Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[DarkTZeratul]

So Trump wants to send $2,000 to citizens as a form of bribery in general, which is stupid (in many ways) but that's where I'm wondering: Couldn't they just offer $5,000 for every american who votes for republicans in the mid-terms and the next primary? I feel like since the republicans are wholly corrupt this isn't out of the realm of possibility and actually one that they may try and pull.

1. Trump's been promising to do this since he was elected and never has, and the source of money he's promising to pay it from isn't remotely big enough to do it anyway. And, for whatever little it might be worth, it would be blatantly, explicitly, objectively, clear-as-day unconstitutional for the president to pay anyone anything that hasn't been approved by Congress.
2. The data to even do that does not exist. Voter databases only track whether or not individuals voted, not how they voted. And those databases are controlled by the individual states, which have mostly been disinclined to share that data (the government wants it so they can target immigrants, and the states have rightly been telling them to fuck off because they're under no obligation to do so). Getting a list of the specific individuals who voted Republican would require combing through the actual ballots themselves, and we already saw how that went when they just wanted to recount them to "prove" that Trump actually won in 2020.

[Mayhem]

Getting a list of the specific individuals who voted Republican would require combing through the actual ballots themselves, and we already saw how that went when they just wanted to recount them to "prove" that Trump actually won in 2020.

Hu wait, hold on, what? Are the ballots identifiable?

[Nymrohd]

So Trump wants to send $2,000 to citizens as a form of bribery in general, which is stupid (in many ways) but that's where I'm wondering: Couldn't they just offer $5,000 for every american who votes for republicans in the mid-terms and the next primary? I feel like since the republicans are wholly corrupt this isn't out of the realm of possibility and actually one that they may try and pull.

Did they not already try that through Elon at a smaller scale with zero consequences?

[DarkTZeratul]

Hu wait, hold on, what? Are the ballots identifiable?

Actually, now that I dig deeper into it, it looks like the ballots themselves aren't even identifiable. For mail-in ballots the identification is on the envelope, not the ballot, and once it's verified the ballot is removed to a separate box and the envelope discarded. And for in-person voting the verification happens prior to the vote, and the ballot itself is entirely anonymous.

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Did they not already try that through Elon at a smaller scale with zero consequences?

Technically, though the courts actually told him "you can't fucking do that" when he announced it so he changed up what he was doing such that it was only of questionable legality instead of blatantly illegal (and I'm not even sure whether it was ever actually authenticated that he really paid out or not).

[Dontrike]

"Woke" is always in the room when it comes to Republicans as they look to push AI that's "not biased."

The Office of Management and Budget issued a new memorandum on Tuesday to ensure artificial intelligence technology procured within the federal government produces “truthful” outputs that do not “manipulate responses in favor of ideological dogmas.”

Created as a part of President Donald Trump’s July executive orders that sought to eradicate “woke” AI, the new OMB memo aims to prevent large language models within the federal government that are deemed not “truth-seeking,” specifying that within federal agencies, “LLMs shall prioritize historical accuracy, scientific inquiry, and objectivity, and shall acknowledge uncertainty where reliable information is incomplete or contradictory.”

The memo prompts agencies to evaluate existing contracts that may employ LLMs that don’t fit OMB’s parameters and modify existing contracts to ensure LLM products are in compliance with the new Unbiased AI Principles.

By March 11, 2026, agencies must update their internal policies and procedures to reflect the imperative of ideology-free AI and LLM softwares. These updated procedures must also include a path for agency users to report LLMs that violate OMB’s outlined principles.

“When procuring an LLM, agencies must obtain sufficient information from the vendor to determine whether that LLM complies with the Unbiased AI Principles,” the memo reads. “The amount and type of information available will vary depending on the vendor’s role within the software supply chain and its relationship with the LLM developer itself, with more information generally being available from sources closer to the original LLM developer.”

