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Monday Open Thread

Everything about Donald Trump this week has been an "ick".

The media is all over his health issues. The Irish Star has been unrelenting.

[More...]

One I can't say is an "ick" but warrants a closer look: His unsteadiness on his feet. He seems to grab on to things to steady himself, from Putin's arm on the "red carpet" as he is about to climb a few steps to grabbing Melania's arm from behind as he was getting off a plane. Balance is a problem for a lot of seniors.

Of course, this all pales by comparison to his actions, especially his militarization of our cities and monopolizing the use of our courts to pursue personal vendettas against those he believes wronged him.

He's even made a deal with Uganda to take in people he deports who can't go back to their own countries. The State Department in its 2024 Report on Uganda's Human Rights record pulled no punches:

Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: arbitrary or unlawful killings; disappearances; torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; arbitrary arrest or detention; transnational repression against individuals in another country; unlawful recruitment or use of children in armed conflict by nonstate armed groups; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including violence or threats of violence against journalists, and censorship; and significant presence of any of the worst forms of child labor.

The government did not take credible steps or action to identify and punish officials who committed human rights abuses.

Uganda, for its part, says it won't take in deportees with criminal records.

A judge today put the skids on sending Kilmar Abrego Garcia there. It's just a temporary reprieve, however.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

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  • Display: Sort:
    Anyone who watched the orange goat's... (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by desertswine on Tue Aug 26, 2025 at 12:19:42 AM EST
    performance today cannot doubt that this is a deeply disturbed individual.

    "They say: 'We don't need him. Freedom, freedom, he's a dictator.'

    "A lot of people are saying maybe we like a dictator," Trump added. "I don't like a dictator. I'm not a dictator. I'm a man with great common sense and a smart person."

    Seems like some bizarre mix of senility (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 26, 2025 at 07:31:40 AM EST
    And being in the crazy always stroking him bubble he lives in. Who around him doesn't tell him how brilliant and amazing he is? Why, it sounds like he's about to hit the soccer field and become a world class player for his encore. After he wins the Nobel.

    Parent
    Chicago, Chicago that Toddling Town (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by KeysDan on Tue Aug 26, 2025 at 11:26:43 AM EST
    National Guard,Title 32 Status (referring to Fed Code 502) answer to the State's governor, provide in-state service and respond to domestic emergencies, such as natural disasters and support local law enforcement, if needed.

    A state's National Guard troops assumes Title 10 Status when they are federalized by the U.S. President, becoming, in effect, part of the federal armed forces, specifically, the reserve components of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. The State's National Guard then fall under federal command and control, are fully federally funded, and are subject to federal laws, including the Posse Comitatus Act (the 1878 federal law that generally prohibits the use of  the federal military from acting as a civilian law enforcement "posse" to enforce domestic laws)

    The only National Guard the president can deploy without the authorization of the state's governor or responsible local officials is Washington, D.C. If the governor, say of Illinois, does not agree to use of the Illinois National Guard, the U.S. president would have to federalize the Illinois National Guard, assume all costs and all federal laws and responsibilities.

    If the U.S. President deploys National Guard troops from another state, say Alabama, for domestic law enforcement in Illinois over the objection of the Illinois governor, the Alabama National Guard would become an occupying force. US.states may not invade another. State officers cannot operate in another state without consent.

    Replacing Status 32 National Guard with Status 10 does not make deployment into a non-consenting state permissible under the Constitutional, co-equal, territorial limited sovereignty barrier.

    Of course, Trump does not care about acting lawfully or in accord with the US Constitution, and will push as far as he can, manufacturing emergencies or claim specious exemptions. However, there is likely to be consequences. A red state mixing it up with a blue state may result in  purple hearts.

    Am very concerned (none / 0) (#1)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 25, 2025 at 06:31:08 PM EST
    about the presidents health.  Obsessed you could say.  

    I watched your video link (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Aug 25, 2025 at 09:14:32 PM EST
    Then I had a glass of red wine and snuck some Ho-Hos out of granddaughter's lunch supply 😆 🤣

    A wee celebration.

    Parent

    I still think (none / 0) (#5)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 26, 2025 at 07:50:15 AM EST
    the most troubling question is what happens if he, for example, had a stroke.

    How much of a vegetable would he have to be to be hauled off the stage.  For Republicans to not fear MAGA enough to give him the hook.

    I mean as long as he can make threats out of one side of his mouth.....


    Parent

    I agree. (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Aug 26, 2025 at 10:27:15 AM EST
    If he dies outright problem solved. Otherwise we are gonna live in some dystopian situation where there is no brain but a mouth. Not all that far off where we are now.

    Parent
    Back off man (none / 0) (#8)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 26, 2025 at 01:02:55 PM EST

    Trump-appointed judge rebukes White House for `smear' of judiciary

    In tossing out the lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Thomas Cullen -- a Trump appointee -- lamented what he described as the White House's months-long "smear" of the federal judiciary.