Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Edge-]

LMFAO, Trump is the weakest human ever, LOL!

Man...still talking about crowd sizes?

Is he insecure? Compensating?

Edit: OH LAWD HE STILL CAN'T LET THE INNAUGURATION CROWD THING GO. I mean, I know this isn't a surprise to any of us, but man...talk about the guy who peaked as the homecoming king in highschool and still brags about it in his 60's like it's a crowning achievement.

Edit 2: The fuckin planes, kek.

[downnola]

LMFAO, Trump is the weakest human ever, LOL!

The fact that this guy was elected president and has a significant following just goes to show how serious the mental health crisis is in the United States.

[Edge-]

The fact that this guy was elected president and has a significant following just goes to show how serious the mental health crisis is in the United States.

Mental health. Moral health. Intellectual health. Physical health. All applicable to his base.

[Gorsameth]

The fact that this guy was elected president and has a significant following just goes to show how serious the mental health crisis is in the United States.

Hey now, don't go insulting people with actual mental health issues by calling them Republicans.

[s_bushido]

The fact that this guy was elected president and has a significant following just goes to show how serious the mental health crisis is in the United States.

I watched a phone interview with that "Q Shaman" dude the other day, and that made it pretty obvious just how dire that particular situation is in this country. Guy never met an unhinged conspiracy he didn't believe in, and that was basically his sole motivation for becoming involved in politics. We're absolutely fucked if this shit doesn't get sorted out. But one party has a vested interest in maintaining the dangerous delusions of their constituents, and the other lacks any semblance of a spine to get things done...

[draynay]

Man...still talking about crowd sizes?

Is he insecure? Compensating?

Edit: OH LAWD HE STILL CAN'T LET THE INNAUGURATION CROWD THING GO. I mean, I know this isn't a surprise to any of us, but man...talk about the guy who peaked as the homecoming king in highschool and still brags about it in his 60's like it's a crowning achievement.

Edit 2: The fuckin planes, kek.

Polk Highschool, four touchdowns in one game...

[Edge-]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-...aw-nyt-reports

So Trump considered replacing Meadows as Chief of Staff after Michael Flynn's audition.

"Michael Flynn never had an audition..."

Correct, but he did an interview on Newsmax, and we know Trump treats any TV appearance as an audition.

Obviously it didn't happen, but not for want of trying -

Flynn reportedly “shot down” these ideas, saying he “needed to focus on paying off millions of dollars in legal debts he had amassed fighting off the Russia investigation.”

Because he was broke and needed more money than the CoS position paid so he could continue his legal battles.

[Breccia]

Trump is the weakest human ever

Hey blade, why do you think Trump didn't give an interview to FOX News? And also, how do you feel about moderately leading questions?

[Edge-]

Hey blade, why do you think Trump didn't give an interview to FOX News? And also, how do you feel about moderately leading questions?

Honestly, I don't think it's a "Trump" problem so much as a "Fox" problem, and them being worried about Trump going off the rails and potentially complicating their legal battles. I don't think he's really been on since they went to court of the Dominion lawsuit, has he?

[PhaelixWW]

Polk Highschool, four touchdowns in one game...

Don't do Al dirty that way...


...


Also, I feel old for getting the reference immediately.

[Edge-]

Also, I feel old for getting the reference immediately.

We could all wish for the charged life he and his family led. Definitely attractive for folks that are into feet.

[Breccia]

I don't think he's really been on since they went to court of the Dominion lawsuit, has he?

He was on FOX and Friends as recently as December. Although, FOX News might want to steer clear of January interviews.

FOX News might have some leeway in what claims about election fraud they put forth, but soon the Republican Party will not. Unless Trump is jailed or dies, they will have to come to terms with making the party line "2020 was a fraudulent election". Because Trump will accept nothing less.

[Edge-]

https://www.nbcnews.com/investigatio...rump-rcna11637

A 72-year-old New York man was arrested Monday on a charge of threatening to kill former President Donald Trump. But it doesn’t appear there was ever any danger: The man is accused of making his threats directly to the Secret Service.

Thomas Welnicki repeatedly made threats against Trump in several phone calls to the Secret Service, beginning a year ago and continuing last September, November and December, according to federal court documents. He’s accused of making similar statements to the U.S. Capitol Police.

“I am going to do anything I can to take out [Individual-1],” Welnicki said in a voicemail message to the Secret Service on Jan. 4, according to the complaint. “Oh, yeah, that’s a threat. Come and arrest me.”

Trump was not identified by name in the complaint, which was filed in Brooklyn federal court. But a footnote said the person identified as Individual-1 was U.S. president from Jan. 20, 2017, to Jan. 20, 2021.

The complaint said Welnicki called the Secret Service three times from his cellphone on or around Nov. 8, 2021, and identified himself by name each time. During the first call, Welnicki repeatedly referred to Trump as “Hitler.”