Agencies are also directed to avoid compelling a vendor to disclose sensitive technical data, namely model weights that help determine a specific output. Any documentation requests to a private sector partner should seek enough information for an agency to assess a given model’s risk management actions to confirm it complies with Unbiased AI Principles.

The Trump administration has been looking to remove “woke” AI systems from federal operations throughout 2025. OMB previously held listening sessions to learn more from industry partners about how to evaluate an AI model’s transparency and risk potential.

Some experts have voiced concerns, however, that weeding out certain LLM products based on output contrary to the Trump administration’s policy posture is potentially harmful for free speech.

[Gorsameth]

Well it's a long list of people who were not held accountable in the name of "bringing people together"

The monsters of the civil wars got pardons some of which went on to form the KKK and commit massacres like Tulsa which they were rewarded for by getting into government.

Richard Nixon for what you guys have stated

Ronald Reagan for Iran contra

The right wing of this country have been getting away with it for centuries now because frankly the "opposition" is on their side. The people who fought against slavery were racists themselves just not to the extend of the slavers. The unitary executive and the current right wing media were from the lessons of Nixon. Ronald Regan became a right wing god even though he is one if not the worst president in modern history and so on. I would not be surprised that a decade from now Trump gets the Regan treatment because the United States refuses to learn from history.

All the right wing trouble in the US points back to the civil war pardons. The Union's failure to deal with the rot then and there ment it festered still today.

Maybe if they knew people would be proudly flying confederate flags 150 years later they might have acted more decisively.

[Valdhammer]

Unearthed audio has the head of the RNC admitting that the GOP is facing almost certain defeat next year.

They are of course denying/downplaying it and boasting that the American people trust Trump, the country is better off with Republicans in charge and that they will win in 2026.

The first two are just objectively false: One only has to look at Trumps approval ratings to debunk the former and look at the state of the economy to debunk the latter. As for the third, Republicans got slaughtered in the off-year elections this year, Democrats lead on the generic ballot and Trump is historically unpopular.

While the midterms are 11 months away, a political eternity, as of now, the odds are highly likely that 2026 will be a wave election for Democrats.

I will take anything at this point, but the likeliest outcome is Dems having a slight majority in the House but still no majority in the Senate. I don’t think it will be a big enough “wave” to put both chambers under dem control.

[Breccia]

So Trump wants to send $2,000 to citizens as a form of bribery in general, which is stupid (in many ways)

Here's two.

One, if tariffs are so great and making us so rich, why does he need to give farmers anything?

Two, that sounds like socialism.

[fwc577]

I will take anything at this point, but the likeliest outcome is Dems having a slight majority in the House but still no majority in the Senate. I don’t think it will be a big enough “wave” to put both chambers under dem control.

This is only the "likeliest" outcome if you don't pay attention to politics, the last 11 years, how Republicans do when Donald Trump is on the ballot, and how the economy is fairing right now.

Basically, if you've got your head in the sand, this is the likeliest outcome.

[Valdhammer]

This is only the "likeliest" outcome if you don't pay attention to politics, the last 11 years, how Republicans do when Donald Trump is on the ballot, and how the economy is fairing right now.

Basically, if you've got your head in the sand, this is the likeliest outcome.

Ok, boss. I apologize, you’re clearly much better at predicting the future than a fool such as myself.

[fwc577]

Ok, boss. I apologize, you’re clearly much better at predicting the future than a fool such as myself.

Sorry bud, but I use context clues and data to predict the future.

We've now had several special elections over the past month or two now and it's looking very likely that we will end up somewhere around a D+13 generic ballot when looking at the races overall.

This is going to result in 260-270 Dem House Seats, which is a LANDSLIDE majority. This isn't, by any stretch, a "slight" majority.

And a D+13 Generic Ballot also likely puts Senate Control back in the hands of Dems who will end up with 51-54 seats total.

On top of that, Midterms will result in 5-7 more additional Democrat Governors in the US.

