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Worst Week 2 of any Presidency Ever? WSJ Article

Discussion in 'Too Hot for Swamp Gas' started by citygator, Jan 31, 2025 at 12:43 PM.

  1. citygator

    citygator VIP Member

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    You know it's bad when the Wall Street Journal questions the running of a Republican White House. But all evidence is that this week was an unmigrated disaster - as they laid out in the article. The entire country is reeling from the mess of week two.

    Trump, Facing Two Crises in His Second Week, Spreads the Blame Around - WSJ

    WASHINGTON—President Trump’s handling of two crises this week—one, a bureaucratic mess and the other, a horrific tragedy—quickly shifted the White House from inaugural euphoria to the realities of governing.

    His defiant stand in the face of nationwide confusion and fear left some aides scrambling to fortify the image of a White House that could do no wrong. But he handled both problems with the same approach: deflecting blame and attacking Democrats, the media and his predecessors.

    The country also received its first live-action glimpse of a White House and cabinet that is being hastily assembled and crafting policies on the fly that in one case had to be quickly reversed.

    On camera and on Truth Social all week, Trump governed with his usual confidence and bravado. But behind the scenes, there was evidence of frustration and breakdowns in communication in an administration that has moved with lightning speed to try to shake up the government.
     
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  2. slayerxing

    slayerxing GC Hall of Fame

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    Wow. Honeymoon period over already? Damn wsj…
     
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  3. SotaGator

    SotaGator All American

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    What has DonOld done to hack off Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch?
    I'll take "Throw Uncertainty into the U.S. Financial Markets" for $200 please.
     
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  4. VAg8r1

    VAg8r1 GC Hall of Fame

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    There may actually be a method to Trump's apparent madness. This article theorizes that Trump may intentionally be pushing the legal envelope with the goal of having the Supreme Court determine the limits (or more accurately lack thereof) on his power. Although the article focuses on Trump's firing of the IGs it's applicable to almost all of his apparently illegal stunts.
    Defying Legal Limits, Trump Firings Set Up Tests That Could Expand His Power
    The prospect of getting dragged into court may be exactly what Mr. Trump’s lawyers are hoping for. There is a risk that judges may determine that some of the dismissals were illegal, but any rulings in the president’s favor would establish precedents that would expand presidential power to control the federal government. Some legal experts say the purges underway appear to be custom-made opportunities for the Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed majority to strike down the statutes any legal challenges would be based on, furthering its trend in recent years of expanding presidential authority.

    “On one level, this seems designed to invite courts to push back because much of it is illegal and the overall message is a boundless view of executive power,” said Jack Goldsmith, a Harvard law professor who led the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel in the Bush administration. “But really, they are clearly setting up test cases.”
    Five of the nine Supreme Court justices worked as executive branch lawyers during the Reagan and George W. Bush administrations. Their legal teams were both defined by an expansive view of executive power, including developing theories of the Constitution that would invalidate congressional restrictions on the White House.

    Essentially there is the scary and very real possibility that the SCOTUS could formalize Trump's role as the Dictator-in-Chief. In their last term they gave him immunity not unlike that of a king.
     
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  5. duggers_dad

    duggers_dad GC Hall of Fame

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    It’ll be interesting to see how long you can maintain this level of intensity. I see burnout in your near future …
     
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  6. gator_jo

    gator_jo GC Hall of Fame

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    It's interesting that there are actually people in this world who, following the election, expected some version of : "Triumphant Trump.... with a mandate..... has strong ideas .....will get things done", etc. etc.

    But we've got his lifetime body of work in business, and 4 years in the White House as a crystal clear guide : Trump is an incompetent ****** clown. And a criminal to boot.

    The only thing he was successful at in business was defrauding banks but remaining personally solvent after numerous bankruptcies. And then laundering Russian money and as a reality show host.

    As POTUS, the only thing he succeeded at was grifting and monetizing the presidency. His only remotely plausible success was an economy built on upping deficit spending.


    The rational expectation for Round 2 of this moron's clown show should have been: a continuation of his death-increasing covid debacle.

    And...surprise! Here we are.
     
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  7. channingcrowderhungry

    channingcrowderhungry Premium Member

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    Bottom of a pint glass
    I've been wondering if the chaos is intentional or incompetence myself. They genuinely seem to have no plans in place on some of these EOs.
     
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  8. citygator

    citygator VIP Member

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    No worries I like to pace myself so I dont end up with dozens of useless threads like Bill.

    I cant help that the WSJ put out such a critical piece. Pretty interesting criticism so early in his administration.
     
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  9. WarDamnGator

    WarDamnGator GC Hall of Fame

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    Co Presidents Trump and Musk are far too concerned about their faltering social media and Car Businesses, and meme coin grifts, to care that one of their military helicopters decided to park in front of a runway.
     
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  10. rivergator

    rivergator Too Hot Mod Moderator VIP Member

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    Dishonesty and blaming others. What a shock
     
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  11. Gatorrick22

    Gatorrick22 GC Hall of Fame

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    The POTUS has been STEALING their talent and Fox News is upset about it... Lol. :eek::D;)
     
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  12. BossaGator

    BossaGator GC Hall of Fame

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    Yikes. Gotta wonder what Fox’s less talented folks are like.
     
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  13. Gatorrick22

    Gatorrick22 GC Hall of Fame

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    Lol... I don't know, I watch Newsweek.
     
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  14. sierragator

    sierragator GC Hall of Fame

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    Fake news. The best two weeks ever. He's done more in two weeks than any potus has ever done in entire terms. It's incredible, like no one has ever seen before.
    Rename the country after him!!!!
     
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  15. redbass-510

    redbass-510 Sophomore

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    Complete BS
     
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  16. gator_jo

    gator_jo GC Hall of Fame

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    I share the same wondering.

    He's effectively crippling the infrastructure of the global development (US foreign aid) industry with the 90-day stop payment order.

    In abbreviated terms; all the very numerous companies that implement USAID projects fund a large part of the operating costs and then bill the US government for repayment. This isn't as huge as it may seem, as those costs are ongoing, and fairly rapidly reimbursed. Now they are all in a cash crunch though. And there is uncertainty as to the repayment part. It may be actual deliverable supplies they're waiting to get paid for -but presumed responsible to still deliver, or it may be........ their subcontractors no longer want to take on the work with now financially-shaky counterparties. In short, and all the business owners here will relate; they've created a cash-flow crisis. Personnel are already the first to go in order to sustain such a situation.

    So, like you said; is this intentional? Does he want to cripple the industry on a longish term by driving companies into bankruptcy, and driving their personnel into other fields?

    It's hard to think that that dip$hit would be able or even willing to plan such a thing out. But Project 2025 would. Speculation is that they've determined the voting records of the people involved. But that's only speculation.... who knows.
     
  17. dynogator

    dynogator VIP Member

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    Gotta be incompetence. Trump isn't smart enough to carry out a Machiavellian plan.
     
  18. gator_jo

    gator_jo GC Hall of Fame

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    Right. But don't you have to consider Project 2025 people now? They're clearly not as imbecilic as Trump.
     
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  19. duggers_dad

    duggers_dad GC Hall of Fame

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  20. tampajack1

    tampajack1 Premium Member

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    What's your point in linking a POS online publication? Trump has done enough damage to this country in 10 days to seal his fate as the worst president in the history of the USA. If you disagree, please give us a hint as to why. You know damn well that if a Democratic Party president was doing this crap, you would be going completely wacko.