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Politics

Any Americans on here? What is the feeling in America regarding trump?

394 replies

FedUpWithDilemmas · 17/01/2026 17:46

I've only seen one person talking out against him regarding Greenland. I know this can't be representative to reality. But I wonder what the media is controlling

What's going on in America?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
Theseventhmagpie · 18/01/2026 12:28

Thanks OP for posting this thread, I was going to start a similar thread.
It’s the Americans who voted for Trump that I’d most like to hear from.

nylon2026 · 18/01/2026 12:37

Theseventhmagpie · 18/01/2026 12:28

Thanks OP for posting this thread, I was going to start a similar thread.
It’s the Americans who voted for Trump that I’d most like to hear from.

I think you have to distinguish between Trump voters (around 30% of the electorate) who will never shift, and people who voted for Trump, which includes a lot of independents and disenchanted Democrats. The polling is indicating that people in the latter group are disenchanted, but I guess that's always changeable.

For what it's worth, he's certainly bleeding Gen Z support, which has gone from +10 to -32.

Theseventhmagpie · 18/01/2026 12:40

Weefreetiffany · 18/01/2026 08:57

Oh you again. Got your arse handed to you with these opinions on the other thread so you’re trying a different thread. Europe will strongly oppose any aggression to our sovereign territory by Putin’s puppet Trump. We don’t have to trade with America. We can sell our dollars and you would be worse off so start treating us like friends and allies and you won’t have any problems.

Well said.

MigratingSwans · 18/01/2026 12:43

Goldenbear · 18/01/2026 12:09

Sorry but where are you getting your facts from, the red bus was a lie brought about by Farage, the total divorce cost to leave the EU is about 37.2 billion, we will be paying it until 2065, no benefits have arisen from Brexit brought about by Farage, if you want to see him ruin this country further, the poorest in the UK feeling the worst of it- sure go-ahead and vote for him.

Exactly which bus slogan are you referring to then?

If that is the total cost of leaving the EU, it makes it look cheap compared to Labour’s Chagos deal.

RobinStrike · 18/01/2026 12:44

@Fiftyniftystatesno, until the Ukraine war I’d no idea what our spending was on defence. But once it became clear how little we spent, yes I support the increase. It also worries me that our government has promised we will get to 5% but increases don’t seem to appear in any of the budgets. Our government is by no means perfect, but our Prime Minister doesn’t have the amount of personal power the President has. For a constitution that tried to ensure no one person had too much control, something has gone wrong in the US.

GameofPhones · 18/01/2026 12:48

Livelovebehappy · 18/01/2026 09:54

Isnt Trump considering offering money, and big amounts, to the residents of Greenland to sway their decision if it comes to any voting etc? If so, I predict many Greenlanders will go for it. As they say, money talks….

Musk could probably outbid him though.

FellowSuffereroftheAbsurd · 18/01/2026 12:48

There are many polls and discussions out there, and as others said, when dealing with the feelings of hundreds of millions of people, especially with a culture that has pushed more division, those feelings will vary widely even within what may be seen as the same demographic.

Personally, I am happier when the US gets pushback from the wider international community. While I agree that the world state at the moment has put power into too few hands leaving others struggling to stand up to them, I think in our best interests is to at least work towards reducing that power monopoly rather than crumbling under it.

Surely our best interest lies in ensuring the US remains a steadfast economic and military ally by acquiesing on this issue although it is painful.

The US government already regularly threatens financial institutions outside its own territories for information on people. It did this even before the government under Obama brought in FATCA, it's only grown exponentially since then to the point that banking in the UK is impacted by US laws and threats. Rolling over so far has only encouraged the US governments to go farther.

I get wanting to keep one of the bullies happy, but that's a short term solution at best.

I lived in a red state many many years ago in a rural area and it’s going to sound mean but there a lot of really dumb people out there.

I lived in a swing state that became a deep red state in large part because those who would vote Democrat stopped voting at all or went third party out of lack of trust and anger after the large mess and dismissal that first Clinton and later Obama did to those 'fly over states' and those who swung voted more Republican in anger.

There are abysmal schools in every state, particularly in cities - and US cities have largely been run by Democrats - as much like many other places including the UK, governments have cut spending and tried to place a lot of control on schools. It's not specifically a rural issue, and making it one is part of the problem. It's not rural vs urban, as much people like to paint.