And I don't see any plans from this administration to make things better for the average American moving forward either. Healthcare is about to get a whole lot more expensive and this Administration appears to want to do nothing but cause even more inflation.

So that D+13 prediction, that's based on right now where we've seen those sorts of shifts in recent special elections.

[Kaleredar]

Sorry bud, but I use context clues and data to predict the future.

We've now had several special elections over the past month or two now and it's looking very likely that we will end up somewhere around a D+13 generic ballot when looking at the races overall.

This is going to result in 260-270 Dem House Seats, which is a LANDSLIDE majority. This isn't, by any stretch, a "slight" majority.

And a D+13 Generic Ballot also likely puts Senate Control back in the hands of Dems who will end up with 51-54 seats total.

On top of that, Midterms will result in 5-7 more additional Democrat Governors in the US.

And I don't see any plans from this administration to make things better for the average American moving forward either. Healthcare is about to get a whole lot more expensive and this Administration appears to want to do nothing but cause even more inflation.

So that D+13 prediction, that's based on right now where we've seen those sorts of shifts in recent special elections.

The problem is the unfortunate fact of the matter that in pre-polling democrats always appear ahead or strong because the republican electorate too ashamed to say they support Trump/the GOP are sadly not too ashamed to do any introspection and will still actually vote for them. Because republicans possess the ability to dig deep, bury any sense of decency or morality, and vote down-ticket R when called upon by their fel masters. Far moreso than many democrats or progressives who have to feel like the right keys are being dangled in front of their faces for them to deign to vote against creeping fascism.

I don’t doubt the republicans are otherwise due for losses. But I’ll believe some commanding dem win when I see it, because in addition to the reasons enumerated above I doubt the GOP with their hooks in various forms of gerrymandering and disenfranchisement are going to slide peaceably into that.

If I recall correctly going into both the 2016 and 2024 election trump was “behind” in both of them… until Election Day when he won. And while the GOP writ large aren’t Trump, the people who voted for his nonsense are the same people voting for the GOP. Enough to save them from losing the majority in one or both chambers? Probably not. But I absolutely believe there are enough fearful, delusional voters in enough bumfuck flyover districts out there to keep them unfortunately relevant.

[D Luniz]

In a sane world this would lead to impeachment.

Can you imagine if Nixon was still alive looking at Trump doing an impeachable offense every month and just sitting there thinking you became President in the wrong century.

the first thought from the GOP when Nixon was impeached on how to not have it happen again wasnt "Lets not have a guy that is not a crook" but "let's build a massive apparatus to control the media so public pressure will never be an issue again"

..mission accomplished

[PhaelixWW]

Will RFK, Jr. be the next to beg for a preemptive pardon from Trump?

You know it's bad when even Fox News... (Breccia: *ding!*) ...piles on with the infographic.



Putting that percentage increase on there seems like a deliberate twist of the knife, to be honest.

[Kaleredar]

Will RFK, Jr. be the next to beg for a preemptive pardon from Trump?

You know it's bad when even Fox News... (Breccia: *ding!*) ...piles on with the infographic.



Putting that percentage increase on there seems like a deliberate twist of the knife, to be honest.

Clearly the 14,608% increase in measels has been accompanied by at least an associated 14,609% decrease in autism, right?

I mean if not, why are we even doing this?

[Breccia]

While Trump continues to claim checks to farmers are on the way, just you wait, just you wait, More financially distressed farmers are expected to lose their property soon as loan repayments and incomes continue to falter

A survey last month from the Chicago Fed found that third-quarter repayment rates in the Midwest for non-real-estate farm loans were lower than a year earlier for the eighth quarter in a row.

Meanwhile, 21% of the lenders who responded to the survey said collateral requirements for farm loans rose in the third quarter, while none reported that requirements eased.

And an overwhelming 92% majority expect net cash earnings, including government payments, for crop farmers to be lower during the fall and winter than a year earlier.

