And what about the ideological support of Christian terrorists?
Trump will be thrilled when the SC rejects his travel ban. I suspect he understands that his words undercut his own case. It will make great fodder for a bunch more tweets blaming a bunch of liberal activist judges who question his authority.
1
I think that Trump is actually incapable of understanding that the Tweets and campaign bombast undercut his legal positions.
Trumps greatest hoax is tricking people into believing a white male, born to wealth, Ivy League educated, earns $Billons is actually a victim treated badly by everyone.
2
Mr. Conway seems to be following his wife's path of "alternative news" when he states we should ignore the Maniac-in-Chief's tweets. If the WH doesn't want these to be news, then STOP TWEETING.
But Orange can't help himself. Even if he was winning an argument, it's all but guaranteed that he'd have to put in the last word, even if it would damage his case. I wonder if he even knows the difference.
Orange reminds me of the kid in school who viewed negative attention just as good as positive attention, as long as it was attention.
But Orange can't help himself. Even if he was winning an argument, it's all but guaranteed that he'd have to put in the last word, even if it would damage his case. I wonder if he even knows the difference.
Orange reminds me of the kid in school who viewed negative attention just as good as positive attention, as long as it was attention.
3
Donald Trump's lawyers are all sycophants and bottom feeders. They are not excellent lawyers. When lawyers are admitted to the bar, they take an oath to uphold the law. Writing an executive order that violates the Constitution and is stayed by two appellate courts is not the work of brilliant legal minds.
3
President Trump has done the education of our citizenry a big favor by providing clear evidence that our schools need to do a much better job teaching civics to all students:
"In his posts, Mr. Trump seemed to betray a misunderstanding of how two branches of the federal government work. His criticism of the Justice Department was misplaced, because it works for him. He could have insisted that it defend his original order. It was Mr. Trump’s decision, too, to issue the revised order. Mr. Trump also suggested that the Justice Department could ask the Supreme Court to impose a “much tougher version” of his executive order. But the court’s role is limited to evaluating the lawfulness of the current order."
"In his posts, Mr. Trump seemed to betray a misunderstanding of how two branches of the federal government work. His criticism of the Justice Department was misplaced, because it works for him. He could have insisted that it defend his original order. It was Mr. Trump’s decision, too, to issue the revised order. Mr. Trump also suggested that the Justice Department could ask the Supreme Court to impose a “much tougher version” of his executive order. But the court’s role is limited to evaluating the lawfulness of the current order."
3
Given the amount of time that has passed now, I can only wonder which Justice will be the first to ask the Solicitor General why the Court should not dismiss the appeal as mooted.
2
Mr. Trump’s posts came as Ms. Conway went on NBC’s “Today” show and chastised the news media for focusing too much on the president’s Twitter feed, calling it an “obsession with covering everything he says on Twitter and very little of what he does as president.”
Ms. Conway, I think that's because he does very little as president.
Ms. Conway, I think that's because he does very little as president.
11
I hope Trump gets to hear these words: "YOU'RE FIRED!"
8
Isn't it about time journalists started emphasizing the fact Trump "claimed" he need a 90 DAY ban to improve screening, and aren't we basically reaching the end of that 90 days (if we haven't passed it already)? One should rightfully question why he should even care about the ban anymore. Why doesn't he simply implement his so-called improvements in security screening. After all, he wasn't lying about the 90 days, was he?
5
It just gets deeper and deeper, doesn't it?
3
Maybe Trump knows he can say whatever he wants because he believes the Supreme Court that will review this is a stacked deck once again with the latest conservative addition.
After all these are the same legal minds who think corporations are people, a well regulated militia means a gun in every hand, and voter discrimination in the south is a thing of the past, among other pearls of wisdom.
The Republican Party and FOX news control the White House, the senate, the house, and the Supreme Court.
The country is a crueler, more divided, and more demeaned as a result.
After all these are the same legal minds who think corporations are people, a well regulated militia means a gun in every hand, and voter discrimination in the south is a thing of the past, among other pearls of wisdom.
The Republican Party and FOX news control the White House, the senate, the house, and the Supreme Court.
The country is a crueler, more divided, and more demeaned as a result.
5
Only restriction or banning travel to nationals of some Muslim countries is not enough. To be effective a well known breeding nests of terrorist in USA and Europe also should be destroyed. Mosques with radical Mullah (Mawla) preaching terrorism and recruiting terrorist should be closed and Mullah prosecuted and jailed. If Mullah is with dual nationality, after sentence, host nationality should be striped and after serving sentence, he should be deported to the country of his origin. All the Mosque and Mullahs should be under permanent observation of State security agencies and scrutiny of new Muslim immigrants radically improved and immigration restricted.
Closed enclave or ghettos of radical and illegal immigrant in several towns should be disbanded and immigrants partly deported and partly dispersed through the other part of the town.
Special attention should be given to the young persons visiting Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen and Saudi Arabia and they should be under special and permanent observation after returning from the visit.
For this, security forces and they financing should be considerably increased, but it is necessary sacrifice for protection against terrorism. It will not entirely stop Muslim terrorists attacks in our country, but will greatly impede them.
Closed enclave or ghettos of radical and illegal immigrant in several towns should be disbanded and immigrants partly deported and partly dispersed through the other part of the town.
Special attention should be given to the young persons visiting Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen and Saudi Arabia and they should be under special and permanent observation after returning from the visit.
For this, security forces and they financing should be considerably increased, but it is necessary sacrifice for protection against terrorism. It will not entirely stop Muslim terrorists attacks in our country, but will greatly impede them.
A "sacrifice" for whom? Not for you, I suppose. But it is because we sacrifice the Constitution. There has been at least as much, if not more, violence perpetual by extreme Christians in this country than by Muslims. Maybe we should be watching those churches as well. No we shouldn't because that would discrimination. Most Christians are not violent. The same is true of Muslims.
2
The most noxious "breeding ground" for terrorism is currently sitting in The Oval Office with his mouth and Tweet account.
3
Non-Compos Mentis, Treasonous, and Corrupt.
Time to impeach and remove the entire administration.
Time to impeach and remove the entire administration.
3
Proof positive that he never wanted the ban. He just wanted votes and money from people who thought it was a good idea. Just like he never intended to bring back coal, never intended to provide decent wages for blue collar workers, and never really wanted the wall. After he failed gloriously in developing a casino (bankruptcy is kinda the definition of failure, isn't it?), and made a big splash as a bully game show host, what was left? - the Presidency! He is the ultimate promoter, and he succeeds at it, but execution of a game plan really isn't his thing.
15
My God, he is irredeemably dumb. Seriously.
10
Mr. Trump, his lawyers said, was now a changed man, alert to the burdens and responsibilities of his office.
“Taking that oath marks a profound transition from private life to the nation’s highest public office.
Wow--wonder how his lawyers can sleep at night after spewing that garbage. Oh, wait, that's right--they're lawyers. . Not only is he demonstrably not a changed man, but it was clear at the time that he did not understand the nature of the oath, characterizing it in his address as a commitment to the people (and demanding reciprocal loyalty in return) rather than to the Constitution.
“Taking that oath marks a profound transition from private life to the nation’s highest public office.
Wow--wonder how his lawyers can sleep at night after spewing that garbage. Oh, wait, that's right--they're lawyers. . Not only is he demonstrably not a changed man, but it was clear at the time that he did not understand the nature of the oath, characterizing it in his address as a commitment to the people (and demanding reciprocal loyalty in return) rather than to the Constitution.
5
This is actually funny. Trump is not even good at being a terrible president.
6
The older you get, the less funny it will be.
2
I think the legal experts are living in an alternate universe. Mr. Trump owns the United States. He does not believe in anything the country stands for. He holds almost all of its institutions in contempt and for this he was elected president. So, I have difficulty understanding why these obviously gifted experts continue to write as if Mr. Trump cared what happened to his cases before the judicial system. The system is fake!
6
Why doesn't Trump tweet the deeper truth?
Countries that support terrorism but also allow Trump businesses to flourish don't get banned.
Countries that support terrorism but also allow Trump businesses to flourish don't get banned.
8
September 11 attacks. The hijackers in the September 11 attacks were 19 men affiliated with al-Qaeda. Fifteen of the 19 were citizens of Saudi Arabia, and the others were from the United Arab Emirates (2), Egypt, and Lebanon.
Trump's executive order with regard to travel ban for people coming from six Muslim majority countries - Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
9-11 Hijackers that would have been prevented by Trumps Order..... none.
Trump's executive order with regard to travel ban for people coming from six Muslim majority countries - Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
9-11 Hijackers that would have been prevented by Trumps Order..... none.
7
So, Ms. Conway, we are focusing too much on the president's Twitter feed? We should focus on what he's done as president? What has he done except totally disrupt our way of life and America and align himself with Putin. He has made a mockery of our country. I think he should resign the presidency so he can concentrate all his efforts and beliefs on Twitter fulltime.
Are we certain that he actually wants this travel ban? It would be oh so convenient to scapegoat the courts for not implementing the ban if then some sort of terrorist event happens in the the US. Since it is completely possible that there could be a terrorist attack and that his ban would certainly not prevent such an attack, Trump could blame the judiciary and escape "blame". Then he could continue to hammer on our "corrupt" justice system.
3
Good point. Same with the wall. Congress, not him. One thing for sure, the buck never stops at this POTUS.
2
What I love most about 45's failure to overhaul immigration is that he's doing it to himself.
4
Let's just say Donald Trump does not do well with transitions in his life.
3
Remember School House Rock? Trump needs a full DVD of the show, with new episodes covering things like this, and the proper Presidential use of Twitter: Do not use it!
The Justices will likely ask the Solicitor General questions like Doesn't the EO request a 120 day hiatus in order to better review the existing refugee and visa vetting system? It has been more than 120 days since the first EO was filed. Hasn't the Administration already had enough time to complete its review? What exactly has the Administration done in the past 5 months to improve the vetting system? Why does the Administration need more time than this EO says it needs?
The silence will be deafening!
The silence will be deafening!
1
Trump is playing a news media game with supporters and foes... and he is winning, at least for a few days.
Trump brings foreign affairs -- which he controls the agenda, not the State Department -- to center stage while deflecting attention from domestic legislation on stalmate in Congress.
Criticizing the London's mayor and insisting on a ban on Muslim immigrants are more attention-grab than bringing (boring) health care and tax reform to the front page of the NYT.
Trump brings foreign affairs -- which he controls the agenda, not the State Department -- to center stage while deflecting attention from domestic legislation on stalmate in Congress.
Criticizing the London's mayor and insisting on a ban on Muslim immigrants are more attention-grab than bringing (boring) health care and tax reform to the front page of the NYT.
2
Donald Trump doesn't care one bit about whether his travel ban ever gets implemented. Neither does he care about the rule of law and the separation of powers. He is just ginning up his base for his own political purposes without regard for the impact on our democracy. Shameful.
3
Saudis were the terrorists on the planes on 9/11. Saudis are not mentioned in any travel ban. Why not? Trump's outrage at Muslims is nothing more than a political stunt and his grandstanding has nothing to do with our security. Even his so-called base must see through Trump's utter lack of commitment to what he says we need as a country to protect ourselves.
20
Trump's complaints that the courts are slow displays his ignorance not only of the courts but as life in general. Appellate courts need time to discuss the circumstances of actions and confer with with one another to arrive at what the majority consider to be the best decision.
If he'd ever used any of precious time watching sports, he'd know that the various refereed and judges often delay a game by taking time to discuss a contested issue like whether a ball was in or out of bounds and even review instant replays. And in this game, the Justices even have the advantage of viewing the replay of Trump's pronouncements and tweets.
If he'd ever used any of precious time watching sports, he'd know that the various refereed and judges often delay a game by taking time to discuss a contested issue like whether a ball was in or out of bounds and even review instant replays. And in this game, the Justices even have the advantage of viewing the replay of Trump's pronouncements and tweets.
1
I'm still shocked that Trump is not slicker and more street smart about getting what he wants. It's obvious how he could get more positive press and make himself look better and smarter, without changing his bad positions. Supposedly that's what he wants. More and more of his nonsense is blatantly self-destructive and opens him up to public humiliation. Either he has more of a death wish than most narcissists do, or he's developing dementia like his father did at about the same age.
4
Trump's inability to learn from his failures suggests something more than just stubborn narcissism. Trump's constant verbal self sabotage suggests a fundamental problem with learning and cognition. Similarly to asking Angela Merkel 11 times to cut a "side deal" with Germany, Trump couldn't or wouldn't take "no" for an answer. He only relented when she did not. His rigidity is likely related dementia. He just can't see things another way even if the obstacles are blatantly apparent to everyone else (including his allies). Trump believes his executive powers should supersede his challenges. He is unable to understand nuance and context. Trump's only frame of reference is: "what does it mean for ME?" The basic corruption, amorality, and incompetence of his administration should keep Trump effectively impotent. However, when someone doesn't comprehend what he doesn't understand, he thinks he can do anything. Worse yet, he will try. His statements are the best examples of this policy intent. He is too damaged to understand the consequences of his actions. Acquiescence to this man would be our destruction. Pathetic.
3
The emperor has no clothes. Where is Congress? The Republicans care more about staying in power than in protecting the nation while the Dems have no guts. Is giving secrets to the Russian not treason? What if Hillary or Obama had done even one of the many horrible things Trump has said or done? Would the GOP have been as"correct" as the Dems?
3
Why is a "travel ban" needed anymore? Trump claimed his original two executive orders were temporary measures; he needed 120 days of barring entry from named countries to institute better screening procedures. Well, he has been in office for well over 120 days so one would assume that a "travel ban" should no longer be needed if his government only needed 120 days of a ban!
3
That's only a good point if you are supposed to be paying attention.
The tweets are irrelevant. The Supreme Court can rule an executive order is unconstitutional on it its face or unconstitutional as applied, but it lacks any authority to rule an executive order is unconstitutional as conceived.
If intent has anything to do with the law I think you may be wrong. Claiming one thing yet expressing another is, at the very least, a legal dilemma. If it quacks like a duck let's not call it a trumpet.
3
It often seems to me that Mr. Trump doesn't know what he believes, thus his frequent reversals or propensities for digging himself into holes. But I'm sure his legacy is secure - the legacy of lies, distortions, puerile language, scattered thoughts, discrimination, racism, sexism, deception, disinformation, collaboration with adversaries and alienation of friends. That solidly secure legacy will make a great case study (or hundred) but only if our country survives his tenure and censorship isn't imposed.
2
Finally, some clear evidence that our schools need to do a much better job teaching civics to all students:
"In his posts, Mr. Trump seemed to betray a misunderstanding of how two branches of the federal government work. His criticism of the Justice Department was misplaced, because it works for him. He could have insisted that it defend his original order. It was Mr. Trump’s decision, too, to issue the revised order. Mr. Trump also suggested that the Justice Department could ask the Supreme Court to impose a “much tougher version” of his executive order. But the court’s role is limited to evaluating the lawfulness of the current order."
"In his posts, Mr. Trump seemed to betray a misunderstanding of how two branches of the federal government work. His criticism of the Justice Department was misplaced, because it works for him. He could have insisted that it defend his original order. It was Mr. Trump’s decision, too, to issue the revised order. Mr. Trump also suggested that the Justice Department could ask the Supreme Court to impose a “much tougher version” of his executive order. But the court’s role is limited to evaluating the lawfulness of the current order."
2
I think it is time to look carefully at the 25th Amendment, concerning when a president "is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office."
6
This president is not only an idiot but someone who makes clear just how ignorant ( dare I say stupid) he is. He knows nothing about the function of government in general or American government in particular. He is a dolt when it comes to climate change, diplomacy, as well as terrorism. The real culprits however, are not this dim-witted man or even his embarrassment of a cabinet and " advisors," but rather the spineless Republicans and the Fox News Fog Horns who peddle his prattle. Oh yes, and those self destructive Trumpettes who voted for this mess. Don't any of you have any shame whatsoever?
4
An entrirely incompetent group devouring itself. LOVE IT!
3
After listening to the news this weekend, I suddenly remembered an excellent English movie from the 90's: The Madness of King George.
King George lll at times alternated between confusion and outbursts of temper, fondess and foolishness. He was later diagnosed with a mental illness which was little understood at the time. One of his symptoms was blue urine.
And I kept thinking, has anyone checked Trump's pee ?
King George lll at times alternated between confusion and outbursts of temper, fondess and foolishness. He was later diagnosed with a mental illness which was little understood at the time. One of his symptoms was blue urine.
And I kept thinking, has anyone checked Trump's pee ?
5
"Mr. Trump, his lawyers said, was now a changed man, alert to the burdens and responsibilities of his office."
They must be smoking funny cigarettes or else are off their meds.
They must be smoking funny cigarettes or else are off their meds.
12
No kidding, AMH!
A sure sign that Trump has always been sustainably independent and correct.
1
I tho I thought the President made policy. Did Sessions not inform the President of this?
Then Sessions should be fired.
Then Sessions should be fired.
2
I just can't understand why this guy cannot find people to fill his empty positions.
15
I'm not surprised by Trump's lapse of judgement in blurting out his real intentions with regard to the ban. His background is steeped in might-makes-right, monied legal intimidation of his adversaries (mostly everyone outside his family.)
I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he has tried to "persuade" the Supreme Court through Gorsuch, as he appears to have attempted to sway the FBI through Comey. After all Trump's said and done to this point on any number of issues, real or imagined, nothing is out of the question anymore.
I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he has tried to "persuade" the Supreme Court through Gorsuch, as he appears to have attempted to sway the FBI through Comey. After all Trump's said and done to this point on any number of issues, real or imagined, nothing is out of the question anymore.
11
Still hasn't grasped that POTUS doesn't equal CEO...
13
It's unconscionable that so much time and energy is expended on "managing" our President. This is a farce of an administration. And the fact that the President is out of control and allowed to continue is madness, sheer madness.
30
Surely Donald Trump is the most ignorant, uninformed, unintellectual and foolish president in our country's history. He is absolutely clueless about the policies he signing and even how our government works. Nor is he the least bit interested in learning. He's a national embarrassment and a chain around our necks. He has created even more enemies for our country – groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS - that view the US as an evil that needs to be eradicated . The swamp he has created is so full of billionaires, corrupt admin officials and corrupt businessman, that there's no room to move in it – people are stepping on each other's toes. Yet to his supporters, he is the savior of our country. Terrifying.
The president may not change, but the presidency will be forever changed. It will be weakened in order to limit the power of the office in the future. No longer will the president be allowed to create, change or remove policies. No longer will she have sole authority over diplomatic relations. No longer will he be able to be viewed as the savior or great father figure. Good? Bad? I'm in favor so that we never again have a president trying to create an autocracy.
The president may not change, but the presidency will be forever changed. It will be weakened in order to limit the power of the office in the future. No longer will the president be allowed to create, change or remove policies. No longer will she have sole authority over diplomatic relations. No longer will he be able to be viewed as the savior or great father figure. Good? Bad? I'm in favor so that we never again have a president trying to create an autocracy.
16
There was a delicious example today of intra-house discordant messaging but occurring not in the White House, as usual, but in the Conway House. As you reported, husband George candidly chose to comment on the self-inflicted damage a tweeting Trump could be doing to his "travel ban" case, with S.C. Justices attentive to his revealing rants. Meanwhile wife Kellyanne, in dutifully deceptive cleanup mode, was earnestly downplaying the significance of her boss's early morning communications, blaming the evil media for its fixation upon this form of Trump-speak. Going forward the Conways, over morning coffee, better get their stories in sync for the day ahead.
19
For many months a majority of Americans have commiserated and wrung their hands about Trump's many and various social errors, displays of outright ignorance, thinly veiled racism and a widening mean streak bordering on malevolence. This gathering storm of disdain has turned to outright ridicule in many quarters, including most of the media the President reportedly consumes. The protestations of his supporters have grown increasingly feeble, because really, what can you say? Like all good narcissists, Mr. Trump fully believes that not only can he literally do no wrong, but that every single problem he is experiencing is the fault of the Other. This fatal character flaw is growing in intensity with each passing day, just look at the story headings on this page. When do we realize that an intervention is not only called for, but seriously necessary for the protection of the country and perhaps our world. Unbelievably, this individual is the most powerful man on the pale blue dot we call our home.
21
The next thing you know, the "so-called president" will be tweeting out that there are ACTIVIST JUDGES sitting on the Supreme Court. Especially when SCOTUS either:
a) upholds the decisions of the lower courts;
or
b) refuses to put any of the TRAVEL BAN cases on their docket.
If y'all haven't figured out by now, the "so-called president" loves making enemies. Which is precisely why he is his own worst enemy.
BTW isn't it just plain weird that one one hand he wants to privatize air traffic control to speed up air travel, and on the other hand, he's so adamant about his TRAVEL BAN???
a) upholds the decisions of the lower courts;
or
b) refuses to put any of the TRAVEL BAN cases on their docket.
If y'all haven't figured out by now, the "so-called president" loves making enemies. Which is precisely why he is his own worst enemy.
BTW isn't it just plain weird that one one hand he wants to privatize air traffic control to speed up air travel, and on the other hand, he's so adamant about his TRAVEL BAN???
11
Mr. Trump, his lawyers said, was now a changed man, alert to the burdens and responsibilities of his office.
“Taking that oath marks a profound transition from private life to the nation’s highest public office, and manifests the singular responsibility and independent authority to protect the welfare of the nation that the Constitution reposes in the president,” they wrote.
Uh huh. Yeah. Whatever...