And really, calling people dumb may feel good, but it has little benefit.

I lived in rural ALABAMA so I do know what actual hillbillies are like.

If you were around very pro-government, pro US people in the south, you're likely not talking about hillbillies, but American Evangelical Southerners - since the 70s when they became politicalised, it's been a big thing about American best and not much else matters beyond the US and their ideas of God. They're the ones entangled in the Trump stuff, not the hillbillies who in general hate all governments.

Alabama is only relevant if you were in Appalachia. I know there is this idea that the farther south you go, the more hillbillies, even within the US, but hillbillies specifically are from the Appalachian and Ozarks areas, so go as far north as eastern Canada and in Appalachia, most are closer to the middle of the mountain chain, near the Virginias.

Appalachians in general, are very anti-government. At all. That's why communities were build in the mountains. The entire stereotype is build around them not keeping up with technology that is difficult to put up in the mountain and thus falling behind in education and culture. They are more likely to fall for that Freeman of the land scam as it suits them, but - in general, they aren't a homogenous group - Appalachians don't trust politicians - great at other community organising, great at helping others in a disaster, but in general, have a distaste for political stuff - not surprising when we've seen recently how politicians treat Appalachians during a disaster.

I just feel if Trump is determined to get Greenland should this be a hill we did on in support of Denmark and it's sovreignty of an arctic territory where historically the native people have not been treated well.

American and British troops don't use rape as a weapon of war.

Many people keeps reminding of how Denmark has treated the indigenous populations of Greenland - it's well documented how the Americans governments have treated the indigenous populations, and yes it does involve rape, it involves taking girls as 'translators' to rape them for many years, there are millions of indigenous girls and women missing in the US now, not historically.

But, we Americans are pretty radical when it comes to speech.

I find the US likes to talk a lot about how radical it is on free speech, but not really do it in practice. I mean, it's within living memory where many American Indigenous religious practices and speech on those practices were federally banned including things like traditional dancing & singing, and in some areas those practices are still under contention with uneasiness with local authorities.

There are also multiple cases of people being arrested and jailed for social media shite, just like those Americans who go on about free speech love to point at UK and the rest of Europe for doing. Shocker - the authoritarian US government acts authoritarian when it can, even if it's against the general principles the country claims to stand on, because there are little consequences when it does so.

WhatIsTheCharge · 18/01/2026 13:00

DH is American.

He’s disgusted.
But tbf he’s been disgusted since this whole debacle began around election time. We were still in the US at that point, and the election result was the kicker for us to really set the wheels in motion to come back to the U.K.
Because of where we were living, we were 3 hours behind Washington, so we went to bed at around 11pm when there were still a few swing states waiting to declare their result. Went to bed feeling ok, it wasn’t a huge split in either direction. Woke up the next morning and it was like an instant feeling of dread and impending doom. I distinctly remember DH looking at me and saying “People are going to die because of this”……and he was right 😔 The past few days we’ve obviously been talking about, and he’s really struggling with the fact that his country, which he loves, has become what it’s become and that it’s happened at such speed.
It’s obviously not the case for everyone, because obviously there will always be the diehard MAGA who’ve fully drunk the koolaid and will support what’s going on until their dying breath……but everyone I know, including a couple of members of the wider family who did vote for Trump have now come full circle and realised what a dire fuck up that was.

MO0N · 18/01/2026 13:03

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

I pray fervently every day for this to happen.

Goldenbear · 18/01/2026 13:06

MigratingSwans · 18/01/2026 12:43

Exactly which bus slogan are you referring to then?

If that is the total cost of leaving the EU, it makes it look cheap compared to Labour’s Chagos deal.

There is only one bus in referring to, the one that lied to the British public about Brexit!

Goldwren1923 · 18/01/2026 13:57

MigratingSwans · 18/01/2026 11:58

The red bus one? You mean the extra money for the NHS? Whilst that was a silly political slogan, since then the NHS is receiving more than the amount quoted in additional money. I wouldn’t ascribe that to Brexit but it did happen under the Tories after Brexit so some might.

But when you consider the alternative? Democrats claiming Biden was compos mentis and that men could magically become women if they said so.

What are US democrats have to do with the UK? The Brexit opponents never lied. both Farage and Johnson did. The fact that US parties lie or not is irrelevant in the UK context.

