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You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / The Orange Oaf Speaks…

The Orange Oaf Speaks…

by Betty Cracker|  January 8, 202010:58 am| 234 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Politics, Trumpery, War

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The orange oaf is scheduled to waddle forth to address the nation at 11 AM ET. Post reporter Josh Dawsey says on Twitter: “Several aides say Trump is not looking to escalate further with Iran with this morning’s speech.” Well, that’s good?

I predict Trump will be extra snorty and insufferably braggy — really going out on a limb here!

Anyhoo, open  thread.

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Reader Interactions

234Comments

  1. 1.

    Tom Levenson

    January 8, 2020 at 11:04 am

    This is a moment to miss E. F. Goldman.

    Fuckem.

  2. 2.

    The Moar You Know

    January 8, 2020 at 11:05 am

    I predict Trump will be extra snorty and insufferably braggy — really going out on a limb here!

    I don’t.  I think he’ll be medicated as fuck and read his entire “statement” off the teleprompter in that voice that says  both “I don’t give a shit about any of this” and “I’m functionally illiterate” because it was explained in no uncertain terms to him that if he gets a bunch of servicemembers killed in the run up to the election, he won’t get his precious, precious second term

     

    As evidence for this hypothesis, I present his only tweet of last night, obviously not written by him in any way, shape or form.

  3. 3.

    NickM

    January 8, 2020 at 11:05 am

    I can’t watch him address something so serious in real time. It’s easier on my system to read Juicers’ reactions in almost-real time, so I’ll be checking in here.

  4. 4.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2020 at 11:05 am

    @The Moar You Know:

    I could just picture what the situation was last night when they considered having him go on TV. What a mess he must be in private, given what he looks like in public.

  5. 5.

    Cheryl Rofer

    January 8, 2020 at 11:06 am

    Here’s the White House livestream

  6. 6.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2020 at 11:07 am

    I predict Trump will be extra snorty and insufferably braggy — really going out on a limb here!

    Exactly what I anticipate. With that weird non- or mis-placed emphasis he always employs when reading (heh, “reading”) from the Teleprompter.

  7. 7.

    Betty Cracker

    January 8, 2020 at 11:07 am

    @The Moar You Know: You could be right. That tweet was DEFINITELY not written by Trump.

  8. 8.

    schrodingers_cat

    January 8, 2020 at 11:08 am

    I am glad that you are watching it so that I don’t have to. I have only seen one Orange Concealer speech, the one he gave the RNC convention after he grabbed Ivanka’s ass on live TV. I lasted about 10 minutes before I had to turn it off.

  9. 9.

    Spanky

    January 8, 2020 at 11:08 am

    @Cheryl Rofer: Why do you hate us so?

  10. 10.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2020 at 11:08 am

    @Betty Cracker: What was the tweet?

  11. 11.

    Aleta

    January 8, 2020 at 11:09 am

    Perfect opportunity to mention Ivanka  and promises kept and america safe and fund my wall and call dems names and say millions of jobs.

  12. 12.

    MisterForkbeard

    January 8, 2020 at 11:09 am

    I think this goes one of three ways:

    1) Trump acts incredibly smug and assholish about how his plan ‘worked’, de-escalates.

    2) Trump acts incredibly smug and assholish about how ineffective Iran was and how they can’t hurt us, but “de-escalates”.

    3) Trump goes full-fucking whackadoodle and declares more actions against Iran are coming.

  13. 13.

    Kay

    January 8, 2020 at 11:10 am

    ian bremmer
    @ianbremmer
    ·This doesn’t mean it’s the end of US-Iran conflict; there’s no “mission accomplished.”
    But for everyone who thought killing Soleimani was going to lead to war, no…it established red-lines and deterrence.
    If US now wants to engage in diplomacy, there’s a real window.

    They’re hugely confident in their pronouncements. Again. Over and over and over.
    Amazing. There doesn’t seem to be any way to get them ever doubt their own judgment.
    My youngest child is sometimes over-confident. It’s kind of a nice problem to have raising a kid but still I tell him to, you know, consider developing a shred of humility and…he’s a junior in high school. These people are full grown adults.

  14. 14.

    geg6

    January 8, 2020 at 11:10 am

    I simply cannot watch or listen to this piece of garbage.  I hate him so much and my blood pressure can’t take it.  So I appreciate having all of you to suffer so I do not have to.

  15. 15.

    VOR

    January 8, 2020 at 11:12 am

    Twelve minutes after and still no sign. This smells like show biz crapola to build suspense.

  16. 16.

    Kay

    January 8, 2020 at 11:12 am

    Let me guess- it’s a huge success. It always is.

  17. 17.

    Chris

    January 8, 2020 at 11:14 am

    @Aleta:

    “If only my wall had been built, those Iranian missiles would never have gotten over it and hit our brave boys in Iraq.”

  18. 18.

    NickM

    January 8, 2020 at 11:14 am

    @VOR: That or they’re waiting for him to get his legs under him after whatever they dosed him with.

  19. 19.

    Aleta

    January 8, 2020 at 11:14 am

    Best mission that has ever been accomplished ! 

  20. 20.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 8, 2020 at 11:14 am

    @NickM:

    I can’t watch him address something so serious in real time. It’s easier on my system to read Juicers’ reactions in almost-real time, so I’ll be checking in here.

    Me, too. I just turned NPR off in time. They were talking about the setting, and how presidents decide if they want to be seated in the Oval Office, standing in that elaborate hall. Trump has set up an audience. I wouldn’t be surprised if applause breaks are written in.

  21. 21.

    The Dangerman

    January 8, 2020 at 11:15 am

    Has it started yet? More importantly, has he finished? I won’t watch for the same reason I don’t swing a hammer and hit my hand. Not into pain.

    Put me down on “medicated as fuck”.

  22. 22.

    The Moar You Know

    January 8, 2020 at 11:15 am

    15 minutes late.  Musta needed another shot of Xanax to get the screaming to stop.

  23. 23.

    schrodingers_cat

    January 8, 2020 at 11:15 am

    @Kay: Ian Bremmer is a clown. After I read his take on Modi, I will never again take anything said by him seriously ever again.

  24. 24.

    Soprano2

    January 8, 2020 at 11:16 am

    @Kay: Those were exactly my thoughts.  How can he be so sure after less than a week?  He’s projecting his wishes is all that’s happening here.

  25. 25.

    Mike in NC

    January 8, 2020 at 11:16 am

    Fat Bastard wanted to palm this whole mess onto Pence’s plate and move on, but sometimes even the media know where the buck stops.

  26. 26.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 8, 2020 at 11:17 am

    @Kay: I’m really surprised at how many people are joining in on the declarations of Mission Accomplished.

  27. 27.

    DCrefugee

    January 8, 2020 at 11:18 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Me too. Pandora is playing Butthole Surfers radio. Seems appropriate.

    I just turned NPR off in time.

  28. 28.

    MisterForkbeard

    January 8, 2020 at 11:18 am

    @VOR: I’m going say they’re waiting for the meds to kick in properly.

  29. 29.

    Betty Cracker

    January 8, 2020 at 11:18 am

    @WaterGirl: Here’s the tweet:

    All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.

    Weirdly chipper, no? Lack of random noun capitalization and fairly competent use of punctuation tells me Trump didn’t write it.

  30. 30.

    chris

    January 8, 2020 at 11:19 am

    Quote of the day so far, from a Dem member of Congress reacting to Iran’s limited strikes: “You need two crazy leaders to start a war, and fortunately, Iran doesn’t have one.”— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) 8 January 2020

  31. 31.

