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Trump was asked whether it was distasteful to give a boastful speech at the CIA. His response reads like a parody. pic.twitter.com/fEpvWZUMrx
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) January 26, 2017
ETA: I will just briefly state that no one in a military or intelligence community setting (uniformed or civilian personnel) will sit down when being addressed by a senior leader until they are told to do so. The President never issued the sit down order of “you may be seated” during his address at Langley. I do not know if this is because no one told him he needed to do so or if he was told and forgot or he just decided not to.
Here’s the entire transcript, including parts of the interview that were not aired, of the President’s interview with ABC’s David Muir:
On Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017, ABC News “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir interviewed President Donald Trump in the White House. The following is a transcript of the interview:
DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, it’s an honor to be here at the White House.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much, David.
DAVID MUIR: Let me ask you, has the magnitude of this job hit you yet?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: It has periodically hit me. And it is a tremendous magnitude. And where you really see it is when you’re talking to the generals about problems in the world. And we do have problems in the world. Big problems. The business also hits because the — the size of it. The size.
I was with the Ford yesterday. And with General Motors yesterday. The top representatives, great people. And they’re gonna do some tremendous work in the United States. They’re gonna build plants back in the United States. But when you see the size, even as a businessman, the size of the investment that these big companies are gonna make, it hits you even in that regard. But we’re gonna bring jobs back to America, like I promised on the campaign trail.
DAVID MUIR: And we’re gonna get to it all right here.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Good.
DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, I want to start — we’re five days in. And your campaign promises. I know today you plan on signing the order to build the wall.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Correct.
DAVID MUIR: Are you going to direct U.S. funds to pay for this wall? Will American taxpayers pay for the wall?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Ultimately it’ll come out of what’s happening with Mexico. We’re gonna be starting those negotiations relatively soon. And we will be in a form reimbursed by Mexico which I will say …
DAVID MUIR: So, they’ll pay us back?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, absolutely, 100 percent.
DAVID MUIR: So, the American taxpayer will pay for the wall at first?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: All it is, is we’ll be reimbursed at a later date from whatever transaction we make from Mexico. Now, I could wait a year and I could hold off the wall. But I wanna build the wall. We have to build the wall. We have to stop drugs from pouring in. We have to stop people from just pouring into our country. We have no idea where they’re from. And I campaigned on the wall. And it’s very important. But that wall will cost us nothing.
DAVID MUIR: But you talked — often about Mexico paying for the wall. And you, again, say they’ll pay us back. Mexico’s president said in recent days that Mexico absolutely will not pay, adding that, “It goes against our dignity as a country and our dignity as Mexicans.” He says …
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: David, he has to say that. He has to say that. But I’m just telling you there will be a payment. It will be in a form, perhaps a complicated form. And you have to understand what I’m doing is good for the United States. It’s also going to be good for Mexico.
We wanna have a very stable, very solid Mexico. Even more solid than it is right now. And they need it also. Lots of things are coming across Mexico that they don’t want. I think it’s going to be a good thing for both countries. And I think the relationship will be better than ever before.
You know, when we had a prisoner in Mexico, as you know, two years ago, that we were trying to get out. And Mexico was not helping us, I will tell you, those days are over. I think we’re gonna end up with a much better relationship with Mexico. We will have the wall and in a very serious form Mexico will pay for the wall.
DAVID MUIR: What are you gonna say to some of your supporters who might say, “Wait a minute, I thought Mexico was going to pay for this right at the start.”
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I’d say very simply that they are going to pay for it. I never said they’re gonna pay from the start. I said Mexico will pay for the wall. But what I will tell my supporters is, “Would you like me to wait two years or three years before I make this deal?” Because we have to make a deal on NAFTA. We have to make a new trade deal with Mexico because we’re getting clobbered.
We have a $60-billion trade deficit. So, if you want, I can wait two years and then we can do it nice and easily. I wanna start the wall immediately. Every supporter I have — I have had so many people calling and tweeting and — and writing letters saying they’re so happy about it. I wanna start the wall. We will be reimbursed for the wall.
DAVID MUIR: When does construction begin?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: As soon as we can. As soon as we can physically do it. We’re …
DAVID MUIR: Within months?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I would say in months. Yeah, I would say in months. Certainly planning is starting immediately.
DAVID MUIR: People feel …
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’ll be having some really good, really solid plans within a short period of time.
DAVID MUIR: When people learn of the news of this wall today there are gonna be a lot of people listening to this. And I wanna ask about undocumented immigrants who are here — in this country. Right now they’re protected as so-called dreamers — the children who were brought here, as you know, by their parents. Should they be worried — that they could be deported? And is there anything you can say to assure them right now that they’ll be allowed to stay?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: They shouldn’t be very worried. They are here illegally. They shouldn’t be very worried. I do have a big heart. We’re going to take care of everybody. We’re going to have a very strong border. We’re gonna have a very solid border. Where you have great people that are here that have done a good job, they should be far less worried. We’ll be coming out with policy on that over the next period of four weeks.
DAVID MUIR: But Mr. President, will they be allowed to stay?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I’m gonna tell you over the next four weeks. But I will tell you, we’re looking at this, the whole immigration situation, we’re looking at it with great heart. Now we have criminals that are here. We have really bad people that are here. Those people have to be worried ’cause they’re getting out. We’re gonna get them out. We’re gonna get ’em out fast. General Kelly is — I’ve given that as his number one priority.
DAVID MUIR: Senator Jeff Sessions, your pick for attorney general, as you know during his confirmation hearing said that ending DACA, this is President Obama’s policy protecting the dreamers — that, “Ending it certainly would be constitutional.” That you could end the protection of these dreamers. Is that a possibility?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’re gonna be talking with — attorney general. He will soon be the attorney general. He’s done fantastically well. We’re all very proud of him. I thought he was treated very, very unfairly. He’s a brilliant man and he’s a very good man. He’ll do a fantastic job. I’ll be speaking to him as soon as he’s affirmed.
DAVID MUIR: So, it’s a possibility.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We will be talking to the attorney general.
DAVID MUIR: I wanna ask you about something you said this week right here at the White House. You brought in congressional leaders to the White House. You spoke at length about the presidential election with them — telling them that you lost the popular vote because of millions of illegal votes, 3 to 5 million illegal votes. That would be the biggest electoral fraud in American history. Where is the evidence of that?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: So, let me tell you first of all, it was so misrepresented. That was supposed to be a confidential meeting. And you weren’t supposed to go out and talk to the press as soon as you — but the Democrats viewed it not as a confidential meeting.
DAVID MUIR: But you have tweeted …
(OVERTALK)
DAVID MUIR: … about the millions of illegals …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Sure. And I do — and I’m very …
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: … and I mean it. But just so you — it was supposed to be a confidential meeting. They turned it into not a con… Number two, the conversation lasted for about a minute. They made it — somebody said it was, like, 25 percent of the … It wasn’t. It was hardly even discussed.
I said it. And I said it strongly because what’s going on with voter fraud is horrible. That’s number one. Number two, I would’ve won the popular vote if I was campaigning for the popular vote. I would’ve gone to California where I didn’t go at all. I would’ve gone to New York where I didn’t campaign at all.
I would’ve gone to a couple of places that I didn’t go to. And I would’ve won that much easier than winning the electoral college. But as you know, the electoral college is all that matters. It doesn’t make any difference. So, I would’ve won very, very easily. But it’s a different form of winning. You would campaign much differently. You would have a totally different campaign. So, but …
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: … you’re just asking a question. I would’ve easily won the popular vote, much easier, in my opinion, than winning the electoral college. I ended up going to 19 different states. I went to the state of Maine four times for one. I needed one.
I went to M– I got it, by the way. But it turned out I didn’t need it because we ended up winning by a massive amount, 306. I needed 270. We got 306. You and everybody said, “There’s no way you get to 270.” I mean, your network said and almost everybody said, “There’s no way you can get to …” So, I went to Maine four times. I went to various places. And that’s the beauty of the electoral college. With that being said, if you look at voter registration, you look at the dead people that are registered to vote who vote, you look at people that are registered in two states, you look at all of these different things that are happening with registration. You take a look at those registration for — you’re gonna s– find — and we’re gonna do an investigation on it.
DAVID MUIR: But 3 to 5 million illegal votes?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, we’re gonna find out. But it could very well be that much. Absolutely.
DAVID MUIR: But …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: But we’re gonna find out.
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: In fact, I heard one of the other side, they were saying it’s not 3 to 5. It’s not 3 to 5. I said, “Well, Mr. Trump is talking about registration, tell–” He said, “You know we don’t wanna talk about registration.” They don’t wanna talk about registration.
You have people that are registered who are dead, who are illegals, who are in two states. You have people registered in two states. They’re registered in a New York and a New Jersey. They vote twice. There are millions of votes, in my opinion. Now …
DAVID MUIR: But again …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I’m doing an …
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: … investigation. David, David, David …
DAVID MUIR: You’re now, you’re now president of the United States when you say …
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Of course, and I want the voting process to be legitimate.
DAVID MUIR: But what I’m asking …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: The people that …
DAVID MUIR: … what I’m asking that — when you say in your opinion millions of illegal votes, that is something that is extremely fundamental to our functioning democracy, a fair and free election.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Sure. Sure. Sure.
DAVID MUIR: You say you’re gonna launch an investigation.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Sure, done.
DAVID MUIR: What you have presented so far has been debunked. It’s been called …
(OVERTALK)
DAVID MUIR: … false.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, it hasn’t. Take a look at the Pew reports.
DAVID MUIR: I called the author of the Pew report last night. And he told me that they found no evidence of voter …
(OVERTALK)
DAVID MUIR: … fraud.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Really? Then why did he write the report?
DAVID MUIR: He said no evidence of voter fraud.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Excuse me, then why did he write the report?
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: According to Pew report, then he’s — then he’s groveling again. You know, I always talk about the reporters that grovel when they wanna write something that you wanna hear but not necessarily millions of people wanna hear or have to hear.
DAVID MUIR: So, you’ve launched an investigation?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’re gonna launch an investigation to find out. And then the next time — and I will say this, of those votes cast, none of ’em come to me. None of ’em come to me. They would all be for the other side. None of ’em come to me. But when you look at the people that are registered: dead, illegal and two states and some cases maybe three states — we have a lot to look into.
DAVID MUIR: House Speaker Paul Ryan has said, “I have seen no evidence. I have made this very, very clear.” Senator Lindsey Graham saying, “It’s the most inappropriate thing for a president to say without proof. He seems obsessed with the idea that he could not have possibly lost the popular vote without cheating and fraud.” I wanna ask you about something bigger here. Does it matter more now …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: There’s nothing bigger. There’s nothing bigger.
DAVID MUIR: But it is important because …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Let me just tell you, you know what’s important, millions of people agree with me when I say that if you would’ve looked on one of the other networks and all of the people that were calling in they’re saying, “We agree with Mr. Trump. We agree.” They’re very smart people.
The people that voted for me — lots of people are saying they saw things happen. I heard stories also. But you’re not talking about millions. But it’s a small little segment. I will tell you, it’s a good thing that we’re doing because at the end we’re gonna have an idea as to what’s going on. Now, you’re telling me Pew report has all of a sudden changed. But you have other reports and you have other statements. You take a look at the registrations, how many dead people are there? Take a look at the registrations as to the other things that I already presented.
DAVID MUIR: And you’re saying …
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: And you’re gonna find …
DAVID MUIR: … those people who are on the rolls voted, that there are millions of illegal votes?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I didn’t say there are millions. But I think there could very well be millions of people. That’s right.
DAVID MUIR: You tweeted though …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: And I also say this …
DAVID MUIR: … you tweeted, “If you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally, I won the popular vote.”
PRESIDENT TRUMP: David, and I also say this, if I was going for the popular vote I would’ve won easily. But I would’ve been in California and New York. I wouldn’t have been in Maine. I wouldn’t have been in Iowa. I wouldn’t have been in Nebraska and all of those states that I had to win in order to win this. I would’ve been in New York, I would’ve been in California. I never even went there.