Goldwren1923 · 18/01/2026 14:02

FellowSuffereroftheAbsurd · 18/01/2026 12:48

There are many polls and discussions out there, and as others said, when dealing with the feelings of hundreds of millions of people, especially with a culture that has pushed more division, those feelings will vary widely even within what may be seen as the same demographic.

Personally, I am happier when the US gets pushback from the wider international community. While I agree that the world state at the moment has put power into too few hands leaving others struggling to stand up to them, I think in our best interests is to at least work towards reducing that power monopoly rather than crumbling under it.

Surely our best interest lies in ensuring the US remains a steadfast economic and military ally by acquiesing on this issue although it is painful.

The US government already regularly threatens financial institutions outside its own territories for information on people. It did this even before the government under Obama brought in FATCA, it's only grown exponentially since then to the point that banking in the UK is impacted by US laws and threats. Rolling over so far has only encouraged the US governments to go farther.

I get wanting to keep one of the bullies happy, but that's a short term solution at best.

I lived in a red state many many years ago in a rural area and it’s going to sound mean but there a lot of really dumb people out there.

I lived in a swing state that became a deep red state in large part because those who would vote Democrat stopped voting at all or went third party out of lack of trust and anger after the large mess and dismissal that first Clinton and later Obama did to those 'fly over states' and those who swung voted more Republican in anger.

There are abysmal schools in every state, particularly in cities - and US cities have largely been run by Democrats - as much like many other places including the UK, governments have cut spending and tried to place a lot of control on schools. It's not specifically a rural issue, and making it one is part of the problem. It's not rural vs urban, as much people like to paint.

And really, calling people dumb may feel good, but it has little benefit.

I lived in rural ALABAMA so I do know what actual hillbillies are like.

If you were around very pro-government, pro US people in the south, you're likely not talking about hillbillies, but American Evangelical Southerners - since the 70s when they became politicalised, it's been a big thing about American best and not much else matters beyond the US and their ideas of God. They're the ones entangled in the Trump stuff, not the hillbillies who in general hate all governments.

Alabama is only relevant if you were in Appalachia. I know there is this idea that the farther south you go, the more hillbillies, even within the US, but hillbillies specifically are from the Appalachian and Ozarks areas, so go as far north as eastern Canada and in Appalachia, most are closer to the middle of the mountain chain, near the Virginias.

Appalachians in general, are very anti-government. At all. That's why communities were build in the mountains. The entire stereotype is build around them not keeping up with technology that is difficult to put up in the mountain and thus falling behind in education and culture. They are more likely to fall for that Freeman of the land scam as it suits them, but - in general, they aren't a homogenous group - Appalachians don't trust politicians - great at other community organising, great at helping others in a disaster, but in general, have a distaste for political stuff - not surprising when we've seen recently how politicians treat Appalachians during a disaster.

I just feel if Trump is determined to get Greenland should this be a hill we did on in support of Denmark and it's sovreignty of an arctic territory where historically the native people have not been treated well.

American and British troops don't use rape as a weapon of war.

Many people keeps reminding of how Denmark has treated the indigenous populations of Greenland - it's well documented how the Americans governments have treated the indigenous populations, and yes it does involve rape, it involves taking girls as 'translators' to rape them for many years, there are millions of indigenous girls and women missing in the US now, not historically.

But, we Americans are pretty radical when it comes to speech.

I find the US likes to talk a lot about how radical it is on free speech, but not really do it in practice. I mean, it's within living memory where many American Indigenous religious practices and speech on those practices were federally banned including things like traditional dancing & singing, and in some areas those practices are still under contention with uneasiness with local authorities.

There are also multiple cases of people being arrested and jailed for social media shite, just like those Americans who go on about free speech love to point at UK and the rest of Europe for doing. Shocker - the authoritarian US government acts authoritarian when it can, even if it's against the general principles the country claims to stand on, because there are little consequences when it does so.

