Another Friday night brought with it a standard question: 

Happy August Friday. What's the news dump going to be?

— Tim Carney (@TPCarney) August 2, 2024

That's always a fair question to ask, especially when the people who are supposed to be in charge apparently have light weekend schedules. 

AWOL: Biden just left for a weekend in Delaware and Kamala is doing absolutely nothing today. pic.twitter.com/UwEgbxxyzH

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 2, 2024

Tonight, there are a couple of things that caught a lot of attention which might yet again make you ask, "who's actually running the country?"

The Secretary of State is ordering naval fleets around while the Secretary of Defense is contradicting the White House’s own stated position and revoking the 9/11 terrorist plea deals.

Meanwhile, Biden is in Delaware again. We have no president.

— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) August 3, 2024

Backpedal alert! After White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spent the last couple of days insisting that the Biden White House had absolutely nothing to do with the plea deal to spare the 9/11 mastermind the death penalty, it was reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stepped in:  

8:01pm eastern on Friday.

LOL. pic.twitter.com/M1ruokJmrr

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) August 3, 2024

Does anybody doubt that this is a completely political move with an election three months away? The Democrats must have sensed that decision was backfiring on them badly, so here we are:

NEWS

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has revoked a plea deal for 9/11 plotters that would help them avoid the death penalty.

Austin has signed an order that relieves the overseer of their authority.

Austin has now assumed direct oversight of the case.

This puts the death… pic.twitter.com/U0rn5TD15C

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) August 3, 2024

Recommended

Advertisement

Lloyd Austin revoked the authority of the official who agreed to the 9/11 mastermind plea deals.

"Effective immediately, I hereby withdraw your authority in the above-referenced case to enter into a pre-trial agreement and reserve such authority to myself...

I hereby withdraw…

— Sunny (@sunnyright) August 3, 2024

BREAKING: @Secdef Lloyd Austin yanks plea deals for 9/11 terror attack mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, 2 others @DeptofDefense memo released tonight also relieves the official in charge of the military commissions of her oversight in the case pic.twitter.com/bMVvCDn37I

— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) August 3, 2024

The other interesting story that falls under the "Friday night news dump" umbrella that might make people wonder who's actually in charge is this one: 

Defense Secretary Austin orders air squadron and more missile defense; along with warships to Middle East. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh Statement on Force Posture in the Middle East https://t.co/Qy4hih2zFn

— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) August 2, 2024

Defense Secretary Austin orders Abraham Lincoln strike group to the Middle East as well as BMD ships and a fighter squadron after Iran vowed revenge for killing of Hamas leader in Tehran pic.twitter.com/SRfAkQD84t

— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) August 2, 2024

We can't help but notice the headlines aren't "President Biden orders..." If we were the skeptical types, we might think the White House is trying to keep Biden and Harris insulated from any possible downside to these decisions.

America has no President.

Just in case anyone was still wondering about that question. https://t.co/VwSuW2EtEH

— Grateful Calvin (@shoveitjack) August 3, 2024

Did I miss the part where he was elected?

— Gringo Rider🏴‍☠️ (@BultoSenor) August 2, 2024

The CYA stuff ahead of the election in three months has accelerated. Austin and Blinken will be the "decision makers" while Biden and Harris will be portrayed as merely helpless onlookers supposedly absolved of the consequences of whatever happens.

UPDATE: This is a realistic theory:

Translation: This was splashing onto Kamala and she made a phone call. https://t.co/DF8t385YfO

— john jackson (@pvtjokerus) August 3, 2024

That's incredibly likely.