Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Kathranis]

Like there's nothing redeeming about him written there in a site that is supposed to be neutral.

What exactly is there that's redeeming about him?

[postman1782]

there's a lot out of outlandish sexual accusations you hear against Trump, but this one is new to me. Source?

The fact that she sued him, it was only thrown out on a technicality, like something was wrong with the filings, and she went to re-file but gullible Trump loving "patriots" issued death threats against her.

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-teen-...ne-doe-1465652

[Themius]

"I voted against the latest Covid-19 relief legislation because it is woefully inadequate in addressing the needs of people," Tlaib said in a statement late Monday. "I have watched as many of my colleagues rush to provide billions to corporations and wealthy individuals, while admonishing the needs of the majority of families."

"Republicans continue to do all they can do to poison our society further with corporate greed, while abandoning the very people they are supposed to be working for," Tlaib added. "This is evident by the inclusion of the 'three martini lunch' tax giveaway."

The tax deduction for business meals was one of several giveaways to wealthy Americans stuffed in the mammoth legislative package, which was made available to read Monday afternoon after reported computer issues delayed its release. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) was one of several lawmakers who publicly expressed outrage at the lack of time lawmakers were given to read the bill before voting on it.

"Members of Congress have not read this bill. It's over 5,000 pages, arrived at 2 pm today, and we are told to expect a vote on it in two hours," tweeted Ocasio-Cortez, who voted against a rule paving the way for speedy passage but ultimately voted yes on the coronavirus aid portion of the package. "This isn't governance. It's hostage-taking."

While the contents of the measure are still being combed, progressives noted and denounced the inclusion of billions of dollars in gifts to wealthy Americans—benefits made more obscene by the bill's inadequate relief for people who are hungry, sick, unemployed, and facing eviction.

"Pathetic," said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), pointing to the bill's $120 billion handout to rich business owners and other provisions that will disproportionately benefit the wealthiest people in the country during the most unequal recession in modern U.S. history.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/20...checks-working

On top of the paltry direct payments—for which millions of vulnerable people will not be eligible—the newly passed bill provides a non-retroactive $300-per-week federal boost to unemployment insurance and an 11-week extension of UI benefits, an extension accompanied by more burdensome documentation requirements for applicants who are already struggling to navigate rickety state systems.

"States will be asked to implement a significant number of new rules for these programs for a law that will only last 11 weeks," noted Andrew Stettner, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation. "In reality, many workers won't receive the benefits until well into this short period—and at that point, the states will be forced to cut it off once again. Worst of all, Congress will be setting itself up for another 10 million-plus worker benefit cut off that will start in mid-March, before the new administration and Congress can be reasonably expected to pass another round of relief."

"Congress has given itself little choice but to immediately get to work on the next economic stimulus package as soon as President Biden and the 117th Congress take office," Stettner added. "That package must build on the CARES Act and include key reforms to make sure benefits are available as long as the economy remains constrained by this disastrous pandemic."

What amazing pieces of shit this country's GOP are.

[Breccia]

The bad news? He has 799 other checked claims, including a shame-inducing 157 "Pants on Fire" labels, most of which have been linked ITT by @Breccia.

Also worth noting: PolitiFact cites their sources. They do not just randomly make shit up. That's Trump's job.

[Milchshake]

Axios is basically a gossip rag for the Beltway, but here's a fun read! Jonathan Swan's report reminds us that the presidency is still in the hands of a mentally ill aspiring despot who is decompensating quickly:

President Trump, in his final days, is turning bitterly on virtually every person around him, griping about anyone who refuses to indulge conspiracy theories or hopeless bids to overturn the election, several top officials tell Axios.

The latest: Targets of his outrage include Vice President Pence, chief of staff Mark Meadows, White House counsel Pat Cipollone, Secretary of State Pompeo and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Why it matters: Trump thinks everyone around him is weak, stupid or disloyal — and increasingly seeks comfort only in people who egg him on to overturn the election results. We cannot stress enough how unnerved Trump officials are by the conversations unfolding inside the White House.

