The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.
© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018.Trump threatens to close Mexico border; blames Democrats over shutdown
By David Morgan and James Oliphant WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
105 Comments
Login to comment
Toasted Heretic
The Trump temper tantrums continue. How much more will voters endure?
Still, the Grinch is having a rotten holiday, so that's a small consolation.
serendipitous1
As a Republican senator mentioned the other day, Trump has only 4 different modes, not 3 or 5, but 4.
Deny 2. Attack. 3. Play the victim card. 4. Deflect/Change the subject.Trump won't get his stupid wall. How long can the US put up with the damage he's doing?
jcapan
Way back on Dec. 21st:
"I am proud to shut down the government for border security, Chuck, because the people of this country don't want criminals, and people that have lots of problems, and drugs pouring into our country," Trump said. "So I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. I'm not going to blame you for it — the last time you shut it down, it didn't work. I will take the mantle of shutting it down. And I'm going to shut it down for border security."
TheRat
So......how can a president legally shut down an entire border? People go to school, work, shop on both sides. If Obama did this, the conservatives would be swearing, threatening impeachment and crying outloud, "dictator." But when the Democrats don't cave on this (or republicans as the house and Senate are still republican held, what will Trumpy do? Start shooting Mexicans?
CrazyJoe
Trump had two years and all the branches of government to fund his wall. Nada.
Trump had two years to use his brilliant genius negotiating skills to convince Mexico to pay for the wall. Nada.
Now the alleged great deal maker is already insulting Democrats, who are not yet in power, for HIS failures.
SuperLib
I said Trump had no leverage so he would start taking hostages. And here we go.
Strangerland
What I can't understand is why Trump is so weak on Mexico. He said they would pay, and they are refusing. That's complete and total disrespect of Trump. Why does he let them get away with this? What's got him shaking in his britches? And why do the Trumpets let him get away with being so weak on Mexico? He's disrespecting the faithful to whom he promised Mexico would pay.
Simon Foston
StrangerlandToday 08:07 am JST
It's funny - the ... "conservatives" here are always making out as if it's conservatives who are the smart, logical ones with their thinking firmly rooted in reality, yet none of them seem to have a good comeback to that.
Gremlin.Gaijin
I'm sure, if you were to ask the Orange Idiot, he would declare that he is having THE BEST HOLIDAY EVVEEERRR. And, that Nobody has ever had a better holiday in the history of 'merica!
bones
So in trump logic, taking full responsibility means blaming the people who tried to negotiate with you because faux news persuaded you to change your mind?
Ok, makes perfect sense. :-/
Blacklabel
Headline: “Poll: 47% of Americans blame Trump for government shutdown”
Strange way to say 53% don’t blame him.
Gremlin.Gaijin
Maybe in Trumpistan.
Also, the words trump and logic have been proven to be mutually exclusive a gazillion times over the past 2 years.
Strangerland
Very interesting.
Tell me, why do you think Trump is so weak on Mexico? And why are you so weak on him being weak on Mexico? Mexico is spitting in his face, and your face, and the individual faces of every wall supporter in America. Literally spit dripping down your face. And you guys are letting them do it, and giving Trump a pass for letting them do that. Why do you think that is?
Gremlin.Gaijin
True Headline: "Forty-seven percent of adults hold Trump responsible, while 33 percent blame Democrats in Congress, according to the Dec 21-25 poll, conducted mostly after the shutdown began. Seven percent of Americans blamed congressional Republicans."
lincolnman
The Great Orange Idiot throws another two-year old temper tantrum...when will his doctor ever get him to take his Prozac...
Gremlin.Gaijin
Two years in office, two-year old temper tantrum, I like it...
Blacklabel
So 47% blame him- that doesn’t mean 53% don’t?
Gremlin.Gaijin
Hopefully this latest Trump Debacle will cost him, at least, the votes of the 800,000 people whose Christmas and New Year celebrations he has managed to ruin.
