Page 1 of 1

Dangerously uninformed’ Trump ‘toyed with’ awarding himself the Medal of Freedom

Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:01 pm
by TrueTexan
The book Stable Genus is due out and shows how Trump was a total F*ck Up from day one.
One of President Donald Trump’s most widely ridiculed assertions is that he is a “very stable genius,” and that line is used in an ironic way in the title of the forthcoming Philip Rucker/Carol D. Leonnig book, “A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America” — ironic because the book depicts Trump as being the opposite of stable during his time in the White House.

The Washington Post has obtained a copy of the 417-page book, which has a Tuesday, January 21 release date on Amazon — and according to the Post’s Ashley Parker, “A Very Stable Genius” is full of “vivid details from Trump’s tumultuous first three years as president, from his chaotic transition before the taking office to Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia investigation and final report.”

Rucker and Leonnig reveal in their book that Trump toyed with the idea of awarding himself the Medal of Freedom. Yet when it came to foreign policy, Trump was “at times, dangerously uninformed,” according to the long-time Washington Post reporters.

For example, Rucker and Leonnig report, Trump didn’t appear to fully understand the importance of Pearl Harbor when the president and former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly were getting ready to privately tour the USS Arizona Memorial. Trump, according to Rucker and Leonnig, “had heard the phrase ‘Pearl Harbor’ and appeared to understand that he was visiting the scene of an historic battle, but he did not seem to know much else.”

When Trump met with Indian President Narendra Modi, according to Rucker and Leonnig, he told him, “It’s not like you’ve got China on your border.” But in fact, China is one of the countries India shares a border with.

Trump’s fondness for Russian President Vladimir Putin is discussed in the book, and at one point, Trump declared himself to be more of an expert on Russia than former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson — who had extensive dealings with Putin during his years at Exxon.

Rucker and Leonnig write, “Tillerson’s years of negotiating with Putin and studying his moves on the chessboard were suddenly irrelevant. ‘I have had a two-hour meeting with Putin,’ Trump told Tillerson. ‘That’s all I need to know … I’ve sized it all up. I’ve got it.’”

“A Very Stable Genius,” Parker notes, is “based on hundreds of hours of interviews with more than 200 sources, corroborated, when possible, by calendars, diary entries, internal memos and even private video recordings. Trump himself had initially committed to an interview for the book, the authors write, but ultimately declined, amid an escalating war with the media.”

Some of the anecdotes in the book, according to Parker, are more amusing than disturbing. In 2018, for example, Trump met with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to discuss the possibility of Christie becoming the next White House chief of staff; Christie declined — and when Axios reported that the meeting had taken place, Christie wanted to know how the meeting had been leaked to the media. Only three people were present during the meeting: President Trump, Christie and First Lady Melania Trump.

“Oh, I did it,” President Trump revealed.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/01/danger ... om-report/
Here are 10 startling revelations from the new Trump tell-all book ‘A Very Stable Genius’

Below are some key takeaways from the book, as cited in Parker’s book review:

Trump didn’t seem to grasp the fundamental history surrounding the attack on Pearl Harbor

While taking a private tour of the USS Arizona Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii, President Trump said to his then-Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, “Hey, John, what’s this all about? What’s this a tour of?”

“Trump had heard the phrase ‘Pearl Harbor’ and appeared to understand that he was visiting the scene of a historic battle, but he did not seem to know much else,” the book’s authors wrote.

Early in his presidency, Trump could barely contain his eagerness to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin

According to the authors, during the transition Trump interrupted an interview with one of his secretary of state candidates and asked, “When can I meet Putin? Can I meet with him before the inaugural ceremony?”

After meeting Putin for the first time, Trump immediately declared himself to be a Russia expert and dismissed the expertise of then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

“Tillerson’s years of negotiating with Putin and studying his moves on the chessboard were suddenly irrelevant,” the authors wrote. “‘I have had a two-hour meeting with Putin,’ Trump told Tillerson. ‘That’s all I need to know. . . . I’ve sized it all up. I’ve got it.'”

Trump clashed with Tillerson after trying to task him with getting rid of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prevents U.S. firms and individuals from bribing foreign officials for business deals

“It’s just so unfair that American companies aren’t allowed to pay bribes to get business overseas,” Trump says, according to the book’s authors. “We’re going to change that.”

Speaking to the authors, a government aide accused Trump of destroying the “gravity and allure” that surrounds the presidency

“He’s ruined that magic,’ this aide said. “The disdain he shows for our country’s foundation and its principles. The disregard he has for right and wrong. Your fist clenches. Your teeth grate.”

Then-Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein and other senior officials ran through private “fire drills” in case Trump triggered a “Saturday night massacre” — a reference to the mass resignations under President Nixon during the Watergate scandal

“They prepared for several scenarios: If Trump fired [then-Attorney General Jeff] Sessions, if Trump fired Rosenstein, and if Trump ordered the firing of Mueller,” the authors write.

While participating in an HBO documentary, Trump attempted to read aloud from the Constitution, but had a hard time reading the text

“It’s like a foreign language,” Trump reportedly said.

Trump, who rails against people who leak details to the press, is a leaker himself

After turning down Trump’s offer to be his chief of staff, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie asked Trump how the details of their meeting leaked out.

