The Former Trump Presidency Thread

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:29 am

If only there was some way to verify whether or not a disease-ridden caravan plowed through a Mexican government military blockade and is now rampaging toward the U.S. border.

I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'm guessing there's more than a few people that don't care about reality and are happy to take this at face value. Absolute insanity.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:34 am

I think it's about time to change the terminology. 'Caravan' is weak sauce.

This is no longer a caravan, it's a shambling, perpetual marching horde of murdering job-stealers and rapists! BOO!! Or just "The Horde" would probably suffice. "The Brown Horde" would make it even more scary, without adding too much length.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:42 am

Waaaaiiiiitttttt a minute...it's Halloween. Are we absolutely sure he's not pulling an Orson Welles' War of the Worlds via Twitter? If so, well played sir, well played.

If not, you're an asshole.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:46 am

Carpet_pissr wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:34 am I think it's about time to change the terminology. 'Caravan' is weak sauce.

This is no longer a caravan, it's a shambling, perpetual marching horde of murdering job-stealers and rapists! BOO!! Or just "The Horde" would probably suffice. "The Brown Horde" would make it even more scary, without adding too much length.

I can see the FOX news infographics already.

"The Gathering Storm"
"Hurricane Miguel"

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:51 am

LawBeefaroni wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:46 am "Hurricane Miguel"

Pompeo beat you to that one.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, good morning. Buenos dias. I would like to thank Vice President Pence, Secretary Nielsen, our Mexican co-hosts Foreign Secretary Videgaray and Government Secretary Navarrete for being here today. I also want to recognize the representatives of the incoming Mexican administration as well. We look forward to working with you.

I would also like to welcome President Hernandez of Honduras, President Morales of Guatemala, and Vice President Ortiz of El Salvador. Welcome all.

On a sad note, on behalf of the American people, our hearts go out to the loved ones of those killed in recent torrential rains across Central America, as well as those thousands who have been evacuated or otherwise impacted. A very serious matter. We were kidding that it’s Hurricane Miguel, but not named after either one of us. (Laughter.)

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:54 am

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:56 am

LawBeefaroni wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:46 am
Carpet_pissr wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:34 am I think it's about time to change the terminology. 'Caravan' is weak sauce.

This is no longer a caravan, it's a shambling, perpetual marching horde of murdering job-stealers and rapists! BOO!! Or just "The Horde" would probably suffice. "The Brown Horde" would make it even more scary, without adding too much length.
I can see the FOX news infographics already.

"The Gathering Storm"
"Hurricane Miguel"

Not bad, but how about 'Hurricane José'? The alliteration fits with the hyperbole and sensationalism better I think.

Chaz · Post by **Chaz** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:58 am

Fox and the right wing sphere have been quickly ramping up the rhetoric that the caravan is an invading army full of terrorists, violent criminals, and fighters that are also bringing all kinds of diseases along with them. That justifies the fear they're trying to stoke, and the military response. They're basically trying to turn The Camp of the Saints into real life. The real worry is what further measure they'll use this to justify.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 11:02 am

Can we assume that since we are this close to the midterms, that there are NO good people in the invading Horde of José's(TM)?? We used to assume that SOME of these invaders were good people. No more, I guess.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 12:21 pm

Read an article that stated outright that the US military is specifically forbidden from enforcing immigration laws at the border (that thingy Kraken mentioned) with several quotes from current military people in charge of the operation stating that while some of the members will be armed, most are engineers specializing in barrier construction and other support skills, including healthcare.

Why doesn't Drumpf put that in his Twitter feed? Tell me again how he's not a racist agitator stirring hatred and dividing the country for personal gain.

Remus West · Post by **Remus West** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 12:42 pm

GreenGoo wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 12:21 pmTell me again how he's not a racist agitator stirring hatred and dividing the country for personal gain.

Ummmm....why do you want me to lie to you? Isn't there enough dishonesty in the world of Trump?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:07 pm

Shep Smith shows Fox what a journalist should sound like.

Smith on Monday told viewers that Trump raised alarms about a similar caravan of migrants heading toward the border in April; that group mostly dissipated before reaching the U.S.

"When they did this to us, got us all riled up in April, remember?" Smith said. "The result was 14 arrests. We’re America, we can handle it. But like I said, a week to the election."

I love that he's most likely irritating the crap out of Hannity, Fox and Friends and all the rest.

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:12 pm

He's the lure of sanity they use to try and get you to watch the 5 minutes before and 5 minutes after - if you will. If you do, maybe you'll be watching 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after. Within a year, maybe they'll get you hooked and you'll stop watching CNN.

So - he's tolerable. You need something to get new viewers to tune in.

I do like him, though. I just don't know why someone with integrity would work for Fox.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:28 pm

Paingod wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:12 pm He's the lure of sanity they use to try and get you to watch the 5 minutes before and 5 minutes after - if you will. If you do, maybe you'll be watching 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after. Within a year, maybe they'll get you hooked and you'll stop watching CNN.

