The Trump Presidency – 2016

[Atocep]

If Trump actually goes after the church of scientology's tax exempt status we'll probably find out quickly if the pee tapes exist.

[JPhillips]

PRESIDENT TRUMP: They say in the history of people coming to China, there's been nothing like that. And I believe it.

It is so easy to manipulate this guy.

[digamma]

White House daycare off duty tonight.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by digamma

White House daycare off duty tonight.

No kidding. The President of the United States just tweeted this:

Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017

[Edward64]

Nice one, had a good chuckle.

[Edward64]

Oh wait. I might need to buy my bomb shelter first.

[RainMaker]

Looks like he made it to Vietnam without those pesky heel spurs acting up.

[CrimsonFox]

That was real? OMG! It's like the white trash teeny boppers I have to deal with occasionally...

[stevew]

What a dotard.

[Ben E Lou]

Heh. I confess that I hadn't thought about this angle...

The best part about Trump tweeting that Kim is short & fat is knowing that someone in the Nork government has to bring him this news.

— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) November 12, 2017

[BBT]

Trump laughs as Duterte shuts down questions.
You are the spies," Duterte says, referring to press.
“Hah, hah, hah," Trump laughs.
“You are," Duterte repeateds, per WH pool.

— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) November 13, 2017

[whomario]

The Trump Presidency: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) - YouTube

[BBT]

Good read

Trump’s Trade Policies Keep Backfiring
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...ep-backfiring/

It looked like the end. Barack Obama’s administration had been the driving force behind the negotiations, and U.S. ratification was necessary for the agreement to take effect. But to the surprise of many, the remaining 11 members of the TPP have so far stuck together even without U.S. participation. Unabashed free-traders stepped up to counter Trump’s protectionism: Japan, the world’s third-biggest economy, has assumed the leadership role. Canada, initially a reluctant member of the club, volunteered to host one of the first post-Trump meetings of the remaining TPP countries to work on a way forward — perhaps because research shows that Canadians will do better if they have preferential access that their American cousins lack. Smaller, poorer countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia wanted freer trade with the U.S. but agreed to consider improved access to countries such as Australia, Canada and Japan as a consolation prize for years of hard bargaining.

Ahead of this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam, there was talk that the remaining TPP members would use the venue to make an official agreement to proceed. Trump is attending that meeting during a five-country, 11-day trip to Asia that began last Friday. It could turn out to be the rare international summit at which the American president is sidelined from the main event.

[RainMaker]

It's almost like this guy doesn't understand economics.

[Thomkal]

New proof that Don Jr. was in contact with Assange and WikiLinks during the election:

The Secret Correspondence Between Donald Trump Jr. and WikiLeaks - The Atlantic

[CrimsonFox]

I'm now seeing commercials on TV to impeach Trump. During Impractical Jokers no less.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

New proof that Don Jr. was in contact with Assange and WikiLinks during the election:

The Secret Correspondence Between Donald Trump Jr. and WikiLeaks - The Atlantic

[Thomkal]

heh

[RainMaker]

I don't think Peter King is on board with the tax reform plan.

From Sandy aid to tax reform @MickMulvaneyOMB tries to screw New York. Probably feels inferior because New York subsidizes his state of South Carolina.

— Rep. Pete King (@RepPeteKing) November 15, 2017

[Edward64]

Oh great. I really don't think they should try to mix the 2. I'm all for some sort of tax plan and think it could pass on its own.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/15/politi...orm/index.html

Washington (CNN)Despite nearly a year's worth of heartache, Republicans can't quit trying to repeal Obamacare.

Senate Republicans plan to include a repeal of the individual mandate -- a key piece of the Affordable Care Act -- in their tax reform efforts. It's a move that dramatically raises the stakes for President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, who are still looking for a single, substantial legislative accomplishment to deliver to the American people this year.

For Republicans, the benefits are tempting. If they can pull it off, it's a two-for-one victory. They will have overhauled the US tax code and taken a bite out of former President Barack Obama's signature legislative achievement, even if it falls short of the "root and branch" health care repeal many had vowed to see through.

