Misadventures of a minority-elect President 5

Trump’s chaotic presidency, revelations that the corrupt GOP-led US Congress is enabling their fraudulent leader and his anti-Christ cabal, hate groups on the rise, tips for dealing with the ignorance of Trump supporters in your life, dealing with the lies of the Trump administration, revealing hypocrisy while hating those that leak information when it pertains to him – despite asking for more Clinton leaks while running for President, still believing Nixonian delusions that the President is above the law despite the fact the he is not, still having difficulty accepting the fact that he’s the popular vote losing President and lots more.

Tomgram: Frida Berrigan, Donald Trump, a One-Man 9/11? article from Tom Dispatch. –
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176244/tomgram%3A_frida_berrigan%2C_donald_trump%2C_a_one-man_9_11/

“…Loving America and Resisting Trump
The New Patriotism
By Frida Berrigan

So reality has inexorably, inescapably penetrated my life. It didn’t take long. Yes, Donald Trump is actually the president of the United States. In that guise, in just his first weeks in office, he’s already declared war on language, on loving, on people who are different from him — on the kind of world, in short, that I want to live in. He’s promised to erect high walls, keep some people in and others out and lock up those he despises, while threatening to torture and abuse with impunity.

Still, a small personal miracle emerges from this nightmare. It turns out that, despite growing up an anarchist protest kid who automatically read Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States alongside the official textbooks, I love this country more each day. So I find myself eternally upset about our new political reality-show, about a man so thin-skinned he lashes out at everything and so insulated in his own alt-reality that no response to him seems to matter.

Above all, I am so mad. Yeah, I’m mad at all those people who voted for Trump and even madder at the ones who didn’t vote at all. I’m mad at everyone who thinks the sum total of their contribution to the political well-being of this country is voting every two or four years. I’m mad at our corporate-political system and how easily distracted people are. I’m steaming mad, but mostly at myself…”

Why Won’t American Media Fully Investigate What Could Be The Biggest Story In U.S. Political History? article from the Huffington Post. –
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-wont-american-media-fully-investigate-what-could_us_5877ecace4b094e1aa9dc49d

Yet more evidence that our corrupt GOP-led US Congress is acting like Hitler’s brown shirts and enabling our fraudulent so-called President.

“What percentage chance that the incoming president has been compromised by a hostile foreign power is acceptable?

Most Americans, and the U.S. Constitution, would say “none.”

But right now Democrats and Republicans in D.C., along with almost the entirety of mainstream American media, are answering this question by ignoring it altogether.

Meanwhile, the media apparatus of our nation’s closest ally, England, has taken an entirely different approach: they’re reporting doggedly on the story, comparing the credibility of its two main players—former FBI asset and top MI6 agent Christopher Steele, and serial exaggerator and compulsive liar Donald Trump—and playing out various scenarios, including the possible impeachment of Trump not long after he is inaugurated.

Around the same time as The Guardian was pondering aloud how and whether Trump could be impeached for high crimes, the U.S. Speaker of the House was on CNN saying that the story of Trump’s possible compromising by a foreign power is so insignificant that it shouldn’t even be mentioned in U.S. media…”

A United States of Hate Has Exploded Under Trump article from AlterNet. –
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/united-states-hate-has-exploded-under-trump

“Donald Trump’s campaign and presidential election has brought racism in America out of the shadows in a manner not seen in decades, with Muslims becoming the top target of attacks and violence, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s annual survey of domestic hate groups and extremists.

“There’s something going on right now in our country that’s really dramatic,” said Mark Potok, SPLC senior fellow and author of its “Year in Hate” analysis, an annual index of groups promoting ideologies elevating one race above others.

“Just a few weeks ago we had 63 different bomb threats phoned into various Jewish community centers and synagogues around the country. In the last month or so, we’ve seen two mosques burned to the ground. The one in Victoria, Texas burned just a couple of hours after the Trump administration announced the executive orders that comprised the so-called Muslim ban. Late last fall, we saw a major plot by three members of a radical anti-government group called the Kansas Security Force, with a subgroup called the Crusaders, who actually plotted to load four different vehicles with high explosives, park them on the four corners of a large apartment complex housing Somali Muslim immigrants in Garden City, Kansas, and to kill them all…”

15 Tips for Defeating the Trumps in Your Own Life article from AlterNet. –
http://www.alternet.org/culture/15-tips-defeating-trumps-your-own-life

“Our current administration will focus many of us on one of the biggest vulnerabilities we face in public and private life: an inability to reason with the unreasonable, to beat the seemingly invincible; in short, how to trump a trump.

Trumps are not conservatives. What makes them trumps is not what they believe, but how they believe it. They hold on to their beliefs like know-it-alls, with a lock-tight grip shrouded in multiple layers of seemingly impenetrable, defensive, Teflon-coated armor that allows them to act like they’re right about everything, and everyone else is wrong about everything.

So if you’re a conservative, frustrated by arguments with know-it-all liberals, the question of how to trump a trump matters as much to you as to us liberals frustrated with talking to know-it-all conservatives.

