Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Breccia]

I didn't see a name in that article, is there actually a nomination for the post or just "intent"?

Intent, it seems. Nominating someone would be the fastest way to replace his own acting IG without drawing even more ire for firing yet another doctor during a virus outbreak, so it's a sound tactical move, but qualified willing nominees don't appear out of thin air and the Senate has its own problems. Honestly, right now, confirming a HHS IG for Trump's last six months is probably less important to them than judges who serve for life.

[Paranoid Android]

Quick rundown of POTUS day.

Calls a female tv host a dog; Offers well wishes to a murderous despot; posts video congratulating himself on his election; Accuses members of FBI of treason; quote tweets pizzagate instigator; sends 15 tweets about assorted nonsense, 2 about covid.

https://twitter.com/Timodc/status/12...393555968?s=19

I like summaries so I don't need to read or link his tweets.

[Masark]

"Operation Warp Speed" is the official name of the vaccine project.

I am not kidding.

I have a feeling this will be more like Operation Threshold and they'll soon want us to forget it ever happened.

[Acidbaron]

Again, though... that doesn't change Trump's mishandling of the situation.

If the house next to yours is on fire, and you go and douse your roof with gasoline thinking it's water... is it really just the house next door's fault if yours starts to burn?

Oh of course it only speaks to China's actions and countries their initial response depending on the time frame of course. Italy for example had far less time to adequately prepare, the US however being one of the last nations hit by the virus had far more time to act and it fumbled introducing non effective travel bans that lacked screening on top of that from people re-entering the country.

Those two weeks were very much crucial in China but to prevent this we both need to look what China did wrong and how to build a system in place that does not rely on their information while also looking on a national level what action can be taken to improve our response.

[fwc577]

Trump declares national emergency executive order ordering protection increases for the power grid.

"Oh shit, did US Intelligence hear something about Taliban or ISIS? Or was there a credible threat from a hacker group?"

Um...



"...."



"...this is about Huawei, isn't it?"

That's my take on it. I don't have any problem protecting the power grid, but I don't know why a national emergency had to be declared about it, and more importantly, why Trump didn't announce this proudly to a room full of applauding people. I know a declaration of national emergency grants special powers, but I don't see why it's necessary. Energy is an executive department, he can announce broad sweeping changes like "clean coal exists" without an emergency.

I've deleted and re-typed this post several times as I don't know if I was inadvertently given classified information, but I will refer to these two articles:

From May 1st:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/usa-e...-idUKL1N2CJ0OQ

From 2014:
https://www.cnn.com/2014/11/20/polit...rid/index.html

In 2014 they were predicting something would happen by 2025. Based on what I've heard in the last year, there is no reason to believe that assessment is invalid.

[Dontrike]

I'm glad people are focusing on the most important issues facing the US at present.

That video was completely stupid. Also, Bohemian Rhapsody isn't a "great biopic", as much of it is false, and they don't edit anything about Freddy being gay, unless he means they did it over there. It would be pretty hard to edit out even any reference to that as it's rather obvious even if you edit things out. Shit, look at Sailor Moon as an example, they switched it from gay to incest.

Of course Cruz focusing on that right now is outright moronic.

[Felya]

I'm glad people are focusing on the most important issues facing the US at present.

Does he understand that localization happens after the movie is done filming?

Also, a keyword is movies... This does not say anything about sports leagues that US government pays to have pro-troops displays, while censoring for China.

This is Ted Cruz being Ted Cruz, pushing something that is beyond easy to avoid and results in revenue loss for US, while ignoring when US pays for it to happen.

[Breccia]

In 2014 they were predicting something would happen by 2025. Based on what I've heard in the last year, there is no reason to believe that assessment is invalid.

Okay. Fine. Still doesn't explain why a national emergency and why now. What powers are granted by the national emergency that he needs to use? Why does he need a national emergency instead of, you know, DO SOMETHING! Trump runs the Dept of Energy. He can direct them to take action.

1) If there is no specific, new, credible threat that Trump is acting on, then the question is "Why did Trump sit around with his thumb up his fat ass for over three years?" followed by "And why does his inaction suddenly make this an emergency?"

