Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Felya]

Sick of Trump in my NFL News, but you get a news source that’s not common on these forums. PFT is the best for NFL news...

Trump calls on NFL to suspend Marshawn Lynch
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...arshawn-lynch/

“Marshawn Lynch of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders stands for the Mexican Anthem and sits down to boos for our National Anthem. Great disrespect! Next time NFL should suspend him for remainder of season. Attendance and ratings way down,” Trump wrote.

Some NFL players also kneeled for the U.S. anthem but stood for “God Save the Queen” when the NFL played games in London. Trump did not address the matter then.

You don’t feel beast mode, it feels you.

[Breccia]

As you might have guessed, Trump's hotel rates have changed since the election.

As you might not have guessed, they're dropping. Unless you're in Ireland.

The DC hotel in particular has watched its rates drop by more than half when comparing Jan 2018 to Jan 2017. Vegas was worse, but that could be due to the shooting.

The average drop Trump-wide was 36%, or 43% if you discount the British Isles. The drop was even steeper if you look only at the top-end rates for the best rooms, in which case, it was over 70 percent down.

EDIT: Oh, and while tourism into the US is down, it's not down by 43%. Nor is our dollar doing all that great since January, either, falling against pretty much everything (EU, China, Japan, India, etc)

[Ripster42]

EDIT: Oh, and while tourism into the US is down, it's not down by 43%

The data is making it extremely likely it's because they're his hotels:

A room at the Trump International Hotel with a king size bed and a city view could have been yours any night of the week starting Nov. 14 for about $505 or $555, according to a check of the hotel’s website last week. By contrast, five major luxury competitors in the city generally charged more—sometimes hundreds of dollars more—or were sold out. For instance, the St. Regis only had rooms starting at $975 on Monday and Tuesday. The Four Seasons in Georgetown had no rooms available at any price for those days, and the Jefferson Hotel for those two days plus Wednesday.

[Paranoid Android]

The data is making it extremely likely it's because they're his hotels:

Well we just need more foreign leaders to buy up these rooms. Actually imagine if we didn't have blatant corruption, Trump hotels would really be taking a dump.

[Kujako]

Well we just need more foreign leaders to buy up these rooms. Actually imagine if we didn't have blatant corruption, Trump hotels would really be taking a dump.

Naw, other governments are figuring out that Trump can't actually offer them anything. So they're no long over paying for rooms at his hotels.

[Paranoid Android]

Naw, other governments are figuring out that Trump can't actually offer them anything. So they're no long over paying for rooms at his hotels.

I was about to say and kept it short. I'm sure governments are seeing that is ROI (Return on Ivestment) is probably not going anywhere. It's sad since this simple minded fool is totally influenced by praise and money. I mean stay at the Trump suite and say "It's the best hotel room, EVER!" and Trump will probably give your counry $5 billion in aid.

[Breccia]

Almost every news source is reporting that Trump put North Korea back on the "state sponsor of terror" list. They were removed in 2008 by Bush, not Obama, as at the time they were de-escalating. Obviously, kind of a lot's changed since Jan 20th.

Anyhow, being declared a "state sponsor of terror" means the State Department does this:

Countries determined by the Secretary of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism are designated pursuant to three laws: section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act, section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act. Taken together, the four main categories of sanctions resulting from designation under these authorities include restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance; a ban on defense exports and sales; certain controls over exports of dual use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions.

Designation under the above-referenced authorities also implicates other sanctions laws that penalize persons and countries engaging in certain trade with state sponsors. Currently there are three countries designated under these authorities: Iran, Sudan, and Syria.

The "miscellaneous" rules will come in the next few weeks.

Now we should interpret this action coming from Trump after his big Asian tour, but not during or before, as inflammatory towards China. After all, Trump met Xi personally and the topic of North Korea must have come up at least once. If China was okay with, or encouraged, this result, there was no reason to wait. Since this is a pretty big declaration, we should expect to see the reaction in the next couple days.

- - - Updated - - -

Just a reminder here, rather than necro-ing, it's two months later and Puerto Rico's still pretty fucked.

The government’s projection that by the Dec. 15, 95 percent of the population will have electricity appears to be overly optimistic. The lack of electric power has had a direct and ripples effect across the island’s economic activity. Many small business have not been able to reopen, unemployment has increased and close to 80,000 people have left the island since María.

80,000 people leaving is two entire percent of their population. That's like the US suddenly losing...um...Alabama, and Cleveland following them.