But if they fail, Republicans will enter the midterm election year with their message muddled, without a victory on tax reform, and having spent a year's worth of time trying and repeatedly failing to dismantle Obamacare with nothing to show for it but bad headlines.

[Thomkal]

North Korea sentences Trump to death:

North Korea Issues 'Death Sentence' Against Trump: 'He Will be Forced to Pay Dearly for His Blasphemy'

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Oh great. I really don't think they should try to mix the 2. I'm all for some sort of tax plan and think it could pass on its own.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/15/politi...orm/index.html

They just can't keep from tripping over their own damn feet. This move is far from brilliant.

[JPhillips]

Fuck it, put it all in one bill.

Tax cuts, ACA repeal, defunding Planned Parenthood, locking up Hillary, national voter ID, reciprocal concealed carry, Confederate statues, school vouchers, Reagan on Mt. Rushmore, Social Security cuts, standing for the National anthem, a Constitutional convention....

[Coffee Warlord]

Democracy Doesn't Work - YouTube

[bob]

I really wish that whatever bill gets passed wouldn't go into affect until 2019 and next year they would publish some decent guidelines for people so they can plan ahead. Some people are going to have a nasty surprise that they aren't prepared for.

For example, lets take a family with 3 kids (and i'm rounding numbers here to make the math easy).

Current:

Standard deduction: 12,000
Personal exemptions: 20,000
Mortgage interest, taxes, donations, etc: 20,000

So this family itemizes and knocks off 32,000 at the start.

New bill (if passed as today):

Standard deduction: 24,000
Personal exemptions: 0
Mortgage interest, taxes, donations, etc: 20,000

So now they take the standard since that is more than itemizing... but they are now left with taxes on another $12,000 of income, which in the 25% bracket would be another $3,000. Hope they planned ahead given that surveys say that something like 50% of households would have trouble with an unexpected $500 bill.

Now, I know that doesn't take into account child tax credits and other stuff, but I think my point is this is going to have some trouble for a lot of people in the middle.

Edit: Heard this on the radio, so not sure where the numbers come from, but...

- 50 million households under $200,000/yr get no tax cut
- 20 million households under $200,000/yr get a tax increase

[JPhillips]

In the Senate bill all the income tax provisions expire in eight years while all the corporate tax cuts are permanent.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by bob

I really wish that whatever bill gets passed wouldn't go into affect until 2019 and next year they would publish some decent guidelines for people so they can plan ahead. Some people are going to have a nasty surprise that they aren't prepared for.

For example, lets take a family with 3 kids (and i'm rounding numbers here to make the math easy).

Current:

Standard deduction: 12,000
Personal exemptions: 20,000
Mortgage interest, taxes, donations, etc: 20,000

So this family itemizes and knocks off 32,000 at the start.

New bill (if passed as today):

Standard deduction: 24,000
Personal exemptions: 0
Mortgage interest, taxes, donations, etc: 20,000

So now they take the standard since that is more than itemizing... but they are now left with taxes on another $12,000 of income, which in the 25% bracket would be another $3,000. Hope they planned ahead given that surveys say that something like 50% of households would have trouble with an unexpected $500 bill.

Now, I know that doesn't take into account child tax credits and other stuff, but I think my point is this is going to have some trouble for a lot of people in the middle.

Edit: Heard this on the radio, so not sure where the numbers come from, but...

- 50 million households under $200,000/yr get no tax cut
- 20 million households under $200,000/yr get a tax increase

You would think in the end it will just be more federal debt with a lot cut out. They can't just alienate voters with tax increases like you describe right? I mean with these idiots in Congress anything is possible but it seems like you don't want "values" voter Joe Schmoe who always votes straight GOP to get a $3000 tax bill from the IRS when he is supposed to get getting a refund check.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by panerd

You would think in the end it will just be more federal debt with a lot cut out. They can't just alienate voters with tax increases like you describe right? I mean with these idiots in Congress anything is possible but it seems like you don't want "values" voter Joe Schmoe who always votes straight GOP to get a $3000 tax bill from the IRS when he is supposed to get getting a refund check.

That will just be spun into some other kind of BS that they believe, just like everything else coming from the GOP.

