Trump’s “asinine response to criticism” about what Puerto Rico locals claim is an insufficient response to the storm-ravaged island, tweeted from his luxury golf course in New Jersey, has created another a firestorm. Ten days after Hurricane Maria, most of Puerto Rico is still without power and many of its 3.4 million … Read more
Just as everyone sags back punch-drunk from seven months of Trump-mania, he stirs the cauldron and pours boiling oil over already inflammatory situations. His generals have clearly reckoned there’s little point in restraining his acid-rain twitter stream, but he runs the risk of tipping Kim Jong Un into a major miscalculation. What will … Read more
President Trump ordered an end to the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme that shields young undocumented immigrants from deportation this week. He and Jeff Sessions, argued that those in the country illegally hurt native-born Americans by usurping their jobs and pushing down wages. And then handed the matter over to Congress … Read more
Taylor Swift having retrieved her reputation over the DJ groping court case has now brewed up a storm of agitated comment over her latest musical offering ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ that scored a record-breaking 28 million views in its first 24 hours. Described by one commentator as ‘an amazing tour de … Read more
Trump’s U-turn on Afghanistan, sending more troops into America’s longest running war, not only broke a campaign promise, it also threw a hand grenade into relations with Pakistan, which could provoke a blowback. He quite rightly called Pakistan out for playing to both sides by supporting NATO and at the same time … Read more
‘The president is alienating the one Republican he needs to advance his agenda — and to save himself from impeachment’. So reads a Vanity Fair headline over the long-simmering tension between Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The New York Times reported that the two men have stopped talking to … Read more
‘I’ll do what I want and you’ll do what I want then I’ll be happy’ appears to be Trump’s Make America Great again strategy as the Canada, Mexico, USA NAFTA trade agreement, now 25 years old, opens for renegotiation. Trump has called NAFTA the worst deal ever and threatened to tear … Read more
The madhouse drama that is Trump’s administration continues to eject flames and debris in all directions. His latest toddler tantrum against being bullied into decent, grown-up behaviour has led to alarm amongst a wide range of hitherto quiescent supporters – and even better has caused several large charities to pull their functions from Mar-a-Lago, which … Read more
A triumph of hope over experience is fuelling the Trump Admin’s schedule for tax reform legislation. A sprint, according to the White House, will see it through the House in October, clearing the Senate in November and on the president’s desk before the New Year. There’s also a small matter of avoiding a … Read more
Money and the military appear to be Trump’s answer to draining the Washington swamp as he ousts the establishment Reince Priebus in favour of moving up one of his favoured generals as Chief of Staff. John Kelly’s herculean task appears to be instilling discipline in an unruly White House wracked by palace … Read more