Decades ago the book about Trump, The Art Of The Deal, helped propel him into the national spotlight. People now refer to his presidency as transactional, referring to his deals on national and foreign policy.
I for one, along with many others, am finding that style of governance distasteful. I'm also souring on the peripheral characters who float in and out of Trump's orbit. We learned this weekend that Elon Musk is back. With SpaceX going public, and NASA'S ARTEMIS 2 not a SpaceX project, Elon wants to insure his position at Cape Canaveral. He will be dispensing $millions to the likes of Ryan Mackenzie to keep Trump's favor. While the Palestinians in Gaza are living in tents this winter, Jared Kushner is showing upscale skyscraper sketches for its waterfront...how's that for a disconnect from the harsh realities there!
This blog started about two decades ago to fight against the corruption in a mayoral administration. Although I feel the same revulsion against the current administration in Washington, I'm encouraged about Trump's shift in attitude in Minneapolis. I'm hoping it is more than just reacting to a newscast.
Although "The Art Of The Deal" has Trump's name on it, the book was actually written by journalist Tony Schwartz, who is listed as a co-writer.
ReplyDeleteSchwartz spent 18 months shadowing Trump in 1985 and 1986, ultimately writing every word of the book while Trump provided minimal input.
anon@5:26: The post says "about" Trump, not by him. On that note, I wish he had a more down to earth speech writer, and more so, that he kept to the script. As he begins the mid-terms tour, the question is will MAGA show next November?
ReplyDeleteReports are Trump has lost minimum support among MAGA. He does continue to have a problem with so-called UniParty Republicans in office attempting to thwart his every move.
DeleteTrump is not a Republican. He is at best a very right-wing Republican who is further to the right than Reagan was or the Bushes. He has this group of worshippers, known as MAGA who live and breathe his every word. This is why he is at best, friendly with Vladimir Putin and his MAGA supporters do not support Ukraine. Because Trump just wants the war to end so he can go about making buisness deals with Russia and make money.
DeleteDitto with Venesuela. I used that term "Ditto" because these MAGA people are the same "Dittoheads" that used to follow Rush Limbaugh. Now they are MAGA. Basicallly they are right-wing followers who are herd thinkers who follow their leader, be it Limbaugh and now Trump. In the case of Venesuela, they were fine with Trump siezing Maduro in the dead of night as an excuse for Trump taking control of the government there. This is so he could control the oil. Trump's problem there is that he really can't convince US oil companies to spend the billions needed to modernize the infastructure there to get the oil to reflineries in the US. The existing infastructure there is old and broken down and needs updating. Trump only has 3 years in office and no one is sure what will happen after that. So the oil companies are very reluctant to spend the money there. Especially since Trump didn't want to be stuck there like we were in Iraq "nation building". He wanted this to be quick so he left the Maduro regime in place. It was all about the oil, and of course the money. Nothing about freedom and democracy for the Venesuelan people.
Then there is Europe and Greenland. Trump does not like the EU, he does not like NATO, and of course his MAGA base doesn't like them either. J D Vance hates Europe, and neither does his advisor Steven Miller. Both Miller and his wife are the most vurlent of the right-wingers in the Trump Administration. Both Vance and Miller pushed Trump to try and aquire Greenland for the money to be made there mining natural resources. The defense against Russia and Red China is a red herring. With Trump, it's dollar signs that matter and is the constant in all of his foreign inititatives. However the Europeans and the EU were already upset with regards to his Ukraine policy and just did a flat "NO" with Greenland, and Denmark, who never wanted to sell Greenland anyway. This put Trump into a temper tantrum as he wanted and wanted but could not have. And also the Europeans forced Trump to back down.
Although the Europeans now are afraid that Trump may talk to his technology friends, who he keeps happy by letting all of the H-1B Indian workers in the country that undermines American technology workers (raising hand here, as I was affected by that) that cutting off our tech to Europe may be his response to him threatening NATO. And of course the big winner in all of that is his friend, Vladimir Putin.
You know, I voted for Trump three times. But his actions are very different than his words. He has been very dissapointing and it seems money is what matters most to him. No one asks him why when he siezes Venesuelan tankers that the money for the oil in them goes to Quatari banks in the Middle East, rather than US Treasury accounts.
Think Trump - Think Money.
There are three more years of Trump to come
Money wise, I’m doing quite well with the changes Trump has made. From a financial perspective it would be foolish to want Trump’s term to end before 2028.
