The Former Trump Presidency Thread

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Sun Aug 18, 2019 10:41 am

"By accident" means he threw the remote at one of the gorillas on his tv screen.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sun Aug 18, 2019 3:06 pm

Workers at a Royal Dutch Shell plant in Pennsylvania were forced to choose between attending a speech by Donald Trump or earning less than their coworkers who did.

Attendance was optional, but contract workers who chose not to stand in the crowd would not qualify for time-and-a-half pay when they arrived at work on Friday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

Workers at the unfinished Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex had to arrive at 7am, scan their ID cards and stand for hours until the US president’s speech began.

“NO SCAN, NO PAY,” a supervisor for one of the contractors wrote to workers.

The contractor’s memo also banned yelling, protesting or “anything viewed as resistance” at Mr Trump’s speech, according to the newspaper.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Aug 18, 2019 3:50 pm

Sue the bastards.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:02 am

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2019 3:06 pm Independent

Workers at a Royal Dutch Shell plant in Pennsylvania were forced to choose between attending a speech by Donald Trump or earning less than their coworkers who did.

Attendance was optional, but contract workers who chose not to stand in the crowd would not qualify for time-and-a-half pay when they arrived at work on Friday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

Workers at the unfinished Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex had to arrive at 7am, scan their ID cards and stand for hours until the US president’s speech began.

“NO SCAN, NO PAY,” a supervisor for one of the contractors wrote to workers.

The contractor’s memo also banned yelling, protesting or “anything viewed as resistance” at Mr Trump’s speech, according to the newspaper.

Gazprom USA!

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:11 am

LawBeefaroni wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2019 3:06 pm Independent

Workers at a Royal Dutch Shell plant in Pennsylvania were forced to choose between attending a speech by Donald Trump or earning less than their coworkers who did.

Attendance was optional, but contract workers who chose not to stand in the crowd would not qualify for time-and-a-half pay when they arrived at work on Friday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

Workers at the unfinished Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex had to arrive at 7am, scan their ID cards and stand for hours until the US president’s speech began.

“NO SCAN, NO PAY,” a supervisor for one of the contractors wrote to workers.

The contractor’s memo also banned yelling, protesting or “anything viewed as resistance” at Mr Trump’s speech, according to the newspaper.

Gazprom USA!

The workers of Petrochemical Complex 17 are privileged to show their service and obedience to the State.

msteelers · Post by **msteelers** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 11:56 am

What is he talking about here?

tjg_marantz · Post by **tjg_marantz** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 11:57 am

msteelers wrote:

What is he talking about here?

Did your record Fox for the preceding 30 or so minutes? Then you will know I'm sure. No clue.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:01 pm

Here it is.

And while there is no suggestion that Big Tech is directly attacking the ballot box, their deeds maybe even more devious and subsequently, more consequential.

The power of Big Tech to manipulate public opinion and influence elections was laid bare in astonishing fashion recently when search engine expert and psychologist Dr. Robert Epstein testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Google could manipulate "upwards of 15 million votes" in 2020.

Google’s US search engine market share is just over 88% meaning it has a monopolistic influence on how Americans navigate the internet, effecting what they see and perhaps more importantly, what they don’t see.

Epstein, a liberal professor who also testified he supported and voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, said that Google election meddling gave Clinton “a rock bottom minimum” of at least 2.6 million additional votes in the 2016 election.

There's a video link on that site to the testimony. I've chosen not to watch it though.

Edit: I'm pretty sure the testimony was given on July 15 or 16 though.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:04 pm

Wiki

In 2012, Epstein publicly disputed with Google Search over a security warning placed on links to his website. His website, which features mental health screening tests, was blocked for serving malware that could infect visitors to the site. Epstein emailed "Larry Page, Google's chief executive; David Drummond, Google's legal counsel; Epstein's congressman; and journalists from The New York Times, The Washington Post, Wired, and Newsweek." In it, Epstein threatened legal action if the warning concerning his website was not removed, and denied that any problems with his website existed. Several weeks later, Epstein admitted his website had been hacked, but criticized Google for tarnishing his name and not helping him find the infection. Epstein has since continued to criticize Google, writing in TIME magazine that Google had "a fundamentally deceptive business model".

He seems unbiased.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:04 pm

This maybe?

Psychologist says that Google got 2.5M+ votes for Clinton under questioning in front of Senate Judiciary committee (I believe under questioning by Cruz).

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:06 pm

BI

President Donald Trump has claimed in private conversations that opponents are conspiring against him to skew economic data and damage his chances of reelection in 2020, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Sources familiar with the matter told The Times on condition of anonymity that the president had told aides and allies that opponents were seeking to rob him of a key strength entering the 2020 election campaign — the strength of the economy during his presidency.