“Taking that oath marks a profound transition from private life to the nation’s highest public office, and manifests the singular responsibility and independent authority to protect the welfare of the nation that the Constitution reposes in the president,” they wrote.
Uh huh. Yeah. Whatever...
19
While Trump obsesses over his travel ban, 5 people were killed by a fired employee at a factory in Orlando today. Then he killed himself.
Our police forces and the FBI are doing a good job stopping the terrorists, but they will not be able to stop every attack.
Meanwhile, far more people die from "regular" violence in the US than at the hands of terrorists. Should we focus on that deadly violence too?
Our police forces and the FBI are doing a good job stopping the terrorists, but they will not be able to stop every attack.
Meanwhile, far more people die from "regular" violence in the US than at the hands of terrorists. Should we focus on that deadly violence too?
32
It's hard out there for an aspiring tyrant, living in a nation of laws.
30
Trump has no idea what he's doing. And he's always been his own worst enemy. This Presidency won't make it past Christmas. Mike Pence is a cure for insomnia, but at least we'll be able to sleep.
10
I would love to say to Mr. Trump, "you are fired." Ye gads. What a horrible president. I really can't say any thing nice about this guy. I didn't vote for him and those that did should be horrified by whom they voted for: a self centered, silly man who has made the U.S. an embarrassment to the world. And, he isn't much of a business man either.
15
My goodness, we haven't elected a man, but a middle school bully...
18
You give the "president" far too much credit.
6
I finally have come to the conclusion that he's not operating with a full deck. I truly believe he is unhinged from reality. Policy, personality, demeanor and everything else that I cannot stand about the man, I now think he's actually not all there. And even less there than Reagan in his final years.
24
Hard to imagine he'd be so reckless without some strategy in mind. But I guess there's no use in speculating as to his motives. This just gets weirder and weirder. Just when I think I can't have any less respect for the man, along comes another day.
10
On 9/11 it was only Saudis who took down the towers killing 3000 innocent Americans yet that single country is the only one NOT included in Trump's travel ban! That is outrageous! In that case NO country in the Middle East should be included in the Travel Ban since the prime killers were excluded.
6
I don't get it. Why doesn't Trump just declare martial law and suspend the supreme court? That's what his strongman buddies in the Philippines, Turkey, Russia and Egypt do.
Encouraging groups of paramilitary thugs as described in the NY Times is just the first step. Oops I meant patriots, not thugs.
Encouraging groups of paramilitary thugs as described in the NY Times is just the first step. Oops I meant patriots, not thugs.
7
We are one terror attack away from martial law and suspended elections.
I expect it won't be long until Trump's tweet excoriates the president for insane tweets that are destroying America. And then attacks that tweet for lying about the president. That will lead to a never ending fusillade of tweets, each attacking the previous tweet.
Fellow commenters: Help me with this story. What will happen next?
Fellow commenters: Help me with this story. What will happen next?
4
We don't dare speculate in public as we do not wish for any visits by a certain government agency.
3
Medical records??
Mental status is not up to par here, or, is not up to the level it should be for the most powerful person on the face of the earth who is occupying the Oval Office.
This is seriously and immensely frustrating. We, as a country, cannot continue in this, off the wall, direction.
Very dysfunctional administration. Actually, this would not be described as an administration, a gang is more like it.
Very damaging to the country, externally, as much as it is internally.
Shrinking our horizon, limiting our potential, instilling fear in our hearts, disrespecting our friends and befriending our foes.
It has been said that the Russians meddled in our 2016 elections, and that has been confirmed. In the same breath, it has been said that there are no evidence that the Russians had altered the voting machines in any precincts.
Now, if the investigation of meddling and collusion has not been concluded, then, how is the part regarding the potential hacking of the voting machine is conclusive??
We are living history in the making.
I would venture to say that things will get nasty after former FBI director's, James Comey, testimony on Thursday June 8th, 2017.
Mental status is not up to par here, or, is not up to the level it should be for the most powerful person on the face of the earth who is occupying the Oval Office.
This is seriously and immensely frustrating. We, as a country, cannot continue in this, off the wall, direction.
Very dysfunctional administration. Actually, this would not be described as an administration, a gang is more like it.
Very damaging to the country, externally, as much as it is internally.
Shrinking our horizon, limiting our potential, instilling fear in our hearts, disrespecting our friends and befriending our foes.
It has been said that the Russians meddled in our 2016 elections, and that has been confirmed. In the same breath, it has been said that there are no evidence that the Russians had altered the voting machines in any precincts.
Now, if the investigation of meddling and collusion has not been concluded, then, how is the part regarding the potential hacking of the voting machine is conclusive??
We are living history in the making.
I would venture to say that things will get nasty after former FBI director's, James Comey, testimony on Thursday June 8th, 2017.
6
Trump seems to have given up on running the country and instead is focused on running for re-election, between the Paris Accord withdrawal and the inflammatory tweets that whip his base into a frenzy.
Easier to criticize the rest of the government than to actually govern.
Easier to criticize the rest of the government than to actually govern.
14
I believe that he had given up before he'd ever started.
10
According to th Trump administration, "“This is a temporary pause that allows us to better review the existing refugee and visa vetting system.” The pause according to both orders was to last three months. It has been almost six months! So order or not, they have had the time the order sought to conduct their better review and more. The order has no longer any purpose according to their own statements. I can see no reason why they couldn't conduct a review and develop vetting in twice the time they asked for. What have they been doing? Maybe they're not being forthright? Maybe it's all politics and baiting?
12
The President, as a private citizen and highly successful real estate developer and highly regarded businessman, well, thought I would try to be a little respectful, Trump, the bankruptcy grifter is not accustomed to losing any issue and he is going to demonstrate he will not lose this case.
3
Aww c'mon, give the guy a chance! Where is it writ that one has to have actually read the Constitution before becoming president? He has people to take care of that stuff.
14
Donald Trump is coming to find that he stands against most everyone else --and stands against those things most admired, revered, noble.
He is a recking crew, against all that is right and good.
That is why he is so miserable, never laughs, grimaces more than smiles.
A deeply unhappy, immoral man, that nothing can assuage.
He sold his soul long ago. And nothing (no matter the power) can change this.
A searing lesson for kids about the value of honor, honesty, truth, modestly, compassion and empathy.
And a stark warning about greed, dishonesty, deception, selfishness.
You can inherit the world and lose your soul.
And nothing is more painful, more miserable (to experience).
He is a recking crew, against all that is right and good.
That is why he is so miserable, never laughs, grimaces more than smiles.
A deeply unhappy, immoral man, that nothing can assuage.
He sold his soul long ago. And nothing (no matter the power) can change this.
A searing lesson for kids about the value of honor, honesty, truth, modestly, compassion and empathy.
And a stark warning about greed, dishonesty, deception, selfishness.
You can inherit the world and lose your soul.
And nothing is more painful, more miserable (to experience).
26
With as many murders we have here in the US, why we not banned from travelling abroad? The answer is quite simple...only a very few Americans commit murder, and those folks abroad know facts from fiction. Unlike our President who lives in an alternative universe where hate is good and good is hate.
12
Mr. Trump clearly has the greatest ability of anyone I've ever seen to shoot himself in the foot.
18
No sane person wants to work for someone who continually undermines them - and in public no less. The consistent lying is looking more and more like the dissembling of a person who doesn't understand how the world works. Criticizing Sessions, one of his only friends in DC, is such a dumb move it beggars believe - but here we are. And he doesn't even have a dog.
18
MSNBC's Nicole Wallace reported today that a White House insider has told her that Trump misses being "in campaign mode," that he finds the White House and his duties suffocating and boring. Trump wants to be back in campaign mode, connecting with old friends like Corey Lewandowski, Rudi Giuliani, holding rallies, meeting supporters and tweeting and saying whatever he wants without criticism.
Maybe it will dawn on Trump he could be in permanent "campaign mode" and get to say and do whatever he wants if he resigned the presidency and just spent all of his time back on the road holding rallies and talking about himself and his inane policies. It would allow him to go back to name-calling and insulting James Comey, Obama, Hillary, Meryl Streep, Rosie O'Donnell, Kathy Griffin, Arnold Schwarzenegger and other irritants with almost no blowback.
Tens of millions of Americans would love to see Trump resign and go to Mar-a-Lago and busy himself with rallies, tweeting and golf.
He'd be doing his country a favor.
Maybe it will dawn on Trump he could be in permanent "campaign mode" and get to say and do whatever he wants if he resigned the presidency and just spent all of his time back on the road holding rallies and talking about himself and his inane policies. It would allow him to go back to name-calling and insulting James Comey, Obama, Hillary, Meryl Streep, Rosie O'Donnell, Kathy Griffin, Arnold Schwarzenegger and other irritants with almost no blowback.
Tens of millions of Americans would love to see Trump resign and go to Mar-a-Lago and busy himself with rallies, tweeting and golf.
He'd be doing his country a favor.
29
But also; dread the thought of Trump selling his @reeeaaaall account to the Bannons of our country. All in the guise of America somehow being better, because the (white) people can run the country better.
2
In God's holy name, what is it going to take -- a new "Reichstag fire"; a nuclear exchange; a ginned-up imitation terrorist attack -- to impel our legislators either to impeach, or to move the 25th Amendment/Article 4 forward? It is suicidal optimism to suggest we hold out hope for 2018 (much less 2020.) Our Republic does not have that much longer. Remember what happened to the German optimists of 1936.
20
Abbot and Costello's "Who's on First?" skit was infinitely more clear than what comes out of the White House these days.
18
How I miss FDR's fireside tweets!
9
Liptak & Baker wrote that trump "...assailed Mayor Sadiq Khan of London...presenting him as soft on terrorism. Mr. Khan, the first Muslim mayor of the [London]..."
trump purposefully misrepresented Khan's words for the benefit of his race hating supporters whom trump knows will never do the required reading to know what Sadiq Khan actually said.0
trump purposefully wants to chum the environment and continue to characterise all Muslims as terrorists and create division between non-Muslims and London's Muslim Mayor.
In doing so, trump lets everyone know that it is trump who is a race terrorist.
trump purposefully misrepresented Khan's words for the benefit of his race hating supporters whom trump knows will never do the required reading to know what Sadiq Khan actually said.0
trump purposefully wants to chum the environment and continue to characterise all Muslims as terrorists and create division between non-Muslims and London's Muslim Mayor.
In doing so, trump lets everyone know that it is trump who is a race terrorist.
22
He's too easy - Impeachment will be like shooting fish in a barrel - in Times Square - in the middle of the day - and he'll be arrested - for financial 'discoveries' made by the FBI and other agencies.
8
I suspect Trump is undermining his administration's legal case through his Tweets on purpose. He knows the Supreme Court will uphold the lower courts' decisions and these tweets to his supporters intend to poison the well of public opinion through a political smear campaign. There's only one person responsible for the corruption and politicization of judicial decisions and it's Donald.
12
When the first travel ban came out I thought it was for three months while the government ramped up its vetting process. That was 5 months ago. Isn't the new vetting procedure ready? If so, why do we still need a ban? If not, why not?
17
You have to admit all this is pretty funny.
4
Uh, no, it's not.
11
I suspect Tump doesn't really care whether the ban is implemented or if, is effective. What counts for him and his ilk is the red meat of the vocalizing. He's probably right that it will gain him votes, especially from folks who have never voted before. It's true of most of his issues; doesn't matter whether they're enacted, he gets credit for speaking what's on their minds. Unfortunately, all the bozos he's appointed in positions of authority are nibbling away at sensible rules and regulations, and they will really hurt folks. Apparently they cancelled some worker safety rules today. Are you serious? Do you realize how many workers OSHA rules have saved from death and dismemberment? Many many thousands, if not millions. I work in the construction industry and see every day workers really protected by easy and cheap safety practices that everyone - management and workers - howled about when implemented. How easy is it to put on an orange vest? It costs about $10, and companies put advertising on them. It's saved countless lives. Walking back commonsense rules and regs is criminal.
16
Trump is right again, and again, and again.
The SC ruling on the travel ban is far greater than the ban itself.
It will rule whether a candidate can speak truly about post-election actions.
It will rule if judiciary is unequal and more powerful branch than executive.
It will rule if verbal political incorrectness matters more than malignant actions.
If the SC rules in Trump's favor, all the fourth circuit judges who got it wrong must resign for politicizing our judiciary -- if they have an iota of shame.
The SC ruling on the travel ban is far greater than the ban itself.
It will rule whether a candidate can speak truly about post-election actions.
It will rule if judiciary is unequal and more powerful branch than executive.
It will rule if verbal political incorrectness matters more than malignant actions.
If the SC rules in Trump's favor, all the fourth circuit judges who got it wrong must resign for politicizing our judiciary -- if they have an iota of shame.
1
Why should they resign? The fourth circuit judges judged based on legal arguments. The judiciary is independent of the executive branch. What if the SC does not rule in Trump's favor - should Trump resign?
10
It will rule on if a candidate who indicates an intention to discriminate on the basis of religion can have that used as evidence of discrimination.
"It will rule if judiciary is unequal and more powerful branch than executive."
Nope, Marbury v. Madison isn't at jeopardy here.
"It will rule if judiciary is unequal and more powerful branch than executive."
Nope, Marbury v. Madison isn't at jeopardy here.
2
You know what's funny? President anti-Muslim Travel Ban just ensured that there won't be any kind of anti-Muslim travel ban for a long time to come.
You know what's predictable? Trump will never stop blaming other people for his blunder. Justice Dept officials are going to be fired for this. The Supreme Court will never hear the end of this. If Neil Gorsuch votes with the majority, Trump complain that Mitch McConnell and the Senate didn't vet him properly. Trump will demand a do-over. He will call for impeachment of Justices. He will never let this go.
You know what's predictable? Trump will never stop blaming other people for his blunder. Justice Dept officials are going to be fired for this. The Supreme Court will never hear the end of this. If Neil Gorsuch votes with the majority, Trump complain that Mitch McConnell and the Senate didn't vet him properly. Trump will demand a do-over. He will call for impeachment of Justices. He will never let this go.
10
In other words the buck stops somewhere else.
13
Trump's term in office continues to elicit conflicting emotions for me. While I am continuously dismayed that he and his agenda are in power, I am relieved that his ineptitude continues to hamstring their efforts.
Relying on incompetence is a poor source for hope.
Relying on incompetence is a poor source for hope.
19
Trump Tweets are just a distraction from what he’s really doing.
Today he announced his plan to upgrade the air traffic control system. What he didn’t say is that the NextGen system, which uses GPS instead of radar, has already been built at a cost of $3billion taxpayer dollars. Trump wants to privatize it – hand it over to a corporation and make his buddies rich.
www (dot) flightaware (dot) com / live
NextGen is already up and running.
Today he announced his plan to upgrade the air traffic control system. What he didn’t say is that the NextGen system, which uses GPS instead of radar, has already been built at a cost of $3billion taxpayer dollars. Trump wants to privatize it – hand it over to a corporation and make his buddies rich.
www (dot) flightaware (dot) com / live
NextGen is already up and running.
11
I was reading an article about the Orlando "disgruntled employee" who had been fired months ago returned and killed 6 people (he was one of the 6). A different article cited a Bureau of Labor Statistic that in 2009 there were 788 assaults and violent acts in workplace fatalities, including 528 homicides and 237 self inflicted.
So if we applied the Trump rationale of rounding up people of a specific place or lineage to prevent homicides, maybe we should start a former employee database and track them too. Maybe there would be a group of 528 people today still alive.
So if we applied the Trump rationale of rounding up people of a specific place or lineage to prevent homicides, maybe we should start a former employee database and track them too. Maybe there would be a group of 528 people today still alive.
12
Supreme court will hear legal arguments concerning President Trump's "travel ban"! Will the court hear arguments based on the White House's Lawyers arguments, based on constitutional grounds concerning presidential authority; or will the focus be on the president's tweets and non-sensical rhetoric. The issue is not whether poorly scripted and articulated words dictate policy, but actions that dictate policy. In a theoretical sense it bans travelers from the 5 countries labeled sponsors of terrorism. It does not ban travelers from these nations indefinitely but places a 90 day wait for proper and exhausting vetting. It is a non-sequitur to state the "ban" would not have prevented domestic terrorism in America. The point of the argument, does the president have the constitutional right to curtail immigration in the name of public safety. Regardless if it could or could not prevent an attack from happening, it offers a layer of safety in these extreme times. We in the US have remained remarkably terror free; and unfortunately the argument against security measures is embroiled in the rhetoric of political correctness and running counter to a nation of immigrants!
1
The issue here is if those words can be taken as evidence of discriminatory intent and the extent to which that intent can be used when judging the constitutionality of an action.
" It is a non-sequitur to state the "ban" would not have prevented domestic terrorism in America. "
On the contrary, it is directly on point since that undermines the security argument and thus doesn't offer "a layer of safety."
" It is a non-sequitur to state the "ban" would not have prevented domestic terrorism in America. "
On the contrary, it is directly on point since that undermines the security argument and thus doesn't offer "a layer of safety."
2
Which idea is more preposterous - that taking the oath of office made Trump a changed man, or that he's even read the Constitution he swore to defend? Doing either would be the act of a conscientious person, which is the last thing he would ever be.
10
When are Trump's friends and supporters going to come to realization that Trump doesn't have a clue what he is doing? I'm not going to hold my breath, because with the state of public education in many red states, students taught there probably graduate with an equally misinformed understanding of how the country works as Trump clearly has.
17
As long as Fox "News" and Breitbart exist that will never happen....I've talked to Trump supporters and realized it is a waste of time.
I'd rather talk to my cat. At least I get an intelligent response from him. He leaves the room when Trump is on tv.
I'd rather talk to my cat. At least I get an intelligent response from him. He leaves the room when Trump is on tv.
14
The Supreme Court would be smart to decline the case since they will only be derided with tweets. 120 days have passed. Extreme vetting is happening. On to more important things.
8
I'm curious as to how you know this? There have been no laws passed regarding "extreme vetting." The Executive Orders are held up in the court system. There have been no regulations from the Dept. of State not Homeland Security addressing any new vetting rules, and certainly not "extreme vetting."
What exactly is "extreme vetting," and how do you know it's being carried out?
What exactly is "extreme vetting," and how do you know it's being carried out?
2
The biggest question the court should ask is quite simple:
"A key justification for the legitimacy of the "ban" was made on the basis of it being temporary. So, in the months following your attempted institution of the "ban", what have you actually done to "find out what is going on"?"
"A key justification for the legitimacy of the "ban" was made on the basis of it being temporary. So, in the months following your attempted institution of the "ban", what have you actually done to "find out what is going on"?"
20
Trump is distancing himself from responsibility and failure. He's not responsible for signing the executive order, that's the Justice Dept's fault. He didn't fail to protect the country, that's the Supreme Court's fault. Losing is his greatest fear, his kryptonite, his achilles' heel but not to worry - he has immunity, he's not responsible for any failure, that's someone else's fault.
20
Some would say a President torpedoing his case before the Supreme Court is a buffoon. An alternative is he's stoking anger, knows terrorism is coming, needs the judiciary as whipping boys as he plows through historical norms and institutional checks and balances.
8
This is the silliest, most self-destructive person ever elected president. No one of repute would work for him unless convinced it was an urgent matter of protecting the US from its own president. I am daily more convinced Javanka's role in the administration is impulse and damage control, and I am daily more convinced that role is beyond their competence.
27
This provides Gorsuch an easy opportunity to establish his (perception of) independence from Trump on a major case.
Depending on how unified and reaching the Court's opinon extends might actually enhance or at least further codify immigrant protections.
Depending on how unified and reaching the Court's opinon extends might actually enhance or at least further codify immigrant protections.
4
Trump does not care about law, despite his sister being a federal judge. He intends for him to be the law. His models are Putin, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, sorry too many commas, I could keep typing.
17
Lots of cops have criminal family members. Trumps sisters intelligence and respect for the law, is not something that rubs off...
If Trump thought the second ban was "watered down," why did he issue it? The DOJ is part of the Executive Branch, which is headed by Trump, so why is he criticizing its actions as though he didn't approve them? This is maddening. Rufus T. Firefly's takeover of Freedonia made more sense than what we are dealing with today.
18
Based on the tweets, Paris, and the general far-righter turn of policy lately, looks like President Bannon is back.
15
Most people would be mortified to have an important job they are unqualified for. Not Trump -- he simply doesn't care. Everything he says and does is directed toward his base, the only people he can feel superior to.
19
"the only people he can feel superior to."
I hadn't thought of it that way before, but it makes sense.
I hadn't thought of it that way before, but it makes sense.
3
Most people would have the sense to do some serious learn'n.
Appealing to his base is only to get him to the 50 yard line this time.
Appealing to his base is only to get him to the 50 yard line this time.
At least it is now glaringly evident to the world how and why this man declared bankruptcy...... four times! What is it going to take to get rid of this cancer on this Republic? Must he run naked at midnight out of the White House, before his party gets rid of him?
25
Let's take a step back and look at what he's doing here. Crazy? Maybe like a fox. Trump knows he will lose in court, so he is trying to make lemonade out of lemons. Defiant to the end. Rally the base. By losing he wins, meaning he can claim deep state conspiracy, play the victim, and rail against an overreaching liberal judiciary. If people just let him do what he wants to do....And if, God forbid, there's a terrorist attack on US soil, he will come out with a big, "I told you so." Don't let him get away with it.
