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

I have indeed, they're **** mental.

I'm convinced that the seeds of this religious fundamentalism in the US may have originally been sown by settlers from a certain background from Northern Ireland……If you think about it, some of the mindset is strikingly similar, conservatism, creationism, bigotry, hatred, intransigence, loyalty, defenders of identity….

I'm not saying that all US religious fundamentalists share this ancestor heritage, it more of how the first seeds got sown in rural America and got adopted by other white settlers in those areas. Obviously the current state of what we see in the US today has taken it to another level.

It should be noted that the slogan ‘ America First ‘ was a rallying cry of the KKK.

Maybe Donald was high from inhaling the fumes of the permanent markers.

Valid here. It speaks to the basic incompetence of Trump and his sycophantic administration. Frittering away important US assets and lives for nothing.

The hubris displayed by Trump & Nethanyahu in their attack on Iran and the consequences of it?
Are honestly staggering and an indictment of the US executive system (as if another were needed).
The lack of collective cabinet responsibility or congressional oversight before committing to a major war?
Is incredible.

The "surprise" that Trump gave voice to when he complained about Iran striking back at US bases, hitting Israel and closing the Strait?
With his "They weren't supposed to do that".
Belies both a serious breakdown in the structures of political control and a lack of any weight afforded the experts in those rooms.
Both military and regional in the US were ignored in the race to war.

Seriously, while Israel provoked this war with their usual 2 weeks and existential threat trope?
Once Khameini was killed and the Iranians realised the extent of the US/Israeli strikes?
It 100% became existential for the Mullahs & IRGC.
Their only option for survival as a regime was overwhelming response.
It is the entire point of their missile and drone arsenal.
The know they can't beat the US, and to ensure continuation of their regime?
They built a deterrence system based upon the ability to launch and sustain a massive conventional strike capability.

That the US & Israel entered this war believing that the mosaic strategy and the sustained missile counter fire wouldn't be the immediate response of the Iranians?
The Iranians response at each point of this war has been a calibrated response to attacks upon them.
At each point they have telegraphed their escalation ladder and it has been ignored by the US & Israel.

We are at a point now where nothing the US says can be trusted and they are all in on a war that is basically being led by an indicted War criminal.

Is it not the case that accepting a presidential pardon is a tacit admission of guilt?

I wish countries opposed to the illegal war and being asked to intervene, tell the US to seek a UN resolution. Ya know, go through the legal channels. Or just tell the US, you broke it, you own it.

I also read that headline as 'stop Iran from trolling'

Iran have been in control of this energy crisis since the first bomb dropped on Iran. Anyone who couldn't see this coming is a liar or a fool. I have no doubt that the pause in targeting energy infrastructure will unpaused at the most opportunistic time for market manipulation. Trump and his cronies cant be believed at the best of times but we have approached a situation where despite the significant ills of the Iranian regime, people are more likely believe the reporting coming out of there and what is being said.

The whole thing is sick and a fear we will all continue to pay significantly for this guy's attempts to enrich himself and his cronies but worse still many innocent people on every side will be displaced and killed as a result.

It's pretty much already back to within statistical Biden era margins - so performing below inflation.

Considering how much they were crowing when it hit 50k only a month ago, there's now a risk it'll finish below 45k today.

That's a lot of pain around the market, and US retirees pensions; to add to big fuel jumps and inflation; all caused by Trump's unneccesary war; Trumps satisfaction polling is actually, finally starting to collapse. Only a few months out from mid-terms too.

Trump is actually looking trapped. Iran won't go away. Escalate and things get worse, troops on ground would be very umpopular. Retreat and he loses all face. Iran know this, and are willing to endure the bombings to turn the screw.

Markets about to close, and over last few weeks Trump has tried to throw some curveball at start of weekend to try regain control of narrative while markets can't show instant reaction. Wonder what brilliant plan he'll try now.