Our bigly armada is...somewhere! Watch out, gentleman! Trump cont..

[TheClaws]

As the armada appears in waters nowhere near where it was said to be, Trump blusters on in his usual dignified, courtly manner. Easter weekend had us worried about nuclear strikes; DT put a fair bit of work into his golf swing. Business as usual! Carry on, everyone!

Technically POTUS and/or Congress can't just 'withhold funding' willy-nilly from a city or state. This is a good article on why:

www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/02/trump-california-defund-sanctuary-city-tenth-amendment

It's one more thing that Scrotus just doesn't 'get'. This isn't Trump Inc and he's not the CEO. It's also not Versailles and he certainly isn't le Roi Soleil!

Although he does have more power than is wise to give an Orang(e)-utan like him, there are still things he can't do, no matter how he blusters and boasts. I'd really LOVE to see him call Speaker Ryan and say "As of this minute, the Govt is to send NO MORE FUNDING to Sanctuary Cities!". That would be one interesting conversation.

I had a memory that there was an issue. Thanks, Across.

CNN‏ @CNN

BREAKING: Sources: Russia tried to use Trump advisers to infiltrate campaign t.co/7zOe1SBvz2

Carter Page again.

But others as well, I think. It refers to advisors.

U.S. charges Russian arrested in Spain with operating spam botnet

mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN17N2FD?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter

I don't know now how true this is, but it would be brilliant if it's accurate:

Scott Dworkin‏ @funder
GOP had to approve the public hearing w/Sally Yates in order for it to happen-So they finally started to turn on Trump #trumprussia #resist

Low approval is starting to feed through to more than the polls.

Mike Pence‏ @mike_pence

STATEMENT

The FBI will get to the bottom of who is behind the hacking. If it is Russia and they are interfering...

t.co/fGc4UiOWEC

New York City Alerts‏ @NYCityAlerts

Statement from NYPD Police Commissioner O'Neill following DOJ comments.

Thank you Across. It sounds very nightmareish TBH. But it's good to have it explained. I can read and read and read and not understand so it's great to hear it from a US citizen

Pain that Pence statement is from July 2016 - you can see it's blaming HRC.

George Takei‏Verified account @GeorgeTakei 4h4 hours ago
More
To all who believed Donald when he said Mexico would pay for the wall, he's now ready to shut down US government if Congress doesn't fund it

He doesn't want to build a wall. He never planned on it, I'd bet money on that. And he doesn't really want funding - he wants distraction. Think of the distraction a government shutdown would be.

Is the March for Science tomorrow (Saturday)?

I think it is, Ginger.

It is, Ginger. DH and I are attending the rally after the march near us. We aren't marching this time, DH's knee is acting up.

For Trump, Brexiters and anyone who thinks rich countries shouldn't send aid.

Aid in reverse: how poor countries develop rich countries

gu.com/p/5h75t

There's a march for science happening in London today as well.

Does anyone know of a uk equivalent of Maddow or O'Donnell? I would really appreciate similar voices in the next 7 weeks!

I'm not sure he intended to build the wall either. I think when before he was elected and he had crowds there cheering, he would throw out soundbites and like a big toddler when something got the biggest cheer, he kept saying it. Now he's stuck looking pretty damn stupid.

I'm sure it will be popular with the public (not) if he tells his Government... give me the money for the wall or I'll shut down Congress. He's holding Obamacare hostage in order to get the wall so the press says this morning. I suppose he can't lose face again can he... and he'll do anything to avoid that whatever harm that causes

This nicely sums it up. "He over promises and under delivers"

I've got an idea!! Maybe you all can get some university to start a "US Civics for Mumsnetters" lecture series. I volunteer to give the first lecture!

We could just do it as an online series. Get MNHQ to support it. Start simple with basic videos and such like, if its popular (or we could get someone to chuck some cash at it) we could progress to more interactive online elearning sessions. Mmmmm...Sounds fun

Rousette I agree, the wall was one of those rhetorical images he sold the idea of Trump upon. He could yell it out at rallies, elicit approval - all great. But, reality. Walls of this scale and complexity are not like ringing up Bob the fencing guy and whacking up some wire. This presidenting stuff is HARD.

More than 50 Afghan soldiers killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

I bet Trump won't tweet about that.

Claws yes, it's like "lock her up". It was a rally cry. Now he can't deliver