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

Would be interesting to do more segmentation on that.

Lol

https://bsky.app/profile/pieholepete.bsky.social/post/3ljnbpzeeys2o

Americans should remember that they have allowed high school massacres in the name of the second amendment because it is the "backstop of tyranny".

Allegedly.

("You know why there's a second amendment ? In case the government forget the first").

Seems the children died in vain.

But nor are the Democrats.
THey are wasting their time and energy on State Bills that rename "mothers" as "inseminated Persons"
rather than highlighting the number of people in each district being sacked by Doge
and which services will cease because of it.

Every hotel and restaurant and store outside the gates of a closed National Park will be hit this summer
THAT
should be the Democrat rallying call

Every Veteran who cannot get an adjustment on their needs
Every farmer going unpaid for growing USAID crops
THAT
should be highlighted loud and clear

White House briefing inbound.

Going back to catch up on the thread.

a usa aid mentioned the five eyes stuff last week. feb 25th or so.
he's just being nasty to get "something" not sure what though which initially had our politicians scrambling.
i'm interested to see how todays meetings go (trudeau and??), i'm not sure canadians have an appetite to give in, based on my fb feed. lots of resistance to caving on any front.

'Nasty' is seemingly a virtue to them!

Which Dems might look to take a run at the nomination (after the midterms I guess) ?
I wondered about Blinken, Buttigieg was mentioned upthread.
Anyone else?
(and yes, I think it has to be a white man this time)

More winning.

www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-admin-rethinking-guantanamo-immigrant-detention-plan-rcna194274

President Donald Trump’s plan to use the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to detain 30,000 immigrants has been hitting major legal, logistical and financial hurdles ever since he surprised many in his own administration by announcing it. Now, as agencies spar over responsibility for operations there and over blame for what has gone wrong, there is a growing recognition within the administration that it was a political decision that is just not working.

The thing is T and his team are creating a lot of drama.
The free trade agreement was due to be renegotiated just next year. So much chaos over 12 month deal.
It’s really not about drugs or immigration at all and it’s obvious.
Maybe water?
I don’t see outsourcing to other partners being “easy” they could get oil from ?? But by ship?? That’s not very efficient vs pipeline or reliable.
His behavior isn’t making it enticing to order military equipment from him (the US has previously blocked Canada from purchasing equipment from elsewhere).

USA now negotiating with HAMAS.🤯

Macron live on SKY (if you're in UK)

Blinken, maybe. As much as I love Pete, America was 'not ready' for a female president, so they (I guess I should say 'we') are definitely not ready for a gay one. Especially a gay married one. Couldn't you just see the exploding heads on the right at having to refer to Chasten as the 1st Gentleman? They had a big enough problem with Doug as the husband of a straight female candidate.

Of course many of us would love to see Pete as POTUS. I just don't think it's going to happen in my lifetime.

We've had ONE 'lifelong bachelor' POTUS back in the 19th century. And that's it.

Such a shame about Pete and so unfair. If ever I catch him being interviewed I always listen because, to me, he talks sense and sounds very well informed. He was on Fox the other day and despite their haranguing, he really held his ground.

Much as I like Pete B, I agree it won't happen.
I do like Blinken a lot. He seems to me to be intelligent, knowledgeable, rational, compassionate, patient, stable and reassuringly undramatic. The kind of politician very much needed all over the planet.
A safe pair of hands.

Thank you. That was illuminating.

I think Blinken is way too tarred by the Biden Middle East policy. Whichever side you're on, you're against it.

Bshear, Shapiro, Wes Moore, Whitmer. I'm sure Gavin Newsome is considering it.

I wonder about Buttigeig
as I gather his husband is the absolute master of schmoozing

Blinken I agree is too tainted.
Newsome puts rapists into women's prisons. If he stops now he'd be good, but it would be weaponised against him.

I do wonder whether Whitmer could do it - straight, white, European heritage

I think Blinken is way too tarred by the Biden Middle East policy.
That's what worries me.

Totally agree.

I see Hesgeth is offering to take on China, single handed. 🙄

I'm starting to think T wants to be a wartime president and the actual opponent is secondary in his head.

I don’t know if you’ve listened to the podcast American History Hit, they did a fascinating interview a while back with a lady who has written a book about the private lives of US Presidents (and yes JFK took up a sizeable amount of the conversation), but they talked a bit about James Buchanan.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/american-history-hit/id1638918169?i=1000675884506

While I get sidetracked on podcasts, Betwixt the Sheets did a JFK series to commemorate the anniversary of his assassination in 2023 called “The Kennedy Women”. I always knew he was an awful human being, but the extent to which he flaunted his affairs in front of Jackie was just mind blowing.

It’s a great series as it focuses on the significant women in his life, so well worth a listen.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/betwixt-the-sheets-the-history-of-sex-scandal-society/id1612090432?i=1000633623629

It's actually pretty funny, because apart from being gay, they're the stereotypical American family. A veteran/lawyer, a school teacher, 2 kids, Midwestern, churchgoing.

I think a very vigorous primary process would be very good for the Dems

THIS with bells on.

The Democrat Beauty Parade needs to start EARLY
It need not involve adverts or money.
It needs candidates to go out and do town halls with unfriendly audiences
It needs interviews on Fox and Joe Rogan
it needs the policies to be tested and challenged
EARLY