The Trump Card...

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
What Cards Does Trump Have to Play at the China Summit?

Trump is in China and his meetings with China President XI will soon begin.
  • XI knows the US Supreme Court and an important lower court have stripped Trump of the tariff power he huffed and puffed about before.
  • XI knows Trump cannot open the Straight of Hormuz or otherwise defeat Iran.
  • XI knows Trump has greatly depleted US munitions
  • XI knows Trump spends sleepless nights rage-tweeting unhinged posts.
  • XI knows millions of Americans turn out to protest Trump's words and deeds.
  • XI knows Trump's job approval ratings are at historic lows for any US president.
  • XI knows Trump has pretty much destroyed the goodwill that previously existed with US allies.
  • Xi knows US interest rates are rising as several nations, including China, dump their US Treasury bonds.
  • Xi knows the Republicans are going to lose the US House in the midterm elections and my lose the US Senate.
  • XI knows Trump frequently reverses himself (TACO) when the heat is on.
  • XI knows Trump has low physical endurance that can be exploited as Trump tires at meetings and makes agreements.
  • XI knows Trump frequently boasts about the good relationship and friendship he has with Xi.
  • Xi knows China controls the world's rare earth supply and the US has essentially none.
  • XI knows Chinese rail, solar, and manufacturing, sectors are vastly more advanced than those of the US and that China's technology rivals and even exceeds US technology in several respects.
  • XI knows China's military is larger than the US military, and its ammunition stores are fully provisioned.
  • XI knows Trump has an Epstein files problem.
  • XI knows that several US allies have recently formed major trade agreements with China.
  • XI knows he recently made it illegal for any company doing business in China to honor US sanctions.
  • XI knows the BRICS countries and others are moving as fast as they can to abandon the US Dollar as the global reserve currency; and in fact, hundreds of billions of wealth is already flowing through systems other than SWIFT, which the US controls.
I could go on, and I may have left several crucial items out. These are just off the top of my head.

What does Trump know about XI? What cards does Trump have to play?
 
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ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
How Long?

Trump nominee Kevin Warsh was confirmed today as the next Federal Reserve chair. Trump previously nominated outgoing chair Jerome Powell.

How long will it take Trump to turn on Warsh and belittle him with disrespect and hostility like he did to Powell?
 
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ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
When is a China Summit Deal Really a Deal?

I think it's reasonable to say a deal is real when two parties announce they have a deal and they agree on the publicly shared details.

For example, speaking to reporters in the Air Force One return trip, Trump said, “We made a lot of great trade deals, including over 200 planes for Boeing, with a promise of 750 planes, which would be by far the largest order ever, if they do a good job with the 200, which I’m sure they will.” That's not a confirmed announcement with details, it's a vague boast.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg was part of Trump’s CEO entourage that arrived in Beijing on Wednesday evening. So far, he, Boeing, nor any Chinese representative have confirmed that such a deal exists.

I'm a little surprised that no deal of any kind -- business or political -- has been confirmed. Trump brought a planeload of high-ranking industry and government people with him to China. They met with their Chinese counterparts. The summit is over. But beyond Trump's boasts, NO deals have been announced.

Summits like these usually close with a joint communiqué, or at least official statements individually issued by each side. This summit has been followed by an odd silence, except for the perpetual stream of hot air from Trump.

With the benefit of hindsight, the markets and political observers seem to be dismissing the summit as political theater from which nothing meaningful came.

Did Trump return from China empty handed? Given the weak position he had going in, that outcome is certainly possible. Trump went in weak and came out weaker.
 
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ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Of course he's lying. Has he ever told the truth? I would love for a Maga Mushmind Moron to point to one statement of truth this disaster of a president has ever uttered.
I can give you 3, each from a different AI app. Responses edited for brevity.

Q. Give me an example of something Trump said that was verifiably and factually true. Provide the setting and exact quote.

Gemini: "Chinese restaurants in America today outnumber the five largest fast-food chains in the United States, all combined. And that's a pretty big statement." Fact-Check: This statement is factually true based on industry data:

Grok: "We have the lowest unemployment rate that we've had in 51 years." Verification: This was accurate at the time. The U.S. unemployment rate reached 3.5%–3.7% in 2019 (seasonally adjusted), the lowest since 1969 (when it hit 3.5%). Official Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data confirm this.

Claude: "China and Singapore impose the death penalty on drug dealers." PolitiFact rated this True.

It can be fairly said that Donald Trump does not lie all the time. He is clearly lying about his China deals. There are no deals. He returned from China empty handed.
 
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Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
It can be fairly said that Donald Trump does not lie all the time. He is clearly lying about his China deals. There are no deals. He returned from China empty handed.
3 irrelevant comments. All unimportant.
The important things like Iran, China and of course the Epstein files he lies, unequivocally lies!
 
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ATeam

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3 irrelevant comments. All unimportant.
The important things like Iran, China and of course the Epstein files he lies, unequivocally lies!
It's a sad state of affairs when the enemy (Iran) is a better source of truth than our own president. But such is life under the Trump regime. Trump is right when he says regime change is needed. The sooner America breaks free of the Trump regime, the better.
 
