Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[starlord]

i don't think its wise at all to try and base any kind of economic policies off of a disease outbreak.
it could happen anywhere.
the US is also the originator of the ever growing anti vaxx movement. they've already brought back measles, who knows what they will do next.

[Edge-]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...ants-win-ohio/

What's going on now? Not much, just Trump using official actions like pardons to try to win re-election. He pardoned former 49ers owner Ed DeBartolo Jr, who failed to report a bribe solicited by the governor of Louisiana in 1998.

He's got a full pardon now. Why? Not because of any miscarriage of justice or actual reason having to do with morality, but instead because the family is popular in Ohio, apparently.

Just a reminder that Trump will corrupt every aspect of the presidency in his quest for power. Nothing is sacred, not a pardon for people deserving of a clean slate and second chance, and not the highest civilian award in the land, which gets put in a purse and given to a blatant bigot.

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/...r-trump-rally/

“‘The Josh Bernstein Show’ is going to the Trump rally,” he announced on his show. “We have some passes, some media credentials from the White House.”

Bernstein is a radical right-wing conspiracy theorist who has repeatedly used his YouTube program to threaten violence and call for those who dare to oppose Trump to be tortured, charged with treason, and executed:

He has urged Trump to “become a dictator for patriotism,” to shut down critical media operations, and to arrest the heads of social media companies for supposedly discriminating against conservatives. Bernstein vowed to use “all means necessary” to fight this supposed censorship.

What a very fine person. I'm glad they're getting press credentials while calling for the torture and censorship of their fellow Americans for ideological differences.

- - - Updated - - -

So Trump is taking land from his supporters, tearing up Native American burial sites, and generally not giving a shit about anything standing in the way of his "THE WALL".

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dhs...ws-border-wall

We can add "Waiving inconvenient laws" to that list too. This is actually legal, surprisingly, but DHS is waiving a number of laws relating to how contractors are chosen for federal projects in the name of "JUST BUILD THIS THING BEFORE THE ELECTION NOW!", because "THE WALL" is little more than a terrible political art installation.

[Belize]

https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/...r-trump-rally/



What a very fine person. I'm glad they're getting press credentials while calling for the torture and censorship of their fellow Americans for ideological differences.

- - - Updated - - -

So Trump is taking land from his supporters, tearing up Native American burial sites, and generally not giving a shit about anything standing in the way of his "THE WALL".

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dhs...ws-border-wall

We can add "Waiving inconvenient laws" to that list too. This is actually legal, surprisingly, but DHS is waiving a number of laws relating to how contractors are chosen for federal projects in the name of "JUST BUILD THIS THING BEFORE THE ELECTION NOW!", because "THE WALL" is little more than a terrible political art installation.

1. I still wonder how anyone can grow up to be a lunatic in the style of this Bernstein fellow. Like, is it a failure of parenting, or are they just fucked in the head.

2. Tearing up Indian burial sites is a great way to ensure that The Wall, and anyone that has anything to do with it, gets fucking cursed, so they're digging their own grave (badumtsh)

[bladeXcrasher]

I'm sure stealing land from Texan's will go over well, granted the boarder[sic] is mostly blue already so the red north may give Trump a pass on this.

[Edge-]

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/4...id-for-farmers

And the GAO will be investigating Trump's "Market Facilitation Program", you know, farm-socialism.

[omerome]

...still waiting on that Mexican check for that wall.

Maybe it got lost in the mail. I think someone should go check on that...

How aren't those people not feeling the con by now? Mind boggling.

[Breccia]

Maybe it got lost in the mail

The invoice was shipped to the military by mistake. By the way, building a military project on the border with Mexico is kind of like declaring them an enemy force, right?

On topic: the general counsel of the ODNI just announced his departure.

"Was he fired?"

No, read on, it's more clear later.

What's especially bad in this case, is the DNI had the following to say about it:

I don't exist

That's right, we have an acting Director of National Intelligence. First of all, what a shock, someone with no Congressional oversight was in charge when Trump flat-out broke the law, who would have guessed? But secondly, you can only have an acting appointee for so long. Specifically, in this case, March 11.

"When's that lawyer guy leaving?"

By March 11.

Now, the acting DNI and this lawyer were both cited for their poor handling of the "urgent" whistleblower complaint. That's why all this turned into impeachment, by the way. I think what we're seeing here is people fleeing their job before they are forced to face consequences for their actions, like a Republican announcing they want to spend more time with their family just before they are forced to run on Trump's record.

[Edge-]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/departm...ay-2020-02-18/

The Stone issue is so significant that federal judges are calling an emergency meeting to address the DoJ handling of the case.

