Trump

[Sara Nilsson]

https://slate.com/arts/2018/01/macmillan-responds-to-trumps-legal-threats-over-fire-and-fury.html?utm_content=inf_11_2641_2&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=socialedge&utm_source=Facebook&tse_id=INF_b6fed830f4cc11e78f902fe1e08be610

On Monday, the publisher of Fire and Fury, Michael Wolff’s amusing, incisive, and maybe not-so-surprising exposé on the Trump administration, responded to Trump’s attempt to prevent the book’s publication, deeming it “flagrantly unconstitutional.” The legal team for Wolff and Henry Holt and Company, the Macmillan imprint that published Fire and Fury, didn’t mess around when replying to Trump’s lawyer, Charles J. Harder, Esq. The scathing statement (which Henry Holt’s publicist shared with the media) defends Wolff’s reporting and calls the idea that the president of the United States is entitled to privacy “patently ridiculous.”

[Various]

https://slate.com/arts/2018/01/macmillan-responds-to-trumps-legal-threats-over-fire-and-fury.html?utm_content=inf_11_2641_2&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=socialedge&utm_source=Facebook&tse_id=INF_b6fed830f4cc11e78f902fe1e08be610

The President of the United States certainly wasn't given the benefit of being a private citizen when it was Obama's name Don the Con was dragging through the mud.

[TheGlyphstone]

Also, I'm a bit confused. The last I had heard, Bannon was still professing to be pro-Trump despite his 'voluntary' separation from the White House staff. What changed to make Donald turn on him this way (aside from Trump being Trump)?

Reiterating this, because it got missed.

[DominantPoet]

Reiterating this, because it got missed.

Bannon was quoted as saying a meeting at Trump tower was treasonous, basically.

[Cassandra LeMay]

One of the aspects of libel/slander is that the claim is false...

True, but my point was that in a per se case proving actual damage is less of a problem.

[Various]

One of the aspects of libel/slander is that the claim is false...

One element though is reputation loss, and there's literally no way Trump's reputation could get any worse.

In all seriousness though, the author claims to have all that stuff backed up with audio tape and documentation. I'm more likely to believe him than Trump on that subject considering Trump has claimed to have the same multiple times and produced exactly jack when called on it.

[Mithlomwen]

I have to wonder if Trump is going to try and take credit for the agreement of North Korea sending athletes to the Olympics in South Korea.

[RedEve]

I have to wonder if Trump is going to try and take credit for the agreement of North Korea sending athletes to the Olympics in South Korea.

[gaggedLouise]

Did President Trump forget some of the lyrics of the U.S. national anthem?

Very interesting.

[Sara Nilsson]

Did President Trump forget some of the lyrics of the U.S. national anthem?

Very interesting.

Tbh I found a lot of americans don't know it. Amusingly enough in my citizenship test one of the questions is "what is the name of the national anthem" and I know some americans that failed it when we were practicing.

[TheVillain]

Serious question; what beneficial (if any) thing(s) has he accomplished since taking office?

My dad has become fond of saying that he's done plenty of beneficial things, just none of them on purpose.

[Mithlomwen]

Did President Trump forget some of the lyrics of the U.S. national anthem?

Very interesting.

According to Michael Wolff, close aids worry about Trump's mental state. Supposedly, he failed to recognize old friends, and he repeats himself quite a lot.  Not sure how true that all is, but it does raise some worrisome questions. 

[gaggedLouise]

According to Michael Wolff, close aids worry about Trump's mental state. Supposedly, he failed to recognize old friends, and he repeats himself quite a lot.  Not sure how true that all is, but it does raise some worrisome questions.

He has a way of repeating the same signal words: incredible, amazing, huge, fake news, crooked Hillary etc.

[Regina Minx]

Senator Feinstein has unilaterally released the transcript of Fusion GPS's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

***LINKLINKLINK***

It's worth noting that the Republicans on the committee did not want the public to see this. Chair Grassley promised to release it or bring it up for a vote, and has failed to do so. Given that this testimony took place in August, I think it's fair to say he was lying.

[HannibalBarca]

As much as Trump is a dumpster fire, I feel more disappointed and disgusted by the media now.  It is their duty, in a democracy, to speak truth to power, and help keep the electorate informed.  Too much corporate power and control of the media has seen to that.  It's not different, per se, than the yellow journalism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries...but with mass media being what it is today, it's far too easy to fool people who won't try looking outside their own bubble.

