Donald Trump was a complete lunatic at his Thursday press conference

time1

When I was eating lunch yesterday, I saw that Donald Trump was going to be doing some kind of press conference to announce a new cabinet nomination, and no one really knew if he was going to be taking questions. Baby Fists hadn’t had a real press conference all week, and he hadn’t answered any questions about the Michael Flynn situation, or the fact that he’s openly at war with the intelligence community, or that there’s an epidemic of reporting about his campaign and his administration’s unseemly, illegal and unethical ties to Russia.

I didn’t expect Baby Fists to do a full press conference so I ran my errands and went about my business. When I returned home, I turned on the TV and caught the last 15 minutes or so of what turned out to be the craziest f–king press conference in the history of the United States of America. Journalists said afterwards that everyone in the newsroom and everyone in the Capitol were just watching the conference with their mouths agape. I don’t even have the words to describe the performance. Dismissing Trump as “crazy” or “an ill-tempered despot” doesn’t do it justice. So here’s just a small fraction of what went down, and you can read WaPo’s excellent transcript here:

He won’t shut up about “fake news.” Fake news is whatever he claims it is. Fake news is any news he doesn’t like. Fake news is any news that he finds mean. Fake news is often honest and truthful reporting, or simple fact-checking of his and his administration’s hourly lies. His goal is to make people distrust everyone in the media. His goal is to rip apart the fourth estate with his tiny baby fists. His goal is to keep the attention on his war with the media more than anything else.

“I inherited a mess.” He kept saying that. Like Obama left the country in shambles. That’s another lie.

He won’t shut up about the election. He mentioned Hillary Clinton repeatedly. He mentioned his electoral college win repeatedly. He claimed he had “the biggest Electoral College win since Ronald Reagan.” He did not. That was a flat lie. Obama had a bigger electoral college win in both 2008 and 2012. Bill Clinton also had a larger electoral college win. He was later pressed about that and he said he had the biggest electoral college win for a Republican since Reagan. He did not. George H.W. Bush also had a larger electoral college victory in 1988.

Poor April Ryan. April Ryan is an African-American woman and a journalist with the American Urban Radio Networks. She’s been part of the White House press corps for years and years. She asked Trump if he would be unveiling any plans to work on urban areas and if he planned on taking any meetings with the CBC. Trump didn’t know what CBC was. It’s the Congressional Black Caucus. Once she told him that, he said: “Well I would, tell you what, do you want to set up the meeting? Are they friends of yours? Let’s go, let’s set up a meeting. I would love to meet with the Black Caucus.” Because Trump just assumes that all black folks know each other, and that a journalist can set up a meeting between the president and the CBC.

He’s going to issue a new travel ban. Through an executive order. He said it will happen next week.

Secret plans for secret wars. One of the most chilling exchanges was when he was asked if he would be doing anything about the Russian spy ship sitting off the coast of Connecticut. Trump went off, saying in part: “I’m not going to tell you anything about what I’m going to do. I’m not going to talk about military stuff… I don’t talk about military and certain other things. You were going to be surprised to hear that, by the way, my whole campaign I said that. I don’t have to tell you.” He also mentioned how he’s not going to tell us what he’s going to be doing in Mosul, Iran and North Korea. For a question about Russia.

He’s obsessed with Hillary Clinton. He made a reference to Hillary’s “stupid plastic button,” which was a gift she gave to the Russian foreign minister in 2009 as a symbol of our two nations’ “reset.” He also said: “Does anyone believe Hillary Clinton would be tougher on Russia. Does anybody in this room really believe that?” Yes. All of us believe that.

The Flynn story is ridiculous. He was trying to be clever and talk in circles without being nailed down on anything, but basically he said he “fired” Flynn because Flynn lied to Mike Pence. But Trump also claims that Flynn was supposed to be talking to Russia, especially about the sanctions imposed by the Obama administration, and if Flynn hadn’t discussed it with Russian officials, “I would have directed him to do it if I thought he wasn’t doing it. I didn’t direct him, but I would have directed him because that’s his job.” So… he fired Flynn because Flynn was doing what he intuitively knew to do on Trump’s behalf and then he lied about it to Pence? Sure. IMPEACH!

There’s a million more pieces of insanity – Politico also had a pretty good compendium here if you want to read about it. Vox also compiled some of his most unhinged quotes. I also watched some of the post-presser coverage and journalists were literally like “um… I don’t even know what to say.” Political analysts who have been working in DC for decades, people who have seen everything, they are all like “this is uncharted territory, the president is a lunatic and we’re all going to die.”

Photos courtesy of Getty, cover courtesy of Time.

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518 Responses to “Donald Trump was a complete lunatic at his Thursday press conference”

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  1. Alexandria says:

    Let me correct that. DT IS a complete lunatic. Anywhere. Anytime.

    • Greata says:

      Absolutely, BUT the real question is will the REPUBLICAN dominated houses of government bring themselves to put the needs of the country before their own political ambitions?

      • Tiffany :) says:

        Greata, that is the most urgent question. We all must pressure them.

      • bleu_moon says:

        Maybe after they ram through their regressive laws and agenda and he ceases to be a “useful idiot.” The GOP is “party before country.”

      • Shark Bait says:

        Probably not. They are hiding, not answering their phones and not holding town halls. But going on record and saying that protesters and people showing up at town halls are funded by George Soros.

      • holly hobby says:

        The repubs won’t do anything about it. They know he’s unhinged but they want to push their agenda. Party over country. Chaffetz even said the Flynn issue was taken care of so he doesn’t need to investigate. This is shameful and these jerks are traitors to the country. I want the press to back them to the wall until they have to act.

        Seth Rogen personally tweeted Donny Jr yesterday since he noticed Jr. followed his twitter. He told Jr to make dad stop. Seriously!

      • Llamas says:

        ALL political parties put party before people. Politicians are all lying tools. Trump is the first one to be so open about it.

      • Kitten says:

        @ Llamas-With all due respect, please don’t try to say that this POTUS, that this administration is even remotely similar to anything that we’ve previously experienced. We had enough false equivalencies during the election and they need to end NOW.

        You know, I could hang with your argument if you were comparing Reagan to Clinton or even Bush to Obama but we have NEVER had a president who lies so blatantly and so frequently to the American public. We’re not talking about lies to protect the American people, we’re talking about lies to protect Trump’s ego and his wallet, lies to cover up violations of the Constitution, lies to silence the press, lies to create distrust towards our intelligence agencies and lies to manipulate the American public. Inane lies, unimportant lies, relevant lies, scary and blatant lies. INCESSANT Lies that are often easily disprovable.

        I don’t mean to sound disrespectful to you, but it’s important that we acknowledge the utter SCALE of unprecedented deceit that is happening here. Dump opens his mouth and lies come out. We have yet to witness even ONE of his speeches or pressers that does not contain multiple lies. That is NOT normal or typical of every US president, it’s just NOT.

      • Llamas says:

        @kittens

        You’re totally fine! All politicians are lying turds in my mind. They all care about themselves. I agree that nobody one has ever been so blatant and idiotic about it as Trump. I also agree that we’ve never had a sh*tshow like the one happening as we speak. I think I didn’t make that clear. Career politicians are not the same as those in the beginning of America.

      • Annetommy says:

        The “all politicians are lying turds” approach leads to demagogues like trump and undermines respect for democracy. Demagogues encourage and exploit this view to advance their agenda. “Forget about these lying politicians, vote for me, vote for an outsider, drain the swamp”. And it worked. I also find that attitude is often put forward by people who never vote. ” What’s the point, they are all the same”. No, they aren’t. There are good, bad and effing terrible politicians. Pretty much like in any other profession.

      • Sarah says:

        They legislative branch will do NOTHING. NOTHING. They are totally complicit. They knew he was working with Russia BEFORE the election and they didn’t care. They just care about power.

        I was totally unmoored after watching the press conference. Completely unmoored. Then I watched Jeffrey Lord on CNN talk about how effective he was, how amazing he is. I had to leave work early.

        One good thing – I am working with a group of people to try to shame our Congresswoman to have a town hall meeting. She won’t, so we are having it without her.

    • SilverUnicorn says:

      I think I did a somersault and got close to break all of my bones when he mentioned the nuclear holocaust as something anyone would casually drop in a conversation.

      We’re toast. And I don’t even live in USA.

      • Sixer says:

        Uranium. 20%. Bad.

        What do you even SAY to someone who talks like that?

      • Kay dee says:

        And oh my dear god, the uranium quotes….
        I started to laugh, but then became utterly terrified.

      • Kay dee says:

        Sixer-
        my stock reply would be “a sphincter says what”, but that just seems too mellow FOR THESE TIMES.

      • Sixer says:

        Kay – Mr Sixer burst into hysterical laughter at the uranium bit. Sixlet Major told him off for making light of it. Sixlet Minor and I just tried to fend of the tears of fright!

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        @Sixer
        Nothing. He’s totally out of his mind. Without even starting to say how bad it is that someone could hope for a use of nuclear weapons without even thinking he’s not going to exist either after that.

      • Jellybean says:

        As a Physics teacher I can genuinely say that I would be disappointed if those comments about Uranium had come from a 10 year old. Most children of that age know there is a link between nuclear bombs and Uranium and most know that nuclear bombs are bad. They would, however, be able combine those ideas into a more logical and better phrased sentence or two. Do you think he writes as badly as he speaks?

        On the plus side I found Jake Tapper and Shepard Smith, who as a Brit i had never heard of, and their comments on the press conference made me smile.

      • DianaB says:

        Jake Tapper is doing the Lord’s work with his commentary on this clusterf*ck.

      • SunshineYYZ says:

        LOL!!!!!

        You know it’s over when you be doing somersaults.

    • Nicole says:

      He really is unhinged. That conference had no logic to it at all.
      My dad said his govt dept was in stunned silence for several minutes after the conference was over. And the dept he is in is mixed across party lines but everyone is apparently equally horrified.
      And @greata I think the GOP has already proven they put party over country. Aside from McCain really everyone is content to let the man provoke us into a war if it means defunding Planned Parenthood FFS. If they cared about the country we would already be investigating Russia, his business ties, the fact that we are paying for him to line his pockets, etc. but we won’t because it’s a “waste of time”
      Also did you see that between his vacations and protecting Melania it will cost us 15 mil in the first 90 days. 1/6 of the total cost of Obama’s 8 years. And we will be paying for it.

      • Greata says:

        @Nicole says…Yeah, they are ignoring the threat this man presents. I guess they are waiting until he appoints a Supreme Court judge which will then give them tremendous power. Even if he is impeached, there is always good ole Mike Pence. The next 4 years are going to be a descent into hell.

      • DIANE says:

        McCain is all talk and no action. He voted for all of his Cabinet appointments including Betsy DeVos, who is beyond unqualified.

      • bleu_moon says:

        Yeah I’ve given up on McCain. He likes to pay lip service to the idea of standing up to Trump, but in the end he falls in line.

      • vaultdweller101 says:

        Just FYI on his weekend vacations… My partner works in the downtown West Palm area, right around Palm Beach Island and where Trump is spending his weekend vacations.

        He says that when Trump flies in on the weekends, they shut down entire stretches of the roads, and it’s been killing local businesses. Some places are down 30% in business (which is huge!). There’s also some kind of police thing (maybe rumors, maybe not) where, apparently, they are escorting the “service people” (read: brown and poor people) who work on Palm Beach island off the island at 3PM on Fridays. They’re not allowed to be there after then. There was never any such rule in place before, and it’s just…nuts, if true.

      • bleu_moon says:

        @vaultdweller101- OMG! There is a Washington Post article today about how Trump’s extravagant lifestyle and travel is costing tax payers a fortune. In the article it said the Town of Palm Beach instituted a “presidential visit seasonal traffic mitigation plan.” It include a a town order that all public-works and sanitation crews leave the island on Fridays by 3 PM. I assumed it was a concern that the trucks would further tie up traffic, which is apparently horrendous with the added security. I didn’t even process that those workers were likely people of color and/or poor.

        ETA: Link to WaPo article https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-familys-elaborate-lifestyle-a-logistical-nightmare–at-taxpayer-expense/2017/02/16/763cce8e-f2ce-11e6-a9b0-ecee7ce475fc_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_trumptravel-530pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.a2713848f401

      • Nicole says:

        Believe me I am aware. I live in NYC and its a nightmare here

      • Sunshine says:

        McCain is playing a clever game of being obviously outspoken publically and then toeing the party line in private.
        When all is done and this runs out to whatever end its going to come to people will remember McCain as being a lone voice against Trump and he won’t be dragged down with Trumps mess. McCain will walk away with that aura of having been a voice of rationality who stood up to him.
        But actually he is not resisting at all. Very clever.

      • Kay dee says:

        Sunshine-
        have to respectfully disagree with you on McCain. I think McCain is the Republican Party’s “Rogue”. And that is not saying much considering the Twitter potus rogue staff member has gotten probably thrice the attention that McCain has in the past few weeks. McCain will be remembered in a similar fashion to those that disagreed with Hitler in the early/mid thirties of the last century. That is my fatalist point view for this afternoon. Please unleash the flamethrowers—as long as they are only 20% flame.

      • pleaseicu says:

        McCain blusters publicly but caves behind the scenes and votes strictly party line. Collins and Murkowski are about the only 2 GOP politicians who’ve remotely backed up any rhetoric with action. And even that action is pretty weak sauce considering that out of the entire cabal of incompetent billionaires Trump wants in his cabinet, they’ve only spoken out and voted against 2 of them.

      • vaultdweller101 says:

        @ bleu_moon: Wow! Thank you for that article! Traffic is pretty bad on Palm Beach island around rush hour, but most of the entry-level service people who work there are not wealthy or white (from what I’ve seen). I’ve been to a few fundraisers on the island, and it’s jarring — a sea of rich, white faces at the tables, surrounded by people of color working as waiters, waitresses, catering staff, etc.

        I’m sure the “main” focus is, as you say, trying to reduce the awful traffic, but the unintended effect has some unfortunate, problematic implications, for sure.

      • Maisie says:

        McCain is a good little GOP soldier. He is tasked with being the “reasonable” Republican, but he’s actually enabling Trump & towing the party line. Don’t trust him as far as you can throw him.

        And the reason the GOP congress isn’t blocking Trump? Russia still holds the hacked RNC emails they cracked last year. Apparently they’re blackmail enough to keep the GOP “supporting” Putin’s little stooge. Also, Trump, President Bannon etc are so insane and the WH is so chaotic now that the GOP is taking every chance to carry out wishes of big donors (DeVos & Tillerson, anyone?), lobbyists, & their many corporate overlords. They’re all walking a dangerous tightrope & don’t give a rat’s ass about re-election, their constituents, or democracy.

      • Madailein says:

        1/6th of what Obama spent in 8 years? You mean he spent only 2 million dollars on vacations/Secret Service in 8 years?!?! Sorry, but that’s wildly inaccurate: Obama spent far more than that, of course. Yes, I’ve no doubt that the insane fascist currently in office will spend far more than Obama (or anyone) on vacations/Secret Service, but you do have Obama’s numbers wrong.

      • Liz says:

        Long time reader, first time poster – Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought it meant that Trump has already spent as much as 1/6 ($15mil) of Obama’s total Secret Service ($90mil) –> 15/90=1/6. I found some Judicial Watch estimates that put Obama’s vacation security costs at ~$72mil at the start of 2016, so $90mil overall seems to be a realistic estimate overall at $11.25mil a year and additional non-public costs. http://www.dailywire.com/news/2819/so-how-much-has-all-obamas-vacations-cost-james-barrett#exit-modal

      • Sarah says:

        McCain is all talk, no action. He is supposedly such a hero. Yes, he was and now he isn’t. He is a wimp. Trump kicks him in the teeth and insults him continually and McCain asks for more.

  2. Tiffany27 says:

    RIP America. He is truly going to kill SOMETHING before he’s taken out of the WH in handcuffs. You know you’re psychotic when Shep Smith from FOX NEWS is like, “this bitch is bonkers”

    • Tata says:

      I am torn between watching and giving him publicity (plus having to listen to his stupid face) and just reading about it and quietly seething and continuing to resist.

      I cannot believe this is our world.

    • Melly says:

      Here is the Shepard Smith clip, if anyone is interested.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8C5E4geDzU

    • Placebo says:

      RIP indeed.

    • Tinkerbell says:

      Someone I know who voted for Trump was really mad at John McCain for not being more supportive of Trump. I said, if John McCain really thinks he’s nuts, should he support him? She said Trump isn’t crazy. No matter the evidence, Trump has many who back him who can’t see how irrational he is.

      • Onerous says:

        I just had a heated exchange with some Trump supporters I know on Facebook. They LOVED his presser. Thought it was “refreshing.” I am literally shaking with rage. WTF!? The man is clearly insane. How do those people not see it!? I had a hard time holding back from being insulting because I seriously do not understand how somewhat normal people can think that Trump is anything other than what he is – a liar, a rapist, an abuser, a racist, a misogynist, a con artist, etc. It’s frightening.

      • bleu_moon says:

        All of my conservative “friends” on FB loved the press conference too. They think he really stuck it to “MSM” and appeared powerful. Maybe because the Fox News site had “Press Beatdown” as their headline post-presser?

      • vaultdweller101 says:

        Political extremists / die-hard conservatives live in their own la-la-land. I still remember the Sarah Palin debates (when she was McCain’s VP pick), and when Palin very clearly looked like a total moron, none of my super Repbulican friends or family would admit it. “They did amazing!” they would say, as she made one stupid, uninformed remark after another.

        It’s like…the sunk cost fallacy. They’ve gone so far down the road of cognitive dissonance, that the very stability of their brain seems to depend on them staying the crazy, non-sensical course.

      • Betsy says:

        @vaultdweller101 – that’s strangely comforting.

      • teacakes says:

        I’m wondering…… does Nixon still have fans? Because this creature is WORSE.

      • bleu_moon says:

        @Teacakes- Yes, Nixon does have fans- including my parents. The conservative line is that Nixon was actually a great president who “got caught doing what all other politicians do.”

      • teacakes says:

        @bleu_moon – holy shit. Some people will really cape for ANYTHING.

        And now those people are Agent Orange’s fans.

      • PaulY says:

        @vaultdweller101 “It’s like…the sunk cost fallacy. They’ve gone so far down the road of cognitive dissonance, that the very stability of their brain seems to depend on them staying the crazy, non-sensical course. ”

        This is an amazingly accurate statement – mind if I borrow it? 🙂

      • Nibbi says:

        @vaultdweller- yeah this seriously makes sense to me, and ive been struggling to understand how the GOP could be staying this absolutely batshit insane course. thanks.
        think i might borrow/steal your excellent sentence k? we re spreading the understanding around here 😉

      • The Other Katherine says:

        Onerous, these are not “somewhat normal” people. These are cult members who have eagerly accepted being brainwashed. It’s no different from enthusiastic Nazi supporters in 1930s Germany, of whom there were a great many.

