What? This makes no sense. It was illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation and Trump is trying to make it so that it is legal to discriminate based on sexual orientation.

If Trump thinks it's better for people to be allowed to discriminate based on sexual orientation than for there to be regulations that protect LGB people from discrimination then Trump isn't LGB-friendly. It's absurd to claim otherwise.

It makes complete sense. He’s cutting red tape. That specific EO awards contracts to only to companies that have LGBT protections, and discriminated against those that don’t. It’s not about allowing people to discriminate, but ending government discrimination.

It’s not about allowing people to discriminate, but ending government discrimination. — NOS4A2

This is laughable. Trump wants to allow LGBT discrimination. He isn’t LGBT friendly. You’re delusional to think otherwise, if you aren’t just knowingly gaslighting.

Right, you know what Trump wants. Then why can’t you quote him expressing such sentiment? Because you are referring to fantasy.

We don't need to look at ancient history, unfortunately. All of Trumps meddling with foreign trade, damaging American industries and raising prices for consumers, and the trade deficit is still higher than it was under the Obama administration. — praxis

The trade deficit is almost irrelevant in comparison to capital flows. You can have a perpetual trade deficit as long as it's funded by foreign direct investment.

For whatever reason, Trump made a campaign promise to reduce the trade deficit.

Right, you know what Trump wants. Then why can’t you quote him expressing such sentiment? Because you are referring to fantasy. — NOS4A2

Suddenly, his words matter again.

Suddenly, his words matter again. — Echarmion

Yes, well spotted. His earlier remarks are so absurd that he can't help but slip back into contradiction. Of course, the sensible thing to do in this situation would be for him to concede and withdraw his earlier remarks, but I somehow doubt that that's what he'll do.

Stop. Feeding. The. Troll.

Suddenly, his words matter again.

I was talking about your assumptions regarding trump’s states of mind. I was talking about your fantasizing.

Stop. Feeding. The. Troll. — Benkei

He's like a pet.

Let’s check on the outrages of the day.

Uh oh, Trump said something that ran afoul of Washington political correctness. Apparently he wasn’t as precise as they wish he was.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/08/23/trump-el-paso-hospital-doctors-operating-rooms/

Trump, chosen by millions of people to lead the country, calls himself “the chosen one”. The press believes he thinks he was chosen by god, even if he says he was chosen by “people” shortly after.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2019/aug/22/trump-says-he-is-the-chosen-one-to-take-on-china-video

Stop. Feeding. The. Troll. — Benkei

Treats are given to performing monkeys so that they continue to entertain us.

He's like a pet. — frank

Poor pup has an Elizabethan collar. So he can’t lick his wounds, I imagine.

That was actually a good one. I was getting worried that the people here were not only humorless, but poor at insults.

Poor pup has an Elizabethan collar. So he can’t lick his wounds, I imagine. — praxis

Makes for poor peripheral vision, thus the banging into walls.

Makes for poor peripheral vision, thus the banging into walls.

Meh, not so great. That’s a shame because the bar isn’t really that high.

It's kind of adorable how hard he tries.

Part of a Trump tweet today, “Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China.”

Dementia or a bad joke? Either way, it's not a good sign.

Which would explain:

A huge downward correction is coming anyway. This is just a taste. Six months max and we're back down in the 20,000 zone or worse.

Six months max and we're back down in the 20,000 zone or worse. — Baden

How about Oct. 29?

An online comment on the NY Times by 'Deirdre':

You would almost think that Donald Trump is working to destroy the US through inciting violence, draining the treasury through tax breaks, insulting allies, defunding/dismantling federal agencies, firing experienced bureaucrats and allowing more pollution.

There is no way this guy is on our side and it’s way past time to hold a Republicans accountable for not doing anything to stop him.

The comment has many responses, mostly in agreement (although it's a truism that NYT readership is overwhelmingly anti-Trump.) But, brings the point into sharp focus: this President is endangering the nation, the economy, the environment, and global stability. And 90% of Republicans think he's doing a 'great job'. How is this possible? Is it something in the water? And when are some responsible Republicans - surely there are some? - going to step up and say what the whole world is seeing: unfit to lead.

