If Trump is so ill-suited to being the next president, why is he so close to being the next president?

This post was written by AI - ChatGPT on my instructions. AI is able to research far more widely than me and provide detailed answers to questions beyond the ability of a single individual with time restrictions! This is why millions of websites are dying as I type this.

I have some real concerns about what another Trump presidency means for women in this country — and I wanted to share some of my thoughts. If this resonates with you, send this video to every single person you know and remind them what’s at stake in this election. pic.twitter.com/7bCX31bP8b

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) October 28, 2024

The phenomenon of Donald Trump remaining a viable candidate for the U.S. presidency despite widespread controversy and negative perceptions boils down to several key factors. These include polarization, his political branding, distrust in institutions, media dynamics, and cultural shifts in American politics. Here’s how these elements contribute to his continued popularity:

1. Political Polarization and Identity Politics

• Strong Base Support: Trump’s supporters are intensely loyal, often identifying with his views on issues like immigration, economic nationalism, and skepticism toward the establishment. For many, his appeal transcends typical political qualifications because they feel he represents their values or frustrations with the system.
• Divisive but Compelling Persona: American politics has grown more polarized, with many people feeling a strong emotional pull to align against or with Trump. This polarization deepens allegiance to Trump among his base, while his detractors solidify his status as a “fighter” against what they perceive as political or cultural elites.

2. Disillusionment with Establishment Politics

• Distrust of Government Institutions: Many Americans have lost faith in traditional institutions, feeling that these entities no longer serve the public fairly. Trump has capitalized on this distrust, positioning himself as a figure outside the “corrupt” establishment, even though he’s held the highest office.
• Disruption as a Selling Point: For a segment of voters, his abrasive style and unconventional approach are not disqualifying but are precisely why they support him. His willingness to break norms is seen as a rejection of a political system they believe no longer represents them.

3. Strong Political Brand and Media Savvy

• Mastering the Media: Trump’s understanding of the media landscape enables him to stay highly visible. His statements often generate sensational coverage, keeping him in the public eye. This media omnipresence, even if negative, serves as free advertising and fuels both his notoriety and his influence.
• Message Control: His brand — as a “successful businessman” and “strong leader” — appeals to many who believe in the American Dream or who admire his persona as a political outsider. This image persists despite controversies, as he continuously emphasizes achievements he associates with his first term.

4. The Conservative Media Ecosystem

• Conservative news sources often portray Trump positively, countering mainstream media’s more critical stance. Fox News, talk radio, and newer platforms like Newsmax and social media influencers amplify messages that resonate with Trump’s base. This helps him retain a core following that is less affected by mainstream narratives.

5. Strategic Republican Support

• Unifying the GOP: Despite internal GOP tensions, Trump has maintained significant support within the Republican Party. Many Republican leaders see his popularity as essential for their own electoral success, even if they privately disagree with him. The base Trump commands is large enough that alienating him could mean losing power altogether.

6. Populist Appeal and Economic Grievances

• Populism and Economic Frustration: Economic uncertainty, wage stagnation, and rising costs have fueled populist sentiments. Trump’s messaging taps into these concerns by focusing on “forgotten Americans” and framing his policies as directly benefiting them. This appeal resonates especially in regions affected by deindustrialization and job loss.

7. Opponent Challenges and Electoral System Dynamics

• Voter Reluctance on Opponents: Some voters dislike Trump but feel alienated by the Democratic Party or specific candidates, including Joe Biden. This dissatisfaction can lead to votes for Trump, even if they come reluctantly.
• Electoral College Structure: The U.S. Electoral College means that victory hinges on winning key swing states rather than the popular vote. Trump’s strategy focuses on flipping a few battleground states rather than courting a national majority, making his path to victory feasible even with limited popularity nationwide.

8. Legal Troubles and Perception of Persecution

• “Persecution” Narrative: Trump’s legal battles, which might weaken another candidate, reinforce his base’s perception that he is being unfairly targeted by political enemies. For supporters, these investigations confirm their belief that he is standing up against a system rigged against them.

9. Shifting Cultural Norms Around Leadership

• Trump’s tenure has arguably altered the qualities people look for in leaders. For many Americans, traditional notions of statesmanship, diplomacy, or even “presidential” behavior have taken a backseat to directness and perceived authenticity. Trump embodies a shift away from traditional decorum toward a more combative style that appeals to those seeking assertiveness in their leaders.

The Result: Narrow, Yet Feasible Pathway

Given these factors, Trump’s path to re-election is narrower than it was in 2016 but remains plausible. His ability to turn even controversies to his advantage, combined with political polarization, a fiercely loyal base, and a divided opposition, means he’s retained a strong position within the Republican Party and American politics more broadly. In a tightly contested electoral environment, that base of support, combined with swing states and anti-establishment sentiment, may be enough to keep him competitive.

BREAKING: In a stunning announcement, Donald Trump admits he’ll implement Project 2025’s plan to gut the civil service and create a more politically driven government. It’s one of the ways Trump plans to abuse his power. Retweet so all Americans see this.pic.twitter.com/MR5CTqrW2G

— Kamala’s Wins (@harris_wins) October 27, 2024

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Trump calls climate change a 'SCAM' and a 'HOAX'. He cannot be President.

Trump is a person who should NOT be the next President as he would be dangerous to humankind as he does not believe in climate change calling it a 'scam' and a 'hoax' of all things. He is going against hundreds of top scientists.

Here is some detail on why Trump cannot be the next president solely on the basis that he calls climate change a SCAM. The man wants to make lots of money for himself and his country and fixing climate change is hugely expensive and will stunt economic growth potentially. He wants to kick the problem into the long grass at the expense of future generations. He is behaving like the worst politicians: short term thinking and instant popularity while shunning reality.

