Trump Declares War on Freedom Caucus in New Tweet: ‘We Must Fight Them’

[txradioguy]

Pfft ....

Wow...that response came as a shock.  Defend the man at all costs...not surprising.  I guess by the time it's all said and done...any shred of Conservatism you might have had in the past...you'll gladly surrender just to remain totally devoted to Trump.

Pathetic.

[bolobaby]

@Right_in_Virginia

You want to invoke Reagan? Fine. Let's talk about ALL THOSE TIMES Reagan attacked principled conservatives viciously and publicly, lumping them in with Democrats who "must be opposed."

Waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting...

*crickets chirping*

Yeah, thought so.

[Frank Cannon]

@Frank Cannon

Agreed.  Also, I might be wrong, but I think the majority of the HFC supported Trump.

They did much for the same reason I ended up voting for him.....because Hitlary is the lowest form of scum. That doesn't mean that support is going to stay there for stupid, poorly thought out ideas.

[XenaLee]

He can say "I tried working with Conservatives and they wouldn't play ball...the left me no choice but to work with Democrats".

That will be his MO on the wall...immigration...taxes...trade...etc etc.

Which will, in turn, foment open rebellion and gridlock within the GOP.... which will sink the GOP's support and voter approval, ensuring a Dem win next election....  all as intended by the liberal left. 

Could Trump turn out to be (as previously suspected by conspiracy theory anti-Trumpers) the perfect Trojan Horse sent to destroy the GOP from within, finally and ultimately?   Time will tell....

[INVAR]

And let us not forget....  that orange is just a lighter variation of the color red.  Liberals exude red.

If Trump wants to declare war on conservatives (again, as during the primary), let him.  He is destroying his political capital, turning off those best served to support him and, in the process...

cutting his nose off to spite his face.  It's.... what a stuckonstupid liberal would do.

I am convinced this was all part of the plan to eradicate Conservatism from having any relevance in American politics ever again.  Trump has dragged a bunch of self-identifying "Conservatives" to support him no matter what, even if becomes the actual agenda of the Leftist Democrats he is pushing, and isolate the Conservatives who will not bend to liberalism to give him a *win* - and then go to war on them and side with the Leftists on everything else from here on out to build his 'governing' coalition.

Truly Trump may herald and make institutional something that only the kook radical Left asserted not long ago:

[ABX]

Ok, thanks!

Listening to Rush saying it wasn't the conservatives that tanked the bill.  Which means what he's not coming out and saying.... Trump is wrong to target conservatives re: this.

I no longer listen to Rush often but just turned him on for a few minutes while I grabbed some lunch. He had the gall to say "I predicted this" (as in Trump turning on Conservatives).

[Frank Cannon]

Are you suggesting @Doug Loss that Ronald Reagan's 80/20 rule means Reagan had no principles?   

Are you suggesting that the piece of shit healthcare bill Ryan half assed together and Trump touted as the second coming was something to support? It was going to make things worse on so many levels.

I would also like to point out that moderate GOPers like Charlie Dent were not going to vote for it either. Exactly what type of GOPer are you if RINO's and Conservatives brought down the bill and you are against anti-Ryancare Republicans?

[ABX]

Wow...that response came as a shock.  Defend the man at all costs...not surprising.  I guess by the time it's all said and done...any shred of Conservatism you might have had in the past...you'll gladly surrender just to remain totally devoted to Trump.

Pathetic.

I have to laugh that some continue to use the 80/20 rule argument, even for this. This is more like 10/90. They are asking us to abandon 90% of our principles for 10% success.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Remember though, he threatened if he didn't get his way on TRyanCare, he would abandon tax reform too.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/21/donald-trump-says-no-tax-cuts-unless-obamacare-rep/

I'm just going to say that I think all these comments are posturing for bargaining.  I've seen it way too many times in my life not to recognize it, especially coming from a guy who does deals.

My guess is that Ryan and McConnell have informed Trump -- accurately or not -- that a complete repeal of ObamaCare without preserving some elements cannot pass Congress, and that the HRC will have to move off that position or no bill will get passed.  Based on that input from The Speaker and Majority Leader, Trump is applying pressure to the HRC.

Given what he has likely been told, I don't have a problem with him applying some pressure to the HRC.   But the tone and manner in which he is doing it is something that doesn't happen in politics, so it's blowing up.

[corbe]

I no longer listen to Rush often but just turned him on for a few minutes while I grabbed some lunch. He had the gall to say "I predicted this" (as in Trump turning on Conservatives).