20
It's brilliant strategy. President Bannon is ensuring that comrade trump continues to play to the base ("Muslims are terrorist losers", "our judges are terrible and are threatening national security", "liberal elites won't let me help real Americans"), while also ensuring that the executive order never comes to pass because he's sabotaging it. Popularity preserved, and backlash from thinking people subsides.
13
"Curiouser and curiouser."
I think Alice had eaten a bad mushroom. Is it possible Mr. Trump has done likewise?
I think Alice had eaten a bad mushroom. Is it possible Mr. Trump has done likewise?
4
He is playing in an arena where, unlike his prior arenas, continuing to talk without a strategy and assistance largely hurts him. And he is too ignorant to realize it, and/or to stubborn to accept it.
5
Isn't it painfully obvious that Trump doesn't want the SC to overturn the lower courts' rulings? What he wants is to be able to blame the next terrorist incident in the US on the "politically correct courts." For his entire business and political careers, Trump's M.O. has been to find perceived "successes" to claim as his own and to find other people to blame for his countless failures. Why are so many people fooled by this charlatan again and again?
31
Gosh, I really hope you're wrong. The terrible thing is that it seems so plausible.
2
I'd like to hear more about whether there is a real security advantage to implementing the travel ban. Just how many of the 9/11 hijackers came from countries that are covered by the ban? Just how many terrorists who have done harm to US citizens come from countries that are covered by the ban? Why is Saudi Arabia not identified as a country that continues to finance jihadist education via their Wahhabist madrasas? Did Trump mention that to his Saudi hosts after the sword dance?
We've had too many occasions of presidents using claims of national security that have turned out to be false to carry out disastrous policies (think Vietnam and Iraq). Facts and valid justifications matter.
We've had too many occasions of presidents using claims of national security that have turned out to be false to carry out disastrous policies (think Vietnam and Iraq). Facts and valid justifications matter.
14
The original "emergency" travel ban from the named countries was contained in an Executive Order issued January 27th, and was to be in effect for a 90 day period; the order also contained a ban on new refugees that was to be in effect for 120 days.
The stated purpose of the Executive Order was to enable the government to develop and implement proper screening processes.
As it's now been 129 days since the original Executive Order, can one assume that the screening processes have been developed and are in place so that no new ban is needed, and/or there would be no need to reinstate the original bans as they would have already expired?.
The stated purpose of the Executive Order was to enable the government to develop and implement proper screening processes.
As it's now been 129 days since the original Executive Order, can one assume that the screening processes have been developed and are in place so that no new ban is needed, and/or there would be no need to reinstate the original bans as they would have already expired?.
17
This is the crux of it right here:
"Mr. Trump did not explain on Monday why two elements of the order were still needed: The original rationale was a pause for visitors and refugees of 90 to 120 days to give the administration time to review vetting procedures and put new ones in place. More than 120 days have passed."
He's had time do review the policies etc. The travel ban has nothing to do with the government's ability to do a policy review. Would some lawyer please point this out?
"Mr. Trump did not explain on Monday why two elements of the order were still needed: The original rationale was a pause for visitors and refugees of 90 to 120 days to give the administration time to review vetting procedures and put new ones in place. More than 120 days have passed."
He's had time do review the policies etc. The travel ban has nothing to do with the government's ability to do a policy review. Would some lawyer please point this out?
13
President Trump: "The Justice Dept. should have stayed with the original Travel Ban, not the watered down, politically correct version they submitted to S.C.”
It was the President himself, not the Justice Department, which signed the "watered down" Executive Order. The Justice Department only legally defends what the President orders; it does not make such policy decisions. Putting it simply, the President not only got it wrong but he got it wrong about his own actions.
Is the President intentionally tweeting out "false news"?
Does he have serious memory lapses?
Does he not understand pieces of paper he signs?
Is he so contemptuous of the American people that he actually believes he can make 2+2=5 an "alternative fact" in their minds?
I don't know the answer to the questions, but it seems fairly clear the explanation must be one of the above. I would be more reassured if the Times had taken note of the serious contradiction in the President's tweet, as well as other Commenters, especially those whose comments are Most Recommended.
It was the President himself, not the Justice Department, which signed the "watered down" Executive Order. The Justice Department only legally defends what the President orders; it does not make such policy decisions. Putting it simply, the President not only got it wrong but he got it wrong about his own actions.
Is the President intentionally tweeting out "false news"?
Does he have serious memory lapses?
Does he not understand pieces of paper he signs?
Is he so contemptuous of the American people that he actually believes he can make 2+2=5 an "alternative fact" in their minds?
I don't know the answer to the questions, but it seems fairly clear the explanation must be one of the above. I would be more reassured if the Times had taken note of the serious contradiction in the President's tweet, as well as other Commenters, especially those whose comments are Most Recommended.
11
It's pretty clear that the president does not understand what he is signing. Nor does he understand that there are three coequal branches of government. Nor does he understand that when he is referring to "they" these days, that he is the "they ". He is essentially clueless.
Frightening isn't it.
Frightening isn't it.
3
The article fails to note one fundamental element of this ongoing farce. Trump tweeted,"The Justice Dept. should have stayed with the original Travel Ban, not the watered down, politically correct version they submitted to S.C.” It was the President himself, not the Justice Department, which signed the "watered down" Executive Order. The Justice Department is only in a position to legally defend what the President orders.
Is the President tweeting out false news, has serious memory lapses, doesn't understand pieces of paper he signs, or is so contemptuous of the American people that he believes he can make 2+2=5 an "alternative fact" in their minds? I don't know the answer to that question, but the Times article should at least have taken note of the serious contradiction in the President's tweet.
Is the President tweeting out false news, has serious memory lapses, doesn't understand pieces of paper he signs, or is so contemptuous of the American people that he believes he can make 2+2=5 an "alternative fact" in their minds? I don't know the answer to that question, but the Times article should at least have taken note of the serious contradiction in the President's tweet.
21
The constitutional issue here has nothing to do with the ban itself. The main questions is whether the President and the Congress as well have the right to free speech and open debate? Shutting it down, as would a decision against his executive order if it is constitutional how it is written, would hurt the legislative process and decision making by any president. Things should be discussed in all areas. Then when it comes time to write law, if the bill or order meets constitutional standards, it should be OK.
The same issue in congress. Someone could challenge a new law on the basis that some of the senators advocated unconstitutional ideas during the debate about the law. A ruling against the ban order would silence debate, free speech and the whole democratic process in all other areas.
The same issue in congress. Someone could challenge a new law on the basis that some of the senators advocated unconstitutional ideas during the debate about the law. A ruling against the ban order would silence debate, free speech and the whole democratic process in all other areas.
Your understanding of free speech and the constitution are muddy at best. Of course it has everything to do with the ban itself, and the wording and intent of the ban, which is painfully obvious and becoming even more so as Trump continues to tweet from the hip. And this isn't about the president's right to free speech. When he signs the travel ban, he is acting as a representative of the government, not as an individual with the right to mouth off at anything that suits his fancy. When he tweets, that's a different issue. And it's not about the "right" of Congress to free speech (Congress isn't a collective entity with individual speech rights guaranteed by the First Amendment). This is an executive order, in essence a type of law, designed to change existing immigration law. If the order is unconstitutional, which it appears to be, given the number of times it's been rejected by the courts, then it has to be struck down. Case closed.
14
It has everything to do with the ban itself. The issue isn't if someone has the right to express a desire to discriminate, they do, but it that may be taken as evidence of discriminatory intent. Such intent is directly relevant to the constitutionality of a measure. What you're asking for is the right to not be judged by what you say--the democratic process doesn't require such a right.
2
I believe this was a Russia Diversion. Morning shows were going to discuss David Nunes "unmasking" back after the election, until Trump went on the tweet fest.
11
Little brain big mouth ignorance= disastrous president.
8
For some odd reason, my "plus" signs didn't copy, making this comment nonsensical....
2
L, we got it. It's OK!
1
President Bannon is at it again.............................
4
His Lawyers have the client they deserve.
9
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain....
11
So ... tweeting is now a common presidential-level activity.
We've fallen a long long way since the day we heard: "Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world...."
What ... if anything ... does America stand for today? The best I can come up with is, "not much."
We've fallen a long long way since the day we heard: "Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world...."
What ... if anything ... does America stand for today? The best I can come up with is, "not much."
13
Just keep tweeting! Just keep tweeting!
10
For a guy whose business depended on a lot of lawyering up, what doesn't he get about this legal mess. I am quite certain that when his lawyers told him to say nothing about stiffing contractors or going bankrupt, he shut his mouth. Trump appeals to the Supreme Court and can't keep his mouth shut.
3
He doesn't have to shut up HE'S the PRESIDENT!....
1
Then he should be prepared to accept the consequences of his idiotic statements.
4
The travel ban is the strategic equivalent of invading Iraq: it has very little to do with fighting terrorism and a lot to do with pandering to conservatives and manipulating public opinion. Like the false narrative that Saddam had helped perpetrate 9/11, there is a lie that banning travelers from these countries is not about religion. Invading Afghanistan and extricating bin Laden had, and even with him gone, continues to have great complexity. Fighting the radicalization of US citizens, whether they are Muslim or Christian, named Mateen or McVeigh, also contains great complexity. How do we maintain a free and open society that can allow dissemination of hateful propaganda that twists the minds of the malleable to shoot up a school or murder innocents at a health clinic? Trump has no idea how to solve these problems so he angrily oversimplifies. He is determined by all his words and deeds to divide Americans between his camp and Others. His camp is comprised of patriots. The other camp is comprised of ridiculous liberals who, at best, just don't get it, and at worst are anti-American. This message is amplified by Fox News and conservative radio. I am waiting for Trump to condemn the violence in the streets, the murdering of two good hearted souls trying to intervene on a train in Portland, to make a speech telling everyone to ratchet the animosity down a few notches and take a deep breath. Unfortunately for this country, his myriad neuroses will not allow him to that.
15
While Trump has clearly undermined himself, he has also created a scape goat in the Justice Department under Sessions. He cannot accept the simple concept that the ban is legally wrong and wants someone to blame in the likely event the Supreme Court once again denies him what he mistakenly sees as his rightful authority.
6
Remember the "The BUCK STOPS here!" sign that sat on President Truman's desk? (Emphasis in the original.)
Mr. Trump takes responsibility for nothing. He signed the first ban. He signed the second ban. Presumably he read both. His own staff, under his control prepared both.
Having touted his own managerial prowess as a - if not the - key reason to vote for him, the current tweet cycle is abject proof of his incompetence and/or mental disturbance.
More than two letters separate Truman and Trump.
Mr. Trump takes responsibility for nothing. He signed the first ban. He signed the second ban. Presumably he read both. His own staff, under his control prepared both.
Having touted his own managerial prowess as a - if not the - key reason to vote for him, the current tweet cycle is abject proof of his incompetence and/or mental disturbance.
More than two letters separate Truman and Trump.
All President Trump did was inform The Supreme Court in advance that they were going to be lied to. How does this hurt his case?
14
Trump is only bolstering ACLU's case. Keep tweeting, Donald.
10
"Mr. Trump, his lawyers said, was now a changed man, alert to the burdens and responsibilities of his office."
He disproves that every day that he tweets, which is basically every day.
He disproves that every day that he tweets, which is basically every day.
18
How does Trump think his attacks on Muslims will prevent radicalization of people who resent being insulted and hated by him and his groupies?
8
He signed the "watered-down" version of it. What is he complaining about? Signatures have consequences...
14
He seems to think that "they" signed it. Whoever "they" are.
1
Trump is pathetic. To coin his phrase: he is a nut job!
16
Trump suddenly became aware of the burdens of his office when he took the oath as President?
Yeah, sure. And I have a nice bridge in Brooklyn for sale. Really cheap. It's tremendous. Best bridge ever.
Yeah, sure. And I have a nice bridge in Brooklyn for sale. Really cheap. It's tremendous. Best bridge ever.
Did not Trump sign the revised travel ban? As a friend of mine sometimes says - He is dumber than a spatula.
18
Hey, that's not fair to spatulas!
10
I'd bet it's really tough to cover a joke day after day and stay focused and professional. He's an old racist and the leopard cannot change.
Good job NYT for this story.
Good job NYT for this story.
7
I so sick of this idiot, he just tweeted himself to a negative decision by any court with his stupidity.
I don't think any policy put forth by this moron should be enacted on, he typically doesn't know what he is talking about, whether it's healthcare, tax cuts, or Infrastructure spending like privatizing the FAA and Air Controllers, Trump doesn't know squat about anything other than real estate, and that is even suspect.
I don't think any policy put forth by this moron should be enacted on, he typically doesn't know what he is talking about, whether it's healthcare, tax cuts, or Infrastructure spending like privatizing the FAA and Air Controllers, Trump doesn't know squat about anything other than real estate, and that is even suspect.
10
It would be better if Trump halted ALL immigration for a set period time; that way, nobody's being singled out.
1
For how long and then what? The real threat here, both in terms of the numbers, and in the harm to us as a nation, is the white alt right. If you want to ban potential extremists from these shores, then we should also ban violent, white extremists. Where should we export them? Would Russia take them? The Philippines?
4
Pete, do you realize how much damage this would cause to the U.S. economy and social fabric? Especially since you will be enhancing disenfranchisement and frustration among immigrant and minority populations living in the U.S., and at a time when "home-grown" terrorism is the biggest threat.
2
And, also, emigration!
Don't forget, most of this country's terrorists were born in the US, and got radicalized when they went somewhere else. Thus,
Don't forget, most of this country's terrorists were born in the US, and got radicalized when they went somewhere else. Thus,
If anyone had any doubts about his Islamophobia.....they should be put to bed.
Especially after his and his son's outrageous out of context attack on the Mayor of London hwo happens to be a Muslim..and the re-attack
Especially after his and his son's outrageous out of context attack on the Mayor of London hwo happens to be a Muslim..and the re-attack
15
Such a shame that this businessman cannot be allowed to run the country is his usual competent and thoroughly professional manner. Who knew that the law and the judiciary could be so complicated?
10
Trump is only bolstering A.C.L.U.'s case. Keep tweeting, Donald.
7
Trump's focus on his "Muslim ban" (let's call it what it really is) is one more show for his racist, un-American base. His recognition that his only true, inalienable followers are the racists, bigots and white supremacists is also clearly reflected in his efforts to defund the portion of the domestic anti-terror funds that go toward identifying and stopping domestic terrorism and hate crimes based on racism, religious bigotry and LGBT-based hatred. In other words, home-brewed terrorists like Timothy McVeigh or the recent Portland killer (which have been responsible for the majority of terror crimes in the US) represent Trump's base - we watched him encourage them throughout the campaign - are no longer to be a target of domestic anti-terror watchdogs; the only domestic "terrorists" Trump opposes are those who ascribe to Islam. No wonder his lawyers are having a hard time!
8
It is truly amazing how Kellyanne Conway tries to chastise the media for being fascinated by Trump's tweets. While her lawyer husband deems Trump's tweets a hazard to his legal case for his do or don't call it a "travel ban" travel ban.
10
One has to wonder, if these irrational swings in position and advocacy about critical issues is in fact something truly concerning - some level of behavioral, medical or other issue that's being triggered by stress.
In the private sector it could be written off as eccentricity or some form of "driven" behavior - but now we're seeing these swings and erratics regularly by someone who sets US policy and commands nuclear weapons. If he completely loses it he won't just be ruining a company, but our country - or more.
Is anyone watching this guy to prevent a complete meltdown before he does something irretreivable - or to outright prevent keep him from doing irreparable harm?
In the private sector it could be written off as eccentricity or some form of "driven" behavior - but now we're seeing these swings and erratics regularly by someone who sets US policy and commands nuclear weapons. If he completely loses it he won't just be ruining a company, but our country - or more.
Is anyone watching this guy to prevent a complete meltdown before he does something irretreivable - or to outright prevent keep him from doing irreparable harm?
12
Presidential progress by Trump: alienate 1.7 billion Muslims, give or take; alienate all self-respecting women; alienate Democrats; alienate Independents and moderate, rational Republicans; alienate the U.K.; alienate France; please Putin. Whom have I left out?
15
If there were any "rational Republicans" they would not be Republicans.
A friend reminds me that the EO by its terms expires on June 14. So why would the Supreme Court waste any time reviewing the 4th Circuit's decision declaring it unconstitutional?
9
In the beginning, there was a Muslim ban before there wasn't a Muslim ban, then there was a travel ban before there wasn't a travel ban, and now the amazing disappearing travel ban has returned. Pay no attention to what he tweets, pay no attention to what he said on the campaign trail. He never really meant those things, except when he really meant those things...
This is what it's like to live with a mentally ill person. It's exhausting.
This is what it's like to live with a mentally ill person. It's exhausting.
24
Exactly. Its predictable chaos all the time.
1
Is there any chance that Trump thinks that the Justice Dept is a separate branch of government and SCOTUS is part of the executive branch? Along those lines, if Trump had been asked in a debate to name the three branches of government and what their roles are, is there a possibility that he would have gotten this question wrong?
11
It is not HIS department.
1
keep talking, President Trump!
6
Benedict Donald's been to the fish market again to get some more red-herrings. PROSECUTE RUSSIAGATE!
7
Actually, he doesn't want SCOTUS to reinstate the ban. That way when a terrorist attack occurs (which is highly likely, ban or no ban), he can blame someone else. He'll just say, if the ban had been reinstated this attack never would have occurred.
8
Happy as I am to see him deep-six the administration's case on the travel ban (now that we're finally calling it what it is), I do wish he would learn to think before he speaks and often not to speak at all. One of these days, he will hurt the rest of us, not just the rest of us, through his lack of restraint.
5
I listened to the appeals oral arguments where the Acting Solicitor General put up a valient defense of his president. But he must now be put in the same category as Sean Spicer, His brave face is undercut by Trump in a way that eats away at Mr. Wall's personal integrity and credibility. Ms. Yates was fired for saying that the travel ban could not be defended, and Mr. Wall must be agreeing with her about now.
11
What we have here is a failure to communicate. The Donald seems to refuse to understand that the terrorists are not coming IN to England, they are already there as either legal residents or they were born there.
A ban is not the solution. Most of the terrorists seem to be 2nd generation citizens who feel they do not belong to their parents culture and do not belong to their own within the country of their birth; essentially caught between two cultures and easy prey for the terrorist recruiters.
Address that dysfunction, the feeling of belonging nowhere and you may be able to turn these lost souls from becoming terrorists. And yes, this is true of the United States as well as in Europe. Our own young men are rudderless as well.
A ban is not the solution. Most of the terrorists seem to be 2nd generation citizens who feel they do not belong to their parents culture and do not belong to their own within the country of their birth; essentially caught between two cultures and easy prey for the terrorist recruiters.
Address that dysfunction, the feeling of belonging nowhere and you may be able to turn these lost souls from becoming terrorists. And yes, this is true of the United States as well as in Europe. Our own young men are rudderless as well.
12
The Justice Department needs to take the same tac that his personal lawyers used to take and that is to always have two lawyers present because Mr. Trump is such a pathological liar (like seriously, that is not hyperbole - he has a mental illness in this regard). Maybe he needs to have his tweets go into a draft mode for someone else to check before they are posted to the world. ? Can't hurt. They guy is committing the most public form of self destruction I have ever seen in public life other than Anthony Wiener.
13
A few months ago, when he spoke, the markets would swing. Today, he tweets and nothing happens. In less than six months, neither the investor class or the political class take this guy seriously anymore. He is becoming irrelevant.
22
From your lips to God's ears.
4
What it will do is allow him to undermine and blame the courts the next time there is an attack
1
What attacks???
There has not even been ONE terrorist attack in the USA since 9/11/2001 by any immigrants! All have been done by American citizens or legal residents!
A ban accomplishes NOTHING! 50 people died at The Pulse nightclub--American citizen. Aurora, Newtown, Columbine, Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood, Virginia Tech. The 24 who died in shootings HERE in the USA on Saturday June 3 while 54 were injured and required medical care..ALL Americans!
Follow the news--do NOT listen to the empty vessels of Fox News and Infowars. Our citizens are being killed with our lax gun laws NOT by foreign terrorists!
There has not even been ONE terrorist attack in the USA since 9/11/2001 by any immigrants! All have been done by American citizens or legal residents!
A ban accomplishes NOTHING! 50 people died at The Pulse nightclub--American citizen. Aurora, Newtown, Columbine, Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood, Virginia Tech. The 24 who died in shootings HERE in the USA on Saturday June 3 while 54 were injured and required medical care..ALL Americans!
Follow the news--do NOT listen to the empty vessels of Fox News and Infowars. Our citizens are being killed with our lax gun laws NOT by foreign terrorists!
9
Mr. Trump's lack of education is really destroying his presidency - let's hope it doesn't destroy the country first.
11
His "thinking," though the hat may be too kind by half, is like a man hitting himself in the head with a sledgehammer.... continuously!
2
He's running scared and making sure all of his excuse bases are covered for the next election (if he makes it that long).
I advise Trumps supporter's to take note of how he has no problem undermining his own people even as they work very hard to make his plans come to fruition as best they can. Can you imagine the stress! The frustration! those people working for him face? How can they possibly be doing the best they can for us when they have to worry about when (not if) their boss is going to stick a knife in their back so he can once again avoid facing the consequences of his own words and deeds?
The man cannot be trusted support him at your own peril.
I advise Trumps supporter's to take note of how he has no problem undermining his own people even as they work very hard to make his plans come to fruition as best they can. Can you imagine the stress! The frustration! those people working for him face? How can they possibly be doing the best they can for us when they have to worry about when (not if) their boss is going to stick a knife in their back so he can once again avoid facing the consequences of his own words and deeds?
