10 votes

Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of September 1

This thread is posted weekly - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic, but almost all should be posted in here.

This is an inherently political thread; please try to avoid antagonistic arguments and bickering matches. Comment threads that devolve into unproductive arguments may be removed so that the overall topic is able to continue.

19 comments

  1. [16]
    hobbes64
    Link
    There is a lot of activity online about Trump's health. Here's one article about it from a semi-reputable source that just mentions the rumors: Newsweek: Trump is playing golf after baseless viral...

    There is a lot of activity online about Trump's health.

    Here's one article about it from a semi-reputable source that just mentions the rumors:
    Newsweek: Trump is playing golf after baseless viral death rumors

    And another: Newseek: Donald Trump Posting Week-Old Photo Raises Eyebrows Amid Health Speculation

    Travis Akers, a retired U.S. Navy intelligence officer wrote: "I'm not a conspiracy theory guy, but if you're fighting off increasing rumors that you may have suffered a major medical episode and to disprove that rumor and provide proof of life, you post a picture of allegedly playing golf with Jon Gruden today, it would be beneficial to post one that wasn't from August 23rd."

    Political consultant Fred Wellman wrote: "This is insane. The President of the United States is obviously lying about his activities and the lack of curiosity by the media is stunning."

    I've read a few different bits of info from less reputable sources but here are the facts as far as I can tell:

    • Based on his appearance, Trump is aging very rapidly
    • His behavior is increasingly strange. His speech is even less coherent than previously, and his "tweets" are often completely bizarre (even compared to before)
    • He has other visible signs of health issues, including a bruise on his hand and swollen ankles which have been officially blamed on chronic venous insufficiency

    Of course there is a big circus of speculation about his health and how bad he looks when he does appear in public. Also that pictures of him have either been doctored or he is using a body double.

    It seems like Trump's lifelong habit of lying about everything is working against any efforts to reduce these rumors. The sloppy incompetence of his messaging and his administration in general don't help either.

    5 votes
    1. AnthonyB
      Link Parent
      I was just starting to feel nostalgic for the days when my girlfriend would tell me the latest Kate Middleton conspiracy theory, so this came at the perfect time. From an outside observer, they...

      I was just starting to feel nostalgic for the days when my girlfriend would tell me the latest Kate Middleton conspiracy theory, so this came at the perfect time. From an outside observer, they seem to have a very similar vibe.

      Between my natural cynicism and the historical record of evil mfers living forever, I feel like this is all wishful thinking - bold statement, I know. I bet he's getting his eyes done or something and needs to lay low for a few days. That said, the slurred speech has been very noticable the past few weeks and he somehow seems to look worse every day. Who am I to sour someone's dreams? If, somehow, he is dead or dying, I really hope JD Vance was/will be the last person to see him.

      7 votes
    2. [8]
      Eji1700
      Link Parent
      I mean the hand bruise is basically nothing? It means for one of a zillion reasons they did an IV on his hand. Given his age he will bruise like a banana. Could be some emergency life saving...

      I mean the hand bruise is basically nothing? It means for one of a zillion reasons they did an IV on his hand. Given his age he will bruise like a banana.

      Could be some emergency life saving procedure or they could have banana bagged him for some reason. It means nothing on its own and it’s absurd how people have clamped onto this multiple times.

      Like every other person of wealth and power he’s probably getting weekly health checkups and instant corrections and investigations to ANYTHING that might be out of whack.

      I have no doubt he’s showing his age and probably has a legit diagnosis, but from the information the public had he could drop dead tomorrow or in 15 years.

      Hell I recall a few years ago how the internet was CERTAIN charles iii was going to drop dead within a year due to the state of just his fingers. And people have been swearing Putin has cancer for a decade.

      There’s observations that can be made that are factual (he does have a bruise. He does look swollen/worse. He is less coherent) but any hard diagnosis beyond that is just guessing and pointless. Someone will claim they called it when he does die and everyone will ignore the years of misses

      7 votes
      1. [7]
        DefinitelyNotAFae
        Link Parent
        But they said it was due to shaking hands while taking aspirin. Which, idk, seems inaccurate to me at least. It's really the fact that the administration and the president lie all the time and a...

        I mean the hand bruise is basically nothing? It means for one of a zillion reasons they did an IV on his hand. Given his age he will bruise like a banana.

        But they said it was due to shaking hands while taking aspirin. Which, idk, seems inaccurate to me at least.

        It's really the fact that the administration and the president lie all the time and a lot of folks have hit a level of distrust that is much harder to overcome than typical. Add in that usually he'd be responding to Vance's comments about being ready to take over in an aggressive way, or that his social media posts don't read like him (sure it's probably an intern), and it's not hard to come away with the idea that the administration is lying about this too.

        I think it gets overblown and there are plenty of things I think aren't accurate or can't confirm. But also personally the vibes feel off so, we'll see.

        4 votes
        1. [4]
          hobbes64
          Link Parent
          I’ve talked to more than one Trump supporter who claims the coverup of Biden’s health problems were a major factor in how they voted. Regardless of trumps actual condition, there is clearly a...

          I’ve talked to more than one Trump supporter who claims the coverup of Biden’s health problems were a major factor in how they voted. Regardless of trumps actual condition, there is clearly a coverup.

          Note I fully expect the aforementioned Trump supporters to be immune to any feelings of hypocrisy.

          4 votes
          1. [3]
            DefinitelyNotAFae
            Link Parent
            It's not even the supporters. It's the media for me. Where's all the "is he capable of doing the job" concern now? I don't see it.

