Donald J. Trump wins Presidency

Donald Trump's North Korea 'armada' gaffe was dangerous buffoonery.

Memo to the US president: it is best not to misstate the mission and location of an entire aircraft carrier group to a rogue nuclear state.

Thanks to Donald Trump, the international community now knows that the United States is a force to be reckoned with.

Gone are the days when dictators and allies alike disdained a professorial president who preferred nuclear diplomacy to nuclear war. If only Barack Obama had played more golf at luxury resorts, his successor would not have to bring such golden luster to such a copper world.

Less than 100 days into this presidency, it is blissfully clear what kind of leader Trump is. He has made the awesome transition from a neophyte candidate into a neophyte president; from a man who bluffed and blustered his way in TV debates to a man who bluffs and blusters his way through international crises.

Here is a small-time businessman who knew nothing about foreign affairs, who has grown into a nuclear-armed president who knows nothing about foreign affairs. He used to fire B-list celebrities on TV; now he just fires off tweets and Tomahawks after watching TV. More at link.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/19/donald-trump-north-korea-armada-gaffe

IMO, there's something wrong with Trump, LL - he doesn't look or sound like Candidate Trump. Remember when he was campaigning, he was bouncing around all over the States and calling his rivals 'low energy'? That's him now.

A couple of days ago, he kept calling Paul Ryan 'Ron' - wierd.

This business of the Lost Armada is cringemaking - every government in the world will have known he was talking rubbish, but could do nothing but watch the ghastliness play out. It's extremely serious - how on earth can anyone trust the US after that?

Meanwhile, more broken promises:

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/04/19/report-nearly-300-marines-en-route-to-taliban-stronghold-in-afghanistan/

Report: 300 U.S. Marines ‘En Route’ to Taliban Stronghold in Afghanistan

An estimated 300 U.S. Marines are heading to a Taliban stronghold in the southern Afghanistan province of Helmand, one of the deadliest regions of the ongoing war for coalition forces located along the Pakistan border, reports Marine Corps Times.
The American troops are expected to reach their destination — where the Taliban has largely reversed previous U.S./NATO coalition gains — by the end of this month. Nearly all of Helmand has once again fallen under the control of the Taliban. Helmand sits next to Kandahar province, widely known as the birthplace of the Taliban.

The 300 additional Marines, with the appropriate support, “can absolutely make a difference in Helmand province,” retired Gen. David Petraeus, who served as the top commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan between 2010 to 2011, told Marine Corps Times....etc.

Yeah, right. Nothing has made the slightest difference in SIXTEEN YEARS, so a few more poor sods to serve as cannon fodder most certainly won't.

The Pentagon might be better employed pulling ALL the troops out and leaving the Taliban and ISIS to kill each other for being the wrong kind of crazy.

They should also read a few history books, find out why Afghanistan is called the Graveyard of Empires.

IMO, there's something wrong with Trump, LL - he doesn't look or sound like Candidate Trump. Remember when he was campaigning, he was bouncing around all over the States and calling his rivals 'low energy'? That's him now.

As you know I don't 'do' politics, especially where a country I am in no way connected with is concerned, but from the beginning he had the hairs on the back of my neck standing rigidly to attention. I had the same reaction to everything he said and did. And now it looks like my reaction was right. LL

Well, all politicians bullsh*t and promise the earth....but IMO, it's something more than that, LL. I wouldn't be surprised if he's in the early stages of dementia, or having mini-strokes, or something. He doesn't look or sound like the same person.

I can see him resigning 'for health reasons' and we get President Pence - who, unfortunately, is also talking bombastic mince:

In an address to the US Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Pence claimed the 'era of over-regulation was over.'
But, he told the 2,500 sailors aboard the USS Ronald Reagan in a Japanese US naval base: 'As all of you know, readiness is the key.
'The United States of America will always seek peace - but under President Trump, the shield stands guard and the sword stands ready.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4423338/US-VP-Pence-assures-Japan-America-100-percent.html#ixzz4emaihK3S
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Pity his sword is at the pawnbroker's and his shield's been missing since the last Aussie BBQ.....

Trump's solution to 'unfair' American dairy woes: blame Canada.

Canada 'more than happy' to correct the record as Trump attacks dairy industry, ambassador says.

U.S. President Donald Trump swaggered into Wisconsin Tuesday and told anxious American farmers that he knew the solution to their problems: beat up Canada for how it runs its dairy industry.

"In Canada some very unfair things have happened," he said. His administration would work on it "immediately."

But there's a difference between sabre-rattling and actually firing a shot — and in this case, no trigger's been pulled to back up his fighting words on this "terrible thing" happening to farmers.

That doesn't mean Canada's dairy farmers couldn't face a substantial trade challenge soon.