“Oh, I did it,” Trump replied.

Trump was “verbally and emotionally abusive” toward then-Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen

According to the book, “He made fun of her stature and believed that at about five feet four inches she was not physically intimidating. ‘She’s so short,’ Trump would tell others about Nielsen. She and Kelly would try to make light of it. Kelly would rib her and say, ‘But you’ve got those little fists of fury!'”

When former White House staff secretary Rob Porter was fired as a result of allegations of domestic abuse from his two ex-wives, Trump offered an excuse for him after a photo surfaced of one of Porter’s ex-wives with a black eye

“Maybe, Trump said, Holderness purposefully ran into a refrigerator to give herself bruises and try to get money out of Porter?” the authors wrote.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/01/here- ... le-genius/

With just these few revelations, I think it it a miracle that we and the world has survived these three years. It scares me to think what might happen if he is re-elected.

Re: Dangerously uninformed’ Trump ‘toyed with’ awarding himself the Medal of Freedom

Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:09 pm
by lurker
TrueTexan wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:01 pm It scares me to think what might happen if he is re-elected.
ruth bader ginsburg can't live forever. i'm worried. real worried.

Re: Dangerously uninformed’ Trump ‘toyed with’ awarding himself the Medal of Freedom

Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:49 pm
by YankeeTarheel
lurker wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:09 pm
TrueTexan wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:01 pm It scares me to think what might happen if he is re-elected.
ruth bader ginsburg can't live forever. i'm worried. real worried.
This, and this!

Re: Dangerously uninformed’ Trump ‘toyed with’ awarding himself the Medal of Freedom

Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:02 pm
by K9s
Any time I wonder if we can get a better candidate, I remember RGB's cancer scares.

Re: Dangerously uninformed’ Trump ‘toyed with’ awarding himself the Medal of Freedom

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 6:28 am
by YankeeTarheel
She says she's "cancer free" but that only means it's in remission.

RBG did a great disservice to the nation not retiring shortly after Obama was re-elected. Breyer as well. O'Connor and Kennedy made DAMN sure they retired under Republican Presidents.

Re: Dangerously uninformed’ Trump ‘toyed with’ awarding himself the Medal of Freedom

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 11:29 am
by TrueTexan
YankeeTarheel wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 6:28 am She says she's "cancer free" but that only means it's in remission.

RBG did a great disservice to the nation not retiring shortly after Obama was re-elected. Breyer as well. O'Connor and Kennedy made DAMN sure they retired under Republican Presidents.
It would have had to happen that first part of Obamas first term when the Dems controlled congress and I wouldn't have been sure that some them would not have voted against an Obama nominee. Otherwise Moscow Mitch would have blocked any nominee or made sure they didn't get confirmed for six years.

Re: Dangerously uninformed’ Trump ‘toyed with’ awarding himself the Medal of Freedom

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 12:20 pm
by K9s
TrueTexan wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 11:29 am
YankeeTarheel wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 6:28 am She says she's "cancer free" but that only means it's in remission.

RBG did a great disservice to the nation not retiring shortly after Obama was re-elected. Breyer as well. O'Connor and Kennedy made DAMN sure they retired under Republican Presidents.
It would have had to happen that first part of Obamas first term when the Dems controlled congress and I wouldn't have been sure that some them would not have voted against an Obama nominee. Otherwise Moscow Mitch would have blocked any nominee or made sure they didn't get confirmed for six years.
Yeah, I don't think any Dem POTUS could have known what GOP had planned. If the Senate ever flips with a Dem POTUS, they probably won't have an issue making amends.

Re: Dangerously uninformed’ Trump ‘toyed with’ awarding himself the Medal of Freedom

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 12:28 pm
by lurker
there's that damn imperfect world again. i hate it when that happens. at least with obama we didn't have to fret that nominees could spell consecration... constipation.... cons a poopin' constitution.

Re: Dangerously uninformed’ Trump ‘toyed with’ awarding himself the Medal of Freedom

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 1:04 pm
by K9s
lurker wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 12:28 pm there's that damn imperfect world again. i hate it when that happens. at least with obama we didn't have to fret that nominees could spell consecration... constipation.... cons a poopin' constitution.
I agree. It sucks. Someone has to defend democracy with laws and without a gun in DC, I guess. Who would have thought that industry-backed monarchists and czarists would take over a whole political party and present a threat to most of the country?

Re: Dangerously uninformed’ Trump ‘toyed with’ awarding himself the Medal of Freedom

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 1:06 pm
by featureless
The morning after the election, it occurred to me the country had just voluntarily stepped a century back in time.

Re: Dangerously uninformed’ Trump ‘toyed with’ awarding himself the Medal of Freedom

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 1:36 pm
by Bisbee
People forget the historical significance of “The Fall of Rome,” or “The Dark Ages”. We can move backwards as a civilization and often do for a variety of reasons.

Re: Dangerously uninformed’ Trump ‘toyed with’ awarding himself the Medal of Freedom

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 1:41 pm
by K9s
Sarjevo was a world-class city until it wasn't.

After the Senate votes for Trump, after the logic and courts find he acted illegally day after day, there will be no accountability and no justice. That never works out well in the long run.