IKEA MonkeyGET IT TAMMY
Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, speaking on the Senate floor about the partial government shutdown, said Saturday she would not accept a lecture about military funding from President Donald Trump, calling him “a five-deferment draft dodger.”
Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran who lost both legs when...
IKEA MonkeyAlso known as "doing his job". I know its impressive but every pilot I've talked to is like "yeah I mean, we're trained to do this, so..."
IKEA MonkeyAGAIN!?
A woman notorious for sneaking onto commercial airplanes has once again been arrested — this time after making her way through a federal checkpoint at O’Hare International Airport and onto a plane that flew her to London, authorities said.
Marilyn Hartman, 66, is believed to have gotten through...
IKEA MonkeyThis picture cracks me up
IKEA MonkeyNo. Five Democrats voted with R's on this, and many Republicans voted against it. They have the majority in both houses and the President. My god, I hate them so much.
IKEA Monkeyha.
"He swore off sushi after this," Banh said, but predicted that eventually his patient will eat it again."
He told an emergency room physician he had a liking for raw fish - specifically, salmon sashimi.
It's what the 30-year-old man, from Fresno, California, suspected had landed him in the bathroom with stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea.
But what he did not anticipate was the moment he spotted something...
IKEA MonkeyI feel literally attacked
BOSTON—Stressing the importance of looking on the bright side despite how things might seem right now, a tiny, pathetic voice reportedly squeaked, “At least the days are getting longer,” Friday before being drowned out by the litany of worries and fears continually roaring within your mind. “Hey, there’s still some nice weather to look forward to, right?” said the pipsqueak inner monologue before being utterly obliterated by the maelstrom of doubts, anxieties, and uncertainty that swirl around at all times inside your skull, constantly drowning you in a nauseous sense of existential dread and self-doubt. “Buck up, ol’ pal—these rough times can’t last forever!” At press time, sources confirmed that the pitiful little voice had made one final peep of, “Keep on chugging, buddy,” before being swallowed whole by a vortex of unrelenting despair from which it will never emerge.
IKEA MonkeyWe really tried to not sleep in the bed with the dogs, but....*sigh*. They're old. Whatever. We love them. The snuggles rule.
Should your dog sleep in bed with you? It’s a contentious question. Even a small dog can take up a lot of bed space, and some trainers will say that having your dog sleep in a crate or in their own bed sets an important boundary that helps their behavior. But on the other hand: the snuggles.
In what can only be considered a grave oversight, Dolly Parton has been recognized by the Guinness World Records 2018 edition for her hitmaking abilities, yet remains unacknowledged by the Guinness committee for her overall quality of being the fucking best. What’s up with that?
IKEA MonkeyMore like Trump hasn't stopped obsessing over hillary bc she won the popular vote
IKEA MonkeyFox News is reporting that MLK's nephew just said "I don't think Trump is a racist" without adding the major caveat present in the rest of the full quote.
IKEA Monkeyok, I need to watch Round Planet
I don’t know if you knew this, but 2 Chainz has a song called “Netflix.” It’s from his 2013 album “B.O.A.T.S. II #MeTime,” and features Fergie. “I smoked a blunt for dinner, another blunt for breakfast,” he raps, “2 Chainz, got 'em staring at my necklace. Let's make a sex tape and put it on Netflix. Let's make a sex tape and put it on Netflix.”
In my opinion, this is great life advice (the smoking-and-watching-Netflix part, not the smoking-and-uploading-homemade-porn-to-Netflix part). If you’re reading this article, chances are you too agree with the sentiment expressed in “Netflix” and are ready to blaze (in a location where it is legal to do so) and stream some good-ass TV.
Instead of just watching Planet Earth for the hundredth time, here are some of the best shows on Netflix (US) to watch while you’re stoned, from dramas to cooking shows to nature shit.
Round Planet is basically Planet Earth if Planet Earth had been written by a bunch of yucksters. Comedian Matt Lucas hosts the show, narrating nature clips as a parody of David Attenborough named Armstrong Wedgewood. Round Planet isn’t just a bunch of cheap laughs; you still get to enjoy the BBC’s spectacular archive of nature footage while laughing your ass off.
Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories is a cozy, poignant show that focuses on the lives of the customers who frequent a late-night diner in Tokyo. Episodes focus on strangers bonding, often over a particular dish. It’s beautiful, and will make you feel something real even after taking the strongest edible.
My coworker Katie told me that this show has “an episode about a hotel in the middle of Kenya where giraffes literally eat guests' breakfast off the table.” What more do you people want?
More often than not, cooking competition shows are way too loud and aggressive to make for a solid stoned viewing experience. Chopped, Iron Chef, and even Cupcake Wars use the same quick cuts and over-dramatic music to keep the audience in suspense, effectively pissing into an already-overflowing sink of clattering, overwrought TV slop. Enter The Great British Baking Show, a calming, cordial, alternative competitive cooking show where a bunch of Brits make pastries in a meadow.
