Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Belize]

Apparently Trumps lawyers are arguing in court that since Trump hasn't divested from the Trump Organization and still owns it, his businesses can't be investigated for anything while he's president, either.

Yeah... That's not exactly the amazing argument they think it is.
Especially to admit that he hasn't actually divested, and still runs his businesses.

[Xyonai]

Trump using the term "Never Trumper".

It's so endearing, funny and scary, at the same time.

Cult of Personality, anyone?

To be fair, they've been calling themselves that too. Just ask Skroe.

[Elegiac]

Yeah... That's not exactly the amazing argument they think it is.
Especially to admit that he hasn't actually divested, and still runs his businesses.

Pfft it's not like the constitution forbids taking emoluments while President or something you rube. Lol.

...Wait.

[Xyonai]

Yeah... That's not exactly the amazing argument they think it is.
Especially to admit that he hasn't actually divested, and still runs his businesses.

Ah yes, the ol' 'You can't ask for the taxes of these businesses I'm still running, both despite saying I would divest and it being a violation of the emulous clause' defense. What a classic.

[Zaydin]

Yeah... That's not exactly the amazing argument they think it is.
Especially to admit that he hasn't actually divested, and still runs his businesses.

Their argument boils down to 'Because Trump is violating the Constitution, he can't be investigated for it'.

Would have been hilarious if the judges laughed Trumps lawyers out of the court room for that.

Of course you know that if it were lawyers for a Democratic president making these arguments, the GOP would have thrown a fit.

[Santti]

To be fair, they've been calling themselves that too. Just ask Skroe.

Oh I know. But that's not what makes it so funny. And scary. And endearing.

It's that Trump is categorizing his allies and opponents this way himself.

[Thekri]

To be fair, they've been calling themselves that too. Just ask Skroe.

Yeah, I have used the term to describe myself before as well. It is just an easier way to communicate my position then "Conservative with actual integrity", because those conservatives without integrity still claim to have it. So Never Trumper is a fairly convenient way of expressing that in no universe will I ever bow the knee and place the whims of a narcissistic moron over the good of the country.

[Xyonai]

Oh I know. But that's not what makes it so funny. And scary. And endearing.

It's that Trump is categorizing his allies and opponents this way himself.

In this instance, I'll label it less outright maliciousness and more his unwillingness to devote his already strained, limited mental faculties on trying to call them anything else. Of course, it just continues to make him look like a deranged idiot, but that's not stopped him before.

[Skroe]

To be fair, they've been calling themselves that too. Just ask Skroe.

I mean it's a good question how many #NeverTrumpers are left. Most of us bailed on the party some time ago. Very few I don't think. There is no saving the Republican Party as we know it. There is no reason to stay in it.

I'm a registered independent for the first time since 2002.

The Republican Party isn't even the conservative party anymore. It's the Power party. It's only agenda is the consolidation of power to corruptly enrich itself. It's not even a liberal democratic party anymore. It's clearly become what the "managed democracy" form of government alternative looks like, but in American form.

They will stand by and let authoritarianism take root here, if it means holding onto power.

[Edge-]

https://arstechnica.com/information-...romised-again/

An internal White House memo published today by Axios reveals that recent changes to the information operations and security organizations there have left the security team in tumult, with many members headed for the door. And the chief of the White House's computer network defense branch—who wrote the memo after submitting his resignation—warned that the White House was likely headed toward another network compromise and theft of data.

The White House Office of the Chief Information Security Officer was set up after the 2014 breach of an unclassified White House network by Russian intelligence—a breach discovered by a friendly foreign government. But in a July reorganization, the OCISO was dissolved and its duties placed under the White House Office of the Chief Information Officer, led by the new CIO Roger L. Stone. Stone pulled from the ranks of the National Security Council where he was deputy senior director for resilience policy. (Stone is not related to indicted Republican political consultant Roger J. Stone.)

The resulting changes have put an emphasis more on convenience than security. The Office of Administration at the White House has reportedly been purging information security staffers while responsibility for cybersecurity is outsourced from the streamlined IT operations team. In August, White House CISO Joe Schatz left the White House for a tech consulting job. And according to the memo, senior security experts have been leaving en masse since then as the White House has become increasingly hostile to the information security team.

“Targeted for removal”
"It is my express opinion that the remaining incumbent OCISO staff is being systematically targeted for removal from the Office of Administration," departing White House network defense branch chief Dimitrios Vastakis wrote in the memo. The security team had seen incentive pay revoked, scope of duties cut, and access to systems and facilities reduced, Vastakis noted. Staffers' "positions with strategic and tactical decision making authorities" had also been revoked. "In addition, habitually being hostile to incumbent OCISO staff has become a staple tactic for the new leadership... it has forced the majority of [senior civil servant] OCSIO staff to resign."

Vastakis warned that the transferal of virtually all of the White House's cybersecurity operations to the White House Communications Agency—a Defense Department organization that falls under the Defense Information Systems Agency—was in "direct conflict" with the advice of the Office of Administration's general counsel. He added that it also puts information required to be preserved by the Presidential Records Act outside of the Executive Office of the President's oversight.

