The Trump 2nd Term

[Tom O'Donnell]

From what I've seen, Homan would be an excellent choice. Without strong borders, you do not have a country. Without the ability to keep criminal invaders out, you cannot have national security.

[Vlad Drkulec]

I don't agree with Bob Gillanders that Bernie Sanders could have defeated Donald Trump in 2016. I do greatly respect Mr. Sanders, however.

Concerning Trump, before he gets to his second term inauguration, set for Jan. 20, 2025, he has a not-so-small matter of a Manhattan court hearing on Nov. 26, for sentencing in his 34 New York felony conviction case.

This is NOT a federal matter, so the federal Department of Justice in Washington cannot automatically shut it down. And it is not a prosecution of a sitting president, nor a prosecution of someone who was president when the offences occurred, which was in the autumn of 2016, before the election in November that year. So, the Supreme Court rulings of this past summer should not come into play Trump was extraordinarily abusive to the New York judge and the court process while the trial was in progress, and he has greatly benefited from several delays in the sentencing. It will be highly interesting to see what Judge Juan Merchan decides to do; the world will most certainly be watching. Trump could receive up to four years in prison for each of the 34 charges, in addition to fines.

It is a small matter because the Stalinist kangaroo court that convicted him to provide a talking point for the Democrat candidate of 34 or whatever felon y convictions knows that the case will be reversed on appeal. While it is a state court the verdict is so tainted as their current theory of the case is that they elevated long past the statute of limitations misdemeanors to felonies by alluding to but never identifying a federal law that was violated. Trump can simply pardon himself for the alleged unspecified federal crime and the case falls apart. There were many reversible errors in the trial assuming the various state appeals courts are honest not the least of which is that the prosecutors were allowed to allude to unspecified crimes in support of their novel theory of the case.The judge prevented the defense from having an expert on election law testify and the prosecution did bring up points that were never brought in the trial.

There is a primacy clause which indicates that states cannot pass laws which contradict the constitution or even federal laws. If they push this eventually the Supreme Court may decide that he can indeed pardon himself for state crimes which would certainly upset their apple cart. The whole point of the trial was to hobble Trump. It probably worked somewhat reducing his winning margin to a narrow but sufficient one from a Reagan-like landslide. They lost and the lawfare probably contributed to Trump's win. This strategy was an epic failure. The Democrats glorify and protect criminal activity and they have received significant pushback with even California electing a Republican prosecutor in Los Angeles to replace the Soros funded DA Gascon who lost by a significant margin and the referendum that reinstated punishment for shoplifting and repeat offenders passed by 75%.

The so called low propensity voters were rousted by how bad things had gotten and they were reached by the Trump election machine and persuaded to vote. The public is center right and the election reflected that fact.

[Vlad Drkulec]

This seems to indicate that a constitutional amendment is needed to abolish convicted felons from running for President.

Good luck with that. You need a three quarters majority of the state legislatures to agree and a super majority two thirds of the house and senate.

It looks like the time setting on the forum has not corrected for Daylight Sevings Time's end.

[Bob Armstrong]

USA - China

Trump may impose 60% tariffs on all imports from China!

"Such a move would decimate commerce between the two nations, drive up inflation, and force a whole new rewiring of global supply chains. That makes the related question of what China would do in response equally pressing.

We got a clue as to China’s initial reaction to Trump’s victory when officials on Friday announced details of a 10 trillion yuan ($1.4 billion) lifeline for indebted local governments but held off from any fresh stimulus blitz. Finance Minister Lan Fo’an promised “more forceful” fiscal policy next year, signaling bolder steps could come after Trump’s inauguration in January.

In short, Beijing is sticking with Plan A for now, seeking to fix shaky provincial government finances so basic services continue and asset sales can be avoided while trying to stabilize the property market. Continued export strength is giving officials cover to tend to those domestic frailties while overall economic growth remains roughly on track to meet this year’s target for an expansion of around 5%.

But 2025 looks altogether more challenging. Wang Tao at UBS expects the new Trump administration will impose additional tariffs on most imports from China in a staged manner starting in the second half of next year. That would lead China to respond with greater policy support to boost domestic demand and offset the external shock, she said, cutting forecasts for GDP growth to around 4% for 2025, and lower in 2026."

Bloomberg Media - Economics Daily Newsletter - 24/11/11

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsl...m_campaign=nef



24/11/11 (1) Helms Deep Update

Bob A

[Bob Armstrong]

Foreign Policy

1. Doesn’t like alliances, especially big multilateral ones.
2. Doesn’t like multilateral trade deals. He wants to get out of them and then make them bilateral ones.
3. Admires authoritarian regimes.

