Well... it's Trump... again. #47, here we go.

[crazyfingers]

That could be a huge backfire.

Do we get to report White House press briefings and Trump tweets?

 

[laughing dog]

That could be a huge backfire.

Do we get to report White House press briefings and Trump tweets?

Why not?

 

[TV and credit cards]

That could be a huge backfire.

Do we get to report White House press briefings and Trump tweets?

Why not?

Well you likely start out by identifying yourself so do so at your own peril. Next thing you know you’re googling the shit out of terms like “administrative asset forfeiture” because you just got a letter from Pam Bondi.

 

[Swammerdami]

I never watch/listen to Rachel Maddie or any of the talking heads that claim to report the news. I read it instead or listen to NPR or PBS.

... She was NOT simply "reporting the news." She was CONNECTING the DOTS that tie multiple stories (some already years old even then) together.

WHERE else did these stories appear, with the dots connected to Trump as well as Ms. Maddow did?
Really: WHERE else would you find this story?

Did Rachel provide a complete case that would compel 12 impartial jurors to find Trump guilty of abetting fraud beyond any reasonable doubt?
Obviously not. A prosecutor would need to connect the circumstantial dots more thoroughly. . . . BUT

Facts may be proved by circumstances which are more convincing than direct evidence.

Circumstantial evidence is not only sufficient, but may be more certain, satisfying, and persuasive than direct evidence.

Circumstantial evidence may possess a power of persuasion beyond any direct testimony.

This is NOT the only time Maddow has produced such good connect-the-dots stories. (I don't watch her regularly for a simple reason: I am already fully aware that Trump is a despicable criminal and sociopath.

Connecting the dots is bad?

The big reason I don’t watch the news is that too many were opinionating and not informing. I want information and sometimes that means connecting the dots especially for topics where some of the information is somewhat esoteric to most of the audience. It may not be obvious that A is connected to D if you aren’t aware of B and C.

You have left me TOTALLY confused. You want "information" and "dots connected" but reject Rachel Maddow as "news." SHE connects dots!! "News" shows, almost be definition ("News" is new) do NOT. Newsmagazines (60 Minutes etc.) ar better, but NOT on a par with John Oliver or Rachel Maddow.

USA is only a quarter of the way through a regime that is destroying American democracy, and people are complaining that they don't know how to connect the dots. ::whack::

Some "approve of some of Trump's ideas." Don't you see that he's surrounded himself with utter buffoons? A drunken ex-newscaster now runs the "Department of War." He calls an emergency meeting of all general officers to announce he doesn't like beards. Now he commits war crimes.

Kristi Noem spends her time filming commercial messages featuring her in costume and/or riding a horse. While her underlings act like criminal storm-troopers. RFKJr is an utter crackpot brought on board because he contributed millions of dollars; and because large numbers of Americans were stupid enough to want to vote for his crackpottery. And so on.

Yet @RVonse and others aren't quite sure whether Trump is a psychopath or the Great American Hero.

ALTERNET is a good starting point to learn some of what's really going on. If nothing else, its home page is full of 80+ interesting links. Below I've appended the links they show right now.

Sorry if I accidentally mangled any of the links. Tell me which article you want read and I'll give a link, even working around a paywall for you. You're welcome.

Alternet doesn't vet its "reporters", credibility is quite variable.

I do NOT understand your "hard-on" against Alternet. Is it just another symptom of your derangement syndrome that anyone unhappy that Gaza's children are denied food and medicine must be an anti-Semitic sympathizer of Jihadism? Does their editorial bias favor The Left Wing™? Obviously. Do their stories contain hyperbolic adjectives? You betcha!

Do they represent actual lies as Truth? I dunno -- You've made that charge repeatedly, but never backed it up with an actual example.
...