The man cannot be trusted support him at your own peril.
13
Trump is attacking and is himself destroying his own presidency. In a few more weeks he will become an enraged, babbling, out of control idiot and will locked up in a padded room. Let's hope this happens before he seriously tangles with N. Korea and destroys the entire world.
7
I see what Trump tweets and then I hear KellyAnne Conway say we shouldn't pay attention to them so essentially this is like "Pay no attention to that man in the Oval Office." This administration is wackadoodle!!!!!
28
To hell with the smarty pants people, cries Donald J (for Justinian, the 6th century Byzantine empire Emperor who made all of the laws and interpreted the laws as well) Trump. He could care less whether what he says makes it harder to win his case in Court. If he loses, he will just call out the justices of the Supreme Court as cowardly in the face of danger. Great danger. Is there any other kind, said the man who must play him in a movie: Jack Nicholson, as a raging lunatic in private, and as the game show host on "Let's Make a Law" in public.
10
My father devoted his life to the U. S. He fought in WW II as a 16 year old, fought in Korea, was stationed in Japan (with his family) in the 50's, had a post at the U. S. Embassy in London and then was at the Pentagon, respected by Speaker of the House Tip O'Neil, and then had an (undefined) job in the CIA before he retired. He loved his country and was proud to represent his country in his posts overseas. Now his son is embarrassed on his behalf by the current occupant of the White House. He always told his children to show respect towards others. Now one guy is trampling on all that dad worked and stood for, what America stands for. Where is all of this leading? Now what?
36
This is all theater. Most of the anti-muslim rhetoric has come from Trump. By rejecting his administration's softening of the ban, he is putting distance between his rhetoric and the ban. This lays the groundwork for the SC to rule that the ban as written is not race based because it was softened from what was originally conceived by Trump himself.
This is fundamentally no different from obviously race based gerrymandering that has been justified using other language, or voter registration laws designed to target minorities without ever saying explicitly that this is the underlying purpose. I am concerned the current crop of SCJs is not looking much past what's written on the page, so will not be doing much to block this kind of insidious racism. Unless US citizens wise up and start thinking more critically, voting in people with better values, we're in for a world of hurt the next few decades.
This is fundamentally no different from obviously race based gerrymandering that has been justified using other language, or voter registration laws designed to target minorities without ever saying explicitly that this is the underlying purpose. I am concerned the current crop of SCJs is not looking much past what's written on the page, so will not be doing much to block this kind of insidious racism. Unless US citizens wise up and start thinking more critically, voting in people with better values, we're in for a world of hurt the next few decades.
7
He's tweeting his own grave.
13
Please ask him to Tweet faster. I can't deal with four years of this madness.
8
Oh Donald, give us a break. Pick one of the proposals and take it to the high court and then shut up already about it.
14
The argument that the ban is only temporary while the administration reviews the vetting procedures for emigres from the selected countries is clearly false. According to Administration officials the ban was only supposed to last 90 to 120 days while the administrations reviewed and/or reworked vetting protocols. Yet, as the article notes. more than the requested 120 days has pased and no changes to the vetting procedures have either been made or suggested.
The minority president is seeking publicity, nothing else. He has no real interwst in procedures to improve vetting, just banniing Muslims. He could change the procedures by executive order or allow either the Justice Department or Homeland Security to do so with no travel ban being imposed, a more effective but less ostentatious process. He has not done so; instead he "tweets" about safety without doing any of the things he claims are needed to "keep us safe." He bans all non-OPEC Sunni Muslims as if there is no history of Saudi support for terrorists, while refusling to allow in refugees from Somalia or Syria. Iran may sponsor anti-Sunni terrorism in the Middle East and anti-Americanism at home but there is no evidence that they have launched any attacks on US soil. Of all people, the minority presdent should realize that talking or tweeting tough is not the same as actually carrying out a program whether it be to sponsor terrorist attacts or eliminate and replace Obamacare.
The minority president is seeking publicity, nothing else. He has no real interwst in procedures to improve vetting, just banniing Muslims. He could change the procedures by executive order or allow either the Justice Department or Homeland Security to do so with no travel ban being imposed, a more effective but less ostentatious process. He has not done so; instead he "tweets" about safety without doing any of the things he claims are needed to "keep us safe." He bans all non-OPEC Sunni Muslims as if there is no history of Saudi support for terrorists, while refusling to allow in refugees from Somalia or Syria. Iran may sponsor anti-Sunni terrorism in the Middle East and anti-Americanism at home but there is no evidence that they have launched any attacks on US soil. Of all people, the minority presdent should realize that talking or tweeting tough is not the same as actually carrying out a program whether it be to sponsor terrorist attacts or eliminate and replace Obamacare.
5
This is what incompetence looks like.
26
“People, the lawyers and the courts can call it whatever they want, but I am calling it what we need and what it is, a TRAVEL BAN!”
Trump sounds like a child who has been caught cheating in a game of hide and seek and his only defense is to lash out at his accusers. What is most alarming about his current twitter "storms" is that he is the president of the US and yet has the emotional quotient of a five-year old. Our country can only hope that we have sane adults who will keep him in check until we can remove him from this prestigious office and prevent him from further undermining the country in the eyes of the world and destroying the progress made in past presidential administrations.
Trump sounds like a child who has been caught cheating in a game of hide and seek and his only defense is to lash out at his accusers. What is most alarming about his current twitter "storms" is that he is the president of the US and yet has the emotional quotient of a five-year old. Our country can only hope that we have sane adults who will keep him in check until we can remove him from this prestigious office and prevent him from further undermining the country in the eyes of the world and destroying the progress made in past presidential administrations.
6
Please someone clear up my confusion. The travel ban was/is temporary until (more) extreme vetting procedures are in place. Are they already in place? The high chair king (thanks MD for my new favorite description) says they are but he usually lies. Shouldn't they be ready by now, or did the administration never intend to develop them because the existing ones work?
BTW, seems obvious the only extreme vetting procedures we need are for the presidency.
BTW, seems obvious the only extreme vetting procedures we need are for the presidency.
24
What kind of alien is Mr. Trump? He is surrounded by surrogates and clans and they do not know the mindset of Mr. Trump. If you watch the WH news brief there is a total confusion for all nationally and internationally. There is a disjoint between what they say and what Mr. Trump tweet. Like a baby, Mr. Trump gets into fight with everybody - latest being Mr. Khan, mayor of London. Is Mr. Trump sane? All WH clans and surrogates must answer that question before they face the public. US state of affairs are in a state of flux - for example, our Islamic allies are falling apart but we do not recognize it. we are heading towards a disastrous situation slowly. Mr. Trump, the always Mr. Right should stand in front of the mirror to judge himself how ugly he looks before he criticize anybody else, friend or foe.
5
Keep tweeting Mr. President. While you do embarrass us, we know you are digging yourself into a hole, and that is worth it. At this rate you will be gone before mid-terms.
17
Okay, let's keep it simple. A small percentage of a large Muslim population will feel they're so abused that they are justified in resorting to violence against the Western world. And it's just luck that has prevented one of these attackers from having access to biochemical weaponry or material for a dirty bomb. When you hear law enforcement cite numbers of Muslims in their country they'd like to watch more closely, and you realize that the numbers are impossible, you know that our allies are in deep, self-inflicted trouble.
Not that we should crow too loudly here in America: we finally got around to arresting a Muslim American doctor who has been performing genital mutilation on little American Muslim girls for 15 years. Don't be so sure that our Muslims are happy to fit into our culture, and they possibly have access to better weaponry.
Now there's a limit to the tolerance of any public in the Western world if they decide that their leaders, surrounded by security, just doesn't give a damn. Sadiq Khan says that "his city will not be defeated". Probably not- but they'll demand that their government protect them, civil liberties be damned, long before it reaches that point.
ISIS is indeed being demolished, and will certainly lash out in the Western world before it is replaced by its next iteration. Do you really want to worry more about Muslim hurt feelings or about letting attackers in from countries that cannot possibly verify their background or good will?
Not that we should crow too loudly here in America: we finally got around to arresting a Muslim American doctor who has been performing genital mutilation on little American Muslim girls for 15 years. Don't be so sure that our Muslims are happy to fit into our culture, and they possibly have access to better weaponry.
Now there's a limit to the tolerance of any public in the Western world if they decide that their leaders, surrounded by security, just doesn't give a damn. Sadiq Khan says that "his city will not be defeated". Probably not- but they'll demand that their government protect them, civil liberties be damned, long before it reaches that point.
ISIS is indeed being demolished, and will certainly lash out in the Western world before it is replaced by its next iteration. Do you really want to worry more about Muslim hurt feelings or about letting attackers in from countries that cannot possibly verify their background or good will?
You might want to pay attention to the white, U.S. born citizens who commit gun violence in the U.S., each and every day.
8
Why isn't Saudi Arabia, where most of the 9/11 came from, on the list? And no one is letting unvetted immigrant into the country.
3
Donald Trump makes me cringe with embarrassment and I'm not even American.
36
Some of the comments I am reading here remind me that the mantra driving most Trump supporters is "make splodey heads splode!" That seems to be about as deep and profound as their "thinking" goes. Trump was right. He could shoot someone in the middle of 5th Avenue and his supporters would cheer him on as long as it made the rest of us upset. Meanwhile folks whine that liberals condescend to the erstwhile trumpets and won't have a serious dialogue with them. Dialogue with who? About what? The lights are on but nobody's home. Fuhgeddaboudit.
18
His errant advisors are now an enemy too (it's a long list...). I just can't understand why he's having trouble getting people to work for him. Sure seems like a dream job to me.
9
It's unprecedented that a sitting president would criticize his own Justice Department in this manner. Further, HE signed both Executive Orders. No one forced him to do that.
For me, the day cannot come fast enough when Donald Trump's Twitter Feed missives are relegated to the irrelevant folder. He is a fool.
For me, the day cannot come fast enough when Donald Trump's Twitter Feed missives are relegated to the irrelevant folder. He is a fool.
39
I wish a reporter would point this out to him.
6
I don't know how many times I watched the various Trump surrogates argue that "it's NOT a ban, it's a pause to vet and the media is lying when they call it a ban!" but there's a lot of video of all that out there.
I don't know how anyone can work for this clown in the White House. It's almost like he doesn't want to be President and is trying to destroy himself every day.
I hope Trump's family intervenes and gets him some much needed psychiatric help, there is something very wrong with his mental state.
I don't know how anyone can work for this clown in the White House. It's almost like he doesn't want to be President and is trying to destroy himself every day.
I hope Trump's family intervenes and gets him some much needed psychiatric help, there is something very wrong with his mental state.
20
The bottom line: Trump doesn't like to lose. At anything. He doesn't like to be criticized. Over anything. He doesn't like to be out of the spotlight. At any time. Even after this horrific attack in London, Trump has to take center stage. And the saddest part: We have not heard anything from any Republican (or Democrat) that his tweets and comments are totally inappropriate. We should be standing in support of Mayor Khan, not calling him "pathetic."
20
We all support Mayor Khan and respect his measured words in response to horrific attacks. If only our own president thought before he spoke.
I don't think that Democrats, including myself, have bothered to refute his many tweets as they are basically considered to be untrue non-fact supported rants by a our sitting president. Most of us have probably taken up the same view as London's mayor. We all have more important things to do than bother to pay attention to whatever free, flying thought comes into the president's head. On the other hand, Republicans based on the last 86 days of their inaction to president's thoughtless tweets, have appeared to defend the tweets.
I don't think that Democrats, including myself, have bothered to refute his many tweets as they are basically considered to be untrue non-fact supported rants by a our sitting president. Most of us have probably taken up the same view as London's mayor. We all have more important things to do than bother to pay attention to whatever free, flying thought comes into the president's head. On the other hand, Republicans based on the last 86 days of their inaction to president's thoughtless tweets, have appeared to defend the tweets.
6
The fact that Donald Trump is criticizing his own administration for the "watered down" executive order that he signed is almost laughable. Except it is indicative of his deeply troubling tendency to act as if he is not part of the government, rather than the head of one branch of three. What is more troubling is that his supporters seem to buy the idea that Trump is not responsible for what happens in his branch of the government. He consistently sends out the message, either overtly or covertly, that he will be unable to "rule" until we get rid of our current structure and laws which obstruct his grand plans. Alarmingly, some of his supporters seem to support that as well.
29
Trump seemed to love being wined and dined by the Saudi's where most of the 9/11 hijackers came from. I guess rich Muslims are OK.
38
I just want to make a suggestion. I blame anybody who voted for this man for everything that happens-and I do mean everything. This was all known or knowable, and it was on full display for months and months. If somebody still, after all that we were subjected to by this man during the campaign, still goes in that booth and pulls a lever for Donald John Trump, then society and history must NEVER let them live that down. To be able to vote is a sacred right in Democracy, to place an uninformed vote while willfully ignoring the mountain of evidence is something history will not be kind about, nor should it.
Don't let them forget what they did, remind them at every turn.
Don't let them forget what they did, remind them at every turn.
33
I'm trying, but they still insist he's "the best President ever." I can't try any longer. They just won't listen.
9
America in retrograde. For that I thank President Trump & Co.
Here are two ways that President Trump and his scattered administration can affect positive change to make our world a safer place. To begin with: On the home front they could put into effect stronger gun laws. Of course, they would never do that because they are in bed with the NRA.
In addition, Congress could and should, as Senator Rand Paul suggests negate the touted "deal" to sell $120 billion dollars worth of armaments to the Saudis, the very country from where 15 of the 19 9-11 terrorists came. The Saudis are known to support, through their international charities, the spread of radical Islam particularly in Western Europe. Weakening them would weaken Islamist extremism and Jihadist terrorism world-wide.
I sincerely hope Congress takes Senator Rand Paul's suggestion seriously and negates that deal with the Saudi's. It would be one small step for America and one giant step for mankind.
Here are two ways that President Trump and his scattered administration can affect positive change to make our world a safer place. To begin with: On the home front they could put into effect stronger gun laws. Of course, they would never do that because they are in bed with the NRA.
In addition, Congress could and should, as Senator Rand Paul suggests negate the touted "deal" to sell $120 billion dollars worth of armaments to the Saudis, the very country from where 15 of the 19 9-11 terrorists came. The Saudis are known to support, through their international charities, the spread of radical Islam particularly in Western Europe. Weakening them would weaken Islamist extremism and Jihadist terrorism world-wide.
I sincerely hope Congress takes Senator Rand Paul's suggestion seriously and negates that deal with the Saudi's. It would be one small step for America and one giant step for mankind.
7
Message to Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London:
Our President is quite possible mentally ill. Know that most Americans share in your city's grief and we stand beside you in this moment of challenge. And thank you for not engaging him on his own terms; no point in letting him drag you down into the sewer that is his diseased mind.
Best wishes,
The United States of America
Our President is quite possible mentally ill. Know that most Americans share in your city's grief and we stand beside you in this moment of challenge. And thank you for not engaging him on his own terms; no point in letting him drag you down into the sewer that is his diseased mind.
Best wishes,
The United States of America
65
People like you give me hope.
8
Based on my reading of the tea leaves I would like to make a prediction based on these news stories that have surfaced recently.
1. There seems to be a lot of leaks coming from White House. True, but who's doing it?
2. Morning Joe reports that Kelly Anne Conway detests Trump and all he stands for and now showers a lot.Possibly, she's an educated woman.
3 Conway's husband turns down government post with justice department and cites family issues. Interesting indeed.
What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall this weekend at the Conway house. It's my guess but I think I can pinpoint one leaker and that "said "leaker has a motive, possibly a tell all book and will announce after the dust settles and the nuclear radiation returns to normal
The reasons for the leaks? To get the public to like me again and get back their trust.
The reason I took the job at WH?For the prestige. How else would I stand out now that the election is over?
The reason for the book. The money of course.
It's always the money.
1. There seems to be a lot of leaks coming from White House. True, but who's doing it?
2. Morning Joe reports that Kelly Anne Conway detests Trump and all he stands for and now showers a lot.Possibly, she's an educated woman.
3 Conway's husband turns down government post with justice department and cites family issues. Interesting indeed.
What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall this weekend at the Conway house. It's my guess but I think I can pinpoint one leaker and that "said "leaker has a motive, possibly a tell all book and will announce after the dust settles and the nuclear radiation returns to normal
The reasons for the leaks? To get the public to like me again and get back their trust.
The reason I took the job at WH?For the prestige. How else would I stand out now that the election is over?
The reason for the book. The money of course.
It's always the money.
7
As Art Leonord pointed out in comments below, Donald Trump was the one which signed the Executive Order which instituted the watered down Travel Ban. So the clown is actually criticizing himself. This is just getting too surreal for words.
21
Trump doesn't miss a chance to show us that he is incompetent.
HIS administration watered it down, so if that was a mistake, then it's his mistake.
But the reality is that what he is advocating for is to pit the West against Islam instead of against terrorists who misuse religion. ISIS must be so happy that Trump is president - he's giving them exactly what they want and making it more worthwhile to do more domestic attacks.
When will the Republican congress wake up and realize country before party?
HIS administration watered it down, so if that was a mistake, then it's his mistake.
But the reality is that what he is advocating for is to pit the West against Islam instead of against terrorists who misuse religion. ISIS must be so happy that Trump is president - he's giving them exactly what they want and making it more worthwhile to do more domestic attacks.
When will the Republican congress wake up and realize country before party?
17
By all means, let's have a travel ban. Let's ban President Trump from leaving the United States as he seems to view a foreign trip as an opportunity to insult our allies while making nice with repressive regimes.
By all means, let's have extreme vetting. Could we please have elections where candidates' positions are judged on their coherence and consistency? We need extreme vetting for the occupant of the Oval Office.
By all means, Kelly Anne, let's somehow make a distinction between what President Trump does as President and what he says on Twitter. How does that work? Is he not the President when he uses an attack to push his own policies on Twitter? Is he not the President when his tweets attack the Mayor of London? When else is he not the President? Was he not the President when he pulled us out of the Paris Agreement? And, does this mean that we should go back to getting information from the main stream media?
Please tell us that Trump is not the President when he tweets. We can just glue the phone to hand and ignore him.
Oh and, Kelly Anne, however do you manage to function with all that doublethink rattling around in your head all the time?
By all means, let's have extreme vetting. Could we please have elections where candidates' positions are judged on their coherence and consistency? We need extreme vetting for the occupant of the Oval Office.
By all means, Kelly Anne, let's somehow make a distinction between what President Trump does as President and what he says on Twitter. How does that work? Is he not the President when he uses an attack to push his own policies on Twitter? Is he not the President when his tweets attack the Mayor of London? When else is he not the President? Was he not the President when he pulled us out of the Paris Agreement? And, does this mean that we should go back to getting information from the main stream media?
Please tell us that Trump is not the President when he tweets. We can just glue the phone to hand and ignore him.
Oh and, Kelly Anne, however do you manage to function with all that doublethink rattling around in your head all the time?
22
Through the lens of irony these Tweets may actually offer us hope.
One does not need a B.S. from the Wharton School of business to understand that you keep your mouth shut on subjects that are pending court decisions where you are the plaintiff or defendant.
Trump's lack of adult filter between cognitive thought and impulsive vocalizations is one of our best hopes for a self inflicted downfall.
One does not need a B.S. from the Wharton School of business to understand that you keep your mouth shut on subjects that are pending court decisions where you are the plaintiff or defendant.
Trump's lack of adult filter between cognitive thought and impulsive vocalizations is one of our best hopes for a self inflicted downfall.
26
If the man had a clue what he was doing, he wouldn't have to "blame" anyone.
He would do the right thing in the first place. Unfortunately when you take advice from the corrupt, racists, and inexperienced, and think it's ok, it's not the "right" thing.
So embarrassing to see the Trump flub dubs day after day.
Why does Sean Spicer stick around? Even Kellyanne's husband could see through the inevitable. Spicer will be the laughing stock for Melissa McCarthy's fame for a long, long, huuugely long time.
He would do the right thing in the first place. Unfortunately when you take advice from the corrupt, racists, and inexperienced, and think it's ok, it's not the "right" thing.
So embarrassing to see the Trump flub dubs day after day.
Why does Sean Spicer stick around? Even Kellyanne's husband could see through the inevitable. Spicer will be the laughing stock for Melissa McCarthy's fame for a long, long, huuugely long time.
16
He can never get his head around the fact that, as a matter of law, the Electoral College did not anoint him Emperor or Czar. How frustrating !
Too bad for him that he never took a class in basic civics .
But good for anyone else who is not well versed - we are getting a practical, real life lesson in con law: separation of powers; limits of executive authority; effect of emoluments clause ( who knew !) ; scope of illegal discrimination etc. etc. etc.
More to come, of that I am sure.
Too bad for him that he never took a class in basic civics .
But good for anyone else who is not well versed - we are getting a practical, real life lesson in con law: separation of powers; limits of executive authority; effect of emoluments clause ( who knew !) ; scope of illegal discrimination etc. etc. etc.
More to come, of that I am sure.
9
I keep having this dream that our government is being run by the Three Stooges. Then I wake up and remember it's true.
15
Wild West
Yes, The Three Stooges: Trump, Ryan, and McConnell.
No dream though. More like a nightmare come true.
MIMA
Yes, The Three Stooges: Trump, Ryan, and McConnell.
No dream though. More like a nightmare come true.
