Mr.Rather you are one of the few journalists speaking truth to power. And I think for that we are going to have to rely mostly on the young YouTube folks who have been on top of all things trump for awhile now rather than MSM.
I’m proud to be one of the Americans who voted not for trump but for our country.💙
I'm an American expat in Latvia. Latvia joined NATO in 2004, which was a neat trick for a former Soviet republic. NATO's new secretary general came calling yesterday. Diplomatically said that when he was prime minister of the Netherlands, they had good cooperation with Trump during his first term. I don't know whether he was aware at that point that Trump had nominated a chat show host to be the top civilian official at the Department of Defense. I would imagine the NATO secretary general would not have expressed his true thoughts on the matter one way or another, not in public. But Trump spent three years telling Americans precisely what he planned to do in a second term. Media outlets like the Washington Post sane-washed him to hither and yon, and now America and the world will witness what a truly unleashed Trump-led America looks like. A sexual abuser as the top justice official. A vaccine denier as the top health care official. And a chat show host at defense. We had a veterinarian as defense minister here in Latvia for a while back in the day whose big idea was to establish a mounted guard to greet dignitaries arriving at the airport. But he was General Patton compared to what Trump has proposed in Washington. Best of luck, America! Just please try not to blow up the whole world while you go through the experiment (not really an experiment) that a majority of you voted for last Tuesday.
The last thing Trump wants is an AG that has any independence of thought or action. With Gaetz he has a virtual robot who will do exactly according to detailed instructions provide by the White House. Gaetz knows that if he screws up, he can be replaced within minutes and Trump will do what's necessary to ruin any potential future career. There will be plenty of real legal and law enforcement staff in or around the White House. to orchestrate Gaetz 24/7..
But with Trump you never know. I could be completely wrong, and Gaetz could end up being the go-to guy for any Justice issues, like when R Kennedy jr gets caught stealing and destroying vaccine needles from Walter Reed.
I'm finding it nearly impossible to even come up with words to describe my reaction to all of this. I just know that there certainly is no bottom for TFG or those he's chosen for his junk drawer. Since the election I have watched minimal news and a huge amount of film noir, classics, comedies, and musicals on TCM. I highly suggest it; it's been good for my soul. We will persevere.
While I agree that Trump has nothing but contempt for our government and our laws, his Gaetz nomination is 90% about Trump’s perverted need
for retaliation.
Trump simply refuses to acknowledge there are laws, rules and norms. He has refused to acknowledge them all of his life, so it’s nothing
new. Even worse, people with the same personality disorder as Trump generally refuse to take responsibility for anything they do. They will always blame others and find a scapegoat. Assuming Gaetz does become AG, as soon as a Trump policy causes a lot of blowback and Gaetz is even remotely connected with it, Trump will blame Gaetz and fire him. All of the people Trump appoints will be expected to follow his unlawful orders and will be
blamed and fired for doing so if enough people are
appalled.
Every one of his nominees or appointees will come
to their job with some level of depravity. It may actually even be a requirement. Lawless people
prefer to associate with other lawless people, and
I won’t feel sorry for any of them when they get fired. No one who cares about the law will work for
him because it would ruin their reputation- which
may be a reason for why he’s hiring people who aren’t remotely qualified to do the job. Trump’s reputation is now known to all.Serious professionals
Democrats have had 4 years to clean up the obvious problems that exist in government. What have they done? Nothing that I can see.
Corruption is a given in Congress. Almost everyone is being paid for their vote.
We pour money into nothing that aids the average voter.
We are supporting two more wars that have little to do with us, unless you are still mentally in the 50's or 60's.
Americans, even our children, are unhealthy and ridiculously overweight. We spend more on what we call healthcare than any other advanced country.
We support energy initiatives that have led to inflation and made us dependent on countries we shouldn't be doing business with.
Crime in US cities is out of control.
Our national debt is outrageous and can't be maintained. We are quickly heading into a serious recession. Look for it early in 2025. That's too soon to be blamed on Trump. But, of course the Democrats will try.
