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

My concern is the grownups might not be stupid but they are evil.

They are going to need to cut down his screen time and put parental controls on his devices too.

Kicking the press out will make no difference if he just Truth Socials it instead.

I haven't seen this reported anywhere. What was the round table about? Is there a link to it?

It was a meeting of senior business leaders. Hopefully they were trying to talk some sense into him about the damage he is doing to the global economy.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/11/trump-business-roundtable-ceos-stock-market.html

“Insanity is not a strategy”

A top economics reporter goes off script on national TV: “I am going to say this at risk of my job, but what President Trump is doing is insane.”
bsky.app/profile/briantylercohen.bsky.social/post/3lk5magb7vk2f

Greenland election won by centre-right party who told Trump ‘we are not for sale.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greenland-election-results-2025-demokraatit-party-nielsen-trump-b2713432.html

Although, reading the Grauniad report, the likely coalition of the 2 main winning parties suggests independence from Denmark will be on their agenda so Trump (and Musk) may engineer a lot of influence through those channels. I would guess Dumbo won't give up on his land grabbing ambitions any time soon.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/12/greenland-election-opposition-democrat-party-wins-surprise-victory-amid-spectre-of-trump?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Why exactly does he want Greenland? This has never been an aim of the USA before.

It's been said it's for strategic reasons, as a bulwark against Russian access routes, which if true would give the lie to the lovey dovey attitude to Putin

I guess it's minerals and natural resources

The USA tried to buy Greenland after WWII due to its strategic importance. The US actually invaded Greenland during the War, as Denmark was occupied by the Nazis, to set up a foothold in Northern Europe and have never actually left!

Now it’s about both minerals/resources AND location - Russia and China are both making moves in the Arctic (which is supposed to be neutral territory) and with climate change and melting sea ice, some people think there’s a chance the north-west passage may open up as a shipping lane, so whoever controls that could have significant influence on global supply chains.

It’s strategically significant particularly as the ice caps melt as it’s likely to become a key waterway (both militarily and in trade).

Thanks @CaveMum and @Igotjelly .

Ah so they do accept climate change is a Thing after all

Well indeed…. But only when it suits them!

I agree with all of the above about Greenland, but I also don't think that you can discount that one of the driving factors is that he just likes to 'own things...'

Agree! Also that he just likes causing chaos and being a bully….

There is a theory that when climate change opens up the North West passage, the US (i.e. Trumps mates) needs both ends under it's control.

That means warming the oceans and occupying Greenland and Canada.

Musk telling ppl you can use a cybertruck as a boat

electrek.co/2025/03/11/tesla-cybertruck-sank-when-launching-a-jetski-after-musk-said-you-could-use-the-truck-as-a-boat/

Senior Business leaders trying to talk sense into Trump at a Roundtable is the same as Basil Brush attending a Chamber of Commerce meeting in the UK.

They must be banging their heads on the desk. He's thick, ignorant, stupid, has the attention span of a goldfish and I doubt remember the sentence before last he listened to. His answer to everything is Musk is great and Make America Great Again. All he does is talk about Elon, what the hell is the deal there? In answer to a sensible question he just talks about beautiful Teslas and does not even mention 'business' at this business roundtable. The interviewer looks completely shellshocked and as if he wishes he was anywhere else but sat on a stage with the orange one.

They must be banging their heads on the desk. He's thick, ignorant, stupid, has the attention span of a goldfish and I doubt remember the sentence before last he listened to.

Genuinely is the case, that he's hugely influenced by whoever the last person he spoke to was

I saw a passing headline somewhere that Trump is going to just ignore the markets from now on.

If a collective group of businesses stand to lose (say) £billion each, then how long before someone says "I know a guy who'd do it for just a $million ...." ??????

Of course Trump ignoring the markets would play directly to the MAGA base - they would lap it up.

I suspect the said collective of businesses may just now be realising what they have done.

(Incidentally, did anyone catch Andrew Neills comedy gold piece this weekend where he announced to the world with a full page headline that he suspects Trump may not be the best thing for the US now ? www.express.co.uk/news/world/2024539/andrew-neil-donald-trump )

Also any Wordlers around ?

Bit of economics chat here.

All this alleged "I'm a crazy guy" supposed Trump strategy is undermining the genuine power the US has, as a safe harbour for capital

https://bsky.app/profile/donmoyn.bsky.social/post/3lk5nujyvjk2i

White House Senior Trade Counselor
Peter Navarro not liking being questioned by Sky News here:-

news.sky.com/video/share-13326789

I know I've asked this a few times, but was he this bad last time? Or does this time seem far worse?

No he wasn’t, the reality is last time he had moderate Republicans steering him and his policies. This time he’s surrounded by MAGA hardliners and Project 2025 types.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said that tariffs are worth it, even if hey lead to a recession (tell that to people who will be unable to afford to live!) speaking to CBS he said “the only reason there could possibly be a recession is because the Biden nonsense that we had to live with….. Trump’s policies are not chaotic and the ones who think it’s chaotic are being silly”

So that’ll be him gaslighting the entire World’s stock markets and businesses then?