The Trump Presidency – 2016

[Ben E Lou]

Meeting over. Trump said Obama is a "very fine man."

Obama called it an "excellent" conversation that was wide-ranging and he is "very encouraged." "Important for all of regardless of party for all of us to come together."
Trump called Obama a "very fine man" whose counsel he will seek. "I very much look forward to dealing with the President."

[Ben E Lou]

Trump campaign removes ‘Muslim ban’ link from website

[Ben E Lou]

Supreme Court list gone too

[molson]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Meeting over. Trump said Obama is a "very fine man."

Obama called it an "excellent" conversation that was wide-ranging and he is "very encouraged." "Important for all of regardless of party for all of us to come together."
Trump called Obama a "very fine man" whose counsel he will seek. "I very much look forward to dealing with the President."

Trump acting very presidential since the acceptance speech. This is nothing like the campaign version of him. I wonder if that's disappointing to any of his supporters. I'm choosing to think it's a good sign.

[JPhillips]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...tml?tid=sm_tw#

Evil Empire to campaign operatives.

[Arles]

Trump has always been an actor and a charleton throughout his life. He will pick and choose parts of his campaign that help him now that he has won. Things that hurt his personal glory/plan will be lost or "forgotten". His history shows this will be the case and if I were a right-winger, I would be very concerned that he won't keep half (or even a quarter) of his promises.

[Toddzilla]

If Trump gets the idea in his head that protecting a woman's right to choose could profit him somehow down the road there will be abortion clinics next to every Starbucks.

[larrymcg421]

Trump has so far named a climate change denier as his EPA transition chief. And the names being floated for Homeland Security are David Clarke and Joe Arpaio. So far this tells me he's going to be exactly what he promised to be during his campaign.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

Trump has so far named a climate change denier as his EPA transition chief. And the names being floated for Homeland Security are David Clarke and Joe Arpaio. So far this tells me he's going to be exactly what he promised to be during his campaign.

It has certainly given me hope for that to be the case (tho I'd prefer Arpaio at Immigration and Clarke at DoJ) but right now they're both just names floating around.

I won't count our blessings until they're in office & running things.

[ISiddiqui]

Arpaio won't get the job - he lost his election (meaning - "He's a loser")

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Arpaio won't get the job - he lost his election (meaning - "He's a loser")

Isn't it somewhat common for dispatched politicians to get cabinet roles tho?
Trump is reportedly looking at at least 1-2 others that have lost for various jobs so it wouldn't seem to be an impediment.

[JPhillips]

Isn't Arpaio under federal investigation? I don't think even Trump would be shifty enough to bury that so Arpaio could get a job.

[Thomkal]

Day 1 in Trump America:

Day 1 In Trump's America

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

Day 1 in Trump America:

Day 1 In Trump's America

Day 1000 in Trump America

[Thomkal]

It would not surprise me if some of it was made up/lying, etc. (I know of one picture not shown here of two white college students in blackface-has been doctored). The white man being beat up was over a traffic incident I have found out since I posted this. But even if its all made up, it has some value in reading through it I think

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

But even if its all made up, it has some value in reading through it I think

Yep.

Illustrates how gullible large portions of the public are, and the extremes a few malcontents will go to exploit that.

[Brian Swartz]

Guy I used to work with is becoming fairly important in democratic politics in Michigan. Was involved in a demonstration and posted a live video(in Grand Rapids). I get people being upset, I'm not thrilled myself, and I was fine with it till they started chanting 'not my President' over and over again. Three weeks into January, he's going to be. Really. That's how it works. Each voter/bloc doesn't get pick their own president.

Then another former co-worker, who has gone on about 'Killary' etc. all campaign long, puts up a message of unity, let's all rally around Trump no matter what we believe, etc. Just astounded me. Had no substantive response to it being pointed out that he sure wasn't willing to do that with the shoe on the other foot.

I hope we get past this stuff eventually, but I don't think we are off to a good start.

[Edward64]

His top 3 priorities.