Headlines from Alternet.org's Home Page:

Republican tensions simmering as leaders fail 'to produce results on multiple fronts' <https://www.alternet.org/thune-trump-gop/>

Explosive new document reveals driving ethos behind Trump’s controversial foreign policy <https://www.alternet.org/trump-eu-politico/>

White House tries to smother the truth with what they pretend are jokes <https://www.alternet.org/alternet-exclusives/sabrina-carpenter-trump/>

Here’s the exact moment Republicans will dump Trump after 'daily humiliation' <https://www.alternet.org/trump-gop-2674369954/>

MAGA 'feeling the pinch' as majority say they’re facing the 'worst cost of living crisis' <https://www.alternet.org/maga-economy/>

Trump admin accused of putting US troops in 'real jeopardy' <https://www.alternet.org/trump-order/>

Trump DOJ asks judge to jail Jan. 6 defendant after being caught near top Democrat's home <https://www.alternet.org/judge-january-6-defendant/>

'79 year-old kid': Joe Rogan mocks Trump's 'ridiculous' texting style <https://www.alternet.org/joe-rogan-trump-kid/>

Ex-JAG officer reveals how Trump's Pentagon officials breached 'red line you cannot cross' <https://www.alternet.org/jag-officer-trump-pentagon/>

'Throwing Americans aside': Trump ripped for focus on ballroom while cost of living spikes <https://www.alternet.org/trump-ballroom-costs/>

Republicans 'making fools of themselves' as reality threatens to 'shove them out of power' <https://www.alternet.org/republican-party-wealthy/>

Troubling new trends emerge Inside Trump’s 'golden age' <https://www.alternet.org/the-right-wing/trump-golden-age/>

Trump DOJ 'failed' to clear 'low bar' in convincing grand jury to re-indict New York AG <https://www.alternet.org/trump-doj-failed-indictment/>

Fox host admits layoffs under Trump at highest point in decades <https://www.alternet.org/fox-host-trump-layoffs/>

Top House Republican caught on hot mic criticizing GOP colleague <https://www.alternet.org/republican-hot-mic/>

New face of GOP healthcare is senator linked to largest Medicare fraud scheme in history <https://www.alternet.org/scott-medicare-fraud/>

Newsom calls out CEOs to their faces for 'groveling' to Trump <https://www.alternet.org/gavin-newsom-ceos-trump/>

Why I'm done being silent about Trump's supporters <https://www.alternet.org/alternet-exclusives/white-trump-supporters/>

Expert says 'the military is being positioned as the fall guy' in Hegseth scandal <https://www.alternet.org/alternet-exclusives/military-fall-guy-hegseth/>

DC insider pinpoints the clearest symptom yet of Trump's mental decline <https://www.alternet.org/trump-decline-2674368577/>

Trump may be off the hook in Georgia — but he's not vindicated <https://www.alternet.org/trump-may-be-off-the-hook-in-georgia-but-he-s-not-vindicated/>

Democrats decide to fight fire with fire in new battle against Trumpism <https://www.alternet.org/alternet-exclusives/trump-2674365255/>

MAGA isn't the biggest threat to America <https://www.alternet.org/alternet-exclusives/trump-officials/>

Identifying the most harmful Trump official presents a complex challenge <https://www.alternet.org/worst-trump-official/>

The most dangerous corporation in America is one you may not have heard of <https://www.alternet.org/palantir-technologies/>

Red state GOP goes scorched earth to keep its gerrymandered map off the 2026 ballot <https://www.alternet.org/gerrymandered-red-states/>

Inside the mind of MAGA: Here's what makes some Trump's supporters so loyal <https://www.alternet.org/the-psychology-of-trump-supporters/>

Trump wants Americans to have more babies. There's just one big problem with that. <https://www.alternet.org/trump-babies-2674365104/>

How a key psychological concept was undermined once 'UFOs failed to arrive': study <https://www.alternet.org/ufo-psychology/>

Health care isn’t a political issue. It’s a math issue. And the math isn’t adding up <https://www.alternet.org/rising-healthcare-costs/>

A little bird is signaling a major problem — and that bird is the insurance industry <https://www.alternet.org/property-climate/>