DAVID MUIR: Let me just ask you, you did win. You’re the president. You’re sitting …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: That’s true.
DAVID MUIR: … across from me right now.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: That’s true.
DAVID MUIR: Do you think that your words matter more now?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yes, very much.
DAVID MUIR: Do you think that that talking about millions of illegal votes is dangerous to this country without presenting the evidence?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, not at all.
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Not at all because many people feel the same way that I do. And …
DAVID MUIR: You don’t think it undermines your credibility if there’s no evidence?
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, not at all because they didn’t come to me. Believe me. Those were Hillary votes. And if you look at it they all voted for Hillary. They all voted for Hillary. They didn’t vote for me. I don’t believe I got one. Okay, these are people that voted for Hillary Clinton. And if they didn’t vote, it would’ve been different in the popular.
Now, you have to understand I — I focused on those four or five states that I had to win. Maybe she didn’t. She should’ve gone to Michigan. She thought she had it in the bag. She should’ve gone to Wisconsin, she thought she had it because you’re talking about 38 years of, you know, Democrat wins. But they didn’t. I went to Michigan, I went to Wisconsin. I went to Pennsylvania all the time. I went to all of the states that are — Florida and North Carolina. That’s all I focused on.
DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, it does strike me though that we’re relitigating the presidential campaign, the election …
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, no. We’re looking at it for the next time. No, no, you have to understand, I had a tremendous victory, one of the great victories ever. In terms of counties I think the most ever or just about the most ever. When you look at a map it’s all red. Red meaning us, Republicans.
One of the greatest victories ever. But, again, I ran for the electoral college. I didn’t run for the popular vote. What I’m saying is if there are these problems that many people agree with me that there might be. Look, Barack Obama — if you look back — eight years ago when he first ran — he was running for office in Chicago for we needed Chicago vote.
And he was laughing at the system because he knew all of those votes were going to him. You look at Philadelphia, you look at what’s going on in Philadelphia. But take a look at the tape of Barack Obama who wrote me, by the way, a very beautiful letter in the drawer of the desk. Very beautiful. And I appreciate it. But look at what he said, it’s on tape. Look at what he said about voting in Chicago eight years ago. It’s not changed. It hasn’t changed, believe me. Chicago, look what’s going on in Chicago. It’s only gotten worse.
But he was smiling and laughing about the vote in Chicago. Now, once he became president he didn’t do that. All of a sudden it became this is the foundation of our country. So, here’s the point, you have a lot of stuff going on possibly. I say probably. But possibly. We’re gonna get to the bottom of it.
And then we’re gonna make sure it doesn’t happen again. If people are registered wrongly, if illegals are registered to vote, which they are, if dead people are registered to vote and voting, which they do. There are some. I don’t know how many. We’re gonna try finding that out and the other categories that we talk about, double states where they’re — registered in two states, we’re gonna get to the bottom of it because we have to stop it. Because I agree, so important. But the other side is trying to downplay this. Now, I’ll say this — I think that if that didn’t happen, first of all, would — would be a great thing if it didn’t happen. But I believe it did happen. And I believe a part of the vote would’ve been much different.
DAVID MUIR: And you believe millions of illegal votes …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, we’re gonna find out.
DAVID MUIR: Let me ask you this …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’re gonna find out. And — and, by the way, when I say you’re gonna find out. You can never really find, you know, there are gonna be — no matter what numbers we come up with there are gonna be lots of people that did things that we’re not going to find out about. But we will find out because we need a better system where that can’t happen.
DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, I just have one more question on this. And it’s — it’s bigger picture. You took some heat after your visit to the CIA in front of that hallowed wall, 117 stars — of those lost at the CIA. You talked about other things. But you also talked about crowd size at the inauguration, about the size of your rallies, about covers on Time magazine. And I just wanna ask you when does all of that matter just a little less? When do you let it roll off your back now that you’re the president?
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: OK, so I’m glad you asked. So, I went to the CIA, my first step. I have great respect for the people in intelligence and CIA. I’m — I don’t have a lot of respect for, in particular one of the leaders. But that’s okay. But I have a lot of respect for the people in the CIA.
That speech was a home run. That speech, if you look at Fox, OK, I’ll mention you — we see what Fox said. They said it was one of the great speeches. They showed the people applauding and screaming and — and they were all CIA. There was — somebody was asking Sean — “Well, were they Trump people that were put–” we don’t have Trump people. They were CIA people.
That location was given to me. Mike Pence went up before me, paid great homage to the wall. I then went up, paid great homage to the wall. I then spoke to the crowd. I got a standing ovation. In fact, they said it was the biggest standing ovation since Peyton Manning had won the Super Bowl and they said it was equal. I got a standing ovation. It lasted for a long period of time. What you do is take — take out your tape — you probably ran it live. I know when I do good speeches. I know when I do bad speeches. That speech was a total home run. They loved it. I could’ve …
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: … gotten …
DAVID MUIR: You would give the same speech if you went back …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Absolutely.
DAVID MUIR: … in front of that wall?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: People loved it. They loved it. They gave me a standing ovation for a long period of time. They never even sat down, most of them, during the speech. There was love in the room. You and other networks covered it very inaccurately. I hate to say this to you and you probably won’t put it on but turn on Fox and see how it was covered. And see how people respond to that speech.
That speech was a good speech. And you and a couple of other networks tried to downplay that speech. And it was very, very unfortunate that you did. The people of the CIA loved the speech. If I was going to take a vote in that room, there were, like, 300, 350 people, over 1,000 wanted to be there but they couldn’t. They were all CIA people. I would say I would’ve gotten 350 to nothing in that room. That’s what the vote would’ve been. That speech was a big hit, a big success — success. And then I came back and I watched you on television and a couple of others.
DAVID MUIR: Not me personally.
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: And they tried to demean. Excuse me?
DAVID MUIR: Not me personally.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Not you personally but your network — and they tried to demean the speech. And I know when things are good or bad. A poll just came out on my inauguration speech which was extraordinary that people loved it. Loved and liked. And it was an extraordinary poll.
DAVID MUIR: I guess that’s what I’m getting at. You talked about the poll, the people loving your inaugural speech and the size of your …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, because you bring it up.
DAVID MUIR: I’m asking, well, on day one you …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, you just brought it up. I didn’t bring it up. I didn’t wanna — talk about the inauguration speech. But I think I did a very good job and people really liked it. You saw the poll. Just came out this morning. You bring it up. I didn’t bring it up.
DAVID MUIR: So, polls and crowd size and covers on Time, those still matter now that you’re here as president.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, you keep bringing it up. I had a massive amount of people here. They were showing pictures that were very unflattering, as unflattering — from certain angles — that were taken early and lots of other things. I’ll show you a picture later if you’d like of a massive crowd.
In terms of a total audience including television and everything else that you have we had supposedly the biggest crowd in history. The audience watching the show. And I think you would even agree to that. They say I had the biggest crowd in the history of inaugural speeches. I’m honored by that. But I didn’t bring it up. You just brought it up.
DAVID MUIR: See, I — I’m not interested in the inaugural crowd size. I think the American people can look at images side by side and decide for themselves. I am curious about the first full day here at the White House, choosing to send the press secretary out into the briefing room, summoning reporters to talk about the inaugural crowd size. Does that send a message to the American people that that’s — that’s more important than some of the very pressing issues?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Part of my whole victory was that the men and women of this country who have been forgotten will never be forgotten again. Part of that is when they try and demean me unfairly ’cause we had a massive crowd of people. We had a crowd — I looked over that sea of people and I said to myself, “Wow.”
And I’ve seen crowds before. Big, big crowds. That was some crowd. When I looked at the numbers that happened to come in from all of the various sources, we had the biggest audience in the history of inaugural speeches. I said the men and women that I was talking to who came out and voted will never be forgotten again. Therefore I won’t allow you or other people like you to demean that crowd and to demean the people that came to Washington, D.C., from faraway places because they like me. But more importantly they like what I’m saying.
DAVID MUIR: I just wanna say I didn’t demean anyone who was in that crowd. We did coverage for hours …
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, I think you’re demeaning by talking the way you’re talking. I think you’re demeaning. And that’s why I think a lot of people turned on you and turned on a lot of other people. And that’s why you have a 17 percent approval rating, which is pretty bad.
DAVID MUIR: Mr. Trump, let’s talk about many of the things that have happened this week. Chicago. Last night you tweeted about the murder rate in Chicago saying, “If Chicago doesn’t fix the horrible carnage going on I will send in the feds.”
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Right.
DAVID MUIR: You will send in the feds? What do you mean by that?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: It’s carnage. You know, in my speech I got tremendous — from certain people the word carnage. It is carnage. It’s horrible carnage. This is Afghanistan — is not like what’s happening in Chicago. People are being shot left and right. Thousands of people over a period — over a short period of time.
This year, which has just started, is worse than last year, which was a catastrophe. They’re not doing the job. Now if they want help, I would love to help them. I will send in what we have to send in. Maybe they’re not gonna have to be so politically correct. Maybe they’re being overly political correct. Maybe there’s something going on. But you can’t have those killings going on in Chicago. Chicago is like a war zone. Chicago is worse than some of the people that you report in some of the places that you report about every night …
DAVID MUIR: So, I will send …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: … in the Middle East.
DAVID MUIR: … you mentioned federal assistance. There’s federal assistance and then there’s sending in the feds. I’m just curious would you take action on your own?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I want them to fix the problem. You can’t have thousands of people being shot in a city, in a country that I happen to be president of. Maybe it’s okay if somebody else is president. I want them to fix the problem. They have a problem that’s very easily fixable.
They’re gonna have to get tougher and stronger and smarter. But they gotta fix the problem. I don’t want to have thousands of people shot in a city where essentially I’m the president. I love Chicago. I know Chicago. And Chicago is a great city, can be a great city.
DAVID MUIR: And if they’re unable to fix it?
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: It can’t be a great city. Excuse me. It can’t be a great city if people are shot walking down the street for a loaf of bread. Can’t be a great city.
DAVID MUIR: And if they are unable to fix it, that’s when you would send in the feds?
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: But so far they have been unable. It’s been going on for years. And I wasn’t president. So, look, when President Obama was there two weeks ago making a speech, very nice speech. Two people were shot and killed during his speech. You can’t have that.
DAVID MUIR: Let me ask …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: They weren’t shot at the speech. But they were shot in the city of Chicago during his speech. What — what’s going on? So, all I’m saying is to the mayor who came up to my office recently — I say, “You have to smarten up and you have to toughen up because you can’t let that happen. That’s a war zone.”
DAVID MUIR: So, this is an “or else.” This is a warning?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I want them to straighten out the problem. It’s a big problem.
DAVID MUIR: Let me ask you about a new report that you were poised to lift a ban on so-called CIA black sites of prisons around the world that have been used in the past. Is that true?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I’ll be talking about that in about two hours. So, you’ll be there and you’ll be able to see it for yourself.
DAVID MUIR: Are you gonna lift the ban?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: You’re gonna see in about two hours.
DAVID MUIR: The last president, President Obama, said the U.S. does not torture. Will you say that?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I have a general who I have great respect for, General Mattis, who said — I was a little surprised — who said he’s not a believer in torture. As you know, Mr. Pompeo was just approved, affirmed by the Senate. He’s a fantastic guy, he’s gonna be the head of the CIA.
And you have somebody fabulous as opposed to the character that just got out who didn’t — was not fabulous at all. And he will I think do a great job. And he is — you know, I haven’t gone into great detail. But I will tell you I have spoken to others in intelligence. And they are big believers in, as an example, waterboarding.
DAVID MUIR: You did tell me …
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Because they say it does work. It does work.
DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, you …
(OVERTALK)
DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, you told me during one of the debates that you would bring back waterboarding and a hell of a lot worse.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I would do …
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I would do — I wanna keep our country safe. I wanna keep our country safe.