[Adam Jensen]

You know, WW1 started (among other reasons) because of a series of diplomatic fuck ups, following the death of Franz Ferdinand.

Nah.

Austria and Germany were itching for war. They weren't fuck ups. They were exploits so they could have the war they wanted. Austrian Chief of Staff Conrad von Hotzendorf was begging Emperor Franz Josef for years before the war started to go to war against Russia and Serbia. Who was the only person with the authority to speak against Hotzendorf? Franz Ferdinand. Meanwhile the German High Command knew if they didn't go to war against Russia soon, the Russian rail lines would make Russia's military the superior force in Europe (because rail lines were critical to logistics and troop movement back then.) So they too wanted an excuse.

The ultimatum that Austria gave Serbia in the wake of the assassination was meant to be refused, because Austria wanted war.

[Redwyrm]

https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephberns...pnx#.udEPmAYeB

Of course denials are flying, but five sources at the event verify the statement

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster mocked President Trump’s intelligence at a private dinner with a powerful tech CEO, according to five sources with knowledge of the conversation.

Over a July dinner with Oracle CEO Safra Catz — who has been mentioned as a candidate for several potential administration jobs — McMaster bluntly trashed his boss, said the sources, four of whom told BuzzFeed News they heard about the exchange directly from Catz. The top national security official dismissed the president variously as an “idiot” and a “dope” with the intelligence of a “kindergartner,” the sources said.

A sixth source who was not familiar with the details of the dinner told BuzzFeed News that McMaster had made similarly derogatory comments about Trump’s intelligence to him in private, including that the president lacked the necessary brainpower to understand the matters before the National Security Council.

Both Oracle and the Trump administration heatedly denied the comments that Catz later recounted.

“Actual participants in the dinner deny that General McMaster made any of the comments attributed to him by anonymous sources. Those false comments represent the diametric opposite of General McMaster's actual views,” said Michael Anton, a spokesman for the National Security Council.

Oracle's top DC operative, who attended the dinner with Catz, also denied that McMaster made the comments his boss later recounted to others. The meeting, Oracle senior VP for government affairs Ken Glueck said, was about China, and “none of the statements attributed to General McMaster were said.” Glueck added that Catz “concurs entirely” with his account of the dinner.

Glueck responded to repeated inquiries only after BuzzFeed News contacted the NSC. And according to two sources with knowledge of the situation, administration officials threatened to retaliate against several figures with knowledge of the July dinner if they spoke to BuzzFeed News. Asked whether he had made his statement under pressure from the administration, Glueck responded, “ridiculous.”

Along with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, McMaster — a three-star general — is often seen as a moderating influence on the president and a steadying hand in an administration staffed with political newcomers and anti-establishment bomb-throwers. Because of their perceived influence over the president, both men and in particular McMaster are widely distrusted by Trump’s base and some loyalist aides and former staffers, and have been the perceived target of attacks in the press.

[Thekri]

https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephberns...pnx#.udEPmAYeB

Of course denials are flying, but five sources at the event verify the statement

Yeah, five sources, but there is no way this will ever get confirmed. Same as when Tillerson said approximately the same thing. McMaster is one of the most intelligent Army officers in the last few decades, he is completely out of Trump's league, but he is in there on purpose, and he isn't going to lose it for this. I really think that both him and Mattis are in there to keep the country safe through this clown show.

I also don't think we will see him unequivocally deny it, because he probably did say it, so he is going to dodge it like a pro.

[Paranoid Android]

Sources: McMaster Mocked Trump’s Intelligence At A Private Dinner

At dinner at a lobbying hotspot with a powerful tech CEO, the national security adviser said the president has the intelligence of a “kindergartner,” according to sources. Oracle and the Trump administration deny the comments.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephberns...e-in-a-private

Yeah if true I don't care about the statement. If true or false I LOVE that it will piss off Donny Orange Turd and make him feel more insecure.

[Breccia]

I really think that both him and Mattis are in there to keep the country safe through this clown show.

I wonder if they are involved in the growing call to limit Trump's nuclear ambitions.

Couple other points:

1) Trump just got his balls crushed by a federal judge who ruled

"The defendants are permanently enjoined from enforcing Section 9(a) of the Executive Order against jurisdictions they deem as sanctuary jurisdictions. Because Section 9(a) is unconstitutional on its face, and not simply in its application to the plaintiffs here, a nationwide injunction against the defendants other than President Trump is appropriate," U.S. District Judge William Orrick ruled.

