Same Old Trump on CNN Townhall – Love Him or Hate Him
CNN deserves credit for producing a townhall meeting with President Trump. The network received tons of criticism from the leftwing newsies who believe in censoring political opposition.
I am suspicious that there may be an anti-Trump motive by putting the former President on so early in the presidential campaign season – leaving more timely spots for other candidates. We will have to see if they give Trump another opportunity next year.
Despite his – shall we say – unconventional behavior and the unprecedented barrage of vicious bias attacks from Democrats, the media, and even a growing number of Republicans, Trump still maintains a significant degree of popularity. He still could win the GOP nomination for President – and he still COULD win the General Election. It boggles the minds of his critics.
In his first major primetime uncensored exposure to an American audience, Trump was the same old Trump that many love and support and many others hate and fear. And that is a problem.
In the CNN Townhall, Trump did nothing to reach out to what few voters might be on the fence. He played to the base with his usual litany of grievances and provocative statements. What was on display was everything people like me – who twice voted for him – do not like about Trump.
First, there was that mantra about the 2020 election being “rigged.” I have never stepped into that quicksand because it is mostly a distraction and a moot point. He made those claims during the recount period and after. We have all heard it many times.
There are no minds to be changed on that issue. You either believe Trump or not. No claims of rigging or references to a “big lie” will change minds. The election is over. The Electoral College has voted, and that vote has been certified by a large majority in Congress – and in the American system, that is all that matters. Joe Biden is the President of the United States, like it or not. Trump’s dwelling on the 2020 election no longer serves any good purpose.
I never like Trump’s propensity for self-praise and all those “only I” statements. I guess I am old school, but you earn praise from others. It is not something you bestow on yourself. It leads Trump to make preposterous claims about himself and his actions. He repeatedly says that he could end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. That is utter hyperbolic nonsense.
I am more interested in how he would end that war. Would he allow Putin to retain and annex 15 percent of Ukrainian real estate? Would Russia have to pay reparations? In the meantime, would Trump continue to send military aid to Ukraine? Would he end the war in victory or appeasement? The answers to those questions are more important to me than silly claims of omnipotence. And frankly, I am concerned by Trump’s refusal to give Ukraine 100 percent support.
Trump seems to enjoy being provocative – saying things that will be successfully repudiated by fact checkers the next day. The biggest tax break in history – even bigger than President Reagan’s. That is probably not true. He claimed to have “finished” the border wall. Untrue. He did build hundreds of miles, but it was far from finished. In fact, President Biden has left millions of dollars of paid for border wall lying on the ground, getting rusted.
Trump debates like it is a barroom argument. At one point, he lashed out at host Kaitlan Collins, saying she is not a nice person. Although … in that case, I also thought that Collins was entirely too argumentative. She became the counterpoint rather than the moderator. Regardless, Trump’s personal attack was unnecessary – as is most of his childish name-calling.
He seemed to be poking the hornet’s nest with suggestions that maybe the United States should default on the debts and that migrant children should again be separated from their parents in some cases. Neither is a good policy. I do not believe the United States will default, and we can secure the border without separating families unless the “parent” is a chargeable criminal. Trump also gets vague on such issues as abortion. Since I am a pro-lifer, that matters.
I have written numerous commentaries on my dislike for the Trump personality – and some of his political positions. In my judgment, Trump lost an opportunity to present a more positive and more futuristic vision of a future Trump presidency. Also, presidential candidates tend to speak for their respective parties in terms of policy. It is not about his grievances from the past, but what he would specifically propose in the future – what he would lead the GOP to do.
The major imponderable for Trump’s critics is how does he remain as popular as he does? Their only explanation seems to be that Republican voters have turned into a bunch of political zombies devoid of any positive humanitarian traits. That is totally untrue, of course.
The answer to their question is rather simple. Despite all of Trump’s manifest problems – personality and legal – the Democrat leaders and radical leftwing agenda are more offensive and deemed to be more dangerous to the Republic.
