The Trump Presidency 2.0

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Kash Patel apparently fired for failing to show up to work? Is that legit news? If so, LOL.

These guys don't work and just cosplay for Instagram photoshoots. Or maybe this midget is working on those elusive Epstein files that were promised.

[RainMaker]

10 year treasury yields up to 4.45%. Holy shit. Someone is unloading our debt

[JPhillips]

Rhymes with buy knees lover mint?

[thesloppy]

I read that Trump's plans to take over Greenland involves A> Appealing to their Inuit ancestry (with this administration??) or B> giving each resident $10,000

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Rhymes with buy knees lover mint?

I'm seeing people say it's Japan which makes sense. They hold the most debt and are likely trying to get out. There is no chance of a rate cut anytime soon.

[JPhillips]

Nobody in the world trusts us.

And for good reason.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Nobody in the world trusts us.

And for good reason.

Maybe this will make them trust us.

BREAKING: Treasury Department has started slashing offices, not just at IRS. Bureau of Fiscal Service is cutting employees who service U.S. Treasury bonds for investors. That work will be outsourced.

Much more significant cuts expected soon.

— Eric Katz (@EricM_Katz) April 10, 2025

[wustin]

Gut the public sector and privatize it by outsourcing. How do you spin this?

[Mota]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Nobody in the world trusts us.

And for good reason.

By their actions, they have told every other government that they're not allies, they're just a set of transactions. And then when those other government decide to make new allies that are more reliable, Trump starts pouting and threatening.

This time the USA doesn't have the cards, they outplayed their hand. They should have brought the world together against China, and instead they're driving everybody towards them.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

EU had a 45% tariff on Chinese EVs. It was done at the behest of America who I believe had a 100% tariff on them.

China makes the best EVs so opening the door to them would be great.

Like I said already: the door is already wide open, but nobody wants them.

[Ksyrup]

We've reached the point of GOP politics that, at least on deficit spending/spending bill accounting tricks, Thomas Massie is the voice of reason.

[Atocep]

Trump opening up chopping down our forests for lumber to bring down home prices when our lumber isn't suited for home building is as MAGA as it gets.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

We've reached the point of GOP politics that, at least on deficit spending/spending bill accounting tricks, Thomas Massie is the voice of reason.

When has the GOP ever not been delusional on deficit/spending bill accounting tricks? Certainly not anytime since Regan.

Deficits only seem to matter when Democrats are in power.

[JPhillips]

Is it good when the Dow looks like a rapid heartbeat EKG?

[Atocep]

China matched Trump's tariffs again and called his tariffs strategy a joke. The oval office walls were probably covered in ketchup packets this morning.

[RainMaker]

lol

Today I introduced my first bill in the U.S. Senate, and its to ban Chinese vehicles in the U.S. market.

Learn more here:https://t.co/YUWrLD7lPJ pic.twitter.com/leNhhtrLx0

— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) April 10, 2025

[dubb93]

In the day and age of 100k pickup trucks and car payments that are ballooning into being bigger than house payments, I’m glad that our politicians can find common ground in making sure that these sub 10k electric cars can never be sold here.

[Ksyrup]

All full-time employees of the CDC's vessel sanitation program have been let go, including the epidemiologist who leads the agency's outbreak response on cruise ships.

That sounds crazy but totally something Trump/Musk/RFKJr would do, right? Well, it's even crazier, because the cruise ship companies pay for the program, not taxpayers. So these "cuts" have nothing to do with cutting government costs (or waste, which aren't necessarily the same thing, of course).

WTF?

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by dubb93

In the day and age of 100k pickup trucks and car payments that are ballooning into being bigger than house payments, I’m glad that our politicians can find common ground in making sure that these sub 10k electric cars can never be sold here.

The most predictable move was the Democrats seeing all this chaos and deciding they needed to run further right than Trump on all this.

I do feel like there isn't enough attention being paid to what is taking place on the bond market. People or countries are unloading treasuries. We're being treated like an emerging market. Mortgage rate is over 7%.

[JPhillips]

To be fair, we're behaving like an emerging market.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by dubb93

In the day and age of 100k pickup trucks and car payments that are ballooning into being bigger than house payments, I’m glad that our politicians can find common ground in making sure that these sub 10k electric cars can never be sold here.

