In my last post I recommended a piece by Greg Sargent at The New Republic, Mexican President’s Harsh Takedown of Trump Exposes an Ugly MAGA Scam. You might want to review that before reading further.
A couple of days ago Trump posted on Truth Social,
Just had a wonderful conversation with the new President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. She has agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border. We also talked about what can be done to stop the massive drug inflow into the United States, and also, U.S. consumption of these drugs. It was a very productive conversation!
If you’ve read the Greg Sargent piece, you already know this is bullshit. Here is how President Sheinbaum responded:
En nuestra conversación con el presidente Trump, le expuse la estrategia integral que ha seguido México para atender el fenómeno migratorio, respetando los derechos humanos. Gracias a ello se atiende a las personas migrantes y a las caravanas previo a que lleguen a la frontera.…
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) November 28, 2024
“In our conversation with President Trump, I explained to him the comprehensive strategy that Mexico has followed to address the migration phenomenon, respecting human rights,” Sheinbaum wrote in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. “Thanks to this, migrants and caravans are assisted before they reach the border. We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples.”
Katie Herchenroeder wrote at Vanity Fair,
Earlier on Wednesday, before Trump posted his statement on Truth Social, his social media site, Sheinbaum said they “had an excellent conversation.”
“We discussed Mexico’s strategy on the migration phenomenon, and I shared that caravans are not arriving at the northern border because they are being taken care of in Mexico,” she wrote on X. “We also discussed strengthening collaboration on security issues within the framework of our sovereignty and the campaign we are carrying out in the country to prevent the consumption of fentanyl.”
She must realize now what a snake Trump is.
The two presidents’ call comes days after Trump announced he would impose, via an executive order on the first day of his presidency, 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada. “This Tariff,” he began, “will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!”
Avocados, tequila, and beers like Modelo are some of the products that would likely see price hikes should Trump follow through.
In a letter responding to Trump’s tariff threat, Sheinbaum said her government would retaliate if he moved forward with this stated plan. “For every tariff, there will be a response in kind,” Sheinbaum wrote, according to a statement released by the Mexican Embassy Tuesday morning. “Among Mexico’s main exporters to the United States are General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford Motor Company, which arrived in Mexico 80 years ago. Why impose a tariff that would jeopardize them? Such a measure would be unacceptable and would lead to inflation and job losses in both the United States and Mexico,” she added.
Plus, as was spelled out in the Greg Sargent piece, Mexico has been taking extraordinary measures to apprehend most of the migrants traveling through Mexico and stop them from reaching the United States. “During the campaign, Trump simply pretended none of that was happening.” Sargent writes. “It’s one of MAGA’s biggest deceptions, and his latest scam carries it forward.” (Why the Biden Administration wasn’t broadcasting the facts about the border from every loudspeaker in the country all year long is another question.)
I don’t know if Trump and Scheinbaum talked about tariffs, but we do know he talked about tariffs to Justin Trudeau. The Canadian Prime Minister traveled to Mar-a-Lago to try to talk sense to Trump and came away unsatisfied.
Today we learned that Trump has named Charles Kushner, Jared’s ex-felon daddy, ambassador to France. Was this a slap back at Emmanuel Macron?
And we learned that Pete Hegseth’s mother sent him an email accusing him of abusing many women for many years. Your own Mama, Pete. Take it to heart.
Update: Holy bleep — Trump wants Kash Patel to run the FBI.
AP reports Trump is threatening to impose 100% tarrifs on BRICS nations because of their intent to engage in foreign exchange in non dollar currencies.
It may only be a threat to rile the human medicine ball since the dollar still represents 58% of the world's foreign exchange.
However, with trade and tarrif wars, many economies will become shaky, and higher prices on consumers, along with product shortages and delays in obtaining parts and repairs for infrastructure necessities, "dedollaring" may be seen as a perfect time to reduce America's worldwide economic dominance.
How will the EU stand ?
All we really know is that any damage to the american economy will be blamed on Biden, Clinton, Obama, Fentynal, Spanish speakers, women, and John Mcain.
Let's fasten our seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy ride come January 20, or thereabouts,
This is just more chicken shit bluster from Stump. The way I see it Stump announces a ridiculous tariff he has no intention on imposing. He then lies about his conversation with Mexico's president that all his demands have already been met so now he won't need to do tariffs on day one. What Stump says between now and jan 20th means absolutely nothing. It's all wizardry!
