U.S. Politics megathread (merged)

[Ulysses]

Did Trump say that Viktor Orbán is the leader of Turkey, or was it a fake?

[Led Tasso]

Habeus pablum.

[Maple Leaf]

18 hours ago, redjambo said:

 

Stand by for some really hard-line conservative legislation being adopted in the US over the next wee while. Ukraine may also have snags getting more aid - he's against it.

The crazies kin the GOP got the Speaker they wanted.

[ǝǝɥʇᴉɯS]

Is it possible that everyone except Trump will take a plea deal and point the finger at him?

 

[redjambo]

11 minutes ago, Maple Leaf said:

The crazies kin the GOP got the Speaker they wanted.

 

He wasn't their first choice, but yes they did. The first acid test will be when the White House request for funding for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan gets passed to it. The fact that Israel is in there gives the right-wingers an out to vote for it, but some of the far right won't be happy in any case. And remember that at any point, if the rules haven't changed, the "Gaetz clause" allowing one single rep to call for a confidence vote on the speaker will still be hanging like the sword of Damocles. The tail will still be wagging the dog.

[RobboM]

5 minutes ago, redjambo said:

 

He wasn't their first choice, but yes they did. The first acid test will be when the White House request for funding for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan gets passed to it. The fact that Israel is in there gives the right-wingers an out to vote for it, but some of the far right won't be happy in any case. And remember that at any point, if the rules haven't changed, the "Gaetz clause" allowing one single rep to call for a confidence vote on the speaker will still be hanging like the sword of Damocles. The tail will still be wagging the dog.

This. The Speaker role is hugely important and demanding. To select a 5th? choice candidate smacks of how the Tories ended up with Truss. Surely can't end well?

[Maple Leaf]

Rep. Mike Johnson, the newly elected speaker of the House, is the most unabashedly Christian nationalist speaker in history.

No group has been more supportive of Donald Trump — and more likely to believe that the 2020 election was stolen — than Christian nationalists, who believe God wants the U.S. to be a promised land for their religion. Their champion may no longer be president, but, in Johnson, they now have a true believer second in line to the presidency. An enthusiastic backer of bogus legal theories seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election, the 51-year-old Johnson was first elected to the House in 2016. Before then, he cut his teeth trying to erode the separation of church and state and abortion and LGBTQ rights as a lawyer for the Alliance Defense Fund – the Christian right legal powerhouse now known as the Alliance Defending Freedom.

[Footballfirst]

Will the Judge eventually jail Trump for his repeated contempt?

 

 

Edited October 26 by Footballfirst

[ri Alban]

These people have guns.

[Cade]

I really hope that fat old twat rants himself into a wee jail term for contempt of court.

 

He just can't keep his orange mooth shut.

 

 

[Maple Leaf]

Billionaire Republican says Trump belongs in jail.  He's right, of course, but the cultists aren't about to listen, imo.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/30/investing/leon-cooperman-trump-biden/index.html

[Led Tasso]

Former South Carolina governor and Trump's ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has now passed DeSantis in three early states as the runner up. She's still WAY behind Trump, but the question remains how many active felony trials a candidate can have going before it starts to have some gravity on the GOP electorate. A lot of folks still aren't paying close attention and the Iowa caucus format is known for producing wacky and unexpected results.

 

Trump is still the overwhelming favorite for the nomination but I've had Haley pinned as a likely post-Trump leader in the GOP if they ever decide they want something close to a normal leader. Polls have her as the GOP's best candidate against Biden but they don't seem to care. They want the fashy orange guy. At least for now.

[CavySlaveJambo]

The Kraken has been Kraked.  
 

Sydney Powell has taken a plea deal in Georgia.   
 

As has Kenneth Cheseboro, Scott Hall and Jenna Ellis.  
 

Mark Meadows is in a hard spot - he has immunity for the federal case. 

[milky_26]

republicans are trying to get a bill through that would ban palestinians from entering america and could even deport those that are already there

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4292692-gop-rep-zinke-proposes-bill-to-ban-palestinians-from-entering-us/#:~:text=Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-,Safeguarding Americans from Extremism Act.

