The Donald Trump Score Card

Reports are saying Trump will relocate the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, a move that will inflame groups in the Mideast.

It looks like he will issue one more six-month waiver that will set aside time to prepare for the move. Recall that Trump issued a six-month waiver in June but didn't say much about his intentions at that time. Without the waivers, legislation that the U.S. Congress passed in the 1990's requires the embassy move to occur automatically. Every U.S. president since the 90's has issued waivers every six months to prevent the move.



U.S. to Recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital, Trump Says, Alarming Middle East Leaders
By MARK LANDLER and DAVID M. HALBFINGER
DEC. 5, 2017

U.S. to Recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital, Trump Says, Alarming Middle East Leaders

From the article:

"“King Abdullah stressed that the adoption of this resolution will have serious implications for security and stability in the Middle East, and will undermine the efforts of the American administration to resume the peace process and fuel the feelings of Muslims and Christians,” the statement said.

Few details of the conversation between Mr. Trump and Mr. Abbas were released, but a P.L.O. spokesman said that the call had given shape to the worst fears of Palestinians — that the United States would break with decades of practice and longstanding international consensus by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital."

 

Trump’s Jerusalem Decision Has No Upside
It ruins any chance of a peace plan, hurts Israel’s growing relationship with its Arab neighbors, and helps Iran.
By Isaac Chotiner
December 5, 2017

Trump’s Jerusalem Decision Has Absolutely No Foreign Policy or National Security Upside 

 

Actually, the city of Jerusalem is a part of Palestine under the 1947 partition. That is the official United Nations position on the matter. What Trump is doing is just getting around the UN and the UN Security Council. The move will only make things worse in the Middle East. I think Barak Obama told him to engage the brain first before running mouth?

 

Trump has a very bad case of diarrhea of the mouth and constipation of the brain.

 

Trump has nominated/appointed nearly 50 people to fill bureaucratic and agency positions in science related fields, when these Trump appointees do not have advanced degrees...no masters or PHD post-graduates.

 

Trump's mindset when it comes to science and engineering: I'm not going to let any eggheads push me around.

See the article below that summarizes the qualifications for Secretary of Energy who served for presidents before Trump. Then compare those people with Rick Perry who Trump picked who is summarized at the end of the article.

The link doesn't mention that when Perry was running for President he told people to go out and vote for him who were over 21 (he thought 21 was the voting age) and that he gave them the wrong date of the election. He also wasn't aware he would be in charge of the nuclear arsenal until someone at his confirmation hearing told him.


Here are the qualifications of all 13 people who served as Secretary of Energy before Rick Perry
Rafi Letzter
Dec. 22, 2016, 11:00 AM

Here are the qualifications of all 13 people who served as Secretary of Energy before Rick Perry

"Perry, Trump's pick to head the department, was a three-term governor of Texas who supported teaching "intelligent design" alongside evolution in public schools, holds a bachelor's degree in animal science from Texas A&M, and recently appeared on the 23rd season of "Dancing with the Stars." He was eliminated in the third week of competition, finishing in 12th place."

 

We have discussed the tactic before – for example, the Nazis wanted to demonise lefties so they used to purposely march in an area with large numbers of left wingers and goading them into a reaction when that violent reaction came they then blamed the left wing and portrayed ALL left wingers as violent thugs…and so they argued then it was alright even necessary to lock them up, beat them up and even kill them.


Ok do something provocative like move the US embassy to Jerusalem which many have warned will cause a reaction amongst many Muslims and then the unscrupulous who wanted to demonise Muslims could then use the violent reaction to say ALL Muslims are violent thugs….

 

I think a second reaction will also take place in the Middle East pursuant to the Trump recognition of Jerusalem as the capitol of Israel. I think the Muslim people will go after the "Guardians" of the Muslim places for doing nothing, or even being collaborators with the enemy. The Muslim people will turn on the Saudi Royals. This one has been simmering for a long time.

 

Oh it will be a great recruiting sergeant for Muslim fundamentalists and violent radicals but as i say is that the point....

 

Which point? The political correctness of the move, or the issue of rightful ownership of the land based on religious belief?

 

Casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson donated at least $35 million to Trump's presidential campaign. During the 2016 presidential campaign Trump accused Rubio of being a puppet of Adelson if he took Adelson's money. In the end, Trump took Adelson's money. Adelson is known for his staunch support of Netanyahu.


Adelson said to hail Trump as likely ‘best president for Israel ever’
Jewish billionaire casino magnate and staunch supporter of Netanyahu reportedly makes remark in front of Dick Cheney
By TOI staff
24 February 2017, 12:14 pm

Adelson said to hail Trump as likely ‘best president for Israel ever’

excerpts:

"Adelson did not commit to a candidate until May 2016. He endorsed Trump after it became apparent the real estate mogul would be the Republican nominee.

He subsequently donated tens of millions to Trump’s election campaign and to his inauguration; he and his wife were on the dais for Trump’s inaugural oath-taking, a rare honor for campaign funders."

"Adelson, 83, a staunch supporter of Netanyahu, is noted for his right-wing views. In November 2014, he told the Israeli American Council in Washington that “the Palestinians are an invented people” and that “the purpose of the existence of Palestinians is to destroy Israel.”"

 

In the wake of Trump's announcement, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is expressing interest in moving the Philippine embassy to Jerusalem.


Philippine, Czech Leaders Also Interested in Moving Embassies to Jerusalem, Report Says
Haaretz
Dec 06, 2017 4:59 PM

Philippine, Czech leaders also interested in moving embassies to Jerusalem, report says

 

The claim of attorney-client privilege because there was a lawyer on board is patently absurd. The privilege is between lawyer and client. Neither Trump nor his son is a lawyer, and cannot claim privilege about communications with each other. For the committee to let this pass shows what a partisan farce it is. Trump Jr invents a 'privilege' to avoid Russia scandal questions

 

What's the difference between The Grimace and Donald Trump?

One is an over-grown, dumpy, stupid character on TV. The other is a mascot for McDonald's.


TV commercial from 2002.

 

The Trump team is making up excuses as it goes along. The crown jewel is the claim that Trump can't be guilty of obstruction of justice simply because he is the president. That claim makes everything moot.

 

Donald Trump Jr.’s brazen claim of attorney-client privilege suggests Trump team desperation — again
By Aaron Blake
December 7 at 1:04 PM

Analysis | Donald Trump Jr.’s brazen claim of attorney-client privilege suggests Trump team desperation — again

"Perhaps the biggest takeaway here is that Trump Jr. even sought to make the claim. It's certainly not an admission of guilt or anything like that, but during a week in which the Trump legal team made a big stretch by arguing that a president can't legally obstruct justice, reaching for an attorney-client protection in this case suggests they aren't exactly fighting from a position of legal strength here. They are now both a) trying to knock down the idea that one of two major pillars of the Russia investigation -- one being obstruction and the other being collusion -- would even be a crime and b) floating the possibility of invoking an attorney-client privilege that legal experts say simply doesn't exist.

In the latter case, the reason Trump Jr. wouldn't want to dish is pretty clear: The Washington Post reported in late July that the president had dictated Trump Jr.'s misleading response to reports about the Trump Tower meeting. Trump's advisers admitted anonymously that it was a serious misstep that risked implicating the president in an appearance of a coverup."