Blacklabel
Such emotional response about Mexico. They are doing none of those things. It’s not an emotional issue. We decided we need a wall for our national security so we can build one.
Who pays is irrelevant, we just need to stop drugs and illegals from coming in our country and killing our police like in this case. Liberals don’t seem to care about guns only when illegals use them.
Blacklabel
How did he ruin their celebration? They just got paid last week and don’t have to go to work at all this week or next. Will also get backpay when they return from not working.
1glenn
1.) What happened to "Who's going to pay for it?!" "Mexico!"
2.) Closing down the government, and putting who knows how many people out of work, is a pretty bad way to try to get what you want. What's next? Closing down the government unless he gets a fresh mistress for New Year's?
Blacklabel
Families of people murdered by illegals have their celebration ruined every day, every year. Forever.
What happened to Mexico paying? Same thing that happened to “you can keep your doctor”. The best case scenario didn’t come true as a President hoped. But we didn’t just not have healthcare and we won’t just not have border security. Hey
Blacklabel
When the last guy shut down the government no one cared about government workers not getting paid.
It was their sacrifice that was required to get what the president wanted. Same case here.
Gremlin.Gaijin
Hypothetically, at the next election if:
Trump wins 47 % of the vote
Democrats win 33% of the vote
Others win 20% of the vote
Who wins the election?
The result of the Poll clearly shows that Trump himself, personally, carries most of the blame for the shutdown.
minello7
His approval rating is down to 39% , his wife is down in Florida, his ego is getting destroyed, he keeps blaming the Democrats, when this shutdown was all his doing. Republican President , Senate and the House controlled by Republicans. Most Americans don't want a wall, a total waste of taxpayer money, this is just Trump. Just six more days before the Democrats take control of the House, shut down the border, it's the holiday period, most Americans and Mexicans are at home with their families, I don't think they'll care if he shuts the border. Trumps bargaining strength is weakening daily, 2019 looks bleak for Trump and the Republicans, so the next 6 days should be fun watching the tweets come from Trump.
Blacklabel
For your hypothetical, Trump wins the election with 47%.
And liberals would immediately say “but 53% of people DIDNT vote for him”. So 47% blame Trump but more people blame someone else. It’s obvious.
Gremlin.Gaijin
How many children have, so far, died in immigration detention, in America?
Blacklabel
According to CBP, under the Obama administration, in 2014 there were a total of 313 deaths at the southwest border, 251 in 2015 and 329 in 2016. Under the Trump administration, there were 294 in 2017.
Gremlin.Gaijin
Ordinary Americans have to make sacrifices to appease the Dear Leader?
Seriously?
Blacklabel
So how many US citizens have been murdered by illegal immigrants? (Which is the actual topic of this article not your emotional children dying narrative)
Blacklabel
Yep we had to have a 16 day shutdown so dear leader could get his unconstitutional Obamacare.
Gremlin.Gaijin
No other discernible individual, or group, was blamed more than the Orange Idiot for the shutdown.
What's more, he is on the record as saying that he would be PROUD to carry the blame for the shutdown.
Only to a devoted follower of the Orange Idiot.
SuperLib
Looks like Fox News is doing it, too:
"According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, 47 percent of Americans hold Trump responsible for the shutdown, while 33 percent say Democrats are to blame. Trump previously refused to sign any bill that does not include $5 billion for border security, including for his long-promised wall. Only one in four respondents agreed that the wall was a worthwhile reason to shut down the government."
Total bias against Trump.
lincolnman
Donald Trump 2013 on Fox and Friends:
Talking Head: Who gets fired for a government shutdown?
Trump: "The person at the top"....
Get on with it Donnie - fire yourself....we're all waiting...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=vv3lI7Qmxzw
Gremlin.Gaijin
When has the legality of doing something ever been a consideration in the Orange Idiot's decision making?