        Well, OK, it’s a little different — with Internet access not yet cut off, it’s much easier than in 1930s Germany to thoroughly fact check what Emperor Baby Fists says. They actively choose not to.

    • Alarmjaguar says:

      He already has – a Seal died in the botched strike on Syria that he ordered.

  3. Alix says:

    I’m getting really, really close to breaking one of Celebitchy’s basic rules when it comes to this moron…

  4. Tate says:

    In all seriousness, I can’t look at people I know who voted for him the way I used to. I am so pissed at what they have done to us. This man is absolutely unhinged and Paul Ryan and the rest of those assholes are going along with the lunacy in order to hold onto power. We are doomed folks, we are doomed.

    • Kimma says:

      Agreed. I even disconnected my Facebook account because I couldn’t mentally handle all the political talk..and people I used to think I knew, I was starting to dislike….

      • isabelle says:

        My FB feed is still boring as ever, pictures of babies and talking about personal problems. Have one friend who is completely going off the deep end and even reading books Bannon recommended but its just him. Maybe I should find more exciting friends lol.

      • heather says:

        DT is insane, and apparently so are 40% of Americans. It used to only be 25% of Americans that were insane. Progress?

    • Megan says:

      Paul Ryan and the rest of the Republican coalition have shown themselves to be truly venal and craven. They will literally destroy the country before they will risk giving up power.

    • Melly says:

      2018 can not come fast enough. My Rep is Barbara Comstock and her seat is VERY vulnerable. She won’t even hold an in-person town hall. She’s only been doing phone town halls where her people pick who gets to ask questions.

      • Tate says:

        I read that nearly all GOP reps are skipping February town halls. Bunch of cowards.

      • Melly says:

        The Republican reps had a thing called the “Patriot Meeting” where they discussed how to handle their constituents when back home. So clearly they know people are really upset but they don’t think it’s worth their time to do anything about it.

      • isabelle says:

        Republican politicians in general are cowards, the forever victims, paint their voters as victims and them rarely if ever accept responsability.

    • Maria says:

      thank god i do not have trump voters in my inner circle, but i would at least respect if they would now admit that they were fooled or thought it would turn out differently.

      But all these comments i read still cheering him on, full of vitriol for the “liberals”. i am sorry, but i do not have any common ground with them and I would not spend one word trying to convince them otherwise. Lost effin cause.

      • Meghan says:

        I find that disturbing, too. There was a report on CNN yesterday about Trump voters in Alabama and except for one woman they all think Trump is doing a great job. How’s that possible?

      • SusanneToo says:

        @Meghan. To answer your question, I live in Alabama and our State Motto is “Dumb as dirt and damn proud of it.”

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        Unless CNN interviewed every single Trump voter in Alabama, the odds are they picked the most outspoken and eager to go on camera. Though it’s likely Trump voters in Alabama would still be supportive, given the state’s history, we still have to put the reporting in the context of reporters/producers selecting the people who are a) most proud of their stance b) most extreme c) most vocal.

        We can’t look to Alabama as a bellweather regardless. Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina … purple states where votes were turned at the last minute, higher rates of gerrymandering (just called out by a court) and voter suppression, etc. – those are the places to watch. And Paul Ryan is from Wisconsin.

      • Ashamed 2 b a Fl girl says:

        @SuzanneToo, Alabama State Motto: Thanks! I needed that.

      • bleu_moon says:

        I live in NC. We have progressive areas, but the rest is painfully backwater and conservative. According to an article I read this week we are the state that has brought you the most domestic terrorists! So I guess we have that going for us. 😉 We are under a court order to fix our most horribly gerrymandered districts for a special state representative election in 2017, so there is some hope. We also elected Roy Cooper, a democrat, and finally ousted Pat “I love Duke Energy” McCrory, a major supporter of HB2 which I hope we overturn soon. Sadly, I live in conservative area so I hear Pro-Trump rhetoric ALL.DAY.LONG.

      • Original T.C. says:

        @SusanToo
        Unfortunately his support is still high amongst the privileged and the educated. It really comes down to greedy self-interest, fear, and prejudice.

        ————————–
        Affluent Trump backers speak out: ‘I’m hoping for some amazing things’

        https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/24/affluent-trump-backers-speak-new-administration-hopes

      • SusanneToo says:

        @ Original T.C. Yeah, there are some. All you have to do is look at those tools infesting Mar a Lago for proof of that.

    • Cate says:

      Someone I thought I knew replied to one of those Facebook posts from local news asking would you re-elect Trump with “You’re goddamn right I will” and I just wanted to cry. Like really?! This guy is intelligent, active military, west coaster… I just don’t understand.

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        People who take strong stands are only going to dig in or deal with a world of emotional pain. For them, it would be like leaving The Church. They’re sworn in.

      • Delta Juliet says:

        Also, a lot of people are terrible at admitting they’re wrong. They just dig their heels in.

      • jwoolman says:

        You would think Donald would at least wait until he got through the first month before running for re-election in 2020. But I suppose he has innocent lambs to fleece and that can’t wait.

      • cd says:

        Some people just crave for destruction, and since they see themselves as immortal let the rest burn! Has your friend ever participated in real combat or lost anyone dear in war? Because some people really need to have reality biting their arses to see the light.

    • Insomniac says:

      No kidding. And just this morning I had another Bernie “Hillary and Trump are equally bad” snowflake on my FB feed whining about all the hate. If this person weren’t related to someone I really care about, I’d be showing them plenty of hate and then unfriending. How can you be a “progressive”, watch Trump going after exactly the vulnerable people I thought progressives were supposed to care about, and still spout this “equally bad” crap?

    • Kitten says:

      Nor can I. They are enablers, plain and simple. Trump will continue to lie as long as his supporters continue to believe the lies. As long as they are not holding him accountable, they are as responsible for this as he is.

      Is there a 12-step program or some kind of rehabilitation for Trump-supporters? Because it seems like some sort of sickness. Is there a Trump-supporters dog whistle that he uses? Because these people are hearing something ENTIRELY different than the rest of us sane, rational folks.

      • Esmom says:

        I hear you, I don’t get it at all. A cult deprogrammer’s experience might come in handy with this inexplicable phenomenon.

      • kimmy says:

        Right after the election, I had lunch with my Grandpa and his girlfriend. She had the nerve to say, “At least we will finally have a first lady with some class. Melania was a model, after all.” I sh!T you not. I had to leave the table.

        Where did this Koolaid come from?!

      • Becky says:

        Melania did nude pics when she was a model, yeesh.

      • Shark Bait says:

        I know a few people I need to sign up for that program!

      • pinetree13 says:

        UGH KIMMY UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!

        Michelle Obama wasn’t classy?!!??!?!?!??!?!?!?!??! WHAT! WHHHAAATTTTTT

        “Thank god we have a fem bot for a first lady” i guess that’s what they meant?

      • Otaku Fairy says:

        “She had the nerve to say, ‘At least we will finally have a first lady with some class.”

        Unfortunately your grandfather’s girlfriend isn’t the only Trump Trash out there using that line. To these delusional, hypocritical, racist little sacks of shit, white Melania- a woman who has used sexuality to get ahead*- is a ‘classy woman’, and pointing out the discrepancy between what bigoted little homophobe puppet Bristol Palin preaches and what she’s practiced over the years is ‘slut-shaming’, but the rest of womankind is fair game for all their misogyny and victim-blaming, and Michelle Obama is somehow beneath/less classy than Melania. Then they’ll do all kinds of logical gymnastics to explain why that sort of comment about Michelle Obama doesn’t make them racist.
        *I have 0 problems with people doing what they want with sexuality (as long as everything’s consensual, abuse free, and people are showing respect for other people’s monogamous relationships) or people having babies without being married. It’s the race/gender/religion/political party-based double standards that Trump supporters and conservatives have that’s the problem.

    • Beth says:

      Last night I stupidly talked about Trump with a stranger. He laughed at me and said I was dumb for voting for Clinton and how rioting and protesters made her voters look like uneducated morons.Then he said he was excited about Trump and asked why I don’t see Trump “make America great.” He kept going on about all the great things Trump has done so far and was fixing the problem Obama left. When I sat with my friends, he walked by and asked them if they knew they were sitting with a “dumb Hillary supporter” and said they must be embarassed to be with me. He started laughing and my friends told him to go to hell. They voted for Hillary too. So sad there are people like him not seeing Trump as the monster he really is!

      • Snowflake says:

        What an asshole

      • Kitten says:

        Seriously? What a f*cking asshole.

      • Becky says:

        I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of Trump supporters are gullible and/or brainwashed. I’m just wondering what will happen when what he’s promised doesn’t happen.

      • Becky says:

        Just based on the fact that the man has no experience of public office – NONE.

        Add to that he appears completely unhinged.

      • Beth says:

        He also said if people wanted to get off their asses and work, they can help build the wall. He’s lucky I’m not a violent person! I wanted to smack some sense into his head.

      • Andrea says:

        I have a friend who voted for Trump who has an African American husband and mixed raced children—she said it came down to her prescriptions for her son are $300 a month and husband $200 a month and she hoped Trump would make things more affordable. I am sure she is sorry now. Some intelligent people just didn’t like Hillary and picked one issue they thought Trump would help them with and that’s why he’s in. Yes, it is some religious, gulliable, racist people who voted for him also, but I think more people voted for him like my friend then you’d think.

      • pinetree13 says:

        WHAT Andrea! How does that logic even compute?!?! Republicans are always against people getting more help from the state. That seriously makes no sense.

      • Andrea says:

        I know it doesn’t at all…She also was upset because he husband was denied the ability to vote despite a slip they sent him stating that he was at the right location. She disliked Hillary and trump jointly.

      • pleaseicu says:

        I can kinda maybe sort understand it with your friend, if that issue was the deciding issue for her. Trump did run on the very specific promise that what repubs and dems were doing with big pharma wasn’t working and they’d never get drug prices lowered because they all accepted money from big pharma. He promised all campaign that he’s immune to them because he doesn’t need the money and he’s a great, tough negotiator and would negotiate himself directly with the drug companies and get them to lower drug prices.

        Of course, his words and his action were light years from each other when he actually met with some of the big pharma CEOS. He pretty much caved two minutes in and, instead of getting tough with them, reversed course on his stance, never mentioned lowering drug prices, and instead promised them new corporate tax breaks.

      • TyrantDestroyed says:

        @Andrea, somebody here mentioned during one of the post electoral posts that she voted D.T. for a similar reason…

  5. Kimma says:

    I can’t even wrap my head around this entire situation (him being our president)…still….honest question…how do we get him out of this job? It doesn’t make any sense to me…

    • Melly says:

      Congress probably isn’t going to do anything as long as they can keep getting their agenda passed. The republicans have done a pretty good job or supporting Trump while also keeping their distance for political reasons. The only thing we can do is call our senators/representatives daily and give them a piece of our minds. GO TO TOWN HALLS! Get on your senators/reps email lists, etc. Join your local chapter of Indivisible!
      https://www.indivisibleguide.com

      Oh, and VOTE IN THE MIDTERMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      • Esmom says:

        Sooner, if possible. Tom Price, who became HHS Sec, was a rep in GA. His seat is up in a special election in April. Jon Ossoff is the Democrat running for his seat. Anyone can donate to his campaign. In 2016, Price spent over $2 million against $0 spent by his Dem opponent.

      • lucy2 says:

        Thanks, Esmom. I’m in NJ, but I’m going to kick in a few bucks to Ossoff, and any other Dems running to replace a GOP.
        I’m a registered Independent and I usually have voted mixed ticket, depending on the office – no more, I’m all Dem.

      • ATLMathMom says:

        ^^^@Esmom – I live in Tom Price’s district and just donated to Jon Ossoff last night. I’m also volunteering to make calls, host gatherings, anything! Rachel Maddow was talking about this district last night. Apparently Tom Price won his last election by 23%, but Trump only won by 1.5%. Hopefully the Dems will bring some $$$$ to this race.

    • Porsha says:

      My thoughts exactly everytime I start to analyze it further I stop and shake my head and take a break onto something else its like my mind can’t process it because it is just so ??????? see I can’t explain it

    • AreYouForReal? says:

      Congress won’t do a darn thing. It’s soooo frustrating. And the protests don’t seem to be helping. This fool is so deluded, he thinks people are marching in support of him and his policies. I feel truly hopeless.

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        The protests are absolutely helping – never think they don’t work. This isn’t going to be an overnight thing. Protests are highly visible to Congress, even when they act like they don’t notice. Republican representatives are so scared they are fleeing their own Town Halls, or refusing to hold them because they’re “scared,” and things like that. All documented, all on video, all embarrassing, all useful for campaign ads. The cabinet votes have been extraordinarily close – cabinet picks are usually 90+, not 52-48 or 51-49. Puzder withdrew. Flynn is gone. Congressional Ethics Office was restored. Muslim travel ban placed under a stay.
        At protests, people are energized and go home and become organized, and then the real work begins. Please don’t give up. Please don’t spread doubt. Democracy takes work, hard work.

        If Trump thinks people are marching for him, he’s deluded indeed, but I doubt it — he watches so much cable TV, he’s just trying to spin a story for his fans, who will peel away one by one. Eventually all tyrants fall. More important, the courts follow the people — you have to show them what you want.

      • Kaye says:

        @Who ARE these people?: Thank you. It’s increasingly easy to feel helpless and hopeless, but then I come across comments like yours, and it’s heartening. We all need to keep our heads in the game.

      • Alarmjaguar says:

        Ditto WhoAreThesePeople, thanks for the much-needed pep talk!

      • Betsy says:

        @who – thanks. I needed that.

      • Lady D says:

        WATP, is there anything I as a Canadian do to help? Anything you can think of?

      • O_o_odesa says:

        Hi Lady D, I’m from Alberta and attended the women’s march in Edmonton. Since then I too have felt helpless and worried. There are things we can do. I wrote a letter to my MP about my concerns about women’s reproductive rights and about proportional representation. I’m a long time complainer but I’ve finally started writing letters and emails. I’ve also started doing “tampon Tuesdays”, donating them to the food bank. If you follow the Canadian women’s march website they have 10 tasks in 100 days remind people to be active.

      • Lady D says:

        Many thanks, O_o_odesa. Tampon Tuesday is new to me, I’m going to inquire at my local food bank about that. Appreciate the info about the Canadian women’s march website, I’ll be checking that out for sure. I feel somewhat helpless in the face of what decent Americans are going through and I too am worrying about a nuclear holocaust.

    • DahliaDee says:

      There is nothing that can be done. When a majority holds power politically, no protest is going to stop them. They will try to vilify protesters. They will impose martial law. They will not easily relinquish that power. American democracy is a failure, and others follow close behind. And as long as money exists, greed for it will exist as well. And even if money were replaced by something else, greed for that would exist as well. Pacino’s character in Devil’s Advocate was wrong, it’s greed that’s the worst sin. It’s greed of different kinds that at the root of all sin.

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        See my comment directly above. Yes, they will try, but we have to keep trying too. Don’t let yourself be intimidated by the APPEARANCE of absolute power. It is not as absolute as it seems, or they would not be stuck in this quagmire, this absolute raving mess, with half the government unstaffed, musical chairs in the White House, McConnell and Ryan feverishly watching the polls, the Muslim ban back to rewrite, the press finally hungry and active, the CIA/NSA royally pissed off, and an ongoing wave of protests never before seen. Pick up the phone, get out there, get to work! If we’re going down, we’re going down fighting.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        It is only when we give up and accept the state of things that democracy will fail. People must not stop to protest and resist. As a student of history I see many scary parallels with 1930s Europe. However, there are significant differences. I am not American but it seems to me that the American judiciary branch is strong. Another important difference is the culture of protest that has its roots in the 1960s – this really is a crucial difference: the visible and continued protest of enormous masses of people! This is what makes me hopeful.

      • noway says:

        Yes we need to protest, but we really need to try to get more sane minded people to vote in 2018 so we can flip the congress. Then Mr. Crazy can be Impeached!!!! I know a lot of the districts are gerrymandered, but if he keeps going like this people who didn’t vote last time and younger people will vote, and we can turn this around. I know math is a lost art in America, but the amount that he won by was a small margin. With his policies and crazy talk a larger portion of his supporters will flip, especially when they realize they have less money because they lost their job, no health care, and the world isn’t safer because his bullying talk made it angrier. Yes he will still have his fervent supporters, but I doubt it is as large as he thinks it is. The one thing for sure about the American public in general is we are a fickle bunch. Look at one point Hillary was great, as was Chris Christie, Rudy Giuliani, and the list goes on and on. They just didn’t run at the height of their popularity. Let’s give the Orange Cheeto what he truly wants a place in history, but as the first President to successfully be impeached and removed from office.

      • graymatters says:

        American democracy is troubled, but is not a yet a failure. I think it was Churchill who said something along the lines of “democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others,” and we’re seeing the effects of its imperfections now.

        Take heart in the fact that this mess of an administration is motivating many people who have never before felt the need to be politically active. They are calling their senators and representatives (and complaining about it when they can’t even leave a message). They are preparing themselves for the next round of elections. They are taking a closer look at the (currently) less-influential politicians in the pipeline. It makes a relatively small difference now, but I believe we will truly see the effects in the next decade or so.

        You mentioned martial law. In this country, the president has the right to declare a state of emergency and send in the troops to restore or maintain order. It has been used in such cases as the aftermath of hurricane Katrina and protecting African-American schoolchildren during desegregation. The thing is, it’s never been used for anything other than a short-term, local issue. I can’t imagine it working for anything like you envisage. And, I expect you disapprove of American insistence on personal gun ownership (as I do), but the people with the guns are the most likely to use them to protest martial law. It would be a bloodbath, and a resurgence of appreciation for personal liberty.

        I also take comfort from the fact that most annonymous government employees take their positions seriously. In the past 20 years we’ve had at least two instances when DC polititions essentially cancelled government. Most workers knew that what they did mattered and so they showed up to work anyway — without a paycheck, without any expectation of recognition or reward.

        It’s a frightening time right now, but not a hopeless one.

      • DahliaDee says:

        I would love nothing more than to be wrong. But as a child under a now defunct communist regime, and currently living in the ensuing chaos that still reigns supreme 28 years later, I have my doubts. We’re coming off a few weeks of protests demanding the government resign too. A dizzying number of 2 ministers have resigned, one of whom had a not too shabby agenda. So, yeah.

