The trump chronicles (topical thread)

[SYZ]

I read this morning that Trump has nominated this
weird little Buddha person, Huyen Cheung as his
communications director.

            

This is the same prick that tried to set up a Trump
campaign rally within Section 60 of Arlington National
Cemetery in August this year.  US federal law prohibits
the use of military facilities, cemeteries in particular,
for political campaigns.

   But then we already know Cadet Bonespurs
   has no respect for fallen soldiers don't we.       

[Thumpalumpacus]

Steve Cheung is a third-rate Mouth of Sauron.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Republican lawmakers have reacted with dismay at some
of Trump’s picks for critical roles in his administration. His
choice of Matt Gaetz to lead the Justice Department was
met with particular skepticism.

One Republican lawmaker described Gaetz, a former
congressman who is the focus of an ethics investigation
over sexual misconduct and other charges, as not “a
serious candidate.”

Lawmakers in both parties yesterday called on the congressional
panel to release the results of the investigation into Gaetz’s alleged
misconduct.

It’s his first show of force to Senate Republicans, who will be under
immense pressure to confirm his nominees.

Republican senators are warning that former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) nomination to serve as President-elect Trump’s attorney general is in serious trouble, even though Republicans will control 53 seats in the upper chamber next year.

Gaetz will get a chance to make his case for why he should lead the Justice Department, but Republican senators warn he faces an “uphill” path to confirmation.

In addition, Republican senators are supporting the call made Thursday by Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) for the House Ethics Committee to release the findings of its investigation of Gaetz for alleged sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.

Two moderate Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine), have already expressed strong reservations about Gaetz’s nomination to serve as attorney general.

Four Republicans would need to vote against Gaetz to sink his nomination, and GOP members warn he is likely to encounter resistance from other members of their conference.

“He’s got an uphill climb,” Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said when asked about Gaetz’s nomination.

Other GOP sources say Gaetz’s nomination is in serious trouble.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4991...publicans/

[SYZ]

As Donald Trump gathered his supporters, family and friends at
Mar-a-Lago on 5 November to wait for the results to trickle in, a
small group of far-right Germans went largely unnoticed.

Among them was the purported semi-professional, one-time porn
actor, self-confessed former cocaine user, convicted thief and hard
right candidate for the German parliament, Phillipp-Anders Rau.

Together with a compact delegation of young political activists and
influencers, Rau posed for the cameras with Trump, at his invitation,
chanting "Kämpft, kämpft, kämpft" (fight, fight, fight) with Trump at
Mar-a-Lago.

Members of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party had already
been making inroads with the Trump camp for several months before
the November election.

This is Trump's little band of Nazi friends,
with Rau standing to the right of Trump.


Rau is a divisive figure even within the anti-migrant, anti-Islam AfD.
He belongs to a state chapter that the German security agency has
classified as confirmed right-wing extremist, while the AfD has itself
been deemed as right-wing extremists.

[Minimalist]

 one-time porn
actor, self-confessed former cocaine user, convicted thief and hard
right candidate for the German parliament, Phillipp-Anders Rau.

Fuckface will probably adopt him.  He's so disappointed with his own two little shitheads.

[Deesse23]

Anders rau.....hmmmmm, I think I may have seen him......once ?

[Inkubus]

I wonder if those devious bastards in Westminster are behind this:

Kensington Palace has described the meeting between as "warm and friendly."
During their 40 minutes together, William and Trump discussed a range of global issues but focused on the importance of the UK/US special relationship.
The president-elect also shared some warm and fond memories of the late Queen for which the prince was said to be "extremely grateful."

Have the wannabe Royal cosying up with the real ones.

'We do have a special relationship don't we Donald.'

'Of course we do William, the best relationship, a tremendous relationship. People stop me and say, Sir, you are without question the finest diplomat...

'Now about these tariffs.'

[SYZ]

At the opening ceremony of the restored Notre Dame
cathedral, the Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich led
more than 1,500 guests through the reopening service.

   Since when did Metallica's drummer join the clergy?

I'll get my coat.

[c172]

Trump's pushing to end DST. Never knew he had an opinion on it. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/poli...chromepush

[Dānu]

Trump's pushing to end DST. Never knew he had an opinion on it. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/poli...chromepush

[pattylt]

Trump likely has no idea which way he should go with DST. It’s just a ploy to say…look! Shiny things, rather than, you know, lowering egg prices…or dealing with two wars, housing or picking one cabinet member that actually knows what he’s doing!

[Thumpalumpacus]

I wouldn't mind eliminating the time change, but gosh, don't you have bigger fish to fry?

