Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
...By the time that mid-terms are over, the people will have spoken. The House and Senate will be again in Dem hands. Trump will be on trial for high crimes against the Constitution. And no one will be able to shield him this time. Anyone complicit (his entire cabinet?) will testify against him to save their own thin hides. Macho man El Trumpo will probably show up to trial in a wheelchair, like an aging mafioso, with a shawl. He will plead non compos mentis. His family shamed and shunned.
I wish I could convince myself that it will all go down just that way. What would make it so much better would be if the Orange Doink gets put into a CAGE.
But TX and MO and some other States, in the hands of anti-democractic Repugnant fake-leadership, are already doing what can be done to sabotage any free and fair elections--- while at the same time prevaricating about it all, since STATES are in charge of elections. ("So, if TX wants to do X in the MIDDLE of the 10-year census cycle, why NOT?")
When people in power no longer behave in good faith, the constitutional system is doomed: just look at the fact that the Orange Sludge-Pile was impeached twice, and acquitted twice.
I certainly respect people's doubts. And my opinions are not meant to convince anyone.
Meanwhile, let's look at what FCC Chairman Carr is quoted as actually saying:
“I do think that again, we are in the midst of a massive shift in dynamics in the media ecosystem for lots of reasons, again, including the permission structure that President Trump’s election has provided,” the FCC chief said.
This statement is indicative of this administrations intent. And speaks directly to this administrations disregard for The Separation of Powers, another primary Constitutional directive. Top Federal courts will take a dim view of this blatant attempt to usurp their authority. It comes straight from a POTUS appointee, and directly references that his orders came from the top. And it says that this POTUS believes he has the power to give "permission" to what comedians (or anyone) can say over the public airwaves. As if they own the airwaves, and not the taxpaying public.
These people should have paid more attention to the warning that "your words will be used against you".
The court will also take issue with this statement, “They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest,” Carr said. Here, they assert that they are the deciders of what constitutes public interest. Also, not in the Executive branches purview. Additionally, multiple prior SCOTUS precedents say that they are not to exercise "prior restraint". Very, very clearly!
In 2023 Carr posted on X that “censorship is the authoritarian’s dream". Even he knows that what they are doing is Constitutionally wrong. And is characterizing it as "censorship" and "authoritarianism".
Worst case scenario, Kimmel spoke loosely, making his words open to interpretation, assuming that the listener lives under a rock. And he would likely have issued a correction at the first opportunity. But, was never given that opportunity. Instead Brendan Carr, went on a conservative podcast and threatened Disney, which owns ABC, saying, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
Meanwhile, many mouthpieces, with big audiences, on the right continues to characterize the shooter as leftist, when he is registered as "unaffiliated". And his crime appears to be motivated by hate, not politics.
I have to consider that the shooter was in a romantic relationship with his "trans" roommate. That would apparently indicate left-leaning political sympathies. In any case, no one deserves to be assassinated. That won't stop me from wishing and hoping that some particular deaths happen sooner instead of later.
"I have to consider that the shooter was in a romantic relationship with his "trans" roommate. That would apparently indicate left-leaning political sympathies."
An interesting concept. It had never occurred to me that sexual preferences were influenced by political preferences. This would seem to suggest that no one on the right would consider any sexual aspect other than "straight".
Well, I guess that would agree with the stuff that we are being told by the current Federal administration.
@Old_Joe. @larryB. no judgments there, just seems to fit. I do know conservative gays. Bessent is gay. And gay is not trans. But I don't bet a MAGA-type male would be just fine romancing a would-be woman. Just seems to me. So, where were we....? https://logcabin.org/
@crash. Last week you pondered if a financial talker might be “trans”. Are you assuming her politics are “left leaning “ too? Seems to be on your mind. Folks who focus on trans” apparently indicate “ right leaning political sympathies.
Look- does anyone really think that "trans", "gay" or any of the ever-multiplying permutations of sexual identity are anything new? That all of this just happened in the last ten years?
Let's get real. All of this stuff has been with us since the beginning of the human race, and I have no problem understanding and recognizing that. Obviously these various sexual inclinations and variations have managed to survive for thousands of years without becoming day-after-day screaming headlines about "discrimination" and "entitlement".
