Thoughts on the Trump presidency

[AlterEgo]

Since you ask I agree with his “putting America first” also I like the idea of sticking up for American workers rather than those who take societies benefits whilst making no contribution to that society

And, give you were directly responding to the question, that is a balance to his racism, transphobia, and sexism etc, etc? He's a vile man, regardless of whether or not some of his policies make sense or not.

 

[nlogax]

it concerns me that we are totally dependant on others for some basic needs

It concerns a lot of people, including millions actually living in the US who don't have two red cents to rub together and whose sneaky workaround to lack of access to any sort of healthcare is 'desperately trying not to get sick'. In a country run almost by exclusively run by billionaires, for billionaires or those that desire to be.

You've been hoodwinked by Trump's mission statements. To be fair so were a large proportion of his voters. Again.

 

[sor]

Surely an issue for the D.O.G.E. here? If workers can work from home and are more efficient at home then the gov can save money leasing commercial spaces, saving taxpayer dollars. Funny how medicare and social security can be cut but (presumably) rent for these spaces isn't in the question at all.

If government owned space then again, selling off and saving money on maintenance etc.

it's perhaps the most ridiculous pedantry, but it's not the DOGE, it's the USDS.

Despite having control of all branches of government, he didn't get congress to pass a law to create the actual DOGE with a cabinet post and all of that stuff. Instead he used an executive order to take an existing executive department called the US Digital Service (which was created by Obama to help modernise government IT) and renamed it the US DOGE Service instead.

I only mention this because Musk desperately wanted to make DOGE a thing but technically it isn't

 

[DerekC]

Is Musk (presuming that he is paid by the Federal Government for his Chief Doge role) going to be subject to the "go into the office" order?

 

[nlogax]

Is Musk (presuming that he is paid by the Federal Government for his Chief Doge role) going to be subject to the "go into the office" order?

He's got at least three offices already (X, Tesla and SpaceX)..this 'new' government position is a complete smokescreen. 'Sorry Donald, I'll be working from my other job today'.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Everyone bangs on about Trump’s unpredictability but at least one thing that everyone foresaw has come to pass - he’s backing down on the ban for TikTok that he previously passionately wanted, and is casting himself as a saviour for having stopped it being banned

(Oh, and his videos get billions of views, as he likes to remind everyone)

 

[ainsworth74]

Everyone bangs on about Trump’s unpredictability but at least one thing that everyone foresaw has come to pass - he’s backing down on the ban for TikTok that he previously passionately wanted, and is casting himself as a saviour for having stopped it being banned

(Oh, and his videos get billions of views, as he likes to remind everyone)

Though that's legally funky as the law of the land remains that TikTok is banned, Trump has just instructed the Justice Department to not take any action regarding it. I am of the impression that Apple and Google have both still not put the TikTok app back on their relevant app stores, presumably because they don't want to risk becoming liable for fines which the Trump admin could then dangle Sword of Damocles like over their heads ("Oh wouldn't it be a shame if I decided to allow my Justice Department to prosecute you after all, but maybe if you did XYZ for me...").

 

[trainswitheddy]

Has he actually introduced anything to help with cost of living yet?

 

[DerekC]

Has he actually introduced anything to help with cost of living yet?

Trump said a whole load of things to the WEF in Davos today. The Reuters report is here, but I have copied the two that seem to address your question:

https://www.reuters.com/business/davos/world-economic-forum-meeting-davos-live-updates-2025-01-21/

ON TARIFFS

"My message to every business in the world is very simple, come make your product in America and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on earth."

"If you don't make your product in America, which is your prerogative, then very simply you will have to pay a tariff. Differing amounts. But a tariff which will direct hundreds of billions of dollars and even trillions of dollars into our treasury to strengthen our economy and pay down debt."

ON TAXES

"Our majorities in the House and Senate, which we also took along with the presidency, are going to pass the largest tax cut in American history, including massive tax cuts for workers and family and big tax cuts for domestic producers and manufacturers. And we're working with the Democrats on getting an extension of the original Trump tax cuts."

So he's going to apply tariffs to nearly everything imported, pump up US based manufacture and use the revenues to cut personal taxes. Or that's the theory. it's a classic Trump win-lose. America wins, the rest of the world loses. But will it work like that?

 

[najaB]

Of course the brilliance of this whole thing is that we, and much of the rest of the media and commentators, are focussing on this and ignoring all the Executive Orders that came out yesterday and will have a much bigger impact more immediately than whatever Elon was up to last night at this rally.