DAVID MUIR: What does that mean?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: When they’re shooting — when they’re chopping off the heads of our people and other people, when they’re chopping off the heads of people because they happen to be a Christian in the Middle East, when ISIS is doing things that nobody has ever heard of since Medieval times, would I feel strongly about waterboarding?
As far as I’m concerned we have to fight fire with fire. Now, with that being said I’m going with General Mattis. I’m going with my secretary because I think Pompeo’s gonna be phenomenal. I’m gonna go with what they say. But I have spoken as recently as 24 hours ago with people at the highest level of intelligence. And I asked them the question, “Does it work? Does torture work?” And the answer was, “Yes, absolutely.”
DAVID MUIR: You’re now the president. Do you want waterboarding?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I don’t want people to chop off the citizens or anybody’s heads in the Middle East. Okay? Because they’re Christian or Muslim or anything else. I don’t want — look, you are old enough to have seen a time that was much different. You never saw heads chopped off until a few years ago.
Now they chop ’em off and they put ’em on camera and they send ’em all over the world. So we have that and we’re not allowed to do anything. We’re not playing on an even field. I will say this, I will rely on Pompeo and Mattis and my group. And if they don’t wanna do, that’s fine. If they do wanna do, then I will work for that end.
I wanna do everything within the bounds of what you’re allowed to do legally. But do I feel it works? Absolutely I feel it works. Have I spoken to people at the top levels and people that have seen it work? I haven’t seen it work. But I think it works. Have I spoken to people that feel strongly about it? Absolutely.
DAVID MUIR: So, you’d be okay with it as …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I wanna keep …
DAVID MUIR: … president?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: … no, I wanna — I will rely on General Mattis. And I’m gonna rely on those two people and others. And if they don’t wanna do it, it’s 100 percent okay with me. Do I think it works? Absolutely.
DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, I wanna ask you about refugees. You’re about to sign a sweeping executive action to suspend immigration to this country.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Right.
DAVID MUIR: Who are we talking about? Is this the Muslim ban?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’re talking about — no it’s not the Muslim ban. But it’s countries that have tremendous terror. It’s countries that we’re going to be spelling out in a little while in the same speech. And it’s countries that people are going to come in and cause us tremendous problems. Our country has enough problems without allowing people to come in who, in many cases or in some cases, are looking to do tremendous destruction.
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: You look at what’s happening …
DAVID MUIR: Which countries are we talking about?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: … you’ll be hearing about it in two hours because I have a whole list. You’ll be very thrilled. You’re looking at people that come in, in many cases, in some cases with evil intentions. I don’t want that. They’re ISIS. They’re coming under false pretense. I don’t want that.
I’m gonna be the president of a safe country. We have enough problems. Now I’ll absolutely do safe zones in Syria for the people. I think that Europe has made a tremendous mistake by allowing these millions of people to go into Germany and various other countries. And all you have to do is take a look. It’s — it’s a disaster what’s happening over there.
I don’t want that to happen here. Now with that being said, President Obama and Hillary Clinton have, and Kerry have allowed tens of thousands of people into our country. The FBI is now investigating more people than ever before having to do with terror. They — and it’s from the group of people that came in. So look, look, our country has a lot of problems. Believe me. I know what the problems are even better than you do. They’re deep problems, they’re serious problems. We don’t need more.
DAVID MUIR: Let me ask you about some of the countries that won’t be on the list, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia. Why are we going to allow people to come into this country …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: You’re going to see — you’re going to see. We’re going to have extreme vetting in all cases. And I mean extreme. And we’re not letting people in if we think there’s even a little chance of some problem.
DAVID MUIR: Are you at all …
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We are excluding certain countries. But for other countries we’re gonna have extreme vetting. It’s going to be very hard to come in. Right now it’s very easy to come in. It’s gonna be very, very hard. I don’t want terror in this country. You look at what happened in San Bernardino. You look at what happened all over. You look at what happened in the World Trade Center. Okay, I mean, take that as an example.
DAVID MUIR: Are you at all …
(OVERTALK)
DAVID MUIR: … concerned — are you at all concerned it’s going to cause more anger among Muslims …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Anger?
DAVID MUIR: … the world?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: There’s plenty of anger right now. How can you have more?
DAVID MUIR: You don’t think it’ll …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Look, David …
DAVID MUIR: … exacerbate the problem?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: … David, I mean, I know you’re a sophisticated guy. The world is a mess. The world is as angry as it gets. What? You think this is gonna cause a little more anger? The world is an angry place. All of this has happened. We went into Iraq. We shouldn’t have gone into Iraq. We shouldn’t have gotten out the way we got out.
The world is a total mess. Take a look at what’s happening with Aleppo. Take a look what’s happening in Mosul. Take a look what’s going on in the Middle East. And people are fleeing and they’re going into Europe and all over the place. The world is a mess, David.
DAVID MUIR: You brought up Iraq and something you said that could affect American troops in recent days. You said, “We should’ve kept the oil but okay maybe we’ll have another chance.” What did you mean by that?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, we should’ve kept the oil when we got out. And, you know, it’s very interesting, had we taken the oil, you wouldn’t have ISIS because they fuel themselves with the oil. That’s where they got the money. They got the money from leaving — when we left, we left Iraq, which wasn’t a government. It’s not a government now.
And by the way, and I said something else, if we go in and do this. You have two nations, Iraq and Iran. And they were essentially the same military strength. And they’d fight for decades and decades. They’d fight forever. And they’d keep fighting and it would go — it was just a way of life. We got in, we decapitated one of those nations, Iraq. I said, “Iran is taking over Iraq.” That’s essentially what happened.
DAVID MUIR: So, you believe we can go in and take the oil.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We should have taken the oil. You wouldn’t have ISIS if we took the oil. Now I wasn’t talking about it from the standpoint of ISIS because the way we got out was horrible. We created a vacuum and ISIS formed. But had we taken the oil something else would’ve very good happened. They would not have been able to fuel their rather unbelievable drive to destroy large portions of the world.
DAVID MUIR: You’ve heard the critics who say that would break all international law, taking the oil. But I wanna get to the words …
(OVERTALK)
DAVID MUIR: … that you …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Wait, wait, can you believe that? Who are the critics who say that? Fools.
DAVID MUIR: Let, let me …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I don’t call them critics. I call them fools.
DAVID MUIR: … let me talk about your words …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We should’ve kept — excuse me. We should’ve taken the oil. And if we took the oil you wouldn’t have ISIS. And we would have had wealth. We have spent right now $6 trillion in the Middle East. And our country is falling apart.
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Our roads — excuse me. Our roads, our bridges, our schools, it’s falling apart. We have spent as of one month ago $6 trillion in the Middle East. And in our country we can’t afford to build a school in Brooklyn or we can’t afford to build a school in Los Angeles. And we can’t afford to fix up our inner cities. We can’t afford to do anything. Look, it’s time. It’s been our longest war. We’ve been in there for 15, 16 years. Nobody even knows what the date is because they don’t really know when did we start. But it’s time. It’s time.
DAVID MUIR: What got my attention, Mr. President, was when you said, “Maybe we’ll have another chance.”
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, don’t let it get your attention too much because we’ll see what happens. I mean, we’re gonna see what happens. You know, I told you and I told everybody else that wants to talk when it comes to the military I don’t wanna discuss things.
I wanna let — I wanna let the action take place before the talk takes place. I watched in Mosul when a number of months ago generals and politicians would get up and say, “We’re going into Mosul in four months.” Then they’d say, “We’re going in in three months, two months, one month. We’re going in next week.”
Okay, and I kept saying to myself, “Gee, why do they have to keep talking about going in?” All right, so now they go in and it is tough because they’re giving the enemy all this time to prepare. I don’t wanna do a lot of talking on the military. I wanna talk after it’s finished, not before it starts.
DAVID MUIR: Let me ask you, Mr. President, about another promise involving Obamacare to repeal it. And you told The Washington Post that your plan to replace Obamacare will include insurance for everybody. That sounds an awful lot like universal coverage.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: It’s going to be — what my plan is is that I wanna take care of everybody. I’m not gonna leave the lower 20 percent that can’t afford insurance. Just so you understand people talk about Obamacare. And I told the Republicans this, the best thing we could do is nothing for two years, let it explode. And then we’ll go in and we’ll do a new plan and — and the Democrats will vote for it. Believe me.
Because this year you’ll have 150 percent increases. Last year in Arizona 116 perecent increase, Minnesota 60 some-odd percent increase. And I told them, except for one problem, I wanna get it fixed. The best thing I could do as the leader of this country– but as wanting to get something approved with support of the Democrats, if I didn’t do anything for two years they’d be begging me to do something. But I don’t wanna do that. So just so you unders– Obamacare is a disaster.
It’s too expensive. It’s horrible health care. It doesn’t cover what you have to cover. It’s a disaster. You know it and I know it. And I said to the Republican folks– and they’re terrific folks, Mitch and Paul Ryan, I said, “Look, if you go fast — and I’m okay in doing it because it’s the right thing to do. We wanna get good coverage at much less cost.” I said, “If you go fast we then own Obamacare. They’re gonna put it on us. And Obamacare is a disaster waiting to explode. If you sit back and let it explode it’s gonna be much easier.” That’s the thing to do. But the right thing to do is to get something done now.
DAVID MUIR: But you …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: So I wanna make sure that nobody’s dying on the streets when I’m president. Nobody’s gonna be dying on the streets. We will unleash something that’s gonna be terrific. And remember this, before Obamacare you had a lot of people that were very, very happy with their health care.
And now those people in many cases don’t even have health care. They don’t even have anything that’s acceptable to them. Remember this, keep your doctor, keep your plan, 100 percent. Remember the $5 billion website? Remember the website fiasco. I mean, you do admit that I think, right? The website fiasco.
Obamacare is a disaster. We are going to come up with a new plan ideally not an amended plan because right now if you look at the pages they’re this high. We’re gonna come up with a new plan that’s going to be better health care for more people at a lesser cost.
DAVID MUIR: Last question because I know you’re gonna show me around the White House. Last question on this. You’ve seen the estimate that 18 million Americans could lose their health insurance if Obamacare is repealed and there is no replacement. Can you assure those Americans watching this right now that they will not lose their health insurance or end up with anything less?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: So nobody ever deducts all the people that have already lost their health insurance that liked it. You had millions of people that liked their health insurance and their health care and their doctor and where they went. You had millions of people that now aren’t insured anymore.
DAVID MUIR: I’m just asking about the people …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, no.
DAVID MUIR: … who are nervous and watching …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We …
DAVID MUIR: … you for reassurance.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: … here’s what I can assure you, we are going to have a better plan, much better health care, much better service treatment, a plan where you can have access to the doctor that you want and the plan that you want. We’re gonna have a much better health care plan at much less money.
And remember Obamacare is ready to explode. And you interviewed me a couple of years ago. I said ’17 — right now, this year, “’17 is going to be a disaster.” I’m very good at this stuff. “’17 is going to be a disaster cost-wise for Obamacare. It’s going to explode in ’17.”
And why not? Obama’s a smart guy. So let it all come do because that’s what’s happening. It’s all coming do in ’17. We’re gonna have an explosion. And to do it right, sit back, let it explode and let the Democrats come begging us to help them because it’s on them. But I don’t wanna do that. I wanna give great health care at a much lower cost.
DAVID MUIR: So, no one who has this health insurance through Obamacare will lose it or end up …
PRESIDENT TRUMP: You know, when you …
DAVID MUIR: … with anything less?
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: … say no one I think no one. Ideally, in the real world, you’re talking about millions of people. Will no one. And then, you know, knowing ABC, you’ll have this one person on television saying how they were hurt. Okay. We want no one. We want the answer to be no one.