MIMA
12
Trump should have kept his mouth shut on this. The revised order appears to be moot, as another commenter pointed out, but assuming the SC doesn't throw out the case on that ground, the revised order is far preferable to the original order. The original order didn't refer to Islam or Christianity, but it did state that immigration authorities should show a preference for members of "minority religions." While one might argue that the Constitution's express bestowal of authority on the executive branch to decide who can come and stay here "trump" the First Amendment's prohibition against favoring one religion over another, I'd like to think the First Amendment counts for more on that question.
The revised order avoided this problem. I think it was inappropriate for the district courts, and the Fourth Circuit, to infer intent from Trump's campaign statements, but the fact remains that they did. Trump had what I considered a slam-dunk case in the Supreme Court, but now I'm not so sure. Intemperate tweets like this one could induce the Supreme Court to consider his intent too, just as the district courts and Fourth Circuit did. That wouldn't make it correct for the SC to do that, of course, but one could say the same thing about the district courts and Fourth Circuit and they did it anyway.
The revised order avoided this problem. I think it was inappropriate for the district courts, and the Fourth Circuit, to infer intent from Trump's campaign statements, but the fact remains that they did. Trump had what I considered a slam-dunk case in the Supreme Court, but now I'm not so sure. Intemperate tweets like this one could induce the Supreme Court to consider his intent too, just as the district courts and Fourth Circuit did. That wouldn't make it correct for the SC to do that, of course, but one could say the same thing about the district courts and Fourth Circuit and they did it anyway.
1
The attack occurred in a different country and we need a travel ban? And the attack occurred without guns in a country with gun control laws, so gun control laws don't work? I'm not following.
21
Mr. Trump is clearly not interested in winning this case as much as he is interested in animating his islamophobic base. From his standpoint, if we never get attacked, he can claim some undue credit and victory. If we get attacked he can simply shirk responsibility by claiming the court tied his hands - even if we can prove that his nonsensical travel ban would not have prevented said attack. It is clear that his administration has jettisoned any pretense of caring about the truth. Well, a much simpler explanation is that he is completely oblivious of the fact that he is hurting his own case. Unfortunately, that is completely not far-fetched. Sad!
8
An easier solution would be for the TSA to publish passenger and crew names and destinations of all those leaving and entering the USA. Those caught falsifying any of their information could then be legally banned from all future travel to and from the USA.
Trump was responding via tweet in real time to Scarborough's commentary on MSNBC. He doesn't seem to realize that he will always lose when his opponent is speaking into a camera and Trump is responding with 140 ill-chosen characters.
The American presidency diminishes daily.
The American presidency diminishes daily.
13
Agreed - it has diminished to zero. Or more likely a negative number. And this reflects on all of us as Americans. I have never in my 52 years felt a need to apologize for being American, but now I do. This must be how level-headed Germans, Italians or Japanese felt in 1937.
8
When (not if) the Supreme Court boots the Travel Ban, Trump will try to fire them.
3
I hope all those apathetic voters who sat home are happy.
8
93 people are shot every day in the US and chastises the mayor of London about what he should be concerned about?
13
Not to mention that England certainly can muster firepower when it REALLY NEEDS TO. I believe the attackers the other night were shot, by professionals, within what, 8 minutes?
Most of our "well-armed militia" here would struggle to turn off their NASCAR race & get out of their LaZBoy in under eight minutes, let alone defeat a terror rampage.
Anyone owning a firearm in the United States, if they want to be part of the "well-armed militia" they always are babbling about, should be able to pass the minimum physical and mental requirements that our armed services members pass when they graduate from boot camp.
Most of our "well-armed militia" here would struggle to turn off their NASCAR race & get out of their LaZBoy in under eight minutes, let alone defeat a terror rampage.
Anyone owning a firearm in the United States, if they want to be part of the "well-armed militia" they always are babbling about, should be able to pass the minimum physical and mental requirements that our armed services members pass when they graduate from boot camp.
2
It seems likely Trump's recent tweets may kill his chances with SCOTUS and on its face seems like another dumb move for this president but his belligerent behavior could work in his favor.
If SC allows his ban he wins but when the inevitable terrorist strike hits he will be criticized for the ban not working but if he sabotaged his own appeal and SC strikes it down then when the attack comes he can blame the court.
He has positioned himself to win either way with his base with no accountability for him. He is a coward and a cynic.
If SC allows his ban he wins but when the inevitable terrorist strike hits he will be criticized for the ban not working but if he sabotaged his own appeal and SC strikes it down then when the attack comes he can blame the court.
He has positioned himself to win either way with his base with no accountability for him. He is a coward and a cynic.
10
"Loose cannon" is both stale and off target. What we have here, what we're cursed with, is a large pile of already exploding ammo."
13
He and Bannon, who is likely whispering ego-gratifying praise into the President's echo chamber of a skull, are planting the denotators in the infrastructure of democratic norms and institutions. Being easily drawn into juvenile extremes when they act, they're all too happy to go down with in flames with them.
4
Mayor Khan is dealing with a terrorist attack in his city and Trump tweets about his "pathetic excuse." Can anyone imagine what would have happened if Giuliani had been attacked in this way by another foreign leader on Sept. 11, 2001? That Trump didn't understand or misinterpreted Khan's statement is apparent. He needs to read the book "Reading Comprehension for Dummies." I think it has pictures.
29
The Supreme Court, hopefully, should vote not to consider hearing the government's appeal from the Circuit Court's decision, let alone its request for an expedited hearing. If our Legal Genius-in-Chief wants to proceed with a "much tougher version", the Justices should oblige him accordingly and let the Circuit Court's decision stand. Although precluded from publicly saying so, why should the Supreme Court at this particular point be dragged into Trump's schizophrenic meanderings.
13
Won't the court just throw this out and say the 120 days are past so you should have the extreme and vetting in place by now?
14
TopCat,
Your take seems correct to me. This is moot.
Your take seems correct to me. This is moot.
1
The Administration may say that because the travel ban was stayed, the 120 days has not run. It's illogical, of course, because nothing stopped them from implementing the extreme vetting they spoke of.
In any case, my guess is that the Administration has done nothing to implement "extreme vetting" procedures, since by all accounts there were already enhanced screening of applications for entry from these countries. So even if the Court explores that and finds they have done nothing, that suggests the ban is a pretext as well.
In any case, my guess is that the Administration has done nothing to implement "extreme vetting" procedures, since by all accounts there were already enhanced screening of applications for entry from these countries. So even if the Court explores that and finds they have done nothing, that suggests the ban is a pretext as well.
2
Last year approximately 60,000 Americans died after overdosing on drugs, often prescription pain meds sold on the black market. More and more, these are Trump's most loyal voters - low education, low skill, low wage whites living in rural counties.
Trump's answer? A budget that slashes funding for drug rehab programs; an 'American Health Care Act' that would eliminate treatment for drug and alcohol abuse and addiction from the list of ailments insurers must cover.
Last year approximately 30,000 Americans were killed by gunfire. Thousands of those were despondent low education, low skill, low wage white men in rural counties who ate their guns. Many hundreds of those killed were young children. Many hundreds more were innocent bystanders caught in crossfire. Just yesterday, an angry white guy with a gun in Florida killed six people for no good reason.
Trump's answer? Why, of course, more guns for everyone - including those adjudicated a danger to themselves and others by reason of mental illness.
Last year perhaps 60 Americans were killed in incidents involving 'Islamic terrorism.'
Trump's answer? Create a lynch mob of millions, seething with fear and hatred of all things Muslim - except for Arab oil money, of course. That, rather than tax revenue, will pay for an 'American infrastructure program' so the GOP can extend more tax subsidies to a few Americans who are already rich beyond the wildest dreams of greed and avarice.
Rational thought has gone out the window.
Trump's answer? A budget that slashes funding for drug rehab programs; an 'American Health Care Act' that would eliminate treatment for drug and alcohol abuse and addiction from the list of ailments insurers must cover.
Last year approximately 30,000 Americans were killed by gunfire. Thousands of those were despondent low education, low skill, low wage white men in rural counties who ate their guns. Many hundreds of those killed were young children. Many hundreds more were innocent bystanders caught in crossfire. Just yesterday, an angry white guy with a gun in Florida killed six people for no good reason.
Trump's answer? Why, of course, more guns for everyone - including those adjudicated a danger to themselves and others by reason of mental illness.
Last year perhaps 60 Americans were killed in incidents involving 'Islamic terrorism.'
Trump's answer? Create a lynch mob of millions, seething with fear and hatred of all things Muslim - except for Arab oil money, of course. That, rather than tax revenue, will pay for an 'American infrastructure program' so the GOP can extend more tax subsidies to a few Americans who are already rich beyond the wildest dreams of greed and avarice.
Rational thought has gone out the window.
42
Someone needs to take this man's phone away. His tweets are lies and nonsense. He is so needy for attention he doesn't realize how stupid he looks.
15
Rather than take his phone - give him the latest super phone on the market! His tweets are peeling away the layers of what makes up this man - his instability will only become more obvious. He is self destructing - better sooner than later!
6
Looks?
3
Actually, I enjoy all this tweeting and will be sorry once he's tweeted himself out of the White House and has skulked back to Trump Tower. The tweets give me a reason for getting up in the morning. As soon as I've started the coffee I grab the smartphone and tap the NY Times app. This morning's offerings were especially delightful, demonstrating that POTUS has no understanding of our legal system and does not get the concept of separation of powers. I can hardly wait until Friday morning when he will no doubt have some choice comments on Comey's testimony.
It's becoming more and more obvious that Trump doesn't even know how to be a BAD President. He is truly pathetic.
21
The fraud in chief is setting smoke screens. He will lash out at anything no matter how inane or ridiculous. The purpose is to deflect. Nothing more. Do not drop the ball. The man is treasonous. His insane ramblings not withstanding, he committed treason and or bank fraud with the Russians. Don't forget that.
8
So Trump doesn't know he signed the watered-down version? He thinks the DOJ did?
20
This is odd. In saying what he really thinks, Trump is telling his truth. Meanwhile, everyone around him is telling their version of his truth, alternative facts that they seem to believe will fool the Supreme Court. Perhaps he should eliminate his entire communications department and just tweet all day long. Nothing else would get done, but that might be in the best interest of the whole world.
12
Trump unaware ,that he is President for more ,than 90 days and he had more than he requested time to review vetting process. I guess he thinks,that Obama still President.
10
It's clearly beneficial to Trump that SCOTUS upholds the lower court rulings and declares the ban unconstitutional. It gives him the enemy he needs and a rallying cry for his base. He doesn't really care whether there is a ban or not. Perhaps he's even smart enough to know that the country is safer without such a ban. But whether he knows or cares about that or not, making the courts an enemy is part of his game plan.
91
I don't believe he really has any game plan, but his natural reaction to outcomes generally steers us to autocracy. He naturally hates the courts because he is in their way, and will stoke fear and hatred of the judicial system because he is mad at them. This will have an effect he desires-- his base will rally against the judicial system, which might give him more power.
What happens when an opinion from Justice Gorsuch displeases the king?
11
To answer your question, Beth, Justice Gorsuch would become a 'so-called Judge.'
2
Okay, this is what I am waiting for, and it's gonna be great.
2
He'll blame Obama and/or Hillary.
3
Pity those who must now argue the merits of Trump's "I'm calling it what it is TRAVEL BAN" before the Supreme Court. I do not believe those surly Conservative Supremes will be in a mood to Brook any fools with cross-talk. Sometimes it is delicious to watch someone twist in the wind by getting exactly what they demanded- (another Conservative on the Supreme Court).
10
But a travel ban would not have stopped the attacks in England. Also, his ban deliberately avoids every country that the 9/11 attackers came from. Being tough on terror means being smart and carefully enough to do something that might actually make people safer. Just random acts of xenophobia aren't helping any of the "bad guys" and hurt the core of what is good about this country.
He is also too uneducated to realize that we do want to live in a country where the president cannot act without any judicial limits. If he wants to live in Russia, go there.
He is also too uneducated to realize that we do want to live in a country where the president cannot act without any judicial limits. If he wants to live in Russia, go there.
While this is better than watching summer reruns, we need to remain diligent about what the "other hands" are doing. The total devastating of our U.S. Air Traffic Control system, is a real potential: While Trump implodes daily- the "mice" of this administration are busy chewing the electrical cords of our Infrastructure (Government ). Pence, Sessions, Ryan, McConnell; DeVos and Bannon are the real dangers to America; Donald J. Trump is a useful diversion.
21
I literally cannot stand this man and his unbridled prejudice! Everyone knows the reason he really doesn't like the London mayor - because he is a Muslim. We know why he wants to ban travel - because he hates Muslims. How is this kind of blatant discrimination allowed under the "superior" American Constitution, ostensibly by the guy whose main job is to defend it?
29
Let's be fair, I'm sure Trump also hates Mayor Khan for being bright, successful, articulate and good looking, all the things Trump isn't and never will be.
What did a Muslim ever do to Trump? Who knows? But hate is a strong term. Trump is simply using the murderous actions of a few to whip up fear and hatred of the many. In this way he turns the tragedies of others to his advantage, trying to improve his own, precarious situation. It's thoroughly despicable behavior.
3
It is a mistake to try to divine what Trump thinks or believes. The belief part of his brain is empty. Instead, I'm convinced that most of his actions are based on what he thinks will benefit him politically and financially. This is worse. Today, for his US supporters, he acts as if he hates Muslims, damaging US society by making hate more acceptable to those supporters. We have some chance to predict what he'll do next by asking what will pay off politically. The Times had a good article recently about the political gamble he's taking on the Paris accord. Most people think we should stay in, but only 2% vote primarily on environmental issues; 20% vote primarily on what they perceive are their economic interests. So, politically, he may have benefited.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/climate/paris-accord-trump-conservati...
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/climate/paris-accord-trump-conservati...
4
If Trump spent half the time trying to stay awake in his intelligence briefings as he does tweeting about his travel ban I'd feel a whole lot safer.
11
For all her shortcomings, some real and some imagined, I'd feel a whole lot safer if Hillary Clinton were in the White House. Or Jeb Bush, or John Kasich, or or or....
3
It's some solace that Trump's bizarre tweets undermine his agenda. Despite winning the presidency his anger, fear, narcissism and wretched leadership skills may help moderate the damage until the mid-term elections.
Remember the carnage W. unleashed in his first year with massive tax cuts for the wealthy, starting two unfunded wars squandering trillions in treasure and damaging countless lives.
Remember the carnage W. unleashed in his first year with massive tax cuts for the wealthy, starting two unfunded wars squandering trillions in treasure and damaging countless lives.
9
Ah yes, the good old days of George W. Bush...sounds pretty damned good right about now!
2
I would like to see Trump apply the travel ban to himself and spend less time on the golf course and more time working. He also doesn't need more rallies where he brags about his election or misleads supporters that he can bring back their jobs. He needs more time with his nose in the books studying the issues and ramifications of potential decisions on ALL Americans and our allies. And the wall, how about an internet wall around the White House preventing any tweet being sent in or out until it has been reviewed by a competent adult. He thinks being President is hard work? Imagine if he actually DID the hard work that his predecessors did!
13
trump continues to make his administration the employer of last resort. Small wonder he loses in court, no one good at their job will work for him.
13
Conway chastises the news media for obsessing with Trump's twitter feed ? It's getting better and better each and every day.
26
According to the Cato Institute, since 9/11, "Six Americans have died per year at the hands, guns, and bombs of Islamic terrorists (foreign and domestic)."
If Trumpcare is passed by the GOP and signed by Trump, it will likely cause the death of thousands of Americans per year.
So who are the real terrorists?
If Trumpcare is passed by the GOP and signed by Trump, it will likely cause the death of thousands of Americans per year.
So who are the real terrorists?
33
The U.S. has some type of mass shooting every day perpetrated by American citizens who were born here. Neither Trump or any other Republican has the slightest interest in keeping any of us safe from this type of situation.
29
I beginning to envision Trump as a Looney Toon character. It helps with anger management.
16
And another one's down, another one's down, another's thrown under the bus.
9
This man is only happy fighting - with anyone, even his own people! Rising above, compromise, learning, flexibility, patience - none of these mean anything!
It never seems to get better. With every day, every challenge, Trump yet again demonstrates his manifest ignorance and lack of temperament for the role of President!
It never seems to get better. With every day, every challenge, Trump yet again demonstrates his manifest ignorance and lack of temperament for the role of President!
10
the great deal maker is exposing himself as the fraud he actually is
7
A president who has himself as an advisor has a fool of a president.
20
I just want to thank the President for expediting his eventual removal from office with his mindless Tweeting.
So, thank you Mr. President, it'll be great to see you go.
So, thank you Mr. President, it'll be great to see you go.
16
This seems to be a solution in search of a problem. Research clearly shows that we have a far greater problem with citizen violence than from immigrants/non-citizens. However, its easier to demonize the "other" than to face up to the reality that we have serious home-grown terror problem. If our president really wants to institute an effective travel ban, we might be better off limiting travel from Florida, California and Texas to other states based on the number of mass killings that have occurred in just these three states.
10
Trump keeps ranting and raving so he wouldn't have an introspective moment to face the fact that he is impotent. His empire is a house of cards - well, maybe not now that he got the American people to bail him out on their dollar. Actually, come to think about it, maybe he is a genius and we're the impotent ones?
10
Trump doesn't pay attention and apparently doesn't learn. His travel ban is on people who have already been vetted and are making current entry into the US. But this article reiterates ... "Most acts of terrorism inside the United States in the last 15 years were committed by American citizens or legal residents."
Even if the travel ban would do any good at all, which doesn't seem likely, our wise president seems to have thrown all of his effort into his travel ban executive orders. As usual he creates an alternative reality and then is incapable of believing anything else or even believing that additional measures ought to be taken too.
Dealing with legal resident terrorists who have become radicalized is a difficult challenge. Continuing to spout the wonders of the travel ban is stupid. How about if we put our effort into making plans to minimize radicalization and stop the resident radicals, something useful, instead.
Even if the travel ban would do any good at all, which doesn't seem likely, our wise president seems to have thrown all of his effort into his travel ban executive orders. As usual he creates an alternative reality and then is incapable of believing anything else or even believing that additional measures ought to be taken too.
Dealing with legal resident terrorists who have become radicalized is a difficult challenge. Continuing to spout the wonders of the travel ban is stupid. How about if we put our effort into making plans to minimize radicalization and stop the resident radicals, something useful, instead.
78
You're right of course, but I believe Trump is merely using this tragedy to undermine the authority of the judiciary in the eyes of his supporters. If you're going to get real executive power within America's system of checks and balances you have to undermine the branches doing the "checking" and "balancing". Imagine the screeching going on in the alt-right when the courts toss Trump's ban again. You think we might see some street-level action? I don't find it difficult to imagine.
96
I love how Trump carps about "them." Like some nebulous group of shadowy decision makers somehow won't allow him to do what he wants.
You're the President, Mr. Trump. Don't like an order? Don't sign it.
You're the President, Mr. Trump. Don't like an order? Don't sign it.
18
Boys and girls, moms and dads get ready for the week of non-stop hyper deception, diversion, misdirection, and obfuscation, Comey’s coming to testify before Congress Thursday. There’s going to be a Trump and administration 24 hour a day 7 day a week attempt to create constant seemingly crucial fake news, make grand gestures and extravagant pronouncements, proposed bold aspirational changes, maybe even Donny will remove his hairpiece, anything to distract from the threatening subject and focus of Comey’s testimony before Congress, Trump. This wouldn't have anything to do with that, would it?
21
"Maybe even Donny will remove his hairpiece..."
Sad. Just another distraction from the fact that this Emperor has no clothes.
Sad. Just another distraction from the fact that this Emperor has no clothes.
3
I think you can add the London mayor to the list now:
The 332 People, Places and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter: A Complete List
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/28/upshot/donald-trump-twitt...
Trump certainly "mischaracterized the quote", big league (and deliberately, since he now doubles down on it).
Trump (and Trump Jr) are quite systematic about this. Trying to blame the media, of course - the usual “pathetic excuse” by Trump.
The 332 People, Places and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter: A Complete List
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/28/upshot/donald-trump-twitt...
Trump certainly "mischaracterized the quote", big league (and deliberately, since he now doubles down on it).
Trump (and Trump Jr) are quite systematic about this. Trying to blame the media, of course - the usual “pathetic excuse” by Trump.
9
I looked for any other world leader [sic] offering a message like our President. Of course none was to be found. I thought-perhaps, the true Enfant Terrible of North Korea might have come close- but nothing. My thoughts of course turn to the "62"; as in million Americans . Do any except the small (yes small) "We Won"; "Lock her up" devotees- still believe anything-but-Hillary was best?
How do millions of Christian Americans square what they see and hear- daily from this man with their profession of Faith? How many educated professionals and just regular Americans who teach their children right from wrong....how many would actually want a man like this around their children? Rather than "what would Jesus do?" The questions should be- "Would you want to work for a man like this?" "Would you invite this man over for dinner with your family?" "Would you want this man as a next-door neighbor?" If all of the above is "no". Why do you want him (still) as your President?
How do millions of Christian Americans square what they see and hear- daily from this man with their profession of Faith? How many educated professionals and just regular Americans who teach their children right from wrong....how many would actually want a man like this around their children? Rather than "what would Jesus do?" The questions should be- "Would you want to work for a man like this?" "Would you invite this man over for dinner with your family?" "Would you want this man as a next-door neighbor?" If all of the above is "no". Why do you want him (still) as your President?
12
"Mr. Trump argued that it was a mistake to revise the first order he signed and suggested that his administration should return to a 'much tougher version.'”
