The Trump Presidency – 2016

[kingfc22]

So let met get this straight. There is a detailed document and evidence that "100% exonerates" Trump, but we don't want the American public to see it because you must believe what we say as we NEVER LIE about anything. Riiiiigggghhhttttt......

[molson]

If you think this is exciting, wait until he uses executive privilege to seal the results of the 2020 election.

[PilotMan]

Molson, honestly how do you feel about the whole executive privilege argument in this situation?

[Edward64]

The crisis continues and is a solid card for Trump to play as we get into 2020.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immig...=.1bfead2dc73b

The number of border-crossers taken into U.S. custody topped 100,000 for the second consecutive month in April, U.S. border officials said Wednesday, deepening the crisis that has derailed President Trump’s immigration agenda and has defied his myriad attempts to fix it.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained 109,144 migrants along the boundary with Mexico last month, a 6 percent increase from March, as monthly arrests reached their highest point since 2007. Unauthorized border crossings have more than doubled in the past year, and they are on pace to exceed 1 million on an annual basis
:
:
There was a relatively modest uptick in the rate of border interdictions last month — after a 35 percent jump from February to March — but U.S. officials are bracing for the numbers to go as high as 150,000 per month this summer if their deterrence efforts do not work.

The migrant families who cross the border appear to know that they have a relatively easy path to release into the United States, and they have been turning themselves over to U.S. agents, the first step in starting an asylum application process that protects them from quick deportation.

[Edward64]

There are a couple things I disagree with him on but according to below, for Democrat candidates, I am most aligned to John Hickenlooper on domestic issues. Not much on Foreign policy though.

https://www.politico.com/interactive...stands-issues/

[molson]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Molson, honestly how do you feel about the whole executive privilege argument in this situation?

I honestly don't know too much about it. I feel like there's so much uncharted territory and no real accepted-by-all final entity to weigh in so it's more politics than law. My wheelhouse is more the trial court making a decision, the appellate court reviewing it, and the trial court following the decision of the appellate court. Law, nice and clean. The powers of the president are so much more unclear. So much of the discussion of those powers is theoretical. Different scholars can weigh in, but, we never get a real answer because, in practicality, the president can define so much of his own power. So the debate about what he can or can't do is really academic, because, the practical answer he can unless the opposing party can find a political way to stop it.

[lungs]

Grain markets are taking an absolute pounding this week with threatened tariff escalation. While I feel bad for a chunk of grain farmers not blinded by idiocy, watching the Trump supporter farmers squirm has been quite satisfying.

[Thomkal]

So suddenly we are going from no obstruction to "essentially no obstruction"


Trump Downgrades To “Essentially No Obstruction”


And a judge has fast-tracked a Trump appeal to block his financial records from being subpoened. An Obama appointed judge at least, so maybe some hope here?

[albionmoonlight]

[JPhillips]

Rick Reilly tells a story of Trump cheating at golf:

Here’s one: While Trump was meeting with Kim [Jong Un] in Singapore, a club championship was held at Trump International, a course Trump built near Mar-a-Lago in Florida for his rich people friends to join. So anyway, a month later, Trump’s there at his golf course, with the Secret Service and the SWAT team guys and all that stuff. And he sees Ted Virtue, one of the financiers behind the movie Green Book.

Virtue — who wouldn’t speak to me directly, but the story was reported by Golf.com and I confirmed it through two other members of the club — was playing with his kid, who I think is 10 or 11 years old. He [Trump] sees Ted on the 12th hole and decides to drive his cart over there. He tells Ted: Congrats on winning the club championship, but you didn’t really win it because I was out of town.

Ted tries to laugh it off, but Trump is dead serious. Trump says, “We’re going to play these last six holes for the championship.” And Ted’s like, “I’m playing with my son, but thanks anyway.” But Trump says, “No, your son can play too.” So they end up playing.

They get to a hole with a big pond on it. Both Ted and his son hit the ball on the green, and Trump hits his in the water. By the time they get to the hole, Trump is lining up the kid’s ball. Only now it’s his ball and the caddie has switched it. The kid’s like, “Daddy, that’s my ball.”

But Trump’s caddie goes, “No, this is the president’s ball; your ball went in the water.” Ted and his son look at each other confused, not sure if this is really happening. And Trump’s caddie says, “This is the president’s ball. I don’t know what to tell you.”

Trump makes that putt, wins one up, and declares himself the club champion.

[Kodos]

So tired of winning.

[Atocep]

After neutering congress Trump is now going after the judicial branch. His administration is going to try to prevent federal judges from being able to issue nationwide injunctions.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Atocep

After neutering congress Trump is now going after the judicial branch. His administration is going to try to prevent federal judges from being able to issue nationwide injunctions.

Trump is horrible, and I am sure that his administration's motivations here are shortsighted, self-serving, and with an eye toward hurting the country.