So - he's tolerable. You need something to get new viewers to tune in.

I do like him, though. I just don't know why someone with integrity would work for Fox.

I think what he has said on the subject is:

(1) The problem at Fox is not the news division, it's the opinion / talking head side (Tucker Carlson, Ingraham, Dobbs, etc.)

(2) By being at the news division he can make sure that they continue to report real news faithfully, and he can periodically push back against some of the talking head points (as here)

(3) If he leaves God knows who they would replace him with.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:48 pm

hepcat wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:07 pm I love that he's most likely irritating the crap out of Hannity, Fox and Friends and all the rest.

I struggle to understand the how's and why's he's allowed to absolutely undermine the Fox narrative like this. The only thing I could come up with is that they let a couple of people off the leash so that they can point to them later when they are accused of bias'd alt-facts.

I've heard the "Fox News is not the problem" so I started watching more closely. Fox News is absolutely the problem. The talking heads just promote the Fox News narrative as hard as they can. That sometimes Fox News is just news doesn't alter that. My confusion is why Fox News is mostly Fox News, but sometimes just news, at all. Why let actual, factual news onto your network when you are clearly working very hard to promote a single, specific reality?

In any case, it was amazing to hear those words coming out of Fox. Not just counter to the president's narrative, but absolutely undermining it with references to previous precedent.

Amazing.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:56 pm

GreenGoo wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 12:21 pm Read an article that stated outright that the US military is specifically forbidden from enforcing immigration laws at the border (that thingy Kraken mentioned) with several quotes from current military people in charge of the operation stating that while some of the members will be armed, most are engineers specializing in barrier construction and other support skills, including healthcare.

Why doesn't Drumpf put that in his Twitter feed? Tell me again how he's not a racist agitator stirring hatred and dividing the country for personal gain.

Initial reports said that the troops would not include any trigger-pullers; they are there for logistics support. The second, larger callup reportedly will include some armed soldiers, because how many hairdressers and telephone sanitizers can you really deploy? I imagine that their job will be defined as protecting customs agents rather than enforcing the laws themselves. That ought to satisfy the posse commitatus act thingy.

As we all know, they are really there for theatrical reasons.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:56 pm

El Guapo wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:28 pm
Paingod wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:12 pm He's the lure of sanity they use to try and get you to watch the 5 minutes before and 5 minutes after - if you will. If you do, maybe you'll be watching 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after. Within a year, maybe they'll get you hooked and you'll stop watching CNN.

So - he's tolerable. You need something to get new viewers to tune in.

I do like him, though. I just don't know why someone with integrity would work for Fox.
I think what he has said on the subject is:

(1) The problem at Fox is not the news division, it's the opinion / talking head side (Tucker Carlson, Ingraham, Dobbs, etc.)

(2) By being at the news division he can make sure that they continue to report real news faithfully, and he can periodically push back against some of the talking head points (as here)

(3) If he leaves God knows who they would replace him with.

Fox Radio News is actually pretty good. I think we've mentioned them around here before.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:06 pm

Kraken wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:56 pm
GreenGoo wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 12:21 pm Read an article that stated outright that the US military is specifically forbidden from enforcing immigration laws at the border (that thingy Kraken mentioned) with several quotes from current military people in charge of the operation stating that while some of the members will be armed, most are engineers specializing in barrier construction and other support skills, including healthcare.

Why doesn't Drumpf put that in his Twitter feed? Tell me again how he's not a racist agitator stirring hatred and dividing the country for personal gain.
Initial reports said that the troops would not include any trigger-pullers; they are there for logistics support. The second, larger callup reportedly will include some armed soldiers, because how many hairdressers and telephone sanitizers can you really deploy? I imagine that their job will be defined as protecting customs agents rather than enforcing the laws themselves. That ought to satisfy the posse commitatus act thingy.

As we all know, they are really there for theatrical reasons.

Honestly I have no problem with armed soldiers deployed with the engineers. I think it's kind of irresponsible for an organization that specifically exists for armed conflict to deploy large numbers of its members with little means of defending themselves.

It just doesn't make sense (to me at least) to deploy soldiers without at least some armed soldiers there. Can you imagine if, somehow, magically even, a firefight broke out and thousands of US military members had no way to fight back? It's just common sense that the army have guns around, I think. Using them however, is something else entirely.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:12 pm

I am sure that the soldiers and their families are thrilled with them getting deployed as a political show.

Though who knows how many see it that way, I suppose.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:16 pm

El Guapo wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:12 pm I am sure that the soldiers and their families are thrilled with them getting deployed as a political show.

Though who knows how many see it that way, I suppose.

Soldiers grumbling about the orders they received? Say it ain't so!

In any case, the money involved in the logistics of moving and supporting that many members alone should be reason for outrcy. How is this different from a military parade, both in funds and in purpose?

Freyland · Post by **Freyland** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:25 pm

GreenGoo wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:16 pm

In any case, the money involved in the logistics of moving and supporting that many members alone should be reason for outrcy. How is this different from a military parade, both in funds and in purpose?

