What stupid shit has Trump done today?

[CRI]

The Nightmare Scenario: Trump Fires Comey, the One Man Who Would Stand Up to Him

The question before us now is whether Trump will get away with it. There is no question that the President has the legal authority to remove the FBI director. But there’s also no question that removing the FBI Director in the midst of a high-stakes investigation of Russian influence in the inner circle of the President’s campaign and White House is a horrifying breach of every expectation we have of the relationship between the White House and federal law enforcement.

 

[CrabbedOne]

On TAC Why Did Trump Fire Comey?

...
Either Trump is a colossal idiot, or he is hiding something, and is a colossal idiot about trying to cover it up. Either way, I don’t see how anybody can take what Trump has done here at face value. From the NYT:

Senior White House and Justice Department officials had been working on building a case against Mr. Comey since at least last week, according to administration officials. Mr. Sessions had been charged with coming up with reasons to fire him, the officials said.​

The timing is extremely suspicious. Extremely. If Trump is not guilty of anything other than political stupidity in this matter, then he sure has a way of making it look like he’s trying to cover up something. Do you really believe that Donald Trump fired Jim Comey because he was mean to Hillary Clinton? No, seriously, do you believe that?

You cannot possibly believe that.

And the whole Russia scandal is back on the front page.

This is a man sized portion of stupid with a large side order of mental slathered in funny farm sauce.

 

[teqniq]

No nepotism here, oh no.

 

[bluescreen]

Why don't people stop calling him The Donald and just call him The Don?

 

[Artaxerxes]

Why don't people stop calling him The Donald and just call him The Dong?

Ftfy

 

[CrabbedOne]

On Politico Behind Comey’s firing: An enraged Trump, fuming about Russia

...
He had grown enraged by the Russia investigation, two advisers said, frustrated by his inability to control the mushrooming narrative around Russia. He repeatedly asked aides why the Russia investigation wouldn’t disappear and demanded they speak out for him. He would sometimes scream at television clips about the probe, one adviser said.

Trump's firing of the high-profile FBI director on the 110th day since taking office marked another sudden turn for an administration that has fired its acting attorney general, national security adviser and now its FBI director, who Trump had praised until recent weeks and even blew a kiss to during a January appearance.
...

Deranged.

 

[CrabbedOne]

On Politico GOP lawmaker: Trump 'small potatoes compared to Nazi Germany'

...
“America has overcome amazing challenges that Donald Trump, as frightening as he is to some people, small potatoes compared to Nazi Germany,” Garrett (R-Va.) told constituents at a church here in southwest Virginia, after he was asked by a constituent what it would take for him to lose confidence in Trump.
...

Not perhaps the best thought through defence.

 

[Idris2002]

I have to say that I'm still sceptical about the hidden Russian hand - whatever else Vlad P. may be, he's not a fool, and only a fool would put any trust in The Dong.

 

[Gromit]

Comey's laughing all the way to the bank.

Unfair dismissal 4 years into a 10 year contract. Cherching!

 

[teqniq]

You have to laugh.

Sean Spicer 'hid behind bushes to avoid journalists asking questions over Comey'

 

[bimble]

I have to say that I'm still sceptical about the hidden Russian hand - whatever else Vlad P. may be, he's not a fool, and only a fool would put any trust in The Dong.

If it happened I doubt any trust was involved whatsoever, Trump is weak stupid proud and easy to manipulate, that would have been clear to anyone meeting him long before he announced his ambition to be the President.

 

[Idris2002]

If it's happened i doubt any trust was involved whatsoever, Trump is weak stupid proud and easy to manipulate, that would have been clear to anyone meeting him long before he announced his ambition to be the President.

"An honest politician is one who, when he's bought, stays bought".

Could you on the twat to stay bought?

 

[bimble]

"An honest politician is one who, when he's bought, stays bought".

Could you on the twat to stay bought?

Whatever he's doing at the moment he's definitely making a pigs ear of it, I'd want my money back that's true.

 

[chandlerp]

Dan Rather Just Gave The BEST Response To Trump’s Comey Firing

 

[Raheem]

I have to say that I'm still sceptical about the hidden Russian hand - whatever else Vlad P. may be, he's not a fool, and only a fool would put any trust in The Dong.

But if there's nothing in the Russia allegations, that means there's no possibility that Comey has the piss video on a USB drive. For that reason alone, I am choosing to carry on believing.

 

[MightyTibberton]

Well, funnily enough, his only engagement today is a meeting with the Russian foreign minister!

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

I have mixed feelings about Comey's firing. First of all, he did richly deserve it for the whole Clinton email thing. He violated a long-standing rule on commenting publicly on ongoing investigations. It called into question and entire election. However, we all know full well that wasn't the reason he was fired. Trump was fine with Comey's actions up to, and until, they started investigating him. Then, Comey had to go. We really need a special counsel and as soon as possible. They wouldn't be trying so hard to throw a wrench into the investigation if there wasn't anything to find.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Well, funnily enough, his only engagement today is a meeting with the Russian foreign minister!

These folks don't even try to be subtle.