From the perspective of climate change and its global implications, Donald Trump’s return to the presidency could be dangerous for humankind, especially considering his well-documented dismissal of climate science. By repeatedly calling climate change a "scam" and rolling back crucial environmental regulations during his presidency, Trump demonstrated a disregard for the scientific consensus that climate change is real, primarily human-caused, and a significant threat to the future of the planet.

Here are key reasons why Trump's denial of climate change poses serious risks:

1. Delaying Urgent Climate Action

• Lost time: Climate change requires immediate action to mitigate its worst effects, and Trump's policies during his first term set back progress. His stance, if continued in a second term, would delay essential policies needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, further narrowing the window for effective action.
• Regulatory rollbacks: Trump’s administration dismantled numerous environmental protections, from emissions standards to limits on pollution, exacerbating environmental damage and making it harder to reverse course.

2. Influencing Millions to Deny Climate Change

• Amplifying denial: As a highly influential figure, Trump’s statements on climate change reinforce misinformation. Millions of Americans—and others around the world—look to him for guidance, and his denial of climate science sows confusion and distrust in factual information.
• Undermining global consensus: In an era where global cooperation on climate change is crucial, Trump’s influence encourages division and skepticism, weakening efforts to build the broad-based support needed for effective climate policies.

3. Weakening Global Climate Leadership

• U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement: Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement during his presidency sent a signal that the U.S., one of the largest carbon emitters, was stepping back from its leadership role in tackling climate change. This undermined global efforts to reduce emissions and gave cover to other nations considering scaling back their climate commitments.
• Missed opportunities for cooperation: A president who denies climate change cannot effectively collaborate with other countries on climate solutions. This risks not only environmental harm but also damages U.S. diplomatic standing.

4. Promoting Fossil Fuel Dependence

• Fossil fuel focus: Trump’s policies heavily favored the fossil fuel industry, promoting oil, gas, and coal production while undermining renewable energy investments. This approach ignores the long-term economic benefits of transitioning to clean energy and locks the U.S. into outdated, polluting technologies.
• Worsening climate impacts: Continued dependence on fossil fuels would accelerate greenhouse gas emissions, intensifying the effects of climate change—more extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and disruptions to agriculture and water supplies—leading to catastrophic consequences for future generations.

5. Ignoring National Security Threats

• Climate as a "threat multiplier": Trump’s dismissal of climate change overlooks the growing recognition within the U.S. military and intelligence communities that climate change is a major national security threat. Worsening climate conditions are expected to cause resource conflicts, mass migration, and political instability around the world, endangering global security.
• Unpreparedness for disasters: Climate change increases the frequency and severity of natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts. Ignoring climate change means failing to adequately prepare for or mitigate these disasters, putting millions of lives and livelihoods at risk.

6. Economic Risks and Missed Opportunities

• Missed green economy opportunities: The global economy is moving toward renewable energy and sustainable technologies. A president who ignores or downplays climate change could cause the U.S. to fall behind in developing these industries, missing out on job creation and economic growth in the green sector.
• Cost of inaction: The economic costs of inaction on climate change—ranging from damage to infrastructure, agriculture losses, health impacts, and disaster recovery—far outweigh the costs of proactive mitigation. Trump’s policies would likely increase the financial burden on future generations.

7. Endangering Future Generations

• Long-term impacts: Trump’s denial of climate change threatens the future of younger generations. Climate change will affect every aspect of life—access to clean air and water, health, food security, and economic stability. A president who fails to acknowledge this reality risks leaving a damaged planet for future generations to inherit.
• Irreversible tipping points: Climate science warns of tipping points beyond which the effects of global warming could become irreversible. Trump’s policies would likely push us closer to these points, increasing the likelihood of severe and unmanageable climate impacts.

Conclusion: Why Trump Should Not Be the Next President

Given the existential threat that climate change poses to humankind, it is vital that the next president fully acknowledges the reality of the climate crisis and takes decisive action to address it. Trump’s denial of climate change and his policies favoring short-term economic interests over long-term sustainability make him a dangerous choice in this regard.

In a world where immediate, bold action is needed to mitigate the worst effects of climate change, a leader who calls it a "scam" is not only delaying essential progress but actively working against the survival and well-being of future generations. To protect both the U.S. and the global community, it is crucial to have leadership that understands the gravity of the climate crisis and is committed to solutions that prioritize the environment, public health, and long-term sustainability.

Is climate change a scam as Trump says?

No, climate change is not a scam. The overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that climate change is real, human-caused, and poses a significant threat to the environment, economies, and human health worldwide. This consensus is based on decades of research, data, and observations regarding rising global temperatures, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and the impacts on ecosystems, sea levels, and weather patterns.

Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism about climate change, often referring to it as a "hoax" or "scam." However, his views are at odds with the scientific consensus. Major organizations, including NASA, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), have all affirmed that human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, are driving global warming.

Here are a few key points:

1. Scientific Consensus: Studies show that over 97% of climate scientists agree that climate change is happening and is driven by human activities. This includes reputable bodies like the IPCC and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

2. Rising Temperatures: Data shows that global temperatures have increased by about 1.2°C (2.2°F) since the late 19th century, with the past decade being the warmest on record.

3. Climate Change Impacts: We are already seeing effects such as more extreme weather events, melting polar ice, rising sea levels, and disruptions to ecosystems and agriculture.

4. Economic and Security Risks: Ignoring climate change has economic, geopolitical, and health consequences. Military experts and economists view climate change as a "threat multiplier" due to its potential to exacerbate conflicts over resources and cause large-scale human migrations.