Bloomberg Media - Weekend Edition Newsletter - 24/11/10
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsl...paign=sundaynl

Ukraine / Russia

"Donald Trump wants to end the war in Ukraine. Various proposals are being floated, but a consensus seems to be developing: The territory conquered by Moscow is to be lost, and Europe must invest more for peace."

NZZ - Global Reporting Newsletter - 24/11/11

Immigration

"Since 2015, Trump has made curbing illegal immigration a cornerstone of his campaigns. As president, he built or reconstructed about 400 miles of border barrier along the U.S.–Mexico border and implemented a number of rules curbing illegal migration into the country.

During the campaign, Trump often said that he would initiate the largest “mass deportation” effort in U.S. history if elected. Recently, he also warned Mexico that he would impose a 25 percent tariff targeting the country if it fails to curb illegal immigration and that he would raise that tariff if Mexico doesn’t comply.

Also, he’s suggested more enhanced screenings for immigrants, ending birthright citizenship—which may require a constitutional amendment—and reimposing certain policies enacted during his first term such as the “remain in Mexico” protocol.

Tom Homan, a former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who is expected to join the new administration, told media outlets last year that the scale of deportations depends on what resources are available.During a “60 Minutes” interview in October, Homan was asked about whether families would be separated. Homan responded, “Families can be deported together.”

Vice President-elect JD Vance said in his debate with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Oct. 1 that deporting criminals would be a second Trump administration’s initial focus.

Taxes and Regulations

Throughout the 2024 campaign, Trump has promised to curb federal regulations that he said would limit the creation of new U.S. jobs. He also has pledged to keep intact a 2017 tax cut that he supported and signed while in office.


His team has also proposed a further round of individual and corporate tax cuts beyond those initiated in his first term.

Trump has pledged to reduce the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 15 percent for companies that make their products in the United States. In a bid to win Nevada, Trump earlier this year pledged to end the taxation of tips and overtime wages to aid some service workers and waiters.

He has pledged not to tax or cut Social Security benefits. Trump also has said that as president, he would pressure the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates but wouldn’t make any demands on the central bank.

Tariffs

In multiple campaign stops this year, Trump floated the idea of a 10 percent or more tariff on all goods imported into the United States, which he said would eliminate the country’s trade deficit.

He has also said he should have the authority to set higher tariffs on countries that have put tariffs on U.S. imports. He has threatened to impose a 200 percent tariff on some imported cars, saying he is determined in particular to keep cars from Mexico from coming into the country.

Trump has targeted China in particular. He proposes phasing out Chinese imports of goods such as electronics, steel, and pharmaceuticals over four years. He seeks to prohibit Chinese companies from owning U.S. real estate and infrastructure in the energy and tech sectors.

“To me, the most beautiful word in the dictionary is ‘tariffs,’” Trump said in an interview with John Micklethwait, editor-in-chief of Bloomberg News, in October. “It’s my favorite word.”

He added at the time, “You see these empty, old, beautiful steel mills and factories that are empty and falling down,” referring to facilities that used to make goods in the United States.

“We’re going to bring the companies back. We’re going to lower taxes for companies that are going to make their products in the USA. And we’re going to protect those companies with strong tariffs,” Trump said.

Micklethwait said that some economists have projected that the former president’s economic policies, including tariffs, could add trillions to the U.S. deficit. But Trump said that a number of countries, including “allies” have “taken advantage of us, more so than our enemies. ”

Social Policies

Trump has pledged to require U.S. colleges and universities to “defend American tradition and Western civilization” and to purge them of diversity and inclusion programs, which he and Republicans have said are leftist in nature.

He said he would direct the Justice Department to pursue civil rights cases against schools that engage in racial discrimination. At K–12 schools, Trump would support programs allowing parents to use public funds for private or religious instruction. Trump also wants to abolish the federal Department of Education and leave states in control of schooling.

Regarding abortion, Trump has said that a federal ban on abortion is not needed and that the issue should be resolved by states. He’s also said he backs rules that advance in vitro fertilization, birth control, and prenatal care.

In campaign events and interviews, Trump has been critical of schools allowing transgender individuals to compete in women’s sports, saying that he would impose a ban on such practices.