    Cheryl Rofer

    January 8, 2020 at 11:20 am

    @Kay: Bremmer called it a win in an earlier tweet and got thoroughly dragged

    ETA: Also what Schroedinger’s Cat said

  32. 32.

    Gravenstone

    January 8, 2020 at 11:20 am

    Must’ve finally found the right drug cocktail to let him slur words from a teleprompter without breaking into hysterics. Yeah, this is going to be a train wreck.

  33. 33.

    Spanky

    January 8, 2020 at 11:20 am

    @The Moar You Know:

    “Hello! Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone at home?”

  34. 34.

    The Moar You Know

    January 8, 2020 at 11:21 am

    20 minutes late and counting.  I’m invoking the “15 minute rule”, everyone can go home now.

    He’s either really not doing so well with the sedation or has died on the toilet.

  35. 35.

    Chris

    January 8, 2020 at 11:22 am

    @Betty Cracker:

    “Most powerful military in the world.”

    Is… anyone ever going to point out in public that our Most Powerful Military has fought five major wars since 1945 and has unequivocally won exactly one of them?

  36. 36.

    Kay

    January 8, 2020 at 11:22 am

    @schrodingers_cat:

    I am not as sure the sun will rise tomorrow as these people are confident that really complex events will turn out exactly like they predict.

    That same over-confident child was born with a bad eye. We went to a surgeon at the U of M who is supposedly one of the best in the field. He told me “we don’t really know how the eye works so no guarantees” – I could have hugged him. I was delighted. I found a mere mortal who doesn’t, in fact, know everything!

  37. 37.

    Barbara

    January 8, 2020 at 11:22 am

    @geg6:

    I simply cannot watch or listen to this piece of garbage.  I hate him so much and my blood pressure can’t take it.  So I appreciate having all of you to suffer so I do not have to.

    Seconded.

  38. 38.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 8, 2020 at 11:23 am

    @The Moar You Know:

    has died on the toilet.

    It is Elvis’s birthday…

  39. 39.

    OldDave

    January 8, 2020 at 11:23 am

    @The Moar You Know: or has died on the toilet.

    Worked for Elvis.  Works for me.

  40. 40.

    NickM

    January 8, 2020 at 11:24 am

    @Betty Cracker: The inappropriate affect of “All is well!” is pure NPD Trump though.

  41. 41.

    JPL

    January 8, 2020 at 11:24 am

    @Betty Cracker: Imagine writing a tweet pretending you are trump and leading with all is well.   His staff thinks so highly of him.   lol

  42. 42.

    The Moar You Know

    January 8, 2020 at 11:25 am

    At 25 minutes late, NBC has dropped the feed and gone to Lester Holt (i think).  Trump ain’t coming out, looks like.

  43. 43.

    Aleta

    January 8, 2020 at 11:25 am

    My kingdom for an escalator ride down into the briefing room.

  44. 44.

    hueyplong

    January 8, 2020 at 11:25 am

    @Barbara: I have not watched Trump vomit word-like things for two years.

  45. 45.

    Cheryl Rofer

    January 8, 2020 at 11:25 am

    Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/aQL5dgu6UF

    — Giant Military Cats (@giantcat9) January 8, 2020

  46. 46.

    The Dangerman

    January 8, 2020 at 11:25 am

    @The Moar You Know:

    …or has died on the toilet.

    Oh, man, rip that fucker out of the bathroom for a quick trip for display at the Smithsonian. The toilet, not Trump.

  47. 47.

    Gravenstone

    January 8, 2020 at 11:26 am

    @NickM: Needs moar Kevin Bacon!

  48. 48.

    randy khan

    January 8, 2020 at 11:26 am

    @Kay:

    Bremmer’s tweet is remarkably stupid.

    Granted, there were people – basically all the smart people – who were worried because all of the evidence of the last 4-1/2 years indicates that Trump is just the kind of guy to bumble into a war.

    But this implies that somehow we won this exchange, which is exactly wrong.  Everyone is mad at us, only a fool thinks that the missiles were the real retaliation, Iran has dropped another one of the strictures in the Obama deal, and we have no allies supporting what we did.

  49. 49.

    Bruce K

    January 8, 2020 at 11:27 am

    @chris: Isn’t the saying that it takes two to make peace but only one to make war? I don’t trust the theocrats at the top of the Iranian power pyramid any farther than I trust the theocrats (or the kleptocrats) at the top of the American power pyramid.

  50. 50.

    Betty Cracker

    January 8, 2020 at 11:27 am

    All the shitbags EXCEPT Trump just showed up (Pence, Pompeo, etc.).

  51. 51.

    Joe Falco

    January 8, 2020 at 11:28 am

    And things are starting now

  52. 52.

    JPL

    January 8, 2020 at 11:29 am

    OMG   I have the tv on mute and listening to John Oliver instead, but trump just came out of the shadows.

  53. 53.

    Bill Arnold

    January 8, 2020 at 11:29 am

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    Giantcat9 has been my hero since inception, but that is above and beyond! :-)

  54. 54.

    JPL

    January 8, 2020 at 11:29 am

    It’s to early to drink, but has he blamed Obama yet?

  55. 55.

    The Moar You Know

    January 8, 2020 at 11:29 am

    Oh yeah, he’s on and I win.  He is doped up to the fucking gills.  Every word off the teleprompter.

  56. 56.

    SFAW

    January 8, 2020 at 11:30 am

    @Betty Cracker:

    All the shitbags

    If you’re talking about “in the maladministration,” then the briefing room (or whatever it’s called) is much too small. You’d need the Rose Bowl.

  57. 57.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 8, 2020 at 11:30 am

    rezner‏Verified account @dandrezner 1m1 minute ago
    Is it wrong that I laughed out loud watching Trump’s natsec team walk out and square their shoulders? It’s probably wrong.

  58. 58.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2020 at 11:30 am

    @Betty Cracker: Having now seen the tweet – thank you – I agree that there’s not a chance in hell that he wrote that.

  59. 59.

    Betty Cracker

    January 8, 2020 at 11:31 am

    Particularly heavy and inexpertly applied layer of orange-brown makeup today.

  60. 60.

    Ella in New Mexico

    January 8, 2020 at 11:32 am

    The darting glances and extremely apprehensive look on the face of the military guy over Trump’s left shoulder pretty much says it all.

    They’ve been fighting with him for hours, and still don’t trust he’s not gonna fucking blow this whole thing up.

  61. 61.

    The Moar You Know

    January 8, 2020 at 11:33 am

    Oh boy, whoever wrote this is blaming this entire shitshow, that he caused, on Obama.

  62. 62.

    Betty Cracker

    January 8, 2020 at 11:34 am

    He just blamed Obama — drink!

    The bare patches of skin around Trump’s eyes and hairline are almost bluish. Here’s hoping it indicates a severe health condition.

  63. 63.

    EmbraceYourInnerCrone

    January 8, 2020 at 11:34 am

    @JPL:  Well it does bring to mind Kevin Bacon’s last scene in Animal House when he marches the ROTC cadets into a brick wall…So appropriate!

  64. 64.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2020 at 11:34 am

    @Betty Cracker: I’m sure his hands weren’t steady enough to apply his own makeup.  Or perhaps there’s no way to apply that much and have it look okay.

    Are we one step away from Weekend with Bernie?

  65. 65.

    Bostondreams

    January 8, 2020 at 11:34 am

    Did he just blame Obama? Really?

  66. 66.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 8, 2020 at 11:35 am

    @Betty Cracker:

    Rick Wilson‏Verified account @TheRickWilson 1m1 minute ag
    I don’t mean this in a mean or sarcastic way but he does not sound well

  67. 67.

    Betty Cracker

    January 8, 2020 at 11:35 am

    OMG, he’s slurring badly!

  68. 68.

