The Trump Presidency 2.0

[GrantDawg]

Trump already delayed tarriffs on automobile imports, now he is delaying everything specified under the USMCA, until April 2nd. So, market crash, delay tariffs, markets rebound (slightly) again.

[bhlloy]

And totally coincidentally anyone plugged in on the timing will be able to make billions I suppose?

[Lathum]

I’m at a bar grabbing a couple beers and a sandwich while my daughter is at softball practice. This is a very, very, red area. There is a guy at the bar wearing a hat that says “gulf of America 25.” It amazes me how these people allow themselves to be grifted endlessly.

[sovereignstar v2]

My favorite is the FUCK JOE BIDEN apparel. My young daughter and I caught that one buying balloons on July 4th. Someone should pick that stuff up on sale and use it for Secret Santa (Rainmaker)

[Edward64]

I don’t know if this is a smart move but there is a weird sense of satisfaction.

Doug Ford says Ontario will go ahead with 25 per cent tax on electricity it provides to the U.S. on Monday

[Lathum]

Just saw a video saying British Columbia is going to start taxing trucks going from the lower 48 to Alaska.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I don’t know if this is a smart move but there is a weird sense of satisfaction.

Okay, not just Ontario.

Still not sure it's a smart move, but the FU message to Trump brings a smile to my face.

Canada's tariffs to remain despite Trump postponing tariffs on many imports from Canada for a month | AP News

Canada’s initial retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. will remain in place despite President Donald Trump postponing 25% tariffs on many imports from Canada for a month, two senior Canadian government officials said.

Trump said Thursday that he has postponed 25% tariffs on many goods from Canada and Mexico for a month, amid widespread fears of a broader trade war.

Two senior Canadian governments official told the Associated Press that Canada’s first wave of response tariffs will remain. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

Canada’s initial $30 billion Canadian (US$21 billion) worth of retaliatory tariffs have been applied on items like American orange juice, peanut butter, coffee, appliances, footwear, cosmetics, motorcycles and certain pulp and paper products.

[Ghost Econ]

Trump is such a pussy.

[Mota]

Well Trudeau went running to Trump after the election to try and make a positive relationship, and Trump sensed weakness and immediately started with the "Governor" thing. I prefer the current strategy of meeting chaos with strength and resolve.

[Fidatelo]

These aren't just FU Trump moves. Despite how the media portrays it the US is still leaving a considerable number of tariffs on Canada. The others are also not removed, just delayed. There are also additional tariffs scheduled in a week or two I believe, and even more threatened for April 2 on top of the ones that were just delayed to that date.


Throw in continued threats on our sovereignty and the start of anti-Canada propaganda from US politicians and media and why on earth would it be a surprise that we would continue to defend ourselves?

[Edward64]

Too many good nuggets, worth your time to read the article. There's some fun stuff and then there's politics.

Just a moment...

To get an inside look at what it’s like to serve on Capitol Hill — after years of gridlock, government shutdowns and now another Donald Trump stampede through Washington — we sat down with 25 lawmakers who were ready to dish.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Yeah, I've seen the Kristi Noem one multiple times. Ridiculous, just kissing Trump's ass like an election year commercial.

I commented about the Noem ad a few days ago. And then I saw this from The Bulwark:

AUDIENCE OF ONE: The Department of Homeland Security’s $200 million ad campaign thanking President Donald Trump for “securing our border” and warning migrants who are in the country illegally to “leave now” has aired in major media markets around the country. According to data from the ad tracking firm AdImpact, DHS has placed six-figure ad buys in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Phoenix, Miami, San Francisco, and Chicago.

But there was also a small but curious expenditure buried in AdImpact’s data: DHS also spent $30,000 to air the ads in West Palm Beach from February 25 through March 5. Palm Beach County has had some ICE activity under Trump. But it’s been relatively modest. The more likely explanation for that expense: Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago club that weekend. And as everyone—including the leadership at DHS knows—Trump likes watching TV.

The $30k is a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of the agency’s ad budget. But it’s yet another data point of how Trump officials will go out of their way—and even spend taxpayer money—to suck up to the president. That it comes as the Trump administration is ostensibly on a crusade to cut government spending at every corner is just a cherry on top.

Then again, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Noem’s hands may have been tied here. After all, we know Trump was really into the idea. At last month’s Conservative Political Action Conference, Noem told the gathering that Trump explicitly said he wanted her face in the ads and wanted her to “thank me for closing the border.”

[flere-imsaho]

Well, at least she didn't wear a tan suit. That would have been a real scandal.

[larrymcg421]

A new Canadian poll has the Liberals up by 5 points, their largest lead in any poll since August 2022.

[Mota]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

A new Canadian poll has the Liberals up by 5 points, their largest lead in any poll since August 2022.

That's the funny thing, Canada had a 99% chance of Conservative majority, and the Trump threat is completely reversing this, and we'll likely get the center-left Liberals again. That's what Trump wanted, right?

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Mota

That's the funny thing, Canada had a 99% chance of Conservative majority, and the Trump threat is completely reversing this, and we'll likely get the center-left Liberals again. That's what Trump wanted, right?