But Trump's words have already drawn out the best cover they could possibly hope for: unambiguous political support from Justin Trudeau's government, even as those same Liberals were otherwise trying to avoid coming to blows with the Republicans now in charge.

"I think that our supply management has worked well for our dairy farmers and for our consumers, and I'm more than happy to defend it all the time," Canada's ambassador to the U.S. David MacNaughton told reporters in Halifax Wednesday.
More at link.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/dairy-canada-trump-unfair-1.4075624

Right.......

US could end visa-free travel for Europeans, Donald Trump's Secretary of Homeland Security says.

Move could affect around 14 million European citizens who visit the US without a visa each year.

The Trump administration is considering making changes to the US visa-waiver system that could make it much harder for Europeans travelling to America.

Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly said the existing rules, which do not require Britons to obtain a visa, should be reviewed amid heightened concerns about terrorism.

Mr Kelly added that he was not considering scrapping the system entirely, but said the current set-up needed to be looked at again.

"Not eliminating it and not doing anything excessive,” CNN Money reported him saying during a speech in Washington, “but look very hard at that programme”.

The comments come after airlines warned of a ’Trump slump’ that saw international travel to the US drop 6.5 per cent in the eight days following the President’s proposed travel ban in January. Link.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-visa-waiver-ends-european-travel-donald-trump-john-kelly-homeland-security-a7692861.html

Trump slump: Drop in American tourism is costing US billions.
Since Trump's inauguration, overseas bookings to the US have fallen.

As tourists continue to steer clear of Donald Trump’s America, the US travel industry is bearing the brunt of his unpopular policies.

The ‘Trump slump’, as it has become known, is alive and well. Since President Trump took office, the numbers show, tourists just aren’t as keen on visiting the United States.

International travel to the US dropped 6.5 per cent in the eight days following the president’s proposed travel ban on January 27 when compared to the same period in 2016, according to travel data company ForwardKeys. Online searches for flights to America also dropped by 17 per cent the same week, said flight app Hopper. And the president of Dubai-based airline Emirates, Sir Tim Clark, confirmed in March that the travel ban, which sought to stop nationals from seven mainly Muslim countries from travelling to the US, immediately triggered a drop in bookings from Dubai by over a third.

All this has resulted in an estimated loss of $185 million in business travel bookings from January 28 to February 4, as calculated by the Global Business Travel Association. The drop-off in tourism is predicted to result in 4.3 million fewer visitors this year, which adds up to a staggering loss of $7.4 billion in revenue for the US.

The UK is no exception to this trend. Since Donald Trump took office, almost a third (29 per cent) of Britons said they have been put off holidaying in America and flight searches to the US have dropped overall by 13 per cent, according to a poll by flight comparison site Cheapflights.co.uk.

“A significant number of Brits have been spooked by what they see happening over the pond, and are beginning to vote with their clicks as they explore alternative options for travel in 2017,” said managing director of Cheapflights Andrew Shelton. “With UK travellers contributing nearly $5 billion a year to the US economy, tourism chiefs in the country should take note of what could be a substantial reduction in support for a major industry there.” Link.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/trump-slump-travel-ban-muslims-us-tourism-holidays-foreign-visitors-a7666461.html

-
US could end visa-free travel for Europeans, Donald Trump's Secretary of Homeland Security says.

Has he asked Disneyworld, Universal, etc., how they feel about this? This is utter madness, IMO, paranoia running riot.

Mr Kelly said he feared Isis fighters were using the visa-waiver system to sneak into the US, warning America was the “Super Bowl in terms of terrorists…that's where they wanna come [sic]”.

Oh, so they wouldn't just fly to Mexico and walk in, then?

Trump: The First 100 Days - Tonight on ITV from 7:30pm to 8:00pm
As US President Donald Trump marks his 100th day as commander-in-chief, ITV News Washington correspondent Robert Moore asks whether the US is more divided than ever and if the new administration has really made a profound difference to the country. The programme speaks to Americans fearful of the direction in which their nation is heading, and those who believe Trump is restoring their country to a bold new era of greatness.

So far I have had 6 US friends who have applied successfully to move to Canada. I expect more. LL

Well, I tend to think US domestic politics are a matter for Americans, not least because non-Americans don't really understand them. And vice-versa.

I was wincing with horror yesterday at assorted Brietbart commentators declaring that May's snap election was an excuse to cancel Brexit, and that the voting machines would all be tampered with....the same embarrassment lies in wait for Brits who comment on US internal politics.

Foreign affairs are a different matter - see visas for holidaymakers and mislaying Armadas.