But I will say millions of people will be happy. Right now you have millions and millions and millions of people that are unhappy. It’s too expensive and it’s no good. And the governor of Minnesota who unfortunately had a very, very sad incident yesterday ’cause he’s a very nice guy but — a couple of months ago he said that the Affordable Care Act is no longer affordable.
He’s a staunch Democrat. Very strong Democrat. He said it’s no longer affordable. He made that statement. And Bill Clinton on the campaign trail — and he probably had a bad night that night when he went home — but he said, “Obamacare is crazy. It’s crazy.” And you know what, they were both right.
DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, thank you.
(OVERTALK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
* * *END OF TRANSCRIPT* * *
LAO
At this point, I’m more worried about the mass resignation of the senior management team at the State Department.
ETA: Not that this isn’t upsetting.
Mothra
I laughed at the part about dead people voting, but then felt foolish for laughing at anything about our situation.
Adam L Silverman
@LAO: Not too surprising.
MazeDancer
Hard to know what is more alarming or crazier – Trump’s clear mental incapacity or Ryan and McConnell saying, sure, we’ll allocate $12-15 Billion to build the wall.
dr. bloor
There’s a narrative thread there that can be followed, but you just know he used Manning as his exemplar because someone recently told him Manning would be appearing at another event, and Peyton was just kind of swimming around in the deep pools of cerebral spinal fluid where his frontal lobes used to be. The job is really splitting him open at the seams.
burnspbesq
And there are still Stein voters congratulating themselves for taking a stand .
Humboldtblue
Thank goodness we have Chuck Schumer to lead the resistance, right, right?
Bennett
The protocol at CIA Langley when the President gives an address is for all present to rise when he enters and to remain standing until he gives them leave to be seated. Either trump did not know this, or he chose not to bid them be seated, or someone around him thought that this would appeal to his ego; but in any case they stood throughout his speech solely because he did not give them leave to sit.
Fester Addams
@LAO:
Indeed. The self-inflicted decapitation strikes continue apace.
GregB
@Fester Addams:
Well, some folks may not want to be attached to a government that is run by a man publicly planning war crimes.
liberal
OT: Well, at least Cacti and Trump do agree about something:
dr. bloor
@GregB: Yeah. Be interesting to know whether Tillerson, Pompeo, or the Black Ops EO was the last straw for them.
ThresherK
Trump is striking out at tee-ball.
What kind of interview can Trump not strike out at by this point?
@dr. bloor:
I believe Trump’s brain is in worse shape than Peyton Manning’s arm and nerve endings (after 20 years of Manning being hit by huge men).
The Truffle
He’s talking about the General Motors jobs coming back. I’m curious: is there any substance to this claim? Because I sense a diversion here. Trump acting like a fool while courting WWC voters with promises of manufacturing jobs. Bannon, Priebus, Kushner, Pence et al. laboring behind the scenes with a faux-populist vision. Who else senses there’s a method to this insanity?
comrade scotts agenda of rage
This is all a feature not a bug.
While Twitler is out in front of the cameras saying the usual crazy stuff, Dence and his Congressional allies are passing legislation to undo all of 20th Century liberalism. Plus, if Twitler goes totally off the rails and starts a war that might bring about the Rapture, Dominionist Dence would consider that a win-win.
Adam L Silverman
@Bennett: Yep, while you were doing your comment, I just added the following up top:
Seanly
We elected everyone’s idiot, racist uncle to President.
Iowa Old Lady
I started to read that then realized that it was killing some of aging supply of brain cells and stopped.
Timurid
He’s insane.
dr. bloor
@Seanly: Maybe someone can convince him that all presidential business is ordinarily conducted by calling into Michael Savage’s radio show.
kindness
Gonna need a bigger bin to hold all those ‘President Trump Being An Idiot’ bin.
Villago Delenda Est
My contempt for this vile shitstain is infinite, because his offenses against all humanity and dignity are infinite.
rikyrah
Waiting for your post about the State Department resignations.
Elmo
@Adam L Silverman: Adam, i don’t want to hijack your post, but I would be very, very interested to hear your thoughts about the Washington Post report regarding the State Dept.
dexwood
@Seanly:
Perhaps not entirely true. He’s more like my wealthy, idiot, racist, asshole brother-in-law. But I get your meaning.
gVOR08
In my experience people write and speak like they think. This word salad with nonsense dressing.
dr. bloor
@MazeDancer:
It’s the government equivalent of promising your demented grandma that you’ll bring her long-dead cat with you the next time you visit the nursing home, if only to stay in the will. He’ll likely be gone before any real money is spent, and there’s no point in provoking him.
Timurid
Another outtake from last night:
MUIR: I thought you might enjoy the challenge. Find out if you’re smarter than the person I’m looking for.
TRUMP: Then, by implication, you think you’re smarter than I am, since it was you who caught me.
MUIR: No, I know I’m not smarter than you.
TRUMP: Then how did you catch me?
MUIR: You had… disadvantages.
TRUMP: What disadvantages?
MUIR: You’re insane.
Villago Delenda Est
And right here you see amateur shithead in his full glory. NO appreciation of the logistics at all. Probably thinks a car moves because you turn the key. You can’t just “TAKE” the oil. Fucking mentality of a damn toddler.
rikyrah
@Villago Delenda Est:
Preach
dr. bloor
@Timurid: +1
jacy
He’s literally insane. Not Joe Biden “literally.” Literally literally. I don’t know how anyone can read this and not be both dumbfounded and utterly terrified. I think it broke my brain.
rikyrah
@MazeDancer:
But…MEXICO is gonna pay for the wal…that’s what he said…
Villago Delenda Est
@Iowa Old Lady: All that fucking cocaine is not good for one’s mental acuity. He’s been snorting since the 70’s on a regular basis.
gvg
This clown thought he should compare himself as President making a speech to the intelligence community to a Superbowl champ! He is so dumb and shallow.
I wonder what Peyton thinks? Haven’t heard him speak in years but he didn’t used to be an idiot.
p.a.
Will there be a Queeg moment on live tv?
Fester Addams
@dr. bloor:
I figure the plan has been to stand him up in front of a freshly repainted section of existing wall (there has to be some somewhere) and let his proclaim the mission accomplished.
Adam L Silverman
@rikyrah: I’m resigned to them.
TriassicSands
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has canceled his trip to the US — it seems the wall and Trump’s promise to make the Mexicans pay for it didn’t go down so well. Trump’s going to “renegotiate” NAFTA with Mexico — I imagine those will be friendly times.
GregB
Mexico snubs Trump.
Winning!
gvg
Also I am starting to pity the media people who have to actually try to talk to him. they aren’t typically taught how to deal with demented but powerful people.
Spanky
@Iowa Old Lady: Ditto. While I appreciate the need to bear witness, it would just add more stress to my day, without providing any new info. Mofo is nutso, and the other Republicans are enabling him in a grab at undemocratic permanent rule. Period.
Thanks but no thanks.
sam
I have an actual headache after reading that.
Elizabelle
@Seanly:
I feel so badly for Hillary, and for us.
The Truffle
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: Exactly. “Never mind the man behind the curtain!”
Thru the Looking Glass...
@dr. bloor:
Those pools are deep but that’s not spinal fluid…
dr. bloor
@p.a.: Possibly, as re-enacted by your cognitively-failing grandfather. I don’t think he’s actually capable of the linear thought required to construct a good delusion.
Adam L Silverman
@Villago Delenda Est: This thread gives you some idea of the challenges:
Thru the Looking Glass...
@Spanky:
In other words, a dictatorship…
That’s exactly what they’re aiming for…
Iowa Old Lady
I’ve conducted interviews and usually when you transcribe them, you clean up a few things like the occasional “um” or false starts to sentences because it’s not your goal to make the interviewee look stupid and inarticulate. Trump’s lunacies go far beyond that. No transcriptionist could save him.
Gin & Tonic
@Adam L Silverman: Spent all morning working on that riposte?
Villago Delenda Est
@Adam L Silverman: “As you were” is, as you know, what the senior official says RIGHT AFTER he enters the room.
I can’t believe they missed that at the toy soldier school that Drumpf attended, but then again…
Morzer
You know, I really hoped part of Trump’s babbling was a parody, because those are the words of a profoundly sick mind – and a non-trivial portion of the American people will eat it up and nod approvingly. We have stared into the abyss for too long and now payment is due.
Arclite
Jesus H C on a stick, why are Dem presidents always super-smart, compassionate individuals, and Republican presidents idiots?
The Moar You Know
@Villago Delenda Est: He’s not insane. This right here is the issue. He responds to people exactly like every long-term cokehead I ever knew, and I’ve known a lot (used to play music for a living, they are hard to avoid).
A drug I’m profoundly grateful to never have gotten into. I’ve seen ’em all and the aftereffects of them all, and coke is the worst. Unlike most others, it also kills people, often. The only one I’ve seen that’s more uniformly fatal is long-term alcoholism.
Yarrow
Saw this. Interesting.
TriassicSands
In other news, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists just advanced the Doomsday Clock another 30 seconds closer to midnight (11:57:30) thanks to the Planet Lord.
Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, doesn’t it?
Peale
@rikyrah: Personally, I think we need to make sure parts of this wall are built so that we don’t have to hear about it again. Also, the wall is popular. Always has been a winner. One of the reasons we’ve been getting killed in mid-terms is our lack of flexibility on the popular “wall”. (Being the best friend of undocumented labor (who doesn’t vote) has cost us a lot more votes that it has gained us to date). The point should be to let him build the wall to discredit the wall. The project can be filled with landmines that should be easy for him to step on.
I really hope there is a plan to ratfuck the wall so badly that no one would dare run on it again. IDK. I think we can coax Trump to start building the wall in the most expensive places possible, then state that its too small and we need to add five more feet to it and 20 more under ground. Or have him start building it in places where there already is a wall – so we can have him take photo ops in front of the New Wall with the old one right next to it. Or places where no one is crossing anyway. See if we can find mexican or chinese companies to buy companies that are used as subcontractors, so we can plant stories about how the profits for the wall are going to china. Form groups like “Former Liberals Who Hate Illegals and Converted to Conservatism” to video fake immigrants climbing over the wall and organize protests to make it even bigger. We need to make sure that the first 100 miles of this wall is expensive and useless.
Really, really make people hate that wall or it is going to be used a cudgel. Look, these are republicans. Its not like they’re going to use that money for foodstamps and education anyway. We need to get them to spend lavishly on this thing.
FlipYrWhig
When Manning won the Super Bowl there would have been, what, 90,000 people in the stadium? How many people were at the CIA appearance, a hundred? More proof Trump is one of those people whose concepts of quantity are, like, “one,” “two,” “many.”
dr. bloor
@Villago Delenda Est: Commanding the cadets at the NY Military Academy to be “as [they] were” is essentially telling them to start acting like juvenile delinquents again.
Raoul
@LAO: Agreed. And when an embassy is attacked or a senior State official murdered, the culpability will go directly to the Hair in Chief.
I wonder how long top-level scientists can hold out at NOAA? Will we even have a functional Nat’l Hurricane Center in a couple years? CDC? Nat’l Institutes of Health?
Rump & the GOP may be presiding over the fastest decline of Empire in modern history. I’ve said it before, and sadly will have to again: Welcome to the Asian Century. We are actively surrendering our global leadership (or hegemony if that fits your analysis better, and I don’t necessarily disagree).
It may be time for America to be less of a global gorilla. But we are not handing this off in any sort of thoughtful or effective manner. We’re just following Bannon’s fuck shit up script, and that pretty much means shit is gonna be fucked up. And by fucked up, I mean lots of human suffering, both abroad and at home.
Gaaaah.
FlipYrWhig
@Arclite: They represent the people who vote for them.
Spanky
@Arclite: A rhetorical question? They reflect the qualities of their respective bases.
Morzer
@Fester Addams:
The way Trump works, the idiot would probably get stuck to his own fake wall and declare war on the paint industry.
NotMax
That’s now two steaming piles of sh*t front paged.