Why, no, no, you don't.

[Cavebear]

Trump probably has no real personal opinion on time. He gets up when he feels like it, goes to bed when he feels like it. Whenever he is awake, that's when his day exists. I sometimes think that he thinks the world goes on "stop" when he is asleep, since he isn't involved in it then.

I also suspect that he doesn't know why Daylight Saving Time exists. Its not like he has to change all the clocks.

BTW, I support constant Daylight Saving Time. I never get up before 10 am anyway, so I appreciate the later evening daylight time. It makes me somwhat more active. I understand some people prefer Standard Time. But I saw a poll today that said it was all divided in 3rds. Basically equal numbers want all Daylight Saving, Standard Time, or don't care.

[SYZ]

Trump's pushing to end DST. Never knew he had an opinion on it. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/poli...chromepush

   Oh noes.....

Something that I actually agree on along with Trump!

Who woulda thunk it?     

[Thumpalumpacus]

A New York judge upheld a jury’s verdict that made President-elect Trump a felon, ruling the conviction in the hush money case can withstand the Supreme Court’s new test for presidential immunity.

Judge Juan Merchan’s decision comes on the heels of Trump’s presidential election victory against Vice President Harris, when voters chose to catapult him back to the White House despite his years of legal peril.

The judge has not yet ruled on Trump’s efforts to toss the case entirely now that he is president-elect.

Trump’s attorneys contended that New York prosecutors introduced evidence during his seven-week trial that was protected by the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity doctrine.

Among other things, the challenged evidence included testimony from Trump White House aides, tweets Trump issued while in office and his government ethics form.

The judge ruled Trump failed to preserve some of his immunity objections by not raising them earlier, but regardless, none of the evidence was protected.

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-bat...on-uphold/

[SYZ]

Greenland says the country is not for sale, after Trump
suggested taking control of the territory.  The island is
a semi-autonomous part of Denmark and is also host to
a large US Air Force base. With its Pituffik air base,
Greenland is strategically important for the US military
and its ballistic missile early-warning system.

Trump's comments have been rejected by Greenland's
prime minister Mute Egede and Danish officials.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen previously labelled
Trump's offer as "absurd", leading him to label her dismissal
of the idea as "nasty" and to subsequently cancel a visit to
Copenhagen—in a fit of childish pique?

This is further evidence—I think convincing—that Trump is
seriously losing the plot.  Parkinson's?  Onset dementia or
even Alzheimer's?  I think all Americans should be concerned
as to what's going to happen with Trump's deteriorating state
of mental acuity during the next 48 months.

Joe Biden has just turned 82, and the media commentators
and GOP supporters have mercilessly taken the piss out of
him for the past six months.  Trump would be 82 towards the
end of his term.  Will the US again find itself with a lame duck
president at that time?

[Thumpalumpacus]

Joe Biden has just turned 82, and the media commentators
and GOP supporters have mercilessly taken the piss out of
him for the past six months.  Trump would be 82 towards the
end of his term.  Will the US again find itself with a lame duck
president at that time?

More like a pliant tool for their corporate masters.

[Charladele]

He also wants to take back the Panama Canal. I think someone should just look him in the eye and say, "Ok dumbass...go get it and bring it back with you. You're going to need a really big shipping crate."

[Minimalist]

leading him to label her dismissal
of the idea as "nasty" and to subsequently cancel a visit to
Copenhagen—in a fit of childish pique?

I'd call that a win-win for Denmarck.

[SYZ]

A major international crisis is “much more likely” in Trump’s
second term given his “inability to focus” on foreign policy,
former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton has warned.

Bolton delivered a scathing critique of Trump's lack of knowledge,
interest in facts, or coherent strategies. He described his decision
making as driven by "personal relationships" and "neuron flashes"
rather than a deep understanding of national interests.

"It’s typical Trump: it’s all braggadocio" he said. “The world is more
dangerous than when he was president before. The only real
crisis we had was COVID, which is a long-term crisis and not
against any particular foreign power but against a pandemic.

“The risk of an international crisis of the 19th-century variety
is much more likely in a second Trump term. Given his inability
to focus on coherent decision making, I’m very worried about
how that might look.”

Trump believes he has a friendship with Putin, Bolton added.
“I don’t know what Putin thinks his relationship is with Trump
but he believes he knows how to play Trump, that Trump’s an
easy mark. Trump doesn’t see that at all".

  —Excepted from The Guardian Australia, 26 December 2024.

