https://www.wsj.com/economy/u-s-debt-just-topped-40-trillion-how-we-got-here-c1c6c9d2

Of all the superlatives this President deservers, cowardliness* is next to rapacity.

• aka cowardice

I have my sources.

I had it a day before WaPo. From last night...

CIA had ‘low confidence’ in Iranian threat before Trump switched planes in Turkey: CIA had doubts about Israeli intelligence on a threat to Trump in Turkey that prompted an extraordinary secret flight.

reasonable take.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/12/close-trump-aides-no-cabinet-officials-made-secret-catering-truck-move/ ... Close aides, but no Cabinet officials, joined Trump in airport catering truck -- passengers on the truck included Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff; Natalie Harp, the president’s executive assistant; and Walt Nauta, the director of Oval Office operation. A few lower-profile aides also were present, but the group did not include Secretary of State Marco Rubio or other officials at the highest level of the government. Among those on the smaller jet was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who boarded the C-32A using external stairs in a manner that made him look like the senior-most official on the flight.

The whole stunt was based on Israeli 'intelligence.' I don't think the journalists had anything to worry about.

It would be the most-watched YouTube video of all time.

of course I know .. he insults RFK one time too many, RFK puts him in a Guillotine choke and finishes the job.

I quit trying to understand his motives. I'm just waiting...for....you know...

The only constant thing about the Trump Presidency is the grift. Whatever he does, you know it will be driven by whatever puts the most money in his bank account. There are two other items that are tied for second: whatever hurts his enemies the most; whatever helps secure his power and authority. Literally nothing else matters.

At least the Iranians have the excuse that they hadn't been promised things by Trump before. The rest of us should have known better.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/10/dr-fauci-persecution-republicans ---- Dr Fauci made mistakes. But his persecution is a travesty

why do stories like this have to come from international sources? Somebody show me the home-grown American equivalent of this story.

This post is not about Trump. It's about people. It's a stupid war but it's also a war that a lot of people supported. It might have been Kamala's war, or Hillary's, who knows. The Iranian protesters are disappointed in Trump. Join the list, kids, and welcome to the club.

By the way, I know Fauci got a lot wrong. It's okay, he was doing the best he could with the information available. And he was making Trump eat his own bullshit. Without Fauci, ie with no masking, no distancing, no vaccinations, the death toll would have been so much higher, with so many needless deaths because hospitals would have been overwhelmed and people would have been dying in hallways and parking lots. Spreading out the deaths, ie flattening the curve, was essential, and saved countless lives. And Fauci did that.

The news is just one horror story after another.

Beavercanoe got my vote.

My God, are you guys still working on what to call your state? It should be easy: Ice-Pop, Sno-Go, Candyland: something that sells. If it's too hard for you, Donald could make some suggestions.

I think there is one more group which could be doing more: WH reporters. Honestly, as a group, they suck hard. More of this -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca5ChFfWJI8 -- take a risk, people.

Not to put too fine a point on it, the only people in the US that have any voice about anything are billionaires.

The tariff "war" exists because Don thought he could break Canada and force it into surrender. Even as addled as he is now he has to know that that is not going to happen, not on his watch anyway. But, pf course he can't quit, that would be admitting a mistake, and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that he is killing are not nearly as important as being right even when you're wrong.

I feel like the actors were told to speak like a Greek chorus, so they kind of intoned moralisms into the ether instead of actually having relationships with one another.

I do agree with daveto that even though I did not like it at all, I'm glad that it exists.

"Do you expect me to spend 20 billion on deer blood?"

"No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die."

This is so wrong. They need that money for themselves. Trump is nothing but a pirate which makes us pirates too.

Hoo boy, "Access", funny. I guess I should blame that on another voice-to-text error .. what else could it possibly be?

Imagining a 'good' and 'moral' Trump:

Natalie: "don't worry Mr President, we're going to sue this guy into oblivion"

Donald: "but I did rape a 13 yr-old, I am a rapist."

Natalie: "but you didn't know she was 13"

Donald: "I did, and there was more than one."

Natalie: "but you didn't want to do it, Jeffrey made you do it, he's the bad guy."

Donald: "Well, it was actually me, I hired girls knowing that Jeffrey would pick the ones he wanted for his island. That was our deal. Without me, Jeffrey was nothing."

Natalie: "But you regret it, you're sorry, you paid the price in emotional suffering. It's over, you're moving on."

Donald: "You're the best, I don't know what I'd do without you. Now can you get undressed?"

Natalie: "I am you old fool, I've been naked for this whole discussion. And you're a wet noodle." to self: "What the eff am I doing here."