His earlier remarks are so absurd that he can't help but slip back into contradiction. — S

Unfortunately this is now normal political discourse. One cannot fruitfully engage with people who do not care about self-contradiction. One has to recognise that the time for talking and listening has ended.

Unfortunately this is now normal political discourse. One cannot fruitfully engage with people who do not care about self-contradiction. One has to recognise that the time for talking and listening has ended. — unenlightened

Sadly I think that that's true. Hopefully at the next opportunity there will be a change from Trump-Johnson to Bernie-Corbyn.

His earlier remarks are so absurd that he can't help but slip back into contradiction — S

This is a feature, not a bug. It enables Trump supporters to hear whatever they want to hear. You want gun background checks? You don't want background checks? No problem: there's Trump comments supporting both sides of this. It's a buffet of words: pick our what you like, and ignore the rest.

This is a feature, not a bug. It enables Trump supporters to hear whatever they want to hear. You want gun background checks? You don't want background checks? No problem: there's Trump comments supporting both sides of this. It's a buffet of words: pick our what you like, and ignore the rest.

Imagine a president bending to the will of the people he governs. The thought is almost unthinkable.

This is a feature, not a bug. It enables Trump supporters to hear whatever they want to hear. You want gun background checks? You don't want background checks? No problem: there's Trump comments supporting both sides of this. It's a buffet of words: pick our what you like, and ignore the rest.


Imagine a president bending to the will of the people he governs. The thought is almost unthinkable. — NOS4A2

You're idealizing a non-existent scenario. The people do not have a single will. The phenomenon I identified is of individuals inferring from his words that the president is bending to THEIR will, while those with the opposite opinion feeling he is bending to their will. Why don't contradictions matter to you guys?

You're idealizing a non-existent scenario. The people do not have a single will. The phenomenon I identified is of individuals inferring from his words that the president is bending to THEIR will, while those with the opposite opinion feeling he is bending to their will. Why don't contradictions matter to you guys?

He’s hearing countless arguments from countless advisors and opponents, supporters and antitrumpissts alike. Perhaps he is taking account of both sides. I don’t see the contradiction in entertaining opposing arguments.

He’s hearing countless arguments from countless advisors and opponents, supporters and antitrumpissts alike. Perhaps he is taking account of both sides. I don’t see the contradiction in entertaining opposing arguments. — NOS4A2

If you listen to everything he says carefully, you can perhaps see his opinion evolving. There's nothing wrong with that in principle, but he does tend to make declarations that he will do X, and later change his mind and declare he's going to do Y. How do you know when he'll really do what he says he'll do, since he changes his mind so much? This also suggests that his initial declaration were not the product of sound deliberation. Where's that $2B of infrastructure money? Where's that fantastic health care plan?

Not everyone listens to him that carefully. They may not notice his shifting positions, but when they hear what they want to hear - they remember this. When he doesn't say what they want to hear, they either ignore it or assume that since he's so brilliant, he'll eventually come around to do what they think is right.

Couple this with his rhetorical hypocrisy: he's simultaneously on both sides of a moral principle. Pleading the 5th implies there's something to hide when it's a political enemy, but when he's called upon to provide information, he's unwilling or secretive. He casts direct insults on political opponents and even on foreign allies, but he can't take even a negative reaction to some ridiculous idea he had (buying Greenland). Trump's diehard fans forgive all this - they don't judge actions and words on principle, they judge on whether you're with him or against him.

People thought the purchase of Alaska was stupid. The Danes sold the Virgin Islands to the US for $25 million. These aren’t stupid ideas and the outrage about it was misinformed.

I don’t know about Trump supporters, but it’s the routine snobbery I oppose. You don’t like the way Trump talks and I respect that, but not liking the way the president talks is not sufficient enough to justify obstructing the office or the president from doing his job. It doesn’t justify the marches, some being the biggest in history, when not a single injustice was involved.