Our younger generations can't afford to live independently, to pay for an education, or to buy property.
Our Southern border is a joke. It must be treated like a border again.
US voters have been lied to about Biden's health and mental proficiency, even by Harris, the candidate they put in his place without the approval of their Party members.
Our executive branch is not being run by Biden or Harris. Who exactly is running it? Don't you think we deserve to know?
These are the reasons Trump won. Why aren't Democrats addressing our problems instead of continually whining about Trump?
This column, and the comments I've read, sound like Trump is the only problem that exists in America. The energy put into this fantasy is shocking.
Martha,while I too am upset that Trump won the election, if you research all the negative comments you have stated,you must admit 90% of them are incorrect. Perhaps you are a Russian hacker spreading misinformation. The Republicans controlled the house thereby stopping solutions to many of these issues( Example -immigration) . While the Republican Party supports Trump due to fear and greed, You best cut off the snake's head to kill the cult. What have you done to correct any of the "problems" you speak of Who did you vote for? I voted for HArris!
You seem to have a lot of complaints. I’m sure you’ll be very happy the next 4 yrs. Well, maybe depending on how many of our institutions “deconstruct” and how quickly.
I realize you have nothing good to say about Democrats. So I’ll say this, if the Biden administration had done nothing, we would be in that very deep recession or depression that was predicted. From the mid-60s when inflation began rising, through the mid-70s it rose to 12%, unemployment was 7%. In early 1980 inflation was 14% and unemployment, 7.5%. In other words, the problems from not managing an economy well can last for decades.
When Biden took office 1000 people a week were dying of Covid while vaccines were sitting in warehouses with no plan for distribution. A economy losing jobs (6.7% unemployment rate) was trump’s handoff to the Biden administration. For 2 yrs we’ve had “full employment” and inflation for last year was 3.4% and this year so far 2.6%. All that happened in less than 2 yrs.
So yes, there are issues. But it is false that they were not addressed. A president does not set prices, rent or housing costs. The country has elected the guy who wants to be a dictator on day one. I’m willing to bet rent will not magically go down; groceries will remain expensive & paying for an education will be more difficult. It will be “bread and circuses” without the bread.
The biggest fantasy of the campaign was that tariffs are paid by other countries & tariffs would solve all our issue from housing to childcare costs.
While I agree that Trump's appointments are unqualified, there is something else I find VERY TROUBLING...
Kamala Harris has "gone silent". And Joe Biden (who claimed he was "fighting for the soul of the nation") treated Trump like an incoming President from days gone by (think Jimmy Carter welcoming Ronald Reagan) during their recent meeting at The White House.
Something doesn't smell right about this. I though "life-long prosecutor" Kamala Harris was going to take on Trump because that was who she is... someone who "knows his type". Well, that life-long prosecutor ... if that is who she really is after 4 years as VP... SHOULD BE SPEAKING TO US EVERY OTHER DAY ABOUT HOW TO FIGHT WHAT TRUMP IS GOING TO DO TO US!
I have a heart... and I know she is hurting. But when you are a prosecutor at heart... and your mother is watching you from Heaven... you should (in my humble opinion) find the strength to push through the hurt and KEEP FIGHTING.
I have no way of knowing why she is suddenly silent. But I hope that BOTH she and Joe Biden SPEAK OUT about the dangers we face before they leave office. Because if they do not, their legacy will not just be that they lost to a wannabe (soon to be real) dictator... but that when America needed leadership for the fight ahead they were AWOL. So sad to see this... and sad also to have lost my faith in Joe and Kamala.
Remember that we can only know of what they are doing or saying by the press reporting on that. And since the free press opted to "normalize" Trump's speeches and actions, they are now effectively in his pocket -- or going into hiding.
I don't think we can or should look to the Democratic party now for leadership of any kind. The answers to this will take years, and will be a grassroots effort. No turning back, remember? Could it be that Ms. Harris' campaign slogan WAS her advice to us on what to do?