Those included removing a requirement for Federal employees to sign an ethics pledge, and undoing deals that got Medicare patients cheaper drug prices!

Yeah, really a man for the people, there Donald.

So he's going to apply tariffs to nearly everything imported, pump up US based manufacture and use the revenues to cut personal taxes.

And where is this revenue coming from?

 

[GusB]

He's de-classifying documents related to the assassinations of John F Kennedy, Robert F Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

I'm glad that Trump's getting on with the really important stuff!

Trump pushes to release JFK and MLK assassination documents

Unanswered questions and conspiracy theories have long dogged the assassinations, particularly the murder of President John F Kennedy.

www.bbc.co.uk

US President Donald Trump has ordered officials to make plans to declassify documents related to three of the most consequential assassinations in US history - the killings of John F Kennedy, Robert F Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
"A lot of people are waiting for this for long, for years, for decades," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. "And everything will be revealed."
The order directs top administration officials to present a plan to declassify the documents within 15 days.
President John F Kennedy was killed in Dallas in 1963. His brother Robert F Kennedy was assassinated while running for president in California 1968, just two months after King, America's most famous civil rights leader, was murdered in Memphis, Tennessee.
Many of the documents related to the investigations have been released in the years since, although thousands still remain redacted, particularly related to the sprawling JFK investigation.
President John F Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, a Marine veteran who had defected to the Soviet Union and later returned to the United States.
A government commission determined that Oswald acted alone.
However, unanswered questions have long dogged the case, and have given rise to alternative theories about the involvement of government agents, the mafia and other nefarious characters - as well as more outlandish conspiracy theories.
Opinion polls over decades have indicated that most Americans don't believe Oswald was the sole assassin.
In 1992, Congress passed a law to release all documents related to the investigation within 25 years. Both Trump in his first term and President Joe Biden released piles of JFK-related documents, but thousands – out of a total of millions – still remain partially or fully secret.
Trump promised to declassify all of the files in his first term, but held back on his promise after CIA and FBI officials persuaded him to keep some files secret. Today's executive order states that continued secrecy "is not consistent with the public interest".

 

[JamesT]

And where is this revenue coming from?

Either from the tariffs on people importing or the increased tax revenue from more production taking place in the US?

 

[najaB]

Either from the tariffs on people importing or the increased tax revenue from more production taking place in the US?

So either way the government is paying for the tax cuts by collecting more tax. If the average Joe believes that's going to help them rather than the ultre-rich, I've got an infinite power hack for them:

 

[DerekC]

I think Trump's idea is that the tariffs are paid by foreigners so that's OK. I guess he hasn't worked out that in fact it's US citizens who will have to pay more for their imports.


And I gather he launched his own personal cryptocurrency just before inauguration, followed immediately after by an executive order to make cryptocurrency more generally accepted. You couldn't make it up!

 

[philosopher]

It does unfortunately look like Trump is serious about taking control of Greenland.

Trump tells Denmark’s PM he’s serious about taking over Greenland in ‘fiery’ call

President has wanted the U.S. to obtain Greenland since his first term

www.independent.co.uk

Trump tells Danish PM he’s serious about taking over Greenland in ‘fiery’ call that has Danes in ‘crisis mode’​

If Trump does try to acquire Greenland, I think it would spell the end the transatlantic Alliance. Most European nations would view the United States no better than say China or India.

 

[dangie]

If Trump does try to acquire Greenland, I think it would spell the end the transatlantic Alliance. Most European nations would view the United States no better than say China or India.

What would thoughts be if Putin and Russia made moves to acquire Greenland?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Jan 2025 ==

He's de-classifying documents related to the assassinations of John F Kennedy…

He’s probably going to give Posthumous Pardons to Lee Harvey Oswald & Jack Ruby.

 

[nlogax]

It does unfortunately look like Trump is serious about taking control of Greenland.

He may think he is but the only it's going to happen is with an armed invasion. So it's not going to happen.

 

[DustyBin]

He may think he is but the only it's going to happen is with an armed invasion. So it's not going to happen.

On a serious note, should this not be a matter for Greenlanders to decide? A bit of research suggests that across the (small!) population there are a variety of views with support for independence, joining the US, and maintaining the status quo.

Perhaps it’s time for a referendum, or is it not that simple?

 

[alex397]

On a serious note, should this not be a matter for Greenlanders to decide? A bit of research suggests that across the (small!) population there are a variety of views with support for independence, joining the US, and maintaining the status quo.