   Never thought I'd see it, this early, Rush would find a trump tweet/proposal 'a bridge to far', of course Hannity will go down with the ship as opposed to admitting he was wrong, IMHO

@AbaraXas

[txradioguy]

I have to laugh that some continue to use the 80/20 rule argument, even for this. This is more like 10/90. They are asking us to abandon 90% of our principles for 10% success.

And that 10% success usually looks very Liberal/Progressive.

[mystery-ak]

I am sure what Trump said has been said before by other Presidents behind closed doors.....BUT for a Repub President to publicly threatened members of his own Party, to primary them is beyond the pale...I guess this is part of The Art of the Deal!

[r9etb]

I guess this is part of The Art of the Deal!

It may well be.  If "making a deal" is the main thing, it doesn't much matter who's on the other side of the table.

[txradioguy]

BUT for a Repub President to publicly threatened members of his own Party, to primary them is beyond the pale...

 

[XenaLee]

   Never thought I'd see it, this early, Rush would find a trump tweet/proposal 'a bridge to far', of course Hannity will go down with the ship as opposed to admitting he was wrong, IMHO

@AbaraXas

Lol!  A tweet too far....

[ABX]

I am sure what Trump said has been said before by other Presidents behind closed doors.....BUT for a Repub President to publicly threatened members of his own Party, to primary them is beyond the pale...I guess this is part of The Art of the Deal!

As I pointed out many times, a long time ago, "The Art of the Deal" isn't some grand work. It skirts the lines of unethical behavior and its tactics are more akin to used car salesmen and MLM pushers. We had it in example in B-School during business ethics classes of staying on that razor thin line of legal ethical behavior.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I am sure what Trump said has been said before by other Presidents behind closed doors.....BUT for a Repub President to publicly threatened members of his own Party, to primary them is beyond the pale...I guess this is part of The Art of the Deal!

I think that's exactly right.  Trump is taking an approach that works in private business, and finding that it doesn't work in politics.  In a sense, he's making the same error as the HFC -- both are not considering that Congressional constituencies are not fungible, and that what is politically advantages for one member isn't so for another.  There is no common interest equivalent to "we all want to make money."

Fact is that at least in the short term, the HFC taking a position that kills the deal will make them more popular among their constituents.  So Trump's threat against them is somewhat toothless.  But on the flip side, the HFC continuing to insist that "we must do what we promised the voters" simply ignores the reality that not all Republicans made the same promise to their constituents that the HFC made to theirs.  The HRC promised a root and branch repeal.  The moderates promised to preserve some of ObamaCare.  So just as the HRC doesn't want to go back on the primes they made, the exact same thing applies to those moderates.  So the "fulfill your promise!" mantra of the HFC actually cuts both ways.

[Emjay]

And let us not forget....  that orange is just a lighter variation of the color red.  Liberals exude red.

If Trump wants to declare war on conservatives (again, as during the primary), let him.  He is destroying his political capital, turning off those best served to support him and, in the process...

cutting his nose off to spite his face.  It's.... what a stuckonstupid liberal would do.

This is vintage Three AM Trump.  He is still hurt and furious that he couldn't get the bill through and he's decided to blame the Freedom Caucus because he thought they should be on his side on everything because he is doing a lot of things they wanted.

But, to put it in perspective, it is a tweet.  A tweet.  Should we get this hysterical over it?

Maybe, but it doesn't reflect how he will act the rest of the day.  He may do a lot of good things.  He may reach out to these people.

I'm sure you've heard of 'sundowning.'  It's what happens to people with beginning dementia or alzheimers who function fairly well during the day but start fading mentally in the evening.

I think Trump has something similar.  He cannot sleep well.  I've always thought that contributed to some of his mental problems.  I believe he thinks obsessive thoughts during the early hours and then tweets.

This tweet was stupid but let's see what he does the rest of the day.

[XenaLee]

I am sure what Trump said has been said before by other Presidents behind closed doors.....BUT for a Repub President to publicly threatened members of his own Party, to primary them is beyond the pale...I guess this is part of The Art of the Deal!

 

Smells more like The Fart of the Deal to me.   Trump blaming conservatives is the last straw.  I suffered through it during the primaries and figured that was just how primaries are and that things would calm down later.   I realize that it's part of his 'bluff and bluster' routine/shtick, but I'm not going to be so accommodating now.  Trump is a dunce for declaring war against the conservatives.   Nuff said.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

This is vintage Three AM Trump.  He is still hurt and furious that he couldn't get the bill through and he's decided to blame the Freedom Caucus because he thought they should be on his side on everything because he is doing a lot of things they wanted.