    Avalune

    January 8, 2020 at 11:35 am

    Tolerited.

     

    I’m not going to tolerite anymore of your sh!t.

  69. 69.

    evodevo

    January 8, 2020 at 11:35 am

    @NickM: Yes. This. I can’t stand to even hear his voice any more – the damage he’s done to this country and to democracy ….aarrrrgghhhh!

  70. 70.

    SFAW

    January 8, 2020 at 11:35 am

    @The Moar You Know:

    He is doped up to the fucking gills.

    Or doped up like John Gill? [Except Gill (i.e., from Star Trek, not the theologian) was a basically a good person, if misguided. ]

  71. 71.

    Immanentize

    January 8, 2020 at 11:36 am

    @Avalune: I think you mean “toilerate this shit.”

  72. 72.

    Ella in New Mexico

    January 8, 2020 at 11:37 am

    @Betty Cracker: I’m thinking someone applies his makeup in a way that attempts to make his face look slimmer for the camera, in front on shots. Follow the darker tone placements–the triple chin and fat covered jaw, out from the eyes stopping at mid temple, etc.

    So, is conturing supposed to look this fake? Where’s Melania?

  73. 73.

    TaMara (HFG)

    January 8, 2020 at 11:37 am

    I purposely took the dogs for a walk. And he’s stillllll talking. Fuckem.

  74. 74.

    The Moar You Know

    January 8, 2020 at 11:38 am

    Every person on that stage not named Trump is in pants-shitting panic mode.  But they dodged a bullet.  He read the statement and left.

  75. 75.

    chris

    January 8, 2020 at 11:38 am

    Maybe it’s the makeup but he does not look well at all. Muted because I just can’t listen.

    And he’s done and gone.

  76. 76.

    Betty Cracker

    January 8, 2020 at 11:38 am

    Now he’s leaving. Damn. Barely got through that one. I thought he was going to swallow his own tongue.

  77. 77.

    SFAW

    January 8, 2020 at 11:38 am

    @evodevo:

    I can’t stand to even hear his voice any more – the damage he’s done to this country and to democracy ….aarrrrgghhhh!

    As the saying goes: come sit by me. [Or geg6, or schrodinger’s cat, or any one of a number of us.]

  78. 78.

    SFAW

    January 8, 2020 at 11:39 am

    @Betty Cracker:

    I thought he was going to swallow his own tongue.

    FSM/Santa/Baby Jesus doesn’t love you/us that much.

  79. 79.

    Betty Cracker

    January 8, 2020 at 11:40 am

    He was slurring alarmingly there for a sentence or two. Couldn’t pronounce the words “murder” or “tolerate.” I thought he was stroking out.

  80. 80.

    Ella in New Mexico

    January 8, 2020 at 11:40 am

    @Betty Cracker: yes, and the dry “nose breathing” thing is more pronounced today.

    Also sounds like a deal was made he’d get enough Obama blaming and anti-Iran rhetoric to keep him happy and not stray of topic or riff.

  81. 81.

    Another Scott

    January 8, 2020 at 11:40 am

    Didn’t watch nor listen.

    Trump calls for the remaining parties to scrap the JCPOA. The real war, as always, is with Obama’s legacy.— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) January 8, 2020

    But of course.

    (groucho-roll-eyes.gif)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  82. 82.

    Joe Falco

    January 8, 2020 at 11:41 am

    Thank god it’s over. Man is sounding off his greatest hits on Obama blaming, claiming credit that he’s built the military back up and demanding NATO to step up like they’re his tenants. What an absolute shitshow

  83. 83.

    Sebastian

    January 8, 2020 at 11:41 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

     

    I’ve been saying for a while that he is about to keel over. Dude had a stroke and the pressure keeps rising with impeachment, crisis left and right, shoes dropping everywhere, and of course his drug habit.

    I am convinced he’ll have a major health issue soon. I am also buying all popcorn futures for the debates.

  84. 84.

    Cheryl Rofer

    January 8, 2020 at 11:41 am

    @Ella in New Mexico: That’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Commander Mark Milley. When he’s with Trump, he always looks like he wants to sink into the ground.

  85. 85.

    Betty Cracker

    January 8, 2020 at 11:41 am

    It’s so weird the way the TV news people just discuss the speech as if it was in any sense normal.

  86. 86.

    Barbara

    January 8, 2020 at 11:41 am

    @Betty Cracker: That pattern (delayed start, curt, even surly delivery, quick exit) suggests he was fighting with them about what would be said and finally acquiesced to a prepared statement that didn’t give him enough chest thumping credit.

  87. 87.

    Kay

    January 8, 2020 at 11:42 am

    @randy khan:

    I just want one of them to say, once, that they don’t know. Because they don’t.

    They all complain about the “death of expertise” or whatever but they caused it. No one ordered them to make bold predictions over and over. That wasn’t a requirement.

    They can still be experts and be fallible and conscious of the wonders of the universe and their small role in the scheme of human events :)

  88. 88.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 8, 2020 at 11:42 am

    @Barbara: look for the upcoming Sixty Minute Hate (tomorrow or Friday?) to be off the fucking rails

  89. 89.

    Ella in New Mexico

    January 8, 2020 at 11:43 am

    @Cheryl Rofer: LOL go figure :-D

  90. 90.

    Sebastian

    January 8, 2020 at 11:43 am

    @Betty Cracker:

     

    That’s a common symptom with people who snort too much speed/coke/Adderal

  91. 91.

    Bill Arnold

    January 8, 2020 at 11:43 am

    Did he give 2013 as the JCPOA year?

    That was full of lies, some of them quite clearcut.

  92. 92.

    Rommie

    January 8, 2020 at 11:45 am

    @Sebastian: I think it’s a valid bet there will be NO debates, for reasons unsaid but obvious.

  93. 93.

    Cheryl Rofer

    January 8, 2020 at 11:46 am

    For which we can be glad. Looks like they managed to shuffle him off the stage before he got into some of his greatest hits, but he did manage to insist on some other things. The “Death to the JCPOA” crowd got lots of licks in.

    That was basically a very long winded way of saying that the United States will not retaliate against Iran and that – for now – there will be no escalation.

    — Hala Gorani (@HalaGorani) January 8, 2020

  94. 94.

    Kay

    January 8, 2020 at 11:46 am

    All the Trump people blame Obama, constantly. Betsy DeVos had an entire congressional appearance last month where all she did was blame Obama.

    It’s consistent with them being bad hires. Whiny. Won’t accept responsibility.

  95. 95.

    Barbara

    January 8, 2020 at 11:46 am

    @randy khan: Dodging a bullet isn’t the same thing as winning.

  96. 96.

    schrodingers_cat

    January 8, 2020 at 11:46 am

    @Another Scott: Just like another candidate originally from NYC who loves to shout and wag his finger.

  97. 97.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2020 at 11:47 am

    I couldn’t watch it, but —

    GEN Milley appears to be signaling for help with his eye movements.— Elise Brown (@EliseBinCA) January 8, 2020

  98. 98.

    grubert

    January 8, 2020 at 11:47 am

    He sounded drugged and dead inside.

  99. 99.

    Bill Arnold

    January 8, 2020 at 11:48 am

    @Barbara:

    Dodging a bullet isn’t the same thing as winning.

    It is, however, often a prerequisite.

  100. 100.

    Ella in New Mexico

    January 8, 2020 at 11:49 am

    @The Moar You Know:

    Oh yeah, he’s on and I win.  He is doped up to the fucking gills

    Maybe we ALL won :-D

    I’m betting that last night’s “deferral” of a statement by him was accompanied by an attempt to get him to go to bed and get some sleep, likely using sedatives.

