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

Come on now, that is beyond satire.
(I was supposed to quote that screenshot but it hasn’t done it, sorry!)

That's just embarrassing!

Just to lighten it all, I have to post some of the funniest memes!

https://bsky.app/profile/adamparkhomenko.bsky.social/post/3llw3axziis2n

A situation the phrase "Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining" was intended for.

I'm figuring all those uninhabited places 'made the list' because the original list (of actual countries) wasn't long enough for Scrotus. So they added rocks and sandbars and volcanoes to make it more 'impressive'.

I'm kind of in a 'wait and see' mode. He changes his mind so often who knows what tomorrow may bring.

So, the Senate actually passed legislation to terminate the 'National Emergency Declaration' Scrotus signed on 22 Jan. This is what gave him the powers to do these stupid tariffs. The bill passed terminated the NED. Four GOP crossed the aisle.

www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-vote-protesting-trumps-tariff-moves-draws-some-republican-support-2025-04-02/

Here's the problem. The bill now goes to the House. However some time back Spkr Johnson got House GOP members to vote that this year's session is 'one long day'. The 'rules' are that the House must present and vote on this bill before 18 calendar days. Since there are no more 'calendar days' the bill will die in the House.

rollcall.com/2025/03/18/house-majority-rules-when-a-calendar-day-isnt-what-it-seems/

Wtaf

As you say.
Thank you for keeping us in the loop about what is going on there, @AcrossthePond55. You couldn’t make it up.

😂

Mark Carney is speaking just now, they all seem so sensible compared to Trump.

Is Carney likely to get back in at their GE do we know?

The polls are pretty tight now, with his party ever so slightly ahead.

I gather Mark Carney's firm stance whilst dealing with Trump will help him a great deal. (Anecdotal from the few Canadians I know who are living it.)

@CheckedChecker

wtf, indeed. When it happened I actually had to read the article 3 times. Even then I couldn't quite 'get it' until Rachel Maddow explained it to me.

@Jaichangecentfoisdenom

You could make it up, but no one would believe you if you did. That's the 'unreal reality' we're all trying to live with over here.

Theoretically, a House Rep could propose legislation to wipe out what Johnson did. But guess who decides what legislation actually gets brought to the floor for a vote. Right in one, Ladies and Gentlemen. Give that lady/gentleman a cigar!

After the special election, the figures in the House now stand at 220/213 with one vacant seat. Being that it's a 'safe' Dem seat in Texas and the Gov is ultra-MAGA that seat will probably stay empty until the midterms. At any rate, the Dems would now have to get 4 GOP to cross the aisle for a simple majority.

Musk to remain ‘friend and adviser’ to Trump after leaving Doge, says Vance.

But he's not really going to go, is he?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xMaE6toi4mk

Saw this on Bluesky earlier and I couldn't agree more...

Absolutely tired of the psychodrama of one country being the problem of the entire planet.

I’ve been thinking what a shame it is about Musk/DOGE cutting research into Alzheimer’s research as #47 is one person who surely would benefit most from it?

I thought Laura Looner Loomer was out of favour, but apparently not. Elmo and his little gang might have competition for the Emperor's shell-like.

Meanwhile, said Emperor has high-tailed it off to a golf tournament. Too much like hard work carrying that tariff board around.

White House fires three NSC staffers after president meets with far-right activist Laura Loomer
www.cnn.com/2025/04/03/politics/nsc-firings-trump-laura-loomer-meeting/index.html

Didn’t Johnson send the House home on Tuesday because he threw his toys out of the pram over the vote on proxy voting?

Boris or Mike ?

I didn't realize he'd dismissed them, but he was definitely pissed off about it.

Such a (sort of) small thing, that vote. But it just shows how 'beholden' he is to Scrotus. Any small 'rebellion' has him shitting plaid rabbits in fear.

Good grief. I found this in the Guardian:

"Goods trade deficit: $291.9bn
Total goods imports: $438.9bn
Those figures divided = 0.67, or 67%
And halved = 34%"

This is what Trump describes as "Tariffs charged to the USA"

Even though a) the figures don't represent tariffs and b) even if they did they'd be charged to residents of the country concerned. The only "tariffs charged to the USA" are the ones he's just introduced.

There's been some consternation in NZ because he claimed NZ charged tariffs of 20% on US goods - but it's clear now that his minions just made it up.

What a liar. But it'll be good enough for his fans and unfortunately you can't argue with stupid.

Is the way the tariffs were calculated being discussed much in US media at all?

It is difficult to spot when the market opened this morning on this chart. I think you’ll manage it though.

I’m fairly certain he refused to put anything else to a vote this week on Tuesday. I don’t really understand why.

So basically a country that exports a lot to the USA but does not buy much from the USA is going to be hit by large tariffs.

That probably explains some of the small islands..

edition.cnn.com/2025/04/03/economy/reciprocal-tariff-math/index.html