Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Breccia]

Trump breaks records!

US posts record $145 billion December deficit as outlays outpace receipts

The U.S. government posted a $145 billion budget deficit *for December, up 67% or $58 billion from a year earlier due to record outlays that were inflated by calendar shifts in benefit payments and receipts, the Treasury Department said on Tuesday.

"But what about the tariffs? Surely they covered the gap."

They're already included.

The report showed that revenue growth from Trump's tariffs may have plateaued, as December net customs receipts totaled $27.9 billion, down from the low $30 billion range in recent months but far above *the $6.8 billion recorded in December 2024.

Trump is breaking the US budget, despite raising taxes by record levels and shutting down the government. He's doing the opposite of what he promised. Shocker, I know.

"I will accept any damage to myself and my own best interests, as long as everyone else is hurt worse!"

China’s Trade Surplus Reaches Record, Defying Expectations of Tariff-Driven Slowdown

China's trade surplus was $1.2 trillion, yes that's trillion with a T.

Oh, in 2024 it was just shy of one trillion even. The growth in China's trade surplus, was higher than Trump's tariffs.

The US 2025 trade surplus isn't on the hee hee hee HA HAH "surplus" HAH HA HAH HA oh jeez...oh jeez.

The US 2025 trade deficit isn't official yet, but Forbes has an estimate and they are more trustworthy than Trump anyhow. They are not predicting a lower deficit. In fact, they are predicting a record-breaking one, not just higher than the $1.16 trillion in 2024, but probably $1.3 trillion. In other words, they are predicting the US trade deficit will grow about as much as China's trade surplus grew.

Forbes goes on to list the last five times the US trade deficit shrunk. Four of those five were 2001, 2007, and 2009. Trump managed to do it once in 2019, shrinking it by 2%. Then Biden shrunk it in 2023 by 9%.

"At least Obama-"

During Obama's two terms combined, the trade deficit grew about 6.77%. During Trump's first term only, the trade deficit grew 13.77%.

What Trump is doing isn't working.

Now, bear in mind, the US having a trade deficit isn't itself objectively bad. It means we have so much money, it's easier for us to just buy stuff from other countries. But Trump said it was bad, multiple times, and said he'd make it smaller, multiple times. And he's a senile fat fucking failure at it.

Oh, and the expected growth of the US trade deficit? Roughly on par with the tariffs. Basically, Trump hiked up prices, making the trade deficit higher despite promising to do the opposite, and just kept all the money for himself and paying ICE to murder unarmed civilians to distract from the Epstein files.

[alach]

Trump breaks records!

US posts record $145 billion December deficit as outlays outpace receipts



"But what about the tariffs? Surely they covered the gap."

They're already included.



Trump is breaking the US budget, despite raising taxes by record levels and shutting down the government. He's doing the opposite of what he promised. Shocker, I know.

"I will accept any damage to myself and my own best interests, as long as everyone else is hurt worse!"

China’s Trade Surplus Reaches Record, Defying Expectations of Tariff-Driven Slowdown

China's trade surplus was $1.2 trillion, yes that's trillion with a T.

Oh, in 2024 it was just shy of one trillion even. The growth in China's trade surplus, was higher than Trump's tariffs.

The US 2025 trade surplus isn't on the hee hee hee HA HAH "surplus" HAH HA HAH HA oh jeez...oh jeez.

The US 2025 trade deficit isn't official yet, but Forbes has an estimate and they are more trustworthy than Trump anyhow. They are not predicting a lower deficit. In fact, they are predicting a record-breaking one, not just higher than the $1.16 trillion in 2024, but probably $1.3 trillion. In other words, they are predicting the US trade deficit will grow about as much as China's trade surplus grew.

Forbes goes on to list the last five times the US trade deficit shrunk. Four of those five were 2001, 2007, and 2009. Trump managed to do it once in 2019, shrinking it by 2%. Then Biden shrunk it in 2023 by 9%.

"At least Obama-"

During Obama's two terms combined, the trade deficit grew about 6.77%. During Trump's first term only, the trade deficit grew 13.77%.

What Trump is doing isn't working.

Now, bear in mind, the US having a trade deficit isn't itself objectively bad. It means we have so much money, it's easier for us to just buy stuff from other countries. But Trump said it was bad, multiple times, and said he'd make it smaller, multiple times. And he's a senile fat fucking failure at it.

