The Trump foreign policy thread

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri May 19, 2017 11:50 am

Don't worry. I'm sure he'll make promises to save Israel from the high price of traditional breads We'll send them white bread! It's the best bread! Israel will never fear the challah cost again!

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Fri May 19, 2017 12:11 pm

Oh, come on.

Foreign officials meeting President Trump during his first overseas trip are being told to praise him for winning the Electoral College last year, the New York Times reported Friday.

Embassies and leaders who have met with Trump have been speaking among themselves and with other dignitaries about how to handle the new president, and a number of themes have emerged, the report said.

Among them are suggestions to compliment Trump on his election win, and compare him favorably to former President Obama; not to expect him to know your country's history or hot-button issues; and make a short presentation tailored to his attention span, and don't try to bring up a long list of issues.

I hope no one forgets to pack his binky. We wouldn't want him to throw a tantrum, now would we?

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Fri May 19, 2017 12:16 pm

They're also making sure Trump's favorite meal, steak with ketchup, is always available, in addition to local fare.

Freyland · Post by **Freyland** » Fri May 19, 2017 12:36 pm

Had a very, very ironic thought.

Was cogitating on how worthless, or even destructive, Trump's interactions with other foreign leaders must be, especially in light of the Hill article mentioned above. I wondered if Congress would be moved at all if one or more countries sent notice more or less saying, "please contact us when you have a real President." And as rumblings of discontent and impeachment rise accordingly, the ever-defensive White House then releases the statement, "Since when does the United States let other countries influence who is our President?"

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri May 19, 2017 12:38 pm

pr0ner wrote:They're also making sure Trump's favorite meal, steak with ketchup, is always available, in addition to local fare.

I hope he heads to India soon.

Remus West · Post by **Remus West** » Fri May 19, 2017 12:38 pm

Good god I am embarrassed by this entire mess. I'd like to send out a big FUCK YOU to all the "red" states. Oh wait. I live in one. Crap.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Fri May 19, 2017 12:45 pm

Smoove_B wrote:So what are the chances he's going to totally crack and make some insane statements?

For his part, Mr. Trump, a confirmed homebody, has expressed dread about the trip, asking aides whether it can be shortened to five days from nine. His advisers concede that the intense schedule — dozens of interactions with leaders from the Middle East and Europe, over a range of delicate issues — could produce unscripted, diplomatically perilous moments.

A president with diplomatic experience would sure be nice right now. Or at least one with stamina.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Fri May 19, 2017 12:46 pm

I remember the good old days when the worst diplomatic faux pas I had to worry about was Obama giving someone a DVD set for the wrong region...

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri May 19, 2017 12:52 pm

Alefroth wrote:A president with diplomatic experience would sure be nice right now. Or at least one with stamina.

It's weird. I almost seem to remember him attacking Hillary for being low-energy and unable to deal with the rigors of travel. Now I'm seeing reports that depending on how "exhausting" this trip is, VP Pence might take over for travel duties. Sad.

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Fri May 19, 2017 12:58 pm

Smoove_B wrote:
Alefroth wrote:A president with diplomatic experience would sure be nice right now. Or at least one with stamina.
It's weird. I almost seem to remember him attacking Hillary for being low-energy and unable to deal with the rigors of travel. Now I'm seeing reports that depending on how "exhausting" this trip is, VP Pence might take over for travel duties. Sad.

If only there were some process the human body could undergo that would increase its stamina over time, some kind of process we could repeat two or three times a week that made our health and well-being stronger.

Damn these bodies of ours and their finite energy capacity.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Fri May 19, 2017 1:01 pm

Remus West wrote:Good god I am embarrassed by this entire mess. I'd like to send out a big FUCK YOU to all the "red" states. Oh wait. I live in one. Crap.

Rub your nose in it! Rub it!!

It's the only way you'll learn.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Fri May 19, 2017 1:03 pm

Smoove_B wrote:
Alefroth wrote:A president with diplomatic experience would sure be nice right now. Or at least one with stamina.
It's weird. I almost seem to remember him attacking Hillary for being low-energy and unable to deal with the rigors of travel. Now I'm seeing reports that depending on how "exhausting" this trip is, VP Pence might take over for travel duties. Sad.

Yeah, where are collapsing Hillary peanut gallery now? My guess is they are preparing an arsenal of Hillary collapsing images with one liners about Obama's failed presidency that somehow is supposed to demonstrate the greatness of their zealotry... Have I mentioned I'm hitting social media overload again and should probably step away again?

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Fri May 19, 2017 1:14 pm

Makes me kind of glad that I'm insulated. My only sources of "modern events" are here, CNN, MSNBC, Washington Post, and a few other outlets. Also, Fark, but they don't really do much with politics. I don't have any kind of social media account registered to my name and I am not subjected to rampant Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat diarrhea.

