The Trump Presidency – 2016

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

Sounds like Kelly immediately nixed him. A friend on FB just bemoaned the fact that he didn't even make it to the next season of SNL.

LOL, that actually is the only negative here.

[Edward64]

Spicer must be grinning from ear to ear.

[JonInMiddleGA]

All of that ... just to get rid of Preibus?

Even I can't figure out THIS one.

[Bee]

Does it actually count? His official start date was August 15th.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Spicer must be grinning from ear to ear.

yeah some reports have Spicer helping with the resignation message, so it must be a very big grin indeed. I like that Kelly is taking over like this from Day 1. but I will reserve my judgment until he names a replacement.

Hope he goes after Bannon next

[RainMaker]

Doesn't firing Bannon complicate matters since he can use Breitbart against the Trump administration?

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Doesn't firing Bannon complicate matters since he can use Breitbart against the Trump administration?

well he already has all the media except Fox and Breibart against him already, so what's one more? I think he could get away with it with the same excuse he used with "mooch".

[ISiddiqui]

Eh... Bannon has been a huge fan of Kelly's, so I doubt Kelly is going to turn around and fire one of the guys that was instrumental in getting him the CoS job.

[Thomkal]

This probably won't help Rep. Flake make any friends in the White House (not that he had many)

My Party Is in Denial About Donald Trump - POLITICO Magazine

[JPhillips]

Mooch is the Quentyn Martell of the Trump administration.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

well he already has all the media except Fox and Breibart against him already, so what's one more? I think he could get away with it with the same excuse he used with "mooch".

Well his supporters only read those outlets. When state media turns against you, it makes things a little harder.

I do think Fox will stay loyal but Bannon has the power to hammer away at him online if they want.

[Edward64]

FWIW, I saw Huckabee Sanders press conference today. I thought she did well in the parts that I saw, much better than Spicer

[Shkspr]

Happily, some pushback against Scaramucci's "hair and makeup" comments.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

This probably won't help Rep. Flake make any friends in the White House (not that he had many)

My Party Is in Denial About Donald Trump - POLITICO Magazine

Hell, he just got my vote next time he runs.

[RainMaker]

When you start firing close staff in embarrassing ways, they're going to talk. This is a doozy.

Trump dictated son’s misleading statement on meeting with Russian lawyer - The Washington Post

[Toddzilla]

What a CF. Scaramuicci blows in and forces Spicer and Preibus out, then gets bounced by Kelly. Seems Spicey and Reincey got put out to pasture for nothing...

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Toddzilla

What a CF. Scaramuicci blows in and forces Spicer and Preibus out, then gets bounced by Kelly. Seems Spicey and Reincey got put out to pasture for nothing...

The 4D chess explanation is that Scaramucci was brought in to force Preibus out because that's how it works in the business world and Trump is a businessman.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Atocep

The 4D chess explanation is that Scaramucci was brought in to force Preibus out

Which made sense, and worked ... but surely that isn't the only person that needed to be chased off, so I'm not getting chasing the chaser so quickly.

Maybe it's personalities though, maybe Kelly will rub the next one/batch more wrong than Mooch.

[Ryche]

Originally Posted by Atocep

The 4D chess explanation is that Scaramucci was brought in to force Preibus out because that's how it works in the business world and Trump is a businessman.

Which would mean Mooch destroyed his life because Trump was too much of a puss to fire people on his own.

[CrescentMoonie]

Anthony Scaramucci is out, but the Mooch jokes are forever - Vox

[Radii]

Originally Posted by Atocep

The 4D chess explanation is that Scaramucci was brought in to force Preibus out because that's how it works in the business world and Trump is a businessman.

And what's the explanation for Trump not just doing that himself?

[digamma]

The NYT folks keep hinting at a re-rise of Bannon, who may now be licking his lips, in forcing the Mooch ouster.

[mckerney]

Just a bad day all around for the Mooch.

Anthony Scaramucci erroneously listed as dead in the new Harvard Law alumni directory - The Washington Post

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Spicer must be grinning from ear to ear.

