Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[PACOX]

There's actually a federal court order against the ban, he cannot implement it but we know how Trump feels about courts and laws.

Im aware. Im guessing this new development is different from a legal standpoint (like his Muslim bans) but basically the same thing.

[zorkuus]

There's actually a federal court order against the ban, he cannot implement it but we know how Trump feels about courts and laws.

Aslong as he says the ban is happening, his most die hard followers will believe it. It's not like they're going to double check the claim.

[masterhorus8]

Aslong as he says the ban is happening, his most die hard followers will believe it. It's not like they're going to double check the claim.

TBF, look how much his travel ban stopped all of the terrorist attacks. /s

[Breccia]

The biggest spending bill loser: President Trump

President Donald Trump lost — bigly — when Congress voted for a $1.3 trillion spending bill that repudiates many of his top policy goals and much of his rhetoric.

He didn't get the money he wanted for a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico or a provision cutting off federal funds for "sanctuary cities." Lawmakers not only ignored his fiscal 2018 budget's elimination of scores of federal programs, they increased spending for many of those on his target list. And Congress provided seed cash for a New York-New Jersey tunnel project that Trump tried to kill.

The list of ways in which Congress rejected Trump's priorities — save a massive buildup in defense spending — is nearly as long as the 2,232-page bill that policy wonks are still studying.

More stunning, perhaps, was the way Republicans and Democrats both teamed up to cross out items on Trump's wish list. Almost exactly three-fifths of each party's caucus in the House voted for the so-called omnibus spending bill Thursday, while in the Senate 39 Democrats, 25 Republicans and one independent — Sen. Angus King of Maine — voted for it early Friday morning.

Perhaps that helps explain why, after White House officials and congressional Republican leaders swore up and down this week that Trump would sign the bill, he tweeted Friday morning that he was "considering a VETO" of it.

Trump found himself in a lose-lose political box: accept a bill palatable to most Democrats and Republicans but not his base — or reject it, and risk more serious political damage by taking an extreme position at a time when his party is facing a tough electoral battlefield for control of the House.

That is: Things turned out badly for him. But by vetoing a bill that had such broad, bipartisan support, he could have made things even worse.

So, grudgingly, he announced at the White House Friday afternoon that he would bless it — even as he declared he would “never sign another bill like this again.”

“I was thinking about doing the veto,” he said. “But because of the incredible gains that we’ve been able to make for the military, that overrode any of our thinking.”

Trump left GOP leaders no choice but to write legislation that would attract Democratic votes while irritating the president and alienating GOP hard-liners — a model that is likely to stick if Trump can't either unify the Republican Party on legislative items or find ways to lure moderate Democrats away from their own leaders.

"President Trump has done little or nothing to consistently build relationships across party lines — or the tools necessary to pressure Democrats, even in red states," said Michael Steel, a former House Republican leadership aide. "Plus, he hasn’t been willing or able to get votes from recalcitrant conservative Republicans to pass bills on a party line vote, and avoid going to Democrats for their support. As a result, bipartisan support is necessary for a ‘must-pass’ bill, and the president doesn’t always get his way."

Trump was ambivalent enough about the outcome earlier this week that House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had to remind him of what he'd gained in military spending — and why he'd had to give ground on other policies — before he seemed to endorse the bill publicly.

"They had a good conversation about the wins delivered for the president, and [Trump] is supportive of the bill," Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong said Wednesday when it was reported that her boss had an unannounced meeting with the president. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders issued a similar statement. And, hours later, Trump declared his position on Twitter.

NBC takes a break at this point to remind everyone that, despite Trump's tweet, no, the budget did not have Wall money. It, in fact, prohibited the money included for security to build any form of concrete barrier. Fences were okay.

In fact, NBC News has an entire separate article you can read here about how wrong Trump is.

If the White House and Republicans on Capitol Hill had their druthers, Pelosi's backing wouldn't be necessary to keep the government running. After all, they've shaped their midterm campaign strategy around telling voters she's too extreme for the country.

But Republicans are divided enough that GOP leaders needed Democrats to govern, which gave the opposition enough leverage to block many of Trump's top policy goals. And that, in turn, clearly infuriated Trump.

Kenneth Baer, a former associate director of the White House Office of Management and Budget under President Barack Obama, cast the whole situation as a major political failure for the GOP.

"In a world in which one party controls both houses of Congress and the presidency, you'd expect that the president would get a vast majority of his budget priorities," Baer said. "The fact that he did not is a sign of how out of step Trump is from congressional Republicans, how incompetent his White House is — or both."

Bolded for emphasis.

[Dontrike]

Doubt it. Trump doesn't listen, especially to negative critics. He's just throwing a temper tantrum, because nothing he tried to do for the last few weeks worked.

Last few weeks? Try the last 16 months, outside of the tax cuts.

[Templar 331]

Aslong as he says the ban is happening, his most die hard followers will believe it. It's not like they're going to double check the claim.

And the ones that do check it will say "COURTS DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE LAWS!!"

[Skroe]

The biggest spending bill loser: President Trump



NBC takes a break at this point to remind everyone that, despite Trump's tweet, no, the budget did not have Wall money. It, in fact, prohibited the money included for security to build any form of concrete barrier. Fences were okay.

In fact, NBC News has an entire separate article you can read here about how wrong Trump is.



Bolded for emphasis.

And it's worth saying, that the defense build up isn't even a "Trump" thing. I've been saying that Democrats and Republicans alike have wanted it for years, and it was largely blocked by Obama.

