Trump

[Mellsblue]

You’ve missed the point entirely. More than happy to critisise but I’d like the criticism based on fact and not ‘I don’t like May so she must be kissing his arse but I do like Macron so he must be trying to temper Trumps MAGA bollocks’. When, actually, most of the evidence is that Macron is doing more arse kissing. Kudos for him cosying up to Trump for the greater good when everything inside must want him to scream, and kudos for him telling the truth as his parting shot. Unfortunately, given everything we’ve seen so far, I’d imagine he’s now lost any influence he might have had. Which, again unfortunately, means any influence he had built up whilst wanting to vomit is now gone and the state visit to Paris and all that went with it was wasted.

[Digby]

We don't knowing that Macron's supposed cozying up was working, nor do we know how much his rebuke to Trump in Congress hinders and future negotiations, if judgement is to be based on fact. If speculation then as of today I'm betting Trump will feel less kindly toward the UK than France after his state visit to the UK if he's exposed to the tens of if not hundreds of thousands who'll turn up to call him a wanker to his face

[Mellsblue]

No we don’t know but everything we know about Trump is that he likes his ego stroked. Macron may have come to the end of his tether, and who could blame him. I’ve no issue with Macron’s actions just as I have no real issue with May’s. I’d just like a bit more perspective when critising May’s foreign diplomacy beyond.....she’s leading us through Brexit......therefore I hate her......therefore everything she does is bad. Even if most of it is.
Most of all, I’d like the perspective that statesmanship is about having a relationship with leaders and other countries we may not like. Otherwise, you leave a vacuum and someone steps in that is a bad influence.
The only thing Trump respects is money and power, and nationalism. The only countries in Europe even close to the first requirement is France, Germany and the U.K. If none of those engage then European influence may come the likes of Viktor Orban and I don’t like the sounds of that. It may happen, though. Macron may have burnt his bridges, Merkel is too busy domestically and May is too busy domestically, both with Brexit and a dissenting public.

[Digby]

Trump on the 2026 Fifa World Cup and wider political ties

"The U.S. has put together a STRONG bid w/ Canada & Mexico for the 2026 World Cup. It would be a shame if countries that we always support were to lobby against the U.S. bid. Why should we be supporting these countries when they don’t support us (including at the United Nations)?"

So essentially friendship to him is the same as acquiescence, influence away Europe!

[Mellsblue]

You ask for perspective and you get this. In many ways, the reaction on this thread to Trump is very, well, Trump-like. The irony is glorious.

[Digby]

Trump's a bad example when looking to judge standard of behaviour in a President or the analysis of the President. He's just so bad, with so many examples of failure.

Hopefully he remains a truly fucked up outlier and doesn't represent any standard that we'll come to see as the norm, whatever the political leanings are of those elected in the future

[WaspInWales]

Just been looking into some US/bot right-wing conspiracy theory hashtags on Twitter.

Jaysus fooking christ! How can people get away with posting crap like that and not be banned and/or investigated?

I'm just amazed by it. Especially as the US is famed for people suing others for the most inane reasons, but yet it seems perfectly ok to accuse politicians, their families, friends and supporters of being involved in some truly heinous stuff.

In the UK it seems you only have to be mildly offensive to have the police knocking on your door.

[belgarion]

Just been looking into some US/bot right-wing conspiracy theory hashtags on Twitter.

Jaysus fooking christ! How can people get away with posting crap like that and not be banned and/or investigated?

I'm just amazed by it. Especially as the US is famed for people suing others for the most inane reasons, but yet it seems perfectly ok to accuse politicians, their families, friends and supporters of being involved in some truly heinous stuff.

In the UK it seems you only have to be mildly offensive to have the police knocking on your door.

Covered by the old standby of 'It's my right under the 1st amendment'

[kk67]

Michael Cohen steps up to the plate and bravely confirms

proper lol.

I think I get a bye on this from the lol inspector...?.

[WaspInWales]

Just been looking into some US/bot right-wing conspiracy theory hashtags on Twitter.

Jaysus fooking christ! How can people get away with posting crap like that and not be banned and/or investigated?

I'm just amazed by it. Especially as the US is famed for people suing others for the most inane reasons, but yet it seems perfectly ok to accuse politicians, their families, friends and supporters of being involved in some truly heinous stuff.