The above and Walter’s.
cosima
I wonder if anyone who voted for him watched that and thought ‘omglob, what have I done?’ I realise that there are the 27% +/- who will not be swayed from their irrationality, but surely some of the fools who voted for him are not so crazy that they don’t recognise complete & utter insanity when they see it. They should be seeing mushroom clouds in their sleep, haunted every night, waking in a cold sweat and getting down on their knees and asking for forgiveness from their crazy god.
I couldn’t read it all — it was too terrible. I hope that with every word that he utters about his shitshow at Langley he cements the desire of each & every agent to take that evil horrible person DOWN.
Spanky
@TriassicSands:
Positively glowing.
Peale
@TriassicSands: I’m surprised they didn’t move it closer than that during the cuban missile crisis. Maybe they were actually in their fall out shelters during that time and couldn’t issue a press release?
Droppy
I’m not particularly smart – smart enough, but no genius. I really hate feeling like I’m smarter than the president of the United States. The president ought to be a lot smarter than just an average-intelligence person. This guy is not smart.
Adam L Silverman
@Villago Delenda Est: I am well aware. First time I briefed at III Corps the CG was delayed, but had given orders to start without him. So they introduced me, I then introduced my team who would be assisting me, and started. Five or so minutes in – we’d not covered much yet, just intros and the agenda for the briefing – the CG comes in from the back door. No one saw or heard him and he could see me starting to switch to “Corps Commander!” and waived me off as he didn’t want to interrupt. I really liked working for that guy on and off over the next two years at both III Corps and US Army Europe. Class act all the way.
MomSense
I am truly concerned about his mental state.
TriassicSands
@Peale:
They may not have realized how tense things really were until after the fact.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@MazeDancer:
.That’s the price of a new aircraft carrier.
And in none of that Trump sets down policy just nothing but gossip. That’s what’s wrong with this picture – he’s still acting like this is a Reality TV show.
Morzer
@TriassicSands:
Glow in the dark warm and fuzzy in a green sort of way.
Breezeblock
Well after reading that mess, all I can say is thank god for booze.
maryQ
This is alternative hilarious.
Still, would it have killed the reporter to occasionally refer to President Obama’s actions in immigration to remind President Trump that, you know, Obama actually Did stuff?
TriassicSands
@Spanky:
Nice one, Spanky.
Morzer
@maryQ:
What, you want to see Trump stroke out on camera?
Hell, I’m in for the Kickstarter!
MomSense
@Peale:
I’m going to enjoy all the fuck ups when it comes time to pour cement. Hope they can work fast in the heat.
Raoul
@dr. bloor: I kind of think this is the deal. Ryan is not actually all that bright, but he has been in D.C. long enough to know that it is more expedient to just lie back to Donald’s lies about the wall.
They’ll somehow re-label some of the already budgeted ICE and CBP funds to pretend it’s being spent on something new.
All that said, I think we can and should attack Ryan for publicly agreeing to spend billions on a stupid fence while refusing to consider amounts to fix health care. IOW, they are lying about the lack of money for health if they have $15Bn laying around to say “OK, sir!” to the ‘wall.’
celticdragonchick
Political science & Blakans expert Jasmin Mujanovic thinks we are not taking the Trump disaster seriously enough…
https://twitter.com/JasminMuj/status/824354841975816192
I cannot say how terrifying I think it is that he may well be right….
When empires collapse, the event tends to be sudden and savage.
Villago Delenda Est
We need to have one more head chopped off.
Wait, after reading 81, I think the number is two.
Brachiator
@MazeDancer:
I think the Guardian and others reported that the cost of the wall could go as high as $31 billion. Ironically, the majority of the workers would probably come from Mexico.
So, in effect, Trump could be initiating a huge infrastructure project that would benefit Mexico and Mexican workers. And if it cost $31 billion, Mexico could easily toss back a few hundred million as their “payment” and still come out ahead. And of course, the wall itself would be stupid and useless.
Adam L Silverman
@celticdragonchick: Saw that last night. Is on my posting agenda for later today or tomorrow.
Cacti
@liberal:
Forgive me.
It was good of Manning to leak personally identifiable information of US military personnel and intelligence assets and endanger their lives.
Because Julian Assange is working for the greater good.
Am I a good emo prog now?
Adam L Silverman
@celticdragonchick: And the plot thins:
Spanky
@Villago Delenda Est: I wouldn’t cry if Bannon Breitbarted out.
ETA: And where’s Jasper in all this? Justin. Jason.
Jared?
Immanentize
Trying to stay somewhat positive — I am looking forward to the Scientist March. No date yet, it seems. My geek son and I are working on signs and maybe t-shirts —
For “WASF” we have “We Affirm Science Facts!” Any suggestions from the crowd?
Raoul
@TriassicSands: Before heading over to BJ here, I had just seen a tweet to the effect that “Trump considering cancelling Pres. Enrique Peña Nieto’s visit. Which I knew from watching things develop last night and this morning meant they’d already received the news that Mexico had cancelled. But the power game must pretend it was our side that said ‘nahhh’ first — even though it is much more believable that the Mexicans have said “fuck it”.
What the actual hell will Theresa May do in her visit? She will not be able to escape the feeling that she is talking to a mentally ill person. What’s Britain’s strategy to deal with our special friendship? Jeepers.
pat
I read what I could….. Had to quit in order to get my jaw off the desk.
The only thing scarier than this scumbag is creationist misogynist dense pence. How the F did this happen???
Villago Delenda Est
@Adam L Silverman: Aiee! The Serbs are the junior Russians, have been for centuries.
Villago Delenda Est
@Spanky: I’d do a little dance as I did when Breitbart took the express elevator to the sulfur pits.
Villago Delenda Est
@pat: emails. Lots of emails.
Immanentize
@Brachiator:
So that is his plan to make Mexico pay — stiff the workers (again).
Gin & Tonic
@Adam L Silverman: Huh. Haven’t heard much from Manafort lately, I bet he’s got some bills to pay, too.
Cacti
@TriassicSands:
Trump is going to shove Mexico right into the arms of China.
With the orange manchild as POTUS, Beijing is winning without lifting a finger.
MattF
@Adam L Silverman: Ah, the Serbians. Obvious, once you see it happen.
NR
@burnspbesq: Stein voters didn’t put Trump in office, the Democratic establishment did that.
mike in dc
Those jobs building the wall are not going to laid-off factory workers in the mid-west. They’ll be going to people living in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California, and most likely a lot of them will be of the same ethnicity as those being excluded by the wall. The adverse economic impact, however, will be more dispersed.
Morzer
@celticdragonchick:
It’s possible things will go into more of a Late Roman Western empire mode in which the elite refuse to pay their taxes, regions effectively split off and are governed by a mix of barbarians and old elites providing a cultural veneer. Relatively unbloody, but still not much fun.
Adam L Silverman
@Raoul: Too late, Mexico has left the building:
Adam L Silverman
@Villago Delenda Est: And they’ve announced they intend to take a slice of Kosovo back and that the international precedent is Putin seizing Crimea.
Immanentize
@Morzer:
Sounds like Boston…
Gelfling 545
@gvg: They brought it (to a large extent) on themselves. No sympathy for those who couldn’t be bothered to point out his obvious break with reality during the election and hid behind bothsidesism.
Spanky
@Immanentize: Yeah.
Adam L Silverman
@Gin & Tonic: My guess is he’s hold up in one of his US properties desperately hoping he’s covered his tracks well enough. And that Roger Stone doesn’t give him up to save his own tuchas.
pamelabrown53
@Humboldtblue: #7
It’s too early to tell how Schumer’s senate leadership will shake out. Still, we need to realize we are all leaders in the #resistance. It really annoys me that already you want to point the blame at 1 particular person. We don’t need a dem circular firing squad; we need solidarity.
P.S. Thanks for the post, Adam. After a brief perusal of the transcript, it’s impossible not to compare it with President Obama’s calm and erudite responses.
MattF
@Adam L Silverman: I expect to see Lewandowski back on CNN, very soon.
Morzer
@Immanentize:
Except for the cultural veneer bit. And the disgusting humidity in summer.
GregB
Finally, honor and dignity have been restored to the White House.
XTPD
@The Moar You Know: Not speaking from personal experience, but my impression was that opioids are worse.
TriassicSands
@Raoul:
Theresa May desrves a double helping of Trump. Maybe he’ll rate her from 1 to 10.
Immanentize
@Spanky: Also good!
Peale
@MomSense: What I’m worried about is that they’ll pick the cheapest spot possible to start building the wall so the first few hundred feet will come in below budget and Trump will declare a victory. The Genius Master Builder. Democrats cannot let that happen. That wall needs to start in Big Bend National Park, where it will be extremely controversial, difficult to build, expensive to construct and worthless for its designed role of keeping out immigrants since there aren’t very many immigrants crossing there, if at all. Seriously, we need to let him start building the wall, but take control of the manner and place. Then project out astronomical costs, cost overruns, shoddy construction, etc. It needs to be a false symbolic victory. We need it in some place so far from airports and good roads that his visits there to personally oversee construction (and you know he’ll want to be seen as personally responsible for it) are a pain in the ass for him.
Immanentize
@Morzer: Ever spend time in DC in the Summer — that, my friend, is disgusting humidity!
Hob
@Iowa Old Lady: I’ve done a lot of transcription (including a lot for ABC News), and whether you clean up the “um”s depends on whether the transcript is being used for print, or for video editing. In the latter case, you want an exact record of what’s on the tape so the editor can tell at a glance whether a particular bit is too garbled to use. So, unfortunately, I’m pretty sure someone did have to type every single sound that came out of Trump’s face in that interview, and I can very vividly imagine how that felt.
MomSense
@celticdragonchick:
Yes, this has been happening steadily for some time now. I was horrified by the results of the Greek election in 2015 but it had already started building before then. We are seeing an ethnonationalist movement spread throughout the west with no strong US to counter it. It is absolutely horrifying.
I still say the best thing we can do is to discredit hair furor. Mock, ridicule, attack, etc. constantly. The more amateur, incompetent, foolish, he looks the better. Then work our way through the rest of them. They are helping by attaching themselves so completely to him.
Miss Bianca
Man, word salad of that magnitude and oiliness is really, really hard to digest. So I guess I’m just gonna say, “Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ” and leave it at that.
Morzer
@Peale:
We could madden Trump by saying that the Chinese wall is way better and bigger and doesn’t tend to go floppy at the first sign of trouble….
Villago Delenda Est
@NR: Find a fire to die in, asshole.
Spanky
Hey, just remember the “Barbarians” get a bum rap because it was the Romans writing the histories. It wasn’t like the Romans ran their empire with kittens and puppies.
Full disclosure: I can’t grow a beard to save my life*, so I’m not going to become a barbarian.
(* – literally?)
MattF
@Morzer: Shrinkage!
TriassicSands
@Cacti:
And he has not even begun to negotiate.
My question is — How does a lunatic negotiate?
Yarrow
@celticdragonchick: I agree. This is extremely serious. Authoritarians move quickly and Trump and his crew are moving right along. Our institutions are not holding. The Democrats don’t seem to realize how serious it is.
Really scary. I hope the Dems wake the fuck up and soon. You do not negotiate with fascists. And Trump, in some ways, is even scarier because he’s batshit crazy while his team is full on fascist. There’s no one to rein him in.
Immanentize
@Peale: They have already built the wall/fence in the cheapest spots available. If he goes for the great wall for 100 yards somewhere the barrier already exists, it will look even more like Sadam Hussein’s crazy construction projects. He is the asterisk president, but he is also the pinky finger president, if you know what I’m gettin at….
Adam L Silverman
@rikyrah: @Elmo: Basically its not surprising. In the case of Undersecretary Kennedy, he’s been at the State Department his entire career/adult life. Over 40 years of service. Can’t really blame him for saying its time to retire. Especially as its been made repeatedly clear that the GOP majorities in Congress are going to continue to underfund the State Department, especially on crucial items like diplomatic security.