While political opinions on how to address climate change vary, the scientific evidence supporting the reality and seriousness of climate change is robust and clear.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Laura Loomer advised Trump to accuse immigrants of eating pet cats?

This is another sort of conspiracy theory swirling around the high-profile story of Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio eating pet cats which has now been totally debunked by the way. There is good hard evidence of it but a social media influencer and self-proclaimed investigative journalists, Laura Loomer, travelled with Donald Trump on his plane as I understand it before the debate that he had with Kamala Harris and this points to the possibility that she influenced him to bring up the Haitian immigrant pet eating story.

Laura Loomer (right) traveled with ex-President Donald Trump (left) this week to the debate and a 9/11 memorial ceremony (Picture: X/@LauraLoomer).

To support this, she tweeted to her 1.2 million followers before the debate about "disturbing reports came out this weekend about Haitian immigrants eating people's pets in Ohio".

Disturbing reports came out this weekend about Haitian immigrants eating people’s pets in Ohio where Democrats like @SenSherrodBrown and the Biden-Harris regime imported over 20,000 cannibalistic Haitians who are now killing people’s pets and hunting domestic animals on the… https://t.co/TKReL5HEkN

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) September 9, 2024

So she appears to have believed it before it was debunked and she's close to Donald Trump and has been for some time and as mentioned sometimes travels with him and so the theory is that she influenced him to utter those fatal words because Donald Trump had no evidence to support what he said about Haitian immigrants feeding pets but he went ahead and did it claiming that it was on television!

He looked like a fool and he had egg on his face the days afterwards. A source close to the Trump campaign expressed 100% concern around her closeness to the former president. This person who's unnamed believes that the relationship isn't working. However, another anonymous source said that Loomer did not participate in this debate preparations and that overall she was a positive person to be around for Trump.

Loomer was born in Arizona and she's worked as a commentator for the far-rate activist group Project Veritas. She ran unsuccessfully as a Congressional candidate in the sunshine state twice including in central California and 2022.

Loomer also accompanied Donald Trump to an event the next day (the day after the debate) commemorating the 9/11 attacks. And she has also attended numerous events at Trump's Mar-a-Largo home.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

The Kiffness performs viral ‘eating the cats' track live in Munich. More pain for Trump.

The Kiffness is a talented South African musician renown for this satirical music. He has latched onto Trump's egg-on-the-face rant about Haitian migrants eating cats and made a funny song about it. More pain for Trump.

"My initial desire to remix the quote was because I thought it was amusing and outlandish, but I also recognized the melodic element to the statement. I decided to give it a shot and I had the basic idea for the song in a matter of minutes," The Kiffness told Newsweek of his inspiration to remix the line from the debate.

Here is a video on this:

About The Kiffness

The Kiffness is the stage name of David Scott, a South African musician, producer, and internet personality, renowned for his satirical, humorous, and socially conscious music content. He gained widespread fame through his innovative remixes of viral internet videos, as well as his original songs and clever musical parodies.

Key Facts about The Kiffness:

• Full Name: David Scott
• Born: 1988, in Cape Town, South Africa
• Education: Studied jazz at Rhodes University in South Africa
• Musical Style: Primarily electronic, with influences from jazz, house, funk, and pop

Early Life and Career

David Scott was musically inclined from a young age, learning piano and trumpet. He formed The Kiffness in 2011, initially as a live electronic act that performed energetic house and electronic dance music (EDM) at various festivals and events. "Kiff" is South African slang for "cool" or "awesome," which reflects the fun, positive, and lighthearted nature of his musical persona.

Over time, Scott's music evolved to incorporate more humor and social commentary, often addressing political and societal issues in South Africa. This shift in tone helped him gain more widespread attention, as he used his platform to speak out on issues like government corruption, load shedding (power cuts), and social inequalities.

Rise to Fame with Viral Internet Videos

The Kiffness skyrocketed to global recognition by remixing viral internet content, often featuring animals, news clips, and quirky internet personalities. His most well-known viral remixes include songs featuring meowing cats, yodeling goats, and quirky interviews. These videos not only display his musical creativity but also his ability to adapt viral trends into humorous, catchy songs.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, his unique remixes, especially those incorporating viral animal videos, found a huge audience online. The popularity of these videos led to massive growth on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok.

One of his standout collaborations is the remix of a popular Russian cat video, where a cat meows in a distinct rhythmic pattern, and The Kiffness adds layers of instrumental and vocal harmonies, creating a viral hit.

Social Commentary and Satire

David Scott frequently uses his platform to make biting social commentary on political and social issues, both in South Africa and globally. His humor is sharp and often takes aim at government corruption, corporate greed, and environmental issues, but he always manages to balance it with light-heartedness and wit.

For example, he created a satirical song about South Africa's frequent power outages due to Eskom, the country's electricity supplier, and he has voiced his frustrations with governmental mismanagement in a way that resonates with many South Africans.

Activism and Advocacy

Beyond humor and satire, Scott is also vocal about issues he cares about, such as animal rights, environmental conservation, and promoting fairness in the music industry. He has advocated for fair compensation for musicians and transparency in the streaming industry, criticizing unfair royalty payouts from platforms like Spotify.

Personal Life

David Scott is married to Jute Scott, who is also part of The Kiffness’s videos and acts as a behind-the-scenes collaborator on many projects. He is based in Cape Town, South Africa, and continues to produce content that blends music, humor, and social awareness.

Impact and Legacy

The Kiffness has not only entertained millions worldwide with his catchy remixes and satirical content but has also managed to turn viral trends into meaningful social commentary. His ability to mix humor, music, and activism has solidified him as one of South Africa's most prominent internet personalities and a global viral sensation.

