The Refried Presidency: Trump V 2.0 Pretty Hateful Machine/Fossil Fuel Boogaloo

song219 · Feb 25, 2025 at 5:07 PM

Cascarino's Pizzeria said: ↑

The CEO of one of Idahos largest contractors resigns for seig heiling on stage at a company event:

Tom Hill, the CEO of Engineered Structures, Inc., has resigned, according to the company.

Hill’s resignation is effective immediately. He is also a co-owner of the business.

As BoiseDev reported Friday, ESI CEO Tom Hill used a Nazi salute during the firm’s “State of the Company” event last week at Boise Centre. In his initial statement, Hill called the action his “attempt at humor and parody” and claimed he was mimicking President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s “signature dancing.” Hill, who is a co-owner of ESI, further told BoiseDev that people “will hate me” for being a “Christian, Republican (and) a patriot,” but said he “wish they would be honest about why they choose to hate me.”

https://boisedev.com/news/2025/02/24/esi-tom-hill-resigns/
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Another racist play-acting at being a comedian.

Cascarino's Pizzeria · Feb 25, 2025 at 5:09 PM

JamesA said: ↑

Paging the Tesla Board of Directors.
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I thought the prof in my American Corporatism 101 class said that boards could fire CEOs for detrimental/unethical behavior that could harm the company's reputation and/or share price. That must've changed over the years.

MattR · Feb 25, 2025 at 5:16 PM

Cascarino's Pizzeria said: ↑

I thought the prof in my American Corporatism 101 class said that boards could fire CEOs for detrimental/unethical behavior that could harm the company's reputation and/or share price. That must've changed over the years.
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They CAN, doesn't mean they WILL.

Cascarino's Pizzeria · Feb 25, 2025 at 5:16 PM

Then there's this. Elon’s brother Reichstag Musk also sits on this crooked board.

Numerous past and present nonexecutive directors agreed to return around $920 million in cash and stock options to settle a nearly five-year-long legal dispute in an indictment of the board’s corporate governance record under chair Robyn Denholm.

It’s official: Tesla’s board collectively enriched themselves at shareholder expense to the tune of nearly $1 billion.

On Wednesday, Delaware’s Court of Chancery approved a settlement that will see numerous past and present nonexecutive directors return a portion of their compensation, resolving a nearly five-year-long legal dispute over alleged excessive pay.

https://fortune.com/2025/01/09/tesla-board-elon-musk-compensation-chair-robyn-denholm/

cliche_guevara · Feb 25, 2025 at 5:21 PM

song219 said: ↑

Another racist play-acting at being a comedian.
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The full Rob Schneider!

Yoshou · Feb 25, 2025 at 5:23 PM

celito said: ↑

Without Elon Tesla stock probably never gets this high and would be like 70% lower. But yeah, going forward they will probably have to make a decision.
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Closer to 90% lower. As an auto manufacturer, Tesla's stock price should be well below $100. GM is at $46, Stellantis is at $39, and Ford is at $37 and Tesla's sales are significantly lower than those companies...

JamesA · Feb 25, 2025 at 5:59 PM

Yoshou said: ↑

Closer to 90% lower. As an auto manufacturer, Tesla's stock price should be well below $100. GM is at $46, Stellantis is at $39, and Ford is at $37 and Tesla's sales are significantly lower than those companies...
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But much much better margins. At least they used to be.

This was a significant part of the stock price versus the legacy makers.

taosjohn · Feb 25, 2025 at 6:04 PM

celito said: ↑

Without Elon Tesla stock probably never gets this high and would be like 70% lower. But yeah, going forward they will probably have to make a decision.
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Not much of one-- they'll probably just add Tom Hill to their board, and he'll be fine there...

Yoshou · Feb 25, 2025 at 6:11 PM

JamesA said: ↑

But much much better margins. At least they used to be.

This was a significant part of the stock price versus the legacy makers.
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Which was largely caused by Tesla not having any competitors in the EV market and Musk's ability to sell Tesla's. Now that they have competitors, their margins are down 50% and shrinking.

Cascarino's Pizzeria · Feb 25, 2025 at 6:13 PM

Yoshou · Feb 25, 2025 at 6:21 PM

Trump announces a "Gold card" which allows wealthy people to purchase a green card for $5 million.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...migration-buy-citizenship-green-b2704646.html

Call it a ramped up EB-5 Visa, which allowed people to get get a residency visa in exchange for investment in the US, job creation, and other factors.

https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-th...rence-eb-5/about-the-eb-5-visa-classification

Of course... This isn't something that can be passed via executive order...

