Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Benggaul]

It's because Russia actually takes their forests.

I'm sure you meant "rakes", and Breccia already beat you to that joke.

[Zan15]

Oh, so does it become Trump's economy when it starts going down again? I was wondering when the chop-over was gonna happen. What if it's just a pump fake? Does Obama take the wheel again?

Well it has to go up first in order to actually go down.

We are basically flat since Jan 2018.

Jan 2018 26616
Today 26864

Gee what started in jan 2018 in full effect. Oh trumps policies. Trumps budget. Trumps trade war. Trumps tax cut. Trumps EO's.

Well at least the SP500 is up a whopping 6% in that same period of trumps economic moves. of course minus taxes, even low inflation and fees...that 3% yearly return is about 1% ish.

[Breccia]

Rather than argue whose economy it is in 2019 -- because come on people -- I will instead post this article. It contains some interviews with farmers who, big surprise, are tired of winning. But also some relevant numbers.

The White House recently announced that it would be providing an additional $16 billion in aid to American farmers affected by the trade war between the U.S. and China.

But the problem for American farmers has becomes bigger than something a bailout can fix.

Since trade tensions began in 2018, farmers have faced major financial challenges, since China was once a major U.S. agriculture buyer.

And losing customers has become a major issue. Soybean farmers have been dealing with this, as China has turned to other countries like Brazil for soybeans. Nuylen said this is also happening for wheat farmers, as China has begun importing wheat from Russian regions.

Between 2016-2017, China was the fourth-largest wheat buyer in the world, importing more than 61 million U.S. bushels. In 2019, the top U.S. export destinations for wheat include Mexico, the Philippines, Japan, and Nigeria — China is not even among the top 10.

This isn’t the first time that the USDA has doled out aid to struggling farmers. The Trump administration pledged two installments of a farmer bailout program. The first round of payments totaling $4.7 billion was paid in September 2018, while the second round was distributed in December. By February 2019, the total aid payments reached $7.7 billion.

“Payments are a welcome help for the bottom line of Missouri farmers,” Blake Hurst, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau, told Yahoo Finance in an email statement. “Although the trade payments vary widely from county to county, they’ll keep more than a few farmers in business for another year. ...

“Having said all that,” the statement added, “farmers are profoundly wary of the trade war, embarrassed that ad hoc government subsidies are all that stands between many of us and financial ruin, and ready for the return of more normal times.”

Replace "wary" with "weary" and you have the literal statement "tired of winning". As it stands, it seems these farmers are not worried about their bailouts being socialist. No, they're worried about them ending. After all, if the Republican Party thinks there's not enough money for 9/11 responders, why would there be money for farmers? The amounts weren't even close.

The Wall Street Journal reported in February that farm bankruptcies in three major farm regions reached their highest level in at least 10 years. Much of this is because crop prices have been dragged down dramatically due to a decrease in consumers. Overall, U.S. farm debt soared over $409 billion in 2017, which is “the largest sum in nearly four decades and a level not seen since the 1980s,” WSJ wrote.

And it doesn’t help that farmers are facing unprecedented severe weather. Flooding has damaged crops across the Midwest. When combining that with bankruptcies, lower prices, and trade war struggles, mental health problems among rural Americans are becoming more prevalent than ever before.

Read back through this thread. We've talked about all of those.

For more on the subject,

this article

this article

this article

this article

and literally dozens of others from reputable sources describe objective farmland issues, caused by Trump's trade war or the horrifyingly poor (for farmers) weather, to which there's been insufficient reparations (again: average for the bottom 80% is $5,000 to a farm).

Rural America voted against their own self-interest and voted for someone who promised to take away their market. Now, they suffer the consequences of their actions. Sorry. I don't make the rules.

- - - Updated - - -

Once again, it's time for Guess the Speaker!

The authority over access to classified information ultimately rests with the President of the United States. It is well-established that the President of the United States has broad latitude concerning the process through which security clearances are granted, transferred, or revoked, as well as broad flexibility in determining whom to choose as his advisors and to what extent those advisors may gain access to information, including national security information

"That sounds like someone refusing to investigate security clearances."

Correct. Specifically, intelligence community IG Atkinson explaining how he cannot investigate any improper security clearances Trump gave to Kushner and Ivanka, unless Trump asks for it himself.

"That's just stupid."

And, yet, here we are.

Naturally, Democratic Senators have asked Trump to do just that.

The senator's Wednesday letter to Trump points to reports that individuals have been granted temporary access to extremely sensitive intelligence without undergoing a complete background investigation, and that the White House has extended these temporary clearances beyond the usual six-month time frame.

