The Trump Administration: A Clusterfuck in the Making

[CalMeacham]

What prompted the Secretary of State to call Trump a ‘moron’

…

NBC News, which broke the “moron” story last week, moved the ball forward today.
*President Donald Trump said he wanted what amounted to a nearly tenfold increase in the U.S. nuclear arsenal during a gathering this past summer of the nation’s highest ranking national security leaders, according to three officials who were in the room.

Trump’s comments, the officials said, came in response to a briefing slide he was shown that charted the steady reduction of U.S. nuclear weapons since the late 1960s. Trump indicated he wanted a bigger stockpile, not the bottom position on that downward-sloping curve.*

According to the account, the president saw a slide that showed the size of the U.S. nuclear stockpile over the past seven decades. Trump saw the highest point on the chart – a half-century ago, the American stockpile was at 32,000 – and “told his team he wanted the U.S. to have that many now.”

Officials in the room then had to explain there are “legal and practical impediments” to such a move, which isn’t at all necessary anyway. The NBC report added, “Any increase in America’s nuclear arsenal would not only break with decades of U.S. nuclear doctrine but also violate international disarmament treaties signed by every president since Ronald Reagan.”

It’s tempting to explore what the point of such a build-up would be – it would serve no substantive purpose – but I think we all know that the president wasn’t thinking along these lines. Rather, Trump saw a higher number, and quickly assumed that more is better and fewer is worse. Other presidents had more, so he should have more. It’s roughly how a small child might respond to similar information.

Trump wanted vast increase to U.S. nuclear arsenal

Trump wanted dramatic increase in nuclear arsenal in military meeting

[Snowboarder_Bo]

Here’s some follow-up on that, Cal:

@Donald Trump

Fake @NBCNews made up a story that I wanted a “tenfold” increase in our U.S. nuclear arsenal. Pure fiction, made up to demean. NBC = CNN!

and

@Donald Trump

With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!

So now he’s actively threatening the media. Great. :rolleyes:

And the best part is, his threat reveals that he doesn’t actually understand how the FCC works. Cite:

Trump is apparently referencing the licenses granted to individual television stations by the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC does not license news organizations or television networks.

[jasg]

and now, Politico reports…

President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested that NBC’s broadcast license should be pulled as punishment after NBC News published a report stating that the president sought a dramatic increase in the nation’s nuclear arsenal.

[elucidator]

Is he focusing on the “tenfold” part? As if to say, “Yeah, I want to expand our nuclear arsenal, maybe five or six times what we got, but never said ten! Fuck news!”.

[running_coach]

@Snowboarder_Bo

Here’s some follow-up on that, Cal:andSo now he’s actively threatening the media. Great. :rolleyes:

And the best part is, his threat reveals that he doesn’t actually understand how the FCC works. Cite:

Is there anything beyond real estate swindles that moron understands?

[Procrustus]

@running_coach

Is there anything beyond real estate swindles that moron understands?

He understands that when you’re famous it’s easier to get away with pussy grabbing.

Other than that, I got nothing.

[Ambrosio_Spinola]

@running_coach

Is there anything beyond real estate swindles that moron understands?

I usually think it’s futile to compare various bad acts between people or hypotheticals of what people might have done. But in this case, I’m about 95% certain that if Sean Hannity had presented something critical about President Obama after 2010 and that Obama, in response, suggested pulling Fox News’ broadcast license, he would have been impeached by the Republican House of Representatives within 48 hours. And frankly I think it would have been right to do so. (Of course Obama would never have done such a thing since it’s an insane hypothetical.)

[Fiveyearlurker]

I’m picturing John Kelly frantically weaving through traffic to get to the White House, while he’s on speaker phone to find out if someone can knock the phone out of Trump’s hand. Head of the adult daycare center is a 24/7 gig.

[DesertDog]

@Snowboarder_Bo

So now he’s actively threatening the media. Great. :rolleyes:

Well, they keep interfering with his President for Life plans.

[k9bfriender]

@elucidator

Is he focusing on the “tenfold” part? As if to say, “Yeah, I want to expand our nuclear arsenal, maybe five or six times what we got, but never said ten! Fuck news!”.

We’re at around 4000, and we had 32,000, so that’s only an 8 fold increase, not a 10.

And if that is actually his point, I’ll eat my hat.

[Crybaby_Boobie]

@Fiveyearlurker

I’m picturing John Kelly frantically weaving through traffic to get to the White House, while he’s on speaker phone to find out if someone can knock the phone out of Trump’s hand. Head of the adult daycare center is a 24/7 gig.

I don’t know, the military has never really been a big fan of freedom of the press…

[Monty]

@Crybaby_Boobie

I don’t know, the military has never really been a big fan of freedom of the press…

How do you mean?

[Crybaby_Boobie]

They tend to be antagonistic at reporters reporting things?

[Monty]

@Crybaby_Boobie

They tend to be antagonistic at reporters reporting things?

Care to be specific, or is it more fun to toss out something that you think has the feel of truth?

[Ravenman]

@Crybaby_Boobie

I don’t know, the military has never really been a big fan of freedom of the press…

Interesting you say that…

Mattis to Generals: Start Talking to the Press

“On Friday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis instructed top commanders to speak to the media more freely, Defense One has learned.”

[Happy_Lendervedder]

B-Rabbit drops the mic, your turn Papa Dick!

[jsc1953]

@Fiveyearlurker

Apparently, the impetus for Tillerson’s calling Trump a moron was that Trump moronically demanded that the US increase it’s nuclear arsenal. Tenfold. This would have cost trillions of dollars, broken international treaties and not been, in any measurable way, useful.

In that case, Tillerson’s characterization of the President’s intellect (the 2-word, adjective + noun version) was spot on. Nailed it. Le mot juste. Pithy and eloquent.

[BigAppleBucky]

@jsc1953

In that case, Tillerson’s characterization of the President’s intellect (the 2-word, adjective + noun version) was spot on. Nailed it. Le mot juste. Pithy and eloquent.

The Great Orange Leader didn’t even know what the Nuclear triad was last year. But he’s totally confident in his opinions.

[ThelmaLou]

@k9bfriender

We’re at around 4000, and we had 32,000, so that’s only an 8 fold increase, not a 10.

And if that is actually his point, I’ll eat my hat.

Trump is not good with higher math.

[eschereal]

@DesertDog

Well, they keep interfering with his President for Life plans.

I can think of one way that those plans might be a net positive for America and the world.