Donald Trump - the Megathread - read Mod warning in OP

ceadaoin. · 31-10-2020 7:32am

Yeah I live here and he has had literally zero effect on my life. (As a person who can't vote and isn't a US citizen but still lives here, I feel some kind of impartially but I can see he is bad for the country overall)

mikemac2 · 31-10-2020 7:43am

NIMAN wrote: »

It appears all the media outlets have no issue showing their bias, be it TodayFM with the likes of Matt Cooper, or RTE with Tubridy et al. Its non-stop anti-Trump.

Matt Cooper has been insufferable with his sneering on his American slot the last few years

Talks over the journalists he invites on and is condescending. Today FM must pay good money if they keep coming back

George Hook did his American slot much better. He invited a right wing American radio host on his show, I forget his name. I disagreed with pretty much everything he said but dammit he was entertaining.

Great banter between them

Edit : Michael Graham was the chaps name

Gruffalux · 31-10-2020 7:51am

It creeps in everywhere. I listen to Lyric FM on the long drive in the morning if I go into work because it is relaxing. And even Marty Whelan has to sigh and sound deeply regretful if he reads Trump's name in the paper round up. As if all sensible people must do this poignant acting out of sorrow regarding the subject. I just think get up the yard with your melodramatics, just like almost all previous US incumbents he has no effect on your nice cushie life.

timetogo1 · 31-10-2020 7:53am

Is his stance on climate change not bad for everybody? Pulling out of the Paris agreement, replacing the Clean Power Plan, rolling back fuel efficiency standards.

I'm not saying they were good or even sufficient. But they were small steps in the right direction. Whereas he's just going backwards.

Tom Mann Centuria · 31-10-2020 7:59am

Hasn't affected my life at all but outside of the US he's emboldened people towards the further right of centre politics to be much more vocal than they used to be (in recent years). How far right is open to endless discussion.

I'm not a fan, but it's he much worse/any worse than what's gone before? As has been said he's not really any more of an imperialist than most other US Presidents, Obama loved a good bombing as much as the next man. Also, the police there didn't just suddenly become militarised with Trump, the prisons weren't suddenly full of black men. He'll be a scapegoat for the political classes, not sure he'll care, I think he was in it for the lols.

/HelicopterPost

Gruffalux · 31-10-2020 8:03am

timetogo1 wrote: »

Is his stance on climate change not bad for everybody? Pulling out of the Paris agreement, replacing the Clean Power Plan, rolling back fuel efficiency standards.

All governments stances on environmental issues has been a load of codswallop for decades. Carbon credits? Polluter pays? Basically if you are a ginormously wealthy corporation you can sequester carbon in monoculture forests in Leitrim or buy the right to completely fcuk up the environment in some poor country, but anyway preferably somewhere very far away from your CEO's enviable zero carbon eco-home on a vast ranch in some pristine nature reserve.

31-10-2020 8:03am

People here are over dependent on social media as if that's new news!

I couldn't give a care in regard to Trump. It's not my country or my vote

that put him there! We have enough issues on our own little island to be

concerned about!

Wanderer78 · 31-10-2020 8:27am

NIMAN wrote:

They tell us how it would be terrible if he was re-elected, and I got to thinking "how has Trump being POTUS affected me personally". And I realised it hasn't, not one iota. OK so he's an a$$h0le and many other things, but my life is totally unaffected by him being the most powerful man in the world. If I was an American or living in the US it would be different, but I don't.

He's having more of an affect on you than you think....

Gruffalux wrote:

All governments stances on environmental issues has been a load of codswallop for decades. Carbon credits? Polluter pays? Basically if you are a ginormously wealthy corporation you can sequester carbon in monoculture forests in Leitrim or buy the right to completely fcuk up the environment in some poor country, but anyway preferably somewhere very far away from your CEO's enviable zero carbon eco-home on a vast ranch in some pristine nature reserve.

.....welcome to neoliberalism and it's partner in crime, neoclassical economics!

Eduard Khil · 31-10-2020 8:29am

He wiped Hilary off the political chessboard exposing all her dirty little secrets on the way. For that we should all forever be grateful.

