Trump, stung by midterms and nervous about Mueller, retreats from traditional presidential duties

[tulc]

Trump, stung by midterms and nervous about Mueller, retreats from traditional presidential duties - Los Angeles Times

For weeks this fall, an ebullient President Trump traveled relentlessly to hold raise-the-rafters campaign rallies — sometimes three a day — in states where his presence was likely to help Republicans on the ballot.

But his mood apparently has changed as he has taken measure of the electoral backlash that voters delivered Nov. 6. With the certainty that the incoming Democratic House majority will go after his tax returns and investigate his actions, and the likelihood of additional indictments by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, Trump has retreated into a cocoon of bitterness and resentment, according to multiple administration sources.

Behind the scenes, they say, the president has lashed out at several aides, from junior press assistants to senior officials. “He’s furious,” said one administration official. “Most staffers are trying to avoid him.”

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, painted a picture of a brooding president “trying to decide who to blame” for Republicans’ election losses, even as he publicly and implausibly continues to claim victory.

White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly and Kirstjen Nielsen, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, who are close allies, “seem to be on their way out,” the official said, noting recent leaks on the subject. The official cautioned, however, that personnel decisions are never final until Trump himself tweets out the news — often just after the former reality TV star who’s famous for saying “You’re fired!” has directed Kelly to so inform the individual.

And, according to a source outside the White House who has spoken recently with the president, last week’s Wall Street Journal report confirming Trump’s central role during the 2016 campaign in quietly arranging payoffs for two women alleging affairs with him seemed to put him in an even worse mood.

Publicly, Trump has been increasingly absent in recent days — except on Twitter. He has canceled travel plans and dispatched Cabinet officials and aides to events in his place — including sending Vice President Mike Pence to Asia for the annual summits there in November that past presidents nearly always attended.

Jordan’s King Abdullah was in Washington on Tuesday and met with Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, but not the president.

Also Tuesday, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis announced plans to travel on Wednesday near the U.S.-Mexico border to visit with troops Trump ordered there last month in what is ostensibly a mission to defend against a caravan of Central American migrants moving through Mexico and still hundreds of miles from the United States.

Trump had reportedly considered making that trip himself, but has decided against it. Nor has he spoken of the caravan since the midterm elections, after making it a central issue in his last weeks of campaigning.

tulc(sees the Presidents swooning continues)

 

[HannahT]

lol I see the speculation continues about what is happening inside the White House. These stories always make me giggle.

'they say' Who said? lol "THEY" of course! Then we always have the 'official' that can't reveal themselves, and always famous 'source within the WH' person as well.

(Shrugs) I guess that is journalism today. Although, it has been that way for a number of years now. I always think the National Enquirer's tagline when I read this stuff - Enquiring minds want to know! Hoo HOO!

 

[Hieronymus]

Drivel..
Election fraud = boomerang suicide.
Enjoy the show.

 

[The Barbarian]

White House feeling like they're targets there
With the staffers laying low
Perps indicted almost everywhere
So who'll be the next to go?
Are you ready? Hey, are you lawyered up fine?
Are you waiting for the knock on the door?
Hey, did you hear who they got this time?
Soon they'll be coming for more.

(Trump, Trump, Trump) And another one gets the bust.
(Trump, Trump, Trump) And another one gets the bust.
And another one gone, and another one gone
And he's just warming up.
Hey, he's gonna get more, too
Another one gets the bust.

How do you think this is going to end.
With all the underlings gone?
Who takes the fall when the feds descend
Out there on the White House lawn?
Are you prepared with your alibi?
Who will make a deal next round ?

Out on the Beltway, they fear the call
And what the feds have found
Look out!

 

[disciple Clint]

Trump, stung by midterms and nervous about Mueller, retreats from traditional presidential duties - Los Angeles Times

tulc(sees the Presidents swooning continues)

Let's play rumors and innuendo to disparage Trump

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity,. And, according to a source outside the White House who has spoken recently with the president,. Trump’s absence, experts said...

Are these reliable and verifiable sources?

 

[The Barbarian]

Are these reliable and verifiable sources?

It's from the Trump WH. "Reliable" and "verifiable", aren't words you normally associate with that bunch.

 

[tulc]

(snip)
Are these reliable and verifiable sources?

two points: 1) It's more reliable then the "voter fraud" that President Trump claims every time an election goes against the candidate he wants.
and 2) because they used an unnamed source is one of the reasons I posted this in the politics forums instead of news.
tulc(believes the report, but likes to keep the op-eds separate from the news)

 

[disciple Clint]

It's from the Trump WH. "Reliable" and "verifiable", aren't words you normally associate with that bunch.

And the very same can always be said about the media. If there is no reliable verification then by definition it is false news

 

[disciple Clint]

two points: 1) It's more reliable then the "voter fraud" that President Trump claims every time an election goes against the candidate he wants.
and 2) because they used an unnamed source is one of the reasons I posted this in the politics forums instead of news.
tulc(believes the report, but likes to keep the op-eds separate from the news)

12 Times Florida County's Elections Supervisor Has Been ‘Incompetent and Possibly Criminal’

 

[disciple Clint]

two points: 1) It's more reliable then the "voter fraud" that President Trump claims every time an election goes against the candidate he wants.
and 2) because they used an unnamed source is one of the reasons I posted this in the politics forums instead of news.
tulc(believes the report, but likes to keep the op-eds separate from the news)

A Replay of 2000? Florida Recount Stirs Concerns.

