Many celebrities knew Donald Trump before he ever ran for president. They thought he was tacky, of course, but they still invited him to parties back then, and they liked playing on his golf courses. Michael Douglas was one of those celebrities. He’s known Trump for years, and they’ve been social friends for a while. Michael even hosted a celebrity golf tournament for his charity at Trump’s golf club in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Anyway, long story short, Michael Douglas doesn’t think Emperor Baby Fists is an idiot, and he thinks we should give Baby Fists a chance.
President-elect Donald Trump is “not an idiot,” insisted actor and longtime Democratic donor Michael Douglas, who urged Americans to withhold judgment on his golf buddy for at least 100 days.
“I personally know the President-elect Donald Trump. I’ve spent time with him, played golf with him, my wife Catherine and I have the same birthday and have had him (Trump) at parties together,” Douglas, 72, told the website hubculture.com at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “I’ve always found him to be charming and have a self-deprecating humor — but then again, one of the things you learn playing golf is not to talk politics or religion. I think we have to wait. He’s not an idiot so I will be curious to see what plays out.”
Still, Douglas, who backed Hillary Clinton for president last year, said he’s concerned by Trump’s selection of Andy Puzder for labor secretary and Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. The “Wall Street” actor — who owns property in Bermuda — noted that one of his top issues is mankind’s impact on climate change and that he sees, first-hand, the impact of global warming.
“We have a couple of salt water pools, at high tide the sea comes in and refreshes these pools,” he said. “Now it’s taking over some of the beach so you can definitely see an increasing water level there.”
I know that people living on islands are seeing the devastation of global warming up-close, but it does seem like Douglas is opening himself up to parody here: yes, he sees global warming outside of the window of his fifth mansion in Bermuda, the struggle is real. As for what he says about Emperor Baby Fists… here’s what I don’t get: like, Michael Douglas has known Trump for years, they’ve partied together, Douglas thinks he’s “charming” and funny… and that opinion of him holds throughout the entire campaign??? Like, do you know what would happen if I was social friends with someone and then they ran for president and started saying women should be punished for having abortions, and that most Mexicans are rapists and that when you’re a celebrity, you can do anything, you can grab her by the p-ssy? I would stop being social friends with that person. I would publicly condemn that person. I wouldn’t say “give him a chance, you guys!”
Photos courtesy of WENN, Getty.
He may not be an idiot (although he bloody well seems one to me) but he is a racist, a misogynist, a sex pest, a narcissist, an erratic, inarticulate, orange, unevolved, tiny-fingered maniac.
I thought about Hillary this morning: today must be the toughest day for her.
He’s either an idiot or a genius that knows playing an idiot will get him far (by virtue of normalizing things he does with “this idiot could have done much worse”).
Similar to Boris Johnson then.
What did we do to deserve the current delightful assortment of politicians ….?
I agree. And Michael Douglas isn’t particularly deep or self-reflective.
@Pip
I bet Hillary wants to be anywhere else. She should have just let Bill Clinton go solo to his old golf buddies inaugural, and should have chilled with her grandkids.
That said, here’s my take re Douglas:
I’m old enough to recall reports of Michael Douglas being every kind of manwhore when he was with his first wife Diandra(pictured). That was why she eventually left, he was a cheater extraordinaire. Bigly. I believe he went to sex addiction rehab when they were married. Maybe a few times. She caught him with her best friend and that sealed the divorce deal.
What i think re Trump and the occasional odd more liberal bed fellow giving him faint praise?
I’m suspicious.
My theory?
I think there was a debauchery ring of some kind, where these middle aged to senior guys were ‘serviced.’ i would hope they were adult people, but considering the dropped rape trial of Trump’s it’s possible it was even worse than i can imagine.
I think it crossed political boundaries. I think because he’s a hotelier/former casino owner/beauty pageant/model agency owner (cough cough on that last one) – it was reported he may have brought over ‘contestants’ from desperate Eastern bloc places.
Trump has more secrets and more ish on people that you could imagine, i would bet the farm on.
I think Douglas and Voight are people Trump has ‘partied’ with. bill Clinton too and assorted other wealthy and/or politically connected and showbiz types.
A leopard can’t change his stripes that much (Douglas). While i think his much younger next wife(CZJ) at the time slowed him down as did his illness, i think here was probably a time pre his marriage to her, that he went to the Donald properties for some ‘relief.’ parties, etc.
golfing… Heh.. Ok.. Michael.
