Donald Trump the Megathread part II - mod warnings in OP, Updated 18/03/25

For Petes Sake

Honestly. How are American's watching all of this unfold and think 'yep, that's my guy'.

You reap what you sow.

briany

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375634#Comment_123375634

I keep on saying this, and I would be happy to be wrong, but I fear there won't be a next time. Not a meaningful one, anyway.

Trump and his minions have not gone into this term half-cocked. There is a very specific plan on how to consolidate and maintain power and it centres around moulding the federal government into a MAGA one. The last time around, there were enough people in key positions who placed loyalty to the US constitution above loyalty to Trump. Will that be true by the time the US midterms roll around, never mind the next presidential election?

Trump already has the federal justice system headed by two proper sycophants in the form of Pamela Bondi for the US justice department and Kash Patel for the FBI. The latter wrote a children's book called 'The Plot to Kill the King' using this illustration as its cover. Mental.

And that's not to mention that Trump wants to bring the Federal Elections Commission under his direct control and if he's successful, that would be a critical blow to the concept of free and fair elections at a countrywide level in the USA.

When you think about how close Trump got to reversing the result of 2020 when it was an ad-hoc and chaotic attempt, what does anyone think that he and his backers would be capable of, with a proper plan, in 2026 and 2028. It can't be a leap of imagination to think that it's going to be significantly more fraught, especially with how ineffective his political opponents have so-far proven themselves.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375684#Comment_123375684

I answered another post with this, but it seems appropriate here too…

There's 346,795,913 people in the US, and a very large portion of them are as dumb as a bag of stones.

For Petes Sake

I honestly think this White House is on a collision course with the Supreme Court.

It's bad enough that Trump lost Barrett's vote, but the decision over the weekend to halt the Venuzuelans getting deported dragged Kavanaugh and Gorsuch to the majority side as well.

Kavanaugh isn't too much of a surprise, but Gorsuch had definitely looked like he was leaning more towards Alito and Thomas.

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375715#Comment_123375715

You could forgive some the first time around, but reelecting him removes all excuses.

briany

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375726#Comment_123375726

I get that feeling as well…from such subtle clues as Trump openly criticising judges and the USSC issuing a ruling that directly hampers a central MAGA policy in the last couple of days.

In other words, of course a collision is going to happen if Trump things the USSC stands in the way of the MAGA agenda. The only thing that might delay this is if Trump tries to grab total power too quickly, it may kick off a popular revolt. They could look to chip away at other aspects of US democracy first and further pump out propaganda that demonises the USSC before going in with the knife. Let the frog boil a little longer.

For Petes Sake

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375750#Comment_123375750

It's not just the fact that they issued a ruling that directly hampers a central MAGA policy. They issued it at 1am. SCOTUS felt they couldn't trust the administration that they had to put a stop to it at stupid o'clock in the morning before Alito could even write a dissent.

All completely unprecedented.

Strazdas

Not sure how typical this is but these two German female tourists were treated like hardcore criminals or terrorists before being deported (!) by the US. These type of stories are going to annihilate the tourism industry, certainly as far as Europeans go.

https://twitter.com/RitornellaNYC/status/1914021508252377551

briany

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375759#Comment_123375759

And also that statement that chief justice Roberts put out.

The trajectory seems fairly obvious. Trump's government will want to bring the USSC to heel.

However, even if this doesn't happen, Trump already has the US justice system under his thumb, so what would the USSC actually DO if Trump openly defied a ruling, and the answer is fukk all. He is above the law.

Tell me how

With respect to the brewing conflict between the Supreme Court and the White House, some right wing outlets and commentators, The Federalist, being one are suggesting Trump should ignore or even disband the Court.

Where are those 2A advocates with their muskets? Isn't this why they wanted to keep them?

EltonJohn69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375767#Comment_123375767

ice most likely got paid for their detention.

pad406

Genuine question. Say Trump ignores a USSC order, what can they actually do? I'm talking specifically about the SC now, obviously there could be civil disorder etc, but what can they actually do?

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375799#Comment_123375799

There's no way this is happening by accident. They are clearly receiving orders from above to be as hard as possible on anyone who is not an American citizen coming through a US airport.

trashcan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375776#Comment_123375776

Yep, it’s looking harder and harder escape that conclusion. Democracy in America is currently on life support, at best. Can’t help but wonder are we looking at potential civil war, or some States seceding from the Union ?

Suckler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375776#Comment_123375776

It's amazing that all the NRA, pro-gun lobbies and staunch 2nd amendment backers told us all that their guns were necessary to ward of a tyrannical government….turns out a twitter account and two fingers to the checks & balances 'Ttrumps' all those guns.

briany

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375813#Comment_123375813

Tyrannical against their interests, maybe, but I suspect that those Americans who masturbate to gun catalogues largely feel that their views are shared by Trump's government so they're probably more likely to take up arms in order to shoot 'the libs' who would stand against Trump's agenda.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375808#Comment_123375808

Shag all. They could hold Trump's government in contempt, but without muscle to back this up, it is completely meaningless.

