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The Trump Presidency

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Trump's foreign policy is chaotic and this could lead to wars.

Trump just contradicted his own secretary of state—again.At a press conference on Friday, President Donald Trump reiterated his hardline stance against Qatar in its current dispute with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt. Trump described Qatar, where the U.S. has a large military base that serves as Centcom’s forward headquarters, as a “funder of terrorism at a very high level.”

This stance is backed by neither the Pentagon nor Trump’s own secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, who said earlier on Friday, “We call on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt to ease the blockade against Qatar.”

...

Who speaks for American foreign policy: Trump or Tillerson? As of right now, it’s impossible to know. This is the sort of confusion that could easily lead to wars—as it in 1982, when the Argentine junta mistakenly thought that President Ronald Reagan would back them and not the United Kingdom in the Falklands crisis, and in 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait because they mistakenly thought American diplomat April Glaspie backed the idea that Iraq had a claim on Kuwait.
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This story in Foreign Policy is amazeballs. And by amazeballs, I mean horrifying.

Trump had two versions of prepared remarks for the dinner, one that took a traditional tack and one prepared by the more NATO-skeptic advisors, Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon. “He dumped both of them and improvised,” one source briefed on the dinner told FP.

During the dinner, Trump went off-script to criticize allies again for not spending enough on defense. (The United States is one of only five members that meets NATO members’ pledge to spend 2 percent of GDP on defense.)
Several sources briefed extensively on the dinner say he said 2 percent wasn’t enough and allies should spend 3 percent of GDP on defense, and he even threatened to cut back U.S. defense spending and have Europeans dole out “back pay” to make up for their low defense spending if they didn’t pony up quickly enough. Two sources say Trump didn’t mention Russia once during the dinner.

“Oh, it was like a total ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊,” said one source, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorized to discuss the closed-door dinner.

“The dinner was far worse than the speech,” said a former senior U.S. government official briefed on dinner. “It was a train wreck. It was awful.”
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Trump's wildcat interventions in the Qatar situation are just the kind of horrors so many of us predicted. The Sauds have worked that oriental magic on him.

Qatar houses a large US base so that the Sauds can't just piddle all over them as they'd like to. Well, now they know they can piddle all over them : expect "Qatar situation" to upgrade to "police action" and "regime change" in fairly short order.

Forget Putin, this is really embarrassing.
 
CapelDodger said:
Trump's wildcat interventions in the Qatar situation are just the kind of horrors so many of us predicted. The Sauds have worked that oriental magic on him.

Qatar houses a large US base so that the Sauds can't just piddle all over them as they'd like to. Well, now they know they can piddle all over them : expect "Qatar situation" to upgrade to "police action" and "regime change" in fairly short order.

Forget Putin, this is really embarrassing.
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This happened today to coincide with this.

A nonprofit group's claim that President Trump is violating the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution should be dismissed because the plaintiffs have no standing to sue, according to a court filing by the Department of Justice.

"Those claims falter on threshold grounds: no Plaintiff has alleged an injury" that meets the standing requirement, the DOJ says in a document submitted in federal court.

The administration's argument is a response to the lawsuit filed in January in the Southern District of New York by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The suit claims Trump is violating the Emoluments Clause whenever foreign entities book rooms at the Trump D.C. hotel or lease Trump office space.
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To be clear, the Trump Administration position is that Trump can be paid any amount of money by foreign governments looking to influence him.
 
quadraginta said:
"Private investment" = toll roads and bridges/tunnels. Generally where the affluent residents will benefit most from them.

"Local/state funds" = cut education, environment, health, and human resources funding. Can't look for any additional revenue, you know. Like raising taxes on the rich.
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Why start there? Not giving huge tax cuts to the rich might be a better place to start.

On a different, but strongly related note, I'm suddenly being told that in Pennsylvania, my state, Trumpcare would increase how much a lot of people would pay for healthcare by 382%. Trump for the little people!
 
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CapelDodger said:
Trump's wildcat interventions in the Qatar situation are just the kind of horrors so many of us predicted. The Sauds have worked that oriental magic on him.

Qatar houses a large US base so that the Sauds can't just piddle all over them as they'd like to. Well, now they know they can piddle all over them : expect "Qatar situation" to upgrade to "police action" and "regime change" in fairly short order.