Or

2) If there is a specific, new, credible threat, the question is "Why wasn't the specific, new, credible threat mentioned?" I am aware that classified info exists, but considering we know about the national emergency, that ship has sailed. Also, it seems out of character for Trump to take such a step, signing a national emergency into existence against a specific, new, credible threat, and not say anything. Trump postures, Trump swaggers, Trump brags. This declaration of a national emergency was buried. Trump declared the southern border a National Emergency Lol in broad daylight in a room with applauding people. He said nothing about this. If it was important and the right thing to do, why not?

[Dontrike]

Honestly, all I can think of is that this is one of those "hold China accountable" things, but he couldn't come up with a way to "make China pay" or whatever and this is the best he could do.

Either way, man needs to really come back to reality.

I won't disagree that China needs to pay in various forms, for a myriad of different reasons including the copyright shit they pull, but Top Gun 2 and Bohemian Rhapsody shouldn't be the thing to focus on as to why you did that to begin with.

[Breccia]

Fauci will testify before the Senate, but not the House.

On May 12.

Sounds like Trump is afraid of what questions Fauci would be asked.

[Dontrike]

Fauci will testify before the Senate, but not the House.

On May 12.

Sounds like Trump is afraid of what questions Fauci would be asked.

Gotta control the message as best as possible, else people might wise up.

[Breccia]

Gotta control the message as best as possible, else people might wise up.

I'm not even sure this makes sense. There aren't a lot of options here.

1) The Senate Chair in question might only ask pre-approved questions that Trump or he wrote. That will immediately be denounced by the Democrats, "We can't ask questions, Trump doesn't want the truth" and they'll be right.

2) Or, the Senate Chair could block questions as they happen, in public. Then everyone sees it, and that will immediately be denounced by the Democrats, "We can't ask questions, Trump doesn't want the truth" and they'll be right.

3) Or, the Senate Chair could block questions, but the testimony will be behind closed doors. Not only does a closed-door testimony fail to help the American public in any way, but once again, that will immediately be denounced by the Democrats, "We can't ask questions, Trump doesn't want the truth" and they'll be right.

4) Or, the Senate Chair could allow questions as normal, in which case, why block the House that would ask the same questions?

My pick is #3. Techincally Option 5 is "Trump fires Fauci in the next nine days, blocking all testimony". That's bordering on suicide.

[Felya]

I'm not even sure this makes sense. There aren't a lot of options here.

1) The Senate Chair in question might only ask pre-approved questions that Trump or he wrote. That will immediately be denounced by the Democrats, "We can't ask questions, Trump doesn't want the truth" and they'll be right.

2) Or, the Senate Chair could block questions as they happen, in public. Then everyone sees it, and that will immediately be denounced by the Democrats, "We can't ask questions, Trump doesn't want the truth" and they'll be right.

3) Or, the Senate Chair could block questions, but the testimony will be behind closed doors. Not only does a closed-door testimony fail to help the American public in any way, but once again, that will immediately be denounced by the Democrats, "We can't ask questions, Trump doesn't want the truth" and they'll be right.

4) Or, the Senate Chair could allow questions as normal, in which case, why block the House that would ask the same questions?

My pick is #3. Techincally Option 5 is "Trump fires Fauci in the next nine days, blocking all testimony". That's bordering on suicide.

I think 5 might be to face the scrutiny of blocking question, with the assumption that Trump’s victory dance will cover it up... as always.

[Breccia]

HAHAHAHAHAHA Kudlow went on CNN to defend the "airtight" quote HAHAHHAHA

His defense:

My quote then was based on the actual facts, which at the time, there were only 40 or 50 cases, and it was contained — particularly after President Trump boldly put up travel restrictions with China. There was hardly any cases. Yes, some doctors were more fearful. Other doctors had many different things to say. ... Then, as the virus spread exponentially in ways that virtually as no one could have predicted, of course we changed our mind.

Going forward, the president and the vice president have taken strong measures ... to deal with this unexpected outbreak. And I think the sort of ankle-biting that's going on in Washington is just incorrect. You have to deal with the information at hand. When the information changes, we changed our strategy. So did everyone else around the world

CNN event threw Kudlow's "airtight" video in his face.