Student’s Bible-based essay grade leads university to put instructor on leave <https://www.alternet.org/belief/university-bible/>

Trump loyalists 'declare war on the Catholic church' <https://www.alternet.org/trump-catholics-2674358957/>

MAGA’s 'war on empathy' started with this fundamentalist Christian influencer: analysis <https://www.alternet.org/empathy-stuckey-marcotte/>

Christian singers caught in Trump's deportation net falsely branded 'worst of worst' <https://www.alternet.org/trump-deportation-2674339877/>

MAGA evangelicals have 'coopted' Jesus and turned Christianity into an 'absurd farce': analysis <https://www.alternet.org/maga-christians/>

Gamer warns conspiracy-theorist TikTokkers are more dangerous than 'drunk drivers' <https://www.alternet.org/maga-influencers-dangerous/>

Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood says it’s time to 'worry' for America <https://www.alternet.org/donald-trump-democracy-threat/>

Why America's most hated appliance is so hard to ban <https://www.alternet.org/gas-powered-leaf-blower/>

Alarm as Tennessee libraries shut down for Republican 'book purge' <https://www.alternet.org/tennessee-book-bans-2674352969/>

'Infuriatingly incompetent' White House TikTok account is 'unwatchable': analysis <https://www.alternet.org/white-house-tiktok/>

Why US economy is 'heading for trouble': analysis <https://www.alternet.org/trump-recession-i-paper/>

'Panicked' Trump hitting key swing state to make affordability pitch <https://www.alternet.org/trump-pa-affordability/>

'Marketing 101': Republicans scramble to sell key GOP bill after Trump branding fails <https://www.alternet.org/trump-big-beautiful-bill-2674369097/>

‘Yikes’: New jobs data further undermines Trump claim of thriving economy <https://www.alternet.org/trump-economy-claims/>

Trump putting top official in 'unusually uncomfortable spot' <https://www.alternet.org/trump-bessent-powell/>

Companies promoting controversial Trump policy facing angry 'consumer revolt' <https://www.alternet.org/ice-raids-boycott/>

'Ripple effect of fear': FBI agent accuses Trump admin of violating their civil rights <https://www.alternet.org/fbi-trump-civil-rights/>

'Call is coming from inside the house': Why some MAGA leaders are targets of 'open racism' <https://www.alternet.org/maga-indians-racist/>

'National disgrace': Anger as Purple Heart veteran is deported to an unknown location <https://www.alternet.org/deported-veteran/>

Trump encouraging 'rogue agency' to engage in 'lawlessness': former DOJ prosecutor <https://www.alternet.org/harry-litman-ice/>

Conservative dismantles MAGA claim that obeying 'laws of war' is 'woke' <https://www.alternet.org/david-french-venezuela-hegseth/>

'Apprentice' president guts US apprenticeships after big promises: labor official <https://www.alternet.org/trump-2674369736/>

Democrats look to throw Trump’s 'bullying' tactic back in his face <https://www.alternet.org/trump-democrats-2674369537/>

Medical doctor wonders if Trump MRI 'scanned the wrong area' <https://www.alternet.org/trump-mri-2674369480/>

NYT slammed after giving Erika Kirk a platform for 'anti-feminist grift' <https://www.alternet.org/erika-kirk-new-york-times/>

'Trump is collapsing' — but MAGA isn’t ready to bail <https://www.alternet.org/send-for-a-second-time/trump-maga/>

Conservative professor warns GOP to stop 'playing footsie' with extremist bigots <https://www.alternet.org/msn-uk/nick-fuentes-republican-party/>

Trump 'worried a new person has no chance of winning' current GOP rep’s seat: report <https://www.alternet.org/trump-issa/>

Suspect arrested in J6 DNC and RNC pipe bomb case: report <https://www.alternet.org/smartnews/pipe-bomb-dnc-rnc/>

Strike on 'shipwrecked' boat was 'patent violation' of Pentagon war rules: military experts <https://www.alternet.org/trump-venezuela-hegseth/>

