Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Edge-]

I wasn't aware that Trump developed the covid vaccine!!!

He did that in between suggesting people inject sunlight or bleach into themselves to fight covid.

[Milchshake]

For fucks sake, in the year of our lord 2025, stop using the Rogerian Rhetorical method from like 80 years ago.

You in fact never have to "hand it to Mistah Trump".
You in fact never have to "hand it to Mitch McConnell".

They give zero fucks about recieving credit from you. It wont ever ever change their mind. There's no payoff when you present your counter-argument after complimenting them.
Shit also has no comedic value. As a setup for a punchline, it got played-out years ago. Its why John Stewart had to retire the first time.

[Kathandira]

wtf?!

A "Michael Waltz has learned a lesson and is a good man,"

+

B "The White House Counsel's Office has provided guidance on a number of different platforms for President Trump's top officials to communicate as safely and efficiently
as possible,"

Does not equal

C "Karoline Leavitt confirmed the review on Tuesday, but said that that "no 'war plans' were discussed."

[Edge-]

A "Michael Waltz has learned a lesson and is a good man,"

+

B "The White House Counsel's Office has provided guidance on a number of different platforms for President Trump's top officials to communicate as safely and efficiently
as possible,"

Does not equal

C "Karoline Leavitt confirmed the review on Tuesday, but said that that "no 'war plans' were discussed."

republicans would be very upset if they could do math

but given the state of doge and how their math keeps failing to math (forgetting multiple zeroes etc.) i'm skeptical that they'll ever be able to do this equation

i think they're still currently arguing over what version of reality they want to create

[Breccia]

Even the rich people are not spending right now.

I mean, yeah, throw the housing market in, why not. At least the stock market is...oh, down for the day. Has recovered a small amount he's lost since he was inaugurated. Huh. I guess Trump backing off all the tariffs he said he would levy didn't actually do anything this time. "Fool me once, shame on...shame on you, fool me seven more more times...if you get fooled, you can't get fooled again."

By the way, we have an offiical WH response to the "just flat-out texted classified intel to a journalist" issue:

Democrats and their media allies have seemingly forgotten-

Okay yeah, I see where this is going. Reads like something @tehdang would write. Yeah, by having a several-page ranting session, the WH confirmed that this was all their fault, but they didn't want to be blamed for it, so they made up shit about Biden instead of saying "this was a mistake and we'll fix it".

Also, for added fun, it's time for Guess the Speaker!

Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people, and will not be tolerated.

Unfortunately, such leaks have become commonplace with no investigation or accountability. That ends now.

That is no other than Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's own Director of National Intelligence, as quoted here in an unrelated matter.

"Did it end now?"

I mean, I fail to see how "we voluntarily Reply-All'd to a well-known journalist" counts as a political leak. Unless she means "the journalist who had a whopper of a story handed to them with a ribbon" counts as "politically-motivated leak". I mean, I guess she could prove herself honest and, you know, investigate the people who copy-pasted in the journalist? Seems like they're the issue here.

[Edge-]

Also, for added fun, it's time for Guess the Speaker!



That is no other than Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's own Director of National Intelligence, as quoted here in an unrelated matter.

"Did it end now?"

I mean, I fail to see how "we voluntarily Reply-All'd to a well-known journalist" counts as a political leak. Unless she means "the journalist who had a whopper of a story handed to them with a ribbon" counts as "politically-motivated leak". I mean, I guess she could prove herself honest and, you know, investigate the people who copy-pasted in the journalist? Seems like they're the issue here.

I'm still 100% waiting for the social security database to be discovered on an unsecured AWS server in a few years, and it will have been discovered that it's been on that server for at least a year without even the basic "password1" password or whatever the default is nowadays.

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-h...lth-privacy-va

As the Department of Veterans Affairs calls staff working in telehealth into offices across the country, a widespread concern about lack of space has emerged. The change will compromise medical ethics and patients' privacy, clinicians and advocates at multiple VA locations told NPR.

Telehealth has become common in recent years among medical professionals — especially for mental health therapists — and the VA hired many clinicians on a remote basis. The practice allowed the VA to expand its reach of mental health services into rural areas.

Now, many say, leadership at the VA has described a working arrangement in which they will still be doing telehealth from open spaces in VA facilities. The VA leaders describe the proposed arrangement like a call center.

"What we've heard is that there's not even enough room for each person to come in one day a week, let alone five," says H, a mental health clinician who asked to be identified only by her initial, for fear of losing her job. "We've been told they're cleaning out closets, they're looking into purchasing headsets."

H and other mental health providers interviewed for this story say they don't see a way – even with the best headsets available – to provide patient privacy while practicing telehealth from an open space.

In an email response, VA spokesperson Peter Kasperowicz called privacy concerns "nonsensical."

"VA is no longer a place where the status quo for employees is to simply phone it in from home," Kasperowicz writes.