René Pihlak
Unless United States of America has capitulated and become part of United Mexican States, why is he asking money from Americans when the Mexicans were supposed to pay for the wall?!
bass4funk
Love this President! Hold the line, keep the lights on in the White House and if you have to, shut the border and do whatever it takes. Let’s see how the incoming Democrats want to start out. They apparently want and need legislation to get passed the Senate....uh-oh....
Ah_so
54% blame the Republicans.
33% blame the Democrats.
13% don't know.
Of those who do know, the majority blame Trump and over 60% blame Republicans generally.
rainyday
But it clearly is an emotional issue for Trump, just look at how he is acting out over it. His own insecurities are clearly too much for his frail mind to deal with, so instead of rational policy and real leadership you see governance by temper tantrum. He is an emotional basket case.
Its really sad to see how low he has gone. This guy was in Home Alone 2 at one point for crying out loud and they don’t just let any old clown into a sequel to a blockbuster like that. But now he is just this pathetic crying lump of flab tweeting angrily from his bed at all hours. Very pathetic.
Gremlin.Gaijin
At the time, the blame for that shutdown was overwhelmingly attributed to the REPUBLICANS.
Gremlin.Gaijin
The Orange Idiot has gradually lowered 'the bar' to such point where one has to dig a trench to pass under it.
bass4funk
33% ain’t that great either...yikes!
René Pihlak
That's the Trump base, they have unconditional love for the dear leader.
inkochi
What ever Trump is or does, he just has to say or threaten something.
Closing the border - seems like somebody has blinked first.
bass4funk
No, he said 33% Democrats Trump Is popular 82% favorable among Republicans, growing with Evangelicals and adding to his his base. Pretty good. Hold the line.
plasticmonkey
Believe me, he won't. He'll cave. Trump has no integrity, and he's an incompetent leader/dealmaker.
Congressional Republicans/Fox News will devise a way forward without funding Trump's wall. And Trump will somehow claim victory anyway. And his cult followers will bleat whatever he bleats.
Laguna
Personally, I'd find Trump closing the southern border entertaining. The business wing of the GOP would turn on him quite viciously.
plasticmonkey
Pelosi has security mechanisms at her house. Ergo, the United States government should spend billions of dollars of taxpayers' money to build a wall that will be ineffective and environmentally harmful, just to make Trump and his angry mob of simpletons feel better.
Castella
Not entirely true. While the Republicans did have a majority in Congress, as the Democrats well know, the Republicans did not have 60 in the Senate which is needed to pass a bill.
lincolnman
Trump - the GOFF - Great Orange Flip-Flopper...
Was ready to sign a unanimous bipartisan continuing resolution to fund government...
Then this;
"I think the not funding the wall will go down as one of the worst, worst things to have happened to this administration," Fox News host Laura Ingraham warned on her show.
"It looks like a lot of people's worst fears may be realized and that the president is getting ready to cave," radio host Rush Limbaugh told his listeners.
Which resulted in this;
"I will be the one to shut it down. I'm not going to blame you (Democrats) for it. I am proud to shut down the government. “I will take the mantle."
Then this:
"The Democrats now own the shutdown!" he wrote Friday.
What a flip-flopping Loser...
Castella
You may be right. It could be very bad for the Republicans if the obstructionists do nothing other than hire lawyers to conduct the 85 investigations they plan to carry out. Then again, doing that could make 2020 bleak for the Dems...
Laguna
My point above is how lousy Trump is at negotiation. A key rule is you never take a hostage you are not prepared to kill. Of course, Trump could equivocate to pretend he meant "shut down the border" only at these sites or for this group of people or at this time period (as he probably will), but that it's a humiliating retreat will not be lost on anyone, and it will do nothing to help solve the problem.
His only choices now are to back down (weak!) or face revolt even from his own party.