The letter also alludes to NBC News reporting that officials in the White House security office overruled unfavorable adjudication recommendations by career security professionals in more than 30 cases, including that of Kushner and Ivanka Trump, and that officials in the Executive Office of the President have threatened to revoke former officials' eligibility for access to classified information for reasons other than the adjudicative guidelines.

NBC News reported in January that Kushner's application for a top-secret clearance was rejected by two career White House security specialists after an FBI background check raised concerns about potential foreign influence on him — but their supervisor overruled the recommendation and approved the clearance, according to two sources familiar with the matter. NBC News later reported that career officials were also overruled when they balked at giving Ivanka Trump a top-secret clearance.

Kushner's was one of at least 30 cases in which a supervisor overruled career security experts and approved a top-secret clearance for incoming Trump officials despite unfavorable information, the two sources said. They said the number of rejections that were overruled was unPresidented.

The New York Times reported in February that President Trump ordered his chief of staff to grant Kushner a top-secret security clearance

Bolded for emphasis.

[cubby]

Once again, it's time for Guess the Speaker!

The authority over access to classified information ultimately rests with the President of the United States. It is well-established that the President of the United States has broad latitude concerning the process through which security clearances are granted, transferred, or revoked, as well as broad flexibility in determining whom to choose as his advisors and to what extent those advisors may gain access to information, including national security information

"That sounds like someone refusing to investigate security clearances."

Correct. Specifically, intelligence community IG Atkinson explaining how he cannot investigate any improper security clearances Trump gave to Kushner and Ivanka, unless Trump asks for it himself.

"That's just stupid."

And, yet, here we are.

Naturally, Democratic Senators have asked Trump to do just that.

The senator's Wednesday letter to Trump points to reports that individuals have been granted temporary access to extremely sensitive intelligence without undergoing a complete background investigation, and that the White House has extended these temporary clearances beyond the usual six-month time frame.

The letter also alludes to NBC News reporting that officials in the White House security office overruled unfavorable adjudication recommendations by career security professionals in more than 30 cases, including that of Kushner and Ivanka Trump, and that officials in the Executive Office of the President have threatened to revoke former officials' eligibility for access to classified information for reasons other than the adjudicative guidelines.

NBC News reported in January that Kushner's application for a top-secret clearance was rejected by two career White House security specialists after an FBI background check raised concerns about potential foreign influence on him — but their supervisor overruled the recommendation and approved the clearance, according to two sources familiar with the matter. NBC News later reported that career officials were also overruled when they balked at giving Ivanka Trump a top-secret clearance.

Kushner's was one of at least 30 cases in which a supervisor overruled career security experts and approved a top-secret clearance for incoming Trump officials despite unfavorable information, the two sources said. They said the number of rejections that were overruled was unPresidented.

The New York Times reported in February that President Trump ordered his chief of staff to grant Kushner a top-secret security clearance

Bolded for emphasis.

And remember that Jared is basically in the back pocket of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince. So "yay" for constant and consistent security leaks to our "allies".

[Benggaul]

I'm almost impressed at the level of pettiness here.

For me nothing beats him having a White House bike parking spot removed that Obama had installed. Unheard of levels of pettiness.

[Dontrike]

For me nothing beats him having a White House bike parking spot removed that Obama had installed. Unheard of levels of pettiness.

Motorcycle or bicycle?

[Breccia]

Increasingly blatant Trump cronie Lindsey Graham is planning a vote today on a bill that would extend the amount of time families would be held in dog cages from 20 days to 100, amongst other things (such as extending the list of countries from which unaccompanied children would just be thrown back).

"So held without trial went from weeks to months. That sounds like he's covering for the Trump Administration's inability to get things moving at a reasonable schedule."

Yes, but the problem is, he's going to arrange a vote without minority members of his committee present.

"That's against the Senate rules."

He's going to do it anyhow.

"But the Democrats are boycotting."

Yes. Graham is going to have a vote to change the rules -- which apparently doesn't require minority voters present -- to change that minority voters need to be present.

"But if the Democrats don't show up, how are votes supposed to happen?"

Well, will this bill get through the Senate, getting 60 votes?

"Fuck, no."

And will it get through the Democrat-led House?

"Fuck, no."

Then what does changing the rules do?"

"Well, if the Democrats take the Senate in 2020...oh shit."

Yeah.

Now if you'll excuse me, there's someone's wife I have to bang in the shower. Let's just say, she wants s'more.

[Thekri]

I'm almost impressed at the level of pettiness here.

