Trump talk: HOW MUCH for that inauguration?

[PerkingFaintly]

We can start whole new threads for less than $26,000,000.

This one only cost 23p I found down the back of the sofa:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3171217-Trump-Talk-or-Lift-every-voice-and-sing?pg=1

Kyle Griffin
@kylegriffin1
Melania Trump has parted ways with adviser Stephanie Winston Wolkoff after news broke about Wolkoff’s firm reaping $26,000,000 in payments to help plan Trump’s inauguration, NYT reports.
www.nytimes.com/2018/02/26/us/politics/melania-trump-inauguration-adviser.html

Sally Yates
‏
Verified account

@SallyQYates
7h7 hours ago
More
Women all across America are finding their voices. This is more than just a moment. So stand up. Speak out. Be heard. #InternationalWomensDay

Paul McLeod
@pdmcleod
“Your father is looking down on you, he’s very proud,” Trump tells steel worker at his press conference.

“He’s still alive,” the guy responds.

Bwah-ha-ha-ha! What a jackass. I'm just surprised that Scrotus didn't respond "No, he's not. Believe me, I know!"

Lionheart's kitten hard at work trolling the Trumpsters.

Sometimes I can't believe these threads.
We not only have the best set of diverse sources of info on the appalling damage being done to American politics, truth and democracy,
but also,
musical interludes, baby Natsku, and even tweeting kittens!

When I say ' we' I mean you incredible contributors, to all of whom I am very grateful.

Well I can only hope that he doesn't offer to play a round of golf with him.

So, it's just been announced on the news that Scrotus will be meeting with Kim Jung Un later this Spring, exact date and location TBA.

God help us all. If KJU is looking for a reason to nuke us, Scrotus will surely give him one with his unhinged behaviour and verbal diarrhoea!

I doubt it will ever happen - this is just posturing on Trump's part IMO. But gosh help us if he should pick up more dictator tips from KJU. I really don't see a visit from Orange Buffoon defusing a delicate nuclear standoff and promoting peace in the region.

Jeffrey Lewis
@ArmsControlWonk
North Korea has been seeking a summit with an American president for more than twenty years. It has literally been a top foreign policy goal of Pyongyang since Kim Jong Il invited Bill Clinton. (1/3)
I wonder if Trump's "aides" have explained that to him. Or, if in their toddler-handling, they have led him to believe that this offer is something unusual. Or perhaps he imagines that only he can go Pyongyang. (2/3)
This is literally how the North Korean film "The Country I Saw" ends. An American President visits Pyongyang, compelled by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs to treat a Kim as an equal. (3/3)
PS: To be clear -- we need to talk to North Korea. But Kim is not inviting Trump so that he can surrender North Korea's weapons. Kim is inviting Trump to demonstrate that his investment in nuclear and missile capabilities has forced the United States to treat him as an equal.

And

Elise Hu
@elisewho
Who's gonna do the lower level negotiations to hammer out details before a head-of-state summit, anyway? State's top point man on Koreas, Joe Yun, just abruptly retired, asst SOS for E Asia is still in confirmation process & Trump has yet to nominate an ambassador to SKor
“This is Heaven’s idea of a good time,” says a source involved in agreed framework negotiations. The USG has less than 90 days to prepare for a summit, no planning in place, and hardly anyone who has ever met a North Korean to staff the work.
One question swirling around in Seoul right now is what does Beijing think?! Stability is 👍but Chinese probably not gonna be happy if cut out. Too many unknowns...

And

Vipin Narang
@NarangVipin
I dunno....making the KJU invite to Trump so public sets the US up to get outplayed. Or played.

Say no: Look hell bent on war

Say yes: Gives KJU a huge status victory

Sarah Kendzior
@sarahkendzior
I agree with this take. Kim is already exploiting Trump's publicity-hungry narcissism by staging this like reality TV.

Should Trump accept, NK will exploit much more, including Trump's tendency to blab state secrets.

Too bad we don't have a real State Dept or a loyal president.

An Operative With Trump Ties Was Once Indicted on an Obscenity Charge

George Nader was accused of importing photographs of nude boys “engaged in a variety of sexual acts.” The 1985 charges were dismissed after key evidence was thrown out.

www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/555233/

Sarah Kendzior
@sarahkendzior
Nader is the fifth pedophile tied to Trump. Others are men to which Trump had closer ties: Roy Cohn, John Casablancas, Jeffrey Epstein, and Tevfik Arif

Golf.

The Very Strange Case of Two Russian Gun Lovers, the NRA, and Donald Trump

Here’s what we uncovered about an odd pair from Moscow who courted the Trump campaign.

www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/trump-russia-nra-connection-maria-butina-alexander-torshin-guns/

Second Republican state resists banning child marriage in one week

shareblue.com/republican-states-child-marriage/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

How Russian Trolls Crept Into the Trump Campaign’s Facebook Messages

mobile.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/us/politics/russian-trolls-trump-campaign-florida-matt-skiber.html?smid=pl-share&referer=

Jeff Sessions Has a Huge Conflict of Interest in a Federal Bribery Case—and It Keeps Getting Worse

Documents show he was deeply involved in an effort to derail an environmental cleanup at the heart of the case.

www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/jeff-sessions-has-a-huge-conflict-of-interest-in-a-federal-bribery-case-and-it-keeps-getting-worse/

Cameron Joseph
@cam_joseph
Scoop: The White House is blowing off @TGowdySC ’s requests for info on how they handled the Rob Porter scandal and why he was allowed to keep working.