What I definitely do not appreciate is that the "woke" left has been shouting at me and trying to stuff down my throat that all of these sexual variations are somehow "special" and somehow entitled to influence and steer the fortunes of the Democratic party, and be entitled to some sort of special treatment in the general societal order. And yes, I do blame this far-left crap for stimulating much of the far-right reaction which has helped to land the Democratic party where we are today.
So just shut up, get along, and do whatever you need to do medically to make the best of the situation. I don't need constant parades with flags celebrating sixteen varieties of sexual preference. Just do what you what you want to and need to, and do it reasonably quietly.
And yes, I will vote for Pete Buttigieg if I'm given a chance to.
Since everyone is taxed by governments, governments should afford equal rights, opportunities, representation, voting rights, etc. to everyone. Sex, race, orientation, religion etc. have nothing to do with the "who" pays taxes and should have nothing to do with "who" has access to government services that spend those taxes. Arrest and prosecution, likewise, should be benign to factors classifying the accused.
Not a good week for the country, democracy or for Trump's border Czar Tom Homan, either.
The cat is out of the bag that he accepted a $50K bag of cash in exchange for favors from Trump to "business executives" in an FBI sting operation. The prosecution was shut down by Trump's DOJ. An indefensible act of corruption on the part of Trump, Homan and Bondi, among others.
These buffoons keep stepping in it.
From now on, wherever Homan makes a purchase, he should be asked, "Will you be paying in cash?"
"... I don't need constant parades with flags celebrating sixteen varieties of sexual preference. ...
To me, parades are like TV shows, radio shows, hip-hop concerts or pickleball. As long as I can choose not to attend, watch or participate, I couldn't care less. And most simply bore me.
Not a good week for the country, democracy or for Trump's border Czar Tom Homan, either.
The cat is out of the bag that he accepted a $50K bag of cash in exchange for favors from Trump to "business executives" in an FBI sting operation. The prosecution was shut down by Trump's DOJ. An indefensible act of corruption on the part of Trump, Homan and Bondi, among others.
These buffoons keep stepping in it.
From now on, wherever Homan makes a purchase, he should be asked, "Will you be paying in cash?"
I did not see that reported. Thanks for the news. Where did you get the information? Agreed, they are all criminal scum. The Orange regime is a criminal tong. EDIT TO ADD: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/20/tom-homan-undercover-fbi-agents "...Four sources familiar with the matter told MSNBC that multiple federal officials believed they had a solid criminal case against Homan for conspiracy to commit bribery. However, since Homan was not a public official at the time he accepted the money and Trump had not yet become president, his actions did not meet the criteria for a standard bribery charge.
Officials eventually decided to continue monitoring Homan once he joined Trump’s second presidential administration. MSNBC reports that officials had been looking at four potential criminal charges including conspiracy, bribery and two kinds of fraud, before Trump’s new justice department shut down the investigation..."
"Economists observe that heavy truck sales often begin falling ahead of recessions. For example, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis data [1] shows noticeable declines in truck sales in the lead-up to past recessions, including during the 2008 crisis."
Ya, tricked-out, expensive heavy trucks. Anytime I see a commercial, with the automatic false presentation of the actual cost--- I marvel that anyone would purchase one. Those things are advertised now featuring SIX year loans, or else a (bit) cheaper LEASE price is highlighted and boldfaced, to entice would-be buyers. I see that stuff even here. NOBODY on Oahu needs that supercharged Noise Machine crap.
I'm pretty certain that they are talking commercial trucks, the one's that actually delivery stuff. But yeah on the use of huge trucks for personal transport.
The wife has a compact SUV, perfect for her as she has a penchant for hitting curbs. My choice is AWD performance sedans. I did own a few SUVs, but not really a fan of lumbering vehicles.
Family SUVs are getting lower and lower, and are mainly unibody now. They are more akin to station wagons than trucks at this point.
\\ In New York City [yesterday] morning, the United Nations opened its General Assembly, marking the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations itself. The day began with a General Debate, the meeting in which heads of state and government outline their positions and priorities in an era of changing and complex global challenges.
Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres opened the debate, reminding the audience that leaders who had lived through the horrors of World War II had created the organization to prevent another such conflagration by establishing “cooperation over chaos, law over lawlessness, peace over conflict.” It was, he said, “a practical strategy for the survival of humanity.”
“Eighty years on,” he said, “we confront again the question our founders faced—only more urgent, more intertwined, more unforgiving: What kind of world do we choose to build together?”