SuperLib
It should be an interesting 2019. If Trump continues to isolate himself look for more erratic decision-making as his way of forcing the narrative. His fans will stop defending each action and slip more into a pure cheerleader role, giving nothing more than blind support. At some point it will be Trump and his 30% hunkering down with Trump riding off into the sunset spending the rest of his life telling the world he's a victim.
wtfjapan
Strange way to say 53% don’t blame him.
same as saying 46% of voters voted Trump 54% didnt, or 18% of all Americans voted Trump 82% didnt.
result is still the same Trump doesnt have the popular support of the American people
wtfjapan
Hold the line.
like he has on many of his bankrupt companies, when he couldnt get the money he wanted he literally folded. LOL
starpunk
He's been doing that all along - 'WAH'-ing and throwing hissy-fits like a 2-year-old crybaby. Trump is a sociopathic immature bully and an arrogant boor. He wails 'nobody likes me' and then he gives everybody every reason to hate his guts.
wtfjapan
33% ain’t that great either...yikes!
33% blame democrats for the shutdown, yet Trump Is popular 82% favorable among Republicans, well its clear many Republicans dont blame democrats for the shutdown.
Serrano
"Pelosi has security mechanisms at her house."
She also has a wall.
" Ergo, the United States government should spend billions of dollars of taxpayers' money to build a wall that will be ineffective"
Border security people have a different opinion. I'll take their opinion over yours.
bass4funk
I don't think so, I think the Dems will cave.
What is up with Trump haters and FNC? Lol Seems like the liberals are showing more and more intolerance for wanting to have border security. Yes, we will all succumb to Russian and Chinese aggression because they think the same about our geopolitical foes as they do the border....fergit 'bout it.....
arrestpaul
Elected Democrats were in favor of a wall not so long ago. I guess the author of this article forgot that. I guess Pelosi and Schumer forgot that, also. How convenient.
Strangerland
Seriously, can't any of you righties tell me why Trump is so pathetic in regards to Mexico? He said they would pay, and they are literally spitting in the face of Trump, America, and every single Trump supporter. Mexico has dissed America and said "America, you're our b$#"h, we ain't giving you nothing". And Trump just panders to them and instead goes to the American people with hat in hand and is saying "I'm too weak to get the money from Mexico, even though I told you guys I was going to do that, so um... can I have 25 billion dollars, because like, if I don't get it I'm going to look like a complete and utter useless moron for not being able to get Mexico to pay".
And you guys are supporting it. So I wonder why you guys are so weak on Trump being so weak. Why is it you guys are afraid to call out Trump for what he promised, and why is he so afraid of Mexico?
Bueller? Bueller? Mueller?
SuperLib
One interesting article I read was about the Dems taking control of the House. The spending bill was 100-0 in the Senate and the House didn't vote on it. They can just do it all over again and this time the Democratic majority in the House will pass it. The bill will go to Trump and he will have to decide if he wants to veto it. Then it's basically Democrats and Republicans going up against Trump which will make him even more isolated.
We've been seeing a lot of stories with examples of Trump parroting Fox News right after they put on a segment. Lots of videos show his tweets using word for word retelling or direct quotes from Fox. He's spending a lot of time just repeating back to Fox what they are saying to him. He's either an entertainer masquerading as a politician or just incredibly lazy.
bass4funk
No, no one was lying except the Democrats, it came out of their own mouths, they said it, no one forced them, so now that they have abandoned their principles (if they even had any) why is that they are now for open borders and to allow illegals to enter at any given time and why do they still believe in sanctuary cities. but boast about believing in a secure border when they won't even describe exactly to what that is?
bass4funk
Then I guess Youtube cloned someone to make him look and sound like Chuck Schumer and Obama and took their names and voices and fingerprints. ROFL
Disney is good, but that good? Wow! Lol
Strangerland
They don't need to explain exactly what it is, any more than you guys needed to describe your plan to replace Obamacare, when you were the obstruction party. Now that the Democrats are the obstruction party, they just need to obstruct Trump's plans, not come up with their own. When the Democrats are back in power, they can reveal their border plan that will be better, keep out more people, and cost less. And you'll even be able to keep the same border patrol as you have now.