 

[teqniq]

 

[tim]

Why don't people stop calling him The Donald and just call him The Don?

Because, he's more Duck than Corleone.

 

[CRI]

Reporter arrested after repeatedly questioning Health secretary

According to Heyman’s account, he waited for Price to come into the building and then reached past those accompanying Price with his phone and repeatedly asked his healthcare questions, adding that a number of other reporters wanted to bring up the issue of preexisting conditions.

He said capitol police at some point “decided I was just too persistent in asking this question and trying to do my job and so they arrested me.”

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

This week, Sinclair capitalized on the FCC’s new laissez-faire attitude, purchasing Tribune Media for $3.9 billion — and, thereby, claiming ownership of enough local television stations to reach 70 percent of American households. To have its deal finalized, Sinclair will need to secure further cooperation from the FCC. Currently, the regulator bars any one broadcaster from claiming greater than 39 percent market share. To stay under that cap, Sinclair may need to sell off its less desirable holdings. Or, maybe not: The FCC’s Republican chairman Ajit Pai has suggested that the 39 percent-limit could be raised.

Sinclair also secured the Tribune’s crown jewel, WGN America, a cable network that reaches 80 million homes, just 10 million fewer than Fox News. On a conference call with investors Monday, Sinclair executives said they would be shifting WGN away from “high-cost originals” (i.e. scripted dramas) and toward more “cost-effective originals.” That remark has fed speculation that Sinclair may try to refashion WGN into a Fox News competitor — an endeavor that could be launched with the aid of erstwhile Fox News star Bill O’Reilly and a few of red America’s other favorite (alleged) sex criminals.

Trump-Friendly Company Buys Rights to Deliver Local News to 70 Percent of U.S.

 

[bimble]

KellyAnne Conway is working hard, telling everyone how this has nothing to do with the Russia thing, it's totally about how the president feels upset for Hillary about her emails being made such an issue of so late in the competition.

 

[CrabbedOne]

On TAC Trump’s Firing of Comey

...
Since the administration already squandered what little credibility it had months ago, it is reasonable to assume that Comey was fired in order to impede an investigation of Trump and his advisers and not for the reasons given by the Deputy Attorney General. Firing an FBI Director who isn’t even halfway through his term would look bad in any case, but doing it under these circumstances is obnoxious and is sure to be perceived as an abuse of power by most Americans. Who thinks that Comey’s successor will be more independent and less compromised than Comey was supposed to be? If we’re being honest, I don’t think anyone really thinks that.

Trump’s larger problem here is that he has proven time after time that he can’t be trusted, so very few people outside his own party will be inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt when he does something as suspicious and controversial as this. Because he has frittered away any credibility he may have had with countless lies and distortions, most people will assume his explanations for his actions are untrue and will assume something else must be going on.

You'd have to conclude here either Trump is really very stupid or his base assumption is his typical supporter lacks the wit of a good sheepdog.

 

[chandlerp]

He's removed all his campaign statements from his website, presumably believing that if they're not there any more nobody will be able to see them. How very wrong he is. Again.

Analysis | All of Trump’s campaign statements just vanished from his website. So let’s remember them.

 

[bimble]

You'd have to conclude here either Trump is really very stupid or his base assumption is his typical supporter lacks the wit of a good sheepdog.

Or it's just a tantrum, no thought behind it at all just a lashing out. Smells like despair, or a badly played endgame.

 

[CRI]

Scuse the tweet. Becoming more brazen every day.

 

[bimble]

Good article, spells it out nice and simple:
Trump’s Firing of Comey Is Scarier If He Has Nothing to Hide

"..Given these reports, we’re left with two possible interpretations of Trump’s behavior:

(1) He is guilty of illicit acts that the FBI’s investigation into Russia threatens to expose, directly or indirectly.
(2) He is hiding nothing (that the FBI could expose), and merely resents the way Comey’s Russia investigation — and the media’s coverage of it — produces insinuations to the contrary. Thus, he fired Comey not to kill the Russia investigation so much as to take the air out of the Russia “story.”

It is far from clear that the second scenario is less disconcerting than the first. A lot depends on precisely what the president is hiding. But assuming that Trump is not actually beholden to Moscow (due to unpaid debts or a pee tape or what have you), his behavior actually seems more alarming if it wasn’t motivated by a desire to obstruct justice.."

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Trump is quickly moving up on my list of people in the Trump administration who need to go. I originally had him at around 5th or 6th. I think I'll move him up to 2nd or 3rd, after Bannon.

It's ironic that all of the people who attempted to investigate Trump were the first to be booted (Yates, Bharra, and now Comey).

 

[MightyTibberton]

These folks don't even try to be subtle.

Oh, and the ambassador, to add someone from the General Flynn affair to someone from the Steele Dossier. And, of course, he had a quick chat with Henry Kissinger, because, well, because...

I can't remember the film now, but one of those portmanteau sketch things had a skit with a man who believed he was invisible but wasn't. It was funny when Joe "Stumpy" Peeps was doing it. It's not so funny when it's the owner of the largest military in the history of the world.