    Combine Ambien with him waking up early and taking whatever meds he normally does to help his brain work at at least 50%, he’s definitely a candidate for fuzziness and slurring.

    And waddling off stage like his legs are telephone poles

    @grubert:

    he sounded drugged and dead inside

    That’s just his normal baseline. He was actually even more drugged today, have to admit.

  101. 101.

    Chip Daniels

    January 8, 2020 at 11:49 am

    I’m proud to say that in three years I have not watched so much as a second of him, or heard his voice and today was no exception

    But from the comments it sounds like he had the appearance of a sullen child delivering a forced apology.

    Is that about right?

  102. 102.

    randy khan

    January 8, 2020 at 11:50 am

    @Barbara:

    Dodging a bullet isn’t the same thing as winning.

    Yep.

  103. 103.

    Aleta

    January 8, 2020 at 11:51 am

    @Ella in New Mexico: He looks horrified.  Of course, who knows if he really is… could be just his Resting Horror Face.

    Except I doubt he’s at rest.   Hyperalert Horror Face is probably a documented thing in rooms with no escape path from Trump.

  104. 104.

    VOR

    January 8, 2020 at 11:51 am

    @Barbara: CNN noted someone came out about 15 minutes after the hour and swapped the folder placed on the lectern. Said that was a sign they changed the contents of the speech.

  105. 105.

    The Moar You Know

    January 8, 2020 at 11:51 am

    That pattern (delayed start, curt, even surly delivery, quick exit) suggests he was fighting with them about what would be said and finally acquiesced to a prepared statement that didn’t give him enough chest thumping credit.

    @Barbara: Totally agree.  You can tell which parts he wrote.  They didn’t let him say very much of that.  Someone has him on some sort of leash (again, my bet is some hard tranquilizers).

  106. 106.

    VOR

    January 8, 2020 at 11:53 am

    @Bill Arnold: Yes, he said the JCPOA was in 2013. In our reality, 2015. I suspect there will need to be serious fact-checking on this speech, as usual.

  107. 107.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    January 8, 2020 at 11:53 am

    @The Moar You Know:

    Read and left? That certainly inspired confidence.

  108. 108.

    Betty Cracker

    January 8, 2020 at 11:53 am

    Here’s a short clip that captures the worst of the slurring:

    “Tolerited” pic.twitter.com/2oDBNibR6Y

    — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 8, 2020

  109. 109.

    khead

    January 8, 2020 at 11:54 am

    Three takeaways for me:

    The slurring and stumbling with words.
    As always, it’s Obama’s fault.
    Asking NATO for help. Good luck with that.

  110. 110.

    lgerard

    January 8, 2020 at 11:55 am

    Sad that trump cannot see that if Iran can use this to drive a bigger wedge between the government of Iraq and the US, then they are the clear winners here.

  111. 111.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    January 8, 2020 at 11:55 am

    @Barbara:

    If he sticks to pattern, he’ll stew for a day or two and then tweet what he really feels.

  112. 112.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2020 at 11:58 am

    @Chip Daniels:

    If you haven’t seen him in three years, you have no idea of the horror. He is in deep dementia.

  113. 113.

    hueyplong

    January 8, 2020 at 11:59 am

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: I’ll take the under on how soon he tweets the unvarnished version.

  114. 114.

    The Dangerman

    January 8, 2020 at 12:01 pm

    @Rommie:

    I think it’s a valid bet there will be NO debates

    As long as he’s minimally functional (breathing, not drooling, not dropping his pants and taking a dump on stage), he’ll debate. Doesn’t matter what he says, FOX calls him a winner of the debate and mission accomplished.

  115. 115.

    Betty Cracker

    January 8, 2020 at 12:03 pm

    I don’t suppose we’ll get any details on the new sanctions Trump says he’s imposing on Iran. He’s going to harangue NATO again, but what are they going to do?

  116. 116.

    Soprano2

    January 8, 2020 at 12:03 pm

    So, what will the tweets be like later today, since they didn’t let him do all the chest-thumping and dick-swinging he wanted to?

  117. 117.

    chris

    January 8, 2020 at 12:03 pm

    As Kay says, the incompetence is staggering.

    Trump said Iran's hostilities increased after the "foolish nuclear deal was signed in 2013." The substantive claim aside, it was signed in 2015. He said the deal "expires shortly anyway." "Shortly" is subjective, but some provisions are indefinite, and others run to 2035, 2040.— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) 8 January 2020

  118. 118.

    Aleta

    January 8, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: We need a betting pool for how long he can be subdued.

  119. 119.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    @Betty Cracker: That clip is appalling.

  120. 120.

    Barbara

    January 8, 2020 at 12:05 pm

    @khead: NATO isn’t a mercenary force that he gets to call up in order to deploy whatever impulsive military action he decides to take.  I assume this is his way of teeing up the eventual anti-NATO tweet storm that awaits when NATO allies ask for detailed information on strategy and goals, which he will spin as a refusal to help.

  121. 121.

    Cheryl Rofer

    January 8, 2020 at 12:07 pm

    @chris: Everything he said on the JCPOA comes from those who have opposed it from the start and have wanted a war against Iran. The mistaken “2013” may be his own.

  122. 122.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2020 at 12:07 pm

    Betty, calling Trump the Orange Oaf reminded me of one of my favorite images related to Trump.

    sign that says go home you ignorant orange oaf

    I love that photo so much.

  123. 123.

    Jeffro

    January 8, 2020 at 12:09 pm

    @chris: I admire Dale’s dedication but we’re pretty well past the point where anyone cares about this level of fact-checking.  trumpov lies all. the. time.  trumpov also knows next to nothing about anything.  So, calling out his lies and/or ignorance is just kind of, I dunno…’silly’ is not the word, but ‘a waste of time’ is close.

  124. 124.

    chris

    January 8, 2020 at 12:10 pm

    @Cheryl Rofer: Agreed. What a bunch of monsters.

    The mistaken “2013” may be his own.

    Could just need a larger font on the teleprompter. Or he just lies about every single fucking thing.

  125. 125.

    jimmiraybob

    January 8, 2020 at 12:12 pm

    @Betty Cracker:

    I was in another room with the volume  down and “tolerited” made me pause, look up and shake my head.  His performance, demeanor and the substance of his statements are all so predictable (are the Obama’s doing a forever home remodel in their place between his ears?).  No doubt this will be SOTU material.  Perhaps he will get “tolerated” right with enough practice.

  126. 126.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2020 at 12:13 pm

    It's disturbing to watch the media comment on the speech he made moments ago without even referencing the heavy breathing, sniffing, disconnected affect, aphasia, wandering eyes, and other gaffes – it was a speech with words AND it was a verbal dump by a mentally unstable person.— Duty To Warn ? (@duty2warn) January 8, 2020

  127. 127.

    chris

    January 8, 2020 at 12:14 pm

    @Jeffro: Maybe, but at least there is one person whose job is to say, Lies, Lies and More Lies! On TV too which can only help.

  128. 128.

    jimmiraybob

    January 8, 2020 at 12:15 pm

    @Aleta: “We need a betting pool for how long he can be subdued.”

    Is watching Fox News to get a heads up considered insider information?

  129. 129.

    J R in WV

    January 8, 2020 at 12:15 pm

    I avoid seeing him, normally, but I made an exception this morning. WOW what an experience, seeing the “leader of the free world” sinking into dementia right before our horrified eyes. And that General, the one next to Pence, who couldn’t keep his eyes still… freaked out…

    The other military guy managed to keep his eyes motionless, never even blinked that I noticed. Stone face in the gaze of death! But Trump was so flat, no emotion in his speech at all. Really scary, couldn’t deal with a live question, ran away, ran away.