He warned: that “we have entered an age of reckless disruption,” when “the principles of the United Nations…are under siege.” Will we choose “a world of raw power—or a world of laws? A world that is a scramble for self-interest—or a world where nations come together? A world where might makes right—or a world of rights for all?”
Guterres urged member states to choose “peace rooted in international law,” “human dignity and human rights,” “climate justice,” “to put technology at the service of humanity,” and “to strengthen the United Nations for the 21st century.”
Guterres recalled that his youth in Portugal was spent “in the darkness of dictatorship, where fear silenced voices and hope was nearly crushed. Yet, even in the bleakest hours—especially then—I discovered a truth that has never left me: power does not reside in the hands of those who dominate or divide. Real power resides from people, from our shared resolve to uphold dignity, to defend equality, to believe—fiercely—in our common humanity, and the potential of every human being.
“I learned early to persevere. To speak out. To refuse to surrender, no matter the challenge, no matter the obstacle, no matter the hour. We must—and we will—overcome.”
President Donald J. Trump also addressed the gathered world leaders, guests of the United States.
He began by complaining that the teleprompter wasn’t working, and also mentioned that an escalator on which he and First Lady Melania Trump had been riding had stopped shortly after they stepped onto it.
Trump’s speech went on to depict a fantasy world in which he had single-handedly saved the world. He claimed to have forged peace on two continents during his first term but said that “era of calm and stability gave way to one of the great crises of our time.” He then turned to the United States, claiming that “four years of weakness, lawlessness, and radicalism under the last administration delivered our nation into a repeated set of disasters. One year ago,” he said, “our country was in deep trouble, but today, just eight months into my administration, we are the hottest country anywhere in the world and there is no other country even close. America is blessed with the strongest economy, the strongest borders, the strongest military, the strongest friendships, and the strongest spirit of any nation on the face of the earth.”
And that was the frame for the next hour of rambling boasts and insults.
Trump claimed that he had reversed the “economic calamity” left by former president Joe Biden. He had brought down costs and inflation, he said, and economic growth and manufacturing were both booming. He claimed that in his four years, Biden had attracted less than $1 trillion in investment while he had secured $17 trillion. Tax cuts and deregulation had, he said, made the U.S. “the best country on earth to do business.”
“In my first term, I built the greatest economy in the history of the world,” he said. “We had the best economy ever, history of the world, and I’m doing the same thing again, but this time it’s actually much bigger and even better. The numbers far surpass my record-setting first term.”
Trump claimed: “On the world stage, America is respected again like it has never been respected before. You think about two years ago, three years ago, four years ago, or one year ago, we were a laughingstock all over the world.
He claimed that his administration “has negotiated one historic trade deal after another” and that “in a period of just seven months, I have ended seven unendable wars. They said they were unendable. You’re never going to get them solved…. No president or prime minister, and for that matter, no other country, has ever done anything close to that, and I did it in just seven months. It’s never happened before. There’s never been anything like that. Very honored to have done it.”
He went on: “It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them. And sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them. I ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of each and every one of these countries, and never even received a phone call from the United Nations offering to help in finalizing the deal. All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in the middle. If the First Lady wasn’t in great shape, she would’ve fallen. But she’s in great shape. We’re both in good shape, we both stood.”
He then turned back to the United Nations. “That being the case, what is the purpose of the United Nations? The U.N. is such tremendous potential. I’ve always said it. It has such tremendous, tremendous potential, but it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential.”
He claimed that “[e]veryone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize,” and after detouring into a complaint that the United Nations had not chosen him to renovate the U.N. complex years ago, he attacked the U.N. for “not solving the problems it should,” as well as “creating new problems for us to solve.”
Then he turned to the white nationalist program of his administration. He blamed “uncontrolled migration” for ruining “your countries,” and blamed the United Nations for funding that migration. “In the United States, we reject the idea that mass numbers of people from foreign lands can be permitted to travel halfway around the world, trample our borders, violate our sovereignty, cause unmitigated crime, and deplete our social safety net,” he said. “You’re destroying your countries. They’re being destroyed. Europe is in serious trouble. They’ve been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody’s ever seen before. Illegal aliens are pouring into Europe, and nobody’s doing anything to change it, to get them out. It’s not sustainable.”