Oh, and his estranged wife also ...

[Atocep]

I believe I half jokingly questioned whether or not Trump understood that he could be charged with obstruction even if a crime wasn't committed at some point in this thread and reports are saying no, he in fact doesn't understand that.

[JPhillips]

Today in Trump WTF:

A story that says Trump dictated Don Jr's initial meeting statement

and

A story that says Spicer met with the Seth Rich conspiracy guy before the story aired on Fox.

[Easy Mac]

And the white house worked with Fox news directly on it.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by Radii

And what's the explanation for Trump not just doing that himself?

He's never had to tell anyone theyre fired.

[JPhillips]

From Wired:

ON MONDAY, WHITE House senior adviser Jared Kushner spoke to a group of congressional interns as part of an ongoing, off-the-record summer lecture series. During the question-and-answer portion of the event, Kushner may have inadvertently offered some insight into the negotiating tactics he is using in the Middle East.

Prior to Kushner's talk, Katie Patru, the deputy staff director for member services, outreach, and communications, told the assembled interns, "To record today’s session would be such a breach of trust, from my opinion. This town is full of leakers, and everyone knows who they are, and no one trusts them. In this business your reputation is everything. I’ve been on the Hill for 15 years. I’ve sat in countless meetings with members of congress where important decisions were being made. During all those years in all those meetings, I never once leaked to a reporter … If someone in your office has asked you to break our protocol and give you a recording so they can leak it, as a manager, that bothers me at my core."

WIRED has obtained a recording of Kushner's talk, which lasted for just under an hour in total.

[albionmoonlight]

I think that promoting General Kelly is a smart move by Trump.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

From Wired:

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Atocep

I believe I half jokingly questioned whether or not Trump understood that he could be charged with obstruction even if a crime wasn't committed at some point in this thread and reports are saying no, he in fact doesn't understand that.

Maybe his lawyer can inform him...

Originally Posted by Washington Post

Trump, they say, is increasingly acting as his own lawyer, strategist and publicist, often disregarding the recommendations of the professionals he has hired.

...oh.

The good news from there is if he's working as his own publicist that could mean that we'll get John Barron as his next Communications Director.

[Logan]

Apologies if this Michael Lewis/Vanity Fair article was posted last week. I had it open on my work laptop and finally got around to reading just the first 20% or so of it. I think this came out among the transgender ban/HC failure/Mooch going crazy hoopla so may have overlooked it.

Why the Scariest Nuclear Threat May Be Coming from Inside the White House | Vanity Fair

[Easy Mac]

Good God these two sentences are so condescendingly brilliant.

[cuervo72]

Thanks for the link, Logan.

[Flasch186]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Which made sense, and worked ... but surely that isn't the only person that needed to be chased off, so I'm not getting chasing the chaser so quickly.

Maybe it's personalities though, maybe Kelly will rub the next one/batch more wrong than Mooch.

maybe youve just been wrong?

[CarterNMA]

Originally Posted by Logan

Apologies if this Michael Lewis/Vanity Fair article was posted last week. I had it open on my work laptop and finally got around to reading just the first 20% or so of it. I think this came out among the transgender ban/HC failure/Mooch going crazy hoopla so may have overlooked it.

Why the Scariest Nuclear Threat May Be Coming from Inside the White House | Vanity Fair

Thanks, Logan. I shat my pants, barfed a little and now I can't sleep.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

maybe youve just been wrong?

There's that, but there's also the "Trump creates chaos to distract from other things" narrative.

How true? Who knows. OTOH, there was Senate testimony going on about how Russian intelligence uses kompromat during Mooch's brief tenure.

Which seems more likely? That he was used for 10 days to get rid of Spicer and Priebus, or that he was used as a circus act to distract from the hearings?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

maybe youve just been wrong?

Nah, cause too much of it has made sense to this point really. And they did shed themselves of Preibus so things fit pretty well right up to there.

There's been too much that made sense for it to be mere stopped clock exceptions.

