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

Without seeing any reliable report I can't tell you anything about how long the list is

Highly suspect that the person at 146th is just before Trump alphabetically and the person at 148th is just after

The thumbnail of the video suggests that Colbert has the transcript in his hand but the video is just clips of him talking about his academic record which has been widely questioned, the rest is AI commentary with no source.

Happy to look at an actual source for this but that AI video is a joke and shouldn't be allowed on here, something I'd expect someone's uncle on Facebook to post as fact

Not disputing any of that, the question though is why the need to make up this list with an anonymous source who Trump apparently told his plans to

Let the actual articles speak for themselves. I'm not disputing that he wasn't a top student - I think if he was actually number 1 in his class nobody would be shy about getting the proof of that out there

But that doesn't mean we should start believing AI-invented stuff just because it enforces what we believe to be true. If anything, it's something that could easily backfire. You start getting someone actually question this 147th placement in a real press conference or congressional hearing and guess what? They can debunk it as an obvious hoax based on a alphabetical list and they can start laughing at the libs for believing it.

It's know as 'poisoning the well' and I wouldn't be surprised if it's deliberate. Watch the video again, doesn't it strike people as odd that they specifically name the students directly above and below him on the list? They don't name the actual student who ended up number 1 on the list, or any top 10 or anything…

The tactic here would be:

1. Trump claims to have been a number 1 student

2. Reputable news sources publish that he wasn't a top student - this is sourced factual information but doesn't have specifics

3. This news is unfavourable to Trump

4. In response, shady outlet releases a video claiming to have specific information from a source within the class that has an actual ranking list showing him as #147

5. Video doesn't name who was actually #1, but names specifically who was #146th and #148th

6. People start to share the video and it goes viral, these people already had the impression that he was below average so this 'secret' transcript release feeds into their confirmation bias - now they have some sort of proof with specific details to back it up

7. This idea that he finished specifically 147th goes more mainstream

8. Question is no longer "was Trump #1 in his class", it's now "how do you explain reports from a classmate that he was specifically #147th?"

9. Easy rebuttal that the list was obviously a hoax and misinterpreted. They can show Troutman #146th, Trump #147th, Tucker #148th and laugh it off that the stupid media outlet asking the question has been duped by an obvious alphabetical list and that they're fake news unable to check sources, etc

The point here isn't to dispute the proper reports with the simple proof that he did finish #1, it's instead that because he didn't and that can't be discredited by proof, make up something that people can believe which is specific enough that it can be easily discredited

I would say both need to be addressed.

Which is why previous US Presidents, Democratic or Republican, from Carter onwards did not allow themselves to be dragged into a conflict like this with Iran but set very specific, limited objectives.

Only Trump can make a mistake this big.

It was a complete military success and a great gift not just to the US but to the whole of humanity

Apparently they got 2 ships through

My completely deluded what ?

AFAICS will only happen if he backs down massively over the nuclear issue. Can he do this and somehow spin it as a victory, or at least an 'honourable compromise' to his base?

Surprised they were blunt enough to call it a 'bad deal' but that's exactly what it would be from the POV of Trump's base if they were any way clear-eyed and objective…