He claimed that London has “a terrible, terrible mayor”—Mayor Sadiq Khan is Muslim and is of Pakistani descent—that it is “so changed, so changed,” and that “they” want “Sharia law.” He went on at great length about how immigration is destroying Europe and how dangerous and criminal immigrants are. He told the attendees: “I’m really good at this stuff. Your countries are going to hell.”
Then he turned to another of his priorities: fossil fuels. “Energy is another area where the United States is now thriving like never before,” he said. “We’re getting rid of the falsely named renewables.” After another long harangue about renewable energy, he said: “If you don’t get away from this green scam, your country is going to fail. And I’m really good at predicting things. They actually said during the campaign, they had a hat, the best-selling hat: Trump was right about everything. And I don’t say that in a braggadocious way, but it’s true. I’ve been right about everything.”
The speech was a dark fantasy of narcissism and Christian nationalism that struck at the heart of the very concept of the United Nations. In its wake, some journalists demolished Trump’s wild claims, while others bemoaned his destruction of diplomacy by berating our friends and allies while they were guests in our country. But it was foreign affairs journalist Ishaan Tharoor who captured the larger story of Trump’s speech.
“A senior foreign diplomat posted at the U.N. texts me,” Tharoor wrote, “‘This man is stark, raving mad. Do Americans not see how embarrassing this is?’”
Trump loyalists turned tonight to the idea that someone had sabotaged the president by stopping the escalator and the teleprompter. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Channel personality Jesse Watters that it looked like sabotage and she would personally see to it that there would be accountability, and Trump loyalist senator Mike Lee (R-UT) called for defunding the U.N. for “orchestrating escalator and teleprompter malfunctions.”
The United Nations correspondent for the Associated Press, Farnoush Amiri, reported that “[a] UN official said the UN understands that someone from the president’s party who ran ahead of him inadvertently triggered the stop mechanism on the escalator. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House was operating the teleprompter for Trump.”
So, the buffoon's buffoon squad screwed up the escalator and teleprompter. And Trump sought to blame anyone but his own people.
To paraphrase: Yes, his circus. Yes, his monkeys!
This defines this administration perfectly. Thanks @davidrmoran
In terms of "another good week" - this is one. Trump absolutely failed to achieve his objective with Jimmy Kimmel. Jimmy is still employed/paid and on the air. 23 years and still going strong.
And Jimmy is not going to back down one bit. He is going to be a never-ending thorn in Trump's side. A big win for free speech. And the TV outlets that refuse to carry his show will lose viewers and ad revenue.
I like to assume that many or most here read Cox and Krugman every day. Free. Best of wrapups. I read a ton other and more, but could not live without those two. What a great time for smart hard thinking. Alas.
From Wednesday: HCR. I am 100% in sympathy. I just don't share her perspective (and Robt. Reich's) that because of all the heightened nutso junk out of the Orange regime, the tide has turned and a lot more people are being confronted by the reality that Orange Doink is clueless and a failure--- and losing his grip, utterly. I've sadly become convinced that there are just too many Americans living in a Fox "News" and MAGA bubble. And it's a deplorable state of affairs. I think her assertions make sense, but making sense is not a priority for at least about half the the U.S. public.
Look no further than BS 1000 as a prime example. Orange has a grip on approx. 35% to 40% who drink the MAGA kool-aid. That group is almost cult like - doesn't matter what Orange does, its all great in their eyes.
In terms of "another good week" - this is one. Trump absolutely failed to achieve his objective with Jimmy Kimmel. Jimmy is still employed/paid and on the air. 23 years and still going strong.
The usual lie from the crazy libs. Trump and the FCC didn't bench him. His bosses did it because he lied the first time and then the second time with his fake apology. The shooter did it because he was indoctrinated by the left. Tyler Robinson's mother recognized that her son was growing more politically active and more radical ahead of the attack.
If Trump and the FCC were dictators, why did Kimmel's bosses reinstate him? Kimmel has been going weak over the years. Just like Colbert will be off the air, Kimmel will follow. It's a business decision.
What about eggs, high inflation, and dictatorship? When you can't win on substance, Dems follow their extremists...Mamdani, AOC, Bernie, Pocahontas, and others on this (link)
Comments
I wish I could convince myself that it will all go down just that way. What would make it so much better would be if the Orange Doink gets put into a CAGE.
