Donald Trump is perhaps the most likely person to provoke some kind of opinion, and much of it extreme. On the Politics board here at SicEm365, everyone finds themselves thrown into one of two buckets, but often with some false assumptions. I chuckle to see, for instance, how many people wrongly think I am a Trump cheerleader, oblivious to my doubts about him when running in 2016 (I supported Cruz then) and 2024 (I preferred DeSantis) because it's so much easier to paint in just black or white. So too there are those who clearly prefer Trump to the crapshow offered by the Democrats, but they are painted as Trump haters for not buying in 100%. Add to that the people who claim to support Trump sometimes but never really do, and the ones who go after Trump at every opportunity while never attacking Democrats during their time, who nonetheless bray about 'holding Trump accountable', and here we are. I thought it might be useful to open a thread discussing Trump as he is now, warts and glories and all.

I mentioned at the start that I did not vote for Trump in the 2016 or 2024 primaries, but I have supported him once he secured the GOP nomination for obvious reasons, as because he is the sitting President. I still maintain that on the results so far, Trump is the best President we have seen in the White House since Reagan left in January 1989. That may say something about the nation's course over the last thirty-six years.

From where I sit, Donald Trump as we finish 2025 and start 2026 is a mixed bag. He has done a tremendous service to the nation by securing the border and deporting as many illegals as possible. He has tried to level the trade field and has fought the good fight against a corrupt Fed.

But Donald Trump just cannot keep his mouth shut when it's wisest to be quiet. He makes statements about
Jobs and the Economy that just don't sync with facts. And he just cannot stand not to be the center of attention. The midterms are still a long way off, but not so far off he can just ignore them.

Both Trumps are the 'real' Donald Trump.

What are your thoughts?

Oldbear83 said:

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Donald Trump is perhaps the most likely person to provoke some kind of opinion, and much of it extreme. On the Politics board here at SicEm365, everyone finds themselves thrown into one of two buckets, but often with some false assumptions. I chuckle to see, for instance, how many people wrongly think I am a Trump cheerleader, oblivious to my doubts about him when running in 2016 (I supported Cruz then) and 2024 (I preferred DeSantis) because it's so much easier to paint in just black or white. So too there are those who clearly prefer Trump to the crapshow offered by the Democrats, but they are painted as Trump haters for not buying in 100%. Add to that the people who claim to support Trump sometimes but never really do, and the ones who go after Trump at every opportunity while never attacking Democrats during their time, who nonetheless bray about 'holding Trump accountable', and here we are. I thought it might be useful to open a thread discussing Trump as he is now, warts and glories and all.

I mentioned at the start that I did not vote for Trump in the 2016 or 2024 primaries, but I have supported him once he secured the GOP nomination for obvious reasons, as because he is the sitting President. I still maintain that on the results so far, Trump is the best President we have seen in the White House since Reagan left in January 1989. That may say something about the nation's course over the last thirty-six years.

From where I sit, Donald Trump as we finish 2025 and start 2026 is a mixed bag. He has done a tremendous service to the nation by securing the border and deporting as many illegals as possible. He has tried to level the trade field and has fought the good fight against a corrupt Fed.

But Donald Trump just cannot keep his mouth shut when it's wisest to be quiet. He makes statements about
Jobs and the Economy that just don't sync with facts. And he just cannot stand not to be the center of attention. The midterms are still a long way off, but not so far off he can just ignore them.

Both Trumps are the 'real' Donald Trump.

What are your thoughts?

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Pretty good post, Sir. I tip my hat to you. I think you have finally figured out or are willing to admit that Trump is less than perfect.

In 2026, I want him to be more of a world leader and less of an arrogant bully.

RD2WINAGNBEAR86 said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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KaiBear said:

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Beginning to doubt Trump will finish his term.

Somebody better begin briefing Vance.

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So what makes you think that? Am just curious. It seems on this one thread that two of his most tenacious and loyal supporters are suddenly having doubts about him. Interesting.

RD2WINAGNBEAR86 said:

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KaiBear said:

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Beginning to doubt Trump will finish his term.

Somebody better begin briefing Vance.