If Biden is the Democrat standard bearer, most Americans see him as too old. Biden’s policy and actions are not supported by most voters – and that is reflected in his abysmal polling number. While Biden tries to sell the joy of his legislation, the public is not buying. They are very worried about the Democrat’s open border policy … their pro-criminal policies … inflation … cutting off gas … the failure to address the Fentanyl epidemic – and the imposition of unpopular culturally woke policies. Despite the best effort to sweep it under the rug, there is a growing suspicion of Biden family grifting that goes beyond son Hunter. There is also a mortal fear that a Biden second term would lead to a President Harris.
The support for Trump – outside of a small percentage of diehard admirers – is not because he is personally popular but because the alternative remains totally repugnant to a lot of Americans.
The things that I do not like – and fear – with the current radical left policies of the Democratic Party are more serious and threatening to the constitutional Republic than Trump’s disgraceful behavior. If Trump were to become the GOP standard bearer – and I hope not — I would have to hold my nose and once again cast a ballot for him. It is not a happy choice – but not a difficult one because policy trumps personality.
So, there ‘tis.
Wow, that “town hall” was ten pounds of shit in an eight-pound bag. Great audience, I guess the world loves Trump all over…
This dog don’t hunt.
All hat, lots of bull though…..
Seems to be one brick shy of a wall.
”Trump was the same old Trump that many love and support and many others hate and fear.” Not really IMO. Trump was Trump as of around 1.6.2021, not Trump of 2016 and there’s a YUGE difference. This was Trump unbridled, Trump on steroids, Trump the delusional one. Hell, he’s got a defamation suit coming from his shtick this time around. And that’s what liberals see. Not four more years, but four new years of what we saw in 2020, not 2017 — It’s a YUGE difference.
“In the CNN Townhall, Trump did nothing to reach out to what few voters might be on the fence.” That’s a +1 for the truth.
“I have never stepped into that quicksand because it is mostly a distraction and a moot point.” Is that because you can’t handle the truth? Why not toe the line, like Liz, and just say it. Have some balls. If truth is not your purpose here, what is? Here: Biden did poorly Afghanistan and has really screwed up our Southern Border. Your turn….
“He repeatedly says that he could end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours.” And he said he could end our debt in 8 years as he now owns 25% of the total in just a mere short 4 years. If you take covid out, he still SUCKS on debt, GDP, GDP growth…. It’s good that you want plans from Trump, but strange since you never seemed to need them before. But I commend the possible change.
You note: “in that case, I also thought that Collins was entirely too argumentative. She became the counterpoint rather than the moderator.” This seems a bit sexist in that SHE was only returning volley and with MUCH LESS pace on the ball than Mr. Dickhead and his cackling audience. I thought she “handled” the ape quite well, just not as good as Pelosi could. Not many can stand up to his shtick. After all, when you get in a fight with the pig, you get muddy, but the pig likes it.
“maybe the United States should default on the debts” is the third time in his career that economically-challenged Trump shows his belief that the sovereign state has the same economic and financial dynamics of his family business where Daddy and the taxpayer always saved him from crash and burn when he totally fucked up the accounting. It isn’t, and to my dying day, I am pretty sure on the first two he got the call from the “cabal” to STFU —– and on this one, with these people, he did shut up twice. It’s that dangerous.
“The major imponderable for Trump’s critics is how does he remain as popular as he does?” Really? He lost:
The popular vote in 2016.
2020 popular and electoral vote
2022 Red Wave never hit the beach due to TRUMP.
And now he and DeSantimonious lost Jacksonville where they are both “loved.”
Freakin stroke victim in depression beat the TRUMP candidate……
Trump has no policy. He has no convictions, except legal. Last time it was Republicans, and a lot of RINOS that presented the Trump policies. That’s probably a good reason you liked them. A lot of the tax reforms are Paul Ryan; just not so much the corporate ones. The immigration disaster was Sessions. This time it will be Greene, Gaetz, Comer, Jordan, Boebert, Biggs, Gosar, Hawley and the Freedom Caucus. A few of these folks have been kicking around awhile and have some actual legislative skills; it ain’t 2010 and the inept Tea Party accession. This one is serious shit.
