Trump 101: How not to President (TrumpThread #101)

[TheNorthWestPawsage]

Two images. Same day.
161 days to November 3rd.

Thanks to BruceAnd Nosh for thread title.

Previous thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3877401-Trump-100-Thread-and-Were-Way-Down-the-Rabbit-Hole?pg=1

[lionheart]

www.businessinsider.com/trump-national-guard-troops-may-shoot-looters-2020-5?r=US&IR=T

'He encouraged police officers to bash suspects heads on squad cars when making an arrest, he cheered largely white protesters who stormed a state capitol with semi-automatic rifles while threatening violence against elected representatives, and now he's literally suggesting shooting those protesting the senseless death of a black man," Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a retired US Army helicopter pilot, said in a statement.'

[lionheart]

Flynn docs declassified:

edition.cnn.com/2020/05/29/politics/flynn-kislyak-transcripts-sent-to-congress/index.html

[lionheart]

More:

www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/05/newly-released-transcripts-show-michael-flynn-betrayed-the-united-states/

[lionheart]

And then some:

www.thedailybeast.com/mike-flynn-asked-russian-ambassador-kislyak-for-alliance-against-radical-islamists-on-infamous-phone-call

[lionheart]

The Hill
@thehill
·
20m

'Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot: "I will code what I really want to say to Donald Trump... It begins with 'F' and it ends with 'you.'"

hill.cm/CueeSiY

[TooTrueToBeGood]

I think the jury's still on whether Eric is a sociopath or if he's just stupid.

Why can't he be both? His father sure as hell is.

[ludothedog]

I'm so worried for America. Watching the news this morning and feeling sad, I understand African American's rage and fear - Police brutality, racial inequalities, health inequalities, institutional racism plus a global pandemic and recession with mass unemployment. Then to top it all off a racist president who not only lacks the skills to solve these issues, he isal actively encouraging racism and violence. With all those crazy white nationalists with guns, OMG.

I don't think he has any intention of leaving the White House in November, whether he wins or loses. There is just huge potential for... I don't want to say it. I'm told I catastrophise too much.

[AskingQuestionsAllTheTime]

"Political dynasty? We've had any number of related POTUSes and survived. But they were all elected by the American people. "

To be fair, John F Kennedy appointed his unelected little brother Bobby Attorney General; Bobby was qualified for that, which is more than either Kushner is for anything whatever except grafting.

[AskingQuestionsAllTheTime]

Does anyone suppose he knew what he meant when "Trump later clarified his tweets by adding that it was merely an "expression" that was "spoken as a fact, not as a statement."

"A fact not a statement." He doesn't understand words half the time, does he.

[B1rdbra1n]

Words are salad ingredients for him

[ShiveringCoyote]

Trump knows he now won't get elected again so hes going to leave such a shit show for Biden to deal with. He does not care one iota for the people.

Kind of like that spoilt brat everyone had in their neighbourhood who never played nice, broke others toys and ran whinging to mummy if anyone said anything to him.

[AcrossthePond55]

Shivering That's it in a nutshell.

Right now he's doing everything and anything he can to appeal to his base and to 'undecided' voters whom he believes to be as racist and greedy as he is. He doesn't know how to appeal to voters without rhetoric and ugliness. He's like a carnival barker screaming "Step right up folks, and see the 8th Wonder of the World....ME!!!". Gilderoy Lockhart in real life.

His public persona has always been bombastic and mendacious, in every business deal he's made you can see him touting the 'magnificence' of whatever property he's shilling for. And it's always lies and 'alternative facts'. And then he quietly walks away or 'breaks' whatever business is at stake, knowing that his team of lawyers will get him off the hook as cheaply as possible.

If he truly accepts that he's not going to be reelected you are right, we are going to see a shitshow the likes of which we've never seen. But I don't think he actually believes he isn't going to be reelected. Either because his ego won't allow him to believe it or because he's planning on rigging the election.

[B1rdbra1n]

leave such a shit show for Biden
It does look like that:(
But does he really believe he's got no hope?
Word is that once he leaves the protection of the office the gates of hell will open and unleash fury upon him. Is this true, will he really be toast?

[lionheart]

He will slash and burn on his way out.

abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/blame-abc-news-finds-17-cases-invoking-trump/story?id=58912889&__twitter_impression=true

[Jaichangecentfoisdenom]

Sorry, you're wrong. He will make it impossible for anyone else to take over from him, even if he loses with massive votes against him. He will cry foul and will impose a hereditary dictatorship. And no-one will do anything about it. They are too cowardly. (I'm not joking, I truly believe this.) Have you not seen how he's dominated so far, with lies?

[AcrossthePond55]

It would be nigh on impossible for him to willy nilly institute a hereditary dictatorship without the whole-hearted cooperation of the US military. In essence, he would have to stage a military coup and that's not going to happen. He doesn't have the backing of the 'top brass'.

Even Congress doesn't have the power to keep a POTUS in office after the Constitutionally allowed terms. And as bad as the GOP is, I don't believe they want to see a dictatorship anymore than any of us do.

He can kick and scream. He can cry foul and rigged. He can challenged in court (and he surely will). But he will be OUT of office come January because that's the law. Any court challenge will have from November to January to be settled. And trust me, it would be. Gore v Bush was decided by the SCOTUS in mid-December. Any court challenge Scrotus makes will be done and dusted before Inauguration Day.

Cowardice has nothing to do with it. Whether or not we'd rise up in arms has nothing to do with it. It would never reach that point.

[lionheart]

Exactly so.

[Jaichangecentfoisdenom]

God, my friends, I really hope I'm wrong and you're right. It's just, did we ever expect to plump these depths?

[Jaichangecentfoisdenom]

*plumb

[lionheart]

Hope, always.

[AcrossthePond55]

No, we surely didn't! But I think in the long run we will have learnt very valuable lessons. That the 'balance of powers' isn't as balanced as we thought. That we are much more vulnerable to abuse of power than we thought. And that corruption is more common than we wanted to believe it was.

What remains to be seen is what we'll do about it. Much of the problem is that the Constitution was framed during a period when personal honour and adherence to good principles meant a great deal. The Founding Fathers couldn't conceive of someone as corrupt as Scrotus ever being elected in the first place. The voting population was restricted to (mostly) well-educated and landed men and a much smaller populace than today. It was much easier to 'know' a candidate and much harder to hide one's true character. 'Society' was too small and such a dishonest person would have most likely been 'known' to others and would never have had a chance.

But I digress. My point is, what will we do with the lessons we've learnt? I think that people will take voting much more seriously than they did before 2016. And that we can never take election results for granted, no matter what the polls or 'common wisdom' tell us. What I don't think will happen is the Constitution being changed. The balance of powers works, it really does, IF we elect the right people.

[Roussette]

I find this all so fascinating. And worrying obviously

[lionheart]

www.politico.eu/article/angela-merkel-rebuffs-donald-trump-invitation-to-g7-summit/

[cozietoesie]

Just watching Netflix
Filthy Rich (Epstein)

[Lweji]

A woman finds a good excuse to stay far, very far, from Trump. Angela must be very pleased.