The Trump presidency

[Wilf]

When I saw yesterday Trump had launched a (selective) investigation into voter fraud I was about to post up that it will conclude there were about 3 million FAKE! votes, given that he lost by 2.9 million. But he's beaten me to it. From his Twitter (of course):

Look forward to seeing final results of VoteStand. Gregg Phillips and crew say at least 3,000,000 votes were illegal. We must do better!

 

[krtek a houby]

and the war on the media continues

Trump's top adviser brands media 'the opposition', says it should 'keep its mouth shut'

 

[editor]

Look at this idiot being destroyed

 

[CRI]

Look at this idiot being destroyed

He's crooked as a $3 bill.

Crafty Gregg Phillips is at it once again (this was from 2005)

His Jump Vote site

 

[CRI]

Interesting insight from someone raised to be a foot soldier in the battle to establish the US as a fundamentalist, Christian autocracy.

I Was Trained for the Culture Wars in Home School, Awaiting Someone Like Mike Pence as a Messiah

Christofascists have been wanting someone like Pence in the White House and, until now, didn’t have a way to get one in. They know Trump is easily manipulated and will change his mind with the wind if it makes him feel more powerful and famous. Trump couldn’t care less about policy, a fact he’s made quite obvious. The Right has given a tyrant power and fame; he will do whatever they want him to do in order to keep it. This way they can sneak Pence in on a piggyback while filling Congress with even more evangelical conservative Republicans. Compared to Trump’s abrasive and terrifying behavior, Pence seems much less threatening. This is not the case. Pence has a proven track record of legalizing discrimination and acting against women and marginalized people. Those of us who didn’t leave the far Right are being elected to federal positions or are taking over states and cities. With Pence in office, even the reasonable-seeming incumbents – who have been and are still at the mercy of the Tea Party – are growing more bold in their attempts to further the Christofascist agenda: To Take Back The Country For Christ.

This was the mantra we heard. This was our mission. This is how we were to win: Outbreed, Outvote, Outactivate. Every class, every event, every pastor or guest speaker reiterated this, choosing to risk the 501c3 status of their church to push their agenda. To take back the country for Christ, we needed to outbreed, outvote and outactivate the other side, thus saith The Lord.

 

[CrabbedOne]

In The Chicago Tribune Trump reportedly claimed 2 were shot dead in Chicago during Obama’s speech. But it never happened.

...
"So, look, when President Obama was there two weeks ago making a speech, very nice speech," Trump said, according to the transcript of the interview. "Two people were shot and killed during his speech. You can't have that. They weren't shot at the speech. But they were shot in the city of Chicago during his speech. What — what's going on?"

According to the Tribune database, the city had no slayings for about 24 hours before and after Obama's speech, which lasted from 8:02 to 8:53 p.m. A man was shot about 20 minutes after the speech about eight miles away in the West Side's Lawndale neighborhood, but that victim survived, according to Police Department data.

Calls and emails seeking comment from the White House media affairs office were not immediately returned.

Trump, who campaigned on a law-and-order platform, has often cited Chicago's violence as an example of rampant urban crime that he would address as president.
...

Fake American Carnage.

Actually the murder rate there was worse under Bush the Elder and Bill Clinton. In the Obama years it's been rather better but there has been a spike lately. It's not really clear why, City level austerity, the dropping of stop and frisk, loosened gun laws, bad community-police relations.

 

[Treacle Toes]

 

[Cloo]

He's signing executive orders at about the same pace Obama did in his first week, Clinton and Dubya went a lot slower and worked with Congress more.

Yeah, RW Americans all tweeting about 'Look, here's a President who gets things done!'

Well yes, he's not being blocked by both Houses a s also because he feels no need to consult with or listen to people who might try to explain the consequences of his decisions to him because he just wants to be popular and to hell with, y'know pissing off neighbouring countries, speeding up irreversible climate change or increasing the likelihood of more Muslim people around the world being radicalised.

 

[CRI]

Ex-Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev: ‘World Is Preparing for War’

"More troops, tanks and armored personnel carriers are being brought to Europe," the 85-year-old wrote. "NATO and Russian forces and weapons that used to be deployed at a distance are now placed closer to each other, as if to shoot point-blank."

The 1990 Nobel Peace Prize-winner added: "Politicians and military leaders sound increasingly belligerent and defense doctrines more dangerous. Commentators and TV personalities are joining the bellicose chorus. It all looks as if the world is preparing for war."

Thousands of U.S. troops have been sent to eastern Europe in recent weeks, the largest deployment of its kind since the Cold War.