  130. 130.

    germy

    January 8, 2020 at 12:16 pm

    I killed a guy and they shelled our barracks. The American people should be extremely grateful and happy! https://t.co/9TbwwH1eIv
    — Roy Edroso (@edroso) January 8, 2020

  131. 131.

    germy

    January 8, 2020 at 12:17 pm

    @J R in WV:

    …so flat, no emotion in his speech at all.

    Beta-blockers before every major speech, so that he doesn’t become agitated and go off script?

  132. 132.

    glory b

    January 8, 2020 at 12:19 pm

    @Kay: I watched a former colleague of mine argue a case before the PA Supreme Court. One of the justices asked her a question and she confessed that she didn’t know the answer. They nodded in agreement with the justice who said he found it refreshing that someone would say that rather than spending time stumbling around for something to say when it was clear they didn’t know.

  133. 133.

    KrusherKing

    January 8, 2020 at 12:19 pm

    @Betty Cracker:   We should be so lucky.

  134. 134.

    jimmiraybob

    January 8, 2020 at 12:23 pm

    @The Dangerman: As long as he’s minimally functional (breathing, not drooling, not dropping his pants and taking a dump on stage), he’ll debate.

    Just like any WWE wrestling event, his cult fans will deliriously cheer each of his signature moves and crawl over broken glass to buy his merch.

  135. 135.

    germy

    January 8, 2020 at 12:25 pm

    I have a theory that “2013” is code in Trump’s mind for “Obama administration”

    “2013”  means “Stuff Obama failed at”  and stuff Trump succeeded at (in his own mind).  As everyone knows, he has a profound and deep resentment of the previous administration.

  136. 136.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    January 8, 2020 at 12:27 pm

    @Cheryl Rofer: So as the Starfish said; ask what would a drunk do and that’s what Trump would do. Now it looks like a real fight now  Trump is going walk while talking smack about how he totally kicked ass.

  137. 137.

    West of the Rockies

    January 8, 2020 at 12:27 pm

    Maybe a thread devoted to this:  do we truly believe Trump is on tranquilizers OR is clinically suffering from cognitive diminishmen?  Clearly he demonstrably has NPD, but all snark aside, is our US president being controlled via drugs?  Who is doing it?  What is their agenda?

    Crazy Pants times…

  138. 138.

    randy khan

    January 8, 2020 at 12:27 pm

    @glory b:

    “I don’t know” is a remarkably powerful thing to say, particularly when there’s no reason for you to know.  Also, it saves you a lot of embarrassment when the other person actually does know.

    And people generally are fine if you tell them that, particularly if it’s something that’s actually hard to know about or if you can find out the answer and promise to do so.

  139. 139.

    germy

    January 8, 2020 at 12:27 pm

    Nikki Haley wants to be Vice President so badly I’m surprised she isn’t calling Karen Pence “mother”
    — Erin casual war crime threat Ryan (@morninggloria) January 7, 2020

  140. 140.

    Aleta

    January 8, 2020 at 12:28 pm

    @jimmiraybob: Insider info is how the best people do it.

  141. 141.

    Bill Arnold

    January 8, 2020 at 12:32 pm

    @germy:
    2013 is (well appears to be) the last time Trump predicted that Obama would try to start a war with Iran (just the text since some people get triggered):

    I predict that President Obama will at some point attack Iran in order to save face!
    September 16, 2013

  142. 142.

    germy

    January 8, 2020 at 12:32 pm

    @West of the Rockies:

    Maybe a thread devoted to this:  do we truly believe Trump is on tranquilizers OR is clinically suffering from cognitive diminishment?  Clearly he demonstrably has NPD, but all snark aside, is our US president being controlled via drugs?

    Often, people who are cognitively diminished will be sedated.  I don’t think he’s being controlled by others via drugs.  He’s controlling himself.  He’s from the 1980s.  His worldview is that there are pharmaceuticals that can be hacked to enhance performance and/or pleasure.  He doesn’t see it as drug use.

  143. 143.

    Frankensteinbeck

    January 8, 2020 at 12:35 pm

    @Ella in New Mexico:

    I’m betting that last night’s “deferral” of a statement by him was accompanied by an attempt to get him to go to bed and get some sleep, likely using sedatives.

    He had to use sedatives to get to sleep.  Trump spent yesterday evening in pants-shitting terror as his chance to upstage Obama’s OBL raid turned into a war he was getting blamed for.

  144. 144.

    Kay

    January 8, 2020 at 12:36 pm

    @glory b:

    I genuinely think Trump teaches people bad things. He makes people worse than they already were, and we were already pretty bad.

  145. 145.

    NickM

    January 8, 2020 at 12:38 pm

    Ha! #Adderall is now trending on twitter!  Are people catching on?

  146. 146.

    SFAW

    January 8, 2020 at 12:39 pm

    @West of the Rockies:

    is our US president being controlled via drugs?  Who is doing it?

    I don’t know, but I bet he looks like Skip Homeier.

  147. 147.

    West of the Rockies

    January 8, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    @germy:

    Do you think he dosed up to calm his nerves?  That could certainly be the case, like an alcoholic who needs “a lil’ nip” to get going.

  148. 148.

    Bill Arnold

    January 8, 2020 at 12:42 pm

    @germy:
    What about Medications/Drugs as a Cause of Trump’s Large Pupils?
    And that’s in the not-Weird part of the theory space. (Oh yes, some possibilities are much more Weird. :)

  149. 149.

    Brachiator

    January 8, 2020 at 12:42 pm

    @Bill Arnold:

    I predict that President Obama will at some point attack Iran in order to save face!

    September 16, 2013

    And yet, according to the Great White Dope Reverse Osculator, Trump is a manly man who is delivering a well-deserved blow to those dastardly Iranians. Doing what Obama “failed” to do.

  150. 150.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2020 at 12:44 pm

    Trump is a neurological nightmare struggling at the podium. Words like “tolerated” & “accomplishment” are unpronounceable, although “a compliment” revealed his inner desire. The protruding tongue appears- completely expected now. Pack him up- head to the Mayo Clinic neurological pic.twitter.com/5d5jtsEdlK— Tom Joseph (@TomJChicago) January 8, 2020

  151. 151.

    jl

    January 8, 2020 at 12:45 pm

    I don’t think the Iranian missile attack is the end of Iranian retribution, though they are talking like it is. Trump and his flunkies are probably that easy to fool. Probably IC and military are not. Seems like from comments last night that Silverman and some other commenters agree.

  152. 152.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2020 at 12:45 pm

    @SFAW:

    Why? I don’t know the reference. (I know Skip Homeier, but why?)

  153. 153.

    jl

    January 8, 2020 at 12:45 pm

    @germy: “drug abuse.”

  154. 154.

    danielx

    January 8, 2020 at 12:47 pm

    @West of the Rockies:

    do we truly believe Trump is on tranquilizers OR is clinically suffering from cognitive diminishment?

    As a practical matter, does it make any difference? And why not both?

  155. 155.

    germy

    January 8, 2020 at 12:48 pm

    Has anybody pointed out yet that the contractor we were supposedly avenging by killing Soleimani was a naturalized US citizen from Iraq — that is, the very kind of person Trump has worked so hard to keep out of the country?https://t.co/tZcIQifwwQ
    — Richard (RJ) Eskow (@rjeskow) January 8, 2020

  156. 156.

    Brachiator

    January 8, 2020 at 12:50 pm

    @West of the Rockies:

    Maybe a thread devoted to this:  do we truly believe Trump is on tranquilizers OR is clinically suffering from cognitive diminishmen?

    Unless there is some degree of informed reporting on this, I don’t much care about feverish speculation.

  157. 157.