Agitated by news reports and warnings by economists of recession signals, the president has privately claimed that "forces that do not want him to win" have been exaggerating the damage his trade war has caused the global economy, according to the report.
...
The president has also sought to blame critics for the data in tweets and public statements, last week claiming that "the Fake News Media is doing everything they can to crash the economy because they think that will be bad for me and my re-election."

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:23 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:04 pm This maybe?

Psychologist says that Google got 2.5M+ votes for Clinton under questioning in front of Senate Judiciary committee (I believe under questioning by Cruz).

Sounds like the allegations are that Google was intentionally skewing search results to favor Clinton and hurt Trump. Presumably by showing lots of negative articles when you google Trump, which is manipulative because everyone knows that Trump is good and amazing so any direction to bad articles means manipulation and fake news.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:30 pm

Agitated by news reports and warnings by economists of recession signals, the president has privately claimed that "forces that do not want him to win" have been exaggerating the damage his trade war has caused the global economy, according to the report.

I have a hard time believing POtuS would concede his trade is causing any damage to the global economy unless he could somehow claim that this damage is MAGA taking back what is ours.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:41 pm

LordMortis wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:30 pm
Agitated by news reports and warnings by economists of recession signals, the president has privately claimed that "forces that do not want him to win" have been exaggerating the damage his trade war has caused the global economy, according to the report.
I have a hard time believing POtuS would concede his trade is causing any damage to the global economy unless he could somehow claim that this damage is MAGA taking back what is ours.

The logic here is straightforward. Trump is great. Therefore everything Trump does and that Trump touches is great. If something makes it sound like something that Trump touched is not great, it must be false and malicious. Trump has touched the U.S. economy, therefore the U.S. economic is great. Therefore anything that makes it sound like the U.S. economy is not great must be malicious and false. #QEDMAGA

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:24 pm

So the theory here is that the platforms have a huge audience and gave reminders to voters to 'go vote'. Some additional voters went to the polls because of the signal. How is this different than a 'Go vote' PSA on tv? Also interesting to note that the 'expert' here is a Psychologist. I'd like to see his data model to make these claims. The precision here is a giveaway that this is probably bullshit. If it was a range of numbers...with some level of confidence...then maybe. This strikes me as off.

Also from the article that Lawbeefaroni linked

IrishCentral wrote:If you think Epstein’s claims are outlandish then consider Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard’s allegations that Big Tech has already interfered in the 2020 US presidential election.

In the immediate aftermath of her impressive performance in the first Democratic presidential debate in June, the Hawaiian representative’s name was the most searched term in Google, yet the tech giant apparently buried people’s access to information on her.

In response, Gabbard is now suing Google for blocking her campaign ads account and censoring her at the very moment when millions of Americans wanted to learn more about her. Gabbard’s complaint also accuses Google of sending campaign emails to people’s Gmail spam folders at a “disproportionately high rate.” Her campaign is seeking a legal injunction against Google to prevent further election meddling, as well as $50 million in damages.

Impressive performance? Buried access to information? It is possible but seems pretty improbable. Why would they bother with her? In the end it is funny because my impression has been that people have been complaining about search results since the Internet started.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:51 pm

Paranoia. The reason google has so many links to “Clinton is better than Trump” is not active bias, it’s what the majority thought.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:53 pm

Zarathud wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:51 pm Paranoia. The reason google has so many links to “Clinton is better than Trump” is not active bias, it’s what the majority thought.

Well, I think it's part paranoia, and part working the refs. One of the benefits of consistently accusing gatekeepers of anti-conservative bias is that it can lead to those gatekeepers favoring conservatives in an attempt to show that they're not anti-conservative. I think it played a significant role in Comey's decision to write the infamous letter late in the 2016 campaign.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:56 pm

I find it ridiculous or sad, not sure, if it's true that 2.5+ million Americans wouldn't have voted were it not for a reminder from Google.

wonderpug · Post by **wonderpug** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:40 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:56 pm I find it ridiculous or sad, not sure, if it's true that 2.5+ million Americans wouldn't have voted were it not for a reminder from Google.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 3:20 pm

At this point, I'm out of evens to can't.

Not just the sheer FW:FW:FW:FW:FW: absurdity of the claim, but the fact that so damn many people I know are now nodding their heads in agreement.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 3:23 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 3:20 pm Not just the sheer FW:FW:FW:FW:FW: absurdity of the claim, but the fact that so damn many people I know are now nodding their heads in agreement.

Does this make you feel better?

Trump’s political strategy is primitive but effective. He picks something that polls badly, and kicks it in the crotch. Then he backs off and lets three eternal truths do the rest of the work.

One: A news media that pretends moral outrage will greedily cover his every move (cable-news profits have soared 36 percent since Trump began his run four years ago).

Two: In a fractured political landscape, the so-called “legitimate” politicians who are his main competition will spend more time fighting one another than him. This is because intellectuals can’t bring themselves to take Trump’s dumbed-down version of politics seriously.