But TX and MO and some other States, in the hands of anti-democractic Repugnant fake-leadership, are already doing what can be done to sabotage any free and fair elections--- while at the same time prevaricating about it all, since STATES are in charge of elections. ("So, if TX wants to do X in the MIDDLE of the 10-year census cycle, why NOT?")
When people in power no longer behave in good faith, the constitutional system is doomed: just look at the fact that the Orange Sludge-Pile was impeached twice, and acquitted twice.
Meanwhile, let's look at what FCC Chairman Carr is quoted as actually saying:
“I do think that again, we are in the midst of a massive shift in dynamics in the media ecosystem for lots of reasons, again, including the permission structure that President Trump’s election has provided,” the FCC chief said.
This statement is indicative of this administrations intent. And speaks directly to this administrations disregard for The Separation of Powers, another primary Constitutional directive. Top Federal courts will take a dim view of this blatant attempt to usurp their authority. It comes straight from a POTUS appointee, and directly references that his orders came from the top. And it says that this POTUS believes he has the power to give "permission" to what comedians (or anyone) can say over the public airwaves. As if they own the airwaves, and not the taxpaying public.
These people should have paid more attention to the warning that "your words will be used against you".
The court will also take issue with this statement, “They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest,” Carr said. Here, they assert that they are the deciders of what constitutes public interest. Also, not in the Executive branches purview. Additionally, multiple prior SCOTUS precedents say that they are not to exercise "prior restraint". Very, very clearly!
In 2023 Carr posted on X that “censorship is the authoritarian’s dream". Even he knows that what they are doing is Constitutionally wrong. And is characterizing it as "censorship" and "authoritarianism".
Worst case scenario, Kimmel spoke loosely, making his words open to interpretation, assuming that the listener lives under a rock. And he would likely have issued a correction at the first opportunity. But, was never given that opportunity. Instead Brendan Carr, went on a conservative podcast and threatened Disney, which owns ABC, saying, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
Meanwhile, many mouthpieces, with big audiences, on the right continues to characterize the shooter as leftist, when he is registered as "unaffiliated". And his crime appears to be motivated by hate, not politics.
An interesting concept. It had never occurred to me that sexual preferences were influenced by political preferences. This would seem to suggest that no one on the right would consider any sexual aspect other than "straight".
Well, I guess that would agree with the stuff that we are being told by the current Federal administration.
https://logcabin.org/
Look- does anyone really think that "trans", "gay" or any of the ever-multiplying permutations of sexual identity are anything new? That all of this just happened in the last ten years?
Let's get real. All of this stuff has been with us since the beginning of the human race, and I have no problem understanding and recognizing that. Obviously these various sexual inclinations and variations have managed to survive for thousands of years without becoming day-after-day screaming headlines about "discrimination" and "entitlement".
What I definitely do not appreciate is that the "woke" left has been shouting at me and trying to stuff down my throat that all of these sexual variations are somehow "special" and somehow entitled to influence and steer the fortunes of the Democratic party, and be entitled to some sort of special treatment in the general societal order. And yes, I do blame this far-left crap for stimulating much of the far-right reaction which has helped to land the Democratic party where we are today.
So just shut up, get along, and do whatever you need to do medically to make the best of the situation. I don't need constant parades with flags celebrating sixteen varieties of sexual preference. Just do what you what you want to and need to, and do it reasonably quietly.
And yes, I will vote for Pete Buttigieg if I'm given a chance to.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.
The cat is out of the bag that he accepted a $50K bag of cash in exchange for favors from Trump to "business executives" in an FBI sting operation. The prosecution was shut down by Trump's DOJ. An indefensible act of corruption on the part of Trump, Homan and Bondi, among others.
These buffoons keep stepping in it.
From now on, wherever Homan makes a purchase, he should be asked, "Will you be paying in cash?"
EDIT TO ADD:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/20/tom-homan-undercover-fbi-agents
"...Four sources familiar with the matter told MSNBC that multiple federal officials believed they had a solid criminal case against Homan for conspiracy to commit bribery. However, since Homan was not a public official at the time he accepted the money and Trump had not yet become president, his actions did not meet the criteria for a standard bribery charge.
Officials eventually decided to continue monitoring Homan once he joined Trump’s second presidential administration. MSNBC reports that officials had been looking at four potential criminal charges including conspiracy, bribery and two kinds of fraud, before Trump’s new justice department shut down the investigation..."
