"Trump, in other words, is no less interested in the internal affairs of the rest of the world than the most diabolical globalist. All that differs is the vision he wishes to impose." Well-phrased.
1) It wasn’t that long ago that we heard Trump say that, paraphrasing here, the U.S. would not worry about other countries’ internal affairs, and we would base our foreign policy on what was good business for the U.S. Now with the announcement of the Brazil tariffs based on Brazil’s “internal affairs”, it’s almost as if Trump wasn’t being truthful with us. I, for one, am shocked!
2) I’m not much of one for conspiracy theories, but the “Epstein client list” one is one of the more believable ones. Only a completely delusional person could interpret Bondi’s February pronouncement that the “list is sitting on my desk” as anything other than what it clearly says. And suddenly the list never existed. Even the true Trumplicants aren’t buying that one.
And even if you somehow bought Bondi’s interpretation, how could anyone think that she is qualified for a job requiring the ability to communicate at least somewhat clearly. She is a lawyer after all. I wonder what a judge would say if she tried those linguistic gymnastics in court?
But, of course, the answer is that communication skills are secondary to sycophancy.
And it’s certainly not a big leap to conclude that the reason that the list “never existed” is because Trump wanted it gone.
"So the facts are these: Trump and Epstein were friends. Trump’s name is the Epstein files. Trump is responsible for the decision that no more information be released on Epstein."
So the reasonable (obvious?) conclusion is that there is something in there that will be damaging to Trump or an important ally(ies). Is there any other plausible conclusion we could arrive at?
Pirro is definitely not fit to serve. Closely related: Canada uses paper ballots only. They are counted in the presence of scrutineers from each party, to guard against cheating. Seems to work.
Re Epstein files, it is also a fact that an alleged underaged victim of Epstein testified under oath that she was violently raped by Trump. She settled out of court and was not heard from publicly again.
For those of you not totally online, "Noticer" is alt-right code for "racist", basically. So Ben Shapiro might have a race-realist on his show and winkingly call him a "Noticer". They use the word to post a lot too.
Bill, Andrew and Jim, Great work as always. Thanks for the articles, commentary and analysis. As it is with all men, and our time is over, " Facts are stubborn things " should be immortalized on Trump's tombstone. He has managed to lie, cheat and dodge his way through life avoiding accountability at every turn. He's had many willing accomplices that are complicit in these endeavors. Reasons for this may be numerous but nonetheless mystifying. History tells us that this will not last. With this guy the next lie might be his last step into quicksand. Let's hope we wise up in time to prevent sinking with him.
Trump's indifference to the true-false distinction was obvious to me from one single comment back in 2016: "Nobody reads the Bible more than me."
His devotees would say it was merely hyperbole, and "an exaggeration is not a lie," as I recall MAGAs retorting when his whoppers were exposed. But his educated apologists must have known that the statement was a brazen lie, along with countless others - such as his claim that the BBB was "the most popular bill ever signed into law,," and the tall tale about all the other NATO leaders coming up to him and saying "Sir, a few months ago your country was dead, and now it's the hottest country in the world!"
There are people smart enough to recognize that Trump is a congenital liar but who nevertheless insist that he is an unjustly persecuted man implementing a morally righteous agenda.
His indifference to the question of true vs. false has been part of his character for a long time, quite separate from his mental deterioration. Michael Cohen and others have said that he explicitly told them it doesn't matter if what they say on his behalf is true or not. It's reported to be a doctrine that Roy Cohn encouraged - though I'm sure it came naturally to Trump.
Seems likely, he'd have some carryovers from his first administration that could slow him down, no Elon/Doge, and most important, no Project 2025 primed and ready to blitzkrieg the government.
Is Ghislaine Maxwell, sitting in prison wondering why, if Trump "wishes her well." he doesn't issue her a pardon? I'll bet she is. I'll bet that in fact she's pissed off about it. "Why am I the only one in prison?" Can Elon Musk offer any solace?
Janine Pirro fits right in with Trump's other unfit nominees: Hegseth, Noem, Gabbard, Bondi, Patel, etc. At least Trump maintains a consistent level in the incompetence and lack of qualifications for his nominees. It may be the only consistency he has demonstrated in his first six months.
Putting America First aside for the moment, Trump's tariffs scheme so far has rested on bogus declarations of emergency--fentanyl, the border, the price of eggs, etc. There *is no* conceivable emergency, in this universe or in any other, in which Bolsonaro's legal problems pass muster as one. Add this one to the Impeachment file, copy to the Article 25 file.