      • vaultdweller101 says:

        If Republicans had absolute power, they wouldn’t be pissing themselves at the thought of doing open town halls. They’re falling into snares, traps and pits everywhere. Many of the regime’s bullcrap legislation has faced enormous resistance. The Republican politicians seem like they thought non-conservatives and the majority of the country would just roll over for anything they wanted to push through, and I think it rattles them that there has been this strong level of resistance.

      • jwoolman says:

        Graymatters- don’t underestimate the risks of martial law. Reagan definitely had plans for it if there were large-scale protests over major war in Central America, such as if he sent troops into Nicaragua rather than just trying to kill them with mercenaries hired from other countries (the ones he was describing as heroic rebels). Us troublemakers were to be stashed at military bases. Oliver North, easily at least as bonkers as Michael Flynn Sr., was throughly engaged in the planning. I figured at the time all the government would have to do would be to have popular movies play for free on broadcast and cable tv to keep everybody occupied.

        We discussed ways to keep in touch around the state if the government messed up phones and internet. They really did mess up our long distance landlines when key votes were scheduled in Congress and I needed to call people to get them to contact their representatives and our Senators. This was back when hardly anyone checked their E-mail more than once a week or so (not even one guy on my list who worked in an academic computer center….). So when the phone went wonky at those times, it really did make it hard to push info around. The American Friends Service Committee’s regional office (Quaker service organization, many peace and justice projects) was virtually unreachable at such times, with error messages that made no sense. They confirmed that it always happened whenever phone trees were about to be activated…. My phone was tapped for years and my activities were perfectly legal information pushing. They even delayed and opened my snailmail. I suggested that walking routes be investigated to get news and information from town to town, because the government really does have the power to legally or illegally interfere with communications. It really can happen here.

        As Governor of California, Reagan had a smaller scale plan to deal with Vietnam War protesters until some brave soul pointed out how unConstitutional it was.

        You just have to scare people enough and they’ll put up with anything. Look at how easily Trump succeeded in revving up the paranoia among his supporters. He sees the world as full of enemies and can’t even recognize friends – such as the Hasidic reporter who Trump vilified for very respectfully asking about government plans to deal with the big spike in anti-Semitic actions lately. The guy was not against Trump at all, and even bent over backwards to make it clear that he wasn’t saying that Trump himself was anti-Semitic, but Trump started calling him a liar and yelling that the guy claimed to have a simple question but then asked a question that wasn’t simple (yes, it was, Donald), and more insane incoherencies than I can remember. The guy was stunned, it was his first Presidential press conference (he worked for a small Orthodox newspaper) and had carefully crafted an excellent question in the most non-threatening way possible. I hope the other reporters explained later that he hadn’t done anything wrong, it was just Trump being Trump and he did it to everybody. I don’t know why they even bother going to press conferences with Trump. He just rants at them and won’t answer questions, which is kind of the purpose of a press conference.

        It’s not just that Trump is delusional, he has also surrounded himself with the weak and the crazy. Bannon and Miller are the crazy and very dangerous. Neither of them is right in the head, but they are more in control of themselves and so can do more damage than Trump, who they can easily manipulate.

      • The Other Katherine says:

        DahliaDee, that is nonsense. The U.S. has survived an unbelievably bloody civil war and yet remained a vibrant democracy; we will absolutely survive this. Among those of us who have not been brainwashed into either Trumpism or hopelessness, no one is sitting down, no one is shutting up, and no one is going away quietly.

        These are bad times, and there are more bad times to come. We will persevere, and we will overcome. Giving up is not an option. Trump’s supporters are loud, but they are absolutely a minority. The majority have grown comfortable and complacent, but people are waking up now. Trump has caught a sleeping tiger by the tail, and he is beginning to know it.

        There are too many of us who will never surrender to fascism.

  6. kaiC says:

    I don’t understand how this can be real.

    • Londerland says:

      Ditto. As demented as I expected him to be, this is even crazier. This isn’t a skit, it’s not a what-if. This is really happening. This is THE PRESIDENT OF THE USA.

      I’m seriously just waiting for him to nominate a horse for a cabinet post now. Go full Caligula, why not?

      • Ankhel says:

        “People are saying, I will nominate a horse for my new press secretary. FALSE NEWS. Everybody knows horses are dumb… Dogs are better, dogs are smart. Meet my press secretary …………………………. Nero! He’s fantastic. Fantastic. Best in show.”

      • PGrant's Girl says:

        @Ankhel I legit LOL’d at that! 😂😂😂😂😂

      • Londerland says:

        @Ankhel – love it 🙂

    • DianaB says:

      I still can’t say President tRump. I feel like I’m in a simpsons episode

  7. lightpurple says:

    He is tweeting thanks this morning to those who complimented yesterday’s performance and claims Limbaugh says that it was the greatest press conference ever. The man is totally insane. It is time for this to happen.

    Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

    Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

    • Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

      I don’t really want to say he’s mentally unwell but its not really normal behaviour to go around saying that whatever you have done is the ‘greatest thing ever’. The man has a obsessive need to be constantly praised.

      • Kay dee says:

        In reference to your spot-on comments, I remembered this piece in which his personality is biopsied. Pretty good read.

        https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/the-mind-of-donald-trump/480771/

      • Merry says:

        Thats because he is a narcissist. And I’m not using coloquial meaning that word but I mean a Clinical Narcissist. He will search high and low for anything that confirms his distorted self image. He will NEVER EVER do a Nixon like resignation, no true narcissist would. And he will resist impeachment to his last breath, he would get Russian polonium assassins to take out Congress before he allowed himself to be removed from the oval office. That man would start a civil war over it. Thats why while I fully support the impeachment discussions because its important to get it in the public record, I think only the grim reaper or the next elections will save us.

      • isabelle says:

        Bet he is getting very little sleep. He wasn’t a big sleeper before he went into the WH and bet now he gets even less. That alone can add on to a psychosis state of mind.

    • Sixer says:

      I’m crossing fingers for you.

      All four of us here at chez Sixer sat and watched that transfixed. Even the Sixlets. It’s beyond satire now, isn’t it?

      That said, there is really nothing less outlandish in the self-destruction going on in the current British situation. It’s just that the presentation is marginally better. If we’d had Boris instead of Theresa post-referendum, we’d be in exactly the same position.

      (BTW – as I was saying yesterday, I’m trying to remove mental health pejoratives from my vocabulary at the moment. And I’m finding it nigh on impossible to describe that presser without using them.)

      • Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

        God, Boris as PM is my absolute worst nightmare. He was considered a joke as London Mayor – I wonder how long it will be before he does something stupid that gets him fired.

        ITA – May is another Trump, thou she’s just a better at hiding her true motivations and mistakes.

        Did you see the BBC NewsNight interview where the Trump aide called the BBC ‘fake news’? Evan Davis did really well.

        http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39000118

      • Sixer says:

        Yep. I can’t stand Evan but even I pitied him there. And yes – the only difference between each side of the Pond is that this side is maintaining a bit more decorum front of shop. Behind shop? Same shit.

      • lightpurple says:

        If one of my colleagues behaved this way in court, he or she would be placed on administrative leave and sent for a “Fitness for Duty” evaluation. Multiple doctors would have to certify enough stability to do the job before the person could return to work.

        And that speech he gives at the beginning was written. He was reading that. Which means somebody wrote it and reviewed it.

      • Sixer says:

        I don’t see any other eventual outcome, do you? Something like that will happen, or else he himself will flounce out of office shouting DISRESPECT! IMPOSSIBLE!

        And then you’ll be left with Pence and Ryan.

        Oh God.

      • Sixer says:

        By the way, here is some fuckwittery from the UKIP conference currently going on:

        http://twitter.com/jimwaterson/status/832557619634176000

        (UKIP is the UK’s Tea Party equivalent but a separate party, not a wing of one of the main parties. Drivers of Brexit.)

      • lightpurple says:

        @Sixer, we would be left with Pence. Pence would then get to nominate a new VP, which Congress would have to approve. Ryan only moves up if both Trump and Pence go out together before a new VP is approved.

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        Sixer, in matters of uranium/plutonium the UK is even worse than USA. May said she wouldn’t shy away from pressing the ‘button’ if needs arise (she said it in a press conference ages ago) and we actually have more uranium and plutonium per person than anyone in the United States of America.

        P.S. that leaflet is AWFUL!

      • Jellybean says:

        I have nothing but contempt for Boris, but I loath Michael Gove. I danced around the room when he was dispatched.

      • Sixer says:

        Lightpurple – sorry, I meant Pence/executive and Ryan/legislative working together as a unit. I’d characterise what you have now as Trump/reality show and Ryan/legislative combining to create a circus. I’m not sure which is worse – the former would be an organised attack on women/minorities/workers in the US, while the latter risks institutional collapse. Hobson’s choice!

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        Sixer,

        Drivers of Brexit.
        Brexit means Brexit.
        We are going to have a blue, red and white Brexit.
        Do you want your Brexit: soft, maybe-hard or hard?

        It’s not like the British raving loonies are making much sense either lol

      • dodgy says:

        ITA – May is another Trump, thou she’s just a better at hiding her true motivations and mistakes.

        IA!

      • noway says:

        Okay I do feel bad for you May and Boris are terrible sort of like crazy VP Mike Pence is to us, but Trump is of a total other level. Saturday Night Live might as well fire their writers, because all they have to do is use Trump’s words verbatim. It’s hysterically funny, except it is real. Seriously, even though you can make a good case George W. Bush committed war crimes, I really wish I was back to those days. At least I would feel a little safer. I hated the fact that Jared Kushner and Ivanka were always around, but maybe seeing the grandkids and his favorite child will make him not want to do something dumb like bomb some country for no reason. We essentially elected the male equivalent of Sarah Palin. Sarah might have been better, now that is crazy.

      • dodgy says:

        Well, right now Blair has waded into the fray via Brexit. NGL, he’s making a stronger case than Corbyn. If Corbyn isn’t fighting to keep his Labour seat, he’s not interested in anything else.

  8. Megan says:

    Yes, we are all going to die.

    • Who ARE These People? says:

      I try to remember that generally, things turn out neither as great nor as terrible as we expect, and I hope that in this case it’s the latter. In any case, gotta keep calling, showing up, protesting. I don’t want to let down all the good people who are putting their bodies and their security on the line to protect other Americans.

      • Megan says:

        So far I’ve been to the women’s march, two travel ban marches, a resist rally, and a pro-immigrant march. I’ve lived in DC a long time, so protests are pretty common, but I have never seen anything like this. I just hope people don’t get protest fatigue because we need to keep the pressure on Trump and Congress.

      • Annetommy says:

        I’m intrigued by the Trumpian’s allegations of people being bused in and paid to protest. I don’t work full time any more and that sounds a great gig. Do they advertise for professional protesters? Is there an application form? Are placards supplied or do you have to bring your own? Are there business cards? All info gratefully received…

    • isabelle says:

      Well we are but hope it isn’t because of Trump. Feel more peace in latest week or so because our system of check and balances is working and its unhinging Donald. He did what he yesterday because he wants to feel that excitement again. He is losing and its why he is doing a mini tour this weekend to his base.

  9. lower-case deb says:

    he inherited a mess?
    he’ll be leaving a mess… if you can call world war 3 a mess.

    seeing him act and listening to him talk at hat presser, i’m thinking thst at this rate, he’s not going to be around to be impeached. stress is getting to him, the bronzer is coming off him like the wheels and screws off a bus.

    • Lucy2 says:

      He claimed he and he alone was the only one who could fix it all. Now that the reality of the job has set in, he’s whining and crying that it’s a mess. Toughen up, cupcake.

      • Christin says:

        It’s like an unruly toddler in a senior citizen’s body. I can imagine throwing things and sucking thumbs when out of public view.

    • Kitten says:

      Not a “presser” but propaganda dissemination.

      Did you know that he mentioned Hillary Clinton’s name TEN times?

      “HILLARY LOST! GET OVER IT!”

      Yo, everyone on the left is over it. We all just want to talk about Trump (you know, they guy that WON, our PRESIDENT??) Really, it’s Trump and his supporters who still have the most bizarre hard-on for this woman. It’s so creepy and obsessive how they can’t stop talking about her.

      • Megan says:

        Maybe this is some kind of bizarre reverse psychology. Like Trump is so desperate for the results of the election to be reversed he thinks if he keeps talking about how he won someone will prove that he actually lost.

      • lower-case deb says:

        people of my twitter stream were sharing Trump’s media accountability survey.

        half of if was: REMEMBER HILLARY’S SERVER???

        it was like stepping into the past. like he was still hung up on an ex-girlfriend, or worse. or that he was still living in the past. smh

      • Beth says:

        He can’t get over the fact that Hillary had/has so many supporters. It hurts his ego. During the debates, he didn’t answer any questions. He just kept saying “well, Hillary said this” or Hillary didn’t do this” “Hillary thinks”. Hillary is on the ridiculous list of words he always uses. Fake, overrated, Hillary. These words need to be deleted from this clowns mind. Shut up Trump! Do your freakin job!

      • isabelle says:

        He is reverting back to campaign mood because it make hims feel so wonderful! He is doing a tour this weekend, he is trying to get that same get that feeling he got during the campaign. He hates the reality of seeing his poll numbers drop, the constant intelligence agencies stories and the media thrashing him. So he wants to go back to when he was popular with a larger number of people. He is such a child and has no idea what he is doing.

      • Shark Bait says:

        That survey was the funniest thing I have ever seen. I, of course, used a fake name and email. It had some stuff about the religious persecution of Americans, meaning Christians. Seriously.

      • Megan says:

        Is it wrong that I hope everyone turns up at his rally in Nazi drag?

    • Who ARE These People? says:

      He HAD/HAS to say it’s a mess to set himself up as a saviour. He can’t stop saying it, because without all the disaster, there’s no need for rescue. No need for a charismatic charlatan demi-god superhero, no need for Trump. If we can undermine this ‘disaster’ crap, some of his support will go away. The main issue is he is courting true disaster, from inside or outside, and then … so there’s urgency to the protests. Every day is a race against time.

    • Karen says:

      Stephen Colbert had a great skit last night. The best line was

      “I inherited a mess.”- DT
      “No, you inherited a million dollars. We inherited a mess.” – Stephen Colbert.

  10. aquarius64 says:

    This meltdown is too much. Either Trump is unhinged or he’s wildling out on purpose to hide wrongdoing. Either way Trump has to removed from office…if the Republicans in Congress grow a spine.

    • Megan says:

      They will never grow a spine. The media and the public need to keep the pressure on Trump until he gets so fed up he quits.

    • swak says:

      I could hardly watch this (in fact turned it off after about 2 minutes). I think it’s a bit of both. He’s unhinged and therefore wilding out on purpose is easy. As someone else mentioned, I think he is also doing the to deflect from everything else that is happening. Now he has put out a survey about the news media and is sending it to”fans” to fill out. He will use this to prove the news media is “fake” even though the survey will be skewed. I was appalled at the things I saw on FB last night. People praising him for “sticking it to the press”. The nuclear talk scares the beejeebus out of me as I have a grandson turns 18 this year and must sign up for the draft.

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        Selective Service in many/most states culls names from the driver’s license lists. Check your state law. In some cases, young Americans can avoid by not getting their driver’s licenses. I know that’s horribly inconvenient so you have to weigh your odds.

      • swak says:

        Unfortunately he has his driver’s license already but thanks, I will look it up. He also talks about joining the reserves. I don’t want to discourage it but I tell him to weigh all that is going on in the US today. He is by no means a Trump supporter – quite the opposite. I also am worried for my other grandchildren who are in public education (one still not there yet) and what will happen to it.

      • jwoolman says:

        Make sure he knows that the Reserve and the Guard can be sent into shooting wars overseas even if they are very close to finishing their hitch. That happened in the Gulf Wars. That’s why the Guards and their equipment were unavailable for disaster relief in their states when Katrina hit, so many people and much of their equipment were in Iraq and Afghanistan. State governors had warned about that possibility months before.

        Also people lose important rights when they go into the military. He needs to talk to knowledgeable people about it. One place to start would be

        http://www.quaker.org/co/

        It provides information and links about potential drafts and conscientious objection to military service. He could e-mail questions to contacts also to get steered to info he is particularly interested in. He might not think he’s a CO now, but I know people who went into the military and decided in the middle of it all that they couldn’t follow those orders. Some of them were career military, from career military families. Some had gone through ROTC and felt especially torn between a sense of obligation (if they received financial assistance for schooling) and their conscience. Some were even medical personnel who felt they could no longer support the war even indirectly.

        Also people can be CO’s to specific wars or military actions without having a universal belief against all of it. You don’t turn off your conscience when you put on the uniform, and the military’s own rules say to not obey immoral or illegal orders. The military oath is to defend the Constitution. It’s really important to seriously think about how you feel about it before signing up because if you change your mind, you may find yourself in prison and other types of trouble afterward. It’s not a regular job. You will be trained to kill people you don’t know, many of whom may actually be unarmed (the euphemistically called “collateral damage”) because of the very nature of modern warfare.

        Don’t count on being able to easily get out of your contract. I knew one person who was a career Air Force man who was training pilots. He got to the point where he just couldn’t train pilots for Vietnam. He was willing to stay in the Air Force as long as he was no longer assigned for that purpose. (The Air Force said “nope”….)

        It’s a terrible position to put a young person in. Messes people up in many different ways, in addition to the risk to life, limb, and brain. You will be a disposable Kleenex to the government, only getting enough training to be an easily interchangeable part. This isn’t because everybody is evil but because they have a narrow goal and a narrow range of ways to deal with conflicts. Recruiters are often under pressure to make quota and may hang rather loose with the truth either intentionally or unintentionally (they may actually believe what they say, and their experience may genuinely have been good for them but YMMV). Veterans benefits tend to go down as wars heat up, which has been a big problem for people coming home damaged in brain and body.

        Trump is very likely to have volunteer shortfalls in recruiting if he gets going on a lot of military action in different places, so a draft will be very likely for both men and women, no educational deferments this time. Everybody needs to be aware that both their sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters will be at risk.

  11. Kimma says:

    I LOVE how he is making Melania into a victim and touting that she is going to do incredible things for women and be the best first lady..ever….
    OK, HOW? What’s her plan and when does she start it?!!

    • Kay dee says:

      Her plan is the witness protection program.

      • B n A fn says:

        Her plans are to dress up and look pretty, and dazzle us with BS. Her facial expression always give the appearance of a very unhappy and miserable woman. However, not to worry, his voters only want her to look pretty. so she will be doing a great job as the most beautiful First Lady, although without substance.

      • Nicole says:

        I read this as “whiteness protection program”

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        Ha, that’s funny.