I agree, however, I have heard that Biden/Harris are working on list of pardons (hopefully Jack Smith et al) and how to do as much as possible to confirm judges etc. I hope that's what is going on at least? I do agree that we need to be the resistance to dangerous actions that most likely will come from trump and musk et al. I know that there are many talks going on (Indivisible, ACLU and others) to prepare to fight back. AND...There's still another day or two to cure ballots - that's something.
There have been reports they are working on ‘trump-proofing’ what they can. That’s no easy chore. I suspect they are in touch with states wanting help to do the same. Newsom had announced he was going to meet with Biden for help on t-proofing CA.
Per usual Donnie sucks the oxygen out of everything. Although this time it is understandable.
Perhaps the Media isn't giving them a voice? So much of the Media is echoing what their owners want or don't want, such as Bezos' of the Washington Post....
The other problem with a lot of the media is that things are watered down - People are overwhelmed, or have short attention spans or are just sick of the constant emails(I won't answer most of them anymore because they just ask for money, and I don't have it to give)....trying to keep track of everything is not simple.....BUT, the tabloid mindsets of certain Editors and I we need is that Trump!Trump! He and he salacious shenanigans are News,!
Excellent, solid, savvy assessment of the extreme risks of several of Trump’s cabinet nominations. Fealty to his “excellency the Trump” is only “qualification” of his nominees. The destructive volcano is fully active in the first week since his election…OMG…! 😢😢😡😡
Mr.Rather you are one of the few journalists speaking truth to power. And I think for that we are going to have to rely mostly on the young YouTube folks who have been on top of all things trump for awhile now rather than MSM.
I’m proud to be one of the Americans who voted not for trump but for our country.💙
Captain Algorithm has a lot to answer for!
After reading the latest depressing news, I crave some insight on how to remain STEADY. Please offer some Dan Rather.
I'm an American expat in Latvia. Latvia joined NATO in 2004, which was a neat trick for a former Soviet republic. NATO's new secretary general came calling yesterday. Diplomatically said that when he was prime minister of the Netherlands, they had good cooperation with Trump during his first term. I don't know whether he was aware at that point that Trump had nominated a chat show host to be the top civilian official at the Department of Defense. I would imagine the NATO secretary general would not have expressed his true thoughts on the matter one way or another, not in public. But Trump spent three years telling Americans precisely what he planned to do in a second term. Media outlets like the Washington Post sane-washed him to hither and yon, and now America and the world will witness what a truly unleashed Trump-led America looks like. A sexual abuser as the top justice official. A vaccine denier as the top health care official. And a chat show host at defense. We had a veterinarian as defense minister here in Latvia for a while back in the day whose big idea was to establish a mounted guard to greet dignitaries arriving at the airport. But he was General Patton compared to what Trump has proposed in Washington. Best of luck, America! Just please try not to blow up the whole world while you go through the experiment (not really an experiment) that a majority of you voted for last Tuesday.
Truth be told. Thank you for steady truth telling. Continue!
What a vile, vile man he is. Thank you for speaking up about this circus.
The last thing Trump wants is an AG that has any independence of thought or action. With Gaetz he has a virtual robot who will do exactly according to detailed instructions provide by the White House. Gaetz knows that if he screws up, he can be replaced within minutes and Trump will do what's necessary to ruin any potential future career. There will be plenty of real legal and law enforcement staff in or around the White House. to orchestrate Gaetz 24/7..
But with Trump you never know. I could be completely wrong, and Gaetz could end up being the go-to guy for any Justice issues, like when R Kennedy jr gets caught stealing and destroying vaccine needles from Walter Reed.
I'm finding it nearly impossible to even come up with words to describe my reaction to all of this. I just know that there certainly is no bottom for TFG or those he's chosen for his junk drawer. Since the election I have watched minimal news and a huge amount of film noir, classics, comedies, and musicals on TCM. I highly suggest it; it's been good for my soul. We will persevere.