 

[ska invita]

I read a book by Gorbachev once...written after the fall of the soviet union...he said he really genuinely thought that what he was doing would lead to bilateral disarming of the US and Russian arms stocks, and that he feels totally duped by what happened afterwards. You have to take these things with a pinch of salt, but i believed him on that. IF thats true then whats happening will sting all the more I guess

 

[CRI]

Petition Demanding Donald Trump Release His Tax Returns Breaks White House Record
The runner-up was a petition to designate the Westboro Baptist Church a hate group.

 

[CRI]

I read a book by Gorbachev once...written after the fall of the soviet union...he said he really genuinely thought that what he was doing would lead to bilateral disarming of the US and Russian arms stocks, and that he feels totally duped by what happened afterwards. You have to take these things with a pinch of salt, but i believed him on that. IF thats true then whats happening will sting all the more I guess

Yup.

 

[CRI]

Trump’s New Immigration Official Used to Lead Hate Group

Julie Kirchner, former executive director of the anti-immigrant hate group the Federation of American Immigration Reform (FAIR), has reportedly been named chief of staff of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the federal agency that oversees Border Patrol.

FAIR’s leaders have ties to eugenics and white supremacist organizations, and its founder is credited with creating the modern anti-immigrant movement.

 

[CRI]

Donald Trump is the sole reliable source of truth, says chair of House Science Committee
“Better to get your news directly from the president,” said Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas

On Monday, Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, who has previously praised Trump’s “stamina” and “conviction,” gave a floor speech in the House in which lauded the president, celebrating his many accomplishments. According to Smith, you may not be familiar with those accomplishments, because the media won’t tell you.

“Better to get your news directly from the president,” Smith said. “In fact, it might be the only way to get the unvarnished truth.”

Let that sink in.

 

[camouflage]

Interesting insight from someone raised to be a foot soldier in the battle to establish the US as a fundamentalist, Christian autocracy.

I Was Trained for the Culture Wars in Home School, Awaiting Someone Like Mike Pence as a Messiah

Christofascists have been wanting someone like Pence in the White House and, until now, didn’t have a way to get one in. They know Trump is easily manipulated and will change his mind with the wind if it makes him feel more powerful and famous. Trump couldn’t care less about policy, a fact he’s made quite obvious. The Right has given a tyrant power and fame; he will do whatever they want him to do in order to keep it. This way they can sneak Pence in on a piggyback while filling Congress with even more evangelical conservative Republicans. Compared to Trump’s abrasive and terrifying behavior, Pence seems much less threatening. This is not the case. Pence has a proven track record of legalizing discrimination and acting against women and marginalized people. Those of us who didn’t leave the far Right are being elected to federal positions or are taking over states and cities. With Pence in office, even the reasonable-seeming incumbents – who have been and are still at the mercy of the Tea Party – are growing more bold in their attempts to further the Christofascist agenda: To Take Back The Country For Christ.

This was the mantra we heard. This was our mission. This is how we were to win: Outbreed, Outvote, Outactivate. Every class, every event, every pastor or guest speaker reiterated this, choosing to risk the 501c3 status of their church to push their agenda. To take back the country for Christ, we needed to outbreed, outvote and outactivate the other side, thus saith The Lord.

Handmaids Tale man, tellin ya.

 

[2hats]

Donald Trump is the sole reliable source of truth, says chair of House Science Committee
“Better to get your news directly from the president,” said Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas

On Monday, Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, who has previously praised Trump’s “stamina” and “conviction,” gave a floor speech in the House in which lauded the president, celebrating his many accomplishments. According to Smith, you may not be familiar with those accomplishments, because the media won’t tell you.

“Better to get your news directly from the president,” Smith said. “In fact, it might be the only way to get the unvarnished truth.”

Let that sink in.

The same people who are happy to pedal this batshittery...

 

[J Ed]

.

 

[J Ed]

Ex-Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev: ‘World Is Preparing for War’

"More troops, tanks and armored personnel carriers are being brought to Europe," the 85-year-old wrote. "NATO and Russian forces and weapons that used to be deployed at a distance are now placed closer to each other, as if to shoot point-blank."

The 1990 Nobel Peace Prize-winner added: "Politicians and military leaders sound increasingly belligerent and defense doctrines more dangerous. Commentators and TV personalities are joining the bellicose chorus. It all looks as if the world is preparing for war."

Thousands of U.S. troops have been sent to eastern Europe in recent weeks, the largest deployment of its kind since the Cold War.

Who was it who put those U.S troops there?

 

[CrabbedOne]

Much of the flurry of paper has no legal weight. It's either too badly drafted and will need reworking or simply advisory to Congress. The GOP has managed to land both houses but Trump has also pissed off the Republican establishment and they have very serious disagreements on policy.

The effect may be theatrical but in the end little different from no drama Obama's later years. Obama came in the midst of a financial crisis in which the US government was pretty agile in shoring up a damaged Wall St.