I've still felt overloaded since around November 7th.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Fri May 19, 2017 1:19 pm

Alefroth wrote:
Smoove_B wrote:So what are the chances he's going to totally crack and make some insane statements?

For his part, Mr. Trump, a confirmed homebody, has expressed dread about the trip, asking aides whether it can be shortened to five days from nine. His advisers concede that the intense schedule — dozens of interactions with leaders from the Middle East and Europe, over a range of delicate issues — could produce unscripted, diplomatically perilous moments.
A president with diplomatic experience would sure be nice right now. Or at least one with stamina.

Stamina never came up as an issue when Trump was flying around the world to visit his golf courses, but now it's suddenly a big concern.

Funny, that.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Fri May 19, 2017 1:22 pm

pr0ner wrote:They're also making sure Trump's favorite meal, steak with ketchup, is always available, in addition to local fare.

This is one thing that doesn't bother me - well, the actual meal choice does, but not that he would prefer it to local fare. When I'm president, it will be that way too - I simply like too few foods and it is much less offensive to skip the local offerings than to throw up on the hosts.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Fri May 19, 2017 1:24 pm

YellowKing wrote:I remember the good old days when the worst diplomatic faux pas I had to worry about was Obama giving someone a DVD set for the wrong region...

In terms of Israel, Obama made a number of far more serious mistakes than that (His speech to Egypt while avoiding Israel in that same first trip, comparing Palestinian suffering to the Holocaust, etc) that his advisors later admitted they made self imposed blunders that got things off on the wrong foot.

But I would think all of this stuff is completely overshadowed by Trump's passing on intelligence to the Russians.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Fri May 19, 2017 1:32 pm

stessier wrote:
pr0ner wrote:They're also making sure Trump's favorite meal, steak with ketchup, is always available, in addition to local fare.
This is one thing that doesn't bother me - well, the actual meal choice does, but not that he would prefer it to local fare. When I'm president, it will be that way too - I simply like too few foods and it is much less offensive to skip the local offerings than to throw up on the hosts.

When I'm president, I won't do International tours, that's what the VP and Sec State and diplomats are for.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Fri May 19, 2017 1:34 pm

Defiant wrote:But I would think all of this stuff is completely overshadowed by Trump's passing on intelligence to the Russians.

Not if you looked at my FB feed. I broke down and started ignoring people, people I didn't even ignore last October to December.

Kurth · Post by **Kurth** » Fri May 19, 2017 1:37 pm

Paingod wrote:
Smoove_B wrote:
Alefroth wrote:A president with diplomatic experience would sure be nice right now. Or at least one with stamina.
It's weird. I almost seem to remember him attacking Hillary for being low-energy and unable to deal with the rigors of travel. Now I'm seeing reports that depending on how "exhausting" this trip is, VP Pence might take over for travel duties. Sad.
If only there were some process the human body could undergo that would increase its stamina over time, some kind of process we could repeat two or three times a week that made our health and well-being stronger.

Damn these bodies of ours and their finite energy capacity.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Fri May 19, 2017 1:42 pm

Defiant wrote:
YellowKing wrote:I remember the good old days when the worst diplomatic faux pas I had to worry about was Obama giving someone a DVD set for the wrong region...
In terms of Israel, Obama made a number of far more serious mistakes than that (His speech to Egypt while avoiding Israel in that same first trip, comparing Palestinian suffering to the Holocaust, etc) that his advisors later admitted they made self imposed blunders that got things off on the wrong foot.

But I would think all of this stuff is completely overshadowed by Trump's passing on intelligence to the Russians.

Wait for it. Who knows what Trump will do once the trip is actually under way. He's still got a 2-day visit in Saudi Arabia plus his overnighter in Jerusalem to get through before he gets out of the Middle East and moves on to his European gaffs. There's plenty of time for the old toddler to outdo Obama.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri May 19, 2017 1:45 pm

Ooh, here's some nice trivia:

The trip marks the first time since taking office that Trump has spent a night away from the White House at a property that doesn't bear his name.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Fri May 19, 2017 1:50 pm

Smoove_B wrote:Ooh, here's some nice trivia:

The trip marks the first time since taking office that Trump has spent a night away from the White House at a property that doesn't bear his name.

He's a pathological homebody. During the campaign, he almost always made a point of flying back to NYC every day so that he could sleep at Trump Tower. Not sleeping in his own bed will probably be the worst part of the trip for him, poor boy. Hell, sleeping at the WH instead of his own home probably has him on edge all the time as it is.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Fri May 19, 2017 1:53 pm

Smoove_B wrote:Ooh, here's some nice trivia:

The trip marks the first time since taking office that Trump has spent a night away from the White House at a property that doesn't bear his name.

Give him time and a crayon - I'm pretty sure the White House property will bear his name eventually.

Jag · Post by **Jag** » Fri May 19, 2017 2:14 pm

pr0ner wrote:They're also making sure Trump's favorite meal, steak with ketchup, is always available, in addition to local fare.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Fri May 19, 2017 2:29 pm

Defiant wrote: Give him time and a crayon - I'm pretty sure the White House property will bear his name eventually.

