What PINO Trump's Cabinet and Family Know, but Isn't Public Information

[MineralMan]

They know just how far down the ladder of reality Donald Trump has slipped. They see him every day, so they observe his lapses of attention, faulty memory, and need to be directed through almost any activity. They dare not speak of it, but they realize that he is a shell of a man now. They understand that the United States is without a President capable of carrying out the duties of that office.

That is why his daughter, Ivanka, who probably knows him best, is always nearby to fill in for him, guide him through gatherings and meetings and make sure nobody talks with him long enough to realize just how serious his deficits have become. He can still read from a teleprompter, since that is an old skill, but struggles with off-the-cuff dialog and polite conversation.

Vladimir Putin knows. He sat with him for a couple of hours and observed his inability to keep up with conversation. Melania even came into that private meeting and exchanged knowing looks with Putin. Pence knows. Bannon knows. His Secret Service detail knows. Even the driver of the Presidential Limo knows. They have seen him wander off until redirected to the limo.

From what I can see of his public appearances, it appears to me that we currently have no President in office. The more we see him, the more it becomes apparent. His daughter had to sit in his seat during G20 activities, because he left the room for whatever reason. He was avoided by other world leaders at the G20, for the most part and was left standing alone as others exchanged ideas.

Everyone seems to know, except for the American public, which is being fed mere glimpses of the man, because more would give the game away. He is truly the President in Name Only, the PINO, because is no longer present in any meaningful way. As that becomes more and more obvious, something will have to be done. How much longer can that fact be hidden?

[HipChick]

1. He has aged awfully in the space of 6 months..

Not that I can stand to look at his clown face......

[ProudLib72]

2. Don't think of him as a man (much less a president)

Think of him more as an embodiment of the ideals the minority holds dear: misogyny, racism, anti-big government, etc. He's not even a salesman, just a billboard. As such, it doesn't matter what he does. All that matters is him being there to represent the deplorables. Maybe an even better analogy would be one of the confederate statues that the deplorables seem to worship. The statue is the embodiment of all past (read "mythological&quot ideals. Of course no deplorable expects a statue to do any legislating. It's there to scare POC and remind everyone that they exist. That representation of those ideals seems to give them power enough. It's like a clan (Klan) worshiping at their idol.

[dhill926]

29. if I could rec this I would...

spot on...

[erronis]

35. Agree. How about recs for individual replies?

Just a billboard. And like one of those on a tired hiway that has bits of paper flapping off. BUY NOW!!! PHONE 1-800-XXX.

No other president has been such a symbol of decrepitude. Even Reagan (bless his heartless soul). Budya wasn't decrepit, just incompetent and guided by evil masters.

[ProudLib72]

49. Or a trophy of some sort

Deplorables do love to shove the "loser" in our faces as though government were a game and the only thing that mattered was going home with a trophy.

Whatever analogy we chose, he remains merely a symbol of loathsome ideals.

[cos dem]

3. Everybody knows that the boat is leaking

Everybody knows that the captain lied.

[underpants]

4. I've said from Day One - we are vulnerable

He simply doesn't put in the work.

[Hekate]

7. He doesn't because he is incapable

[Raster]

26. I agree. tRump* was incapable on the first day he was SELECTED for POTUS...

...and I say "SELECTED" because I believe a cabal consisting of Putin and his KGB cybertroops were aided and abetted by Robert Mercer and his data mining Cambridge Analytica to selectively target voters with fake news and selectively manipulate portions of certain state's electoral infrastructure.

But yes, I'm sure if Putin has any regrets at this point, it's only that his Presidential Manchurian Candidate/Trojan Horse has proven to be an incapable, incompetent craven idiot. I suspect tRump*s handlers are going to have to work harder than Bush*s did to even attempt to present a Presidential facade, and facade is precisely what it is.

[enough]

5. And as usual, the media keeps it all afloat. NT

[Sancho]

6. I think something is wrong with him...

it seems obvious. I agree that Ivanka and others are covering.

[MineralMan]

10. Yes, but we're going to have to wait for

the media to begin detailing it. Soon, I think.

[PatrickforO]

14. Do you really think so?

That it will happen soon?

What about the right wing? The group that gets their news from Breitbart, Fox and so on?

[MineralMan]

15. I don't care about them at all.

[PatrickforO]

31. Nor do I in terms of their twisted beliefs. What I do care about is

that they are stupid, mean and heavily armed - not a good combination. I did another post here earlier today because I wasn't feeling particularly cheerful. This post painted a scenario of Trump, as the proverbial noose tightens with the Russia investigation, would begin inciting his die-hard supporters to prevent his removal from office.