There are dozens of episodes on Netflix from beloved TV painter Bob Ross’s iconic The Joy of Painting, split into two shows for some reason (Bob Ross: Beauty is Everywhere and Chill with Bob Ross) Prep your paints and joints, and then it’s just happy trees, dude. Happy trees.
There are only 3 episodes of Animal Fight Night on Netflix, and they’re all genius. Walrus fights, giraffe scraps, meerkats jawing each other— you name it, this show’s got it.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Netflix’s big-budget original series The Crown is absolutely not what you should watch while high—which is exactly why you should watch it while high. It’s a dark, dreary, historical drama where nothing really happens—in other words, a perfect choice to lull you to sleep after smoking an enormous blunt.
Jane the Virgin is a great watch sober or high, but the show’s moments of magical realism particularly pop when you’ve taken too many dabs and start wondering if you’re alive or dead.
Though it’s not actually directed by Ken Burns, Ken Burns Presents: The West feels like Ken Burns at his Ken Burns-iest. The nine-part documentary is a slow-burning epic packed with folksy stories told by some dude with a really soothing voice. So come on down to the campfire, burn one, and learn how the West was won (spoiler alert: categorically stolen from indigenous peoples).
Netflix doesn’t have the OG Cosmos with Carl Sagan, so the Neil Degrasse Tyson reboot will have to do. In ten episodes, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey explores topics from the most miniscule molecules to the deepest depths of our universe. There’s also an episode called “A Sky Full of Ghosts.” Dawg.
Already watched everything on this list? I’m impressed. Check out more of VICE’s TV coverage right here.
Feel free to yell at Peter Slattery on Twitter and maybe he'll include your favorite show next time.
Correction 1/12: A previous version of this post misidentified the host of Planet Earth David Attenborough as Richard Attenborough. We regret this error.
IKEA MonkeyMaybe they're just not that good
LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball went scoreless in their pro basketball debut, finishing a combined 0 for 7.
The younger brothers of Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball played in the Lithuanian league for BC Prienai on Saturday. Their team lost 95-86 to Lietkabelis Panevezys.
LiAngelo Ball went 0 for...
IKEA MonkeyIts even funnier because those Ball kids just went 0 for 7 in their first Lithuanian game.
This is too good!
LaVar Ball made another appearance on Saturday Night Live this week as Keenan Thompson reprised his role as the basketball patriarch to touch base on how LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball are adapting to live in Lithuania.
The self-professed “multi billionaire” bristled at Michael Che’s suggestion that Lithuania wouldn’t prepare his kids for the NBA by saying:
“Absolutely. I love the Lithuanian league. All white teammates. Nobody above 140 pounds. Vitamin deficiencies. Soft teeth. All layups ... no dunks. Perfect training for the NBA! I love it! Every night the crowd of 61 people just goes wild. Cheering and waving wooden spoons in the air.”
The “Weekend Update” appearance also touches on the “F” grade that Big Baller Brand received from the Better Business Bureau, which LaVar says isn’t right. The “F” just stands for “fenomenal.”
We also got a huge announcement of a new product: “Beets by LaVar.” Unlike the headphones they’re just actual beets, from the ground. Something Lithuania is really helping him cultivate.
So it seems, at least in fictional form, everything is great.
IKEA MonkeyThis is horrible
We’re living in an era of “scandal” nostalgia, in which networks, publications and podcasts are revisiting decades-old salacious headlines that already took up a huge chunk of our time and attention. In recent years, we’ve seen new media about old news narratives that shocked our nation over the course of weeks and…
IKEA MonkeyWhoa
The National Weather Service says that the most likely explanation for an object which sent out illumination and a sonic boom throughout southwest Michigan, five other states, and Canada on Tuesday night was the breakup of a meteor, WXYZ reported. The American Meteor Society collected at least 200 reports of the…
IKEA MonkeyHe was such a phenomenal player
The announcement comes as he waits to see whether he will be inducted stateside as well.
Hideki Matsui is on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2018, having retired from Major League Baseball in 2012, but he’s already been inducted to another hall of fame while he waits to see if or when he’ll make the cut to the hall in Cooperstown.
According to The Japan Times, Matsui will be the youngest inductee to the Japanese hall of fame at 43 years and seven months old, taking that record from Hideo Nomo who entered the Hall at 45 years and change. He received a whopping 91.3 percent of the overall vote (he only needed 75 percent) to get elected in his first year on the ballot.
While many fans know him from his decade with the Yankees, Angels, A’s, and Rays in MLB, Matsui played in the Nippon Professional Baseball league for a decade with the Yomiuri Giants as well. He racked up 332 home runs and 1,390 hits in his time with the Giants before moving over to MLB.
While he didn’t attend the induction ceremony, his father, Masao, read a statement from Matsui:
“I played as a professional baseball player for 20 years, but I only played in NPB for half of the time, 10 years. I was given the honor of being selected for the baseball hall of fame, nevertheless. And I would like to express my appreciation to those concerned.”