This is quite interesting:

https://www.quora.com/What-would-happen-if-Trump-actually-has-the-beginning-signs-of-Alzheimers-or-dementia-and-is-elected

And this comment:

My dad had vascular dementia the last two years of his life. I do worry about Donald Trump. He does many of the things my dad did in the early days. This Easter, being given a kid’s hat to sign, signing it and throwing it into the crowd while the poor little boy protested and Trump didn’t even notice. And then did it again. Cognitively, he didn’t seem to be able to tell the difference between kids at an Easter egg roll and a campaign crowd. That sort of mild cognitive disconnect is an early sympton.

And there can be lots of reasons for the early symptoms.Too tired. Too many distractions. Feeling pressured to move too fast at his age. All of that can cause similar problems. These can be the cause or excuses covering the real cause.

My dad was very good at covering, making excuses, blaming other people, insisting that his version of reality was the right one and everybody else was wrong. He really didn’t know that he couldn’t remember or that he had misinterpreted something. He made up a reality that worked for him and stuck to it. It was only when he began arguing over really obvious things that those who loved him realized he had a serious problem. Trump has lots of enablers around him.

Vascular dementia proceeds in stair steps. They were seem to function just fine and then, the next day they are functioning at a different level. I have seen Trump drop three levels since the debates last fall.

He has other signs of vascular issues. Being unwilling to use the stairs. Getting tired at 5pm. No exercise to speak of and a fat heavy diet. We have no record of a thorough exam by more than one qualified doctor as Mrs. Clinton. We have note from a goofball penned in the back of limo with no tests. So…watch this space.



Vascular dementia proceeds in stair steps. They were seem to function just fine and then, the next day they are functioning at a different level. I have seen Trump drop three levels since the debates last fall.

That chimes in with what I'd noticed about President Trump being very 'low energy' in comparison to Candidate Trump. Also, he may well have thought he'd sent an Armada to NK.......

Donald Trump Family History of Alzheimer's Returns as Campaign Issue.
Disease Hereditary; Is He Showing Signs?

Donald Trump’s family history of Alzheimer’s disease, an issue during his heated primary campaign, has returned to center stage in the presidential election, driven largely by repeated attacks on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton’s health. He may already be exhibiting early signs of the disease.

Trump, 70, will be the oldest president ever elected if he wins in November. But his health is largely a mystery.

He has skirted the issue by releasing only a four-paragraph letter from a family doctor. Both the letter and the doctor have been widely discredited. More at link.
http://www.theimproper.com/142684/donald-trumps-family-history-alzheimers-campaign-issue/

So his father had Alzheimer's? That's not good. Something's not right with him, for sure, it's been quite noticeable for the last two or three weeks. IMO, it's well beyond the usual politician bullsh*tting and promising the earth, and being unable to deliver.

I don't know if you watched the 'chocolate cake' interview? It was bizarre. He was fixated on the damned cake, not on Xi, or his attack on Iraq, sorry, Syria.

Trump Roars Again on Trade, Reviewing Steel and Chiding Canada.

WASHINGTON — President Trump added a new name Thursday to the list of countries he accuses of preying on American workers and exploiting naïve American trade policies: Canada.

“What they’ve done to our dairy farm workers is a disgrace,” Mr. Trump said as he ordered a sweeping investigation into whether steel imports are harming America’s national security. “We can’t let Canada or anybody else take advantage and do what they did to our workers and to our farmers.”

Mr. Trump admitted he was going off script because the steel order is aimed at more familiar trade boogeymen like China and Japan. But his outburst in the Oval Office toward a friendly neighbor punctuated a week when tough talk on trade took center stage in a White House deeply divided over how aggressively to erect the trade barriers that Mr. Trump promised during his campaign.

From Mr. Trump’s “buy American, hire American” rallying cry in Wisconsin this week to Vice President Mike Pence’s warnings to Japan and South Korea about the need to rewrite trade deals, the Trump administration is moving against free trade on multiple fronts. A senior White House official said there would be two trade-related events a week for the next few weeks.

“He’s manically focused on these trade issues,” said Stephen K. Bannon, the president’s chief strategist.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/business/trade-canada-trump-steel.html?_r=0

So, Bannon's back? That's probably good, because he is in the isolationist camp, and Trump can do less harm fighting about trade than he can slinging missiles at sovereign nations.

Not to mention losing Armadas.

Trump calls 100-day assessment 'ridiculous'.

President Donald Trump says the 100 day benchmark often cited to measure a new administration's achievements is a "ridiculous standard."

Trump tweeted Friday, "No matter how much I accomplish during the ridiculous standard of the first 100 days, & it has been a lot (including S.C.), media will kill!"

Trump hits the 100 day mark in office on April 29.

Since taking office, Trump has managed to get a Supreme Court justice confirmed and is pursuing tougher regulations on immigration. But his health care bill didn't come up for a vote in the House and his travel ban was blocked in the courts.

