The Trump Presidency – 2016

[Thomkal]

We haven't really touched on the Lesley Stahl's news where she said Trump during the campaign told her off-camera that he was trying to discredit journalists so the American people would stop believing their stories about him. I think that may have been what sparked Wallace to give her disclaimer.



I think now the mainstream media has to go full on attack with him and anyone representing his adminstration. Stop covering his tweets as breaking news and not have any one representing the communications staff on their network anymore. Dems need to stop hesitating about going after Trump in the midterms and go full-bore on him and any R running for re-election.



Lesley Stahl says Donald Trump admitted attacking press to "discredit" media coverage of "negative stories" - CBS News

[panerd]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

We haven't really touched on the Lesley Stahl's news where she said Trump during the campaign told her off-camera that he was trying to discredit journalists so the American people would stop believing their stories about him. I think that may have been what sparked Wallace to give her disclaimer.



I think now the mainstream media has to go full on attack with him and anyone representing his adminstration. Stop covering his tweets as breaking news and not have any one representing the communications staff on their network anymore. Dems need to stop hesitating about going after Trump in the midterms and go full-bore on him and any R running for re-election.



Lesley Stahl says Donald Trump admitted attacking press to "discredit" media coverage of "negative stories" - CBS News

Yeah they have really been hands off the last year or so.

[Thomkal]

Looks like some Christian leaders are coming to their senses about Trump:


Christian leaders call out the 'theological heresy' of Trumpism - The Washington Post

[whomario]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Yup. Just logged out and went to twitter.com/realdonaldtrump and I can read all the Trump foolishness I can handle without logging in.

Not everything is about practicality. I mean, isn't this the internet equivalent of going to a proposed open discussion forum but have your mouth taped over at the entrance ? Why should a user renounce access to all of twitters functions interacting with his tweets just to gain access to the content ? Now i am not much of a twitter user myself, but i would guess you miss out on functions even aside from posting (like notifications maybe ?).

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Yup. Just logged out and went to twitter.com/realdonaldtrump and I can read all the Trump foolishness I can handle without logging in.

You aren't able to read any tweets he might send that are replies to someone else.

[BBT]

BREAKING: Trump cancels June 12 summit with North Korea's Kim, citing 'tremendous anger and open hostility' in recent statement.

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 24, 2018

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

You aren't able to read any tweets he might send that are replies to someone else.

Has he sent any replies since he became President? (Serious question. I don't know for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't.)

[Edward64]

Oh well, sorry to see the summit collapse. I don't think the Libya reference helped.

I would say that I hope this paves way for alot of lower level discussions before another summit (e.g. later in the year?) but then it just becomes a delay tactic until NK gets to the next milestone (e.g. I think re-entry).

[Thomkal]

Shocking! Guess world problems aren't that easy after all.

[Thomkal]

At least he wrote a nice letter:


https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/24/polit...-un/index.html

[BYU 14]

Pence is a fucking idiot, maybe next time check your VP. Did they really expect a reference to a government that was overthrown and ended in a brutal death to instill confidence in the North?

[BBT]

This is why Trump shouldn't have made such a big deal about the summit in the first place as this has been North Korea's M.O. throughout their history.

This is why having competent advisors, diplomats, cabinet members, State Department officials, etc is important. Of course, that would require a competent president.

[bhlloy]

Anyone want to buy a shipment of coins?

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by BBT

This is why Trump shouldn't have made such a big deal about the summit in the first place as this has been North Korea's M.O. throughout their history.

This is why having competent advisors, diplomats, cabinet members, State Department officials, etc is important. Of course, that would require a competent president.

I'm glad he took a chance at it.

TBH, I think crazy kid has come out better than Trump in the region, he has managed to divide us more from SK ... which is fine, because SK is wealthy and mature enough to do their own self-defense with the US supporting from afar.

My guess is the hawks will ramp up the rhetoric again.

[JPhillips]

This is why you don't plan a summit before most of the details have been worked out for the agreement. There was never any chance for a good agreement because Trump doesn't know enough to negotiate the details.

[albionmoonlight]

There is some value to outsiders. There's an argument that someone like President Trump might have been able to do something big like unite North and South Korea because he did not grow up in the groupthink of "it can't be done."

