The Trump thread: All things Donald

[Northwest]

Will Trump's lows ever hit rock bottom?

A president who'd all but call a senator a whore is unfit to clean toilets in Obama's presidential library or to shine George W. Bush's shoes: Our view

With his latest tweet, clearly implying that a United States senator would trade sexual favors for campaign cash, President Trump has shown he is not fit for office. Rock bottom is no impediment for a president who can always find room for a new low.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday dismissed the president's smear as a misunderstanding because he used similar language about men. Of course, words used about men and women are different. When candidate Trump said a journalist was bleeding from her "wherever," he didn't mean her nose.  

And as is the case with all of Trump's digital provocations, the president's words were deliberate. He pours the gasoline of sexist language and lights the match gleefully knowing how it will burst into flame in a country reeling from the #MeToo moment.  

A president who would all but call Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand a whore is not fit to clean the toilets in the Barack Obama Presidential Library or to shine the shoes of George W. Bush.  

This isn’t about the policy differences we have with all presidents or our disappointment in some of their decisions. Obama and Bush both failed in many ways. They broke promises and told untruths, but the basic decency of each man was never in doubt.  

Donald Trump, the man, on the other hand, is uniquely awful. His sickening behavior is corrosive to the enterprise of a shared governance based on common values and the consent of the governed.

It should surprise no one how low he went with Gillibrand. When accused during the campaign of sexually harassing or molesting women in the past, Trump’s response was to belittle the looks of his accusers. Last October, Trump suggested that he never would have groped Jessica Leeds on an airplane decades ago: “Believe me, she would not be my first choice, that I can tell you.” Trump mocked another accuser, former People reporter Natasha Stoynoff, “Check out her Facebook, you’ll understand.”  Other celebrities and politicians have denied accusations, but none has stooped as low as suggesting that their accusers weren’t attractive enough to be honored with their gropes.

If recent history is any guide, the unique awfulness of the Trump era in U.S. politics is only going to get worse. Trump’s utter lack of morality, ethics and simple humanity has been underscored during his 11 months in office. Let us count the ways:

He is enthusiastically supporting Alabama's Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who has been accused of pursuing — and in one case molesting and in another assaulting — teenagers as young as 14 when Moore was a county prosecutor in his 30s. On Tuesday, Trump summed up his willingness to support a man accused of criminal conduct: “Roy Moore will always vote with us.”  

Trump apparently is going for some sort of record for lying while in office. As of mid-November, he had made 1,628 misleading or false statements in 298 days in office. That’s 5.5 false claims per day, according to a count kept by The Washington Post’s fact-checkers.

Trump takes advantage of any occasion — even Monday’s failed terrorist attack in New York — to stir racial, religious or ethnic strife. Congress “must end chain migration,” he said Monday, because the terror suspect “entered our country through extended-family chain migration, which is incompatible with national security.” So because one man — 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. who came from Bangladesh on a family immigrant visa in 2011 —  is accused of attacking America, all immigrants brought to this country by family are suspect? Trump might have some credibility if his criticism of immigrants was solely about terrorists. It isn’t.  It makes no difference to him if an immigrant is a terrorist or a federal judge. He once smeared an Indiana-born judge whose parents emigrated from Mexico. It’s all the same to this president.

A man who clearly wants to put his stamp on the government, Trump hasn’t even done his job when it comes to filling key government positions that require Senate confirmation. As of last week, Trump had failed to nominate anyone for 60% of 1,200 key positions he can fill to keep the government running smoothly.  

Trump has shown contempt for ethical strictures that have bound every president in recent memory.  He has refused to release his tax returns, with the absurd excuse that it’s because he is under audit.  He has refused to put his multibillion dollar business interests in a blind trust and peddles the fiction that putting them in the hands of his sons does the same thing.

Not to mention calling white supremacists "very fine people," pardoning a lawless sheriff, firing a respected FBI director, and pushing the Justice Department to investigate his political foes.

It is a shock that only six Democratic senators are calling for our unstable president to resign.

The nation doesn’t seek nor expect perfect presidents, and some have certainly been deeply flawed. But a president who shows such disrespect for the truth, for ethics, for the basic duties of the job and for decency toward others fails at the very essence of what has always made America great.

#Resist

Yeah, you know you're really fucking up when McNews calls you on the carpet and announces you aren't fit for the job. Donny Dumkins is wearing out his welcome.

Salon thinks this was a significant bridge we just crossed too:

https://www.salon.com/2017/12/13/usa-today-delivers-the-harshest-criticism-of-donald-trump-yet/

[_priapism]

Sarah Huckabee Sanders had a very bad, no-good day

[Lois]

She sure knows how to give the evil eye. Scary.

[Katiebee]

For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?

[Jed_]

A helpful tutorial for for Trump supporters:














* modified for image width.

