Shutdowns, military pullouts, and resignations: it’s Christmas and Trump thread 89

[TheClaws]

It’s chaos in Trump’s world, more so than usual, with #TrumpResign trending in Twitter after a number of key debacles: the pull-out of US troops from Syria, the resignation of General Jim Mattis, and the shutdown of the government over Christmas due to bipartisan disagreement over wall funding. (Those are just 3 issues.) The next few weeks will be rocky.

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3442038-But-When-the-president-does-it-that-means-it-is-not-illegal-Trump-thread-LXXXVIII

NEW: Incoming acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney tells @jonkarl that President Trump "now realizes" that he "does not have the ability" to fire Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell abcn.ws/2Cx7NQx #ThisWeek
twitter.com/thisweekabc/status/1076840265225142273?s=21

Indeed he doesn't.

President Trump "now realizes" that he "does not have the ability" to fire Federal Reserve chairman

Just goes to show how fucking ignorant of the rules and responsibilities of the Presidency he is. He still acts (and thinks) like he's some big shot business-owner who 'rules' his private fiefdom and can issue commands at will.

"Just goes to show how fucking ignorant of the rules and responsibilities of the Presidency he is. He still acts (and thinks) like he's some big shot business-owner who 'rules' his private fiefdom and can issue commands at will."
That is so depressingly true, Across. I don't know how many times I can say he's an absolute disgrace (and think much worse, with many expletives deleted), because the GOP and the Trumpettes are immovable in their support for him, despite everything.

It's not just his 'ignorance' that gets to me - it's the reasoning behind his........decisions. Self-serving would be a fair description. I doubt he gives a toss about the person in the street. (Except, inasmuch, as they might vote.)

New Acting Sec of Defense.

Wonder if he's ever met him...

Jan 1??

Trump speeds up Mattis’s departure significantly. Aides say he had not realized how critical the defense secretary’s resignation letter was until coverage started playing out on television.
twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1076889711526985728?s=21

Indeed Trump is pushing Mattis out, from @barbarastarrcnn: A source familiar with the matter said President Trump is mad at the extensive coverage given to James Mattis’ resignation and therefore is forcing him to leave earlier than he originally planned. www-m.cnn.com/2018/12/23/pol…
www.cnn.com/2018/12/23/politics/james-mattis-trump-shanahan/index.html
twitter.com/mkraju/status/1076887102699302912?s=21

Shanahan is a (by all accounts smart and successful) career Boeing executive with no policymaking experience whose main substantive role as Deputy Secretary was working on the “space force” stuff that’s obviously of great interest to the aerospace industry.
twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/1076899389346582528?s=21

Yep. Just what we need. Another tRump-head whose main experience is making money for some corporation. And an aerospace one, at that. Let's just think about all the fucking govt contracts Boeing and its subsidiaries are going to end up with as a result of this! Bloody fecking hell!!

eu.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2018/12/21/ohio-gov-john-kasich-signs-one-nations-most-restrictive-abortion-bans-vetoes-heartbeat-bill/2366674002/

Happy Christmas to you all... of course, Scrotus doesn't say it despite all his stupid 'let's say Happy Christmas again' crap!

amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/23/trump-war-on-christmas-happy-holidays-businesses

It might affect income!

Happy Xmas All.

really sorry to still be here - I mean that in the nicest possible way. And also so sorry for all those individuals and families affected by the govt shutdown - presumable that also affects things like social services?

I just don't know, yolo. One of the US posters might tell you.

Two things.

www.buzzfeednews.com/article/anthonycormier/russian-agents-sought-us-treasury-records-on-clinton-backers

www.citizensforethics.org/press-release/guiliani-leak-lawsuit/

President Bone Spurs was too much of a coward to tell Mattis himself. Mike Pompeo did it.

He's all for national security when it comes to money for a wall, but much less concerned about it when he's destabilising the defense dept.

Trump himself has not spoken to Mattis since Thursday, when the secretary resigned, and did not want to talk to Mattis so directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to inform the defense secretary on Sunday morning of the decision to remove him by the end of the year, according to a senior administration official.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-forces-mattis-out-two-months-early-names-shanahan-acting-defense-secretary/2018/12/23/b78a0478-06d2-11e9-a3f0-71c95106d96a_story.html

'I will not be going to Florida because of the Shutdown - Staying in the White House!'

Yes, because the Secret Service won't deploy extra staff, probably. And cause rain or something.

Mulvaney: DHS 'can’t actually' make Mexico pay for border wall

thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/422655-mulvaney-dhs-cant-actually-make-mexico-pay-for-border-wall

Crackpot Fox talking head chats to another crackpot talking head, spinning the latest issue. Unfortunately this resonates with the Trump base, who will repeat it verbatim.

Jeanine Pirro @JudgeJeanine
20h20 hours ago
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.@SebGorka joined me with his reaction to the Dems choosing to shut down our government instead of securing our southern border.

Senator Rand Paul goes all weird on Twitter.

Senator Rand Paul @RandPaul
4h4 hours ago
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⚡️ “Senator Rand Paul's 2018 #Festivus Tweetstorm”

Rand has gone off piste or something.