The fact that Trump has encouraged the US citizenry--which barely exists because of his continuous attacks on due process and citizenship itself--to be more like North Koreans in their veneration for Kim Jong Un should have told everyone exactly where Trump is coming from. It's astounding that a majority of the American public didn't get the reference.
Since Felon Trump did not win by a majority of voters, 48.9%, the majority did get the reference. His supporters, many did, but like the majority of MAGA ignored it because they had expectations of Felon Trump improving their lives.
I always think it’s important to remember that those percentages of voters refer to the eligible voters who actually voted; that approximately 1/3 (33%) of eligible voters did not vote at all. Therefore, since only about 66% of the electorate actually voted, I like to look at it as Trump getting a little bit more than 1/3 of the electorate’s votes and Harris getting little bit less than 1/3 of the electorate’s votes. A mandate indeed.
Of course, I guess we’ll never know what the outcome would have been if all eligible voters actually voted.
49% beats 48%. Those who did not vote essentially voted for the candidate & Party who received the most votes.
There really is NO excuse for shirking one's civic responsibility by refusing or declining to vote in a local, state, or federal election.
I admit, of course, that I shirked my responsibility to vote in local elections when I was assigned to commands in Spain, Scotland, and Turkey.
I requested, received, and submitted absentee ballots for state and federal elections, no matter where I was assigned - in CONUS or Europe. Bless the FPO.
It's the world's crummiest "Close, but no cigar." However, his percentage is still a good number to keep in mind when the inevitable "Landslide!" lie and "Mandate!" mush come up again.
I do not cite the popular vote as a "landslide" - which it is not - or as supporting the very tenuous assertion of a "mandate". In fact, the actual numbers (percentages) argue decisively against either claim.
"STARTING TO GET SUSPICIOUS OF THIS PUTIN CHARACTER"
Huh? So it seems that Vlad isn't his friend after all and has just been shining him on the whole time.
Imagine that.
"Trump, in other words, is no less interested in the internal affairs of the rest of the world than the most diabolical globalist. All that differs is the vision he wishes to impose." Well-phrased.
A few comments...
1) It wasn’t that long ago that we heard Trump say that, paraphrasing here, the U.S. would not worry about other countries’ internal affairs, and we would base our foreign policy on what was good business for the U.S. Now with the announcement of the Brazil tariffs based on Brazil’s “internal affairs”, it’s almost as if Trump wasn’t being truthful with us. I, for one, am shocked!
2) I’m not much of one for conspiracy theories, but the “Epstein client list” one is one of the more believable ones. Only a completely delusional person could interpret Bondi’s February pronouncement that the “list is sitting on my desk” as anything other than what it clearly says. And suddenly the list never existed. Even the true Trumplicants aren’t buying that one.
And even if you somehow bought Bondi’s interpretation, how could anyone think that she is qualified for a job requiring the ability to communicate at least somewhat clearly. She is a lawyer after all. I wonder what a judge would say if she tried those linguistic gymnastics in court?
But, of course, the answer is that communication skills are secondary to sycophancy.
And it’s certainly not a big leap to conclude that the reason that the list “never existed” is because Trump wanted it gone.
"So the facts are these: Trump and Epstein were friends. Trump’s name is the Epstein files. Trump is responsible for the decision that no more information be released on Epstein."
So the reasonable (obvious?) conclusion is that there is something in there that will be damaging to Trump or an important ally(ies). Is there any other plausible conclusion we could arrive at?
Pirro is definitely not fit to serve. Closely related: Canada uses paper ballots only. They are counted in the presence of scrutineers from each party, to guard against cheating. Seems to work.
Re Epstein files, it is also a fact that an alleged underaged victim of Epstein testified under oath that she was violently raped by Trump. She settled out of court and was not heard from publicly again.
Here's what sad: I genuinely don't know if this would bring Trump down. Indeed, a part of me believes there's a greater chance that it won't. Ugh.
Are the cameras monitoring Ghislaine Maxwell's cell working, do ya think?
For those of you not totally online, "Noticer" is alt-right code for "racist", basically. So Ben Shapiro might have a race-realist on his show and winkingly call him a "Noticer". They use the word to post a lot too.
Bill, Andrew and Jim, Great work as always. Thanks for the articles, commentary and analysis. As it is with all men, and our time is over, " Facts are stubborn things " should be immortalized on Trump's tombstone. He has managed to lie, cheat and dodge his way through life avoiding accountability at every turn. He's had many willing accomplices that are complicit in these endeavors. Reasons for this may be numerous but nonetheless mystifying. History tells us that this will not last. With this guy the next lie might be his last step into quicksand. Let's hope we wise up in time to prevent sinking with him.
The truth is like gravity, eventually it takes hold. What has amazed me is how long it took.
