# One great thing about the Trump presidency **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [May 1, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766 "2025-05-01T18:53:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2025, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/41 "2025-05-18T19:17:41Z")
The only ‘good’ thing about the Trump presidency is that the rest of the world is standing up to him. The democrats are run by pushovers like Schumer and Jeffries, but luckily the world is coming together to reject america while we are acting like this. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/42 "2025-05-19T02:01:55Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > I think this underestimates how siesmic a change a really serious economic downturn would be, most especially one that is so clearly caused by the Trump/Musk DOGE tarriff clusterf\_ck. There is a tipping point where the old Fox/Newsmax tricks don’t work anymore (they didn’t in 2008 or 2020 and Trump/Musk seem intent on forcing us into a much worse economic crisis than either of those, and seem much less likely to navigate out of it) Yes, but as I said, the path forward for the Republicans involves them turning on Trump and Musk - and then basking in the public approval that would result. People would ignore the fact that the Republicans were the ones who put Trump and Musk in power and they were the ones who stood by while Trump and Musk abused the power the Republicans gave them. By stabbing Trump and Musk in the back, the Republicans get to have it both ways. They benefit from all the things they could do while Trump and Musk were around and then afterwards they would benefit from switching sides. And Fox and the rest of the right win media will be happy to go along with this. “Trump? Never liked the man. Thank god for the Republicans who stood up to him and saved America.” > [@griffin1977](#): > > But the world where Trump/Musk don’t get to destroy America ceased to exist on November 5th 2024, it now only exists in imaginary counterfactuals. I’m not sure what it was I wrote that you’re responding to here. I was certainly not implying that we should look towards some imaginary world where Trump wasn’t elected. I was looking back to historical examples for signs of what might happen in the future. And the signs are bleak. In most cases, the aftermath of a major economic collapse is the establishment of a harsh dictatorship. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/43 "2025-05-19T02:06:01Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > The only ‘good’ thing about the Trump presidency is that the rest of the world is standing up to him. The democrats are run by pushovers like Schumer and Jeffries, but luckily the world is coming together to reject america while we are acting like this. The problem is the alternatives are not good. Because let’s face reality; Canada or Sweden are not going to be the nations that replace the United States in the world arena. The choice is going to be between following an incompetent wannabee dictator or a couple of competent dictators. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/44 "2025-05-19T02:16:32Z")
This is true. Sadly China is the world’s new superpower and say what you want about the US, but China’s indifference to human rights in foreign relations is even worse than the US’s. The US at least tried to promote human rights and democracy in certain situations. China does not. I would hope that all the other western, developed nations would come together to lead the world (NATO w/o the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan) to lead the world and promote democracy and human rights, but I don’t know if that’ll happen. Putin and Russia was never going to be a world leader. They’re a regional power. Their main power is undermining democracy in the west with psyops. Their military can’t stand up to 50 billion a year in donated NATO military equipment that was designed and made decades ago. ---
**Author:** ![MacDoc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/macdoc/32/18696_2.png) [@MacDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacDoc)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/45 "2025-05-19T02:32:30Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Canada or Sweden are not going to be the nations that replace the United States in the world arena. Canada won’t/can’t but Europe can/will. Canada is happily a NATO member. I also do not consider China a dictatorship. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/46 "2025-05-19T02:33:41Z")
> [@MacDoc](#): > > I also do not consider China a dictatorship. Why not? ---
**Author:** ![MacDoc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/macdoc/32/18696_2.png) [@MacDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacDoc)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/47 "2025-05-19T02:49:44Z")
He’s the head of a ruling triumvirate and subject to the will of the Chinese Communist Party. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/48 "2025-05-19T03:50:55Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Yes, but as I said, the path forward for the Republicans involves them turning on Trump and Musk - and then basking in the public approval that would result. Meh I don’t see it. I mean they will “turn on Trump” when the economy goes south but only using patented and super effective “Susan Collins technique”, Where they issue the occasional expression of concern but never do anything (like voting against his policies) that might actually stop him doing whatever he wants No one can predict how this is going to turn out. But I’d put the odds of the cold hand of the grim reaper stopping Trump from being POTUS in November 2028 far higher than any action by the GOP. After 2028 (assuming things go as well for America under the second Trump administration as they appear to be) of course they will attempt an act of collective amnesia that would make Orwell’s ministry of truth blush. But whether they succeed (again) will be up to the.democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/49 "2025-05-19T04:04:35Z")
