Well, if it’s not obvious, I’m having trouble keeping up with Trump.  It’s still hard for me to believe “we the people” would elect someone so incredibly STUPID when it comes to foreign affairs.  And, his own defense of his legitimacy as the actual president defies description.  This is the man who spent five LONG years claiming President Obama was not a legitimate president because he wasn’t born in the U.S. – the so-called “birther” movement that Trump led.  Well, the evidence is mounting that it was the Russians who surprisingly pushed Trump over the top in 2016 – all the pundits continue to wonder how Trump managed to win despite all the polls showing almost certain defeat.  More and more it’s becoming clear – it was the Russians.

They (the Russians) MUST have something good on Trump for him to continue playing “dumb” about the reality of the Russian “interference” into the election.  Or he just IS DUMB.  It’s almost unexplainable at this point in time.  I believe it’s entirely possible the Russians were able to HACK the actual electronic voting machines – turning Clinton votes to Trump.  We’ll likely never know – even if the “experts” discover the truth.  Just as the “experts” hid the Truth about the Florida vote in 2000 I believe they’ll do the same here – preventing even more of an “uprising” by “we the people.”  Of course, based on the recent results in Virginia and around the country the uprising is simply in its “infant” stages.

So, during Trump’s “historic” trip to Asia – where it’s obvious the countries around the world have figured out they can “play” him by giving him grandiose treatment – Trump sided with Vladimir Putin in the “Russia thing.” He continued his assault on the American Intelligence community by impugning the character of John Brennan and James Clapper – two distinguished members of the Intelligence Community past – AND continuing his character assassination of James Comey – who he accused of being a “LIAR and LEAKER.”

Of course, Comey publicly acknowledged he gave information from his notes to a friend to pass on to the press defending his own character after the original Trump assault levied at him after he was unceremoniously fired.  I guess that does make him a “leaker” in Trump’s eyes, but most “leakers” don’t admit to giving the information to the press AND Comey was a private citizen at the time, the information was not “classified,” and therefore, from my perspective at least, Comey WASN’T “leaking.”  In America, at least as of today, private citizens still have freedom of speech.  Additionally, Trump calling Comey a LIAR would be laughable if all this weren’t so serious.  Later, I’ll give you a link to the scorecard on Trump’s LIES – it’s almost overwhelming!

It’s further depressing to me to have an American president (“so-called” president) on “foreign soil” making these kinds of attacks AND then saying he agrees with Putin that the Russians didn’t interfere in the election (STUPID comments that he later POORLY attempted to “walk back”) while we all here at home continue trying to figure out what is the “kompromat” the Russians have on Trump.  While on this trip Trump also reiterated to the countries in Southeast Asia that their future, economically, is tied to China because of our “America First” philosophy.  (I say “our” because, unfortunately “we the people” are tied to this man’s decisions until he can be removed from office)

President Obama had the courage to negotiate the so-called TPP trade agreement, despite opposition from some in his own party, which would have given the United States a strong position via trade with the countries in this region but Trump, in all his “wisdom,” pulled America out of the agreement shortly after taking office.  From what I can tell, this will be a more damaging decision, long term, than pulling America out of the Paris Climate Accords – although, in BOTH cases Trump is giving China a green light to assume world leadership in key areas tied to future economic growth world wide. (Here’s an interesting side note to Trump’s “America first” philosophy – in his own company he’s bringing in multitudes of foreign workers under various programs that grant temporary visas INSTEAD of hiring Americans)

Full disclosure: politicians on the “other side of the isle” – including Hillary Clinton – expressed opposition to the TPP “partnership.”  I’m certainly not the expert here, but from what I’m reading and hearing Trump’s decision has resulted in a HUGE grin on the face of the economists in China.  The purpose of President Obama’s push for this agreement – I do remember him claiming this – was to give America “standing” with trade “partners” in an extremely important part of the world going forward with the expressed purpose of combating the Chinese.  I’ve often referred to my concern about the DAMAGE to our nation Trump is CAUSING (meaning, as the result of his decisions) and his pulling out of TPP and the Paris Accords could set us back for decades.  While Trump (and company) is pushing coal and oil in the U.S., the rest of the world is looking forward.  This is SERIOUS!