Wanderer78 · 31-10-2020 8:31am

Eduard Khil wrote:

He wiped Hilary off the political chessboard exposing all her dirty little secrets on the way. For that we should all forever be grateful.

...and replaced them with his own, even more ****ter ones

ThunbergsAreGo · 31-10-2020 8:32am

Zero effect by him directly.

The reporting and sneering towards him by the media has made me more cynical and understanding of the sheer power of the media to set a narrative.

This in turn has emboldened the far left to get more radical and aggressive without proper scrutiny. Which has also led to a far right.

Wanderer78 · 31-10-2020 8:33am

ThunbergsAreGo wrote:

This in turn has emboldened the left to get more radical and aggressive without proper scrutiny or punishment

He's clearly one of the most corrupt presidents ever to sit office

circadian · 31-10-2020 8:38am

His presidency has caused the "culture war" to grow and while at first it was something I'd only see on social media but it seems to have propogated conspiracy theories which I'm losing some friends to. I think he's a symptom, a large symptom, of a much bigger problem in general.

People saying Russia backing him is a hoax are clearly missing the point. I don't think the Russians completely manipulated the election but they certainly done what they could to help his profile online. Its in their benefit to destabilise a competitor, expect the Chinese and many others to be doing the same.

crisco10 · 31-10-2020 8:40am

Agree with previous poster who brought up pulling out of the Paris accord.
As a large industrial nation, that's a harmful stance to us all. And it's not that the Paris accord was perfect, but it was acknowledging a problem and working toward a solution. For trump to say F* that, we don't care. Just blew my mind.

Wanderer78 · 31-10-2020 8:41am

circadian wrote:

His presidency has caused the "culture war" to grow and while at first it was something I'd only see on social media but it seems to have propogated conspiracy theories which I'm losing some friends to. I think he's a symptom, a large symptom, of a much bigger problem in general.

Hes definitely a symptom, and I'm hoping we all learn from this in many ways, as our own presidential election showed us, we 're well capable of going full retard, when it comes to elections, thankfully we didn't

ThunbergsAreGo · 31-10-2020 8:43am

Wanderer78 wrote: »

He's clearly one of the most corrupt presidents ever to sit office

Which makes zero differeence to me as an Irish person living in Ireland

Wanderer78 · 31-10-2020 8:44am

ThunbergsAreGo wrote:

Which makes zero differeence to me as an Irish person living in Ireland

As others have explained, by God it does, we 're not existing in a bubble here

ThunbergsAreGo · 31-10-2020 8:48am

Wanderer78 wrote: »

As others have explained, by God it does, we 're not existing in a bubble here

How has his corruption effected the average Irish person?

Ekerot · 31-10-2020 8:49am

My Father and Aunt watching him a lot between the news channels on TV, YouTube and articles on the internet. I'd say they're probably more well aware of Trump/Bidens latest rally then what's happening over here between NPHET and the government.

If that seems that obsessive, they can be forgiven for having their children, their grandchildren and other miscellaneous people they know still living there.

Besides that, not much. I have friends living there who've felt an increase in hostility and racism towards them (i.e. an Vietnamese-American girl being spat on because she "brought in Covid") or the daughter of the Aunt above who works in teaching, having to go through drills now with the kids on what to do if there's a school shooting.

valoren · 31-10-2020 8:51am

I think it's the idea that he is a self-absorbed narcissistic bully. No nuance, no atriculation just pompous insulting rhetoric all the time. People have a visceral reaction to such people and considering he holds such an office then he is practically in the news cycle every day. It's exhausting to keep pace with the chaos people like Trump enagage in. With toxic ass holes like Trump, the epitome of a well heeled spoofer, a carnival barking con man, we can usually avoid them. Even Dubya didn't elicit such a visceral reaction because he was at least coherent with a modicum of intelligence. It's not just him, it's the supporters who can't see the wood for the trees and the cognitive dissonance they engage in is fascinating.