I’m not a politician so I don’t have to worry about calling people dumb, plus I don’t call them dumb to their face.
however pretending that there are no dumb people or that people who are dumb are actually not is silly. I thought that’s PC stuff of democrats that you hate 😂
majority of people are dumb, btw, and that’s the way it always was.
and i don’t call them dumb because they vote differently. I call them dumb because they vote differently for dumb reasons.
if they just openly said they are racist it would at least make sense but the economic or political explanations of their
vote are STUPID.

as to Alabama, you are right. They are called rednecks there and not hillbillies

tobee · 18/01/2026 14:16

mids2019 · 18/01/2026 07:09

I really think here it is time for Denmark to step down here and seek Greenland for the sake of the greater geopolitical picture in a world where power counts. If Trump is determined to get Greenland and all the signals point that way then in reality he will get it. We in the UK are poised to suffer some economic harm as tariffs are placed on us and we have to ask for UK citizens is getting involved in this colonial power play over an arctic land mass really in our best jnterests? Surely our best interest lies in ensuring the US remains a steadfast economic and military ally by acquiesing on this issue although it is painful.

In reality we are just setting up ourselves for humiliation as Europeans by potentially watching US troops land in Greenland, bloodlesly taking the taking the Island, and have to face the fact that the US is still the backbone of western security so NATO will stand and we go back to the status quo.

Yes of course and Ukraine should just step down and give themselves over to Russia huh? 🙄🙄

Pallisers · 18/01/2026 14:17

Irish living in US for past 30 years and an american citizen. I am horrified at what is happening. Horrified that the Republican party has handed itself over to Trump, horrified the Supreme Court is a partisan arm of government not, horrified at the corruption and grift, horrified at ICE, horrified at the US simply accepting that women will die because of the ban on abortions, the Greenland thing is surreal. My friends are mainly american - not Irish american. Vast majority feel the same as I do. I do live in a very blue state.

History will look back at this moment and see it as the moment world super power was handed to China by the US.

I have gone to protests (another one on Tuesday), donated to candidates, expressed my views to politicians. I vote in every election. Not sure what else I can do - will do whatever I can. We are waiting for the mid terms to see if now is the moment we leave the US. I have a lovely life here and so do my children so don't want to leave but ...

Kcdok · 18/01/2026 14:37

mids2019 · 18/01/2026 07:09

I really think here it is time for Denmark to step down here and seek Greenland for the sake of the greater geopolitical picture in a world where power counts. If Trump is determined to get Greenland and all the signals point that way then in reality he will get it. We in the UK are poised to suffer some economic harm as tariffs are placed on us and we have to ask for UK citizens is getting involved in this colonial power play over an arctic land mass really in our best jnterests? Surely our best interest lies in ensuring the US remains a steadfast economic and military ally by acquiesing on this issue although it is painful.

In reality we are just setting up ourselves for humiliation as Europeans by potentially watching US troops land in Greenland, bloodlesly taking the taking the Island, and have to face the fact that the US is still the backbone of western security so NATO will stand and we go back to the status quo.

I should think Trump would be thrilled to hear this sort of attitude.

The whole world needs to stand up against him just taking or buying Greenland against their will and Denmark’s will. Otherwise, where does it end? Will he then want Iceland, Greenland’s neighbour? Lots of lovely geothermal energy and a great temperature for mass data/tech storage. Will he then come for Ireland? A nice strategic location for defence, power and access to the UK and EU. Then what? England, Scotland and Wales? We’re next after the above countries coming East from the coast of USA.

This is very different to previous beefs that people have with Trump. For example, people may not agree with American abortion laws. But those laws apply to America and are the business of the Americans.

Taking Greenland would be the act of a hostile, uncivilised nation. We would expect that behaviour from Putin/Russia. The only reason that it mightn't be a conventional war is because America is too powerful for anyone else to take on. Like it or not, America is the world leader and world power. This absolutely can’t be allowed to happen. We broke Germany into East and West after WW2 to prevent this sort of shit. Perhaps America needs breaking up into North, South, East, West and Central. It’s so unfathomably powerful - which was fine until it began to abuse its power to just take other nations.

GeneralPeter · 18/01/2026 14:54

Goldwren1923 · 18/01/2026 14:02

I’m not a politician so I don’t have to worry about calling people dumb, plus I don’t call them dumb to their face.
however pretending that there are no dumb people or that people who are dumb are actually not is silly. I thought that’s PC stuff of democrats that you hate 😂
majority of people are dumb, btw, and that’s the way it always was.
and i don’t call them dumb because they vote differently. I call them dumb because they vote differently for dumb reasons.
if they just openly said they are racist it would at least make sense but the economic or political explanations of their
vote are STUPID.

as to Alabama, you are right. They are called rednecks there and not hillbillies

Edited

majority of people are dumb, btw, and that’s the way it always was.