To be honest, I think I would rather lose a NAM because the president through a temper tantrum then actually have a NAM. It is much more unique, basically everyone has a couple of NAMs (Or AAMs for the Army), but I don't know anybody that lost a medal because the president saw a thing on Fox and Friends.

[Benggaul]

Lol what? Did that actually happen? I'm now actually impressed at his pettiness. So damn pathetic.

Motorcycle or bicycle?

https://www.washingtonian.com/2017/0...ide-perimeter/

[Dontrike]

https://www.washingtonian.com/2017/0...ide-perimeter/

Probably got rid of them as it reminded him that he's a fat fuck, and I'm sure Melania would have wanted him to work out and we all know he can't do that when shoveling KFC in his lie hole.

[Breccia]

So let's talk about Trump's plan for peace in the Middle East.

"The one we know nothing about?"

Yes. It's fucked.

At time of writing Trump has not yet released details of the plan, other than the monetary part (the Palestinians will be offered cash to leave, and the cash is to come from wealthy Muslim countries). And now, there's another pushback. See, Israeli elections are mid-Sept. Trump is deciding whether or not to release the details of this plan before the election.

"Wait, so, the Israelis are supposed to vote, based on what their candidate/party thinks about the peace plan, which they don't know about?"

Yes.

"That sounds a lot like 'I have a plan to end the Vietnam war, I will tell you after the election' Nixon-level of bullshit."

A little, yes. But there's a key difference. One, Trump's saying it for Israel, rather than Israel for itself. Two, Israel wasn't even invited to this because the other countries wouldn't show up if he did (Netanyahu's been fully briefed on what parts of the plan exist). For three, the UN isn't happy with the situation and isn't behind it, on account that the US has been violating international laws a lot recently (cough cough Iran cough) so the plan could be negated from the outside. And for four, some of the Muslim countries are already backing away and even Pence is already looking for who to blame when this fails.

[Paranoid Android]

Well another Trump story where in normal times you would be like, WTF?

Trump made up a story that he narrowly avoided boarding a helicopter that crashed and killed five people, according to a former longtime executive of the Trump Organization Barbara Res. https://t.co/zSoiRVKdjf

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/sta...655856640?s=19

Two Trump casino executives died in that 1989 helicopter crash: Steve Hyde and Mark Etess. Their families also know that Trump lied about avoiding the crash in order to get media attention for himself -- and instead of honoring his deceased partners and their grieving families.

https://twitter.com/TimOBrien/status...375030784?s=19

Always all about him.

[Gaexion Ramza Beoulve]

I just don't care anymore.

[Belize]

[IMG]https://i.redd.it/ku19dm8ytpd31.jpg[G]
I just don't care anymore.

I'm sorry about your condition.

[Breccia]

Always all about him.

Wait, didn't Trump mock Clinton for doing exactly this?

[Thekri]

Wait, didn't Trump mock Clinton for doing exactly this?

I don't think we have found a single example of Trump criticizing someone that he wasn't more guilty of what he was accusing. After all, this is a man that literally used chain migration to get his in-laws into the country...

[Edge-]

https://theintercept.com/2019/08/01/...plate-readers/

So this push for more border funding seems to partially come from...the companies that directly profit from that funding.

Drain the swamp?

[Felya]

I'm pretty sure Trump's whole presidency is just about further lining the pockets of rich people, tbh.

Yeah, that’s why everything he does to be populist is just divisive rhetoric. His policy screws over average Americans, but his division keeps a large portion of the country from questioning it. After all, to call out Trump lining the pockets of super wealthy, while leaving the cost on the tax payer through the deficit... would mean you support open borders and hate America.

[Zan15]

Wow are you linking the Dow at specific time periods to refer to economic growth in a political argument? I feel proud knowing this might be your first time.

SDid you miss the sp500 too?

When did the tax cuts take effect? Oh Jan 2018.

When was first tariff? Jan 2018.

When was the start of Trump's second year when the vast majority of economic measurements and individuals say a president policies start to take effect....oh Jan 2018.

Why would I not choose the point in which his major economic policies took hold??

You new around here son? We have spoken in much detail about his stock market performance, gdp fails and other economic impacts in multiple threads.

What date would you choose? Go back to day one?

Oh we've discussed that too. Same point in term

Dow
Obama 51.8.%
Trump 35.2%

47.2% better so far

Sp500

56.5 v 30.8%

83.4% better..


Hell his first full year gdp was just adjusted down to an anemic 2.6% from 2.9%

Gee why would I chose Jan 2018....

[kaelleria]

Trump is putting an additional 10% tarriff on $300 billion in goods starting September 1st.

The market reacted predictably -