Top officials are trying to stay away from the West Wing right now.

Trump is lashing out, and everyone is in the blast zone: At this point, if you’re not in the “use the Department of Homeland Security or the military to impound voting machines” camp, the president considers you weak and beneath contempt.

Trump is fed up with Cipollone, his counsel. Some supporters of Cipollone are worried that Trump is on the brink of removing him and replacing him with a fringe loyalist.

A source who spoke to Trump said the president was complaining about Pence and brought up a Lincoln Project ad that claims that Pence is “backing away” from Trump. This ad has clearly got inside Trump’s head, the source said.

Trump views Pence as not fighting hard enough for him — the same complaint he uses against virtually everybody who works for him and has been loyal to him.

Pence’s role on Jan. 6 has begun to loom large in Trump’s mind, according to people who’ve discussed the matter with him.

Trump would view Pence performing his constitutional duty — and validating the election result — as the ultimate betrayal.

A new fixation: Trump has even been asking advisers whether they can get state legislatures to rescind their electoral votes. When he’s told no, he lashes out even more, said a source who discussed the matter with the president.

And in an Oval meeting Monday night night, Trump spoke with House Republicans about voting to overturn the result on Jan. 6 — a desperate vote that even Trump has privately acknowledged he’s bound to lose.

The person who has the worst job in Washington, according to multiple administration officials: the incoming head of the Justice Department, Jeffrey Rosen.

The consensus is he has no earthly idea the insanity he is in for.

The next month will be the longest of his life.

Where’s Jared? A source told Axios that Kushner, who yesterday participated in a tree-planting ceremony in Jerusalem Forest’s Grove of Nations, “is focused on the Middle East.”

It’s a perfect visual encapsulation of Kushner’s absence — on the other side of the world, planting a tree with Bibi and accepting plaudits, while Trump discusses mayhem with Sidney Powell.

It’s worth remembering that the people who know Trump best; like Mary Trump and Michael Cohen, have for a long time been telling everybody who would listen that this was exactly what was going to happen if Trump lost the election.

I've seen a similar meltdown before .... here it is!



Also someone who spent his final days hopped up on steroids and exotic drugs!

[Breccia]

"We cannot stress enough how unnerved Trump officials are by the conversations unfolding inside the White House."

To said Trump officials:

Aw. Poor babies.

You chose to work for him. You went out of your way, to be part of Trump's White House, on purpose.

You don't get sympathy or pity for being unnerved. This is your fault. If your life this last/next month is even a fraction of the hell you put Americans through for four whole years, then consider yourself lucky.

You're leaving a trail of glowing embers and salted earth in your wake. You don't get a "whoopsie daisy!" on this one. Get out. Never come back.

[Machismo]

Axios is basically a gossip rag for the Beltway, but here's a fun read! Jonathan Swan's report reminds us that the presidency is still in the hands of a mentally ill aspiring despot who is decompensating quickly:

President Trump, in his final days, is turning bitterly on virtually every person around him, griping about anyone who refuses to indulge conspiracy theories or hopeless bids to overturn the election, several top officials tell Axios.

The latest: Targets of his outrage include Vice President Pence, chief of staff Mark Meadows, White House counsel Pat Cipollone, Secretary of State Pompeo and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Why it matters: Trump thinks everyone around him is weak, stupid or disloyal — and increasingly seeks comfort only in people who egg him on to overturn the election results. We cannot stress enough how unnerved Trump officials are by the conversations unfolding inside the White House.

Top officials are trying to stay away from the West Wing right now.

Trump is lashing out, and everyone is in the blast zone: At this point, if you’re not in the “use the Department of Homeland Security or the military to impound voting machines” camp, the president considers you weak and beneath contempt.

Trump is fed up with Cipollone, his counsel. Some supporters of Cipollone are worried that Trump is on the brink of removing him and replacing him with a fringe loyalist.

