# Kim Jong Trump fills the swamp **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 3, 2017, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285 "2017-03-03T13:22:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2017, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/1 "2017-03-03T13:22:17Z")
With Jeff Sessions we now see that draining the swamp is definitely not part of Trump’s agenda. This crony has deliberately lied to congress about his activities with the Russian government during the campaign. There is no doubt that an attorney, US Senator, former US Attorney, former Attorney General of Alabama, not to mention someone who claimed to be qualified to be Attorney General of the United States was well aware of the content and import of his confirmation hearing statements. No ordinary citizen would be able to excuse such action by saying “I didn’t realize they wanted me to tell the truth”. I assume next he will claim he and the Russian ambassador were just talking about their grandchildren. This is the swamp, privilege within the government to break the law with impunity citing ridiculous technicalities to allow such dishonesty. Any ordinary citizen would be prosecuted and convicted for such actions, Sessions must be held to the highest standard in this matter. This is not a partisan issue either, every single member of the US government from either party must come forward and reveal their contacts with the Russian government. There is no excuse for such collusion with an enemy of the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2017, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/2 "2017-03-03T13:37:26Z")
But he drained it of those swamp critter liberal elites who knew what they were doing. Trump voters have to take their victories where they find them. ---
**Author:** ![Taegn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@Taegn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taegn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/3 "2017-03-11T12:21:18Z")
Kim Jong Trump xD ---
**Author:** ![ckalli1998](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a3d4f5/32.png) [@ckalli1998](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ckalli1998)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/4 "2017-03-11T13:06:50Z")
As a Trump supporter, I will say he has most certainly drained the swamp. A lot of the people he appointed are shrewd, know-how businessmen and businesswomen, such as Rex Tillerson, Steve Mnuchin, Linda McMahon, etc. who haven’t served in the swampy, Washington, D.C. and are going to bring a clean slate to the government. Mr. Trump has also instituted a five-year lobbying ban for people who leave his administration from lobbying, and an indefinite ban for lobbying the United States on behalf of foreign governments.🆒 He has, of course, appointed establishment figures such as Jeff Sessions, Mick Mulvaney, etc. If you want to drain the swamp, you’ll need people who have experience and have been in the trenches. So yes, he has indeed kept his promise.😃 ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/5 "2017-03-11T13:09:55Z")
You’ve got to fill the paddy field before you drain the paddy field before you … wait. He needs these experts because no one knew politics could be this complicated. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/6 "2017-03-11T13:32:18Z")
> [@ckalli1998](#): > > Mr. Trump has also instituted a five-year lobbying ban for people who leave his administration from lobbying, and an indefinite ban for lobbying the United States on behalf of foreign governments.🆒 Of course, there’s no Trump ban on lobbying for a foreign government while campaigning or while _holding_ an (appointed) office… ---
**Author:** ![ckalli1998](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a3d4f5/32.png) [@ckalli1998](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ckalli1998)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/7 "2017-03-11T13:44:06Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Of course, there’s no Trump ban on lobbying for a foreign government while campaigning or while _holding_ an (appointed) office… Michael Flynn was rightfully fired by Trump after lying to the Vice President, and Trump didn’t know about his extracurricular activities lobbying on behalf of the Turkish government, because he refused to file a disclosure form. That falls on Flynn, which is why he was let go. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/8 "2017-03-11T13:56:11Z")
> [@ckalli1998](#): > > Michael Flynn was rightfully fired by Trump after lying to the Vice President, Michael Flynn was not fired. > [@ckalli1998](#): > > and Trump didn’t know about his extracurricular activities lobbying on behalf of the Turkish government, because he refused to file a disclosure form. That falls on Flynn, which is why he was let go. Cite that Michael Flynn “refused to file a disclosure form”? And again, Michael Flynn was not “let go”. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/9 "2017-03-11T14:04:36Z")