Fox host admits layoffs under Trump at highest point in decades <https://www.alternet.org/fox-host-trump-layoffs/>

Top House Republican caught on hot mic criticizing GOP colleague <https://www.alternet.org/republican-hot-mic/>

Republicans 'making fools of themselves' as reality threatens to 'shove them out of power' <https://www.alternet.org/republican-party-wealthy/>

US diplomatic capacity is being 'decimated from within' as morale plummets <https://www.alternet.org/trump-russia-steve-witkoff/>

Senators reveal details of closed-door briefing of admiral who led controversial operation <https://www.alternet.org/cotton-himes-venezuela/>

Troubling new trends emerge Inside Trump’s 'golden age' <https://www.alternet.org/the-right-wing/trump-golden-age/>

'Morning Joe' hosts’ absences spark 'workplace meltdown': report <https://www.alternet.org/joe-mika/>

Supreme Court set to make Trump king with 'bogus' constitutional theory <https://www.alternet.org/roberts-court/>

Why I'm done being silent about Trump's supporters <https://www.alternet.org/alternet-exclusives/white-trump-supporters/>

Inside the mind of MAGA: Here's what makes some Trump's supporters so loyal <https://www.alternet.org/the-psychology-of-trump-supporters/>

Here’s the exact moment Republicans will dump Trump after 'daily humiliation' <https://www.alternet.org/trump-gop-2674369954/>

'More and more' MAGA Republicans openly calling to end women’s right to vote <https://www.alternet.org/maga-repeal-19th-amendment/>

DC insider pinpoints the clearest symptom yet of Trump's mental decline <https://www.alternet.org/trump-decline-2674368577/>

Top House Republican caught on hot mic criticizing GOP colleague <https://www.alternet.org/republican-hot-mic/>

Troubling new trends emerge Inside Trump’s 'golden age' <https://www.alternet.org/the-right-wing/trump-golden-age/>

Senators reveal details of closed-door briefing of admiral who led controversial operation <https://www.alternet.org/cotton-himes-venezuela/>

'Morning Joe' hosts’ absences spark 'workplace meltdown': report <https://www.alternet.org/joe-mika/>

A Little Good News and Some Bad on COVID-19 <https://www.alternet.org/2020/10/news>

'More and more' MAGA Republicans openly calling to end women’s right to vote <https://www.alternet.org/maga-repeal-19th-amendment/>

Trump's betrayal puts America last <https://www.alternet.org/america-last/>

'Insecurity for your assets': Trump’s 'triple threat' to crash Boomers' generational party <https://www.alternet.org/donald-trump-tariffs-seniors/>

Supreme Court set to make Trump king with 'bogus' constitutional theory <https://www.alternet.org/roberts-court/>

Senators reveal details of closed-door briefing of admiral who led controversial operation <https://www.alternet.org/cotton-himes-venezuela/>

'B-list' MAGA influencers say US 'like really third world' after freebie trip to Qatar <https://www.alternet.org/maga-influencer/>

Trump ally 'gave away the game' by ignoring request for public Jack Smith testimony <https://www.alternet.org/trump-ally/>

'So cringe': White House’s 'Daddy' Christmas meme draws scorn <https://www.alternet.org/trump-daddy-home/>

 

[ZiprHead]

 

[Toni]

Re: Rachel Maddow. I tried watching once but I saw mor opinionating than information giving. Admittedly, I did not give her much time. It’s just something that turns me off.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Is Trump still saying 'Sleepy Joe Biden'?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

His hand is bandaged and bruised again and covered by makeup.

View attachment 52929

Enough of the bandaged hands and swollen ankles! Job losses and the complicit GOP matter a bunch more than Trump being old.

 

[ZiprHead]

Republican Insider Reveals Exact Moment Trump’s Party Will Abandon Him

A former top Republican official has reportedly predicted the exact moment the party could abandon President Donald Trump. Politico’s politics bureau chief Jonathan Martin told MSNBC’s Morning Joe when he expected lawmakers to break ranks with Trump. “Quite frankly, I talked to a former GOP...

www.yahoo.com

A former top Republican official has reportedly predicted the exact moment the party could abandon President Donald Trump.