His work exemplifies how internet culture and music can merge to create viral, impactful content that transcends language and cultural barriers, making him a unique and influential figure in both the South African and global music scenes.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

American politics has descended into funny cat memes

We can thank the great man himself, Donald Trump, for the dumbing down of American politics into cat memes (see below for definition). Political discourse is now a social media fun activity. Where's the serious debate about serious stuff that affects us all? I say 'us all' because the decisions of the president of the United States affects the world.

I am referring to the latest debacle over the much-reported Haitian migrant cat eating rumours. And they are all rumours. Check out the post below for more on that:

Story about Haitians eating cats was third or fourth hand and unsubstantiated

Trump made a meal out of the rumour and stated it as fact in that criticial debate with Kamala Harris. He got egg on his face and he can't get it off thanks to the avalanche of memes 😱😃!

Here is a comment by a Guardian journalist with whom I agree:

"The debate over Springfield also illustrates the continuing “memeification” of politics – the turning of politics more into a collection of signals and symbols than discussions of content or policy. Trump has always insisted on dragging politics into the gutter. He is only able to do so, though, because the desire to feed the outrage machine rather than engage in nuanced discussion has become such an integral feature of politics."

And here are just two examples of what has happened in terms of meme imagery:

And another!

Both were created by AI, probably DALL E3. Bing Copilot uses DALLE.

What is a meme? Answer: 

A meme is a piece of content, typically in the form of an image, video, or text, that spreads rapidly across the internet, often with humorous or satirical intent. Memes are usually simple, easily recognizable, and can evolve over time as they are adapted by different people to reflect various situations, ideas, or emotions.

They often rely on shared cultural references, making them relatable to specific groups. For instance, a meme might use a popular image or phrase to comment on everyday experiences or current events in a light-hearted way.

In essence, memes are a form of digital cultural shorthand, using humor to connect people through shared understanding or collective experiences.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Story about Haitians eating cats was third or fourth hand and unsubstantiated

Note: see update at end of article. The Daily Mail tells us that Erika Lee is the person who posted information/rumours about Haitian migrants in Springfield Ohio killing and eating cats. But she got the information according to this paper through a neighbour who told her daughter about the rumour. The neighbour's name is Kimberly Newton. Kimberly Newton heard the rumour through a friend. And her friend heard the rumour from the alleged cat owner!

So I make that three stages through which the story passed i.e. through three different people, may be four if you count her daughter.

It's the kind of rumour that carries zero weight in terms of evidence in a court. It's third or fourth hand, a rumour or anecdote, there's no first hand evidence here. It's just highly speculative and Erika Lee regrets what happened.

She has posted to Facebook about this and about how the evidence is so weak that it has to be ignored.

Lee's initial Facebook post sparked panic across social media after screenshots were circulated around X in which she warned Haitian migrants were hanging cats from a branch like you do a deer for butchering.

And she went on to talk about dogs suffering the same fate and ducks and geese. And she said that people should keep a close eye on their animals.

As the entire world now knows, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance picked up on this and made complete fools of themselves with Trump raising it during that critical debate with Kamala Harris. Since then both Trump and Vance have tried to row back from that egg-on-the-face moment.

But Vance has dug a bigger hole for himself by saying that all along he spewed out the story to make a point about illegal immigrants and the reason for their existence in America namely Kamala Harris's policies. But that ridiculous claim has also backfired because it looks transparently fictitious. He's making it up as he goes along.

But this post is about one thing: the fourth hand rumour mill which ended up a hard fact in Trump's mind much to his ultimate chagrin.

'It just exploded into something I didn't mean to happen,' Erika Lee told NBC News.

Update 18-9-2024:  Huff Post reports the following:

An Ohio woman whose police report was used to power racist rumors about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating neighborhood cats has admitted her pet was found in her home, just days after she reported her Haitian neighbors to local police.

It appears that the cat owner is Anna Kilgore who filed the report but who she "told the paper that her pet, Miss Sassy, was found in her basement days after she contacted the police."

There you go. Another nail in the coffin of this silly story and another dollop of egg on Donald Trump's face. 😎

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

"My cat killing claim was all bull" said J.D. Vance

OPINION AND NEWS: In my view, J.D. Vance has dreamt up, over the last few days, a way to row back from the absurd claim he made about Haitian migrants in Springfield Ohio eating pet dogs, cats and ducks. He was heavily criticised. There was an avalanche of Mickey taking and he got burnt as did Trump. So he is backtracking and is doing it by saying that what he said was all lies. Quite a neat idea but more gasoline on the dying embers.

Image: Wikipedia.

J.D. Vance has admitted that he "created" the story about Haitian migrants eating pets. Speaking to CNN yesterday, Vance, 40, said that he created the unsubstantiated claims about Springfield which have been dismissed by the local mayor. He did so he says to "draw attention to the Biden/Harris immigration policies".

He said that he had to do this to draw attention to what he argues is sloppy policies by the Biden and Harris administration on matters concerning immigration. He claimed that he has to "create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do."

He added (emphasised) that "I say that we are creating a story, meaning we are creating the American media focusing on it. I don't create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield thanks to Kamala Harris's policies. Her policies did that."

Sidebar: I'm not sure that migrants in Springfield are actually illegal. In a previous post it was claimed that they were legal but that needs to be clarified.

And he further added: "But, yes, we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about the story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris's policies." The third time he said it.