"Considering the level of network access and privileged capabilities that cybersecurity staff had," Vastakis wrote, "it is highly concerning that the entire cybersecurity apparatus is being handed over to non-PRA entities."

In closing, Vastakis warned, "Allowing for a large portion of institutional knowledge to concurrently walk right out the front door seems contrary to the best interests of the mission and the organization as a whole." And reflecting on the previous vulnerabilities in White House IT operations, he noted, "given all the changes I've seen in the last three months, I foresee the White House is posturing itself to be electronically compromised once again."

Cool, so the Trump administration is functionally gutting the White House cybersecurity team.

Wonder if he'll hire his kid to run it now, I've heard he's very good with the cyber.

Again. Trump. Is. A. National. Security. Risk.

[Shadowferal]

Trump is bought and paid for by Putin.
So he's simply doing what he's told; fuck over the US as much as he can.

[Skroe]

SO this is hilarious.
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1187104954504433666
The president said a couple minutes ago, "We're building a wall in Colorado. We're building a beautiful wall. A big one that really works."

Senator Leahy responded with this:
https://twitter.com/SenatorLeahy/sta...17375008755712



Yes. That's a map. And that's a sharpie. And it gives part of the US back to Mexico by crossing out "New" in "New Mexico". A state Trump wants to win in 2020.
An an epic, epic, epic troll by a sitting Senator. I don't think I've seen a troll quite so economical on this forum and it's over run with them. It's beautiful .


Looks like New Mexico is becoming Old Mexico, again boys! Anyone have any comments? Anybody? Anybody from New...errr... I guess its just Mexico now, have anything to add?

Anybody? Thoughts?

Leahy had a word:


(yes that's him)

[Kiri]

Trump is bought and paid for by Putin.
So he's simply doing what he's told; fuck over the US as much as he can.

Well, if he truly was, it would be borderline economical, ironically. Don't need cybersecurity if he doesn't need to hack you since you'd share willingly.

[Edge-]

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article...-asylum-seeker

Remember Roxsana Hernandez? The transgender asylum seeker who died in ICE custody?

Yeah, the surveilance footage is gone. ICE deleted it because they don't store footage for more than 90 days. Even if someone dies, apparently, and even if the family requests an independent autopsy that's generally a precursor to potential legal action.

[Zaktar]

Apparently Trumps lawyers are arguing in court that since Trump hasn't divested from the Trump Organization and still owns it, his businesses can't be investigated for anything while he's president, either.

Are they trying to argue that the US government owns his businesses now? If so, can we please change the name, feel it hurts the brand. Who do I write my suggestions to?

[Tazkar]

Trump thinks Colorado is a border state and that they’re building a wall there.

https://mobile.twitter.com/TwitterMo...49660131078146

Seriously, how have they not removed this neurologically degenerating criminal yet? Why do the GOP keep defending him?

Because of decades of Fox News indoctrinating the GOP base to believe Democrats are evil and out to destroy America. To the point that they see Trump as amazing despite his blatant ineptitude.

[Thekri]

Trump thinks Colorado is a border state and that they’re building a wall there.

https://mobile.twitter.com/TwitterMo...49660131078146

Seriously, how have they not removed this neurologically degenerating criminal yet? Why do the GOP keep defending him?

Going to make New Mexico pay for it I presume.

[D Luniz]

Trump thinks Colorado is a border state and that they’re building a wall there.

https://mobile.twitter.com/TwitterMo...49660131078146

Seriously, how have they not removed this neurologically degenerating criminal yet? Why do the GOP keep defending him?

its the in for a penny, in for a pound at this point

if Trump goes down, there WILL be a blue ribbon commission to review this train wreck, and alot of people are going to be exposed as being toadies for something that will see them chased out like Sarah Sanders from a restaurant.

[Celista]

Got a good laugh out of "we're building a wall in Colorado" today. Hello OT-Pol.

[Breccia]

The president said a couple minutes ago, "We're building a wall in Colorado. We're building a beautiful wall. A big one that really works."

"And Utah will pay for it".

Looking forward to the What He Bouldered Was.

Also, remember when Trump called Never Trumpers "human scum"?

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) criticized President Trump's recent tweet calling "Never Trump" Republicans "human scum."

"To call anybody human scum is beneath the office of the presidency. You can't say that, right? You're the president. You have different standards," Kinzinger said in a CNN interview.

"Sometimes you'll hear people say, 'Well this congressman said this once,'" he added. "Yeah, nobody should say anything like this. But I think there's a different level when you're the president of the United States. You have a different responsibility, and that's why I'm outspoken about it."

The lawmaker called on his colleagues to "talk to each other as grownups."

"We need to just have conversations, and I'm going to say this to my colleagues on my side and the other side of the aisle," Kinzinger said. "By calling names and screaming and yelling and demonstrating, you never win anybody to your side. You just make your base happy, but you're not actually doing anything effective."

- - - Updated - - -

Wait, there's this one:

Well this is awkward...Colorado doesn’t border Mexico. Good thing Colorado now offers free full day kindergarten so our kids can learn basic geography
-- the Governor of Colorado