In the UK it seems you only have to be mildly offensive to have the police knocking on your door.

Covered by the old standby of 'It's my right under the 1st amendment'

Yeah, but the kidnap, rape and murder of kids as some sort of DNC satanic ritual has surely got to push that right?

What's equally disturbing is that some people seem to accept it as fact based on poorly produced memes and hashtags.

[Digby]

WHCD went well then. Though it's hard to see what's actually causing the complaints.

In other news Trump says they're higher than they were on election day, whether this is a reference to Rear Admiral Ronny and a propensity to hand out too many painkillers or to some economic metric can be left for history to decide.

[WaspInWales]

Shiny CDs and folders may impress Trump. The added PowerPoint presentation was probably the icing on the cake for an illiterate POTUS, but perhaps overkill for most other mature audiences, but kudos for Bibi for giving it a go.

What the actual fook?!?

[morepork]

Shiny CDs and folders may impress Trump. The added PowerPoint presentation was probably the icing on the cake for an illiterate POTUS, but perhaps overkill for most other mature audiences, but kudos for Bibi for giving it a go.

What the actual fook?!?

Bibi is a tremendous cunt. He tries the same cartoon tactics with the UN from time to time. Probably where Colin Powell got his sketch artist from to make up shit about Iraq. Not exactly a subtle attempt at getting the toddlers attention. Last time I checked, Iran hadn't launched any strikes against another country. Jesus titty-fucking christ.

[J Dory]

Be wrote his own doctor's note, the gift that just keeps giving.

[Digby]

Reading the doctor's note I only wonder how it wasn't obvious Trump had written it

[Mikey Brown]

I think everybody thought it at the time. It’s insane if he (or anyone involved) isn’t smart enough to at least chance the absurd language used.

[Digby]

I don't recall seeing it at the time. I do recall him lambasting Hillary's stamina, that's about it. If he did fake the doctor's note has her perhaps not rather defrauded the American voters?

[morepork]

The guy is a phenomenal bullshit artist. How can anybody even consider taking this clown seriously? All he does is watch TV, spew nonsense on social media, tell lies, cover up lies, and play golf. I mean what the cunting fuck work does this unmitigated fuckwit actually do???

[Mikey Brown]

The guy is a phenomenal bullshit artist. How can anybody even consider taking this clown seriously? All he does is watch TV, spew nonsense on social media, tell lies, cover up lies, and play golf. I mean what the cunting fuck work does this unmitigated fuckwit actually do???

Why are you even still asking these questions?

[morepork]

The guy is a phenomenal bullshit artist. How can anybody even consider taking this clown seriously? All he does is watch TV, spew nonsense on social media, tell lies, cover up lies, and play golf. I mean what the cunting fuck work does this unmitigated fuckwit actually do???

Why are you even still asking these questions?

I'm angry Mikey boy, I'm angry. I see resources spunked in the wrong place. I get exposed to tragedy and discovery at work every day, I see the best of people from all walks of life in this country, in my job, and every single mother fucking day I am compelled to act as though this orange fuckhead's inability to adhere to both decency and practicality is part and parcel. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired . Fuck.

[J Dory]

It's depressing. Makes me want to go off grid somewhere and teach my kids to purify water and assemble small arms blindfolded and stuff.

[morepork]

So....big D carries out Israeli foreign policy and aggression against Iran, with absolutely no idea what he is doing. Jon Bolton creams himself, astounded at how easy it is to play this wanker and the handful of yes men currently running the state department.

[Digby]

I'd hesitate to think this is much about Israel for Trump, he's just as happy with the Jews will not replace us crowd as with any other, and it's more about proving he's better than Obama

[morepork]

I'd hesitate to think this is much about Israel for Trump, he's just as happy with the Jews will not replace us crowd as with any other, and it's more about proving he's better than Obama

How do you think Benny appealed to Trump on this issue? A few public cartoon powerpoint slides to counter the consensus of Iranian compliance and a couple of private phone calls to Orange Jesus reinforcing an opportunity to get one up on the black dude that is smarter then He.

[WaspInWales]

Deep down Trump feels like he has got one over Obama...that same warm fuzzy feeling he has had after signing many an executive order, but he has been played like a fiddle by Bibi and Bolton.

The Hawks have this one in the bag.

There's Trump followers on Twatter demanding Iran be bombed now and ask questions later.

Sound familiar?