More in, "Donald and the Republican administration are waging a fairly wide-ranging war on US veterans by attacking them and the services they use."

Just a reminder to never support Republicans if you actually give a shit about taking care of our veterans. Republicans only care as long as they can be used as political props.

[Draco-Onis]

I'm still 100% waiting for the social security database to be discovered on an unsecured AWS server in a few years, and it will have been discovered that it's been on that server for at least a year without even the basic "password1" password or whatever the default is nowadays.

That's optimistic the way things are going I fully expect some snot nosed teenager to find government databases in starbucks or nuclear secrets in some bar that Pete Hegseth frequents in the next few weeks. These goofballs are speed running this shit.

[Edge-]

That's optimistic the way things are going I fully expect some snot nosed teenager to find government databases in starbucks or nuclear secrets in some bar that Pete Hegseth frequents in the next few weeks. These goofballs are speed running this shit.

i mean they already texted a journo their war plans and left him in the group chat and all so them bringing classified documents to the bar and then forgetting about them after a bender is absolutely a very real concern

pete really needs to have his AA sponsor tail him around 24/7.

[s_bushido]

pete really needs to have his AA sponsor tail him around 24/7.

Would be simpler if he was in prison where he belonged...

[Edge-]

huh

DNI Tulsi Gabbard apparently refused to state whether or not she was in the group chat multiple times.

Which sure seems like she, DNI Tulsi Gabbard, was in an unapproved group chat over an unsecure third party program, being used by people on their personal devices to discuss classified information, which included a journalist without clearance who was added on in error.

Just how deep does this security lapse go? Should anyone ever trust Republicans with security matters ever again? I don't think so personally, but that's just me.

[Doomcookie]

huh

DNI Tulsi Gabbard apparently refused to state whether or not she was in the group chat multiple times.

Which sure seems like she, DNI Tulsi Gabbard, was in an unapproved group chat over an unsecure third party program, being used by people on their personal devices to discuss classified information, which included a journalist without clearance who was added on in error.

Just how deep does this security lapse go? Should anyone ever trust Republicans with security matters ever again? I don't think so personally, but that's just me.

I would hate to overlook the fact that she admitted to being overseas during those communications, which presents an additional threat. One of the other members of the text chain was in Moscow for the exchange.

The real important part was that she didn't even seem to understand what her actual job description is.

Sadly, the head of the CIA did even worse, and neither of them could even explain what should, and should not be classified. It's also a fundamental part of their job descriptions.

[Edge-]

I would hate to overlook the fact that she admitted to being overseas during those communications, which presents an additional threat. One of the other members of the text chain was in Moscow for the exchange.

The real important part was that she didn't even seem to understand what her actual job description is.

Maybe she needs some smart guy glasses like Rick Perry? I mean, he thought his job as Secretary of Energy was to sell US gas abroad. Because he's an idiot who got a D in a class called "Meats", couldn't remember the 3 departments he wanted to shutter when he ran for office, and is generally just a very stupid, dumb, idiot person.

Edit: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-e...-russia-putin/

Sauce for the Donald administration staffer meeting in Moscow with Putin during these exchanges.

There's an absolutely very real, and very likely, chance that he simply showed the chats to Russians during the visit, no hacking needed.

[Breccia]

Define "desperate".

"They're not going to go up 10 to 15 or 20% in price," Gerald Storch – previous executive at Toys"R"Us and Target – said on "Varney & Co." Tuesday. "I think this whole thing with the tariffs is grossly exaggerated by a factor of at least two."

"Are you talking about 'factor of at least two' which...is still an admission prices will go up 5% to 10%?"

No, I'm talking about FOX News *ding* looking for an economic expert and picking the guy who couldn't sell toys to children.

He also clarified:

Meanwhile, if it starts to do that, keep in mind that Trump and his group, they can change. They've shown they'll do that. They can be flexible and not do anything that's really damaging.

"That sounds like admission Trump is a coward."

Yes. If the tariffs aren't "really damaging" then they won't have the effect he wanted. If they are, they'll be on American consumers, meaning he sticks with his bad idea and punishes his own voters, or he chokes.

This is the best FOX News could do.

"Surely there are other experts who agree with Trump's vision!"

Actually, there's this one guy. They cited him in late 2024 *ding*

It's very clear that consumers are running out of money. They're increasingly stressed by inflation and the exhaustion of their pandemic-era savings. When you take a look over the last several years, what you see month after month, everyone talks about, the consumer's still spending. They might be, but they're spending less than the growth of inflation.

I would think that [if] we can get growth in [the] 2.5% range, that'd be doing pretty well, and that's not very good. In the heydays there, we'd really want to see something that's more like 4% type of growth. You have, by the way, the shortest holiday season you can even imagine, so that's against retailers/

"Wow, that aged poorly. He's talking about 2.5% as not being very good, while Trump is about to get negative three percent. And pandemic-era savings? Who was this?"