Trump's indifference to the true-false distinction was obvious to me from one single comment back in 2016: "Nobody reads the Bible more than me."
His devotees would say it was merely hyperbole, and "an exaggeration is not a lie," as I recall MAGAs retorting when his whoppers were exposed. But his educated apologists must have known that the statement was a brazen lie, along with countless others - such as his claim that the BBB was "the most popular bill ever signed into law,," and the tall tale about all the other NATO leaders coming up to him and saying "Sir, a few months ago your country was dead, and now it's the hottest country in the world!"
There are people smart enough to recognize that Trump is a congenital liar but who nevertheless insist that he is an unjustly persecuted man implementing a morally righteous agenda.
He's on a different planet than the rest of us. Mercury I think, because his brain is fried.
His indifference to the question of true vs. false has been part of his character for a long time, quite separate from his mental deterioration. Michael Cohen and others have said that he explicitly told them it doesn't matter if what they say on his behalf is true or not. It's reported to be a doctrine that Roy Cohn encouraged - though I'm sure it came naturally to Trump.
I keep wondering if we'd have been better off if Trump had actually won in 2020...
Same. The minions would have had much less time to prepare.
Seems likely, he'd have some carryovers from his first administration that could slow him down, no Elon/Doge, and most important, no Project 2025 primed and ready to blitzkrieg the government.
Biden should challenge Trump to another debate.
You keep on using that word...I do not think it means what you think it means...
Is Ghislaine Maxwell, sitting in prison wondering why, if Trump "wishes her well." he doesn't issue her a pardon? I'll bet she is. I'll bet that in fact she's pissed off about it. "Why am I the only one in prison?" Can Elon Musk offer any solace?
She doesn't have a million dollars to give him.
Get a publishing company on the phone and get a tell-all book out of her. That'd sell one or two copies.
Janine Pirro fits right in with Trump's other unfit nominees: Hegseth, Noem, Gabbard, Bondi, Patel, etc. At least Trump maintains a consistent level in the incompetence and lack of qualifications for his nominees. It may be the only consistency he has demonstrated in his first six months.
Putting America First aside for the moment, Trump's tariffs scheme so far has rested on bogus declarations of emergency--fentanyl, the border, the price of eggs, etc. There *is no* conceivable emergency, in this universe or in any other, in which Bolsonaro's legal problems pass muster as one. Add this one to the Impeachment file, copy to the Article 25 file.
The fact that Trump has encouraged the US citizenry--which barely exists because of his continuous attacks on due process and citizenship itself--to be more like North Koreans in their veneration for Kim Jong Un should have told everyone exactly where Trump is coming from. It's astounding that a majority of the American public didn't get the reference.
Since Felon Trump did not win by a majority of voters, 48.9%, the majority did get the reference. His supporters, many did, but like the majority of MAGA ignored it because they had expectations of Felon Trump improving their lives.
I hate pointing out that 48.34% of voters voted for Kamala Harris while The Oath-Breaking SoB won 49.81% of the vote in November 2024.
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/2024
I always think it’s important to remember that those percentages of voters refer to the eligible voters who actually voted; that approximately 1/3 (33%) of eligible voters did not vote at all. Therefore, since only about 66% of the electorate actually voted, I like to look at it as Trump getting a little bit more than 1/3 of the electorate’s votes and Harris getting little bit less than 1/3 of the electorate’s votes. A mandate indeed.
Of course, I guess we’ll never know what the outcome would have been if all eligible voters actually voted.
49% beats 48%. Those who did not vote essentially voted for the candidate & Party who received the most votes.
There really is NO excuse for shirking one's civic responsibility by refusing or declining to vote in a local, state, or federal election.
I admit, of course, that I shirked my responsibility to vote in local elections when I was assigned to commands in Spain, Scotland, and Turkey.
I requested, received, and submitted absentee ballots for state and federal elections, no matter where I was assigned - in CONUS or Europe. Bless the FPO.
My mistake. Show have checked. Thought I knew the number. Thanks for the clarification.
No problem, Ms. Barz. It's a wonder that any of us can keep up with any, to say nothing of all, the "news" perpetrated by the Maladministration.
It's the world's crummiest "Close, but no cigar." However, his percentage is still a good number to keep in mind when the inevitable "Landslide!" lie and "Mandate!" mush come up again.
I do not cite the popular vote as a "landslide" - which it is not - or as supporting the very tenuous assertion of a "mandate". In fact, the actual numbers (percentages) argue decisively against either claim.
Exactly! My apologies if I seemed to misunderstand you.
No problem, Ms Kirch. Thanks!