Oh, and the expected growth of the US trade deficit? Roughly on par with the tariffs. Basically, Trump hiked up prices, making the trade deficit higher despite promising to do the opposite, and just kept all the money for himself and paying ICE to murder unarmed civilians to distract from the Epstein files.

What a shocker. Economists, researchers, historians, analysts, and educators were right.
Trump, his close family members, some rural chearleaders, and a group of phoney hangers-on were wrong. Couldn't imagine a different outcome.

[PhaelixWW]

So who had the "I should be a Nobel Peace Prize winner! I've stopped 9 wars! No more forever wars!" president leading us into potential wars on three fronts (Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran) all before Valentine's Day this year on their bingo card?


...


Bueller?

[Mayhem]

I wouldn't put it past the system to have such errors because errors happen. I also wouldn't put it past this Government to just start deleting passports so that people can't vote later this year without any notice, and forgetting that TSA precheck exists, so everyone who's been deleted from the passport system but is part of the TSA precheck receives a message.

Woman Says Identity ‘Wiped’ From Passport System, Got ‘Unusual’ Message

[Breccia]

leading us into potential wars on three fronts (Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran) all before Valentine's Day this year on their bingo card?

I'm ashamed of you. That's a blatant fucking lie and you know it.

It's four, you didn't mention Mexico.

[PhaelixWW]

I'm ashamed of you. That's a blatant fucking lie and you know it.

It's four, you didn't mention Mexico.

Uh, no, ahkshuwally, that one is scheduled to coincide with the 190th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo, which is after Valentine's Day!

[Azadina]

I'm ashamed of you. That's a blatant fucking lie and you know it.

It's four, you didn't mention Mexico.

I'm afraid the math still aint mathing. The Greenland comes with 30 extra wars attached to it, if being generous and counting Greenland and Denmark as one. The tally would be 34 wars.

[PhaelixWW]

I'm afraid the math still aint mathing. The Greenland comes with 30 extra wars attached to it, if being generous and counting Greenland and Denmark as one. The tally would be 34 wars.

It wasn't World Wars 2 Through 37, just World War 2.

[Azadina]

It wasn't World Wars 2 Through 37, just World War 2.

Back in those days, Trump war calculator wasn't in use. Times changed.

[PhaelixWW]

Back in those days, Trump war calculator wasn't in use. Times changed.

Well... that's fair, I guess.


...


Does Trump still get to claim that he ended those wars if he surrenders?

[Azadina]

Well... that's fair, I guess.


...


Does Trump still get to claim that he ended those wars if he surrenders?

Him starting wars and then surrendering would have a cause and effect from his actions.....soooo, I mean... It would at the very least be more of a fair claim than all the made up wars he claims to have ended so far.

[Edge-]

https://www.npr.org/2026/01/14/nx-s1...-health-grants

The Trump administration sent shockwaves through the U.S. mental health and drug addiction system late Tuesday, sending hundreds of termination letters, effective immediately, for federal grants supporting health services.

Three sources said they believe total cuts to nonprofit groups, many providing street-level care to people experiencing addiction, homelessness and mental illness, could reach roughly $2 billion. NPR wasn't able to independently confirm the scale of the grant cancellation. The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) didn't respond to a request for clarification.

"We are definitely looking at severe loss of front-line capacity," said Andrew Kessler, head of Slingshot Solutions, a consultancy firm that works with mental health and addiction groups nationwide. "[Programs] may have to shut their doors tomorrow."

Kessler said he has reviewed numerous grant termination letters from "Salt Lake City to El Paso to Detroit, all over the country."

Ryan Hampton, the founder of Mobilize Recovery, a national advocacy nonprofit for people in and seeking recovery, told NPR his group lost roughly $500k "overnight."

"we need to address mental health, it's not guns" - defunds mental health programs

"we need to deal with drug addiction" - defunds addiction treatment programs

again

these are all, fundamentally, bad people

people supporting them still, regardless, are bad people

there is no redeeming these people

i continue to revisit my position on capital punishment and find myself warming up to it

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...annah-natanson

The FBI raided the home of a Washington Post reporter early Wednesday in what the newspaper called a “highly unusual and aggressive” move by law enforcement, and press freedom groups condemned as a “tremendous intrusion” by the Trump administration.

