TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

The General US Politics Thread

Go To

Nov 2023 Mod notice:


There may be other, more specific, threads about some aspects of US politics, but this one tends to act as a hub for all sorts of related news and information, so it's usually one of the busiest OTC threads.

If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines before posting here.

Rumor-based, fear-mongering and/or inflammatory statements that damage the quality of the thread will be thumped. Off-topic posts will also be thumped. Repeat offenders may be suspended.

If time spent moderating this thread remains a distraction from moderation of the wiki itself, the thread will need to be locked. We want to avoid that, so please follow the forum rules when posting here.


In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.

Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#278276: Apr 22nd 2019 at 3:29:52 PM

Its more to warn people off going off topic as religion derails happen a lot

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Redcornwall Since: Feb, 2019
#278277: Apr 22nd 2019 at 4:38:28 PM
Thumped: This post was thumped by moderation to preserve the dignity of the author.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#278278: Apr 22nd 2019 at 4:43:43 PM

The fact remains that, one way or another, the man couldn't even get denouncing Nazis right and proves on a weekly, if not daily, basis that he is an incompetent boob with no business in the office he holds. note 


More relevantly: https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2019/04/22/day-823/

    Day 823: Weapon of choice 
1/ Trump and the Trump Organization sued Democratic House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings to block a subpoena seeking information about his finances. The committee subpoenaed Mazars USA, Trump's longtime accountant, for 10 years' worth of Trump's financial records after the firm requested a so-called "friendly subpoena." Trump's lawyers complained that Democrats have "declared all-out political war" against him, with subpoenas as their "weapon of choice." (CNBC / Politico / Washington Post / CNN) / Axios)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/22/politics/donald-trump-organization-financial-records/index.html

2/ Rudy Giuliani defended the 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Russians offering dirt on Hillary Clinton, saying "there's nothing wrong with taking information from Russians." When asked whether it's "okay" to use information stolen by a foreign adversary in service of a presidential candidacy, Giuliani said "it depends on the stolen material." He then added that Russia "shouldn't have stolen it, but the American people were just given more information." (Daily Beast / New York Times / CNN / Washington Post)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/21/politics/rudy-giuliani-trump-russia-cnntv/index.html

3/ The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed former White House counsel Don Mc Gahn as part of its investigation into obstruction of justice. The subpoena demands that Mc Gahn testify before the committee on May 21st and provide documents on three-dozen topics by May 7th. The committee previously served the Justice Department with a subpoena for the full Mueller report and underlying evidence, demanding the documents by May 1st. (CNN / CNBC)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/22/politics/don-mcgahn-subpoena-trump-white-house/index.html

4/ The Trump campaign hired a new in-house attorney for 2020, shifting its business from Mc Gahn's law firm, Jones Day, that represented Trump since his run for president. Mc Gahn told Robert Mueller's investigators that Trump directed him to call Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and tell him to fire Mueller. Mc Gahn refused. "Why in the world would you want to put your enemy on the payroll?" one adviser close to the White House said. "They do not want to reward [Mc Gahn's] firm." (Politico / Washington Post)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/19/trump-campaign-mcgahn-1283545

📌 Day 820: Trump claimed that statements about him "by certain people" in Mueller's "crazy" report are "total bullshit," made by people trying to make themselves look good and harm him. Close White House advisers said Trump's rage was aimed at former White House counsel Don Mc Gahn, who blocked several attempts by Trump to interfere in Mueller's investigation. Trump continued tweeting: "This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a…" He never finish the statement. (Politico / Bloomberg / Washington Post / NBC News / Wall Street Journal)

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-statements-about-me-mueller-report-are-total-bull-t-n996296

5/ Trump claimed that "nobody disobeys my orders." Mueller's report, however, repeatedly depicts Trump's multiple "efforts to influence the investigation were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests." (CNN)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/22/politics/donald-trump-staff-mueller-report/index.html