This is a really entertaining theory that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Because I like it, I’m choosing to believe it lol.
I’m on board with this theory. Michael Douglas was/is a total douchebag regarding women.
Birds of a feather, and all that . . .
I can believe that. I was actually watching CNN one of those days before the election when Luther Campbell (Luke Skyywalker of 2 Live Crew) said Trump partied so hard he felt the need to excuse himself from the proceedings. He declined to elaborate further. But this is the dude that gave the world “As Nasty as They Wanna Be”. Trump was evidently too nasty for him. Let that sink in.
My husband thought that was wild. I told him these rappers write about fictionalized debauchery. These old rich white guys with lots of money live the debauchery with no fear of consequences.
Trump’s for sure got plenty of skeletons. It’s past time to let them out of the closet. But better late than never. Spill the tea. I know you’re out there.
I can get behind this theory. There’s proof of these rich men hanging out with Jeffrey Epstein, what actually happened on that private island, or private plane is anyones guess, but I’m thinking it wasn’t all tea and golfing.
You’ve made my day.
Almond Milk: I believe it all. Over many years, some insiders and victims have very carefully alluded to the corruption, amorality, exploitation, excess, depravity, lust, perversion, vice, and yes, worse, of the big players in the entertainment industry, a world that seamlessly merges with big business. law enforcement, politics and the judiciary. They protect each other because everyone holds the secrets of others. It’s a world of dark, dark secrets, and anyone daring to expose anything is very quickly silenced by a ruined career, threats of violence to themselves or loved ones and likely, disappearing. I’m sickened by all of them.
@almond milk: Decent theory. The real story? Michael Douglas was a HUGE cheat, but he had a “type”. All 18 and over and all African American. Mostly actresses and models. The actresses he would meet at parties if he knew they were attending, and the models, he would pick from catalogues. He even fell madly in love with one of them and was with her for years.
True story.
I think he is absolutely an idiot. He might be powerful (and has been his whole life because of being born into privilege), but that doesn’t make him smart.
His cabinet choices, his lack of preparation on so many important issues before the debates and before the inauguration, not taking his intelligence briefings….these are not the actions of an intelligent person. They are the actions of a powerful idiot.
Hillary didn’t look good, but neither did Bill-he looked ill. Did anyone notice how she did let go of Bills hand just short after he grabbed her hands, or whas it the other way? (just before walking out on the platform before the inauguration). She hardly looked at Bill. I have the feeling she hates him now.
Good. I hate him too. I think he was always jealous of the idea of her being president. He’s a freak and she should have dumped him YEARS ago. She’ll be fine with her daughter and grandkids.
Can’t stand bill or any of those other old perverted farts.
Amen. And how easy for a very, very wealthy white man to tell us to give him a chance.
Douche.
*side eye*
Exactly.
This encapsulates everything I feel:
http://johnpavlovitz.com/2017/01/19/let-the-record-show/
“Let the Record Show” is a wonderful piece of writing and it really moved me. Thank you for posting, everyone should read it.
Shut up, Michael!
Another rich white man pontificating; his pampered life won’t change at all.
IKR? It’s so exhausting.
We need less pontificating from men and more marching!
And why is he so sure Trump isn’t an idiot? I see no evidence of that.
This. It’s easy for them to be magnanimous about it. They’re the only ones he hasn’t insulted (as a group, for he has insulted plenty subsections).
Wonder how they would have reacted if Hillary had said only 1 negative thing about men. We would be hearing about it until the next century and she would never have gotten the nomination.
… I feel so exhausted since Trump won and all these rich people who won’t suffer because of President Trump open their mouths.
…… exactly – they might even enjoy his tax breaks.
Of course they will enjoy the tax breaks, but they won’t admit it.
Like Trump gave Obama a chance? Please. Trump has wasted all his chances.
🙄 Another rich white guy who’ll be dead before we see the long term ramifications of this mess telling us not to worry. I feel better already.
Yes. If I have to hear another old, rich, white man tell me not to worry….
My dad. Seriously this is my dad telling all of us to not worry and nothing will change.
Makes me wanna bang my head against the wall.
“…dead before we see the long term ramifications of this mess…” exactly!
Life must be lonely in that bubble of entitlement. Should remember that Trump is not the friend of Jews he claims to be. Steve Banning anyone?
Tell Ivanka and Jared
Even Hitler had his “pets” as he disgracefully called them. And I don’t know that Trump is antisemitic, but Bannon is, and he listens to him.
A smart orange who doesn’t understand how global warming works, idiot indeed.