HOWEVER, there is actually a pretty healthy debate in the legal academic community over whether nationwide injunctions are a good policy and whether they are legally appropriate.

(And they really started to take off when the GOP started trying to use them against the Affordable Care Act, so it is kind of a "not as partisan as it seems right now" issue)

[Thomkal]

Heh Albion

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Rick Reilly tells a story of Trump cheating at golf:

Having worked at a golf course for years in HS and college, I learned that the best way to tell when a golfer is lying is if he is moving his lips. That said, that takes the cake. Not that I am surprised by it either.

[Thomkal]

Capital Police investigating a suspicious package at House Judiciary offices.

[JPhillips]

Standing beside Jerry Falwell Jr., VP Pence warns that there are those who will ask Christians not merely to tolerate things that violate their faith, but positively to endorse them. https://t.co/tbJtE27WrS pic.twitter.com/DyTHDv0E0w

— David Frum (@davidfrum) May 12, 2019

ffs

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Standing beside Jerry Falwell Jr., VP Pence warns that there are those who will ask Christians not merely to tolerate things that violate their faith, but positively to endorse them. https://t.co/tbJtE27WrS pic.twitter.com/DyTHDv0E0w

— David Frum (@davidfrum) May 12, 2019

ffs

Another example of why religion needs to stay the f*ck out of politics.

[albionmoonlight]

....We will then spend (match or better) the money that China may no longer be spending with our Great Patriot Farmers (Agriculture), which is a small percentage of total Tariffs received, and distribute the food to starving people in nations around the world! GREAT! #MAGA

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2019

The leader of the GOP just told us he is going to redistribute public wealth to our Great Patriot Farmers.

If it wasn't, you know, our actual lives and property at stake, it would be kind of fascinating in a Stanford Prison Experiment sort of way to watch this incredibly stupid and non-self-aware man discover authoritarian communism in real time.

[Lathum]

Graham said that Trump is “trying to break the stranglehold China has” on the global supply chain, and that although American consumers will pay more, “eventually, China is going to get hurt more than us.”

\

Insanity

[cuervo72]

Bizarro am like spending not China's money!

[cartman]

He really doesn't know how tariffs work.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by cartman

He really doesn't know how tariffs work.

He doesn't want his supporters to know how tariffs work because he's screwing them more than anyone else.

[tarcone]

You know he will sell it as a job creation effort.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Atocep

He doesn't want his supporters to know how tariffs work because he's screwing them more than anyone else.

Yup. When the prices go up 25% at Walmart his supporters will start to feel it.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Yup. When the prices go up 25% at Walmart his supporters will start to feel it.

And will blame Mexicans/Democrats/Obamacare/Affirmative Action/liberal judges/whomever the Dems nominate to run for President.

[lungs]

Soybeans are the most affected commodity by the trade war with China. So stop planting soybeans and plant corn, right? Well, Trump's EPA has been granting waivers that were meant for small refineries to large refineries thus killing demand for ethanol so corn is in the shitter too.

It's been hard to crack Trump's support with farmers but I'm definitely seeing it now. Not that they will vote for the Democratic candidate, but we can always hope they will stay home.

[whomario]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

If it wasn't, you know, our actual lives and property at stake, it would be kind of fascinating in a Stanford Prison Experiment sort of way to watch this incredibly stupid and non-self-aware man discover authoritarian communism in real time.

He is also currently hosting the supreme lead..., i mean prime minister, of Hungary who is hard at work getting rid of this whole democracy nonsense and trying less and less to disguise his brand of fascism as nationalism.


https://www.vox.com/policy-and-polit...use-visit-2019

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Atocep

He doesn't want his supporters to know how tariffs work because he's screwing them more than anyone else.

...and he definitely realizes that when he tells them 2+2=5, they wave their flags and chant it back. It's born of stupidity, but it's not stupid, at this point.

[digamma]

Meanwhile many play along, debating whether there's a chance 2+2 could equal 5.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by digamma

Meanwhile many play along, debating whether there's a chance 2+2 could equal 5.

And T_D subreddit treats him saying 2+2=5 like it's the Da Vinci code.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Atocep

He doesn't want his supporters to know how tariffs work because he's screwing them more than anyone else.

Eh I'm pretty sure he doesn't understand how they work.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Eh I'm pretty sure he doesn't understand how they work.

Generally speaking, no I don't think he understands tariffs. I don't actually believe he thinks China is simply paying us 25% more on goods now and it's going into our treasury though. He wants his supporters to think that's how tariffs work.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Atocep

I don't actually believe he thinks China is simply paying us 25% more on goods now and it's going into our treasury though.

I think he does. He's really dumb when it comes to economics.

Donald Trump is unsure if strong or weak US dollar is best for the economy | The Independent

This is a guy who is still yapping about currency manipulation because he heard Lou Dobbs talk about it in the 90's when it was actually happening.