“I will do everything I can to make sure [Individual-1] is dead,” Welnicki said, according to the complaint.

Welnicki had multiple voluntary interviews with law enforcement over the last 18 months, according to federal prosecutors.

Hey, this fits here.

This is good shit, threatening to kill people isn't cool. Ever. Also, this is kinda hilarious because the old guy called...the Secret fucking Service to phone in this threat? From his cell phone? Three times? And identified himself by name? And voluntarily went in for interviews over a year and half with them?

He's got an ankle bracelet on as he's out on bond and honestly, I don't think anyone thinks he's super cereal. His bond agreement includes requirements that he go in for alcohol and mental health treatment, so he's got issues.

But at the end of the day this is good shit. Hopefully he'll get the help he needs, and threats against a sitting or (now) former president shouldn't be fucked about with.

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.axios.com/committee-prop...bd3c2431c.html

The House Administration Committee — another key player in the building drive to reform the Electoral Count Act — will call for at least four changes to the century-old legislation in a report being released as early as this week, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Calls to update the act, which dates to 1887 and was the vehicle by which former President Trump hoped to reverse his 2020 election loss, have been a rare area of bipartisan interest in both chambers.

What we're watching: The committee, chaired by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), will issue a 40-page report containing three sections: a history of the Electoral Count Act, a synopsis of the problems and a review of proposed reforms.

Key proposed reforms will include:

Raising the threshold for an objection to certifying a state's election results from the tandem of one senator and one House member to a higher number.

Clarifying that the role of the vice president is ceremonial in certifying presidential elections.

Putting in place requirements for what an objection has to be in order to count as an objection.

Clarifying the number of Electoral College votes required to become president when objections for a state with a certain number of Electoral College votes are being adjudicated.

Honestly, this is all good shit.

The threshold for objecting to an election should be more than just "two people, one in each chamber". As we've seen it's far, far too easy for two extremists to do this just to cause chaos.

Because it's sadly needed, the VP's role as ceremonial would be much more explicit. Again, good shit, it's obvious that's all it ever was and the ultimate authority in certifying an election didn't actually rest with the VP - that would make a VP the most powerful individual in the country when it comes to elections.

Requirements on what counts as an objection? Again, good shit as we've seen that liars will engage in bad faith and use lies as the basis for their objections.

And more explicitly dealing with how many EC votes would be required to certify a victor if states results are challenged, since this is new territory for everyone.

Apparently there's some bipartisanship on this legislation, but we'll see if anything actually comes of it.

[Fugus]

Polk Highschool, four touchdowns in one game...

Hey, don’t insult Al Bundy relating him to Trump. Al actually worked for a living and for as much crap as him and his family give each other, they will go to bat to protect and stand up for each other even if it costs them in the process when another goes at them.

And he gave us as great words of wisdom as, “Don’t try to understand women, women understand women and they hate each other”

- - - Updated - - -

We could all wish for the charged life he and his family led. Definitely attractive for folks that are into feet.

Not only that, he had job security, an attractive wife who wanted sex frequently and a nice house. His life really wasn’t that if he could rein in her spending and get his daughter under control.

[Lenonis]

so he's got issues.

I can't help but wonder -- if someone is actually serious about trying to assassinate the president...would it be possible they don't have issues?

I mean the mentality you'd have to adopt to think you are not only capable of killing someone in cold blood but also capable of pulling it off requires a detachment from reality that I think firmly moves you out of any sort of well side of mental health.

[Fugus]

I can't help but wonder -- if someone is actually serious about trying to assassinate the president...would it be possible they don't have issues?

I mean the mentality you'd have to adopt to think you are not only capable of killing someone in cold blood but also capable of pulling it off requires a detachment from reality that I think firmly moves you out of any sort of well side of mental health.

Let’s put it this way, if Trump had got his way and Pence had refused to certify the election and cheated to hand Trump the win and McConnell and the Supreme Court all went along with it. How many do you think would have been ready to try and take him out even if it cost them their lives and their freedom in an attempt to protect their nation and their children?

Not saying that this guy was sane, he was obviously batshit as was the January 6th group along with the majority of the Republican Party over the past decade.

Just calling into account how anyone who would attempt would have to be crazy. It all depends on how far the envelope is pushed before that response crosses the threshold from crazy to understandable and beyond.

[Ivanstone]

This is good shit, threatening to kill people isn't cool. Ever. Also, this is kinda hilarious because the old guy called...the Secret fucking Service to phone in this threat? From his cell phone? Three times? And identified himself by name? And voluntarily went in for interviews over a year and half with them?

He might be nuts but I think this is someone very publicly calling attention to himself. Its almost like he's using the court system to make a political statement.

[Breccia]

Well, once again, it's a bad day to be a Trump ally.

