Keeping up with Trump

[moksha]

Trump's latest idea to have Rep. Liz Cheney shot by rifles was to reinforce his hold on gun lovers. That should help shore up his hold on Mormons in Arizona.

[hmb]

Interesting days ahead. Clinging to hope, but not super optimistic. If Trump takes it, there will be a lot of his supporters disappointed when grocery prices don't suddenly drop. But maybe we'll finally get that healthcare plan he keeps promising. I'm sure my Medicare and Social Security will be safe. (yes, sarcasm)

[hmb]

Trump's latest idea to have Rep. Liz Cheney shot by rifles was to reinforce his hold on gun lovers. That should help shore up his hold on Mormons in Arizona.

I wonder how they'll feel about his...ahem...shenanigans with the microphone? Shouldn't he get the Little Factory speech?

[moksha]

Here is an interesting letter in the Salt Lake Tribune (front page).

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/letters/ ... -planning/

[Hagoth]

Trump's latest idea to have Rep. Liz Cheney shot by rifles was to reinforce his hold on gun lovers. That should help shore up his hold on Mormons in Arizona.

I wonder how they'll feel about his...ahem...shenanigans with the microphone? Shouldn't he get the Little Factory speech?

They won't understand the joke. Kimball erased that from our knowledgebase. Actually, I should have said they won't say anything because they will pretend to not understand it.

[hmb]

Here is an interesting letter in the Salt Lake Tribune (front page).

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/letters/ ... -planning/

Pffft...It's written by a woman, so it doesn't count for much.

[Hagoth]

I see the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, etc. are planning to show up at voting locations with their assault weapons to ensure there is no cheating. But not AT ALL to intimidate anyone.

[moksha]

If he ratchets up the bronzer level anymore, his staff might accidentally try to deport him.





Trump can always explain how the microphone fellating was a demonstration of how he will persuade Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un into a new era of cooperation.

[Hagoth]

I'm sure Mormons feel like the constitution was just saved from hanging by a thread. Evidence that people will happily believe any lie that relieves them of the burden of thinking.

[hmb]

I'm not surprised that Harris lost to Trump. I am surprised by the blowout win he got, including the popular vote. I surprisingly feel strangely calm. It isn't shock, since it's what I expected from about 2 weeks ago. Maybe it's resignation and an acceptance because democracy did its thing. I just hope democracy didn't do its thing for the last time. We'll know more in the coming months.

[Linked]

Man, what a night. It makes sense that the US wouldn't escape the incumbent backlash going around the world right now, but I was hoping. The post-COVID inflation shock was real and probably drove much of this, despite the US rebound significantly outperforming most other developed countries.

I fear what a Trump presidency is going to do to the global order - Russia/Ukraine and Israel/Iran obviously but also spurning our democratic allies for more autocratic governments. I fear what a Trump presidency is going to do to global warming, rolling back the progress the US was making with the Inflation Reduction Act and pushing increased fossil-fuel production. I am concerned that violence against people not in the right-wing in-group will increase - racial minorities, LGBTQ folks, democrats. I am not looking forward to the tax cuts coming which will just increase the deficit because elected officials don't have the guts to actually reduce spending with their tax cuts even though that's what they campaigned on (I am ok with government spending, just not perpetual deficits). I fear for women with pregnancy complications. I fear what Elon Musk and Robert Kennedy might do if given power within the government to pursue their goals. I fear Trump will find a way to erode American democratic institutions in a way that will be difficult to repair, from future elections to using the government to punish people for political reasons.

The thing that is hardest to come to terms with is that the majority of voters prefer this to a Harris presidency. I live in a different reality than that majority, and them having control over my country, my life, my kids, with that reality is terrifying.

There's a good chance that my life and my family will not be disrupted much. My 401k is up on the news. I will likely have the same freedoms I have now. But it will be difficult not to have very high anxiety about possible terrible outcomes. I could try to ignore politics for 4 years. But what kind of person ignores those who ARE affected by the things Trump will do?

Time to find what is in my control to accomplish the good things I care about and do that.

[Hagoth]

I am soooo looking forward to an anti-vaxxer science denier running our health system. It feels like about time for the return of polio and smallpox. I'm sure we'll see equal disrespect to every corner of science-based departments. And I can't wait to see what benefits will go to the likes of Elon Musk, Mike Lundell, Marjory Taylor Greene, and the Jan 6 insurrectionists. Start popping the corn; the clowns are running the circus!

[hmb]

I am soooo looking forward to an anti-vaxxer science denier running our health system. It feels like about time for the return of polio and smallpox. I'm sure we'll see equal disrespect to every corner of science-based departments. And I can't wait to see what benefits will go to the likes of Elon Musk, Mike Lundell, Marjory Taylor Greene, and the Jan 6 insurrectionists. Start popping the corn; the clowns are running the circus!

And by a majority, we let them. Not all of us, but the majority. Wow. SMH!!!!!

[moksha]

Trump announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which will eliminate much of the federal government and federal spending such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Food Stamps. This will include eliminating business and safety regulations and instituting tax cuts for the wealthy.

[moksha]

Further changes: Trump said he was going to get rid of the Department of Education. How would that transform education in the United States? Would Florida opt for ending education in the 6th grade?

[Hagoth]

Trump announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which will eliminate much of the federal government and federal spending such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Food Stamps. This will include eliminating business and safety regulations and instituting tax cuts for the wealthy.

How many Trump voters realized they were electing Elon Musk? I guess we'll finally have a Russia-style oligarchy. Good job, Republican party, passively watching your regime go to hell.

[Hagoth]

How do you choose an EPA director? Easy, just find the guy in the legislature who has the worst voting history regarding the environment. Makes perfect sense.

How do you control Big Pharma? Remove all regulations on medications, so other interests can compete, like people selling Ivermectin and other snake oils. That will show that Big Pharma. everybody knows they won't be smart enough to take advantage of having all ethical restrictions taken from them.

[Hagoth]

Matt Gaetz Attorney General? Epstein is unavailable now.

[moksha]

Trump has appointed Rep. Matt Gaetz as Attorney General. This would fit Trump's agenda in that Gaetz wants to eliminate the FBI.

From Mormon Discussion and Dr. Steuss:

If anyone needed to know, S.15360 is the bill to prevent human trafficking, that every single Senator voted for, and every single Representative voted for, and Trump signed into law.

*checks notes*

Oh, wait. There was one single person that voted against it. Matt Gaetz. I'm sure him having an unrelated minor from another country that he called "my helper" living with him, and his friend pleading guilty to trafficking a 17-year old and being part of a scheme to get fake IDs for other minors, had nothing to do with it.

But hey, it's not like the President himself has a history of walking in on children getting dressed, or being friends with known human traffickers, or assaulting women.

[moksha]

The new Secretary of Defense is a weekend talk show host on Fox.

The new Senate Majority Leader John Thune will enact the Senate recess so Trump's nominees will not have to answer any questions.