The problem is the outsiders also lack the experience and skill that comes with being an insider.

The best solution is probably having an insider with lots of outsider advisers or an outsider with lots of highly-competent insider advisers.

[whomario]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Oh well, sorry to see the summit collapse. I don't think the Libya reference helped.

.

You don't say.

Also, the only crazy one is currently in a big white building in the US. The "crazy kid" isn't half as whacky as the guy sitting on the biggest arsenal of nuclear weapons.

If Trump was ruler of NK, the US would have (had to have) bombed them into the stone age by now in actual self defense.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

There is some value to outsiders. There's an argument that someone like President Trump might have been able to do something big like unite North and South Korea because he did not grow up in the groupthink of "it can't be done."

The problem is the outsiders also lack the experience and skill that comes with being an insider.

The best solution is probably having an insider with lots of outsider advisers or an outsider with lots of highly-competent insider advisers.

Perhaps Trump could have been the one to say, "Get this done," but the summit was to be the negotiations and Trump can't do that. He knows nothing about the details and by all accounts isn't willing to even be briefed on the details. There was never any chance this summit would be more than a TV stunt.

[BBT]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I'm glad he took a chance at it.

TBH, I think crazy kid has come out better than Trump in the region, he has managed to divide us more from SK ... which is fine, because SK is wealthy and mature enough to do their own self-defense with the US supporting from afar.

My guess is the hawks will ramp up the rhetoric again.

Trying is fine, but do it privately and don't make a spectacle of it. He should know that North Korea has done this before and has no problem making him look like a fool and going back to their old ways. Use caution and set parameters that they have to meet ahead of time.

Now he's left holding the bag and the world is laughing at him, and us...again.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by BBT

This is why Trump shouldn't have made such a big deal about the summit in the first place as this has been North Korea's M.O. throughout their history.

This is why having competent advisors, diplomats, cabinet members, State Department officials, etc is important. Of course, that would require a competent president.

Anyone who has followed history knows this is what NK does. Act nice for awhile, signal they want to talk, then back out.

This situation allowed the easing of sanctions from China and put a rift between the US and SK.

From 18 years ago when a bunch of idiots fell for the same crap too:

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Is “blocking” on Twitter really keeping someone from seeing his communications, though? Can’t you just log out and see everything you want?

You can. I think Twitter was kind of a silly medium here to use but I think the ruling has been consistent with previous ones.

I can easily ask my neighbor if they received a public notice if the Mayor doesn't like me and doesn't send me out those notices. But I shouldn't have to. Judge found that he could get the same benefit from muting people on Twitter.

[whomario]

Originally Posted by BBT

Trying is fine, but do it privately and don't make a spectacle of it. He should know that North Korea has done this before and has no problem making him look like a fool and going back to their old ways. Use caution and set parameters that they have to meet ahead of time.

Now he's left holding the bag and the world is laughing at him, and us...again.

How is any of this even NKs "fault" in this particular case ? Unless i missed something, Trump and co were the ones constantly misinterpreting things and using a language of "open hostility". Shouldn't the one holding the cards (presumably the US) be expected to use some common sense and restraint, rather than lobbing thinly veiled threats like Pence just did ? I just don't get how you can prepare for a first summit, normally just meant to gauge the temperature, by essentially saying it will be an "either you bow down and do whatever the fuck we want or we will stomp you" thing ? And then expect the other party to happily go along ?

And this sort of bullying seems to be the extent of Trump's foreign policy so far.

[RainMaker]

Just LOL

18 lawmakers nominate President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize pic.twitter.com/2ZfA6jONLc

— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) May 3, 2018

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

The best solution is probably having an insider with lots of outsider advisers or an outsider with lots of highly-competent insider advisers.

Yep, part of what made Reagan's administration what it was, he was a Washington outsider, but he had insiders he could fall back on.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Just LOL

18 lawmakers nominate President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize pic.twitter.com/2ZfA6jONLc

— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) May 3, 2018

Eh, I personally don't think Obama deserved his either.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Eh, I personally don't think Obama deserved his either.