Interesting that he left ISIL off but maybe these were just his domestic priorities.

In Capitol Hill Meetings, Donald Trump Reveals His Top Priorities - NBC News

After a meeting with the top Republicans on Capitol Hill Thursday to discuss the agenda ahead, President-elect Donald Trump laid out his top three priorities: immigration, health care and jobs.

"We're gonna look very strongly at immigration; we're gonna look at the border. We're gonna look very strongly at health care, and we're looking at jobs — big league jobs," Trump told a throng of reporters after a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the lawmaker's second-floor Capitol Hill office.

While Trump mentioned the border being a top priority within the realm of immigration, he did not specifically mention the construction of a physical wall, something that he campaigned heavily on. Such a wall, however, is estimated to cost tens of billions of dollars.

"We have a lot of priorities, a lot of really great priorities," Trump added. "People are gonna be very, very happy."

Trump was asked if he would ask Congress to ban Muslims from entering the country, a proposal Trump floated on the campaign trail. But Trump ignored the question, said "thank you, everybody" and walked away.

After a temporary removal of his Muslim ban from his website, it is now back on it, reported the Washington Post.

The new website for his transition, GreatAgain.gov, however, doesn't include a Muslim ban per se, but calls for the suspension of "the issuance of visas to any place where adequate screening cannot occur."

[JPhillips]

It's going to be great to watch the folks here that complained about the stimulus praise a budget that cuts taxes and spends heavily on infrastructure.

[wustin]

I'm just waiting for Trump to piss off the republicans and want single-payer healthcare after repealing Obamacare.

[bhlloy]

National Trump Healthcare Service. That would be hilarious.

[JPhillips]

Paul Ryan says that the GOP is going to phase out Medicare and replace it with private insurance.

The will not go over well.

[digamma]

Trump Health
Trump Visas
Trump Passports
What else can we license?

[panerd]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

It's going to be great to watch the folks here that complained about the stimulus praise a budget that cuts taxes and spends heavily on infrastructure.

That argument works sometimes but this site is pretty much blah on Trump and even anti-Trump from most of it's conservative members right? Who exactly has said anything other than "Well I hope this works out" on here? I know your agenda and that you are looking for a boogeyman with your dire warnings every 4-5 posts but I think you are arguing with the wrong crowd.

[Ben E Lou]

Trump Team: "Ok, we've won! He can't do any more damage with Twitter. Let's him have it back."

Trump:

Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2016

Trump Team: "Oops."

Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2016

[Drake]

Originally Posted by wustin

I'm just waiting for Trump to piss off the republicans and want single-payer healthcare after repealing Obamacare.

I said that to my kids yesterday as a joke and then wondered if Democrats could manage to somehow not step on their dicks and just let it happen without derailing it from the sheer irony.

[Galaxy]

Trump team warns Obama not to make major moves on foreign policy - POLITICO

Trump will quit TPP in first days - POLITICO

[larrymcg421]

Looks like Paul Ryan is ready to finally live out his masturbatory fantasies of a Randian utopia. But I guess it's silly for me to be worried.

[dfisher]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

It would not surprise me if some of it was made up/lying, etc. (I know of one picture not shown here of two white college students in blackface-has been doctored). The white man being beat up was over a traffic incident I have found out since I posted this. But even if its all made up, it has some value in reading through it I think

Already some lying coming out.

Louisiana student ‘fabricated’ story of hijab attack, police say - The Washington Post

[JPhillips]

Everything's a con:

Trump adviser Newt Gingrich: "He may not spend very much time trying to get Mexico to pay for it. But it was a great campaign device."

[tarcone]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Everything's a con:

See: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

[wustin]

Originally Posted by tarcone

See: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

To be fair Obama tried to work with Congress but they kept stymieing him. Trump has a republican Congress to work with so there are no excuses.

[Ben E Lou]

About that "repeal and replace" promise...

http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-t...law-1478895339

[wustin]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

About that "repeal and replace" promise...

http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-t...law-1478895339

Hidden behind a paywall.

