Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Dontrike]

Wait, wait, wait. So, you also have no idea about his debts, but you just assume they are very big? Or did I misunderstand? Because if not, well, that was much text about nothing.

Because we know he doesn't pay people, it's why banks steer the fuck clear of him at every turn. Now why would they do that if he was a low loan risk? Hmm, we should go asking fucking Scooby Doo, Monk, Shawn & Gus, and House to solve this mystery.

- - - Updated - - -

Trump flat-out tells a group of realtors that anonymous sources are bullshit.

"...realtors?"

Yeah, he was slightly off-script.

As a reminder, Trump has a history of defending lies with "everyone's saying" or "I hear". He also sought out stolen information from WikiLeaks and claimed a reliable source had Obama's real birth certificate.

Another day another rant about how the media and reporters are evil from Orange McCan'tSayOrigin.

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.thedailybeast.com/depart...ead?ref=scroll



This is an actual national security threat. Remove this administration now, and return DHS to the a-political agency it was created to be before Trump and Nielson so effectively made it a partisan one.

What the fuck do they think cybersecurity is going to do down at the border? Set up a tent? Give a random brown kid a tinfoil blanket? This is like asking your plumber to catch the raccoons living in your shed.

[Masark]

lolnationalsecurity again

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-a...-idUSKCN1SN1FY

[Dontrike]

lolnationalsecurity again

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-a...-idUSKCN1SN1FY

What is this the ninth time he's tried this shit?

[DarkTZeratul]

What is this the ninth time he's tried this shit?

Because the GOP refuses to take any meaningful action against this shit, he's figured out that he can basically do whatever he wants so long as he claims it's in the interest of national security.

It's essentially the same principle as Ned and Jimbo on South Park hunting endangered animals by shouting "it's coming right for us!" before they shoot.

[Adam Jensen]

I've been mulling this for some time... One of the cornerstones of checks and balances is Senate approval for cabinet positions. Trump brazenly ignores it and everyone accepts orders from these acting lackeys. So I have to ask someone better versed in US systems... what the actual fuck?

what the actual fuck has been the response most sane Americans have been making to . . . everything . . . the last two years. Problem is, there are enough Republicans in the right positions to enable that Orange fuck.

[Breccia]

lolnationalsecurity again

These cars are such a national security threat, that he put the taiffs back 6 months.

It's like the southern border to all three Mexican countries. He waited three weeks after waiting five weeks after waiting two years to DO SOMETHING!

[Thestrawman]

I mean he has to stop those super cars making left turns into the United States somehow.

[Mayhem]

Before I answer, do you mean a strike as in people stopping working their job, or did you mean a revolution?

The former, though considering you guys seem to have no problem with working without being paid the later is probably more useful.

[Belize]

I mean he has to stop those super cars making left turns into the United States somehow.

I hear there are massive car caravans crossing into the U.S. illegally from both the western and eastern borders. The only solution is to build a sea wall!

[Breccia]

The former

Trump is having a really hard time doing pretty much anything -- even when he had the House and Senate behind him, he couldn't get anything done. What we're seeing is the checks and balances of the US Govt in action. The House under Democrat control means he can't really sign a bill into law unless the country really wants it, and his budget is similarly confined. And a fair amount of his policies (such as putting children into concentration camps until they die) are being challenged by the courts.

Trump is pushing those limits. But not yet to the point where armed insurrection is called for. The country is wiling to suffer through four years of intentionally self-damaging actions, looking like idiots on the world stage, and what will likely be a net loss in real income and trading power (the debt and deficit won't help) combined with a recession. All in exchange for broken promises and possibly a war with Iran.

These are things the United States has chosen to accept. Like we choose to accept mass school shootings, and then do nothing.

Honestly, the rest of the world shares some blame. Not all that much -- they didn't elect him -- but they do continue to humor him. If Mexico, China, Canada and the EU collectively said "No trade deals. We'll wait for someone intelligent" and stood by it, Trump would be in even worse shape then than he is now. The WTO could find the "national security lol" tariffs illegal, cancel them and fine us. And there should also be some ramifications for walking away from our commitments to human rights and the environment. All of these the world can and should do to us, to punish us for the route we've chosen. And I'm guessing the reason that, say, China has not, is because they know he's a weak negotiator and would rather pull one over on him, than make a stand on principle. These are reactions, however, not actions.

There are some things that Trump could do to cause an armed insurrection. He's surrounded by people who will not let him do them. We might be a battered, bruised and beaten America, but we're still America. And Trump is arguably too incompetent to be a dictator.

Plus I'm modestly confident that if Trump were to, say, order all the brown people herded up and executed, someone in the WH would just shoot him.

[D Luniz]

*SNIP*

Plus I'm modestly confident that if Trump were to, say, order all the brown people herded up and executed, someone in the WH would just shoot him.

you have more trust in his band of toadies than I do

[Breccia]

Once again it's time for Guess the Speaker!

The factual question with respect to Iran's connections to Al-Qaeda is very real. They have hosted al Qaeda, they have permitted al Qaeda to transit their country. There is no doubt there is a connection between the Islamic Republic of Iran and al Qaeda. Period, full stop.

That's Michael Bolton, threatening to --

"John Bolton."

That's the Secretary of State, joining with others who are trying to say Iran is helping al-Qaeda. Not everyone believes this, amongst other reasons, because Sunni and Shia are not the same thing at all.

"Okay, but why make the big public point that Iran is helping al-Qaeda?"

Because a law signed by pretty much everyone and never repealed says the President can use military force against "nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons."