[Maple Leaf]

1 hour ago, milky_26 said:

republicans are trying to get a bill through that would ban palestinians from entering america and could even deport those that are already there

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4292692-gop-rep-zinke-proposes-bill-to-ban-palestinians-from-entering-us/#:~:text=Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-,Safeguarding Americans from Extremism Act.

No surprise.  Trump tried to ban Muslims from entering America in the first year of his term.

 

Palestinians are Muslim, dontcha know?

[Tazio]

Sounds like absolute chaos in Trump’s court case now the great man himself has taken the stand and is spouting his usual paranoid nonsense instead of answering questions. 

[Victorian]

51 minutes ago, Tazio said:

Sounds like absolute chaos in Trump’s court case now the great man himself has taken the stand and is spouting his usual paranoid nonsense instead of answering questions. 

 

Witch hunt,  apparently.  Judge is a wacko.  Well bowl me over.  

[Tazio]

🤣🤣

 

The state is asking about a 2021 financial statement. Trump says he thinks it's accurate - he hopes so.

“I was so busy in the White House,” he says, adding his focus was on China and Russia.

"For the record, you weren't president in 2021 were you?" prosecutor Kevin Wallace asks. 

Trump says no.

[Mysterion]

Trump has spent his time on the stand ranting. Been told off and embarrassed a few times.

 

The descriptions coming out from reporters is that he was turning a shade of red as the questioning went on.

 

I wonder if they can get him to perjure himself.

[Footballfirst]

He's been on Truth Social during a court recess.

 

 

[Tazio]

3 hours ago, Mysterion said:

Trump has spent his time on the stand ranting. Been told off and embarrassed a few times.

 

The descriptions coming out from reporters is that he was turning a shade of red as the questioning went on.

 

I wonder if they can get him to perjure himself.

As I’ve said many times before he’s a man that’s had nobody say no to him since his father died. An entire life of always thinking he’s right. 

[periodictabledancer]

8 hours ago, Tazio said:

Sounds like absolute chaos in Trump’s court case now the great man himself has taken the stand and is spouting his usual paranoid nonsense instead of answering questions. 

Apparently he has effectively admitted committing fraud. When asked about his finances - and the  alllegation he had less money than he officially  stated  - he shouted back he had MORE money than he officially stated.

And now his dingbat lawyer has held a press conference saying the judge is "unhinged". 

 

All going to plan.

 

[ǝǝɥʇᴉɯS]

1 hour ago, periodictabledancer said:

he shouted back he had MORE money than he officially stated.

 

 

Jesus wept

 

[Lovecraft]

He really is a ****ing moron.

 

 

[Footballfirst]

Some info from those who agreed plea bargains in the Georgia fraud trial.

 

 

[Ked]

Sad state of American leadership ,politics and its been driven by the few.

Media moguls ,or other singularly minded groups.

The US is now a might that is controlled by who?

It's not it's presidents and hasn't been for a while.

Foreign policy 

Economic policy(tinkering apart)

Immigration 

 

Come on this US politics thread is like the young ones.

 

[Maple Leaf]

In a Trump speech in recent days, the Orange Man was saying that the greatest threat to the USA is not from outside the country but from inside the country.

 

It has all the sounds of speeches from the 1930s.

 

At a time of global unrest, as wars rage in Gaza and Ukraine and with US power challenged by foes like China and Russia, Trump also resorted to a classic authoritarian trope. “The threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous and grave than the threat from within,” he said.

[Bindy Badgy]

On 06/11/2023 at 19:50, Footballfirst said:

He's been on Truth Social during a court recess.

 

 

Pissing off the judge doesn't sound like the best strategy.

[milky_26]

2 hours ago, Bindy Badgy said:

Pissing off the judge doesn't sound like the best strategy.

Ah but you're not the greatest genius that has no equal and is the bestest of the best.

 

Covfefe

[Ulysses]

[Masonic]

 

[Ulysses]

Masonic gonna make money here.

[Jeffros Furios]

1 hour ago, Masonic said:

 

How much cash do you win ? 