The Epoch Times - Epoch Top 5 Newsletter - 24/11/10




24/11/11 (2) Helms Deep Update

Bob A (Democratic Marxist)

[Dilip Panjwani]

Taking to X on Monday, top Indian-American advisor to President-elect Trump argued that “a band of small-government revolutionaries” can “save our nation".
Responding to Ramaswamy's remarks, “Absolutely!” Musk wrote.

In addition, Musk also reposted another post by Ramaswamy that described the Republicans' overwhelming win in US elections as a “once in a century” chance to “radically downsize the size, scope, and mission of the federal government.”

[Sid Belzberg]

I don't agree with Bob Gillanders that Bernie Sanders could have defeated Donald Trump in 2016. I do greatly respect Mr. Sanders, however.

Concerning Trump, before he gets to his second term inauguration, set for Jan. 20, 2025, he has a not-so-small matter of a Manhattan court hearing on Nov. 26, for sentencing in his 34 New York felony conviction case.

This is NOT a federal matter, so the federal Department of Justice in Washington cannot automatically shut it down. And it is not a prosecution of a sitting president, nor a prosecution of someone who was president when the offences occurred, which was in the autumn of 2016, before the election in November that year. So, the Supreme Court rulings of this past summer should not come into play Trump was extraordinarily abusive to the New York judge and the court process while the trial was in progress, and he has greatly benefited from several delays in the sentencing. It will be highly interesting to see what Judge Juan Merchan decides to do; the world will most certainly be watching. Trump could receive up to four years in prison for each of the 34 charges, in addition to fines.

Extraordinary circumstances': NY judge in Trump case pauses all court deadlines, sentencing


President-elect Donald Trump was convicted in May by a Manhattan jury on 34 counts of falsifying business records, which if upheld, could have cost him up to four years in prison.

---

By Breanne Deppisch

Nov 12, 2024 10:12 AM

5 min. read
View original

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The Manhattan judge overseeing President-elect Donald Trump's trial agreed to grant a stay on all deadlines associated with the felony conviction proceedings against Trump in the final months before he takes office, a closely-watched decision that allows Trump to avoid a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison.

The judge overseeing the case, Judge Juan Merchan, granted the request, which issues a stay on all deadlines, including the Nov. 26 sentencing date, to consider the effect of his election as president.

Prosecutors had asked for the pause in proceedings, which they said would allow them to better evaluate the impact of Trump’s new status as president-elect.

"The People agree that these are unprecedented circumstances," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said in a letter to Judge Merchan.

Trump's attorneys, who had filed a motion to vacate the charges completely, also backed the stay.

Trump was convicted in May by a Manhattan jury on 34 counts of falsifying business records, stemming from a case about payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels.

SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH MOVES TO DROP TRUMP ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE

Former President Donald Trump, left, speaks at the end of the day alongside his attorney Todd Blanche during his financial-records trial in Manhattan. (Michael M. Santiago/Pool via USA TODAY NETWORK)

Merchan agreed earlier this year to a four-month delay for the court proceedings, pushing next steps until after the 2024 presidential election.

He had set Nov. 12 as a self-imposed deadline to decide how best to proceed.

The decision comes after the Supreme Court said in a July 1 ruling that presidents should enjoy presumptive immunity from criminal prosecution for most actions taken as president.

Justices writing for a 4-3 majority said that presidents are entitled to absolute immunity from any actions taken within the scope of "core constitutional powers" as commander-in-chief.

A presumption of immunity also applies to other actions taken while holding office, they said.

It is not clear whether a president is to be afforded the same level of constitutional protections for state convictions, however, and the matter has never been tested in court.

Trump officials praised the pause in court proceedings Tuesday. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital that the pause makes "abundantly clear that Americans want an immediate end to the weaponization of our justice system, including this case … so we can unify our country and work together for the betterment of our nation."

The Nov. 12 deadline is separate from the sentencing hearing for the 34 convictions, which had previously been set for Nov. 26.

Rather, this was a self-imposed deadline set by Merchan that allows him to consider Trump’s claims of presidential immunity and whether the Supreme Court’s July ruling on the scope of immunity should apply to the state level.

Even if Trump’s convictions were upheld, the president-elect has myriad ways to appeal the case or get the charges against him dismissed before the Nov. 26 sentencing hearing — making it all but certain he will face no time behind bars.

STEFANIK SLAMS DEMOCRATS' 'SCARE TACTICS' ON TRUMP'S RECORD WITH WOMEN ON IVF, ABORTION

Former President Donald Trump, left, attends the first day of his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 15. Judge Juan Merchan poses for a picture in his chambers on March 14 in New York. (Angela Weiss/AFP via AP, POOL/AP)

The first would be moving the case from state to federal court — which Trump’s lawyers had twice tried and failed to do in the months ahead of the election. However, their request to elevate the case to federal court now carries more weight, given Trump’s status as president-elect.