So there you go, he is arguably backtracking and trying to brush over what I argue was a massive faux pas on his behalf and also by Donald Trump. And I've also argued in another post this morning that the recent attempted assassination of Donald Trump while he was playing golf just might (allegation) have been set up by Don Trump himself and his team in order to garner more support in a faltering campaign brought partly about by Trump and Vance's irresponsible statements about these Haitian immigrants.

My guess is that Vance's team dreamt up this latest idea. He probably had a fraught meeting about it and asked for ideas. They came up with this. 

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Donald Trump's Truth Social website publishes funny cat pics which are NOT funny

OPINION: This is a cross-post. In the other post [link] I explained that Donald Trump, in my view, is trying to defuse his near-fatal faux pas when he dived into making strong and unpleasant allegations about Haitian migrants in Springfield Ohio eating ducks, pet cats and pet dogs. He did this on mainstream television during the debate with Kamala Harris. He is a poor decision-maker and he knows he's made a big mistake and has been trying to roll back from that faux pas ever since to recover some losses to his campaign.

Image: DALLE as commissioned by Truth Social workers.

And with this goal in mind, he has, in my view, published some funny cat pictures which are decidedly unfunny on his Truth Social website, which, as you may know, is a substitute to X/Twitter from which he was banned at one time but he has now been reinstated by Elon Musk.

Image: DALLE as commissioned by Truth Social workers. This unfunny cat pic is a reference to Trump's allegation that he is strong on immigration while Harris is weak. And that migrants eat pet cats! Really, Trump is far to extreme and he is destabilising.

The pictures are, as you might imagine, generated by AI which cannot spell properly and often rights gobbledygook. But in the first picture it is claimed that Kamala Harris hates cats. It's actually the complete opposite. She has a very long and impressive track record both personally and professionally as a politician of supporting animal welfare both in respect of domestic and wild animals.

You can read about some of her actions by clicking on this link. In contrast, Donald Trump has a sketchy or arguably a very poor record of animal welfare. He has undermined conservation efforts in America regarding wolves and bears for example. He never had a companion animal in the White House which is the first instance for a hundred years.

His sons like to sport hunt Africa. Although to be fair Donald Trump doesn't like trophy hunting. But he did nothing about it when president. In fact he undermined the conservation and protection of iconic animals in Africa because she allowed the importation of trophies into America.

I have written many articles about Trump's failures in animal welfare. Click here to see the articles.

It's quite clear to me and I suspect to others that Donald Trump is not really interested in animal welfare. He is far more interested in making money and he's good with the economy which is important but the American economy should be expanded while respecting animal welfare in terms of wild animal conservation and protections for domestic animals. You can achieve both at the same time but Donald Trump likes to ride roughshod over the landscape, nature, and while animal welfare in driving economic growth.

Kamala Harris has demonstrated the complete opposite it seems to me. She is a tender-hearted woman and has been described as an animal champion. Trump supporters would probably argue that she is not strong on immigration or the economy but I think you have to give her a chance to demonstrate her strengths in these areas.

If you are to deal with illegal immigration in America humanely it becomes very difficult to deal with illegal immigration! The same problems exist in the UK and in continental Europe, specifically Germany. It's a very difficult problem, dealing with illegal immigration but you have to deal with it humanely.

Trump does not really want to deal with it humanely. I think we have to ask ourselves whether we would do the same thing as illegal immigrants if we were in their position. I certainly would. I would look for a better life. And if you can make it work by simply walking into America then you do it. It's one world. We are all in it together.

To return to the pictures. The picture of the ginger tabby holding up the Kamala Harris placard is misleading. It's entirely misleading. It's a lie! But then, Donald Trump is very good at lying isn't he?

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Xi Jinping + Putin + Trump a recipe for chaos

I think these three are a huge danger to the world. We are stuck with Xi Jinping and Putin of which Putin is the worst by far as he is a mass murder and inveterate liar of gargantuan proportions. Putin is a stain on the history of humanity. But Americans can stop adding Trump to this toxic mix. Vote for Kamala instead please. Trump is an aberration. I believe that he became popular because he is anti-politician. People became disenchanted with politicians for good reason and wanted something different and got it. But there is a strong argument for a 'normal' person in the White House and someone younger with a balanced and sensible approach to the presidency. Also Trump is now officially in the early stages of dementia 😱😎. That's what I say based in X reports!

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Late Queen Elizabeth II considered Donald Trump "very rude". Embarrassment for Trump.

On many occasions, Donald Trump has said that he admired the late Queen Elizabeth II. He considered her a great lady. I think at one time he said that she was the greatest lady on the planet or something as effusive as that. And Trump likes to have a connection with the UK. He likes Great Britain which is why he operates some golf courses in the country (charging £1000 for a round of golf). I think this goes back to his historical origins.

Trump walks in front of the late Queen. Embarrassing. Media frenzy. Image: Richard Pohle of The Times. Problem with publishing photo here? Please tell me in a comment and I will respond promptly.

But the point of this article is this: in the news today there is a report that the late Queen "found Trump very rude". Donald Trump will be reading this in mainstream press and it will upset him. And I'm pleased. I am anti-Trump. I am pro-Kamala. For the simple reason that the former is insensitive to animal welfare as far as I'm concerned whereas the latter is sensitive towards it. And I, personally, need someone in the White House who is sensitive towards animal welfare. This is my great mission.

We need someone in the White House who sensitive towards equality. Equality between men and women. Trump is a misogynistic alpha male with an  ego as big as the White House itself. I don't think he believes in equality. He doesn't believe in climate change. He doesn't believe in the sentience of animals it seems to me. His sons shoot animals for fun. It's all horrible.

That's why I am pleased The Times has reported that the late Queen found Donald Trump very rude. The information comes from a new biography of Queen Elizabeth which claims that she found Donald Trump to be very rude.