    SFAW

    January 8, 2020 at 12:55 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    Skip Homeier played Melakon in “Patterns of Force,” a Star Trek episode. Kirk finds his former professor, John Gill (whom I referenced above) is the Fuehrer of a Nazi-like society on some planet. As it turned out, Gill was kept perpetually drugged-up by Melakon, and the Nazi brutality was Melakon’s doing. [Of course, Gill had given that planet the original idea, because the Nazis were so “efficient,” or something like that.

    ETA: Note: I don’t think Shitgibbon is being “controlled” by anyone or anything other than his own id. But I also think he’s too stupid to apply anything resembling critical thinking to any of the bullshit pushed by Miller, Pompeo, McConnell, et al. Not that he wasn’t already predisposed to that shit, of course.]

  158. 158.

    The Lodger

    January 8, 2020 at 12:55 pm

    @germy: I thought something like that was the case… otherwise, why not use his real name other than “the American contractor?”

  159. 159.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2020 at 12:56 pm

    @germy: To Trump, the contractor wasn’t a person.   Just a pawn to be used in Trump’s own little game.

  160. 160.

    germy

    January 8, 2020 at 12:57 pm

    I get the feeling Baker is disappointed:

    Trump backs away from further military conflict with Iran
    His comments came the morning after Iran fired a reported
    22 ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq
    Peter Baker

  161. 161.

    schrodingers_cat

    January 8, 2020 at 12:58 pm

    OT from the last thread:

    Some good news in India on the electoral front, BJP continues its string of losses in district level elections. They have lost their stronghold of Nagpur. Nagpur is where the Sangh (RSS) headquarters are. The man who writes PM NM’s script, Mohan Bhagwat, is  here.

    Maharashtra’s ex-CM Fadnavis (BJP) and Cabinet minister Gadkari are also from Nagpur. This is like Rs losing in their stronghold in the Deep South where the Klan was born.

  162. 162.

    jl

    January 8, 2020 at 12:59 pm

    @WaterGirl: I’ve been wondering why absolutely no information about the contractor has been in the media. Might be Trumpster racism and media manipulation, or corporate media disinterest, because they are monsters when it comes to US blow stuff up news.

    OTOH, if the contractor has connections or family in Iraq, that might be valid reason for releasing very little info.

  163. 163.

    Brachiator

    January 8, 2020 at 1:00 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    It’s disturbing to watch the media comment on the speech he made moments ago without even referencing the heavy breathing, sniffing, disconnected affect, aphasia, wandering eyes, and other gaffes – it was a speech with words AND it was a verbal dump by a mentally unstable person.— Duty To Warn

    The media has been brought to heel by Trump and the right wing nut jobs. They are the enemy of the people, and so must tread carefully.

    Of course, it is unnecessary for a journalist to speculate that Trump is mentally unstable.  But it should be within bounds to note whether the speech conveys confidence in a time of national emergency, or whether it is rambling and shambolic.  Has any reporter or pundit offered the slightest bit of analysis of Trump’s delivery?

  164. 164.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2020 at 1:01 pm

    I'd say @AmbassadorRice pretty much nails it here. https://t.co/yIIIOPn4LF— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) January 8, 2020

  165. 165.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2020 at 1:02 pm

    @jl: Maybe it’s as simple as this?

    The people pulling Trump’s strings and pushing for war did not want Trump to know the guy was brown.  Because then all bets are off, and they won’t get their precious war.

  166. 166.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2020 at 1:02 pm

    @Brachiator:

    I can’t watch MSM so I don’t know. But I doubt it. It would show up on twitter if they did.

  167. 167.

    MattF

    January 8, 2020 at 1:02 pm

    @West of the Rockies: It’s fair to ask, but I’m very wary of all the ‘experts’ who are ready to diagnose Trump’s neurological status. I think ‘asshole’ and probably ‘malignant narcissist’ are enough.

  168. 168.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2020 at 1:04 pm

    @MattF:

    Just watch a clip of him from three years ago and then watch something recent. The deterioration is significant.

  169. 169.

    germy

    January 8, 2020 at 1:05 pm

    @WaterGirl:  If he can’t  pronounce “tolerate” maybe he thought it was wiser not to attempt the poor guy’s name.

  170. 170.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 8, 2020 at 1:05 pm

    Kyle Griffin‏Verified account @kylegriffin1
    Sen. Joe Manchin, a member of the Armed Services Committee, on whether he saw evidence of justification for Soleimani strike: “No, I did not.” @MSNBC

  171. 171.

    Mike in NC

    January 8, 2020 at 1:12 pm

    Have read in several articles that Trump most likely grew up with dyslexia which was undiagnosed. The military school he was shipped off to did nothing but aggravate his inclinations to be a bully and liar. His school records, like all the medical and financial records, have been sealed and buried.

  172. 172.

    West of the Rockies

    January 8, 2020 at 1:13 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    I recall Reagan’s trembling becoming more obvious by the mid-late 80’s, and it was revealed later that he was clinically worse in the throes of Alzheimer’s.

  173. 173.

    jl

    January 8, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    @Brachiator: Well, speculation about the health of a prominent politician is off limits. Look at Hillary Clinton and other prominent Democrats.

  174. 174.

    West of the Rockies

    January 8, 2020 at 1:15 pm

    @Mike in NC:

    Trump in military school… Probably full Draco Malfoy minus the charm and compassion and humility.

  175. 175.

    Kay

    January 8, 2020 at 1:16 pm

    To me the best news is Trump and Republicans don’t think a war will help them retain power. I didn’t think so either- I don’t think the public wants another war- but you never know the horrible shit these people can successfully sell, so I wasn’t confident.

    I’m glad we agree.

  176. 176.

    jl

    January 8, 2020 at 1:16 pm

    @West of the Rockies: A deteriorating Reagan had more competence than when Trump entered office, let alone what he is now. And arguably more than GW.

  177. 177.

    Domestic short hair tabby

    January 8, 2020 at 1:16 pm

    @schrodingers_cat: one bright spot in this veil of tears – that is good news indeed

  178. 178.

    Frankensteinbeck

    January 8, 2020 at 1:16 pm

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Thank goodness.  Fingers crossed you can Throw The Bums Out across the board.  God damn genocidal fascists.

  179. 179.

    Doug R

    January 8, 2020 at 1:17 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Are we one step away from Weekend with Bernie? 

    Bernie’s already working on that with his heart problems.

    I think you mean Weekend at donnie’s

  180. 180.

    joel hanes

    January 8, 2020 at 1:17 pm

    @Spanky:

    My body rebelled at the amount of self-medication that have been needed to get me through the last three years, and now I’m no longer comfortably numb.

    The last couple weeks have _hurt_.   Damn the man.  Damn the Republicans.   Damn Brexit.   Damn the Heartland Institute.  Damn Mitch McConnell and Lindsay fucking Graham and Gym Jordan and Devin Nunes and Matt Gaetz.

  181. 181.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 8, 2020 at 1:19 pm

    this occurred to me, too

    Sam Stein‏Verified account @samstein 18h18 hours ago
    You wonder if, in the back of his mind, Trump knows/believes that/wonders if Bolton is watching how he responds.

    OTOH, trump wants a photo-op that he can claim trumps (ahem) Obama and earns him that Nobel prize; he was talking about a “handshake” with Iranian officials at the UN just a couple months ago. OTOH, being too nice to Iran might drive Bolton out in public

  182. 182.

    Doug R

    January 8, 2020 at 1:19 pm

    @Ella in New Mexico:

    So, is conturing supposed to look this fake? Where’s Melania?

    I think they’re using stage makeup rules in the HD era.

  183. 183.

