Trump number 8

[Blue Jam]

Pelosi advises Trump to give State of the Union address in writing because his own government shutdown means adequate numbers of security staff may not be available to keep him safe:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46872419

*something about him scrawling "I'll just order more hamderders, I can afford them, your all a bunch of LOOSERS"  in crayon*

McDonald's for breakfast, lunch and dinner is a dream come true for him isn't it?

[Alberon]

Sounds a bit like shit politics from Pelosi. She knows the Secret Service keeps going even if they're not being paid.

[garnish]

Yes, surely it's better for him to deliver the address in person so he can look stupid saying how great his government is while it's shutdown.

[Howj Begg]

Sounds a bit like shit politics from Pelosi. She knows the Secret Service keeps going even if they're not being paid.

It's delegitimising him as president of the shutdown, and removing his most important ego crutch: national camera time. Sounds like good politics to me.

[Urinal Cake]

Trump should just Tweet it.

[Alberon]

Fucknut probably would.

We've been distracted by Brexit convulsions, but the shutdown is still ongoing and there seems to be absolutely no chance of it ending soon.

[Head Gardener]

[Head Gardener]

[Dog Botherer]

Epic lolz!

[Howj Begg]

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/17/report-trump-administration-migrants-1093242

The Trump administration separated thousands more migrant kids at the border than it previously acknowledged, and the separations began months before the policy was announced, according to a federal audit released Thursday morning.

[Dog Botherer]

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/17/report-trump-administration-migrants-1093242

Hard to keep track of things these days, but wasn't this widely known already? Or is this just official confirmation?

[Howj Begg]

Hard to keep track of things these days, but wasn't this widely known already? Or is this just official confirmation?

Seems to me the lack of a coherent database was known, but this judgement is distinctly new:

However, "thousands of separated children" entered the care of the HHS refugee office before the court order, the report said. The reunification rate for those children is not known, the inspector general's office said.

[Twed]

[The Culture Bunker]

Childish aside: I used to know a girl from Cumming, GA and the name never stopped being amusing to me.

[Alberon]

You know, I'm not sure if I should be comforted or terrified that however infantile politics has got in the UK in the US it is much much worse.

US President Donald Trump has postponed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's upcoming trip to Brussels, Afghanistan and Egypt, citing the government shutdown.

"I am sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate," Mr Trump said in a letter.

...

According to Fox News, Mr Trump's cancellation of the trip emerged barely half an hour before the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives was scheduled to leave on Thursday afternoon.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46911478

Reports that he went on to say "So ner!" are unconfirmed.

[The Culture Bunker]

Who is Amal AiiiiiiA?

[Howj Begg]

^^ also her trip was apparently top secret.

[ajsmith2]

Genius move to get Pelosi onside.

[mothman]

Who is Amal AiiiiiiA?

Another Vivid contract girl.

[Ferris]

So how does this end then? Either

- the House amends it's funding bill (not likely)
- Trump relents and signs the CR without the border funding
- Senate Republicans pass the House's bill, it is publicly vetoed by Trump (which is a bit of a political disaster), then a veto-proof majority of senate republicans override the veto.

All of these have essentially 0% chance of happening. I'm surprised McConnell is carrying this much water for the president - I assume promises have been made about support in his senatorial re-election campaign in Kentucky.

It's mad that there doesn't seem any sense of urgency. Why isn't everyone focusing laser-like on McConnel's inaction and forcing him to deny votes on the senate floor every single day to make him look like the guilty lackey he is? That's what I'd be doing.

[Alberon]

Trump isn't personally feeling any pain so he doesn't care. I'd presume (and I may be wrong) that his base support aren't federal workers.

The National Emergency threat has gone away, even Trump knows that would never work.

I suppose the key are right wing media commentators who pushed him into the standoff in the first place. But they like small government and will probably be loving this.

Short of Trump's base rising up and saying no more I can't see how this ends.

[Ferris]

His numbers are tanking though, which isn't what you want when your party has hitched your wagon to him and you already got a shellacking in the midterms. Someone will have to step in and be the adult in the room, but I don't think anyone has the political courage to do it.

[eggbabysupremacy]

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/trump-russia-cohen-moscow-tower-mueller-investigation

It would appear that some rather effective, young-blooded reporters from the Dossier-droppin', quiz-poppin' Buzzfeed are highlighting an instance of fairly blatant obstruction. 'Suborn' is the word of the day and I look forward to this being summarily dismissed as a nowt-burger.

[Mister Six]

If this is accurate, then between this and the memo he's supposed to have dictated on Air Force One that lied about Trump Jr's meeting with the Russians, they've got a pretty decent obstruction of justice case, with added perjury.

Meanwhile, Trump's expanding his border wall racism into Islamophobia: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1086252588088082432?s=19

[Mister Six]

Trump revealing Pelosi's planned visit to Afghanistan compromised that trip's security, so she planned to fly commercial - until the administration leaked that too, her people say.

https://wapo.st/2Fwq3Mo

[Blue Jam]

Have we done this one yet?

[dr beat]

I'd impeach him just for using Apple products.

[Alberon]

He's been twittering all morning. I suppose there is not much else to do.

Border rancher: "We've found prayer rugs out here. It's unreal." Washington Examiner People coming across the Southern Border from many countries, some of which would be a big surprise.

Straight in with islamaphobia.

Why would Nancy Pelosi leave the Country with other Democrats on a seven day excursion when 800,000 great people are not getting paid. Also, could somebody please explain to Nancy & her "big donors" in wine country that people working on farms (grapes) will have easy access in!

It was a five day working trip visiting American troops and NATO. Also The White House only cancelled yesterday another jolly for Stephen Mnuchin and Mike Pompeo who was set to go to Davos and the World Economic Forum.

Another big Caravan heading our way. Very hard to stop without a Wall!

What happened to the last caravan?

Kevin Corke, @FoxNews "Don't forget, Michael Cohen has already been convicted of perjury and fraud, and as recently as this week, the Wall Street Journal has suggested that he may have stolen tens of thousands of dollars...." Lying to reduce his jail time! Watch father-in-law!

Clearly nervous about this particular news item and rightly so.

Never seen the Republican Party so unified. No "Cave" on the issue of Border and National Security. A beautiful thing to see, especially when you hear the new rhetoric spewing from the mouths of the Democrats who talk Open Border, High Taxes and Crime. Stop Criminals & Drugs now!

The Republicans have been largely silent on the shutdown. I do feel the pressure grows on them every day, though.

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

AMERICA FIRST!

[dr beat]

Another DPRK summit! Convenient.

[mothman]

What happened to the last caravan?

It evaporated before it reached the border like