In other words, Trump can attack Iran without Congressional approval. He just needs to claim two things:
1) Iran is helping al-Qaeda, and
2) Iran is about to attack the US.

"Wait, so, he'd be allowed to attack Iran in revenge for the 9/11 attacks they had nothing to do with?"

Yes.

"That sounds stupid."

Problem is, while the House, Senate or courts could attempt to stop it, Team Trump has already taken the stance on multiple fronts that they'd rather just do it anyhow and see if they're allowed to get away with it. They lose far more cases than they win, but they still put things in place and take actions, even if they later have to take them back. Which, with a war, is kinda tough to do.

In any event, what's happening here could very easily follow the Muslim Ban or Pelosi's Flower Garden. Team Trump is clearly setting the stage, and showing many of the same mistakes that were made with Iraq (including a suspiciously low troop count for a land war in Asia). And while some people (cough @Skroe cough) might think that this move is not just stupid, but impossible, I'll point out that Trump wants to be the best bestiest best at everything, and also, a plan being stupid (such as his own infrastructure plan) has never stopped him before.

Obviously, Iran's best move right now is to sit down and shut the fuck up. Otherwise they risk justifying the invasion...or worse, justify the UN sitting out.

- - - Updated - - -

you have more trust in his band of toadies than I do

There are diminishing returns. We've seen a fair number of Trump people who either resigned in protest, or threatened to, when Trump tried to do something stupid. Problem is, those people were replaced. There's a much smaller pool of people that could still do that effectively.

But.

The GOP is clinging to power as best they can. They know only a miracle, such as war with Iran (see previous post) will do that. Trump can still make things far worse for everyone by fucking it up in various different ways. And his staff, while at least publicly kissing his ass, have their own compounded interests at heart.

[Mayhem]

snip

Talk about checks and balances in action.

[Zaydin]

So Trump is apparently planning to pardon multiple members of the US military or mercenaries from companies like Blackwater who were convicted of war crimes.

[Orbitus]

So Trump is apparently planning to pardon multiple members of the US military or mercenaries from companies like Blackwater who were convicted of war crimes.

Unsurprising. Considering DeVos's brother ran Blackwater. Oh, and helped him with a backchannel to the Russians in the Seychelles meeting.

[Zaydin]

Unsurprising. Considering DeVos's brother ran Blackwater. Oh, and helped him with a backchannel to the Russians in the Seychelles meeting.

I have to wonder if this is a favor to DeVos or something else.

One would assume pardoning war criminals would be a line even the GOP would think is too far but I'm not expecting them to suddenly find morals when dealing with Trump.

[Orbitus]

I have to wonder if this is a favor to DeVos or something else.

One would assume pardoning war criminals would be a line even the GOP would think is too far but I'm not expecting them to suddenly find morals when dealing with Trump.

Considering he pardoned convicted criminals like Joe Arpaio and Dinesh D'Souza, not really surprising they won't be up in arms over this.

He also pardoned the Hammonds that sparked the Milhauer Wildlife standoff with the Bundys where domestic terrorists took ever government property.
https://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardo...t-donald-trump

It isn't surprising that he is pardoning people like this.

[Omega10]

Trump is having a really hard time doing pretty much anything -- even when he had the House and Senate behind him, he couldn't get anything done. What we're seeing is the checks and balances of the US Govt in action. The House under Democrat control means he can't really sign a bill into law unless the country really wants it, and his budget is similarly confined. And a fair amount of his policies (such as putting children into concentration camps until they die) are being challenged by the courts.

Trump is pushing those limits. But not yet to the point where armed insurrection is called for. The country is wiling to suffer through four years of intentionally self-damaging actions, looking like idiots on the world stage, and what will likely be a net loss in real income and trading power (the debt and deficit won't help) combined with a recession. All in exchange for broken promises and possibly a war with Iran.

These are things the United States has chosen to accept. Like we choose to accept mass school shootings, and then do nothing.

Honestly, the rest of the world shares some blame. Not all that much -- they didn't elect him -- but they do continue to humor him. If Mexico, China, Canada and the EU collectively said "No trade deals. We'll wait for someone intelligent" and stood by it, Trump would be in even worse shape then than he is now. The WTO could find the "national security lol" tariffs illegal, cancel them and fine us. And there should also be some ramifications for walking away from our commitments to human rights and the environment. All of these the world can and should do to us, to punish us for the route we've chosen. And I'm guessing the reason that, say, China has not, is because they know he's a weak negotiator and would rather pull one over on him, than make a stand on principle. These are reactions, however, not actions.

There are some things that Trump could do to cause an armed insurrection. He's surrounded by people who will not let him do them. We might be a battered, bruised and beaten America, but we're still America. And Trump is arguably too incompetent to be a dictator.

Plus I'm modestly confident that if Trump were to, say, order all the brown people herded up and executed, someone in the WH would just shoot him.

I hope you are correct. I don't share your optimism for how all of this will turn out.

[Dead Moose Fandango]

I hope you are correct. I don't share your optimism for how all of this will turn out.

I agree. Things seem to be going downhill ever so slowly as more corruption is revealed and yet left alone. It does worry me.

[Paranoid Android]

We got one!

Here are my principal conclusions:
1. Attorney General Barr has deliberately misrepresented Mueller’s report.
2. President Trump has engaged in impeachable conduct.
3. Partisanship has eroded our system of checks and balances.
4. Few members of Congress have read the report.

https://twitter.com/justinamash/stat...952236546?s=19

Republican Congressman Justin Amish from Michigan.