National Lampoon's Presidential Vacation: The Megathread

[grumbler]

U.S. President Donald Trump voiced significant displeasure over Germany's trade surplus on Thursday during a meeting with European Union leaders in Brussels. "The Germans are bad, very bad," Trump said, according to meeting participants.

The participants told DER SPIEGEL that Trump went on to say: "See the millions of cars they are selling to the U.S. Terrible. We will stop this."

Trump needs to worry more about Canada ($43 billion in car exports to the US in 2016) than Germany ($27B).

[The Minsky Moment]

Trump needs to worry more about Canada ($43 billion in car exports to the US in 2016) than Germany ($27B).

There is zero chance that Trump will worry about facts.  All of his angst is reserved for fictional things like wiretapping former Presidents, phantom brigades of illegal immigrant voters, and the Democratic Party.

[Grey Fox]

U.S. President Donald Trump voiced significant displeasure over Germany's trade surplus on Thursday during a meeting with European Union leaders in Brussels. "The Germans are bad, very bad," Trump said, according to meeting participants.

The participants told DER SPIEGEL that Trump went on to say: "See the millions of cars they are selling to the U.S. Terrible. We will stop this."

Trump needs to worry more about Canada ($43 billion in car exports to the US in 2016) than Germany ($27B).

but they are American car companies. Not sure he can reconcile the 2.

[Valmy]

And large assembly plants for German car companies are located in southern states who voted for him. Sucks about the jobs Chattanooga.

[grumbler]

but they are American car companies. Not sure he can reconcile the 2.

Doesn't matter.

[CountDeMoney]

Trump won't run again.  The job is a lot less fun than he imagined, and he's already getting bored with it.

It's not about fun.  It's about winning.  And not running for reelection = quitting.  We can't have that.

[CountDeMoney]

Morning Mix
Sean Spicer didn't get to meet the pope. Even reporters feel sorry for him.
By Samantha Schmidt May 25 at 7:27 AM

The least likely people you'd expect to feel bad for embattled White House press secretary Sean Spicer are those who are most often subject to his temper.

So it came as a surprise to some on Wednesday when Spicer received an outpouring of sympathy from the press. The reason: As President Trump met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, the Catholic Spicer was noticeably absent from the entourage.

Those in attendance included first lady Melania Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, national security adviser H.R. McMaster, communications adviser Hope Hicks, former Trump bodyguard Keith Schiller and social media manager Dan Scavino. Daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, who are Jewish, also met with the pontiff.

Meanwhile, Spicer, the highly visible White House aide who was reportedly excited to meet with Pope Francis, wasn't there.

"Wow," a source told CNN. "That's all he wanted."

Spicer's absence struck a chord. By excluding him, "Trump has done something I thought was impossible," tweeted Josh Dawsey, Politico White House reporter. "He has made everyone empathize with/defend Spicer."

    Why one of Trump's top Catholic staffers wasn't invited to meet the Pope. Sad! https://t.co/Jmm3omhUYj

    — CNN Religion (@CNNbelief) May 24, 2017

Even New York Times reporter Glenn Thrush spoke out. Spicer has on multiple occasions criticized and clashed with Thrush during press briefings, exchanges portrayed by Melissa McCarthy's Spicer character on "Saturday Night Live."

"That planners of this trip couldn't or wouldn't get @seanspicer into the Vatican speaks to a small-mindedness I find incredibly depressing," Thrush tweeted.

Thrush's colleague Maggie Haberman also tweeted about the snub. "This seems needlessly harsh — when else is Spicer likely to meet the Pope, and it mattered to him?" the Times White House correspondent said.

"Trump is a cruel boss," said New Republic senior editor Jeet Heer, who said the president "didn't let Sean Spicer meet the Pope out of sheer meanness."

Politico Magazine editor in chief Blake Hounshell said that leaving out Spicer "seems like a slight."

Huff Post published the headline: "Sean Spicer Gets A Ride On The Nope Mobile." 