      • Beth says:

        @B n A fn She definitely looks miserable. Her face looks like a miserable cat trying to make sexy facial expressions

    • Megan says:

      I actually feel sorry for Barron. Can you imagine having to go to school the day after your father comes unhinged on live television? It must be so humiliating.

      • Kay dee says:

        I dig Barron. That kid is NOT for sale. The only thing that got me through the election debacle was trying to “spot Barron” at his father’s events. His “my life suuuuucccckkks so hard right now…” look was fantastic. That kid was under no illusions.

      • isabelle says:

        He seems very opposite of his dad, shy, quite, playful. I did the same thing, spot Barron.

      • Llamas says:

        I thought the video of Barron and Melanie goofing off at the inauguration was adorable. And the one where he’s playing with his niece.

      • HappyMom says:

        That poor kid. What’s worse-being basically ignored by your psycho father? Or having to spend time with him? Blech.

    • swak says:

      And she is going to work with Ivanka on these issues.

  12. Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

    Indeed, it was horrendous and all over the international news – people around the world were aghast. He really came across as unhinged. The way he attacked the press, esp a press who’s freedom of speech IS IN THE CONSTITUTION – i just don’t have the words. Esp to the reporter he asked to setup a meeting for him to the CAUCUS party – WTF!!!

    I just despair that no matter how many times he’s caught lying, people still defend him. What is it going to take for the sheeple to wake up and smell the sh!t.

    • Christin says:

      The lady reporter handled herself in a dignified manner. As an armchair viewer, I was coming up with less dignified comebacks as I watched that clip.

      So because she’s black, and a woman, plus a ‘fake news’ reporter, she should know the CBC and get that meeting scheduled? I know people are leaking and now refusing to work with him, and he has a bunch of jobs to fill, but does he really need help scheduling meetings?

      • Jen says:

        The reporter, April Ryan, is sharp as a tack and no shrinking violet. She’s been covering the WH and asking tough questions for ages. I actually though it was a super softball of a question from her, until the answer went totally off the rails. It’s a big measure of her professionalism that she managed to look totally neutral through all of that and not chuck the microphone at his head.

    • Kitten says:

      Last night I watched a special about Venezuela and Maduro’s repressive authoritarian regime.
      It was absolutely heartbreaking to see how badly the people of Venezuela are being treated by their president. He is literally starving them to death only to turn around and claim that what they see with their very own eyes isn’t actually happening.

      (you can probably guess we’re I’m going with this)

      I don’t want to take the tragic horrors that the Venezuelan people are forced to suffer through and make it about myself, I just want to point out that for the first time in my life, I actually thought something like this could be possible in the United States.
      Now do I think it would ever get that bad here? No, I really don’t think so..
      But the stunning realization that it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility shook me to my core. This administration has changed me in such a tangible way; I’m not the same person that I was before November 8th.

      Just to add that I feel like a huge idiot for not knowing the extent of what is happening in Venezuela. I knew it was in dire straights, but to see those images of hospitals full of children who are slowly and painfully dying because they don’t have access to any medicine, the images of parents sobbing because they can’t afford to properly feed their children… I’m not gonna lie: I broke down watching that.

      • original kay says:

        I am only learning about this now too, and only because it’s so close to my life. I feel horrid that I have done nothing to help, at the same time, now with the knowledge I can start.

        So don’t feel like an idiot Kitten, we all do the best we can. It’s what you do now that matters.

      • Kitten says:

        Thanks for making me feel abit better, Kay. ♥
        I’ve been so wrapped up in all things Trump that I’m losing sight of the rest of the world. It’s just so all-consuming…

      • Beth says:

        My sisters bf came here from Venezuela a few years ago. He told us he was escaping the awful, torture there was there. I hope nobody knocks on his door to thow him out of America and back to that hell

      • Kitten says:

        @ Beth- I cannot imagine. I truly cannot imagine how scary that must have been for him. The US sucks right now but we are nowhere NEAR what Maduro’s Venezuela is. I really hope Trump’s policies don’t impede his ability to live a better life here in the States. Sigh.

      • pinetree13 says:

        Wow Kitten my eyes are filled with tears. I didn’t know it was that bad and I regularly read and watch news from various sources. Why isn’t there a bigger outcry and how can we help them? God that is so disturbing.

      • SilverUnicorn says:

        In UK it’s actually the leader of the Labour party parading Venezuela as an example of perfect socialism. I kid you not.

        I visited the country during Chavez first years and it was already a totalitarian regime; we were forced to do the shopping at the supermarket constantly watched by hombres with rifles. It was a nightmare even for us who were just tourists, cannot imagine to live in such a hellhole

    • jwoolman says:

      I wonder if Trump even knew what the Congressional Black Caucus is. Even I know, although I didn’t recognize the acronym either so he gets a pass for that. They cheerfully tweeted that they already had asked for a meeting back in January and had had no response, but would be delighted to meet with him now. I suppose the Trump people were too busy talking with Russians, repealing healthcare, and banning Muslims. Maybe the reporter really will have to gently take Trump by the hand and introduce him to those scary black Congressional Representatives and Senators ….

      She might watch the video of how to protect against the Trump handshake first. Something about a wrist lock, demonstrated by a helpful martial arts teacher who was inspired by the 19 second hold Trump had on Abe from Japan, the eye roll guy who won the heart of millions here. (What stories he had to tell once safely back home.)

  13. Shambles says:

    I watched it live as I was cleaning my house. It. Was. Nuts. He is quite literally out of his mind. He’s unraveling. I give it a another month before he’s impeached, arrested, carted out in a stretcher to a mental hospital, or has a stroke.

    • Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

      I found his body language to be very interesting – he kept swinging his lower body around, it was like a bored toddler who couldn’t decided whether or not he needed to pee pee.

    • Betsy says:

      This has been my thought. I gave him six months before stroking out.

    • Melly says:

      It’s like watching the more insane train wreck in the history of train wrecks. It’s sad, disgusting, and infuriating, but you just can’t stop watching….

    • Sixer says:

      We watched live too. Couldn’t look away.

      You know, though, Shambles? I think he was having a whale of a time. He’d obviously sat in the White House, fuming and feeling impotent because his spokespeople were SAD BAD FAILING. And I bet, this morning, he genuinely thinks that he saved the day.

      He’ll probably still believe that on the day the train finally leaves the tracks and the whole thing derails.

      • Esmom says:

        I think you are right, that the depth of his delusion is that strong. He has no idea that he offers nothing of substance, on any topic. The hilarious “Trump’s book reports” tweets that went around after one of the debates still is as apt as ever — he’s like a student who hasn’t read the book and is fully confident he can BS his way through a book report, the best book report ever. TIMES A MILLION.

      • Sixer says:

        TIMES A MILLION.

        Yep. I honestly think he believes that he did a great job yesterday. And I really do think he thoroughly enjoyed himself.

      • Christin says:

        He’s living in a different reality than rational people. And I think he enjoyed mindless riffing yesterday.

        Truth and ethics seem meaningless, and he has enablers letting him have the biggest reality show ever.

    • RussianBlueCat says:

      That press conference was the ramblings of a desperate man. He knows the media is on to his shady dealings and they will keep digging. What scares me the most is what will he do to deflect the media and also show the country he is Commander in Chief?

      • Esmom says:

        Desperate ramblings is spot on. I cannot see how he can sustain this “performance” much longer.

    • Kitten says:

      The NPR Roundup podcast was saying how his supporters will be really happy with this “press conference”. Sigh. Sadly, I absolutely believe it.

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        How do they know? Really … how do they know?

        They might be, they might not be, but … assumptions.

      • swak says:

        And they are by the comments I have seen on my FB feed.

      • Kitten says:

        @WATP-Because these people love it when Trump attacks the “dishonest media”?

        Because they don’t really GAF how he acts as long as he’s getting *things* done quickly?

        Because business conflicts of interest, ethics violations, proof of his administration’s collusion with Russia, countless embarrassing meetings with various world leaders, the peddling of incessant and blatant lies, racist outburst, endorsements from white supremacists, vacations at Mar-a-Lago, blatant violations of national security and on and on—none of these things have deterred his supporters so why would they be deterred by what we view as a shitshow of a press conference?

        And this is to say nothing of this man’s disgusting character and questionable temperament.

        @Swak-Yup. Same here. Trump-supporters saying he hit a “homerun” yesterday.
        *eyeroll*

      • Beth says:

        Trump supporters will be really happy,or just say they’re happy because they’re too embarassed to admit he is a disaster

      • Kitten says:

        So here is a direct quote from a Trumpet on my FB:

        “I watched the press conference yesterday and it was nothing but refreshing . He called on other news outlets besides the lame stream news . He put some of them in their place . At this point It will be hard to see how his presidency is going to go but if nothing it will be entertaining.”

        GAH!!!!!! I can’t take it, you guys. I just cannot f*cking take it anymore. “Har har this reality TV show host is SO entertaining! Who cares if he ruins the country? He’s HILARIOUS!”
        Bah!!!

      • Tiffany :) says:

        “He put some of them in their place .”

        Like when he told the Jewish reporter to “sit down” after he asked him a question about rising anti-Semitism? Yes, he certainly did put some people “in their place” and it was terrifying. It speaks volumes about the people that are cheering on this kind of behavior.

    • isabelle says:

      Unfortunately it takes months if not up to a year for impeachment. After yesterday, would have never said this a few months ago, he may resign. Blame fake media, maybe a seperate political party and him and Bannon ride off into the sunset together to build his “real” empire.

  14. JudyK says:

    That was beyond embarrassing to watch. I couldn’t believe it was real…still can’t. He’s more than delusional, much more.

  15. Nancy says:

    He is a pathological liar and behaved liked a mad lunatic who forget to take his meds at this Press Conference. Even the conservative broadcasters were shaking their heads and rolling their eyes. I ask this every day, but how is it possible he is president.

    • Beth says:

      It’s so sad that so many were suckered by this pathological liars lies. I never thought it was possible he would be president

  16. Melly says:

    I watched the entire “press conference” and went back and forth between being horribly embarrassed for our country and determined to become more politically active. I’ve just been calling my senators and rep every day for the last 4 days. Each day brings a new level of unhinged terror. When will enough be enough?
    There is a Not My President’s Day rally in DuPont Circle, DC on February 20th from 2-4pm. Hope to see some of my Celebitches there!!

  17. Karen says:

    So. Words matter. They matter a lot, now more than ever ever. I would urge everyone to fight against calling him a lunatic or otherwise using any sort of language that’s classifies him as mentally ill. He isn’t..

    https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/opinion/an-eminent-psychiatrist-demurs-on-trumps-mental-state.html?_r=1

    This letter to the editor says it better than I can. As someone who has had several psychotic breaks and has PTSD, I can tell yo you that “crazy” people don’t act like Donald Trump And it does a disservice to the work we all do to get well and stay well.

    • kaiC says:

      Thanks for the article. You are completely right.

    • Sixer says:

      I’m trying. Honest.

      And this whole Trump (and Brexit cos I’m British) thing has made me realise how entrenched mental health pejoratives are in everyday language.

      • Karen says:

        You are SO right. It is entrenched, quite deeply. I did not realize the extent of it until I myself (someone who has and does deal with mental illness personally) realized I was also sometimes calling him “mad” or “crazy.” I realized that for me to do it is even worse, because I know how hard it is to be and stay well–so it is an effort we all have to make.

    • Esmom says:

      Karen, thanks for the reminder. My teenage son struggles with mental illness and his suffering just breaks my heart. He’s also the strongest young man I know, to be able to function while battling the obstacles his brain tries to throw in his way. Wishing you continued strength.

    • original kay says:

      This is exactly how someone with NPD acts.

      The rages, the inability to see reality, the triangulation (the supporters vs the media/cia vs the WH)

      Unless he took a course to mimic how someone with NPD behaves, he exhibits every part. Not just googling “someone with NPD ” and it’s symptoms, but our reactions to him are what really show how he really does have this disorder.

      it does not bode well for us. The only real way to deal with it is it ignore. Like Hillary ignore him, which is why he cannot let it go. He’s desperate for her attention.

      • Karen says:

        Please read the article I linked. The Doctor who CAME UP WITH THAT FORMULA for diagnosing NPD is the one who wrote it. He makes the excellent point that this is not a disorder that Trump has because he is benefiting from it–he is not in pain because of it, he is not hurting because of it. He has not gone to see a doctor to get an evaluation and come away with the diagnosis and treatment plan. Again, words matter so much and arm-chair diagnoses cause more harm than good.

        Quote from article:
        Most amateur diagnosticians have mislabeled President Trump with the diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder. I wrote the criteria that define this disorder, and Mr. Trump doesn’t meet them. He may be a world-class narcissist, but this doesn’t make him mentally ill, because he does not suffer from the distress and impairment required to diagnose mental disorder.

        Mr. Trump causes severe distress rather than experiencing it and has been richly rewarded, rather than punished, for his grandiosity, self-absorption and lack of empathy. It is a stigmatizing insult to the mentally ill (who are mostly well behaved and well meaning) to be lumped with Mr. Trump (who is neither).

        Bad behavior is rarely a sign of mental illness, and the mentally ill behave badly only rarely. Psychiatric name-calling is a misguided way of countering Mr. Trump’s attack on democracy. He can, and should, be appropriately denounced for his ignorance, incompetence, impulsivity and pursuit of dictatorial powers.

        His psychological motivations are too obvious to be interesting, and analyzing them will not halt his headlong power grab. The antidote to a dystopic Trumpean dark age is political, not psychological.

      • original kay says:

        ok Karen, you win

        feel better now?

      • Karen says:

        It is not about winning–I am not trying to win here, I am asking for people to show a modicum of decency when using words to describe Trump. I don’t think that is too much to ask and even if I was not personally effected by the stigma associated with mental illness, I would like to hope I would still have enough empathy and compassion to speak out as strongly against the use of mental health terms as pejoratives.

      • original kay says:

        I’m sorry, did you just call me indecent for having a differing opinion?

        Well, that says all I need to know about you, Karen.

        You are not the only one who deals with mental illness, either personally or with family. Please try to remember next time you post, and the next time you call me out for lacking compassion and empathy, and for being indecent for having an opinion about NPD. You don’t a thing about me.

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        In my view, Trump is severely character disordered. That’s listed with the mental disorders, but it’s in a different class than the kinds of psychoses, breaks from reality, usually associated with severe “mental illness.” It seems to be that we use the terms sociopathic or psychopathic less and narcissistic more, but I’m old-school in terms of looking at the grandiosity, using people as objects, amorality and extreme self-interest. He knows right from wrong – he just doesn’t care.

        At the same time, he seems increasingly incoherent, volatile and agitated, and those could be signs of a progressive neurological disorder – age-related, drug-related, stress-related, all or some of the above. In 10 years, if we’re still here, we’ll know!

      • Karen says:

        I apologize for the tone and tenor that led you believe that–it truly was not my intent. However–your “you win” implied that you considered this some sort of pissing contest–which it is not.

      • Karen says:

        Who are these people– well said, really. In particular:

        “It seems to be that we use the terms sociopathic or psychopathic less and narcissistic more, but I’m old-school in terms of looking at the grandiosity, using people as objects, amorality and extreme self-interest. He knows right from wrong – he just doesn’t care. “

      • original kay says:

        If you want to facilitate change, you could start by providing an alternate list of words for people to use when describing trumps’s behaviours. Be pro active.

        And you could stop at telling people who use those words, like many on this thread and the writer herself, that they lack empathy and compassion. It’s more at wit’s end.

        So thanks for the almost apology.

      • Sixer says:

        Everyone: I think there is a difference between armchair diagnosis and noticing/commenting on character traits. We aren’t mental health professionals and, even if we were, we don’t have access to Trump to be able to diagnose first hand.

        I read a discussion about the doctor’s letter between mental health professionals and my understanding is that he was saying it’s ok for we onlookers to describe Trump as a narcissist (he has unpleasant personality traits) but not to suggest that he is suffering from the delineated disorder NPD (he is mentally ill).

        I kinda feel like that is a good position to take. I don’t feel it is a mental health slur to describe someone’s behaviour as narcissistic but I do think we should lay off suggesting actual diagnoses.

        I know it’s a tricky path we’re all treading because the Orange One is so outside the accepted range of behaviour. But that’s where I’m at with it,

        Also, I’m trying to find other words to describe him than things like lunatic, mad, unhinged, crazy. Outlandish? Extreme? Bizarre? Grotesque? Objectionable? Barbarous? Erratic? Monstrous? There are quite a few possibilities that don’t involve taking mental ill health in vain.

      • Karen says:

        If you want to facilitate change, you could start by providing an alternate list of words for people to use when describing trumps’s behaviours. Be pro active.

        And you could stop at telling people who use those words, like many on this thread and the writer herself, that they lack empathy and compassion. It’s more at wit’s end.

        So thanks for the almost apology.

        Yikes. bless your heart–truly.
        So–I am really a monster because I also did not provide a list of words to use instead. I am also a monster for “almost apologizing” because it did not meet your standards for apology. Perhaps if you were “pro-active” and provided me a template for apology that met your standards, I could do a better job next time.

      • original kay says:

        Ok Sixer, thanks 🙂
        I think that’s a good way to go, and I will do my part by keeping that side of my opinion to myself and just describe what I see without actually saying NPD. Because I am only going on my experience, of course.

        oh Karen Karen Karen. Wrong poster to pick to try passive aggressive bullshit on. Better luck next time.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        Can we add his relationship with truth and lies – he knows the difference but he doesn’t care – or can’t acknowledge the difference because it interferes with his self-image.

        I read an old interview with him where he was asked about introspection – and he said that he didn’t do that because he might not like what he would find if he did try to look closer at himself.

        That really says it all – at some level he knows his flaws, yet he won’t look at them/confront his own failings because he’s afraid.

        He is essentially a coward and I think that his grandiosity, etc. is a deflection from himself. Notice how he uses projection all the time? He constantly accuses people of doing what he himself does.

        The reasons that he’s becoming increasingly unhinged are probably manifold (there may very well be neurological problems at his age) but he’s now in a situation where it is becoming harder and harder for him to maintain a self-image that he at some level knows is false.

      • original kay says:

        @ AH

        well said.

        I have nothing to add other than well said, because you said it all.

      • Karen says:

        Sixer–those are all excellent word choices and I appreciate your willingness to have a constructive conversation about this–very well said.

