Be kinde to folk. This changeth the whole habitat.
- Manlobbi
Halls of Shrewd'm / US Policy
No. of Recommendations: 9
"Regardless of the inspiration for Trump’s post, by itself it tells a very clear story. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s former assistant director for counterintelligence Frank Figliuzzi posted: “The American president has lost his mind.”
Journalist Steven Beschloss wrote: “This is an actual post. This is not funny. This is beyond desperate. This is a deeply unwell man who doesn’t belong anywhere near the levers of power. Every member of his cabinet and Congress is complicit in not demanding his removal now.”
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) posted: “If I were in Trump’s Cabinet, I would spend Easter calling constitutional lawyers about the 25th Amendment. This is completely, utterly unhinged. He’s already killed thousands. He’s going to kill thousands more.”
The 25th Amendment establishes a process through which a majority of the Cabinet and the Vice President, or another body Congress designates, can remove a president deemed “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”
Murphy was not the only one thinking along those lines. Hollie Silverman of Newsweek reported that on the prediction market platform Kalshi, which allows traders to buy “yes” or “no” shares on the question “Will the 25th Amendment be used during Trump’s presidency?” “yes” has moved in recent days from 28.6% to 35.1%." —Heather Cox Richardson
No. of Recommendations: 3
There was talk of this during his first term. He is only worse now. But he has too many supporters within Congress (and his Cabinet was chosen by him), so I very much doubt any action will be taken. And the MAGA people in this country seem to like the reality TV traits of his administration, or are deliberately not seeing that he really is unhinged.
Not that I relish a President Vance. But I think a President Vance would be a lot less likely to "push the button" than our current Felon.
No. of Recommendations: 4
He is only worse now.
No. He has always been like this. The difference now, is he is unrestrained, and he knows it.
-SCOTUS says he cannot be criminally charged.
-he's beaten impeachment twice.
-he doesn't need to be concerned about winning a "free and fair election".
Steve
No. of Recommendations: 4
-he doesn't need to be concerned about winning a "free and fair election".
Yet he is working hard to undermine the next election because, as a dictator, he cannot abide a congress or a supreme court that stands up to him.
No. of Recommendations: 1
Yet he is working hard to undermine the next election
You think a "free and fair" election will be held, while he is in power? How quaint.
Steve
No. of Recommendations: 5
Disagree. At least partially. He is worse now because his dementia is worse (IMO). First term he exhibited toxic narcissism. This time, he still has that, but also is showing real signs of dementia. If he progresses like my mom did, he'll be ready for memory care in about 5 years.
No. of Recommendations: 7
Yet he is working hard to undermine the next election
You think a "free and fair" election will be held, while he is in power? How quaint.
No, I don't. I think he's trying to rig it. If that fails, he'll try to prevent it from happening. And if that fails, and the Repugnicans lose the House or the Senate, there will be federal troops at the Capitol in January 2027 to prevent the new congress from being sworn in. Or maybe he'll burn down the Capitol, a la Reichstag fire.
No. of Recommendations: 6
Disagree. At least partially. He is worse now because his dementia is worse (IMO). First term he exhibited toxic narcissism. This time, he still has that, but also is showing real signs of dementia. If he progresses like my mom did, he'll be ready for memory care in about 5 years.
I don't think it's old-age dementia. I think it's the same personality he's had his whole life, except that now he feels free from all restraints and is behaving in ways that we can't conceive a normal human being behaving. The more the people around him prostrate themselves and fawn over him, the more megalomaniacal he gets.
No. of Recommendations: 3
He is worse now because his dementia is worseHe is a "JC" who lived for decades, in an echo chamber filled with yes-men who feed his every delusion. I don't think he has ever had a real look at the world, outside of his bubble. I have told the story before, of the President of Radio Shack, in 88-89 insisting he "knew everything", when store mangers tried to tell him that RS' pricing was wildly uncompetitive. Get used to it. I expect him to be President for life.
Bill Barr, again. Feb 2020, after Trump survived the first impeachment, for trying to extort Ukraine.
A President So Unhinged That Even Bill Barr Says He’s Out of Control
Attorney General William Barr broke with Trump over the President’s public demand that the Justice Department change its recommended prison sentence for Stone, Trump’s friend and adviser, who was convicted of lying to Congress and of other offenses that came out in the Mueller investigation. Barr denied overruling his own prosecutors in response to the President and agreed that Stone’s sentence should be reduced, but then he let loose on Trump, anyway. Trump’s tweets, Barr said, “make it impossible for me to do my job.” What’s more, he added, in a swipe at the President, “I’m not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody.”
In his post-impeachment rage, Trump wanted vengeance, and he wanted us to know it. There was no one inside his Administration to stop him. A month ago, Congress had at least the theoretical power to do something about his overreaching. Today, thanks to the Senate’s very clear vote, it does not. So, although the President himself is unchanged, the context around him is very much altered. In the history of the Trump Presidency, there will be a before impeachment and an after. It’s too late for lessons learned, and it’s most definitely too late for Bill Barr to complain about the President’s tweets. The constraints are gone. The leverage is lost. One ABC News interview with a single Cabinet official is not going to restore it. Trump, unhinged and unleashed, may actually turn out to be everything we feared.https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-...Steve
No. of Recommendations: 2
It may be intentional on the governments part. The threats of committing war crimes carry no weight if the president is sane. Given the threats, it has to be coupled with behavior that might make Iran believe they would be carried out. That said, nobody listens to Trump anymore.
Alan
No. of Recommendations: 2
The threats of committing war crimes carry no weight if the president is sane.
Hmm, is there an insanity defense for War Crimes? And even if there isn't, how could Trump ever be held accountable? Who's going to arrest him and his god-bothering lackey Hegseth?