The only tanks present are for restroom breaks?

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:33 pm

Freyland wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:25 pm The only tanks present are for restroom breaks?

Good point. Less hardware has got to make it less expensive, but then again this particular parade is going to last months. That's a lot of minimum wage right there.

Yes, I realize soldiers don't make minimum wage. It was just fun to say.

Also, I expect the prez to tweet "tanks for your service" in the near future.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:37 pm

Better the troops parade there than be sent to prevent "voter fraud" at the polling places.

Enough · Post by **Enough** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 3:46 pm

Jaymann wrote:Better the troops parade there than be sent to prevent "voter fraud" at the polling places.

Thanks for the Halloween scare.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 4:13 pm

GreenGoo wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:16 pm
El Guapo wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:12 pm I am sure that the soldiers and their families are thrilled with them getting deployed as a political show.

Though who knows how many see it that way, I suppose.
Soldiers grumbling about the orders they received? Say it ain't so!

In any case, the money involved in the logistics of moving and supporting that many members alone should be reason for outrcy. How is this different from a military parade, both in funds and in purpose?

Funny you should ask; I read somewhere that presidents do not specify troop levels. Rather, the Pentagon determines the resources needed to achieve the mission they are given. They torpedoed the parade they didn't support by raising its cost from an estimated $19 million to $87 million (exact numbers might be misremembered), which made even Trump back off. The article implied that commanders might quietly cut Trump's border troops to something more realistic when they receive written orders. At the time the story was written, all they had to go on was a tweet.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 4:32 pm

El Guapo wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:12 pm I am sure that the soldiers and their families are thrilled with them getting deployed as a political show.

Though who knows how many see it that way, I suppose.

https://twitter.com/tomricks1/status/10 ... 8868211712
link

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 5:01 pm

I've lost track of how many times the number has changed, so forgive me if this is a repeat. We're now up to 15,000 troops...which will stalwartly defend our border against the dwindling caravan of 3,500 (half of which are women and children) that may or may not show up in a month or two and request asylum.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 7:10 pm

They will greet us as liberators!

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 8:42 pm

GreenGoo wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:06 pm
It just doesn't make sense (to me at least) to deploy soldiers without at least some armed soldiers there.

It makes absolute sense in a leave your obsolete battleships in battleship row, and send your important aircraft carriers out to sea sort of way.

I think the democrats invented that one, or it might have been Machiavelli?

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:29 pm

At least they won't have to wait in line to surrender themselves (as one does when requesting asylum). If they're trying to sneak in, they're doing it wrong.

Fretmute · Post by **Fretmute** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 11:43 pm

He definitely doesn't want the huddled masses.

"Give me your avaricious, your wealthy, your select few yearning to curry favor by spending money at my hotels."

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 7:45 am

When the remaining two dozen actually do get to our borders and absolutely nothing happens yet again, midterms will already be over. For the 2020 election, Trump will have to pay for a whole new one.

Fitzy · Post by **Fitzy** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 8:32 am

em2nought wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 8:42 pm
GreenGoo wrote: Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:06 pm
It just doesn't make sense (to me at least) to deploy soldiers without at least some armed soldiers there.
It makes absolute sense in a leave your obsolete battleships in battleship row, and send your important aircraft carriers out to sea sort of way. I think the democrats invented that one, or it might have been Machiavelli?

Wow. Using an 80 year old conspiracy theory to whataboutism, that’s got to be a record.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:10 am

As we get closer to the midterms The Toddler should use the Presidential Alert system to let the people know on the hour how close the caravan is to our border.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:15 am

Don't give him ideas.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:16 am

Regarding taking away citizenship, ""It's much less complex than people think."

https://twitter.com/TheLeadCNN/status/1 ... 2372695040

This is what the President of the United States of America is saying less than a week before midterm elections.

Bonus points for invoking Obama and the Supreme Court.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:24 am

Smoove_B wrote: Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:16 am Regarding taking away citizenship, ""It's much less complex than people think."

https://twitter.com/TheLeadCNN/status/1 ... 2372695040

This is what the President of the United States of America is saying less than a week before midterm elections.

Bonus points for invoking Obama and the Supreme Court.

God, this is what qualifies as high analysis for him. "Obama did something about immigration via executive order. Therefore I can do anything about immigration via executive order."

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:26 am

Smoove_B wrote: Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:16 am Regarding taking away citizenship, ""It's much less complex than people think."

They're telling me citizenship wars great and easy to win.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:04 am

Smoove_B wrote: Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:16 am Regarding taking away citizenship

I wonder if he'll write in exceptions for the wealthy Russians that are coming to the US, staying in Trump properties, and having babies to get them US citizenship.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:47 am

$iljanus wrote: Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:10 am As we get closer to the midterms The Toddler should use the Presidential Alert system to let the people know on the hour how close the caravan is to our border.

Good lord. Can you imagine? Of course you can. Still, it's amazing and appalling to contemplate.