Donald Trump the Megathread part II - Mod Warning updated in OP 12/2/26

hard to know what is satire any more

Much of American conservatism has decided that democracy is a bad idea, like Germany and Italy the 1920s/30s. At the moment I think its closer to Mussolini than Hitler.

The reputational concern about appearing to be a fascist seems to have vanished over there, partly because Trump showed you could become President on an ultra nationalist platform.

Hillary Clintons big mistake in 2016 was to lazily assume that demographic change was enough to win the election, while also taking traditional progressive White votes in the Midwest for granted. She did not campaign in the Midwest until the last week or two.

Also I think Bill Clinton's trade policies, while benefitting the US overall, damaged millions of blue collar workers in the steel and car industries. Climate change policies alienated workers in the fossil-fuel industry like in West Virginia which abandoned Al Gore in 2000. I personally support phasing out fossil fuels but also a just-transition.

It should be noted though that both parties supported free trade in the 1990s, and that NAFTA was originally negotiated under Bush Sr. In fact Clinton made some criticisms of NAFTA before the 1992 election. Polls in the US at the time showed the public very divided on NAFTA.

Separately, looking at state level politics in working class areas of Red States is interesting. CNN reported from a county earlier this year that voted 70% for Trump, but also voted against a school-voucher system (seen as favouring private schools). I think were it not for the important of cultural conservatism to these voters, they would be voting Democrat.

"he understands the importance of the area while others have just been dreaming of windmills for 20 years."

Incredible to see a sentence which compliments Trump's intellect, and also references windmills, which he thinks give you cancer.

Russian press gloating about the row. They say it helps justify Russias war in Ukraine that Trump wants Greenland for 'US security'.

I can't believe he's just discrediting the FIFA Peace Prize like this.

SNL came back on screens last week- I watched the opening segment (all about Trump and his goons of course)and it was atrocious .

Very hard to satirise Trump these days because there’s little or no counter balances in place- satire and parody only really work when we know that what the person is doing in real life is bizzare, but it won’t impact us- so we can laugh at them. Europe isn’t laughing at Trump- there’s a huge threat of a major recession, massive job losses - possibly worse than 2008 - there’s huge threat of America taking Greenland or leaving NATO - there’s a huge threat of more tariffs - there’s a huge threat economically from AI in terms of job losses as it is.

There’s nothing really to laugh at- we’re living in a world that’s governed in part by Trumps “own morality”- I don’t see anyone in his party or in opposition trying to stop him. Economically at least for Ireland it’s very scary.

While they’re at it, would love to see EU sanction infantino just because he’s a ….

Honest does he think they give people cancer ? Wouldn't surprise me though, nuts isn't he, taking a wrecking ball to it all isn't he ?

Sorry but I don’t believe that he does believe those things- it’s all highly memorable imagery that’s all - and his electorate has soaked it all up- it’s in the same space as the “dog eaters”- once heard, very hard to unhear- it sticks with his supporters and that’s all that counts.

It always has been sleight of hand and 3 card trick with Trump- that’s all he is- but admittedly a very good trickster - he has no morals as we know along with no principles so he’ll say and do whatever he wants - whether he’s a “fool” or not, I’ll leave to history to decide - but currently he’s POTUS- so he’s fcking very dangerous

Hawaii was annexed in 1898... We're a radically different world in the time since then. Greenland does not wish to be a part of the US and that's the fundamental point here. Any defense resources that the US wishes to place in Greenland, they can. They do not have the right to annex it though and by doing so, he will collapse NATO.

You're trying to find any reason to justify the US trying to invade Greenland, sounding mighty like a Trump supporter. You guys spent years claiming Trump wasn't a dangerous and unpredictable power. He's now proving that he is very much so a threat to global stability. Instead of recognising that, you're resorting to defending this ****.

What's very concerning here is that even if he can somehow be talked down this week on Greenland, will he simply go off on another one next week? If he has dementia or some such disorder, we might be facing into a scenario where he has to be removed from office. Three more years of this seems unthinkable.

Letter released by Norway from Trump

“Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.

“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also.

“I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT”