Trump+Musk: Folie à Deux - Trump thread #137

[Spandauer]

The clock is already ticking and he's an old man. Mid-terms: November 3, 2026

Thanks to @AcrossThePond55 for the thread title.

Previous thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5206120-the-grown-ups-have-left-the-building-trump-thread-136

I need to find a link but I think he’s stopped all the cdc data reporting too.

not just cdc, also fda. and not only publications but also communications with other external entities, like european health agencies.
a day or so for re-orientation is normal, nut longer than that is problematic.

Worth remembering the UK sits on 300 years worth of coal.

I expect it will be extracted in centuries to come.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/23/trump-rubio-x-gender-passport

Except that is all the coal there will ever be. No more new coal. Ever in the history of this planet.

Did we use it wisely ?

Following the passport story, a friend made an interesting observation about whether trans folk - which is what caused "the trans issue" - are going to be blamed by some for letting Trump in.

Bearing in mind not everything uses their brain ...

amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/01/21/health/hhs-cdc-fda-trump-pause-communication

"trans folk" are not a coherent block.

AGP men like Rachel Levine and Caitlyn Jenner
Confused children permanently damaged like Jazz Jennings
Attention seekers like Lia Thomas and Cece Telfer
have little in common.

I have real sympathy for the children whose bodies and brains are being destroyed by puberty blockers and unethical surgery.
They will be lifelong medical patients (pray that their insurance covers it all).

The luggage stealers like Sam Brinton - less so.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins says she's a NO on Pete Hegseth, Trump's Defense Secretary pick.

Collins is the second Republican to be against Hegseth, following Lisa Murkowski

Update

Pete Hegseth, Trump's defense secretary pick, just cleared a key procedural hurdle. The Senate voted 51-49 to advance his nomination toward a final vote.

All Democrats, along with Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, voted against moving forward.

Tell that to the farmers.

Collins is I think is trustworthy. But during the first Scrotus Administration Murkkowski had a habit of stating she was voting 'no' but then changing her mind 'because she talked to the President'. I don't know what her strategy was maybe it was to get something for her state.

For someone who I think is a farmer you don’t seem particularly perturbed about his refusal to accept climate change and drill baby drill. Surely environmental change impacts your own source of income ?

You know there are also trans people who are none of the people in your list, right?

@Piggywaspushed
Yes.
You have reinforced my point.

The youngsters are the ones that worry me.
WPATH gender doctors consider "trans kids" as $1m per year income streams for decades to come.

Trump is a danger but on this one tiny issue, the lady who wrote the EO is spot on.

No,there are also other adults aside from the ones you mention. Who are currently pretty terrified.

I was referring to the president’s ability to pardon criminals and their relatives as you well know. As for climate change, it’ll be a long while before I can grow grapes in borders Scotland. And pray what do you do?

Irrespective of your views on affirmative action etc, this ‘report your colleagues’ approach is opening the door modern day McCarthyism.

I actually think you have them flipped. It's Collins who was always 'concerned' but voted with Trump

It just feels like and endless barrage https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/23/trump-pardons-abortion-clinic-protesters-00200292

And then there's this, which I just don't get. It's like disbanding the aviation safety group - makes no sense
https://thehill.com/newsletters/health-care/5104015-nih-halts-scientific-meetings-pauses-grant-making-process/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky

That last one is crazy - who does anything to stop scientific research? Someone has a death wish.

Here's a Nature article on it. This is utter madness.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00231-y

I may be biased, married to a scientist but really?

Is this Project 2025 in all but name?

It reminds me of the books I have read about the Cultural Revolution in China 1966 to 1976. It started as a populist movement with Mao having almost deity like status. Society was flipped over. Maoist leaders used the time to settle personal scores. Eventually people got sick of the chaos and the country not running normally but it did take 10 years.

Yes. And it looks like the chief author of p25, Russell Vought is about to be confirmed as Trump's Budget Chief. No surprise there.

I guess all modern authoritarian regimes have started that way in some form, and that's one of the things that's so frustrating. We have all the tools available to us to see what we're walking into.