JamesA · Feb 25, 2025 at 6:25 PM

Yoshou said: ↑

Which was largely caused by Tesla not having any competitors in the EV market and Musk's ability to sell Tesla's. Now that they have competitors, their margins are down 50% and shrinking.
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Depends on the market. I think this statement applies in the Chinese and Euro zone markets, but the US is different. Competing against the Chinese EVs in China/EU forced Tesla to cut pricing, and thus margins.

In the US though, they always had a significant leg up on the legacy makers from a cost to produce aspect. They didn't need to compete so aggressively on pricing here as the legacy makers could never go the distance against Tesla. The Teslas were always designed from the ground up to be cheaper and they didn't have the legacy costs of the more established players.

celito · Feb 25, 2025 at 6:25 PM

Yoshou said: ↑

Trump announces a "Gold card" which allows wealthy people to purchase a green card for $5 million.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...migration-buy-citizenship-green-b2704646.html

Call it a ramped up EB-5 Visa, which allowed people to get get a residency visa in exchange for investment in the US, job creation, and other factors.

https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-th...rence-eb-5/about-the-eb-5-visa-classification

Of course... This isn't something that can be passed via executive order...
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I see a lot of people online calling absurd ... but we already allow people who invest $1m in a business via the EB-5 program . Just took a few years to get the green card. Not sure what the conditions would be under a new program that fast tracks that process ... but this doesn't sound particularly crazy.

usscouse · Feb 25, 2025 at 6:28 PM

Cris 09 said: ↑

I saw a piece about this...and though many may appear to be unhappy or "turning on them", ask these same people if they'd vote for Harris if given the opportunity for a "do over".

Most would answer, "No, I'd vote for Trump again."
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Let’s ask again in 6 months.

Auriaprottu · Feb 25, 2025 at 6:29 PM

Cascarino's Pizzeria said: ↑

I thought the prof in my American Corporatism 101 class said that boards could fire CEOs for detrimental/unethical behavior that could harm the company's reputation and/or share price. That must've changed over the years.
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This is America. Their reputations will be fine here.

Auriaprottu · Feb 25, 2025 at 6:31 PM

Yoshou said: ↑

Trump announces a "Gold card" which allows wealthy people to purchase a green card for $5 million.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...migration-buy-citizenship-green-b2704646.html

Call it a ramped up EB-5 Visa, which allowed people to get get a residency visa in exchange for investment in the US, job creation, and other factors.

https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-th...rence-eb-5/about-the-eb-5-visa-classification

Of course... This isn't something that can be passed via executive order...
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I see a lot of people online calling absurd... but really, it's just a way to get more rich Whites into America. We should all be proud to welcome them. Job creators and all that...

ElNaranja · Feb 25, 2025 at 6:41 PM

charlie15 said: ↑

The Dems on the Hill just had a press gaggle today. Jeffries was adamant, not a single democratic vote for this budget.

Jeffries: "Let me be clear -- House Democrats will not provide a single vote to this reckless Republican budget. Not one. Not one."
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That sounds great but will they hold out until doge is gone and Elon fired and Congress given back their authority?

Naughtius Maximus · Feb 25, 2025 at 6:45 PM

Sounders78 said: ↑

The previous role of the US president being the leader of the free world was discussed, as was the question of whether or not Macron is now the leader of the free world.
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That's an easy one... no!

Basically there isn't one. That's the problem.

roadkit · Feb 25, 2025 at 6:53 PM

gatotkaca3 said: ↑

I mean it's true, 50% of american voters wanted cruelty and blood
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I read a quote attributed to Werner Herzog that goes something like "America is finding out that 30% of the country will kill another 30% while the the remaining 30% just let it happen." (Yes, there's a missing 10%, but you get the idea.

