Want to understand what Trump is doing? Part 3

Allsorts

Neither Trump or Putin, both bullies. should be at the Pope's funeral masquerading as normal, why did the Vatican invite either, neither believe in God as they both think they are.

Christian forgiveness and ‘turn the other cheek’.

You can’t just embrace the bits of Christianity that appeal to you (though it seems that that is what most who claim to be Christian do…)

MaizieD I am a Christian and agree completely with what you say.
However, I do, just occasionally wonder if a thunderbolt from heaven might be a little ...er...welcome?

Vance is a fairly recent convert to Catholicism. I do wonder how he reconciles his political actions and pronouncements with his religious beliefs. Apparently, before his very brief audience with the Pope, he had a meeting with the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.
Vance says “they discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.”
The Vatican’s release, however, said the pair had “an exchange of opinions on the international situation, especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners.”

Will his faith change his politics? I very much doubt it!

Chocolatelovinggran

A thunderbolt could just revive my dead faith .

Especially if it could get Trump and Putin in one go....

The difference in presentation of what they had discussed is so striking foxie.

I believe the Vaticans version! Vance is so predictable but what will go out on Fox News I wonder.

Catholics in the US are divided of course, some taking on same sex blessings and some use contraceptives and some the traditional line.

I read a suggestion that Trump and his supporters are lobbying for a much more conservative pope next time around - to fit in with their Gilead philosophy.

It sounds like Vance has just done a good job putting the Vaticans back up by and trying to dictate a direction will fall on very deaf and resentful ears.

Its sad for me that the African Cardinals mentioned in the running have very conservative church views indeed (on women, gays, on contraception)

I hope something positive comes out if this - I doubt it tbh but one can always hope.

Wyllow3

It sounds like Vance has just done a good job putting the Vaticans back up by and trying to dictate a direction will fall on very deaf and resentful ears.

Its sad for me that the African Cardinals mentioned in the running have very conservative church views indeed (on women, gays, on contraception)

Yes I think the same

Even more so. If only the reality was as in this photo.

The cynical part of me thinks that Trump has deliberately set up a situation that Ukraine cannot accept so he can say Ukraine doesn't want peace so the US won't continue to fund their war. If Trump can't get an easy win, he'll want a reason to walk away and blame someone else for his failure.

The tariff issue remains unresolved and ineffective, on pause (what happens when the 90 days comes?

A thoughtful article here, I'll just quote a bit

"Trump gleefully displays a chart thick with numbers purporting to show just how much each country will pony up for access to the great American marketplace.

But experts who have played the trade game much longer quickly call Trump’s big move on the second day of April a fool’s bet — one that could poison US trade relations with those friendly partners he mentioned and open the door for less friendly competitors to capitalize on his misstep. Skeptics say Trump is flirting with the kind of failure that can unwind a presidency.
Trump meets their warnings with a jutted jaw and declarations that he will not blink.

And make no mistake: Despite everything Trump says, foreign nations will not pay all these tariffs. Instead, economic analysts overwhelmingly say American consumers will foot most of the monumental bill for what those experts call Trump’s taxes.

Perhaps it should be no surprise then, that within days of Trump’s “Liberation” event, even nominal friends who supported him in the election are skimming wild cards toward the president’s carefully stacked tariff deck.

“We’ve got to become friends with Canada again,” Joe Rogan says on one of the most popular podcasts in the world with millions of listeners per episode. “I can’t believe that there is anti-American and anti-Canadian sentiment going on. This is the dumbest f**king feud.”

“The idea that this is good and makes the American economy inherently stronger is wrongheaded,” conservative commentator Ben Shapiro says to his own vast audience.

“Trump’s reciprocal tariffs impose hundreds of billions of dollars in new taxes on Americans without public or congressional input.”

edition.cnn.com/2025/04/27/politics/tariffs-trump-trade-war/index.html

Trump deports a 2 year old

"Judge says US citizen, 2, may have been deported without 'meaningful process'

The Judge is a Trump appointee. The family were all deported to Honduras with no due process.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g278yn4d3o

also discussion on this and implications

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgq3JTynyz0

Trump has big feelings about his polling numbers.

