Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Zaktar]

It's time to play Guess the Speaker!



And the answer is...John Kelly, as reported in a new book by one of the many PR people that Trump couldn't keep around very long. This same book says Kelly took the job to serve his country before Trump, and Trump was not a fan of that.

Meanwhile, another Tweet from the John in which he supports the student in the MAGA hats harassing a Native American Vietnam vet. Yes, that one. But I'm sure there are fine people on many sides.

Really, students harassing a vietnam vet is how you'd characterize that interaction? Looked more like the other way around to me, and I'm far more sympathetic to Native American vets than I am to red hatted douchechildren.

[Adam Jensen]

Can we just throw him out onto the surface like in Total Recall?

"Accidently" leave him behind during a sandstorm and then see if he manages to grow potatoes out of his own shit?

[Zaydin]

"Accidently" leave him behind during a sandstorm and then see if he manages to grow potatoes out of his own shit?

Trump wouldn't even get that far; he'd starve to death without his staples of fast food to keep him alive.

Hell, he'd probably rather starve to death than do any work himself.

[Benggaul]

Really, students harassing a vietnam vet is how you'd characterize that interaction? Looked more like the other way around to me, and I'm far more sympathetic to Native American vets than I am to red hatted douchechildren.

How you could possibly characterize that as "the other way around" is beyond me unless you're watching some FOX-doctored footage. He was there to perform a ceremony honoring the fallen as he's done countless times before, they were there to tell women they don't have ownership of their bodies and decided to mock him as a sideshow.

And fuck those people who are trying to say "they're just CHILDREN". They aren't. They're in high school. They're old enough to know the difference between right and wrong and they just don't care because there will be no consequences for them.

[Zaktar]

How you could possibly characterize that as "the other way around" is beyond me unless you're watching some FOX-doctored footage. He was there to perform a ceremony honoring the fallen as he's done countless times before, they were there to tell women they don't have ownership of their bodies and decided to mock him as a sideshow.

And fuck those people who are trying to say "they're just CHILDREN". They aren't. They're in high school. They're old enough to know the difference between right and wrong and they just don't care because there will be no consequences for them.

The only footage I saw involved the vet and his group approaching the students, not the other way around? If the footage I saw was doctored, it was really well done. Not speaking against the guy's ceremony whatsoever, but it looked far more like his group was the aggressor in that interaction. Maybe the point I'm missing is that merely by standing there, they were being aggressive? But even at that they seemed pretty peaceful considering how provocative it is to pound a drum in someone's face. Can't speak for the dumb shit people say during a confrontation.

Edit: wow, looked even more in depth and considering what was being chanted at the kids, the whole thing seems like an example of free expression done right.

I really still do not see how you could describe it as a group of students harassing a Native American Vietnam vet.

The students are standing there. The dude marches up while banging on his drum, inserts himself into the center of the group while pounding on it, and walks up to a kid who is just standing there with a stupid grin on his face, then pounds the drum right in the kid's face. Now arguably no one is harassing anyone, everything seemed pretty peaceful, but if anyone can be said to be the aggressor, how in the WORLD can you say it was the students?

[Santti]

I did feel bad when I typed it. Does that count for anything?

Yes. Release 'A' hound.

[Breccia]

More like she's even being fact checked for Fox now so is scared to show her face.

I'm honestly surprised she hasn't quit. When I say "everyone else has" it might literally be true.

[SirBeef]

Fuck the Democrats and the pussies that support them.

Build the Wall, or go fuck youself.

Trump is not going to back down....but that little cocksucker Schumer and his bitch Pelosi will. America is tired of the cunt Democrats and their crybaby tantrums. Go fuck yourself.

I don't know man. You sound like the pussy who needs a wall to feel safe from mothers and children seeking refuge and a better place to live.

[Breccia]

IIRC, wasn't she meant to leave at the end of last year anyway?

There's been a story about just about everyone leaving. Most have turned out to be the case. However, Trump runs such a no-planning, insulting, chaotic destructive administration that it's safe to just assume people want out, and as we've seen, you'd have been right far more often than not. And, yes, it's fairly likely that people like Kelly who fled said things like "this is the worst fucking job I've ever had" while trying to deal with it.

[cubby]

Remember how Trump keeps saying that the shutdown is, "mainly impacting Democrats", as if it's somehow alright if Americans suffer as long as they're Democrats?