Third: America’s upper classes and their proxies in government and media have no capacity for self-reflection, and will make asses of themselves in a fight. This is where Trump makes his living, getting people who should know better to rise to his bait. It’s a simple formula: Incite brawls that seem like clear political losers, only to eventually maneuver controversies to his advantage.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 3:40 pm

Yeah, I read that article this morning. It's awfully depressing.

This made me chuckle though.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:33 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 3:40 pm Yeah, I read that article this morning. It's awfully depressing.

Taibbi might not be everyone's cup of tea but he ain't wrong. What a shit show.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:30 pm

Hillary delivering the sick burn. Nice.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:52 pm

This idiot is calling for a full percent rate cut and the resumption of QE - you know the QE that he demanded should cease only a few months ago...

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Tue Aug 20, 2019 7:39 am

Smoove_B wrote:you know the QE that he demanded should cease only a few months ago...

Create a crisis, then solve said crisis and take credit. Classic Trump. Also textbook for people with his mental illness.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Tue Aug 20, 2019 7:52 am

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:30 pm Hillary delivering the sick burn. Nice.

It's the little, meaningless victories that keep people out of the streets.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:13 am

Trump is tweeting Wayne Allyn Root saying the people of Israel love him like the King of Israel and the second coming of God this morning.

"Thank you to Wayne Allyn Root for the very nice words. “President Trump is the greatest President for Jews and for Israel in the history of the world, not just America, he is the best President for Israel in the history of the world...and the Jewish people in Israel love him like he’s the King of Israel. They love him like he is the second coming of God...But American Jews don’t know him or like him. They don’t even know what they’re doing or saying anymore. It makes no sense! But that’s OK, if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s good for...all Jews, Blacks, Gays, everyone. And importantly, he’s good for everyone in America who wants a job.” Wow!

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Aug 21, 2019 9:01 am

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2019 7:52 am
Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:30 pm Hillary delivering the sick burn. Nice.
It's the little, meaningless victories that keep people out of the streets.

It's literally all we have at this point.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Wed Aug 21, 2019 10:22 am

pr0ner wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:13 am Trump is tweeting Wayne Allyn Root saying the people of Israel love him like the King of Israel and the second coming of God this morning.

"Thank you to Wayne Allyn Root for the very nice words. “President Trump is the greatest President for Jews and for Israel in the history of the world, not just America, he is the best President for Israel in the history of the world...and the Jewish people in Israel love him like he’s the King of Israel. They love him like he is the second coming of God...But American Jews don’t know him or like him. They don’t even know what they’re doing or saying anymore. It makes no sense! But that’s OK, if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s good for...all Jews, Blacks, Gays, everyone. And importantly, he’s good for everyone in America who wants a job.” Wow!

It's almost impossible to wrap your head around the bad theology here unless you're all-in with apocalyptic Evangelical extremes. This is batshit crazy stuff.

But lest we dismiss it as dementia slathered over with cartoonish narcissism, note that it comes right after Trump denounced American Jews who vote Democratic (as most do) as "disloyal."

Whether he knows it or not (though I imagine Stephen Miller has whispered it in his ear), a distinction between the "good" right-wing Jews of Israel and the "bad" liberal Jews of the USA is a white-supremacist trope. (That Israel is itself ideologically divided is conveniently forgotten here. It's all about finding a way to support Israeli action against Muslims while still being anti-semitic.)

The next Nazi who shoots up a synagogue will claim to be striking at "bad Jews."

tjg_marantz · Post by **tjg_marantz** » Wed Aug 21, 2019 10:30 am

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Allyn_Root

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:23 am

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:27 am

I really hope someone in the White House is able sneak out video of Trump masturbating to Root's quote.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:31 am

hepcat wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:27 am I really hope someone in the White House is able sneak out video of Trump masturbating to Root's quote.

Do you really?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:33 am

I wouldn't want it for my personal collection, of course. But I would like to see it played on Fox and Friends while the hosts comment on Trump's "graceful form" and "assured handling".

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:34 am

hepcat wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:33 am I wouldn't want it for my personal collection, of course. But I would like to see it played on Fox and Friends while the hosts comment on Trump's "graceful form" and "assured handling".

C'mon, how can you claim to have the Chicago-area's greatest collection of presidential masturbation videos and leave out the 45th president?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:37 am

Careful buddy, one more word out of you and this time machine gets switched to "on" and baby guapo suddenly finds himself in the middle of a dog fight arena in South America.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:42 am

Rudy Giuliani stepped up to claim that Trump really meant disloyalty to Israel, not disloyalty to the U.S.

But that's another pernicious trope. The idea that Jews must be "loyal" to Israel (meaning they must support the policies of its currently right-wing government) implies that (1) the secular nation of Israel somehow *is* Judaism, and (2) Jews always have divided loyalty.

The first is justified only by apocalyptic theo-political nonsense, and the other is how you get 1930s Germany.