[Maple Leaf]

1 hour ago, Ulysses said:

Masonic gonna make money here.

I think the offer of a bet came from @Led Tasso, but @Masonic declined.

 

Good decision, imo.  Michelle will not be the Democratic candidate.  I'd prefer to see Newsom, but that ain't gonna happen either.

[Footballfirst]

A couple of things have gone Trump's way in the last week as the court schedule in some of his cases looks like being delayed beyond the 2024 election.

 

Also, a judge in Colorado has ruled that Trump can appear on the ballot in that state, as he was no longer president at the time of the insurrection (I always thought that he remained president until Biden's inauguration).

 

 

[Led Tasso]

2 hours ago, Maple Leaf said:

I think the offer of a bet came from @Led Tasso, but @Masonic declined.

 

Good decision, imo.  Michelle will not be the Democratic candidate.  I'd prefer to see Newsom, but that ain't gonna happen either.

 

 

Yeah, it's funny, the "generic Democratic candidate" wins by a big margin but you start naming names and the numbers drop, because everyone's "generic" is their own personal ideal.

 

Whitmer would be my pick but I'd be fine with Newsom. I'm fine with Biden for that matter, so long as he wins, which I think is pretty likely but still far from a given.

 

Once again, though, it's right wing media talking about Michelle Obama and absolutely nobody else, because she lives rent free in their brains. And who knows, maybe she'd be a pretty good politician if she wants to be, but she's consistently shown active hostility to the idea.

 

The big chatter this week among people who might actually vote in a Democratic primary or convention was Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson, whom I wanted as Elizabeth Warren's running mate 4 years ago. He'll have to take some policy positions and I get the feeling he might struggle to hold the coalition together. But he'd make Trump look like Elmer Fudd with his mic work, which would be oh so enjoyable to watch.

[Ulysses]

8 hours ago, Maple Leaf said:

I think the offer of a bet came from @Led Tasso, but @Masonic declined.

 

Good decision, imo.  Michelle will not be the Democratic candidate.  I'd prefer to see Newsom, but that ain't gonna happen either.

 

Masonic said he placed a bet elsewhere, did he not?

[Ulysses]

6 hours ago, Footballfirst said:

A couple of things have gone Trump's way in the last week as the court schedule in some of his cases looks like being delayed beyond the 2024 election.

 

Also, a judge in Colorado has ruled that Trump can appear on the ballot in that state, as he was no longer president at the time of the insurrection (I always thought that he remained president until Biden's inauguration).

 

 

 

Trump remained President right up until Biden took the oath.

 

I don't think that's why the judge ruled in his favour.  A quick scan of the last few sections of a lengthy judgement suggests that the reasoning was that the Constitution distinguishes between the President and "officers of the United States".

[Ulysses]

Anyway, Biden's pro-Israel stance is causing American Muslims to not want to vote for him?

 

My arse it is.

 

 

[Led Tasso]

8 hours ago, Footballfirst said:

A couple of things have gone Trump's way in the last week as the court schedule in some of his cases looks like being delayed beyond the 2024 election.

 

Also, a judge in Colorado has ruled that Trump can appear on the ballot in that state, as he was no longer president at the time of the insurrection (I always thought that he remained president until Biden's inauguration).

 

 

 

The rulings in Colorado, Michigan, and Minnesota have all, to my understanding, been that the GOP primary ballot is not officially a ballot for government service but rather a party affair, so he can't be banned from the ballot there. To my understanding, all of them have kept open the possibility of banning him from the general election ballot.

 

It's a bit of bullshit IMO as when I generally don't give a shit about being fair to GOP voters, it's reasonable for them to know before they vote to nominate him whether he'll be deemed constitutionally acceptable for the office.

 

1 hour ago, Ulysses said:

 

Masonic said he placed a bet elsewhere, did he not?

 

He did. For his sake I hope he cashes out soon. In about three months the chances of Ms Obama becoming the nominee are going to get longer and longer and right now when silly people are placing silly bets is when there's decent money to be made.

 

1 hour ago, Ulysses said:

 

Trump remained President right up until Biden took the oath.

