The Trump Presidency – 2016

[QuikSand]

...and, naturally, chaser:

BREAKING: Donald Trump announces the cancellation of the GOP convention in Jacksonville, FL

— Ali Velshi (@AliVelshi) July 23, 2020

[Qwikshot]

It stuns me how he can ramble on such nonsense.

Yet he doesn't seem to be so vociferous in calling the virus a hoax (he still said it's going to go away).

I think it dawned on him that the virus and pandemic is really the only game in town. He is still blaming China, but the scary/sad part is, had he done this at the beginning in regards to dealing with the pandemic, he'd be coasting to re-election.

[Qwikshot]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

This is new: @realdonaldtrump's private company says it's getting into the business of organizing virtual "Telerallies." Even trademarked the brand name.

That could give them another way to turn campaign donations into private revenue for POTUS.https://t.co/1hU3egOoU2

— David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) July 23, 2020

Imagine being someone who donated to this campaign, for a reason other than purely gaining political favor or being named head of something unimportant like education. Like, if you really believed in something he said as a matter of policy.

I can't say I "feel for" that person, but I do wish he understood how coldly he's being played. Everything is a con.

The goobers are going to do as they do. It was evident to me that after Tulsa, Trump and his scum decided to grab as much cash as they can.

Should they steal the election, it won't be a big deal. Should they lose, I would expect Biden to find an empty white house.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Qwikshot

Should they steal the election, it won't be a big deal. Should they lose, I would expect Biden to find an empty white house.

Like all the china, silver, and portraits?

SI

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

He doesn't worry me much because he's so unlikable. Josh Hawley, though...

Cotton and Hawley seem like the two names that come up in this vein. If Trump wins, we're on our way to really bad places. But even if he loses, he's drawn up the blueprint for the hardcore fascists that come after him.

SI

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Like all the china, silver, and portraits?

SI

Well maybe not the Obama portrait...

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

Well maybe not the Obama portrait...

Or Bush Jr.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Cotton and Hawley seem like the two names that come up in this vein. If Trump wins, we're on our way to really bad places. But even if he loses, he's drawn up the blueprint for the hardcore fascists that come after him.

SI

And the next one won't be lazy and stupid.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

Well maybe not the Obama portrait...

Or the Bush and Clinton portraits he had put in what's effectively a storage room last week.

[Qwikshot]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Or the Bush and Clinton portraits he had put in what's effectively a storage room last week.

They’ll have a bonfire rally

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by Qwikshot

They’ll have a bonfire rally

*Telerally

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

*Telerally

*Telerally (TM, patent pending)

SI

[RainMaker]

Lot of welfare for farmers in the new proposed bill.

Draft of GOP stimulus proposal reveals new insights into it, which is expected to be introduced nxt week. Senate GOP sources confirmed the doc was circulated Thurs, but stressed it could change by Monday’s expected unveiling. New from me, @caphilltrish & @AllisonMPecorin pic.twitter.com/TvxXUFIms7

— Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) July 24, 2020

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

...and, naturally, chaser:

BREAKING: Donald Trump announces the cancellation of the GOP convention in Jacksonville, FL

— Ali Velshi (@AliVelshi) July 23, 2020

Kinda of sucks for those businesses that made an investment based on the idea of the RNC coming to town.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Kinda of sucks for those businesses that made an investment based on the idea of the RNC coming to town.

Yeah. Businesses in two cities (Charlotte and Jax) had expectations that were not fullfilled.

It is the right call as long as the virus is not contained. But it still sucks.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Lot of welfare for farmers in the new proposed bill.

Draft of GOP stimulus proposal reveals new insights into it, which is expected to be introduced nxt week. Senate GOP sources confirmed the doc was circulated Thurs, but stressed it could change by Monday’s expected unveiling. New from me, @caphilltrish & @AllisonMPecorin pic.twitter.com/TvxXUFIms7

— Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) July 24, 2020

If we're going to spend a trillion dollars then we should just give a thousand dollar UBI to every adult legally here every month until the money runs out. That should last 4 to 5 months by my napkin calculations.

[Qwikshot]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

If we're going to spend a trillion dollars then we should just give a thousand dollar UBI to every adult legally here every month until the money runs out. That should last 4 to 5 months by my napkin calculations.

Remember how he bragged it was easy to win a trade war...what a fucking idiot.

[albionmoonlight]

Just In: New poll: Nearly half of Americans whose families lost jobs during the pandemic believe the jobs will not return https://t.co/H5X0stKoNI

— WRAL NEWS in NC (@WRAL) July 24, 2020

Rightly or wrongly, people blame the economy on the incumbent (or credit him if things are good).

