General Trump hilarity free-for-all thread

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Jesus, that press conference with Sean Spicer stammering about inauguration turnout and the lying media lying about it.

https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/politics/100000004886429/white-house-press-secretary-slams-media.html

I keep thinking "the media has to grow a spine and start fucking them back", but then I remember who owns the media.

Yeah, that's a huge part of the problem. There are good reasons why people don't trust the media, so instead they've just started believing any stream of noise that fits their preferred worldview. Actual journalism has been more or less replaced by facebook memes.

It's looking more and more like the 19th century. http://www.news.ucsb.edu/2016/017497/news-evolution

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

We even have the modern equivalent of snake oil salesmen.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

"Alternative facts."   

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/22/kellyanne-conway-says-donald-trumps-team-has-alternate-facts-which-pretty-much-says-it-all/?utm_term=.87be7bfcf4b3

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I wonder how seriously this will be taken?

http://www.salon.com/2017/01/21/this-week-in-donald-trumps-conflicts-of-interest-he-violated-the-emoluments-clause-at-noon-friday/

Trump may like to brag about mastering the art of the deal (which he didn't write), but the emoluments clause of the Constitution is not negotiable.

"A president is not permitted to receive cash and other benefits from foreign governments," Norman Eisen, former special counsel on ethics and government reform to President Barack Obama, said on NPR Thursday. "And yet, Donald Trump is getting a steady flow of them around the world and right here in the United States."

In case you think Eisen is speaking from some dastardly liberal bias, the former chief ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, Richard Painter, has the same opinion. "The president needs to focus on protecting the United States and American interests in a very dangerous world," Painter said. "I really hope that President Trump takes the steps he needs to, to be free of conflict of interest in that endeavor."

[Cain]

Well, depends on how quickly the Republicans pass their agenda, or how big the backlash is.

Current theory is that the Republicans are going to use Trump to pass most of their most wanted agenda, then let him implode and kick him to the curb so that President Pence's much safer (and larger) hands are on the steering wheel.  Maybe the Democrats would do it in 2018 if they retook the House and Senate...but that's going to take a lot of work, and I think they're also worried about any impeachment process which doesn't also snag Pence.  They may be playing wait and see with the intelligence service's investigations into the Russia links of Trump's campaign...if they can implicate Pence in that too, then I think it may happen.

Of course, you'll notice neither of these options involve people actually enforcing the law on the books as they should, only when it's politically expedient for them.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Well, depends on how quickly the Republicans pass their agenda, or how big the backlash is.

Current theory is that the Republicans are going to use Trump to pass most of their most wanted agenda, then let him implode and kick him to the curb so that President Pence's much safer (and larger) hands are on the steering wheel.  Maybe the Democrats would do it in 2018 if they retook the House and Senate...but that's going to take a lot of work, and I think they're also worried about any impeachment process which doesn't also snag Pence.  They may be playing wait and see with the intelligence service's investigations into the Russia links of Trump's campaign...if they can implicate Pence in that too, then I think it may happen.

Of course, you'll notice neither of these options involve people actually enforcing the law on the books as they should, only when it's politically expedient for them.

Who's next up if Pence is also impeached?

[Cain]

The Speaker of House takes on the role, I believe.

This of course could be Paul Ryan's own double game against Pence and Trump.

[Salty]

The Speaker of House takes on the role, I believe.

This of course could be Paul Ryan's own double game against Pence and Trump.

If Ryan manages that I will be impressed, even if I hate that guys guts. I mean, way to make the best out of a bad situation. For himself anyway.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

At least Paul Ryan has a plan.

It might be a terrible plan, but it's a plan nonetheless.

[Cain]

If nothing else, the next 6-18 months are going to make it very clear where everyone's alleigances lie.  Trump doesn't have a power base and hasn't played the game...he's dead meat and he doesn't even know it.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

If nothing else, the next 6-18 months are going to make it very clear where everyone's alleigances lie.  Trump doesn't have a power base and hasn't played the game...he's dead meat and he doesn't even know it.

I hope this is as funny as it looks like it's going to be.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Paul Ryan is the guy behind the agenda to eliminate the ACA, Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, and Planned Parenthood.

But at least Sauron has a plan.

[Salty]

If nothing else, the next 6-18 months are going to make it very clear where everyone's alleigances lie.  Trump doesn't have a power base and hasn't played the game...he's dead meat and he doesn't even know it.

I think it'd be worth all this just to see Trump get ousted and humiliated. Ryan's rough, but it seems like he's the type that's easier to counter because he has a plan and certain interests. Trump really only has his own interests and is too unpredictable to counter, clearly.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

If nothing else, the next 6-18 months are going to make it very clear where everyone's alleigances lie.  Trump doesn't have a power base and hasn't played the game...he's dead meat and he doesn't even know it.

I think it'd be worth all this just to see Trump get ousted and humiliated. Ryan's rough, but it seems like he's the type that's easier to counter because he has a plan and certain interests. Trump really only has his own interests and is too unpredictable to counter, clearly.

If we can get the damn voters off their asses, we can re-take Congress in 2018, and even if Ryan ends up in office we'll be able to lame duck him until 2020. Problem is, there's a good long stretch before 2018. Well, and the other problem is that an awful  lot of voters seem to have no idea how politics work or why midterm elections are important.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

sweet fucking Jesus.