Before we proceed, could you first just tell me your academic record so I know whether your views are worth engaging with.

(I don't actually want that of course, but if you bristled at that question then you see the problem with your framing).

Yes, people are more and less intelligent. But the real reason why people "vote differently for dumb reasons" is (I think) information bubbles.

The democrats are just as guilty of this as the republicans, if not more so. Look at the US higher education system: it has systematically shut out non-left staff and perspectives. If the right did that it would (rightly) be seen as a travesty. It has massive downstream effects. Look at speech codes, safe spaces, "words are literal violence". Look at old Twitter, look at Bluesky. Recall the innumeracy and the pretzel logic of de-fund the police (led to an excess 3,000 murders at least), the idiot double standards of decrying republican protesters during covid as granny-killers then blessing the BLM protesters during the same period. Look at dem denials of Biden's increasingly obvious frailty, how that led them to fumble the election, and how their turn inwards has left them on the sidelines of what they claim is an epoch-defining challenge. Look at their "follow the science" and their sex science denialism, rejecting all alternative perspectives as heresy as they celebrate paedriatric gender surgery, increasingly isolated in the world. Consider the billions California pours into homelessness and drug programmes that fail to improve the situation and probably make it worse, because in that policy bubble other approaches are not known about or cannot be raised.

Take rent control. If you ask almost all economists on left or right they will tell you that rent control reduces supply and reduces housing quality, harming many of those who it is meant to help, but where dem voters continue to vote for such laws. In my view the "economic or political explanations of their vote are STUPID." But we shouldn't write them off.

Not meant as an assassination of the dems here. Republicans are capable of plenty of the same.

The smug certainty that it's only the other lot whose vote is driven by stupidity/ignorance, and therefore we don't need to examine our own views or side, other than with the circle who already agrees with us, is what leads us here.

logicisall · 18/01/2026 15:20

And I'm confident that if we negotiated in good faith, made certain promises to Greenland, etc, we could make it a good deal for all involved.

"In good faith", that's where the problem lies. The US is now seen as an unreliable ally. Trump thinks like a mafia don and anyone or country who trusts him is an overly optimistic fool who will be taken advantage of.

nylon2026 · 18/01/2026 15:22

Here's the latest polling on Greenland in the US

Any Americans on here? What is the feeling in America regarding trump?
logicisall · 18/01/2026 15:30

YourGoldSquid · 18/01/2026 08:44

You know the Brits supported this UN resolution right?

Taking out Maduro has been the policy of many western governments for a very long time. To say Trump acted crazily here just isn't true. He enforced UN policy. And again, weakened Russia.

This is a great example of the press simply lying. The Maduro policy has been the world position for years. So to suggest Trump is somehow an autocrat in this specific situation just isn't true. He's actually enforcing NATO and UN policy.

@YourGoldSquid can you provide links to the UN resolution and NATO and UN policies that favour "taking out Maduro"?

My online searchs seem to be unable to locate them. TIA.

nylon2026 · 18/01/2026 15:40

GeneralPeter · 18/01/2026 14:54

majority of people are dumb, btw, and that’s the way it always was.

Before we proceed, could you first just tell me your academic record so I know whether your views are worth engaging with.

(I don't actually want that of course, but if you bristled at that question then you see the problem with your framing).

Yes, people are more and less intelligent. But the real reason why people "vote differently for dumb reasons" is (I think) information bubbles.

The democrats are just as guilty of this as the republicans, if not more so. Look at the US higher education system: it has systematically shut out non-left staff and perspectives. If the right did that it would (rightly) be seen as a travesty. It has massive downstream effects. Look at speech codes, safe spaces, "words are literal violence". Look at old Twitter, look at Bluesky. Recall the innumeracy and the pretzel logic of de-fund the police (led to an excess 3,000 murders at least), the idiot double standards of decrying republican protesters during covid as granny-killers then blessing the BLM protesters during the same period. Look at dem denials of Biden's increasingly obvious frailty, how that led them to fumble the election, and how their turn inwards has left them on the sidelines of what they claim is an epoch-defining challenge. Look at their "follow the science" and their sex science denialism, rejecting all alternative perspectives as heresy as they celebrate paedriatric gender surgery, increasingly isolated in the world. Consider the billions California pours into homelessness and drug programmes that fail to improve the situation and probably make it worse, because in that policy bubble other approaches are not known about or cannot be raised.