Strangerland
Then I guess Youtube cloned someone to make him look and sound like Chuck Schumer and Obama
No, Schumer and Obama never supported a wall. You must have gotten them confused with someone else. Or someone lied to you about them saying it. It never actually happened though.
Strangerland
This is all kind of moot though Bass. If Trump just did the easy thing and made Mexico pay for it like he said he would, the parties wouldn't even have to fight? Bass, why do you think Trump is so weak on Mexico? Do you think they threatened him? Or maybe paid him off? And why are you guys ok with it, and give Trump a pass. I thought you respected a tough leader, but here you are letting Mexico blatantly disrespect you guys, and forcing you into a fight internally.
bass4funk
I'm sorry, but how did Obamacare get into the conversation about border security? Hey, I admit the Republicans screwed up on finding a replacement, their fault and no doubt about it, but watching Schumer and the Dems lie through their teeth and pretend like it never happened and thinking that the Lucas light and magic altered it and now you guys try to bring that crap with the watch and hold it before our eyes and say, "you saw, but you really didn't see" just doesn't fly, even attempting to cover up what millions of people see on Youtube is just sad as well as awfully pathetic.
Strangerland
They never supported a wall. Whomever told you that was lying. Don't you feel silly for not bothering to fact check yourself, and posting falsehoods?
prossnip42
Is this really happening? Like i am legitimately stunned by the unmatched incompetence of this man. This is what a 3 year old child who doesn't get the toy he wants does, not a supposed leader of one of the most powerful countries in the world
Jimizo
Trump has created this mess after telling his supporters that Mexico would foot the bill. Payment for this wall should never have been an issue.
I’d be furious with any politician, whether I voted for them or not, for creating this chaos. He is the root cause of this by any sensible perspective. He wanted the wall, campaigned on it, and laid out how it was to be paid for.
It’s dangerous territory when a politician can get away with this from any section of the electorate. Hold him to account.
Anything less is cultish behaviour.
wtfjapan
Disney is good, but that good? Wow! Lol
about as good as Trump is at negotiating. Lol
bass4funk
Schumer did.
Obama was talking about the Secure Fence Act of 2006, legislation authorizing a barrier along the southern border passed into law with the support of 26 Democratic senators including party leaders like Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Chuck Schumer
Schumer 2009-
-Americans don't like illegal immigration
-"Illegal immigration is wrong"
-People illegally in the U.S. are "illegal aliens," not "undocumented"
-Border fence made the southern border "far more secure...created a significant barrier to illegal immigration"
https://www.dailywire.com/news/39737/watch-schumer-admits-border-fence-makes-border-far-ryan-saavedra
For the life of me, I don’t know why he now wants open borders, why does he have to lie that and front? Very un-American, almost treasonous....
bass4funk
Disney made a fortune, huge, so I guess the President will do just fine.
Toasted Heretic
Instead of a wall, why not flood barriers?
The increasing danger of climate change is taking its toll - this is a much more present threat than tired click-bait campaign shenanigans.
Flood defence will save lives.
inkochi
“The President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
— U.S. Constitution, Article II, section 4 (https://history.house.gov/Institution/Origins-Development/Impeachment/)
Sorry - you might have to be patient and wait for Mueller to do his work.
'Danger to the republic' seems common sense grounds, but since when was common sense something to prevail at high levels of government in Washington DC when political point-scoring takes far less effort?
Serrano
"Seriously, can't any of you righties tell me why Trump is so pathetic in regards to Mexico?"
He's not pathetic, our elected lawmakers are. Seriously, can't any of you Trump haters tell me why our elected lawmakers, especially the Democrats, are so pathetic in regards to border security?