As a result, nearly half the bankers surveyed see forced sales or liquidations of farm assets owned by financially distressed farmers rising in the next three to six months.

Earlier this month, the American Soybean Association (ASA) projected that 2025 will mark a third straight year of losses, noting that when harvest began in September, futures prices for November were 25%-30% lower compared to 2022.

At the same time, farm production expenses are seen increasing by $12 billion from a year ago to reach $467.4 billion in 2025. And with costs seen staying high next year, 2026 is shaping up to be more of the same.

Separate data have shown that U.S. farm bankruptcies have soared this year, and the National Corn Growers Association raised alarms this summer about “the economic crisis hitting rural America.”

Etc etc. Simply put, there are no good economic indicators for American farmers.

"Well then you can't be mad that Trump is helping them!"

Well, considering this is his fault, yes I can. And I don't see a proposed $2,000 check Trump can't even write that doesn't exist yet helping with farms that are in trouble in the depths of winter. Yeah, 2025's growing season is over.

Not only is what Trump promising too little too late to bandage the wound he himself caused, at this point, it doesn't exist. Despite, you know, Trump claiming to have trillions in tariffs.

[fwc577]

The problem is the unfortunate fact of the matter that in pre-polling

I'm not talking about pre-polling here. I'm talking about what we've seen happening in special elections since November.

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Clearly the 14,608% increase in measels has been accompanied by at least an associated 14,609% decrease in autism, right?

I mean if not, why are we even doing this?

I just checked Truth Social and nope, there has not been a 14,609% decrease in autism.

[Kaleredar]

I'm not talking about pre-polling here. I'm talking about what we've seen happening in special elections since November.

And Trump had poorly performing rallies and the “red wave” fizzled and the Republican odds weren’t looking great going into 2024 and yet now they’ve got free reign to exploit the US and its people as much as they want.

Like I said. I would love the dems to take a huge majority so they don’t have to worry about some random manchin/sinema types bubbling up and ruining literally everything. I would love them to be able to have a veto-proof majority to tell trump to stuff it for the next two years. But like I also said, I’ll wait until it happens.

Because ultimately “logic” and “reasoning” don’t apply to Trump and his voters. They don’t want it to. They vote for Trump to make them “right because they won” so they don’t have to worry about logic and reasoning. So you ultimately can’t really apply logic and reasoning to how Trump functions, and certainly not how his voters vote. Because if nothing else if Trump voters listened to logic and reason they wouldn’t be Trump voters.

[Mayhem]

Will RFK, Jr. be the next to beg for a preemptive pardon from Trump?

You know it's bad when even Fox News... (Breccia: *ding!*) ...piles on with the infographic.



Putting that percentage increase on there seems like a deliberate twist of the knife, to be honest.

Oh, so this is going to be the V for Vendetta future where the US becomes a disease-riddled hellhole, and the fascists take over the UK.

[Gorsameth]

And Trump had poorly performing rallies and the “red wave” fizzled and the Republican odds weren’t looking great going into 2024 and yet now they’ve got free reign to exploit the US and its people as much as they want.

Like I said. I would love the dems to take a huge majority so they don’t have to worry about some random manchin/sinema types bubbling up and ruining literally everything. I would love them to be able to have a veto-proof majority to tell trump to stuff it for the next two years. But like I also said, I’ll wait until it happens.

Because ultimately “logic” and “reasoning” don’t apply to Trump and his voters. They don’t want it to. They vote for Trump to make them “right because they won” so they don’t have to worry about logic and reasoning. So you ultimately can’t really apply logic and reasoning to how Trump functions, and certainly not how his voters vote. Because if nothing else if Trump voters listened to logic and reason they wouldn’t be Trump voters.

There is and has only ever been 1 metric that counts, people's wallet. (not the economy because that is no longer tied to what the wallet of John Doe experiences).

Inflation cost the Democrats 2024, even if the US did better in handling it then the rest of the world, and Trumponics will cost the Republicans 2026 and 2028.