No more Musk, Melania MIA and TACOs for tea: The Idiocracy beds down - Trump thread #144

[Spandauer]

Second '100 days' working out much like the first, but with a Vance-proof Pope, a bigly white elephant plane, a few more legal push backs and way more grifting.

Previous thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5327971-idiotam-habemus-trumpum-the-bigly-xxx-trump-thread-143

Does he pay in cryptocurrency too

eta it's fake in case rhat wasn't clear

@heldinadream

Hands across the water, friend.

I grew up in So Cal and spent my summers at Newport Beach. The Beach Boys were an integral part of my growing up and the beaches in So Cal have always been my happy places and places of peace.

Brian Wilson was a musical genius the likes of which will never pass our way again. He captured the So Cal Beach culture and 'vibe' perfectly. As hard as it is to lose a part of our youth (RIP also, Sly Stone) Brian was a tortured soul and I hope he is now at peace.

Here's hoping Brian and Sly are 'Dancing to the Music' and experience the best of 'Good Vibrations' in Paradise.

FWIW, my DS1 works in the music industry and had a few occasions to meet Brian Wilson. DS1 isn't given to sentimentality, but he said that Brian was one of the kindest, gentlest, and most 'giving of his knowledge' music stars he's ever met.

Bless you @AcrossthePond55 - ah, just realised you must have been born in 55, as I was. Happy 70th this year!
Someone on one of these threads- maybe you? - posted CSNY Suite Judy Blue Eyes the other day and I was gob smacked because I had just been listening to that very song. Curiously - I'm very much a Brit - the whole West Coast music thing was integral to my growing up and still holds an incredibly special place in my psyche. It made late 60s London a sunnier place. 🌞
Sending you a very British hug. (I.e. heartfelt but without a tradition behind it, only recently the Brits learnt to hug, no-one did it when I was a kid.)
🎶

Your edit appeared while I was writing, that's such a lovely thing to hear from your DS.

💜 ❤️ to Sly and to Brian Wilson. They both meant a lot to me and DH being of that age

@heldinadream 💐 to you. X

@heldinadream 🫂 We all need to take a timeout sometimes and there's no shame in that. ❤️‍🩹 My DS phoned me today, he works overseas and said that he no longer reads the news, just the headlines, as it's so depressing.
God only knows is in my spotify fav list too and I remember beach parties, in my youth, with a portable record player.
RIP Brian and Sly 🙏🏼

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/11/la-los-angeles-police-mass-arrests-overnight-curfew

Wondering why ICE isn't going after those in high end gated communities with undocumented maids, gardeners and pool boys.🤔 $$$

More reasons to pivot away from the US if everything is about making America great again.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/11/pentagon-review-aukus-security-alliance

I hope all those clowns in the UK who wanted to tear up international agreements take note.

Also I really hope the unreliability of the US causes some serious looking at Microsoft, Amazon and Google. Clearly none of them can be trusted with our data or our money.

Not surprised by the AUKUS review. Another way Trump/Vance are going to try and shaft us!

It’ll be painful for us in the short term, but the lasting effects will fall on the US - no one will trust any agreements with them for decades to come and that will impact on US manufacturers and businesses.

Of course by the time the serious effects kick in Donny will be long gone, so why should he care?

telling it like it is

The US is withdrawing non/essential staff from parts of the Middle East, are we taking that as Trump admitting he can’t reach a ‘deal’ with Iran….

We've just booked a bucket list trip for next year. No direct flights but the options are change in Europe or the US. Europe is a longer option. Travel company said most people are actively avoiding changing in the US which is a change over 12 months ago.

https://www.alternet.org/trump-booed-mercilessly/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

Just before the Kennedy Center's opening night performance of the musical "Les Miserables," President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump stood to be recognized. They were met with a loud chorus of boos

https://www.vox.com/scotus/416163/trump-supreme-court-deport-immigration-convention-torture

No doubt the WH will either ignore this or gaslight us by saying it was one or two people.

Surely by now the oft used Mitchell & Webb "Are we the badguys?" sketch should be starting to creep in, at least for Usha Vance?! I totally believe that Melania is just clinging on to the promise of a big payout when they finally divorce or Trump pops his clogs.

Melania has sold her soul. She knows it. We know it.
She doesn't even pretend to live with him. She just turns up at his side when she has to, for $$$$

They went to see Les Miserables?

It's a while since I've read or watched it, so perhaps I've misremembered but... Are their staff trolling them?

(I've wondered this for a while .)

As mentioned upthread. https://en.mercopress.com/2025/06/12/us-removes-non-essential-staff-from-diplomatic-missions-in-middle-east

Washington has authorized the partial evacuation of non-essential diplomats and military personnel from its Middle East facilities, including the embassy in Baghdad and bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, and the UAE, due to heightened security risks stemming from a potential Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, it was reported Wednesday.

Oh, the irony of accepting that plane from Qatar!
DD in Kuwait, says it hasn't started there yet.

I love my DD 🤣

She has just registered for two seats to attend Trump's army parade. Blessica Scruggins and Gilbert Bonzo might both have a dicky tummy on the day. What a shame there will be two empty seats.....
😅

Apparently the marines cannot be deployed until they have had some intense training so will take a few days, which makes you wonder how "urgent" they are.

Also they won't be carrying live ammunition, not sure if that is a military or political decision at the moment.

A very serious question is how far is an enlisted soldier prepared to accept orders ? Would they open fire on unarmed civilians if ordered ? (We know that the British would, obviously).

Arnie talking sense

“Morale is not great, is the quote I keep hearing,”

California national guards troops and marines deployed to Los Angeles to help restore order after days of protest against the Trump administration have told friends and family members they are deeply unhappy about the assignment and worry their only meaningful role will be as pawns in a political battle they do not want to join.
Three different advocacy organisations representing military families said they had heard from dozens of affected service members who expressed discomfort about being drawn into a domestic policing operation outside their normal field of operations. The groups said they have heard no countervailing opinions.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/12/los-angeles-national-guard-troops-marines-morale?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

So that's a 'yes' then.

Hegseth questioned whether Pentagon has plans for potential Greenland, Panama invasions
Defense secretary Pete Hegseth is facing questions from the House armed services committee this morning, his third appearance at a congressional hearing this week to discuss the Pentagon’s budget request.
Hegseth faced questions from Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the committee, over whether the US military had plans to take Greenland and Panama by force.
“Is it the policy of the department of defense that we need to be prepared to take Greenland and Panama by force, if necessary?” Smith asked. “Is this a policy that you have within the department of defense in accordance with the president’s wishes?”
Hegseth did not answer the question directly, instead pivoting to talking about US concerns over China’s influence in Panama and Greenland.
Panama is very key terrain that we’ve focused on and we’ve been willing to focus on, as is Greenland.
Smith pushed on, asking whether the US is trying to take over the countries by force.
“Our job at the DOD is to have plans,” Hegseth said.
“Do you have a plan for that?” Smith asked. Hegseth replied:
Our job at the defense department is to have plans for any particular contingency.
“To be clear, you do have plans to take Panama and Greenland by force if necessary,” Smith said.
Hegseth replied:
I think the American people would want the Pentagon to have plans for any particular contingency.
(The Guardian)

Given the long history of US military successes - Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan spring to mind ....