CNN's Erin Burnett said that getting to meetwith the pope "by all accounts would have been the highlight of his life."

Mark Preston, a senior political analyst for CNN who attends church in the same parish as Spicer, told Burnett that "I'm sure is really hurting him," and suggested Spicer's exclusion reflected the president's "pettiness." Preston said of Spicer's job: "There are very few perks; there are very long days. For something like this to happen to Sean Spicer I think really is an indictment against Donald Trump and again in his lack of loyalty."

Burnett wrapped up the segment with this: "If Donald Trump indeed plans to remove him, go ahead and get rid of him. But he's done a lot for you. This deeply mattered to him. I just think on a human level it was clear what the right thing to do was."

    @maggieNYT could he at least watch from the bushes?

    — Tim Rogers (@nicadispatch) May 24, 2017

Some outside of the media industry were equally sympathetic.

"I'm no Spicer fan, but Trump's petty refusal to include him, a devout Catholic ... was cruel and disgusting," Harvard Law School's Laurence Tribe tweeted.

"There are few things I despise more than people who use their power to step on the dreams of others," another tweet said.

Spicer is a regular at Sunday Mass and told reporters earlier this year that he had given up alcohol for Lent. He was mocked last year for appearing on CNN with ashes on his forehead on Ash Wednesday.

Spicer did not respond to media requests for comment Wednesday evening, but he has spoken of his faith publicly. In a television interview during the Trump transition, Spicer said of his new job: "I'm going to look to God every day to give me the strength to do what's right. That's all you can ask for is to get up and say, 'Can I do this thing?' Help guide me and ask Him for strength."

But some on social media expressed less sympathy toward the press secretary, with at least one Twitter user surmising, "maybe he didn't want to go!"

And comedian Samantha Bee offered Spicer a word of advice, tweeting: "sorry about the pope. Remember, you don't HAVE to put up with this ..."

[Valmy]

He was mocked for having ashes on Ash Wednesday? Why? Seems like a logical time to have ashes on your forehead.

[CountDeMoney]

He was mocked for having ashes on Ash Wednesday? Why? Seems like a logical time to have ashes on your forehead.

Flush out your head gear, new guy.

[grumbler]

Trump won't run again.  The job is a lot less fun than he imagined, and he's already getting bored with it.

It's not about fun.  It's about winning.  And not running for reelection = quitting.  We can't have that.

Nonsense.  He will nail himself to a cross and then have every reason to reject submitting himself to the failing media and fickle public.  It'll be our loss, and THAT will show us!

[grumbler]

The Pope had already just met Jim Harbaugh.  Trump shouldn't have scheduled a meeting just then - it was bound to be a letdown for the Pope.

[Zanza]

German press describes the G7 summit as utter disaster. Trump was disinterested, hostile and ignorant. He was apparently not briefed on any of the issues and was not willing to participate in any decisions. In some of the debates he did not put in his translation earpiece despite the others speaking in their native language. So he just sat there and didn't listen...

[11B4V]

German press describes the G7 summit as utter disaster. Trump was disinterested, hostile and ignorant. He was apparently not briefed on any of the issues and was not willing to participate in any decisions. In some of the debates he did not put in his translation earpiece despite the others speaking in their native language. So he just sat there and didn't listen...

Makin' 'Murica Great Again.

[The Brain]

German press describes the G7 summit as utter disaster. Trump was disinterested, hostile and ignorant. He was apparently not briefed on any of the issues and was not willing to participate in any decisions. In some of the debates he did not put in his translation earpiece despite the others speaking in their native language. So he just sat there and didn't listen...

He won't listen...!

[CountDeMoney]

German press describes the G7 summit as utter disaster. Trump was disinterested, hostile and ignorant. He was apparently not briefed on any of the issues and was not willing to participate in any decisions. In some of the debates he did not put in his translation earpiece despite the others speaking in their native language. So he just sat there and didn't listen...

That's our Donald!