Forget Putin, this is really embarrassing.
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I agree, very embarrassing, and dangerous. Trump is again showing his incompetence. This is from an article at npr:

Asked for comment after the president's remarks, a State Department spokesman offered a chart comparing parts of the two speeches that appeared to track, but he did not directly answer whether the speeches were coordinated.
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Trump continues to prove his incompetence to be president. I would dare Trump to testify under oath to address Comey's sworn testimony this week. Furthermore, I would dare Trump to release his tax information and any tapes in his possession that refutes Comey's sworn testimony. In doing so would set into motion impeachment proceedings against Trump because Trump will be Trump under swore testimony. Trump is a liar and will continue to lie under oath, but it is my opinion that Trump will not testify because he is well aware of the consequences should he do so (shown the door out of the White House).
 
I think that this will keep Trump up late at night. Why did Trump fire Comey?

Trump told Russian diplomats that firing 'nut job' Comey from FBI relieved 'great pressure,' report says

During his meeting with Russian officials last week, President Donald Trump said recently fired FBI Director James Comey was a "nut job" whose ouster relieved "great pressure" on him, according to a report Friday in The New York Times.

http://www.latimes.com/politics/was...sian-diplomats-that-1495223961-htmlstory.html
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Now, let's take a look here. The plot thickens and Trump thought that firing Comey would relieve "great pressure" on him. Trump thought wrong!!


Comey says Trump fired him to undermine FBI Russia investigation

Former FBI Director James Comey accused President Donald Trump on Thursday of firing him to try to undermine the agency's investigation of possible collusion by Trump's campaign with Russia's alleged efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-idUSKBN18Z0HC
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The temperature is rising against Trump.


Feinstein calls for investigation of 'all matters related to obstruction of justice'

Washington (CNN)Sen. Dianne Feinstein is calling on the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate all issues related to obstruction of justice in the events leading up to the firing of FBI Director James Comey and the federal probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, using "subpoena authority if necessary."
"It is my strong recommendation that the Judiciary Committee investigate all issues that raise a question of obstruction of justice," the California Democrat wrote in a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley on Friday. "These issues should be developed by our legal staff, presented to us, and be subject to full committee hearings."

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/10/polit...-judiciary-committee-investigation/index.html
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Question is, will we hear calls for impeachment by next year as multiple investigations progress?

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CapelDodger said:
Trump's wildcat interventions in the Qatar situation are just the kind of horrors so many of us predicted. The Sauds have worked that oriental magic on him.

Qatar houses a large US base so that the Sauds can't just piddle all over them as they'd like to. Well, now they know they can piddle all over them : expect "Qatar situation" to upgrade to "police action" and "regime change" in fairly short order.

Forget Putin, this is really embarrassing.
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Putin is reaching out to Qatar

If Trump pushes it into the orbit of Iran and Russia, that would be an achievement of sorts.
 
jimbob said:
Putin is reaching out to Qatar

If Trump pushes it into the orbit of Iran and Russia, that would be an achievement of sorts.
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Seems that Russia outmaneuvered Trump once again.


Trump appears to take credit for Gulf nations' move against Qatar

* "During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar - look," he tweeted Tuesday.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/06/politics/trump-qatar-ideology/index.html


Did Trump Torpedo U.S. Relations With Qatar on Twitter, of All Places?

* So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off. They said they would take a hard line on funding...
6:36 AM - 6 Jun 2017

* ...extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!
6:44 AM - 6 Jun 2017

http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/06/06...elations-with-qatar-on-twitter-of-all-places/


Donald Trump tweets support for blockade imposed on Qatar

* Donald Trump has appeared to take credit for the diplomatic and economic blockade imposed on Qatar by its neighbours in the worst crisis to hit the Gulf states in 30 years, saying evidence pointed to the state funding terrorism.

The president’s remarks on Tuesday will come as a shock to Qatar, which regarded itself as an ally of the US and is home to 10,000 US troops, and will delight Saudi Arabia, which until recently had been fighting off claims in Washington that Riyadh was the chief sponsor of terrorism.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...shoppers-stockpile-food-due-to-saudi-blockade
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However, the military tapped Trump on the shoulder and said; 'Mr. President, Qatar is where we have a very large base that is currently supporting our operations against ISIS.'