[Athos_131]

CDC gets list of forbidden words: Fetus, transgender, diversity

Policy analysts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta were told of the list of forbidden terms at a meeting Thursday with senior CDC officials who oversee the budget, according to an analyst who took part in the 90-minute briefing. The forbidden terms are “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence-based” and “science-based.”

#Resist

[Katiebee]

Unser glorreicher Anführer ist ein verdammter Idiot.

[xXshepXx]

Unser glorreicher Anführer ist ein verdammter Idiot.

+1 for the grammatically correct german sentence. 
It really makes us wonder here, what went wrong on your side of the big pond. But then again, more and more people in Europe started to vote for right-wing parties last year too, especially here in Germany. So while watching Trump and his antics we can at least see what to expect in the future.
Oh wait.....#beentheredonethat

[Army of One]

CDC gets list of forbidden words: Fetus, transgender, diversity

Policy analysts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta were told of the list of forbidden terms at a meeting Thursday with senior CDC officials who oversee the budget, according to an analyst who took part in the 90-minute briefing. The forbidden terms are “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence-based” and “science-based.”

#Resist

[cocks head to the side] What?

But in all seriousness, there are a lot of claims that language has become more "politically correct", and it seems to be (at least, based off the debate here in Australia) a claim made by right-wing elements. Yet, the Trump administration, who have shown themselves to be unashamedly right-wing, pull a similar trick.

Pot, meet kettle.

[Northwest]

This makes sense, and it 'splains a lot; Trump's legal team are completely out of their element. Emphasis below mine:

That Sinking Feeling

Behind the new faux controversy over Mueller getting Trump transition emails is a key and probably too little discussed aspect of the Russia story: Mueller’s team has some of the most accomplished and aggressive prosecutors and legal minds of their generation. They’re facing off against a team of has-beens, 3rd or 4th rate lawyers and in some cases simple incompetents. Why? Because Trump values sycophancy above competence and because none of the top lawyers were willing to work for him.

I can’t say that I would have known on my own what the status of these emails in question was. But given what we know about Trump’s lawyers, it’s all but impossible to think they’re in the right on this. Why? Simply because they’ve shown again and again that they don’t know key elements of the law or investigative procedure. If the Trump team had a solid legal team defending them, I have little doubt they would have understood the legal status of these emails in advance. If they had some case, they would have marshaled their arguments in advance. If nothing else, I suspect there are ways, either formal or informal, that they could have known Mueller had gotten these emails, whether they thought he had a right to them or not.

The simple fact is that they were caught off guard, something that has happened numerous times through this saga. Criminal investigation is in a way like a war. Within the law, it is part of the process that you want to keep the other side guessing as much as possible. But if you’ve watched the investigation closely, there have been numerous occasions when the Trump team appears to have been caught totally off guard by developments they likely should have had at least some inkling of. They’re upset because they didn’t do their homework on the legal status of those emails. As my friend Garance Franke-Ruta archly puts it, always read the terms of service!

One might speculate that Trump’s lawyers know they have no legal case here but are playing this up as part of a “Mueller’s out of control/breaking the law” narrative. It’s certainly being played that way on Fox. Certainly there’s some of that. But my guess is that they’re genuinely surprised. And since they’re surprised they assume Mueller cheated. (Is it possible Mueller did something wrong? Sure. Who knows? If so, I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. But I doubt it. And none of the legal commentary I’ve seen suggests he did.) Beyond that, however, I suspect they now fear (no doubt rightly) that Trump officials lied during their interviews with the Special Counsel’s office and the investigators already had the emails that proved they were lying. That’s a real sinking feeling for everyone involved.

From:  http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/that-sinking-feeling-2

[Northwest]

Here's an interesting take on the story. I can't personally vouch for any of this, but it seems as plausible as any other version I've read:

Robert Mueller just pulled an ace from his sleeve, and Donald Trump’s team just flinched
Bill Palmer -- Updated: 5:08 pm EST Sun Dec 17, 2017

What, you thought Special Counsel Robert Mueller was just going to sit back and risk the possibility that Donald Trump might try to fire him? Mueller dropped a bomb on Trump’s entire team on Saturday night, and he did it in public. It came largely in the form of a warning: back off or you’re all immediately going down, because I have far more dirt on all of you than you know. Less than an hour later, the Trump team indeed predictably flinched in equally public fashion.

It all began around around 5pm on Saturday when Axios reported that Mueller has been sitting on fifty thousand emails from the Trump transition team all along (https://www.axios.com/scoop-mueller-obtains-tens-of-thousands-of-trump-transition-emails-2517994590.html). Mueller had kept this a secret, and had tricked Trump’s people into a false sense of security by requesting copies of the emails that he already had. Trump’s people only turned over the non-incriminating emails, and thought they were covered. This means he has a whole lot of people nailed for various crimes. If Trump tries to make a move, Mueller can begin arresting them all before Trump can complete the complicated process of trying to fire him.