Deleteanon@5:47: Uniparty is the new Rino, or any Republican who thinks for himself? I think that they're the only ones who have a chance for the next few election cycles. Republicans (and Democrats) need the independent vote, and I don't see anything that they can approve of in this first year.
ReplyDeleteThe open corruption in the new Riviera Gaza project is over the top outrageous, but it seems to be getting little push back. The corruption is widespread and small in local politics compared to national politics.
ReplyDeleteNo one ever talks about the oil revenues of Iraq, that are all controlled by the U.S. Who is getting the money? no one cares. I suspect that it is not the U.S. Treasury.
Brent@7:28: I. think that MAGA was more than Limbaugh types, but cultists, who were previously rather unpolitical, and will revert back to that indifference. Therefore, I doubt that Trump can save the midterms. Here in Dodge there is the ultra partisans, who would defend Satan if he was Republican.
ReplyDeleteMidterm elections are known to produce a divided Congress. No real surprise if that happens.
DeleteThe “Wild Card” in all of this is the one voting block bigger than the other two, the Independents. Despite any glaring faults mentioned about Trump, the idea of tightening America’s borders and removing undesirable illegal entrants is hugely popular among Independents. I expect that Independent group to go for the Trump administration’s, policies in great numbers.
The Democrat side has nothing better to offer. Regardless, Trump is not running for office. Impeached, or not, Trump’s still not going away. Better to attack those who are actually expected to be a candidate in 2028.
There is Mark Kelly. Astronaut, fighter pilot, decorated war veteran. Willing to stand up to the poser Pete Hegseth, who can't keep his pants zipper shut and pays off women to keep his name out of the press.
DeleteKelly has filed suit against Hegseth as well as he threatened to strip Kelly of his retired rank and pension.
If Kelly decides to run, he may get undermined by the leftist lunatics like AOC and some of the others. I would definitley like to see a debate between Kelly and J D Vance, who is aready starting to line up support for a 2028 run to replace Trump
Defense is a two way street, Mike!!! My little sister would also defend a democrat that was Satan, and has, so you have that as well.
DeleteWhile I wish Trump would STFU and just DO, he can't help himself. Overall, I'm pleased.
Cool.
DeleteLet’s see if the back room Dem Party elites give Kelly the go.
anon@8:13: unlike you, i"m not a partisan. I don't "attack" elected officials, much less possible candidates. I do criticize policy. ICE in Minneapolis was theater, which backfired, unfortunately taking lives with it. They didn't need 2000 storm troopers to track down illegals. I'm afraid for you that the damage will go way beyond the normal midterm changes. Trump put in a completely unqualified cabinet, without a peep from any Republican.
ReplyDeleteI don’t attack elected officials? That’s rich.
DeleteI am confused about just what ICE is doing, as it seems far out of its jurisdiction and responsibilities.
DeleteICE - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has no role in civil law enforcement. If an illegal commits a burgulary or assaults someone, local law enforcement police have jurisdiction in that crime, and the DA and the court system can try and put the criminal in prison.
ICE can put what is called a "retainer" so when the suspect or prisoner is released from custody, the individual is retained for ICE to pick them up and deport them.
ICE can not pick up the illegal because they are comitting criminal acts. They can only deport the illegal. When the illegal is returned to Mexico or Columbia or wherver, the local government there is not going to prosecute them for robbery or rape, as the crime was committed in the US.
Pressure needs to be put on the local governments to get rid of these 'sanctuaries' and pick up these criminals for the crimes they commit
What these ICE people are wearing body armour and face shields and acting as police, WHICH THEY ARE NOT is questionable.
These killings are a seperate issue which are in my view, are Darwin Award winners. One is a result of threatening law enforcement personnel with a vehicle; and why in God's name an individual carrying a concealed weapon with several magazines of additional ammunition is involved in civil demonstration and gets involved in a scuffle is beyond me. As soon as the gun was spotted, he immediatley put himself into terrible danger - unless his goal was suicide by cop which he managed to achieve.
Recently he stays silent on Tuerk and city officials whose performances have been stellar.
DeleteMike,
DeleteTrump ran the table in the last election. Earth to MM, you have made a cottage industry out of attacking him.
anon@4:22: But I have not attacked him because he is a Republican, but because I disagree with his decisions and policies.
ReplyDeleteShapiro is the best the Democrats have but the base will never tolerate a Jew as their standard bearer.
ReplyDelete