Want to understand what Trump is doing?

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Chocolatelovinggran

WWM I agree. Wasn't it Maya Angelou who said " If someone tells you what they are, believe them"?
His plans are not hidden.

And yet American voted for him so they knew what they were getting. Democracy at work. We might not like the result but there it is.

It not just a matter of policy overall (although a great deal alluded to upthread was not what was said before the election FGT)

its the way matters are carried through

Do you really support
the moves against women's health and the extent of them,

do you really support that not only were the violent and murdering rioters of January 6th at the Capitol pardoned, but the FBI officers who investigated would be sacked overnight?

That key organising departments like Medicaid, social Security and Education have been closed with no plans for their continuing running?

The dollar rose in value when he announced the tariffs, making US goods more expensive, not what you want if you are trying to boost the US economy with tariffs that might be reciprocal!

I notice that the US stock exchange has risen as a result of a “pause” in Mexican tariffs, and the drop prior to that.

Trump will not follow these tariffs through, even that dim wit will understand it is shooting himself in the foot.

This is what USAID does. The US will no longer help in countries with extreme poverty or natural disasters.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Agency_for_International_Development

I figured he would back down on the tariffs. He just wants to be able to say he won. Watching to see what Canada does and if China follows through with the lawsuit at the WTO.

The good news is, it showed the rest of the world a weakness. The more who stand up to him, the better.

She’s definitely telling some truth, because they are going to work together on stopping US guns being smuggled into Mexico, which has extremely strict gun laws. That will reduce weapons supplied to drug cartels. She had a standing ovation at the morning press conference apparently.

Grandmabatty

There's a different interpretation of that conversation by President Sheinbaum

Recollections may vary

There's a different interpretation of that conversation by President Sheinbaum

"President Donald Trump announced on Monday morning that he is immediately pausing tariffs on Mexico after reaching a deal with its President, Claudia Sheinbaum.

In a post to Truth Social, Trump revealed he had spoken to Sheinbaum and negotiated assistance from Mexico to strengthen the United States’ border sovereignty and deter drug trafficking into the country.

“It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican Soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States,” Trump said.

“These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country. We further agreed to immediately pause the anticipated tariffs for a one month period [sic] during which we will have negotiations headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and high-level Representatives of Mexico."

NewsNation 5 January 2025

It's certainly not decent negotiations, however, it seems he received help with the border and drugs, campaign promises.

Chocolatelovinggran

WWM I agree. Wasn't it Maya Angelou who said " If someone tells you what they are, believe them"?
His plans are not hidden.

And yet American voted for him so they knew what they were getting. Democracy at work. We might not like the result but there it is.

pascal30

Chocolatelovinggran

Happy to avoid American goods if I can Wyllow. Perhaps signage would help.
And as regards travel, J52, I have cancelled my plans to visit the USA this year.

I think it might be difficult to avoid medicines.. I was amazedat how much we import..

Most people have no idea- leaving the EU has left us so vulnerable on that front, and now with USA possibly. Plus the massive cost of importing with a low value currency.

Trump's is meeting up with Netanyahu as a priority, to re-organise the middle east- be afraid, very!

Countries That Received the Most Foreign Aid From the U.S. in 2023:

Ukraine ($17.2B)
Israel ($3.3B)
Jordan ($1.7B)
Egypt ($1.5B)
Ethiopia ($1.5B)
Somalia ($1.2B)
Nigeria ($1B)
Congo (Kinshasa) ($990M)
Afghanistan ($886.5M)
Kenya ($846M)

You can see some it "political" but much to desperate situations in Africa.

Details

www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/countries-that-receive-the-most-foreign-aid-from-the-u-s

However, if its set down the department altogether, hard to see what exactly will happen.

pascal30

Chocolatelovinggran

Happy to avoid American goods if I can Wyllow. Perhaps signage would help.
And as regards travel, J52, I have cancelled my plans to visit the USA this year.

I think it might be difficult to avoid medicines.. I was amazedat how much we import..

I'm happy to avoid US goods, too.

I don't think Gnetters will give up their Amazon habit, though...

MacDonalds?

Musk is shutting down USAID. All staff has been instructed to stay out of the office.

This will affect food sources for millions around the world and further harm farmers in the US.

Apparently people starving to death is not a deal breaker for Trump and Musk.

Wyllow3

Give it time, imaround I think a lot must be in shock.

Meanwhile in the UK 5th columnists busy.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czrlkzd5p2lo

"Farage hails Trump 'inspiration' at Reform UK rally"
Undermining his own country.

This could do Farage a lot of damage ultimately. I’d be watching what I said very closely if I were him at the moment.

Chocolatelovinggran

Happy to avoid American goods if I can Wyllow. Perhaps signage would help.
And as regards travel, J52, I have cancelled my plans to visit the USA this year.

I think it might be difficult to avoid medicines.. I was amazedat how much we import..

Oh I misremembered I think, because now you’ve said I do remember reading that.

Give it time, imaround I think a lot must be in shock.

Meanwhile in the UK 5th columnists busy.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czrlkzd5p2lo

"Farage hails Trump 'inspiration' at Reform UK rally"
Undermining his own country.

Ketamine is Musks drug of choice.

Canadians are pissed off yes. And Good! No one in the US seems to want to stand up against Trump and Musk.

Previously I kept reading that Musk uses fentanyl - not sure of the truth of that, but there is some footage of him at Trumps inauguration, and his behaviour is very weird indeed.

There's a running timeline news reporting on it on I player, pictures of shops in Canada "buy Canadian" some have taken US products out.

There are terrible problems with fentanyl in the US, but instead of addressing drugs gangs he's blaming others. The DEA (Drugs Enforcement Agency) is seeing job cuts alongside other federal agencies. FGS, why not work with Mexico on drugs?

Also lying about the extent of fentanyl

www.wunc.org/2025-02-02/trump-used-fentanyl-to-justify-tariffs-but-the-crisis-was-already-easing

Another one here happy to avoid American goods!

Heard on the radio this morning, during a report about Canadians booing the US national anthem at hockey matches, that there’s a movement in Canada now called BABA … Buy Anything But American!

It will be interesting to see what China do. BBC news at one has said that so far China has not responded.

China would like to be the world superpower and seem to be reacting in a calm, measured way unlike Trump's hectoring and bullying tactics.

Happy to avoid American goods if I can Wyllow. Perhaps signage would help.
And as regards travel, J52, I have cancelled my plans to visit the USA this year.

But reading up on sackings of FBI agents, results really shocking - they are also going for any agents involved in the Mar o laga investigation, as well as anyone involved in the Jan 6th investigations.

But all of the agents were ordered to do so by their seniors -it is a bizarre, bullying, retributive act. Driscoll as mentioned above is trying to point this out as well as saying 100's were peripherally involved simply processing information.

This was not in election policy - if it had been?