You bring up an issue that weighs on my mind. What will Trump do vs what is just bluster? One aspect that drives me to distraction is the question, "What does Trump believe?" I've concluded that Trump is a man of deep convictions, most of them quite degenerate.
1) Trump believes in money and power – and that the two should insulate aristocrats from the consequences an ordinary man would face. This belief is the basis of the alliance with Musk. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Trump+stars+can+do+anything
2) Trump IS a racist. I think a driving force for him and for MAGA is to Make America White Again. Or at least make sure only white males pull the levers of power. Trump has made it clear that all the trials, civil and criminal, are racially motivated attacks. If Trump can do it, I think he will deport as many persons of color as he can. I think Trump wants to continue this for as long as it takes to reverse the multi-racial mix. DEI is a cuss-word for Trump and MAGA because it MEANS what they despise – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
3) Trump is a sexist pig. He thinks it is his right and women should learn to like it. If Trump in his lifetime has been half the womanizer he pretended to be, even while married, there ought to be a bunch of bastard Trump offspring. With no evidence, I'd speculate Trump spent a fair amount on abortions and NDAs with huge penalties. So he's indifferent to abortion – if he could get away with it, he'd have the government subsidize abortion for any woman with dark skin. I think Trump (and Christioan Nationalists) want white women to get busy reversing the trend that has/will make whites a minority in the US.
4) In a particularly stupid part of Trump's brain, I think Trump wants Tariffs to eliminate to eliminate income taxes. It's a nightmare to him (and Musk) that the tax code could cut into their piles of gold. (See Smaug – LOTR) Trump may know that this is a regressive tax laid mostly on the middle class, which is OK with him.
5) Trump really and truly lusts after revenge. I think if Trump had to choose between paying taxes and getting revenge on his enemies, he's pay taxes (and try to cheat.) I think Trump knows all the attempts to use the DOJ to imprison his enemies will fail for lack of any crimes. So you hear Trump talk about military tribunals to pass judgement on Liz Cheney who has never been in the military! Why? Trump thinks he could assemble a kangaroo court of military psychos who will ignore the lack of evidence and convict. Which Trump imagines will have no appeal.
5b) Trump wants to be able to exact brutal revenge on the masses who dare assemble to oppose him. I'm talking about peaceful protest. Trump wants to massacre large numbers if they dare rise up and he has no comprehension what affect this will have on regular Americans. (The tree of liberty is looking wilted – you know that revives it.)
Trump has assembled lunatics to take key positions in government. Many will be confirmed or installed as "acting." I don't think they can be effective (as Hitler was) because they have no ability. (Hitler's generals were disciplined and effective.) They can do enormous damage, turning the popular will of voters against MAGA, but they won't have the machine of Brown Shirts and Gestapo that Hitler had, not can Trump quell dissent or dissemination of the truth. The phone cameras deprive Trump of a key component of a successful propaganda machine. Truth will out.
Trump will put together a team that's mostly Keystone Cops mixed with a portion of Hannibal Lechter. It will all be ugly and painful and ugly. We have to keep the Constitution intact for four years. If we do, we win, not just the 2028 election but we'll have a motivated majority in the same page for preserving what we barely saved.
"MAHA" is now RFK jr.'s slogan: "Make America Healthy Again"
I hope a bunch of RFK jr. fans don't start showing up here thinking this is an alternative medicine blog.
I’ll tell them to get their flu shots.
Claudia Sheinbaum seems to have Trump's number, as does Doug. I would add to Doug's list Trumps obsession to revise history about his collaboration with Putin and company. I am so hungry for the truth to prevail, but this is a cover up any cat would be proud of. The stench does linger on though. The whole world struggles to avoid its revolting odor.
I now read that Assad is on thin ice in Syria. Putin must be too preoccupied with Ukraine to aid and abet him. Somehow much has changed with little to no news coverage that I have been aware of. Instead of War and Peace the area goes for War and More War. No zeal for the good life there, just a zeal for an express ride to the afterlife. So much for a land of flying carpets and bottles with genies that grant wishes. Who wouldn't trade that for massive piles of rubble?
All of this casts doubt on Darwin's great theory of the survival of the fittest. Evolution seems to have taken a new path, promoting those who throw the biggest fit rather than the fittest. That explains the rise of Trump and a lot more. Well, at least Darwin got close to the right answer. On with the inevitable tariff tantrums.