What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Sheilbh]

Any democratic system of government ultimately rests on the decency and fair-mindedness of the people, and on the people's commitment to be decent and fair-minded.  Sad to say, that is why the US is in trouble now.

Yep. Probably not just democratic systems either.

It's "good chaps" and political culture all the way down. The law, constitutions, crowns, who gets to wear robes - that's just decoration and enchantment but it makes nothing happen.

(I think it's one reason I still quite like the Westminster system in a UK context. The power is naked, the only restraint is the actors' own restraint or that forced on them by politics - and, arguably, a crown which is objectively ridiculous so only works because of the belief that it works.)

[Jacob]

Any democratic system of government ultimately rests on the decency and fair-mindedness of the people, and on the people's commitment to be decent and fair-minded.  Sad to say, that is why the US is in trouble now.

A decent and fair-minded population isn't something that just appears (or disappears) by itself. It's the product of education, social institutions, and other means of propagating values (aka propaganda).

[crazy canuck]

Any democratic system of government ultimately rests on the decency and fair-mindedness of the people, and on the people's commitment to be decent and fair-minded.  Sad to say, that is why the US is in trouble now.

A decent and fair-minded population isn't something that just appears (or disappears) by itself. It's the product of education, social institutions, and other means of propagating values (aka propaganda).

I forget how many years ago, but we had a good discussion about the decline of support for Liberal Democracy.  At that time I was pessimistic that it would survive, and that Liberal Democratic institutions would eventually cease to function properly.  I am shocked thought about how quickly it has happened.  I thought it would take a couple of generations of slow decline.  But it happened very quickly. 

I think it really did just disappear in the course of a decade or so.

[Sheilbh]

I think in part - and I know I bang on about it (and don't really think it works in the US) - I think it's the mutual withdrawal Peter Mair's written about in Ruling the Void. Both the governing elites and the people withdrawing from the institutions and practices of democratic politics.

And I do think the failures of democratic politics in recent years has been a huge contributor to this. Both not delivering effective output-legitimising government (two failed wars, one financial crisis, decade plus of austerity, Minsk, opioid crisis etc) and unresponsive to public opinion for input legitimacy.

[Syt]

https://oversight.house.gov/release/oversight-committee-releases-records-provided-by-the-epstein-estate-chairman-comer-provides-statement/

Oversight Committee Releases Records Provided by the Epstein Estate, Chairman Comer Provides Statement
WASHINGTON—Today, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released records provided by the estate of Jeffrey Epstein pursuant to Chairman James Comer's (R-Ky.) subpoena issued on August 25, 2025. Chairman Comer also issued the following statement:

"It's appalling Democrats on the Oversight Committee are cherry-picking documents and politicizing information received from the Epstein Estate today. Oversight Committee Republicans are focused on running a thorough investigation to bring transparency and accountability for survivors of Epstein's heinous crimes and the American people. President Trump is not accused of any wrongdoing and Democrats are ignoring the new information the Committee received today. The Committee will pursue additional Epstein bank records based on this new information. Democrats must decide if their priority is justice for the survivors or politics."

The documents can be found here (backup here).

The Committee also obtained information about Epstein's bank accounts. The Committee will pursue these bank records.

Mostly posted because the links lead to .... Google Drive. Seems weird, guess they don't have their own hosting space on their servers?

[Norgy]

So Charlie Kirk was killed.
That is so not okay.

Even if your opinions are constantly wrong, being killed for them? No. Stop. Now.

[Josquius]

https://oversight.house.gov/release/oversight-committee-releases-records-provided-by-the-epstein-estate-chairman-comer-provides-statement/

Oversight Committee Releases Records Provided by the Epstein Estate, Chairman Comer Provides Statement
WASHINGTON—Today, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released records provided by the estate of Jeffrey Epstein pursuant to Chairman James Comer's (R-Ky.) subpoena issued on August 25, 2025. Chairman Comer also issued the following statement:

"It's appalling Democrats on the Oversight Committee are cherry-picking documents and politicizing information received from the Epstein Estate today. Oversight Committee Republicans are focused on running a thorough investigation to bring transparency and accountability for survivors of Epstein's heinous crimes and the American people. President Trump is not accused of any wrongdoing and Democrats are ignoring the new information the Committee received today. The Committee will pursue additional Epstein bank records based on this new information. Democrats must decide if their priority is justice for the survivors or politics."

The documents can be found here (backup here).

The Committee also obtained information about Epstein's bank accounts. The Committee will pursue these bank records.

Mostly posted because the links lead to .... Google Drive. Seems weird, guess they don't have their own hosting space on their servers?

I smell DOGE.
"Official systems are too slow and clunky and rubbish. Just use Google Drive!"
Neglecting why special systems existed in the first place.

[Valmy]

So Charlie Kirk was killed.
That is so not okay.

Even if your opinions are constantly wrong, being killed for them? No. Stop. Now.

His death is disastrous.

But we don't know if he was killed for his opinions, we have no idea what the motive of the killer was.

I mean...probably a good guess but part of me hopes they discover it was for some personal reason.

[HVC]

So Charlie Kirk was killed.
That is so not okay.

Even if your opinions are constantly wrong, being killed for them? No. Stop. Now.

His death is disastrous.

But we don't know if he was killed for his opinions, we have no idea what the motive of the killer was.

I mean...probably a good guess but part of me hopes they discover it was for some personal reason.

One of the wackier idea was a cia hit to take focus off trumps epstein thing. Far right conspiracy of all things.

[Jacob]

Murder should be kept out of the political discourse, 100%. Murdering people is wrong.

That said, it seems to me that political assassinations and terror attacks actually work a distressing amount of the time. Sometimes they are essentially ignored, sometimes they spark backlashes that are counter-productive from the point of view of the perpetrator, and sometimes - more often than I'd like - they influence events in the way that is agreeable to the perpetrator(s).

It remains to be seen what the repercussions are of Kirk's killing. Personally I expect the reactionary right to attempt to capitalize on it, but we'll see how successful they are. What part of their agenda can they accelerate, using Kirk's death as the justification?

On the other hand, if "white guys with guns" start shooting at the GOP and other reactionary right wing thought leaders at a frequency greater than "very rarely" it will leave them with a bit of a challenge to resolve.

[grumbler]

I hope no one misses the irony of Trump decrying the murder of a man, while celebrating his murder of 11 men.

And make no mistake about that: it was unquestionably murder by US and international law (and may have strayed into piracy).

[Oexmelin]

One of the issues here is that the USA has numbed itself to the issue of gun violence in general; that is has had a constant stream of politicians asking people to dissociate the endless stream of mass shooting from any political issue; that fear, generally speaking, of an armed populace, has already transformed behavior in all sorts of way - including policing. In a sense, I am not sure it will have a profound, lasting impact.

In other ways, Trump and his cronies scarcely need acceleration, considering the speed at which they already operate unopposed. If I had to hazard a guess, the area where they may intervene after this would be increasing the pressure on university campuses. 

[Josquius]

Pictures released of the suspect.
Comments I've seen suggest.


1: he looks like half the population of Utah.
2: he's wearing a patriotic disabled veteran shirt.


BBC News - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c206zm81z4gt
Charlie Kirk shooting latest: FBI release images of 'person of interest' in Charlie Kirk shooting - BBC News

[HVC]

Third times the charm?

[Valmy]

Yeah whatever. Let me know when you have the confirmed suspect under custody.