📌 Day 820: Eight key figures resisted Trump at critical moments: Jeff Sessions refused to unrecuse himself after Trump repeatedly bullied him privately and publicly. White House counsel Don Mc Gahn refused to fire Mueller. Rick Dearborn, who worked for Sessions in the Senate, refused to relay Trump's message for Sessions to limit Mueller's jurisdiction to future election interference, rather than look backward on the 2016 election. Staff Secretary Rob Porter refused Trump's request to call Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand in an attempt "to find someone to end the Russia investigation or fire the Special Counsel." Chris Christie refused to "call [James] Comey and tell him that the President 'really like[s] him. Tell him he's part of the team.'" Rod Rosenstein refused to put out a statement saying it was his idea to fire Comey. K.T. Mc Farland refused to "draft an internal email that would confirm that the President did not direct [Michael] Flynn to call the Russian Ambassador about sanctions." Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats wouldn't put out a statement saying no link existed between Trump and Russia. (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2019/04/19/daily-202-the-mueller-report-showcases-eight-trump-loyalists-who-resisted-the-president-to-protect-themselves/5cb8a266a7a0a46fd9222a81/

6/ Trump also claimed that Democrats "can't impeach" him, because "only high crimes and misdemeanors can lead to impeachment" and that "there were no crimes by me." Mueller's investigators found insufficient evidence to bring obstruction of justice charges against Trump, despite several instances where Trump tried to have the probe ended. Mueller found that those attempts were unsuccessful, because Trump's subordinates refused to carry out his orders. (CNBC)

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/22/trump-says-after-mueller-report-you-cant-impeach-democrats-committed-crimes.html

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "It is clear that [Trump] has, at a minimum, engaged in highly unethical and unscrupulous behavior which does not bring honor to the office he holds." Pelosi, however, noted that "it is … important to know that the facts regarding holding the president accountable can be gained outside of impeachment hearings." (Politico / Associated Press / Washington Post)

https://apnews.com/52169bbb113e4f07b04b9441618140d5

poll/ 37% of Americans approved of Trump's job performance – down 3 percentage points to the lowest level of the year following the release of Mueller's report detailing Russian interference in the presidential election. 50% agreed that "Trump or someone from his campaign worked with Russia to influence the 2016 election," and 58% agreed that Trump "tried to stop investigations into Russian influence on his administration." 40% said they thought Trump should be impeached, while 42% said he should not. (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-poll/trump-approval-drops-3-points-to-2019-low-after-release-of-mueller-report-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKCN1RV16S

    Notables 
The Supreme Court will decide whether federal anti-discrimination laws protect on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, agreeing to take up three cases involving sexual orientation in the workplace. The set of cases include a transgender funeral home director who won her case after being fired; a gay skydiving instructor who successfully challenged his dismissal; and a social worker who was unable to convince a court that he was unlawfully terminated because of his sexual orientation. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids workplace discrimination on the basis of sex. It does not explicitly apply to LGBT individuals. The cases are expected to be argued in the fall. (Washington Post / Politico / New York Times / NBC News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rule-whether-civil-right-law-bans-discrimination-against-n996996

The State Department will end waivers for countries importing Iranian oil as part of an effort to cut off of Iranian oil exports. China, India and Turkey are among Iran's top customers. The Trump administration said it was working with top oil exporters Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to ensure the oil market was "adequately supplied." The United States decided to leave the Iran nuclear deal about a year ago. (Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-oil/u-s-to-end-all-waivers-on-iran-oil-imports-crude-price-jumps-idUSKCN1RX0R1

The FBI arrested the leader of a militia group accused of illegally stopping migrants after they crossed the southern U.S. border. Larry Hopkins is the leader of the United Constitutional Patriots. He was arrested in New Mexico on federal charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. (Reuters / Vox)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-militia-idUSKCN1RW0O5

Herman Cain withdrew himself from consideration for the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors. Cain ended his campaign after allegations surfaced that he sexually harassed several women while he was running Godfather's Pizza in the 1990s, and that he had an extramarital affair. Cain denied the allegations, and Trump called them an "unfair witch hunt." Trump announced Cain's decision to withdraw, calling him "a truly wonderful man." (NBC News / Axios / Washington Post / CNBC)

https://www.axios.com/herman-cain-fed-board-withdrawal-e495088f-db7b-4eb0-a7bd-3a67a271c09e.html

Stephen Moore wrote in March 2002 that there should be "no more women refs, no women announcers, no women beer venders, no women anything" at men's college basketball games. Moore is one of Trump's picks to serve on the Federal Reserve Board. (CNN)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/22/politics/stephen-moore-federal-reserve-kfile/index.html

Sears named Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a lawsuit against the company's former CEO. The lawsuit alleges that Mnuchin assisted Edward Lampert in stripping the retailer of more than $2 billion in assets. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/18/sears-sues-mnuchin-alongside-former-ceo-for-alleged-multibillion-dollar-theft-1368488