I still think it's too soon to be overly hopeful on that front. Once the liberal leader is chosen next week the Conservatives will start to unleash their massive war chest on them. Presumably external interference on social media will begin to ramp up as we move into the election period as well. I'd love to think this unified nationalism can carry us through the next 8 weeks to a Liberal victory but it's by no means a sure thing.

[RainMaker]

I think the Canada hate is more Elon than Trump. Canada stopped a handout for EV buyers which Tesla relied heavily on. Then Tesla committed fraud to take in tens of millions in taxpayer money at the last minute. So Elon is probably just mad about that and that it's being investigated.

Tesla made a suspicious number of rebate requests on last days of Canadian EV incentive | Electrek

[RainMaker]

So it looks like the Bitcoin reserve will be $20B to start.

[JPhillips]

I read it's using what's been seized already, so as with most of Trump's EO it doesn't really do anything other than marketing.

[whomario]

Free Speech, Trump version: "You're not supposed to be asking that question ... that's enough"

[Carman Bulldog]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I think the Canada hate is more Elon than Trump. Canada stopped a handout for EV buyers which Tesla relied heavily on. Then Tesla committed fraud to take in tens of millions in taxpayer money at the last minute. So Elon is probably just mad about that and that it's being investigated.

Tesla made a suspicious number of rebate requests on last days of Canadian EV incentive | Electrek

No, the hate is much, much more Trump than Elon. Don't get me wrong, nobody likes Elon, but the hatred is for Trump.

[RainMaker]

I meant Trump's weird beef with Canada. I don't think he really gives a shit about Canada, it's more Elon pushing him to be an asshole because they're cutting off his handouts and investigating his fraud.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I read it's using what's been seized already, so as with most of Trump's EO it doesn't really do anything other than marketing.

That's still $20B worth of assets just sitting there propping up some fake internet money instead of being useful.

[JPhillips]

Sure. I just expected them to route other money into this. GOP still might, but at least they haven't yet.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I think the Canada hate is more Elon than Trump. Canada stopped a handout for EV buyers which Tesla relied heavily on. Then Tesla committed fraud to take in tens of millions in taxpayer money at the last minute. So Elon is probably just mad about that and that it's being investigated.

Tesla made a suspicious number of rebate requests on last days of Canadian EV incentive | Electrek

Incorrect. The Canada 'hate' is much larger than any kind of stupid EV rebate Musk might be miffed about. This is a broad imperialistic play at securing natural resources and trade routes.


https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/w...1st-state.html

[GrantDawg]

Nvm

[JPhillips]

lol These fucking people.

Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg:

Yes, Trump promised to end the war in 24 hours, but he didn't say what day, what year.

[Edward64]

T-6

The master plan ...

Just a moment...

The speaker aims to pass the bill as soon as Tuesday with Republican votes only, and then jam the Senate by adjourning the House and putting the onus on Democrats across the Capitol to back a plan they loathe. Referring to the Senate minority leader, Johnson argued on Friday that any lapse in government funding would be “a Chuck Schumer shutdown” if Democrats don’t help Republicans clear the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.

A tough decision for the Dems. My guess is the Senate Dems don't have the stomach to hold out or, if they do, it won't be for long.

Just a moment...

Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said in a brief interview Thursday he didn’t sense there were enough Democratic senators yet willing to clear a seven-month stopgap — Republicans need at least eight, assuming more GOP lawmakers don’t join Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who has pledged to vote no.

[miked]

They should not pass it at all. It calls for an increase to defense while decreasing other spending. I think they should let the public know that most of the fraud/waste is in defense and that is where they are dumping more money.

[Ksyrup]

BUT TEH FETANYL! THINK OF TEH CHILDREN!

[JPhillips]

The Dems are so worthless that I expect them to cave for relatively nothing. They should have spent the past few weeks yelling no votes until the lawbreaking stops. They haven't been working towards any stand.

[Atocep]

You're 100% right, if the dems were serious about it then you start prepping the public for the possibility of a shutdown and you tell the public why it's the GOP's fault. Instead, congressional dems would rather state attorneys general, and states in general, do their job for them as an opposition party.

Hakeem Jeffries just wants everyone to be friends and I'm not sure what Adam Schiff even does at this point.

[flere-imsaho]

Democrats have all the leverage here. MAGA/GOP controls all 3 branches of government, including the two legislative chambers. Economy is heading into a recession. The next GE is a year and a half away.

If the DNC, any House/Senate Democrat who didn't say one of the following in any public/press appearance should be shut off from fundraising money:

1. MAGA and the GOP have enough votes to pass it on their own. If they can't, that's on them.

2. Trump shutdown.

3. Trump recession.

[GrantDawg]

I haven't looked, but why aren't they trying to pass a budget through reconciliation?

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[JPhillips]

They have decided to wait for months on the budget and pass a continuing resolution until September. I expect the plan is by then all of the cuts will be made and/or the courts will have said the admin isn't bound to spend what is appropriated.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

They have decided to wait for months on the budget and pass a continuing resolution until September. I expect the plan is by then all of the cuts will be made and/or the courts will have said the admin isn't bound to spend what is appropriated.