Right. Because Trump has such a keen understanding of federal statutes, the inner workings of the federal courts, and, above all, a searing intellect which sees opportunities where others see only risk. Yes, while your lawyers are crafting arguments that your executive order was NOT a travel ban, you keep telling 'em it IS!
OK, never mind. Trump's main complaint is that he hasn't been able to work the phrase "much tougher" into a speech lately, and this seemed like the perfect chance to do so. Trump, he of 4 bankruptcies, several failed marriages, and draft dodger par excellence (while wining that he really covets a Purple Heart): yes, he's the one to tell the rest of us what "tough" means.
Hey Donny, I'll tell you what's tough: getting anything through your thick skull. Why don't you just shut up for awhile, and let your subject matter experts do the talking for you. Surely you can occupy yourself with Fox News and grabbing women because you're "famous."
What a national disgrace!
Right. Because Trump has such a keen understanding of federal statutes, the inner workings of the federal courts, and, above all, a searing intellect which sees opportunities where others see only risk. Yes, while your lawyers are crafting arguments that your executive order was NOT a travel ban, you keep telling 'em it IS!
OK, never mind. Trump's main complaint is that he hasn't been able to work the phrase "much tougher" into a speech lately, and this seemed like the perfect chance to do so. Trump, he of 4 bankruptcies, several failed marriages, and draft dodger par excellence (while wining that he really covets a Purple Heart): yes, he's the one to tell the rest of us what "tough" means.
Hey Donny, I'll tell you what's tough: getting anything through your thick skull. Why don't you just shut up for awhile, and let your subject matter experts do the talking for you. Surely you can occupy yourself with Fox News and grabbing women because you're "famous."
What a national disgrace!
22
The mind of the man is getting worse every day ... and let's don't forget he is in charge of the nuclear codes!
20
Shhh Jorge! Don't talk about the c-o-d-e-s!
5
Trump's message to Americans: I am the smartest man in government, I know more than anybody and still you fight me. I was voted in by a large majority and still, you foolishly, dis me. This will not end well for you if you continue to thwart my efforts to make America thrive again. I have Stephen Bannon on my side so beware his wrath and my vindictive fury. Together, we are invincible, so surrender for your own good and make America great again.
17
I have had to look up and analyze the distinctions among the words "idiot," "imbecile," and "ignoramus" several times since January 20. Other "I" words have also come up: "incompetent," "inept," and "isolated." The American Psychiatric Association is apparently re-examining its "Goldwater Rule," which prohibits psychiatrists from commenting on the mental status of politicians who they have not seen in individual sessions. I am convinced that Donald is mentally unhinged, perhaps experiencing signs of dementia or Alzheimer's. Albeit he had no government experience and never managed a large company with a diverse workforce, I have worked with hundreds of men and women running small and mid-sized companies and never seen the kind of vitriol, disparagement, and impolitic behavior across a wide spectrum of thousands of personalities I have interacted with. His social media statements and policy visions range from deranged to despicable, serving no US interest that I can discern. Literally every day, Donald is making America grit again.
I'm not the excitable sort, but it sure seems to me that Trump is exhibiting some of the warning signs of an emotional crisis. Not all of them, of course, but enough. It disturbs me that even those supposedly close to him, like Conway, are now urging us not to pay attention to his tweets -- which since he rarely speaks to the press, are pretty much what we have to base an opinion on. If he were the guy I worked with on a daily basis, I'd be thinking about an intervention. Some way to get his to an independent professional qualified to evaluate his mental state.
24
I would in no way minimize the horror of terrorist attacks like the ones in the UK, but just last week 8 people in Mississippi were killed by a man angry at his estranged wife. 5 were mass murdered today in Orlando by a disgruntled employee. This happens over and over in the US weekly, and there is minimal outrage and certainly no meaningful action to do anything about it. Is that human nature? Are we just numbed by it? Are terrorist attacks somehow scarier? Is this just politics, meaning it's easy to go after "foreigners" even if the attacks are not as prevalent? Tens of thousands die from guns in the US every year and what is our response?
59
Of course we can thank, in large measure, the National Rifle Association (a fancy name for what is a marketing arm of the gun industry) for working so diligently the past few decades to normalize gun ownership, with little limitation on what can be purchased. It is not normal, folks, and we pay the very high price on a daily basis. Before you vote, you should check your candidates score/endorsement-non endorsement by the NRA.
5
What is our response, you ask?
Just ask the NRA, the primary enemy of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. THEY'LL tell what our [acceptable] response is.
Just ask the NRA, the primary enemy of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. THEY'LL tell what our [acceptable] response is.
1
The stated goal of the original 90/120-day travel ban was to evaluate the process for vetting refugees and other immigrants.
Those periods have passed; they have had time to evaluate the process, and Trump says today that "EXTREME VETTING" is now in place.
Those periods have passed; they have had time to evaluate the process, and Trump says today that "EXTREME VETTING" is now in place.
10
Donald Trump is coming to find that he stands against most everyone else --and stands against those things most admired, revered, noble.
He is a recking crew, against all that is right and good.
That is why he is so miserable, never laughs, grimaces more than smiles.
A deeply unhappy, immoral man, that nothing can assuage.
He sold his soul long ago. And nothing (no matter the power) can change this.
A searing lesson for kids about the value of honor, honesty, truth, modestly, compassion and empathy.
And a stark warning about greed, dishonesty, deception, selfishness.
You can inherit the world and lose your soul.
And nothing is more painful, more miserable.
He is a recking crew, against all that is right and good.
That is why he is so miserable, never laughs, grimaces more than smiles.
A deeply unhappy, immoral man, that nothing can assuage.
He sold his soul long ago. And nothing (no matter the power) can change this.
A searing lesson for kids about the value of honor, honesty, truth, modestly, compassion and empathy.
And a stark warning about greed, dishonesty, deception, selfishness.
You can inherit the world and lose your soul.
And nothing is more painful, more miserable.
Mr. Trump shows his total ignorance of how the judicial process works (except that he think he can sue anyone at anytime).
The first ban or whatever it is called, which frankly does not matter, was NOT appealed. Therefore it cannot be reviewed. DOJ did not appeal it , because it was not constitutionally defensible. No due process, and almost a religious ban on its face, despite the denials. (and please note, those Muslim countries not listed all do business with the Trump Organization. HMMMM)
The second ban, or whatever, has more constitutional protections,and was substituted for the first one. There were hearings, and a proper appeal in the 4th circuit, with a ruling from the dreaded break em up 9th circuit pending.
Trump's tweets indicate he thinks courts can just do anything they want. But then again, he thinks he can do anything he wants. He does not understand checks and balances. The courts do.
The first ban or whatever it is called, which frankly does not matter, was NOT appealed. Therefore it cannot be reviewed. DOJ did not appeal it , because it was not constitutionally defensible. No due process, and almost a religious ban on its face, despite the denials. (and please note, those Muslim countries not listed all do business with the Trump Organization. HMMMM)
The second ban, or whatever, has more constitutional protections,and was substituted for the first one. There were hearings, and a proper appeal in the 4th circuit, with a ruling from the dreaded break em up 9th circuit pending.
Trump's tweets indicate he thinks courts can just do anything they want. But then again, he thinks he can do anything he wants. He does not understand checks and balances. The courts do.
18
This president is seriously mentally ill! Doesn't he know that tweets have consequences? Doesn't he realize he is hurting his own caused by continuing to call this a ban, a Muslim ban?
It is totally absurd for him to claim that these countries represent a special danger when there have been no incidents of terrorism committed by people from these countries. Furthermore by continuing to use Muslim ban, it is a clear case of religious discrimination.
The Twitter war he is waging with the mayor of London is uncalled for and totally unbecoming of a president of the United States. Clearly the adults in his administration have no influence on him and this very fact will, I believe, be the undoing of his presidency as he continues to self incriminate.
I personally cannot wait. Nor can many Americans who are tired of being led by someone who by all accounts indicate is highly mentally unstable--some might even say a raving lunatic.
It is totally absurd for him to claim that these countries represent a special danger when there have been no incidents of terrorism committed by people from these countries. Furthermore by continuing to use Muslim ban, it is a clear case of religious discrimination.
The Twitter war he is waging with the mayor of London is uncalled for and totally unbecoming of a president of the United States. Clearly the adults in his administration have no influence on him and this very fact will, I believe, be the undoing of his presidency as he continues to self incriminate.
I personally cannot wait. Nor can many Americans who are tired of being led by someone who by all accounts indicate is highly mentally unstable--some might even say a raving lunatic.
61
Dear Leader seems not to know that you cannot fire the citizens of a country.
35
Trump is making less sense every time he tweets or speaks. He is now officially totally out of control. Are the Republicans so entrenched in partisanship that they cannot see that Trump is no longer President but has fully embraced the role of village idiot? How can Conway tell us to ignore the insane tweets that come from Trump. He needs to be benched before we completely lose our credibility as a nation.
44
Too late
2
If Trump had been alive in 1940 while London was enduring the horrific deadly terror of Hitler's blitz he mighty have sent out this telegram
"Pathetic advice by the Churchill government for London's population to 'Keep Calm and Carry On'. They should cower in fear the way Hitler wants them to do."
"Pathetic advice by the Churchill government for London's population to 'Keep Calm and Carry On'. They should cower in fear the way Hitler wants them to do."
23
George Conway has it backwards: what matters to Trump is that his hardcore, alt right supporters see him as fighting for his and their religious bigotry. Losing at the Supreme will be more "proof" that the system cannot be sustained if the courts retain their constitutional authority. IMO, these Tweets are the continuing work of Bannon-Miller to destroy the basic constitutional structure of the United States.
37
Ban guns, not travel.
And as far as the ban goes, three moths is already up. So why hasn't the "investigation" and development of "extreme vetting" take place?
And as far as the ban goes, three moths is already up. So why hasn't the "investigation" and development of "extreme vetting" take place?
19
At least the NYT is finally addressing the issue!:
"Mr. Trump did not explain on Monday why two of the elements of the order were still needed, as the original rationale was a pause for visitors and refugees of 90 to 120 days to give the administration time to review vetting procedures and put new ones in place. The administration insisted at the time that it was not meant as a permanent action, other than on refugees from Syria. More than 120 days have passed."
Come on NYT reporters and columnists-address this issue in detail. Does Trump have any argument that a pause is needed before effective vetting can take place? I think we all know the answer-no.
"Mr. Trump did not explain on Monday why two of the elements of the order were still needed, as the original rationale was a pause for visitors and refugees of 90 to 120 days to give the administration time to review vetting procedures and put new ones in place. The administration insisted at the time that it was not meant as a permanent action, other than on refugees from Syria. More than 120 days have passed."
Come on NYT reporters and columnists-address this issue in detail. Does Trump have any argument that a pause is needed before effective vetting can take place? I think we all know the answer-no.
We are watching our so-called President becoming unhinged and unglued before our very eyes. And the Republicans are doing nothing. Sad.
33
He's desperate for any distractions from his dreadful performance and that Russian thing.
10
Yeah that little TREASON thing. And not just Trump: the faux Christian Pence, that vile hypocrite Ryan, the racist McConnell, genial idiot McCarthy, the lying sycophant Nunes, and all the way down the line. All of them. They all knew and said nothing, so they all colluded. They all adhered to our enemies. They are all guilty of treason, and after due process, should be afforded the appropriate penalty:
"Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 807; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(2)(J), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)
"Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 807; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(2)(J), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)
8
I could not agree more. Add Tillerson, Sessions, Kushner, Bannon, Flynn, Manafort, Page, Preibus, Mercer, Stone, and Giuliani to that list
1
Yes. The Republican Party (Criminal Organization): Party of TRAITORS.
1
As others have noted, President Trump's self-absorbed ranting shows an autocratic personality that can't work within structured systems--or at least none that aren't subject to his whim. But the extremely volatile and echo-chamber nature of his ranting suggests influences beyond the usual vagaries of personal style.
How can can a president be so blind or indifferent to the harm he is doing to his own stated interests--and to the interests of allies and supporters, who must surely be constantly re-evaluating the cost of being identified with him and eyeing the exits?
Some have speculated about clinical psychological disorder as an explanation; I'm more inclined to suspect substance abuse--specifically some sort of stimulant such as cocaine.
In the cocaine-fueled 1980s, I knew people whose cocaine habits gave them grandiose delusions of power and their own effectiveness; who became cripplingly paranoid and suspicious towards people and institutions; whose affairs had a ramshackle, compulsive quality and seemed constantly on the verge of breakdown; who tended to stay up all night, feeding their own delusions and cooking up wild schemes; whose increasingly erratic, self-absorbed and self-undermining behavior gradually alienated everyone around them.
Donald Trump shows all these symptoms--and then there was his exaggerated sniffing during the town hall debate with Hillary Clinton. Could it be the President is just another celebrity in need of rehab?
How can can a president be so blind or indifferent to the harm he is doing to his own stated interests--and to the interests of allies and supporters, who must surely be constantly re-evaluating the cost of being identified with him and eyeing the exits?
Some have speculated about clinical psychological disorder as an explanation; I'm more inclined to suspect substance abuse--specifically some sort of stimulant such as cocaine.
In the cocaine-fueled 1980s, I knew people whose cocaine habits gave them grandiose delusions of power and their own effectiveness; who became cripplingly paranoid and suspicious towards people and institutions; whose affairs had a ramshackle, compulsive quality and seemed constantly on the verge of breakdown; who tended to stay up all night, feeding their own delusions and cooking up wild schemes; whose increasingly erratic, self-absorbed and self-undermining behavior gradually alienated everyone around them.
Donald Trump shows all these symptoms--and then there was his exaggerated sniffing during the town hall debate with Hillary Clinton. Could it be the President is just another celebrity in need of rehab?
29
Nick,
Thanks for your comments. As a survivor of the cocaine era, there my first thought during the cited debate was that Trump was using. His behavior well mimicked a coke episode (I've witnessed many of these and been the presenter of a number of these myself). The nose sniffing - well, there could have been other reasons - only added confirmation to my observations. I'm simply making an observation here: he was around during the 70's and 80's, hung around a crowd that many members were likely using and, had the money to afford it.
That he could be using while president is all but unbelievable. Then again, that he was elected as president is just as unbelievable. It may be time to face the truth.
Thanks for your comments. As a survivor of the cocaine era, there my first thought during the cited debate was that Trump was using. His behavior well mimicked a coke episode (I've witnessed many of these and been the presenter of a number of these myself). The nose sniffing - well, there could have been other reasons - only added confirmation to my observations. I'm simply making an observation here: he was around during the 70's and 80's, hung around a crowd that many members were likely using and, had the money to afford it.
That he could be using while president is all but unbelievable. Then again, that he was elected as president is just as unbelievable. It may be time to face the truth.
8
Trump's tweets about Sadiq Khan shows that his dyslexia is preventing him from understanding the simplest of communications.
Or could it be that Mr. Khan is Muslim, and our brave draft dodging Donald wants to pick a fight.
The difference between the two is that Mr. Khan is an honourable man dedicated to serving London. Trump is a dishonourable man dedicated to serving himself.
Or could it be that Mr. Khan is Muslim, and our brave draft dodging Donald wants to pick a fight.
The difference between the two is that Mr. Khan is an honourable man dedicated to serving London. Trump is a dishonourable man dedicated to serving himself.
42
And let's not forget the most brazen statement of all regarding the Muslim travel ban, made by Trump's senior WH advisor Stephen Miller, when he declared that the Federal Courts did not even have the power to review the President's EO, despite the mandate of Article III of the Constitution:
Said Miller on Face The Nation, Feb. 12, 2017:
"...the powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/13/stephen-miller...
Said Miller on Face The Nation, Feb. 12, 2017:
"...the powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/13/stephen-miller...
10
I knew he was disturbed and possibly mentally ill but we are straying into the territory of the deranged. To my dying day, I will not understand how this man became president of the United States.
50
Because of "white, ignorant. angry men" in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania!
12
Bergoglio was right: no more potica before bedtime.
7
Once again we see how irrational, incompetent and divisive our current President is in his actions and statements. He does not read or wish to understand the Constitution of the USA which does not allow discrimination based on Religion. It´s quite clear, just like his most recent rejection of the Paris Climate Accord, he is only interested in fabricating lies and misleading our citizens to satisfy the prejudices and bias of his perceived political base.
8
I truly hope the Supreme Court does not engage in the legalistic gymnastics necessary to make this obviously unconstitutional EO pass legal muster. Just because the president says there is a national security threat, the courts, as fact finders have the responsibility to examine the reasonableness of those claims. In this case, trump's own DHS reported that these countries posed no national security threat. What this EO does is discriminate on the basis of nationality, which is clearly against the statute. The president cannot use discrimination in immigration policy.
59
"cannot use discrimination in immigration policy"?? Isn't that the entire point of having an immigration policy? So open borders then? Come one come all!
Hear, hear, this commenter! "...Just because the president says there is a national security threat, the courts, as fact finders have the responsibility to examine those claims...in this case [PT]'s own DHS reported that these countries posed no national security threat."
For perhaps the quintessential example of the exercise of that responsibility by SCOTUS, see Justice Jackson's concurring's opinion in the case overturning P Truman's seizure of steel companies during the Korean war. Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, 343 U.S. 579 (1952).
In it, Justice Jackson convincingly dismantles the government's numerous detailed arguments purportedly supporting the presidential finding of a threat, assertion by assertion.
To the extent that the Roberts' court first takes up, as it should, PT's finding of a national security threat, and finds it unwarranted - as it must, it need not even take up questions of discrimination on any grounds.
For perhaps the quintessential example of the exercise of that responsibility by SCOTUS, see Justice Jackson's concurring's opinion in the case overturning P Truman's seizure of steel companies during the Korean war. Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, 343 U.S. 579 (1952).
In it, Justice Jackson convincingly dismantles the government's numerous detailed arguments purportedly supporting the presidential finding of a threat, assertion by assertion.
To the extent that the Roberts' court first takes up, as it should, PT's finding of a national security threat, and finds it unwarranted - as it must, it need not even take up questions of discrimination on any grounds.
1
With every passing day of the Trump Administration (June 5 is day 137), the stated purpose of either of the executive orders -- "a temporary pause that allows us to better review the existing refugee and visa vetting system" -- bumps harder against this reality:
If the national security of the U.S. is at such risk so as to require all of the measures of the executive orders, Why Have the Permanent Improvements to the Existing System not, by now, Been Devised and Implemented?
Homeland Secretary Kelly and the president need to be questioned on this relentlessly.
If the national security of the U.S. is at such risk so as to require all of the measures of the executive orders, Why Have the Permanent Improvements to the Existing System not, by now, Been Devised and Implemented?
Homeland Secretary Kelly and the president need to be questioned on this relentlessly.
7
How can Sean Spicer and all the other members of the Trump administration look at themselves in the mirror each morning knowing whom they work for and knowing that whatever they do or say Trump will eventually mess it up? Being associated with the Trump administration will be the worst thing anyone can have on his resume. Who would want someone who has been tainted by being one of Trump's people to work for them?
27
Trump's brain is bias-based and largely bias-bound. He comes at nearly everything with bias, as do just about all of us nearly all of the time. But, unlike the vast majority of people, as soon as he encounters something that challenges his bias, regardless of whether it makes sense or is factually correct, he treats it as just an opposing opinion -- just doubles down, insisting it's wrong. A psychiatrist I know once said (of somebody else), "He's paranoid, in the sense that he believes he's always right." Based on that sense of the word, I believe Trump, too, is seriously paranoid.
13
"‘I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.’” DJT
Trump is so clever. In a total condescension to his base, he proclaims the Paris Accords are actually about Paris. I am so impressed. This will be a major talking point at the next Trump election rally, hopefully IN Pittsburgh. Give his supporters a chance to revel and applaud Trump's vast knowledge of geography and his political prowess in trashing the Paris Accord. Impressive!
Trump is so clever. In a total condescension to his base, he proclaims the Paris Accords are actually about Paris. I am so impressed. This will be a major talking point at the next Trump election rally, hopefully IN Pittsburgh. Give his supporters a chance to revel and applaud Trump's vast knowledge of geography and his political prowess in trashing the Paris Accord. Impressive!
11
Mr. Trump literally has no self control. That he must satisfy his impulses at all costs would be laughable if he was just running his own little family business. It is not in his current position.
11
Mr trump is truly embarrassing and it is sad, but there is a silver lining in that there is plenty of humor to be found in stupidity.
5
Worst case of foot in mouth disease ever.
16
Trump's using this tragedy to undermine the authority of the judicial branch of US government. He's fanning the flames under his Muslim ban while passions are high because it will rile his base and turn them further against checks on his executive power. He's maximizing his leverage against the US court system. Make no mistake America, you have a dictator in the making. You need to stand up for your democracy more than ever before. For all our sakes.
17
Another declaration from our impotent president. The world collectively yawns and gets back to real business.
9
So Trump says it's a "travel ban". And everyone else is steering away from that term. Why? Could it be because it implies a Muslim ban on those named countries in the executive order? Exactly, use of the word "ban" in this manner is inflammatory and it will now be tested in the highest court.
I swear this President is working his best to help lose the government executive order case on the Muslim ban.
I swear this President is working his best to help lose the government executive order case on the Muslim ban.
51
I don't understand--i just read that a bunch of teenagers have just lost their hard earned Havard placements due to their inappropriate social media behaviour. If these kids are being made accountable for their poor judgement, how come our president gets away with his behaviour? this is the standard being set for kids, from the very top.
97
They aren't part of the economic one percent that Trump is wooing. Therefore whatever happens to them is fine. If they were Saudi princes he might intervene.
