President Donald Trump

[DMT]

Even if that is true, isn't standing behind Trump, no matter what, short sighted? This guy is trying to pervert long held beliefs and norms in our democracy. Letting him do that may end up hurting the GOP for a long time.

Most Republicans don't care, so they'll support whomever they run.

[Sour Masher]

The stooge has already Tweeted that his book is fake news. Do people really buy his bullshit?

And if some people do believe everything he says, how do they reconcile all the times he says contradictory things? Like now when he is attacking Woodward, who not only is one of the most respected journalists alive, but also someone Trump himself has praised as such.

And his counter to the knowledge that many in his staff see him as a danger to national security and see him as unfit to hold his office is to proclaim he has done the best job of any president ever? And that is the guy you believe instead of so many around him saying the exact opposite?

We are at the point where not only will his fans believe him when he says up is down, they will believe him when he says up is down and up at the same time. He is so infallible, he is right when he says one thing, and he is still right when he says the exact opposite. Truth gets defined as whatever Trump decides it should be in that moment.

[onejayhawk]

Some people ignore the tweets and watch what his people do. The tweets are largely smoke anyway.

J

[B-Fly]

Some people ignore the tweets and watch what his people do. The tweets are largely smoke anyway.

J

So the President is essentially a flim-flam man who deliberately tries to smokescreen, bait and switch and distract the people, but hey, that's cool. I don't care what the President of the United States actually communicates. Since, y'know, communication and moral leadership are irrelevant to the job of the Presidency. I watch the activities of his appointees -- the activities from which the President is presumably trying to distract us -- and I'm good with those activities, so I support this President and will vote for him again in 2020. MAGA!

Is that about right?

[onejayhawk]

So the President is essentially a flim-flam man who deliberately tries to smokescreen, bait and switch and distract the people, but hey, that's cool. I don't care what the President of the United States actually communicates. Since, y'know, communication and moral leadership are irrelevant to the job of the Presidency. I watch the activities of his appointees -- the activities from which the President is presumably trying to distract us -- and I'm good with those activities, so I support this President and will vote for him again in 2020. MAGA!

Is that about right?

You are normally better than this. Saying that misdirection is a basic part of the Trump toolbox is like saying water is wet. It's still a long ways from flim flam.

Trump was out front with what he wanted to do and has been very effective in delivering on Republican/conservative issues. So, there is solid reason why his base will vote for him gain. Also, any reasonable person will admit he has shone outright brilliance in foreign affairs. North Korea was the Obama administration's #1 priority.

J

[Hornsby]

And if some people do believe everything he says, how do they reconcile all the times he says contradictory things? Like now when he is attacking Woodward, who not only is one of the most respected journalists alive, but also someone Trump himself has praised as such.

And his counter to the knowledge that many in his staff see him as a danger to national security and see him as unfit to hold his office is to proclaim he has done the best job of any president ever? And that is the guy you believe instead of so many around him saying the exact opposite?

We are at the point where not only will his fans believe him when he says up is down, they will believe him when he says up is down and up at the same time. He is so infallible, he is right when he says one thing, and he is still right when he says the exact opposite. Truth gets defined as whatever Trump decides it should be in that moment.

I think that what you might be missing when it concerns Trumps base is simply critical thinking. They want no part of it, and will continue to let a "strong" leader push them in the direction that he wants them to go. They don't want to hear any other point of view, so they get their news from Fox...maybe Drudge (is he still a thing?), and Rush while in the car. It's an odd conglomeration of the very wealthy, and the working poor. Trump tells the working poor that they're getting screwed, while lining the pockets of his rich supporters with money that, some argue, should have rightly gone to help buoy Americans who are in need.

History shows that this is a pretty solid template for seizing power in a troubled nation...and I really am not surprised that he maintains a 40% approval rate. People are either fat and happy, or frightened and just don't want to know anything other than what they're fed by those in power...but it changes after a while. And I think that's exactly what we're going to see in the mid-terms.

[B-Fly]

You are normally better than this. Saying that misdirection is a basic part of the Trump toolbox is like saying water is wet. It's still a long ways from flim flam.

Trump was out front with what he wanted to do and has been very effective in delivering on Republican/conservative issues. So, there is solid reason why his base will vote for him gain. Also, any reasonable person will admit he has shone outright brilliance in foreign affairs. North Korea was the Obama administration's #1 priority.