[JPhillips]

He and Congress are looking for a way to keep the popular parts and repeal the unpopular parts, but you can't have one without the other. No preexisting conditions without a mandate really will kill insurance companies. I know I'd immediately cancel my insurance until I needed more than generic prescriptions.

[tarcone]

There is no in between with Health care. you either do full privatization or full socialized.

A mix will not work in any form.

I want a cap on pharmacy costs. Everyone else in the world does this and we pay for it.

I want free healthcare. I will pay some more in taxes to eliminate health insurance.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

He and Congress are looking for a way to keep the popular parts and repeal the unpopular parts, but you can't have one without the other. No preexisting conditions without a mandate really will kill insurance companies. I know I'd immediately cancel my insurance until I needed more than generic prescriptions.

Yep.

If the goal is full coverage, the only ways to get there are state-run health care, or a mandate to make sure that insurance companies aren't getting saddled with the high-risk population while the healthy population walks away.

If the goal is 'lower costs,' you can get there without mandates, but the trade-off is you completely screw over people with pre-existing conditions.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by tarcone

There is no in between with Health care. you either do full privatization or full socialized.

A mix will not work in any form.

I want a cap on pharmacy costs. Everyone else in the world does this and we pay for it.

I want free healthcare. I will pay some more in taxes to eliminate health insurance.

The one area that I actually do with Trump is for Medicare to negotiate for drugs.

While I disagree on the universal healthcare system (I noticed Colorado rejected a state-run universal system by a big margin), I do agree with you on the pharmacy costs. The US shouldn't subsidized both the bulk of the world's Pharma/Biotech R&D (I'll have to check again, but I believe the US accounts for 75% of the world's R&D spending) and their drug prices. If other countries need to pay more to cover the difference in a drop here in the US, so be it.

I think there are little things that can be do to attack and reduce the costs in the system itself.

[JPhillips]

There are some real risks involved in government negotiating drug prices, but I think something along the lines of, we pay your best price among industrialized nations, or something along those lines would work reasonably well.

As I've said before, there are only two ways to reduce costs, limit access or lower payments to providers.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

Looks like Paul Ryan is ready to finally live out his masturbatory fantasies of a Randian utopia. But I guess it's silly for me to be worried.

Yeah, I don't think Paul Ryan will be able to push a large agenda. Breitbart: No 'amnesty' for Paul Ryan | TheHill

[cuervo72]

Donald Trump Doesn't Like This Any More Than You Do

‘Prediction professor’ who called Trump’s big win also made another forecast: Trump will be impeached - The Washington Post

Log In - New York Times

I could absolutely see him resigning within a year.

[wustin]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Donald Trump Doesn't Like This Any More Than You Do

‘Prediction professor’ who called Trump’s big win also made another forecast: Trump will be impeached - The Washington Post

Log In - New York Times

I could absolutely see him resigning within a year.

You'd rather have Pence be the president? You better hope Donald stays for the whole 4 years. Pence being VP is probably the GOP's shield to protect Trump.

[bhlloy]

Yeah, any dem who is hoping Trump steps down isn't paying attention. Pence is fucking terrifying. Should be hoping the guy who isn't actually as right wing as it gets doesn't step down

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

Looks like Paul Ryan is ready to finally live out his masturbatory fantasies of a Randian utopia. But I guess it's silly for me to be worried.

It isn't silly of you to be worried. Not in the least. You SHOULD be worried. We all should.

On the other side, we can't even see the bill you and Ryan are talking about because it hasn't been created yet. Last I checked, the Republicans don't hold a super majority in any slot. The dems can block the same way the reps did against Obama.

We have multiple levels of government for a reason. Do we even know that the more moderate members of the Republican party are going to vote for the things being talked about now?