If that fails, Trump’s attorneys would likely appeal the convictions ahead of his sentencing hearing, using the Supreme Court immunity ruling as grounds to have the charges dismissed.

They are also likely to use the immunity claim to throw out portions of evidence used by prosecutors in the New York case, including testimony from former White House communications director Hope Hicks.

Even if all this fails, legal analysts and former prosecutors have roundly dismissed the idea that Trump would face prison time for the convictions.

"Understand, Trump is not going to prison even if Merchan metes out an incarceration sentence. Though the charges are felonies, they are not sufficiently serious under New York law to merit immediate detention; Trump will get bail pending appeal," Andrew McCarthy, a former U.S. prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, wrote in an op-ed last week for Fox News Digital.

Judge Juan M. Merchan poses in his chambers in New York on March 14, 2024 in this file photo. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Had Merchan moved to keep the convictions intact, he could have sought additional guidance from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, including on whether Trump should be submitted to state convictions as a sitting president — a question that has never been tested.

STEFANIK SLAMS DEMOCRATS' 'SCARE TACTICS' ON TRUMP'S RECORD WITH WOMEN ON IVF, ABORTION

Trump's legal team would almost certainly have appealed any conviction as far as the Supreme Court, if necessary.

Trump is shielded from federal convictions under longstanding Justice Department policy preventing U.S. attorneys from prosecuting a sitting president.

However, this precedent has never been applied to state convictions, giving Judge Merchan a somewhat wider berth in deciding how to proceed.

Main entrance to the Trump Tower building in Manhattan. (Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)

His decision comes days after special counsel Jack Smith filed a motion to vacate all deadlines in the 2020 election interference case against President-elect Trump in Washington, D.C.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Smith had been tapped by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to investigate both the alleged effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as Trump's keeping of allegedly classified documents at his residence in Florida after leaving the White House in 2020.

While those charges have not been officially dropped, the special counsel appears to be moving in that direction, and Smith said his team plans to give an updated report on the official status of the case against Trump on Dec. 2.

Former Attorney General Bill Barr told Fox News Digital that state and local prosecutors and judges need to move on from the "spectacle" of prosecuting the president-elect.

Breanne Deppisch is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the 2024 election and other national news.

[Dilip Panjwani]

Finally!

CNN:

President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” in his second administration.

“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in a statement.

The statement quoted Musk as saying that “this will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!”

[Bob Armstrong]

Americas - USA

Republican Government - Initiatives Intended as of 25/1/20


Energy & the Environment

"restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.....
while protecting access to clean air and water."

Head of Environmental Protection Agency: Former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin - does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president.

Trump Statement: [There will be] fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet"..... his administration would “drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration.


Israel & the Middle East

- to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel’s interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah.

Ambassador to Israel: former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee - a staunch defender of Israel; a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland.

Associate Press (AP) - Politics - 24/11/12


Department of Government Efficiency (New)

- to overhaul the federal government; [to] propel “drastic change” throughout the federal bureaucracy by July 4, 2026.

Co-Heads of Dept.: Two of [Trump's] billionaire supporters, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy

Musk Statement: See Dilip's Post # 23 above

Trump Statement: [It will bring] “drastic change” throughout the government with major cuts and new efficiencies in bloated agencies in the federal bureaucracy.

The New York Times - Breaking News Newsletter - 24/11/12



24/11/13 (1) Helms Deep Update

Bob A (Democratic Marxist)

[Bob Armstrong]

Americas - USA

Republicans & National Security

Secretary of Defense: Media Personality with Fox News (Trump Supporter), Pete Hegseth

"As we were about to publish this newsletter, Donald Trump announced that he has asked......Pete Hegseth, a military veteran who has no experience in leading large organizations and no serious background as a senior leader in national-security affairs, to be his secretary of defense.

This is exactly the kind of unqualified [Emphasis added] nomination that I was warning could be looming after this first group of nominees were announced—and it explains why Trump is determined to BYPASS [Emphasis added] the U.S. Senate to get some of his nominees confirmed."