When this happens, we will see these heavily armed 'militia' hate groups lined up against our regular army and marines, as well as National Guard units.

This works great IF the NG, RA and marines remember they've sworn an oath to protect the republic, not Donald Trump. However, if ultra-conservative military units side with the hate militias, then we might be looking at a civil war.

So, as you can see, I indeed was not of a cheerful outlook this morning. Not at all. I mean, this thing with Trump meeting with Putin and giving away the farm. I wrote impassioned letters to my US Congressional delegation about it. This business of wandering away from the podium, spacing out the limo right in front of him, the blank looks and then the national security people I've heard talk about the horror of what actually happened in terms of the Russian cyberattack and sophisticated psy-ops on social media in swing states. This is fucking scary, Mineral Man.

I'm hoping things don't shape up to civil war, but if you think it CAN'T happen, then think again, because it surely could. That's what scares me. I don't want to live through that.

Funny story, I have a good friend in elected office who happens to be Jewish. We were talking about Bannon and about the increase in private for-profit prison building because the Trump 'administration' has put out the word they need space to house the eleven million people they want to round up. When the subject got to Bannon's ideas about the existential struggle between Christianity and Islam, I said, "You know, I'm not a Christian and I don't want to participate in that!"

She laughed and replied, "Oh, we won't be participating. We'll be in camps!"

And, you know, after the initial chuckle, that's absolutely terrifying.

[erronis]

36. You are voicing what many of us worry about.

[MyOwnPeace]

8. OK, I'll go there............

Something happens that he can no longer serve (medical reasons, including mental capacity, heart attack, etc.) invoking 25th amendment, Mueller nails him, whatever.....). We know we get Pence (unless Mueller brings him down also) - then it's Paul Ryan/Eddie Munster (do you have ANY idea how hard this is to even CONSIDER!?).

The question is: how long will he serve - where does he rank? He's already not last (of course, we knew that - he told us he's the winningest ever!).
William Henry Harrison - 31 days
Donald Trump - 170+ days
James A. Garfield - 199 days
Zachary Taylor - 492 days
Warren G. Harding - 881 days
Gerald Ford - 895 days
Millard Fillmore - 969 days
John F. Kennedy - 1,036 days
Chester A. Arthur - 1,262 days
Andrew Johnson - 1,419 days
John Tyler - 1,430 days

The rest of the list served at least 1 term.

So, do we start a pool?

I know, it's not nice to wish ill on anyone - I'm just trying to encourage the 25th amendment people to consider what they could do - you know, like Orange Cheat-o encouraged 2nd amendment people to consider their options about Hillary!

[QED]

22. Ryan would not automatically become VP.

Pence would nominate someone and the Senate would need to approve. It would only be Ryan if for some reason 45 and Pence were gone simultaneously.

[Stonepounder]

27. And about the only way I can think of that happening

would be if they were impeached together in a single trial and removed from office with a single vote covering both of them at the same time.

[murielm99]

30. We could do it the way they did with Agnew.

Remove the VP first. Fight them every step of the way for a more moderate VP, and someone with EXPERIENCE.

[ginnyinWI]

32. it isn't wishing ill--he'll be better off.

If he's that sick mentally or demented, then he needs to be somewhere safe and relieved of stress and responsibility. Right?

The trouble is that dementia usually comes on slowly and can stay at one level for a while. It's going to be interesting to see how long he can maintain status quo.

[erronis]

37. "Somewhere safe". How about the country and the world?

While I can feel some compassion for someone who was so obviously manipulated into this disastrous presidency, he was the perfect vector of disease - gluttonous, vain, uneducated and uncaring.

I have less than zero opinions of the people with power and money that brought his idiot to the center stage. I have high hopes that each and every one of them will feel the pointed ends of the tines.

[ginnyinWI]

48. absolutely.

I want him gone from government and any ability to influence anything policy-wise! That's the main thing.

Once he is out of power, he's irrelevant and that will be his worst punishment. If he's still aware of anything like that.

[3catwoman3]

52. Somewhere safe. How about...

...Gitmo?

[onethatcares]

43. if Vegas is taking book

is it against the law? The pool that is?

[SujiwanKenobee]

9. Yet he does fine at rallies?

Where he can fall back on emoting and doesn't have to worry about appearing smart and polished, he's OK it seems.
Why on his paperwork to enter (Private?) school was the remark "Uneducable" written? I recall reading this. Does he actually have a learning disability?

