Hitler
February 20, 1933
“Adolf Hitler and 20 to 25 industrialists held a secret meeting at the official residence of Hermann Göring, the President of the Reichstag, in Berlin. Its purpose was to raise funds for the election campaign of the Nazi Party.” WIKI
As a whole, German big business had not given the Nazis significant support in previous elections (1). Hitler hoped to change that situation, however. On February 20, 1933, Hermann Göring (1893-1946) hosted a private meeting of approximately twenty of Germany’s leading industrialists and financiers.
A decorated World War I pilot and a genuine bon vivant, Göring enjoyed far better connections among the business elite than Hitler, whose modest Austrian background, awkward mannerisms, and demagogic style made many prominent businessmen wary. Also in attendance that day was Dr. Hjalmar Schacht (1877-1970), who had served as president of the Reichsbank from 1923 to 1930.
Having once occupied the middle of the political spectrum, Schacht had started moving to the right in the late 1920s. By the time Hitler came to power, he had been flirting with the Nazis for years. Still, Schacht’s presence at the meeting reassured and encouraged the business community, and he managed to collect pledges of financial support for the government’s election campaign. The following month, he was reappointed head of the Reichsbank, this time under the new Nazi regime.
(1) See Henry Ashby Turner, Jr., German Big Business and the Rise of Nazism (New York: Oxford University Press, 1985).
Trump
February 10, 2025
On his 22nd day in office, Donald Trump...
Moved to dismiss criminal case against Mayor Adams of New York. The Justice Department told prosecutors to drop the federal corruption case against Mr. Adams. Read more ›
Paused enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The law makes it illegal for companies that operate in the United States to pay foreign government officials to secure business deals. The president said it created an uneven playing field for American firms. Read more ›
Threatened cutting U.S. aid to Jordan and Egypt. Trump wants the two Arab nations to take displaced Gazans under his plan to redevelop Gaza under U.S. leadership. Read more ›
Issued an ultimatum to Hamas Feb. 10. Trump said if all Israeli hostages were not released from Gaza by “12 o’clock” on Saturday, “all hell is going to break out.”
Defended Gaza takeover plan Feb. 6 ›
Tried to walk back proposal for Gaza Feb. 5 ›
Proposed that the U.S. take over Gaza Feb. 4 ›
Again floated idea of displacing Palestinians from Gaza Feb. 4 ›
Suggested relocating Gazans to Jordan and Egypt Jan. 25 ›
Shielded Elon Musk’s DOGE from public records requests. The White House declared the documents Mr. Musk’s office produces and receives as presidential records. That could insulate the entity from public records requests under the Freedom of Information Act, as well as most judicial intervention, until at least 2034. Read more
Signs an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on all aluminum and steel imports. The move re-upped a policy from his first term that pleased domestic metal makers but hurt other American industries and ignited trade wars on multiple fronts. Read more (NBC News)
Renamed Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the name will now honor Roland L. Bragg, a soldier who was decorated for his service during World War II. It was earlier named after Braxton Bragg, a Confederate general. Read more ›
Pardoned a former Democratic governor of Illinois, Rod R. Blagojevich. Mr. Blagojevich was convicted in 2011 of corruption in a scheme to sell a Senate seat being vacated by Barack Obama. Read more ›
Eliminated the Federal Executive Institute. The institute runs a management training program for career civil servants that was established under Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration. Read more ›
Denounced the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. President Trump said that the agency, which regulates banks and other lenders, was “set up to destroy very good people.” He did not specify whom he was referring to. Read more ›
Fired directors of the Office of Special Counsel and the Office of Government Ethics. Read more ›
Mandated the federal government to use plastic straws. Read more ›
Appointed Richard Grenell as the interim executive director of the Kennedy Center. Having served as a special envoy to the Balkans in the first Trump administration, Mr. Grenell helped President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner build a hotel in Serbia. Read more ›
Appealed a federal judge’s order to release billions of dollars in frozen federal funding. Read more ›
Stopped military recruitment of men and women who report a history of gender dysphoria. A memo from Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, also blocks any active duty personnel from receiving hormonal therapies or obtaining surgical procedures “associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition.” Read more ›
Asked the Internal Revenue Service to help crack down on immigration. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to deputize I.R.S. agents to do work that could include auditing employers believed to have hired unauthorized migrants and investigating human trafficking. Read more ›
Dismissed the boards of visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard military academies. Read more ›
Argued that a court order blocking Elon Musk’s team violates Trump’s absolute authority.Read more
14207 Eliminating the Federal Executive Institute
14209 Pausing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement to Further American Economic and National Security
Additional News
Added 2.2.25
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