Range across the different polls is 37% -44% favorable. The only President who polled lower was him in his first term..

Cory Booker and AOC are emerging as leaders for the Dems. Hopefully the Schumer's and Pelosi's of Congress realize it is time for them to enjoy retirement.

We need better candidates and the establishment is stopping that from happening.

White House press secretary has stated that Trumps team will not rule out arresting Supreme Court judges.

Fascism is here.

newrepublic.com/post/194481/karoline-leavitt-arrest-supreme-court-judges

What on earth are the democrats doing?

Not much honestly. Because they can't. Trump holds Executive and Congress and is attacking Judicial. There are no checks and balances because Reps hold a majority.

The courts are the only ones trying to hold him accountable. And he has started arresting them.

The most effective things they're doing right now is holding town halls in red areas where the reps refuse to hold them.

imaround

Trump has big feelings about his polling numbers.

Range across the different polls is 37% -44% favorable. The only President who polled lower was him in his first term..

I hope people have read the image above that went with this post. It really is completely and utterly bizarre, he even has a go at Fox pollsters because their polls were on a similar basis.

Its the most childish my your know what is bigger than yours prose "and if you don't agree I'll come and get you stuff you are negative criminals" 😂😂

imaround

Cory Booker and AOC are emerging as leaders for the Dems. Hopefully the Schumer's and Pelosi's of Congress realize it is time for them to enjoy retirement.

We need better candidates and the establishment is stopping that from happening.

I think any party would have huge difficulties because of the complete disarray of US politics atm and no clear one alternative way ahead thats it obvious...

but its seems from here that the "old order" have to go and the "new regrouping" has yet to happen but there are a number of possibles.

Just googling Cory Booker looks good but AOC may come across as too radical?

What about Pritzker?

Pritzker would be good. Buttigeg too. AOC has been seen as radical in the past, but IMO we may see a major swing left as a result of Trump.

AOC is headed for a Schumers spot IMO. She is better suited there I think.

Obviously the US is not ready for a woman president.

Keeping an eye out!

found an excellent article in the BBC analysis on I player on the fate of Trumps tariffs, too long to quote it all, but a summary is in one of the titles

"The Bugle of Retreat"

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g45zp77y5o

bits : Bessant has more or less taken over ...

Most of the rest of the world leaving their meetings with Bessent are reporting back an assumption that the US is edging away from what it cannot acknowledge was overreach.

And there is a widespread view that there is no need for countries to retaliate, when the CEOs of Walmart and Target are telling the President privately that there will be empty shelves from early May.

The collapse in container traffic from China to the port of Los Angeles - the main artery of the world economy for the first quarter of the 21st century - is the one to watch. The IMF's boffins say they can start to see the impact from space as satellites track fewer, increasingly empty ships leaving China's ports. Of course this will be denied by the US.

In the face of febrile bond markets, this week the faint sound of the bugle of retreat on the US trade war got louder. A forest of olive branches seemed to be on offer from the US to get the Chinese to come back to the table to negotiate, from respect for their economic achievements to the offer of a deal to do a "beautiful rebalancing" of the world economy. It was a far cry from the claims of "looting and pillaging".

No one is crawling.

I had to look up what you meant by "Schumers spot" ie senior Senate person/activist.

Sorry. Chuck Schumer, a Senator from NY.

The Dem in the House who was placed in charge of the Oversight Committee has retired because his cancer has returned.

Next in line is Jasmine Crockett from TX. She is a spitfire and exactly what the Dems need to counter the outrageousness of MAGA rhetoric.

A couple of new executive orders out today. First appearances, it looks like he is authorizing the military to help combat crime.

www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/strengthening-and-unleashing-americas-law-enforcement-to-pursue-criminals-and-protect-innocent-citizens/