Trump is playing the Democrats and RINOS and he is exposing them for who they really are, a bunch of gangsters who care more for illegals than American citizens. He has the money to build the wall already in place. It will built out of the Pentagon budget.
gcbel
Thanks for putting the lie to Democrats we’re for open borders it’s pretty dishonest of Trump to make the claim.
Trump said very clearly “not a fence, a wall. A beautiful wall..he was clear that Mexico would pay for it. When challenged on these things he insisted.UlsterBoy
If the Border Guards are run by a Government department, and the remains in a shutdown state whereby it's workers aren't either being paid or asked to go to work, then do the Border guards simply disappear ?
If that's the case, then surely it's a free-for-all to enter the US ?
I'm guessing that some key Government agencies are exempted from this shutdown.... is that correct ?
Strangerland
Then why does he let Mexico walk all over him? Why aren't they paying for the wall like he said they would? Why is he so weak he can't make them do what he said they would? And tell me Serano, why do you give him a pass on being so weak? You have said you like a tough speaker, and yet you seem to be ok with Trump being weak on Mexico. Why are you ok with him being weak in this scenario?
UlsterBoy
Perhaps Mexico should build a wall on their side of the border as a matter of National pride, in order to keep out their North American neighbours who given the direction of events there, may wish to flee Southward ?
Now that... would be a turn of events.
Strangerland
Only non-essential services are shut down. Essential services I'm sure, though I haven't confirmed, includes the border guard.
bass4funk
Ok, so the magic hands of Disney puppeted Schumer’s mouth.....never knew C-SPAN was in the SF and CG business, but hey..
Anytime....
Now he does.
bass4funk
For 35 years Democrats did nothing, absolutely nothing along the border. Yeah, they TALKED about it, but that’s pretty much what Washington Democrats do, they TALK and TALK and TALK and TALK...
Honestly, at this point who cares what you call it or foots the bill. We can call it a gate, fence, chicken coop, barrier, die Mauer, divider whatever pleases the Democrats, that’s what we will call it. You can call it the pearly gates if that helps.
SuperLib
Are you talking about the Secure Fence Act, something Trump described as, “such a little wall, it was such a nothing wall”? Are Trump fans now saying that those two proposals are the same and voting for one is the same as voting for the other?
Simon Foston
bass4funkToday 10:26 pm JST
Oh look - lots of upper case letters. I think we're supposed to sit up and take this seriously. Well, Donald Trump talked about Mexico paying for the wall and not a whole lot seems to have come of that.
Wolfpack
Shut the border and insist on building a wall on the border with Mexico. Americans are suffering due to illegal immigrants murdering, raping, and committing all kinds of other violent crimes. Drugs are coming over the border contributing to gangs and drug addictions that are ruining lives. Shut the border and insist on a regularized legal immigration system.
bass4funk
Well, it did and since Chucky “the liar” and his fellow open borders colleagues wants to forgo the wall, so be it, I get it, it’s what Democrats do, deceive people, as for Obamacare, again as to how this relates to border security, beats me.
Makes perfect sense to me, way on point.
gcbel
Remember when Trump begged Nieto?
TRUMP
”We cannot say that anymore because if you are going to say that Mexico is not going to pay for the wall, then I do not want to meet with you guys anymore because I cannot live with that. I am willing to say that we will work it out, but that means it will come out in the wash and that is okay. But you cannot say anymore that the United States is going to pay for the wall. I am just going to say that we are working it out.”
NIETO
“But my position has been and will continue to be very firm saying that Mexico cannot pay for that wall. “
Translation of translation: Go yourself
TRUMP
But you cannot say that to the press. The press is going to go with that and I cannot live with that. You cannot say that to the press because I cannot negotiate under those circumstances.
translation: pleez! Pleeze! I’ll look bad. It’s just politics.
...