        Original Kay–I knew I should not have engaged with such a troll, my mistake. enjoy life under the bridge. xoxo

      • original kay says:

        **giggles at Karen**

      • noway says:

        I did read the article, and here is the danger in diagnosing him either with a disease or not via public appearances, etc., and I bet if the Dr. is confronted he would admit this. One part said,” Mr. Trump causes severe distress rather than experiencing it…” Unless the doctor has spoken with him you only know this based on what he has shown the press or third party knowledge. For all any of us know he is extremely distressed about everything. Granted unlikely, but who knows. Assuming the emotions or lack of emotions he shows in public are how he really feels is dangerous for a diagnosis or non diagnosis of a mental disease. Laymen saying this behavior looks crazy is one thing, but MD’s saying it doesn’t fit the disorder and can’t be it is malpractice in my book, and I don’t care how talented the MD may be.

      • Llamas says:

        Original Kay

        Unless you are someone who works in the field of mental health all you are doing is giving opinions. If the guy who created the criteria for NPD says he doesn’t have it then he doesn’t have it. It’s inappropriate to insist people have mental illnesses when the professionals say they don’t. I have mental illnesses and I only listen to the professionals’ diagnosis. You are being very harsh and are insisting you are right. It’s inappropriate and I would appreciate if you stopped.

      • original kay says:

        @ Llamas

        how many do you have?

        Look, Llamas, thanks for speaking out and trying. It’s great you took the time to come to the internet to police what people post- really.
        The thing is, and though I am loathe to actually pull this one out, I get to voice my opinion, too. And if you read back, you’ll find I did just that. Not once did I insist I was “right”, but I do insist I have the chance to say what I am thinking. Now, if you have a problem with that, that’s all about you, and not about me.

        I’m also pretty sure that everyone here, is giving their opinions. And just because I am that mean, I’m going to say it again- I think he has NPD. That’s right, I did it again.

        oops?

      • jwoolman says:

        I read that article and the DSM descriptions and also have read many accounts about real people on the narcissistic spectrum. I really have never seen anybody in my other reading claim that a diagnosis of NPD requires that the person feel pain about it and go to a doctor for help. That does happen with people who have borderline personality disorder, which is why there are at least some things to try that can help a person cope with that, and people who love them may be able to help them in the struggle because they really do want to feel better. They know something is wrong and they want to fix it, so they are cooperative with attempted treatments. There also can be concomitant disorders that might be helped by certain drugs or other therapies.

        But extreme narcissists are typically described as never voluntarily seeking help because they don’t think there is anything wrong. They can be unhappy as they grow older and feel they aren’t getting what they want out of other people. But they just don’t feel the problem is with them but rather is always a failing of the other people. This is why the universal advice is to run as fast as you can away from such a narcissist. They are not fixable at our current state of knowledge and they don’t want to be fixed. They will drive their families and coworkers to therapy, because they make people doubt their own sanity.

        Remember that a psychiatrist is going to be very cautious about diagnosis (especially at a distance) and language by their very nature. Definitions and terms keep shifting (personality disorders especially are a distinction that goes in and out of fashion), there is overlap between definitions of various disorders and they change or even disappear periodically in different editions of the DSM, and are highly affected by the particular theory guiding the expert. Many experts definitely do not agree with this author.

        I am a physical scientist and am more interested in concrete descriptions and connections with the brain itself. I’ve read the author’s descriptions and he obviously has a different approach. He assumes distress and impairment must be present. Well, obviously Trump is impaired – look at the mess he has made in just a few weeks when given such power. The White House is in a state of traumatic chaos, his disorders have affected the workplace environment bigly. His disorders clearly make him unqualified for his current position with disastrous results. But distress tends to be greatest in the people around extreme narcissists.

        One expert discussion of the DSM definition points out that the definition seems remote from practical experience with narcissists. So some of the debate is between the theoretical and the practical. And a psychiatrist’s experience is going to primarily be with people who come to their office, even if just dragged kicking and screaming by someone who has to deal with them. That doesn’t mean that the narcissist is feeling direct pain that he or she associates with a disorder, although since one trait is to say whatever they think they need to say to get what they want and and they lie frequently, they could be playing a game with the therapist. If pushed into therapy, they tend to leave it as soon as possible. They are not interested in changing because they don’t think anything is broken.

        Many other experts have pointed out that there is so much material available observing Trump in action (videos especially, but also radio broadcasts, print interviews and articles), they really can’t claim diagnosis at a distance is not possible. They can observe Trump more closely than their typical patients. If he were just a rich guy playing with his rich guy toys, why bother other than in casual conversation? But he is President of the United States, and what he does and says is a Really Big Deal to everybody in this country and elsewhere on the planet. It is unfair to the rest of us if they keep silent and don’t try to help us figure out what is going on and how to deal with it. This is not a normal situation.

    • Kay dee says:

      Can we say his personality is malignant?
      It is alarming how quickly “crazy” can be spun into a good thing by his supporters.

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        They wanted to ‘shake things up’ – well, they got it. And the whole world is shaking too.

    • Christin says:

      I wish we could now skip the diagnosis and focus on the unacceptable behavior, instead of pinpointing where it may originate.

      This is a 70 year-old, spoiled, unruly toddler-child with zero political experience, who worked for only one boss in his life (Rich Daddy). He may be an alphabet soup of diagnoses, but he also may just be a mega-jerk.

      • Kitten says:

        I’ve felt this way from the beginning, Christin. Basically, I don’t GAF what is causing the behavior, I only care about the behavior itself.

        @Karen-Thanks for the reminder to steer clear of armchair diagnoses.

      • Karen says:

        Christin and Kitten–

        agree with both–that is the purpose of the op-ed I linked to. The very man who came up with the qualifications for NPD wrote it and says the same thing: “His psychological motivations are too obvious to be interesting, and analyzing them will not halt his headlong power grab. The antidote to a dystopic Trumpean dark age is political, not psychological. “

      • Tiffany :) says:

        I agree, Christin.
        I think people use the extreme terms because they are trying to express just how incredibly troubling and dangerous his behavior is. But as you said, the cause doesn’t matter so much as the behavior itself.

        Ultimately, I think people are freaking out and words are failing them.

      • Christin says:

        I have spent time trying to categorize or better understand people I know who have repetitive negative / hurtful behavior, and seem unwilling to change. At some point, time becomes so precious that being concerned with an exact description is less important than preserving and protecting yourself. In orange’s case, he throws out enough distractions any given day.

      • jwoolman says:

        One thing to remember is that the psychiatric terms are just ways we try to classify sets of signs and symptoms that tend to occur together. Like different types of Pokémon …. It’s a conceptual framework, not necessarily something “real” and exact. The terms shift regularly over time as thinking changes and in psychiatry, there are many different approaches. Appearance in the DSM is not absolute endorsement by all psychiatrists. A definition in one edition may vanish or be altered in the next.

        So the categories should be seen as fluid guidelines for both the afflicted person and in the case of people like Trump – the people afflicted with the person.

        We’ve stumbled into drug assistance for some brain dysfunctions such as bipolar disorder (which acts as though a chemical feedback mechanism isn’t working right to bring us back to equilibrium from depression and excitement), although we’re still at a relatively primitive stage. But still that’s progress. Maybe someday we’ll have detailed maps of the brain where we can pinpoint specific absences or damage in specific sites that can tell us what is really going on and guide therapy. (We have a little of that now.) Until then, terms like malignant narcissist (to distinguish from someone who is just too full of themselves), sociopathic traits, etc. just help us get information about how to cope with someone like Trump.

        Even the term lunatic has some usefulness when briefly describing Trump’s behavior. Saying he acted like a lunatic or his behavior was unhinged at the press conference is actually pretty descriptive in ordinary language. Those aren’t really psychiatric terms but rather colorful descriptions of a very not-normal situation. When I say we have a lunatic in the White House, the DSM is not my reference. I lived with a cat who acted like a lunatic on occasion… She didn’t need a psychiatrist or a tiny strait jacket, but she would periodically go overboard on the “seeing Martians” phenomenon.

    • Beth says:

      @karen, many people unfortunately deal with mental illness themselves or in their family. I have trouble with anxiety and depression. When I was at the psychologist last week, I asked him if the way Trump acts could be a mental illness like megalomania. He told me the symptoms of it and said that’s how they can be, but he of course couldn’t know if Donald was for sure. If he was Donalds doctor, he wouldn’t be allowed to to tell me about Donalds private diagnosis though

    • xena says:

      I read the article and I have to admit that I am confused because one of the reasons a very close family member of mine was treated against her will – and I hate to write treated, because due to the brutality, cruelty and agressiveness of the measures taken against her and by extension me, I prefer to talk about intentional traumatisation and punishment for not being able to obey to society rules due to a health issue – and one of the symptoms of her disease was that she would not even take into consideration that her behaviour was off, she’d refuse to be seen as sick or troubled because of it.
      And a severe narcisst won’t ever admit that he is troubled – even if he or she seeks help due to having lost everything of importance in his or her life. They will always find a way to blame others for the harm they are causing. What makes ist incredibly difficult to treat them is even then they need their narcissm to function, so they will at best adopt strategies that make them more compatible and will sort of bounce back as quickly as possible.
      Just wanted to add that I do not want to diagnose Trump with anything – I can’t and I don’t know him and I think no respectable psychologist or pyschiatrist would do that either. I am just confused about the argument of this doctor, I think he should have come up with a better and detailed explanation.

      • Emma33 says:

        I’m also confused. Just because someone causes pain and distress for others doesn’t mean they don’t also feel it themselves (the writer of that article doesn’t know what goes on in Trump’s mind, he may be feeling a lot of distress).

        Also, sociopathy is a type of personality disorder (along with Narcissistic Personality Disorder), and a key feature of sociopathy is an inability to feel empathy towards others, along with a shallow range of emotions. So, sociopaths cause distress in others whilst not feeling it themselves, and they are definitely mentally unwell!

        So, even in Trump feels no distress, I don’t think this could be a defining factor of whether or not he is mentally unwell.

      • Llamas says:

        Emma,

        Sociopathy/psychopathy are not mental illnesses themselves. Antisocial personality disorder is what would encompass that stuff. The people described as true sociopaths/psychopaths are diagnosed with ASPD. There are not many true psychopaths/sociopaths out there actually. Many people can appear to be one but actually aren’t. True sociopaths/psychopaths are often extraordinarily good at blending in with society and appearing as compassionate human beings. It very scary. They are master actors/actresses. Many people said Ted Bundy was a charming handsome man when in reality he was truly evil. 😳

    • jwoolman says:

      Karen – whether or not a particular doctor or therapist wants to use the label on Trump, clearly knowing about such disorders as malignant narcissism and sociopathy is helpful in trying to make sense out of his behavior. He matches both textbook definitions and stories by people afflicted with people close to them who have been diagnosed particularly as severe narcissists as well as experiences of therapists. Some have pointed out some sociopathic traits as well, but there is a lot of overlap in such things and the word sociopath is overused. But reading about experiences with people having the diagnosis can also be enlightening.

      And these really are brain problems. For example, there seems to be a certain area of our brain that is linked to the ability to feel empathy. If it is damaged or undeveloped, no empathy. Trump is lacking in empathy, a trait he shares with diagnosed malignant narcissists and sociopaths. His problems could be congenital or acquired during development due to his environment (in particular, his father). His behavior problems seem to have started very early.

      The more we learn about the brain, the more obvious it is that it is all about the physical and chemical conditions in the brain that make us what we are and affect our behavior. The distinction between mental and physical illness is an illusion – it’s all physical. If behavior is affected, we tend to want to call it mental but the root cause is just as physical as a vision problem. This is why the damage done by a stroke can change a person’s personality. It’s not a spiritual failing or a character flaw, it’s just what can happen when certain connections are broken and certain areas in the brain are damaged. Of course, someone can also be voluntarily nasty on top of such disorders…. But it definitely is easier to be nice if your brain is wired in more helpful ways.

      Whatever Trump is, he is not normal and has a number of disorders that make him very dangerous in a position of power.

  18. Justme says:

    You guys I really think that press conference was crazy on purpose. The heat was on him from all angles so he had to deflect…Cue crazy presser. He got people talking about this and less about Flynn, Russia, and his other shady politics. We have to keep the momentum. We can’t stop until he is out.

    • Melly says:

      If that was Trump’s strategy, it’s the stupidest strategy ever. The news coverage of his Russian connection had over 24 hours to bake in to people’s minds. Then he has an unhinged press conference where he talked more about Jim Acosta (CNN reporter) then he did about Alexander Acosta (labor secretary nominee and supposed reason for the press conference). So now there is a full week of negative Trump coverage.

      Are we all tired of winning yet?

      • holly hobby says:

        I bet Alexander Acosta (he was a former US Atty in Florida, current Harvard professor) was glad he wasn’t there when this $hitshow happened.

    • Jenns says:

      It’s not. Trump is not smart enough to plan something like that. He is obsessed with the New York Times, CNN and Morning Joe. And since all of this outlets have been calling him on his crap, he became enraged and wanted to yell at him. It’s was basically a hour long temper tantrum.

    • Christin says:

      There is a theory on one of the alt accounts that his main enabler may have envisioned this as a way to temporarily activate the smaller but loud base that he appeals to. This would be a temporary distraction for Congress (to make reps think there are people who think he’s doing great).

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        Like his rally this weekend? Can’t wait to see turnout.

      • Christin says:

        Possibly, plus contacting Congress directly in support of him/them.

        There is a lengthy explanation on @AltStateDpt, posted yesterday.

      • elle says:

        @Who ARE… no matter what the real turnout is, you can be sure it will be THE. BIGGEST.TURNOUT.FOR.ANYTHING. EVER!!!

    • Kitten says:

      I mean…yeah, it’s something to keep in mind.
      I don’t think it hurts to consider that this might be part of a larger strategy.
      We really need to remember to never trust the smoke and mirrors of the Trump administration. Anything is possible with these shady-ass f*ckers.

      • Lorelai says:

        ITA with Jenns that he is not smart enough to conceive of this idea nor actually stick to it once he was in front of all of the cameras. And we know he doesn’t listen to anyone else’s advice.

        It did seem like he was lashing out; the negative press finally pushed him to a breaking point and he needed to “fight back.”

        The scariest part is that his supporters think he did a fantastic job.

      • Kitten says:

        Trump isn’t smart enough but Bannon absolutely is. He’s also very, VERY conniving and manipulative. Don’t underestimate that guy.

    • Karen says:

      I also believe this was a. Bannon strategy to get his remaining followers angry. He needs to keep them.

      • Alarmjaguar says:

        Exactly, Trump might not be smart enough, but Bannon is. Afterall, he’s the one that got Trump elected in the first place

  19. K.T. says:

    I’m scared.
    I’ve only watched through the first forty minutes & then highlights online but it reminds me of a few of the authoritarian pressers I have seen (from confirmed dictators.)
    Trump appears incompetent, often nonsensical, dictatorial & facist – the worst part, in my opinion, was his ‘view’ (i.e. rambling incoherence) on uranium & nuclear geopolitics – there is no coming back from an unstable president with nuclear fantasies.
    He scares me because of history…no joke.

    • LinaLamont says:

      He’s a functioning (questionably) illiterate.
      And fuck Scott Pelley for commending Trump for taking questions from all reporters yesterday. Trump shut down, derided and evaded most of them. There was nothing commendable.
      Stephanopoulos (ABC) is the only one worth watching, at this point.

      • Ashamed 2 b a Fl girl says:

        And yet, I watched GMA this morning and thought Stephanopolous and the others on the panel really “soft-balled” the whole thing (I mean, they were generous”. From what I saw on the link Shep Smith from FAUX did a better job. What is up with that?

    • Who ARE These People? says:

      Scares me too. And yet we are going on as if business as usual, planning for a future, which is so strange.

  20. zappy says:

    The thing that I couldnt understand is, WHY ?? WHY there are still many people support him and believe that he can make America great again? (from those #maga things on twitter)
    If my President acted like him, I’d better prepare for the worst. He is not only not capable doing his job. He is completly lunatic

    • ida says:

      reflection. that’s why. dumb people see a dumb president. so being dumb is no longer a shame.

    • Jenns says:

      I was watching CNN last night and they interviewed a few Trump supporters in Arizona. While they did say that still supported him, they also said they want him to move past the election. They even admitted that some of the stuff he said made no sense.

      I got the impression that their support will not hold for long if he keeps this up. His approval rating dropped to 39%. There will always bee the hardcore supporters, but if he keeps acting like this, he’ll start losing the white support. And that’s when Republicans will panic.

      ETA: Here is a tweet I just saw:

      “Donald Trump won 48% of college whites in the exit poll. His approval w/them in Pew Thursday = 36%; Millennials at 24%. Not all are enthused”

      https://twitter.com/RonBrownstein/status/832571972475170816

      • Christin says:

        I saw that, and it gave me a glimmer of hope that his base is slowly crumbling. There will always be a few hard-core remaining till the bitter end, though.

      • swak says:

        @Christin – there will always be a few hard-core to the bitter end and beyond.

      • isabelle says:

        Nate silver, other pollsters have estimated Trumps hard core supporters are around the 32-35% mark. The ones that will stick by him as he launches nukes into their backyard.

    • Karen says:

      Seeing some changes. Some right leaning Jewish voters in my neighborhood that voted for him are now posting they are scared of him and are scared for Israel.

      • cd says:

        They should be! There are people in power right now that are trying to provoke the Second Coming of Christ by causing war in the area. Because they will be “saved”, let the all the Jews and the Muslims die. I would be scared shitless if I lived in Israel, not only for 45, but also because Bibi is such a nutsucker idiot.

    • graymatters says:

      I keep reminding myself that, statistically, half the people of any random group (like voters) are of below-average intelligence. I deal with anxiety and depression and not being a Trump apologist has done wonders for my self-esteem, if not my anxiety.

  21. Darkladi says:

    We are f*cked, you guys. This is how Planet of the Apes begins

  22. Betsy says:

    Let’s keep the focus where it ought to be: RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA. Call upon EVERYBODY to investigate the links. And at this point I think we need to investigate Ryan, McConnell, Chaffetz, and Nunes as well. They’re not just being silent, they’re being obstructive, as if they, too, are compromised and afraid to have this come to light.

    • isabelle says:

      Absolutely and that whole show yesterday was him grasping for distraction and putting him back into line with his followers.

    • cd says:

      The GOP was also hacked by the Russians, we have to remember that. And being the feckless soulless corrupt creatures they are, I bet the blackmailing material must be amazing, just amazing! I hope someone reveals it soon, for all our sakes.

  23. kadyo says:

    I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to Kaiser, Celebitchy and all of you commentors for continuing to speak out about Trump and his administration. I’m from a red state (although I no longer live there now) and this election has caused so much strain to friendships and relationships within my family. So many of my family members are either Trump supporters or are burying their heads in the sand. When I speak out, I’m told I’m ‘drinking the kool-aid’ or ‘reading misinformation sites’. It has always been difficult being a Democrat from a Republican family, but I keep trying to reiterate that this is not a normal administration. Celebitchy has become a haven for me. Thank you!

