How Low Can We Go? The President Donald Trump Thread, I guess. :(

[Ryan]

I'm sure we'll be needing a place for all the lovely shit that's going to fall into our laps over the next four years, if any of us make it that long.

[Homogenik]

that's the spirit!

[Perky Compson]

Jesus Christ that picture makes him look related to Martin Shkreli.



Some people are born with such slappable faces.

[Nick]

Fuck.

[Mackerel]

I knew we had to do this at some point but I'm still sad.

[Regina Phalange]

Maybe we should just call him Fuckface Von Clownstick, Pussy Grabber in Chief.

Here's some NOT DEPRESSING AND ANXIETY-CAUSING READING

Autocracy: Rules for Survival

• Rule #1: Believe the autocrat.
• Rule #2: Do not be taken in by small signs of normality.
• Rule #3: Institutions will not save you.
• Rule #4: Be outraged.
• Rule #5: Don’t make compromises
• Rule #6: Remember the future.

This is the part that scares me the most

The national press is likely to be among the first institutional victims of Trumpism. There is no law that requires the presidential administration to hold daily briefings, none that guarantees media access to the White House. Many journalists may soon face a dilemma long familiar to those of us who have worked under autocracies: fall in line or forfeit access. There is no good solution (even if there is a right answer), for journalism is difficult and sometimes impossible without access to information.

He already did this shit on the campaign trail. Is CNN going to give up a spot for limited press time? Really?

[Mackerel]

.

[Mackerel]

.

[just owls]

As a former professional journalist, I would encourage all of you to basically never watch television again.

The real action is going to happen in print. I have had experience talking to anonymous sources that are risking termination at their firms by talking to me. There will be an untold score of people in the administration and outside of it who are wholeheartedly against him, and I guarantee they will leak. Nobody on the record though - it will all be anonymous. Print journalism will allow for anonymous sources among his inner circle and unfortunately, beyond that. Meaning there will be anonymous leaks from people with different agendas. It's going to be a bit of an anarchy. But you can still infer certain things from what they say. Television though? Useless.

I know the stakes are much higher now, but I feel like this has been true for so long. One of the best things about when I got rid of TV and just started streaming? No more TV news. It's been 6 years and no regrets. I tried to stream the election coverage Tuesday on CNN and didn't like 10 minutes. I finally turned to PBS.

People need to take note now of print journalists who are not rushing to normalize Trump. It's not just certain outlets, but individual reporters.

[Steve SFM]

Ethan Coen has some thank you notes.

Such a surprise! So many people to thank!

1. Jill Stein voters: You helped elect a man who pledges that he will, in his first hundred days, cancel contributions to United Nations programs to fight climate change. If your vote for Ms. Stein did not end up advancing your green agenda, it did allow you to feel morally superior to all the compromising schmoes who voted for Hillary Clinton. And your feelings about your vote are more important than the consequences of your vote. So — thank you!

And he has seven more notes.

[Regina Phalange]

As a former professional journalist, I would encourage all of you to basically never watch television again.

The real action is going to happen in print. I have had experience talking to anonymous sources that are risking termination at their firms by talking to me. There will be an untold score of people in the administration and outside of it who are wholeheartedly against him, and I guarantee they will leak. Nobody on the record though - it will all be anonymous. Print journalism will allow for anonymous sources among his inner circle and unfortunately, beyond that. Meaning there will be anonymous leaks from people with different agendas. It's going to be a bit of an anarchy. But you can still infer certain things from what they say. Television though? Useless.

I almost wish I could pack up and move to DC because I would love love love love love to be in the white house to bring it down from the inside...

And as far as print, I agree. However, the stupid people who elected him don't read print. So it'll be great for us who do read print, but we can't make our ignorant family, friends, coworkers, etc believe anything he does. "Here read this piece by this Pulitzer-winning journalist" is not going to wow, impress, or sway them.

I don't even know where I read it, whether it was an article linked here or elsewhere, but one thing to do for normalizing of him, ignoring of genuine scary shit, is to contact the advertisers of a particular outlet of media. If we did that often, loudly, and in large numbers, that'll be our best shot.

[Volta]

If any of you watch tv as much as I do, you might be noticing, pretty early on imo, a lot of pro-Trump shows. Dateline NBC had a two hour program that showed him as a handsome playboy (I do forget that he has been on this earth 70 years and has had a whole full life), a proud father, and a very proud grandfather. Another network talked about how he is going to keep some parts of ACA. Back to NBC, they made it feel like Trump would be a great president because he is so invested in his grandchildren's future.

But I think some of that is true but more than anything, even NBC who cut ties almost completely, they know if they are not kissing his ass he just won't give them the time of day. And everyone will want access to the new, history-making C-in-C.

[Mackerel]

If any of you watch tv as much as I do, you might be noticing, pretty early on imo, a lot of pro-Trump shows.

This is proving my point. Never watch television news again.

[Steve SFM]

But I was just gonna start the Katy Tur for NBC White House Correspondent campaign!

[JayPeaches]

A good friend of mine is a journalist for the county division of our city paper (I live in a small town, but the suburban area is large - about 500,000). Earlier this year, he and his entire staff quit without notice after they were harshly scolded by management for publishing a short op-ed that questioned both Trump's and Hillary's proposed immigration plans. They were told, in no uncertain terms, to never publish anything anti-Trump again.