TRUMP
Okay, Enrique, that is fine and I think it is fair. I do not bring up the wall but when the press brings up the wall, I will say, “let us see how it is going – let us see how it is working out with Mexico.” Because from an economic issue, it is the least important thing we were talking about, but psychologically, it means something so let us just say “we will work it out.”
Ah_so
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republicans-unceremoniously-end-probe-into-fbi-doj-bias-against-trump-in-favor-of-clinton
At least this bit of unsurprising news will allow Republicans all the more time to attempting to running the country and managing the border better.
gcbel
Is what we would do if angry 8th graders were running the country..
Malinois1
@ Blacklabel
Headline: “Poll: 47% of Americans blame Trump for government shutdown”
Strange way to say 53% don’t blame him.
Stranger still is as usual you just like other Trumpsters tend stretch the truth or leave KEY DETAILS! That was a rueters poll: Here is what it really said:
Forty-seven percent of adults in the U.S. hold Trump responsible, while 33 percent blame Democrats in Congress, according to the Dec. 21-25 poll, conducted mostly after the shutdown began. Seven percent of Americans blamed congressional Republicans.
You been listening to Fox News again? You know a study was conducted a few years back and it was found that people who watched only Fox news were the least inform... I guess the above is case proof.
SuperLib
Well, obviously it does. The government is shut down because Trump is insisting the American taxpayer pay for it, and he's stopping a lot of paychecks for working class Americans along the way so they are paying their own special little cost.
Your tax dollars go to a foreign government so you're not paying for it, and you don't work for the US government so you're not under any burden. It's not surprising that a rich, elitist from Orange County tells the working class to handle the hard stuff while he chants "hold the line" over the internet from 5,000 miles away.
coskuri
Is the Maralago shut down due to government staff not working or because they had to let their illegal alien employees and nobody else want to take jobs in so bad conditions ?
Chip Star
A Trump supporter whining about anyone lying is high comedy through hypocrisy.
For the millionth time, democrats are not for open borders.
Who did Trump promise would pay for the wall. Trump supporters fail to realize that their support of such a prolific liar means they have no leg to stand on from which to Bitch about anyone else being deceptive or dishonest.
Chip Star
Wait until the response when we'll likely get a lie that some of his tax dollars do go to the US.
The response will likely contain a lie that he does work for the US government. He's claimed to get his medical care on a non-existent base in Fukuoka (medical care on base is socialized, by the way), which only active duty and retired service members can do or federal employees or contractors. (He'a never claimed to be any if the above but somehow has access to the bases.)
If you can believe anything he says.
Typical Trumpophile hypocrisy.
bass4funk
75% of The government is funded, many of these employees will be retroactively paid. Most Americans aren’t even affected, so it’s hurting a small portion, but not the overall majority.
What are you talking about, I care about my country and the security surrounding the border. The Democrats can equally and easily meet with the President and do the right thing, the Dems were for border security and now they don’t care. You guys say Trump is acting like a kid, well...the Democrats are acting like a bunch of elementary school kids and the bad thing is, they’ll be sworn in, temper tantrum and all next week. Luckily, I have stocks in Advil.
Simon Foston
SerranoDec. 29 09:57 pm JST
He said he would get Mexico to pay for his wall. The Mexicans refused and Trump has not been able to make them cough up. He is weak and pathetic, and either a brazen liar or more likely an increasingly senile serial fantasist. Your claim that he is the greatest US president in history is just laughable.
Then... this demand for $5 billion in exchange for ending the shutdown is intended to achieve what, exactly? Is that something you can't explain because you've just made it up?
Strangerland
You ignore the countless Americans who are affected by the lack of services. And if you think those people aren't going to become more and more annoyed with President Chump, you're kidding yourself.
No.
Tell me base, why do you think Trump is so weak on Mexico, letting them disrespect you all? Doesn't it bother you that the world is watching you with spittle on your face, and you guys aren't even wiping it off? Why are the Republicans so weak on Trump and Mexico Bass?
