Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Elegiac]

That has been their entire argument. It is like they are thinking that Biden has a time machine, from when he is president, to bring it back to when he isn't, to destroy Trump and his arguments. It doesn't make any fucking sense.

It makes perfect sense when you put it into this simple context.

The Party of Trump has doubled down on an electoral strategy of white identity politics to the point they genuinely struggle to find an angle of attack against a milquetoast neoliberal like Biden. Hence the need to invent outright fiction, because any criticism of Biden is immediately rendered hypocritical by Trump just existing.

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Completely not the point. Trump is denying that he had a "series of mini-strokes". The thing is, nobody else seems to have floated the idea that he HAD suffered a series of mini-strokes. Only "a stroke". The fact that he didn't say "No, I didn't have a stroke" but instead said "No, I didn't have mini-strokes" apparently without anyone having suggested the latter suggests a bit of a Freudian slip.

"Series of mini-strokes" honestly does sound like jargon one would repeat from your GP, so the notion that it might confirm there have been visits to that effect holds water, I agree.

[s_bushido]

It really is weird that they're using images from Trump's America to warn us about Biden's America.

This is Donald "I don't take responsibility at all" Trump's sycophants we're talking about. But at least it's good to know that they think Biden would be the more responsible leader when it comes to things that might happen on his watch. Sounds like a ringing endorsement to me...

[Felya]

It really is weird that they're using images from Trump's America to warn us about Biden's America.

I predict that a big talking point after the first debate, will be Biden reminding Trump that he has been president for over 3 years. Remember when it was Trump supporters saying, “Trump is president, deal with it”? Touché...

Oh and my credential for my predictions... they call me... Nostradumbass...

[masterhorus8]

I predict that a big talking point after the first debate, will be Biden reminding Trump that he has been president for over 3 years. Remember when it was Trump supporters saying, “Trump is president, deal with it”? Touché...

Oh and my credential for my predictions... they call me... Nostradumbass...

You can't take others' nicknames. Someone else on these forums has that.

[Felya]

You can't take others' nicknames. Someone else on these forums has that.

Fine... Edgar Cayce-Shit...

[Radux]

I know others have posted the soup thing. But here's the relevant bit + the official transcript from whitehouse.gov:

In cities across the nation, we’ve also seen police officers assaulted with bricks, rocks, bats, Molotov cocktails, frozen bottles of water. Somebody said last night, one of the protesters — I saw it — he said, “It’s only water. How can water hurt you?” Yeah, they don’t say it’s frozen, in a bottle the size of a football. And they throw it at the police. It’s unbelievable. “It’s water.”

And then they have cans of soup. Soup. And they throw the cans of soup. That’s better than a brick because you can’t throw a brick; it’s too heavy. But a can of soup, you can really put some power into that, right?

MR. MCHALE: Yes, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: And then, when they get caught, they say, “No, this is soup for my family.” They’re so innocent. “This is soup for my family.” It’s incredible. And you have people coming over with bags of soup — big bags of soup. And they lay it on the ground, and the anarchists take it and they start throwing it at our cops, at our police. And if it hits you, that’s worse than a brick because that’s got force. It’s the perfect size. It’s, like, made perfect.

And when they get caught, they say, “No, this is just soup for my family.” And then the media says, “This is just soup. These people are very, very innocent. They’re innocent people. These are just protesters. Isn’t it wonderful to allow protesting?” No, there’s — and, by the way, the media knows it better than we do. They know what’s going on. I don’t know what’s wrong with them. They’re doing our country a tremendous disservice — I’ll say that.

Source

I just...

This is the only reasonable response, I feel, for that... whatever that was.

[Edge-]

#WeaponizedSoup is a danger to this democracy and should be outlawed! I see no Constitutional Right to being armed with cans of soup anywhere.

[Felya]

I know others have posted the soup thing. But here's the relevant bit + the official transcript from whitehouse.gov:



Source

I just...

This is the only reasonable response, I feel, for that... whatever that was.

Where they Goya cans?

[DingDongKing]

I'm unfortunately now waiting for #SoupKitchenGate.

Some QAnon nutters decide to raid Soup Kitchens claiming the centres are now radical leftist recruitment cells.

[Radux]

What kind of bricks do you guys have that you can't throw them?

Big bricks. The best. It's really incredible. You've probably not seen anything like them.

[Edge-]

What kind of bricks do you guys have that you can't throw them and have to resort to tins of canned soup?