    • Beth says:

      I’m originally from a blue state. Massachusetts. Now I live in red state florida. When I talk to people here about the Trump monster, not many agree. When I comment online, I’m called a snowflake and told I must be reading “fake news”. Celebitchy is the only place I can go and finally see people agree with me and not call me names

      • Kitten says:

        Come back to Boston! We will treat you right 🙂

      • Marley says:

        Maybe you are accessing fake news What are your go to news outlets? Because I wouldn’t trust the mainstream media has far as I could throw them. My outlets of choice are Counterpunch, Truthdig, Al Jazeera, Fact Check and of course good ol Celebitchy.

    • Ashamed 2 b a Fl girl says:

      +1 and I can’t say it often enough! Thank you, CB!!!! (Especially Kaiser.)

    • Betsy says:

      Keep speaking out, and keep your feet on the ground. Crazymaking behavior can make you feel disoriented, but you know where your feet are.

    • ATLMathMom says:

      +1,000 Reading the political posts on here every day make me feel not quite so alone in my red state.

    • cd says:

      Having principles is really hard, but rewarding. You are fighting the good fight, never forget that! Thank you too!

    • HappyMom says:

      That is a tough spot to be in! I’m a moderate who is uber-pissed at my Republican brethren for drinking the Koolaid and not speaking out. This is NOT normal and I wish everyone with a brain and a conscience would wake up!

  24. Surferrosa says:

    Well, after yesterday’s freak show, any of the few ounces of respect foreign countries had for us is now officially dried up. The end of the American empire is upon us. There hasn’t been an empire that hasn’t fallen, so I guess it was only a matter of time. I just never thought a lunatic (who might be on some kind of stimulants….judging by his behavior yesterday) like DT would be the one to take us down. There must be a special seat reserved for him in Dante’s hell, with golden showers and all.

    • SilverUnicorn says:

      No golden showers in Dante’s inferno, he’d be probably trapped into ice forever, head down first…

    • swak says:

      Actually (and I’m not diagnosing Trump with this) his behavior makes me believe ADD or ADHD as that is how my grandson is when his meds begin to wear off in the afternoon. His focus stops (the meds help him focus which in turn helps him make better decisions because his mind isn’t going a mile a minute).

      • jwoolman says:

        I think some sort of an attention deficit problem is definitely also involved. His ghost writer said it was hard to pin him down for long enough to get something out of him, he had an extremely short attention span even back then. The way he rambles when speaking off the teleprompter suggests this also.

        He also seems to have a sleep disorder which he could handle when younger but not so much now that he’s 70. Maybe that’s involved with his untreated (or self-treated) attention deficit disorder also, though. This is in addition to severe narcissistic personality disorder. If people are right that he is in the early stages of dementia (one person suggested Lewy body dementia was a better fit than Alzheimer’s), that would add to his (and our) difficulties.

        One psych prof is archiving video of Trump to use as good examples of disorders studied in his class.

    • pinetree13 says:

      I agree, everyone actually has lost all respect for America (please note, America NOT Americans, we know there are good people there that don’t want this, just like there are good people in ALL regimes).
      America is now a hypocritical nation. “Do as we say, not as we do.”

      It’s very sad and I’m afraid that when it crumbles it will drag us with it.

  25. boredblond says:

    I can’t believe that suddenly people are surprised..he clearly hasn’t been playing with a full deck for years, and now everyone notices? oh, please.

    • Olenna says:

      I didn’t follow him much over the years b/c I always thought he was gross, but his press conference behavior is no real surprise to me. We’ve been seeing this lunacy in play since the campaign started. Little coherent thought, abject stupidity, rudeness, bullying, etc. So, yeah, nothing new here. We are living in an idiocracy.

    • xo says:

      I don’t understand the surprise, either. How is it that we are in the minority?

  26. LinaLamont says:

    “Phillydude
    @Fairwinds
    Only thing missing from #TrumpPressConference was a Festivus pole & Trump challenging Jim Acosta to feats of strength.
    #AiringofGrievances
    5:00 PM – 16 Feb 2017 · Portland, OR
    156 312”

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-press-conference-reaction_us_58a67a8ce4b07602ad533c3d?pua92r5r9prsve7b9&

  27. toni says:

    This will end in blood.

  28. Jenns says:

    I’m glad her held that press conference. And I’m glad he looked like a total lunatic. Because whenever it comes to Trump and his antics, the Republican party is all “New phone, who dis?”

    It’s going to be harder to ignore that he is not fit to hold the office of the presidency. The IC is watching all of this, and they may be more inclined to blow the whistle knowing that the country and the world is in crisis with this man as it’s leader. Lives are at stake here. And his attacks on the press are only going to intensify their reporting. Even Fox News reported this morning that Trump was fully briefed on the Flynn situation three weeks ago.

    This cannot go on. We are only 29 days in.

    • Esmom says:

      You’re right. The only thing I can’t stomach is that he acted like this before the election too, and was clearly unfit. He managed to get elected because the desperate Republicans would have elected a stuffed squirrel on a stick as long as it meant a “win” for the GOP. I’m so flipping angry at my ignorant, stubborn, hateful fellow citizens who support him.

    • Kitten says:

      Was that a “You’re The Worst” reference????

  29. JenE says:

    Saw this gem on Reddit and had to share the joke. And yes…we are all going to die because the Republicans are power-hungry enough to stay quiet while they push their various agendas through.

    Donald Trump also answers the following question: What is 2+2?
    “I have to say a lot of people have been asking this question. No, really. A lot of people come up to me and they ask me. They say, ‘What’s 2+2?’ And I tell them look, we know what 2+2 is. We’ve had almost eight years of the worst kind of math you can imagine. Oh my god, I can’t believe it. Addition and subtraction of the 1s the 2s and the 3s. Its terrible. Its just terrible. Look, if you want to know what 2+2 is, do you want to know what 2+2 is? I’ll tell you. First of all the number 2, by the way I love the number 2. It’s probably my favorite number, no it is my favorite number. You know what, it’s probably more like the number two but with a lot of zeros behind it. A lot. If I’m being honest, I mean, if I’m being honest. I like a lot of zeros. Except for Marco Rubio, now he’s a zero that I don’t like. Though, I probably shouldn’t say that. He’s a nice guy but he’s like, ‘10101000101’, on and on, like that. He’s like a computer! You know what I mean? He’s like a computer. I don’t know. I mean, you know. So, we have all these numbers and we can add them and subtract them and add them. TIMES them even. Did you know that? We can times them OR divide them, they don’t tell you that, and I’ll tell you, no one is better at the order of operations than me. You wouldn’t believe it. That I can tell you. So, we’re gonna be the best on 2+2, believe me. OK? Alright. Thank you.”

    • Darkladi says:

      I scared everyone around me with my loud donkey laughing 😂

    • SilverUnicorn says:

      Oh my God, my tea is all over the place now 😂😂

      And Brexit means Brexit *British simil-Trump ranting*

    • Esmom says:

      This is perfect.

      Side note, I thought Reddit was generally pro Trump.

      • JenE says:

        I think the big Drumpf sub-Reddit got banned? There are definitely pro-T posters, but the stuff that makes it to the front page is overwhelmingly anti-T.

      • Sophia's Sid eye says:

        Esmom, it’s not really. As with most things having to do with trump, there’s a very vocal minority. They try to break the rules to be on or remain on the front page, but the site keeps changing their aggregator to stop them. There are jerks there but if you’re choosy about where you go on that site there’s some interesting stuff.

      • Esmom says:

        Thanks for the info. I’ve only been on Reddit for Serial podcast recaps and discussion (which were great) and haven’t spent any time there at all in the last six months or so. The pro-Trump thing is just something I’d heard.

    • Sixer says:

      Good lord, that is brilliant.

    • Delta Juliet says:

      Good God that’s the best thing I’ve ever read.

  30. Marley says:

    I hear Mark Zuckerberg is thinking about running for office. It must be a Facebook v Twitter thing.

  31. Linabear says:

    I’m living abroad atm, originally from near where Kaiser lives, and this is all making me afraid to come back.

    • Esmom says:

      I don’t blame you a bit. Although to be honest, life has gone on. I constantly marvel at how people can go about their daily business offline and on, posting their breakfast photos and inspirational memes, seemingly without a care that we have Easy D as our POTUS. I’m in a constant state of low to medium level dread and unease.

  32. Chingona says:

    I am just terrified at this point. I truly believe that there is something very wrong with Trump. He as always been a racist ass douchebag but he is now become unhinged. I have never wished ill will on someone but everyday I wake up hoping that something has happened to stop this man. His followers are just as unhinged as he is and refuse to see all the harm he is causing or just don’t care because it doesn’t affect them. I drove thru my old neighborhood this week and there is a man who has built a Trump monument in his front yard complete with Trump flags, 4ft sculpture of Trump’s name and the make America great again carved in wood surrounded by American eagle wood sculptures. I honestly contiplated setting it on fire. I seriously am going crazy living in Trump capital.

    • Esmom says:

      Oh my goodness, I’d want to burn or tear that thing down, too! The only blessing I can report is that the few in my town who had Trump signs in their yards prior to the election took them down afterwards. Although someone hung an American flag upside down, presumably as a sign of protest, and our local social media site went crazy at the “disrespect.”

    • Beth says:

      That would scare me to death! Give me nightmares! Seeing Trump signs in my neighborhood made me sick. A whole monument though? Yikes!

    • Shark Bait says:

      There are people with huge Trump signs up where my in laws live. They are in flipping Maryland, a solidly blue state! There is this huge sign that has all these boxes checked of people who hate Trump (think Hillary, Bernie, the mainstream media etc) so that’s why they love him. And this person also has a sign with cookie monster saying C is for classified as a dig to Hillary. It was still up in January. Dude, Trump won, take that shit down. Seriously, die hard Trump supporters are not playing with a full deck. I’m not saying all Trump voters, I’m saying these die hard crazy supporters.

  33. Maria says:

    I am worried that this opposition is exhausting people and they will lose their drive…. it is only been one month, but it feels that people have been in the trenches for much longer.

    I see less comments and articles on my Facebook page and I am not sure, if people are just giving up and accepting the current situation as status quo. That worries me much more than the actual government.

  34. Neelyo says:

    The only thing missing from that press conference was to end on a shout of ‘Benghazi’ and dropping the mic.

  35. robyn says:

    What I saw was a belittling confrontational man, (to the point of sounding demented), confused as to why he wasn’t loved by everyone. This is what happens when someone running for president isn’t properly vetted. There should be a law that anyone running for the highest office in the land should show their taxes and reveal any hidden foreign connections.

    Anyone who supports so-called president Trump also supports lying to its citizens, diminishing of the free press and justice system and an authoritarian rule similar to Russia as well as the blurring of lines between religion and government. They also support backroom abortions, a dirty environment and potentially poor quality cheap roads, bridges and buildings due to deregulation. The Trump coal-miner fans seem to support more lung cancer and a health care system that might soon not cover the costs of their pre-existing conditions. The power hungry Republicans also support party over country. I could go on and on ……. why anyone in their right mind would support Trump is a mystery.

    • AreYouForReal? says:

      “There should be a law that anyone running for the highest office in the land should show their taxes and reveal any hidden foreign connections.” – Democrats just tried to introduce a similar law and it was shot down by the Republicans.

    • Christin says:

      A credit check is part of the hiring process in private sector jobs with financial responsibility. Why not the highest office in the land? His multiple bankruptcies should have been a disqualifier.

    • Esmom says:

      Amen, robyn. I honestly have never seen a more insecure person than Trump, at least publicly. He just oozes neediness. And incompetence.

      It’s truly mind-boggling that he got to this point.

  36. grabbyhands says:

    I expected it to be batshit insane, so it didn’t disappoint in that respect, although it alarms me that people can witness the sheer unhinged paranoia, fractured thinking and general childish obsession with being at the top of everything and still think he is doing a reasonable job. Like, is your hatred of anything other than a white man so poisonous that you cannot see what is unfolding more and more every day? Or worse, has the level of intelligence and sunk so low that quickly that we now accept this as normal behavior for a President?

    One of the most astoundingly embarrassing points of the whole mess was his interaction with April Ryan. First, the most tired of all racists tropes-the assumption that all black people know each other. Then speaking to her so rudely and dismissively like she was some random office jockey, asking her to set something up, like the whole thing was a joke and the CBC was just a bunch of troublesome children that needed to be humored instead of an organization that has been ongoing for almost 50 years and among whose members have been senators and even the president.

    I can’t believe that it hasn’t even been a month since the inauguration.

    • Esmom says:

      I do think it’s “the level of intelligence has sunk so low.” Yesterday an article I read described the rise of “rank anti-intellectualism” that really ramped up with W, and how people would say “he’s the kind of guy I’d want to have a beer with.” And how it makes people feel better about their own inadequacies. It’s depressing as hell. What ever happened to wanting a POTUS who’s actually smarter than the average person? How did that become “elitist?” As Trump would say, SAD!

      • Pip says:

        I know! I find the celebration of stupidity which has sprung up over the past, what, 15-20 years absolutely terrifying & depressing.

        I’m sometimes accused of intellectual snobbery – I refuse to watch reality TV or read tabloids, for instance, which some people appear to consider massively elitest. Actually, it’s not a refusal, I’m just completely uninterested. I like words, I like knowledge, I love listening to people who are clearly experts in their field. Listening to that press conference was not an enjoyable experience ….

        I just have a horrible feeling that we may still be saying all this in a year’s time.

      • LittlestRoman says:

        I’ve been ranting about anti-intellectualism for years. The whole ‘education is a liberal conspiracy’ thing drives me nuts. Not only are they idiots, they’re PROUD that they’re idiots. There is no effective counter-argument.

      • SusanneToo says:

        IMO anti-intellectualism started about the same time that PC became a slur. Somehow, not being derogatory toward someone because of race, religion, ethnicity, etc. is, Oh Horrors!, being Politically Correct. No, it is simply being CORRECT. The bigots of the world can’t stand that.

      • Helix says:

        Seems like it has always been there. I take that from Susan Jacoby´s book “The age of American unreason” (which has been sitting on a shelf for ages but never seemed relevant enough…well, until now..).

        In the introduction she talks about her grandmother who till she died at the age of 93 had never voted for a Republican but had to recall the Depression to vote for Stevenson (despite his elevated vocabulary etc) : “Adlai talked down to people”, she recalled,” and he didn´t have the common touch. Ike had the common touch and I loved him, but in the end, remembering which party gave us Social Security and which party couldn´t care less about starving old people, I just couldn´t bring myself to vote Republican.”

        Jacoby writes about Kennedy that he “managed the tricky feat of displaying his intelligence and education…without being seen by the public as a snooty intellectual.” Sounds a bit like Obama?

        Another quote: “Kennedy spoke and wrote frequently…of the need for American society to abandon its parochial twentieth-century image of an inevitable division between thought and action…” – aka Hillary vs the “brilliant businessman”???

      • K.T. says:

        I comment here a lot, then delete a lot when others have said it much better! But the anti-intelligence quotient that Trump is riding on and expanding – like Betsy’s appointment 🙁 – is just one of the saddest and most familiar parts that ppl who live in non-democractic countries experience.
        A recent study stat that 51% of Trump supporters seem to STILL believe in that ‘Bowling Green Terrorist’ massacre, was one of the saddest and most telling thing that is v. similar to authoritarian places spoonfed nonsense.
        Resist people, even if you have to resist for those that may not be able to reason or assimilate information.

      • Radley says:

        These buzzword synonyms for stupid that are being used these days are concerning me as well. “Post-factual”, “low information”. It’s a kinder gentler way to say dumb. Why do we need this? Why do we need to coddle people in their stupidity?

        Willfully rejecting facts, knowledge and information is bad and people should feel bad about it.

      • Lorelai says:

        This is absolutely the most enraging part of it all!!

        These people are PROUD of being ignorant and there is no way of having a rational conversation with someone of that mindset.

        I used to just sort of shake my head in disbelief at all of the people who mocked Obama as elitist for “going to Harvard! Hahaha!”

        but now our country is in mortal danger because of these assholes. It is terrifying.

      • Andrea says:

        My own family are anti-intellectuals and I refuse to hangout with my cousins, uncles etc because of it. They made fun of me for years for going to university then graduate school and preferred I work 2-3 jobs like them with their high school diplomas. I was treated like scum and lesser than for being smart and I finally had enough when they started spouting racist language towards Obama. I don’t understand when or how people with education and critical thinking skills became threatening, but I have found it very difficult to hang out with people not on my level. Anytime I use higher vocabulary with people who don’t understand it, they immediately go into bully mode. These are grown adults. I am not flaunting my intelligence either, but everyone who isn’t so smart seems deathly threatened by smart people and defaults to adult bullying.

      • Lightpurple says:

        Anti-intellectualism began with Reagan and was fueled by the right-wing media, like Limbaugh, that sprang up around him.

      • Shark Bait says:

        YAS YAS YAS to all above. You said it better than I ever could have. Honestly it’s pretty depressing.

      • original kay says:

        Yes! my step mother is america, and we were discussing something years ago and she called me “little miss I know american politics”

        like it was a bad thing!
        Ignorance certainly is not bliss.

    • cr says:

      Anti-intellectualism has been part of the US since the beginning, I’d check out Hofstatder’s book Anti-Intellectualism in American Life plus the Paranoid Style of American Politics for starter reads
      But, as already pointed out, it’s really being celebrated now, that’s what scary.

      • Esmom says:

        I agree and with others above who say this phenomenon isn’t new but I’d also argue that it has definitely escalated with the advent of social media. And that there’s never been anyone quite as idiotic as Trump in our highest office.

      • Eric says:

        Hitler also despised intellectuals. Just FYI.

      • Shark Bait says:

        Social media has really amped it up. People now broadcast their dumb for all to see. Sad.

      • original kay says:

        @ Esmom

        absolutely. the internet, while in theory a great tool, has become a platform for the masses to opine with any thought after hitting “send”.

  37. Snowflake says:

    He got some quiz you can take asking people if the think the media is unfair. At the end, you are and to donate $1 to his 2020 campaign. Article on it on the DM

    • Esmom says:

      Oh, yeah, I saw that on Twitter. RoguePOTUSstaff (who some say is actually Bannon) even said to stay away from it because it’s really just a ploy for cash.

      • SusanneToo says:

        I filled it out using an alias and phony email and then clicked off on the donation page.