Welp, at least following a 2015 survey by the Government Business Council, the split is pretty even.

https://www.govexec.com/oversight/20...-think/119138/

44% Democrat leaning
40% Republican leaning
16% No response

I'd be curious to see if and how this has changed in recent years, but it sure sounds like Trump is harming both Democratic and Republican employees pretty equally, and even those that don't affiliate with either party.

Remember when Trump said that a shut down is ultimately the President's fault - six years ago? Good times, good times.

[Breccia]

Remember when Trump said that a shut down is ultimately the President's fault - six years ago?

Remember when Trump said he'd be proud to own the shutdown six weeks ago? And now, he and the rabid fanbase are trying to weasel their way out of it?

Better times...better times...Trump's approval is at an all-time low. Yes, lower then when he refused to condemn literal Nazis marching in the streets.

[Edge-]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/23/u...si-letter.html

Trump just sent Pelosi another letter (man, this pen pal thing is adorbs). He's showing up for the SOTU and he's going to speak no matter what, apparently.

"You can't cancel my party, I'm going to show up and party at your house anyways!"

Makes me wonder if Democrats simply won't show up, leaving Trump talking to a half-filled room of Republicans. And it also makes me wonder if the sergeant at arms can eject a sitting president.

[Breccia]

Makes me wonder if Democrats simply won't show up

No.

That fat lying fucker needs to be called out on his lies in real time.

[Edge-]

No.

That fat lying fucker needs to be called out on his lies in real time.

No, Democrats need to not have Joe Wilson-esque "YOU LIE" moment. Democrats are playing it by the rules so far and they need to keep doing so, and shouting at Trump mid-speech will not help them in the slightest.

Don't show up instead. Host virtual town halls with their constitutions while in DC (since they can't fly back just for the evening, that's silly) talking about the shutdown. Present a counternarrative to draw attention away from Trump outside of the spectacle of Trump speaking to a half-empty chamber of Congress, pathetic as he is.

And if they can do this without breaking any rules, eject him from the room for coming in to speak without an invitation from Congress.

[cubby]

No, Democrats need to not have Joe Wilson-esque "YOU LIE" moment. Democrats are playing it by the rules so far and they need to keep doing so, and shouting at Trump mid-speech will not help them in the slightest.

Don't show up instead. Host virtual town halls with their constitutions while in DC (since they can't fly back just for the evening, that's silly) talking about the shutdown. Present a counternarrative to draw attention away from Trump outside of the spectacle of Trump speaking to a half-empty chamber of Congress, pathetic as he is.

And if they can do this without breaking any rules, eject him from the room for coming in to speak without an invitation from Congress.

The SOTU technically requires a resolution from both House and Senate. That hasn't happened yet. Nancy can prevent it from happening at all, and I think she should.

Trump had previously talked about doing it from the Senate, with McConnell's invitation alone. THAT would be very interesting.

[DarkTZeratul]

And if they can do this without breaking any rules, eject him from the room for coming in to speak without an invitation from Congress.

She can't kick him out, but she can make it very difficult (if not impossible) for him to deliver a speech:
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/pol...224681770.html

[Edge-]

She can't kick him out, but she can make it very difficult (if not impossible) for him to deliver a speech:
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/pol...224681770.html

Man, the Trump presidency sure is one giant civics lesson for America. All these routine things that happened behind the scenes, more or less automatically because they were totally uncontroversial, are now political bones of contention under Trump and so we're learning that all these things we thought were simply "how it's done", actually isn't.

[Belize]

She can't kick him out, but she can make it very difficult (if not impossible) for him to deliver a speech:
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/pol...224681770.html

I like the idea of letting him do the speech, but in the dark and without CSPAN broadcasting it.

[Breccia]

I like the idea of letting him do the speech, but in the dark and without CSPAN broadcasting it.

Heh, ultimate troll moment.

"My fellow Americans, the State of our Union is -- "
*lights all go off at once*
"The hell? Who didn't pay the electric bill?"
"You. You didn't pay the electric bill."
@Edge- and I are going to disagree as to whether it's more important to be dignified, or sincere. I don't believe giving Trump an uncontested list of Alternative Facts and a 100% TV share is the way to go, even if it means sitting the entire time and booing every time he says something factually false -- which he's going to do, over and over. The TV networks can't be relied on doing it -- they probably will, but it's not their job alone.

If he can be laughed out of the UN, he can be booed in the SotU. Honestly, I'm still wondering why he doesn't chuck the whole thing and go 100% campaign rally. And as I linked before, he's thought about it.

[Molis]

News breaking that Cohen refuses to testify due to Trump-Guliani threats?