As for the other two announcements now, Victoria Nuland and Linda Etim, it also doesn’t surprise me. They’re career State Department or USAID. They’ve been there a long, long time. And given Nuland’s views on Russia, she’s going to be at odds with both the President and the Secretary of State so it makes no sense to stay. She’ll be fine. She’s Robert Kagan’s wife. She’ll likely be at AEI within a week if she wants to keep doing stuff. As for Etim, she’s an African aid specialist. The new Administration has already telegraphed that they’re going to cut back/cut the actually quite small amounts we currently provide in aid to African countries and NGOs. So there’s really nothing to stick around for.
Gin & Tonic
Ukrainian media reporting that there’s “massive housecleaning” in Russian IT security circles.
Gelfling 545
@NotMax: ?
Walter’s had more intellectual weight.
Raoul
@Morzer: I’m already seeing low rumblings of a tax revolt in Minneapolis if the Rumpers do figure out how to cut funding to sanctuary cities.
And with a hiring freeze and everyone hating the IRS, we’ll see how much they can do about a tax revolt, should it come to pass.
Red states seem (surprise!) ignorant that we blue states subsidize their bastard ways of life.
Morzer
@Yarrow:
I think Jerry Brown knows what he’s seeing and so does Jay Inslee.
Adria McDowell (formerly Lurker Extraordinaire
@Adam L Silverman: LOL, holy shit, Scania. Made a pit stop there before.
We need the 25th amendment immediately. Not that Lego Race Bannon and ZEGS are any better.
D58826
After reading that transcript I almost miss the Sage of Wassilla – Caraboo Barbie. Almost!
Lizzy L
Here’s the link to the WaPo article about the resignations of the state department team. It’s very interesting.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2017/01/26/the-state-departments-entire-senior-management-team-just-resigned/?wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
Also, as was pointed out in one of yesterday’s threads, they will not be starting construction on the wall next week. Allocating funds, preparing the plans, getting the permissions from the states, hiring the contractors: that work alone is going to take many months. The delay is going to drive T nuts, because he’s an instant gratification kind of guy.
Six days in. Holy fuck. I really think it can’t continue.
mike in dc
@NR: Have you not been told to DIAF yet? Oh, I see that you have. Carry on then.
Cacti
@Peale:
Another problem for “build the wall” that doesn’t get mentioned.
75 miles of the border crosses the Tohono O’odham tribal lands in Arizona, and they’ve flatly said they won’t permit construction of a wall.
Brachiator
@Yarrow:
What could the Democrats do about it?
Ironically, it is up to the Republican majority to stop Trump. And they still believe that they are in happy land, getting all their dreams fulfilled.
Adam L Silverman
@GregB: Fixed it for you:
Weaselone
@Brachiator:
Maybe that’s how Mexico will pay for it. Mexican contractors will build the wall and Trump will stiff them for the work they’ve done.
Yarrow
@Raoul: Theresa May needs the US for trade, and badly. Things are not going well with the EU re: Brexit trade negotiations. She’ll put a positive spin on it for the folks back home. But all this talk of torture and “stealing the oil” isn’t playing well in the UK. They were burned by Tony Blair and his poodle act with W. The Chilcot report was damning. They will be looking very closely at what’s going on in that regard.
Another Scott
@Peale: A real life border wall on the Mexico border is stupid and implausible:
I hope Scalia’s maxim that money can only be spent if the benefits outweigh the costs comes back to bite Donnie and Bannon in the butt on this and all the rest of his nonsense.
Cheers,
Scott.
Immanentize
@Cacti: I keep warning about this danger, but it seems there are a number of folks who want to end tribal sovereignty. The federal courts have been sharpening the necessary precedent tools to allow Congress to abrogate treaties with tribes. his would be another excuse/conflict to begin to do so.
Raoul
@pamelabrown53: Yeah. At this point at least, the kabuki of two-party governance will be observed. And Schumer and other top Dems are not going to be the resistance. We mistake elected officials for movement leaders at our own peril. As has been shown over and over, popular movements shift elected officials, not the other way ’round.
A few smart Dems do grasp the methods of positioning, however. Gillebrand has voted no on every appointee as a prelude to higher office. I think she’s smart. But we are not going to get that from Schumer. He’s too permanently lashed to older frames of reference and thinking.
Mostly, I’d say ignore Schumer, except at times that it makes sense for progressives to target him to get him to move further left.
Yarrow
@Morzer: Yes, some Democrats have been great, like Brown. I haven’t seen what Inslee has said. My point is that Democrats need to recognize the threat that Trump and his team are and get their acts together. Unified push back against him. Loud and outspoken. This is an existential threat unlike nothing we’ve seen before and most Dems don’t seem to recognize it. Those that do, I’m glad for.
@Brachiator: See above for examples of Dems who are speaking out and strongly. Needs to be all Dems. But your point holds that the Republicans have to stop him.
Brachiator
@Weaselone:
The money will come from the US government. Trump won’t have to worry about it.
Immanentize
@Weaselone: I wonder where you might have seen that idea before?
@Immanentize:
Just got there first this time!
Cacti
@mike in dc:
OTOH, a trade war with Mexico would hurt Midwest US agribusiness acutely. Mexico imports close to $20 billion in US agricultural products annually.
XTPD
@Immanentize: Dorothy Parker reference?
Renie
that interview is terrifying; he is like a child…we are gonna need Adam to write a ‘calm down’ post everyday
Weaselone
@Immanentize:
Darn. I missed your earlier post.
Peale
@Cacti: I doubt it. The problem with Mexico is that its leaders are really bad. They really do rely on exports to one country, even though they have trade agreements with many, including the EU. 90% of their trade is with the US and those products really can’t go anywhere else. (its not like you can take Chrysler cars and decide to send them to China. Chrysler decides where they go). However, I think they aren’t in the worst position here either. I think we should actually let Trump put tariffs on Mexican goods. I would favor that over taxing remittances to Mexico or closing the border. Let the US consumers pay more for their own racism. If they want a foreign policy that punishes trade partners and if they want to pretend that Mexico is at war with us, those voter/consumers need to pay for that shit, not Mexicans.
China isn’t going to be that helpful here, as they can’t serve as a market for Mexican Goods. What China could do, though, is loan Mexico money to build oil refineries, which mexico could use to start cutting into the US Latin American petroleum re-export market. In the name of “national security”, the Mexican government should stop sending its oil to the US to be processed into gasoline. That’s about $5-$10billion in trade gone. The trade deficit will actually increase for awhile if they do that. Unfortunately, it takes too long to build a refinery and pipelines. Plus its Mexico, and the government officials will take most of the Chinese loan anyway. A boy can dream though.
Honestly, we need to make sure that the effects of this stuff get passed onto ourselves. So this time, when, say, Alabama finds itself short of tomato pickers, Trump doesn’t back channel assistance by finding labor elsewhere. Obama administration did that quite a bit. Those people voted for this shit. Don’t give them an out for a change.
SFAW
In my own little fantasy world, the next time Baghdad Boob is answering questions at the Press Room, I’d like to hear:
“Sean, recently [Deadbeat Shitgibbon] has made a number of statements which have been documented in numerous places — both before and after he made them — as outright lies. My question is: does [Deadbeat Shitgibbon] think that if he repeats lies often enough, they will somehow become true? Or is it actually the case that there may be (possibly undiagnosed) mental illness at play, and that [Deadbeat Shitgibbon] cannot tell — or doesn’t care — what ‘s true and what’s false, but is merely happy to utter anything which gets back at his non-existent ‘enemies’? And as a follow-up: if there IS mental illness here, is it the type where [Deadbeat Shitgibbon] hears voices — maybe from a black lab name Harvey? — that tell him what to do?
“Asking for a friend.”
Villago Delenda Est
@Another Scott: Amateurs talk tactics. Professionals talk logistics. Drumpf doesn’t qualify as an amateur.
dr. bloor
@Gin & Tonic: Sounds like some 400-pounders have outlasted their usefulness. Will Vladimir be hosting a farewell tea party for them?
Brachiator
@Yarrow:
Speaking out is fine. But as long as the Constitution is in effect, any real change has to begin with those in power, and that ain’t the Democrats.
And right now, Republicans are happy to go along, and Trump’s supporters among the citizenry share their Dear Leader’s delusions.
XTPD
@Another Scott: John Oliver noted last year that the wall made about as much sense as buying a walrus, and that giving literally every American a $75 waffle iron was at least as fiscally responsible.
Villago Delenda Est
@Another Scott: There you go again, using logic and reality to diss Donald’s wonderful wall project.
Mnemosyne
@NR:
You couldn’t be arsed to prevent this outcome, collaborator. Avoiding a fascist takeover of our country was less important to you than whining about Hillary and the Democrats.
You enabled this.
TriassicSands
@D58826:
The royalty of word salad — Donnie and Sarah — each has his or her own specialty. For Palin, it’s tossed salad, while Trump is Caesar salad.
Elmo
@Adam L Silverman: Thanks Adam.
Brachiator
@Adam L Silverman:
So are you saying that these people are merely bureaucratic deadwood whose jobs are of no great importance, and that their resignations are no great loss to State Department operations, or to the country?
hovercraft
I didn’t read the whole thing, I can’t/won’t do that to myself, but I get the gist of the thing. This man is insane, he is not capable of being president, or running anything, because EVERYTHING is about him. Nothing else matters except how he feels and sees things, and how they will effect him personally. You cannot run a country worrying about what people are saying about you, he’s spending all of his and his staff time lying to make himself look “good”, instead of trying to run the country. He will never look good because he is a terrible person with no fucking clue how to do the job these morons elected him to do. The media must call him on every LIE make him twist himself into pretzels trying to explain that up is down.
Miss Bianca
@The Moar You Know: Or, as a friend of mine once characterized “Your Mind on Cocaine”:
“I’m gonna tell you my life story now, and all of it? Absolutely all of it? All of all of it all of it is all absolutely gonna be TRUE!!!!”
Mnemosyne
@Gin & Tonic:
Getting rid of the evidence, one assumes?
Immanentize
@XTPD: Wow! That is not what I was thinking, but what a great connection. Kuddos!
ETA I am a big Dorothy Parker fan, so maybe she just used my brain to think up my thoughts?
TriassicSands
@Brachiator:
Wow, the perfect monument to Trump — stupid and useless.
Gin & Tonic
@Mnemosyne: Not evidence. People.
hovercraft
@Gin & Tonic:
Well they left too many fingerprints, and this way when the IC says they have definitive proof that they helped elect the Shitgibbon, Putin can say it was a rouge group who did it, and see they are all gone now. See, nothing to see here, move along.
Spanky
@XTPD: $75 for a waffle iron? That’s extremely fiscally irresponsible!
SFAW
@Mnemosyne:
You might end up no longer being pestered by Native Russian.
celticdragonchick
@Yarrow: I agree.
Immanentize
@Mnemosyne: Yesterday, when the first arrests were announced in Russian security agencies just after Pompeo was confirmed, considering all the hell right now, I couldn’t help but wonder who might have burned our own agents?
celticdragonchick
@Mnemosyne: This.
Mnemosyne
@Raoul:
I wouldn’t ignore Schumer. He understands the levers of power and the potential pain points of obstruction far better than any of us schlubs who have never been Senators. But we do need to give him his marching orders and not just assume he’ll do what’s best.
SFAW
@Gin & Tonic:
Yeah, I think Mnem got that, and used “evidence” instead of “witnesses.” Although in this case, they’re the same.
sherparick
@Mothra: You need to watch Dr. Strangelove. We have elected General Jack Ripper President. Sometimes the only thing you can do is laugh as you ride the bomb down.
Adam L Silverman
@Brachiator: No, that’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is that if the new Administration’s, and the GOP majority in Congress that controls the budget, have decided that the things you’re in charge of are going to be underfunded or zeroed out in forthcoming budgets, and you’ve done well over 20 or 30 years of service, that I can’t really criticize these folks for deciding that there is no more they can do and retiring. It did just leak out that the top four, at least, were fired. This means that the standard operating procedure letters of resignation everyone holding a political appointment job writes whenever there is an election has been accepted for those four individuals.