So, pardon my French, but foutre your personality versus policy gambit—- IMO, this time they are one in the same. He’s got his base, now what are the rest of you going to do? Cuz bending over and electing this guy will harm all who do not bow to your King. There are no guardrails now.
Collins wore white because she thought it would just be another day on fantasy island… Too bad it was Trump’s fantasy.
During the Town Hall, Trump basically confessed he took the documents, said he has the right to keep them as declassified and then the Archives letter to Trump surfaced showing he knows they are not declassified. As in, I took em, I know it’s illegal, but I’m keeping them no matter what you say, their declassified and their mine. And then his lawyer quit…….
Oh yeah baby….”If Trump were to become the GOP standard bearer – and I hope not — I would have to hold my nose and once again cast a ballot for him.” He’s a petty despot Larry.
Grab em by the pussy sort of guy, you knew it, you held your nose
Excellent businessman declared bankruptcy six times, owns 25% of US debt on his watch
Worst GDP growth since Hoover, yeah, worse than Carter
Paid off fraud victims he grifted
Adjudicated guilty sex abuser
Adjudicated guilty defamation artiste
Confessed Top Secret document thief
But wait, there’s gonna be more……I’ve got Georgia on my mind……
What will it take for Larry to toe the line and say “enough is enough.”
Frank Stetson … Like a good authoritarian leftwinger, you want people to “toe the line.” What line? Your line? I have made myself very clear on Trump. I will vote for someone else in the primary. But if he is the nominee, I will have to vote for the implementation of more conservatives policies than the radical leftwing policies of the contemporary Democratic Party. An opinion shared by approximately half the nation. I leave toe-ing the line as a primary political principle to you on the left.
I am not authoritarian. I am not even a left-winger. I am more conservative than you on the money, and liberal on social issues. Why stereotype me with your made-up nonsensical names?
Sorry, that was obtuse in that many use “toe the line” as to bow to authority. In boxing, it means get in the ring, stand at center, and prepare to fight for what you believe in —- yourself… As in have the balls to stand up for what is right. I just can’t believe you would take all that comes with a few conservative policies — or EO’s since he can’t pass laws, at least not many, not notable. And for that, a guy who bangs em up against the wall for a good rub n tug, is just fucking-a-skippy with you.
He owns 25% of our debt, on his watch. In his second watch, he’ll bankrupt us for sure. That’s his business.
Now he asks: “please Larry, do you want some more?” And you say, sure —- better than Biden.
Sigh. ABT
Frank, thank you for that explanation of “toe the line”. I did not realize that it was a boxing expression. Wow, amazing how you and Larry use the same expression but for different meanings. By the way, I was never into boxing but did love watching Ali trash Cosell, it was a real show watching that!
I agree with you. Larry seems to have a false view of you when it comes to money and economic policy. I am afraid his filters do not include a calibration setting to handle a dichotomy of an intelligent person that can be socially liberal (and yet you are not as liberal as many) and yet fiscally moderate to conservative. I think it is a generational thing. Larry appears to be about 13-15 years ahead of us chronologically based on his Aging POTUS article. That is a big difference. He was raised in a very much more “black and white” American culture, while you and I were raised in a “Black, White, and shades of grey” America. We have different filters, or at least upgraded filters.
By the way, you seem conservative to moderate about your own life but liberal in the way you treat others. Believe it or not, Jesus was the same way about his life versus how he treated others. And you know what happened to him! He had many Larrys in his day! :>)
Maybe I’m just breaking even with my hippie days 😁
Think toeing the line is an Irish thing, not that they own it, where you stood toe to toe, line in between, and took shots. Gentleman Jim changed all that, Errol Flynn showed us how that happened…And ali perfected it. .
You pretty much nailed where Larry seems out of synch with his own ideals. Maybe Trump’s next court case will bring him round.
Tom …. check out my answer to Frank. He is wrong to redefine my meaning. That that is all he has in his mental tool box
Frank Stetson … Thought I would check out the meaning of “toe the line.” I knew you were not familiar with its use, but here it is. Definition from Google: “accept the authority, principles, or policies of a particular group, especially under pressure.” I accept you apology.