      • Esmom says:

        Actually now that I think of it, if it is Bannon we do need to fill it out to sway the outcome. Otherwise they’ll use the “media are liars,” even our survey supports it” narrative for god knows how long. Chilling.

      • Shark Bait says:

        I used a fake name and email. The donation page was too much. I thought Trump was self funded!

    • swak says:

      Saw it last night on my Facebook and out of curiosity went to see what it was. I think in every question (or at least most of them) had CNN and NYTimes as a choice (it was multiple choice). It was very skewed. I just clicked it off and moved on.

    • jwoolman says:

      What makes you think the poll results will be properly reported

  38. Jayna says:

    His response to the anti-Semitic question was flat-out bizarre.

    • Who ARE These People? says:

      He couldn’t show concern without alienating the KKK and other white supremacy groups…I mean his base. And yeah, it was bizarre. “You said you’d ask me easy questions. You asked me hard questions! I hate you! Don’t make me think! Betanyahu [sic] knows me! He was here! I was standing with a Jew! Not like you! A bigly Jew!”

  39. Eric says:

    Code 5150. Get the orange straight jacket. He’s unhinged.

    Not only were his comments completely off topic and scrambled (did he interject 306 electoral votes randomly???), but of the 17 Qs he was asked he was rude or curt on a dozen of them.

    Did he really say to Jim Acosta that the family tree needs to be checked? (Alex Acosta is of no relation, Mr Brilliant!). A three second google search could have confirmed that.

    It would be comical if it wasn’t so deadly SERIOUS!

    • original kay says:

      We’re not allowed to say that, Karen said so. no other opinions need apply, she’s everywhere today voicing HER opinion (and using caps so be careful if yours is differs).

      As it happens I agree with you. It was crazy, insane, he acted like a lunatic, completely unhinged.

      • Giddy says:

        I watched the whole thing in absolutely fascinated horror. I had a physical last week and my doctor said Trump is mentally ill, and that her psychiatrist friends agreed. The psychiatrists also said that their phones were going crazy with patients wanting Xanax etc. to help them deal with their Trump induced anxiety. I think this will become an official malady: Trump induced anxiety, and I’ve got it!

      • original kay says:

        I wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear that it’s making people need meds. The constant state of anxiousness is debilitating.

        I hope you and your close ones are coping ok. Every day it’s something new 🙁

      • Beth says:

        @Giddy I’ve been at the psychologist more to deal with the anxiety of what Trump is doing to us! And my dr also agreed like yours that Trump shows symptoms of someone with a mental illness. Like megalomania.

      • Shark Bait says:

        Meh, aren’t people with personality disorders (as many believe Trump to be) the least likely to get help? I mean, aren’t most serial killers and dictators sociopaths and NPDs? I get not belittling mental health by calling him crazy or nuts, but I think it’s fair to question his mental health. I truly think something is not right with him. Along with being a complete a hole, misogynistic bigot.

      • original kay says:

        Not only are they unlikely to seek help, if they are forced to go they lie and do exactly to the therapist what they do to everyone else.
        it’s no win, that’s for sure.

        Finding a therapist who can see through the bullshit is pretty much not going to happen, because of course once a therapist starts to figure it out, they person finds a new one.

      • jwoolman says:

        Let’s play nice, please. Karen just raised a concern about language that does affect her and she respectfully explained why. She doesn’t deserve to feel on the defensive for that.

        We don’t have to agree on such things (I’m in the “unhinged lunatic in the White House” camp myself) but we need to resist the urge to go all Trump on each other….

        That should be our motto:

        “Don’t be a Trump!”

        🙂

    • Heartfelt says:

      Speaking up in support of jwoolman here. Karen went way beyond just raising a concern, and her tone was far from respectful. It was attacking and passive-aggressively belittling.

      Also, the letter to the editor by the psychiatrist who supposedly wrote the criteria for NPD in the DSM (aren’t those actually written by focus groups?) did not even make sense, as others above have pointed out above. And as far as avoiding mental health labels, we need to know what we’re up against, and labels can be very helpful and informative in that regard.

      • Heartfelt says:

        Oops, sorry. Second time posting, and can’t delete the post for some reason. Meant to say speaking up in support of original kay.

  40. Jo says:

    Keep reading people saying ‘he’s doing alright for someone that’s never held public office.’ But it’s that part of the problem? You can’t just let anyone have a bash at running the country.

    • robyn says:

      I continue to be baffled by the seemingly vast network of his supporters and think some of the pro-Trump comments on other sites are actually from Russia or somehow paid for. How can people not see this man for who he is????

      • Chingona says:

        No, unfortunately he still has a vast amount of supporters. If you could see the amount of people in my area with Trump stickers, Trump American Flags, Trump painted onto their vehicles, businesses with Trump signs as big as their sign, and Trump monuments in their front yard!! These people continue to support him.

      • Esmom says:

        Chingona, thank goodness most of the supporters in my area are keeping their worship to themselves or I’d be having fits on a daily basis. What you describe really makes me think it’s time for The Giant Meteor 2017.

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        Chingona, this reminds me of the sunk cost fallacy. They’ve already invested in him, financially and emotionally, and will keep investing thinking that they’ll get some money back. In fact they’ll never get their return on that investment. It’s what people do, it’s not rational, but people are not rational. We’ll do anything to avoid a loss, or a perceived loss in the moment.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        I have the same suspicions because there are suddenly a lot of pro-Trump comments on Danish articles, especially on FB. I find that very curious and very suspicious because they appear as curiously detached from our national, political context whilst beeing similarly worded as comments I’ve seen on British and American sites.
        It is known that Putin has a sort of “troll-fabric” that is used to influence public opinion in various countries.

      • Lady D says:

        Consider, it’s his supporters sons and daughters that will be sent to war. It will also be their sons and daughters that will come back requiring medical care they will never be able to afford under his regime. His supporters don’t seem to think of these things.

      • cd says:

        Many are trolls paid for their propaganda vomit. It is a way of doing mental conditioning for their masses, they feel empowered for having oh soo many people agreeing wit them, and for us on the other side to feel defeated. DO NOT BE AFRAID, his real supporters who are not mentally defective will open their eyes when they feel the burn, but only then. Meanwhile, resist to your best ability.

    • original kay says:

      I actually had someone justify his actions and behaviours by saying he was just getting used to his job.

      um, you don’t get paid training for being president. honest to god the way people can justify him defies belief.

      • Kitten says:

        I really don’t know whether to laugh or cry, Kay. The absurdity of these people thinking that the presidency is akin to being a grocery store cashier. SMDH.

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        What is he, like a counselor in training? THERE IS NO SUPERVISOR. (sorry for shouting)

    • Lightpurple says:

      Even by that standard, he is failing

    • swak says:

      I keep reading “The liberals hate him because he’s doing what he promised”. Some days I just walk away.

      • graymatters says:

        I guess the state of his campaign did indicate a promise to turn the US government into an internationally embarrassing clusterf##k. So they’re right. Lucky us.

      • cd says:

        Their supporters become human megaphones to whatever message or excuse the Junta is trying to sell. They just read it somewhere vile and repeat it ad nauseum.

    • Beth says:

      @Jo I’m ashamed to say that my parents are people that excuse his messy mistakes by saying that ” nobody’s perfect”, “eveyone makes mistakes” or “give him a chance, he’s still learning”. Aaahhhh!!!!!

    • jwoolman says:

      I wonder if the people who voted for him

      – hire a plumber who doesn’t know a pipe from a wrench
      – hire a dentist who doesn’t know how to turn on the drill, much less how to use it
      – hire an electrician who says “what’s a ground?” and “can I stick my fingers in this thing with holes attached to the wall? (Bzzzzt)”
      – hire a doctor who skipped med school and doesn’t know how to read the Physicians’s Desk Reference
      – hire a driver who can’t remember which one is the brake and keeps asking which side if the road he’s supposed to drive on

  41. Anitas says:

    Anus Mouth.

  42. adastraperaspera says:

    I am worried about the fascist rally he has planned in Florida today. I fear that Bannon might stage an assassination attempt to throw power to them. His behavior is not sustainable for Bannon’s plans to stay on the down low.

    • Esmom says:

      There was chatter on Twitter about that yesterday. I don’t know what to believe anymore, honestly.

    • Chingona says:

      I think the rally is exactually tommorow in Melborne, FL. This will be his third weekend in a row down here in FL and it is causing so much problems here. I have a friend who owns an aviation school and does tour guides, he is losing so much money because of the no fly restrictions and it is rumored that Trump will be coming every weekend until end of May.

    • Pip says:

      To play devil’s advocate here: would that be such a bad thing ….?

      ETA: Ignore me, I skipped the word “attempt” on first reading.

  43. minx says:

    This is a crisis. The man is insane.

    • original kay says:

      Yes, in the same ways Hitler was.
      It starts out like this, and ends with, well, we know how it ends. We’ve done this one before, yet it seems the Republicans can’t see that.

      • Lightpurple says:

        They can see it; they’re good with it.

      • original kay says:

        oh god LP, you’re right

        🙁

      • adastraperaspera says:

        He is giving them the cover they have always wanted to complete Reagan’s work and force the U.S. into a bona fide Handmaid’s Tale. You just know McConnell and Ryan are shoving cash down their pants as we speak.

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        They were good with it all the way through the campaign. They’ve been dismantling pro-humanity regulations and implementing anti-humanity regulations since he came into office. The fact that they let him stay there is anti-humanity too.

      • Lightpurple says:

        McConnell knew about the Russian hackinga long time ago and told Obama that if he said anything they would accuse him of interfering with the election. And McConnell personally benefited. The Senate has yet to begin any investigation even though several Republican senators have been requesting one for over 4 months. McConnell doesn’t want one.

        Ryan & Chaffetz have both expressed more concerns about finding the leakers than they have about the content of the leaks. They’re fine with Trump giving our country to Putin; they just don’t want you to know about it.

      • Radley says:

        I’m sure the Republicans see it. They’re just being enormously selfish right now.

        They know having a Republican president impeached and even possibly criminally charged is the worst case scenario for all Republicans in office. They fear a backlash and losing their jobs. But they’ve gotta do what’s right not only for America, but for the world at large. People will probably lose elections over this through no direct fault of their own. But hey, that’s life. Find another job. That’s what ‘you’re on your own’ Republican bootstraps philosophy is all about anyway.

        I think as more information comes to light, they’ll be forced to act anyway. Some are just probably hoping to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

    • isabelle says:

      Yet the Republican party sits back and does nothing. They are the real watching the world burn culprits to his insanity. They are allowing this and are doing nothing to stop the madman. No Republicans should be reelected because of it. Please people vote in the midterms in 2018, send them the message of their appeasement of this madman. Vote them out!

  44. IlsaLund says:

    I sat there with my mouth agape the entire time I watched that clown show. I nearly lost it when he said “he inherited a mess.” No, Obama inherited a mess.

    Here’s How America Changed Under Obama, And How It Looks As Trump Takes Office : NPR
    http://www.npr.org/2017/01/19/510491692/the-america-donald-trump-is-inheriting-by-the-numbers

  45. WendyNerd says:

    Also loved when he shut down a Jewish reporter for asking about growing anti-semitism. “But Ivanka and Jared!” Trump will decide who is Jewish or not.

    • SusanneToo says:

      And Asshole in Chief is the most non anti-Semitic person who ever lived. He said so himself.

    • Radley says:

      He wouldn’t allow the Jewish reporter to speak so he could go off topic about how not anti-semitic he is. That wasn’t the question. He shouted down the Jewish reporter, ignored his question, and went on a self serving ramble. But he respects Jewish people, cuz he said so. I was aghast.

      • jwoolman says:

        It was so sad- the reporter worked on a small Orthodox newspaper and was really excited about getting a seat at the press conference (first time), and had carefully crafted his question to start out praising the Trumpster so it would be clear that he wasn’t criticizing but really just wanted to know how the government intended to deal with the big increase in anti-Semitic activity. He wasn’t an “enemy” but a friend and Trump treated him so badly. The guy actually thought he hadn’t been clear and was trying to clarify it but Trump just kept shooting him down, not even realizing that the question was friendly. I think the reporter talked with some White House staff later so hopefully they treated him right.

        Of course, the likely reason Trump didn’t want to answer the question was that he was totally uninterested and had no plans to deal with it…..

  46. Tessa says:

    My decision not to breed is based pretty much entirely on the events of DT et. al. over the last year or so.
    It’s petrifying

    • Juls says:

      Me too. We already have 2 boys (terrified for their futures). We had been talking about trying for a girl. We are now actively planning a vasectomy for my hubby.

  47. Eric says:

    I think it’s time to face Emperor Zero’s unfitness NOW rather than later.

  48. Nina says:

    The continued support for this pumpkin-hued cretin boggles my mind. I don’t understand how anyone can listen to his incoherent, petty ramblings, see his juvenile meltdowns on social media, and still think, “Yeah, this is the guy I’m trusting to run my country”.

  49. Citresse says:

    Robyn Urback of CBC news Canada is praising Trump’s press conference because it makes him “real.”

    • Nina says:

      I think you may have misinterpreted the tone of the piece. She calls it “perfect” insofar as it was exactly what his supporters love to see.

      • Citresse says:

        Regardless, it was strange reading that from Canada. Even stranger when you consider many Trump supporters thought the press conference was bizarre.

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        Canada has a right wing contingent, and Robyn Urback wrote for the conservative pro-business National Post. But, even she said this was unnerving. And for all we know, she’s correct in her assessment that this “unscripted” man is what his followers like to see, as they did in rallies.

      • Nina says:

        It was an op-ed piece, not an editorial. The opening lines are:

        “Donald Trump’s Thursday afternoon news conference was brilliant.

        Don’t get me wrong; from a safeguarding-democracy perspective it was horrific.”

        While there are a lot of crazy right-wingers up here, the piece was not written FOR them, but rather showed how his behaviour endears him to them and to his American supporters. It wasn’t a glowing review.

      • IlsaLund says:

        @Who are these people

        But isn’t that the problem? His supporters wanted someone to shake up the system and who wasn’t a career politician. They were tired of being lied to by the white conservatives who only used them for their votes and could careless about addressing their real concerns. The thing is, this “unscripted man” is doing the exact same thing to them. Why do people constantly vote against their best interests?

    • Beth says:

      Yeah. It does make him “real”. Real scary! Showing for “real” that he doesn’t belong in the White House!

  50. I'mScaredAsHell says:

    This is a 70 year old man. He will not change.

    This is who he is.

    He makes no attempts at hiding who he is.

    He occupies the Presidency. His words matter at home and abroad.

    He has access to the nuclear codes and can start a nuclear holocaust.

    Thin on that.

  51. HK9 says:

    Who is going to stop this madness? Nothing good will come of this-when is someone going to protect the US not only from the Russians but from the power hungry fascists? Clearly, Trump is going to carry on like a fool for four years while Bannon tears up the constitution and eliminates the rights and freedoms that the country was founded on. It’s only FEBRUARY and the situation is untenable. WTF?

  52. Radley says:

    The moment that truly blew me away was the rambling about Obamacare leaving people in alleys and nobody knows how they got there. WHAAAAT??? Something is very wrong with this dude.

    The ravings of a lunatic. He has got to go. Soon.

    • Who ARE These People? says:

      I know. Alleys? Did he mean people on drugs? The drugs that are cheaper than candy?

      I’m convinced his worldview was formed by New York City in the 1980s, and got stuck there.

      • cd says:

        I read someone that said 45’s drug-dealer must be very popular, if he can keep such lows prices going…

  53. Persian says:

    Long time lurker , first time poster.
    I live in Tehran, Iran and I’m glad to see so many Clinton supporters voicing their concern over this pathetic excuse of “so-called” president
    I’m a very liberal person and an agnostic …I believe human rights are above everything else and ever since I remember my own country is a horrible place for values and human rights
    I’ve always looked up to america because of their constitution and I have always been petrified to express my opinions but I am very glad that this site is full of smart intelligent posters fighting for good.
    The day Hillary lost was a huge loss for me too… and ever since then I have to get used to the fact that anything might happen everyday and considering the theocratic mess that I live in .. Its like a shadow over my head
    Keep up spreading the good work guys I applaud each and everyone of you and remember there are likes of you even in the most backward places
    America is the democratic power holding this world together … if it falls apart the whole world will go down

    • Jayna says:

      Welcome. It is a frightening time to see America going backwards and run by two mad men, Trump and Bannon.

    • sunnydaze says:

      Sending lots of love and light your way…Unfortunately, if we go down we’re taking a whole lot of people with us, particularly in your neck of the words. We are truly in this together as horrifying as that is.

      • Persian says:

        Thank you for your very kind words
        Always remember you’re not just fighting for yourself … You’re fighting for so many in the world who can’t do anything but watching
        Wish you guys a lot of strength

    • Sixer says:

      Welcome to comments, Persian. Please stick around. A variety of perspective in the comments is one of the most important things about this site. Add to the mix!

      • Persian says:

        Will be glad to contribute to this wonderful community of fellow celebitchers!
        And I hope I can deliver the insider look of what happens in Iran.
        So far I’m thinking Trump is definitely gonna get impeached it’s just the matter of how

      • Beth says:

        Welcome @Persian. This is the only place to comment without being called names. Trump supporters are mean and naive. Stay here with people who agree with you

    • SusanneToo says:

      Welcome, Persian. I echo the comments already posted. I appreciate viewpoints from other parts of the world and, once again, welcome.

  54. Rapunzel says:

    Shep Smith is even slamming him. Shep Smith!! Now Trumpsters are calling for his head. They’re lashing out in the same defensiveness Trump is.

    I’m seriously terrified of what his base might do if he’s impeached.

    • HK9 says:

      I find it disturbing that Trumpsters are calling for his head. He’s allowed to have his opinion just like they have theirs. I’ve always wondered about the disdain some conservatives have for career experience, knowledge and wisdom. Why is it bad, for someone to have gone to school, and actually have knowledge about working in the political system? Do they not know that this type of knowledge is open to everyone if they want it?

      • adastraperaspera says:

        It’s the all-out assault on Reason that has been mass-marketed in the U.S. for decades now (starting with Reagan’s inane quips and on through Rush Limbaugh, Dubya and Fox, right-wing “Think Tanks” and on and on). A large group of people have been rewarded for not thinking. This group doesn’t value education or critical thinking one bit, and that benefits the 1% greatly. All they have to do to keep the peace is put on a good Superbowl show every year and swagger around the halls of congress talking big but doing nothing. That’s what we’re proud of as a nation. It’s sickening. It will go nowhere. So far there are still more of us, and we have to push back against this rising tide.