Miss Bianca
@NR: And right on cue, comes Neo-Russian. “The only people to blame for Trump’s presidency are not the people who voted for him, or voted for any candidate but the only viable candidate who opposed him, but the people who put forward the only viable candidate against him! Black is white! Jefferson is the anti-Christ!” Argle-bargle rinse and repeat.
Adria McDowell (formerly Lurker Extraordinaire
Personally, I think they are going to seize remittance payments to Mexico to pay for the wall- a least for a while.
Unfortunately I think we are gonna see another Wounded Knee, either with the Sioux over DAPL or the Tohono O’odham over the wall.
I think it’s time for me to move back to a blue state.
PPCLI
@MazeDancer: @Cacti:
Also alarming is the fact that (according to a quote from him I came across yesterday) Ryan has adopted the “there are ways to make Mexico pay for this” bullshit. This means that it isn’t just Trump’s raving lunacy. It has become a Republican talking point. The idea seems to be that the US gives Mexico tons of free cash every year (which would make sense since foreign aid is the biggest item in the Federal Budget, bigger even than military spending) and so the US will just deduct the cost of the wall from the free money they give.
A quick Google tells us that US foreign aid to Mexico in 2013 was $51.5 million. Even if the US eliminated every cent of that, it would pay for about 3 or 4 miles of a 1300 mile wall.
Also, the whole idea that it makes sense to coerce Mexico into paying this money presupposes that we don’t care what Mexico thinks. To consider just one example, what if they decide that they won’t cooperate with the US on cross-border drug trafficking? 8% of US oil imports [says Mr Google] come from Mexico. Is it really a good idea to just screw around with that source? Etc.
XTPD
@Immanentize: I actually didn’t know what your original reference was; I might only be familiar with that line because the quote appears on the TVTropes quotes page for “sissy villain.”
I regret nothing.
Immanentize
@Immanentize: OK, shit, I was just speculating — but it seems the guy who was arrested in Russia might well have been a critical US asset. I can’t make shit up fast enough
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/wow-it-gets-bigger
NR
@Mnemosyne: ‘Fraid not, bud. I voted for Hillary. The Democratic party establishment that you unquestioningly support threw the election to Trump through their incompetence.
This is 100% on you. Not me.
Mineshaft Gap
He says the word “tremendous” 8 times.
Mnemosyne
@Gin & Tonic:
I don’t mean to gloss over the fact that these people are going to be murdered in short order, but I’m trying to figure out the motive. Do the Russians think (or know) that those specific people have been working for the Americans, or are they trying to cover their tracks with their election meddling and those people are “collateral damage”?
Morzer
@Mnemosyne:
Are we sure that the Trumpzis didn’t give the names to Putin as a repayment for services rendered?
darrel wright
The whole problem here is figuring out the ratio of rope Trump needs to hang himself to rope that we need to climb out of the abyss he’s digging for us. It’s a pretty tough calculation. But In general, after studying his thought and communication and strategy patterns a little closer, I think we’re better off turning the noise down a bit on our side. A little less RESIST THE TYRANT TRAITOR!!! and a little more “pulling the chair” as they say in basketball.* Just look at this transcript. He’s constantly searching for ways to make the interviewer oppose him, and can’t go 2 “sentences” without asserting that even though the interviewer is suspect and working for Trump’s enemies, nonetheless “you agree with me, you know I’m right, you know this is terrible.”
The “wall” would probably be the best place for a strategic withdrawal, it’s really quite inconsequential and even if it did reduce illegal crossing it would have zero or negative effect on the economy generally. It’s almost meaningless even in the southwest, and completely meaningless for the thin rusty wire of the upper midwest through Pennsylvania from which he dangles. Let him start shoveling money in a hole, and let him do it quick. Cut a deal to lock in the dreamers in exchange for letting him go play blocks in the desert.
*for those who don’t follow roundball, pulling the chair is the practice of figuring out when the guy with the ball in the post is actually relying on your resistance to stay upright. You quickly step back where he thought your resistance was going to be and he tumbles through the lane. The harder guy bangs in the post the more effective it can be.
TriassicSands
@Adam L Silverman:
They resigned their positions, I don’t think they’ve necessarily retired, have they?
Adam L Silverman
@TriassicSands: My understanding from the reporting is that they are not going back into the Foreign Executive Service (FES) pool for reassignment. They are retiring.
Immanentize
@TriassicSands: I think only Kennedy is retiring…
ETA OK, Adam has different info., please go with his as more likely…
dr. bloor
@Morzer: Hell, are we even sure the CIA didn’t feed Trump/Bannon Mikailov’s name just to get a loyal Russian taken out by friendly fire?
mike in dc
Q-poll has Trump at 36% approval, 44% disapproval. It’s been less than a week. Amazing. At this pace he’ll hit the all-time low 6 months into his term.
Mnemosyne
@NR:
Yes, you voted for Hillary, kicking and screaming and whining about the mmmmeeeeaaaannnn horrible establishment Democrats who forced you to vote for the worst candidate ever presented.
I bet if we polled your friends, half of them would tell us that they voted third party or didn’t vote because you told them repeatedly how awful Hillary was and how their vote didn’t matter because it was all rigged.
And now you’re trying to pretend that this outcome had nothing to do with people on the left constantly echoing Trump’s claims that Hillary and the Democrats were corrupt.
Go try and sell that bullshit somewhere else. Good day.
Morzer
@dr. bloor:
Who knows what the Trumpzis in the various agencies are capable of? I think their derangement is just starting to reveal itself in ever nastier blossoms.
TriassicSands
@Adam L Silverman: @Immanentize:
I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Fortunately, Trump will fill their positions with fabulous people who will do a tremendous job…tremendous job, believe me.
pluky
@Morzer: @XTPD: Opiods, except for overdose risk, and communicable disease risk for those on the spike, are fairly benign over the long haul.
Ethanol, especially at the maintenance level of a well-progressed alcoholic, is a chronic poison. Most people know about cirrhosis. There’s also elevated risk of esophageal cancer (google Barret’s esophagus), other cancers, pancreatitis, esophageal dissection, the list goes on. Ironically, acute withdrawal also carries a high mortality risk. Going off heroin might make one feel like dying, but it won’t kill you.
Not as familiar with the long term effects of cocaine abuse. I grew up with a girl, lost to crack, who feel over and died in her late 30’s when one of her heart valves just blew out.
Mnemosyne
@Miss Bianca:
It is kind of fascinating that he just happens to show up as soon as we start discussion Russian interference and Russian infiltration, isn’t it? ?
Either way, I am done feeding the troll for today.
(And I have been very lazy and haven’t looked at your email yet. Sorry! I’m going to try for this weekend.)
Villago Delenda Est
@NR: I don’t care if you voted for Alexander Freakin’ Hamiliton. You still need to find a fire to die in, asshole.
Brachiator
@Adam L Silverman:
This I understand. And I also understand that the new administration may have its own priorities. And even though some may want to panic, it is even possible that some of the shifts in priorities may be valid.
However, because of my job, I know a few people at the IRS and other government agencies. And I know that because of budget battles, there has been a loss of real expertise and institutional knowledge, for example, at the IRS. Things still get down, obviously, but with more friction. This is also happening with some private sector companies I deal with. So I was wondering whether you had any opinion on whether the loss of these people represent a net loss of needed expertise, or whether these people are either easily replaceable or, had long and honorable careers, but are no big loss.
D58826
@TriassicSands: cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TriassicSands
Trump just said that he and the Mexican president have “agreed” to cancel their meeting next week.
SFAW
@Villago Delenda Est:
Which raises an interesting question: if Native Russian had voted for Hamilton (so to speak), or said that the musical was his favoritest EVAH, would Mnem stop stalking him?
[Mnemosyne: don’t answer. It’s a joke. And I know the answer anyway.]
NR
@Mnemosyne: “You didn’t clap loudly enough, so Tinkerbell died.”
Seriously, it’s hard to imagine a bigger pile of bullshit than the idea that Hillary lost because some few people on the left spoke out against her. A lot of Republicans spoke out against Trump. High-profile Republicans, not just random people on the internet. And he still managed to win. Because you guys fucked up that hard.
So take a good look at the interview quoted in this post. You built that.
Oh, and for the record, the only people who I convinced to vote third-party were people who were initially going to vote for Trump. And by your logic, those count as votes for Hillary, so you’re welcome.
sherparick
Sadly, the 46% who vote for him (58% of the white population, and 65% of white men) are still with him all the way and think this is all great. They all “know” and “feel” that 3 to 5 million illegal voters voted in the last election. And all those “illegal” voters voted for Hillary because that is what all those Black and Brown people do, I guess.
Apparently, the Daily Briefing our Supreme Leader gets is through Fox News.
Cacti
@Mnemosyne:
Nah. Nattering Republican is a Trumpkin playing an aggrieved Bernie or Buster.
D58826
@PPCLI: gop leadership is saying they are all in with the trump agenda
SFAW
@TriassicSands:
His “streak” of lies is approaching Ripken-esque numbers. Probably pass Cal by Sunday.
ETA: Pretty sure he passed Gehrig awhile ago.
TriassicSands
I guess they’re going to be building the wall.
Adam L Silverman
@Brachiator: Yes. Even if you don’t agree with everything they did in those jobs, they know the institutional State Department backwards and forwards. When this type of thing happens, either through budget cuts or change of administration you lose a lot of expertise.
I have a former colleague at USAWC – he’s the authority on Army concepts and doctrine. When he finally retires (did 30 in uniform, now he’s a Title 10 faculty member), the Army will lose all that institutional memory.
Same thing happened when the funding for my billet disappeared. Almost all the actual institutional memory on how to do cultural operations, as well as what the programs were, what still needed to be done, etc. went with me. My Boss had been arguing with the Army that what it would cost to keep me was cheap compared to losing what would be necessary if we ever wanted/needed to reconstitute anything like this again. Ultimately it got lost in the budgetary shuffle of the sequester. There are bits and pieces of that institutional knowledge left, but one is an SES that will retire in a year or so. Another is a database that still isn’t widely accessible. I was the one person that had been involved with both Army culture programs, had worked on/with the program staff for both, etc. I still have all that institutional knowledge, but the Army doesn’t.
D58826
@Brachiator: I guess it’s an issue of continuity and turn over. Having changed jobs a few times it’s nice if there are folks around on the new job to show the ropes. And as a professional you like to spend sometime training the folks who are taking over at the old job.
NR
@Cacti: You have a lot of nerve saying that, considering that it’s your fault Trump got elected. If only you’d attacked the Berniebros more, Hillary would surely have won. Just a few more times is all it would have taken. But you didn’t deliver.
We’re in this mess because of you.
Woodrowfan
@NR: go away troll
Tenar Arha (same Tenar, more Nameless Ones)
@cosima: There have been a few threads on Twitter of his voters regretting their votes. The mix on their replies are “DIAF” “You knew & screwed us all & no you’re not forgiven” “Welcome to the resistance, now why don’t you get educated”
Usually I save links, but I haven’t saved these threads because I’d be too tempted to go back eventually and yell at these poor pitiful marks & probably call them worse names than simple minded chumps.
TriassicSands
@SFAW:
Soon Trump will have passed infinity and moved into the imaginary numbers, which, come to think of it, is where Trump belongs.
Calouste
@PPCLI: The shitgibbon is thinking about bringing back gunboat diplomacy. The Pacific Fleet can probably bombard Tijuana without even raising anchor.
NR
@Woodrowfan: I’ve been around here longer than lots of you. I was here in 2008 when I supported Obama in both the primary and the general election.
Maybe you guys are the trolls.
