https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/05/us/politics/trump-white-house-aides-strategy.html He either does not read, or does not understand, the executive orders that Bannon writes and puts in front of him. He has to be impeached. Edit: Damn it Gravy
Until Trump commits an actual impeachable offense - one that a Republican house would actually act on - it's ridiculous to keep talking about it. Stupidity and recklessness is not an impeachable offense. For 8 years idiots on the right kept crying to have Obama impeached, even though he had not committed any crime. It's the same scenario now, just with the players reversed.
The general apoplexy when one side has someone they dont like in the White House needs to end in general. Its not constructive.
I think signing an executive order that you don't read is pretty fucking bad. It's not exactly the same as agreeing to the terms and conditions when you update your iPhone.
Sure it is, it's stupid, and if he doesn't read what's in it he still has to take responsibility for its consequences. He's still the president, no matter who actually writes the orders. Once he puts his signature on it, he owns it. However, not reading an order before signing it is not an impeachable offense.
The impeachment clause is deliberately broad. Stupidity and recklessness are absolutely impeachable offenses. Continuing to keep talking about it also serves a secondary, political, purpose. It ties the House Republicans tighter to Trump, so that when they eventually try to wriggle out of being held to account for enabling this man, they will be less able to.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/828574430800539648 Remember guys, any negative polls are fake. It is simply not possible for Donald Trump to fail, make a mistake, or be unpopular.
Alright we get it, he tweets like an idiot. Let's try to keep the quality of discussion at a minimum where one can actually be had.
Does it not worry you that we can't discuss the from-his-own-mouth statements of the President because they're too stupid to discuss?
Let's keep the discussion to relevant political discussion. The point that he makes stupid and inflammatory tweets has been made ad nauseam. If you want to introduce a new point and include a tweet along with your analyses of that broader point, feel free. Less of the "post a link with a single snarky comment." More discussion, less drive by posting.
Come on, at least be realistic about the situation. You're right, the house can impeach the president for anything they want. "High crimes and misdemeanors" is deliberately not spelled out in order to give Congress plenty of room to fit particular situations. Historically though, impeachments have been used when someone has committed a real, definable crime under existing laws. Being stupid and doing things one side disagrees with, even finds repulsive, is never going to be an impeachable offense, especially when the president's party controls both houses of Congress. To continue to discuss it as if it's at all possible is a complete waste of time. I said the same thing when the right clamored for Obama's impeachment. The further point that you don't seem to understand is that the people who would have to hold Republican members of Congress accountable are also Trump supporters. There is a large portion of the U.S. population who absolutely support the things Trump has done so far and are happy as can be with his actions. Just because you don't know any of them and can't understand why they would support him doesn't change that reality. Calling for his impeachment only strengthens their resolve to support him.
The President just claimed that any news that reports an unfavorable reaction to anything he has done is fake. The idea that all of this is just "stupid and inflammatory tweeting" is dangerously naive. I would have though the reason I posted it was evident on its face.
I agree. My issue here is on 2 fronts. 1. I want Trump supporters and other republicans to hold Trump to the same standard at which they skewered Hillary Clinton. If Hillary had ok'd an order which got a marine killed within a week and a half of being in office and it was shown that she did that action with little information and wasn't even in the situation room during the action, it would have been called the next Benghazi. 2. Trumps tweeting and petulance about personal attacks and perceived threats to his manhood will probably get us into a war. I think he wants this because war time presidents typically get a second term. And everyone who is just getting used to his tweets is normalizing his behavior instead of seeing the blatant mental instability. I'm not even getting into people who actually like his tweets and other blatherings. See point number one.
I think it is dangerously naive to think I won't smack a bitch down. Those are the rules of play. Like I said....offer your full analysis and thought process on the subject instead of single links with snark only. This isn't facebook. This is a discussion thread. This is coming from someone who does not like politics, or politicians, or any of the garbage happening all around me right now. If you can be civil and discuss full ideas then you are welcome to do so here. If not, try facebook.
Just because the Republican Congress won't do their job doesn't mean we shouldn't discuss the fact that the Republican Congress won't do their job. I personally think that "gross incompetence" would sound wonderful in an impeachment proceeding, but if they want something specific there are many to choose from. His clear conflicts of interest with his business, his attacks on the legitimacy of the federal judiciary, refusing to obey a court order, advocating the deliberate commission of a war crime, etc. If you're a big fan of irony and 90's callbacks you could just haul him in front of congress on nearly any question, get him under oath and wait for the inevitable perjury.
Nothing you listed is a crime. I've pointed out before that the President and VP are exempt from the conflict of interest laws. The president cannot be compelled to testify in front of Congress. Again, if you want to have a realistic discussion we should do that. At this point though, you have taken us down the path of stupidity.
Thats not the point. Just offer elaboration on your perspective/criticism of his tweets or policies. The original point of this thread was to discuss the election. Being almost 3 months to the day after it occurred, I think its far outlived its usefulness, but it will be kept open to keep the Serious thread from being clouded with Trump/Hillary crap. Just keep it a conversation rather than "Look at this dumb thing [insert politician] did."
I have a question to smarter minds of the board: Wouldn't Trump's taxes now be available via the Freedom of Information Act? Since he's now a public official, wouldn't the information those tax returns contain be considered of public importance? I tried to look it up on FOIA.gov and found a way to file a request with the department of treasury, but I'm not quite sure how to word my request or whether a private citizen would even be allowed to file such a request. Seems like one of those "so obvious they woulda done it already" things. But for something that has such massive importance to the people of the country as a whole in order for them to be better informed in voting in future elections, it might be worth causing a bit of a stir over. (And for the record, I go from firmly agreeing with trump on some things to being shocked and embarrassed and infuriated at others. Overall I'm neither happy nor unhappy with him. But I am gravely concerned we don't know enough about him to form educated opinions and make educated decisions.)
Fine, here's the elaboration: The President either believes, or is cynically pushing, wild-eyed conspiracy theories in order to undermine any institution that may question his authority or power. This is dangerous. Along those lines he also claimed that the NYT is making up stories and sources from whole cloth: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/828642511698669569 And claimed that the media is intentionally suppressing reports of terrorist attacks: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...t-the-media-is-covering-up-terrorist-attacks/ This is all just from today. It is a pattern.
It seems like he has a really hard time letting his election mentality go. Given that it was proven that the media was actively conspiring with Hillary against him, he hasnt really shifted from that into his presidential role. He needs to give George W. a call and have him run down how to deal with the media, which is to not really give a shit at all. I dont think hes maliciously trying to put together a totalitarian regime, I think hes just a ridiculously insecure person and thats on full display, which is unfortunately, an incredible weakness for him and us all.