 

[tulc]

And the very same can always be said about the media.

Not true, that some of President Trumps supporters make this claim is always sort of amusing. President Trump is one of the most "fact free" Presidents,well, ever, as a brief perusal of his pants on fire/false files at politifacts will attest.

If there is no reliable verification then by definition it is false news

And yet...he has pretty much stopped doing his job in the last couple of days hasn't he. and apart from a couple of "un-named sources" references probably 99% of the article can be verified by independent sources, that you want to fry and dismiss the entire article because of a couple of quibbles is pretty much a sign of President Trumps supporter desperation then an actual critique of "the media".
tulc(is sorry President Trump gives his supporters so little to work with, but it's been almost two years he would have thought they would be used to that by now)

 

[disciple Clint]

Not true, that some of President Trumps supporters make this claim is always sort of amusing. President Trump is one of the most "fact free" Presidents,well, ever, as a brief perusal of his pants on fire/false files at politifacts will attest.


And yet...he has pretty much stopped doing his job in the last couple of days hasn't he. and apart from a couple of "un-named sources" references probably 99% of the article can be verified by independent sources, that you want to fry and dismiss the entire article because of a couple of quibbles is pretty much a sign of President Trumps supporter desperation then an actual critique of "the media".
tulc(is sorry President Trump gives his supporters so little to work with, but it's been almost two years he would have thought they would be used to that by now)

Come come now. Facts are facts and what that article contained cannot under any circumstances be considered facts. At best they are opinion and unsubstantiated opinion without foundation at that.

 

[The Barbarian]

And the very same can always be said about the media. If there is no reliable verification then by definition it is false news

Since they merely report these stories as what sources told them, that's not false.

 

[The Barbarian]

And yet...he has pretty much stopped doing his job in the last couple of days hasn't he.

The defeat in the midterms, and the democrats controlling the House is starting to sink in.

 

[disciple Clint]

Not true, that some of President Trumps supporters make this claim is always sort of amusing. President Trump is one of the most "fact free" Presidents,well, ever, as a brief perusal of his pants on fire/false files at politifacts will attest.


And yet...he has pretty much stopped doing his job in the last couple of days hasn't he. and apart from a couple of "un-named sources" references probably 99% of the article can be verified by independent sources, that you want to fry and dismiss the entire article because of a couple of quibbles is pretty much a sign of President Trumps supporter desperation then an actual critique of "the media".
tulc(is sorry President Trump gives his supporters so little to work with, but it's been almost two years he would have thought they would be used to that by now)

I am constantly amused by the people who want to point out Trump's errors and exaggeration as a lie but these same people refuse to believe that many of the media errors are lies, not only are they lies but they are intentional lies and twisting of what Trump says. This effort by the media includes misquotes or partial quotes out of context as well. The fact is that the media lies 24 7 but there is no focus on them and they refuse to see their own faults. And why should they, they have a following that is looking for any excuse to bash Trump. It is a popular but very sick pastime for many people.

 

[disciple Clint]

Since they merely report these stories as what sources told them, that's not false.

I would have to disagree. Professional journalism requires verification of facts prior to release, to do less in the not too distant past would have caused the media to be classified as yellow at best. Unfortunately there is very little professionalism remaining in the media today. Look at the conduct of the media in the White House press meetings which has become about as unprofessional and disrespectful as it can be.

 

[tulc]

I am constantly amused by the people who want to point out Trump's errors and exaggeration as a lie but these same people refuse to believe that many of the media errors are lies, not only are they lies but they are intentional lies and twisting of what Trump says. This effort by the media includes misquotes or partial quotes out of context as well. The fact is that the media lies 24 7 but there is no focus on them and they refuse to see their own faults. And why should they, they have a following that is looking for any excuse to bash Trump. It is a popular but very sick pastime for many people. (emph. added)

...evidence the media lies 24/7?
tulc(suspects many of us would be interested in seeing that)

 

[disciple Clint]

...evidence the media lies 24/7?
tulc(suspects many of us would be interested in seeing that)

I could be wrong but i believe that they are scheduled to broadcast 24 hours per day 7 days per week.

 

[The Barbarian]

I would have to disagree. Professional journalism requires verification of facts prior to release, to do less in the not too distant past would have caused the media to be classified as yellow at best.

A single source is what ultimately blew open the Watergate scandal. So history tells us otherwise.

Unfortunately there is very little professionalism remaining in the media today.

Only if you define "professionalism" as "being a cheerleader for Donald Trump."

Look at the conduct of the media in the White House press meetings which has become about as unprofessional and disrespectful as it can be.

Donald Trump and Sarah Sanders are not members of the media.

 

[The Barbarian]

...evidence the media lies 24/7?
tulc(suspects many of us would be interested in seeing that)

When Adolf Hitler took power in 1933, the Nazis controlled less than three percent of Germany’s 4,700 papers.


The elimination of the German multi-party political system brought about the demise of hundreds of newspapers produced by outlawed political parties. It also allowed the state to seize the printing plants and equipment of the Communist and Social Democratic Parties, which were often turned over directly to the Nazi Party. In the following months, the Nazis established control or exerted influence over independent press organs...Some independent newspapers, particularly conservative newspapers and non-political illustrated weeklies, accommodated to the regime through self-censorship or initiative in dealing with approved topics.
The Press in the Third Reich

No politician loves a free press, and authoritarian politicians detest it. Hence the attempt by would-be dictators to suppress any outlet that does not slavishly agree with them.