But you’re also arguing that Trump is going to be such a disaster that he will lose public support. So are you saying that the rest of the Republican party will see this happening but will choose to go down alongside Trump because he’s their leader and they’re going to stand by him? Are you arguing that the Republican party will act on principles? Because if so, I’ll ask where you’ve been for the last forty years. Personally, I’m certain that the rest of the Republican party will abandon any loyalty, feigned or otherwise, they have to Trump the second that loyalty becomes a disadvantage to themselves. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/50 "2025-05-19T04:16:45Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > So are you saying that the rest of the Republican party will see this happening but will choose to go down alongside No I’m saying they will attempt to separate themselves from Trump. To that end they will issue some very pointed statements distancing themselves from Trump, maybe politely ask him not to come to their campaign rallies. They will do nothing that will seriously risk the ire of Trump (who remember is now in complete control of the GOP and it’s campaign funds). They absolutely will not have the guts to attempt get Trump to stand down or do anything (behind words of concern) to oppose his policies. The whole “distancing yourself from the head of your party and POTUS, in order to get reelected” trick is a hard one to pull off under any president. But under Trump who’s whole campaign and presidency is built on loyalty to him and him alone, not the party, it’s next to impossible. Also why would they try and get Trump to step down (or oust him) before the end of his term? That would just mean losing the support of the hardcore minority of MAGAts who will support Trump (and Trump alone) no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/51 "2025-05-19T21:16:38Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Collectively they seem to be dead set on overturning the old adage that in America “the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.” Seriously they seem to be doing their best to make ordinary working class Americans see billionaires as entitled scumbags who are responsible for their terrible personal economic outlook, rather than bootstrap-y geniuses who should be aspired to. It’s a very good point! Even if we ignore his many destructive and criminal activities for the moment, Musk’s strutting around like a drug-addled dumb fucking cock is doing immense damage to the collective billionaire brand. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/52 "2025-05-19T21:51:32Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Yes, but as I said, the path forward for the Republicans involves them turning on Trump and Musk - and then basking in the public approval that would result. I think this is a very astute observation, and I agree that it would be their best, perhaps only possible strategy going forward, but it’s not clear that it will work. > [@](#): > > People would ignore the fact that the Republicans were the ones who put Trump and Musk in power and they were the ones who stood by while Trump and Musk abused the power the Republicans gave them. It depends on how well the GOP “leadership” and Fox talking heads can do their moron-whispering, of which Trump has been the ultimate practitioner. Plus, unless Trump is dead, he will be screeching all the while like a badger with its ass cut off. Even if he is not, there will remain a rump pro-Trump faction in the GOP, since some will be too connected to him to deny him (Vance, MTG, etc.), and they will be fighting for their own survival. Plus, a significant percentage of the deplorables will never abandon their Orange Christ, no matter what. Whether the Fascist Party tries to remain MAGA and find a successor to Trump or turns on him, it’s going to be a mess. > [@](#): > > By stabbing Trump and Musk in the back, the Republicans get to have it both ways. They benefit from all the things they could do while Trump and Musk were around and then afterwards they would benefit from switching sides. The Republicans were very smart in 1974 to ditch Nixon and get him out of government. They could say, with some legitimacy, “We did the right thing.” They can’t do that now. Anyone who supported Trump after 1/6/2021, who engaged in election denial, etc., is irrevocably tainted and can be called out for it until they leave politics. Just having been in the GOP during the Trump era will be a stain: “Why did you tolerate and endorse this man?” > [@](#): > > And Fox and the rest of the right win media will be happy to go along with this. “Trump? Never liked the man. Thank god for the Republicans who stood up to him and saved America.” They will try and partially succeed. I just don’t think it will be enough. Add in the fact that there is no one in the GOP who’s got the stuff to take up the mantle of MAGA, and I think the GOP is cooked going forward. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/53 "2025-05-21T22:21:57Z")