[bob]

Originally Posted by panerd

You would think in the end it will just be more federal debt with a lot cut out. They can't just alienate voters with tax increases like you describe right? I mean with these idiots in Congress anything is possible but it seems like you don't want "values" voter Joe Schmoe who always votes straight GOP to get a $3000 tax bill from the IRS when he is supposed to get getting a refund check.

Well, the issue there is the 2 party system, right? It's very possible this Joe Schmoe is still gonna vote GOP for some other issue (gun rights, abortion, etc).

[panerd]

Originally Posted by Logan

That will just be spun into some other kind of BS that they believe, just like everything else coming from the GOP.

I don't disagree that this is true with most of their programs/ideas but most of the programs don't effect their core middle class voter like this one would. This one you would think would really stick out. I mean there is a reason neither party ever wants to increase taxes (outside of the normal bs they say) and that's losing votes.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by panerd

You would think in the end it will just be more federal debt with a lot cut out. They can't just alienate voters with tax increases like you describe right? I mean with these idiots in Congress anything is possible but it seems like you don't want "values" voter Joe Schmoe who always votes straight GOP to get a $3000 tax bill from the IRS when he is supposed to get getting a refund check.

If you look at charts on the new Senate bill, by the end of the ten year window it's basically a huge corporate tax cut paid for by tax increases on the poor and middle class, but they are terrified of their donors who are apparently saying, pass this or count us out.

As bad as this is, wait until next year, when Ryan says they are going to "reform" Medicare and Social Security. The Congressional GOP may end up with a zero approval rating.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by bob

Well, the issue there is the 2 party system, right? It's very possible this Joe Schmoe is still gonna vote GOP for some other issue (gun rights, abortion, etc).

Maybe but I think while people like to claim otherwise their pocketbook will always trump all other issues. A authoritarian who promised to reduce all income tax to 0 in exchange for all sorts of drastic measures would probably get a large chunk of votes.

[bob]

As someone that I think is gonna be squeezed by this, we are looking for things to do before the end of the year. So we are likely going to accelerate some charitable donations of cash that we would have liked to do 2018 into this year, as well as go through our entire house to look at donations of household items so we can get that benefit in the 2017 tax year instead of the unknown 2018 tax year. Any other ideas that people have?

[panerd]

Originally Posted by bob

As someone that I think is gonna be squeezed by this, we are looking for things to do before the end of the year. So we are likely going to accelerate some charitable donations of cash that we would have liked to do 2018 into this year, as well as go through our entire house to look at donations of household items so we can get that benefit in the 2017 tax year instead of the unknown 2018 tax year. Any other ideas that people have?

Probably not terrible ideas but I wouldn't do anything drastic yet. Repealing Obamacare seemed like it would be the easiest (easy meaning most support from their base) and that didn't happen. You have to think there will be a few hold outs on this one for the same reason.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by panerd

I don't disagree that this is true with most of their programs/ideas but most of the programs don't effect their core middle class voter like this one would. This one you would think would really stick out. I mean there is a reason neither party ever wants to increase taxes (outside of the normal bs they say) and that's losing votes.

I stopped believing things would eventually "stick out" once involvement with fucking Russians got dismissed with talking points.

But your point is valid that it tends to be the wallet that eventually hurts. My worry though is the amount of damage that will be done in the time it takes for all that core middle class to actually realize it.

[BBT]

This sounds straight out of a mafia movie.

Firm founded by KGB spy to guard US Moscow embassy
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41947030

The US State Department has employed a private firm set up by a veteran Soviet-era spy to provide security for its Moscow embassy and diplomatic missions in Russia.

The move comes after Moscow ordered the US to more than halve its staff in Russia earlier this year.

The US has now signed a contract with Elite Security Holdings, founded by the ex-KGB General Viktor Budanov.

General Budanov was a close friend of British spy and defector Kim Philby.
A notice on the US State Department website shows the contract with Elite Security Holdings is worth more than $2.8m (£2.1m).

A document posted online outlining "justification and approval" for the contract says guards at the Moscow embassy and other US missions were among the staff included in the expulsion order, adding: "The only option available, to ensure security services continue, is via a commercial contract."

