Blackmail, Bluster and Batshit Bonkers - Trump Thread #153

[Spandauer]

Enough already.

Previous thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5472639-who-are-they-kidding-its-oil-oil-oil-baby-trump-thread-152

See upthread.

You have to be beyond dim if you think the judicial darkness that has covered the constitution will somehow miraculously leave the 2nd untouched.

Oh my aching sides.

Now they wake up. When it's too late.

Well I've seen this statement from the NRA. Guess they're trying to both sides it.

https://bsky.app/profile/joshtpm.bsky.social/post/3md7ivip74224

Nothing will happen.

This is not what ICE do and it won't happen again.

Why would you think that?

I don't think that. At all.
But Donny should pretend that he does. He has some damage limitation to do.

Ah, ok. I get it now. Thought you were defending them as an organisation.🤗

You can tell the age of posters here.

People who grew up hearing about Kent state and Chicago '68 really should not be surprised. And there are plenty of people still living who will have read of the civil rights murders in the 60s.

The ICE uniform should really be a Klan hood and robe.

I'm surprised no MAGATS have said the offending ICE agents were Democrat plants

Give them time.

I think CCM said last night she wouldn't vote for it (although I might be misremembering)

Interestingly, Angus King's son is running for governor of Maine as a Democrat. I don't think Angus voting for this would help that as people there are very unhappy with ICE at the moment.

Well, a church pastor for one.

Just listened to yesterday’s special TRIP with Alastair and Mooch.

Mooch thinks Trump is done, but I can’t share his optimism. He thinks in the next few months moves will start to happen.

I'd like to think that Mooch is right but I share your skepticism. It seems to me that he is too caught up in wanting to be an authority on trump.

This was shared on another thread. Maybe the NYT will do a similar frame by frame one on Alex Pretti once all videos are available.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/video/ice-shooting-renee-good-minneapolis-videos.html?smid=url-share&unlocked_article_code=1.HFA.7Q9v.btHS9l_poxHy

He also predicted Trump wouldn't get re-elected if I recall. Although a lot of people were surprised by the result.
I think there's still an element of wishful thinking. Like after Putin invaded Ukraine there was a lot of analysis about how he was likely to be depressed, unrest against him growing etc. Mooch obviously cares about his country which is a good thing but it affects perception. Likewise I think a lot of world leaders have spent the last year a bit rabbit in the headlights. Because the enormity of "America the most powerful country in the world has gone crazy like Japan in the 1930s" is too much to face. So there's a lot of guff about how transactional Trump is, how he responds to flattery, we just have to know how to handle.him. etc.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He also predicted Trump wouldn't get re-elected if I recall.

The only person I listen too who called it correctly was Dominic Sandbrook (on a TRIP I believe). His reasoning was too depressing to recount.

Mooch is funny, he makes me laugh, but I've never understood why people think he's a particularly informed political analyst. He's more of a personality than an expert about anything other than finance.

I really recommend HCR, Deadline White House (Nicolle Wallace's show on MS Now, which is available as a podcast after midnight on weekdays) and the Bulwark for better information and analysis.

I wonder if people have realised yet that "following a podcast" is not quite the same as actively taking a part in your democracy.

Ben Elton did a routine about how Band/Live Aid was a disaster for social engagement as it meant people could salve their conscience by going to a pop concert. I paraphrase but it was pithy.

DS(17) says there are ICE agents on Tiktok etc claiming they’re on $200K pa with bonuses and incentives. I am sure there are people who can be morally flexible to access earning potential they could normally only dream of.

Sorry, but that sounds fake.

You could staff ICE by charging people $200k to join and still have to turn applicants away.

It could well be fake. Like I said, it was on Tiktok. He also said he’d seen reels where it was claimed ICE agents got a $40k Christmas bonus, which also sounded rum to me. Public sector (at least in the UK) would never have the scope to spend in that way. However it does beg the question of why those reels are being put out if it’s misinformation. What purpose does it serve?

It was on the election night TRIP broadcast from New York. He was bang on the money.

I read something about this a while ago. I think base salary is 40,000-80,000(ish) depending on experience, etc. They were offering signing bonuses of around 40 or 50,000, but I think they were contingent on length of contract, and to be paid out over the length. There is some talk that there are bonuses for arrests/deportations, but I don't know if that's true.

Their hiring practices do not seem beyond reproach
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/14/slate-reporter-ice-job-offer