[MineralMan]

11. Yes. That is memorized rote stuff.

[Motley13]

18. He never says anything different at rallies

MAGA
I won
I won bigly
bash the media
bring back coal
bla, bla, bla

[WinkyDink]

19. At rallies he simply repeats old memories, which is why Hillary looms large to him.

[WinkyDink]

21. I'm not finding that "private school...remark" credible.

[BigBearJohn]

12. God help us if a national crisis such as war occurs

[MineralMan]

13. Absolutely.

With luck nobody Will take advantage of the lapse. Luck is risky, though.

[Chemisse]

25. We are really vulnerable.

Ordinarily an administration has a lot of support systems in place and could compensate for an ill president. But in this case, there is almost zero support, with many positions unfilled or given to people who are downright clueless.

The worst of it is, the whole world knows this. It's an ideal opportunity for our enemies.

[erronis]

39. Not downright clueless, but outright malevolent.

Shakespeare will make a great comedy/tragedy out of the fall of the "Land of the Free" (for me, not for you.)

[ginnyinWI]

33. I thought he'd given the Sec-Def all the responsibility for military action? n/t

[onecent]

47. Someone asked me today, I hope Putin doesn't already have the codes....I don't

think that could happen....but SOMEBODY with some power better be looking out for that.

[sandensea]

16. That' s a very good - and much overlooked - point.

The man is clearly suffering from some stage of dementia - completely unacceptable from no less than a President of the United States.

Trump, at the outset of his regime, seems to already be as far around the bend as Reagan was at the very end of his (if not later).

This has 25th Amendment written all over it.

[pandr32]

17. We have a mostly vacant Administration as well

Whole agencies look like abandoned malls--even the State Department. Vines will start growing throw the windows of the empty corridors of offices and swallow the White House!
This needs to end. Paper ballots please...fast.

[gordianot]

20. When Germany invaded Russia Stalin disappeared for several days.

Like Trump, Stalin did not trust advisors or listen to advice. In essence Stalin froze in place. Trump will be totally unpredictable and he too is mentally ill.

[WinkyDink]

23. Was Stalin mentally ill (other than his evilness)? He eventually defeated the Germans.

[gordianot]

24. He had extreme violent episodes and then withdrawal possibly manic depressive.

He also had arteriosclerosis which eventually his physician claimed impacted his violent behavior and caused at least one stroke.

[redstatebluegirl]

28. Putin, Mercer and the entire leadership of the republican party needed a mindless figurehead.

Needless to say they got one!

[njhoneybadger]

53. Oh is that ever the truth sister

[Hamlette]

34. I would defend my Dad for a long time. Thinking he'd come around. I'd cover for him too.

if you think the kids will save us, it will be years. If it were my dad, I'd just start working on getting him not to run again and cover for him until then.

They don't see their dad as an asshole. They see him as needing protection from the vicious media. You can turn a blind eye when its someone you loved all your life.

[erronis]

40. You're very nice and generous. My kids would check me into a place with no exit.

[Hamlette]

50. probably has more to do with my age, (67) who my father was, and how he died

he had a horrible 6 year long decline into death. It was hard not to be protective as he became more feeble.

[flying_wahini]

38. He seems to be worse when he travels.. I wonder if it's his Ambien

Or other sleeping medication.

[erronis]

41. Worse in what way? I haven't seen a tweet storm in a couple of days.

But then I'm not looking.

I think he only appears worse because he's put on a stage next to other people who are sane.

As long as his minions and staged events are his exposure, he doesn't look too bad - just a quivering piece of meat with a mouth.

Next to the rest of the repuglican candidates, he held his own.... not saying much for those idiots.

[Chemisse]

42. That's typical with dementia.

They do best when they are in familiar surroundings and in a regular routine.

[onethatcares]

44. and just like Reagan

reading from a script.

[Ilsa]

45. Wandered off for his afternoon Ensure drink. nt

[onecent]

46. i think Pence and Ryan ARE BOTH going to go by the wayside.....

Pence has known about this and I'm sure Ryan has heard it all.... He hasn't even
been to Wisconsin since about a week ago......

[Warpy]

51. We've come to the same conclusion

For whatever reason, the US has no president.

His face, when he doesn't think the cameras are on him, gets just a little blanker every day. Whether this is boredom when he's not the center of attention or rapidly progressing dementia I can't say. Give me half an hour alone with him and I'll tell you.

But yes, it's getting really obvious that he's not there most of the time.