If there were a way that things could somehow get worse for Trump than they already are, then this is it. I think that the numbers right now reflect strong displeasure for how the GOP has handled the virus. But people still had a rosy economic outlook. The V-shaped recovery and all that.

If that is changing, then my long-held "40% approval is Trump's floor" opinion might be proven wrong.

(Relatedly, a few weeks ago, GOP Senator Thom Tillis (in a tight race for reelection right now) said that the economy was still a winner for President Trump because people would remember how things were in February. And that seemed at least plausible then if a bit of a stretch. But, really, people just don't think like that. As someone noted "Were you better off 7 months ago than you were 4 years ago?" does not have quite the same ring to it as the original.)

[ISiddiqui]

Holy shit!

https://twitter.com/saletan/status/1286493439312494599

The White House says Stephen Miller's grandmother had mild COVID in March but "made a full and quick recovery.”

That's odd. She died on July 4, and the death certificate says COVID-19 led to her death from respiratory arrest.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Cooper seems to be polling very well too. Has something like a 10+ point lead on the Republican challenger.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to hear about all sorts of "voter fraud" in NC by my MIL because she won't be able to comprehend how Cooper is going to win in November.

"Everyone I talked to down here voted against him . . . "

[albionmoonlight]

Talk about outside the box political takes

I know that politicians know a lot more about politics than I do, but I have some political advice for them: If you come up with a plan to make this end, and tell everyone your plan, and then you make it end, you will be super-popular.

— Raffi Melkonian (@RMFifthCircuit) July 24, 2020

[Brian Swartz]

Wrongly, but you're right. That's why I think Trump lost the election when the virus hit China late last year. He's unpopular enough that without a strong economy there was no chance, and a strong economy will never survive a global pandemic.

[AlexB]

He's not wrong

[Lathum]

There may not be any grosser place on the internet then Aubrey Huffs twitter timeline.

[Ksyrup]

I don't know if these ads have changed a single mind, or if the point is just to piss Trump off, but they are great.

Our friends at @ProjectLincoln have outdone themselves with this ad. LOL, as the kids say.pic.twitter.com/KpCGibxY8Y

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) July 24, 2020

[ISiddiqui]

OMG, that's hilarious!

[BYU 14]

That is awesome!!!!

[Lathum]

That really is amazing

[Ksyrup]

OK this is pretty funny too!

I fell asleep wondering why the rhythm of, “Person, woman, man, camera, TV,” sounded familiar and woke up realizing it’s the intro to If You Leave Me Now by Chicago. pic.twitter.com/5pxgl2abKK

— Noah Garfinkel (@NoahGarfinkel) July 24, 2020

[Thomkal]

Heh

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

So Federal Troops apparently on their way to Chicago and Albuquerque now.

Not sure what federal property there is to "defend". We have the Dirksen Building but I don't think that has seen any protests at all and is too ugly to vandalize anyway.

[JPhillips]

It's worked for Andrew Cuomo. You don't have to be perfect, or even good, but you do need to look like you're solving the problem and understand people's suffering.

[JPhillips]

Making him a clown rather than a supervillain is the way to go, IMO.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Not sure what federal property there is to "defend". We have the Dirksen Building but I don't think that has seen any protests at all and is too ugly to vandalize anyway.

you know it is just an opportunity to flex against the communities with gang problems, so he can again turn it into "Look what I am doing for the black community"

Unless of course Wrigley field is considered an important strategical location....

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Making him a clown rather than a supervillain is the way to go, IMO.

Agree and that narrative writes itself so nicely

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I don't know if these ads have changed a single mind, or if the point is just to piss Trump off, but they are great.

Our friends at @ProjectLincoln have outdone themselves with this ad. LOL, as the kids say.pic.twitter.com/KpCGibxY8Y
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) July 24, 2020

I feel really ooky when someone like Bill Kristol is "on my side". I'm willing to accept that maybe these people all believe that our very democracy is at stake.

But this is someone who killed the Clinton health care plan and helped start the Iraq War. I don't trust him any further than I can throw him and I'd watch my back as we get closer to election time.

SI

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I feel really ooky when someone like Bill Kristol is "on my side". I'm willing to accept that maybe these people all believe that our very democracy is at stake.

But this is someone who killed the Clinton health care plan and helped start the Iraq War. I don't trust him any further than I can throw him and I'd watch my back as we get closer to election time.

SI

My concern is that once Biden is President, they will go back to their old ways of calling any Dem "the greatest threat to democracy" and other such nonsense just because they are used to being into opposition to any thing Dems want to accomplish.

