Living with the Trump presidency

Ankers if Trump is still running his businesses, he shouldn't be! POTUS has to remove him/herself from all OWN business connections to remain impartial in economic policy. That is why there was such a furore about his tweet re Ivanka's business. Trump doesn't seem to have got this clear in his head. He still seems to be in campaign mode.

He really has a lot to learn which is why Maw is right. He should be spending this time reading documents and thinking through strategy and its implications. (I am having problems convincing autocorrect that there is no apostrophe required for 'its' ?)

Now, enough about Trumpery. I am off to attend to damaged dog!

Hilsum < sigh>

I have begun to realise though whitewave, that that is how the top people of any organisation often run things. They dont get their own hands dirty. That is what other people are for! They delegate.

Can I put in another plug for C4 news? Kylie Morris in Washington and Lindsey Hildum ( international) present great depth coverage on DT

Google "work that Trump has already done"
A mass of stuff comes up.
I dont think people should be concerned that he is not working hard enough! Rather the opposite in my opinion, as in, how far will he go with it all.

What I still cant get my hear around is, it feels, to me at least, like a one man party. And I dont know how that can be so really.

not all his "cabinet" are in place. I do wonder whether the Democrats are scoring a bit of an own goal really. WWhile they block all sorts of potential nominations, Trump is left to get on with things himself. Or so it seems like it.

sacked, resigned, declined x 100 MB. It would all be such fun if it weren't so serious.

I suspect any actual work and strategy is being carried out by the likes of Bannon. He must think all his birthdays have come at once. He can further his lunatic ideology whilst trump plays president and enjoys being a celebrity.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastian_Gorka

I think I have seen him commentating, but not sure.

I think if you read or listen to political correspondents (and I would recommend a cross section, to seek impartiality, although the BBC Washington correspondent is as good a place to start as any) you will find he is not actually doing a lot of governing which, unlike campaigning was what he was elected to do.
The "well tuned machine " is likely to go off the rails (to mix my metaphors) ere long if he doesn't stop spending more time on being a "personality" or celebrity and spend more time reading documents and papers, consulting his White House staff, consulting Republicans and actually gets down to the job.
You may think he is doing a "huge amount" Ankers, what are your criteria?

Just watched this interview you posted DD. A master class in how to avoid answering the question! At least the man is coherent and consistent in his responses.

Yes! Gorka is beyond weird. He sounds British? Anyone know anything about him?

No Anker he can't run his business -conflict of interest - not allowed. Mind you if you believe that!!!! See his fees to his California club doubled in January.

I hope he doesn't try that weird handshake with the Queen!

Judthepud2 - only watched a few minutes so far.

He is seeming very tired to me. I imagine he is a workaholic? I presume he still has a business to run?
If he doesnt learn to rest properly, that could be his undoing.

clear policy strategy - I imagine that takes time.
And his "cabinet" or whatever it is called is not all in place yet.
I dont know if those he needs re Israel are all in place. But even if they are, they will not have been in the job long.

Another thought that occured to me.
If you were to imagne David Cameron operating without some of his cabinet, there would not be as many people to try and reign him in.

Inability to differentiate between being a TV star of his own show and POTUS is certainly manifesting itself loud and clear.
Interesting point this morning made by Jon Sopel that DT is energised by adoring crowds, who confirm his self-belief. Thus this weekend, he is attending a rally in Florida, instead of taking charge of his POTUS duties. The DT campaign continues but government has not really kicked off.

Seen on an Islington Street:

Do you have a webcam in the White House office?

How on earth should I know? I haven't seen all of them interviewed on TV or met them personally. This Sebastian Gorka chap is arrogant, sychophantic and bonkers.

Is he actually doing any work?

A huge amount. Google it?

You fake news monger Jud! Have you watched the link I posted? His advisor is as bonkers as he is.

How many americans do you think are bonkers daphnedill?

People can thankfully make up their own minds.

Watched half of the link so far.

I do think DT, as he speak so much, has to be very careful in what he says, more careful, so perhaps he needs to say less than he does.

Saying "I guess I had the largest room" [was it room? I cant remember], is not really a good thing to say.
Either he knows, so say so[prob not wise anyway] or dont say. To say "guess" is trying to allude to something, that he is not even sure is right.
So he would be best to "shut up"!

There is also a problem when others speak on behalf of him. Their perceptions may well be different to his. So people and journalists have to be careful that they dont take the word of one of his spokespeople as his words.

I do think eventually, that the media will be/have to be more accurate after all of this. As people are checking up more on what is fact, what is fiction, and which media and commentators do not tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I will listen to the other half later.

"Today" on Radio 4 was interesting. John Sopel (?) BBC corespondent described a 25 minute "stream of consciousness" rambling.
But how can Trump insist that everything is running smoothly (well tuned machine) when so many things have gone tits up already??! Just heard his second choice for Chief Security Adviser has turned him down
Think Six Wives of Henry VIII only "sacked, resigned, declined" instead of "divorced, beheaded survived"

Is he actually doing any work?

You fake news monger Jud! Have you watched the link I posted? His advisor is as bonkers as he is.

Thank you Ankers. That is fair of you.

I've just read the transcript of the last press conference (I did watch it on YouTube). Without the smoke and mirrors of Trump's large personality and body language, what he was saying and how he was saying it really worried me. Lacking in rationality, coherence and any clear policy strategy. His advisors really need to reign him in and get him weaned off these personal defensive rants. He is doing himself and his administration more damage than the media.

Apparently the BBC is now dealing in 'fake news'.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFK3tbkNX-A

'Unhinged' was the right word to use. Let's just hope we all survive four years of this insanity, without having our brains scrambled. Goebbels would have been proud of this!

Why?

I will listen to it all for the sake of Judhtepud2 as I dont remember her ever asking me to do something before.

But it will take me a while.

For information, in case anyone is bothered, which they seem to be for some reason, my pattern of being on gransnet is not the same as others. And in no way am I going to say why! So when I disappear for a while, who knows when I am back again.