We just have the fake kind you put keys in. It's why our houses fall down all the time, those things can't bear a load worth a shit.

[Edge-]

He also says a can of soup has more force than a brick.... This man lives in a very strange world.

You just don't understand fluid dynamics, bro. When you throw it, the fluid inside is moving at the speed of the object, so when it hits a person that fluid is jarred to the front of the can where it impacted, causing a secondary impact that can do even more damage than the initial impact.

Lots of people say it's more dangerous. Very smart people. They talk about it all the time. That's why the US will be convening a special Soup Advisory Committee to investigate ways to de-weaponize canned soup. Campbell and and Progresso are two of the biggest contributors to domestic terrorism in the US and it must be stopped!

Man, I'm kinda getting into this roleplay.

[Felya]

I'm unfortunately now waiting for #SoupKitchenGate.

Some QAnon nutters decide to raid Soup Kitchens claiming the centres are now radical leftist recruitment cells.

I had this post typed out, minus the hashtag, but thought it was in bad taste. But... yeah... I was thinking the same thing...

[Elegiac]

Patton Oswalt authored a very, very thoughtful and poignant post. Yes I follow Chrissy Teigen, shush.

Anyway...

Donald forced America to live in the only reality HE'S comfortable in.

Everyone's huddled at home, watching TV, eating takeout food, clumsily promoting themselves on Zoom and TikTok just to stay alive. The only people allowed outside are people he never sees or acknowledges, the ones who replace the water bottle and cedar shavings in the hamster pen he loves.

The act of quietly creating something you like, and then having it speak for itself? Loathsome to him. Horrifying. He's ended all of that. He hates movies, is indifferent to music, even kind of hates sports - because none of them celebrate him. So...they're gone. A FEW live concerts are allowed - defiant, angry, super-spreader death-throngs that celebrate the "fake plague" reality he's decreed. The sports that are played in empty stadiums full of cut-outs like Rupert Pupkin's basement, which is how Donald interacts with the world in his mind. Small businesses? A quiet, contented person who just wants to run a little used book store or bike shop or boxing gym or restaurant because that's what they love, and could care less about GLOBAL DOMINATION? Wiped off the face off the face of the earth. Donald can't stand that. Artisans. Craft. Skills and soul. Hates them. So they're gone.

We are literally living in Donald's curdled reality, now and forever. And it isn't that he enjoys (or hates or even feels anything for) endless TV and take-out food and self-promotion and bragging in the place of competence and mastery. The joy comes from seeing how miserable everyone else is. He doesn't want to run around with the other kids playing soccer or hide and seek - but it tickles him to no end to have his dad call the cops and ruin everyone's chill, goofy fun.

Finally, everyone experiences the world the way lonely, spiteful little Donald does, the way he has his whole life. An endless, terrified hustle.

Damning an indictment of Trump's lack of character as it is, I would like to politely remind folks that the society and economy that enables him to live this lifestyle as an aspiration means this is not solely about a lack of character - It's about a lack of soul on the part of this country, quite frankly. I don't think it's a coincidence that the holder of the Presidency is an anti-intellectual racist who hates educated people because he doesn't like not being the smartest person in the room, who hates art because he doesn't care to understand it or assign it monetary value, and who is absolutely intolerant of contradiction to the point reality itself must bend to service his belief.

Anyone who has worked in customer service and interacted with a Boomer knows the type. Like I said...hardly a coincidence that this environment produced this President.

[DingDongKing]

I had this post typed out, minus the hashtag, but thought it was in bad taste. But... yeah... I was thinking the same thing...

The problem is that they will literally go that low. Because for them it's two birds one stone, right? Denigrate poor people AND own the libs.

[DingDongKing]

Yes I follow Chrissy Teigen, shush.

I have a massive crush on Chrissy Teigen. She's lovely.

[Edge-]

If I see any of this become reality, I'm blaming you!

No. I don't take responsibility at all.

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https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donal...b6250f655c1ca8

In the world of President Donald Trump, he has paid his respects to “many, many” returning soldiers killed in the line of duty, with daughter and top presidential aide Ivanka Trump adding that “each time” she has stood by his side at one of these ceremonies, it has hardened his resolve to bring troops home.

