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

Yolo Social Services are run at the state or county level so those office are not affected.

BUT, federal grants make up on average about 30% of a state's SS budget. They're called 'block grants' and affect not only SS, but a great many other state agencies. And a shutdown may affect them if it lasts too long. It depends on whether or not the appropriations bill for that specific funding has already been approved. I don't know the status of current state block grants as of this shut down. But I do know that 75% of federal budget appropriations have already been approved.

Good morning, all, and a Merry Christmas Eve to everyone who is celebrating (and Happy Days to those who are not!) (Gratuitous silly photo of reindog for those who missed it on the last thread.)

Just look at this:
Bill Maxwell
🗽#ProtectMueller
‏ @BillMaxwell

#Mattis told the commander of the Strategic Command to "keep him directly informed of any event that might lead to a nuclear alert being sent to #Trump."
He even told the Strategic Command "not to put on a pot of coffee without letting him know."
#Resist

www.rawstory.com/2018/12/mattis-demanded-strategic-command-notify-immediately-nuke-alert-sent-trump-washington-post/

Full WP article here, if you can get behind the paywall

Well, that's ruined my good cheer for the day.

The Mystery Grand Jury Dispute Involving A Foreign-Owned Company Is Now At The Supreme Court

Chief Justice John Roberts put the matter on hold while the justices consider a request to halt enforcement of a document request linked to the special counsel's office.

www.buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisgeidner/mystery-grand-jury-dispute-mueller-scotus

Olga Lautman
@olgaNYC1211
I don’t know why anyone thought Mattis would resign and stay until the end of Feb. Mattis will be out next week which leaves Ukraine, Syria, and our allies in a worse position

Good thread on shanahan

mobile.twitter.com/leahmcelrath/status/1076883273471741952

Steven Mnuchin
@stevenmnuchin1
Today I convened individual calls with the CEOs of the nation's six largest banks. See attached statement.

Paul Krugman
@paulkrugman
This is amazing. It's as if Mnuchin was trying to create a panic over something nobody was worried about until this release

And

Matthew Yglesias
@mattyglesias
The good news / bad news about that weird Mnuchin statement is over the summer he & Trump slashed the budget of the agency charged with monitoring bank risk so they — deliberately! — wouldn’t even know if there’s a problem.

www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-ofr-cuts/trump-administration-cuts-staff-at-financial-markets-watchdog-source-idUSKBN1KT23O

As scandals mount, advertisers begin to question Facebook's value
One ad agency chief has said enough is enough, while others are questioning how much consumers trust the social network.

www.nbcnews.com/news/all/scandals-mount-advertisers-begin-question-facebook-s-value-n951131

Jason Leopold
@JasonLeopold
Thread on this investigative story
@acormier
and I reported Thursday about the dysfunction and chaos at Treasury's Financial crimes unit, FinCEN, which resulted in Russian agents seeking documents during 2016 campaign on Clinton backers and Kremlin enemies 1/

mobile.twitter.com/JasonLeopold/status/1076874301121261568

The US President as a Russian asset is a new norm🤯

Impressive reindeer, MerdedeBrexit.

DeVos:

shareblue.com/betsy-devos-school-shootings-children-punishment/

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/23/trump-government-shutdown-republicans-border-wall

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/24/trump-book-picks-recommendations-2018

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/james-mattis-did-his-best/578791/?utm_medium=social&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_term=2018-12-21T03%3A41%3A45&utm_source=twitter

From lionheart's link:
Trump stance on shutdown is 'useless' and 'puerile', senior Republican says
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/23/trump-government-shutdown-republicans-border-wall

“This is a made-up fight so the president can look like he’s fighting,” Corker told CNN’s State of the Union
[...]
Mulvaney confirmed Corker’s point about why Trump prompted the face-off. The president was “proud to have this fight”, he told Fox, adding that “chaos” was “what Washington looks like when you have a president who refuses to sort of go along to get along”.

At the White House on Saturday, Trump lunched with rightwingers including House Freedom Caucus chiefs Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio. No Republican leaders or Democrats, needed for any deal, were present.

Came out of the carol service and checked Twitter - the orange one seems to be alone in the WH tweeting. Tbh it's quite scary ...

A CNN piece.

confusing signals send markets down

Well done, Across.

It has just dawned on me that Captain Business in the Lego Movie is Trump.... I used to be so innocent.

President Business?

A Christmas present.

Poll shows Trump appears to be losing core voters with nonstop tweets, rhetoric, antics

www.businessinsider.com/poll-shows-trump-appears-to-be-losing-somewhat-supporters-with-antics-2018-12

fractures in his core base? Thanks, Lweji.

Now THAT will be a Christmas wish granted, Lweji!

Good morning, all, and a very Happy Christmas to those who celebrate it!
Reading the most recent posts, I've just been musing that before Trump started his grab for the presidency, I thought of him as a sleazy, self-aggrandizing, incompetent business failure who made his name with a tv show. Nothing has changed, has it? He's certainly not risen to the heights required of his current position.
www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-christmas-eve-tweets-20181224-story.html He's using Lego to build that wall, isn't he?

Merry Christmas all!
One 'good' thing to come out of Scrooge's self-imposed shutdown is that he's been 'hoist by his own petard' and so won't be spending the next few days swanning around Fawlty Towers Mar a Lago with his swampy minions. But I do feel sorry for the WH general staff though - I guess they thought they'd be getting a nice little break from him and his toxic entourage.

Merry Christmas everyone!