What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[The Larch]

cost+50, the new shakedown formula from Trump, for allies hosting military bases.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-invokes-new-demand-for-extracting-billions-of-dollars-from-us-allies/2019/03/09/d472b9cb-09d5-481e-9475-291378986dbb_story.html?utm_term=.429ba351985f

Seems like a move into using overseas bases as extorsion rackets for the countries hosting them.

[Razgovory]

How would his behavior be different if were working for the Russians.

[Eddie Teach]

He might cut defense spending.

[The Minsky Moment]

How would his behavior be different if were working for the Russians.

He would be more subtle and circumspect.

[Tamas]

How would his behavior be different if were working for the Russians.

He would be more subtle and circumspect.

Yeah, that's his only defense really. No actual Russian agent would be this transparent about being a Russian agent. He is just immoral and stupid.

[Syt]

Stonekettle
‏@Stonekettle

Guy who spent more than two hours in an incoherent rambling random stream of consciousness at CPAC, suddenly concerned with saving time and words.

Seriously, imagine being this insecure.

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

At a recent round table meeting of business executives, & long after formally introducing Tim Cook of Apple, I quickly referred to Tim + Apple as Tim/Apple as an easy way to save time & words. The Fake News was disparagingly all over this, & it became yet another bad Trump story!

[Syt]

2+ minute video of Trump calling people wrong names: https://twitter.com/_JustinStevens_/status/1105393837080403968

[viper37]

Trump administration preparing to close international immigration offices

The Trump administration is preparing to shutter all 21 international offices of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a move that could slow the processing of family visa applications, foreign adoptions and citizenship petitions from members of the military.

USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna said in an email to staff Tuesday that he is working to transfer those duties — now performed by employees worldwide — to domestic offices and the State Department's embassies and consulates. He wrote that if the State Department agrees, the agency would move to close its international field offices in coming months "in an effort to maximize our agency's finite resources."

"I believe by doing so, we will better leverage our funds to address backlogs in the United States while also leveraging existing Department of State resources at post," he wrote. "Change can be difficult and can cause consternation. I want to assure you we will work to make this as smooth a transition as possible for each of our USCIS staff while also ensuring that those utilizing our services may continue to do so and our agency operations continue undisrupted."

Believable or not?

[11B4V]

Trump administration preparing to close international immigration offices

The Trump administration is preparing to shutter all 21 international offices of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a move that could slow the processing of family visa applications, foreign adoptions and citizenship petitions from members of the military.

USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna said in an email to staff Tuesday that he is working to transfer those duties — now performed by employees worldwide — to domestic offices and the State Department's embassies and consulates. He wrote that if the State Department agrees, the agency would move to close its international field offices in coming months "in an effort to maximize our agency's finite resources."

"I believe by doing so, we will better leverage our funds to address backlogs in the United States while also leveraging existing Department of State resources at post," he wrote. "Change can be difficult and can cause consternation. I want to assure you we will work to make this as smooth a transition as possible for each of our USCIS staff while also ensuring that those utilizing our services may continue to do so and our agency operations continue undisrupted."

Believable or not?

I wouldn't doubt it.

[viper37]

I meant the cost reduction part.  Is that the real aim?

[Valmy]

It seems a bit counterproductive move for a President who said he was in favor of increasing legal immigration.

[jimmy olsen]

This has Stephen Miller written all over it.

[Sophie Scholl]

I wonder how much better things would work at State if it was actually fully staffed instead of intentionally neutered and left with a sub-skeleton crew.

[Syt]

I checked on Twitter if Trump had said anything about New Zealand, but his last tweet is this:



(I guess this is a plug after their recent interview with him?)

[jimmy olsen]

(I guess this is a plug after their recent interview with him?)

An interview in which he threatened violence against his opponents