What next from Trump's America?

President Donald Trump's former lawyer has said his client knew in advance of a June 2016 meeting between his aides and a Russian delegation that offered to help his campaign, US media report.

Michael Cohen says he was present when Mr Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, informed his father of the meeting.

He is reportedly willing to state this to the special counsel investigation into alleged Russian election meddling.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44976725

Henry Olsen, writing in the Guardian, tries to explain Trump's support.

"The sheer ordinariness of Trump’s coalition is impossible to overstate. Data from the Voter Study Group show that more than 80% of his votes came from men and women who voted for Republican nominee Mitt Romney just four years before. This group contains the usual suspects among American Republicans: tax-cut advocates, religious evangelicals and Catholics, gun rights supporters and business types eager for deregulation. Trump has made sure to give each faction what they most desire just like any good politician would. That keeps them in his camp even as the media flays him with each supposed transgression.

Evangelicals are a case in point. My work on Republican factions, contained in the book I co-authored with Professor Dante Scala, The Four Faces of the Republican Party, found that very conservative voters who highly value social issues comprise about 25% of the party. These voters today are very afraid that liberal and progressive judges will slowly circumscribe their ability to practice their religion in their daily lives. They tended not to support Trump during the primaries, instead backing the Texas senator Ted Cruz. Their support for Trump now is highly transactional: so long as he nominates the judges they think will protect their beliefs and way of life, they will overlook virtually anything else he says or does."

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/23/liberals-donald-trump-support

That is the scary thing. He said himself "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkz7xgsPGmQ

This is a truly scary link Elegran.

But what is even more scary, is that even if you could absolutely prove all these allegations beyond doubt, many millions of Trump supporters would just dismiss it as "fake news" .

Some interesting things in this AVAAZ article about the Donald and his Russian friends. There is a list of sources at the end with even more.

secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/shocking_truth_about_trump/?bwajJlb

Michael Cohen, the President's former fixer and ultimate loyalist, is sending a clear signal to President Donald Trump and his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, that "the truth is not you(r) or your client's friend," according to sources with knowledge of Cohen's thinking.

Two sources familiar with Cohen's thinking say he has "hit the reset button" and is continuing his commitment to speak the "real truth." In particular, the same sources say Giuliani is wading into dangerous territory when he asks Cohen to "tell the truth" about the Trump Tower meeting with Donald Trump Jr. and Russian meddling in the election.

edition.cnn.com/2018/07/09/politics/cohen-trump-real-truth/index.html

Thanks Muffin!

It was never going to be Balmoral - do keep up A.

Not at all Ally, just thought I would add some context as to why SG were making a case that central govt should pay the policing costs.

It’s honestly a massive individual sum in Police Scotland's budget.

In any case, it will all be over soon and life can get back to normal.

muffinthemoo, Thanks for the correction. The last I saw it was either Balmoral or Windsor. Looks like Windsor is on from what you say.

You first Jalimall08!

His audience with Her Majesty is at Windsor.

His visit to his Scottish golf resort is not in his capacity as POTUS, but as a private citizen and landowner and this is why the Scottish Government have requested the Treasury meet this cost from central funds rather than the Scottish settlement. The alternative was put to the Treasury that otherwise, there was no policing case for SG to secure this private visit with police resources and the matter of security would be left in Mr Trump’s own hands.

The five million has been paid and Police Scotland will supply the resources.

Varian I am aware that the visit is not a full state visit. However, he is coming to see the PM and he is visiting the Queen at Balmoral. We fortunately have no cost for accommodation since he is staying in his own Hotel.. As I said earlier, the Pope's visit cost 7 million and he only came to London. I think this point about security cost is a dead end Varian. It is normal for either short or long, or state or non state visits of foreign leaders.

Could you take him, then please Allygran

Fennel, I can take him or leave him! Other fish to fry!

Ah, thank you - to tell you the truth varian, I have not read much about it, not being that interested!!

Trump's visit next week is not a full state visit.

The £5m bill for security is just to protect Trump during his short visit to one of his golf courses in Scotland, where in spite of his mother's ancestry, he is loathed every bit as much as he is in the rest of the UK.

Trump has tweeted that the US is working very closely with the Thai Government to help get the boys out of the cave to safety.

Let's hope they are doing the same for the children they took from their parents and put into cages.

I am excited, Ally!
Aren't you?

Fennel you sound positively excited at the prospect of President Trumps visit.

"Fennel Wed 04-Jul-18 09:21:44
Not long until his visit. From the Mirror:
"The visit will come after the President attends the Nato summit in Brussels on July 11 and 12."?

Varian, this sort of expenditure is normal for these sort of visits of Heads of State of other Country's. Full State visit's cost vastly more than that. The visit of the Pope cost 7 million. It is reciprocal though when our Head of State or representative go to other Country's they are protected at the cost of the Country they are visiting, which will be of a similar level of expenditure one has to assume.

Interestingly Trump is not the first president to not receive a full State visit Bush visited again in 2008 when he stayed at Windsor Castle. In 2003 between 110,000 and 200,000 people protested about Bush's visit and Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic toppled a five metre-effigy of the president. So a 'blimp' is quite a modern ""Bush visited again in 2008 when he stayed at Windsor Castle but that was not a full state visit. In 2003 between 110,000 and 200,000 people protested about Bush's visit and Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic toppled a five metre-effigy of the President.

The Treasury has confirmed it will fund policing costs of up to £5m if US President Donald Trump visits Scotland. It is believed Mr Trump will head to Scotland after meeting Prime Minister Theresa May in London next week.

Concerns were raised that any such visit could require at least 5,000 officers to police, costing Scotland's national force up to £5m. However, Treasury Secretary Liz Truss has now confirmed that money would be made available for policing any visit.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44698176

Not long until his visit. From the Mirror:
"The visit will come after the President attends the Nato summit in Brussels on July 11 and 12."

I think the court did say all children had to be reunited but gave a longer time period for the older children ie prioritised the younger ones - awful for all of them though

under the age of 5

Surely efforts should be made to reunite all children with their parents?
A six year old, seven year old, even older children are going to be traumatised.