Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Combatbutler]

"Trump is a genius when it comes to the economy" one coworker told me last year.

Most farmers did vote for him, so it is only fair they get to enjoy the fruits of their labor and since they no longer contribute to society, they better not think about about cashing in food stamps, like some leech. They better pull on their bootstraps

[Breccia]

Most farmers did vote for him, so it is only fair they get to enjoy the fruits of their labor and since they no longer contribute to society, they better not think about about cashing in food stamps, like some leech. They better pull on their bootstraps

I think farmers thought they were considered essential. Hey, remember that time Trump promised them $12 billion? How's that working? Let's look at anything published in the last month.

(30 seconds later)

So the $12 billion hasn't happened yet. What a surprise.

The CATO institute has some very sarcastic things to say on the topic, as well as a lot of factual numbers about the rise of bankruptcies @Dontrike accurately cited. Here's a paragraph pretty much at random.

As our colleague Scott Lincicome documented last fall, America’s farmers are facing a crisis. Farm bankruptcies in the first half of 2025 exceeded the total for all of 2024. In October 2025, the gap between farmers’ production costs and the prices they received for their goods was the widest in a decade (Figure 1). There are multiple causes for these issues, but tariff policy deserves substantial blame. In an all-too-familiar pattern for farmers during Trump administrations, reckless tariffs on fertilizer, steel, aluminum, and other inputs increase production costs while foreign retaliation reduces exports and puts downward pressure on commodity prices. Erratic tariff policies squeeze farmers from both sides.

And one less at random.

The Trump administration’s response to farmers’ distress has been predictable: more bailouts. The $12 billion bailout payments announced late last year may keep some operations afloat—a recent survey suggests most farmers would use the money to pay down their debt—but it does nothing to address the root of the problem: the president’s infatuation with protectionism. Farmers would gladly forgo emergency payments for expanded and stable market access abroad.

But the key issue that stood out was the accurate description that, even if the tariffs vanished because TACO, why would anyone lower their prices?

The administration exempted fertilizers from the IEEPA tariffs in mid-November 2025, but the benefits have been slow to reach farmers. While wholesale prices fell quickly, retail DAP prices remain at $66 per metric ton above pre-tariff levels. In other words, farmers continue to pay a tariff premium months after the exemptions became effective.

Yeah, nobody plants in November. That "relief" was far too little, far too late, and again did nothing.

In other words, Trump has done permanent damage to the fertilizer (and other) markets that even he cannot fix just by reversing course. And Republicans won't step on the toes of any business extorting its own customers. Those prices are high forever. Those farms aren't coming back.

This is the most recent article I can find on the topic, Jan 23rd. And the CATO institute does say "Hey SCOTUS you're taking your sweet time with the tariff decision".

But this isn't what I came here to post. John A. Sarcone III was one of the Trump A.G.s thrown out by judges for being appointed illegally. As is the law, the federal judges replace him with Donald T. Kinsella, a 50-year veteran prosecutor, because the spot was empty. Again, everything as done by the letter and spirit of the law. No problems there.

Trump fired Kinsella by email within three hours. The firing was on the grounds of

Judges don’t pick U.S. Attorneys, POTUS does. See Article II of our Constitution. You are fired, Donald Kinsella.

- Deputy A.G. Todd Blanche, via Twitter

Team Trump apparently missed the point where their own picks were illegal and, yes, the law does very specifically say the judges can replace them to fill a needed vacancy. See also "acting", a term Trump knows well.

Trump does not care about law and order. He just demonstrated that in public on purpose. He broke the law, was handed a legal punishment, and broke the law rejecting that punishment.

It really is well past time judges facing down Team Trump's lying incompetent lawyers with actual consequences for blatant lawbreaking and lying about it.

But that's all the Trump administration has. Bullshit. It's coming out both ends.

[Rustedsaint]

I think farmers thought they were considered essential. Hey, remember that time Trump promised them $12 billion? How's that working? Let's look at anything published in the last month.

(30 seconds later)

So the $12 billion hasn't happened yet. What a surprise.

The CATO institute has some very sarcastic things to say on the topic, as well as a lot of factual numbers about the rise of bankruptcies @Dontrike accurately cited. Here's a paragraph pretty much at random.



And one less at random.



But the key issue that stood out was the accurate description that, even if the tariffs vanished because TACO, why would anyone lower their prices?



Yeah, nobody plants in November. That "relief" was far too little, far too late, and again did nothing.

In other words, Trump has done permanent damage to the fertilizer (and other) markets that even he cannot fix just by reversing course. And Republicans won't step on the toes of any business extorting its own customers. Those prices are high forever. Those farms aren't coming back.

This is the most recent article I can find on the topic, Jan 23rd. And the CATO institute does say "Hey SCOTUS you're taking your sweet time with the tariff decision".

But this isn't what I came here to post. John A. Sarcone III was one of the Trump A.G.s thrown out by judges for being appointed illegally. As is the law, the federal judges replace him with Donald T. Kinsella, a 50-year veteran prosecutor, because the spot was empty. Again, everything as done by the letter and spirit of the law. No problems there.