    Ella in New Mexico

    January 8, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    He had to use sedatives to get to sleep.  Trump spent yesterday evening in pants-shitting terror as his chance to upstage Obama’s OBL raid turned into a war he was getting blamed for.

    And the subsequent need for the medical staff to take him to the shower to firehose all the poop off his nether regions was likely very overstimulating as well

  184. 184.

    joel hanes

    January 8, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    @Bill Arnold:

    Giantcat9 has been my hero since inception

    If circumstances do not require a revival of Get Your War On, I will be immensely relieved, and not a little surprised.

    Boy do we need a revival of Media Whores Online.   Chris Cilllizzzza and Chuck “merkin beard” Todd, I’m talking about you.  Among others.

  185. 185.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    @Doug R: I should have italicized Weekend at Bernie’s and added: only with Donnie.

    How far we have fallen.

  186. 186.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2020 at 1:21 pm

    @Kay:

    Yes, that is a relief.

  187. 187.

    Ruckus

    January 8, 2020 at 1:21 pm

    @schrodingers_cat:

    You last longer than me by 10 min 30 sec

  188. 188.

    scav

    January 8, 2020 at 1:21 pm

    Fourteenthed on the near absolute disinterest in feverish speculation about drugs, although something managed with a process other than a preteen gossip-fest (did you see her makeup!)  is probably warranted.  Furthermore, I think we’re beyond the point of taking activity in twitter being evidence of actual life, let alone intelligent life.

    Scuse me, I do not question the intent, but it certainly seemed the rising tone for a while at least.

  189. 189.

    schrodingers_cat

    January 8, 2020 at 1:22 pm

    @Frankensteinbeck: In addition to Maharashtra, they also lost Jharkhand in central India two weeks ago, a state they had held for the last 20 years. Their core agenda of Hinudtva is not popular beyond their upper caste base. Since their monstrous Loksabha win in May they have overreached and they are getting a much deserved push back.

     

    Loksabha == House of Commons in the Indian Parliament.

  190. 190.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2020 at 1:22 pm

    @scav:

    Did you watch the speech? Are you not at all concerned that a person who can barely speak is in the White House?

  191. 191.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2020 at 1:23 pm

    @germy: He can’t even say “United States” so perhaps it would have been wiser of him to not attempt the be the fucking President.

    No, this hostility is not directed toward you. :-)

  192. 192.

    West of the Rockies

    January 8, 2020 at 1:23 pm

    @joel hanes:

    Damn your love, damn your lies…

  193. 193.

    schrodingers_cat

    January 8, 2020 at 1:23 pm

    @Ruckus: Believe me it tested my endurance.

  194. 194.

    Kay

    January 8, 2020 at 1:25 pm

    Matt Duss
    @mattduss
    ·1h
    Standard Trump play: create an unnecessary crisis, claim credit for it not becoming an even worse crisis, sit back and watch pundits clap like seals.

    Mean but true.

  195. 195.

    Kay

    January 8, 2020 at 1:31 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I hate that so much of what they do is about their gross “relationships” with people. It’s all so personal. Given my druthers I would not be dragged into Donald Trump’s fucked up insane grudges.

    I watch Bloomberg ads and I think “this is about these two assholes having a ‘who is richer?’ fight.

    We all somehow got made part of Rudy Guiliani’s anger about Biden making fun of him.

    Obama never did that, which I appreciate. Just leave us out of your horrible, ego-driven, petty pissing matches. Be professionals. I YEARN for a respectable distance from these crooks.

  196. 196.

    MattF

    January 8, 2020 at 1:31 pm

    @Kay: Sheds some light on the ‘tired of winning’ prediction. Just redefine ‘winning’ to mean ‘losing’. Head slap. ‘Now, why didn’t I think of that!‘

  197. 197.

    Another Scott

    January 8, 2020 at 1:32 pm

    @jl:

    https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article239053173.html

    (via Aleta)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  198. 198.

    scav

    January 8, 2020 at 1:33 pm

    @zhena gogolia: I am concerned, yes, absolutely.  I am also concerned that a frenzied thread a comments contributing little more than “is he on drugs.?” “he is soooooo on drugs!” and ‘did you see his hair / makeup?” conveys more of a preteen gossipfest before a pep rally than a an actual topic of importance merits.  Did you read where I noted the concern was more about tone than intention?

  199. 199.

    joel hanes

    January 8, 2020 at 1:34 pm

    @jl:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/contractor-whose-death-trump-cites-was-a-naturalized-us-citizen-born-in-iraq/2020/01/07/afa7e774-31ac-11ea-91fd-82d4e04a3fac_story.html

  200. 200.

    Frankensteinbeck

    January 8, 2020 at 1:35 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    trump wants a photo-op

    Trump wants more than that, or rather, he wants it on a grander scale.  He wants the NYT, WaPo, and CNN pundits (who he thinks represent what the American people think) to be praising how cool and brave and what a hero he is.  He wants to be able to go to baseball games and have everyone spontaneously cheer because he did something even better than taking out OBL.  He wants to be able to call up talk shows and tell the story for the twelfth time while the anchors gasp and tell him that it was an incredible accomplishment that makes him the best president ever.  When someone said they could assassinate Suleimani, he saw a shot at that.  Instead, he has this clusterfuck where everyone is debating whether he’s dumber than shit and started World War 3, and every time he asks how to slap down the Iranians and prove he’s the best they tell him there is no way, that he has to bend over and take whatever Iran gives him.

  201. 201.

    Brachiator

    January 8, 2020 at 1:36 pm

    @jl:

    Well, speculation about the health of a prominent politician is off limits. Look at Hillary Clinton and other prominent Democrats.

    I didn’t say it was off limits.  I said that I don’t care.

    And in fact, the stupid, uninformed, malicious speculation about Hillary Clinton damaged her campaign. And this was the press, not not just by the general Internet.

    Of course, while I want Trump out of office, I would prefer that accusations be backed up.

     

    ETA: Trump is also protected by a historical tradition that presidential infirmities are covered by a veil of protection and denial.  And despite the 25th Amendment, a lot of folks are reluctant to declare a president, and this president, unfit.

  202. 202.

    Ruckus

    January 8, 2020 at 1:37 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    I always thought he’s been in dementia for a while. And that he’s just getting in deeper. If they are medicating him and this is the best he can do-this will not go well from here on out.

  203. 203.

    Ruckus

    January 8, 2020 at 1:42 pm

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    trump has been only bluster and bullshit his entire life. And he’s lost that “magic.” His life from here on out is shear terror and flop sweat. Not a good picture for anyone, but a fucking disaster now for all of us.

  204. 204.

    Kay

    January 8, 2020 at 1:42 pm

    @MattF:

    He really does do it and he has done it over and over. Initiate a crisis, claim crisis was less costly than predicted, claim victory.

    He doesn’t even take it back to the status quo- it’s always worse- but they still give him credit.

    There’s truth to it too- I really am relieved. I’m not insane though- I recall that he created the crisis. I don’t know what’s going on with them or how they’ll able to completely forget the genesis in like 36 hours, but they seem to. It’s a mystery.

  205. 205.

    jayjaybear

    January 8, 2020 at 1:43 pm

    @Doug R: RuPaul rules, more like it. He looked like Trixie Mattel…

  206. 206.

    Brachiator

    January 8, 2020 at 1:49 pm

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Some good news in India on the electoral front, BJP continues its string of losses in district level elections. They have lost their stronghold of Nagpur. Nagpur is where the Sangh (RSS) headquarters are. The man who writes PM NM’s script, Mohan Bhagwat, is here.

    This is very good news.  I hope the push back continues and intensifies.

  207. 207.