Yes, Larry, that is the main definition. However, as I noted, but you ignored, nor could be bothered to look: “Sorry, that was obtuse in that many use “toe the line” as to bow to authority. In boxing, it means get in the ring, stand at center, and prepare to fight for what you believe in —- yourself… As in have the balls to stand up for what is right.”
Clearly you did not hang out with the Chicago Irish crowd in your youth so, so, many years ago when it was more popular starting in the 1840’s. Check out Errol Flynn in “Gentlemen Jim” and you will see the boxers “toe the line.” Jim changed all that, forever, and Ali perfected it.
Gosh Larry, I think you both are correct but the origin of “Toe the Line” actually predates Google or wherever its AI pulled your definition. Frank’s version dates back to the origin of the saying which is the first “Bare Knuckles” boxing match held in England in 1719. See below, I found this Toe the Line saying in Rule #2:
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Rules
1. Fighters are permitted to wrap and tape the wrist, thumb, and mid-hand. No gauze or tape can be within 1 inch (25 mm) of the knuckles.
2. Fighters will “toe the line”. There are two lines, 3 feet (91 cm) apart, in the center of the ring where the fighters will start each round. The front foot will be on the line, and the referee will instruct the fighters to “knuckle up”, which indicates the beginning of the bout/round.
3. Punches are the only strike allowed and must be with a closed fist (no kicks, elbows, knees or grappling).
4. In the clinch, the fighter may punch his way out with the open hand. If there is a three-second lull in action while clinching, the referee will break the fighters.
5. A fighter who is knocked down will have 10 seconds to return to his feet, or the referee will stop the fight. It is not permitted to hit a downed fighter. Any fighter who does will be disqualified, and the purse will be withheld. While a fighter is downed, the other fighter will be instructed to report to a neutral space.
6. If a fighter is cut and the blood is impairing a fighter’s vision, the referee may call a timeout to give the cutman 30 seconds to stop the bleeding. If the blood cannot be controlled and the blood inhibits the fighter’s vision, the referee will stop the fight and award victory to the other fighter.
7. Fights are two minutes per round and each bout will be 3 or 5 rounds in length. In BKB can be 3, 5 or 7.
8. Attire: All fighters must have a groin protector with a cup, a mouthpiece, trunks or boxing trunks, and boxing/wrestling shoes.
9. All fighters are expected to give 100% effort and behave with complete sportsmanship.
Tom … I understand that Frank used an archaic meaning for “toe the line.” While that claims a point for academic snobbery. In terms of effective communication, it still is a poor use of a term that has a well established colloquial meaning. I bet Frank would use “gay” as meaning happy. LOL
Hey Frank, check out the charts comparing Bush, Obama, and Trump. Very interesting. At *https://www.businessinsider.com/charts-contrasting-trump-economy-obama-bush-administrations-republicans-democrats-2020-10*
Even if you take the pandemic out, Trump still sucks on many economic factors. The fact of the matter is he borrowed his economy from the Chinese. So, of course, people have more money. There was no resurgence in American manufacturing, just more of the same. There was no bonanza Anna Cole, in West Virginia, just more of the same. And even his famous brag about oil was well on the way before 2016. And his claim that he was so great that he even turned in a net export in oil, was totally due to a lack of demand due to the pandemic. Basically, he started by writing the Obama curve and then borrowed his way to any success that he saw, and when it was crash and burn time, he ran for the hills lying all the way. And the faithful still believe.
One interesting point is the stock exchange numbers. Part of the problem is that during Trump, and starting with Obama, there was no point in investing in fixed income assets. Might as well put it under the mattress for equal profit. The only thing possible was equities and such. It was strange. .
Great charts, thanks.
Are we still on for dinnet Friday? 😁
By the way Larry, Frank and I could not comment to your article yesterday about the age of a POTUS. Are you going to open it up for comment?
