What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Tamas]

Got a  pop up on a youtube clipping giving me a chance to sign a birthday card for Donald.

Kind of reveals the kind of content you are consuming.

[Tonitrus]

Mattis is still rather popular among rank and file military folks.

Rather? That's an understatement.

I often tend to understate things. 

When he was ousted as SecDef, and we had to remove his official photo from the lineup (the one that the chain of command from the POTUS on down), one of my colleagues gave it a new home at his desk. 

[Tonitrus]

But that being said, when Mattis was ousted, there was likely a healthy level of cognitive dissonance among Trump supporters in the military.  And this is likely even more advanced after that statement. 

[alfred russel]

I'm starting to feel like forcibly dispersing peaceful protestors at the White House so he could awkwardly hold a Bible the other day is seriously backfiring for Donald.

It is really stunning. This sort of thing is normally an electoral godsend to Republicans. You act as conciliatory as possible while voters see what are probably predominantly democratic leaning groups burning stuff. Republicans are the law and order party - people know that without saying it. This even has the assist of happening in a city with a democratic mayor and governor.

Instead Trump wants to act tough but the federal government really has no sway here even if he wanted to be tough. He is transparently a buffoon. That isn't new, but people pay more attention when they are subject to curfews and cities are burning.

[Sheilbh]

So this memo was released last night - it feels like something prompted this - and again I feel like it's an extraordinary/dangerous moment for a country when the military is having to issue this sort of communication:

[The Brain]

Chief of Space Operations be like: yeah yeah whatevs.

[11B4V]

So this memo was released last night - it feels like something prompted this - and again I feel like it's an extraordinary/dangerous moment for a country when the military is having to issue this sort of communication:

Yes it is. This may be a clue of what is trying to be done behind the scenes by this corrupt administration.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Isn't this the second time during this presidency when such a memo was released? IIRC someone (Mattis?) released one earlier in Trump's term.

[Tamas]

Yes it is. This may be a clue of what is trying to be done behind the scenes by this corrupt administration.

Yeah it looks like it. It is very scary that such declarations need to be made, but reassuring that they are being made.

[Solmyr]

Friend posted this on Facebook:

It's a classic move to boost up your popularity before election by declaring war on some random country. I don't think Trump has realized it doesn't necessarily work when you declare war on your own country.

[The Brain]

Well he did at least pick a cartoonishly evil banana republic.

[Sheilbh]

Much as I hate having to say anything positive about Piers Morgan and this is at least damning him with the faintest of praise, I think he comes out the better in this interview with Rudy Giuliani:
https://twitter.com/theJeremyVine/status/1268431327340236800?s=20

It also reminds me of the Ben Shapiro/Andrew Neil argument. It's like American conservatives basically think if you're not lobbing them soft-balls like Fox, then you are an incredibly biased, compromised left-wing journalist. Whereas, you know, Andrew Neil is one of the most effective interviewers in the UK but he is very openly right-wing - he edits the Spectator and wears his Adam Smith Institute (right-wing think tank) tie all the time. Similarly Piers Morgan is and, until recently, has been one of Trump's biggest supporters in the UK (he's just a natural populist/tabloid man). But because they tend to be equally aggressive with their "own side" American right-wingers they have on the show seem to have a breakdown.

[Tamas]

Yeah unlike many in America, Morgan hasn't doubled down on his support of Trump when shit really started hitting the fan with the pandemic and the protests, that's a plus.

[Oexmelin]

4500 National Guard in DC now.

[Valmy]

4500 National Guard in DC now.

I guess I never though of DC having a national guard, but they obviously do. Since there is no governor who commands them?