Great Britain's late sovereign hosted the former president twice during her longest of all British reigns. She is said to have "particularly disliked" the way that he looked over her shoulder as if "in search of others more interesting".

It would seem that Donald Trump was bored when he spoke to the late Queen. Perhaps this reflects his very short attention span. Or he was just plain rude towards her. And others?

The biography also suggests that she believed his relationship with his wife Melania must've been "some sort of arrangement". The Queen was a smart woman. She had lots of experience in government and in life generally and she is correct in this instance. It has to be an arrangement between Donald Trump and his wife. Trump praises his wife but it seems to me and perhaps the rest of the world that he doesn't treat her with the greatest of respect.

The claims are made by Craig Brown in a new book, A Voyage Around The Queen, which is being serialised in the Daily Mail.

He writes: "Over the course of her reign, Her Majesty entertained many controversial foreign leaders, including Bashar Al Assad (a murdering dictator from Syria) Robert Mugabe (the man who destroyed Zimbabwe through corrupt and rotten government) Idi Amin (we all know about him), Donald Trump, Emperor Hirohito and Vladimir Putin (and we all know about him being the modern Stalin and a mass murderer)." I have added my comments in brackets to the quote. 😎😃

The writer adds that:

 "A few weeks after President Trump's visit, for instance, she confided in one lunch guest that she found him very rude: she particularly disliked the way he couldn't stop looking over her shoulder, as though in search of others more interesting. She also believed President Trump must have some sort of arrangement with his wife Melania, or else why would she have remained married?"

The author adds, "For his part, Donald Trump was confident he had been her favourite guest ever. 'There are those that say they have never seen the Queen have a better time, a more animated time'". He later told Fox News. His ego speaking again.

As mentioned, the claims will probably come as a big blow to Donald Trump both personally and in terms of his campaign to be the next president. He is seeking to win a second term in the White House. He first met the Queen in 2018.

There were protests in London about the meeting. A giant balloon portraying Trump as a baby was hoisted aloft. It was controversial but permission had been given.

The meeting took place over tea at Windsor Castle. No other senior Royals were present. It is said that Trump kept the 92-year-old monarch waiting for 10 minutes in 27°C heat and walked in front of her as they inspected the guard of honour. She was left trailing behind him. Disrespectful?

When the late Queen died on September 8, 2022, Donald Trump issued a statement saying that he and Melania would "always cherish our time together with the Queen, and never forget Her Majesty's generous friendship, great wisdom and wonderful sense of humour."

I'm pleased that Donald Trump is going to be embarrassed by this. His ego needs to be chipped away but that of course won't happen.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

People displaying shirts or stickers mocking political opponents are more likely to have psychopathic tendencies (infographic)

A study in the US found that people who engage in “ideological poking” - displaying political symbols designed to mock their opponents score more highly for psychopathic traits by Michael Broad

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This, for me, is an interesting piece of research and I immediately thought of Donald Trump and his army of supporters. We see them being very vociferous at rallies. We see them wearing T-shirts emblazoned with praises for their great demagogue of a leader and we see stickers on their car bumpers praising Trump. We also see T-shirts and car bumpers criticising and even insulting Kamala Harris, Donald Trump's competitor in the race to the White House. 

And of course Donald Trump is very prone to using nicknames for Kamala Harris which I argue are a form of insult. They are belittling and deliberately so in my opinion. He likes to belittle his opponents which is a cheap and nasty thing to do and it is very reflective, I would argue, of his character.

And today, in The Times, we have a report on this study and the article is entitled: "Steer clear of drivers with bumper stickers-they could be psychopaths."

And they ask whether your T-shirt informs people about your political affiliations or whether you have a bumper sticker which announces to the world your political affiliations.

And I'll quote the author here: "Well, then you are letting people know about two things: your politics, and, quite possibly, your tendency to psychopathy."

This study conducted in the US found that people who engage in ideological poking which means displaying political symbols designed to mock their opponents are more likely to score highly for psychopathic traits.

The study was led by Matejas Mackin from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. He carried out the study because he saw the bumper stickers of post-Trump America and it felt like something had changed.

He said that, "When I was a little younger, I would typically see campaigns with signs that would say something like "Hope" or "Vote Obama" or "Vote McCain". Then from 2016 onwards, you start to see more and more people expressing their beliefs by insulting the other side. I was interested in understanding this phenomenon. Why do people do it?"

His study is published in the Journal of Research in Personality. It involved almost 500 US residents all of whom completed a questionnaire to assess their tendency towards 'dark personality traits'.

The conclusion was that there was a link between "ideological poking" and psychopathy. It wasn't a big effect but it was certainly there but it doesn't mean that people who did it were clinically psychopathic but there was a link.

He said this might explain some of the toxicity that we had seen in the past decade. He added, "It does seem to be the case that the contemporary polarised political climate might give individuals with slightly darker dispositions more of a channel to speak."

"Studies have suggested that the display of political apparel, including t-shirts supporting particular candidates or causes, is more common among supporters of conservative or Republican politicians compared to liberal or Democratic supporters. This trend has been observed with Trump supporters as well. Surveys and analyses have found that Trump supporters are more likely to wear apparel with pro-Trump messages, slogans, or imagery compared to non-Trump supporters. This could include t-shirts, hats, buttons, and other items expressing support for the former president." - Google Gemini.

In a recent bizarre attempt to insult Kamala Harris again he said: “She sounds more like Trump than Trump, copying almost everything. She is conning the American public, and will flip right back. I will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! There will be no flipping!!!”

