Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Breccia]

There's been a last-minute change at the TNC. Mendoza, one of the Trump campaign advisors, will not be speaking after all. Turns out earlier today, yes today, she retweeted a QAnon conspiracy theory --

"So, she's perfect for the TNC?"

-- that's horrifyingly anti-Semetic.

"...isn't Kushner flying to Israel literally right now?"

Yes. So Mendoza's not going to be there.

"Well, maybe she'll find an employer less in the public eye so she can be as Nazi as she wants."

Well, technically she has. She wasn't fired. She still works on the Trump campaign.

Speaking of tweets, Trump just sent this one:

Governor should call in the National Guard in Wisconsin. It is ready, willing, and more than able. End problem FAST!

"Ah, when do you think they'll be called?"

About 24 hours ago. Trump must have forgotten.

[swiftowner]

Two quick things.

One, Trump grants a pardon during the TNC probably to drive up ratings. The recipient is a convicted bank robber, but Found The Lord in prison, and therefore, Trump made a seven-minute commercial for him.

Hmmm I feel like people are going to find issue with this for two reasons:

1: What happened to separation of Church and State???

2: Showing favoritism towards a particular religion. Was the pardon really on the basis of “Finding the lord”, or is there another reason? If not, pretty sure someone is going to sue.

[Edge-]

Hmmm I feel like people are going to find issue with this for two reasons:

1: What happened to separation of Church and State???

2: Showing favoritism towards a particular religion. Was the pardon really on the basis of “Finding the lord”, or is there another reason? If not, pretty sure someone is going to sue.

It has nothing to do with the Separation clause in the slightest, and ain't nobody gonna sue over it. If they do, it'll probably get tossed by the first judge that looks at it.

[Breccia]

Was the pardon really on the basis of “Finding the lord”, or is there another reason?

By most accounts, he's a pretty good person now. That said, "being a good person" is not itself the threshhold of a pardon. Trump has met the guy before at least once, they prayed together in the WH in 2018. So your argument is even stronger than you realized.

Oh, and another updated story, the number of states taking the $300 Trump E.O. is up to 30 which is a big change from last time. It should be noted that the number still stand: FEMA said they have 3 weeks tops without Congress following through, and Trump already blocked any such negotiations. FEMA might normally be able to scrape more together, but there's a hurricane aimed at Texas, and not even W's FEMA would be that reckless.

[beanman12345]

Hmmm I feel like people are going to find issue with this for two reasons:

1: What happened to separation of Church and State???

2: Showing favoritism towards a particular religion. Was the pardon really on the basis of “Finding the lord”, or is there another reason? If not, pretty sure someone is going to sue.

Reading the article it seems like he might actually deserve a pardon in at least comparative to everyone else Trump has pardoned or commuted. The fact that he's doing it at the TNC is what makes it disgusting.

[Breccia]

Reading the article it seems like he might actually deserve a pardon in at least comparative to everyone else Trump has pardoned or commuted. The fact that he's doing it at the TNC is what makes it disgusting.

Indeed, as with many things Trump, the question is "why didn't he do that before?"

- - - Updated - - -

Add the University of Miami to the list. 141 new positives, one staff member hospitalized.

I also teach at a public school. If my state government forced me to teach in-person and as a result a colleague got sick, I'd be on the picket line within minutes.

[Masark]

I also teach at a public school. If my state government forced me to teach in-person and as a result a colleague got sick, I'd be on the picket line within minutes.

Unfortunately, various red states like fuck florida will revoke teachers' credentials for striking.

[Benggaul]

40,098 new cases, 4k fewer than last week.

Texas: 6,803 new cases; 206 deaths
California: 5,862 new cases; 150 deaths
Fuck Florida.
Georgia: 2,101 new cases; 106 deaths
Illinois: 1,680 new cases; 29 deaths
North Carolina: 1,456 new cases; 25 deaths
Missouri: 1,060 new cases; 29 deaths
Virginia: 1,005 new cases; 23 deaths

The trends from last week look to be continuing with the national total heading down and a couple dozen states having slow, slight increases or holding even. Not a lot more to comment on that @Breccia hasn't already mentioned today. Expect the news out of Florida to be a harbinger of things to come, especially as the storms in the Gulf hit the South and strain resources further.

Deaths were slightly down from the previous week at 1,291; the total stands at 182,404. As things continue to calm down in Texas and California we should start seeing their high numbers decline as well. Texas continues to have internal issues as their state and county numbers continue to differ in several spots, so worldometers has decided to stick with the county numbers from here out. Georgia continues to see their numbers averaging pretty high--for Georgia--off the back of their high numbers of new cases a few weeks ago.

Stay safe, folks.

[cubby]

40,098 new cases, 4k fewer than last week.

Texas: 6,803 new cases; 206 deaths
California: 5,862 new cases; 150 deaths
Fuck Florida.
Georgia: 2,101 new cases; 106 deaths
Illinois: 1,680 new cases; 29 deaths
North Carolina: 1,456 new cases; 25 deaths
Missouri: 1,060 new cases; 29 deaths
Virginia: 1,005 new cases; 23 deaths

The trends from last week look to be continuing with the national total heading down and a couple dozen states having slow, slight increases or holding even. Not a lot more to comment on that @Breccia hasn't already mentioned today. Expect the news out of Florida to be a harbinger of things to come, especially as the storms in the Gulf hit the South and strain resources further.

Deaths were slightly down from the previous week at 1,291; the total stands at 182,404. As things continue to calm down in Texas and California we should start seeing their high numbers decline as well. Texas continues to have internal issues as their state and county numbers continue to differ in several spots, so worldometers has decided to stick with the county numbers from here out. Georgia continues to see their numbers averaging pretty high--for Georgia--off the back of their high numbers of new cases a few weeks ago.