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So what makes you think that? Am just curious. It seems on this one thread that two of his most tenacious and loyal supporters are suddenly having doubts about him. Interesting.

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I think it goes back to my original point, that everyone seems to thrown into the 'Loves Trump 100%' or 'Hates Trump 100%' boxes.

Donald Trump is the duly-elected President of the United States, and so even where I disagree with him I respect the office. But I was never a stooge, and the man sometimes says and does things that are stupid from any position.

I disagree with Kaibear about him finishing his term. Biden was completely out of his depth and yet finished his term, I expect Trump will make it to the 2029 Inauguration of his successor. It's simply that the 2026 and 2028 elections may not go as some expect, and even if they do, I would hope Donald Trump is able to let go of the bitter version of himself he held between 2021 and 2023, and return more to the 2024 version who was better grounded and equipped for the tasks at hand.

Also, the Democrats cannot possibly remain as stupid and clumsy as they were 2023-2025. If they start listening, for example, to Fetterman, they could become much stronger in short order.

Ok we do have common ground and I regret much of what I said on my reply to you on another thread.

Thanks BUDOS. thanks R2.

Yes stereotyping is really common in these forums, which most of us have been. I tried to say this earlier but what follows is a bit more tactful. Probably won't change anyone's mind but maybe presents a better understanding:

People stereotype because our brains use them as mental shortcuts (heuristics) to quickly process complex social information, making sense of the world and navigating social situations more efficiently. Stereotypes help form group identity, reduce cognitive load, explain social events, and justify actions, often by categorizing people into "in-groups" and "out-groups," though they can be inaccurate and harmful.

BUDOS said:

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Yes stereotyping is really common in these forums, which most of us have been. I tried to say this earlier but what follows is a bit more tactful. Probably won't change anyone's mind but maybe presents a better understanding:

People stereotype because our brains use them as mental shortcuts (heuristics) to quickly process complex social information, making sense of the world and navigating social situations more efficiently. Stereotypes help form group identity, reduce cognitive load, explain social events, and justify actions, often by categorizing people into "in-groups" and "out-groups," though they can be inaccurate and harmful.

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Don't disagree. We have a particularly vocal group of youngsters to do that with the Jews.

Oldbear83 said:

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Donald Trump is perhaps the most likely person to provoke some kind of opinion, and much of it extreme. On the Politics board here at SicEm365, everyone finds themselves thrown into one of two buckets, but often with some false assumptions. I chuckle to see, for instance, how many people wrongly think I am a Trump cheerleader, oblivious to my doubts about him when running in 2016 (I supported Cruz then) and 2024 (I preferred DeSantis) because it's so much easier to paint in just black or white. So too there are those who clearly prefer Trump to the crapshow offered by the Democrats, but they are painted as Trump haters for not buying in 100%. Add to that the people who claim to support Trump sometimes but never really do, and the ones who go after Trump at every opportunity while never attacking Democrats during their time, who nonetheless bray about 'holding Trump accountable', and here we are. I thought it might be useful to open a thread discussing Trump as he is now, warts and glories and all.

I mentioned at the start that I did not vote for Trump in the 2016 or 2024 primaries, but I have supported him once he secured the GOP nomination for obvious reasons, as because he is the sitting President. I still maintain that on the results so far, Trump is the best President we have seen in the White House since Reagan left in January 1989. That may say something about the nation's course over the last thirty-six years.

From where I sit, Donald Trump as we finish 2025 and start 2026 is a mixed bag. He has done a tremendous service to the nation by securing the border and deporting as many illegals as possible. He has tried to level the trade field and has fought the good fight against a corrupt Fed.

But Donald Trump just cannot keep his mouth shut when it's wisest to be quiet. He makes statements about
Jobs and the Economy that just don't sync with facts. And he just cannot stand not to be the center of attention. The midterms are still a long way off, but not so far off he can just ignore them.

Both Trumps are the 'real' Donald Trump.

What are your thoughts?

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Sadly, your vote doesn't count in primaries. I'd like to see that change. We get stuck with what's left. Wouldn't it be nice if we had more of a national primary? Let people start in Iowa and New Hampshire then expand to voting day in April.