The Atlantic (Conservative; David Frum is a senior editor) - The Atlantic Daily Newsletter - 24/11/12
https://www.theatlantic.com/newslett...Atlantic+Daily



24/11/13 (2) Helms Deep Update

Bob A (Democratic Marxist)

[Peter McKillop]

Americas - USA

Republicans & National Security

Secretary of Defense: Media Personality with Fox News (Trump Supporter), Pete Hegseth

"As we were about to publish this newsletter, Donald Trump announced that he has asked......Pete Hegseth, a military veteran who has no experience in leading large organizations and no serious background as a senior leader in national-security affairs, to be his secretary of defense.

This is exactly the kind of unqualified [Emphasis added] nomination that I was warning could be looming after this first group of nominees were announced—and it explains why Trump is determined to BYPASS [Emphasis added] the U.S. Senate to get some of his nominees confirmed."

The Atlantic (Conservative; David Frum is a senior editor) - The Atlantic Daily Newsletter - 24/11/12
https://www.theatlantic.com/newslett...Atlantic+Daily



24/11/13 (2) Helms Deep Update

Bob A (Democratic Marxist)

Don't forget, Bob, that Hegseth is a political commentator for FOX which, in Trumpworld, makes him eminently well qualified for the job. To paraphrase someone (too lazy this morning to look it up), people get the government they deserve. Good luck America!

[Vlad Drkulec]

Don't forget, Bob, that Hegseth is a political commentator for FOX which, in Trumpworld, makes him eminently well qualified for the job. To paraphrase someone (too lazy this morning to look it up), people get the government they deserve. Good luck America!

He is a decorated war veteran unlike a certain vice presidential candidate who did serve in Italy while pretending he carried "weapons of war". Pete will do fine.

[Peter McKillop]

He is a decorated war veteran unlike a certain vice presidential candidate who did serve in Italy while pretending he carried "weapons of war". Pete will do fine.

We'll see. He is ahead of his boss-to-be in one respect. Hegseth was on (no pun intended) wife no. 3 at age 39. It took Trump until age 58 to attain that same level of achievement.

[Bob Armstrong]

1. National Security

a. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)

Director: Former Congressional Rep., Ms. Tulsi Gabbard

"The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after 9/11 to remedy what American policy makers believed was a lack of coordination among the various national-intelligence agencies, and the DNI sits atop all of America’s intelligence services, including the CIA.

Gabbard is stunningly unqualified for almost any Cabinet post (as are some of Trump’s other picks), but especially for ODNI. She has no qualifications as an intelligence professional—literally none. (She is a reserve lieutenant colonel who previously served in the Hawaii Army National Guard, with assignments in medical, police, and civil-affairs-support positions. She has won some local elections and also represented Hawaii in Congress.) She has no significant experience directing or managing much of anything.

But leave aside for the moment that she is manifestly unprepared to run any kind of agency. Americans usually accept that presidents reward loyalists with jobs, and Trump has the right to stash Gabbard at some make-work office in the bureaucracy if he feels he owes her. It’s not a pretty tradition, but it’s not unprecedented, either.

To make Tulsi Gabbard the DNI, however, is not merely handing a bouquet to a political gadfly. Her appointment would be a threat to the security of the United States.

Gabbard ran for president as a Democrat in 2020, attempting to position herself as something like a peace candidate. But she’s no peacemaker: She’s been an apologist for both the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Her politics, which are otherwise incoherent, tend to be sympathetic to these two strongmen, painting America as the problem and the dictators as misunderstood. Hawaii voters have long been perplexed by the way she’s positioned herself politically. But Gabbard is a classic case of “horseshoe” politics: Her views can seem both extremely left and extremely right, which is probably why people such as Tucker Carlson—a conservative who has turned into … whatever pro-Russia right-wingers are called now—have taken a liking to the former Democrat (who was previously a Republican and is now again a member of the GOP)."

The Atlantic: Daily Newsletter – 24/11/13

2. Further Appointments

Monday (24/11/11)

- Rep. Mike Waltz - National Security Adviser;
- Sen. Marco Rubio - Secretary of State.

Tuesday (24/11/12)

- John Ratcliffe, former Director of National Intelligence - Director of the CIA.

Japan Times - Top News Stories Newsletter - 24/11/13


Bob A

[Vlad Drkulec]

We'll see. He is ahead of his boss-to-be in one respect. Hegseth was on (no pun intended) wife no. 3 at age 39. It took Trump until age 58 to attain that same level of achievement.

If we start limiting appointments on the basis of their marital situation we may not ever have a Democrat take any office. Recall that Trump was a registered Democrat and a Democrat donor when he had all his marital drama including the Stormy Daniels alleged affair. Its good that he had his come to Jesus moment.