The Trump thread: All things Donald

[joan1984]

  Great speech tonight by President Trump, the first of his to JSOC, first of many to come. Leading with Black History mention, and strong AntiSemitism remarks, he lead those listening to many applause sessions, some even with the 'White Cloth' Democrats in attendance. Wearing white by Democrats used to be more secretive, but not tonight... the whole #resist bunch, I suppose.

  Well done, Mr. President!

[Katiebee]

I don't know what you are talking about, joan

There is no anti-semitisim. It's all done by Obama and the Democrats.

With this whining, I doubt that you can call anything about the Trump administration, other than they are whiny little children. There is very little that the Trump administration does that is admirable, or upstanding. They have continually been disgusting, deplorable, and so very classless and crass.

[Northwest]

Trump didn't break any new crockery which, given his record for the first four weeks of stepping from one steaming pile into the next without letup, was a major accomplishment. Of course, someone else wrote those words, not Trump, so we'll have to watch which of the various pronouncements he steps on over the course of the next week. Trump has a knack for contradicting every position which he establishes, which is why the whiff of chaos is ever present.

Trump moved slightly back toward center, which he'll have to continue to do if he wants to have develop a working majority that can pass legislation. In that he was wise. Divisiveness can only take you so far.

The Dems applauded on breaking the lock on drug prices, and infrastructure development, but I'd be surprised if either of those are high on Trump's list. I don't expect the infrastructure idea to ever actually get implemented. I think the patter which will emerge is Trump's wealthy buddies get the goodies, and Trump's working class followers will get the excuses ("Well...we just couldn't find the money for that, what with the tax cuts for business, and the tax breaks for the wealthy).
---

I'm sticking with my position; Obamacare is going to squeak by and survive because Congressional Republicans like their jobs, and have been watching how the town halls have been playing out.

At some point somebody is going to remember that health care costs were already spiraling out of control BEFORE Obamacare, and they aren't likely to stop increasing faster than the rate of inflation even if Republicans are able to kick a few million people off of insurance. Obamacare didn't fix all of the problems with health care, but it was a good start.

If Republicans do manage to crater Obamacare, not only will they own the problem for ever after, but it their approach fails -- there's nothing left but single payer. Which, frankly, is the only really sane option.

[Lois]

Trump is flirting with the idea that anti-Semitic incidents are false flags — yet again

#Resist

Great gobs of conspiracy theories, Batman!  When you think, Batman, with this lie'n Trump hangin' around, it's amazing somebody hasn't already impeached the creep!

[MissBarbara]

I'm sticking with my position; Obamacare is going to squeak by and survive because Congressional Republicans like their jobs, and have been watching how the town halls have been playing out.

I completely agree.

Promising to repeal/abolish the ACA makes for a winning campaign promise, but a losing Congressional action.

[joan1984]

There is no anti-semitisim. It's all done by Obama and the Democrats.

Hillary and Soros supporters, radical Leftists, so we agree.

[Northwest]

There is no anti-semitisim. It's all done by Obama and the Democrats.

Hillary and Soros supporters, radical Leftists, so we agree.

Ignore those people sniggering in the back of the room, Joan. They're laughing with you, not at you.

[joan1984]

  Trust me, Northwest, I try always to ignore you and what you may say.

There is no anti-semitisim. It's all done by Obama and the Democrats.

Hillary and Soros supporters, radical Leftists, so we agree.

Ignore those people sniggering in the back of the room, Joan. They're laughing with you, not at you.

[Northwest]

LOL...and you generally do a good job, too. This would just be considered a minor slip up, I think.

[Katiebee]

There is no anti-semitisim. It's all done by Obama and the Democrats.

Hillary and Soros supporters, radical Leftists, so we agree.

Your sarcasm meter is broken.

[Athos_131]

Sessions spoke twice with Russian ambassador during Trump’s presidential campaign, Justice officials say

At his Jan. 10 Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, Sessions was asked by Sen. Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat, what he would do if he learned of any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of the 2016 campaign.

“I’m not aware of any of those activities,” he responded. He added: “I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.”

#Resist

[Athos_131]

Obama Administration Rushed to Preserve Intelligence of Russian Election Hacking

American allies, including the British and the Dutch, had provided information describing meetings in European cities between Russian officials — and others close to Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin — and associates of President-elect Trump, according to three former American officials who requested anonymity in discussing classified intelligence. Separately, American intelligence agencies had intercepted communications of Russian officials, some of them within the Kremlin, discussing contacts with Mr. Trump’s associates.

#Resist

[Athos_131]

Officials: Still No Actionable Intel from Yemen SEAL Raid

Ten current U.S. officials across the government who have been briefed on the details of the raid told NBC News that so far, no truly significant intelligence has emerged from the haul.