1) Or, in some cases, just near Trump. One of Trump's golf courses was recently devauled by Trump, on the grounds of he said so. Well, no, that's not completely true. He claimed on his fiscal disclosure forms it was worth $50 million as recently as Dec 15. But on his taxes, which yes tell more than fiscal disclosure forms, he reduced the value from $15 million to $10 million. This caused a domino effect that ends with the average resident in the area paying $250 more and the local school district almost $600,000.

2) CNN brought an actual cult member, specifically the Unification Church more information here, to explain how Trump is, in fact, a cult leader.

3) Local officials in Arizona and Michigan were caught submitting fake documents to the National Archives claiming Trump won their state.

Taking legal action against at least one pro-Trump group, Arizona sent a cease and desist letter to a Trump-supporting “sovereign citizen” group in which they told them to stop using the state seal, sending the issue on to the state’s attorney general.

Group leader Lori Osiecki told the Arizona Republic in December 2020 that she chose to send in the fake documents after going to rallies after the election and attending a full-day meeting in Phoenix where then-Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani was present. After the meeting, she was upset that Governor Doug Ducey wasn’t helping Mr Trump overturn the election.

The Michigan one didn't use the state seal and was as transparently false as something Trump says.

4) The GA AG is closer to deciding if Trump will face charges for trying to extort the state of Georgia. In an unrelated coincidence, the Jan 6th panel is looking into state pressure as well.

5) Dershowitz asked Trump to pardon Maxwell. Huh. Wonder why one person on the Lolita Express would...oh. Yeah.

6) A year after election, RNC still spending hundreds of thousands to cover Trump's legal bills

In October and November alone, the Republican National Committee spent nearly $720,000 of its donor money on paying law firms representing Trump in various legal challenges, including criminal investigations into his businesses in New York, according to campaign finance records.

Trump's legal bills have sent the Republican Party's total legal expenditures soaring in recent months, resulting in $3 million spent just between September and November. In contrast, the Democratic National Committee has been gradually winding down its legal expenses over the last few months.

7) Trump is having issues in court again, but this time, with regard to his personal liability for the riot. He tried "absolute immunity" agin, which even if it applied to everything he said job-related, the Jan 6th event was not an official WH duty. It was a re-election duty. Trump does not have "absolute immunity" the USA does not have kings or emperors. Just because he says it while in the White House, doesn't make him immune to the consequences of his speech.

8) I can't top this headline: Jim Jordan is sure acting like a guy who knows he’s guilty and probably going to jail

In a letter addressed to committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson, Jordan said the committee’s request that he provide information about his communication with ex-president Donald Trump in the days leading up to the deadly attack is “an unprecedented and inappropriate demand to examine the basis for a colleague’s decision on a particular matter pending before the House of Representatives.”

He also called the request “an outrageous abuse of [the committee’s] authority” and said it falls “far outside the bounds of any legitimate inquiry, violates core Constitutional principles, and would serve to further erode legislative norms.”

Then he accused the committee of being “partisan” and said he has “no relevant information” that would help the investigation anyway, nor does he have any “confidence that the Select Committee will fairly or accurately represent” whatever information he does provide.

Indeed, "I don't know anything and I wouldn't tell you anyhow" does not sound like the kind of thing someone with nothing to hide would say.

9) So, have you heard Trump's social media platform is due to launch within a month or so? I hope you have! Also, it's already broken to uselessness.

As a reminder, they got a $1 billion...in theory...ally named DWA. Turns out, DWA has a pretty low number of employees. It's zero. They have an address, but it's a shared office in Miami. They have no business plan and have already missed mandatory filings. Basically, they're shady as hell and yes the SEC is investigating.

Oh, and as a reminder, they can't/won't get any other backers -- not even Parler, who asked -- because other sites won't ban people for saying mean things about Trump, and Trump insisted on that. Also don't forget its first beta launch in October was almost entirely hackers and trolls, therefore, that first launch lasted a few hours.

All of these stories were posted in the last 24 hours. You don't have to go looking for reports that Trump lied and lost. It's everywhere.

[Edge-]

He might be nuts but I think this is someone very publicly calling attention to himself. Its almost like he's using the court system to make a political statement.

Go for it. The First Amendment is not, and has never been absolute and threats against officials, especially the POTUS, have a long history of being taken seriously. I'm not sure what political statement he'd be trying to make outside of, "You can't threaten a sitting/former president with assassination, specifically to the very department responsible for protecting said POTUS/former POTUS."

[Edge-]

*looks at Kathy Griffin*
*coughs*

Yes? That had nothing to do with the First Amendment, what she did was extremely legal. The consequences she faced were purely social, as they should be.

If I'm reading Ivanstone correctly, he's thinking this might be a legal challenge to the First Amendment and how far it extends.