Trump fired Kinsella by email within three hours. The firing was on the grounds of


- Deputy A.G. Todd Blanche, via Twitter

Team Trump apparently missed the point where their own picks were illegal and, yes, the law does very specifically say the judges can replace them to fill a needed vacancy. See also "acting", a term Trump knows well.

Trump does not care about law and order. He just demonstrated that in public on purpose. He broke the law, was handed a legal punishment, and broke the law rejecting that punishment.

It really is well past time judges facing down Team Trump's lying incompetent lawyers with actual consequences for blatant lawbreaking and lying about it.

But that's all the Trump administration has. Bullshit. It's coming out both ends.

You would think trump be happy they named the attorney after him
Seems like a legit strategy, just keep playing musical fken chairs and pushing illegal laws while everyone else drags their feet in mud hoping nothings gonna happen in November.

[Rasulis]

Poorly thought-out policy has consequences.

A bipartisan group of 100 lawmakers sent a letter on Wednesday to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem urging an exemption for the health care sector from the Trump administration’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee.

Led by Representatives Yvette D. Clarke, a New York Democrat, and Michael Lawler, a New York Republican, the letter says that health care providers rely on international workers for critical roles, including physicians, clinical laboratory staff and other specialists.

“Imposing a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa petitions will exacerbate hospitals’ existing staffing challenges and could push chronically underfunded hospitals to their financial brink,” the letter reads.

“We urge you to create a health care sector exemption to prevent additional strain on the health care workforce,” it says.

The letter to Noem was signed by 100 Members of Congress over concerns about the impact of the fee on the health care workforce. Signatories include Democratic lawmakers such as Kirsten Gillibrand, Judy Chu, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Bennie Thompson, as well as Republican members including Brian Fitzpatrick, Thomas Kean Jr., Jefferson Van Drew and James Moylan.

Lawmakers warn that the fee could worsen staffing shortages by preventing hospitals from filling essential positions.

“Rural hospitals and urban safety net hospitals face uncommon recruitment and retention issues and will most acutely feel the effects of the $100,000 fee. These hospitals rely heavily on the H-1B visa to maintain adequate staffing and offer comprehensive services in high-need areas,” the lawmakers wrote.

[Edge-]

Poorly thought-out policy has consequences.

excuse me

i don't think any thought went into this policy at all, not even poor thought

[Muzjhath]

Poorly thought-out policy has consequences.

Working as intended.

Those people want healthcare to be a thing of privilege.

[Edge-]

https://www.npr.org/2026/02/11/nx-s1...e-endangerment

On Thursday, the Trump administration will rescind the central scientific finding that underpins much of the nation's climate pollution rules, its most aggressive action yet to halt initiatives that address planetary warming.

The 2009 Environmental Protection Agency endangerment finding was a determination that pollutants from developing and burning fossil fuels, such as methane and carbon dioxide, can be regulated under the Clean Air Act. The EPA now argues that the Clean Air Act does not give it the legal authority to regulate greenhouse gases.

"This will be the largest deregulatory action in American history," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a Tuesday briefing. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is expected to join President Trump at the White House to formalize the decision on Thursday, Leavitt said.

MAKE SMOG GREAT AGAIN, FUCK YEAH

I AM OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER OUR SMOGGY CITIES AND THE HAZE AND THE SMELL, I MISS IT SO MUCH

republicans want to make america a third world hellhole

republicans are anarchists, but the kinds of anarchists that don't understand what anarchy actually means

[Muzjhath]

https://www.npr.org/2026/02/11/nx-s1...e-endangerment



MAKE SMOG GREAT AGAIN, FUCK YEAH

I AM OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER OUR SMOGGY CITIES AND THE HAZE AND THE SMELL, I MISS IT SO MUCH

republicans want to make america a third world hellhole

republicans are anarchists, but the kinds of anarchists that don't understand what anarchy actually means

You mean libertarians

[Edge-]

You mean libertarians

no, republicans

there are no libertarians in the white house, these are republicans

[Muzjhath]

no, republicans

there are no libertarians in the white house, these are republicans

I'm referencing the anarchists that don't know the primary pillars pf anarchism

[Rasulis]

I'm referencing the anarchists that don't know the primary pillars pf anarchism

Trump's DOJ can't indict ham sandwich.

US grand jury rejects bid to indict Democrats over illegal orders video

Federal prosecutors failed to bring charges Tuesday against six Democratic lawmakers who urged service members to refuse illegal orders, outraging President Donald Trump, who had called for jail time, US media reported.

Also.

US judge blocks Pentagon's effort to punish Senator Mark Kelly

A U.S. judge on Thursday blocked the Pentagon from reducing Senator Mark Kelly's retired military rank and pension pay because he urged troops to reject unlawful orders.

[Breccia]

Pam Bondi lied under oath

Pam Bondi lied under oath

Pam Bondi lied under oath

Pam Bondi lied under oath

Pam Bondi lied under oath

Pam Bondi lied under oath

So what Bondi said was there was no evidence tying Trump to any Epstein crimes. Rep. Lieu pointed out that there was a witness statement, which is evidence, and also pointed out the DOJ had refused to investigate. Incidentally, she's not alone. Later, Rep. Jayapal asked every survivor in the room if they'd tried to get in contact with the DOJ but couldn't. Every hand went up.