His rallies are becoming less and less populated and the MAGA mantra sounds tired.
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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Donald Trump's ear bandage is oversized for political advantage

Trump uses his ear injury to political advantage by an oversized ear bandage by Michael Broad

See the updates at the base of the page too please. Basically, there is almost no injury at all. It is hard to see one now that he has removed the oversized bandage. It was a very cynical action to stick a huge bandage over pretty well no injury.

Donald Trump appears today for the first time since assassination attempt without a bandage on his right ear, seemingly fully recovered. pic.twitter.com/P3H8I6aN1n

— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) July 26, 2024

I am guessing (hopefully intelligently) but it occurs to me that Donald Trump is making 'political capital' as it is called by ensuring that the bandage covering his right ear wound from the rifle bullet almost covers his entire ear and looks very visible when the injury (which is hard to see) appears to have been a small nick in the top of the ear. 

The nurse could have used a plaster over that area but that would have been almost invisible and I am arguing that Trump - ever the political mastermind - is milking the attempted assassination to the maximum. 

He is ensuring that his followers see that he was injured and is a miraculous survivor by the Grace of God. God saved him. It is a God-given opportunity to get the most out of this. To become the hero and saviour of America. To Make America Great Again. He is the chosen one.

And he has to make sure that the world and his followers see the bloody injury to get that message across. The oversized bandage achieves that purpose.

What do you think?

Update: his followers are showing their support! Like lemmings. The Messiah. Trump knew the power of this bandage. He knew it would be a visual signal of success. Of surviving. 

UPDATE: He removed it for last Saturday's rally, instead a smaller, beige-coloured plaster covered the top of his ear which basically proves my point. He took advantage of the shooting and having done so and made his point he has a normal plaster on now which is the way it should have been in the first place.

Now that he has taken off the bandage and we can all see the ear, there is hardly any evidence that he was hit by a bullet. We don't see any scarring or stitching. There's nothing there almost. It's almost as if he wasn't hit by a bullet. It's been suggested that he was hit by a piece of a bullet, a piece of shrapnel. But there's almost no evidence that he was hit and therefore this very dramatically supports my assertion that his bandage was deliberately oversized for political advantage. It was a cynical ploy.

Didn't Ronny Jackson claim the bullet removed 2 cm of Trump's ear? Where are the stitches? Where are the scars? pic.twitter.com/3ZW0IjLSyf

— Christopher Bouzy (spoutible.com/cbouzy) (@cbouzy) July 27, 2024

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Polarised American society, gun access and aggressive rhetoric led to Trump shooting

Image: AP - Getty Images.

American society has become more polarised. Discourse is more black-and-white. I am not referring to black people and white people. I'm referring to strong views at either end of the political spectrum. People are less inclined to have thoughts in the middle ground. The grey area. The area of compromised solutions.

In general there are more extreme thoughts and that kind of issue is occurring across the Western world I would argue. It's why we have far right groups doing so well in France, Germany and the UK for example.

Photo-edited version by MikeB

And there are more stresses in society I feel. The world has become more stressed. People have become more anxious and fearful. That's partly because the background tension in the world has increased. This is due to various factors such as climate change and Putin's invasion of Ukraine. And we are still post-Covid which caused a lot of financial stresses, still felt today.

And then in America they have more guns than there are people (433 million guns and 341 million citizens). No country has so many guns available. And if you combine these polarised viewpoints as I've called them plus aggressive rhetoric with the easy access of guns which are not, some may argue, regulated as well as they should be in America, you end up with the Trump attempted assassination.

Of course, he is a divisive character. You either love them or loathe them. And I'm sure a lot of people are unsurprised that he was shot. He was shot in the right ear so the shooter was targeting his head apparently with a rifle from a roof from which he had visual access to the rally which apparently (ironically) was supported by a gun lobby.

But underpinning this attempted assassination of Donald Trump is the black-and-white nature of American politics and society being somewhat split down the middle between Republicans and Democrats. Some might argue that there will be a civil war as this split is so severe.

The argument now is that Trump's attempted assassination will boost his campaign to be the next president. A strong survivor compared to Biden, the weak and rapidly declining geriatric.

One remarkable aspect of this assassination attempt is that Trump immediately knew that he should use it to his advantage because we see some amazing photographs of him with his fist raised showing a very strong, dominant character and behind him is the American flag. 

Surrounding him are Secret Service personnel trying to recover him and take him to a safe place. It's an amazing photograph which he will no doubt use from now until he becomes the next president.

Update a few hours later:

There's a lot of talk about the aggressive rhetoric, which I mention. The general consensus now is that it should be dialled down in order to stop provoking these sorts of incidents. Freedom of speech is important but it can cross the line to inciting violence and there needs to be a fresh look at that. This would apply not only to the United States but the UK as well because there has been violence and intimidation in the UK during the latest general election.

And there are ructions in France with their recent elections and extremist views coming out.

The shooter is Thomas Crooks. He lived at Bethel Park and his home is being searched by the FBI as I dictate this.

He was seen on the roof opposite the stadium where former president Trump was speaking by a bystander and a Trump supporter. This man saw the shooter very clearly and he pointed it out to law enforcement but apparently they took no action. There was confusion before the actual shooting.

There are concerns about the lack of efficiency of law enforcement and Trump's security team in allowing this to happen. The man who saw the shooter before he was actually shot by security staff said he was up there for about three or four minutes and he shot five bullets one of which grazed Trump's head and took a nick out of his ear. That bullet went on and killed a man behind him it seems.

Two other people behind Trump were injured. They are hospitalised.