If Trump was a personality ordered President obsessed with American self-interest, who had hired an admin he thought was best for the country, then he wouldn't warrant as much attention. He posited himself as the successful business man, the tough negotiating patriot. Most see it as the embarrassing con it is. He owes $400 million to god knows who which is due during what would be his second term. The grifting engaged in during his first term makes sense in lieu of that becoming public knowledge.

He'd likely be getting re-elected, with no fanfare, if he could act remotely presidential. The pandemic was a knock it out of the park opportunity but he managed to fumble it to the surprise of nobody. As it is, then I think voters in the US have a clarity which they didn't have in 2016. His "whaddaya got to lose/drain the swamp" narrative doesn't work this time around. His grand promises have been empty. You know that visceral reaction when watching a movie when the antagonist finally get's their comeuppance? I hope the schadenfreude will be immense next week when we see such a narcissist's ego take an incredible blow. The best legacy Trump will leave is that post-truth is very dangerous. Given the 20k plus verified lies he's told then the idea of people seeing the worthwhileness of fact-checking is a positive development.

the purple tin · 31-10-2020 8:55am

Trump doesn't start foreign wars because there's no money in it for him. He's not connected with the oil crowd and military industrial complex like Bush, Cheney and their administration were.

31-10-2020 9:10am

Plode wrote: »

Pros:

• Exposes liberal hypocrisy

• Funniest president ever

• Original thinker

Cons:

• Absolute madman

• Foghorn voice

• Probably a fascist

But he hasn't affected me – yet.

How is he an original thinker?

nullzero · 31-10-2020 9:17am

The real question is, who is everyone going to blame for everything when he's not around anymore?

sydthebeat · 31-10-2020 9:19am

His environmental policies effect us all.

Pulling out of the Paris accord will effect us all in the future.

Hopefully Biden can turn that oil tanker quickly enough

31-10-2020 9:23am

sydthebeat wrote: »

His environmental policies effect us all.

Pulling out of the Paris accord will effect us all in the future.

Hopefully Biden can turn that oil tanker quickly enough

I'm sure he will. It's not as if he hasn't been in politics for almost 50 years at this stage. I'm sure he will get onto it straight away.

Gruffalux · 31-10-2020 9:31am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I'm sure he will. It's not as if he hasn't been in politics for almost 50 years at this stage. I'm sure he will get onto it straight away.

Haha

StackSteevens · 31-10-2020 9:34am

Wanderer78 wrote: »

He's clearly one of the most corrupt presidents ever to sit office

He's certainly in the top 45!

the purple tin · 31-10-2020 9:35am

US has an abysmal track record on environmentalism. They are all talk and nice promises but no action.
I don't see it chaging anytime soon.

Cirrus Incus · 31-10-2020 9:42am

The only critique I have of Trump is his stance on climate change. Four more years of Trump will mean limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will be impossible. This impacts on everyone even if its effects aren't immediately obvious. It's not reversible like his other policies, or lack thereof, are. Otherwise the chaos he's caused has been very entertaining.

osarusan · 31-10-2020 9:48am

Apart from Clinton and his role in the GFA, and the role that agreement played in Irish economic improvement (and not sure how signigifcant either of those roles were), I think US presidents have very very little impact on our emerald isle.

Trump's support for Brexit will have some impact, and the decisions he has made on climate change will have some impact on the world in general.

But mostly he, or any other US president, couldn't care less about us. Some shamrock on March 17 and maybe a stopover on the way to a more important ally, a flying visit on a world tour, or the odd multinations meeting in Ireland.

PokeHerKing · 31-10-2020 9:53am

corazon wrote: »

I moved to the USA from Ireland a few months before the election in 2016. it has been nothing but positive career wise and investment wise. I'm no fan of Trump but would Biden be any different? Everytime I go home I'm amazed by how much I hear about Trump in the Irish media. The average American pays less attention to US politics than the average Irish person. I don't think Irish people understand that politics plays a smaller role in you life here.

I lived in the states around 10 years ago. I couldn't disagree more, every American I knew/know are was well versed in their political views. Extremely polarized every single one of them.

Maybe Trump is like Brexit in the UK, people are done arguing so they just don't bring it up anymore?