D58826
@Adam L Silverman: Many years ago in one of my jobs we had a guy who wanted a 1500 raise. Company said no. He found a job that gave him what he wanted an d left. Next time they ran the key inventory systems the new folks messed it up and it took many thousands of dollars to recreate the system. but then that’s why I’m not a manager.
You always lose that institutional memory when some one leaves but smart managers try and minimize the impact of having people leave.
No one ever said Trump was smart, oh wait he did on several occasions (sigh)
Regnad Kcin
@Yarrow: The Ermächtigungsgesetz (Mar 23) occurred less than 60 days from the Chancellor’s inauguration (Jan 30)
Adam L Silverman
@D58826: Shortly after I left a doctrinal publication on culture, who’s authors/editors had explicitly and purposefully ignored my inputs, was released. It was recalled after less than a week because the material was a combination of inaccurate and/or plagiarized.
Esme and her mom
@Immanentize: “SCIENCE: Keeping your ass out of the Dark Ages since 1500 AD.” Or something, dates for when the Renaissance began vary.
TriassicSands
@Esme and her mom:
Donald Trump dates it to precisely January 20, 2017.
Historians disagree, citing that date as the beginning of the Darkest Ages.
Thru the Looking Glass...
Good lord… that transcript reads like something Hunter Thompson would have written as a PARODY…
jake the antisoshul soshulist
@The Moar You Know:
Worse tham Methamphetamine? I always thought Meth was the worst.
Formerly disgruntled in Oregon
“The Democrats'” job was to win the election. We all had a part to play. We lost. Many are at fault.
It is insulting to claim that those who a) refused to promote Hillary in public forums, even after she was the nominee and b) wouldn’t shut up about how imperfect Hillary was, (again) even after she was the nominee, are somehow not at all responsible for the outcome (but everyone else is).
I don’t consider NR a troll, but I strongly disagree that the intentional choice of many left-leaning, politically engaged people to refuse to promote the Democratic nominee did not contribute to our loss – or was somehow the fault of the Democratic Party or “establishment”.
No one forced them to make that choice. It’s on them.
jake the antisoshul soshulist
@TriassicSands:
I am totally stealing that.
George Gowen
The following short medical article, posted on the website of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), is relevant to this and every discussion of Trump’s words and actions:
“The word psychosis is used to describe conditions that affect the mind, where there has been some loss of contact with reality. When someone becomes ill in this way it is called a psychotic episode. During a period of psychosis, a person’s thoughts and perceptions are disturbed and the individual may have difficulty understanding what is real and what is not. Symptoms of psychosis include delusions (false beliefs) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not see or hear). Other symptoms include incoherent or nonsense speech, and behavior that is inappropriate for the situation. A person in a psychotic episode may also experience depression, anxiety, sleep problems, social withdrawal, lack of motivation, and difficulty functioning overall.”
Link to this article:
//https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/raise/what-is-psychosis.shtml
NR
@Formerly disgruntled in Oregon: Thank you for the reasonable tone of your response. However, I have to disagree. As I said before, Trump faced a lot of criticism from the right. He was criticized far more often and more loudly and more publicly from the right than Hillary was from the left. And he still managed to win. So clearly criticism was not the issue.
Meanwhile, the Democratic establishment that was in charge of Hillary’s campaign was grossly incompetent. They chose not to visit Wisconsin. They chose not to visit Michigan until the last few days of the campaign. They wasted time campaigning in Arizona when it was obvious to practically everyone else that the election was going to be decided in the Rust Belt. And their ground game sucked. And more generally, they’re the ones who have masterminded the policies and political approach that has lost the entire country to the Republicans over the last eight years. The loss is absolutely on them. Not us.
But I’ll leave you with one final thought. If you truly believe that just a few people on the left have the power to destroy a presidential campaign by criticizing the candidate, the sensible thing to do would be to nominate someone next time who the left likes. Or to put it another way, instead of yelling at people that they’re not clapping loudly enough, pick a candidate who doesn’t need so much clapping in the first place.
TriassicSands
@jake the antisoshul soshulist:
And you may have it with my best wishes.
Captain C
@TriassicSands: I’m sure the farmers whose produce will be less competitive in Mexico will be quite happy.
Captain C
@Yarrow: Translation: They’re worried about their own job/grift security if they get too closely associated with him.
SFAW
@NR:
Yes, yes, if only …
If only Hitlary hadn’t been such a corpodem
If only Al Gore hadn’t worn earth-tones
If only Hitlary hadn’t used her (as-yet unhacked) private server
If only Bernie hadn’t been fucked over by the DNC
If only the Dem establishment had seen that Hitlary was only the teensiest bit better than Deadbeat Shitgibbon
If only Bobby Kennedy hadn’t gotten himself killed
If only Al Gore hadn’t been so bo-o-o-o-o-ring
If only those voters in WI, MI, PA, and NC had worked just the teensiest bit harder to overcome all the obstacles put in place to keep them from voting
If only those additional 3 million Dem voters had seen that Bernie was the One True Savior.
Look in the fucking mirror, asshole.
TriassicSands
@Captain C:
Hey, they can just go to work in the newly reopened coal mines.
Miss Bianca
@SFAW: Yeah, let’s see if someone “lefty” enough for Neo Russian actually HAS WHAT IT TAKES to win not only the fucking nominations, but also an election. So far, not seeing a whole hell of a lot of evidence to support this notion he seems to have that all you need to do is crap on mainstream Democrats long enough and call them LOOSERS for supporting Democrats who actually manage to get nominated and elected – oops, sorry, I meant, “neoliberal sell-outs” – and they’ll all start saying, “wow, what is this delicious manna from Heaven we’re receiving?”
NR
@Miss Bianca: Except “mainstream” Democrats aren’t doing such a great job of getting elected these days. Maybe it’s time for a change.
FlipYrWhig
@Miss Bianca: We have seen what running smart and unapologetic progressives looks like in the Rust Belt. Tammy Baldwin, Gary Peters, and Sherrod Brown all won. Woohoo! But Virg Bernero got smoked in Michigan in 2010 by 16 points. Tom Barrett lost twice in Wisconsin. Nina Turner lost statewide in Ohio in 2014 by 25. Maybe it isn’t so simple as to say OMGLOL ESTABLISHMENT or WATCH US FIGHT REPUBLICANS SO HARD.
FlipYrWhig
@NR: You may have less capacity to absorb information than Donald Trump.
SFAW
@NR:
Yeah, you’re right, as evidenced by the ass-kicking that lefty Russ Feingold gave that right-wing moron Johnson.
And that graphic proves exactly nothing. Except that you’re still an asshole.
NR
@SFAW: Only at BJ could someone look at an image that depicts the fact that the Democratic party establishment has lost almost the entire country outside of the Northeast and the West Coast to the Republicans and say “it proves nothing.” That’s… special. To say the least.
O. Felix Culpa
@Mnemosyne:
Hey Mnem, I didn’t know you were so powerful. Will you be my friend?
FlipYrWhig
@NR: Have you figured out yet what the political sympathies and alignments were of the Democrats who used to be in the majority in those lost states?
NR
@FlipYrWhig: Given that the Democrats lost over 900 state legislative seats over the last eight years, I feel pretty comfortable in saying there were a wide variety of political sympathies and alignments that were voted out of office.
debbie
Adam, I’m sure you’re long gone, but when I read Trump’s response about the wall at the CIA, I have to question your statement from last night about not freaking out, especially when combined with Bannon’s statements today.
Debbie1
@LAO: Better they resign at the State Dept. than they share knowledge of U.S. protocol w/ Tillerson so he can share it with Putin.
SFAW
@NR:
We’ve been talking about that for YEARS here. What, do you only read stuff that relates directly to Bernie/Hillary?
And the intrastate races, and that chart, have only a tenuous link (at best) to your moronic “Hillary sucks” hobby horse. That link, of course, being the vote-suppression laws which gave — or heavily helped give — Deadbeat Shitgibbon the EC numbers. Which contradicts the bullshit you keep spouting about Hitlary being the worstest candidate since Kevin Phillips-Bong. Wow, the “evidence” you provided shows the opposite of the “point” you’re trying to make. Who’d’a thunk it?
Reading comprehension — learn it, live it, love it, you moron.
Just remember, get your payment in RMB, not rubles, tovarishch. Better long-term outlook.
NR
@SFAW: We only have to look at one state in the 2016 election to prove you wrong. Minnesota. That state is controlled by Democrats–no gerrymandering, no voter suppression. And yet Hillary only won the state by 1.4%, a much narrower margin than in 2008 and 2012. Minnesota is one of the most reliably Democratic states in the country (it’s the only state that voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1972), and yet Hillary won by a mere 1.4%, and the Republicans took control of the state legislature. That is a sign that there is more going on than just “they’re suppressing our voters.” Yes, voter suppression is bad and should be fought against. No, it’s not responsible for the sorry state the Democratic party is in now.
Your desperate need to hold the Democratic establishment blameless for what’s happened in this country is only going to lead to more electoral disasters in 2018 and 2020. If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, we’ll keep getting the same results. Change is needed. Obama gets it. Why don’t you?
Bill Arnold
Thread is a bit old, but just wanted to add that I was listening to the emotional cadence (but not content of) that speech last night, and eventually blurted out (knowing it was POTUS Trump, but still) “why are you listening to a crazy person”?
And… a confirmatory reading of the transcript this morning was like reading a slow motion train wreck made out of words.
SFAW
@NR:
Yeah, whatever. Keep fucking that chicken, tovarishch, if it helps you soothe your “conscience.”
If you ever decide to construct a rational argument — something other than “HITLARY AND THE DNC FUCKING SUCK!!!!!!! AND BERNIE WOULD HAVE WON WITH 430 EV!!!!!!!!!!!!” — you might have some here who are willing to treat you as something other than a Trump shill. You and Reggie Mantle — if you actually are two different persons, that is — are so fucking pure that my linens all turned white when I put them near your moronic comments. So there’s that. Maybe I can throw away my Halazone tablets, too.
But thanks for Sen. Feingold, dipshit.
ETA: Oh, and make up your fucking mind. One week it’s ZOMG HITLARY TEH SUX, and next week it’s NO IT’S THE DNC when your Hillary-hate-induced “arguments” get shot down.
NR
@SFAW: The fact that you made no attempt to even address the points I made says loud and clear that you have no answer for them.
Come back when you have an actual argument instead of insults and snark.
SFAW
@NR:
You have no “points.” Your rehashing of your WATB bullshit about Hitlary and DNC is the same shit you’ve been spouting since who-knows-when. All during that time, you’ve denied reality and ignored the specific and material responses to your bullshit. Maybe you can work with your your idol, Deadbeat Shitgibbon, by asking that he expand his “voter fraud” investigation to include the Dem primaries — the 3 million votes more that Hillary got over Bernie MUST have been fraudulent, because DWS and Wall Street had their thumbs on the scale, etc., etc.
It’s like you’re a Naderite who’s still claiming that St. Ralph the Pure had nothing to do with W getting selected by SCOTUS — wrong, and impervious to reality/reason.
You can keep attacking those who call you on your bullshit, but it doesn’t make you any more credible.
Charlotte Harrell
@dr. bloor: That analogy of the government promising things it cannot deliver (or should not) compared to “telling your demented aunt that you will indeed bring her long-dead cat with you on your next visit to the nursing home–just so you can stay in her will,” just gave me the best laugh I’ve had in a long time. I can’t stop finding it funny, even when I think–wait, they’re talking about our new president, this is serious. Well, right now, we’re finding laughs wherever we can get them. However, it’s been a delight to me to read these comments, in contrast to so many–wait, I just glanced at the last post and my “delight” just crashed and burned. A couple of commenters got into just what I run from, if I can–ad hominem attacks on each other’s reasoning and name-calling upon their respective candidates and positions. Well, I still have two other online sources that I have found able to conduct civil interviews and report the facts from them. One was that interview above, between David of ABC and D.J. Trump. The other I will keep to myself, seeing how the comments above are far from civil and rational to be informative at all.