J

LOL. What nonsense. Trump has neither been brilliant in foreign affairs nor has he remotely "solved" the North Korea problem. But so far he hasn't started an outright war, so I'll give him that.

[onejayhawk]

LOL. What nonsense. Trump has neither been brilliant in foreign affairs nor has he remotely "solved" the North Korea problem. But so far he hasn't started an outright war, so I'll give him that.

Solved, no. Managed to greatly lower the tensions, definitely. The North/South handshake and the Kim/Trump summit are landmark events. If you are not counting this as a big win for the Trump administration then you need to reconsider your standards.

J

[B-Fly]

Solved, no. Managed to greatly lower the tensions, definitely. The North/South handshake and the Kim/Trump summit are landmark events. If you are not counting this as a big win for the Trump administration then you need to reconsider your standards.

J

Nope, you can't gaslight me on North Korea and make me think that "my standards" is the problem. He hasn't attained jacksh!t. Kim is still expanding his nuclear arsenal while using the North/South handshake and the Kim/Trump summit to undermine international unity over sanctions (having specific success vis-à-vis China). Meanwhile, Pompeo has been stonewalled and disrespected by North Korea such that the US had to cancel his visit to save face. Kim continues to make demands that the Trump Administration can't meet. Japan's defense ministry just last week deemed the security threat posed by NK's nuclear capacity and ballistic missles "increasingly severe".

I hope something good comes out of the Trump Administration's NK efforts and I'm not suggesting the efforts should cease, but so far there is no evidence of tangible wins or "brilliance".

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/28/north-korea-threat-remains-despite-trump-summit-says-japan

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-korea/china-eases-economic-pressure-north-korea-undercutting-trump-admin-n906166

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/09/05/why-korean-war-peace-declaration-stalling-nuclear-talks-north-korea/1149666002/

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-09-04/donald-trump-kim-jong-un-and-a-path-forward-for-north-korea

[In the Corn]

As I hear more about Woodward's book, one of my take-aways about his staff and them working around him (if they actually are, and I am inclined to think they are) is they are making a sacrifice in being tied to this administration, when they should be lauded as true patriots in they have acted in the best interest for America.

From talking down Trump from assassinating al-Assad to taking trade documents off his desk before he could sign them, these Cabinet members should be applauded for doing their best damage control for the nation.

[In the Corn]

Solved, no. Managed to greatly lower the tensions, definitely. The North/South handshake and the Kim/Trump summit are landmark events. If you are not counting this as a big win for the Trump administration then you need to reconsider your standards.

J

Onejay -

You're very misguided about N Korea. Nothing has been accomplished other than a meeting between the two. I'm not opposed to Trump or any of our Presidents meeting with other world leaders that we may not agree with just so the President and his guides have a pulse for the person, but Trump hasn't changed N Korean policy one bit.

[nots]

Onejay -

You're very misguided about N Korea. Nothing has been accomplished other than a meeting between the two. I'm not opposed to Trump or any of our Presidents meeting with other world leaders that we may not agree with just so the President and his guides have a pulse for the person, but Trump hasn't changed N Korean policy one bit.

There were also remains repatriated, which might not be a huge deal, but certainly isn’t a bad thing.

[In the Corn]

There were also remains repatriated, which might not be a huge deal, but certainly isn’t a bad thing.

I did give Trump credit for that when it happened and thanks for the reminder. We will see what happens with ID-ing those remains in the coming months and years.

Other than that, more fire and fury from Trump's mouth than anything else.

[B-Fly]

There were also remains repatriated, which might not be a huge deal, but certainly isn’t a bad thing.

Yes, not a bad thing. But not progress toward reducing the security risks posed by NK's nuclear and missile programs.

[DMT]

As I hear more about Woodward's book, one of my take-aways about his staff and them working around him (if they actually are, and I am inclined to think they are) is they are making a sacrifice in being tied to this administration, when they should be lauded as true patriots in they have acted in the best interest for America.

From talking down Trump from assassinating al-Assad to taking trade documents off his desk before he could sign them, these Cabinet members should be applauded for doing their best damage control for the nation.

I'll disagree here because if these stories are accurate (and they most assuredly are), the truly patriotic thing to do would be to invoke the 25th amendment and remove this dangerous moron from office. Instead, they call Woodward a liar.