There is nothing good, and certainly not great about the Trump presidency. Even if MAGATs saw the light, and Republicans did a 180, you can NOT unbake this cake. The world has seen just how nasty and completely senseless we can be. It will take decades to turn this mess around. If it’s even possible. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/54 "2025-05-21T22:52:10Z")
Yeah. Once somebody smashes something with a hammer or sets it on fire, you can’t just step in afterwards and reverse the damage. Fixing things is more diffuclt than breaking them, and sometimes impossible. Even if the Democrats are ever allowed back it power, we’ll _never_ get back to where we were before Trump, and it would take decades to even fix what can be fixed. And that’s assuming the Republicans didn’t get back in and tear everything down all over again. You can’t fix a building while other people are smashing the walls with sledgehammers every time you take a rest. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/55 "2025-05-27T03:40:00Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Even if the Democrats are ever allowed back it power, we’ll _never_ get back to where we were before Trump, and it would take decades to even fix what can be fixed. I don’t think that’s the lesson that history teaches. Germany and Japan were blown to fuck in WWII and were soon buzzing along in the 1950s, becoming major economic powers before long. We also don’t _want_ to get back to where we were before Trump. We need a revolution to get this country where it needs to be. The old template is a dead man walking. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/56 "2025-05-27T03:54:03Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > I don’t think that’s the lesson that history teaches. Germany and Japan were blown to fuck in WWII and were soon buzzing along in the 1950s, becoming major economic powers before long. Pre-Trump circumstances were a leftover artifact of the US building the world political/economic system around itself as the only really intact major power post-WWII. A historically unique situation that doesn’t apply anymore, future America won’t be able to write on a blank slate like that again. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/57 "2025-05-27T04:03:33Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > They will try and partially succeed. I just don’t think it will be enough. Add in the fact that there is no one in the GOP who’s got the stuff to take up the mantle of MAGA, and I think the GOP is cooked going forward. Trump’s the only one who needs the magas. Most Republicans are smart enough to hide their evil and they can appeal to voters who aren’t complete morons. And most Republicans are smart enough to hide their crimes and don’t need the kind of protection that Trump needs. The magas will go back to be marginalized losers who have no effect on politics. So when Trump has a stroke and dies, the Republicans won’t become angels. They’ll just go back to the level of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, and Dan Quayle - but having experienced Trump, many people will accept that level of Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/58 "2025-05-27T04:12:34Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > I don’t think that’s the lesson that history teaches. Germany and Japan were blown to fuck in WWII and were soon buzzing along in the 1950s, becoming major economic powers before long. But we’re talking politics not economics. I’ve said before that the historical precedent the Republicans have as their goal is the “Solid South” when one party (in this case conservative Democrats) had a monopoly on political power that spread across several states. Their control of government bureaucracy meant they could decide who got elected and their control of elected offices meant they could decide who staffed government bureaucracy. It was a system that was only broken up when the federal government, that was outside of the system, stepped in. The Republicans want to revive this kind of one-party monopoly but this time at the national level so there won’t be a higher power that can stop them once they’re in place. After that, there will still be elections and even some Democrats - but the Republicans will always be in charge. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/59 "2025-05-27T04:18:48Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Trump’s the only one who needs the magas. Most Republicans are smart enough to hide their evil and they can appeal to voters who aren’t complete morons. And most Republicans are smart enough to hide their crimes and don’t need the kind of protection that Trump needs. The magas will go back to be marginalized losers who have no effect on politics. The MAGAs _are_ the party. They’ve eaten the Republicans from the inside; Trump just displaced the Old Guard remnant at the top. The base, the people who actually run the party are MAGA and have been for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766/60 "2025-05-27T04:24:12Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The MAGAs _are_ the party. They’ve eaten the Republicans from the inside; Trump just displaced the Old Guard remnant at the top. The base, the people who actually run the party are MAGA and have been for a while Just because the magas are loud and visible doesn’t mean they’re in charge. If the magas were running the Republican party, there wouldn’t be a problem. They’re idiots. No, the people who run the Republican party are businessmen in suits. They’ll use the magas just like they’ve used conservative Christians or anti-communist zealots. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-great-thing-about-the-trump-presidency/1017766.md?page=4)