What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Syt]

If he croaks while in office it will somehow be the marxist-satanist-muslim queer transgender left's fault, somehow.

[Zanza]

Trump posted that he will not accept new digital taxes or regulations in foreign countries (aka EU, UK).

I hope the EU finds the internal strength and cohesion to deliberately de-risk our economic and political relations with the USA and then eventually comes in a position to not accept Trump's mafia methods anymore.

That would first necessitate digital sovereignty though, which we currently do not have.

[Valmy]

I hope the EU finds the internal strength and cohesion to deliberately de-risk our economic and political relations with the USA and then eventually comes in a position to not accept Trump's mafia methods anymore.

That is what I was telling all of you. It may seem in your national interests to humor Trump, but it is not. He will regard every attempt to work with him as a sign of weakness to be exploited. If you tell him to go fuck himself, diplomatically of course, you will eventually get what you want.

[Sheilbh]

That is what I was telling all of you. It may seem in your national interests to humor Trump, but it is not. He will regard every attempt to work with him as a sign of weakness to be exploited. If you tell him to go fuck himself, diplomatically of course, you will eventually get what you want.

The reason China has been able to be more robust with Trump and get results isn't because it's "standing up to a bully". It's because its powerful and its got leverage Trump responds to (not saying this about China, but I'd include bribes and graft on this point). Europe isn't and doesn't. If we want to be in a position where we can push back robustly we need to address that (we could, perhaps, call it a "self-strengthening movement" ).

Trump posted that he will not accept new digital taxes or regulations in foreign countries (aka EU, UK).

I hope the EU finds the internal strength and cohesion to deliberately de-risk our economic and political relations with the USA and then eventually comes in a position to not accept Trump's mafia methods anymore.

That would first necessitate digital sovereignty though, which we currently do not have.

And security sovereignty because I don't think it's plausible to assume Trump will operate in the world of trade dispute niceties.

Semi-relatedly on the development of capitalism with American characteristics, the US intending to take a stake in more companies:
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/25/trump-sovereign-wealth-fund-intel-private-sector

Incidentally, this reminds me of the risk of state pension funds having mandates supportive of things like DEI and ESG. When the political cycle turned the states administering those funds could strip out those mandates and some times put in the basically anti-DEI and ESG rules. I suspect a US state shareholding in companies, at least under this Administration, will be used to push its agenda in various ways (including, I suspect, just threats).

(As I say - I feel mixed about this. I actually support the state taking a stake in companies and using it to direct industrial policy - in some cases nationalising and properly planning strategic sectors. So the tools are there but the end will be graft.)

Edit: And I suspect the next step, which goes to Zanza's point on digital sovereignty, will be to particularly protect these companies from adverse EU findings. then perhaps to favour them - not that it matters anyway from someone I know who really cares about this stuff loads of European governments recently doing big deals with the various American cloud providers.

[Norgy]

If he croaks while in office it will somehow be the marxist-satanist-muslim queer transgender left's fault, somehow.

You mean Languish?

[Sophie Scholl]

If he croaks while in office it will somehow be the marxist-satanist-muslim queer transgender left's fault, somehow.

I'm at about 3ish out of 5. Apparently I need to up my numbers to get the bastard. 

[Crazy_Ivan80]

If he croaks while in office it will somehow be the marxist-satanist-muslim queer transgender left's fault, somehow.

At least biden is off the hook

[Norgy]

If he croaks while in office it will somehow be the marxist-satanist-muslim queer transgender left's fault, somehow.

I'm at about 3ish out of 5. Apparently I need to up my numbers to get the bastard. 

I can cover the marxist-satanist-muslim part. Haven't eaten pork for a year or so now. And I listened to AC/DC recently.

[Razgovory]

I'm not wealthy enough to be a Marxist. 

[Sheilbh]

On Russia - this is very significant for India, but possibly also for Russian fossil fuel exports more broadly:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/27/trump-50-percent-tariff-india-explainer

[HVC]

Broken clock and all that.

[Sheilbh]

I don't think broken clock works - it suggests a fixity to Trump's views that I don't think exists (except generally being pro-tariff and "everyone's taking advantage of us").

It's more like wildly and randomly swinging clock hands

[HVC]

Monkey with a typewriter than?

[Sheilbh]

Yeah - a trade-hating monkey with a typewriter

[HVC]

Let's change it to trade hating orangutan with a typewriter, better matches the colour pallette