In the real world, Trump has traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware exactly four times ― fewer than half as many times as his vice president ― and avoided going at all for nearly two years after getting berated for his incompetence by the father of a slain Navy SEAL, according to a former White House aide who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Bill Owens, the father of William “Ryan” Owens, refused to shake Trump’s hand at that Feb. 1, 2017, encounter, the aide said, and then told Trump that he was responsible for his son’s death for approving the disastrous raid in Yemen without bothering to understand the risks.

“He refused to go back for two years, he was so rattled,” the aide said, adding that the main reason Trump had approved the raid just five days after taking office was that predecessor Barack Obama had refused to do so.

Reminder: Trump has no respect for our troops that serve the country and that he orders into harms way.

[Breccia]

So as we investi--

Fauci debunks theories of low CDC coronavirus death toll: ‘There are 180,000-plus deaths’ in U.S.

Nevermind, looks like we're done here.

[Breccia]

So...this could be interesting.

Trump enacted this law, which allows the CDC to impose measures as they deemed necessary to prevent the spread of disease.

"Makes sense, we're in a lethal pandemic."

Yes, but it's being used to make evictions illegal, for people who can't afford to pay. For example, because they lost their job. Because of the lethal outbreak.

"I mean...there's some logic to that, I guess."

The law specifically calls out being used when state health care is inadequate. State health care does not cover rent or mortgage payments. Basically, Trump is using FEMA to cover unemployment, or stealing military pensions for Wall funding, again. And quite frankly, neither of those worked all that well.

The law doesn't actually say anything about paying anyone which (a) threatens its use in this way and (b) means you'd still have to pay all the money, even if you leave, so this is like the tax deferrment. And I don't even know if this affects civil contracts.

"You act like blocking evictions is a bad thing. California's been doing it a while now and you didn't complain."

Well their law was specifically written to do that. That isn't using the CDC as a crowbar to open a jar of pickles.

"But you still act like delaying evictions is a bad idea."

Look, I'm okay with removing a nest of hornets from your property, I don't recommend doing it with a flamethrower. It's possible that a landlord will challenge it in court, win, and people counting on it have it yanked out from under them. If Trump wanted to make evictions illegal, he had options to do that. This is HR 7301, which has an eviction ban. Passed the House, June 29. It extends the eviction ban in the CARES Act till March 2021 (yes, longer than Trump's action). There's more like it in the Pelosi bill, yes the massive $3 trillion one that Trump refused to even negotiate. Trump's counteroffers never included eviction bans. McConnell has no plan at all. However, within hours of Pelosi and Schumer calling on McConnell to do his job on the topic, Trump decides the CDC can do this -- without funding.

Even good intentions can have poor execution. If Trump really wanted to end evictions, waiting until after he was publicly shamed for inaction, then declaring National Security Lol -- an action that will likely have the same poor track record in the courts as everything else he's done -- isn't a solution to brag about. Not by a reasonable person, at least.

[Benggaul]

41,979 new cases, nearly 2k more than the previous Tuesday.

Texas: 4,967 new cases; 153 deaths
California: 4,298 new cases; 145 deaths
Fuck Florida.
Georgia: 2,226 new cases; 101 deaths
North Carolina: 2,216 new cases; 44 deaths
Alabama: 1,558 new cases; 18 deaths
Illinois: 1,492 new cases; 38 deaths
Ohio: 1,423 new cases; 26 deaths
Missouri: 1,411 new cases; 22 deaths
Tennessee: 1,396 new cases; 27 deaths
New York: 1,330 new cases; 9 deaths
Virginia: 1,021 new cases; 32 deaths

So, notice something? I mean besides the fact that I didn't mention Florida posted over 7k cases but half of those are "backlog"...oh and 190 deaths. New York is back on the list, breaking 1k for the first time since the middle of July and it's nearly double what they've averaged for the past month or so. The majority of them are in Suffolk county, Long Island. This has the potential to get scary again soon depending on how it's handled there. New York City is just too densely packed to fuck around. This may be just a blip, but you don't want to see blips in high-pop areas. New York's already been through enough.

1,164 deaths is down around 100 from the previous week, putting the total at 188,900. Chances are good it will crest 190k tomorrow and certain it'll be there by Thursday. New cases are bound to surge nationwide in a few weeks in areas where schools just aren't able to keep their students and staff safe, and the fact that we're still not seeing death counts regularly under 1k leaves me pessimistic that we'll have those hospitals cleared for the new wave once it starts peaking.

Stay safe, folks.