ChrisSSBB · Feb 25, 2025 at 7:05 PM

roadkit said: ↑

I read a quote attributed to Werner Herzog that goes something like "America is finding out that 30% of the country will kill another 30% while the the remaining 30% just let it happen." (Yes, there's a missing 10%, but you get the idea.
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The missing 10% will use it to create content on Tik Tok and stream it for $

InTheSun · Feb 25, 2025 at 7:11 PM

celito said: ↑

I see a lot of people online calling absurd ... but we already allow people who invest $1m in a business via the EB-5 program . Just took a few years to get the green card. Not sure what the conditions would be under a new program that fast tracks that process ... but this doesn't sound particularly crazy.
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Other countries do this as well, with so called Golden visas.

stanger · Feb 25, 2025 at 7:30 PM

charlie15 said: ↑

Good post from Josh Marshall. Hopefully the Dems on the Hill will get the point.

In response to last night’s “Alert” post a number of TPM Readers have written in to say, okay, okay fine but what exactly do I tell my member of Congress? This takes me a bit out of my lane. I’m not a strategist. But I can say how I see the situation, where the weak points seem to be.

So here’s my take.

Republicans control the White House and Congress. They’re the majority. The current “continuing resolution” that’s funding the government runs out on March 14th. They’re also trying to put together a budget to take away your health care coverage and give Elon a huge tax cut. But that new budget won’t kick in until later this year. They’re just starting that budget process. But they need to fund the government in the mean time. They’re in the majority. So they need to do that. But they only have a tiny majority and they’re clowns and they can’t manage to do this simple thing – basically because they can’t get the Freedom Caucus freaks to vote for something that their few moderates will also support. So they’re coming to Democrats basically hat in hand: “Friends, we are clowns. And we are about to do a shut down the government on ourselves. Can you help us?”

So that’s the pressure point. It’s not actually the budget, though that’s a whole other problem since again, clowns … But the March 14th deadline is what has their back against the wall. So they’re coming to Democrats, hat in hand, and asking for help, even though by rights this is an easy thing they should just do themselves. But, clowns …

So what’s the ask? Donald Trump has been licensing Elon Musk to go on a crime spree through the federal government. There are lots of individual statutory crimes. But the big one is an open and shut violation of the constitution itself. The Congress has the power of the purse. It makes a budget. The budget isn’t a suggestion. It’s the law. If the President can treat it as voluntary, just refusing to honor parts of the budget or simply shutting down parts of the government Congress created, the power of the purse in meaningless. Yes, there are members of the Supreme Court (we don’t know precisely how many) who claim this is fine. But that’s because they’re corrupt. It’s not fine.

They’ve been marauding, wilding, not only shredding the constitution but doing it with a typically malevolent joy in hurting people, not only federal workers but the American people who rely on their government and who themselves the sovereign. Now the marauders are coming to the Democrats for help. So what’s the ask? I think the ask is “no help until the criminal conduct stops.”

That seems clear to me. Whether it works as a slogan I don’t know. But I think that’s clear. I would demand they shut down DOGE. Undo the damage that’s already done. Period. If I were in Congress I’d say no talking about anything until that happens. Once it does I’m sure Republicans and Democrats can haggle over budget details on the CR and maybe the actual budget. But the criminal and unconstitutional conduct has to stop before you can even talk about budget numbers.

In the post last night I noted that Republicans seem to be saying, “Guys, be reasonable. Trump will never agree to stopping the criminal conduct. That’s impossible.” If they were saying that to me I’d say, then get your own votes. The constitution is the basis of everything.

I know this may not boil down to a slogan. But this is how I see the situation.

(@joshtpm) is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TPM.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/what-to-tell-your-member-of-congress
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Too bad democrats don’t have the balls to do it.

charlie15 · Feb 25, 2025 at 8:38 PM

AP's American journalists were blocked from this press conference in the East Room with Trump and Macron. So the French press corps stepped in.

Shelby Talcott
@ShelbyTalcott
Per pool report: “The French press corps decided amongst themselves that a Paris-based AP reporter would ask their first question. She was allowed to do so.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/paris...is-barred-from-trump-macron-press-conference/

Cascarino's Pizzeria · Feb 25, 2025 at 8:57 PM

celito said: ↑

I see a lot of people online calling absurd ... but we already allow people who invest $1m in a business via the EB-5 program . Just took a few years to get the green card. Not sure what the conditions would be under a new program that fast tracks that process ... but this doesn't sound particularly crazy.
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What would be the Trump cut?

bsky22 · Feb 25, 2025 at 9:10 PM

I know you guys don't like questions, so I will make a statement and you can correct me if it is wrong.

This thread is for far left individuals and others who hat Trump to complain about everything Trump might or might not do.

Let me know how close I am.