Thank you for your words. You always present the facts with clarity and in a forthright manner that calms me down. I only wish I knew what I could do.
While I agree that Trump has nothing but contempt for our government and our laws, his Gaetz nomination is 90% about Trump’s perverted need
for retaliation.
Trump simply refuses to acknowledge there are laws, rules and norms. He has refused to acknowledge them all of his life, so it’s nothing
new. Even worse, people with the same personality disorder as Trump generally refuse to take responsibility for anything they do. They will always blame others and find a scapegoat. Assuming Gaetz does become AG, as soon as a Trump policy causes a lot of blowback and Gaetz is even remotely connected with it, Trump will blame Gaetz and fire him. All of the people Trump appoints will be expected to follow his unlawful orders and will be
blamed and fired for doing so if enough people are
appalled.
Every one of his nominees or appointees will come
to their job with some level of depravity. It may actually even be a requirement. Lawless people
prefer to associate with other lawless people, and
I won’t feel sorry for any of them when they get fired. No one who cares about the law will work for
him because it would ruin their reputation- which
may be a reason for why he’s hiring people who aren’t remotely qualified to do the job. Trump’s reputation is now known to all.Serious professionals
will avoid him like the plague.
Let's talk about deplorables. I'm not talking about his base. Trump's appointments are the worst in history. Full stop.
Democrats have had 4 years to clean up the obvious problems that exist in government. What have they done? Nothing that I can see.
Corruption is a given in Congress. Almost everyone is being paid for their vote.
We pour money into nothing that aids the average voter.
We are supporting two more wars that have little to do with us, unless you are still mentally in the 50's or 60's.
Americans, even our children, are unhealthy and ridiculously overweight. We spend more on what we call healthcare than any other advanced country.
We support energy initiatives that have led to inflation and made us dependent on countries we shouldn't be doing business with.
Crime in US cities is out of control.
Our national debt is outrageous and can't be maintained. We are quickly heading into a serious recession. Look for it early in 2025. That's too soon to be blamed on Trump. But, of course the Democrats will try.
Our younger generations can't afford to live independently, to pay for an education, or to buy property.
Our Southern border is a joke. It must be treated like a border again.
US voters have been lied to about Biden's health and mental proficiency, even by Harris, the candidate they put in his place without the approval of their Party members.
Our executive branch is not being run by Biden or Harris. Who exactly is running it? Don't you think we deserve to know?
These are the reasons Trump won. Why aren't Democrats addressing our problems instead of continually whining about Trump?
This column, and the comments I've read, sound like Trump is the only problem that exists in America. The energy put into this fantasy is shocking.
Martha,while I too am upset that Trump won the election, if you research all the negative comments you have stated,you must admit 90% of them are incorrect. Perhaps you are a Russian hacker spreading misinformation. The Republicans controlled the house thereby stopping solutions to many of these issues( Example -immigration) . While the Republican Party supports Trump due to fear and greed, You best cut off the snake's head to kill the cult. What have you done to correct any of the "problems" you speak of Who did you vote for? I voted for HArris!
You seem to have a lot of complaints. I’m sure you’ll be very happy the next 4 yrs. Well, maybe depending on how many of our institutions “deconstruct” and how quickly.
I realize you have nothing good to say about Democrats. So I’ll say this, if the Biden administration had done nothing, we would be in that very deep recession or depression that was predicted. From the mid-60s when inflation began rising, through the mid-70s it rose to 12%, unemployment was 7%. In early 1980 inflation was 14% and unemployment, 7.5%. In other words, the problems from not managing an economy well can last for decades.
When Biden took office 1000 people a week were dying of Covid while vaccines were sitting in warehouses with no plan for distribution. A economy losing jobs (6.7% unemployment rate) was trump’s handoff to the Biden administration. For 2 yrs we’ve had “full employment” and inflation for last year was 3.4% and this year so far 2.6%. All that happened in less than 2 yrs.