That's the same guy.

Incidentally, he left Toys R Us in 2013 and within seconds the WSJ posted an article marked "Management Void Is Finally Filled, but Debt and Ownership Structure Burden Retailer". While in charge from 2006 to 2013, Storch oversaw the change of the store from an upwards path in earnings to a downwards one, it filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and closing forever a few years later. He also got Target sued for lying about their DEI policies *ding* a lawsuit whose announcement cost Target 22% of their stock and $16 billion in market value.

Yes, the man who claimed Target was being inclusive and lied is who FOX News goes to for business advice. But what choice do they have? "Tariffs won't raise prices" isn't something a reasonable person would say.

[Doomcookie]

Maybe she needs some smart guy glasses like Rick Perry? I mean, he thought his job as Secretary of Energy was to sell US gas abroad. Because he's an idiot who got a D in a class called "Meats", couldn't remember the 3 departments he wanted to shutter when he ran for office, and is generally just a very stupid, dumb, idiot person.

Edit: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-e...-russia-putin/

Sauce for the Donald administration staffer meeting in Moscow with Putin during these exchanges.

There's an absolutely very real, and very likely, chance that he simply showed the chats to Russians during the visit, no hacking needed.

The Intelligence Committee hearing was actually pretty restrained. They can get a lot louder. Gabbard and Radcliffe had no good answers. She got to the point where all she could do, was try and throw Hegseth under the bus. Radcliffe tried to argue, but was outsmarted by the questions, and they both ended up lying.

But, by far the worst part was when they got nice, and started asking the director of the NSA about what he would think if an enemy had done it. When he answered that was their job, and he'd love to get that kind of information, you knew they were done for. The guy was on record, saying that his agency's mission was to take advantage of people who made those mistakes, while sitting next to his boss who he acknowledged made the mistake.

[Edge-]

The Intelligence Committee hearing was actually pretty restrained. They can get a lot louder. Gabbard and Radcliffe had no good answers. She got to the point where all she could do, was try and throw Hegseth under the bus. Radcliffe tried to argue, but was outsmarted by the questions, and they both ended up lying.

But, by far the worst part was when they got nice, and started asking the director of the NSA about what he would think if an enemy had done it. When he answered that was their job, and he'd love to get that kind of information, you knew they were done for. The guy was on record, saying that his agency's mission was to take advantage of people who made those mistakes, while sitting next to his boss who he acknowledged made the mistake.

i'm wondering why they weren't screaming about this and also screaming even louder when these idiots had zero good answers for any of this

we need a lot more screaming and a lot less politeness

[Rasulis]

Builders are sitting on a large number of finished homes that they have yet to sell

KB Home Stock Sinks as Firm Warns Consumer Concerns Are Reducing Demand

The most recent sentiment read by the National Association of Home Builders noted that a growing share of builders were cutting prices to boost sales - 29% in March, compared with 26% in February.

The median sale price of a new home in February was $414,500. Last February, new homes sold for a median price of $420,900.

Zero down is back.

Not all bad news. Rent is going down. Many builders, unable to sell their homes, are converting them to rental.

[Doomcookie]

i'm wondering why they weren't screaming about this and also screaming even louder when these idiots had zero good answers for any of this

we need a lot more screaming and a lot less politeness

I think the fact that they were more polite is actually worse for the Trump morons.

Radcliffe kept trying to argue, after he got caught lying. Gabbard looked beyond incompetent, and the Democrats were smiling the whole time.

[Fugus]

Builders are sitting on a large number of finished homes that they have yet to sell

KB Home Stock Sinks as Firm Warns Consumer Concerns Are Reducing Demand

The most recent sentiment read by the National Association of Home Builders noted that a growing share of builders were cutting prices to boost sales - 29% in March, compared with 26% in February.

The median sale price of a new home in February was $414,500. Last February, new homes sold for a median price of $420,900.

Zero down is back.

Not all bad news. Rent is going down. Many builders, unable to sell their homes, are converting them to rental.

Those prices are beyond overvalued at this point.

When you have an area where the median home is over $360,000 and the median income appears to be closer to $36,000. That’s just not reasonable and the majority of people buying them are either getting military BAH to pay for it or will be paying on it till they die or lose it.

Those prices need to come down far more than most of the places are willing to go.

[Poopymonster]

Shirley they coulda gotten a better yes man to fill this position than this drunk dumbass.

Nah, he gets booted/quits.
An acting yes-man is installed.
Don't have to worry about that silly congress stuff. We have a great to America make.

[Belize]

KB Home Stock Sinks as Firm Warns Consumer Concerns Are Reducing Demand

KB is one of the builders in my neighborhood, and their homes are built like crap.

Just poor craftsmanship, silicone smeared everywhere, cracked flooring on brand new houses because their contractor dropped tools on it, painted using Homer Simpson's makeup gun, the list goes on.