 

I don't think that's why the judge ruled in his favour.  A quick scan of the last few sections of a lengthy judgement suggests that the reasoning was that the Constitution distinguishes between the President and "officers of the United States".

 

I haven't seen the Colorado one but the Minnesota and Michigan ones certainly didn't make that distinction. Michigan is the most salient as Trump is unlikely to win either Minnesota or Colorado even if he wins (although I'm quite sure President Biden would love to have those electoral votes safely squirreled away all the same). However, Trump won Michigan in 2016 and lost it in 2020.

[Masonic]

On 18/11/2023 at 14:06, Ulysses said:

Masonic gonna make money here.

 

100% 🤑

[Masonic]

[CavySlaveJambo]

7 hours ago, Masonic said:

They were travelling for Rosalynn Carter’s memorial service and funeral. Jimmy Carter was well enough to be there (he is in hospice care for Melanoma) Laura Bush and Melanie Trump were also there.   George W Bush and Barack Obama were also invited but couldn’t make it. 

[periodictabledancer]

7 hours ago, Masonic said:

[Cade]

The person currently using the name George Santos as an alias has been expelled from Congress.

 

311-114 was the total vote.

 

112 out of the 222 Republicans voted against.

5 abstained.

105 voted for expulsion.

 

 

[Footballfirst]

There's a hearing that is currently going on in the Georgia fraud case. The current date for the trial is August for the 15 defendants.  Mark Meadows lawyer has asked for a delay for disclosure and submission of any motions because of his involvement in other trials. Trump's lawyer has asked for a delay to the trial date claiming that he can't campaign if he is attending court, so can't be before 2025.

 

The judge then asked that if Trump become president would it be possible to hold a trial in 2025. The answer given was that he probably couldn't face trial until after he stepped down as president.

 

The lawyer for another defendant requested that the trial date is not delayed as it leaves his client with charges hanging over them for more than a year.

 

No decision was made at this point, but I think the judge is minded to split the defendants in two groups with trials on different dates.

[Ulysses]

5 hours ago, Cade said:

The person currently using the name George Santos as an alias has been expelled from Congress.

 

311-114 was the total vote.

 

112 out of the 222 Republicans voted against.

5 abstained.

105 voted for expulsion.

 

 

 

I read somewhere that he's made history by being the first person expelled without previously having supported the Confederacy or having been convicted of a felony.  Dunno if that's actually true, though.

[Canscot]

3 hours ago, Footballfirst said:

There's a hearing that is currently going on in the Georgia fraud case. The current date for the trial is August for the 15 defendants.  Mark Meadows lawyer has asked for a delay for disclosure and submission of any motions because of his involvement in other trials. Trump's lawyer has asked for a delay to the trial date claiming that he can't campaign if he is attending court, so can't be before 2025.

 

The judge then asked that if Trump become president would it be possible to hold a trial in 2025. The answer given was that he probably couldn't face trial until after he stepped down as president.

 

The lawyer for another defendant requested that the trial date is not delayed as it leaves his client with charges hanging over them for more than a year.

 

No decision was made at this point, but I think the judge is minded to split the defendants in two groups with trials on different dates.

The problem will be if he does get re-elected he might never face trail at all. There is no doubt in my mind that he will find a way to keep himself in power for the rest of his life. He tried it last time. My fear is that he would succeed if given a second chance. 

[Cade]

1 hour ago, Ulysses said:

 

I read somewhere that he's made history by being the first person expelled without previously having supported the Confederacy or having been convicted of a felony.  Dunno if that's actually true, though.

True.

3 were expelled for supporting the secessionist states, 2 were expelled for being convicted of felonies.

Santos is the first to be expelled before being convicted.

[Lovecraft]

1 hour ago, Canscot said:

The problem will be if he does get re-elected he might never face trail at all. There is no doubt in my mind that he will find a way to keep himself in power for the rest of his life. He tried it last time. My fear is that he would succeed if given a second chance. 

If the courts don't stand up to him now, then they will all deserve what is coming.

 

He hasn't been shy in saying what he will do if re-elected.