Stay safe, folks.

Mathematically, if the trend continues, in regards to new cases, it will be "gone" by the Nov election. The severe decrease in testing might be Phase 2 of voter suppression and maristroika.

[Benggaul]

Mathematically, if the trend continues, in regards to new cases, it will be "gone" by the Nov election. The severe decrease in testing might be Phase 2 of voter suppression and maristroika.

It's still twice as many new cases as it was mid-June and a perfect storm of aggravating factors just on the horizon. They can try to hide it by shutting down testing in Red states but I'm pretty sure the number of sick and dying would be noticeable regardless.

[Breccia]

Here's a fun quote from the TNC:

We all know about Joe's son, Hunter Biden. A corrupt Ukrainian Oligarch put Hunter on the board of his gas company, even though he had no experience in the country – or in the energy sector. None. Yet he was paid millions to do nothing.

"And coming up next, Ivanka and Kushner, who were given government jobs, in the White House no less, even though they have no experience either," should have been the next line. "After that, Manafort, a Ukranian agent."

[Ripster42]

Here's a fun quote from the TNC:



"And coming up next, Ivanka and Kushner, who were given government jobs, in the White House no less, even though they have no experience either," should have been the next line. "After that, Manafort, a Ukranian agent."

Not ukranian. Russian agent. He was knowingly working with a russian intelligence officer to advance russia's, not ukraine's, interests.

[Breccia]

Not ukranian. Russian agent. He was knowingly working with a russian intelligence officer to advance russia's, not ukraine's, interests.

Well yes, he worked with Russia, but formally, he is a foreign agent of Ukraine. You can see it right here in this DOJ dot-gov website.

In other news: Forbes reports that Trump has done two things:
1) Paid himself $2.3 million from his 2020 campaign, starting back in 2017, no really, and
2) Not contributed to his 2020 campaign yet. It's late August.

Forbes also points out that the RNC and "the president’s joint-fundraising committees" have also directly paid Trump. The total is $4.7 million.

As a reminder, Trump's salary for four years would be less than $2.3 million. When he pledged not to take his salary, he should have been more specific.

[Ripster42]

Well yes, he worked with Russia, but formally, he is a foreign agent of Ukraine. You can see it right here in this DOJ dot-gov website.

The senate intel report lays out the evidence that he is a russian agent. He knew that even as he was working with the party of regions that he was advancing russian, not ukrainian, interests. If you want to say that being a ukrainian (and as the report again makes clear, his work was not solely in ukraine to advance russian interests, by getting russian puppets elected, up to the november before he joined trump's campaign the following january) agent was his cover for being a russian agent, okay, but he's still a russian agent.

[cubby]

Well yes, he worked with Russia, but formally, he is a foreign agent of Ukraine. You can see it right here in this DOJ dot-gov website.

In other news: Forbes reports that Trump has done two things:
1) Paid himself $2.3 million from his 2020 campaign, starting back in 2017, no really, and
2) Not contributed to his 2020 campaign yet. It's late August.

Forbes also points out that the RNC and "the president’s joint-fundraising committees" have also directly paid Trump. The total is $4.7 million.

As a reminder, Trump's salary for four years would be less than $2.3 million. When he pledged not to take his salary, he should have been more specific.

Add to that relative pittance the millions he makes when he visits his resorts, charging the Secret Service to stay there.

[Ursus]

"So I said to my people sloooww the testing down, please!"

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/healt...ing/index.html

The CDC just updated its guidelines to say that even if you have been in close contact with someone who has COVID, unless you have symptoms you don't need to get tested unless you're a vulnerable individual or a doctor/health official recommend it. It did not give any explanation for the change.

[Templar 331]

"So I said to my people sloooww the testing down, please!"

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/healt...ing/index.html

The CDC just updated its guidelines to say that even if you have been in close contact with someone who has COVID, unless you have symptoms you don't need to get tested unless you're a vulnerable individual or a doctor/health official recommend it. It did not give any explanation for the change.

Experienced this first hand when my job forced two employees back to work without testing them. They were out because one's daughter tested positive and the other's wife tested positive. Both employees still show symptoms....

[Polyxo]

The senate intel report lays out the evidence that he is a russian agent. He knew that even as he was working with the party of regions that he was advancing russian, not ukrainian, interests. If you want to say that being a ukrainian (and as the report again makes clear, his work was not solely in ukraine to advance russian interests, by getting russian puppets elected, up to the november before he joined trump's campaign the following january) agent was his cover for being a russian agent, okay, but he's still a russian agent.

I mean, a certain significant element of Ukranian politics is Russia, as its satellite/subordinate.

[Felya]

I mean, a certain significant element of Ukranian politics is Russia, as its satellite/subordinate.

The bold is bad... very bad take... oof...

Being a registered foreign agent of Ukraine and an unregistered foreign agent of Russia, are not mutually exclusive. Tied by money, not ideological consistency.

[Draco-Onis]

"So I said to my people sloooww the testing down, please!"

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/healt...ing/index.html

The CDC just updated its guidelines to say that even if you have been in close contact with someone who has COVID, unless you have symptoms you don't need to get tested unless you're a vulnerable individual or a doctor/health official recommend it. It did not give any explanation for the change.

The explanation is simple watch the RNC they want to pretend the virus is gone and killing testing is a big part of that. There's no logical way to explain this telling people that they don't need to be tested after possibly being exposed to an infectious disease is bat shit levels of crazy.