Politico’s politics bureau chief Jonathan Martin told MSNBC’s Morning Joe when he expected lawmakers to break ranks with Trump.

“Quite frankly, I talked to a former GOP senator,” Martin said. “[They] said two words to me: filing deadlines.”

He added, “Why do filing deadlines matter? Because what the senator was talking about was the filing deadlines for primaries next year. Which is to say, when that clears, when that passes, when these lawmakers know who is or is not running against them in primaries next year, then you’ll see even more freedom, even more independence.”

 

[ZiprHead]

US Green Berets accuse Trump administration of 'reneging on promises made'

Members of the U.S. Green Berets Special Forces are pushing back against President Donald Trump's crackdown on Afghan immigrants after the recent shooting in Washington, D.C., with one chastising the move as "reneging on promises made" in a report from NBC News.On Nov. 26, an Afghan national...

www.rawstory.com

 

[crazyfingers]

The boat that was blow up and blown up again to murder everyone wasn't even headed towards the US.

This all reeks of plain murder.

The alleged drug traffickers killed by the US military in a strike on September 2 were heading to link up with another, larger vessel that was bound for Suriname — a small South American country east of Venezuela – the admiral who oversaw the operation told lawmakers on Thursday, according to two sources with direct knowledge of his remarks.


According to intelligence collected by US forces, the struck boat planned to “rendezvous” with the second vessel and transfer drugs to it, Adm. Frank Bradley said during the briefings, but the military was unable to locate the second vessel. Bradley argued there was still a possibility the drug shipment could have ultimately made its way from Suriname to the US, the sources said, telling lawmakers that justified striking the smaller boat even if it wasn’t directly heading to US shores at the time it was hit.

US drug enforcement officials say that trafficking routes via Suriname are primarily destined for European markets. US-bound drug trafficking routes have been concentrated on the Pacific Ocean in recent years.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/05/politics/suriname-boat-strike-bradley

 

[Swammerdami]

A 21-minute video ("Can we overcome the Revenge President?" from UNFTR that sums up this horrid Presidency, and in the final minute tries to provide a morsel of hope. The narrator/publisher is Max: His surname seems hard to find.

 

[ZiprHead]

 

[crazyfingers]

I read that earlier today in the news. CNN or NYT I think.

Trump is racist garbage.

 

[Swammerdami]

The Trump administration just removed two national holidays (MLK and Juneteenth) as free entry days to National Parks and put his birthday as a free day instead.

I read that earlier today in the news. CNN or NYT I think.

Trump is racist garbage.

Even devout racists don't do things like that. Trump tries to be "in your face." Demolishing much of the White House after promising not to, renaming things after himself, etc. If he weren't demented he'd see that history will treat him as an utter buffoon. Shouldn't his children attempt some intervention? Doesn't he have more important matters to occupy his "mind"? Planning the invasion of Greenland? Selling more secrets to the Emirates so that Ivanka and/or Melania can have their own luxury 747(s)?

Here at IIDB we have one hard-core Trumpist and a few fellow travelers. What do they say about all this crap? Just "Sleepy Joe and 'Heels up' Harris would be worse"?

In other news, many of the public libraries in Tennessee are shut down so books can be inspected and those with LGBTQ content removed.

The "Five Eyes" (an informal sharing arrangement among MI6 and the intelligence services of four other Anglophonic countries) has been reduced to the Four Eyes: The Fifth Eye was too eager to share with enemies.

 

[Swammerdami]

Re: Rachel Maddow. I tried watching once but I saw mor opinionating than information giving.

Plenty of information, but you're quite right that she is VERY opinionated. Maybe you should stick to FoxNews if you prefer fair and balanced.

 

[Swammerdami]

Re: Rachel Maddow. I tried watching once but I saw mor opinionating than information giving.