2
May it please the court, I'd like to enter these public communications from our Commander in Chief into evidence.
10
Empty vessels make the loudest sound ....much like the inside of Donald Trumps head.
16
There are 62,979,636 U.S. voters who need to stop voting for the sake of our freedom and safety.
29
There is nothing more to Trumps rampant blusterous tweets than a child seeking the equivalent of a "sugar high" from a bag of skittles. A person who can base their actions only what they have heard in the last half hour and considers the consequence of their actions only five minutes into the future is a sorry excuse for any adult. Let alone the president of anything.
If anything good for the country comes out of this presidents actions, it will be purely by accident. Not by design.
If anything good for the country comes out of this presidents actions, it will be purely by accident. Not by design.
12
It is remarkable and very telling that the president of the US, because of personal grudges, goes out of his way to attack the a mayor of a foreign city and distort his statement from 'no reason to be alarmed [by the presence of police]' to imply that it meant 'no reason to be alarmed [by the danger of terrorists]'!
30
The White House has asked for a Supreme Court review of the court orders blocking implementation of the executive orders designed to protect the nation from foreign terrorist entry into the United States. In the brief requesting the review, the administration argues that the ban is needed in order to conduct a review of the government’s vetting procedures.
What has been happening to review the government’s vetting procedures while the legal battle makes its way through the courts?
What has been happening to review the government’s vetting procedures while the legal battle makes its way through the courts?
16
Crazy as a drunken mule.
Drunken mule is smarter though.
Drunken mule is smarter though.
10
This is ludicrous!! Trump attacks his justice department for not pushing the original ban although he himself revoked it officially when he signed the "watered-down" version!!
In other words, the original ban no longer exists!!
The Justice department's job is defend Trump's official policy which is the revised ban. Neither the justice department nor the supreme court can create policy or push for tougher measures!
These tweets show utter ignorance of how the system works!
In other words, the original ban no longer exists!!
The Justice department's job is defend Trump's official policy which is the revised ban. Neither the justice department nor the supreme court can create policy or push for tougher measures!
These tweets show utter ignorance of how the system works!
21
Trump is playing to his dwindling "base" because it is all he has. Next the all important Trump "brand", he has ceaselessly promoted, will lose all of its remaining high end value and he will be left hawking cheap "Make America Great Again" hats in Branson.
10
Trump doesn't even know who watered down his immigration order: he did. OMG how is someone so dense President?
16
Never thought I would say this, or think this, but I am inclined to agree with The President, and I am a liberal Democrat. And I NEVER agreed with ANYTHING said or proposed by George W. Shrub. Including torture of POWs........
2
With all due respect, I don't quite see how you can square the statement "I am a liberal democrat" with support for Trump's ban on Muslims. The one is anathema to the other.
5
It is only through his Tweets that we know where Trump stands on ANYTHING, given the tepid, information-free press "briefings" run by Spicer and KellyAnne Conway's spin machine.
May he continue to tweet.
May he continue to tweet.
17
If he doesn't like what the justice Dept did he should fire Sessions.
40
Don the Con insists on Twitter to get out his message untampered by "fake news". Now Conway, his own advisor says to ignore his tweets.
12
The Trump travel ban called for a 90 (or 120) day pause in allowing travellers from the 7 countries into the US for the vetting system could be reviewed. It has now been 136 days since Trump took office,
The court order suspending the ban did not prevent that review from proceeding. Therefore, shouldn't the review be finished by now, making the need for a ban at this point completely unnecessary?
Oh, I forgot. Trump lied to us about the purpose of the ban, and that is was just temporary.
The court order suspending the ban did not prevent that review from proceeding. Therefore, shouldn't the review be finished by now, making the need for a ban at this point completely unnecessary?
Oh, I forgot. Trump lied to us about the purpose of the ban, and that is was just temporary.
31
Absolutely! This seems like such an obvious point that I'm surprised it hasn't been made more often.
4
No arguing with that logic!
2
Darn Justice Department always screwing up the President's wishes. We should fire Jeff Sessions. Yes, please fire Jeff Sessions right away. Sooner the better, fire him right now. And throw out Betsy DeVoss too. I think I saw her talking to Sessions once. Oh yeah, and Scott Pruitt. Yeah, definitely him.
21
How did it did it happen that the most powerful man on earth is mediated by managers who attempt to implicate some rational themes into his hallucinatory, delusional rants on tweeters? The current POTUS is deranged and the health of the nation requires his removal. Where is McConnel or Ryan? Where are the republicans? party or country? Hardly a patriotic conundrum.
17
At what point does trump realize he it the president of United States not king. Do not retreat just impeach.
7
In no way do I dismiss the recent carnage in Manchester and London, nor do I object to reasonable, legal efforts to keep the US safe from terrorism, but we just had six people killed in Florida on top of eight killed late last month in Mississippi and Islamic radicals had nothing to do with either bloodbath. Could the administration spend a little less time trying to ram constitutionally suspect policies through the courts and a little more time addressing the shameful body counts Americans put up with nearly daily.
54
lets see. ground all air travel, let people travel by boat if they need to go overseas. shut down the internet. no more instant global peer to peer communications. shutdown most international commerce, institute a total police state, random searches for weapons, etc.
basically, return to the 18th century.
basically, return to the 18th century.
4
Keep talking and tweeting Trump -- please! A couple weeks of this and we will have all we need for impeachment. Well, we actually do right now, but the spineless Republicans care much more about their own jobs and party than the United States Constitution they swore to uphold...
To be clear, the "travel ban", no matter what it's called, is _not_ about improving security of our country. It's about generating cheers and rapture among those who make up the Trump base.
So all of our logical arguments are of no consequence in the Trump world view. We're not his base. If possible, we need to find a way to make his supporters see that he's not going to get anything for most of them. Two years from now, they will still be impoverished, bitter, and looking for someone to blame.
So all of our logical arguments are of no consequence in the Trump world view. We're not his base. If possible, we need to find a way to make his supporters see that he's not going to get anything for most of them. Two years from now, they will still be impoverished, bitter, and looking for someone to blame.
18
You stray completely from The Press's fundamental notion of neutrality by including paragraphs such as the following:
But in calling the revised order “politically correct,” Mr. Trump suggested that his goal was still to make distinctions based on religion. And in calling the revised order “watered down,” he made it harder for his lawyers to argue that it was a clean break from the earlier one.
That, good sirs, is NYT'S OPINION ... repeated not once but twice!
If you want to express your OPINION, then you have an entire section of your August Periodical that is specifically dedicated to that purpose.
However, "the front page" is N-O-T that section. On the front page of your esteemed newspaper, you must "keep your esteemed newspaper's opinions to yourselves," and ... "report the news impartially, without fear OR FAVOR."
But in calling the revised order “politically correct,” Mr. Trump suggested that his goal was still to make distinctions based on religion. And in calling the revised order “watered down,” he made it harder for his lawyers to argue that it was a clean break from the earlier one.
That, good sirs, is NYT'S OPINION ... repeated not once but twice!
If you want to express your OPINION, then you have an entire section of your August Periodical that is specifically dedicated to that purpose.
However, "the front page" is N-O-T that section. On the front page of your esteemed newspaper, you must "keep your esteemed newspaper's opinions to yourselves," and ... "report the news impartially, without fear OR FAVOR."
1
Uh, okay, Mike... you da man!
2
Mike,
Maybe Fox News could show them how it's done.
Maybe Fox News could show them how it's done.
2
That's not a an opinion. It's inductive logic based on how courts work.
7
Anyone who uses the expression “politically correct” in a serious policy discussion cannot be taken seriously. It is a dog whistle and has become meaningless.
11
Be careful. Trump doesn't actually care if this ban passes! He just wants to look like the tough guy to his nutty supporters, and this gives him a perfect shouting opportunity. In fact, if he can blame (and thereby discredit) the Justice Dept, the media, and the Democrats all the better for him.
9
I really wish Pres Trump could be called as a witness for cross examination at the Supreme Court. That would be something to see -- some of the finest minds trying to dig some logic out of his convoluted brain.
7
Vomitrocious in the extreme, President Trump's Tweets about "EXTREME VETTING" ...to help keep our country safe". Why is Saudi Arabia Trump's ally and great friend? Did he forget that 19 Saudi Arabians hijacked 4 jet planes and killed over 3,000 innocent Americans in the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon on 11 September 2001? How convenient a bad memory, ignorance and sheer nastiness are in our Commander-in-Chief! Trump defends guns which every day kill scores of innocents here in America. Our Leader (sic) is demented and the sooner he is removed, impeached, ousted from his three White Houses (in New York City, Bedminster, NJ, and Palm Beach, FL) the better for all of us who live in Durance Vile under President Trump's creepy, scary and malign administration.
10
Dear Donny, maybe start reading the stuff you sign. You might find out that you, and not the DOJ, are responsible for the stuff you end up criticizing later.
Best regards, Sammy.
P.S. Please resign, you are embarrassing the rest of us.
Best regards, Sammy.
P.S. Please resign, you are embarrassing the rest of us.
9
Creating news in advance of Comey's testimony.....
9
Reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw recently, it read:
Deport Trump, keep the immigrants.
Deport Trump, keep the immigrants.
62
Most terror is homegrown. We cannot ban nor kill our way to peace. We must engage and reintegrate the disenfranchised youth around the world, who will always be susceptible to extremism if left isolated and often discriminated. Just as Americans, angry and disenfranchised from decades of corporate-first policies, voted for a madman named Trump to vent their anger, so too will other disenfranchised populations around the world turn to violence and extremism to vent their frustration.
9
As Trump rants about political correctness, he does not seem to comprehend the concept of constitutional correctness.
I'll go with the latter.
I'll go with the latter.
18
POTUS can't be that foolish as to inadvertently undermine his legal case for 'The Ban", can he? It's almost as if he wants his ban to be overruled. Rather than putting in the effort it would take to come up with a sensible, legal strategy that protects the US, he'll be able to say, if or when something happens in the US, that he tried to keep terrorists out, but the courts interfered. And he'll still have the support of his base.
26
The supposed purpose of the original travel ban was to give the administration 90-120 days to review and revise vetting procedures. We are now nearly that far out from the initial attempt to enact the ban. If the administration was serious about this rationale, by now they should be nearly done reviewing and revising procedures, and thus there should be no further "need" for a ban. Or was the 90-120 day time frame always meant to extend indefinitely?
11
Please keep Tweeting, Mr. President, please. America, and more importantly the courts, are hanging on your every bigoted, self-centered, patently ignorant, deviant, spiteful word. In reading them we witness your undoing.
32
At this point, he's just a stupid angry old man screaming at the television. I wonder who's actually being president these days. It just looks like the lights are on but nobody's home.
I also think Larry Summers had it right this morning; who are Jamie Dimon and the other corporate chieftains actually standing up for here? Dimon does himself nor his shareholders any good by staying with Trump. Ditto for Jenny Rometty, but IBM's ship is sinking so fast she probably just wants the publicity.
I also think Larry Summers had it right this morning; who are Jamie Dimon and the other corporate chieftains actually standing up for here? Dimon does himself nor his shareholders any good by staying with Trump. Ditto for Jenny Rometty, but IBM's ship is sinking so fast she probably just wants the publicity.
7
Pathetic is a far more apt description of your deflector in chief. Just when you think he couldn't do or say anything more stupid, he is quick to prove us wrong.
5
He just wants to make sure everyone is fully aware that he is an idiot, and acts to reinforce that notion on a regular basis.
How many golf trips so far? At least when he is on the course he is not damaging anything except turf. Maybe we should all just be glad when he goes off to play.
How many golf trips so far? At least when he is on the course he is not damaging anything except turf. Maybe we should all just be glad when he goes off to play.
6
Contradicts his own administration? President Idiot contradicts humanity. An ape with a twitter account would behave with more intelligence, dignity, and sanity. This fool's sell by date has passed. Invoke the 25th.
8
This guy just can't get out of his own way.
7
Trump's only offering to the U.S--and the world--so far is division, hatred and conflict. The reason--he has nothing of substance to offer! His infantile rantings are simply a smokescreen to hide his lack of intellectual capacity or maturity. He is a coward who hides behind tweets and imbecilic mouthpieces who normally avoid answering any direct question and instead spew their alternative reality.
To the rest of the world, please accept our deepest regrets and apologies for this man who, while he holds a title, DOES NOT represent America. He is a disgrace on so many levels. As many of our state, local, and corporate entities have expressed, we are doing our best to stay the course and remain engaged with the world and mankind.
To the rest of the world, please accept our deepest regrets and apologies for this man who, while he holds a title, DOES NOT represent America. He is a disgrace on so many levels. As many of our state, local, and corporate entities have expressed, we are doing our best to stay the course and remain engaged with the world and mankind.
19
The original Travel Ban was supposed to be for 90 days to figure out what the hell was going on and to institute better vetting. Since the 90 day mark was passed 45 days ago, why is the Administration still discussing a Travel Ban?
16
Trump claims to be really, really hungry, but he would rather let the pasta on his plate get cold than start a meal without bread. He's waiting for the garlic bread to be brought to the table.
1
It is a mute point, the ban was to be temporary, 120 days. That time has passed and the ban should have lapsed by now. If the intent was to study the situation, then lets see the results of the study. If there was no study during the last 120 days, then there was either no real plan for a study or no real intention of have the ban be "temporary"
12
Moot point
4
Moo point - cows dont care.
3
Why doesn't he talk to his Justice department? Does he want us to intercede with them ? He sounds isolated and needing help.
7
This just reinforces what everyone in the administration should know by now: everyone is expendable and at some point likely to be thrown under the bus. The only sure thing is chaos and calamity, and when the FBI finally drag him out of the White House in handcuffs kicking and screaming "the base" will call it a coup d'etat.
10
When dealing with discrimination, courts have for many years recognized that it is often and indeed usually hidden. Rarely is it uttered by the person or organization accused of the discriminating. Looking at inferences is often required. Denials of discrimination or of such an intent must be examined carefully.
Who in their right minds, not to mention when considering the legal consequences, would admit that they are trying to discriminate or violate constitutional rights or act in some manner contrary to their sworn obligations?
Welcome, my friends, to the Trump administration.
Who in their right minds, not to mention when considering the legal consequences, would admit that they are trying to discriminate or violate constitutional rights or act in some manner contrary to their sworn obligations?
Welcome, my friends, to the Trump administration.
6
Zero attacks have come from people from the countries listed in either the first ban or the second. Again, the threat to U.S. citizens comes from INSIDE the country (from people born here), not people who seek sanctuary here. You know why he doesn't call on Homeland Security to do something about this? Even the director of Homeland Security has said he doesn't know what to do about this, so Trump wouldn't be able to claim success. He'd just say how horrible it is (if that). Look at how much he's talked about the murder of those two men in Portland. He'd be able to claim success with his travel ban, because no one from those countries has ever committed an attack.
5
Kellyann is a nit-wit, though there's something to the idea that we might do better if we stopped caring about the man-baby's nightly tantrums. It's impossible to stay focused on what's important--the stolen election, the environment--when we're constantly up in arms over his psychotic rants.
Lord, how I long for the day when I don't have to hear the word "Trump" even once.
Lord, how I long for the day when I don't have to hear the word "Trump" even once.
17
Trump's original position was that he needed time to figure things out...maybe 3 or 4 months. Well, that time has passed. Can we assume he had people working on this during that time? Or was he more interested in "winning?" The ostensible purpose of the travel ban was to work out the details of how to improve screening of people coming to this country. It's been almost 5 months. Do we have a new and improved version?
12
I can see in my mind's eye elderly, white men in rural areas yelling at Fox News on the TV every night, wishing that the public could recognize their insight and common sense.
Never did I imagine that one of these elderly men would be president, tweeting out those yells to the entire world via Twitter.
You can't make this stuff up.
Never did I imagine that one of these elderly men would be president, tweeting out those yells to the entire world via Twitter.
You can't make this stuff up.
10
Its been 90 days. What have they done to make America safer from foreign travelers ? The ban was meant to be permanent.
6
I have been in Europe for the last three months and each day I have been here I hoped that Trump would finally become more presidential. Instead, every day is another embarrassment for Americans everywhere. I have given up trying to make excuses to my friends here on how such an incompetent, egomaniac and frankly mentally challenged person can lead the most powerful country in the world. Most of Europe has given up as well. It is hard to imagine how much more damage he can do until he is booted out of office in four years.
10
I think the judicial branch taking a candidate's words into account after they have won office is one of the healthiest things to happen in America in a long, long time.
Let them know there is a permanent record.
Let them know there is a permanent record.
8
What an embarrassment to himself, his family and the country. People are supposed to get wiser with age. Obviously this one is going into puerile implosion. At this rate, other countries might start imposing a travel ban on Americans due to a fear of importing stupidity.
10
The second to last paragraph needs to be the question asked every time this gets brought up: If the temporary 120 day ban was so crucial to evaluate existing procedures, what was the result of that evaluation? Why is the ban still required after that 120 day window expired? Shouldn't that order have expired at this point anyway?
The answers are easy of course - this was never intended to be a temporary ban and clearly had nothing to do with improving immigration security. It was an excuse to target and scapegoat a religion to energize Trump's base, just as he repeatedly said during his campaign.
The answers are easy of course - this was never intended to be a temporary ban and clearly had nothing to do with improving immigration security. It was an excuse to target and scapegoat a religion to energize Trump's base, just as he repeatedly said during his campaign.
12
It seems Mr. Trump is his own worst enemy. Let's face it: he , in fact, did not collude with the Russians. Had he, it all would have been joyfully leaked by the Obama left overs, or by Obama's people before he left office, or by the FBI or CIA or you name it. What they did have as to Flynn and Kushner( nothing) was leaked. But, Trump via talk, or tweeting, or other action will undo himself and in spite of advise from some fairly good people and some so-so people. Can't anyone say something to him which just might help?? Ivanka? Melania? His sister?
Surely you don't think the absence of a leak regarding collusion proves the absence of the fact of collusion itself?
4
I find it fascinating that Trump is criticizing his administration, calling out the Justice Department for bad policies, as if he were not the president
11
I think he doesn't understand what he's talking about. He's befuddled.
7
Why does the travel need to halt for the administration to come up with new vetting rules? It has been many months since the original order. Why can't the administration just put out the new rules - what is the need for initiating the travel ban at this time? No clarification at all!
7
Clearly, Trump is incompetent! We need to make this clear, continually, and constantly!
another hole magically appears in the president's feet. no wonder the NRA loves this guy. podiatrist's too. well here we are with a case coming before the Supreme's and they all can hear what he is saying too. i am surprised photos show the man and his amazing ability to stand and walk on feet that have holes in them. what a tweeter we have in the oval.
4
Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death among Americans under 50, and new data suggest the problem is getting sharply worse in 2017. (NYT-today!) 56,000-65,000 and counting.
TRUMP..do something about this crisis.
TRUMP..do something about this crisis.
7
All of this stupid grandstanding just so he can say "I told you so" when the next attack comes, as it surely will. This man is a disgrace to the office and to our country. These attacks on London's mayor are a new low, even for him.
12
I read that Stephen Bannon is having Trump double-down on his base of voters as a means to energize the GOP for the 2018 elections, hence all these peevish tweets that are coming out of him quite quickly over the past few days. This language works with those voters, but not with the 60 to 65% who are already turned off by this rhetoric and the way this man governs.
Trump and Co. honestly think that the same strategy that netted them a whopping extra 80,000 votes in WI, MI and PA out of 126 million votes, thereby getting them that Electoral College victory fluke, is a winning strategy. No president in modern history has ever done this--all presidents up until this one went the other way, trying to expand their base to appeal to centrists and voters from the opposite party during that crucial first year.
I suppose this is a strategy that works for Trump's advisors since it allows Trump to be Trump. They don't have to provide pushback against this man, so they feel secure in their positions. But it is extremely risky, mostly because people can tolerate this intemperate, silly tweeting for so long. Even the majority of his base really doesn't like the tweeting. But tweet he will continue to do.
Also, I suspect that some of this language he just tweeted today will make it to Supreme Court argumentations of the travel bans to provide more evidence of discriminatory intent. I feel he just strengthened the argument against the DOJ. Great for us, I suppose.
Trump and Co. honestly think that the same strategy that netted them a whopping extra 80,000 votes in WI, MI and PA out of 126 million votes, thereby getting them that Electoral College victory fluke, is a winning strategy. No president in modern history has ever done this--all presidents up until this one went the other way, trying to expand their base to appeal to centrists and voters from the opposite party during that crucial first year.
I suppose this is a strategy that works for Trump's advisors since it allows Trump to be Trump. They don't have to provide pushback against this man, so they feel secure in their positions. But it is extremely risky, mostly because people can tolerate this intemperate, silly tweeting for so long. Even the majority of his base really doesn't like the tweeting. But tweet he will continue to do.
Also, I suspect that some of this language he just tweeted today will make it to Supreme Court argumentations of the travel bans to provide more evidence of discriminatory intent. I feel he just strengthened the argument against the DOJ. Great for us, I suppose.
163
You are right but since his tweets only energize his base it is essential that the anti-Trumps do not sit out the elections any more. And the Democrats need to formulate clear agenda that will drive people to polls in record numbers.
4
It is indeed disturbing if Bannon and Trump have already given up on getting anything done before Nov. 2018 and on bringing *someone* else into his coalition. If the GOP has any sense at all, even just an instinct for self-preservation, they should recognize the cliff ahead before they walk off it like lemmings.
