The Trump Presidency 2.0

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

The most recent was 77 years old and had terminal lung cancer when he ran.

Out of curiosity: did the candidate know that? and did the voters know that?

(I'm not even looking to toss any stones about it, I'm legit curious how it was handled from a campaigning standpoint)

[RainMaker]

Yes. I guess he was diagnosed in the beginning of April. Seems like he was unopposed in the primary. He did say he would be able to work through it but hasn't been in Washington for some time now which is understandable.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Yes. I guess he was diagnosed in the beginning of April. Seems like he was unopposed in the primary. He did say he would be able to work through it but hasn't been in Washington for some time now which is understandable.

Unopposed primary and diagnosis likely came to light after qualifying had closed. State law would vary as to whether replacing him on the ballot was even an option. And state law for replacing him would vary. There's an odd ... logic ... to basically electing him as a sort of placeholder for the eventual replacement.

It's at least better than a local state House race here a couple (few?) years ago. Candidate died maybe 10 days before the election, no time to reprint ballots. His deceased status was on the door of every polling place ... and he won a three-way primary with ease (no other opposition in November).

Election officials ultimately decided (and got by with) to simply ignore those votes and give the win to the 2nd place finisher ... someone that voters preferred a dead man to putting in office.

[RainMaker]

I guess the deadline in Arizona is April 1 and he announced the diagnosis on April 2. Still feels like a 77 year old who had been dealing with health issues that earlier that prevented him from voting might want to step aside. I think even a healthy 77 year old has like a 20% chance of dying during the term regardless.

[NobodyHere]

Trump's 200% Tariff on European Alcohol Causes Pete Hegseth to Angrily Resign - Borowitz Report

[Front Office Midget]

Elon Musk likening federal workers to the gestapo? And it's only like 6 weeks into this administration... Holy shit.

[Edward64]

CR passed. Next deadline is Sep 30.

Earlier, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and nine others crossed party lines to advance the bill in a key procedural vote, despite intensifying pressure from across the Democratic Party.

[Danny]

NCES eliminated
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/educ...jm_V6G4UBhu5ew

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Danny

NCES eliminated
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/educ...jm_V6G4UBhu5ew

Red states can't be dead last in education if there is no report to say that.

[Atocep]

We're saving the country by making sure racist views are considered and held equal.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...oom-rcna196582

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Atocep

We're saving the country by making sure racist views are considered and held equal.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...oom-rcna196582

But never fear, diversity and inclusion is a requirement when the target is a right-wing hack!

After JD Vance is booed, Kennedy Center head urges 'diversity and inclusion'

Several staffers, speaking on the condition of anonymity out of fear for retribution, told The Post that they were confused by the email, particularly its defense of diversity and inclusion, a principle the Trump administration has assailed in public statements and executive actions.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

But never fear, diversity and inclusion is a requirement when the target is a right-wing hack!

After JD Vance is booed, Kennedy Center head urges 'diversity and inclusion'

They've moved the goalposts so much on what their anti-DEI movement is that they don't even know anymore.

[Mota]

I went to my local liquor store in Ontario, and it's like American booze never existed. It's GONE. There's a tiny section in the vintages area that is a bit understocked. But the California wine section which was probably the biggest wine section in the store, has been replaced with more international wines.

[CrimsonFox]

I always say, no one hates democrats more than other democrats

[JPhillips]

https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature...calvin-rogers/

Notice the bullshit DEImedal of honor? This is the new URL for the now deleted page of an African-American Medal of Honor winner. Just being black is enough to be deleted now.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Mota

I went to my local liquor store in Ontario, and it's like American booze never existed. It's GONE. There's a tiny section in the vintages area that is a bit understocked. But the California wine section which was probably the biggest wine section in the store, has been replaced with more international wines.

I was at a Liquor Mart here in Manitoba yesterday and instead of removing the US booze from shelves they have just covered all the product with garbage bags. I'd prefer it was all just gone like yours in Ontario, and ideally replaced with new Canadian options when the inter-provincial rules get relaxed, but I do get a little kick out of the symbolism of it.

[JPhillips]

Crazy how everyone in the GOP now wears Trump style makeup.

Johnson: The adults are back in the room and we are going to turn this economy around pic.twitter.com/rc975q0OKO

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 16, 2025

[CrimsonFox]

they certainly ARE turning around this economy. It was going up during biden and they are defginitely making sure it tanks

[PilotMan]

Light it on fire, and celebrate your efforts to put it out.