Mueller was sending a message that if Trump tried to get him fired, he would immediately make a move on everyone involved in those emails. In the process, Mueller was also hinting that he’s been sitting on incriminating evidence against pretty much everyone involved, likely including Trump’s current White House advisers. It was a tacit demand that Trump’s people find a way to make sure he doesn’t fire Mueller. As Palmer Report explained at the time (http://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/warning-shot-donald-trump/6697/), this move left Trump’s team with only one option: back down, and quickly.

Sure enough, less than an hour later, Donald Trump’s team made an announcement that Trump has no intention of firing Robert Mueller, according to a CNN report (http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/16/politics/white-house-no-plans-firing-mueller/index.html). This reads like a clear attempt on the part of Trump’s team to signal to Mueller that they can indeed keep Trump under control, and that there’s no need for Mueller to release the proverbial kraken on them. If Trump and his people do end up making any further threatening gestures in Mueller’s direction, look for even more leaks about the other aces Mueller has up his sleeve. He’ll keep taking increasingly damaging warning shots until they back down and let him do his job.

http://www.palmerreport.com/politics/ace-sleeve-mueller-2/6700/

[Athos_131]

 "  Russia,  Russia , Russia  "

2017 Lie of the Year: Russian election interference is a 'made-up story'

#Resist

[Northwest]

Poll: More Americans support impeaching Trump than voting for him in 2020
AOL Staff

More Americans support impeachment hearings to potentially remove President Trump than voting for his re-election, according to a new poll from NBC News and the Wall Street Journal.

The new poll released on Wednesday includes a series of troubling data returns for the 45th president, including that just about 36 percent of respondents said they would "definitely" or "probably" vote for Trump in 2020. While the poll indicates sluggish support for Trump in the event he decides to run for re-election, the poll also found 41 percent of Americans said they were in favor of Congress holding impeachment hearings for President Trump.

A majority -- 54 percent -- of respondents said they were not in favor of hearings, but that more Americans support impeachment hearings than the president in a 2020 contest may signal trouble for the commander in chief where U.S. approval is concerned.

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/12/20/poll-more-americans-support-impeaching-trump-than-voting-for-him-in-2020/23313095/

[MissBarbara]

U.N. condemns Trump over Israel despite U.S. threats

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to condemn President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The nonbinding resolution against "illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of occupied Palestinian territory" declared any moves to settle Jerusalem's fate outside of a broader peace deal to be "null and voided." The United States' ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, warned that the U.S. would be "taking names" of those nations opposing the U.S. in the vote, and Trump suggested that the U.S. would cut foreign aid to any nation voting to condemn the U.S. The 128-9 vote, with 35 abstentions, was interpreted as a harsh rebuke of Trump's decision and its impact on peace efforts.

[joan1984]

Good the UN knows exactly the US position, no doubt in anyones mind.

Thirty eight abstentions hopefully include our supposed allies and likely some US Air recipients, or maybe not. Will have to view the lists.

50 years is enough time to putz around waiting for the PA to negotiate openly and honestly, and we should hold back any US interests no longer. Should they ever get together with Israel, the parties can sort out boundaries, or even if a two state solution is the proper answer.  Dealing with terrorists is fruitless.

We should only give US foreign aid when it is in the US interest to do so, and not a dime to insolent governments who are not deserving of our money. The UN itself included, as to who gets Ameican dollars and who does not qualify to receive our money.

[Lois]

Now if Trump only knew the difference between the UN and NATO.  

Canada was set to vote with the United States, until Trump's threat.  They then decided to "abstain" in protest.  We'll be lucky if we have any allies left before long.

Trump sure knows how to make friends and influence people.

[Katiebee]

Trump is rapidly diminishing the standing and reputation of the US. Welcome to the backwaters.

[Northwest]

Need a last minute gift idea?

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/21/opinion/trump-holiday-gift-guide.html

[_priapism]

Trump is rapidly diminishing the standing and reputation of the US. Welcome to the backwaters.

He’s destroyed a status quo that has served the US well for 70 years.  Our allies, and our enemies, view the US as impaired now, and are quickly figuring out they do not need our participation or consent to run world affairs.  We are going to increasingly be shown the back seat, or the door, in world affairs.

The foreign policy manifesto drafted for him is laughable.  The “America First” Doctrine?  Yeah, that's going to go over well.   

[MissBarbara]

He’s destroyed a status quo that has served the US well for 70 years.  Our allies, and our enemies, view the US as impaired now, and are quickly figuring out they do not need our participation or consent to run world affairs.  We are going to increasingly be shown the back seat, or the door, in world affairs.

The foreign policy manifesto drafted for him is laughable.  The “America First” Doctrine?  Yeah, that's going to go over well.   

Exactly.

And it's absurd to determine the meaning of the abstentions lacking any data.

For me, the most telling line in the piece I posted was, "The 128-9 vote, with 35 abstentions, was interpreted as a harsh rebuke of Trump's decision and its impact on peace efforts."

Well, yes, that's EXACTLY how to interpret it, since that's what it means.