A source who spoke to Trump said the president was complaining about Pence and brought up a Lincoln Project ad that claims that Pence is “backing away” from Trump. This ad has clearly got inside Trump’s head, the source said.

Trump views Pence as not fighting hard enough for him — the same complaint he uses against virtually everybody who works for him and has been loyal to him.

Pence’s role on Jan. 6 has begun to loom large in Trump’s mind, according to people who’ve discussed the matter with him.

Trump would view Pence performing his constitutional duty — and validating the election result — as the ultimate betrayal.

A new fixation: Trump has even been asking advisers whether they can get state legislatures to rescind their electoral votes. When he’s told no, he lashes out even more, said a source who discussed the matter with the president.

And in an Oval meeting Monday night night, Trump spoke with House Republicans about voting to overturn the result on Jan. 6 — a desperate vote that even Trump has privately acknowledged he’s bound to lose.

The person who has the worst job in Washington, according to multiple administration officials: the incoming head of the Justice Department, Jeffrey Rosen.

The consensus is he has no earthly idea the insanity he is in for.

The next month will be the longest of his life.

Where’s Jared? A source told Axios that Kushner, who yesterday participated in a tree-planting ceremony in Jerusalem Forest’s Grove of Nations, “is focused on the Middle East.”

It’s a perfect visual encapsulation of Kushner’s absence — on the other side of the world, planting a tree with Bibi and accepting plaudits, while Trump discusses mayhem with Sidney Powell.

It’s worth remembering that the people who know Trump best; like Mary Trump and Michael Cohen, have for a long time been telling everybody who would listen that this was exactly what was going to happen if Trump lost the election.

I've seen a similar meltdown before .... here it is!



Also someone who spent his final days hopped up on steroids and exotic drugs!

We have the pleasure (and displeasure) of witnessing the downfall of an authoritarian in real time. For Americans, this has long been something we've only seen, or caused, from afar. We see how the loyalists will amp up their rhetoric, and turn to violence in order to help their guy maintain power. We see the desperate attempts to become even more authoritarian, like watching someone cling to blood that is seeping out of a gut shot. We are witnessing a dying animal, who is lashing out in anger and violence at anyone trying to help it, because it is both confused, and angry at it's current state.

[Milchshake]

Something I'll have to google. Was there a surge in Nazi suicides in Germany after the god-emperor took his life?

700 hours or so to find out.

[Breccia]

Trump, in his final days, is turning bitterly on virtually every person around him

Let's add to the misery index, shall we?

Barr refuses to move on Hunter Biden

McConnell prepares Senate to return Dec 29 for no reason other than to override Trump's potential veto.

Chris Christie was asked about running against Trump in 2024 and he refused to answer. (He has no chance -- he murdered an old lady and isn't Trump enough to shrug that off)

The TV/media slot Trump TV wants to occupy has been filled since 2018.

Trump sent an email to House Republicans that...just read.

A graphic was attached to the email, obtained by NBC News, and it showed a timeline of McConnell's polling numbers since May against his 2020 Democratic challenger, Amy McGrath. It suggested that McConnell was re-elected only because of Trump.

It said: "Sadly, Mitch forgot. He was the first one off the ship!"

The email suggested Trump is good for the Republican Party and led to the re-elections of GOP members. This comes as congressional Republicans face pressure to defend the president and challenge the election results.

As others here have said, and said correctly, at what point do you stop saying "and don't trust them either" before you just flat-out admit you're a cult leading dictator?

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Something I'll have to google. Was there a surge in Nazi suicides in Germany after the god-emperor took his life?

700 hours or so to find out.

@YUPPIE 's favorite source has a page titled Mass suicides in 1945 Nazi Germany.

[Santti]

I’m still amazed at silly shit like the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation being part of the stimulus bill.

Say what now?