Plenty of information, but you're quite right that she is VERY opinionated. Maybe you should stick to FoxNews if you prefer fair and balanced.

That was sarcastic. Let me clarify.

There are GOOD opinions and BAD opinions, also known as "Agreement with Swammi" and "Agreement with the grifters, morons and QAnon." (Or vice versa if you're MAGA-aligned.)

I suppose you are a "moderate", a "centrist":

Trump has many faults but at least he's brought Peace to the Middle East and Ukraine and has cut taxes on us job creators.
And he's deporting those "immigrants" who were eating the cats and dogs.

I rarely watch Maddow, and when I do I often turn the playback speed up to 1.25x (troublesome since she talks so fast, but otherwise her repetition is too boring.)

But connecting the dots regarding Trump's relationships with major Central Asian criminals is an example of news she presents, that's too difficult for any other news team.

 

[Toni]

Re: Rachel Maddow. I tried watching once but I saw mor opinionating than information giving.

Plenty of information, but you're quite right that she is VERY opinionated. Maybe you should stick to FoxNews if you prefer fair and balanced.

That was sarcastic. Let me clarify.

There are GOOD opinions and BAD opinions, also known as "Agreement with Swammi" and "Agreement with the grifters, morons and QAnon." (Or vice versa if you're MAGA-aligned.)

I suppose you are a "moderate", a "centrist":

Trump has many faults but at least he's brought Peace to the Middle East and Ukraine and has cut taxes on us job creators.
And he's deporting those "immigrants" who were eating the cats and dogs.

I rarely watch Maddow, and when I do I often turn the playback speed up to 1.25x (troublesome since she talks so fast, but otherwise her repetition is too boring.)

But connecting the dots regarding Trump's relationships with major Central Asian criminals is an example of news she presents, that's too difficult for any other news team.

For me, it gets lost in opinionating. I realize it’s my quirk, just as whenever someone shouts, I automatically discount what they say ( emergencies excepted). I mean, if you were trying to convince me of something, and raised your voice louder and louder to ‘convince’ me, I’d assume you did not have a valid point.

I prefer to read news almost always. A good news report will provide background and context and link dots without telling me what to think. And nope, I don’t believe everything I read in a newspaper, either.

 

[Toni]

Re: Rachel Maddow. I tried watching once but I saw mor opinionating than information giving.

Plenty of information, but you're quite right that she is VERY opinionated. Maybe you should stick to FoxNews if you prefer fair and balanced.

I prefer facts. Context, sure. I have nothing against editorials but I dislike editorials masquerading as fact.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Re: Rachel Maddow. I tried watching once but I saw mor opinionating than information giving.

Plenty of information, but you're quite right that she is VERY opinionated. Maybe you should stick to FoxNews if you prefer fair and balanced.

That was sarcastic. Let me clarify.

There are GOOD opinions and BAD opinions, also known as "Agreement with Swammi" and "Agreement with the grifters, morons and QAnon." (Or vice versa if you're MAGA-aligned.)

I suppose you are a "moderate", a "centrist":

Seriously?

Maddow is commentary. Just because there is some Venn Diagram overlap in how she interprets the current political climate and my beliefs and observations doesn't mean her show is a valuable resource. I don't have time for dramatic.... pauses and commercials. Personally, NPR on the radio dial, CBC Newsworld, About That, and Reuters help provide me a low noise to content ratio.

Trump has many faults but at least he's brought Peace to the Middle East and Ukraine and has cut taxes on us job creators.
And he's deporting those "immigrants" who were eating the cats and dogs.

I rarely watch Maddow, and when I do I often turn the playback speed up to 1.25x (troublesome since she talks so fast, but otherwise her repetition is too boring.)

But connecting the dots regarding Trump's relationships with major Central Asian criminals is an example of news she presents, that's too difficult for any other news team.

How much noise to get there though? It is like a Michael Moore documentary. Sure, there is good stuff in it, but how much noise to reach those points?