The Orange Man and the State of his Union - Trump thread #139

[Spandauer]

Thanks to @JoshLymanSwagger for the thread title.

Trump, Vance and Musk are building a bigly bridge across the Bering Strait...
...and creating a gaping chasm in the Atlantic.

Kind hearts are more than coronets, and simple faith than Norman blood.
Alfred Lord Tennyson

Previous thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/chat/5275361-an-unholy-trinity-or-just-a-seedy-threesome-trump-musk-and-putin-trump-thread-138

He might actually be worse than Trump, if that is even possible. He's backed by Peter Thiel and has more links to Project 2025.

The pre-Ozempic photos show he's had a makeover!

He's very much the 'radicalised online' type right down to his conversion to hardline 'Trad' Catholic. Trolling Rory Stewart over some nonsense interpretation of Catholic doctrine which in his view boils down to 'America First, f* you I got mine' and subsequently getting a ticking off from the Pope.

I wonder when doge will turn on the money pit that is maralago

Colorado was a state that didn't want him on the ballot.

Mid-terms will be the next test. If this is anything to go by then they will be a sham.

This was a State prosecution - DOJ shouldn't be anywhere near it.

NYT on what to expect from himself today...

(but he could just play a series of 70s pop songs and waggle his flabby arse and the GOP will cheer.)

share token:
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/us/politics/trump-speech-what-to-watch.html?unlocked_article_code=1.1U4.a6vk.Arr2ZADUBr3i&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

‘Then they came for the students…’

Donald Trump bans student protests and threatens to imprison and:or deport agitators, and strip colleges of all federal funding if protests take place on their campus

There's something else I think we need to get our heads around very quickly – hard though it is.

At the moment, a lot of the rhetoric around Ukraine is about the fact that other Western liberal democracies are at risk if Putin succeeds in Ukraine, and that defending Ukraine is defending Western liberal democracy.

But all indications are that the Trump administration does not want democracy.

These people have been showing us who they are from the Jan 6th insurrection. They're entryists who ditch real democracy as soon as they get keys to the house.

So while an appeal to democratic values may resonate with many of the American people, it will sink like a stone with the Trump administration. I'm sure Bannon, Steven Miller, etc are laughing as hard as Putin at the West bleating about democracy.

Of course it will continue to resonate with many Americans, so we shouldn't stop saying it. But we do need to be realistic that saying "it harms democracy" causes popping of champagne corks in the Trump administration & Project 2025 circles.

Have any republicans made any statements or comments on Ukraine today?

And very Oestrogenic in his fat distribution. Still apparently he's the first man with a beard to make VP in years

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/jd-vances-beard-can-make-history-if-hes-elected-heres-why/amparticleshow/112023630.cms

No I didn't mean Usha

Checking in, what absolute twats, they really are.

Pmk so I can find you later. Thank you for the new thread.

Thx for thread @Spandauer

Vance wears eyeliner nuff said

Someone sticking up for him said Vance can say what he wants about Zelenskyy as he won a Good Conduct medal in the marines or something. I replied...was it for making his bed like a good boy! Lots of likes for that comment 😂

I would actually recommend the Bulwark podcasts (they're all former republicans) and Deadline Whitehouse.

I used to really like the Pod guys, and they're still good fun, but I really think they're too entrenched in 2010-era dem politics to be particularly insightful right now. Tommy Vietor's podcast with Ben Rhodes on international affairs (Pod Save the World) is still worthwhile I think.

I can recommend these podcasts:

• lawfare 'rational security' and 'trump trials'. they have other topics, which are a cure for insomnia on a range of legal subjects.

• trip us (great dynamic between katty and the mooch)

can't stand americast for some reason

Agree about the lawfare podcasts

I listen to Pod Save the World too,

If you want some historical perspectives on what is going on in the US, The Rest is History and Dan Snow’s History Hit have both done stand alone episodes on American history that is relevant to today.

Zelenskyy has given Trump everything he’s asked for. https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1896948147085049916

Not really sure he has the authority to do that. What with not having had elections for ages ......

Has he? Where’s the apology? And you seem to have missed this crucial part:

if Russia will do the same.

Democrats yet again seem to be expecting a Mid Term 'Blue Wave'
which will not happen
why ?
Because they Filibustered a Senate bill last night that would have protected single sex female sport
they/them not you
its an absolute gift to Republican candidates

No matter how insane WE think Trump is being, people vote for what affects them day to day
and its not Europe

There won't be any midterms.

Remember Trump told the country they wouldn't need to vote again. As with a lot of things, he was quite candid upfront about this.

That’s okay because I suspect there won’t be meaningful midterms anyway 🤷‍♀️

That as well

Mooch said in today’s TRIP US podcast (recorded yesterday) that Republicans in Washington had told him 3 things need to happen to get this back on track:

1. Zelensky needs to apologise/grovel on tv
2. Starmer/Macron/Zelensky need to go to Trump and say how amazing the minerals deal is and how nobody but Trump could have negotiated such a magnificent deal
3. The $300m in frozen Russian assets in Europe must be unfrozen and used to buy weapons from US defence companies to supply Ukraine. The plans for that money to be used to rebuild Ukraine are a no go.

Very depressing, but looks like phase 1 is under way.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rest-is-politics-us/id1743030473?i=1000697473579

Mooch said in today’s TRIP US podcast (recorded yesterday) that Republicans in Washington had told him 3 things need to happen to get this back on track:

No disrespect, but all of that bollocks assumes that Trump is somehow playing the part of a POTUS, which we all know he isn't. He's Putins man in the Whitehouse and there is no "divining" his intent.

In fact it's the language of an abused spouse trying to rationalise their abusers actions.