Masked protesters break the law, Trumps sanctions hammer and other commentary

“Like a surprising number of Trump 2.0 resistance pop-up groups,” reports The Free Press’ Gabe Kaminsky, Families Over Billionaires, which claims to “elevate the voices of the majority of Americans who oppose more tax breaks for the rich,” owes its existence to “a single entity: the consulting firm Arabella Advisors.” That group “oversees a massive ‘dark money’ network bankrolled by the super-rich and aligned with the Democratic Party.” (Think “Bill Gates, eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and Democratic megadonor George Soros.”) Per an employee at a related nonprofit parent, these groups “essentially act less as meaningful organs of policy change than as providing cover for billionaires and the consultant class” to “consolidate power into the hands of a few influential individuals.” Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Please provide a valid email address.By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Never miss a story.President Trump’s vow to unleash major sanctions on Russia unless the Ukraine war ends breaks a “puzzling restraint” towards Vladimir Putin,notes Peter Doran at The Hill: “This is the right play.

The test is whether Trump will swing the hammer with the precision it demands.” “Sanctions do not work unless they break something vital” — and this move must “be a sledgehammer, applying an unbearable blow that will leave Moscow desperate for the relief of peace.” “Trump can start by gutting Russia’s oil lifelines.” “Next, turn the screws on Europe” over defense spending.“Finally, Trump should hit Russia’s industrial underbelly with secondary sanctions on the banks and transhippers that enable ‘shadow trades.’” “Trump now has a chance to finish the job — no half-measures, no retreat.”“Trump is right to want to get rid of taxes on tips, prim...