I would like to see a change in discussions over the various issues using facts and data and not hyperbole and insults. But I'm not holding my breath.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I feel really ooky when someone like Bill Kristol is "on my side". I'm willing to accept that maybe these people all believe that our very democracy is at stake.

But this is someone who killed the Clinton health care plan and helped start the Iraq War. I don't trust him any further than I can throw him and I'd watch my back as we get closer to election time.

SI

Kristol has been anti Trump since the jump (2015 at least). So better to think of him that way.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I feel really ooky when someone like Bill Kristol is "on my side". I'm willing to accept that maybe these people all believe that our very democracy is at stake.

But this is someone who killed the Clinton health care plan and helped start the Iraq War. I don't trust him any further than I can throw him and I'd watch my back as we get closer to election time.

SI

So how do you feel about Joe Biden helping to start the Iraq war?

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

So how do you feel about Joe Biden helping to start the Iraq war?

Disappointed. Though his overall track record is a lot better than Kristol's.

SI

[Radii]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

So how do you feel about Joe Biden helping to start the Iraq war?

I feel as ooky about Joe Biden being on my side, if not more, than SI does about Bill Kristol being on his side.

[Edward64]

I'm okay with the executive orders. Ideally some sort of bipartianship deal would have been struck on prescription drug pricing but there's not been a lot of that since 2008.

I do think US has to pay a premium to sustain its innovation in drug research, production etc. and essentially subsidizing for much of the world. But more $ is spent on marketing than on research and I want some more balance.

Regardless, it does seem this will be a top-20 item on the Dem's agenda if they win the Presidency. Not sure it'll be a top-5 though.

With no new law to curb drug costs, Trump tries own changes for cheaper meds

Unable to land the big deal with Congress to curb drug costs, President Donald Trump on Friday moved on his own to allow imports of cheaper medicines, along with other limited steps that could have some election-year appeal.

At a White House ceremony, Trump signed four executive orders. One was about importation. The others would direct drugmaker rebates straight to patients, provide insulin and EpiPens at steep discounts to low-income people, and use lower international prices to pay for some Medicare drugs.

Trump cast his directives as far-reaching, but they mostly update earlier administration ideas that have not yet gone into effect.

“I’m unrigging the system that is many decades old,” he declared, promising “massive” savings.

Consumers may not notice immediate changes, since the orders must be carried out by the federal bureaucracy and could face court challenges.

Democrats, meanwhile, are eager to draw a contrast between Trump and their own sweeping plans to authorize Medicare to negotiate lower prices with pharmaceutical companies, an idea the president had backed as a candidate. A bill by Speaker Nancy Pelosi already passed the House and aligns with presidential candidate Joe Biden's approach.

[JPhillips]

dola

Sinclair stations are running a package with a claim from the Plandemic woman that Fauci created the COVID-19 virus and shipped it to China.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

"Everyone I talked to down here voted against him . . . "

“ I didn’t see a single yard sign for him...”

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...f38_story.html



Who are these 38%?

Short answer... idiot cult members.

[ISiddiqui]

This Portland thing seems to have backfired spectacularly against the President. A Wall of Vets showed up in addition to the Wall of Moms and Wall of Dads.

https://twitter.com/Joshuajered/stat...350622208?s=19

Thousands (some reports say 10,000 but that seems a bit too much) now protesting.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

[thesloppy]

Yeah, it keeps getting bigger every night. This town absolutely lives for this shit, I don't know what they were expecting. On the other hand, there's certainly plenty of imagery that fits into the FOX agenda as well.

I am proud of my local folks though, as we see the plan unfold to deploy troops in other cities across the US as part of the vague (and supposedly unrelated) 'Operation Legend' I hope that the backfire of trying to make an initial example of PDX & the volume of the resistance will instead only make that deployment as difficult as possible.

FYI here's a channel I've been watching with a collection of multiple live streams of the protest on a single screen (it's like a dystopian version of the RedZone network's octobox). There seems to be a live stream link put up around 8 or 9pm (pacific) every night:

AnterosLive - YouTube

Also: the unsung heroes of these protests are the drum corps.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

dola

Sinclair stations are running a package with a claim from the Plandemic woman that Fauci created the COVID-19 virus and shipped it to China.

Sinclair now says it will delay showing the program.

[Brian Swartz]

There aren't 38% cult members. It's more people who think the overall response has been overblown, 'cure worse than the disease' folks, etc.

[RainMaker]

Things are going well in Minnesota.

Today is the first day of MN mask mandate. These pics from Walmart in Marshall, MN. (h/t Raphaella M) pic.twitter.com/7xpMdv3oOp

— Erin Maye Quade (@ErinMayeQuade) July 25, 2020