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Logan

That will just be spun into some other kind of BS that they believe, just like everything else coming from the GOP.

My bet is that it'll be spun as being because of 'Obamacare' that the evil Democrats have been preventing them removing ....

[Thomkal]

Can we pick the card(s) that will go there?

Cards Against Humanity buys a piece of the U.S. border - CBS News

[RainMaker]

[Groundhog]

About time those 0.1%ers caught a break.

[Atocep]

It's funny that anyone thought Trump was going to come in and help the middle class.

I'd bet nearly anything he wouldn't have been within $100k if asked to identify middle class earnings when he took office and I'd say there's still probably a 50% chance that hasn't changed.

[Thomkal]

We don't really need elephants do we?

Trophies from elephant hunts in Zimbabwe were banned in the U.S. Trump just reversed that. - The Washington Post

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

We don't really need elephants do we?

You're looking at this from an elitist perspective ... the middle class hunt and they need to bring their trophies home from their little hunting expeditions).

(both Trumps sons do trophy hunting and in his mind I'm sure they're 'middle class' as they have less money than he does )

[Thomkal]

well excuse my elitist blood I'm sure he had no thought on this other than his sons when he agreed to it.

[mckerney]

No longer will the middle class be forced to pay unfair taxes on their private jets.

JUST DISCOVERED: The Senate tax bill includes a tax break for private aircraft. Can you believe this? Not a joke ���� pic.twitter.com/KW6RCQGeYw

— Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) November 16, 2017

[JPhillips]

This seems like it should get some attention.

The BBC has uncovered details of a secret deal that let hundreds of IS fighters and their families escape from Raqqa, under the gaze of the US and British-led coalition and Kurdish-led forces who control the city.

….The deal to let IS fighters escape from Raqqa — de facto capital of their self-declared caliphate…would spare lives and bring fighting to an end. The lives of the Arab, Kurdish and other fighters opposing IS would be spared. But it also enabled many hundreds of IS fighters to escape from the city….Has the pact, which stood as Raqqa’s dirty secret, unleashed a threat to the outside world — one that has enabled militants to spread far and wide across Syria and beyond?

….Publicly, the SDF said that only a few dozen fighters had been able to leave, all of them locals. But one lorry driver tells us that isn’t true. “We took out around 4,000 people including women and children — our vehicle and their vehicles combined. When we entered Raqqa, we thought there were 200 people to collect. In my vehicle alone, I took 112 people.”

….Another driver says the convoy was six to seven kilometres long….Footage secretly filmed and passed to us shows lorries towing trailers crammed with armed men. Despite an agreement to take only personal weapons, IS fighters took everything they could carry. Ten trucks were loaded with weapons and ammunition.

….In light of the BBC investigation, the coalition now admits the part it played in the deal. Some 250 IS fighters were allowed to leave Raqqa, with 3,500 of their family members.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

This seems like it should get some attention.

It sounds like something that would have happened under Obama, and rest assured if it had, you'd have a large contingent of opposition literally calling for him to be hung for treason. Not shot. Hung.

[whomario]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

We don't really need elephants do we?

Trophies from elephant hunts in Zimbabwe were banned in the U.S. Trump just reversed that. - The Washington Post

Trump is an apathetic, amoral POS who doesn't care about nor understand cause/effect/perception. I expect plenty more of this sort of "minor" stuff get pushed by him because it is so incredibly easy to spin things to him in a way that makes him go "hey, thats a pip of an idea, let's do that"

Also give the NRA sth to talk about: "gee, ain't it awesome what good weapons do. Conservation, just doing out part. Wait, you still wanna talk about Las Vegas and stuff ? Outrageous ... "

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by whomario

Trump is an apathetic, amoral POS who doesn't care about nor understand cause/effect/perception. I expect plenty more of this sort of "minor" stuff get pushed by him because it is so incredibly easy to spin things to him in a way that makes him go "hey, thats a pip of an idea, let's do that"

I don't think we say "pip of an idea" here

[whomario]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

I don't think we say "pip of an idea" here

Well you should