I find it funny that this thread was created by an Irish person, there's an irony in it. I doubt this same poster created a thread about why people loved Obama or Clinton so much.

The Don is like the American version of a Healthy Rae. An absolute embarrassment to the country that there's people thick enough to vote for him.

Politicians are an unfortunate part of life. I don't get my moral compass from them and like all humans I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them but christ there has to be some sort of standard.

31-10-2020 9:58am

hes made message boards unusable and stirred up the crazies on both sides to an unvearable extent

rustynutz · 31-10-2020 10:01am

Trump provided me with endless entertainment with his daily press conferences during the first lockdown, for that I am thankful.

On the man himself, I think he is not as stupid as he comes across, he cant be to have got where he is, it's the people who support him that cant be too bright. A bankrupt billionaire born with a silver spoon in his mouth as a voice for the ordinary working people? Yeah right, it was a stroke of genius how he managed to sell that one.

Mad_maxx · 31-10-2020 10:12am

He is an obnoxious individual but his policies both domestic and foreign, have been quite moderate, in that sense, he actually hurts himself by being so unnecessarily crude

His ultra thin skin makes him get involved in scraps about nothing

CelticRambler · 31-10-2020 10:13am

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Have a ton of family in the UK and throughout Europe and so with ISIS attacks such as the Manchester Arena bombing, Paris Bataclan theatre massacre, Berlin Christmas Market truck attack and Brussels Airport attack etc etc, taking out al Baghdadi for sure has reduced the probability of similar future attacks in Europe.

You're being sarcastic, I presume? Or has the certainty of similar attacks (in France and Germany) this month - including a church massacre in Nice only a few days ago - passed you by?

So "taking out al Baghdadi" counts as a nothing on the list of Trump achievements.

Mad_maxx · 31-10-2020 10:14am

rustynutz wrote: »

Trump provided me with endless entertainment with his daily press conferences during the first lockdown, for that I am thankful.

On the man himself, I think he is not as stupid as he comes across, he cant be to have got where he is, it's the people who support him that cant be too bright. A bankrupt billionaire born with a silver spoon in his mouth as a voice for the ordinary working people? Yeah right, it was a stroke of genius how he managed to sell that one.

Uniquely American thing, even the poor look up to great wealth

DellyBelly · 31-10-2020 10:16am

I had a lovely red baseball cap thst I loved to wear but can't anymore thanks to him. So yeah he's affected me big time

Gruffalux · 31-10-2020 10:21am

DellyBelly wrote: »

I had a lovely red baseball cap thst I loved to wear but can't anymore thanks to him. So yeah he's affected me big time

Baseball caps are weird anyway. Stay clear of them. An otherwise sartorially elegant pal of mine showed up this week wearing a bleached denim baseball cap with some kind of disco motto on it. I think there was even a sparkly glass stick on over an i, but cannot be sure as I had quickly averted my gaze from his embarrassment.

Fiery mutant · 31-10-2020 10:24am

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm sure he will. It's not as if he hasn't been in politics for almost 50 years at this stage. I'm sure he will get onto it straight away.

The Paris climate accords were drafted when Biden was VP, and then Trump promptly withdrew. So you, just like the idiots who thanked your post, are just as uneducated as Trump.

the purple tin · 31-10-2020 10:26am

He has affected us by taking up a serious amount of air-time in Irish media (especially RTE) which has probably pushed out Irish stories due to lack of available space.

gmisk · 31-10-2020 10:28am

sameoldname wrote: »

Trump basically begs people to hate him though. I don't see many world leaders as tone-deaf as he is either.

Bolsonaro?

Gruffalux · 31-10-2020 10:37am

If you were to write the sci fi novel of the planet, Ireland would merely be the handy outpost re-fueling spot for the Empire's forces on their way to mine the diminishing ores in the hostile sandy places. And maybe a place to locate new media companies that support the Empire due to our docile, compliant, suitably-educated work stock and low taxes.

