Thanks. I'm sure you wouldn't find it amusing if you were on this side of the debate however, as well over 50% of the replies to me these days are either insults, personal attacks, or profane in nature. That type of behavior isn't limited to FR these days either.
I prefer to look at the big picture. Trump's America First policies and economic nationalism were a major departure from the decades long globalist policies that destroyed the American middle class and entangled us in endless wars that drained our nation's blood and treasure.
I don't know where you're getting your information, but it's obviously flawed. The trade gap between the US and the rest of the world literally exploded under Trump. He didn't actually end any of our wars either. It's all an easily disprovable myth. He never actually withdrew us from anywhere, or anything, except treaties. DOD budgets went UP, not down. Once again, Trump presents this mirage of what he claims he will do, which never actually squares with the record. It takes research, and an open mind to ever see it. Took me years. Some will never get there unfortunately.
What Trump has endured ever since he announced for the Presidency in 2015 defies description. The Obama/Biden Administration set in motion the Russia Hoax that had the Trump campaign and transition team surveilled before he even took office.
And we all supported him then. I was right there on the front lines. That's how I got to know DeSantis so well, as he was on TV most every night making Trump's case for him. But it could have been a much smaller mess if Trump had appointed a good AG, and Deputy AG. I'm not trying to fully blame the victim here, but according to testimony Trump never even spoke to Sessions about whether he might recuse himself before appointing him AG, and this issue was already front and center by then. This was a colossal mistake, that led to Mueller being appointed, which extended the quagmire for half his Presidency. And yes, that is a big deal. Had he appointed a good AG, he could have been cleaning house on day 1. But based on Trump's literally horrible appointments into the DOJ throughout his tenure, he clearly brought many of these problems on himself. I know you're stuck in constant defend mode on anything Trump ever did, but this is the correct, overall, big picture analysis.
And then we we had two phony impeachments that were conducted without due process. We had the illegally constituted J6 Committee, which was a kangaroo court that covered up the J6 Fedsurrection. We have County DAs in NYC and GA charging Trump for non-existent crimes and politicized DOJ that raided Trump's home and charged him with manufactured crimes.
Is Trump being held to an unfair standard, compared to his predecessors, absolutely. And I supported him through his impeachments, and support him in his trials now. But I don't think you can say at this point that all the alleged crimes are non-existent, or manufactured. Just take the growing amount of evidence that Trump was showing off a classified war plan to attack Iraq, to members of the press at one of his golf clubs. I'm sure you know there's even audio of him describing it as still classified at the time. You can twist yourself in a pretzel and say he was just joking, or you don't have the proof, etc, and I do fully support the concept of innocent until proven guilty, especially in his case, but there is growing evidence against him in this regard, if you haven't been following it.
And that's just one example, of how Trump supporters are simply unwilling to consider he may have made a mistake. "We admit he's flawed" they all say, yet, you can never find a single thing they're willing to admit he ever did wrong. Doesn't mean he's deserving of all this persecution, it just means that there is a lack of reality surrounding Trump and his followers. As long as that exists, he will continue to make more and more mistakes.
Many of Trump's "team" were snakes who ignored his orders
Some were, but he appointed them. He doesn't deserve a free pass for putting those people in place. "Trump appointed snakes" is correct. "Trump refused to fire snakes he appointed" is also correct.
Trump was stymied at every turn to get funding for the Wall.
He never made a single proposal for Mexico to pay for it, as he had promised during the campaign. He was given countless ideas, including things he could have done with an executive order, like increasing the costs of visas from Mexico. He did none of that. And by the end of his presidency he was even talking about giving the DACA kids citizenship. I am not making any of this up. You probably even know all of it. You've just compartmented it all away.
I just received my copy of Courage Under Fire--Under Siege and Outnumbered 58 to 1 by Seven Sund, former Chief of the United States Capitol Police. Three days before the attack Sund's request for the National Guard was turned down by Pelosi.
As anyone should expect she would. But the issue is, that left NO additional security beyond the Capitol Police, which everyone should have known was insufficient. But no one wants to admit that Trump could have called the National Guard beforehand, but didn't. They want to hide behind Pelosi as if it was her fault not to secure Trump's event. Trump's event wasn't secure because Trump didn't secure it. And he definitely could have called the National Guard in advance, because he is the one who eventually called them, but only AFTER it had gotten out of hand. Watch this admission from him:
LOL. Mercy my ass.
The Republican Senators have shown Trump mercy. They could have easily convicted him of Impeachment, twice now, if they were really out to get him. It's the lack of understanding, and appreciation, that you yourself just displayed, that prevents them from ever wanting to help him any more than they already have. What's the point, they would clearly be thinking. To support Trump is just a risk, with no real reward.
Trump won. Only incumbent President to "lose" when receiving more votes the second time. Trump received 11 million more votes in 2020, a 17% increase.