[beanman12345]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...ants-win-ohio/

What's going on now? Not much, just Trump using official actions like pardons to try to win re-election. He pardoned former 49ers owner Ed DeBartolo Jr, who failed to report a bribe solicited by the governor of Louisiana in 1998.

He's got a full pardon now. Why? Not because of any miscarriage of justice or actual reason having to do with morality, but instead because the family is popular in Ohio, apparently.

Just a reminder that Trump will corrupt every aspect of the presidency in his quest for power. Nothing is sacred, not a pardon for people deserving of a clean slate and second chance, and not the highest civilian award in the land, which gets put in a purse and given to a blatant bigot.

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/...r-trump-rally/



What a very fine person. I'm glad they're getting press credentials while calling for the torture and censorship of their fellow Americans for ideological differences.

- - - Updated - - -

So Trump is taking land from his supporters, tearing up Native American burial sites, and generally not giving a shit about anything standing in the way of his "THE WALL".

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dhs...ws-border-wall

We can add "Waiving inconvenient laws" to that list too. This is actually legal, surprisingly, but DHS is waiving a number of laws relating to how contractors are chosen for federal projects in the name of "JUST BUILD THIS THING BEFORE THE ELECTION NOW!", because "THE WALL" is little more than a terrible political art installation.

He just pardoned Blagojevich. For those not familiar, he was an Illinois governor who sold Obama's senate seat. He was also on the apprentice. In defense of Blagojevich, he was sort of made an example of, and got about twice the amount of time he should have. I'm not a lawyer but this is what my lawyer friends have told me. He's served 8 years, which is more then enough time for what he did.

[Lenonis]

Add another pardon.

Trump Commutes Corruption Sentence of Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois

That's not going to win him any fans in Illinois. People here are reaaaaaaally tired of jailing our governors and anything that even hints that you can get away with it is going to get a cold reception.

[Poopymonster]

He just pardoned Blagojevich. For those not familiar, he was an Illinois governor who sold Obama's senate seat. He was also on the apprentice. In defense of Blagojevich, he was sort of made an example of, and got about twice the amount of time he should have. I'm not a lawyer but this is what my lawyer friends have told me. He's served 8 years, which is more then enough time for what he did.

Technically he commuted it, not pardoned.

And he should have been made an example of. Regardless of party.

[beanman12345]

Technically he commuted it, not pardoned.

You are right, commuted stand corrected.

[Breccia]

farm-socialism.

From your source, this source says that 40% of farm income was Trump's bailout socialism.

Oh, and bankruptcies still spiked. So even 40% wasn't enough.

Also, that same GAO investigation will likely look at waste, fraud, and abuse -- the same keywords the rabid fanbase use to attack food stamps, so, they have to eat it and like it. Or admit they're hypocrites.

[DocSavageFan]

That's not going to win him any fans in Illinois. People here are reaaaaaaally tired of jailing our governors and anything that even hints that you can get away with it is going to get a cold reception.

7 years in prison is "getting away with it"?

[Shalcker]

That's right, we have an acting Director of National Intelligence. First of all, what a shock, someone with no Congressional oversight was in charge when Trump flat-out broke the law, who would have guessed? But secondly, you can only have an acting appointee for so long. Specifically, in this case, March 11.

"When's that lawyer guy leaving?"

By March 11.

Now, the acting DNI and this lawyer were both cited for their poor handling of the "urgent" whistleblower complaint. That's why all this turned into impeachment, by the way. I think what we're seeing here is people fleeing their job before they are forced to face consequences for their actions, like a Republican announcing they want to spend more time with their family just before they are forced to run on Trump's record.

Isn't it just a ploy to dodge congressional oversight though? Ploy that seems to be working quite well for Trump so far.

They change titles, or swap people between positions, and keep that "acting" act indefinitely.

[Lenonis]

7 years in prison is "getting away with it"?

When it's half your original sentence it gives a hint of that aroma, yes.

[Edge-]

https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/art...D-15065046.php

And Clemency for two more white collar criminals, because tax evasion and lying to federal investigators doesn't matter I guess -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Kerik

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Milken

[Breccia]

And Clemency for two more white collar criminals

How many of them were also on the Apprentice? Like Blagojevich was?

[Lenonis]

And Clemency for two more white collar criminals, because tax evasion and lying to federal investigators doesn't matter I guess -

Well, I mean I'm sure Trump sees them as kindred souls and thus has great sympathy for their situation and lack of understanding on why they are being punished.

Alternatively this is the start of a PR campaign to normalize pardons leading up to more serious ones for his group of folks around him culminating in him pardoning himself.

[DocSavageFan]

When it's half your original sentence it gives a hint of that aroma, yes.

OK. But personally I think Blagojevich has been punished enough.

Huge sentences for non-violent, first time offenders rubs me the wrong way in most cases.