Wolf359f

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375808#Comment_123375808

USSC wouldn't actually do any kind of enforcement, they just interpret legislation etc… It's the lower courts (who through appeals, the ruling get's kicked up to the supreme court) who would enforce their previous judgement (or cannot enforce it, if the USSC rules against them)

trashcan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123373696#Comment_123373696

I would watch the odd video from Midas touch, but I would agree they don’t have much depth, and the titles can be a bit cluck- baity. There are better left leaning American commentators on YouTube. Kyle Kulinsky of Secular Talk is very good I think, and Sam Seder of the Majority Report is excellent. They are both very much focussed on policy issues. There is a young guy called Luke Beasley who is pretty good too.

pad406

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375833#Comment_123375833

Well I suppose, in fairness, the founding fathers never thought of a situation where they'd have to enforce against the three branches, Congress, Senate and POTUS.

Wolf359f

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375845#Comment_123375845

The fact the GOP have the house, senate, white house and the supreme court (to a large extent), it's really going to test the foresight of the founding fathers! We'll get to see if the 'greatest' democracy on earth can live up to it's name!

briany

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375845#Comment_123375845

Their idea was that the US constitution would be updated to meet contemporary challenges. At the end of the day, all they could have done was hope that successive generations would work to preserve democracy in good faith.

cj maxx

I think Trumps master plan is to change the constitution so he can run for a third term .

BP_RS3813

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375160#Comment_123375160

His view of economics regarding manufacturing never changed. He still thinks like its the 1960s - in the decades leading up to the 2000s manufacturing was moved, for a reason.

A lot of economic growth is also due to services/Tech nowadays which he cannot understand either.

Mattyonthepatty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375715#Comment_123375715

So 49.8% of Americans are as dumb as stones?

That's a horrible view you have of such a large portion of Americans.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375577#Comment_123375577

You wouldn't expect someone who is happy to eat McDonalds everyday, to be concerned about, or have any understanding of, food safety.

He thought supersize me was a recommendation, not a documentary.

threeball

I was watching the documentary about the Oklahoma city bombing on Netflix and it occurred to me how MAGAs roots stretch all the way back to WACO and how anti government feelings really exploded after that event. And subscribers to conspiracy theories also went through the roof.

The bombing itself was carried out by a handful of redneck yokels, with strong anti government sentiment. And the most disturbing thing was that many of the people affected by the bombing or were first responders ended up in the same anti government cult together 30yrs later.

People who despised Timothy McVeigh and wanted him dead are now voting for a party and movement which runs on many of the same ideals as he had. And they don't even see the irony (or juxtaposition) in that.

Rawr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123375810#Comment_123375810

Possibly, but I feel that you might be giving them a little too much credit in terms of planning. I suspect that like anything associated with Donnie, the DHS/ICE etc are now operating with practically no direction from above, leaving border stations to behave as they wish. Once you give anyone that much power over people, the temptation for some to abuse it can be far too high, and so I suspect you get these stories of likely harmless German teenagers getting the full processing treatment that are usually reserved for serious detainees. That’s instead of just forcing them over to a return flight for the minor infraction of not booking a hotel yet, which is what usually happens in nations that are this strict about lodging details on the Entry Card.

That event was likely as simple as an officer on a power trip, which isn’t likely to end until leadership actually returns to their various departments. Since stories like these have already damaged the US Tourism Industry (and will likely continue to) I suspect that someone might convince Donnie to get the finger out, or at least get him to acquiesce to functional leadership in the needed departments.

But of course, this is Donnie we’re talking about. He’s not likely to care or even understand the business case for promoting tourism in The States. He is afterall, completely sh*t at business. So US tourism is likely toast for at least the next 4 years (maybe 2 if the Dems win back Congress and sort out something).

extra gravy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123376052#Comment_123376052

Anyone who works in hospitality here and deals with them on a regular basis would tell you the same. A lot of them are just not very bright. Which would be fine if they didn't elect someone as dumb as them. You also seem to have it in your head that 49.8% of Americans voted for Trump.

briany

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123376015#Comment_123376015

Unlikely using the normal method of altering their constitution.

Seems like the plan to get him a third term would centre around around the wording, ie "No man shall be ELECTED to the office of president more than twice", with the argument being that it doesn't say not SERVING more than twice.

Rawr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123376052#Comment_123376052

Not even 49.8% of the electorate voted for Donnie. 90 million voters did not vote in 2024. That is a larger cohort that either the voted for Harris or Donnie.

So the even GOP voters don’t amount to the guts of 49.8%, keeping in mind also that not all US Citizens can vote, or are old enough to do so yet.

I would agree the essence of Tony’s statement but add the kinder subtext that these voters are for the most part encouraged to not use their critical thinking skills. Either though pop-culture, peer pressure or piss-poor education. They will gleefully consume naked lies as the truth and willingly vote for an absolute failure of a human being like Donnie, and that’s because a lot of them haven’t got that little switch in their head that says «Hey, wait a minute…is that right?»

I’d argue that a lot of US people don’t have that skill by design in the Red States. Why on Earth would the GOP wish to educate their electorate to the point of making them actually do their jobs?

The rest of it is apathy. That 90 Million who didn’t vote could have turned the map mostly blue if they wanted. It’s that apathy that needs to be sorted, and when enough people are not apathetic the GOP lose. Don’t put too much truck into the vote share that got Donnie into power, overall they still represent a minority in the US.