Me either.

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by whomario

If he is communicating stuff relevant to his presidency, there is no way he should be able to decide on who has access to it and who doesn't.

Right, but as has been pointed out everyone can still see it. In this way it is a more open-to-everyone form of communication than the SOTU speech, or a press conference, or a nationwide primetime televised address. In all those cases there is a middleman where you need to rely on the reporting or broadcasting of others(twitter could be considered that as well, but they are going to put whatever he writes up there, as opposed to the fact that the networks have on occasion not broadcast presidential addresses). Not everyone can be at the other types of things(i.e, inauguration etc.) in person.

There are a great many negative things that can, have, and should continue to be said about how Trump uses twitter. There's enough material there to impeach him several times over IMO. But at the same time it would seem self-evident that him using twitter makes his pronunciations more accessible to the masses, not less.

Originally Posted by Rainmaker

Your local township ban certain individuals from showing up to town halls just because they don't like their politics. They can't decide to only mail out important government information to those who are friendly to their party.

I understand what you are saying here, but I think it's beside the point and these comparisons don't really fly. Trump's tweets aren't really comparable to a town hall, they are more 'press release' territory because he doesn't(unless I've missed something) go on there and interact with the public or do it to get feedback from constituents. He's just going there and making pronouncements, often profoundly idiotic ones at their best but still that's what they are. In the second, none of his tweets constitute official governmental action; he's still got to issue an executive order or staff out to someone to make the required machinery get in motion -- all of those other channels still have to happen.

[bronconick]

China should hold a conference in Singapore with the Koreas without us. It's their region now anyway.

[RainMaker]

It is kind of crazy that Europe is starting to side with Russia while Asia is starting to side with China. Pretty big hit the global standing of the U.S. as well as it's national security.

[whomario]

Of course it's not a practical problem to log out right now, but should that be the point here ? And if one wants to talk practicality: What if in a year Twitter goes the way of Facebook or Instagram and restricts what you can see when logging out and/or when not being a follower ?

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

Right, but as has been pointed out everyone can still see it. In this way it is a more open-to-everyone form of communication than the SOTU speech, or a press conference, or a nationwide primetime televised address. In all those cases there is a middleman where you need to rely on the reporting or broadcasting of others(twitter could be considered that as well, but they are going to put whatever he writes up there, as opposed to the fact that the networks have on occasion not broadcast presidential addresses). Not everyone can be at the other types of things(i.e, inauguration etc.) in person.

But in none of those other mediums (media ? ) any person can be forced to renounce his access to full functionality. One might not have a TV or access to a newspaper, true. But nobody is being refused access, i.e. turning on the TV and getting a test screen because he's "blocked" and being forced to watch on a TV that is not connected to him personally. I know the analogy is forced because of the difference in technology, but still

And like said before, logging out robs you of the possibility to interact with the posts (like not being able to retweet it) and by being blocked you don't get notified (i think) of new content either.

Of course it is not fundamentally a bad thing to use Twitter and the public does not have an inherent right to get that information (or "information", depending), but: Once he, as a public servant, decides to grant it, can you really argue he should decide to whome he grants it ?

Just because it gives access to more people in no way somehow makes it ok to restrict access to others, if it is used to broadcast official statements made as president. (like the ruling argues and others here find consistent with other areas of puclic service)

[RainMaker]

Not looking good for Roger Stone.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/roger-s...how-1527191428

[Thomkal]

But he said he never had contact with Assange? :::wide-eyed:::

[digamma]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Eh, I personally don't think Obama deserved his either.

Obama didn't think so either. What's your point? This was stupid.

[stevew]

I wasn't just sure, I was HPV positive this is how the NK thing would play out.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Just LOL

18 lawmakers nominate President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize pic.twitter.com/2ZfA6jONLc

— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) May 3, 2018

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

It is kind of crazy that Europe is starting to side with Russia while Asia is starting to side with China. Pretty big hit the global standing of the U.S. as well as it's national security.

"Europe" siding with Russia?
Public opinion here (in the Netherlands) is that Trump's idiocy is alienating the European Union as an ally, but the Russians are acting like they want to be to war against us (it seems that the Russian army shot down a civilian airplane in 2016, but they keep denying it was them). China sounds like the better option, until you realize how it just got more communistic than it already was.