Strangerland
Unfortunately, the right has devolved into a deluded hysteria, riled up by the for-profit Fox "News" Network, who make more money when they are able to scare the viewers (to be fair, the overwhelming majority of for-profit news does this). So they create a problem, hype it as if it is the end of the world, and then the people freak out when ridiculous responses are not made to deal with the problem. And when others don't share their hysteria, they call them 'apathetic', not realizing that they in fact are overreacting.
Now, before I come across as partisan on this, as I mentioned above, almost all for-profit news does this. The more people are afraid, the more they will watch the news. That's where clickbait headlines come from. It's why Trump has been a godsend for the media, on both sides. This is why I always point out that Japan is extremely safe, when people claim the country is a living hell that is degenerating into chaos, when there is the rare murder. People are just reacting in fear.
The truth is we live in a safer world, with more people out of poverty, and more people safer than ever in our entire history as a species. Everyone who is alive right now has a better chance at living the longest, healthiest life their social status can afford than anyone in the history of humanity has ever had in the past. Yet if you ask people, they think the world is more dangerous, more scary, more evil, than ever before.
The problem is that throughout our history until extremely recent (like 50 years), for the most the only news you ever got was from your region. Horrendous happenings would only occur once or twice in your lifetime. But now, with access to news from the entire world, we hear about horrendous happenings - in places 10,000km from us. But our minds have not yet adapted to having this world-wide knowledge, so we react to these horrendous events in the same way as if they happened in our entire region. After all, who wants to not have empathy for the people whom these happenings affect, even if they are across the world. This creates an overwhelming requirement of empathy, resulting in what is unfortunately an irrational fear, causing people to want to react in irrational manners to deal with this irrational fear.
For example, the illegal immigrant who just killed someone in California. It is horrible that he did this. But the reality is that he killed one person, in a nation of 360 million. For anyone who wasn't in the immediate vicinity of this guy when it happened, this wouldn't have been news in the past. But now the national news can make money of the advertising when people watch the news that tells how this guy killed someone and it could happen to you. Then when Trump says 'see, we need a wall', those who have watched the news that has made them afraid, rather than taking a logical look at how these incidents could be prevented in the future, react to the guy who gives them an artificial sense of safety by claiming he can protect them, even though to those who are not caught up in the hysteria of fear, it's very clear the wall cannot and will not achieve the stated goals.
the_sicilian
Stranger: As I said in another post, Trump is not weak with Mexico. I think a fully renegotiated NAFTA proves that. Making Mexico pay for the wall? Usless diatribe (like a lot of his tweets) does make him infuriating, But he is trying to get things done. What matters is action. He wants things accomplished, and NAFTA was a huge strong point.
For the border, he wants a wall. The Democrats in 2006 and 2013 were all for making border security better, but dropped the ball by not funding it. So now to get this right it will take some adults in the room (not Trump, Pelosi, or Schumer) to figure out a way to negitiate across party lines and get something in place. Does this sound about right?
Chip Star
Then why is Trump holding the US government hostage for the money for his idiotic wall?
Then you're simply swallowing what Trump puts in your mouth.
Ah, the fallback of every Trumpophile to explain why Trump is so incompetent. "Trump wasn't being serious, so we don't need to hold him accountable." Complete and utter sycophantic nonsense.
Strangerland
Then why isn't Mexico paying for the wall like Trump said they would? They are spitting in the face of America, and Trump is ok with it. The rest of us are sitting her looking at Trump with spittle on his face, wondering why he doesn't even bother to wipe off his shame, so all the rest of us can't see.
So why is he so weak on Mexico? Why isn't he making them pay? And why are you people so weak on him, giving him a pass like you did? I mean he clearly said that Mexico would pay, he isn't making them do it, and you are saying he's not weak. Um, he's clearly weak, so why are you giving him a pass on being weak? I thought you guys loved tough guys.