> [@ckalli1998](#): > > As a Trump supporter, I will say he has most certainly drained the swamp This really made me laugh. Trump is probably the most corrupt and unethical president for many generations. > [@](#): > > He is violating the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which prohibits government officials from accepting profits, gifts and other things of value from foreign governments without approval from Congress. Yet, businesses owned by Mr. Trump are making a mint from the governments of other countries and not even notifying lawmakers. > > Foreign diplomats are flocking to his Washington hotel, down the street from the White House, to spend money and curry favor with the administration. The president continues to rent space in Trump Tower to a Chinese government-owned bank and an agency of Abu Dhabi. > > Regulators in China, a market that Mr. Trump has long sought to break into, just gave his business 38 valuable trademarks in a process that was unusually speedy for a trademark application. To make matters — or at the very least appearances — worse, this occurred after Mr. Trump toned down his harsh talk toward Beijing. > > How can Americans trust that policy has been unaffected by profits, when Mr. Trump’s travel ban did not affect any of the countries where he has business interests? Possible conflicts are everywhere. Mr. Trump recently directed the Environmental Protection Agency to roll back regulations that are intended to protect drinking water supplies from pollution and runoff — a move that will benefit his golf courses. > > It is clear what Mr. Trump needs to do: sell his businesses and put the proceeds in a blind trust overseen by independent managers. But he has refused and says he has addressed the problem by handing control of his companies to his sons. That arrangement is a sham. He still owns his businesses and his family is hardly independent of him. > > Regrettably, the Republicans who control Congress have decided they have no obligation to hold presidents of their own party accountable. Despite repeated requests by Democrats, they have shown little interest in investigating Mr. Trump’s business interests when there are compelling reasons to do so. Just this week, The New Yorker reported that Mr. Trump licensed his name to a hotel and residential tower being developed by a political family in Azerbaijan that has close ties to an Iranian group linked to that country’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. > > From the [NYT](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/10/opinion/sue-while-the-conflicts-are-hot.html?ref=opinion) Not mention that all Trump’s policies, contrary to everything he has been saying, are designed to screw people like his supporters, and to enrich billionaires even further. “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled." - Mark Twain That’s certainly true of Trump supporters. ---
**Author:** ![ckalli1998](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a3d4f5/32.png) [@ckalli1998](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ckalli1998)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/10 "2017-03-11T14:29:58Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Michael Flynn was not fired. Yes, he was. Trump asked him to resign, which is the same as being fired. It’s not like Flynn had any choice in the matter. Statements on the matter by administration officials, and by Pence, make it clear that Flynn was fired, not that he resigned of his own volition. Maybe if you got your head out of your liberal ass and read a newspaper report you would know this:[[Trump transition knew Flynn might need to register as foreign agent; White House says Trump was unaware](http://www.chicagotribune.com/g00/news/nationworld/ct-flynn-turkey-foreign-agent-trump-20170310-story.html?i10c.referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F): Flynn’s registration this week with the Justice Department disclosed lobbying by him and his firm that may have benefited the government of Turkey. **Trump fired Flynn last month on other grounds** — that he misled Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials about his conversations with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. Flynn’s registration comes amid intense scrutiny over his and other Trump associates’ potential contacts with Russia. The FBI is investigating, as are House and Senate intelligence committees. From the Chicago Tribune, a very reputable newspaper. ---
**Author:** ![ckalli1998](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a3d4f5/32.png) [@ckalli1998](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ckalli1998)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/11 "2017-03-11T14:32:41Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > This really made me laugh. > > Trump is probably the most corrupt and unethical president for many generations. > > Not mention that all Trump’s policies, contrary to everything he has been saying, are designed to screw people like his supporters, and to enrich billionaires even further. Bullshit. Over 235,000 jobs created in February. Coal workers who were overwhelmingly Trump supporters have not been “screwed” by his pro-coal, anti-big government policies, which have included the repealing of a misguided coal-stream restriction rule that would have cost tens of thousands of jobs. What that did was in fact give hardworking Americans in the coal industry a well-needed economic break. It was what he promised during the campaign, and is not “contrary to everything he has been saying.” On the other hand, Hillary Clinton promised during the campaign she would put a lot of coal companies and miners “out of business.” Should they have voted for her instead? Fucking liberal dumbass. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/12 "2017-03-11T14:42:06Z")
> [@ckalli1998](#): > > Bullshit. Over 235,000 jobs created in February. Coal workers who were overwhelmingly Trump supporters have not been “screwed” by his pro-coal, anti-big government policies, which have included the repealing of a misguided coal-stream restriction rule that would have cost tens of thousands of jobs. What that did was in fact give hardworking Americans in the coal industry a well-needed economic break. It was what he promised during the campaign, and is not “contrary to everything he has been saying.” > > On the other hand, Hillary Clinton promised during the campaign she would put a lot of coal companies and miners “out of business.” Should they have voted for her instead? > > Fucking liberal dumbass. [And here’s her _full_ quote.](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/may/10/context-hillary-clintons-comments-about-coal-jobs/) > [@](#): > > So for example, I’m the only candidate which has a policy about how to bring economic opportunity using clean renewable energy as the key into coal country. Because we’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business, right? > > And we’re going to make it clear that we don’t want to forget those people. Those people labored in those mines for generations, losing their health, often losing their lives to turn on our lights and power our factories. > > Now we’ve got to move away from coal and all the other fossil fuels, but I don’t want to move away from the people who did the best they could to produce the energy that we relied on. Try doing some research rather than just swallowing what Trump feeds you. And that applies to all politicians. Don’t go by sound bites. Look for the full quote and the context. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/13 "2017-03-11T14:47:05Z")
> [@ckalli1998](#): > > Bullshit. Over 235,000 jobs created in February. Coal workers who were overwhelmingly Trump supporters have not been “screwed” by his pro-coal, anti-big government policies, which have included the repealing of a misguided coal-stream restriction rule that would have cost tens of thousands of jobs. What that did was in fact give hardworking Americans in the coal industry a well-needed economic break. It was what he promised during the campaign, and is not “contrary to everything he has been saying.” > > On the other hand, Hillary Clinton promised during the campaign she would put a lot of coal companies and miners “out of business.” Should they have voted for her instead? > > Fucking liberal dumbass. ckalli, Welcome to the SDMB. I hope you’ll enjoy your stay. Unfortunately, we are not like most of the Internet. Insults of other posters are not allowed here except in the forum entitled ‘The BBQ Pit’. There you may insult - within certain guidelines - to your hearts content. Because you’re new here, I’m not going to issue a warning for your post. Rather, I’m going to encourage you to read the rules of the SDMB and get to know the place. We think we have something special here. Again, I hope you enjoy your stay and hand around for a while. ---
**Author:** ![ckalli1998](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a3d4f5/32.png) [@ckalli1998](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ckalli1998)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/14 "2017-03-11T14:47:16Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [And here’s her _full_ quote.](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/may/10/context-hillary-clintons-comments-about-coal-jobs/) > > Try doing some research rather than just swallowing what Trump feeds you. > And that applies to all politicians. Don’t go by sound bites. Look for the full quote and the context. I’ve long been aware of the full quote, and the full quote doesn’t diminish the awfulness of it. She was essentially pushing a dream land that yes, I am going to destroy the coal industry and all of those darned “polluters” and put middle-class coal workers out of a job to appease radical environmentalists, but don’t worry because I’m magically going to introduce a new green and clean energy industry where all those workers would be able to move into. It was a fantastical goal that had no chance of becoming a reality; there was no way for those workers to transition like that, considering how low the economy is, how long it would take to re-train tens of thousands of workers who have spent most of their lives working coal mines, etc. Her “federal backstop” was a dud. ---
**Author:** ![ckalli1998](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a3d4f5/32.png) [@ckalli1998](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ckalli1998)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/15 "2017-03-11T14:50:00Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > ckalli, > > Welcome to the SDMB. I hope you’ll enjoy your stay. > > Unfortunately, we are not like most of the Internet. Insults of other posters are not allowed here except in the forum entitled ‘The BBQ Pit’. There you may insult - within certain guidelines - to your hearts content. > > Because you’re new here, I’m not going to issue a warning for your post. Rather, I’m going to encourage you to read the rules of the SDMB and get to know the place. We think we have something special here. > > Again, I hope you enjoy your stay and hand around for a while. Alright, I will follow the civility guidelines ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/16 "2017-03-11T14:54:17Z")
> [@ckalli1998](#): > > Yes, he was. Trump asked him to resign, which is the same as being fired. It’s not like Flynn had any choice in the matter. Statements on the matter by administration officials, and by Pence, make it clear that Flynn was fired, not that he resigned of his own volition. No, resigning is not the same as being fired. The end result (not having a job) is the same, but they are two different paths. No matter how much you try and claim the two are the same, they won’t be. ---
