The DOJ, the FBI, even the freaking Park Service probably gets accused of being weaponized against conservatives these days. And they want to FIX this… with MORE funding. I swear, I need a spreadsheet just to keep track of the hypocrisy. This whole “weaponization” narrative, by the way, conveniently ignores the actual weaponization of government that happened under, you guessed it, Trump. Remember when he tried to use the DOJ to investigate his political enemies? Or when he pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on Biden? Good times. So, forgive me if I’m not exactly shedding tears over the GOP’s sudden concern for civil liberties. Trump’s 2018 Spending Spree: A Convenient Amnesia Let’s not forget the Trump tax cuts of 2017, which, surprise, surprise, ballooned the national debt. And then there was the military spending, which went through the roof. Trump, who campaigned on fiscal responsibility, suddenly became a spending machine. It’s almost like promising one thing and doing another is a political strategy or something. In 2018, the national debt increased by $1.27 trillion. So, forgive me if I snort a little when I hear Republicans now clutching their pearls over the national debt. The Epstein Elephant in the Room And then, of course, there’s the Epstein of it all. The PBS news piece mentions it, and the internet is abuzz with the names from the unsealed documents. It’s a swamp of its own kind. The media is covering it, but cautiously – everyone’s walking on eggshells, trying not to offend anyone (except maybe the alleged abusers, but even then, it’s all very polite). And this budget hearing? Yeah, it’s a great distraction. Like a shiny object to keep us from looking too closely at the actual rot underneath. Budget Cuts: Who Gets the Ax? So, where will the budget cuts fall? Education? Environmental protection? Healthcare? Or will they finally get around to cutting some of the wasteful military spending that even Eisenhower warned us about? Don’t hold your breath. My money is on programs that actually benefit regular people. Because, you know, that’s how it always goes. The Shalanda Show Poor Shalanda Young. She has to sit there and pretend that any of this makes sense. She has to defend a budget that everyone knows is going nowhere. She has to smile and nod while senators grandstand and accuse each other of… well, everything. It’s like watching a particularly depressing episode of “House of Cards,” only with more spreadsheets and less Kevin Spacey. Snarky Takeaway So, here’s the deal. The GOP is suddenly concerned about government spending and the “weaponization” of federal agencies, conveniently forgetting their own track record of fiscal irresponsibility and political interference. The Epstein news is being handled with kid gloves, and Shalanda Young is stuck in the middle of it all, trying to make sense of a political circus. Color me shocked. I’m going back to bed. Maybe the world will make sense tomorrow. (Spoiler alert: it won’t.) “` Post navigation Trump’s Name on Everything? Of Course. Boebert Swears Trump Will “Keep His Promise”