Larry, you know I respect your writing. You did a good job at stating your dislike of Trump’s personality. And nobody would blame you for voting for him in 2016, heck, I voted for him then. We had hope that a return to more conservative values would get the country back on track. Back then, many of his base felt he was a business genius and economic whiz kid. He was not. He inherited a very much healed economy from Obama. Obama GDP hit 4.0 more times than Trump, that is a fact and a record you can look up. I do give Trump credit for throttling the stock market by announcing good news when the market was down and bad news when the market was up, thus throttling it and keeping it fairly constant which allowed for increased economic growth. But the facts are that Obama inherited a Dow Jones at about 7,600 and a disastrous banking failure from Bush. And Obama left with a Dow Jones at about 14,500. Trump inherited a healed economy and Dow Jones at about 14,500 and grew it to about 28,500. So both Obama and Trump doubled the market. So it would appear that the market can grow under either a Dem or a GOP regime when the economic policies are good. And now, under Biden, the market seems to be vacillating a little but still seems resilient. There has not been doom and gloom as some GOP predicted but there is stifling inflation caused by loose money policy. So to this Independent/unaffiliated voter, the economy seems to be able to maintain itself under either Dem or GOP, but seems to do a little better under GOP and tighter monetary policy..
I am not even going to blame you for voting for Trump in 2020, because you still had that hope that Trump would mature in his POTUS role and that a covered nose would yield a better USA. But overall, a slightly better economy and a better job at the southern border does not justify the new Trump. Frank is very correct that we are no longer seeing the Trump of 2016. We are seeing the Trump off 1.6.2021 on steroids. This is a new Trump that I will call Monster Trump. This Trump is all about revenge and vanity. This Monster Trump has moved into hyper-narcissism and will destroy a country if that is what it takes to sooth the beast within him. No one will be spared, not even his loyal base. The GOP is weak and cowering, they fear this Monster Trump. They do not have the courage to place him aside and rid us of Trump. They hold their noses and and prop Trump up. But there is a Joan of Arc, and her name is Liz Cheney.
Chris Sununu is correct, the GOP has established what he called on interview with CBS the other day a “culture of losing” under Trump, and Frank Stetson does a great job at summarizing what Sununu knows. And I could add more like how he almost destroyed NATO, ruined many of our foreign relations, pissed off all of Africa, screwed over Ukraine for his own purposes, surrendered our Pacific Rim opportunities and allowed China to dominate, and lost a trade war! And I believe that this “holding our nose and voting for Trump” is the root cause of the GOP “culture of losing”.
Larry, I can understand your 2016 vote. I can forgive your vote in 2020. But Larry, saying that you will hold your nose again and vote Trump in 2024? That makes you part of his firm base, no excuses. Where are those morals you touted when you told me in our AI discussion that I display how morally bankrupt our generation is and that I do not care about my children or grandchildren? Do you really want Trump to be the example for your children and grandchildren, to a whole nation of children, despite all that Frank has documented in his counterpoints?
Frank is correct Larry, when is enough, enough? My mother used to say, “Birds of a feather stick together.” This applies here in that if you hold your nose and vote for Trump a third time, you are a feather on the bird called Trump! Remember, two points define a line, but three points define a straight line! There are other ways of making the country better, ways other than Trump, who’s results and losses do not glitter like gold, they are fool’s gold.
If the GOP wants to win, select Sununu/Hailey or Sununu/Barr, or even Sununu/Cheney, and get rid of Trump! Don’t bother with DeSantis, he is Trump with a little less dung behind the ears and a little better moral polish. Otherwise, if the competition is Biden/Harris versus Trump/Greene or other Freedom Caucus member that is now holding up raising the debt ceiling , most Independents/Unaffiliated voters will break for Biden/Harris then vote GOP down ticket to contain and limit any future damage. And Trump saying maybe it would be better if we default will not be forgotten by us Independents because we want systems that work, not deliberately break down! As I have said many times before, in 2024, grid lock may be our best choice!
Man, that was deep. Passionate. Well thought out and well said. May be your best
+1
Thank you Frank! We may not always agree but I always respect your opinions and abilities.