Every time Trump gets out on his own – where his mouth is left to unscripted words – we end up with these types of discussions.  And, the republican party just continues to enable this.  I heard someone the other day, on the radio while I was driving around, asking: “What would republicans be doing and saying if Barack Obama was cozying up to people like Putin and Duterte of the Philippines?  Would republicans stand idly by had Obama, while on a foreign trip, criticized the leaders of the intelligence community – calling them “hacks” and attacking the head of the FBI and calling him a LIAR? (while under investigation by the same people) The real irony here to me, is Trump calling anyone a LIAR.  Trump is DEFINITELY the LIAR in chief!  Click here for a list of his lies since taking office.  According to the Washington Post the number of LIES went over 1000 around August first.

Obviously, MOST Americans are disappointed, discouraged, embarrassed, angry, disgusted……… fill in the blank – about the Trump presidency.  They’re looking forward to the day he can be voted out of office or IMPEACHED.  Apparently, Democrats will need to take control of Congress for this to happen, but I remind you of 2006.  “We the people” voted Democrats back into control of Congress to be a “check” on the Bush/Cheney administration which had not only pushed us into an ILLEGAL war based on LIES, but were TORTURING Iraqi civilians (and others) by the droves and claiming the right to designate ANYONE, including Americans, to be “enemy combatants” and, therefore, not subject to traditional guarantees of human rights.

And, what did “we the people” get?  We got the so-called “surge” in Iraq and a bunch of Democrats who lacked the courage to IMPEACH both Bush and Cheney.  I personally confronted my representative (a democrat) about this issue and asked him, in a town hall, to explain why nothing was happening.  His response to my question (which, by the way, brought a loud response from the standing room only crowd – in support of the question) was “The Senate likely would not convict, so why waste the time?”  Well, that was the wrong answer as far as I was concerned, and our district has had a republican representative ever since.  To this day, I’m not sure if democrats understand why they’ve become the “minority” party.

I’m hoping democrats begin to realize that one thing the America people will not tolerate is politicians who appear “weak.”  Ever since President Obama’s election democrats have been losing power because so many of them have failed to defend their own fundamental values.  The Affordable Care Act had a poor “approval rating” for several years because the democrats who voted it in failed to support it and fight for the improvements necessary to make it better.  I’ve watched, in frustration, over the past few years, democrats trying to avoid being labeled a “liberal” and running away from the fundamental values of their party.  This is why white middle class voters in the “rust belt” ended up voting for Trump in way too many numbers.  This is why so many voters were susceptible to the Russian propaganda that changed an undetermined number of voters in 2016.

Let’s face it, Trump ADMITTED on the Access Hollywood tape to being a sexual predator.  Over a dozen women came forward and confirmed his comments in the video.  Young girls (I believe around 15 years old) claimed he walked into the dressing room during the “Miss Teen USA” Pageant while the YOUNG girls were naked.  When I “fact checked” this accusation Trump’s response evidently set the precedent for Roy Moore in Alabama, who’s defending accusations about his own inappropriate behavior with a minor almost EXACTLY as Trump did prior to the 2016 election.  Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, “They’re all LIARS.”  Isn’t that why so many women say in private they’ve got stories about inappropriate memories that range from harassment to sexual assaults.  The men, like Trump and Moore, simply warn women to keep silent because no one will believe them.  And, if anyone speaks out, they face a backlash that most of the women are in no position to fight back against.

The republican voters – including women – were apparently OK with Trump and his bragging and the evidence his bragging wasn’t actually bragging – it was stuff that actually happened.  Republicans fear Alabama voters will do the same with Roy Moore and they will then be forced to deal with all his other crazy ideas.  Like LGBT people aren’t really, well………. people.  So this is what 40 some percent of America’s voters have given us.  It appears that Trump is in cahoots with Putin to divide the American public and diminish America’s standing in the world.  I’m not sure what is the most shocking to me – that republican voters don’t care about that OR they don’t care about electing sexual predators to high (or any) public office! Yikes!!!