[mordant]

Panama could for example just block all traffic to & from the US from passing through the canal. Canada can retaliate with its own tariffs or by refusing to sell electricity to the US -- power that Michigan, New York, and other states rely on to meet green energy sourcing requirements and probably to minimize shortages as well. Canada sells us a lot of other stuff that they could throttle or choke us over.

Everything about Trump's negotiation "strategy" requires that the target of his aggression either roll over and submit or at least when he demands something less insane, be relieved and accept a proposal they wouldn't have otherwise considered. But if they actually stand up to him then he's instantly out of options and most likely too chickenshit to up the ante. Or too delusional to know when he's outgunned, either metaphorically or literally.

Maybe he correctly intuits that most won't stand up to him, IDK. Maybe he will start a particularly pointless war or three. Maybe he will be completely humiliated.

There are Magats posting on X a map of an expanded US that includes Canada, Greenland, Mexico and Panama and some others and exulting about how great it would be and how we have 4 years to make this a reality. I wonder if when all this doesn't happen, they turn on him finally?

Nah ...

[Minimalist]

They are so stupid that when he claims to have done it the morons will believe him.

Time to give up on the idea that those fools will ever "come around."  They are hopeless.

[Cavebear]

A major international crisis is “much more likely” in Trump’s
second term given his “inability to focus” on foreign policy,
former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton has warned.

Bolton delivered a scathing critique of Trump's lack of knowledge,
interest in facts, or coherent strategies. He described his decision
making as driven by "personal relationships" and "neuron flashes"
rather than a deep understanding of national interests.

"It’s typical Trump: it’s all braggadocio" he said. “The world is more
dangerous than when he was president before. The only real
crisis we had was COVID, which is a long-term crisis and not
against any particular foreign power but against a pandemic.

“The risk of an international crisis of the 19th-century variety
is much more likely in a second Trump term. Given his inability
to focus on coherent decision making, I’m very worried about
how that might look.”

Trump believes he has a friendship with Putin, Bolton added.
“I don’t know what Putin thinks his relationship is with Trump
but he believes he knows how to play Trump, that Trump’s an
easy mark. Trump doesn’t see that at all".

  —Excepted from The Guardian Australia, 26 December 2024.

The Russians call people like Trump "useful idiots".  And I can't disagree with them about that.  Trump seems to think that being the US President "automatically" gives him power, influence and respect.  Well, maybe the first fully, the second partially, but the 3rd not so much.

A US President has to earn respect internationally, and Trump will never get that.  Actual international leaders will treat him like a school yard bully to be wary of, but he will never get any respect from them.  They are all just planning how to get around him for the next 4 years.

Which makes the 2028 election all that more important.  Will it be another MAGA nutso like Vance or will enough voters realize the Republican party doesn't even want to govern and elect some experienced Democratic Governor/Senator who understands the concept of "governance".  Or maybe Republicans will choos some non-MAGA candidate in a sense of this has gone on too long"?  

The 2026 mid-term elections might give us a clue...

[SYZ]

I'd be guessing that Trump's self-predicted international economics
and tariffs policies could seriously disrupt America's balances of trade
with its offshore trading partners.  Which of course would be disastrous
for the US economy—and its citizens.

The 2022 data shows that the value of US imports was US$3.12tr,
while its exports value was US$1.95tr.

The top imports for the US were Crude Petroleum ($199 billion),
Cars ($159b), Broadcasting Equipment ($116b), Computers ($108b),
and Packaged Medicaments ($91.3b)—importing mostly from China
($551b), Canada ($438b), Mexico ($421b ), Germany ($153b), and
Japan ($137b).

The top five suppliers of US goods imports in 2022 were: China, Mexico,
Canada, Japan, Germany, and the European Union 27.  Trump needs to
understand (but in all likelihood won't) that there's actually a fairly finely
balance of trade that needs to be maintained—or even improved upon.

[SYZ]

... Which makes the 2028 election all that more important.  Will it be another MAGA nutso like Vance or will enough voters realize the Republican party doesn't even want to govern and elect some experienced Democratic Governor/Senator who understands the concept of "governance".  Or maybe Republicans will choos some non-MAGA candidate in a sense of this has gone on too long"?

My optimistic guess would be that 2028 will be a walkover
by the Democrats—after the inevitability of Trump's failings
during the next four years.  I believe that Trump has already
sealed the fate of the GOP in 2028.

I'd also say that JD Vance too will be a lame duck
then, dragged down by Trump's already indicative
idiotic misreading of US local, and international
affairs—which will continue unabated due to the
man's seriously flawed ego.