Perhaps regional primaries where states of similar demographics vote as a bloc and candidates would be forced to address their specific issues.

if you're still worrying about the slop that occasionally belches from Sweet Donny's Golden Mouth at this point...........

- el uncle fred

D!

He's doing the job - for the most part - and generating lots of non sense and asshattery.

Same as the first term......

I'll take the results over the buffoonery.*....

Go Bears!!

* the buffoonery can be annoying -

RIP MeatHead

FormerFlash said:

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There has never been a sitting president I've agreed with 100% and I feel confident saying there never will be. With any president, you take the good with the bad because you don't have a choice and you just hope the good outweighs the bad. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it does not.

What I have bigger concerns about is the evolution of the way the media and the people in this country treat the presidency. There is vile hatred spewed from both sides of the aisle and that trend has been escalating over the last 20ish years. We can no longer simply disagree on policy. We have to proclaim the other sides candidate as malicious, stupid, incompetent, evil, etc.

The result of this is that good, upstanding, moral people are no longer willing to pursue the office because why would they subject themselves or their family and those they love to that kind of vitriol? I don't see this getting any better which is why I expect the caliber of our candidates to continue its downward spiral.

Man I hope I'm wrong.

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Mitch: " Wouldn't it be nice if we had more of a national primary? "

Not how it works. The President is elected by the Electoral College, and one collects EV votes by winning states.

It therefore makes good sense that the primaries choose the party nominee by winning state delegates.

The problem I see is that the state primaries are scheduled in a way designed to kill off small-money contenders, and the media often chooses who can even be heard.

It is a big deal for some of you to admit he has issues, particularly with his messaging. I guess it really has gotten even worse. It is less of the silliness of "Mexico will pay for a wall!!!" and more personal and hateful attacks.

He will undoubtedly finish his term still talking about the possibility of a 3rd, but leaving that aside, the main damage hisrhetoric does, is to give legitimacy to the hard-core opposition of the far left. For the past 3 terms, much of what one President does in the first year, is undo what the previous one did. And because Trump's policy will be so closely tied to his rhetoric, it will look real reasonable to rollback on immigration, border, tariffs, trade deals.

It's not a good direction for the country to go. Trump is ultimately responsible for this escalation in rhetoric. Whatever CNN says about Trump. Trump has already said, and worse, about CNN.

Leadership matters, and rhetoric does too. You cannot separate them from results. It is all one big package.

Anyways, Trump is accomplishing things I very much agree with, but i wish enough of his advisors had the balls to tell him to shut up once in a while. He cant fire everyone right? (Or can he?)

Ultimately the deportations will only make a dent, at this pace, and that progress can be quickly undone by the next President, likely someone very different from Trump, if there is enough political pressure. And there might just be.

Political memory is short, but I think in 3 years we will be reminded of how desperately the country wanted to move on from Trump in 2020. How much of what he does is rolled back depends on people around him, and whether he can shut the hell up once in a while, or not.

Self deportations are already over a million.

More than a 'dent' and a fantastic bargain for American taxpayers.

At worst, Trump is so much better than anything the dimcrats have to offer, especially including any dimcrat that would have a prayer of getting that party's nomination. I admire Fetterman's courage, but let's face it, he would have about as much chance of winning that party's primary as I would have of playing in the NBA. Plus, it's probably just a matter of time before he becomes an independent or even a republican.

Bottom line, if you want to at least consider Trump "the lesser of two evils" then go ahead - because at a minimum he clearly is.

you magaturds will rue the day piggy and mega take a bloodbath. Give me normalcy please

J.R. said:

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you magaturds will rue the day piggy and mega take a bloodbath. Give me normalcy please

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Your girl Kommiela would've been soooo much better, right Junior?

Johnny Bear said:

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J.R. said:

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you magaturds will rue the day piggy and mega take a bloodbath. Give me normalcy please

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Your girl Kommiela would've been soooo much better, right Junior?

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didn't vote for her LJ. Your hero gold Jesus is looking amazing. LJ, back to debits on left, credits on right being an economic drain. Best economy since Adam sold the Apple.