Tom … I love your and Frank’s bromance…..LOL
Awwww Larry, do not feel left out. I love you too! Its a PBP threesome and always will be! I respect your writing and opinions as well.
Tom …. Sorry. It is not a threesome. I prefer to be left out. You two are very gay with each other — and of course I mean that to mean “happy.” I am not one to “toe the line” by any definition. LOL
Talk about archaic usage…. well, maybe appropriate for your generation Larry.
Frank n Tom, Tom n Frank —— come on —- we may agree on some things but certainly not peas in a pod (should I define that idiom, or the word idiom for you? :>)
And why are you obsessed with gays? Something we should know, feel like coming out? Since you are language challenged, especially without your editors, let me speak in a manner you might understand:
You love to criticize Tom and I even out of total ignorance. Maybe your desire to attack trumps you interest in truths. You are totally misrepresenting the truth when you say Tom and I are a part of the “radical left wing” loyal base. You are wrong to redefine our meaning. That that is all you have in your mental tool box. While that claims a point for academic snobbery, in terms of effective communication, it still is a poor use of the term “gay” that has a well established colloquial meaning. We bet Larry would use “gay” as a manner of self identification to make him happy. LOL
Frank Stetson … I obvious did not get the joke sent your way. But then, I am not surprised. Your constant attacks on me would have to upgrade a LOT to reach the level of sophomoric. Everyone needs a reason to get up in the morning. I guess PBP is yours. Enjoy.
Tom… You and frank love to criticize me even out of total ignorance. Maybe your desire to attack trumps you interest in truths. What makes you assume I run he website? I send in my commentaries … period. I do not run the site. Occasionally, there is a technical glitch … but never censorship. I accept you apology.
Larry, I think you’re being a bit hyper sensitive. I am not sure what you are referring to here. But if you are referring to my opening comment that I could not comment on the aging of a POTUS piece you wrote, I was trying to be informative. I was not criticizing you. I was not assuming you ran the website but did assume (maybe wrongully) that you had influence. I was simply letting you know I could not comment on the piece, and that’s it. Sorry if you took it as criticism. Maybe I made a poor assumption that you get paid based on number of respondents or number of comments which was why I informed you. I thought maybe someone at the PBP website either turned off the comments box or forgot to turn it on, and this would damage your income. So as I said, I assumed you could notify the website administrator. I had hoped you would let them know so they would open it up and we could comment. I thought my motive was pretty pure. I am saddened that you took my comment the wrong way but I do take responsibility for hurting rattling your cage. I will try to do better next time. By the way, this is the second time this has happened in about four months.
Now with regard to everything I stated in my commentary, I can back up all of my comments with stats and youtube videos but did not bother listing them. See the chart in this Business Insider edition where you can take the cursor and move through Obama’s presidency quarter by quarter and see that he hit GDP at 4% or greater four times, Trump only managed to reach 3.9 once. GWB didn’t do too bad, he hit 4% or more three times. Solid evidence! View chart at *https://www.businessinsider.com/charts-contrasting-trump-economy-obama-bush-administrations-republicans-democrats-2020-10#economic-growth-under-trump-was-barely-above-both-obama-and-bush-before-the-pandemic-wrecked-it-1 *
Larry, I did not criticize you at all. I think you are taking other people’s points of view that do not agree with your POV as criticism, but it’s not. I am giving you the Independent/Unaffiliated point of view, and that’s all. Democracies are all about the richness of opinion. Again, I want to reassure you that I still enjoy and respect your writings and opinions. I may not always agree, but I do respect them every bit as much as I respect Frank’s viewpoint. And I relish the occasions when all three of us agree!
Tom … I merely corrected the record since you obviously assumed that I managed the site when you asked “Are YOU going to open it up for comment?” Not my job. And I do think your long defense was a bit much. But I accept your clarification.
Tom … As I have said a number of times. I will not vote for Trump in the Florida primary. He is not my preferred candidate by a long shot. You are totally misrepresenting the truth when you say I am a part of his loyal base. Shame on you. Who would you vote for in a Biden/Trump race? Are you part of the radical leftwing base???