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-heavy-truck-sales-plunged-210000668.html
"Economists observe that heavy truck sales often begin falling ahead of recessions. For example, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis data [1] shows noticeable declines in truck sales in the lead-up to past recessions, including during the 2008 crisis."
The wife has a compact SUV, perfect for her as she has a penchant for hitting curbs. My choice is AWD performance sedans. I did own a few SUVs, but not really a fan of lumbering vehicles.
Family SUVs are getting lower and lower, and are mainly unibody now. They are more akin to station wagons than trucks at this point.
@JD_co Good one!
\\
In New York City [yesterday] morning, the United Nations opened its General Assembly, marking the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations itself. The day began with a General Debate, the meeting in which heads of state and government outline their positions and priorities in an era of changing and complex global challenges.
Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres opened the debate, reminding the audience that leaders who had lived through the horrors of World War II had created the organization to prevent another such conflagration by establishing “cooperation over chaos, law over lawlessness, peace over conflict.” It was, he said, “a practical strategy for the survival of humanity.”
“Eighty years on,” he said, “we confront again the question our founders faced—only more urgent, more intertwined, more unforgiving: What kind of world do we choose to build together?”
He warned: that “we have entered an age of reckless disruption,” when “the principles of the United Nations…are under siege.” Will we choose “a world of raw power—or a world of laws? A world that is a scramble for self-interest—or a world where nations come together? A world where might makes right—or a world of rights for all?”
Guterres urged member states to choose “peace rooted in international law,” “human dignity and human rights,” “climate justice,” “to put technology at the service of humanity,” and “to strengthen the United Nations for the 21st century.”
Guterres recalled that his youth in Portugal was spent “in the darkness of dictatorship, where fear silenced voices and hope was nearly crushed. Yet, even in the bleakest hours—especially then—I discovered a truth that has never left me: power does not reside in the hands of those who dominate or divide. Real power resides from people, from our shared resolve to uphold dignity, to defend equality, to believe—fiercely—in our common humanity, and the potential of every human being.
“I learned early to persevere. To speak out. To refuse to surrender, no matter the challenge, no matter the obstacle, no matter the hour. We must—and we will—overcome.”
President Donald J. Trump also addressed the gathered world leaders, guests of the United States.
He began by complaining that the teleprompter wasn’t working, and also mentioned that an escalator on which he and First Lady Melania Trump had been riding had stopped shortly after they stepped onto it.
Trump’s speech went on to depict a fantasy world in which he had single-handedly saved the world. He claimed to have forged peace on two continents during his first term but said that “era of calm and stability gave way to one of the great crises of our time.” He then turned to the United States, claiming that “four years of weakness, lawlessness, and radicalism under the last administration delivered our nation into a repeated set of disasters. One year ago,” he said, “our country was in deep trouble, but today, just eight months into my administration, we are the hottest country anywhere in the world and there is no other country even close. America is blessed with the strongest economy, the strongest borders, the strongest military, the strongest friendships, and the strongest spirit of any nation on the face of the earth.”
And that was the frame for the next hour of rambling boasts and insults.
Trump claimed that he had reversed the “economic calamity” left by former president Joe Biden. He had brought down costs and inflation, he said, and economic growth and manufacturing were both booming. He claimed that in his four years, Biden had attracted less than $1 trillion in investment while he had secured $17 trillion. Tax cuts and deregulation had, he said, made the U.S. “the best country on earth to do business.”
“In my first term, I built the greatest economy in the history of the world,” he said. “We had the best economy ever, history of the world, and I’m doing the same thing again, but this time it’s actually much bigger and even better. The numbers far surpass my record-setting first term.”
Trump claimed: “On the world stage, America is respected again like it has never been respected before. You think about two years ago, three years ago, four years ago, or one year ago, we were a laughingstock all over the world.
He claimed that his administration “has negotiated one historic trade deal after another” and that “in a period of just seven months, I have ended seven unendable wars. They said they were unendable. You’re never going to get them solved…. No president or prime minister, and for that matter, no other country, has ever done anything close to that, and I did it in just seven months. It’s never happened before. There’s never been anything like that. Very honored to have done it.”
He went on: “It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them. And sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them. I ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of each and every one of these countries, and never even received a phone call from the United Nations offering to help in finalizing the deal. All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in the middle. If the First Lady wasn’t in great shape, she would’ve fallen. But she’s in great shape. We’re both in good shape, we both stood.”