He has the luxury of saying that . He’s a wealthy white man, he has nothing to lose . I will not watch this ahole or his inauguration .
None of his supporters have basic human decency. I am not shocked or surprised by this at all. Noted asshole supporting another asshole. It is almost as if he just came out from under a rock and missed everything that Donald said for two damn years. Let’s not even talk about how Agent Orange publicly persecuted the Central Park 5 ( and still believes that they did it even though they were exonerated) and his scamming people he is currently in business with. He has a very long history of being consistently odious, but we need to give him a chance? To do what?
I guess because he did not say anything negative about a group that he is a part of he does not real issue with Agent Orange and can just dismiss everything else he said.
Sorry, “not an idiot” is too low a bar for president of the United States.
Every choice Trump has made so far has been terrible, so forgive us, Michael Douglas, if we’re not sitting quietly and patiently to see how long it is before he destroys everything.
I know, right? I can’t anymore with the rationalizations.
No kidding. The POTUS should represent the best of the best that America has to offer. Instead, the next POTUS is the worst of the worst. I really wish rich white men would just once look outside of their own massive privileged box and think of others. Just once. SMH
MD just wants an invitation to the “Winter White House” for a golf holiday. Ugh!
PREACH.
I have a hard time understanding how someone can separate a person from their politics. To me they are so fundamentally intertwined. Douglas and his poor saltwater pools can eff off.
Thank you! It’s part of who you are….your belief and value systems. I just don’t know how you separate the two.
Agreed and lol @ “poor saltwater”.
I know you’re talking about the American context and American politics are intensely partisan … but as a non-American it seems strange to be unable to separate a person and their politics. A huge chunk of voters here (Australia) swing back and forth between the main 2 parties (estimates up to 40%). The big reason for that is that there tends to be a smaller ideological division between our 2 parties (at the moment you can barely tell the difference) than in the US, but it does mean that political alignment is seen as fairly fluid down here. It’s not such a solid part of someone’s identity like it seems to be in the US.
What really confuses me is that the intensity of the D/R divide in the American public doesn’t seem to be an accurate reflection of what actually happens in your congress. Compared to the Aussie parliamentary system, your politicians vote against their own parties a LOT! (Less lately, since the R’s decided to be the “party of NO!”, but I’m talking historically, over the last few decades.) The D’s from reddish states are far more conservative than the R’s from blueish states.
I can see why that works for the US – you don’t have a multiple party system so you end up with a wide range of views within your 2 parties … but then, given that the D/R divide within congress isn’t always clear-cut, why do the American public seem to have such strong identification with the D or R label?
Nice to know that the rich old white guy feels safe. I was worried
Tell it to your buds at the home, gramps.
No doubt they did some totaine snorting and p-grabbing together, bitd.
Yuck.
Yes he is an idiot. He is.
An idiot?! How could he be? He’s charming and funny while playing golf!
I’m implementing a media blackout on the inauguration: not watching it live or on demand or on YouTube. I refuse to give this Orange Neanderthal any clicks.
I’m with you!!!!
Same here. This website is one of the few places I can visit today and not get an instant migraine.
If I was a wealthy, old white man, I probably wouldn’t worry about the future since I wouldn’t know better.
I don’t care if he’s an idiot or not an idiot. Giving a chance to someone who spits on groups of people and individuals through insults and personal assaults doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near any kind of power. Hopefully corrupt p*ssygrabbing conman Trump will be impeached sooner rather than later.
Hitler wasn’t technically an “idiot” either. This is not about intelligence or lack of it. The man has no SOUL.
How do people arrive at their opinions?!?! I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!
Trump does dozens of moronic, decidedly uncharming things … at what point do you decide that MAYBE he is NOT actually charming and intelligent like you may have previously believed? After 18 months of hateful rhetoric, you still think we should take a “wait and see” approach? Let’s see if this hate turns out to… what? Make America Great Again?
GTFO, Michael Douglas. Nobody cares.
Seriously. It’s like the f*cking Twilight Zone. Still can’t believe this is our new reality.
He had his chance. He appointed a moron who thinks we need guns in elementary schools to protect from grizzlies as head of Education. He appointed an orthopedic surgeon who passes legislation to benefit his own companies while ignoring the zika virus and wants to throw cancer patients into high risk death pools as head of health and human services. He believes his nominee for HUD is qualified because he lived in public housing for a short time 50 years ago. He nominated a secretary of energy who doesn’t know what the agency does. He called all of us who voted for his opponent illegal – way to reach out to us. He has deliberately provoked China. He has had his corrupt daughter sit in on policy meetings and meetings with foreign diplomats when she has no reason to be there except for insider trading purposes. He had his chances. He blew them
Bingo!
