After reading this article and watching Trump and his current set of henchmen and women, I have decided that while he is constantly calling others traitors, he is actually the traitor. His actions more and more reflect the actions of someone trying to destroy both the Constitution of the United States and the United States itself. Nothing he does or proposes makes much sense either from an economic, national security, and legal, or constitutional point of view. Why is he imposing tariffs on foods that aren't even made in the US, bananas and coffee, for example? For that matter why is he imposing tariffs that only hurt American consumers and farmers? Why is Trump so enthralled with Putin and XI and why would he want to do anything that might, in the least bit, support either Russia or China? Why does he hate all of our real allies and suck up to our real enemies? Russia over Ukraine being an excellent example. Why should we help China with anything especially computer chips? Why did Trump give $40 Billion to bail out Argentina? Why has he been pardoning foreign drug dealers, like Juan Orlando Hernández, the former President of Honduras serving a 45-year sentence in a U.S. federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Why has Trump pardoned or granted clemency to over 100 felons who were caught and sentenced to long terms by US Courts for smuggling and dealing drugs yet he seems to want to start another foreign war with Valenzuela over drugs?
The only real duty of the President is to protect and defend the US and our Constitution. Trump, instead, is a traitor to the US and its Constitution. I truly hope the Republicans are doomed in the mid-terms, and expect to see them suffer massive defeats in the House and hope to see that also occur in the Senate. Will voters remember their duty is to the country and the Constitution not to Trump, any of his henchmen and women, or any of his fellow grifters?
Today's home page was like Let's Make a Deal: Door #1 promised JVL gloom and doom, Door #2 promised some light at the end of the tunnel. Not today, Door #1, not today.
Oh, boo hoo for those sad Republican Congress members who are so upset about their probable upcoming 2026 defeat. They bear full responsibility for the mess they, and we, are in. They either supported the Trump agenda because they agreed with it, or stayed quiet and hid out because they were afraid to disagree. They abdicated their responsibility to carry out the oaths they swore when elected. They deserve everything that is coming. Vote em all out, every single one, both the active collaborators and the sniveling cowards.
Trump won't change anything. He's been lying, conning and grifting all his life and it has somehow worked for him. However, everything has a shelf life, including him.
"the House passed a bill overturning a Trump executive order stripping union protections from some federal workers," It's nice to see a concept-of-a-spine in Congress but even if it passes the Senate, Trump will veto it and neither the House nor Senate will get the votes to override.
People need to understand VERY clearly that Trump is not following any sort of political strategy. He has zero policy goals in the sense that policy goals are usually understood. He doesn't really care about the re-election chances of any Senators or representatives beyond the possibility of losing a majority... and I am not convinced he REALLY cares about that. He has an Article 2 after all.
Trump is doing what he is doing for personal reasons. The reality is that Trump has only personal reasons--he is perhaps THE worst narcissist I have ever seen. EVERYTHING to him is personal. He is the stereotype of Louis XIV (L'etat c'est moi) on steroids. It is an extension of his person, because only his person exists or is meaningful.
He is also the absolutely WORST type of bully. But he also shares the cowardice of the bully and the flip-side submissiveness of the bully.
As I have said in the past and will continue to say, Trump does things as/because:
1) Displaying/establishing dominance;
2) Enriching himself;
3) Somone cajoled him into doing it by being properly submissive and couching the thing in terms of either 1 or 2, above.
4) He failed to establish dominance and is now dominated in return and is kissing ass (Hello, Vlad and Xi!);
5) He craves adulation.
Tariffs are dominance, as is renaming things, as is the Ballroom. Crypto is pure enrichment (there are also aspects to that in his "economic" policies, overall). Heritage gets their 2025 stuff not because he is dedicated to their project (he probably barely understands their goals and reasons) but because there is something in it for HIM. He would drop them and burn them down in a heartbeast, just like anyone/thing else if it suited him.
If you try and measure Trump by standard political practice you will fail. If you expect him to act like an actual politician you will be disappointed. Trump recognizes ONLY strength (as he sees strength) and either exercises it or submits to it.
Giving in to him is the worst mistake you can make, be you an individual or a country or an institution. Trying to placate him is a mistake. Placating him is a sign of weakness, which means he moves on to the next thing to further establish his dominance untill you are forced to parrot the most blatant lies and do the most cruel and hurtful and hateful things.
If you stand up to him, things will eventually peter out as it becomes clear that you are not going to give in. He will stop talking about it, stop attacking, he will try and let it fade away while he shifts gears and focus to a better, easier target.
He also has absolutely zero loyalty or consideration. So no matter what you do, how much you kiss ass, you are ALWAYS at risk. he WILL throw you under the bus in a heartbeat if he thinks it is necessary.
The problem is that he now has the power of the US government behind him. Foreign leaders are aware of this and it is VERY difficult for them to counter him because most of these people care at some level about their citizens and country and it is hard to put that at risk.