[Lathum]

My MIL is watching FOX news as usual, and they have their economic expert on. She was saying that Chinese citizens wishing to buy US products are going to have to pay more because of tariffs. Why is it so hard for the morons who watch that garbage to realize the same thing works this way?

She also said the Chinese are targeting products from the areas that support Trump, trying to make it political. So basically FOX news is telling them all don't blame Trump, blame the Chinese who are targeting you.

[Mota]

Originally Posted by Lathum

My MIL is watching FOX news as usual, and they have their economic expert on. She was saying that Chinese citizens wishing to buy US products are going to have to pay more because of tariffs. Why is it so hard for the morons who watch that garbage to realize the same thing works this way?

She also said the Chinese are targeting products from the areas that support Trump, trying to make it political. So basically FOX news is telling them all don't blame Trump, blame the Chinese who are targeting you.

Somehow I feel that there is far more "Made in China" products in the US than there are "Made in the USA" in China.

In the long term, it might actually be a good thing for the US though. A harsh immediate slap in the face, but maybe having some production in our own country might be a good thing. I think that we are too dependent on China's production these days.

[thesloppy]

Yeah, what kind of American goods are available to Chinese consumers anyways, Red Vines?

[Ryche]

Soybeans?

[lungs]

Originally Posted by Ryche

Soybeans?

Double whammy for soybean producers is African Swine Fever in China. I've seen some pretty bad videos where they dig a pit and throw thousands of infected live pigs in the pit and bury them alive. Some sick shit. But estimates are that 40% of China's pigs have been put to death.

So while China was going to move away from us as a soybean source, the thought was that we'd just fill in for where China's new source (mostly Brazil) used to sell to. But the swine fever has put a big dent in global demand so in the game of soybean musical chairs, we are left without a chair.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Mota

Somehow I feel that there is far more "Made in China" products in the US than there are "Made in the USA" in China.

In the long term, it might actually be a good thing for the US though. A harsh immediate slap in the face, but maybe having some production in our own country might be a good thing. I think that we are too dependent on China's production these days.

Why though? We're at near full employment and these jobs are going to be minimum wage ones that no one wants. Not to mention everything will be more expensive made in this country.

But the more likely result is these manufacturers move to Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, etc where they can find cheap labor. And the people who get screwed are those who export products to China (who imports a ton of stuff from us).

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Lathum

She also said the Chinese are targeting products from the areas that support Trump, trying to make it political. So basically FOX news is telling them all don't blame Trump, blame the Chinese who are targeting you.

There is some truth to that I'm sure. It's why there will be more and more welfare going to these farmers.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Mota

In the long term, it might actually be a good thing for the US though. A harsh immediate slap in the face, but maybe having some production in our own country might be a good thing. I think that we are too dependent on China's production these days.

I agree with this.

Soybeans?

Yup. But expand it beyond consumers and we get to the real prize - intellectual capital & technology

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Why though? We're at near full employment and these jobs are going to be minimum wage ones that no one wants. Not to mention everything will be more expensive made in this country.

But the more likely result is these manufacturers move to Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, etc where they can find cheap labor. And the people who get screwed are those who export products to China (who imports a ton of stuff from us).

No doubt the US consumers will suffer and yes, after a period of adjustment, we'll start sourcing from other low-cost countries.

To me, fixing intellectual capital & technology inequity for the long haul is worth a recession. I'm personally willing to pay more during this adjustment period until Vietnam and like ramp up.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Edward64

To me, fixing intellectual capital & technology inequity for the long haul is worth a recession. I'm personally willing to pay more during this adjustment period until Vietnam and like ramp up.

So something like TPP?

And why would you be willing to suffer so some people who would slit your throat for an extra dollar on their share price have a global monopoly?

[JPhillips]

It's easy to let others suffer. Are you willing to lose your job? Have your farm or house foreclosed? Let your children miss meals?

[Chief Rum]

Should we be talking about what's going on in the Middle East right now?

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Should we be talking about what's going on in the Middle East right now?

you mean Alabama and Georgia? Because thats what those states are becoming for womens rights.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Lathum

you mean Alabama and Georgia? Because thats what those states are becoming for womens rights.

Can't women cross over to NC or Ten or FL if they want? Yea the abortion laws are ridiculous but there is a solution there.

Our President in Tweet seems prepared to start a war with Iran.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Can't women cross over to NC or Ten or FL if they want? Yea the abortion laws are ridiculous but there is a solution there.

.

1. They shouldn't have to.

2. I obviously do not know the law, but my assumption is they would/could be charged upon returning to their home state?

[bronconick]

It took Bush a couple months to really get an already bloodthirsty nation post 9/11 ready for Iraq. I wonder if Trump can actually stay focused long enough to really convince anyone that it's necessary. It'd be an absolute disaster given that the only "allies" would be words from Riyadh and Tel Aviv and 120,000 is about 20-25% of what is actually needed.