Lightpurple – you consistently blow me away. spot on, every time.
Sure. He may have been fine. But it honestly sounds like Donald has dementia, which i do not say flippantly or in defense of his egregious behavior, but to say that however much of a non idiot he may have been, when someone develops dementia, all of what you knew about their personality is torn away.
Serious question here, if it turns out a President elect has a pre existing condition like dementia. Does that make his taking oath of office invalid? Wouldn’t it be like someone being of ” sound mind” when they sign a legal document?
Trump is NOT showing signs of dementia I know what those signs r by watching my mother succumb to the situation. Trump has always been like this and getting all this power has gone to his head and made his NPD worse. He clearly has mental health issues but they r not related to dementia.
I agree with you completely.
Not to split hairs but Trump doesn’t have mental health issues, he has a personality disorder. The important point here being that personality disorders are not easily treatable, unlike mental ill health.
There are different types of dementias, each of which have some overlapping symptoms with other types and some very distinct symptoms. It takes a specialist to perform appropriate testing to make a definitive diagnosis.
I too watched a beloved family member succumb to dementia over a period of years. Trump’s behaviors and his speech patterns are very similar.
Also: A person can have more than one type of dementia. Alzheimers = plaque in brain; Lewy Body Dementia = protein build up in brain; Vascular Dementia = lack of blood flow to brain. And there are others.
I do believe Trump has some kind of age related dementia or mental health issue.
On Twitter I read a discussion among diabetes sufferers speculating that the middle of the night tweets are related to poorly administered insulin injections in the early evening. A common side effect is middle of the night insomnia and a resulting adrenalin surge. Considering Trump’s girth (those suits hide NOTHING) I can see this being a partial factor.
I didn’t know that about him but it is interesting, as poorly controlled diabetes can cause major fluctuations in mood.
I don’t believe he has dementia or mental illness. I work in the automotive industry and he reminds me so much of some peoole in the business. That attitude of knowing everything, when you’re shown to be wrong, deny, deny, its still not your fault. It was so and so. Etc etc. Hes such an old school car salesman.
But baby fists has been like this for forty years. ffs
@Betsey, this is the most spot on comment here.
Question: how many of you here have spent a decent amount of time with someone who has been diagnosed with Dementia? Donald Trump speaks like people who have Dementia speak.
If I had to place bets, I’d bet all of it on it. It’s glaringly obvious to people who have spent time with those who have been diagnosed. I have a now deceased grandmother, and an uncle who had/have it, and they constantly contradicted/contradict themselves, just like Trump, and made up/make up words like “bigly”.
He’s an idiot. And so is Michael Douglas.
Anyone dense enough to want to give dumbass donald a chance because they find him funny and charming is an idiot! I still can’t believe how many idiots still support him
What kind of argument is this even? Just because someone is “not an idiot” doesn´t mean they are not capable of terrifying things. Lenin was smart, didn´t stop him from mass-killings of his own freaking people. Putin is smart, yet he steals money from my country, grabs all of the power that he can, imprisons/assassinates his opponents, commits election frauds in Russia and US., etc. Like??? Just grab your tax break and shut up, rich white man!
… also not even sure that Trump isn´t an idiot
Six bankruptcies and how many lawsuits against him? Not an idiot? Oh dear.
No Michael Douglas, just no.
Says he as he watches the rising waves replenish his salt water pools. Clueless.
It’s true, this stuff just writes itself.
Sorry rich old white man, your opinion doesn’t matter to me when it comes to important things like that.
If that Old Hollywood rumor about Kirk Douglas and Natalie Wood is true, it isn’t surprising that there are aspects of Donald Trump that Michael Douglas would overlook.
And sonny boy had his own alleged sex addiction and issues years ago. He’ll overlook nepotism and all the other ‘boy talk’.
Michael must just love to golf on the back of ‘charity’, too. Several years ago, I traveled across the country to attend a work conference in Vegas. Had my room booked four months in advance. When we arrived at the well known hotel, I was assigned a different (micro sized) room type with an awful bed. I had to press for an answer as to why the regular room type I had reserved was not available. The desk attendant finally confessed that it was due to the Douglas’ golf tournament, and their last-minute attendees apparently were allowed to just show up and take rooms out of the conference block.