    Kay

    January 8, 2020 at 1:58 pm

    ‘We didn’t ask for a meditation app, we want to be able to pay our rent’: Starbucks is offering new mental health benefits, but employees are demanding different kinds of support

    They need a labor union app. Or just a labor union.

  208. 208.

    sukabi

    January 8, 2020 at 2:06 pm

    @Kay: funny how an actual living wage would eliminate the need for a calming “meditation” on “I need to pick up 3 extra shifts and my room mate needs 4 to pay the rent ….. Ohmmmmmmmm”

  209. 209.

    karen marie

    January 8, 2020 at 2:08 pm

    @Chris: I’m not sure the invasion of Granada counts as a “major war.”  That’s the only one we’ve won, right?

  210. 210.

    sdhays

    January 8, 2020 at 2:08 pm

    @Kay: From their chairs in the green room, the status quo hasn’t changed. Iran = bad. US relationship with Iran = strained. US forces in a war zone are in a dangerous place. No bombs going off in malls in major US metro areas.

    Ho hum.

  211. 211.

    schrodingers_cat

    January 8, 2020 at 2:09 pm

    @Brachiator: It continues, alas people like my mom are still in denial.

  212. 212.

    Baud

    January 8, 2020 at 2:18 pm

    @Chris:

    To “win” a war in the modern era has lost any meaning. War isn’t an event anymore. It’s an ongoing process. You would never say “we won a law enforcement” because law enforcement is just a thing that people do. That’s what war has become.

  213. 213.

    JoyceH

    January 8, 2020 at 2:18 pm

    @germy:

     

    “He’s from the 1980s. His worldview is that there are pharmaceuticals that can be hacked to enhance performance and/or pleasure. He doesn’t see it as drug use.”

    Exactly. In his mind, ‘doing drugs’ means going or sending a minion to a rundown neighborhood where you meet with a seedy character you know only as “Snake”, who takes a wad of cash in exchange for drugs. On the other hand, if you can find some Dr. Feelgood to prescribe something for you, THAT’s not ‘doing drugs’, that’s ‘taking my medicine’.

  214. 214.

    Kay

    January 8, 2020 at 2:19 pm

    @sukabi:

    I think it’s great the employees are making the connection between “pay” and “benefits”, because it’s all just pay :)

    Thank god this long misunderstanding is being cleared up. All pay. 100%.

  215. 215.

    Another Scott

    January 8, 2020 at 2:30 pm

    @Kay:

    Speaking of Unions… GovExec – Trump Admin Makes Case to Break Immigration Judges Union.

    We have to fight them every single day…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  216. 216.

    jonas

    January 8, 2020 at 2:31 pm

    Kadzooks! Just saw a clip of this shitshow and 1. man, the dude does not look well, and 2. just WTF? He spends the last couple of days strutting around tweeting boo-yahs about having gotten Soleimani, and now, after Iran responds by lobbing some missiles into Iraq that didn’t really hit anything, he stands there, looking rather ill and unsteady in front of his teleprompters, asking why we can’t all just get along, and war is over if you want it and besides it was all Obama’s fault.

    How can the clutch of ostensibly grown-ass people, including members of the JCOS, standing around this doddering jackass possibly act like this is even remotely normal? I still can’t wrap my head around it. I guess they must have been some *really* good tax cuts.

  217. 217.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2020 at 2:32 pm

    @jonas:

    Oh, we’re not supposed to question his fitness for office, that makes us look like teenagers gossiping.

  218. 218.

    Amir Khalid

    January 8, 2020 at 2:53 pm

    @Baud:

    Indeed. The shooting match is just one aspect/phase of a political conflict that was brewing long before anyone on either side picked up a rifle, and continues after the shooting. But it’s the most conspicuous part, and too many think that’s the war.

    It’s the underlying conflict you really need to resolve if you want to prevent more shooting wars arising from it. That’s the hard part; it could be centuries old, it could have arisen from some fundamentally irreconcilable difference between the belligerents. And that resolution is often not easily (or at all) doable.

  219. 219.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 8, 2020 at 3:03 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Sorry, I’ve been offline. Is this a new rule?

  220. 220.

    Mnemosyne

    January 8, 2020 at 3:03 pm

    @Mike in NC:

    ADHD and dyslexia often go hand-in-hand. I still feel that I recognize a lot of his behaviors and compensations as undiagnosed ADHD.

  221. 221.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2020 at 3:04 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    It’s in the thread above. I can’t remember who it was who was unhappy we were discussing Trump’s obvious mental derangement and drugged state and wondering why the professional journalists were ignoring it.

  222. 222.

    Tehanu

    January 8, 2020 at 3:10 pm

    @geg6: you and me both. I keep a black marker on the breakfast table to cover pics of that asshole in the paper (yes, I’m old).

  223. 223.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2020 at 3:21 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:  Not a rule as much as a totally unsurprising turn of events given that we are all pretty tightly wound today.

    I wonder why.

  224. 224.

    trollhattan

    January 8, 2020 at 3:25 pm

    Was at the dentist this a.m. when the little teevee up in the corner cut away to him I was busy being flossed and scraped. I can attest having a dental probe shoved into my gum is better than listening to Twitler McSniffypants.

  225. 225.

    Ruckus

    January 8, 2020 at 3:56 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    trump has so many mental health issues in one very untidy mess. He should be in the book of worst mental illness examples of humanity.
    The latest of course is the murder he just ordered for his idea that people would love him for it.

  226. 226.

    Ruckus

    January 8, 2020 at 4:13 pm

    @Kay:

    It’s called total lack of responsibility. The entire lot of them lacks the concept. Cause and effect, logic, they all lack those as well. If stupid shit goes their way, they will party and claim how smart they are. If they don’t get that extremely rare outcome, they claim it’s not their fault – someone else, somewhere else, screwed up. They take pride in coming up with all the ideas, even though their success rate sucks because their ideas suck.

  227. 227.

    evodevo

    January 8, 2020 at 4:16 pm

    @Frankensteinbeck: Yes.  This.  Narcissistic sociopaths canNOT deal with failure and oppobrium – it is the biggest threat to their egos possible…

  228. 228.

    sgrAstar

    January 8, 2020 at 4:54 pm

    @Cheryl Rofer:  Milley is a potted plant, rolled out in his ceremonial garb to cast his mighty, manly frown to quell trump sceptics. Total joke.

    ?

  229. 229.

    FlipYrWhig

    January 8, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    Re: the post’s title…

    It was sweet of those guys to blame an oaf

  230. 230.

    mapaghimagsik

    January 8, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    @Betty Cracker: is he trying to have a drawl?

  231. 231.

    Geoduck

    January 8, 2020 at 5:51 pm

    @jonas: He’s a venial physical coward. He belatedly realized that the Iranians might actually shoot missiles at him, personally.

  232. 232.

    Comrade Scrutinizer

    January 8, 2020 at 7:00 pm

    @Baud: “War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning” by Chris Hedges.  Good book. Do read it.

  233. 233.

    catclub

    January 13, 2020 at 10:09 am

    @Kay: If US now wants to engage in diplomacy, there’s a real window.

     

    I agree on the delusional part.

    This is really the first line in how to influence negotiating partners and win concessions: “Unilaterally break an agreement, kill their top military commander,

    expect them to come to the negotiating table.”

  234. 234.

    catclub

    January 13, 2020 at 10:13 am

    @Ruckus: trump has so many mental health issues in one very untidy mess. He should be in the book of worst mental illness examples of humanity.

     

    Of course, the fact that the US voters even came close to a majority in electing him, is on us, not him. It is not amazing to me that he got elected. It is amazing to me that he got more than 10% of the votes. All those mental illness traits were completely self-evident three years ago. … and people wanted said we want more of those, please.

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