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

Cover story is because he's running for Ohio governor but that's two years away. And you'd think if DOGE was a big hit that would boost his chances…

They're not fixing those issues, they are creating scapegoats out of innocent people who haven't harmed anyone, so they can stoke hate and division, which is the life-blood of populist or fascist regimes.
Anyone who believes the GOP are addressing any actual issues is either deliberately misrepresenting what is happening here, or they are naive enough to actually believe the GOP propaganda.
This is just hate and division. Beating down a group of people because they dared stick their head up. Funny how that is never a problem for dirtbags riding around with all their MAGA gear.

I agree with you.

They’re going to end up burning a lot of bridges, losing connections and global influence and I think in ways that are yet to be understood. It’s only beginning.

You’re already seeing it — American culture is no longer really as on-trend and ‘cool’ as it was decades ago — they’re increasingly seen in a very different light. If their government starts attacking other countries and morphing into a seriously malevolent power they’ll rapidly start to feel a cold wind blowing and I really think it’s just going to be the fizzling out of the so called “American Century” — it’ll happen slowly, probably only being recognised after the damage and decay is already done, but it’s already happening.

Being the global bully that nobody likes isn’t how to win friends and influence.

Devolving into an authoritarian state, driven by blind loyalty and a cult of personality around a strongman leader, decisions being made at whim, checks and balances clearly discovered to be dysfunctional, rights not being upheld and where rule of law is beginning to fall apart just means that the US can no longer talk about being a world leader in democracy, freedom and all those things it likes to mention as American values. Those are gone — all a just mantra and a lie.

How does it take 'real courage' to say exactly what the establishment thinks?

The people voting for these changes don't really care about all of that. They don't feel like they've felt the benefit of any of it in the first place. Indeed, they blame globalism for many of their economic woes.

Are 'the establishment ' in the room with you right now? Last I saw of them was the inauguration.

Would you have done it? Have the GOP done it? Have journalists done it?

No, Trump has been given every excuse, every crazy utterance batted away as being a joke or taken out of context. Hell, we even see it with Elon and his Nazi salute. Everything has to be explained away.

What she said isn't controversial, except that Trump doesn't believe in compassion or understanding. And to see just how on point it was you only have to look at his reaction, both during it and then his comments calling her 'nasty' afterwards.

She was courageous in that she knew he would react that way, and no doubt will get plenty of vitriol from Trump supporters.

Some people will do the most disgusting things just for money.

Apparently fell out with Elon over the H1 visas

Why is so much of the discussion and media commentary about culture war stuff, MAGA and Tech Bosses and not about his Billionaire backers who stay in the background but have a definite agenda economically that's going to change everything.

The hegemony of America is not going to change.

In a screed about what's wrong with America you name 3 democrats. Please try again.

It is nothing to do with trying again. I named three democrats to show how daft the American system is. The Republican's are named ad nausem on this thread as the bogeymen. When in reality both sides in America are geared towards captialism and vested interests. Simple as that. Whether Democrat or Republican. That is why I named three Democrats to show how Sanders is such an outlier for American politics.

If a forum thread based in Ireland is a barometer of the world - the world is in trouble if it is that blinkered and tells people to "try again" if they don't want to view the bigger picture. Is only the one narrow view permitted "Let's laugh at Trump". Republicans = bad guy. Democrats - good guy.

No view on American politics as whole?

The difference with Trump to many of the other politicians on either side of American politics he does not hide his vested interests. Which I find highly ironic. Meanwhile his new mate JD Vance was the darling of the anti-Trump brigade until he jumped ship and revealed himself as political opportunist. I find that very amusing. I suppose you won't tell me to try again on this paragraph?