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ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Trump on China

In the past, Trump said things like this about China (list below). I did not follow this week's Trump/Xi summit minute by minute, but is there any mention anywhere that Trump raised even one of these issues at the summit? I saw lots of footage of Trump praising Xi and proclaiming the great friendship the two men have, but not a word about anything listed here.

What Changed? Did China suddenly repent and cease all anti-American activity? Or has Trump become too compromised, too cowardly, or too cognitively impared to mention these when he was with Xi face-to-face?
  • "We can't continue to allow China to rape our country"
  • "China is a currency manipulator"
  • "They're ripping us off like no one has ever done before"
  • "China raided our factories, offshored our jobs, gutted our industries, stole our intellectual property"
  • "The world is now suffering as a result of the malfeasance of the Chinese government"
  • "For years, the government of China has conducted illicit espionage to steal our industrial secrets"
  • "China's pattern of misconduct is well known"
  • "China’s entry into the World Trade Organization was one of the worst geopolitical and economic disasters in history."
  • "What they’re doing with intellectual property is the greatest theft in the history of the world. It’s not even close. We’re losing hundreds of billions of dollars to them every single year."
  • "I don't look at them as an enemy, but I look at them as a competitor who wants to take over the world. They want to be the number one superpower, and they’ll do anything to get there."
  • "China wants to replace the dollar with the yuan. It would be the greatest defeat for our country in its history. It would be like losing a world war."
  • "China is sending us poison. They are sending fentanyl across our borders, and they know exactly what they’re doing. It’s a form of warfare."
  • "China is building massive fortresses in the middle of the ocean. Our past leaders let them do it. We’re going to stop it because we have a navy that is going to be stronger than ever."
  • "China promises everything and delivers nothing. They sign a deal, and then they break it before the ink is dry. You can’t trust them unless you have the tariffs to back it up."
 
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ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
When is a China Summit Deal Really a Deal?

I think it's reasonable to say a deal is real when two parties announce they have a deal and they agree on the publicly shared details.

For example, speaking to reporters in the Air Force One return trip, Trump said, “We made a lot of great trade deals, including over 200 planes for Boeing, with a promise of 750 planes, which would be by far the largest order ever, if they do a good job with the 200, which I’m sure they will.” That's not a confirmed announcement with details, it's a vague boast.
After a strange period of silence, Boeing has issued a statement regarding the 200-aircraft deal Trump claimed was made. In a statement Boeing said, “We had a very successful trip to China and accomplished our major goal of reopening the China market to orders for Boeing aircraft. This included an initial commitment for 200 aircraft and we expect further commitments will follow after this initial tranche.”

"An initial commitment" is still a vague term. Something like "Contract signed," "Money paid," or "Order submitted" would be more clear. When a Chinese official was specifically asked about this, confirmation was not given.

When asked specifically after Mr. Trump had left Beijing whether there was any agreement for aircraft purchases, Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was evasive. He said, “Both sides should jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and inject more stability into China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation as well as the world economy." (Source)

So, is there a deal or not? I'm sticking with "a deal is real when two parties announce they have a deal and they agree on the publicly shared details." By that standard, no, there is no deal. If a deal actually existed, it would be a simple matter for both sides to confirm it and provide validating details like a formal allocation of specific aircraft models, delivery slots, a signed letter of intent, and/or firm financial commitments.

When asked to specify which planes where part of the deal, Boeing declined to comment. (Source)
 
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ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Good news. That was a vindictive prosecution and sentence. Ridiculously long sentence.
If I was the governor of Colorado, I would have done the same thing. The woman is in failing health. She has been punished. She has admitted her guilt and expressed remorse. The governor's action shows compassion, which is refreshing in this day and age.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Can Trump's Supporters Defend This?

In a previous post, I demonstrated that Trump is a lifelong and serial fraudster. Yet another example of this is unfolding in real time. It's the Trump Phone.

It is my opinion that the Trump Phone endeavor was pure and intentional fraud from its inception. And I further suggest that and the facts now available make that clear today.

I'm going to present the facts below. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Trump Phone is not fraud at all. To my MAGA friends, am I wrong? If so, in what way is the Trump Phone a legitimate, good-faith endeavor? Who are the people who have benefited from it, and in what way have they benefited?

1. On June 16, 2025, the Trump Organization announced a new, Trump-licensed brand, Trump Mobile, and its product, the T1 Phone. The company began accepting $100 pre-order deposits the same day. The deposits were said to secure an introductory promotional price of $499 for the gold-colored device, to be delivered in August 2025.

2. In the June 2025 rollout, the phone was said to be "designed and built in the United States" and "Exclusively manufactured within the United States."

3. Following scrutiny from tech analysts and public pushback, the Trump Organization quickly scrubbed those claims and replaced them with phrases like "Designed with American values in mind," and "American-Proud Design."

4. In May, 2026, 9 months after the promised August 2025 deliveries, stories of the non-deliveries coalesced into national network reports. The surge in coverage occurred after investigative journalists discovered the repeatedly missed shipping dates.