And that is silly talk, that you've sadly devolved to, after making all the excuses for Trump you could think of. Once you've gone in so deep, but don't realize it, then things that don't even make sense start coming out. There were more votes on BOTH sides in 2020, because Trump and the Congress passed a bill that gave the states hundreds of millions of dollars to implement mail in voting, on a scale never seen before. So what if Trump went up 17%, because the Democratic totals went up even more! It's no different than a track star saying "I just ran my fastest time ever" as if that means they won the race. It doesn't. Others may have performed even better.
Fortunately, you are in the minority. TDS can be fatal. Cheers.
I don't have TDS in the least, I was huge supporter of his until just a few months ago. I still defend him at times, I just don't blindly defend him at every turn like I used to. His cost/benefit ratio has gone far negative, and will continue to go south. Enjoy the ride.
Sure could have. I am surprised their survival instincts kicked in and they stepped back from that leap into the dark void however much each of them wanted to be rid of him.
"If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen."
Harry Truman.
I don't know where you're getting your information, but it's obviously flawed. The trade gap between the US and the rest of the world literally exploded under Trump.
First, I never mentioned trade deficits. But your assertion that they "exploded under Trump" is demonstrably false. U.S. Trade Balance 1970-2023
The trade deficit exploded under Biden, even allowing for the impact of COVID, which affected 2020 and 2021. US Trade Deficit Hit Nearly $1 Trillion in 2022, Largest on Record
"Imports of goods were up 14.9% to $3.28 trillion. They increased the most for industrial supplies and materials, led by crude oil. Import gains were also reported for capital goods, consumer goods, automotive vehicles, parts, and engines, and food, feed, and beverages. Services imports added 23.7% to $680.5 billion, with travel and transport higher."
"Exports reached $2.09 trillion, a rise of 18.4%, driven up by fossil fuel shipments."
2013--minus
2014--minus $510 billion
2015--minus $526 billion
2016--minus $506 billion
2017--minus $537 billion
2018--minus $593 billion
2019--minus $578 billion
2020--minus $627 billion
2021--minus $862 billion
2022--minus $948 billion
U.S. trade balance for 2021 was $-861.71B, a 37.32% increase from 2020.
U.S. trade balance for 2020 was $-627.50B, a 8.42% increase from 2019.
U.S. trade balance for 2019 was $-578.79B, a 2.41% decline from 2018.
U.S. trade balance for 2018 was $-593.08B, a 10.5% increase from 2017.
He didn't actually end any of our wars either. He never actually withdrew us from anywhere, or anything, except treaties. DOD budgets went UP, not down. Once again, Trump presents this mirage of what he claims he will do, which never actually squares with the record. It takes research, and an open mind to ever see it. Took me years. Some will never get there unfortunately.
He didn't get us into any new wars despite some provocations to do so. Trump had to rebuild a tired military that had been depleted by endless wars. Remember the General who told him that they lacked ammo?
DOD budgets usually go up just to account for inflation. Personnel costs comprise about 25% of DOD's base budget. DOD argues that their budget has not kept pace with inflation. Since when does spending more on defense equate to being a warmonger? Peace thru strength is the objective.
The military and Congress stymied Trump's efforts to withdraw from Afghanistan and Syria. Trump put more pressure on NATO countries to spend more on defense. Only 5 of them, including the US, met the agreed upon obligation to spend 2% of GDP on defense.
And we all supported him then. I was right there on the front lines. That's how I got to know DeSantis so well, as he was on TV most every night making Trump's case for him. But it could have been a much smaller mess if Trump had appointed a good AG, and Deputy AG. I'm not trying to fully blame the victim here, but according to testimony Trump never even spoke to Sessions about whether he might recuse himself before appointing him AG, and this issue was already front and center by then.
It was up to Sessions to inform Trump. In point of fact, it was a mistake for Sessions to recuse himself. He didn't have to. Unfortunately Sessions trusted the corrupt DOJ for counsel. It was all part of the Russia Hoax. They got rid of Flynn and Sessions. As I stated previously, Trump was dependent upon the GOP to recommend appointments. He was a total outsider without a retinue of insiders. He was constantly being stabbed in the back by the Uniparty.
s Trump being held to an unfair standard, compared to his predecessors, absolutely. And I supported him through his impeachments, and support him in his trials now. But I don't think you can say at this point that all the alleged crimes are non-existent, or manufactured.
I absolutely do think these alleged crimes are non-existent and manufactured. As Beria said, "Show me the man and I'll find you the crime." "Let us once and for all root out the seeds of individual ambition. Let us smash any manifestation of anti-party groupism, put an end to efforts to destroy party discipline, in whatever form these efforts manifest themselves" The Stalinists are running America.