I mean, consider the Democratic delegation from Conettticut. Their state is one of the big Nuclear Submarine Builders. They're about to get a truckload of money from the Federal Government to build more subs, faster. Do they vote against more defense dollars to their home states? Hrmmmm. That's a toughy....

So it's fair to say, Trump got utterly rolled and that insofar as Domestic Policy is concerned, big picture things, his Presidency is all but over. He can only do small, hurtful, spiteful things now. Things that don't require money from Congress. That's still tremendous damage he can do, but it's not like his mad plan to Gut the government from top to bottom is happening.

I don't even know why Presidents bother with those Budget REquests anymore. Democrats and Republicans ignored Obama's works of fiction after 2010. Democrats and Republicans didn't even bother to debate Trumps' PBR. The entire exercise is progressively stupid. The 2018 omnibuss looks like most budgets going back to 2014, plussed up in some areas that needed it. It's the bill that can pass, annually. Why do we have to engage in this ridiculous exercise where we pretend it will somehow be different?

[Travis B]

The Simpsons released a new short about Trump:



The newspaper headlines are pretty funny:

TRUMP ATTACKS NRA, BACKS DREAMERS
TRUMP BACKS NRA, ATTACKS DREAMERS
PUTIN NAMES SELF U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE
KIM JONG-UN TO BE ON NEXT APPRENTICE
JARED LOSES ACCESS TO IVANKA
TRUMP TWEETS ACTUAL FACT BY MISTAKE

[Templar 331]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...rVL?li=BBnb7Kz

"Red Wedding" anyone?

[Stormspellz]

And it's worth saying, that the defense build up isn't even a "Trump" thing. I've been saying that Democrats and Republicans alike have wanted it for years, and it was largely blocked by Obama.

I mean, consider the Democratic delegation from Conettticut. Their state is one of the big Nuclear Submarine Builders. They're about to get a truckload of money from the Federal Government to build more subs, faster. Do they vote against more defense dollars to their home states? Hrmmmm. That's a toughy....

So it's fair to say, Trump got utterly rolled and that insofar as Domestic Policy is concerned, big picture things, his Presidency is all but over. He can only do small, hurtful, spiteful things now. Things that don't require money from Congress. That's still tremendous damage he can do, but it's not like his mad plan to Gut the government from top to bottom is happening.

I don't even know why Presidents bother with those Budget REquests anymore. Democrats and Republicans ignored Obama's works of fiction after 2010. Democrats and Republicans didn't even bother to debate Trumps' PBR. The entire exercise is progressively stupid. The 2018 omnibuss looks like most budgets going back to 2014, plussed up in some areas that needed it. It's the bill that can pass, annually. Why do we have to engage in this ridiculous exercise where we pretend it will somehow be different?

I disagree, his plan to gut the government is working, take the not so small number of career diplomats that have left service in just a year and the general state of chaos the secretary of state's office is. The same is happening with all the major agencies, literal decades of work is being chopped at the knees.

[Skroe]

I disagree, his plan to gut the government is working, take the not so small number of career diplomats that have left service in just a year and the general state of chaos the secretary of state's office is. The same is happening with all the major agencies, literal decades of work is being chopped at the knees.

Hiring bonuses will be able to regenerate that down the line faster than you may think. Government service is a calling. My brother for example, a New York City ADA, wants nothing more than to be Federal Prosecutor. But he will not be it under Jeff Sessions and Trump. Any miscellaneous Republican? Sure. Not these two jackals though. His entire office is like that. He has no interest in a private law firm or anything. He wants to make a difference and fight evil.

With Trump out of the picture, an all-hands on deck call for help, and a big bag of money, I think you'll see a relatively rapid reconstitution.

[Stormspellz]

Hiring bonuses will be able to regenerate that down the line faster than you may think. Government service is a calling. My brother for example, a New York City ADA, wants nothing more than to be Federal Prosecutor. But he will not be it under Jeff Sessions and Trump. Any miscellaneous Republican? Sure. Not these two jackals though. His entire office is like that. He has no interest in a private law firm or anything. He wants to make a difference and fight evil.

With Trump out of the picture, an all-hands on deck call for help, and a big bag of money, I think you'll see a relatively rapid reconstitution.

lets hope you are right.

[Glnger]

I really hope Mueller has Trump's twitter account suspended before he brings charges

[Dontrike]

I really hope Mueller has Trump's twitter account suspended before he brings charges

I hope not. If it gets banned before it we'll miss out on so many rants and tantrums and Trump digging himself deeper.

[Stormspark]

I hope not. If it gets banned before it we'll miss out on so many rants and tantrums and Trump digging himself deeper.

I've said it before...I'd like an exception to be made and allow Trump to tweet from jail. It would be better than the best stand up comedians.

[Dontrike]

I've said it before...I'd like an exception to be made and allow Trump to tweet from jail. It would be better than the best stand up comedians.

Trump Twitter: "Gave cell mate a blowie for 6 cigarettes. Best trade deal ever made. Low energy from cell mate. No Listerine. Sad."

[Zan15]

Lol this is so true

[Breccia]

GOP Congressman bla bla bla decides not to run bla bla bla continuing the record-breaking number of bla bla bla increasingly Democratic voters bla bla bla Costello (R-PA) this time.

[Dontrike]

GOP Congressman bla bla bla decides not to run bla bla bla continuing the record-breaking number of bla bla bla increasingly Democratic voters bla bla bla Costello (R-PA) this time.

A.K.A "Not runnying because I won't win" cliche.

[draynay]

Now that the districts are being drawn sensibly its just no fun any more.