But the way to win is not to submit or placate, as difficult as that is.
You do not hear much about Greenland any more. You do not hear much about Canada as the 51st state any more. That was resisted strongly enough that he diverted.
he constantly probes for weaknesses, keeps throwing shit against the wall until he either finds something that works or he diverts because nothing is working.
THAT is the man in the most powerful office in the world. Disgusting.
Andrew - not to get too nitpicky here, but Trump gave Susie Wiles the old "Gulf of Mexico" treatment during his speech in the Poconos. Going forward, her name is now Susie Trump.
I really hope that Kiersten Pels’ message continues to represent the official GOP position: Everything’s great. Trump is a genius. More tariffs. Let them eat cake. Let’s build that ballroom!
Three cheers for Spencer Deery, who has found his conservative principles (at least one of them) and acted on it. Let’s hope he’s the harbinger of a new trend of Republicans who are realizing that this President is not one of them. Trump’s of the belief that everything and everyone, one way or another, comes down to him, his acts or opinions. Susie Trump-er, Wiles, has said she’s putting the old guy out there to campaign like it’s 2024. I hope she does it. Campaigning is grueling, and he’s got to show how he’s sturdier and tougher than anybody else on the planet. He’s already dozing during Cabinet adulation sessions. This could put him in Walter Reed for another mystery MRI, if not outright kill him. Rock on, Susie!
The media write about the 2026 midterms as if they are certain to happen. Based on past experience, I can't imagine MAGA will let them happen without disruption.
It warms the cockles of my cold heart to know Repubs are worried about the mid-terms. It's hilarious that there are those that still believe they can influence Trump to tone down his message. They've been around him forever, so they just aren't paying attention. Nobody controls him, not even himself.
After reading this article and watching Trump and his current set of henchmen and women, I have decided that while he is constantly calling others traitors, he is actually the traitor. His actions more and more reflect the actions of someone trying to destroy both the Constitution of the United States and the United States itself. Nothing he does or proposes makes much sense either from an economic, national security, and legal, or constitutional point of view. Why is he imposing tariffs on foods that aren't even made in the US, bananas and coffee, for example? For that matter why is he imposing tariffs that only hurt American consumers and farmers? Why is Trump so enthralled with Putin and XI and why would he want to do anything that might, in the least bit, support either Russia or China? Why does he hate all of our real allies and suck up to our real enemies? Russia over Ukraine being an excellent example. Why should we help China with anything especially computer chips? Why did Trump give $40 Billion to bail out Argentina? Why has he been pardoning foreign drug dealers, like Juan Orlando Hernández, the former President of Honduras serving a 45-year sentence in a U.S. federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Why has Trump pardoned or granted clemency to over 100 felons who were caught and sentenced to long terms by US Courts for smuggling and dealing drugs yet he seems to want to start another foreign war with Valenzuela over drugs?
The only real duty of the President is to protect and defend the US and our Constitution. Trump, instead, is a traitor to the US and its Constitution. I truly hope the Republicans are doomed in the mid-terms, and expect to see them suffer massive defeats in the House and hope to see that also occur in the Senate. Will voters remember their duty is to the country and the Constitution not to Trump, any of his henchmen and women, or any of his fellow grifters?
Today's home page was like Let's Make a Deal: Door #1 promised JVL gloom and doom, Door #2 promised some light at the end of the tunnel. Not today, Door #1, not today.
Oh, boo hoo for those sad Republican Congress members who are so upset about their probable upcoming 2026 defeat. They bear full responsibility for the mess they, and we, are in. They either supported the Trump agenda because they agreed with it, or stayed quiet and hid out because they were afraid to disagree. They abdicated their responsibility to carry out the oaths they swore when elected. They deserve everything that is coming. Vote em all out, every single one, both the active collaborators and the sniveling cowards.
Trump won't change anything. He's been lying, conning and grifting all his life and it has somehow worked for him. However, everything has a shelf life, including him.
"the House passed a bill overturning a Trump executive order stripping union protections from some federal workers," It's nice to see a concept-of-a-spine in Congress but even if it passes the Senate, Trump will veto it and neither the House nor Senate will get the votes to override.
Here in Georgia, it’s normie R insurance commissioner John King calling them out - https://www.ajc.com/politics/2025/12/red-flags-piling-up-for-georgia-republicans-heading-into-2026-midterms/
seems like you guys struck a raw nerve with the GOP. Kuddos.
People need to understand VERY clearly that Trump is not following any sort of political strategy. He has zero policy goals in the sense that policy goals are usually understood. He doesn't really care about the re-election chances of any Senators or representatives beyond the possibility of losing a majority... and I am not convinced he REALLY cares about that. He has an Article 2 after all.