            It's not even the supporters. It's the media for me. Where's all the "is he capable of doing the job" concern now? I don't see it.

            9 votes
            1. [2]
              skybrian
              Link Parent
              Well, give it a few weeks. If poor health continues then there will be more evidence. Will it make a difference? They’ve been repeatedly telling everyone that Trump is unqualified all along. The...

              Well, give it a few weeks. If poor health continues then there will be more evidence.

              Will it make a difference? They’ve been repeatedly telling everyone that Trump is unqualified all along. The influence of mainstream media is very limited these days, particularly on Trump supporters.

              3 votes
              1. DefinitelyNotAFae
                Link Parent
                I don't really care if it makes a difference, I'm just tired of the apparent hypocrisy. Similarly if they finally do it in a few weeks I'll still be annoyed that it took this long. So no, I'm not...

                I don't really care if it makes a difference, I'm just tired of the apparent hypocrisy. Similarly if they finally do it in a few weeks I'll still be annoyed that it took this long. So no, I'm not waiting.

                The lack of trust in both major journalistic outfits and the administration is earned.

                5 votes
        2. [2]
          Eji1700
          Link Parent
          100%, but that doesn't mean the alternative is "on death's door". As you said, he'd lie if it literally was just a banana bag because that too would mean admitting too much that he might not be...

          But they said it was due to shaking hands while taking aspirin. Which, idk, seems inaccurate to me at least.

          100%, but that doesn't mean the alternative is "on death's door". As you said, he'd lie if it literally was just a banana bag because that too would mean admitting too much that he might not be perfect.

          3 votes
          1. DefinitelyNotAFae
            Link Parent
            Agreed. But honestly anything less would probably have been ignored. At least #wherestrump and #istrumpdead trending got a media response eventually. It's just not surprising to me given the...

            Agreed. But honestly anything less would probably have been ignored. At least #wherestrump and #istrumpdead trending got a media response eventually.

            It's just not surprising to me given the persistent lies.

            I did laugh at a post that was, broadly, "the president doesn't commit an impeachable offense for 2 days and we're all ready to declare him dead."

            6 votes
    3. [2]
      streblo
      Link Parent
      He's just creating a spectacle so that a lot of people tune in at 2pm to hear the latest unhinged policy announcement.

      He's just creating a spectacle so that a lot of people tune in at 2pm to hear the latest unhinged policy announcement.

      2 votes
      1. DefinitelyNotAFae
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        Which has been leaked to allegedly just be Space Force moving to Alabama ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Edit: and it was.

        Which has been leaked to allegedly just be Space Force moving to Alabama ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

        Edit: and it was.

        5 votes
    4. [4]
      CannibalisticApple
      Link Parent
      To add to the conspiracy fodder: a friend shared a screenshot of the notification of the announcement at 2, and pointed out that it says "THE PRESIDENT makes an announcement" when it usually says...

      To add to the conspiracy fodder: a friend shared a screenshot of the notification of the announcement at 2, and pointed out that it says "THE PRESIDENT makes an announcement" when it usually says "President Trump". And another friend pointed out that all roads to Walter Reed Medical Center were closed.

      Mostly we're just laughing about how every bit of information and picture is just more fodder for conspiracy nuts. But at this point, I'm honestly starting to think something DID happen. Not death, but he may have had a stroke. I might tune into it at 2 pm just long enough to see if it's Trump or Vance.

      1 vote
      1. [3]
        DefinitelyNotAFae
        Link Parent
        Apparently the Walter Reed entrances are usually reduced in holidays. I don't know if that's accurate but the speed of misinfo makes it hard to keep up with.

        Apparently the Walter Reed entrances are usually reduced in holidays. I don't know if that's accurate but the speed of misinfo makes it hard to keep up with.

        3 votes
        1. [2]
          CannibalisticApple
          Link Parent
          People are latching onto anything they can and just going wild over the tiniest details. I suspect it's half serious speculation, half trolls egging on conspiracy nuts to enjoy the show.

          People are latching onto anything they can and just going wild over the tiniest details. I suspect it's half serious speculation, half trolls egging on conspiracy nuts to enjoy the show.

          5 votes
  2. hobbes64
    Link
    The World No Longer Takes Trump Seriously Trump's presidency is just such a complete disaster in every way that I'm continually shocked that there is still such a large number of people who defend...

    The World No Longer Takes Trump Seriously

    Trump responded to his exclusion from the gala in Beijing by acting exactly like the third-tier leader that Xi, Putin, and Kim seem to think he is. As the event was taking place, Trump took to his social-media site—of course—to express his hurt feelings with a cringe-inducing attempt at a zinger. “May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration. Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.”

    Now, the reality is that Russia, China, and North Korea are conspiring against America, but it is beneath both the dignity and the power of an American president to whine about it.

    America is adrift. It has no coherent foreign policy, no team of senior professionals managing its national defense and diplomacy, and a president who has little interest in the world beyond what it can offer him. Little wonder that the men who gathered in Beijing—three autocrats whose nations are collectively pointing many hundreds of nuclear weapons at the United States—feel free to act as if they don’t even think twice about Trump or the country he leads.

    Trump's presidency is just such a complete disaster in every way that I'm continually shocked that there is still such a large number of people who defend it. It's hard to see how Fox News or Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk or any number of conservatives think kakistorcracy is a better alternative than anything else.

    5 votes