AlphaDelta1 · 31-10-2020 10:37am

He's provided me with so much entertainment and giggles over the last 4 years it's hard to comprehend. Be it when i turn on the TV and watch CNN or tune in to the Pat Kenny show the obvious anti Trump bias whilst desperately attempting to come across as balanced and fair media always gives me reason to smile. Trump himself is a total and complete idiot but by jesus i do enjoy the way he rubs liberals and lefties up the wrong way. Hopefully we see an almighty meltdown next week if he get's back in.

4 more years, yes please.

PokeHerKing · 31-10-2020 10:38am

rustynutz wrote: »

Trump provided me with endless entertainment with his daily press conferences during the first lockdown, for that I am thankful.

On the man himself, I think he is not as stupid as he comes across, he cant be to have got where he is, it's the people who support him that cant be too bright. A bankrupt billionaire born with a silver spoon in his mouth as a voice for the ordinary working people? Yeah right, it was a stroke of genius how he managed to sell that one.

Indeed, DRAIN THE SWAMP. Proceeds to employ his whole family. And still plenty of idiots willing to vote him back in.

keano_afc · 31-10-2020 10:38am

Personally, his presidency has shown me that if the media (including social media) personally dont like you, all journalistic integrity will be thrown out of the window. Objectivity is a thing of the past.

Also, I've seen how desperate people are to be liked. If you need some column inches or attention, just spout some "f*ck Trump" nonsense and you'll get the exposure you crave.

Whether those are seen as negatives I dont know.

gozunda · 31-10-2020 10:39am

If his only role in life is to wind up people- he's a expert....

francois · 31-10-2020 10:42am

NIMAN wrote: »

This is a question I have been thinking about recently, as I listen to the vast amount of anti-Trump media coverage.

People the world over have been going apoplectic about him since he got into office, and our own country is no different.

It appears all the media outlets have no issue showing their bias, be it TodayFM with the likes of Matt Cooper, or RTE with Tubridy et al. Its non-stop anti-Trump.

They tell us how it would be terrible if he was re-elected, and I got to thinking "how has Trump being POTUS affected me personally". And I realised it hasn't, not one iota. OK so he's an a$$h0le and many other things, but my life is totally unaffected by him being the most powerful man in the world. If I was an American or living in the US it would be different, but I don't.

So can any Irish resident give a genuine answer to the question "how has Trump being President affected your life negatively".

Occasionally you have to tell it like it is. The man is a cretin.

keano_afc · 31-10-2020 10:44am

francois wrote: »

Occasionally you have to tell it like it is. The man is a cretin.

Yes, but that in no way has any impact on our lives. Trudeau is a cretin. Still doesnt affect me in any way.

Gruffalux · 31-10-2020 10:48am

AlphaDelta1 wrote: »

He's provided me with so much entertainment and giggles over the last 4 years it's hard to comprehend. Be it when i turn on the TV and watch CNN or tune in to the Pat Kenny show the obvious anti Trump bias whilst desperately attempting to come across as balanced and fair media always gives me reason to smile. Trump himself is a total and complete idiot but by jesus i do enjoy the way he rubs liberals and lefties up the wrong way. Hopefully we see an almighty meltdown next week if he get's back in.

4 more years, yes please.

Have to say I laugh out loud at him. He is outrageous and a provocateur. You could nearly not invent him. Although Lionel Shriver did have him as US President in her book The Mandibles which came out before he was elected in 2016. Let's be honest the post-modern identity-politics left have a serious humour deficit. The anima-possessed prissiness would make you cringe. The bold side of online politics is far wittier. Though not the VERY bold side of either wing - they are both just disgusting.

Fr Tod Umptious · 31-10-2020 10:48am

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Uniquely American thing, even the poor look up to great wealth

Yea
Completely different attitude than here.
Over there people aspire to moving up the economic ladder.

The reward for work and working harder is greater in the US, there is far less of a sense that your hard earned is being taken away to pay for welfare.

I recall listening to a US radio station where the presenters were talking about Connor Mcgregor.

They could not figure out the fact that before UFC he was on welfare.
How could a 20 something year old fit and able guy not be working ?

Donald Trump - the Megathread - read Mod warning in OP

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