I don't like Trump, not even a little bit. I didn't vote for him. He won. We live in a democracy and the candidate you want and the policies you want don't always get put into play. I want a national ban on the death penalty. The people spoke pretty loudly this week that they didn't agree. I'll have to deal with that and a supreme court that will never remove it in my lifetime. Democracy giveth and it taketh away.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

There are some real risks involved in government negotiating drug prices, but I think something along the lines of, we pay your best price among industrialized nations, or something along those lines would work reasonably well.

As I've said before, there are only two ways to reduce costs, limit access or lower payments to providers.

At the risk of being excessively snarky, there is a 3rd way - improving efficiency, greatly reducing the administrative bloat, and focusing on limiting costs instead of doing every possible test "just to be safe." Kasich pointed to some success he had in Ohio doing just that, and the hilarious levels of redundant people and tests I've dealt with in the last month attests to how much overlapping waste there is there.

(I was hit in the eye with a lacrosse ball, neither MassHealth or Fallon had a list of in network eye specialists, so for each follow up appointment I had to phone 4 different offices, 3 of whom I've never met, to get approval to see an "out of network" specialist. After I spent 3 hours at the initial ER and they recommended I go to Mass Eye & Ear to be cautious I had to practically threaten to walk out before they agreed to let my friend drive me and not waste resources on an ambulance. And each separate place insisted on doing their own battery of ultrasounds, X-rays etc initially even though I had a folder with all of that stuff taken within the last 24 hours, and they insisted on continuing to do tests "to be safe" even after it was obvious that my bones would heal and vision would come back 95% on its own and surgery was neither necessary nor helpful.)

[NobodyHere]

So people are still protesting in the street over Trump's victory.

I wonder how many of them actually voted and what are they trying to accomplish?

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

It would not surprise me if some of it was made up/lying, etc. (I know of one picture not shown here of two white college students in blackface-has been doctored). The white man being beat up was over a traffic incident I have found out since I posted this. But even if its all made up, it has some value in reading through it I think

I think most of the stuff you see online is made up. I don't know why these people want to continue on with crying wolf and the identity politics after is spectacularly backfired in their face.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by tarcone

There is no in between with Health care. you either do full privatization or full socialized.

A mix will not work in any form.

I want a cap on pharmacy costs. Everyone else in the world does this and we pay for it.

I want free healthcare. I will pay some more in taxes to eliminate health insurance.

Opening up drug sales between borders would lower the cost of drugs immediately. It's insane that we can't buy the same exact drug from Canada that we buy from the United States.

I also agree with you on the healthcare thing. This in-between crap isn't working.

I also don't think you can actually have a fully private health care system. There is no incentive to sell health insurance to someone with a chronic condition. Who is going to sell insurance to the kid who lost the genetic lottery and got cancer? Who is going to sell insurance to an 80 year old man? And if people can't afford it, do doctors just let people die in the waiting room?

[miked]

As lots have said from the beginning, healthcare should a right, not a profit for companies that do nothing but hedge risk and pay claims. A lot of things people are clamoring for is what Obama and the senate first tried to pass...single payer system.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

At the risk of being excessively snarky, there is a 3rd way - improving efficiency, greatly reducing the administrative bloat, and focusing on limiting costs instead of doing every possible test "just to be safe." Kasich pointed to some success he had in Ohio doing just that, and the hilarious levels of redundant people and tests I've dealt with in the last month attests to how much overlapping waste there is there.

(I was hit in the eye with a lacrosse ball, neither MassHealth or Fallon had a list of in network eye specialists, so for each follow up appointment I had to phone 4 different offices, 3 of whom I've never met, to get approval to see an "out of network" specialist. After I spent 3 hours at the initial ER and they recommended I go to Mass Eye & Ear to be cautious I had to practically threaten to walk out before they agreed to let my friend drive me and not waste resources on an ambulance. And each separate place insisted on doing their own battery of ultrasounds, X-rays etc initially even though I had a folder with all of that stuff taken within the last 24 hours, and they insisted on continuing to do tests "to be safe" even after it was obvious that my bones would heal and vision would come back 95% on its own and surgery was neither necessary nor helpful.)

see, I would call that reducing payments to providers, as all those tests are about profit margins.