Gowdy had asked for specific timeline on who in White House knew what, when about Porter. @Marcshort45 very politely refused to answer any of his Q's in a letter I obtained this eve.

talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/white-house-refuses-house-oversight-committees-info-request-on-rob-porter

Tweeting kittens

White supremacy daily round up:

Exclusive: Here's Jeff Sessions’ Draft Master Plan For The Justice Department

A draft strategic plan sidelines civil rights while emphasizing a crackdown on leaks and the MS-13 gang.
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/doj-trump-strategic-plan-civil-rights_us_5a7120c6e4b0a6aa487457b9

And

The Justice Department’s completely unhinged take on the Civil War
Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III needs a history lesson.

thinkprogress.org/justice-departments-immigration-california-b7ad79a49c84/

And

Ryan J. Reilly
@ryanjreilly
Two recent plea deals:

A 23-year-old ISIS supporter caught in FBI sting pleaded guilty to one count and will get 15 years in prison.

A 30-year-old white supremacist caught in FBI sting pleaded guilty to one count and might get less than a year.

[this article has been posted upthread but not in the context of comparison with non-white terrorism]

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/white-supremacist-ben-mcdowell-fbi-doj_us_5a9f0cb2e4b0e9381c131eb9

And

Ari Berman
@AriBerman
Trump admin trying to massively suppress immigrant participation in 2020 census. This is serious crisis for democracy

We Now Know Who’s Behind the Trump Administration’s Push to Suppress Immigrant Participation in the Census
The move suggests a concerted effort to manipulate the census for partisan purposes.

www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/we-now-know-whos-behind-the-trump-administrations-push-to-suppress-immigrant-participation-in-the-census/

And

Washington Post
@washingtonpost
Virginia activist held by ICE, prompting immigrant groups to push for her release

www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/va-activist-held-by-ice-prompting-immigrant-groups-to-push-for-her-release/2018/03/08/3af9ebe6-22f6-11e8-badd-7c9f29a55815_story.html?utm_term=.815dee7a4a96&tid=sm_tw

And

✊🏿Black Aziz aNANsi ✊🏿
@Freeyourmindkid
So the manager of the Phoenix Theater in North Versailles called a group of little black girls who were playing in the game room animals, had a cop forcibly eject these girls, and then this officer ended up arresting a black woman who tried to speak up for these girls.

twitter.com/Freeyourmindkid/status/971869448876560385

And

Florida Teacher Keeps Job After Telling Students Not To Date Anyone 'Acting Like A N**r'

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/florida-middle-school-teacher-told-students-dating-black-boys-not-worth-it_us_5aa051cde4b002df2c6064fb

And

⚡️ Luis Gomez
@RunGomez
[WARNING: Video might be disturbing to watch]

Horrifying scene in National City (near San Diego) where Border Patrol agents stop a family in the middle of the street, forcibly take the mother of these girls, shove her into a patrol vehicle, then drive away. (1 of 2 videos)

twitter.com/RunGomez/status/971859411172864001

[WARNING: Disturbing video]

Another camera records the same incident but from a different angle. I'm trying to track down more information on these two videos. They were posted by someone on Facebook claiming to be a teacher of these girls. (2 of 2 videos)

And

Trump vetoed Miss Universe contestants for being ‘too ethnic’ or ‘too dark-skinned’: report

www.rawstory.com/2018/03/trump-vetoed-miss-universe-contestants-ethnic-dark-skinned-report/

So agree with the tweet from Jeffrey Lewis on Pain's post of 0615. Kim Jong Un has had to make do with that idiot Dennis Rodman up till now. This will be an exercise in willy waving and for Trump like a reality show. If 45 thinks NK will be conceding anything, he is more deluded than I thought!

This sums it up for me...

“Trump sees himself as a master negotiator, and yet is not particularly good at it,” said Colin Kahl, a former national security official under Mr. Obama. “He isn’t thoughtful or steeped in the types of details required for this type of diplomacy. He is prone to manipulation and flattery. He often makes threats he doesn’t follow through on and promises he can’t or won’t keep. And he often throws allies under the bus. This does not add up to a recipe for success, and the stakes could not be higher.”

No chance of locking them both in a padded room and throwing away the key?

The Hill
‏Verified account @thehill
5m5 minutes ago

Poll: Trump approval rating surges to highest level since he took office hill.cm/6tXYRV0

John Simpson
‏Verified account @JohnSimpsonNews
5m5 minutes ago

All Kim Jong-un ever wanted was attention - to be one of the big boys. Pres Trump has given him this, before Kim makes a single concession
0 replies 34 retweets 59 likes

Trump approval rating surges to highest level since he took office hill.cm/6tXYRV0

Not so much according to this:

www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html

Although one poll gives it at only -5. Quinnipiac is at -18.

Fair dos, Lweji. It's better than declaring war.

So far - this is the high point, I reckon.