[JPhillips]

The government is not bound by U.S. laws over international waters is a scary new argument.

[GrantDawg]

There is a little bit of "they are gone what, what are you going to do about it " in that. That is the whole philosophy of the White House right now. Push it so far that it can't be brought back.

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[Atocep]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

The government is not bound by U.S. laws over international waters is a scary new argument.

So the government could shoot down a plane carrying a political enemy as long as its over international waters?

[RainMaker]

Feels like an opposition party might want tO ask why so many alerts didn't go out or went out too late during the tornadoes the other day that killed an unusually high number of people right after gutting the NOAA.

[Lathum]

Trump trying to undo all of Biden’s pardons. I’m sure that’s will turn the markets around.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Trump trying to undo all of Biden’s pardons. I’m sure that’s will turn the markets around.

And in doing so creating a shit-storm that I have to admit is quite impressive. He is claming the pardons are void because they were signed by autopen and not in President Biden's hand, and Biden had no knowledge that the pardons were happening. To fight that is going to require subpoenas to Biden, that is likely going to open up competency hearings on whether Biden is mentally fit to testify, which then could entail mental competency questions on basically anything he signed in the last days of his Presidency. This could get crazy.

[flere-imsaho]

Wish Merrick Garland had moved with this kind of speed on some of Trump's obvious criming in office.

[Mota]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

And in doing so creating a shit-storm that I have to admit is quite impressive. He is claming the pardons are void because they were signed by autopen and not in President Biden's hand, and Biden had no knowledge that the pardons were happening. To fight that is going to require subpoenas to Biden, that is likely going to open up competency hearings on whether Biden is mentally fit to testify, which then could entail mental competency questions on basically anything he signed in the last days of his Presidency. This could get crazy.

Biden just needs to send a tweet saying he issued them, it's basically the same as when Trump declassified all of the info via either a tweet or in his own brain.

[GrantDawg]

But did Biden actually send the tweet? Did he actually know what the tweet was about, or did he just do what Jill told him to do? If the question is mental competentcy, everything comes into question.
It should be that they would need some hard proof Biden didn't know about the pardons. They shouldn't just be able to make an assertion without evidence. But then who knows? They get this in front of the right judge, and then of course how will the Supreme Court decide it is always the question.

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[Atocep]

And we have a leaked memo this morning where the administration outlines and acknowledges their plan to sabotage social security.

[PilotMan]

Like they are with the post office? I mailed 2 pieces certified on the 28th. One went to Frankfort which is about 60 miles south of me and the other to Kansas City. Both should have been delivered by the 3rd. The one in state took an extra week, 10 days in total, and the other one seems to be stuck in the system and still hasn't arrived 17 days later.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by Atocep

And we have a leaked memo this morning where the administration outlines and acknowledges their plan to sabotage social security.

link

On March 12, the day before the Diaz memo was sent, the Washington Post reported that the SSA was considering a proposal to "end telephone service for claims processing." That move, the paper reported, "would disrupt Social Security’s internal operations and threaten its ability to serve the public, current and former officials warned."
In response to the Washington Post's article, the SSA issued a press release saying that "reports in the media that Social Security plans to eliminate telephone services are inaccurate." Rather, the press release said, phone service would only be eliminated in cases where beneficiaries need to change their banking information.
The March 13 Diaz memo appears to be a way of implementing the original policy without technically ending telephone service for claims processing. Under the system described in the memo, customers can still use the phone to submit an application for a claim. The claim, however, would be considered "unverified" until an ID was verified through the internet or in person.
The SSA source believes the Diaz memo "is DOGE’s workaround." The agency can technically claim that Americans can still make claims over the phone. But the fine print of the new policy means these claims will never be approved without using the internet or making an in-person visit.

[flere-imsaho]

Just completely ignoring the Judicial Branch now. Rule of law? What rule of law?

A Brown University medical professor was deported to Lebanon over the weekend despite having a valid US work visa, defying a judge’s order blocking her immediate removal from the country.

The case centering on Rasha Alawieh, 34, comes as Donald Trump’s second presidential administration has been escalating its immigration policies and attacking universities.

On Sunday, the US deported more than 250 migrants, allegedly members of a Venezuelan and Salvadorian gang, to El Salvador despite a judge’s order halting the flights.

Where does it stop, Trump apologists like Edward?