Our auto manufacturers have decided to specialize in massive SUVs and pickups that don't fit on European and Asian roads . Meanwhile, those countries are focused on smaller, safer, more efficient vehicles. We then complain that we can't sell our vehicles in those markets.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I do feel like there isn't enough attention being paid to what is taking place on the bond market. People or countries are unloading treasuries. We're being treated like an emerging market. Mortgage rate is over 7%.

The Bulwark has an article today entitled, "Trump Finally Met an Adversary Totally Immune to His Bullshit."

This is an excerpt:

Trump cannot assuage the bond market. He cannot convince it that he is “normal” and should be given the benefit of the doubt. He cannot scare it into submission. He cannot bribe it.

The bond market is not like the Supreme Court, or Paul Weiss, or Columbia University, or any of the other institutions Trump has conquered, co-opted, or corrupted.

What’s extraordinary about what’s happening in the bond market at the moment is that rates went higher yesterday even as the stock market was crashing.

That’s not supposed to happen, either. When money is leaving the stock market, it’s supposed to flow into bonds. The only way the bond market tightens up is if it believes there is systemic risk.

Donald Trump is the living embodiment of “systemic risk.”

And right now, the bond market is one of the few institutions able to see this fact clearly and act accordingly.

[flere-imsaho]

I, for one, would definitely encourage Senator Slotkin to "lay down on the border to keep Chinese vehicles from entering the U.S." Is the assumption here that's she's lying down in the path of said vehicles, or just anywhere on the border? Do Chinese vehicles come across a land border, or will she be floating somewhere offshore of the Port of Los Angeles? Will sharks be involved?

[RainMaker]

Don't forget that one of the leading 2028 candidates did this.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/ele...dem-rcna200530

In a weird twist of fate, Jeffries has actually been one of the better Dems of late. One of the few who understands the messaging on the economy. Also thought it was smart for him to call out Johnson for a debate on the budget. Johnson would get crushed and it makes him look weak.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

The most predictable move was the Democrats seeing all this chaos and deciding they needed to run further right than Trump on all this.

But thing is, this is actually a Labor policy. The unions are very much for protecting American car jobs, and have always been pro-tariff on union based jobs. This more going back to old pro-union pro-labor policy than being conservative. No surprise it was the Senator from Michigan that would sponsor the bill, if they want to stay the Senator from Michigan.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

But thing is, this is actually a Labor policy. The unions are very much for protecting American car jobs, and have always been pro-tariff on union based jobs. This more going back to old pro-union pro-labor policy than being conservative. No surprise it was the Senator from Michigan that would sponsor the bill, if they want to stay the Senator from Michigan.

It's more of an anti-China policy than protecting car jobs. We aren't putting 145% tariffs on German, Japanese, and Korean cars.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

It's more of an anti-China policy than protecting car jobs. We aren't putting 145% tariffs on German, Japanese, and Korean cars.

They would if they could.

[GrantDawg]

You have to be f-ing joking.
The Social Security Administration Is Gutting Regional Staff and Shifting All Public Communications to X | WIRED

[Passacaglia]

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/04/11/...ould-cost.html

But Chinese workers get paid far less than American workers. The hourly wage during the iPhone 16 surge was 26 yuan, or $3.63, with a signing bonus of 7,500 yuan, or about $1,000, according to the South China Morning Post. For comparison, the minimum wage in California is $16.50 per hour.

Feels like the next step in dumb America is to reduce the minimum wage so we can really compete with the Chinese

[Ghost Econ]

Didn't have to worry about minimum wage with prison camps.

[RainMaker]

MSN

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Ghost Econ

Didn't have to worry about minimum wage with prison camps.

One aspect that doesn't get much attention is how a lot of this is straight from Peter Thiel's ideology. They want a techno feudalism. A monarch who has full control of everything and the serfs working under them.

It sounds conspiratorial but he talks openly about it. He owns many members of the administration including the Vice President. That's ultimately what they want. Living as lords because they got lucky with an investment 30 years ago or were born into wealth.

[Ghost Econ]

Imagine how much more malevolent these tech billionaires could be if they didn't hitch their wagons to the most incompetent people.

https://newrepublic.com/post/193930/...tariffs-glitch

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Our auto manufacturers have decided to specialize in massive SUVs and pickups that don't fit on European and Asian roads . Meanwhile, those countries are focused on smaller, safer, more efficient vehicles. We then complain that we can't sell our vehicles in those markets.