[Orange Joe]

(Serious): How do you guys feel about Wikipedia being practically the face of the internet and it describing Trump like some kind of incompetent Neo Nazi rather than a leader? In its basic description no less. Like there's nothing redeeming about him written there in a site that is supposed to be neutral.

Like the next generation of kids will undoubtedly see this man as a villain from basic online education.

Not seeing the issue. What is redeeming about him?

[Belize]

https://www.newsweek.com/5000-page-f...i-lama-1556475

Feels unconstitutional to me.

While amusing, this is... uh... inconsequential at best.

What's really fucked up is this:
https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/21/...lony-streaming


They stuffed their shit copyright with the relief package to ensure it'd pass. God I hate the American Government more and more every day.

[PhaelixWW]

Uhhh, what are the good things Trump has done as the president?

I'm sure there is something. I'm not even joking. Surely one of his decision has been at least half-way decent? And I'm talking about things that have been his implementations, not something where he merely rubber-stamped something that came out of the Senate, or no-brainers where every single person on the planet would have done the same thing, given the circumstances. Or something that every Republican would have done, not just Trump.

But fuck me, I can't think of a single thing.

Trump pushed for more funding for space exploration.

...

That's all I've got.

[cubby]

Uhhh, what are the good things Trump has done as the president?

I'm sure there is something. I'm not even joking. Surely one of his decision has been at least half-way decent? And I'm talking about things that have been his implementations, not something where he merely rubber-stamped something that came out of the Senate, or no-brainers where every single person on the planet would have done the same thing, given the circumstances. Or something that every Republican would have done, not just Trump.

But fuck me, I can't think of a single thing.

He went and undid pretty much everything Obama managed set. That's something very Trumpian, that he can claim as his own thing. But which one of those was actually good? Certainly not being in favor of waterboarding when Obama banned it's usage. No sir.

There was the North Korea stuff. I think that might have been Trump's brainchild. Nice idea, but half-assed at best, with nothing to show for. Just more legitimization and concessions for North Korea, which is what they wanted.

The tax cuts? Oh boy, a deeply unpopular tax cuts, which is a feat on it's own. That's just awful. But I'm not sure if I'd call that something Trumpian, or just Republican. Something a Republican would have done, regardless.

And... uhhhh...?

He signed a bill making it much easier for Native American families to keep their children in times of separation...i.e. foster care and such. The items were part of a larger bill, and most people think Trump didn't even know it was in there, but he did sign it, so....

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(Serious): How do you guys feel about Wikipedia being practically the face of the internet and it describing Trump like some kind of incompetent Neo Nazi rather than a leader? In its basic description no less. Like there's nothing redeeming about him written there in a site that is supposed to be neutral.

Like the next generation of kids will undoubtedly see this man as a villain from basic online education.

Seems like they nailed it right on the head. Trump is not a leader. He's done nothing to lead this nation. He's a narcissistic sociopath who is only out for himself. The issue isn't one of neutrality, it's one of accuracy. And Wiki seems to have gotten it right.

What part of it are you confused about?

[DarkTZeratul]

He signed a bill making it much easier for Native American families to keep their children in times of separation...i.e. foster care and such. The items were part of a larger bill, and most people think Trump didn't even know it was in there, but he did sign it, so....

And even then, with good bills that Trump did sign, he didn't do anything to fight for them. To encourage Congress to take them up, or to pass them. They just pushed something in front of him and he signed his name really big and showed it off for the cameras. The most he ever did to direct Congress with regards to a bill was writing "DO SOMETHING!" on Twitter when inaction was hurting him politically.

[cubby]

And even then, with good bills that Trump did sign, he didn't do anything to fight for them. To encourage Congress to take them up, or to pass them. They just pushed something in front of him and he signed his name really big and showed it off for the cameras. The most he ever did to direct Congress with regards to a bill was writing "DO SOMETHING!" on Twitter when inaction was hurting him politically.

Exactly. Trump didn't do anything to lead the country. Really only went for himself the entire time. And still is as well. He'd burn the entire country down just to ingratiate himself.

