Former President Trump

[Rhiannon]

it's great entertainment.

[ekim]

I expect that it is amusing to Putin.

[Anchorman]

I'm running out of popcorn. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/robert-mueller-grand-jury-russia-probe_us_59837b30e4b0cb15b1bd6508?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

[Rhiannon]

And the WH leaks like a big leaky thing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40817253

[Nearly Sane]

Extraordinary


http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/08/australias-pm-slowly-realizes-trump-is-a-complete-idiot.html

[jeremyp]

How the heck has this clown managed to stay in office so long?

It's quite simple. In 2018, there are the midterm elections. In essence , the whole of the House of Representatives are up for re-election and 1/3 of the Senate.

Trump still has a 37% approval rating and it's been hovering about the 38 to 40% level since the election which means his base support is not eroding away. Imagine what those people who voted for Trump would think of a Republican Congress that had him impeached. How do you think they will vote at the midterm elections? Do you think they will vote Republican, or will they try to exact revenge for stabbing their president in the back?

If the Democrats regain control of Congress at the midterms, Trump will probably be impeached. If they don't, Trump may get impeached anyway because the thought of a second Trump term is too awful even for many Republicans. Plus, by then, the evidence of his wrongdoing may be too strong to ignore.

[jeremyp]

How can even the most gullible American think Trump is a good president?

He tells them stuff they want to hear.

[Shaker]

He tells them stuff they want to hear.

And also tells flat-out lies.

[jeremyp]

And also tells flat-out lies.

The two are not mutually exclusive.

"We're gonna build a wall to keep brown people out..." - a sentiment that plays well to a certain demographic (not just USAians, to be fair) and also probably a lie

"... and we are going to make Mexico pay for it" - also plays well to that demographic and an absolute flat out lie that almost anybody should be able to see through easily, and yet they didn't because they wanted it to be true.

[jeremyp]

Extraordinary


http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/08/australias-pm-slowly-realizes-trump-is-a-complete-idiot.html

An extraordinary and frightening analysis of Trump's conversation with Turnbull, all the more so because it makes Turnbull like good.

[torridon]

He tells them stuff they want to hear.

Yes.  Maybe the Trump moment is a canary in the coal mine moment that speaks to the debate between Gray and Pinker as to whether humans are becoming better and more civilised.  Maybe this tells us that when the going gets tough, people will revert to the uncivilised, preferring in this case an incompetent ignorant loudmouth over expertise and thoughtfulness, just as history shows we opt for war over diplomacy to resolve disputes when the stakes are high enough.  And the stakes are only going to get higher in the future with dwindling resources nourishing a growing population amid shifting climate patterns.

[Nearly Sane]

How to babysit Trump



https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2017/08/04/notes-for-the-presidents-babysitter-on-john-kellys-night-off/?utm_term=.21bc7f276de7

[jeremyp]

Maybe this tells us that when the going gets tough, people will revert to the uncivilised, preferring in this case an incompetent ignorant loudmouth over expertise and thoughtfulness

In what way is the going tough at the moment?

[jeremyp]

Disappointingly, Trump is going for a well earned break.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40829060

There's going to be a seventeen day shortage of trumpisms.

[Anchorman]

I'm sorry for posting this, because the tangerine numpty has added to the list considerably in the last month: perhaps someone can find a more complete list. Anyway, here's a list of the lies of the Donald as at June 21 this year. It makes interesting reading. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/23/opinion/trumps-lies.html

[john]

And still huge numbers of Americans think he is wonderful.

What does that say about Americans?

[jeremyp]

And still huge numbers of Americans think he is wonderful.

What does that say about Americans?

His approval rating is 37% so it doesn't say anything about all Americans.

[SteveH]

I'm sorry for posting this, because the tangerine numpty has added to the list considerably in the last month: perhaps someone can find a more complete list. Anyway, here's a list of the lies of the Donald as at June 21 this year. It makes interesting reading. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/23/opinion/trumps-lies.html

But as regular as they have become...

This increasingly common solecism seriously pisses me off. It should be "But regualr as they have become...". Two "as"es should only be used when making a direct comparison, e.g. "as big as a house" or "as orange as Donald Trump".

OK, carry on.

[Gordon]

This increasingly common solecism seriously pisses me off. It should be "But regualr as they have become...". Two "as"es should only be used when making a direct comparison, e.g. "as big as a house" or "as orange as Donald Trump".

OK, carry on.

Will do: my thought for the day is 'when criticising the grammar of others one should not make spelling mistakes.' 

Cheers Steve - you started my day off with a smile.

[SteveH]

Will do: my thought for the day is 'when criticising the grammar of others one should not make spelling mistakes.' 

Cheers Steve - you started my day off with a smile.

If you mean "as"es, it's difficult to know how to spell it.

[Gordon]

If you mean "as"es, it's difficult to know how to spell it.

No - it was your 'regualr' that I noticed.

[SteveH]

No - it was your 'regualr' that I noticed.

Oh bum! After I read your earlier comment, I read through it twice, looking for the spelling mistake, and didn't notice that!

[SusanDoris]

This is where Synthetic Dave is very useful! It pronounces words as they are spelt, although in all modesty, I would like to say that I am a fairly good speller anyway.!

[jeremyp]

The Trumpster is on holiday and I'm already missing him.

[Gordon]

The Trumpster is on holiday and I'm already missing him.

He seems to be keeping up the good work even on his hols.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40869319