2) Whitefish has billed Puerto Rico $83 million for work done so far, amidst calls that their contract was exploitative to the point of a 300% markup. They haven't been paid what is, again, a likely highly marked-up no-bid and controversial contract, and have halted work entirely.

[Thekri]

https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephberns...e-in-a-private

Yeah if true I don't care about the statement. If true or false I LOVE that it will piss off Donny Orange Turd and make him feel more insecure.

I think the best thing anyone can do is whistle and pretend this never happened. McMaster is currently doing a lot to stabilize the administration, and keep us all safe while everything else is horribly mismanaged.

It is very important to remember who McMaster is, why Trump hired him, and why he took the job. The first point is fact, the second two are my speculation. Back in 1991, during Desert Storm, CPT H.R.McMaster was commanding a reinforced Armored Cavalry Troop (About 20 armored vehicles) when his Troop ran into a brigade (Several hundred vehicles) of the Republican Guard, he personally led the attack on a force that was much larger then his, and destroyed about 70 armored vehicles with no losses or casualties. This made him rather legendary as a junior commander, and the battle was much talked about even today. The rest of his career has been exceptionally successful operational, but a disaster politically. He is outspoken, disagrees with the military establishment frequently, and openly critical of what he sees as corrosive elements in senior military leadership. He continued to progress on the basis of his frankly astounding accomplishments, but he is very unpopular with a lot of senior generals, despite being one now.

This brings us to why Trump hired him. Trump sees himself as a tough guy and a "winner", he wants to surround himself with people like McMaster, who have proven themselves constantly, and are frankly everything he is not. McMaster is the very definition of a controversial, outspoken, but supremely dedicated public servant. He is idolized by men that have served under him, and he genuinely places his Soldiers and his country in front of himself. Trump being a deeply insecure manchild, he wants to believe he is like this, hence his fascination for people like Mattis and McMaster. This is also why both of those people are deeply unpopular in with the Trump Administration itself, as it conflicts a great deal with all the ideologues and thieves he brought with him.

Lastly, why he took the job. I don't believe for a minute either Mattis or McMaster wanted the jobs they have, Kelly might be in the same boat too. These generals were ending their careers, they wanted to go write books and get to spend time with their wives (Well, not Mattis, he just loves books apparently). However when Trump offered, it was clearly based on the "Tough Guy" reputation they had, he was either going to give the positions to them, or one of his political cronies that would doubtless be totally unqualified. So they took the jobs. After long, full careers of service, now they are being asked to sacrifice their dignity for their country, which has to be hard. Look at the disgust in Mattis' eyes when the media tries to get him to explain one of Trump's tweets. Because of the reputation they have with Trump, they can get away with a lot, but if this gains traction Trump will fire McMaster, weather it is true or not.

Nobody wants that, that is not in anyone's best interest. So lets go back to not talking about McMaster on the media, let him do his job without being part of the circus, and forget this whole thing ever happened.

[Breccia]

Puerto Rico stands by the official death toll of 55.

CNN talked to half the island's funeral homes and came up with 499.

Or, failing that, 472 more people died in Puerto Rico in Sept 2017, than in Sept 2016. Which is what the mayor of San Juan kept saying.

Trump says Puerto Rico should be proud of their low death toll, but it's objectively impossible to defend.

[Arvei]

I found this article hilarious and facepalming at the same time:

The brilliance of Ivanka's Thanksgiving decor:


I'm inspired. Time to go dumpster diving.

Edit: looks like my link was borked. Fixed! The twitter replies are great.

[Acidbaron]

That looks really overly large to have on a table and rather unappetizing to be honest. Using those type of colors you really make it look like the food has gone "bad".

[Dontrike]

I found this article hilarious and facepalming at the same time:

The brilliance of Ivanka's Thanksgiving decor:
[IMG]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/11/19/00/467E43A600000578-0-image-m-83_1511051456854.jpg[/IG]

I'm inspired. Time to go dumpster diving.

That looks like it was found in the woods. Part of it looks like it's a bird's nest and that there might be ticks in it.

[Felya]

That looks really overly large to have on a table and rather unappetizing to be honest. Using those type of colors you really make it look like the food has gone "bad".

If I saw that in a dark comedy, I’d be screaming ‘foreshadowing!’... someone is getting impaled... yeah, I’m shit to watch movies with...

[LaserSharkDFB]

I dunno, I kind of like the 'giant seashell and forest leavings' theme.

[Acidbaron]

If I saw that in a dark comedy, I’d be screaming ‘foreshadowing!’... someone is getting impaled... yeah, I’m shit to watch movies with...

Does look like something from Hannibal the series.