He'll start selling naming rights to government buildings to pay for his stupid wall. The White House rights he'll sell to his own company for a pittance, with something like a 1000-year contract.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Fri May 19, 2017 4:50 pm

Smoove_B wrote:
Alefroth wrote:A president with diplomatic experience would sure be nice right now. Or at least one with stamina.
It's weird. I almost seem to remember him attacking Hillary for being low-energy and unable to deal with the rigors of travel. Now I'm seeing reports that depending on how "exhausting" this trip is, VP Pence might take over for travel duties. Sad.

Who knew travel would be so hard.

Jet lag. I just came up with that. Have you heard that before?

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Sat May 20, 2017 8:04 am

Trump is being treated like a literal king in Riyadh. His portrait is all over the city, medals are raining down on him, feasts and marches are occurring in his honor, and even WH staffers are being honored like heads of state.

You can't say they don't know their audience.

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Sat May 20, 2017 10:43 am

Holman wrote:You can't say they don't know their audience.

The beauty of it all is that Trumptards are interpreting this thinly-veiled manipulation of Trump's ego as the world finally showing the US respect, because of how respect-worthy Trump has made us internationally.

Remus West · Post by **Remus West** » Sat May 20, 2017 11:18 am

Holman wrote:Trump is being treated like a literal king in Riyadh. His portrait is all over the city, medals are raining down on him, feasts and marches are occurring in his honor, and even WH staffers are being honored like heads of state.

You can't say they don't know their audience.

I read that and immediately start wondering what it is they are going to ask him for in return for all the flattery. I'm guessing we are about to give them double or triple of something we would otherwise never consider giving at all.

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Sat May 20, 2017 11:59 am

First place to start is the arms deal they just signed.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Sat May 20, 2017 12:17 pm

Some of the deal that is being approved had already been negotiated by the previous administration, but was held up because of concerns over Saudi human rights violations in the Yemen conflict (they've been killing a lot of civilians). Stuff like that isn't an issue anymore, depending on who you ask of course.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Sat May 20, 2017 12:18 pm

RunningMn9 wrote:First place to start is the arms deal they just signed.

And in a private room away from the cameras President Trump is sitting in a chair in the middle of the floor while Saudi royal princes shower him with money. The king knowingly smiles in the background...

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Sat May 20, 2017 12:26 pm

Well, now we know why Jared Kushner called the CEO of Lockheed to pressure them into providing the Saudis with some additional discounts.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Sat May 20, 2017 1:52 pm

http://www.theamericanmirror.com/great- ... audi-king/

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Sat May 20, 2017 2:00 pm

The whole "WE DUN SHOWED THEM. 'MURCA, FUCK YEAH!" nonsense is so ridiculous.

Yes, Obama bowed, as is a cultural custom. So. Fucking. What?

Enough · Post by **Enough** » Sat May 20, 2017 2:14 pm

Rip wrote:http://www.theamericanmirror.com/great- ... audi-king/

Dude, I literally was just laughing with my wife looking at pictures of Trump bowing to get a medal from the same dude and then read an old Trump tweet about how inappropriate it was for Michelle to not wear hijab when there. If this the best you've got, it really must suck for you right now, lol.

Oh and most of us who miss no drama Obama were able to admit we were not psyched about the arms deals he made with SA. Yet you are just all rah, rah about your man getting all medalled by them and forcing Lockheed to give them a cheaper price on weapons we probably shouldn't be selling them. I would be disgusted if I saw any of my political heroes getting all cozy with these folks (and unfortunately regularly do), but enjoy as this will likely be the warmest reception Trump will get outside of Russia, UAE, Turkey, or the Philippines right now heh.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat May 20, 2017 2:18 pm

Hey, credit where credit is due: Trump's half a day into his trip already and no major gaffes yet. Better than expected!

Enough · Post by **Enough** » Sat May 20, 2017 2:28 pm

Psst, hey Rip, here's the real difference between when Obama and Trump went to SA:

Saudi leaders, like others in the Persian Gulf, know Trump is unlikely to press them about the way they run their countries. Off the table will be topics like democracy, political reform, or gender equality.

“They had enough of that from Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton,” said Bruce Riedel, a former senior adviser to four presidents who is now senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat May 20, 2017 4:15 pm

Enough wrote:Dude, I literally was just laughing with my wife looking at pictures of Trump bowing to get a medal from the same dude and then read an old Trump tweet about how inappropriate it was for Michelle to not wear hijab when there. If this the best you've got, it really must suck for you right now, lol.

Even better:

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Sat May 20, 2017 5:00 pm

I remember when the Obamas visited Saudi Arabia and Michelle bowed and Barack wore a headscarf and also offended Israel by threatening to expose their best ISIS sources, but in the end he chickened out and didn't do it. MAGA!