5. Financial watchdogs and tech journalists estimate that 590,000 to 600,000 laid out the $100 pre-order deposit for the device. That means the Trump Organization collected $59 million to $60 million for a phone they have yet to deliver.

6. These recent reports included info about the Trump Organization changing the terms of the deal after money was received.

The original checkout interface and promotional materials framed the $100 payment as a standard commercial reservation. The text explicitly instructed buyers to use the deposit to "lock in" the $499 promotional purchase price. The language treated the transaction as a binding priority reservation for a physical device, placing the buyer in a specific queue line for the initial August/September 2025 manufacturing and shipping rollout.

In April, 2026, the Trump Organization quietly updated the terms. The updated terms stripped away the guarantees regarding fixed pricing, reserved inventory, and specific delivery windows. The new text downgraded the transaction from a product reservation to an option, stating that the deposit "does not create a contract for sale" and "does not guarantee that a Device will be produced." This shifted the legal definition of the $100 payment from an upfront product down payment to a fee for a "conditional opportunity" to buy the phone later if the company elects to offer it.

7. On May 13, 2026, in response to the reporting, the Trump Organization posted this on X (Twitter) (while turning off comments): "The T1 Phone has arrived!! Those who pre-ordered the T1 Phone will be receiving an update email. Phones start shipping this week!!!"

8. To date, there are no reports from any customer that the phone has been received, or that the device physically exists.
 
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muttly

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Can Trump's Supporters Defend This?

In a previous post, I demonstrated that Trump is a lifelong and serial fraudster. Yet another example of this is unfolding in real time. It's the Trump Phone.

It is my opinion that the Trump Phone endeavor was pure and intentional fraud from its inception. And I further suggest that and the facts now available make that clear today.

I'm going to present the facts below. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Trump Phone is not fraud at all. To my MAGA friends, am I wrong? If so, in what way is the Trump Phone a legitimate, good-faith endeavor? Who are the people who have benefited from it, and in what way have they benefited?

1. On June 16, 2025, the Trump Organization announced a new, Trump-licensed brand, Trump Mobile, and its product, the T1 Phone. The company began accepting $100 pre-order deposits the same day. The deposits were said to secure an introductory promotional price of $499 for the gold-colored device, to be delivered in August 2025.

2. In the June 2025 rollout, the phone was said to be "designed and built in the United States" and "Exclusively manufactured within the United States."

3. Following scrutiny from tech analysts and public pushback, the Trump Organization quickly scrubbed those claims and replaced them with phrases like "Designed with American values in mind," and "American-Proud Design."

4. In May, 2026, 9 months after the promised August 2025 deliveries, stories of the non-deliveries coalesced into national network reports. The surge in coverage occurred after investigative journalists discovered the repeatedly missed shipping dates.

5. Financial watchdogs and tech journalists estimate that 590,000 to 600,000 laid out the $100 pre-order deposit for the device. That means the Trump Organization collected $59 million to $60 million for a phone they have yet to deliver.

6. These recent reports included info about the Trump Organization changing the terms of the deal after money was received.

The original checkout interface and promotional materials framed the $100 payment as a standard commercial reservation. The text explicitly instructed buyers to use the deposit to "lock in" the $499 promotional purchase price. The language treated the transaction as a binding priority reservation for a physical device, placing the buyer in a specific queue line for the initial August/September 2025 manufacturing and shipping rollout.

In April, 2026, the Trump Organization quietly updated the terms. The updated terms stripped away the guarantees regarding fixed pricing, reserved inventory, and specific delivery windows. The new text downgraded the transaction from a product reservation to an option, stating that the deposit "does not create a contract for sale" and "does not guarantee that a Device will be produced." This shifted the legal definition of the $100 payment from an upfront product down payment to a fee for a "conditional opportunity" to buy the phone later if the company elects to offer it.

7. On May 13, 2026, in response to the reporting, the Trump Organization posted this on X (Twitter) (while turning off comments): "The T1 Phone has arrived!! Those who pre-ordered the T1 Phone will be receiving an update email. Phones start shipping this week!!!"

8. To date, there are no reports from any customer that the phone has been received, or that the device physically exists.
Grok:IMG_4508.jpeg
 
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muttly

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Louisiana just primaried a sitting senator. The one that voted to convict Trump on impeachment. Looks like voters didn’t forget.
IMG_4511.jpeg
 
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ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Louisiana just primaried a sitting senator. The one that voted to convict Trump on impeachment. Looks like voters didn’t forget.
Since the beginning of his second term, Trump’s endorsement has been the deciding factor in ousting targeted incumbents like Senator Bill Cassidy in Louisiana and the anti-redistricting state senators in Indiana. While there are a few exceptions, Republican primary voters have handed Trump-endorsed candidates wins in these intraparty retribution campaigns.

In other words, when Trump wants primary revenge against Republicans who opposed him, he generally gets it. The party remains very much under Trump's thumb, and that seems to be OK with Republican primary voters (who represent about 10% of the total eligible voting population nationwide). That explains why seated Republicans did not stop Trump's illegal war and all of the negative consequences of it now suffered by the American people.
 
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