[Trieste]

Did President Trump forget some of the lyrics of the U.S. national anthem?

Very interesting.

Was he standing on the actual field? Because the acoustics on the field actually suck a lot in a setting like that. (idk if he's hard of hearing, but if he is that's not a reason to actually make fun of him - there are so many other more legitimate ways that aren't ablist as fuck.)

[Various]

We at Elliquiy actually have an EXCLUSIVE clip of President Trump singing the national anthem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxHnXajIex4

[Blythe]

As far as complaints about Trump go, I find the national anthem one to be rather silly. Plenty of average citizens don't always get the anthem right, and there's officials who I'm sure aren't always perfect at it. I don't especially view it as a sin to get the anthem wrong or not quite know all of it. Besides, he's older, and if he's actually hard of hearing, it's understandable that he might not hear well enough to follow along well, especially if there's dubious acoustics.

[Cassandra LeMay]

As much as Trump is a dumpster fire, I feel more disappointed and disgusted by the media now.  It is their duty, in a democracy, to speak truth to power, and help keep the electorate informed.  Too much corporate power and control of the media has seen to that.  It's not different, per se, than the yellow journalism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries...but with mass media being what it is today, it's far too easy to fool people who won't try looking outside their own bubble.

Media outlets have always been businesses. In an ideal world their reporting will inform the publics' decisions in a well-researched and well-written manner. But the mainstream media is in this to make money. What we expect from the media is a cultural construct, perhaps even calling it "a myth" might be correct. There is no law, no article in the constitution that assigns the media a certain role it has to perform in, and for, society.

But if you want to assign blame for a decline in reporting quality, you might as well blame the consumers of the news, instead of the news providers. If people took the time to read more long articles, more serious journalism, wouldn't that be what the media produced? I know it's a "hen and egg" question;  do people want their news faster and shorter because that's what the media serves them, or does the media produce that kind of news because it's what the people demand? We might never solve that question, but your mention of "people who won't try looking outside their own bubble" strikes me as the more pertinent point than the quality of the media.

[Oniya]

As far as complaints about Trump go, I find the national anthem one to be rather silly. Plenty of average citizens don't always get the anthem right, and there's officials who I'm sure aren't always perfect at it. I don't especially view it as a sin to get the anthem wrong or not quite know all of it. Besides, he's older, and if he's actually hard of hearing, it's understandable that he might not hear well enough to follow along well, especially if there's dubious acoustics.

From what I've heard, the Star Spangled Banner is one of the hardest national anthems to sing.

Also, fun-fact:  The melody is an old English drinking song - 'To Anacreon in heaven'.  So, maybe it's easier to sing if you're a few sheets to the wind. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l-n64NWHS4
(If you click through to the YouTubes, the lyrics are in the description.)

[gaggedLouise]

As far as complaints about Trump go, I find the national anthem one to be rather silly. Plenty of average citizens don't always get the anthem right, and there's officials who I'm sure aren't always perfect at it. I don't especially view it as a sin to get the anthem wrong or not quite know all of it. Besides, he's older, and if he's actually hard of hearing, it's understandable that he might not hear well enough to follow along well, especially if there's dubious acoustics.

Yes, it's obviously not a heavyweight issue compared to his constant drama queen behaviour on twitter or his blatant misogynism (to behin with) but it's fun and striking because of his earlier shrill prouncements on people who supposedly "defamed" the flag by not sticking to an old-style Republican protocol of what to do, how to join in and how to salute the flag in public when the anthem is played, etc.

[Oniya]

people who supposedly "defamed" the flag by not sticking to an old-style Republican protocol of what to do, how to join in and how to salute the flag in public when the anthem is played, etc.

And a good portion of his base have no problem using these for their July barbecues.

[DominantPoet]

I've been Canadian since the day I was born, and I can sing the US anthem just fine. Considering how much Trump goes on and on about how we should respect it, you'd think he'd have the dignity to know the words, at the very least.

One of the perks of going to so many hockey games where both anthems are played and sung, I suppose

[WindFish]

You know, there should be a new rule that states that all Presidential candidates must be able to recite the national anthem and pass a citizenship test. I'd like to see how many of them could do it.

I'm fairly certain the "stable genius" could fail.

[WindFish]

*would fail. Damn lack of an edit button.

And not to brag, but our Prime Minister can perfectly recite our national anthem in English and French.