One of the biggest things that Trump does have authority on, Obamacare repeal, comes with no real replacement and a whole set of impossible for Congress to fulfil promises. That does look hasty and potentially politically suicidal.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Who was it who put those U.S troops there?

Who is the one NATO leader to continually say, "Fuck NATO?"

 

[littlebabyjesus]

When Obama was first elected, the same position that Trump is in now, he was not being blocked by both Houses. The first week of Trump's presidency has been very instructive, it appears that Obama was wrong and that the US government is only like an ocean liner if you treat it that way. It looks more like a cruise missile if you aren't desperately trying to juggle the interests of your campaign promises against those of the financial sector, health insurance who donated enough money for you to be elected or for that matter aren't desperate to maintain your 'moderate' 'right of Nixon' ideology.

You're right about the interests of donors, of course. Trump didn't have any, basically. He paid for it all himself.

 

[MightyTibberton]

I don't think Steve Bannon and the Breitbart wing of this believe in democracy.

 

[MightyTibberton]

You're right about the interests of donors, of course. Trump didn't have any, basically. He paid for it all himself.

No he did not!

Six donors that Trump appointed gave almost $12 million with their families to back his campaign and the party

 

[Lazy Llama]

Also used funds from his charitable Foundation. He hasn't put any of his own money into that since 2008. Because he's smart.
Trump Used Foundation Funds for 2016 Run, Filings Suggest | RealClearPolitics

 

[camouflage]

Who was it who put those U.S troops there?

Just say words like Silowiki, Russian corruption, Little Green Men, Dugin, Hybrid-Warfare, authoriarian, Crimea and of course Putin a lot. there you go, all done. It's as if those tanks were just sitting there minding their own business when Russia just plonked their country down nearby for no reason.

 

[2hats]

Pence currently talking gibberish ("Life is winning again in America") to an anti-abortion rally 'March for Life':

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

This is all getting more depressing by the hour.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

No he did not!

Six donors that Trump appointed gave almost $12 million with their families to back his campaign and the party

I may just have stated an alternative fact.

 

[CrabbedOne]

You're right about the interests of donors, of course. Trump didn't have any, basically. He paid for it all himself.

Well that was his schtick early on but it didn't work out that way.

...
Trump's campaign platform coincides with the interests of his top donors. His top two corporate sources of money are employees at two coal companies, Murray Energy and Alliance Coal. He has promised to scrap Obama administration efforts to curb the emissions blamed for climate change and instead ratchet up production of coal.

Lockheed Martin Corp. employees also are in Trump's top 10. Trump has called for eliminating limits on defense spending put in place by congressional Republicans and the White House.

Bank of America and Wells Fargo employees are among Trump's top donors. Trump opposed the financial regulations in 2010 in response to the Great Recession, and the Republican Party platform promised to either abolish or reduce the independence of the new financial agency created to protect consumers. That agency used its powers to fine Wells Fargo $100 million for opening accounts and obtaining credit cards in customers' names without their permission.
...

linky.

Trump spent about $60 million of his own cash. He made frequent use of Trump facilities and will get a wedge of that back. He's charging the Secret Service about a million PA for a floor in Trump Tower. 5-7% of sales is pretty typical for a marketing budget. He claims to have had $557 income in 2015 up about a third from the previous year. So call the whole thing 10% of income. He does not believe in bad publicity. Essentially this was a small loss leader in a brand building exercise even if he failed to win. It's a smart investment. He clearly plans to make out like gang busters now he's in office.

He raised about $340 million and finally spent about $320 million. Small donors paid the lion share about $170. Large individual contributions account for about $40 million. He's obviously set on rewarding some of his large donors with hedge funders being particularly eager to pounce. His largest backer hedge funder Mercer (a great Clinton hater) also backs Breitbart and Bannon its CEO gets a prime position. The level of obvious cronyism and pandering to special interests in his administration is pretty shameless.

 

[bimble]

Pence currently talking gibberish ("Life is winning again in America") to an anti-abortion rally 'March for Life':

March for Life is an annual thing (I just learnt) been going on every year for 44 years.
But never before has a vice president (or president) spoken at one. Kellyanne Conway will speak too and Trump has been embiggening it before it even happened.

'Organizers told the National Park Service in their permit application they expect 50,000 participants. Yet Trump insisted on the eve of the rally that the crowd would be far larger, saying "a lot of people are gonna be showing up.
"You know, the press never gives them the credit that they deserve," Trump told Republicans gathered in Philadelphia. "They'll have 300, 400, 500, 600 thousand people. You won't even read about it. When other people show up, you read big-time about it. Right? So, it's not fair, but nothing fair about the media.."

Abortion opponents descend on DC for March for Life rally