The WH has replied with a statement, not under oath of course, saying the Epstein files were full of fake news and that anything true would have been "weaponized" already. You know, like ICE murdering people in the streets.

"Wasn't sitting on the Epstein files weaponizing them?"

Yes. But don't bring logic to a Trump fight.

[Relapses]

Pam Bondi looks and acts like the kind of TV drama villlain that shows up halfway through a season then quietly gets written off when the writers realize they went overboard with all of the negative traits. What a truly awful person.

[Dontrike]

Trump got another participation trophy this week, this time by the coal industry, who titled him the "Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal."

Donald Trump was crowned the “undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal” during a White House ceremony on Wednesday, during which the president received a trophy after ordering the US defense department to purchase billions of dollars’ worth of power from coal plants.

The award was reportedly granted by the Washington Coal Club, an advocacy group with financial ties to the coal industry.

James Grech, CEO of Peabody Energy, the largest coal company in the US, presented Trump with the bronze trophy that depicts a coalminer donning headlamp and pick.

“We stand here today representing the thousands of coalminers across the country to express our deep gratitude to you, sir, for the actions you’ve taken to support our industry,” Grech said to Trump during the ceremony, which had more than a dozen coal executives and miners in attendance.

Several Republican lawmakers and cabinet members also attended the ceremony, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator, Lee Zeldin, and the secretary of the interior, Doug Burgum, who are both staunch coal advocates.

The event marked Trump’s signing of an executive order directing the defense department to secure long-term power purchase agreements with coal plants for military installations and other “mission-critical facilities”.

“We’re going to be buying a lot of coal through the military now,” Trump said at the event. “Under our leadership, we’re becoming a massive energy exporter.

“We’re lifting up our hard-working American miners like nobody has ever done before,” he added.

At the event, Trump also announced that the Department of Energy would allocate $175m in funding to six projects to “modernize, retrofit and extend” the life of “coal-fired power plants that serve rural and remote communities” in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky.

The new executive order is the latest action in this administration’s effort to revive the US coal industry. In September, the White House announced that it would open 13.1m acres (5.3m hectares) of public land to coal mining and provide $625m for coal-fired power plants.

Coal, which is the most polluting and costly fossil fuel, has declined sharply in the US over the past three decades. According to the Energy Information Administration, US coal production in 2023 was less than half of its 2008 level, and coal plants generated only about 15% of US electricity in 2024, down from roughly 50% in 2000.

The award adds to a series of honors and gifts that Trump has received from business executives, world leaders, cabinet members and others since the start of his second term.

In December, the president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, awarded Trump the newly created “Fifa peace prize”, and in November a group of Swiss billionaires gave Trump a gold Rolex desk clock and a $130,000 engraved gold bar, after which Trump agreed to reduce tariffs on Switzerland.

Over the summer, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, gifted Trump an engraved glass disk statue with a base made from 24-karat gold. Soon after, the White House granted Apple an exemption from a 100% tariff on semiconductors.

[Breccia]

Trump got another participation trophy this week, this time by the coal industry, who titled him the "Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal."

It's because he gutted the EPA and lied about every single reason. I could quote the lies, but you already know them: windmills cause cancer, Obama made up greenhouse gasses, you can't tell me what to do, etc.

The award was the usual patronizing of the senile retard, but it was pointless other than that. Scrambling to quick build a new coal-fired plant, while tariffs are on steel, only to have the EPA snap back into place in 2028 will end up costing extra money for nothing. And nothing Trump does locally will make other countries buy coal.

[Edge-]

do you think donald would want a "clean coal" plant next to his properties? i don't think so

[En Sabah Nur]

Trump got another participation trophy this week, this time by the coal industry, who titled him the "Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal."

The country is literally run by a toddler who needs participation trophies to stay happy or they'll have a screaming fit...

[alach]

New polls show trump has lost 4 pts since just January.

https://apnews.com/projects/polling-tracker/

That is pretty bad. Now, I know some people, like me, believe at this point it is all meaningless and what difference does it even make, and I will just point out two thing that happened this week. First, 6 republicans broke with trump on the Canadian tariffs, even though it is mostly symbolic, the symbol is trump is losing his grip on the party, and two, ICE has been ordered to fully pull out of Minnesota, probably because of just the terrible optics and public opinion, despite what they end up saying.
Probably "Mission Accomplished!"

[PhaelixWW]

New polls show trump has lost 4 pts since just January.

Eh, that's more because January's number was an outlier.



Which isn't to say that his numbers aren't going down, but it's still not always good to just look at a single number in isolation. Better to check aggregate polling.

[alach]

Eh, that's more because January's number was an outlier.



Which isn't to say that his numbers aren't going down, but it's still not always good to just look at a single number in isolation. Better to check aggregate polling.

Yeah, I thought I had deja vu, but it was just trump being as hated again as he has been over the last while.
I think he got a bump from taking out Maduro?