And if you’re not frustrated by talking to know-it-alls, maybe you are one, in which case you’ll have no reason to read on since you already know it all.

There are chinks in that armor. You just have to know how to find them. Here are some factors to consider…”

Can Journalists Debunk Trump’s Lies Without Amplifying Them? It’s Challenging but Not Impossible article from AlterNet. –
http://www.alternet.org/media/can-journalists-debunk-trumps-lies-without-amplifying-them

“When White House adviser Kellyanne Conway went on TV and made up a fatal but entirely fictional terrorist attack in order to justify President Donald Trump’s travel ban, many Trump opponents thought they finally had slam-dunk proof of Conway’s unapologetic lying. It’s one thing to shamelessly spin Trump’s scandals or manipulate statistics to mislead people, but conjuring dead bodies and terrorist attacks out of thin air? Even the Nazis waited until the Reichstag was on fire before concocting falsehoods about it.

Liberals and leftists had a field day with Conway’s fake terrorist attack, joking on social media, creating fake fundraisers and even holding fake memorial services for the nonexistent victims of the “Bowling Green massacre” that Conway had repeatedly mentioned to separate news outlets.

Unfortunately, initial polling data suggests that despite the widespread mockery and debunking, Conway’s invention of a fake terrorist attack was successful. Public Policy Polling, a progressive polling organization, found that 51 percent of the Trump supporters polled believe that the “Bowling Green massacre” — which, again, did not happen — justified Trump’s now-suspended ban on travelers and immigrants from certain Muslim countries.

How can so many people be so gullible? Well, there are a lot of possibilities. It could be that these folks know, on some level, that the “Bowling Green massacre” is not real but want to believe it’s true or partly true…”

WikiLeaks promoter Donald Trump now makes ‘low-life leakers- his enemy article from Yahoo! News. –
https://www.yahoo.com/news/wikileaks-promoter-donald-trump-now-makes-low-life-leakers-his-enemy-150711822.html

“President Trump is continuing to assail those who leaked information about former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s phone calls with Russia and the media for publishing it.

The attacks against leaks are striking as Trump attempts to shift the focus of his administration’s controversies over to what he calls the “real scandal” of leaks. At the same time, he has demanded an apology from the media for reporting on the disclosures, while also branding the information “fake news.”

This is a newfound philosophy for Trump, who during the campaign embraced leaks that damaged Hillary Clinton…”

Donald Trump Has Put America in Legal Hell article from Yahoo! News. –
https://www.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-put-america-legal-200527696.html

“President Donald Trump’s attack on the federal judiciary last week came off to many as just the latest in his pattern of insults du jour, lobbed against anyone daring to defy the White House’s designs. The outcry, from congressional Democrats, law professors, and even, if Sen. Richard Blumenthal is to be believed, Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, was predictable. Gorsuch reportedly called the president’s remarks “demoralizing” and “disheartening.”

Underlying the ritual furor, though, is a set of deeper concerns. Constitutional experts worry that the president’s comments reveal an authoritarian chief executive who may prove unwilling to be checked or balanced by the judiciary. By scorning norms of comity and respect for a coequal branch of government, Trump’s comments also strike at the bedrock of America’s global leadership, which is grounded in the rule of law. By disrespecting the court and spurning the authoritativeness of judicial interpretations of the U.S. Constitution, Trump has cast doubt on whether he will willingly submit to limitations on his power. For a nation that since World War II has argued that power should always be conferred and confined by law, Trump’s latest remarks are damaging not just at home but around the world…”

‘Morning Joe’ host Mika Brzezinski: This is a ‘fake presidency’ article from Yahoo! News. –
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/morning-joe-host-fake-presidency-172555218.html

“Responding to President Donald Trump’s assertions that much of the reporting on his administration is “fake news,” MSNBC anchor Mika Brzezinski called Trump’s presidency “fake” during Thursday’s “Morning Joe” show.

Brzezinski and cohost Joe Scarborough described a series of misleading statements made by Trump’s representatives, including top advisers Kellyanne Conway and Stephen Miller, to the media over the past week.

“You have Kellyanne spreading alternative facts, saying things that aren’t true, selling clothing,” Brzezinski said. “You have Miller describing the powers of the presidency in an incorrect, inappropriate, and lying fashion.”

Scarborough called the president’s messaging “one lie on top of another lie on top of another lie,” to which Brzezinski added, “It’s [a] fake presidency…”

Trump touts false claim about election victory article from Yahoo! News. –
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-touts-false-claim-about-election-victory-184953927.html

“In a press conference largely devoted to lambasting “fake media,” President Trump responded to a fact-check of his election claims by saying, “I was given that information, I don’t know.”

Earlier in the press conference, which took place in the White House East Room, Trump had stated that he had the largest Electoral College margin since Ronald Reagan.

“I got 306 Electoral College votes,” said Trump, echoing comments he made in a Wednesday joint appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I wasn’t supposed to get 222, they said there’s no way to get 222. 230’s impossible. Two-seventy, which you need, that was laughable. We got 306, because people came out and voted like they’ve never seen before, so that’s the way it goes. It was the biggest Electoral College win since Ronald Reagan.”