Take rent control. If you ask almost all economists on left or right they will tell you that rent control reduces supply and reduces housing quality, harming many of those who it is meant to help, but where dem voters continue to vote for such laws. In my view the "economic or political explanations of their vote are STUPID." But we shouldn't write them off.

Not meant as an assassination of the dems here. Republicans are capable of plenty of the same.

The smug certainty that it's only the other lot whose vote is driven by stupidity/ignorance, and therefore we don't need to examine our own views or side, other than with the circle who already agrees with us, is what leads us here.

Edited

Not meant as an assassination of the dems here.

Yeah, it pretty much was. Couching your recycled Trump administration talking points in 'just showing both sides'ism doesn't change that.

Academic record, by the way, is undergrad and then law school at two of the institutions awash with (literal) Nazi-worshipping young Republicans and famous for churning out Federalist Society puppets and bright lights of the project 2025 ilk. I can assure you, non-left perspectives were not in any way shut out.

WhatIsTheCharge · 18/01/2026 15:42

Pallisers · 18/01/2026 14:17

Irish living in US for past 30 years and an american citizen. I am horrified at what is happening. Horrified that the Republican party has handed itself over to Trump, horrified the Supreme Court is a partisan arm of government not, horrified at the corruption and grift, horrified at ICE, horrified at the US simply accepting that women will die because of the ban on abortions, the Greenland thing is surreal. My friends are mainly american - not Irish american. Vast majority feel the same as I do. I do live in a very blue state.

History will look back at this moment and see it as the moment world super power was handed to China by the US.

I have gone to protests (another one on Tuesday), donated to candidates, expressed my views to politicians. I vote in every election. Not sure what else I can do - will do whatever I can. We are waiting for the mid terms to see if now is the moment we leave the US. I have a lovely life here and so do my children so don't want to leave but ...

Nail on the head.

Up until our very recent return to the U.K., I was living in a state that’s been predominately red forever, with a couple of liberal cities scattered - I lived in the suburbs of one of those liberal cities.
I feel exactly the same as you. I’m not an American citizen (my DH is), I’m a green card holder, and even in my liberal city, seeing the ICE presence increase over the past few months drastically changed the vibe. My DCs attended a school that was predominately black and Hispanic students. It’s a Title 1 school, and it’s safe to say that a small proportion of the students have undocumented parents. I was terrified every single day that ICE would show up at or near the school - because let’s be honest, at this point it doesn’t really matter if you’re documented or undocumented. If you’re not white, or you speak with an accent that’s not obviously an American accent, you are a target. I sat my kids down and told them that if anybody you don’t recognise as teachers or admin staff at school try to talk to you or ask questions about you or any of your friends? Then you don’t know nothing about nothing. The only thing out of your mouth will be: “I want my parents here”.
It reached a point where attendance (particularly of the Hispanic students) noticeably dropped. There were less and less parents attending award assemblies and sports events etc
Its not supposed to be like this 😔

Livelovebehappy · 18/01/2026 15:59

I think if you look at the situation rationally though. America obviously has intel that China and Russia are both planning to take over Greenland, which is also close to American shores. Although Trump may have gone about it in gang-ho fashion, with a lack of diplomacy, it’s right that he should try to pre-empt that situation, as it would be a dangerous scenario for Greenland to be under China and Russia rule. With the immigration situation in Minneapolis, Trump is only doing what he said he would do when fighting to win the election, ie, sort out illegal immigration. He is therefore just carrying out what he promised to do. The opposition, Democrats, might not like that, but the Republican voters voted him in on the back of that.

ElaineBurdock · 18/01/2026 16:00

Since you asked; Trump is doing what's best for American interests.

The world media has always been against him, so anything he does gets an extremely negative spin.

His deportations compared to Obama's for example.
Obama deported more than 3 million illegal immigrants between 2009 and 2016. Most removals were completed without a hearing before an immigration judge. No fuss was made back then.

Our illegal immigration problem is worse than ever before because Biden and Harris allowed our southern border to be wide open for years. Millions of people from all over the world, poured in, so Trump has got his work cut out for him to undo this damage. Big fuss made.