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Just completely ignoring the Judicial Branch now. Rule of law? What rule of law?



Where does it stop, Trump apologists like Edward?

He can just sue and it'll all be ok.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Like they are with the post office? I mailed 2 pieces certified on the 28th. One went to Frankfort which is about 60 miles south of me and the other to Kansas City. Both should have been delivered by the 3rd. The one in state took an extra week, 10 days in total, and the other one seems to be stuck in the system and still hasn't arrived 17 days later.

We got some coupons from Meijer that were a month's worth of coupons that applied each week (like, $5-10 a week for 4 weeks). Since we were going on vacation and our kids could use them more than us, my wife took a simple birthday card, put the coupons in, and mailed it from Lexington to our daughter in Covington. The card arrived last week, 2 weeks after the last coupon expired.

Back in December, my mom sent a card to each of our kids with a check inside for Christmas. She sent it on December 13th. One came the day after Christmas, the other in early January.

[Atocep]

Our agency is now offering Bible study twice a month during work hours.

No recognizing cultural awareness during work but Bible study is OK.

[flere-imsaho]

Meanwhile the DoD has removed references to the Navajo Code Talkers: Just a moment...

[Ghost Econ]

Nothing says making America great like wiping out Native Americans.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Where does it stop, Trump apologists like Edward?

Apologize? For what, doing something rather obviously right?

As for stopping? Maybe once every fucking piece of shit like that worthless bitch is out of the country, but that's going to take a while.

And anybody that gets in the way of doing something THIS obviously correct can go the fuck right on with 'em. Some oxygen wasting federal judges might be a good place to start.

[RainMaker]

Maybe you should just hop on Grindr already and get it out of your system man.

[Ksyrup]

When someone shows more empathy for a college basketball team getting a second-rate tournament invite rescinded than for human beings, there's really no point in engaging.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Apologize? For what, doing something rather obviously right?

Eh, don't sweat it. I responded in the Immigration thread. Hezbollah sympathizer who attended Nasrallah's funeral.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Hezbollah sympathizer who attended Nasrallah's funeral.

Not a crime.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Not a crime.

Doesn't have to be ... even pre-Trump.

[Edward64]

CNN Compares AOC's Rise to Post-Obama Republican Party

Washington Post reporter Paul Kane agreed. “Think of it this way,” he said. “If you’re a voter 30 and under, you’ve only participated in three elections, two of them Donald Trump won, one of them Joe Biden won. They’re all over 70 years old when they won. There [are] millions of voters out there craving something new, something younger, something closer to them.”

This is true. Can't blame the younger generation.

A new SSRS poll released March 16 revealed the majority of Democrats polled believe the party needs to do more to “stop the Republican agenda,” CNN revealed.

When asked to name “the Democratic leader they feel ‘best reflects the core values’ of the party, 10% of respondents named Ocasio-Cortez (9% named former vice president Kamala Harris, 8% named Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and 6% named House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries).

I can see the Dems positioning AOC and can see the < 40 (?) embrace her. I think she'll be too divisive to win, but then again, look at what Trump has done.

[HerRealName]

The centrists hate progressives as much as Trump and more than any normal Republicans if any still exist. The DNC would never allow AOC to win nomination. They would rather run Liz Cheney.

[RainMaker]

Yeah, the Dems will never allow her or anyone popular with working class voters to run. Heck, even Pritzker will get squashed by the party if he runs. It'll be Newsom, Shapiro, or Harris.

Originally Posted by Edward64

Doesn't have to be ... even pre-Trump.

I know, not that the rule of law means a whole lot these days. Basing your immigration policy around the whims of a reviled foreign country seems like a great way to keep talent and investment out. Not to mention how weak it makes us look to have a country repeatedly humiliate our President.

[JPhillips]

Anybody can win a primary. All the conspiracy thinking just isn't true. The big problem for a lot of the progressives is that they have little support in the black community and you can't win the nomination without a lot of middle-aged black votes. That was Bernie's problem, not some imagined conspiracy to give the nomination to someone else.

[RainMaker]

Well it seems like no one supports the moderate Dems these days. And it's not a conspiracy that the DNC puts their thumb on the scale in primaries.

[RainMaker]

I mean we are coming off an election where the party threatened to blacklist anyone who ran against Biden and then canceled a bunch of primaries.

[JPhillips]

Everything was rigged against Obama and he just won the primary. Losers complain about how elections are unfair when they lose.