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

I must say, 'freedom to gather the news' is a new one. Which amendment would that be?

i think it's just because he says the things many people have been thinking for a long time. for americans it's immigrants bad, ukraine ripping us off, lgbtq are brainwashing children, and that means they're willing to forgive him for the rest of his behaviour or are so in love with the man for saying these things, finally, that they don't see any wrong in him at all. they probably didn't consider international relations or the ins and outs of his economic plans with tariffs etc. they're just sick of all the woke nonsense and this man doesn't tolerate it, this would garner some votes in ireland too but probably not that many if the candidate was such an idiot.

lots of people voted for peter casey here on the sole basis that someone finally f*cking spoke out about travellers, i think it was the time some travellers denied brand new mansion housing because it didn't have horse stables. but most people also don't really give a sh*t who's president because they don't actually do anything in ireland.

I presume it would be the First Amendment - freedom of speech means little if you are not allowed gather relevant information.

It’s a start I guess - But there isn’t much time - Trumps Executive Orders creating essentially a situation of President “trumps” all other American legal institutions, if it gets through, will make America a dictatorship overnight - wake up America ! If there’s something worth rioting about it’s this

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/19/trumpism-bernie-sanders

Iwill be doing town meetings in Omaha, Nebraska, this Friday night and Iowa City, Iowa, on Saturday morning. Further, in the coming weeks and months, I and other progressives will be holding grassroots events from coast to coast.

Why, at this moment, are we doing town meetings around the country – especially in conservative areas? The answer is obvious.

Trumpism will not be defeated by politicians inside the DC beltway. It will only be defeated by millions of Americans, in every state in this country, coming together in a strong, grassroots movement which says no to oligarchy, no to authoritarianism, no to kleptocracy, no to massive cuts in programs that working people desperately need, no to huge tax breaks for the richest people in our country. And that’s what these events are about.

Politicians all over the world routinely grant interviews or comment to media outlets that they feel will portray them in a good light. By doing so, are they 'punishing' or 'coercing' the entities they choose not to engage with? Entities that are in fact still free to say whatever they want?

Stepping back, the better question here is what could Trump do to the press that is unacceptable to you?

Choose wisely

They are being excluded over a specific item. Explicitly. The press secretary even said it.

Trump can bring Fox or OAN or whomever into as many 1 on 1 interviews as he likes. That's not exclusionary. Leaving one organisation out based on them not pretending that your whims are somehow facts is.

It's laughable to suggest that what Trump is doing is not an attempt to control the news media. And that is 100% Orwellian.

Just posting here about Trumps executive order from yesterday that is a significant step in the dictatorial direction.

The executive order, (I didn't read it here but would expect others mentioned it) requires Vought, as the director of the Office of Management and Budget, to “establish performance standards and management objectives” for the heads of independent agencies and “report periodically to the President on their performance and efficiency in attaining such standards and objectives.” It also requires Vought to review and make changes to the agencies’ budgets “as necessary and appropriate, to advance the President’s policies and priorities.”

This is a clear attempt to exert control over agencies that help form part of the system of checks and balances that exist in the US government.

And for those who were adamant last year that Trump had nothing to do with Project 2025, the Vought mentioned above is that documents co-author.

And finally, its another sign of how the Republicans treat the practices of government depending on who is in power. In 2014, they lambasted Obama for asking the chair of the FCC to adopt strong net neutrality proposals because they said it blurred the lines between the office of the President and an oversight agency. Now, the office of the President is assuming control of that agency (and others) and Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio and the likes are applauding him doing it. The game has shifted completely. And this is where Democrats are failing.

Their response to all of this is singular, disjointed and inconsistent and at least some of it is shrugging shoulders saying they can do nothing. They'll use all of this to fundraise claiming they need to take the house back to exert control in 2026 but meanwhile Trump is just bypassing the house and they are not painting an image of knowing how to stop him.

Except that image is no longer as relevant as it once was.

The Joe Rogan Experience, The War Room, The DailyWire, Tucker Carlson, and many other independent outlets are reaching more ears than traditional news media shows (by some distance in many cases). And in their world, Trump is standing tall and they're standing point like body guards ready to attack anyone who looks like they are a threat. The legacy media, what's left of them are in the background, writing script for their "entertainment" shows. It's maddening.

I saw a clip of Joe Rogan talking about Bill Maher and he eviscerated Maher for disliking Trump. I'm no fan of Maher but what was interesting was Rogan used the excuse that Maher was poorly informed on Trump as part of his logic for dismissing his view. Rogan is up there as one of the most poorly informed voices that commands the attention of millions and yet he is using that premise as an excuse to dismiss the views of someone who is targeting Trump.

I saw a social media clip this morning of James O'Brien saying that Trump is out and out lying and is pushing Pro-Putin talking points like someones aunt on social media. That video was published by an LBC account, the comments were 75% of people praising Trump and dismissing O'Brien as a conspiracy mouthpiece. The media battle has been lost.

Indeed, I've noticed Trump supporters and contrarians who act on his behalf rarely commit to any stance on normal principles, e.g. the free press. This is because they know Trump could contradict that in no time.

It's simply too difficult. Instead they prefer to spin and defend and deflect his actions after the fact which is much easier.

Oh please dont get our hopes up, hopefully they/he/she/it succeeds.

Which is incredible as it's the free press, or rather his manipulation of it, that has him POTUS for the first and second time.