What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[The Minsky Moment]

Our President is now calling for a boycott of an American company.

[merithyn]

Our President is now calling for a boycott of an American company.

You'll have to be more specific, I'm afraid.

[The Minsky Moment]

Goodyear.

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
2h
Don't buy GOODYEAR TIRES - They announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS. Get better tires for far less! (This is what the Radical Left Democrats do. Two can play the same game, and we have to start playing it now!).

Like many companies, Goodyear has a dress policy prohibiting clothing advocating particular political candidates.

Goodyear is the only major US based tire company . . . (the others do have some US facilities of course)

[Valmy]

Two can play at that game? Right wing nuts have been boycotting the impure since as long as I can remember.

[The Minsky Moment]

Conservatives can boycott whoever they want, but the President is supposed to protect American lives and property not lead boycotts against American companies.

[Valmy]

Conservatives can boycott whoever they want, but the President is supposed to protect American lives and property not lead boycotts against American companies.

The President often confuses his own interests with Americas.

[Syt]

Conservatives can boycott whoever they want, but the President is supposed to protect American lives and property not lead boycotts against American companies.

He's not supposed to do many things that he does nevertheless, and his party seems fine with or at the very least extremely tolerant of this.

[Razgovory]

Conservatives can boycott whoever they want, but the President is supposed to protect American lives and property not lead boycotts against American companies.

That has always been the fundamental problem with Trump.  When Trump was elected he became responsible for the well being of all Americans, not just those who supported him.  He has never made an effort to do that.

[merithyn]

Conservatives can boycott whoever they want, but the President is supposed to protect American lives and property not lead boycotts against American companies.

That has always been the fundamental problem with Trump.  When Trump was elected he became responsible for the well being of all Americans, not just those who supported him.  He has never made an effort to do that.

And his base loves him for it.

[viper37]

Conservatives can boycott whoever they want, but the President is supposed to protect American lives and property not lead boycotts against American companies.

That has always been the fundamental problem with Trump.  When Trump was elected he became responsible for the well being of all Americans, not just those who supported him.  He has never made an effort to do that.

are you implying he at least made an effort for the well being of those who supported him?  (I mean, the voters, not strictly those who gave money to his campaign)

[The Larch]

Charting new depths?

Trump tacitly endorses baseless QAnon conspiracy theory linked to violence
President says followers of movement, which claims Trump is fighting 'deep state' paedophiles, 'love our country'


Donald Trump has tacitly endorsed QAnon, a baseless rightwing conspiracy theory identified as a potential domestic terrorism threat by the FBI, claiming its followers "love our country" and "like me very much".

Followers of the QAnon movement believe without evidence that Trump is fighting a Satanic "deep state" of global elites involved in paedophilia, human trafficking and the harvesting of a supposedly life-extending chemical from the blood of abused children.

Yet asked about the theory at Wednesday's White House press briefing, the US president failed to condemn it. "I don't know much about the movement other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate," he said. "I have heard that it is gaining in popularity."

Supporters of QAnon share Trump's concerns about rising crime in Democratic-led cities, the president continued. "These are people that don't like seeing what's going on in places like Portland and places like Chicago and New York and other cities and states. I've heard these are people that love our country and they just don't like seeing it."

A reporter followed up, pointing out that QAnon supporters believe Trump is "secretly saving the world from this Satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals". The president replied flippantly: "I haven't heard that but is that supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing?

"If I can help save the world from problems, I'm willing to do it, I'm willing to put myself out there and we are, actually. We're saving the world from a radical left philosophy that will destroy this country and, when this country is gone, the rest of the world will follow."

The evasive remarks and implicit support were reminiscent of Trump's reaction last week when he praised the author of a magazine article floating the equally preposterous notion that Senator Kamala Harris, a woman of colour born in California, might be ineligible for the vice-presidency.

His latest remarks were greeted with jubilation within QAnon communities online, including remaining Facebook groups that are scrambling to deal with a crackdown announced by the platform on Wednesday. QAnon followers have long awaited acknowledgement from Trump and will likely view it as confirmation of their worldview.

Brian Friedberg, a senior researcher at Harvard's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, who has followed QAnon closely for years, said: "This moment was an inevitability. The only real hope now is for a large group of Republicans with power – and with power among Republicans – to come out against this despite what Trump said today."

But Trump's comments also earned fierce condemnation. Tommy Vietor, a former spokesman for Barack Obama's national security council, tweeted: "This QAnon answer is a fucking disgrace. It's a death cult. The FBI identified QAnon as a violent domestic terrorism threat and Trump is pretending not to know what it is while absolutely encouraging them and incentivizing more insane behavior."

QAnon was identified as a potential domestic terrorism threat by the FBI last year and has been linked to numerous attempted acts of violence. Yet last week Trump praised Marjorie Taylor Greene, a supporter of QAnon who won the Republican nomination in Georgia's 14th congressional district, describing her as a "future Republican Star".

Joan Donovan, research director at the Shorenstein Center, said: "People should realize that QAnon isn't just this outlandish conspiracy theory about child-trafficking and satanism. It is incredibly antisemitic ... It's driven by tropes about Jewish people and the one world government narrative."

[Sheilbh]

Again - QAnon have been identified by the FBI as domestic terrorist threat following a number of arrests. It is that weird Trump feeling - I feel like there must be a long German word for it - utterly expected and unbelievable at the same time.

[The Larch]

Again - QAnon have been identified by the FBI as domestic terrorist threat following a number of arrests. It is that weird Trump feeling - I feel like there must be a long German word for it - utterly expected and unbelievable at the same time.

Odds on some pundit (or even an administration official) picking up on this and claiming that the supression of QAnon groups in social media is another example of conservatives being silenced?

[Tonitrus]

Not likely, just more "fine people" that serve as useful idiots.

[Sheilbh]

Not likely, just more "fine people" that serve as useful idiots.

Until some of the QAnon backing Representatives (I think there are two candidates in very safe Republican districts now) are elected