The 100-day assessment started with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, because he got so much done.

Earlier this week, Trump declared that "no administration has accomplished more in the first 90 days."

President Donald Trump says that the latest Islamic State group attack in Paris will have a "big effect" on France's upcoming presidential election.

Trump tweeted early Friday, "Another terrorist attack in Paris. The people of France will not take much more of this. Will have a big effect on presidential election!"

An attacker emerged from a car in Paris Thursday and used an automatic weapon to shoot at officers in the center of the Champs-Elysees. One officer was killed as was the gunman.

Candidates in France's presidential election treaded carefully in response to the attack with the first round of voting set for Sunday.

Trump has not expressed an opinion on the upcoming French election, although he was a supporter of the British decision to exit the European Union and has instead stated his preference to one-on-one trade and defense agreements with U.S. allies.

Iran is failing to fulfill the "spirit" of its nuclear deal with world powers, President Donald Trump has declared, setting an ominous tone for his forthcoming decision about whether to pull the U.S. out of the landmark agreement.

As he often had during the president campaign, Trump ripped into the deal struck by Iran, the U.S. and other world powers in 2015 and said "it shouldn't have been signed." Yet he pointedly stopped sort of telegraphing whether or not the U.S. would stay in.

Speaking of the Iranians, Trump said: "They are not living up to the spirit of the agreement, I can tell you that," although he didn't mention any specific violations. Earlier this week, the administration certified to Congress than Iran was complying — at least technically — with the terms of the deal, clearing the way for Iran to continue enjoying sanctions relief in the near term.

Thrillling Armada news:

https://www.rt.com/usa/385606-us-navy-f18-crash/

A fighter pilot was forced to eject during an attempted landing on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in the Celebes Sea, south of the Philippines, the US Navy has said. The pilot was recovered safely.
The F/A-18E fighter jet, which was part of Carrier Air Wing 2, was on final landing approach after conducting “routine flight operations,” US 7th Fleet Command said in a statement. The incident is under investigation.

“There are no apparent injuries at this time,” the Navy said, noting that the pilot has been evaluated by medical personnel aboard the Carl Vinson.

DETAILS TO FOLLOW

Hark! What is that strange noise? Surely it isn't Fatty laughing his ar@e off? As I said on the 12th....


Could someone please remind him what happened to the original Armada?

Donald Trump has 'dangerous mental illness', say psychiatry experts at Yale conference.

Mental health experts say President is 'paranoid and delusional'.

Donald Trump has a “dangerous mental illness” and is not fit to lead the US, a group of psychiatrists has warned during a conference at Yale University.

Mental health experts claimed the President was “paranoid and delusional”, and said it was their “ethical responsibility” to warn the American public about the “dangers” Mr Trump’s psychological state poses to the country.

Speaking at the conference at Yale’s School of Medicine on Thursday, one of the mental health professionals, Dr John Gartner, a practising psychotherapist who advised psychiatric residents at Johns Hopkins University Medical School, said: “We have an ethical responsibility to warn the public about Donald Trump's dangerous mental illness.” Link.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-dangerous-mental-illness-yale-psychiatrist-conference-us-president-unfit-james-gartner-a7694316.html

Trump Reaches Beyond West Wing for Counsel.

WASHINGTON — Relationships have always been President Trump’s currency and comfort, helping him talk his way into real estate deals over three decades in New York. Those who know him best say that his outer confidence has always belied an inner uncertainty, and that he needs to test ideas with a wide range of people.

As Mr. Trump’s White House advisers jostle for position, the president has turned to another group of advisers — from family, real estate, media, finance and politics, and all outside the White House gates — many of whom he consults at least once a week.

The media mogul Rupert Murdoch is on the phone every week, encouraging Mr. Trump when he’s low and arguing that he focus on the economy rather than detouring to other issues. The developer Richard LeFrak is a soothing voice who listens to Mr. Trump’s complaints that cost estimates for the border wall with Mexico are too high. Sean Hannity tells the president that keeping promises on core Republican issues is crucial. Link.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/22/us/politics/donald-trump-white-house.html

Murdoch can only be an improvement on Ivanka the frock designer....

Can we make that a big improvement?

Some excellent news:

Spitting Image set to return to TV screens after more than two decades in new series made by US network behind Game of Thrones (...and Donald Trump is in their sights)
Programme maker HBO is thought to be investing millions in the project
An insider said there 'has never been more material for political satirists'
Between 1984 and 1996 a regular audience of 15 million tuned in to the show


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4435556/Spitting-Image-set-return-TV-screens.html#ixzz4f1NsjdJk
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

I do hope it isn't toned down to avoid upsetting the snowflakes....

What epic news that is!!