President Trump 2.0

[jfman]

You can hardly describe Europe as neglecting it’s defence spending when it’s largely met commitments agreed what NATO and previous US administrations expected.

The difference now is Europe has an openly hostile US President trying to shake us down for more defence spending by evoking the Russian bogeyman. The reality is America - even the Trump administration - wouldn’t ditch the strategic benefits that it’s bases littered around Europe provides if they were genuinely under threat from a nefarious actor. Ukraine was an ally of convenience and thus disposable.

If Europe are to participate in the charade that military expenditure should be here. Not lining the pockets of the US military industrial complex.

[tweetiepooh]

Wonder what would happen if he instructs software companies not to renew or supply tools to countries that won't play ball. Hardware, circuits etc. Not allowing traffic routed through US equipment.
Would the US companies play ball under threat? Would some move their "production" out of the US?

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Mick

The economy was shit under Biden. The cost of living was a major factor that got Trump re-elected. I wouldn’t be so disingenuous about the cost of items at this stage - every day grocery items won’t come down in the short few weeks he’s been in office.

Cost of living was a major factor but people ignored the wage growth & the jobs created, preferring to listen to a proven liar offering simplistic solutions, promising to get prices down on day 1 and now they're paying the price

Originally Posted by Mick

Yes, but all this talk of “Can’t rely on U.S - Europe to go it alone” - I’d be saying fine, can’t rely on U.S but I also can’t rely on any of our European neighbours either, they’ve neglected their Defence spending for decades, because they’ve always seen America as the advantage, as we’ve seen, Trump the “transactional” president demands Europeans beef up their Defense spending.

You don't think it suited America then? I think it did and that was proven when 9/11 happened and their allies stepped up to support them with their soldiers lives, something shady vance chose to ignore the other days when he spaffed some country who hasn't fought a war in 40 years , he can try to row back on those comments and say they're outrageous as he never mentioned Britain but the fact is the only two countries who'd offered peacekeepers in Ukraine at the time he made those comments were Britain and France, never heard that dope say thank you either

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

Cost of living was a major factor but people ignored the wage growth & the jobs created, preferring to listen to a proven liar offering simplistic solutions, promising to get prices down on day 1 and now they're paying the price

If only 164,000,000 Americans had listened to you, who obviously knows better.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Pierre

If only 164,000,000 Americans had listened to you, who obviously knows better.

Except Trump only won with 49.8% of votes. Which was about 74 million.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Except Trump only won with 49.8% of votes. Which was about 74 million.

Yes but Pierre’s point has some validity as the Democrats lost more voters to the couch than they did to Trump. A message that just didn’t resonate.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Except Trump only won with 49.8% of votes. Which was about 74 million.

The population of the USA is 340 million.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Pierre

The population of the USA is 340 million.

And? What's your point? They all didn't vote.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Stephen

And? What's your point?.

I was a little out with my initial figure

But you’re suggesting only 21% of the US population voted for Trump, I would say you were miles out.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Pierre

I was a little out with my initial figure

But you’re suggesting only 21% of the US population voted for Trump, I would say you were miles out.

The population and number of eligible voters aren’t the same thing though.

[Itshim]

Guess what I got it wrong again, shouldn't listen to my local congressman
Trump won 77,284,118 votes, or 49.8 percent of the votes cast for president. That is the second highest vote total in U.S. history, trailing only the 81,284,666 votes that Joe Biden won in 2020. Trump won 3,059,799 more popular votes in 2024 than he won in 2020 and 14,299,293 more than he won in 2016. He now holds the record for the most cumulative popular votes won by any presidential candidate in U.S. history, surpassing Barack Obama. Running three times for the White House obviously helps.

Kamala Harris won 74,999,166 votes or 48.3 percent of the votes cast. That was 6,285,500 fewer popular votes than Biden won in 2020, but 774,847 more than Trump won in 2020.
Guess what I got it wrong again ! Shouldn't listen to my local congressman!
More than 155 million Americans voted in 2024: 156,302,318 to be exact. That’s the second largest total voter turnout in U.S. history in absolute terms. It is also just the second time that more than 140 million people voted in a presidential election.

In relative terms, voter turnout nationally in 2024 was 63.9 percent. That is below the 66.6 percent voter turnout recorded in 2020, which was the highest voter turnout rate in a U.S. presidential election since 1900. Nonetheless, turnout in 2024 was still high by modern standards. The 1960 election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon (63.8 percent) is the only other election in the last 112 years to exceed 63 percent voter turnout. If you are wondering, the election of 1876 holds the record for the highest percentage voter turnout: 82.6 percent. That was one of America’s most controversial and consequential elections—and not in a good way. It was also an election in which more than half the adult-age population was ineligible to vote.

Wisconsin holds the place of pride as the state with the highest voter turnout in 2024—76.93 percent of eligible voters in the Badger State voted. Five of the six battleground states that switched from Biden to Trump saw their turnout exceed the national average; only Arizona (63.6 percent) was below, and then just barely. Hawaii holds the distinction of being the state with the lowest voter turnout. Just 50 percent of Hawaiians

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Pierre

If only 164,000,000 Americans had listened to you, who obviously knows better.

They wouldn't get the chance to because unlike co-president Musk I don't meddle in other countries elections and call me old fashioned but I really do prefer my sarcasm to be factually and statistically accurate but I can be lazy too, so you're saying 164,000,000 Americans voted for this and are happy with how it's going then, fine I'll leave it there then.

Originally Posted by Pierre

I was a little out with my initial figure

But you’re suggesting only 21% of the US population voted for Trump, I would say you were miles out.

Trump voters - 77.3 million
US population- 340.1 million

= 22.73%

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Pierre

I was a little out with my initial figure

But you’re suggesting only 21% of the US population voted for Trump, I would say you were miles out.

I'm not suggesting anything. Not every eligible voters actually voted. Turn out was about 63.5%

Originally Posted by Stephen

Except Trump only won with 49.8% of votes. Which was about 74 million.

You’re a few million out on total vote tally. Not that it really matters, he won.

Donald Trump (Republican Party): 77,302,169 votes (49.8%)
Kamala Harris (Democratic Party): 75,015,834 votes (48.3%)