What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[jimmy olsen]

Also, lol 

https://twitter.com/rgoodlaw/status/1086124446258221058

Another FLASHBACK:

@LindseyGrahamSC: "If there was some reason to believe that the president tried to coach somebody not to testify or to testify falsely that could be obstruction of justice?"

William Barr: "YES"

[Grey Fox]

Is Canada hiring?

Yes, lots of positions available if you can teach.

[The Brain]

Is Canada hiring?

Yes, lots of positions available if you can teach.

And for teaching gym?

[Grey Fox]

Yes.

[The Brain]

[The Larch]

Trump tried to illegally withhold disaster relief money from Puerto Rico

A Washington Post article on the resignation of deputy Housing and Urban Development Secretary Pam Patenaude, a housing policy professional who's been de facto running the department under the vague auspices of Ben Carson, also contains the stunning information that President Trump attempted to illegally cut off federal disaster assistance to the island of Puerto Rico.

We already knew that in October, Trump tweeted — inaccurately — that the Puerto Rican government was planning to use disaster relief money to pay off old debts.

But the new report says Trump went beyond bad tweets and tried to base policy on this misapprehension, urging his team to violate the law and redirect the disaster assistance money to Texas and Florida instead:

Trump told then-White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly and then-Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney that he did not want a single dollar going to Puerto Rico, because he thought the island was misusing the money and taking advantage of the government, according to a person with direct knowledge of the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive internal deliberations. Instead, he wanted more of the money to go to Texas and Florida, the person said.

"POTUS was not consolable about this," the person said.

Patenaude told White House budget officials during an early December meeting in the Situation Room that the money had been appropriated by Congress and must be sent, according to two people with direct knowledge of the meeting. She assured them that HUD had proper oversight of the funds.

[Berkut]

Trump tried to illegally withhold disaster relief money from Puerto Rico

A Washington Post article on the resignation of deputy Housing and Urban Development Secretary Pam Patenaude, a housing policy professional who's been de facto running the department under the vague auspices of Ben Carson, also contains the stunning information that President Trump attempted to illegally cut off federal disaster assistance to the island of Puerto Rico.

We already knew that in October, Trump tweeted — inaccurately — that the Puerto Rican government was planning to use disaster relief money to pay off old debts.

But the new report says Trump went beyond bad tweets and tried to base policy on this misapprehension, urging his team to violate the law and redirect the disaster assistance money to Texas and Florida instead:

Trump told then-White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly and then-Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney that he did not want a single dollar going to Puerto Rico, because he thought the island was misusing the money and taking advantage of the government, according to a person with direct knowledge of the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive internal deliberations. Instead, he wanted more of the money to go to Texas and Florida, the person said.

"POTUS was not consolable about this," the person said.

Patenaude told White House budget officials during an early December meeting in the Situation Room that the money had been appropriated by Congress and must be sent, according to two people with direct knowledge of the meeting. She assured them that HUD had proper oversight of the funds.

It is rather terrifying that we have a President who has no conception at all of any kind of check on what he is supposed to be doing.

All Presidents have probably wanted to be able to have more power. Some of them have actively tried to get more power.

But I think this is the first who is probably stunned to find out he doesn't actually have unlimited power, and sees it as an actual flaw in the system.

[Oexmelin]

He's also the consummate con man, obsessed about people taking advantage of him/the government, because that's totally what he would do himself (and indeed does).

[Barrister]

ANyone know much about Maryland governor Larry Hogan (R)?  Here's some speculation he might mount a primary challenge to Trump.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/18/larry-hogan-donald-trump-2020-election-1110535

[Habbaku]

Have literally never heard of him. I hope someone does primary Trump.

[Admiral Yi]

He was mentioned in an Economist article about Kaisich in particular and moderate and/or anti-Trump Republicans in general.  Before that, had not heard of him.

[Savonarola]

From the New Yorker, so it's a lo-o-o-ong read; but I thought this was interesting:

How Mark Burnett Resurrected Donald Trump as an Icon of American Success

Burnett is the godfather of American reality television, producing such shows as Survivor, The Voice, Shark Tank and The Apprentice.

Edit:  Relevant to the recent "Hamberders and media circuses" news cycle; according to the article he was invited to Trump's home for dinner and got served McDonald's. 

[Valmy]

Wow. That guy has destroyed the United States on so many cultural and political levels 

[Admiral Yi]

Shark Tank is pretty cool.  Starting a business reimagined as a popularity contest.

Though Mark Cuban is a dick.

[Barrister]

Shark Tank is pretty cool.  Starting a business reimagined as a popularity contest.

Though Mark Cuban is a dick.

I wonder why they didn't keep the original name Dragons Den when they exported that show to the US?

It's also the show (Dragons Den/Shark Tank) that came close to giving us Kevin O'Leary as Conservative Party leader.