Trump+Musk; the DOGE and Pony show continues -Trump thread #140

[Spandauer]

Trump, as out of control as a faulty Tesla, takes an ICE pick to the Constitution.

Thanks to @AcrossthePond55 and @Jaichangecentfoisdenom for the thread title and sub-title 😊

Photocollage: Cold War Steve
Map illustration: Barry Blitt

Previous thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5286872-the-orange-man-and-the-state-of-his-union-trump-thread-139

I thought my TV was playing up...nope, it was the 🍊

Sky mentioned the Windsor Framework becoming more problematic with NI being on 10% and RoI being on 20%.

Also car industry facing 25% not 10%.

Good result at the footy, sorry Dunc

More like 🍅

Trump is imposing a 10% tariff on the Heard and McDonald Islands.

The Heard and McDonald Islands are uninhabited.

Population - a few penguins dealing Fentanyl?

Spirit of the blues

44% on Madagascar, what have they done to upset 🍊?

Bloody hell, Gorka on newsnight sounded high as cute, slurring his words, rude and aggressive, and full of his own importance. What a fucking nob!

These Trump advisors are not very bright.
I loved VDs reaction. Lovely glasses she had in her hand.

That's normal for Gorka. He's one of the worst. Not surprised he's crawled out of the woodwork again.

Russia is not on the "additional" list; it is subject to a 10 percent tariff.

He's an utter cunt. A lying, credential-inflating, fascist cunt.

As the full list of countries subject to Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” becomes available, some are voicing amusement at the inclusion of the Heard and McDonald Islands, an uninhabited Australian external territory.
The barren, volcanic Antarctic islands are not accessible by airplane and can only be reached by a two-week sea journey from Australia. The islands are home to no people, but instead a handful of insects, seabirds, seals and penguins.

Maybe he didn't enjoy the film?

same as Svalbard and Jan Mayen - territory of Norway
Heard & McDonald are Australian -
Do they have the same percentage as their corresponding governing country?
Usually, they would need to only list the country, it would then be logical that all associated territories follow the same rule, unless specified.

On the fentanyl debate: Canada said that a relatively low percentage of fentanyl goes over the border, as Trump used this to justify tariffs. I don't know whether it's true, though.
But: the Guardian has very extensive coverage on the opioid problem from within the US, fueled by pharma companies and apparently also consultancies like McKinsey, who helped with strategies on how to sell more drugs which hook people on them.
There is very little by Maha & Co about that, it seems.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/opioids

This keyword above collates a lot of articles.

This is not about pitting one aspect against another, but it looks (again) like the drug smuggling problem is only used as pretend reason while there is no real interest in solving this and working on the reasons why people start taking opioids and how to help them.
It's probably also connected to the type of health insurance; those who have worse coverage or no health insurance might seek more painkillers as they can't afford the bills to actually deal with the cause - for example hip replacements and similar.

more tariffs

Each tariff is half of the tariff that the Americans calculate is imposed on exports from the US - though given that tariffs on one kind of import will differ from another, goodness knows how the figure has been arrived at. It is, like everything with Trump, rhetoric rather than substance.

Pretty sure BIOT is only inhabited by US soldiers on a military base.

Since when have the words “rational” and “Trump” been used together to describe him?

And Reunion... It's a french territory but subject to 37% tariffs. How does that work then given that France is part of the EU.
Beautiful island. Hope it doesn't affect them. Some of these places on his bigly board rely on one export of something like sugarcane and it's what keeps their economy going.

I honestly think the administration haven't a clue where a lot of these places are.

"I honestly think the administration haven't a clue where a lot of these places are."
@BustingBaoBun - I’ve been working on that principle all along. Geography is not often a strong point for those who’ve been educated in the USA, who think the world begins and ends at the Canadian and Mexican borders and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans' seaboards of coastal US.

I did chuckle at Trump’s comments about no one wanting US beef, poultry or rice.

Well no, we don’t thanks - the beef is full of steroids, the chicken likewise plus chlorine, and Asia don’t want US rice?! Maybe that’s because they grow plenty of their own perhaps?

My apologies to our friends from the USA who post/lurk on here, I worded that badly - should have said “some” of those who’ve been educated in the USA, and definitely including Trump and many of his followers.

I am sure there will be questions asked about this to his Press Secretary to see if her geography is any good.

I actually looked at a picture of him the other day. Actually looked. I started getting flash backs to being a teen in the 90's. What is with that tan/makeup line..?

Trouble is there probably won't be questions like that because of the manipulation of the pressers and who is allowed in and who isn't