**Author:** ![ckalli1998](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a3d4f5/32.png) [@ckalli1998](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ckalli1998)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/17 "2017-03-11T14:57:17Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > No, resigning is not the same as being fired. The end result (not having a job) is the same, but they are two different paths. No matter how much you try and claim the two are the same, they won’t be. It is in this case, Mr. Flynn didn’t choose to resign of his own volition, Mr. Trump asked him to resign, and it’s not like he could say no. The other choice would be to be unceremoniously sacked by Trump with no resignation letter. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/18 "2017-03-11T15:01:19Z")
> [@ckalli1998](#): > > Over 235,000 jobs created in February. All credit to Obama, then. The effect of his policies are continuing, and Trump’s have yet to take effect. > [@ckalli1998](#): > > Coal workers who were overwhelmingly Trump supporters have not been “screwed” by his pro-coal, anti-big government policies, which have included the repealing of a misguided coal-stream restriction rule that would have cost tens of thousands of jobs. “Let’s destroy all the weaving machines as Mr Ludd says, otherwise all the weavers who work at home with hand looms will lose their jobs.” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/19 "2017-03-11T15:07:37Z")
> [@ckalli1998](#): > > I’ve long been aware of the full quote, and the full quote doesn’t diminish the awfulness of it. She was essentially pushing a dream land that yes, I am going to destroy the coal industry and all of those darned “polluters” and put middle-class coal workers out of a job to appease radical environmentalists, but don’t worry because I’m magically going to introduce a new green and clean energy industry where all those workers would be able to move into. It was a fantastical goal that had no chance of becoming a reality; there was no way for those workers to transition like that, considering how low the economy is, how long it would take to re-train tens of thousands of workers who have spent most of their lives working coal mines, etc. **Her “federal backstop” was a dud.** Since it was never implemented, how can you judge it’s effectiveness? As has been pointed out to you several times, the use of natural gas is a far bigger threat to coal than any regulations. Regulations that improve the safety and health of coal miners. You actually object to that? Coal is a dying industry. The time to ease it out and start retraining the younger miners for a different job/career is now. Maybe older miners should be “pensioned off”, paid by the government. Waiting for the industry to collapse before doing anything will be far more expensive. Unless you follow the Republican plan of blame the workers and turn your back. ---
**Author:** ![ckalli1998](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a3d4f5/32.png) [@ckalli1998](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ckalli1998)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285/20 "2017-03-11T15:07:45Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > All credit to Obama, then. The effect of his policies are continuing, and Trump’s have yet to take effect. Nope. The economy clearly slumped under Obama, had the slowest growth since the damn 1940s, not to mention he never presided over a single year of 3% GDP growth. There’s no evidence Obama had anything to do with those jobs created. There is evidence, however, that Obamacare killed thousands of jobs because businessmen laid off people since they couldn’t afford to give their employees insurance because of the costs. There is plenty of evidence that Trump’s economic message and policies implemented so far have plenty do with it, as seen by the Trump rally on the stock market and Dow Jones highs, the many business owners who are much more comfortable with the economic environment he’s created, etc etc. To top it off, there were also 40% less illegal border crossings at the Southern Border in the month of February than in January, no doubt a result of Trump’s fierce pro-American, anti-illegal alien rhetoric. Or are you seriously going to say that the pro-amnesty Obama is responsible for less illegals coming here, which would be absurd seeing as how he relentlessly–and at times unconstitutionally–tried to shove amnesty legislation through? Nice try. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-jong-trump-fills-the-swamp/781285.md?page=2)