What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[The Brain]

It's hard to judge America's position in the current interregnum. We'll see when they have a president again.

[Zanza]

Trump posted a tweet Tuesday saying: "We have a massive trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay far less than they should on Nato and military. Very bad for US. This will change."

I thought it was good if one pays less than one should for something.  Isn't that part of "the Art of the Deal?"  Didn't Trump get all boasty abut paying less for the F-35?

Germany is actually looking into buying F-35s to replace it aging Tornado jets. Seems like that might be an extremely politically convenient deal. It would allow Trump to claim a yuge victory on both trade and NATO contributions.

[CountDeMoney]

Things became strained under GWB. I wonder if this is the logical conclusion. Then, the U.S. wanted to lead, and not everyone was willing to follow, leading to serious friction (this forum being testament to it). This time the Trump U.S. says, "fuck it all."

There's a big difference between "strained"--we've seen strained before: see LBJ and France, Reagan and the Freeze movement--and outright deconstruction of the post-war world.

There's always been a portion of the US population with the "fuck it all" mentality--but they were always the wingnuts and uneducated.  Now they've been legitimized by the Electoral College with an unfit President surrounded by doomsday fruitcakers and "post-West" Russian mobsters.

[garbon]

Less & Less everyday.

Our economy hasn't imploded and nor have our military. I get the front that we can be counted on less but if anything, as a wildcard actor, our importance is not lessened.

A Wild card power is irrelevant. No one will turn to the US for leadership, help or advice if today's word is only guaranteed for today. All that will remain is the want of access to the US market. Everything else, Trump is destroying at an amazing pace.

I guess if you don't wanting to worry about the risk of what that large power might play. But then I don't think any government would adopt that stance as that'd be foolish.

[Jacob]

Things became strained under GWB. I wonder if this is the logical conclusion. Then, the U.S. wanted to lead, and not everyone was willing to follow, leading to serious friction (this forum being testament to it). This time the Trump U.S. says, "fuck it all."

It does seem to be a follow through on the isolationist strain in the American polity. However it seems to be implemented via incompetence rather than as a coherent and sophisticated policy. Seems to me that it will cost the US more in terms of influence and other benefits than it would have if done better.

Obviously, as garbon says, the US still has a mighty military and very important economy but at present it seems like the administration doesn't know to what ends it wants to deploy the military might (and accumulated political capital), nor does it have any idea how to serve the needs of the economy (beyond, of course, enriching a select group of wannabe oligarchs which seems a wasteful and insignificant use of the might of the US).

[garbon]

Less & Less everyday.

Our economy hasn't imploded and nor have our military. I get the front that we can be counted on less but if anything, as a wildcard actor, our importance is not lessened.

The modern international order does not like wild cards.  Wild cards increase the likelihood of conflict.  As a global superpower, the global anchor of the post-war collective security model and leader of the western liberal democratic system, the US cannot be a wild card.

I'm not saying it is a good state of affairs.

[garbon]

Listening to Spicey on his press briefing. He basically says nada.

[Oexmelin]

"We're gonna have a lot of strength, and we're gonna have a lot of peace," he explained.

Again, that man is President of the United States.

[Valmy]

That is why he is President of the United States. He takes very complicated issues and makes them sound ridiculously simple. It is just too bad he cannot make them actually ridiculously simple in fact.

[garbon]

Listening to Spicey on his press briefing. He basically says nada.

Ah and he got ganged up on when trying to explain examples of fake news which basically boiled down to things that the admin doesn't like to see covered.

[CountDeMoney]

"We're gonna have a lot of strength, and we're gonna have a lot of peace," he explained.

Again, that man is President of the United States.

But Benghazemails, dude.

[FunkMonk]

Since American foreign policy is effectively debilitated for the next 4-8 years, will other powers (presumably Russia and China, or whoever else) try to check off as much of their foreign policy dream sheet as possible while The Donald is "in charge"?

If so, sounds like a recipe for some spicy TV.

[viper37]

"We're gonna have a lot of strength, and we're gonna have a lot of peace," he explained.

Again, that man is President of the United States.

I think the guys behind Team America: World Police are actively working on a sequel.

[garbon]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/30/john-mccain-donald-trump-us-white-house-scandals

John McCain urges allies to stand by Trump's US during 'troubled times'

Donald Trump's administration is mired in scandal, senior republican senator John McCain has said, but he urged America's allies to stand by the nation as it navigates "troubled times".

In a speech in Sydney, Australia, McCain said the US remained the most important country on Earth, and the global defender of "truth over falsehood".

McCain also used the speech to launch a swingeing attack on China, accusing the emerging superpower of bullying other countries, stealing intellectual property and making illegal territorial claims in the South China Sea.

McCain, the decorated war veteran, senior senator from Arizona and former Republican presidential candidate, said many of America's allies were fairly questioning the direction and reliability of Trump's administration.

"My friends, I know that many of you will have a lot of questions about where America is headed under President Trump. Frankly, so do many Americans. What I would say is that the new administration is just that – new. It is still finding its feet."

McCain conceded America's reputation had suffered in the early months of Trump's presidency as scandals over ties to Russia, alleged obstruction of an FBI investigation, nepotism and foundering relations with other world leaders rocked the administration with crippling regularity.

"We are going through a rough period," McCain said. "We really are, and for me to tell you that we aren't, politically, is not fair. But we've gone through other troubled times. I can remember the Watergate scandal and how it brought down a president. I'm not suggesting that's going to happen to this president, but we are in a scandal and every few days another shoe drops from this centipede, and we've got to get through that."

McCain said observers of the US must look beyond the president. "Our foreign friends always tend to focus on the person in the White House. But America is far bigger than that. America is our courts of justice. America is our state and local governments. America is our Congress.

"I know that the pushing and shoving and checking and balancing of my country's institutions may not be pretty, but this vast intricate and beautiful system called American democracy is doing exactly what it's supposed to do."

In Australia as a guest of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, McCain said while he respected China's economic and strategic rise, the country must conform to established global rules. "The challenge is that as China as grown wealthier and stronger, it seems to be acting more and more like a bully," he said.

"It is refusing to open more of its economy so that foreign businesses can compete fairly. It's stealing other people's intellectual property. It's asserting vast territorial claims that have no basis in international law and it's using its trade and investment as tools to coerce its neighbours. The idea that China is now the steward of the open rules-based global economic order – it may sell at Davos – but people in this country, in this region, know better."

McCain said China's claims to territory and exclusive maritime rights within the so-called "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea were illegal and must be resisted. He said America, Australia, and other allies should work together in the region, including by exercising freedom of navigation in the area, to push back against Chinese island-building and militarisation in the sea.

McCain concluded his address with a plea to Australia and other US allies to "stick with us". He said: "We need your help, my friends. Now more than ever.

"I realise that some of President Trump's actions and statements have unsettled America's friends. They have unsettled many Americans as well. There is a real debate under way now in my country about what kind of role America should play in the world and, frankly ... the future of the world will turn on a large extent on how this debate in America is resolved."

[Zoupa]

No you clearly see the danger of guys like Trump.

I just wish you would see clearly the dangers of guys like Pence.

Pence is awesome and I hope he becomes president.

Why is he awesome? He did a real poor job as Governor.