Sigh...

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

"Europe" siding with Russia?
Public opinion here (in the Netherlands) is that Trump's idiocy is alienating the European Union as an ally, but the Russians are acting like they want to be to war against us (it seems that the Russian army shot down a civilian airplane in 2016, but they keep denying it was them). China sounds like the better option, until you realize how it just got more communistic than it already was.

Sigh...

New poll from Germany: 14% of Germans consider the United States to be a reliable partner. In comparison, 36% of Germans think Russia is a reliable partner. Tough to overstate how bad this is. pic.twitter.com/zvZpz4CI4d

— Marcel Dirsus (@marceldirsus) May 18, 2018

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by digamma

Obama didn't think so either. What's your point? This was stupid.

The point was ... I'm sure they think a precedence was set by the Nobel committee e.g. if Obama can get one, why not Trump. Obama got his for the potential/direction of his good work etc.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

New poll from Germany: 14% of Germans consider the United States to be a reliable partner. In comparison, 36% of Germans think Russia is a reliable partner. Tough to overstate how bad this is. pic.twitter.com/zvZpz4CI4d

— Marcel Dirsus (@marceldirsus) May 18, 2018

That's Germany, not "Europe".

To add, Russia isn't really finishing 1st here, 58% not trusting Russia isn't something to be proud of either. As far as I know, Germany doesn't have a long-standing love relationship with the USA, unlike some other countries in Europe do or did.

[jeff061]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Eh, I personally don't think Obama deserved his either.

Neither did he.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

That's Germany, not "Europe".

To add, Russia isn't really finishing 1st here, 58% not trusting Russia isn't something to be proud of either. As far as I know, Germany doesn't have a long-standing love relationship with the USA, unlike some other countries in Europe do or did.

I'd be amazed if the UK has a rate higher than that at present - everyone I know from England presently thinks Trump is an idiot and a dangerous one at that.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Not looking good for Roger Stone.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/roger-s...how-1527191428

He may get to share a cell with Julian Assange and he can find out at last what was in the Clinton emails:


https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/24/polit...m_source=twCNN

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/24/polit...m_source=twCNN

"Related article: A GOP congressman's lonely quest defending Julian Assange"

Of COURSE it's Rohrbacher.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

That's Germany, not "Europe".

To add, Russia isn't really finishing 1st here, 58% not trusting Russia isn't something to be proud of either. As far as I know, Germany doesn't have a long-standing love relationship with the USA, unlike some other countries in Europe do or did.

Germany is an incredibly important ally from a national security standpoint.

[bbgunn]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Anyone want to buy a shipment of coins?

You owe me a new work computer, thanks to all the coffee I spit on it laughing at your comment.

This is why you don't make freakin' coins for freakin' summits!

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

"Related article: A GOP congressman's lonely quest defending Julian Assange"

Of COURSE it's Rohrbacher.

I would have guessed him in one guess.

[Thomkal]

Page 200 guys! Celebrate ?!?

[NobodyHere]

John McCain’s shocking concession on the Iraq War: it was a “mistake�

At least he can admit to it.

[Thomkal]

So Randy Credico, Julian Assange's "contact" here in the US was on Ari Melber's show tonight and says Assange now wants to talk to Adam Schiff's committee. Adam Schiff says he'll be glad to have Assange do that...when he's in US custody. Wouldn't trust one thing out of Credico's mouth, but looking more and more likely Ecuador is going to kick Assange out of their Embassy, so I guess he's going to need a new place to live...



TheBeat w/Ari Melber‏Verified account @TheBeatWithAri 2h2 hours ago

Randy Credico tells @AriMelber why Julian Assange wants to meet with Rep. Adam Schiff "He's ready to show that there is no collusion"

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

"Related article: A GOP congressman's lonely quest defending Julian Assange"

Of COURSE it's Rohrbacher.

Speaking of Rohrbacher, no its not ok to not sell your house to a gay couple if your morals/religion are against it:


Rohrabacher Says It’s OK to Not Sell Homes to Gay People