Now, props to Kudlow for doing this. He tried so hard, and on CNN, too. But he was doomed from the start. If you say "It is contained" and it turns out not to be contained, you're just wrong. And as we've seen, closing some of the travel with China didn't work. Closing travel with Europe (eventually) didn't work. This isn't the kind of race that gives out participation trophies.

[Felya]

Now, props to Kudlow for doing this. He tried so hard, and on CNN, too. But he was doomed from the start. If you say "It is contained" and it turns out not to be contained, you're just wrong. And as we've seen, closing some of the travel with China didn't work. Closing travel with Europe (eventually) didn't work. This isn't the kind of race that gives out participation trophies.

I question the actual desire to close Europe travel, because he initially left off the only two places he had golf courses in. You could almost hear the swine squeal... fine, but you are not damaging my property.

Edit: To continue with the swine theme... why was our pandemic response built out of straw? It didn’t take much huffing or puffing, to blow that house down. (Rhetorical, I can read this thread. lol)

[Breccia]

why was our pandemic response built out of straw?

Trump fired the carpenter and bricklayer.

"It's just one wolf coming over from China. It's going to be fine."

[Nellise]

Edit: To continue with the swine theme... why was our pandemic response built out of straw? It didn’t take much huffing or puffing, to blow that house down. (Rhetorical, I can read this thread. lol)

I know you said it's rhetorical, but here's this anyway:

That first interview with Kudlow is from February 25th, but there were already deaths in Italy by then and yet he says no one could foresee what was coming. Also, China doesn't build 2 hospitals in 2 weeks and shut down a major region for a "nothing". Which means either he's lying or stupid. I'm going with stupid. Anyone with half a brain could see what was coming. But when you load up the leadership of the government with rich, but stupid, people who are used to having a way to buy themselves out of problems, they don't need to plan for most things because money solves all their problems and so they let things degrade thinking they'll just spend money fixing whatever comes up later (or have the government bail them out). But this is something money can't solve and so they have no idea what to do with it.

[Paranoid Android]

Oh our narcassit President can't help it.

Trump replied to a tweet about missing his rallies. He needs his adulation and attention. We all know the reason he hates social distancing is he can't hold his rallies.

....And then came a Plague, a great and powerful Plague, and the World was never to be the same again! But America rose from this death and destruction, always remembering its many lost souls, and the lost souls all over the World, and became greater than ever before!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/...562486784?s=19

WTF!?

- - - Updated - - -

Dangit, I'm in the Trump rabbit hole.

So nice to see this great honor. Thank you (but haven’t played golf in a long time)!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/...428448768?s=19

So Trump replying to a tweet of his own golf club in Turnberry. Thus violating ethics laws promoting his business.

Yes, he really wants to golf. The other reason he hates social distancing.

[Redwyrm]

Thin-skinned Man-baby strikes again

Trump rips George W. Bush after he calls for unity amid coronavirus outbreak

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politi...d1J?li=BBnb7Kz

President Trump on Sunday took aim at George W. Bush after the former Republican president issued a call to push partisanship aside amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

In a three-minute video shared on Twitter on Saturday, Bush urged Americans to remember "how small our differences are in the face of this shared threat."

"In the final analysis, we are not partisan combatants. We are human beings, equally vulnerable and equally wonderful in the sight of god," Bush said. "We rise or fall together, and we are determined to rise."

Ok, nice statement from Bush, what's wrong with that....

In an early morning tweet on Sunday, Trump called out Bush for his failure to support him as he faced an impeachment trial earlier this year over his alleged dealings with Ukraine. He cited apparent comments from Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth, who asked why Bush didn't push for "putting partisanship aside" amid the trial.

"He was nowhere to be found in speaking up against the greatest Hoax in American history," Trump said.

Ah, Bush didn't kiss ass for the required time limit.

[Dacien]

Oh good grief, just withering.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/...is-a-travesty/

If that article is talking about you, I don't know how you don't just shrivel up into a corn cob.