To put things into perspective, Tesla was the second best selling brand in the Netherlands in 2024. It has been an erratic brand since 2018 (flipflopping between top3 and outside the top20), before 2018 it was niche. In 2025 Tesla has dropped outside the top10 again, presumably because car buyers no longer want to be supporting the wallet of Elon Musk (and Donald Trump's USA in general).

Ford used to be a well selling brand in the Netherlands. Sales in 2022, 2023 and 2024 were all a record low in the sales figures I could find for 1983 through 2024, but it seems to be picking up a bit in 2025.

Aside from those, there is no market for brands from the USA. Indeed, SUV's/trucks are too large for roads, they won't fint in parking spaces and garages either. And I'll repeat what I wrote twice already: nobody is buying a Chinese car, the well selling brands (not in order) are from Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Japan and South Korea.

[Fidatelo]

This video does a pretty good job of humorously and self-deprecatingly capturing the Canadian attitude to the US right now: - YouTube

[HerRealName]

I wonder what percentage of talking heads that talk about the awesomeness of factory jobs have actually worked in a factory. It has to be close to 0%. I worked in multiple factories (7, I think?) and they were all absolutely horrible.

[Ksyrup]

"The coal miners, they tell me, 'Sir, sir, we don't want a desk job. We love working in the coal mines!'"

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

This video does a pretty good job of humorously and self-deprecatingly capturing the Canadian attitude to the US right now: - YouTube

I love Julie Nolke. Her channel was one of the highlights of the stay-at-home COVID era.

ETA: It makes me sad that there won't be another season of Letterkenny. I'd love to hear what Wayne has to say about the degens from down south.

[Mota]

Originally Posted by Drake

I love Julie Nolke. Her channel was one of the highlights of the stay-at-home COVID era.

ETA: It makes me sad that there won't be another season of Letterkenny. I'd love to hear what Wayne has to say about the degens from down south.

Watch Shoresy instead and see my hometown.

Also, she's wearing a Sonic Boom t-shirt, that's my record store! Love that place.

[Atocep]

The WSJ had a column calling for Trump's impeachment over the tariffs and the Kochs are funding a lawsuit over the tariffs yet when push comes to shove Mudoch and the Kochs will still carry water for him. Fox, especially, will continue to sanewash him.

[Atocep]

We need Stephen Miller on TV as much as possible. I don't think anyone can possibly come off worse and more unlikable.

[RainMaker]

Every single Senator voted to approve his appointment.

Rubio: "No court in the United States has a right to conduct the foreign policy of the United States." pic.twitter.com/s5L1vAzDHg

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2025

[Ksyrup]

Just ignoring court orders left and right. The AP was barred from a WH event as well. Good times.

[Ghost Econ]

The fact that the headline on CNN isn't that he literally said he intends to send Americans, or that NBC only says it's "legally questionable" instead of treasonous is legitimately insane.

[JPhillips]

It's pretty easy to connect what the nominee for counter-terrorism said about designating BLM and Antifa as terrorist orgs with Trump saying we need to ship home growns to El Salvador's concentration camps.

[dubb93]

I hate to defend the president of El Salvador and I think he would be best served staying the fuck out of American politics, but in a bubble outside of this stuff it is pretty impressive the turnaround on violent crime they have had there in the last decade. I imagine those prisons are just full of the worst of the worst.

[RainMaker]

You can reduce crime with massive human rights abuses. Crime was reduced in Italy under fascist rule and in Germany under the Nazis after all. It doesn't solve the root of the problem (poverty).

[Ghost Econ]

Got cold called by a firm that does staffing for some of the legal administrative roles in the justice department. They sent an email, but then called like 5 minutes later. I just said i'm wasn't interested and they asked why? I said that I'd rather not state but it has nothing to do with you personally. They awkwardly said OK and that was that.

I was tempted to say actually say why, but it wasn't the right person to unload on. Although, I researched the company after, and literally all the recruiters are of Hispanic origin. So maybe they should hear it.

[Ghost Econ]

Got cold called by a firm that does staffing for some of the legal administrative roles in the justice department. They sent an email, but then called like 5 minutes later. I just said i'm wasn't interested and they asked why? I said that I'd rather not state but it has nothing to do with you personally. They awkwardly said OK and that was that.

I was tempted to say actually say why, but it wasn't the right person to unload on. Although, I researched the company after, and literally all the recruiters are of Hispanic origin. So maybe they should hear it.

[RainMaker]

30-year mortgage now at over 7.5%!