My mistake was thinking dems would listen to pissed off constituents and draw a line. I feel stupid for assuming by now dems would have a coherent plan and were read to stand for something.

They're going to win back the house in 2026 and nothing will change except we'll get a lot Trump and Elon investigations that amount to nothing.

[JPhillips]

Probably no investigations. They refused to look at any of the corruption last time.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Atocep

My mistake was thinking dems would listen to pissed off constituents and draw a line. I feel stupid for assuming by now dems would have a coherent plan and were read to stand for something.

They're going to win back the house in 2026 and nothing will change except we'll get a lot Trump and Elon investigations that amount to nothing.

It's because they support this stuff too.

[HerRealName]

A good point I heard on the Majority Report this week. Jeffries' political career started after Citizens United. He only knows poitics in the context of doing the bidding of the donor class. He needs to be primaried but he's also bought and paid for by AIPAC so it will be next to impossible.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Atocep

You're 100% right, if the dems were serious about it then you start prepping the public for the possibility of a shutdown and you tell the public why it's the GOP's fault. Instead, congressional dems would rather state attorneys general, and states in general, do their job for them as an opposition party.

Hakeem Jeffries just wants everyone to be friends and I'm not sure what Adam Schiff even does at this point.

I am not a political strategist but what does this prep look like? Telling the public that the R's control both House, the Senate and the White House? Explaining why Dems are not voting for funding that would keep the government open? Speaking on how the cuts will affect everyday people like the people who put them in the minority?

Anyone who wants to blame the Dems for the government shutdown despite them being in the minority all over the place does not seem someone who would be convinced by some sort of prep campaign that would appear to tell those people the obvious. I do see a bit more of a online presence that seem to be putting across the D's POV. Whether it is connecting or not is another story. Unfortunately for them, that presence does seem to be fractured among all every wing of the party.

I get the impression that people want the Dems and especially Dems leadership to act more like their counterparts on the other side of the aisle. I get the appeal of that. What I don't know if that sort of action is possible without the Dems' supporters acting more like their counterparts. I know that prep would have worked on the other side

[JPhillips]

I think leadership and as many Dems as possible say that there are no Dem votes until the lawbreaking stops.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by HerRealName

A good point I heard on the Majority Report this week. Jeffries' political career started after Citizens United. He only knows poitics in the context of doing the bidding of the donor class. He needs to be primaried but he's also bought and paid for by AIPAC so it will be next to impossible.

I mentioned this before but this is the big issue with the party. How much money you raise as a candidate is all they care about. It doesn't matter if you can form a complete sentence as long as the money comes in.

So the party is left with people like Jeffries who can't hold a conversation or speak to people. That's why, despite all the talk of having Kamala do podcasts and such, she couldn't. She would have been embarrassed on Rogan or anywhere you have to think on your feet.

Only the old guard can do this. Guys like Obama and Bernie. Even Biden was terrific in interviews before his mental decline. Those are the kind of people they should be backing but they won't. The party should make a committment to not take donations from AIPAC or any other foreign government any longer.

[NobodyHere]

If Trump gets rid of turning your clocks back all will be forgiven in my books.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I think leadership and as many Dems as possible say that there are no Dem votes until the lawbreaking stops.

Yeah, this is one of those things where the Dems don't have to do anything. They should be talking as much as possible about the unpopular stuff going on (they won't because they mostly support it). But there is no reason to help Republicans pass an incredibly unpopular budget.

Pretty simple to say "we won't support any budget that cuts funding to veterans, Medicaid, and food stamps for tax cuts for the rich". They aren't in power and the Republicans have made that abundantly clear. Let them figure out the budget and deal with the consequences. No need to tack on bipartisian support to a budgets that will be political suicide over the next few years

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

If Trump gets rid of turning your clocks back all will be forgiven in my books.

I don't have an issue with it, but it seems oddly political - the GOP has been pushing this for several years.

That said, I'm not sure what I think about it staying dark at the end of December and beginning of January until 9am here. That seems ... unnatural. Worse than it getting dark by 5.

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I don't have an issue with it, but it seems oddly political - the GOP has been pushing this for several years.

That said, I'm not sure what I think about it staying dark at the end of December and beginning of January until 9am here. That seems ... unnatural. Worse than it getting dark by 5.

Every time it comes up here the argument is always about kids having to walk to school/bus in the dark and extreme cold. Most likely schools would push start times back but it's doubtful that workplaces would follow suit. Seems like something that would be wildly unpopular with parents once they actually understand the logistics of it all.

[Atocep]

I don't know if it's been mentioned here but ESPN is shutting down 538. It's a shell of what it once was, but was still useful for it's polling averages and grading pollsters.

[Drake]

Looks like Anonymous has decided to target X today. That should be entertaining.

[RainMaker]

It's always a possibility but a service like Twitter is not getting taken down with a DDOS attack. This is likely incompetence or someone didn't pay a bill.

[Danny]

Trump is going to keep on keepin on with his supporters but I get the feeling there will be an Eion crash at some point.