So yes, there are issues. But it is false that they were not addressed. A president does not set prices, rent or housing costs. The country has elected the guy who wants to be a dictator on day one. I’m willing to bet rent will not magically go down; groceries will remain expensive & paying for an education will be more difficult. It will be “bread and circuses” without the bread.
The biggest fantasy of the campaign was that tariffs are paid by other countries & tariffs would solve all our issue from housing to childcare costs.
Trump is not the only problem but he is the most dangerous.
Saw a quote that said “This is not a cabinet, it’s a junk drawer.” - wish I knew the author.
Dear Dan,
While I agree that Trump's appointments are unqualified, there is something else I find VERY TROUBLING...
Kamala Harris has "gone silent". And Joe Biden (who claimed he was "fighting for the soul of the nation") treated Trump like an incoming President from days gone by (think Jimmy Carter welcoming Ronald Reagan) during their recent meeting at The White House.
Something doesn't smell right about this. I though "life-long prosecutor" Kamala Harris was going to take on Trump because that was who she is... someone who "knows his type". Well, that life-long prosecutor ... if that is who she really is after 4 years as VP... SHOULD BE SPEAKING TO US EVERY OTHER DAY ABOUT HOW TO FIGHT WHAT TRUMP IS GOING TO DO TO US!
I have a heart... and I know she is hurting. But when you are a prosecutor at heart... and your mother is watching you from Heaven... you should (in my humble opinion) find the strength to push through the hurt and KEEP FIGHTING.
I have no way of knowing why she is suddenly silent. But I hope that BOTH she and Joe Biden SPEAK OUT about the dangers we face before they leave office. Because if they do not, their legacy will not just be that they lost to a wannabe (soon to be real) dictator... but that when America needed leadership for the fight ahead they were AWOL. So sad to see this... and sad also to have lost my faith in Joe and Kamala.
Remember that we can only know of what they are doing or saying by the press reporting on that. And since the free press opted to "normalize" Trump's speeches and actions, they are now effectively in his pocket -- or going into hiding.
I don't think we can or should look to the Democratic party now for leadership of any kind. The answers to this will take years, and will be a grassroots effort. No turning back, remember? Could it be that Ms. Harris' campaign slogan WAS her advice to us on what to do?
I agree, however, I have heard that Biden/Harris are working on list of pardons (hopefully Jack Smith et al) and how to do as much as possible to confirm judges etc. I hope that's what is going on at least? I do agree that we need to be the resistance to dangerous actions that most likely will come from trump and musk et al. I know that there are many talks going on (Indivisible, ACLU and others) to prepare to fight back. AND...There's still another day or two to cure ballots - that's something.
There have been reports they are working on ‘trump-proofing’ what they can. That’s no easy chore. I suspect they are in touch with states wanting help to do the same. Newsom had announced he was going to meet with Biden for help on t-proofing CA.
Per usual Donnie sucks the oxygen out of everything. Although this time it is understandable.
https://abc7news.com/post/governor-gavin-newsom-washington-dc-meet-biden-part-effort-trump-proof-california/15541663/
Perhaps the Media isn't giving them a voice? So much of the Media is echoing what their owners want or don't want, such as Bezos' of the Washington Post....
The other problem with a lot of the media is that things are watered down - People are overwhelmed, or have short attention spans or are just sick of the constant emails(I won't answer most of them anymore because they just ask for money, and I don't have it to give)....trying to keep track of everything is not simple.....BUT, the tabloid mindsets of certain Editors and I we need is that Trump!Trump! He and he salacious shenanigans are News,!
Excellent, solid, savvy assessment of the extreme risks of several of Trump’s cabinet nominations. Fealty to his “excellency the Trump” is only “qualification” of his nominees. The destructive volcano is fully active in the first week since his election…OMG…! 😢😢😡😡
Just when you think we are near rock bottom! Does this hole go all the way to china or maybe Russia