But, to put it in perspective, it is a tweet.  A tweet.  Should we get this hysterical over it?

All that matters in the end is that we get the most conservative deal that can be passed, passed and signed into law.

[mystery-ak]

 

Smells more like The Fart of the Deal to me.   Trump blaming conservatives is the last straw.  I suffered through it during the primaries and figured that was just how primaries are and that things would calm down later.   I realize that it's part of his 'bluff and bluster' routine/shtick, but I'm not going to be so accommodating now.  Trump is a dunce for declaring war against the conservatives.   Nuff said.

word

[XenaLee]

This is vintage Three AM Trump.  He is still hurt and furious that he couldn't get the bill through and he's decided to blame the Freedom Caucus because he thought they should be on his side on everything because he is doing a lot of things they wanted.

But, to put it in perspective, it is a tweet.  A tweet.  Should we get this hysterical over it?

Maybe, but it doesn't reflect how he will act the rest of the day.  He may do a lot of good things.  He may reach out to these people.

I'm sure you've heard of 'sundowning.'  It's what happens to people with beginning dementia or alzheimers who function fairly well during the day but start fading mentally in the evening.

I think Trump has something similar.  He cannot sleep well.  I've always thought that contributed to some of his mental problems.  I believe he thinks obsessive thoughts during the early hours and then tweets.

This tweet was stupid but let's see what he does the rest of the day.

Yeah, I realize that outlandish early am tweeting may very well be Trump's version of Bubba Clinton's proverbial 'finger in the air' to gleen the sentiments of the day.... but let's face it.  This isn't the first and only time he has targeted conservatives.  I'd be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt if that were so. 

[Idaho_Cowboy]

Well this pisses me off!

Mr President attack the Dems they are your true enemies.

The only Bi-partisan thing coming from Trump and the Democrat is that it's all the fault of the Tea Party. If memory serves this has been the establishment position for a long time. Obama, Bush, McConnell, Boehner and Trump now all agree that this evil minority that dares to stand for Freedom and Liberty is the countries real problem.

Trump's done some great stuff and I would love to see his budget implemented; but this does not count as draining the swamp in my book. This is more of the same.   

[r9etb]

This is vintage Three AM Trump.  He is still hurt and furious that he couldn't get the bill through and he's decided to blame the Freedom Caucus because he thought they should be on his side on everything because he is doing a lot of things they wanted.

But, to put it in perspective, it is a tweet.  A tweet.  Should we get this hysterical over it?

Maybe, but it doesn't reflect how he will act the rest of the day.  He may do a lot of good things.  He may reach out to these people.

I'm sure you've heard of 'sundowning.'  It's what happens to people with beginning dementia or alzheimers who function fairly well during the day but start fading mentally in the evening.

I think Trump has something similar.  He cannot sleep well.  I've always thought that contributed to some of his mental problems.  I believe he thinks obsessive thoughts during the early hours and then tweets.

This tweet was stupid but let's see what he does the rest of the day.

Ah, but you see ... as usual a stupid tweet has defined the rest of his day.  It's sucked all of the air out of the room.  At the very least, the HFC will now dig in their heels, and the moderates will start looking leftward to make their deals, and Trump will have lost himself another constituency he needs when the impeachment chorus starts to get really loud.

[XenaLee]

I think that's exactly right.  Trump is taking an approach that works in private business, and finding that it doesn't work in politics.  In a sense, he's making the same error as the HFC -- both are not considering that Congressional constituencies are not fungible, and that what is politically advantages for one member isn't so for another.  There is no common interest equivalent to "we all want to make money."

Fact is that at least in the short term, the HFC taking a position that kills the deal will make them more popular among their constituents.  So Trump's threat against them is somewhat toothless.  But on the flip side, the HFC continuing to insist that "we must do what we promised the voters" simply ignores the reality that not all Republicans made the same promise to their constituents that the HFC made to theirs.  The HRC promised a root and branch repeal.  The moderates promised to preserve some of ObamaCare.  So just as the HRC doesn't want to go back on the primes they made, the exact same thing applies to those moderates.  So the "fulfill your promise!" mantra of the HFC actually cuts both ways.

Ehhh..... the big/huge difference is.... it wasn't the "moderates" that voters overwhelmingly voted into majority control ....to just 'patch up' Obiecare and rebrand and reintroduce it.  It was those promising total repeal that voters responded to.  But nice try.