Trump immediately after being shot in the ear apparently shouted "Fight, fight, fight!". This further incited violence. It's understandable he said this but the argument is that the shooter was incited to violence and now we have former president Trump responding by also inciting violence. It is a very unhealthy situation. Trump's post on his Truth Social website is far more conciliatory however.

Trump says in Truth Social post that he was shot in the ear⁠

⁠Latest updates: https://t.co/2NwEPPigui pic.twitter.com/uH0Vk1l31f

— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) July 14, 2024

Some Democrats have stated that the shooter was working on behalf of the Democrat party. They blame the Democrats for organising this attempted assassination. This will further polarise the Democrats and Republicans.

Incidentally, Thomas Crooks was a registered Republican interestingly. We don't know his motivation for the shooting. But a large segment of Democrats appear to have assumed that his motivation was to shoot the leading Republican, the Republican candidate for the presidency to knock him out of the race. But that's an assumption which has not been verified as yet with evidence.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Kristi Noem said that President Biden should have shot his German shepherd 'Commander'

In so many words, Kristi Noem who is the Republican governor of South Dakota and a VP contender for Donald Trump if and when he becomes the next president, suggested that Biden, the current President, should have had his German Shepherd dog "Commander" shot rather than removed from the White House where records tell us that he bit Secret Service agents on at least 24 occasions and on one occasion the individual had to attend hospital as I recall.

Trump with Noem. This is a screenshot from a CBS video.

So how did Noem make this suggestion? Well, she does it in her book and in a statement she made on an interview on CBC. 

RELATED: Fact Check: Kristi Noem shot her dog Cricket “in a fit of anger”

In her book, No Going Back, she writes: "What would I do on the first day in office in 2025? Thanks for asking. I happen to have a list. The first thing I'd do is make sure Joe Biden's dog was nowhere on the grounds ('Commander, say hello to Cricket for me')." This means Commander meeting Cricket over the Rainbow Bridge in dog heaven.

You may remember that Cricket was the young dog that Kristi Noem shot in a gravel pit because he annoyed her in attacking chickens belonging to a local person with whom she was talking and because he was a 'useless' hunting dog in her words. She adopted the dog for hunting purposes. She likes to hunt which, for me, is another black mark against her.

She apparently didn't consider rehoming Cricket or retraining him. She just decided that she had to take tough measures and euthanise him. Well, shooting a dog is not euthanasia. It's plain killing. And it's painful. It is inflicting of a lot of pain on a dog albeit hopefully temporarily. So her method of dealing with troublesome dogs that she owns is to shoot them. 

She also shot a goat who was troublesome to her and she had to do it twice because the first shot didn't kill the goat. And, further, she had to return to some stockpiled ammunition to reload her gun while the goat was in horrendous pain waiting for the coup de grace.

That's the kind of person she is. Secondly, she defended her comments in her book about Commander in an interview on CBS's Face the Nation programme yesterday. On that programme she said: "Joe Biden's dog has attacked 24 Secret Service people. So, how many people is enough people to be attacked and dangerously hurt before you make a decision on a dog and what to do with it?"

To that statement, the host of the show, Margaret Brennan, asked: "You're saying he should be shot?" In response Noem said: "That's what the President should be accountable to."

There you are. She didn't stated it in black-and-white on both occasions but on both occasions she strongly hinted that Biden should have shot his dog rather than do the more humane, more sensible and more decent thing which is to remove the dog from the White House where he was stressed because German shepherds are particularly defensive of their owner and Cricket was surrounded by a lot of people milling around the White House and so instinctively the dog protected the president by biting people invading on the president's territory. Entirely normal behaviour for which Kristi Noem would have shot the dog.

The chances of becoming vice president to trump are now pretty slim because of this story and because the world can see what kind of person she truly is. She is not a decent person that must be clear to everybody unless you think like her: that animals are second class citizens to be dealt with as possessions which is why she referred to the dog as "it".

One last point is worth making. Donald Trump questioned why Kristi Noem announced to the world that she had shot her dog Cricket. He thought that she should have kept quiet about it. But Kristi Noem wanted to announce it in her book in order to take pre-emptive measures vis-à-vis the public so that she couldn't be criticised for hiding the story from the public when it finally came out in the news media.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Donald Trump likens himself to Jesus Christ!

Recently, Donald Trump gave a speech to religious conservatives as part of his campaign to take back the White House. He was delivering his speech to a conference full of evangelists in Washington. He sneaked in a subtle biblical reference reflecting his ego which is a big as the White House.

Donald Trump. Image: Bing.

In reference to the two criminal indictments against him; one for criminal charges over a hush money payment to conceal an alleged affair with a porn star and the other an indictment concerning the classified documents seized at his Florida home, the former president Donald Trump declared:

"I'm being indicted for you".

This has hints and the tone of John 3:17 which says:

“God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” 

The belief is that by sacrificing himself for us on the cross, he took the punishment for all of our sins at once.

Trump seems to be saying that he is - metaphorically speaking - being nailed to the cross to save Americans from the dastardly Democrats!

Donald Trump says that he has sacrificed himself for the benefit of his followers. That is what I take from that very strange statement.

What is highly ironic is that Trump played by James Austin Johnson likened himself to Jesus on Saturday Night Live. He is portrayed as Jesus at the Last Supper talking to his disciples. The argument is that he was arrested for no reason. 

That he has been persecuted by the authorities just as Jesus was. But this show, as I understand it, took place before Trump himself made the statement above and therefore perhaps he took the idea from the show. I don't know. 

But clearly, it is not only me who sees the parallel between Jesus Christ's persecution and the way that Donald Trump is selling to his followers his persecution by the evil authorities. It is a typical Trump manipulation of the masses to further his own ends.

His 'numbers' went up after his was indicted.