Trump has handed Congressional Republicans an opportunity to ditch him. All they need to do is crank up the investigation of Trump. Russia or no, he has obstructed profusely. The Republicans will lose some of his alt-right supporters, but it is clearer every day that there simply is no middle road that will appease all of Trump's base and centrists. If they don't dump him, Trump will irrevocably damage faith in the government that they are trying to lead.
Trump has handed Congressional Republicans an opportunity to ditch him. All they need to do is crank up the investigation of Trump. Russia or no, he has obstructed profusely. The Republicans will lose some of his alt-right supporters, but it is clearer every day that there simply is no middle road that will appease all of Trump's base and centrists. If they don't dump him, Trump will irrevocably damage faith in the government that they are trying to lead.
But, But Trump said during his campaign that the travel ban would only be in place until extreme vetting was instituted. In January he signed an executive order instituting "extreme vetting". One of his morning tweets acknowledged that his administration is utilizing "extreme vetting". So why the need for a travel ban?
And given that many of the US radicals are homegrown; how will this travel ban work?
Does this mean Trump's extreme vetting policy is ineffective?
Or is this just another example ( of many) of Trump stoking prejudice and fear to distract Ameticans ?
And given that many of the US radicals are homegrown; how will this travel ban work?
Does this mean Trump's extreme vetting policy is ineffective?
Or is this just another example ( of many) of Trump stoking prejudice and fear to distract Ameticans ?
268
Don't forget to always capitalize EXTREME VETTING. It makes it sound so much more...extreme.
7
If he uses the same "extreme vetting" for admitting immigrants that he used to vet Michael Flynn, God help us! The National Security Adviser is the WH's most senior adviser on national security-- a critical role in the war on terror. And yet, Trump admits he did not vet Flynn, resulting in his departure with the shortest tenure of any NSA in history when his flaws surfaced (many of which were known when Flynn was hired). Sally Yates warned the WH Counsel that Flynn was compromised by his lies about meeting with the Russian ambassador, but her advice was ignored for several weeks. Flynn was only fired after the WP reported Yates' warning.
Trump pathetically and irresponsibly blamed Obama for this debacle because Flynn received a renewed security clearance in 2016.
But is this anyone's idea of "extreme vetting"? Trump thought it was appropriate to rely on the security clearance of an administration he spent years criticizing and demonizing as being soft on terror. But more to the point, Obama fired Flynn in 2014 and specifically implored Trump after he won the election to NOT hire Flynn.
What sort of imbecile would hire Flynn under these circumstances?
Trump pathetically and irresponsibly blamed Obama for this debacle because Flynn received a renewed security clearance in 2016.
But is this anyone's idea of "extreme vetting"? Trump thought it was appropriate to rely on the security clearance of an administration he spent years criticizing and demonizing as being soft on terror. But more to the point, Obama fired Flynn in 2014 and specifically implored Trump after he won the election to NOT hire Flynn.
What sort of imbecile would hire Flynn under these circumstances?
4
Definitely the latter.
1
As Mr. Baker points out, four plus months have passed since the original ban was initiated. This is the amount of time the Administration requested to study the issues and enunciate their thinking about effective terrorism risk mitigation strategies. However, there has been no discourse from the Administration advancing a fulsome understanding of either. Without doing what it said it would do, one must pause to question the intent of the ban in the first place.
185
Amen!! No need to comment on this article; you have stated my thoughts more eloquently than I could have.
As John Kerry said the other day, it's like OJ pledging that he's determined to find his wife's real killer.
3
Thank you for seeing straight through the "murk" of this situation! I'm sure you're right that no "studies of the issues" have been done.
"...Ms. Conway went on NBC’s “Today” show and chastised the news media for focusing too much on the president’s Twitter feed, calling it an “obsession with covering everything he says on Twitter and very little of what he does as president.”"
But what Trump says on Twitter is still what he does as president! When he sends tweets mocking a foreign leader, he is doing so as a sitting president. When he writes of "a ban" on Twitter, he does that as a sitting president, too. He should be given no passes for his online expressions, not by us and not by the courts.
But what Trump says on Twitter is still what he does as president! When he sends tweets mocking a foreign leader, he is doing so as a sitting president. When he writes of "a ban" on Twitter, he does that as a sitting president, too. He should be given no passes for his online expressions, not by us and not by the courts.
476
No, when he tweets, he puts on a funny looking hat and pronouces some magic words which suspend his powers as president.
1
Kellyanne Conway chastised news media for an “obsession with covering everything [Trump] says on Twitter and very little of what he does as president.”
Well, make up your mind, Kellyanne!
You told us to judge Trump based on what “he's telling you what was in his heart”. Now you say we _shouldn't_ focus what he says!
Well, make up your mind, Kellyanne!
You told us to judge Trump based on what “he's telling you what was in his heart”. Now you say we _shouldn't_ focus what he says!
4
What does she say about her own husband's tweet criticizing her boss?
5
The president does not seem to understand how his own government works. The Supreme Court is being asked to review constitutionality of the revised ban. The Court will not in the context of that case reinstate the original ban, as that question is not before them and not within their power. Furthermore, it was Trump who signed the revised EO. The Justice Department doesn't issue an EO, although its Office Legal Counsel vets proposed EO's for legality and formal correctness. The Justice Department may have contributed to revising the original ban in order to meet objections raised by the courts, but signing it was Trump's decision. Of course, since he doesn't read what is put before him before signing it, he will claim it was not his decision. But in law you are generally bound by what you sign if you were given the opportunity to read it before signing -- and sometimes even if you were not....
231
Not only does Trump fail to read what's put before him, sometimes he even forgets to sign the thing. He left two orders on the lectern on March 31 when he left the room where reporters had gathered to watch him wield his magic pen.
5
That is way TOO complicated for him!!
3
Even if he were to read an EO before signing, he obviously would be incapable o comprehending it.
2
Did I read this article correctly?
The president undercut himself with recent tweets that argue for a more prescriptive and proscriptive travel ban?
Kellyanne Conway then undercut the president by telling the American press and people to ignore the president’s tweets?
George Conway, the president’s most recent nominee for assistant attorney general for the civil division and husband to/of Kellyanne, admonished and undercut the president with his own tweets?
(I can’t’ believe I’m writing tweet so many times.)
While it is embarrassing and terrifying that this administration cannot process and disseminate information in a rational manner, I pray the dysfunction continues.
The president undercut himself with recent tweets that argue for a more prescriptive and proscriptive travel ban?
Kellyanne Conway then undercut the president by telling the American press and people to ignore the president’s tweets?
George Conway, the president’s most recent nominee for assistant attorney general for the civil division and husband to/of Kellyanne, admonished and undercut the president with his own tweets?
(I can’t’ believe I’m writing tweet so many times.)
While it is embarrassing and terrifying that this administration cannot process and disseminate information in a rational manner, I pray the dysfunction continues.
511
Is there enough rational thinking among voters to recognize a car full of clowns without the funny costumes?
5
What is more embarrassing and terrifying is that our country is being governed via tweets. Nonsensical, rantings of an aggrieved teenager hiding out inside the body of a 70 year old man.
I am really tired of this country being run by 70 year old white men. US citizens start voting people of color and women into office!
I am really tired of this country being run by 70 year old white men. US citizens start voting people of color and women into office!
4
I'm right there with you, praying and laughing and/or crying.
2
I think we're extreme vetting the wrong people. Maybe we need to do a better job vetting our presidential candidates, senate and house candidates. They've done more damage to us than any terrorist could do.
207
I like your joke so much I think I will use it myself...
4
Amen!
6
Best Comment Ever!!
1
"Ms. Conway went on NBC’s “Today” show and chastised the news media for focusing too much on the president’s Twitter feed, calling it an “obsession with covering everything he says on Twitter and very little of what he does as president.”"
Can't have it both ways, Ms. Conway. If your boss spends his early mornings veering off-message in ways that damage his own ability to carry out his agenda, that's news.
Or do you think Twitter is a just a private conversation? Hope not, because TrumpTweets are part of the official documented record of the 45th presidency.
Can't have it both ways, Ms. Conway. If your boss spends his early mornings veering off-message in ways that damage his own ability to carry out his agenda, that's news.
Or do you think Twitter is a just a private conversation? Hope not, because TrumpTweets are part of the official documented record of the 45th presidency.
399
Honestly it surprises me as the advisers of the current president act less as spokesman and officials and more like a clean up crew for whatever the president says in the past week. I do find it funny the sight of a mocked up Trump treating his twitter as a secure server compared to the one the secret service provides.
5
Ahh, just when I thought the expert on alternate facts was tucked away where she can no longer embarrass herself, she surfaces again with more Trumpland fairy tales.
We or the media are not distracted or so focused about what the twit in chief, it is usually either our daily amusement, or reason for concern, and as far as seeing the "president's" real accomplishments, all we see is Trump stumbling from one embarrassing fiasco to another. You're doing a heckuva job, Donny.
We or the media are not distracted or so focused about what the twit in chief, it is usually either our daily amusement, or reason for concern, and as far as seeing the "president's" real accomplishments, all we see is Trump stumbling from one embarrassing fiasco to another. You're doing a heckuva job, Donny.
1
Which president signed the travel ban that Trump is now railing against?
8
“much tougher” British gun control works very well.
It likely reduced the number of deaths from dozens to seven over the weekend in London.
Meanwhile, 85 Americans die EACH day from the bullet of a gun on American soil.
Let's get “much tougher” on daily American gun terrorism, President Trumpery, or don't you care about the 85 Americans who died yesterday, who are dying today and who will die tomorrow from guns ?
Sad and Sadistic.
It likely reduced the number of deaths from dozens to seven over the weekend in London.
Meanwhile, 85 Americans die EACH day from the bullet of a gun on American soil.
Let's get “much tougher” on daily American gun terrorism, President Trumpery, or don't you care about the 85 Americans who died yesterday, who are dying today and who will die tomorrow from guns ?
Sad and Sadistic.
206
And today in Orlando, a American terrorist took the lives of 5 innocent countrymen the old-fashioned way. So run that "gun-control" tweet by me again, please?
2
If anyone is old enough they'll remember this, sung by Mordred in "Camelot". Donald Trump and his merry band of thieves have none.
Album: Camelot
The seven deadly virtues
Those nasty little traps
Oh, no, my liege,
They were not meant for me
The seven deadly virtues
Were made for other chaps
Who love a life of failure and ennui
Take courage
Now there's a sport
An invitation to the state of rigor mort
And purity, a noble yen
And very restful every now and then
I find humility means to be hurt
It's not the earth the meek inherit,
It's the dirt
Honestly is fatal, it should be taboo
Diligence a fate I would hate
If charity means giving, I give it to you
And fidelity is only for your mate
You'll never find a virtue
Un statusing my quo
Or making my beelzebubble burst
Let others take the high road
I will take the low
I cannot wait to rush in
Where angels fear to go
With all those seven deadly virtues
Free and happy little me has not..been...cursed!
Album: Camelot
The seven deadly virtues
Those nasty little traps
Oh, no, my liege,
They were not meant for me
The seven deadly virtues
Were made for other chaps
Who love a life of failure and ennui
Take courage
Now there's a sport
An invitation to the state of rigor mort
And purity, a noble yen
And very restful every now and then
I find humility means to be hurt
It's not the earth the meek inherit,
It's the dirt
Honestly is fatal, it should be taboo
Diligence a fate I would hate
If charity means giving, I give it to you
And fidelity is only for your mate
You'll never find a virtue
Un statusing my quo
Or making my beelzebubble burst
Let others take the high road
I will take the low
I cannot wait to rush in
Where angels fear to go
With all those seven deadly virtues
Free and happy little me has not..been...cursed!
6
When, oh when, will this country come to terms with the obvious truth that our President is insane?
359
And I would just love to see the reaction of the diehard trump supporters when it is finally revealed that the man is as mad as a Hatter and that they have been following and vigorously applauding the insane tweetings of a lunatic?
3
Yeah, why do people keep analyzing him and trying to figure him out. He's just so obviously psychologically and emotionally disturbed. I suppose its disbelief but isn't it time to do something about it!!!!
2
When? After Republicans give the rich a fat tax cut, destroy Medicare and Social Security, take away unemployment, get rid of labor unions, and generally leave the rest of us miserable, divided, disposable, and grateful for whatever scraps we can scramble for - that is, if global warming doesn't kill us first. As long as he lets them further their greedy agenda, there's nothing they won't give Trump a pass on.
1
Good. POTUS tweets count even more in cementing the connection between DJT and the anti-Muslim intent of the executive orders. Tweet away, Donald!
31
Trump's continued deprecation of the other two branches of government and particularly of the judiciary show both his ignorance of American governing principles and his lust for unbridled power. Pathetic and scary. The support by the Republican congress for this ignorant man will go down in history as a base betrayal of American values.
Donald Trump is very quickly destroying American credibility around the world.
Donald Trump is very quickly destroying American credibility around the world.
175
why say Trump "mischaracterized" Mayor of London statement. The texchange shows clearly reveals deliberate distortion. Really!
Imagine a foreign leader doing that to George W Bush right after 9/11 Or to Mayor of New Orleans right after Katrina.
This news report uncomfortably softens Trumps' indecent response!
Imagine a foreign leader doing that to George W Bush right after 9/11 Or to Mayor of New Orleans right after Katrina.
This news report uncomfortably softens Trumps' indecent response!
113
And what about the Saudis??? I guess that bans don't apply to high- commission paying customers. Right, Donald???
89
No, since they totally hosed him with all the pomp and ceremony. Trump thinks they were paying homage to him, when, in reality, it was a major fleecing.
3
I am not sure what is trying to be accomplished with different tags such as "Muslim Ban", "Travel Ban", etc. If it is National Security that is being considered with this Ban, I wonder why Pakistan is not on the list. That is the ONE country for terror breeding and that's where we caught the so called 9/11 mastermind and killed Bin Laden there where he was being sheltered. Does anyone think that the Pakistan government or their intelligence agencies did not know that Bin Laden was in the compound where he was killed? Wonder why? Let me say it is of a nonsensical strategic advantage to the US to protect a country that is a breeding ground for all terrorism across the globe. That is their economy - believe it or not. As a failed state, that's all they can do -- stir up terrorism and get funds to find their own terrorist that they protect and eventually after a lot of funds to the highest level people in Pakistan, we will get one or two and the game starts all over again.
8
Is it not a fact that a majority of the 9/11 terrorist attackers were from Saudi Arabia? How come that country isn't on the banned list? Count up all the Americans killed or injured within US borders by terrorists in this century. Most of them were harmed/killed by Saudis.
7
I wish people would admit that it's not people from a specific place or of a specific lineage that can rationally be blamed for these types of atrocities. It's a belief system that anyone from anywhere could fall victim to. Most of the time, the perps are home grown after all. To prevent these sorts of horrors, we can't just treat perceived associations and symptoms. To be effective, the battle must be waged in hearts and minds. It's a war of ideas that physical interventions can't effectively combat. Their minds must be changed. Since such things can't be forced, we must make them want to choose to be peaceful and feel compassion.
229
On the other side of the coin , the same goes for our homegrown , referring to what happened on that train last week , how many people would he have killed if he'd had a gun too . It is the radicalization that needs to be addressed and how do you do that ? How can you change someone's way of thinking , deprogramming all that hate?
3
Trump's heart and mind needs to be changes. Don't hold your breath.
2
To Kate,
It most certainly is a "war of ideas", and the perps are often homegrown - including the guy in Portland who killed innocent people on that commuter train when they intervened in response to his racist tirade.
Bottom line, the common "belief system" underlying all these events is hatred. And when hatred is stoked from the top down, as it is in many places including the US, prevention becomes tougher still.
It most certainly is a "war of ideas", and the perps are often homegrown - including the guy in Portland who killed innocent people on that commuter train when they intervened in response to his racist tirade.
Bottom line, the common "belief system" underlying all these events is hatred. And when hatred is stoked from the top down, as it is in many places including the US, prevention becomes tougher still.
1
He's trying so hard to get out of this job he took by mistake, won't someone with some sense please accept his resignation ? Before he does anymore damage ? And please be sure that he takes his entire clown car of swamp-mates with him, thanks...
289
Thursdays Comey show may help you wish to come true.
1
ƚЯumꟼuƚin
As the most recent terrorism events have taken place in Britain and France with citizens holding domestic passports, is President Trump prepared to add those countries to his list? Reductio ad absurdum
69
Finger prints of Steve Babbob appear all over this
6
The president's apparently willful misreading of Mr Khan's message is dismaying for many reasons. But to British readers it suggests a failure to understand the way these things are thought of here. The WW2 injunction (never in fact used) to 'Keep calm and carry on' may have become a joke, but it does carry weight and does reflect a valuable element of the public's approach, and the mayor's message was of course about not being alarmed by the presence of armed officers protecting Londoners. To divert attention to the US debates on gun control was insensitive to an extraordinary degree.
50
I don't know how anyone could misread Mr. Khan's message the way Trump has. The divergence from reality is so obvious that Trump can't have meant it to fool anyone. I tend to think these tweets are the product of dementia.
7
We apologize, profusely. This man does not represent the majority of us.
8
Mrs. Conway fails to acknowledge- Twitter is the primary means by which Mr. Trump communicates; what else are we to rely on?
100
Why does anyone listen to what Kellyann has to say ? She has totally discredited herself , I just wonder how she can sleep at night, and as for him , probably that's why he's up late at night twittering his special brand of poison , too full of it to sleep.
12
Watching "Morning Joe" today, Trump reflex tweets to the discussion beat all land speed records - not that we needed even more evidence of what thin-skinned, unpresidential pettiness personified looks like.
29
The fact that his FIRST tweet was a retweet of the fake news cite drudge, which itself was citing the even more ridiculous info wars kind of says it all.
Who's running this place?
13
The inmates of the asylum!
4
This temporary ban was to allow for setting up "extreme vetting" is there any indication that the process is set up.? The time frame for the original ban would be up. Apparently it was oversold and dishonest from day one.
71
And then there's the 30-day ISIS plan. They were going to be wiped off the face of the earth by now ?
6
Part of me takes joy seeing Trump defeat himself on this silly issue; part of me is sad because, in defeating himself, he is defeating our whole country. He should not be where he is. He should be firing people on reality television.
67
Perhaps Trump's doubling down on "travel ban" is a sign that he's mentally unbalanced.
28
He's too stupid to understand that this is precisely why the courts struck it down. Or just wants it to fail so he can whine about it to his base.
23
His ego knows no bounds.
4
Can't wait to hear about all the productive changes the administration has made in the vetting process. Surely now that the 120 days of the original order have passed, the Trump administration with all its management genius and business-like efficiency has had time to deal effectively with the issue, rendering the executive order and Supreme Court appeal moot, right? Right??
334
Conducting a review of the vetting process, without first securing a ban, would only undermine the case for a ban. Whether one thinks a ban is necessary or not—or whether one thinks the president is misguided, prejudiced, or outright crazy or not—has nothing to do with the case at hand. The law gives the president the authority to ban any class of immigrants when he or she deems it necessary for national security. Yes, there is another law, a later law, that enlarged the scope of immigration beyond the former general policy that favored immigrants from European nations; but it's pretty clear that law speaks to general policy, not national security.
The president's proposed ban should be upheld by the court, and any talk of what is "in his heart" is simply a lot of nonsense. A temporary ban for the purpose of national security, while the vetting process is reviewed, is within the scope of presidential authority.
Vote a different president into office next time, if you don't like it.
The president's proposed ban should be upheld by the court, and any talk of what is "in his heart" is simply a lot of nonsense. A temporary ban for the purpose of national security, while the vetting process is reviewed, is within the scope of presidential authority.
Vote a different president into office next time, if you don't like it.
a majority of us did.
@Mario
There is nothing in that law that has a national security exception and therefore the rule that a later law supersedes a prior one pertains.
The talk is about intent and when dealing with discrimination claims, religious or otherwise, it is directly relevant. Further, the national security case hasn't been made either as a draft DHS report indicates.
https://www.apnews.com/39f1f8e4ceed4a30a4570f693291c866
There is nothing in that law that has a national security exception and therefore the rule that a later law supersedes a prior one pertains.
The talk is about intent and when dealing with discrimination claims, religious or otherwise, it is directly relevant. Further, the national security case hasn't been made either as a draft DHS report indicates.
https://www.apnews.com/39f1f8e4ceed4a30a4570f693291c866
2
It will be interesting to see how the U.S. Supreme Court weighs President Trump's words rather than Candidate Trump's.
77
Mr. Trump continues to outdo his own past idiocies and intolerance, but I increasingly suspect that his striking of an evermore mendacious tone is when he is happiest, just one more installment of a conflict-ridden reality show that scores him "unbelievable" ratings.
107
Instead of a travel ban, how about a gun ban! As we have seen, one person with a gun can do a lot more damage than, say, someone with a knife or even a vehicle used as a weapon.
199
Well put. Thank you.
2
Speaking for many gun owners, I wonder if you might have better use of your time than to plead false cause for a non-issue when there's a certifiable maniac in the white house. Rational people can discuss this issue after the irrational is removed from power. First things first, eh? Even though Trump is allegedly a 2A supporter, I've no doubt he'd turn on that or any other constituency if and when he felt it serves his purposes. He doesn't seem to be able to help himself from undercutting everyone, including his closest advisors and family. In fact he seems to have a compulsion for it. Don't you think it would be better for us to argue our positions after the main threat is taken care of? Cars and knives seem to be pretty effective at death and destruction to me.
Stupid is as Stupid tweets
361