Agents descended on the Virginia home of Hannah Natanson as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified government materials. The Post is “reviewing and monitoring the situation”, a source at the newspaper said.

“It’s a clear and appalling sign that this administration will set no limits on its acts of aggression against an independent press,” Marty Baron, the Post’s former executive editor, told the Guardian.

hey

look

it's the continued weaponization of government against political opponents and the press that republicans have cried about for years

and they're the ones actually doing it, blatantly

again - these are fundamentally bad people.

[PhaelixWW]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...annah-natanson

The FBI raided the home of a Washington Post reporter early Wednesday in what the newspaper called a “highly unusual and aggressive” move by law enforcement, and press freedom groups condemned as a “tremendous intrusion” by the Trump administration.

Agents descended on the Virginia home of Hannah Natanson as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified government materials. The Post is “reviewing and monitoring the situation”, a source at the newspaper said.

“It’s a clear and appalling sign that this administration will set no limits on its acts of aggression against an independent press,” Marty Baron, the Post’s former executive editor, told the Guardian.

hey

look

it's the continued weaponization of government against political opponents and the press that republicans have cried about for years

and they're the ones actually doing it, blatantly

again - these are fundamentally bad people.

Trump should be the last person to go after someone for illegally retaining classified information.

[Kaleredar]

https://www.npr.org/2026/01/14/nx-s1...-health-grants



"we need to address mental health, it's not guns" - defunds mental health programs

"we need to deal with drug addiction" - defunds addiction treatment programs

again

these are all, fundamentally, bad people

people supporting them still, regardless, are bad people

there is no redeeming these people

i continue to revisit my position on capital punishment and find myself warming up to it

“Biden put the government in so much debt that cutbacks need to be made to break even! I trust that these cuts were done after careful and close consideration; Trump is a great business man, you know.” Trumpsters, probably.


The real reason? They’re trying desperately to try and make the books look “balanced” so they’re cutting money from things Americans use and need to try and shore up the massive revenue losses from giving themselves and their rich buddies unprecedented tax breaks.

[Mayhem]

Trump should be the last person to go after someone for illegally retaining classified information.

Just add it to the list of things Trump should be the last person for.

- - - Updated - - -

“Biden put the government in so much debt that cutbacks need to be made to break even! I trust that these cuts were done after careful and close consideration; Trump is a great business man, you know.” Trumpsters, probably.


The real reason? They’re trying desperately to try and make the books look “balanced” so they’re cutting money from things Americans use and need to try and shore up the massive revenue losses from giving themselves and their rich buddies unprecedented tax breaks.

I wonder how much the ripple effect on those $2bn is, could be in the tens or even hundreds of billions in a fiscal year. All of that circulating capital just went bye-bye. Truly a brilliant businessman, this Trump guy and his ragtag gang of bumbling idiots.

[btlcryct]

I'm sure Trump will have a perfectly sane response to this:

https://nypost.com/2026/01/14/world-...ss-the-target/

[En Sabah Nur]

This man really thinks he's built the military into what it currently is, doesn't he? As if it wasn't anywhere close to what it is at any time before 2016 lol

- - - Updated - - -

I'm sure Trump will have a perfectly sane response to this:

https://nypost.com/2026/01/14/world-...ss-the-target/

He's already gearing up for strikes, a few words will just pass through that epically thin skin and make him more determined, I guess.

[Mayhem]

This man really thinks he's built the military into what it currently is, doesn't he? As if it wasn't anywhere close to what it is at any time before 2016 lol

So either he doesn't know what a dome is, Canada should be really concerned, or he doesn't know where Greenland is.

Maybe Greenland doesn't need to worry after all, because actually, he's talking about Japan. At least that's the only Islands I can think of that is somewhat close to Russia and China.

[Muzjhath]

i continue to revisit my position on capital punishment and find myself warming up to it

Maximilien Robespierre was famous for abolishing the death penalty. Going so far as to not recognised the humanity pf King Louis XVI when voting for his punishment to be death. As justification for how he could vote as he did.

Later he did probably suffer an extreme mental break when he became the leader of the Great Terror in Paris.

So one can have mixed principles.

[Breccia]

This man really thinks he's built the military into what it currently is, doesn't he?

Greenland is effectively part of NATO, and Trump knows this. No, Russia and China won't get it. Unless Trump sells it to Putin.