He then turned back to the United Nations. “That being the case, what is the purpose of the United Nations? The U.N. is such tremendous potential. I’ve always said it. It has such tremendous, tremendous potential, but it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential.”
He claimed that “[e]veryone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize,” and after detouring into a complaint that the United Nations had not chosen him to renovate the U.N. complex years ago, he attacked the U.N. for “not solving the problems it should,” as well as “creating new problems for us to solve.”
Then he turned to the white nationalist program of his administration. He blamed “uncontrolled migration” for ruining “your countries,” and blamed the United Nations for funding that migration. “In the United States, we reject the idea that mass numbers of people from foreign lands can be permitted to travel halfway around the world, trample our borders, violate our sovereignty, cause unmitigated crime, and deplete our social safety net,” he said. “You’re destroying your countries. They’re being destroyed. Europe is in serious trouble. They’ve been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody’s ever seen before. Illegal aliens are pouring into Europe, and nobody’s doing anything to change it, to get them out. It’s not sustainable.”
He claimed that London has “a terrible, terrible mayor”—Mayor Sadiq Khan is Muslim and is of Pakistani descent—that it is “so changed, so changed,” and that “they” want “Sharia law.” He went on at great length about how immigration is destroying Europe and how dangerous and criminal immigrants are. He told the attendees: “I’m really good at this stuff. Your countries are going to hell.”
Then he turned to another of his priorities: fossil fuels. “Energy is another area where the United States is now thriving like never before,” he said. “We’re getting rid of the falsely named renewables.” After another long harangue about renewable energy, he said: “If you don’t get away from this green scam, your country is going to fail. And I’m really good at predicting things. They actually said during the campaign, they had a hat, the best-selling hat: Trump was right about everything. And I don’t say that in a braggadocious way, but it’s true. I’ve been right about everything.”
The speech was a dark fantasy of narcissism and Christian nationalism that struck at the heart of the very concept of the United Nations. In its wake, some journalists demolished Trump’s wild claims, while others bemoaned his destruction of diplomacy by berating our friends and allies while they were guests in our country. But it was foreign affairs journalist Ishaan Tharoor who captured the larger story of Trump’s speech.
“A senior foreign diplomat posted at the U.N. texts me,” Tharoor wrote, “‘This man is stark, raving mad. Do Americans not see how embarrassing this is?’”
Trump loyalists turned tonight to the idea that someone had sabotaged the president by stopping the escalator and the teleprompter. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Channel personality Jesse Watters that it looked like sabotage and she would personally see to it that there would be accountability, and Trump loyalist senator Mike Lee (R-UT) called for defunding the U.N. for “orchestrating escalator and teleprompter malfunctions.”
The United Nations correspondent for the Associated Press, Farnoush Amiri, reported that “[a] UN official said the UN understands that someone from the president’s party who ran ahead of him inadvertently triggered the stop mechanism on the escalator. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House was operating the teleprompter for Trump.”
To paraphrase: Yes, his circus. Yes, his monkeys!
This defines this administration perfectly. Thanks @davidrmoran
In terms of "another good week" - this is one. Trump absolutely failed to achieve his objective with Jimmy Kimmel. Jimmy is still employed/paid and on the air. 23 years and still going strong.
And Jimmy is not going to back down one bit. He is going to be a never-ending thorn in Trump's side. A big win for free speech. And the TV outlets that refuse to carry his show will lose viewers and ad revenue.
I certainly hope so, and bigly!
FWIW, David's post was yesterdays Letters From an American by Heather Cox Richardson.
I like to assume that many or most here read Cox and Krugman every day. Free. Best of wrapups. I read a ton other and more, but could not live without those two. What a great time for smart hard thinking. Alas.
Trump and the FCC didn't bench him. His bosses did it because he lied the first time and then the second time with his fake apology. The shooter did it because he was indoctrinated by the left. Tyler Robinson's mother recognized that her son was growing more politically active and more radical ahead of the attack.
If Trump and the FCC were dictators, why did Kimmel's bosses reinstate him?
Kimmel has been going weak over the years.
Just like Colbert will be off the air, Kimmel will follow. It's a business decision.
What about eggs, high inflation, and dictatorship?
When you can't win on substance, Dems follow their extremists...Mamdani, AOC, Bernie, Pocahontas, and others on this (link)