Billions of U.S. taxpayers $$$$ is being send to Somalia.

Greenland; there has been land buying or taking land by force for many years by many countries. Well known examples of places bought by the U.S, Alaska from Russia, Virgin Islands from Denmark, the Louisiana purchase from France.

A Dutchman bought Manhattan from the native Americans for 24 bucks.

Many countries control locations to ensure their national security and facilitate global trade. Greenland is a strategic location for the U.S. to protect itself and Europe.

Other strategic locations which are controlled by various countries are;
Strait of Gibraltar, Turkish Straits, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Panama Canal, Suez Canal.

UK wanted to control Crimea to stop Russia expansion which threatened British interests.

I believe Trump sees the current crop of European leaders as unreliable and weak. (Example, they allowing boats to bring many thousands of undocumented young men into their countries, and then $$$$$$$ supporting them they get there). He doesn't trust the European leaders to keep Greenland secure.

Trump is a business man, not a politician, and he's making deals that are in America's best interests and doesn't care if he hurts feelings. He's already hated.

I'm a worn-out woman in her 70's, who's the mum to a nonverbal 3 year old whom I've been raising since he was 2 months old. He's waking up right now (I'm Pacific time) so I can't stick around to argue the points I made. I also try to keep out of politics on mums net.

Goldwren1923 · 18/01/2026 16:02

GeneralPeter · 18/01/2026 14:54

majority of people are dumb, btw, and that’s the way it always was.

Before we proceed, could you first just tell me your academic record so I know whether your views are worth engaging with.

(I don't actually want that of course, but if you bristled at that question then you see the problem with your framing).

Yes, people are more and less intelligent. But the real reason why people "vote differently for dumb reasons" is (I think) information bubbles.

The democrats are just as guilty of this as the republicans, if not more so. Look at the US higher education system: it has systematically shut out non-left staff and perspectives. If the right did that it would (rightly) be seen as a travesty. It has massive downstream effects. Look at speech codes, safe spaces, "words are literal violence". Look at old Twitter, look at Bluesky. Recall the innumeracy and the pretzel logic of de-fund the police (led to an excess 3,000 murders at least), the idiot double standards of decrying republican protesters during covid as granny-killers then blessing the BLM protesters during the same period. Look at dem denials of Biden's increasingly obvious frailty, how that led them to fumble the election, and how their turn inwards has left them on the sidelines of what they claim is an epoch-defining challenge. Look at their "follow the science" and their sex science denialism, rejecting all alternative perspectives as heresy as they celebrate paedriatric gender surgery, increasingly isolated in the world. Consider the billions California pours into homelessness and drug programmes that fail to improve the situation and probably make it worse, because in that policy bubble other approaches are not known about or cannot be raised.

Take rent control. If you ask almost all economists on left or right they will tell you that rent control reduces supply and reduces housing quality, harming many of those who it is meant to help, but where dem voters continue to vote for such laws. In my view the "economic or political explanations of their vote are STUPID." But we shouldn't write them off.

Not meant as an assassination of the dems here. Republicans are capable of plenty of the same.

The smug certainty that it's only the other lot whose vote is driven by stupidity/ignorance, and therefore we don't need to examine our own views or side, other than with the circle who already agrees with us, is what leads us here.

Edited

If you really want to know my academic record, I obviously have a bachelor’s degree (on scholarship), but also qualified as a lawyer in two different countries and have a masters in finance.

what you are saying about the democrats - you think the right/republicans don’t shut out and drive out those who don’t conform to their views? lol.
i have personally been taught in a state schools that evolution is just a theory 😂 they teach creationism on par with evolution in non-religious schools. You think there is no ostracism for different views on gay marriage, abortion and women’s rights? Come on. Do you know how much work republicans did in red states to disenfranchise the democratic leaning voters?

and yes they have been wrong economically in some ways but so have been republicans. I just don’t understand this line of argument.

however Trump isn’t really a republican either. He’s a populist, he says WHATEVER, and then does the opposite Eg he campaigned on not getting involved in foreign lands and what did he just do with Venezuela and threatens to do in Iran? That’s completely against his own campaign promises. Do you recall him campaigning on starting a war with Denmark and NATO to take over Greenland?