[Magicalcrab]

I wonder how long it'll take until the GOP and the republican voters change their tone. Instead of universally praising and falling in line with their God-King Emperor at all times, cowering under his thumb as they have done for four years, I expect we'll start hearing things like:

"I disagreed with President Trump on some things."
"My allegiance is to the constitution, not the president."
"I disagree with some of the statements he's made."
"President who? Never heard of him. I just voted just like he wanted me to and cheered for him every time for four years."

There've already been some signs of this happening here and there, but when will the rats really abandon the ship, like, officially? When does the memo drop?
How tall will the pile of books be where staff members and senior politicians inside the administration paint themselves as the heroes trying to curtail a psychopathic monster of a president?

Because I'm sure they'll try to rewrite history, and act as if they weren't 100% complicit in tickling America's fascistic underbelly. This goes for everyone who purchased a stupid red hat, as well. They'll hide their stickers and flags and merchandise and try to pretend it never happened.

I'm sure the rapid turnaround will make some Thanksgiving dinners really awkward going forward.

[cubby]

Incoming AG Rosen is in for a rough month.

The person who has the worst job in Washington, according to multiple administration officials: the incoming head of the Justice Department, Jeffrey Rosen.

• The consensus is he has no earthly idea the insanity he is in for.
• The next month will be the longest of his life.

I wonder if he can just delay any "proclamations" and demands from Cheeto-in-Chief until his time runs out?

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I wonder how long it'll take until the GOP and the republican voters change their tone. Instead of universally praising and falling in line with their God-King Emperor at all times, cowering under his thumb as they have done for four years, I expect we'll start hearing things like:

"I disagreed with President Trump on some things."
"My allegiance is to the constitution, not the president."
"I disagree with some of the statements he's made."
"President who? Never heard of him. I just voted just like he wanted me to and cheered for him every time for four years."

There've already been some signs of this happening here and there, but when will the rats really abandon the ship, like, officially? When does the memo drop?
How tall will the pile of books be where staff members and senior politicians inside the administration paint themselves as the heroes trying to curtail a psychopathic monster of a president?

Because I'm sure they'll try to rewrite history, and act as if they weren't 100% complicit in tickling America's fascistic underbelly. This goes for everyone who purchased a stupid red hat, as well. They'll hide their stickers and flags and merchandise and try to pretend it never happened.

I'm sure the rapid turnaround will make some Thanksgiving dinners really awkward going forward.

And them rewriting history is the best outcome of two possibilities. Because if people start distancing themselves from Trump en masse, then Trump's reign over the GOP starts to wane, and we might see some normalcy return.

But Trump is getting his own television network. And he's the best fundraiser the GOP has seen in a generation. Word is out that Trump is going to be making upwards of a billion dollars a year in gross subscriptions to his network. And Trump will spew his idiocy and conspiracy theories to no end. And that might be enough to hold onto the GOP, which means the insanity will continue.

The next 10 years or so, until Trump strokes out, are going to be VERY rough.

[Gelannerai]

Incoming AG Rosen is in for a rough month.


I wonder if he can just delay any "proclamations" and demands from Cheeto-in-Chief until his time runs out?

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And them rewriting history is the best outcome of two possibilities. Because if people start distancing themselves from Trump en masse, then Trump's reign over the GOP starts to wane, and we might see some normalcy return.

But Trump is getting his own television network. And he's the best fundraiser the GOP has seen in a generation. Word is out that Trump is going to be making upwards of a billion dollars a year in gross subscriptions to his network. And Trump will spew his idiocy and conspiracy theories to no end. And that might be enough to hold onto the GOP, which means the insanity will continue.

The next 10 years or so, until Trump strokes out, are going to be VERY rough.

Assuming he doesn’t spend the rest of his life embroiled in courts.

[YUPPIE]

what is preventing people from simply taking away Trump's powers right now? Like stop the headlines with the 30 days of terror or Trump taking America with him, just remove him?