U.S. Military Praises Qatar, Despite Trump Tweet

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Tuesday renewed praise of Qatar for hosting a vital U.S. air base and for its "enduring commitment to regional security," sticking to a message of reassurance even as President Donald Trump, via Twitter, applauded a decision by Arab powers to cut ties to the Gulf ally.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Tuesday renewed praise of Qatar for hosting a vital U.S. air base and for its "enduring commitment to regional security," sticking to a message of reassurance even as President Donald Trump, via Twitter, applauded a decision by Arab powers to cut ties to the Gulf ally.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2017-06-06/us-military-praises-qatar-despite-trump-tweet


Qatar hosts largest US military base in Mideast

The US Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, provides command and control of air power throughout Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and 17 other nations.

The base, which boasts one of the longest runways in the Persian Gulf at 12,500 feet, is a strategically important facility that can accommodate up to 120 aircraft.

In 2016, the base was used as staging ground to fly B-52 airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria. Early in the Afghanistan campaign, F-16 fighters and E-8C Joint Stars reconnaissance planes that monitor ground units were based there, along with refueling tankers.

The base houses the forward headquarters of the US Air Force Central Command, Combined Air and Space Operations Center and the 379th Air Expedition Wing.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/05/middleeast/qatar-us-largest-base-in-mideast/index.html
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Thanks to Trump, the Pentagon had to go out of its way to repair the damage.

US officials scramble to limit Donald Trump's diplomatic damage over Qatar tweets

Pentagon officials moved quickly to limit any damage, with spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis telling reporters Tuesday that the US is "grateful to the Qataris for the longstanding support for our presence and their enduring commitment to regional security."

He added that the US has "no plans to change our posture in Qatar," stressed that there has been no impact on military operations and urged all parties to work together to resolve the crisis.


Foreign Relations chairman stunned by Trump's Qatar tweets

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was stunned Tuesday when told by reporters about President Trump’s tweets on Qatar

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/3...irman-stunned-silenced-by-trumps-qatar-tweets
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After Trump was made aware that the US had a large base in Qatar, look what happens.


Trump reverses course in Qatar call

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump changed course on Qatar Wednesday, a day after praising a move by other Gulf nations to sever diplomatic relations with Doha, which hosts a US military base crucial to the fight against ISIS.

In a phone call with the Qatari Emir, Trump extended an olive branch, offering to help the parties resolve their differences by inviting them to a White House meeting if necessary. The outreach came as US officials told CNN they were observing increased Qatari military activity as the country placed its forces on the highest state of alert over fears of an military incursion.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/07/politics/trump-qatar-call/index.html
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Now, look what happened.


Putin Takes Over

Hours after Trump’s tweets, Vladimr Putin telephoned the Qatari emir, stressing “Russia’s principled position in favour of settling crises by political and diplomatic means, through dialogue”. CNN reported on Tuesday that Russian hackers had planted a fake news story on the Qatari state agency attributing reconciliatory remarks on Iran and Israel to the emir. The news story helped precipitate the current crisis with Riyadh.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/06/donald-trump-qatar-tweets-us-diplomatic-damage
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Trump is detrimental to the well-being of the United States of America.

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I'm trying to think of what could be more terrifyingly destabilizing than the beast playing peacemaker in the Middle East, and I'm coming up blank.
 
Babbylonian said:
I'm trying to think of what could be more terrifyingly destabilizing than the beast playing peacemaker in the Middle East, and I'm coming up blank.
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Ironically, Middle East peace really has nothing to do with Israel these days. It might as well not be in the Middle East. An easy mistake for Trump to make
 
Drain the swamp?

At least a half-dozen former lobbyists are working in President Donald Trump’s White House even though they haven’t received waivers from the administration’s ethics rules, raising questions about how much the rules do to prevent conflicts of interest.

The ethics pledge Trump implemented in January, which he touted as part of his campaign-trail pledge to “drain the swamp” of Washington, bars administration officials from working on any issues they lobbied on during the past two years.

The Trump administration has granted exemptions from the rules for a handful of staffers, as President Barack Obama’s administration did. But at least six former lobbyists now working in the White House haven’t received such waivers, meaning they must recuse themselves internally from any issue where they have conflicts, according to the White House.

The lack of transparency on how these staffers are following the ethics rules has drawn criticism from Democratic members of Congress and ethics lawyers who question whether officials with broad portfolios can recuse themselves from a wide array of issues.
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