        “An anti-intellectual society, however, will have large swaths of people who are motivated by fear, susceptible to tribalism and simplistic explanations, incapable of emotional maturity, and prone to violent solutions.”

        https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-humanity-naturally/201506/anti-intellectualism-is-killing-america

  55. Pip says:

    Christ alive: apparently the Associated Press has got hold of a memo which details plans to utilise up to 100,000 National Guards to round up undocumented migrants.

    Someone really needs to step in to curb this madness now.

  56. Amanda DG says:

    At this rate I think he will implode before 6 months are up. Or there will be a massive uprising and he will be overthrown. One can only hope… I wish republicans in office would stop kissing his ass and call him out on his BS.

  57. Pandy says:

    Hang on Americans. IF you aren’t nuked and you have some clean water left you will live to see him arrested for treason.

  58. Abbess Tansy says:

    This press conference just cemented the fact that if Congress doesn’t act they will have failed this country. And to a degree where it’ll take decades for us to recover domestically and internationally. How can the Republicans put their selfish interests before the good of the people? It makes me so angry, frustrated and sad what they are willing to do for power and control.

    A couple of things from the press conference really angered me. He had the nerve to ask April Ryan, a long time reporter, to set up a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus like she was a meaningless, unknown underling. Not to mention that he didn’t even know who she was referring to when the original question was asked. The acronym CBC in DC is pretty well known. And nevermind the fact that the CBC requested a meeting with Trump in January, a request which he ignored. The CBC tweeted after the press conference about that too.

    And that was some serious word salad about Flynn. Trump could give Sarah Palin some serious competition for her word salad championship. He would have directed him to do it because it was his job to do so but technically it wasn’t his job because Flynn was still a civilian at the time, not the national security advisor.
    God, I absolutely loathe this man and his administration. Impeach or we may go bust.

    • Guesto says:

      I was way more alarmed and disturbed by the reaction of the press than by Trump. WTF?

      Here they were, witnessing at first hand, a man clearly unfit, on every level. for purpose, a barely literate, incoherent, inarticulate fool, someone who wouldn’t even quality for village idiot status, and yet still playing along with it, and giving him the importance he craves, and acting as if their questions, in the aftermath of witnessing his obvious and terminal mindless idiocy, were going to generate coherent answers.

      The press needs to find its balls in a big hurry.

      • Pip says:

        Guesto, it was disconcerting wasn’t it. The one heartening clip I’ve seen here on the BBC was, right at the end, when several of them started shouting at him & one guy was yelling about his tax returns. To me, that looked like the only sane reaction to the dumpster fire in front of them.

        It makes me so angry when people laugh at him – it stopped being a joke about a year ago. Not funny any more.

      • mee says:

        Im wondering what would happen if the press all just got up and walked away while he was talking. and stopped the cameras. I know he’d just take to twitter then and broadcast his own conferences with his own fake “media” like breitbart, but it’d be awesome to see everyone just get up and turn off the lights on this clown. How many more days of this ridiculous show do we have to watch – CANCEL this stupid show now!

  59. Tough Cookie says:

    Wish I’d read this sooner. I understand so much more now…

    https://extranewsfeed.com/why-liberals-are-wrong-about-trump-c865b12c72a7#.gnhj61ugn

  60. Leslie says:

    He was all over the road. And he hardly ever completes a sentence and is distracted by shiny objects and gets off topic. He brought up Hillary at least three times and it had nothing to do with the question that he was answering. I think that he’s obsessed with her. And also why in the world did he bring up nuclear war? Once again, it had NOTHING to do with the question that he was attempting to answer.

  61. Alexandria says:

    I skip over any videos of Drumpf because there is no point and to avoid trigger. I just read the article (from a sensible source of course). I remember a poster said last year that according to the stars, 2016 was the time of change and 2017 would be the time to reflect. I think of that these days.

    As a non-American, first of all I wish you all love, peace and safety. I hope the intelligence community, the Dems and the fourth estate help you and us out of this. But normal citizens can also go out and help by voting the Republicans out. This move towards anti-intellectualism needs to stop. If we survive this, I think someone competent and passionate like Elizabeth Warren should really lead the education department better.

  62. Kitten says:

    Hey everybody RELAX. Jason Chaffetz is going to make everything better by investigating……CLINTON’S EMAIL SCANDAL?!?!?!

    http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/ignoring-trump-chaffetz-seeks-charges-related-clinton-emails?cid=sm_fb_maddow

    Good God can we just fire the entire f*cking Republican party already?

  63. Bee says:

    My first reaction was that the press en masse need to stop turning up and televising his stuff (let him rant to an empty room devoid of cameras), and Twitter need to ban him.

  64. Jaded says:

    Illegal immigration here in Canada has skyrocketed since the election. Do you know what our border security does at unsecured crossings? They politely help them across often snowy and dangerous areas, take them to the authorities and allow them to apply for refugee status. No yelling, no guns drawn, no forced-to-the-ground patdowns.

    If Trump doesn’t start a nuclear holocaust Canada will benefit enormously from this as we need more qualified workers here to boost a low population and GDP.

  65. Paris says:

    I still can’t believe that he is our president.
    What went wrong?
    I just can’t … I feel myself embarrassed everytime I watch news.

  66. Jayna says:

    I’ve been reeling and waiting for new music to help me through this nightmare since the election. U2 has put on hold the companion album coming out now until later this year because of the events that happened, Trump, and feel they need to address it. I don’t want cliched songs. I want a mood, really. So If they do it in a noncontrived way, I’m in.

    But Depeche Mode has an album coming out March 17. It’s called Spirit. They still fill arenas here and fill stadiums in Europe. So this album really addresses what is going on not just here but overseas. Dave says it addresses our humanity. I heard the first single and went meh. But four listens in and I love it. If you love electronica (I do), this has that cold but warm sound from electronica that fits what is going on, and is a sombre song. But I love the sonics. I kind of need this song right now.

    This interview a few weeks ago is very interesting and moving by Dave Gahan (lead singer). It was moving how he talked about his teenage daughter bursting into tears after she heard Trump won. But I teared up when he was discussing his love for Bowie growing up and how he broke down when he heard the news. Their daughters were at the same school. I can’t believe I am still tearing up a year later.

    Here’s the interview and clip for Revolution. My gloom and doom has grabbed on to this song, about taking my power back and what am I going to do. The song, with headphones, will need more than one listen to appreciate it. Music is important to me right now. I hope this album lives up to its promise.

    http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/depeche-modes-dave-gahan-on-urgent-new-lp-bowie-influence-w462560

  67. PaulY says:

    “I don’t mean this to sound melodramatic, but I’m seeing serious cultist leader vibes in the way Trump defines his own reality; which his loyal group of followers not only blindly accept, but actively embrace. I’m being absolutely serious. Does anyone else get the same impression? I’m honestly feeling very scared.”

    I posted this to my Facebook status last night, and so far have only gotten 2 likes – 1 of which came from my husband – out of my somewhat modest list of 98 “friends”. Needless to say, my fear since then has only gotten worse as a result. 🙁

    • adastraperaspera says:

      Big thumbs up! Like! Whatever the parlance needs to be to let you know that 100% yes many aspects of he and his people are definitely like a cult.

      • SusanneToo says:

        We should all buy stock in koolaid for that day when he goes down and takes his followers with him.

      • PaulY says:

        Thank you both @adastraperaspera and @SusanneToo for helping me feel just a wee bit less hopeless. I know that it’s going to be a long and hard fight, so again, thank you for helping prop me back up for the next round. 🙂

    • Snowflake says:

      Yes, it is crazy how our perception of things is so different from Trump and his people. I almost feel like there’s two different versions of reality. It’s just fucking nuts, how they can continue supporting him. I had the 700 club on for a minute and the old guy anchor was saying how the liberal biased media was saying the Russians are in the WH, like we are trying to twist it. They’re painting him as some sort of victim of the liberals. It’s nuts!

    • Deeanna says:

      Yes. Absolutely. Which explains the followers continuing to support him even in the face of his craziness and incompetence.

      Read up on cults, cult-like behaviors. It’s all there.

  68. Mary says:

    I M P E A C H M E N T NOW.

  69. Marley says:

    I heard Mark Zuckerberg is thinking about running for office. Must be a Facebook v Twitter thing. But seriously he could mount a very formidable campaign with Facebook at his disposal. He seems like a great candidate for these times.

    • hmmm says:

      I think Zuckerberg,, another billionaire. BTW, is an opportunist. I wouldn’t touch him with a ten foot pole.

      • Marley says:

        I’d have to learn more about him. But he’d be thirty five at the next election so that’d be a change from the geriatrics that normally run. He’s also proven himself to be a successful business person and doesn’t seem to have screwed people over in order to succeed. He’s also in touch with the concerns of younger people as he values diversity, action on climate change and has his finger on the pulse when it comes to information technology. I’d be prepared to give him a fair hearing before making up my mind.

  70. SusanneToo says:

    For anyone interested.
    http://www.obama.org/

  71. virginfangirl2 says:

    I think Trump’s head is going to pop off soon. And he would probably still keep ranting.

  72. original kay says:

    Boy I’m glad I came back to report about Trump’s latest tweet, calling the media the enemy of the people. He deleted one tweet and then changed it (added a few more news sites) then tweeted it again.

    What an exciting day here! I’ve been called a troll, to to have fun living under my bridge (with my broomstick presumably) had a fake (pun intended) apology, and been lectured to by a Llama. Never say CB is boring.

    anyway, his latest tweet is the same as always, only adding more news sites. Yes, he is unhinged and dangerous. I make no apologies for saying this man is insane.

  73. Cee says:

    im in Amsterdam for the week and every time Im.at the lobby the CNN is on recaping his latest rant. I watched the BBC’s recap of this press conference and all i can say is he better be impeached. This man is dangerous especially given his deep connection with Russia.

  74. Nibbi says:

    i’m starting to honestly think he’s not well, and i’m not even sure if that’s concern-trolling or not. like, i think he’s awful, but he increasingly seems to be this frantic, overwhelmed, lost person thrashing around and lashing out because he feels threatened and out of control.
    i mean, he wasn’t even entirely rational. he was asked a specific question about a real situation by the guy from the jewish magazine, and the point was about what action Trump would take in response, which is a totally reasonable and normal and solutions-based, policy kind of question, and Trump flipped out and took it as a personal attack on him personally, bc everything is about him of course, and started talking about the election again, and man it was super, super weird.
    like, i think the stress is getting to him and he’s losing it and it’s very scary but at the same time i hope more people are seeing the light that this situation is untenable for us, the country, and the world.

  75. jana says:

    Trump just fucking reeks of desperation…to be liked. So much so that he has to fly to Florida for the 3rd weekend in a row, so he can see and hear equally crazy people cheer for his crazy ass. And all the tax payer money that is spent for secret service protection for all his travels, but not one penny of tax money comes from him, he’s too smart to pay taxes!

  76. Norma Warner says:

    For God’s Sake. THE 25TH AMENDMENT!

  77. robyn says:

    Just saw a poll on CNN that said 90 percent of Republicans support Donald Trump and his antics. I find that depressing, shocking and unbelievable. What does this say about Republicans? They approve of a man who calls the free press an enemy of the people, a man who belittles and lies and assaults people verbally on a regular basis and so much more! Why such a large percentage?

  78. Kath says:

    I’ve long thought that people should require a license to breed, but now I seriously think people should require an IQ test to be able to vote.

    My father was a Central/Eastern European who was always contempuous of what he called “peasants”. I thought this was appalling and snobby, but now I understand where he was coming from.

    In his country, the intelligentsia (who Trump would call the liberal ‘elite’) fought against the Nazis and smuggled arms to the Jewish ghettos so that they could fight side-by-side against occupation. The only collaborators for the most part were wilfully ignorant, rural anti-Semites who knew nothing, had never lived alongside minority groups, and who were in thrall to the “strong man” who was invading their country – even though it was against their own interests.

    Sound familiar?

    I could never understand how people couldn’t recognise fascism when it was staring them in the face, but after hearing Trump’s brainless minions defending him, I can see how it can happen.

    • ArtHistorian says:

      When I grew up I lived next door to a traitor. When my country was occupied (my father was a young boy at the time), this man chose to fight for the Nazis in Freikorps Dänemark. He also one of the most stupid persons that I’ve ever met – like he continued to take the earnings of his shop at home with him instead of going to the back even though he was robbed in his home several times, etc.

      He never caught on to the fact that my father absolutely despised him (probably because my father is a polite person). It always felt so weird for knowing our next door neighbor was a traitor, especially since my father’s cousins were in the Resistance and lived in the same small town and thus would encounter him on a regular basis.

  79. Deeanna says:

    Were there any qualifiers to the “90% of Republicans who support Trump and his antics”? Republicans in Congress? Republicans who voted? Republicans in Florida? Just asking.

    Re: The psychiatrist who is claiming Trump does not have NPD.
    Is it not just as much of an ethics violation for him to pronounce unequivocally that a person does NOT have a disorder as it is to pronounce that a person DOES have a disorder when they are not your patient?

    In addition, I do not recall reading that “having pain related to the disorder” or “seeking treatment for the disorder” are listed under the diagnostic criteria in the DSM. Anyone?

    IMO This guy should have just kept his mouth shut.
    —————————-
    We must not be surprised that people who voted for Trump are not seeing things like the Press Conference performance the same as we see it. Many voted for him based only on one issue – such as thinking he is going to reduce the cost of health care. Others actually believed – and likely still believe – that he is going to bring back manufacturing jobs. Yeah. Like he’s going to build new steel mills. Right.

    It is difficult for many to change their mind and sometimes even more difficult to acknowledge that one has made a seriously wrong decision. But eventually some will and likely already have.

    I was heartened when a friend called to ask if I had watched the Press Conference. She does not follow politics, had no strong feelings about the election and did not vote. (I know, I know)
    Anyway, she sais she had watched it – by accident, not by planning. Then she said, “Oh, my gosh, this guy is nuts!” I answered “Yes, he sure is.” And our discussion went on from there.

    It made me glad that people who know nothing can pick up on Trump right away. And it also made me hope there are lots more of these unhinged public performances. Because there are people out there who still have no idea what has happened in their very own country.
    ————————–
    Keep contacting your legislators! All of them! Use email if you can’t or don’t want to telephone. And you can contact anyone you want, from the President on down.

  80. Who says says:

    Today, Donald is going to a campaign rally. In Florida. That’s right, that is what he is calling it. He needs the attention of his supporters, because he is not getting the love from Washington and the evil press. He is trying to divert attention from his not finely tuned machine.

    • SusanneToo says:

      And costing us a fortune while doing it. POS-in-Chief.
      Meanwhile, the junior Pieces of Shit are doing this and probably getting SS protection.
      http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/17/515807668/trumps-sons-heading-to-dubai-as-business-interests-continue-to-expand-overseas

    • nemera34 says:

      Howard Stern said it..

      “He’s now on this anti-Hollywood kick. [Trump] loves Hollywood. First of all, he loves the press. He lives for it. He loves people in Hollywood. He only wants to hobnob with them. And all of this hatred and stuff directed toward him, it’s not good for him . . . Listen, there’s a reason every president who leaves the office has gray hair.”

      The question is: would Trump ever let his wispy, crispy blond ’do go gray?
      **********************

      He hates that the press is not kissing his fat ass. He hates that he is being made fun of. He hates that celebrities are not flocking to be with him. He really thought he would be loved by the world. And the fact that he is not is killing him. That is why he is holding a rally. He won. YET he doesn’t feel like a winner. He is a whiner and can’t get over he is not liked. And the press is pointing it out. And that is getting to him hard. Now he holds a rally; just to feel loved.

      • robyn says:

        Good point … every day Trump shows himself to be more of a whiner than winner. Heard some of John McCain’s speech in Germany, obviously thinking Trump when he cautioned against an unwillingness to separate truth from lies. This rare Republican speaking out against Trump’s horrid behavior is refreshing his status as hero in my mind.

  81. BooBooLaRue says:

    I always knew that orange tanner would cause dementia.

  82. Marcy says:

    For as long as the Republicans are in charge there will be no impeachment if the intelligence keeps quiet out of fear of investigation hate to say it but it’s true this man has violated our rights, is racist, robs our country, will destroy our resources and get us killed what does he care he’s 70 he will pass away soon he doesn’t even really care about his family or he’d care about this country. No one has the real courage to stand up to him I mean really put him on blast outside We The People and the media Republicans are his sheep because they care only about partly I say vote all these jerks out of office only we can drain the swamp unless his lover boy Puttycakes rigs those elections to then we are screwed. People over 65 say good bye to Medicare say good bye to Medicaid say good bye to great hourly wages he will lower those to make America Great for the billionaire and take away our work perks to.

  83. katie2you says:

  84. Deeanna says:

    Do not even think that a Republican controlled Congress cannot or will not impeach. They will if the presidential misbehavior is grievous enough and enough pressure is put on them by their constituents.

    “He is humorless to the point of being inhumane. He is devious. He is vacillating. He is profane. He is willing to be led. He displays dismaying gaps in knowledge. He is suspicious of his staff. His loyalty is minimal.”

    The editors of The Chicago Tribune, a newspaper that had supported Nixon, wrote the above in 1974 shortly after the Oval Office tapes were released prior to Nixon’s resignation. Sound familiar?

    I am currently reading “Washington Journal – Reporting Watergate and Richard Nixon’s Downfalll” by reporter and journalist Elizabeth Drew who was a Washington correspondent of The New Yorker and The Atlantic at the time. Written as a journal she kept, it was originally published in 1974. It was re-published in 2014 including an Afterward containing numerous facts not known in 1974.

    I’ve read many, many books about Watergate over the years. This is one of the best. Drew is just excellent at describing both the large things and the small things like the body language of the President during a presidential press conference. Some of it is hilarious!

    I ordered a hardback copy of the book online at amazon for one cent plus $3.99 shipping and it came in 4 days.
    ———————
    Something from the book that I had never heard before:
    As things got worse and worse for Nixon in the Summer of 1974 a cadre of protesters with signs established themselves in Lafayette Park, directly across from the White House. Eventually many of these protesters held signs that said, “Honk for Impeachment!” which resulted in a steady cacophony of honking horns, both day and night.

    In the weeks leading up to his resignation Nixon would often order that he be driven to Camp David at the end of the day, returning early the next morning. So he could spend his evenings and nights without the sounds of the horns honking outside.

    Beautiful idea….

  85. MAC says:

    I watched the press conference and it was disturbing. All I could think was if anyone acted this way as the head of any company or upper management they would be fired. His behavior is unacceptable let alone the content.

    I am deeply concerned Joe Manchin of West Virginia(Senator). Voting for Sessions.
    Thank you to all who post it helps to be able to read the comments. It helps.