Except he is an idiot
There’s a kinship between Michael Douglas and Diaper Bigly…nepotism!
…and charities…and golf!
If he were only an idiot, we’d be a lot better off.
Why are you talking Michael Douglas?
Are people so willfully ignorant that they’re not paying attention to the actions this man has taken thus far? Just look at the people he has surrounded himself with and nominated to his cabinet. That tells me all I need to know about him and his plans for this country. We don’t need to wait and see what happens…if you truly open your eyes and pay attention to his actions and not just listen to his hollow words, you can see where all this is headed.
I don’t have to give people who discriminate against me a chance. I don’t have to give people who try to take my bodily autonomy away a chance. I don’t owe Trump or his cronies a damn thing.
Time for the urn Michael…
LOL love that Shannon reference. We need to make that a thing.
I’m ready…to make it a thing and for the urn
No fan of The Donald here (I am originally from the tri-state area, so I kind of “get” him in a way), but in some way I agree with Douglas: Trump should be given enough rope to hang himself, allowed to fail legitimately on failed policies and promises. The country does need to heal, and while I get the boycotters’ feelings, they don’t seem to realize hey’re sticking two fingers up to those Trump voters in PA, and OH, and WI, and FL that they lost, not just to Trump. They’re playing right into his hands by boycotting the inauguration – he can blame them for helping to keep the country divided.
The integrity of the system and the office is more important than any one politician occupying it for a few years.
So I disagree with the boycott of the inauguration by Democrats for those reasons. Let Trump fail on what he does in office, not the stupidities of the campaign trail.
If he had said what you say here then maybe I would have agreed with him, but he didn’t.
Anyway, your interpretation is far better.
May I respectfully point out that the invitation to the inauguration is just that, an invitation, sure everybody goes, well this is different and I applaud anyone who stays away.
I hope Paul Dano plays Donald Trump in a bio pic.
OMG! Paul Dano as Trump. That would be the only redeeming thing about this nightmare.
Somebody at our meeting of course had to say, well, trump is getting sworn in today, we just need to give him a chance. I said, why, they didnt Obama. Dead silence then change of subject. I prob pissed off a whole bunch of people. My husband tells me dont talk about politics at work, you’re gonna piss people off. But I’m tired of listening to this right wing shit. You bring it up, its hard for me not to respond. I am so upset that fucking racist got elected President. I am so disappointed in America, this has really shown me how racist America. I’m so sorry, POC, i thought America was better than this. I was wrong.
I was speaking with a Republican woman I know who voted for Trump and one of the explanations she gave me was, “A friend of a friend of mine worked for him and said he was nice.” Like, we’re not supposed to believe what our eyes and ears have been telling us for years because someone, somewhere thinks he’s “nice.” Narcissists and sociopaths can be very charming when they want to be.
When I read stories like this it’s all I can do to not punch something.
Well, look at the source. Michael Douglas is a disgusting human.
His words are the statement of a wealthy, privileged, white man. Unlike Douglas, most of us won’t have the luxury of being safe no matter what Trump does. :/
Trump is wily and vindictive, that’s how he’s accomplished what he has. And I don’t think he’s an idiot, but he’s certainly not smart enough to be POTUS. This presidency is shaping up to be the least educated in decades, nothing but rich people who have bought their way in.
He isn’t, which is ironic as he represents a party that wants to keep its constituents undereducated and angry.
I’m not even reading the comments before I make this comment: Woody Johnson just was named ambassador to the UK – He is Michael Douglass’ cousin. STFU – and of course, J & J money. With baby fists you can buy anything! Now, I’ll go back and read and if i’m wrong I’ll eat my monitor.
I wasn’t wrong…monitor safe!
Bonus: A list celebrity endorsement!!!
” He’s not an idiot so I will be curious to see what plays out.”
Stated Douglas from his ivory tower wallpapered with $100 bills.
I can’t believe that he doesn’t realize the reason they’ve remained golf buddies is because of what he DOESN”T know about tRump.
Douglass is partially right; we need to stop behaving like right-wing reactionaries and dismiss everything “their” side does. Whenever it is good for “us” say so and encourage more of the same, whenever it isn’t, make noise and demands for change. Pay attention and hold both his and the main-stream media’s feet to the fire.
What a refreshing and progressive thing to say.
I too am old enough to remember Michael Douglas when he was attending sex addiction rehab. He is probably the first celebrity I’d ever heard of to have that particular addiction.
I never liked him much after that.