Just take the growing amount of evidence that Trump was showing off a classified war plan to attack Iraq, to members of the press at one of his golf clubs. I'm sure you know there's even audio of him describing it as still classified at the time. You can twist yourself in a pretzel and say he was just joking, or you don't have the proof, etc, and I do fully support the concept of innocent until proven guilty, especially in his case, but there is growing evidence against him in this regard, if you haven't been following it.
First there is no evidence of what he showed or the classification level. He could have been using hyperbole. That said, the Presidential Records Act allows him to possess classified information. The corrupt DOJ has criminalized the possession of these documents and a dispute with the National Archives. Contrast that with the treatment of Biden. Or Comey who gave classified information to a friend to pass to the media so he could get a Special Counsel appointed.
This is the Russia Hoax all over again. FBI Swat teams descending on Trump and his supporters violating their civil rights and 4th Amendment rights. There was plenty of "evidence" showing that Trump colluded with the Russians to steal an election. And Rush used to say, it is the seriousness of the charge that matters, not the truth.
And that's just one example, of how Trump supporters are simply unwilling to consider he may have made a mistake. "We admit he's flawed" they all say, yet, you can never find a single thing they're willing to admit he ever did wrong. Doesn't mean he's deserving of all this persecution, it just means that there is a lack of reality surrounding Trump and his followers. As long as that exists, he will continue to make more and more mistakes.
You seem to be missing the point. We have a two-tiered justice system. There is a separate standard for Trump. His "mistakes" are crimes, while those who commit actual crimes are not held accountable, e.g., the Biden Crime Family. Look at the disparate treatment of the J6 political prisoners and ANTIFA/BLM. Be specific and provide some examples of his "mistakes" that you consider to be crimes.
Some were, but he appointed them. He doesn't deserve a free pass for putting those people in place. "Trump appointed snakes" is correct. "Trump refused to fire snakes he appointed" is also correct.
No one is giving him a pass. Trump fired plenty of snakes. They went on to write tell all books. Do you want all their names?
As anyone should expect she would. But the issue is, that left NO additional security beyond the Capitol Police, which everyone should have known was insufficient. But no one wants to admit that Trump could have called the National Guard beforehand, but didn't. They want to hide behind Pelosi as if it was her fault not to secure Trump's event. Trump's event wasn't secure because Trump didn't secure it. And he definitely could have called the National Guard in advance, because he is the one who eventually called them, but only AFTER it had gotten out of hand. Watch this admission from him:
Trump did not have the authority to call up the National Guard before January 6th. He did offer them, but he was turned down by DC's Mayor and Pelosi. As Sund said in his book and interviews, they were all concerned about "the optics," a term that was used by everyone from DOD to Congress. Kash Patel was present when Trump made his offer to use the National Guard. Funny that everyone forgets the attack on the WH when the Secret Service incurred more injuries than the J6 "insurrection" and forced Trump to retreat to his bunker under the WH. The Metropolitan police acted as bystanders. It was OK for Antifa and BLM to riot, loot, and kill.
After J6 started then Schumer and Pelosi got on the phone pleading with the WH to send in the National Guard--after the fact. All part of the plan.
And that is silly talk, that you've sadly devolved to, after making all the excuses for Trump you could think of. Once you've gone in so deep, but don't realize it, then things that don't even make sense start coming out. There were more votes on BOTH sides in 2020, because Trump and the Congress passed a bill that gave the states hundreds of millions of dollars to implement mail in voting, on a scale never seen before. So what if Trump went up 17%, because the Democratic totals went up even more! It's no different than a track star saying "I just ran my fastest time ever" as if that means they won the race. It doesn't. Others may have performed even better.
Silly talk? Those are facts. You are sadly misinformed about the widespread election fraud that took place in key battleground states. The evidence is overwhelming. So you don't believe the election was stolen?
If not, then it deserves a separate post. Zuckerberg gave close to $500 million to manufacture Dem ballots in key states. State laws were changed by Dem state officials and courts to facilitate the steal. There were so many anomalies in the 2020 election compared to previous ones. How does Biden win while winning only 1 of 19 bellwether counties? Why is Trump the only President in history who gained more votes the second time and lose? Have you seen 2,000 Mules? Read the thousands of affidavits collected by Giuliani that were presented to battleground state legislatures?
I have followed closely the theft of the 2020 election. It was stolen. Not even close.
Read the Molly Ball article, The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election that celebrates the theft.
Have you read anything about how Social Media colluded with Deep State to influence public opinion? Or the 51 former Intel Officials who authored a public letter on Hunter's laptop characterizing it as having the earmarks of Russian disinformation?
I don't have TDS in the least, I was huge supporter of his until just a few months ago. I still defend him at times, I just don't blindly defend him at every turn like I used to. His cost/benefit ratio has gone far negative, and will continue to go south. Enjoy the ride.
Denial just ain't a river in Egypt. A huge supporter until just a few months ago? Yeah, right. A sunshine supporter.