Perhaps it’s time for a referendum, or is it not that simple?

I hope they don’t take advice from the UK if they have a referendum…. But yes, any changes to Greenland should be decided by Greenlanders. Not Denmark and not the US. I feel bad for Greenlanders, who are now pawns in a toddler tantrum.

 

[Gloster]

Although it is not directly part of Trumpland and hopefully never will be I fear that he will be using Greenland as a diversionary tactic throughout his tenure. If other matters go badly he may become increasingly belligerent over it cand cause collateral damage to NATO and other alliances.

My feeling is that the general preference in Greenland would be for independence, but they know that they would probably have to fund the generous state support network themselves, rather than being subsidised by Denmark. Few are going to support an American takeover as they fear the loss of this network, whatever might be said at first.

 

[najaB]

Perhaps it’s time for a referendum, or is it not that simple?

But only if Greenlanders want a referendum. Imagine the hew and cry if the USA insisted that we had another Brexit referendum, another Scottish independence plebiscite or one on Irish reunification.

 

[Trackman]

What would thoughts be if Putin and Russia made moves to acquire Greenland?

It's a NATO country.
Article 5 would kick in.

 

[nanstallon]

Turkeys have voted for Thanksgiving and if the next four years don't educate them about the nature of consequences for electoral choices then, hey, good luck America - and indeed everyone else.

It doesn't matter whether or not the turkeys learn their lesson over the next four years, it will be too late. If there is an election in 2028, it will be a Russian style election with the result already decided. In a sad way it amuses me when people say that Trump can't stand for a third term. Perhaps legally, he can't, but what does the law and constitution matter? Mugabe in Zimbabwe went on till he was 90 something, despite having been ready for the funny farm for many years.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Jan 2025 ==

Worryingly I think that might also spread over here. Maybe there are enough GLT to outvote, but never the less it's on the back of my mind.

Luckily we can still move to a forward liberal country on our doorstep - Ireland.

Britain usually apes the USA. British PMs are so sycophantic - as are the British in general - that the likes of Starmer will lick Trump's boots whatever he does and however much he insults Britain. I have little doubt that the creep Farage will be PM in 2029.

I'm researching my family history in hope of finding an Irish ancestor, and getting an Irish passport.

 

[AlterEgo]

It's a NATO country.
Article 5 would kick in.

Only if he declared war and invaded it. "Making moves to acquire" could mean purchasing it.

 

[Gloster]

Only if he declared war and invaded it. "Making moves to acquire" could mean purchasing it.

I really don’t think that the Danes would risk becoming international pariahs by selling the country as though it was some nineteenth century colony. Any government that even started negotiating would be hounded from office.

 

[AlterEgo]

I really don’t think that the Danes would risk becoming international pariahs by selling the country as though it was some nineteenth century colony. Any government that even started negotiating would be hounded from office.

Greenland is a 19th Century colony!

Britain just effectively tried to sell Chagos; the difference here is that the proposed trade is to another imperial power, not a small island nation of minimal global importance.

 

[Pete_uk]

Is he really stupid enough to invade Greenland?
What on earth would happen then?

 

[Howardh]

Is he really stupid enough to invade Greenland?
What on earth would happen then?

I doubt it, Greenland has Nuuk and some smaller west-coast towns and that's about it - the rest is just ice with natural minerals underneath. I think US does have military bases there, and I think the more likely senario is they buy "patches" of Greenland to drill for those recourses which might have a lease (eg Hong Kong) so both sides can call it a "win".

 

[najaB]

It doesn't matter whether or not the turkeys learn their lesson over the next four years, it will be too late.

To be fair, the midterm elections in 2026 aren't that far away. The GOP have a wafer thin majority in the House and the current projection is the Senate will be either 50-50 or 51-49 (in the GOP's favour).

If they don't deliver on their key economic promises to the middle and working classes, there's a good chance that both houses will swing back to the Dems.

 

[Discuss223]

The issue matter isn't clean cut. Although many will agree with President Trump's policies, he was still the person suggesting/alluding that people inject bleach to cure a virus (DON'T try it, it's highly dangerous).

I do think his policies will bring some positives though.

Firstly, Biden was obviously inept at the job and it was rumoured that his cognitive function was severely impaired.

President Trump has said that he won't pander to climate change/electric vehicle pushers.
Trump is also a business man and you need business brains to run a country.



Although he is entitled to his own personal views regarding transgenderism, he was very harsh in his speech by suggesting that trans people don't exist...which ofcourse they do.