The president earned 306 electoral votes, but technically received only 304 after two electors defected. Three hundred and six is fewer than the electoral votes earned by the winners in 2012 (332), 2008 (365), 1996 (379), 1992 (370) and 1988 (426). NBC News reporter Peter Alexander brought this fact up to the president…”

Trump contradicts his own talking points on Russia scandal article by Rachel Maddow from MSNBC. –
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-contradicts-his-own-talking-points-russia-scandal

“For months, Donald Trump rejected the idea that Russia intervened in the American presidential election. A month after his improbable victory, the Republican called the allegations “ridiculous.”

In time, however, even Trump couldn’t deny the evidence put together by the U.S. intelligence community, and a month after dismissing the controversy as absurd, the president was compelled to acknowledge reality. At a pre-inauguration press conference, a reporter asked Trump if he accepts the findings that show “Vladimir Putin ordered the hack of the DNC.”

Grudgingly, at long last, he replied, “As far as hacking, I think it was Russia.”

This morning, Trump has apparently gone back to his original posture. The president tweeted:

“The Democrats had to come up with a story as to why they lost the election, and so badly (306), so they made up a story – RUSSIA. Fake news!”

As part of the same series of messages, Trump also complained about “illegal leaking” and his belief that media “makes-up stories and ‘sources.’” The president added that “low-life leakers … will be caught!”

Let’s get a couple of things out of the way. First, Trump’s obsession with his underwhelming electoral-vote totals is becoming increasingly pitiful. The president seems to think he’s helping himself with this sad rhetoric, but he couldn’t be more wrong…”

Behind his bluster, Trump seems to fear major news organizations article from MSNBC (Rachel Maddow). –
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/behind-his-bluster-trump-seems-fear-major-news-organizations

“Over the last week, Donald Trump held three brief press conferences alongside a foreign leader. In all three instances, the Republican and his team chose which American reporters would ask questions, and in each case, Trump called on folks from a specific kind of outlet. As TPM explained:

President Donald Trump called on exclusively conservative news outlets for his third press conference in a row on Wednesday, leading CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta to comment afterward: “The fix is in.”

Over three press conferences with world leaders – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – Trump called on two outlets in each, respectively: the New York Post and Fox Business; Sinclair Broadcasting-owned WJLA and the Daily Caller; and Christian Broadcasting Network and Townhall.com.

Before Trump fans say, “Everybody does it,” let’s note for the record that everybody doesn’t do this. NBC News’ Carrie Dann compiled a list of outlets Barack Obama and George W. Bush called on during their first press conferences with foreign leaders, and while the list included Fox News, it also included a variety of major, independent journalistic giants: AP, Reuters, NBC News, CNN, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal…”

‘I was given that information; I don’t know’: 12 standout quotes from Trump’s marathon press conference article from Yahoo! News. –
https://www.yahoo.com/news/standout-quotes-from-trumps-marathon-press-conference-212726276.html

The delusions of a mentally unbalanced popular vote losing President:

“On Thursday, President Trump held a press conference in the White House East Room that ran for more than an hour. It started with him briefly introducing his choice for labor secretary, and then embarking on a long monologue about the successes of his presidency and the evil of the media. He then took questions covering a wide range of issues. Here are a few of the more memorable quotes from the president.

“I don’t think he did anything wrong. If anything, he did something right.”

This was the president’s defense of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who resigned Tuesday night. Flynn submitted his resignation after it was reported that he had discussed the Obama administration’s sanctions against Russia with the country’s ambassador, and then lied to Vice President Pence about the topics of their conversations.

“We’re becoming a drug-infested nation. Drugs are becoming cheaper than candy bars. We are not going to let it happen any longer.”

Trump said he ordered the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to come up with a plan for stopping criminal cartels from bringing drugs into the United States…”

Loving America and Resisting Trump: The New Patriotism article from Common Dreams. –
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/02/16/loving-america-and-resisting-trump-new-patriotism

“So reality has inexorably, inescapably penetrated my life. It didn’t take long. Yes, Donald Trump is actually the president of the United States. In that guise, in just his first weeks in office, he’s already declared war on language, on loving, on people who are different from him — on the kind of world, in short, that I want to live in. He’s promised to erect high walls, keep some people in and others out and lock up those he despises, while threatening to torture and abuse with impunity.

Still, a small personal miracle emerges from this nightmare. It turns out that, despite growing up an anarchist protest kid who automatically read Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States alongside the official textbooks, I love this country more each day. So I find myself eternally upset about our new political reality-show, about a man so thin-skinned he lashes out at everything and so insulated in his own alt-reality that no response to him seems to matter…”

Resisting Trump Is Not Enough article from Common Dreams. –
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/02/16/resisting-trump-not-enough

Alternative ‘Facts’ and the Fourth Estate article from Common Dreams. –
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/02/16/alternative-facts-and-fourth-estate

If there is something you’d like to see added or would like more information, you can contact me here.

Email or Share this post

Back to Bill’s Links and More

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.