Incidentally, I'm still stuck on how to set the over/under line for Kelly as CoS.
I'm leaning toward the high side and thinking 32 days.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

Good God these two sentences are so condescendingly brilliant.

You know, even if I agreed with the man's politics or thought he was brilliant, I don't honestly know how I could remain in the company of such a man for more than a few minutes. I mean, at some point, I am pretty sure I would tell him he needs to shut the f $#!@ up. Or I would physically attack him and get shot by the secret service.

[SteveM58]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

There's that, but there's also the "Trump creates chaos to distract from other things" narrative.

How true? Who knows. OTOH, there was Senate testimony going on about how Russian intelligence uses kompromat during Mooch's brief tenure.

Which seems more likely? That he was used for 10 days to get rid of Spicer and Priebus, or that he was used as a circus act to distract from the hearings?

Or maybe Trump creates chaos....because Trump creates chaos?

I wouldn't be shocked to hear that Trump wasn't aware of Mooch's pre-election comments about him until after he was brought in. As in, maybe he had a vague idea but not exactly quotes or audio. I mean, it's plausible anyway.

Also regarding Russia and Don Jr, etc....seems to me that Trump is a good example of terrible ineptitude mixed with narcissism. He doesn't even think to ask if there are rules against something because he is convinced they don't apply to him anyway. Whereas your average scumbag politician at least tries to appear above board.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by SteveM58

Or maybe Trump creates chaos....because Trump creates chaos?

I wouldn't be shocked to hear that Trump wasn't aware of Mooch's pre-election comments about him until after he was brought in. As in, maybe he had a vague idea but not exactly quotes or audio. I mean, it's plausible anyway.

Also regarding Russia and Don Jr, etc....seems to me that Trump is a good example of terrible ineptitude mixed with narcissism. He doesn't even think to ask if there are rules against something because he is convinced they don't apply to him anyway. Whereas your average scumbag politician at least tries to appear above board.

This.

I think we have enough evidence to put to bed the notion that he's playing 11 dimensional chess. He's a toddler. It's as simple as that.

[Flasch186]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

This.

I think we have enough evidence to put to bed the notion that he's playing 11 dimensional chess. He's a toddler. It's as simple as that.

Bingo

JiminMGA is just overthinking it IMO

[digamma]

But that speech he gave in West Virginia.

[Atocep]

Boy Scouts dispute Trump claim that their leader called his speech 'the greatest' | TheHill

I like imaging the White House administration having an intern call Trump pretending to be the Head of Boy Scouts to tell him it was the greatest speech they ever heard.

[Flasch186]

Lies > Truths

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Incidentally, I'm still stuck on how to set the over/under line for Kelly as CoS. I'm leaning toward the high side and thinking 32 days.

My finger in the breeze says this change is for real (whatever that even means in this context) and he'll be there forever... like several months, even.

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

You know, even if I agreed with the man's politics or thought he was brilliant, I don't honestly know how I could remain in the company of such a man for more than a few minutes. I mean, at some point, I am pretty sure I would tell him he needs to shut the f $#!@ up. Or I would physically attack him and get shot by the secret service.

Especially not while golfing.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by Logan

Apologies if this Michael Lewis/Vanity Fair article was posted last week. I had it open on my work laptop and finally got around to reading just the first 20% or so of it. I think this came out among the transgender ban/HC failure/Mooch going crazy hoopla so may have overlooked it.

Why the Scariest Nuclear Threat May Be Coming from Inside the White House | Vanity Fair

Great article, though it is completely one-sided. Interesting to read about my company in there - I did a little of the preliminary work on the Metcalf investigation, definitely some scary stuff. The precision and obvious intent behind it was slightly terrifying...the fact that we couldn't tie it to anything more than what was done even moreso.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Boy Scouts dispute Trump claim that their leader called his speech 'the greatest' | TheHill

I like imaging the White House administration having an intern call Trump pretending to be the Head of Boy Scouts to tell him it was the greatest speech they ever heard.

God I wish I was a WH intern right now!