#Resist

[Lois]

Huge scandal has already taken down Flynn.  Looks like two more will likely follow: Sessions and Kushner.   Jeff Sessions acknowledged this week that he had met twice with the Russian ambassador prior to Trump's taking office, despite previous denials before congress during his confirmation hearings.  He may have to serve jail time for perjury.

Kushner and Flynn Met With Russian Envoy in December, White House Says

WASHINGTON — Michael T. Flynn, then Donald J. Trump’s incoming national security adviser, had a previously undisclosed meeting with the Russian ambassador in December to “establish a line of communication” between the new administration and the Russian government, the White House said on Thursday.

Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and now a senior adviser, also participated in the meeting at Trump Tower with Mr. Flynn and Sergey I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador. But among Mr. Trump’s inner circle, it is Mr. Flynn who appears to have been the main interlocutor with the Russian envoy — the two were in contact during the campaign and the transition, Mr. Kislyak and current and former American officials have said.

But the extent and frequency of their contacts remains unclear, and the disclosure of the meeting at Trump Tower adds to the emerging picture of how the relationship between Mr. Trump’s incoming team and Moscow was evolving to include some of the president-elect’s most trusted advisers.

The White House has repeatedly sought to play down any connections with Mr. Kislyak. Attorney General Jeff Sessions acknowledged this week that he had met twice with him during the campaign, despite previous denials.

More:  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/02/us/politics/kushner-flynn-sessions-russia.html

[ChirpingGirl]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHh_Z7RgCEk

[Athos_131]

The web of relationships between Team Trump and Russia

#Resist

[Athos_131]

Despite early denials, growing list of Trump camp contacts with Russians haunts White House

It is unclear why the White House has consistently denied contacts with Russian officials if the meetings that took place were innocuous.

#Resist

[Lois]

I think Steve Bannon is behind all the leaks in the White House.  Think about it.

Bannon said: “I’m a Leninist. Lenin wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment.”

He was behind all the appointments of people that are against the missions of their particular departments.  What more to top the cake than to drive out government employees under the pretext of weeding out leakers?

While Bannon now claims he does not remember saying this, it is consistent with his goal that he has repeated before: The destruction of the government.

Reportedly he also believes that for the US to become great again it must be torn down and rebuilt.  I believe Joan's posts have also echoed this sentiment.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/02/revealed-steve-bannons-apocalyptic-worldview-about-civilizations-coming-trial-by-fire/

[joan1984]

  I believe it was Barack Hussein Obama who sought, and near achieved, the Transformation of America... that is the "government" that needs unearthing of any who wish to continue "transforming", and get some Americans in there to assure we Make America Great Again.

  Perhaps you are thinking about when I accepted Obama's offer to sequester all of Government, in the hope Republicans would not take up that offer, for fear of the loss of Defense Spending. I was in favor of that, if only to get at the items of Non-Defense Spending that were growing exponentially prior to such sequester.

  I am not of the opinion that all baseline budgets should grow by set amounts every year, independent of inflation, independent of anything, really, and be scored as 'neutral' with the prior year spending is compounded by a factor of plus 8% or more, BEFORE any NEW program money is added... then, if one may suggest we just spend what we did last year, the bureaucracy screams that is a cut, as it does not include he 'bump' from an automatic increase, which was to be addressed with sequester, the ONLY thing that restrained spending under Obama. 

  Am not sure it is right at all to roll back sequester to what it was prior, across the board, not at all. Would rather a case be made when any added budget is required, that addresses item by item, WHY exactly more money is required, and how exactly savings are to be achieved from the prior year's spending.

I think Steve Bannon is behind all the leaks in the White House.  Think about it.

Bannon said: “I’m a Leninist. Lenin wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment.”

He was behind all the appointments of people that are against the missions of their particular departments.  What more to top the cake than to drive out government employees under the pretext of weeding out leakers?

While Bannon now claims he does not remember saying this, it is consistent with his goal that he has repeated before: The destruction of the government.

Reportedly he also believes that for the US to become great again it must be torn down and rebuilt.  I believe Joan's posts have also echoed this sentiment.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/02/revealed-steve-bannons-apocalyptic-worldview-about-civilizations-coming-trial-by-fire/

[Lois]

  I believe it was Barack Hussein Obama who sought, and near achieved, the Transformation of America... that is the "government" that needs unearthing of any who wish to continue "transforming", and get some Americans in there to assure we Make America Great Again.

Oh, how did he do this?  As I see it, Obama mostly helped us gain our respect back, after Bush's warmongering and bullying ways.  Our allies were not happy with Bush, but were happy with Obama.

And no, I am not referring to the sequester.  Specifically you were cheering for Trump because he would destroy the Republican party and open the way to remaking it in a way you would prefer.  You also said something along the lines of remaking the country the same way.