Trump's tariffs raised the cost of washing machines by about $86 per unit last year and clothes dryers by $92, according to research from the University of Chicago and the Federal Reserve. The tariffs created roughly 1,800 new U.S. manufacturing jobs, but each new job cost about $817,000. (New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/21/business/trump-tariffs-washing-machines.html

Trump exaggerated that the Sri Lanka terror attacks "killed at least 138 million people and badly injured 600 more." The population of Sri Lanka is around 22 million. Trump later deleted the incorrect tweet. Explosions at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka killed 290 people and injured more than 500. (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/21/trump-tweets-then-deletes-grossly-overstated-death-toll-sri-lanka-church-explosions/

Edited by sgamer82 on Apr 22nd 2019 at 5:49:42 AM

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#278279: Apr 22nd 2019 at 4:48:48 PM

[up][up]What

Oh really when?
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#278280: Apr 22nd 2019 at 4:51:22 PM

[up][up][up]We get it, you're salty that decent people take what Trump says and judges him for it.

No amount of apologism and disingenuous prattle will change the fact that Trump ran on racial resentment and said that "both sides had good people" when one side was fucking Nazis and other kinds of White Supremacists.

Trump is a sexist racist LGBT-phobic reactionary piece of trash who has no concept of knowledge or connection to reality, and he's the one you like. Congratulations.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Apr 22nd 2019 at 4:52:02 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#278281: Apr 22nd 2019 at 4:53:37 PM

Oh look,a right wing poster shows up to attack people critical of Trump by comparing them to anti Obama histeria

Can you say shill,because I can

[up][up][up][up]

Edited by Ultimatum on Apr 22nd 2019 at 11:53:56 AM

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#278282: Apr 22nd 2019 at 5:02:35 PM

Redcornwall: Might we have your sources for all these claims?

Oruka Since: Dec, 2018
#278283: Apr 22nd 2019 at 5:16:16 PM

There's some interesting points mixed in with the misleading nonsense up there, but I just want to have a look at this bit:

The whole "hold minors until they can be definitively matched with parents and family" thing is not only entirely necessary in order to try and counter the whole sex trafficking nightmare, it was started and applauded by Obama and saw no complaints from anybody but a couple of activists

My understanding is that the detention of children was a Steven Miller innovation, and that Deporter-In-Chief Obama can't take credit for this one. The sex trafficking angle is something I've never heard of. What I did hear was that the current policy has left children lost away from their parents, and made them ripe for sexual abuse by the authorities imprisoning them. The child abusers have found one of those niches where they get authority over children with no accountability and an uncaring power structure happy to hush it.

Excuse me while I vomit.

You were saying something about preventing sex trafficking?

Edited by Oruka on Apr 22nd 2019 at 5:19:04 AM

PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#278284: Apr 22nd 2019 at 5:18:39 PM

>sources

You're a funny guy, Parable, you know that?

This is such obvious trolling that its almost sad.

i'm tired, my friend
Oruka Since: Dec, 2018
#278285: Apr 22nd 2019 at 5:24:35 PM

One must always appreciate instances of the Inexplicable Republican Best Friend. You know, the guy who comes and says, "here's some sincere, totally unbiased advice, as a fellow American to another, on what you Liberals need to do to get things right".

That some people actually fall for this staggers me.

HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#278286: Apr 22nd 2019 at 5:27:21 PM

Redcornwall: Next time, at least take the time to edit your post properly.

Seriously, dude, my eyes hurt trying to read that.

Edited by HailMuffins on Apr 22nd 2019 at 9:27:39 AM

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#278287: Apr 22nd 2019 at 5:29:41 PM

Granny always said I was a comedian. Also said I shouldn’t quit my day job.

For real though, my experiences with people using these talking points has been that they’re just repeating what Rush Limbaugh or Hannity said, who generally don’t cite sources themselves and distort whatever the actual point of discussion was.

For instance, dude up there went on about how Trump was right about African countries are objectively shitholes - which is insulting and generalizing, but not the point - while leaving out that the whole point of that comment was that Trump was angry that perfectly legal immigrants were coming from Africa and Latin America. And that the immigrants he wanted were from places like Norway. You know, white people.

So I want to know if we’re just seeing right wing radio screeching or something else.

PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#278288: Apr 22nd 2019 at 6:00:43 PM

I mean, if the people they get this shit from don't cite sources, you think they're going to?

i'm tired, my friend
Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#278289: Apr 22nd 2019 at 6:05:18 PM

I'm not sure if this helpful both because the above post has been thumped and because I'm not sure of the specifics myself, but my understanding of the reference to sex trafficking is that it's sort of true From a Certain Point of View, and is a bit of misleading (deliberatley or otherwise) rhetoric.

So basically (and I hope someone can fill in some more specifics) the provision (which may have been introduced during the Obama Administration) allowing for child separation was introduced to combat trafficking/sex trafficking, and used to be used pretty much exclusively for that purpose and was only used rarely.

Unfortunately, because it existed, there Ain't No Rule that it couldn't be misused to make separation the norm rather than an exception to the rule. Which is how the Trump Administration has used it.

So, it's technically true that the same policy existed under the Obama Administration and was treated with approval, but you're talking about a policy being used in very different ways in practice.

Incidentally, of course, the Obama Administrations deportation policies were criticized by most if not all of the same people who criticize Trump's. But besides partisanship, the difference in criticism has a lot to do with them being genuinely less evil.

Lastly, it's a rather odd, disengenous Trumpist argument to on one hand, argue that Trump is merely continuing Obama policies, but then on the other hand, to praise Trump for getting rid of "awful" Obama policies.

Edit- I think I was remembering this Snopes article.

Edited by Hodor2 on Apr 22nd 2019 at 8:09:50 AM

SteamKnight Since: Jun, 2018
#278290: Apr 22nd 2019 at 10:54:20 PM

[up] The defense that Trump is just continuing Obama policies is a stupid defense in the first place. Trump has shown that he didn't have any problem opposing any policy that he didn't like. Those who use this defense somehow forget that Trump can oppose it. It's even worse if the defense also include Trump get rid of Obama's "awful" policies in it because (let's pretend that this child separation crap is Obama's policies for this instance) that defense basically states Trump don't consider child separation to be awful because he don't get rid of it.

This is one stupid defense.

I'm not as witty as I think I am. It's a scientifically-proven fact.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#278291: Apr 22nd 2019 at 10:56:47 PM

As interesting as it is to tear down crap like this, the post has already been thumped.

Disgusted, but not surprised
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#278292: Apr 23rd 2019 at 12:26:37 AM

Well, having no idea what was in the post myself, I've found it edifying to know what the heck was being talked about honestly. I've come in here plenty of times to see a bunch of posts thumped and been utterly lost.

Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#278293: Apr 23rd 2019 at 12:31:07 AM

So since SCOTUS is going to rule on LGBT rights, what do you want to bet that all the conservatives currently whinging about how evil judicial activism and legislating from the bench is suddenly change their tune the second those things go their way?

"Yup. That tasted purple."
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#278294: Apr 23rd 2019 at 12:34:02 AM

Uh, is there a specific case that's going on right now? Because "rule on LGBT rights" is kind of contextless for those not keeping up with court cases.

Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#278295: Apr 23rd 2019 at 12:40:02 AM

Specifically it's about whether being LGBT should be considered a Title VII protected class for the purposes of employment discrimination law.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
Shaoken (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Dating Catwoman
#278296: Apr 23rd 2019 at 1:12:18 AM

So since SCOTUS is going to rule on LGBT rights, what do you want to bet that all the conservatives currently whinging about how evil judicial activism and legislating from the bench is suddenly change their tune the second those things go their way?

You're a couple decades late to that conclusion. Whenever conservative justices do this kind of thing they call it "common sense judgement." Because it's not judicial overreach if they do it.

Never underestimate just how hypocritical some people can be.

Medinoc from France (Before Recorded History)
#278298: Apr 23rd 2019 at 2:09:50 AM

So-called "pro-lifers" condone rape. See M84's signature.

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#278299: Apr 23rd 2019 at 2:13:45 AM

I just call them "anti-abortion". Along with a lot of other less polite terms.

Disgusted, but not surprised
RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#278300: Apr 23rd 2019 at 3:11:16 AM

^^They always have. A man - any man - has the right to inflict sex upon any woman he wants, in the Republican worldview. Remember how if "it's a legitimate rape" the female body has defenses against that, so any rape that results in pregnancy was actually just sex a woman decided to complain about?

Ugh. Monsters.

It's been fun.

Total posts: 417,856
Top