Trump is doing what he is doing for personal reasons. The reality is that Trump has only personal reasons--he is perhaps THE worst narcissist I have ever seen. EVERYTHING to him is personal. He is the stereotype of Louis XIV (L'etat c'est moi) on steroids. It is an extension of his person, because only his person exists or is meaningful.
He is also the absolutely WORST type of bully. But he also shares the cowardice of the bully and the flip-side submissiveness of the bully.
As I have said in the past and will continue to say, Trump does things as/because:
1) Displaying/establishing dominance;
2) Enriching himself;
3) Somone cajoled him into doing it by being properly submissive and couching the thing in terms of either 1 or 2, above.
4) He failed to establish dominance and is now dominated in return and is kissing ass (Hello, Vlad and Xi!);
5) He craves adulation.
Tariffs are dominance, as is renaming things, as is the Ballroom. Crypto is pure enrichment (there are also aspects to that in his "economic" policies, overall). Heritage gets their 2025 stuff not because he is dedicated to their project (he probably barely understands their goals and reasons) but because there is something in it for HIM. He would drop them and burn them down in a heartbeast, just like anyone/thing else if it suited him.
If you try and measure Trump by standard political practice you will fail. If you expect him to act like an actual politician you will be disappointed. Trump recognizes ONLY strength (as he sees strength) and either exercises it or submits to it.
Giving in to him is the worst mistake you can make, be you an individual or a country or an institution. Trying to placate him is a mistake. Placating him is a sign of weakness, which means he moves on to the next thing to further establish his dominance untill you are forced to parrot the most blatant lies and do the most cruel and hurtful and hateful things.
If you stand up to him, things will eventually peter out as it becomes clear that you are not going to give in. He will stop talking about it, stop attacking, he will try and let it fade away while he shifts gears and focus to a better, easier target.
He also has absolutely zero loyalty or consideration. So no matter what you do, how much you kiss ass, you are ALWAYS at risk. he WILL throw you under the bus in a heartbeat if he thinks it is necessary.
The problem is that he now has the power of the US government behind him. Foreign leaders are aware of this and it is VERY difficult for them to counter him because most of these people care at some level about their citizens and country and it is hard to put that at risk.
But the way to win is not to submit or placate, as difficult as that is.
You do not hear much about Greenland any more. You do not hear much about Canada as the 51st state any more. That was resisted strongly enough that he diverted.
he constantly probes for weaknesses, keeps throwing shit against the wall until he either finds something that works or he diverts because nothing is working.
THAT is the man in the most powerful office in the world. Disgusting.
100% agree!! Well stated. We need to always keep in mind what Trump is really like and what his motivation really is.
Andrew - not to get too nitpicky here, but Trump gave Susie Wiles the old "Gulf of Mexico" treatment during his speech in the Poconos. Going forward, her name is now Susie Trump.
I really hope that Kiersten Pels’ message continues to represent the official GOP position: Everything’s great. Trump is a genius. More tariffs. Let them eat cake. Let’s build that ballroom!
They will be crushed.
Lordy but that RNC response is tedious.
"and the successful policies of the America First movement."
Hmmm, so much for MAGA. Now Trump can sell a whole bunch of America First hats. MTG better get on it now or Trump will beat her to the merch.
"America First" went out of style on December 7, 1941. Today's MAGAs, descendants of the isolationists of the 1930s, have yet to figure that out.
Three cheers for Spencer Deery, who has found his conservative principles (at least one of them) and acted on it. Let’s hope he’s the harbinger of a new trend of Republicans who are realizing that this President is not one of them. Trump’s of the belief that everything and everyone, one way or another, comes down to him, his acts or opinions. Susie Trump-er, Wiles, has said she’s putting the old guy out there to campaign like it’s 2024. I hope she does it. Campaigning is grueling, and he’s got to show how he’s sturdier and tougher than anybody else on the planet. He’s already dozing during Cabinet adulation sessions. This could put him in Walter Reed for another mystery MRI, if not outright kill him. Rock on, Susie!
I would love to see him nod off mid sentence during one of his fascist rally speeches! That footage would be priceless!
The dude literally danced like a sleepwalker on stage at a rally pre-election for a half hour or so and that got no real traction.
The media write about the 2026 midterms as if they are certain to happen. Based on past experience, I can't imagine MAGA will let them happen without disruption.
Here’s my Cheap Shot to the Cheap Shot:
Maybe the wanna-be comedy-Sorkin should STFU for once since his aren’t-I-too-clever Obama stand-up helped pave this runway.
Not saying he could’ve predicted it - just saying there’s only one J Favreau I want to hear from, and it ain’t this guy.
It warms the cockles of my cold heart to know Repubs are worried about the mid-terms. It's hilarious that there are those that still believe they can influence Trump to tone down his message. They've been around him forever, so they just aren't paying attention. Nobody controls him, not even himself.