The other players entering the hall with Matsui are Tomoaki Kanemoto of the Hanshin Tigers and Tatsunori Hara, a former manager of the Yomiuri Giants.
Matsui hasn’t received a single vote in his first year on the National Hall of Fame ballot, so he won’t be inducted into two halls in the same year, unfortunately. But the honor of being inducted in Japan clearly means a lot to him as that is where he spent half of his accomplished career.
IKEA MonkeyCurbed usually avoids politics and keeps its toes firmly planted in real estate news. Lately though they've been publishing more and more pieces like this, using Trump's status as a supposed real estate mogul to slip in things like this: "Meanwhile, Russia’s efforts to undermine American democracy are ongoing. Cyber-security firm Trend Micro said Friday that the same Russian hackers who hacked the Democratic National Committee are laying the groundwork to target U.S. Senators."
More than a fifth of all Trump condo sales were all-cash transactions by shell companies
More than 1,300 Trump condominiums selling for a total of $1.5 billion since the 1980s were bought by secretive shell companies in all-cash transactions, according to a new, exhaustive BuzzFeed report on President Donald Trump’s real estate dealings.
While such transactions can be made as part of tax strategies or to protect the privacy of buyers, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, issued a brief in August warning that all-cash real estate transactions made by secretive shell companies are a red flag for money laundering.
BuzzFeed reports that these transactions hastened in pace in the late 2000s and early 2010s. In 2008, Donald Trump Jr. was quoted at a real estate conference in New York saying that “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of our assets” and “we see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.”
According to BuzzFeed, more than $205 million in sales were made to shell companies originating in countries linked to money laundering—the British Virgin Islands, Panama, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, and others. Also, 83 percent of these transactions were in U.S. markets where real estate money laundering is under investigation by FinCEN—Manhattan, South Florida, and Honolulu.
The BuzzFeed report comes on the heels of a related report by USA Today, which said 70 percent of the Trump Organization’s real estate buyers in 2017 used secretive shell companies. Upon taking office, Trump declined to divest from ownership of the Trump Organization and instead put his holdings in a trust under supervision of his sons, although Trump can override their authority and withdraw money whenever he wants.
These transactions will undoubtedly be of interest to Special Council Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russia’s attempts to influence the 2016 election on behalf of the Trump campaign. That investigation has already ensnared longtime Trump associate and former chairman of the Trump campaign Paul Manafort, who was indicted on money laundering charges in October of 2016.
In Michael Wolff’s controversial book Fire and Fury, former Trump campaign manager Steve Bannon is quoted saying “You realize where this is going. This is all about money laundering. Mueller chose [senior prosecutor Andrew] Weissman first and he is a money laundering guy. Their path to [expletive] Trump goes right through Paul Manafort, Don Jr., and Jared Kushner. It’s as plain as a hair on your face.”
Meanwhile, Russia’s efforts to undermine American democracy are ongoing. Cyber-security firm Trend Micro said Friday that the same Russian hackers who hacked the Democratic National Committee are laying the groundwork to target U.S. Senators.
IKEA MonkeyI have given up on my fancy lotions and gone straight to Vaseline. Vaseline night and day. Its the only thing that works this time of year.
IKEA MonkeyHoly shit :(
Dolores O’Riordan, lead singer for Irish rock band The Cranberries, has died. The news has been confirmed by the BBC and by Irish news service RTE, which reports that O’Riordan died suddenly in London of as-yet-unknown causes. In a statement, her publicist says, “The lead singer with the Irish band The Cranberries was…
IKEA MonkeyHe was golfing.
Despite actually consisting of two perfectly good and separate nouns, Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary has awarded “milkshake duck” its 2017 word of the year. A term coined by Ben Ward, better known as Twitter’s @pixelatedboat, back in 2016, “milkshake duck” has entered the modern lexicon at the perfect time.
IKEA MonkeyDidn't pose for photos. Didn't do interviews. Set up an LLC before he claimed the prize. By god this kid might actually make it out of this one alive.
IKEA MonkeyFeeding Snowy a modified B.R.F (bones and raw food) diet saved her life. She had a massive allergic reaction to commercial dog food - which is mostly corn, wheat, soy, and filler - and after switching her to raw, meaty bones, raw egg with the shell, and a carefully mixed vegetable/fish oil/supplement mixture I'd make myself in my food processor, she thrived. She's over 15 years old and still has all her teeth (bones keep teeth clean and strong), has no signs of old age, no sign of slowing down even though she's now on a grain-free kibble diet (though her teeth have gotten a little grody since we switched to kibble. Those bones really do keep teeth strong.)
You feed your dog what your dog needs. I wouldn't give Mickey raw meat as his primary diet. He doesn't need it. But when I'm making a chicken or something, Snowy definitely still gets a raw neckbone or wing. She loves it. And its kept her healthy and thriving for far longer than most dogs.
An emerging trend among pet owners is the practice of feeding dogs and cats raw meat. This idea is that we should put our domestic cats and dogs on diets that more closely approximate what they might eat in nature. New research from Europe shows the surprising degree to which germs and parasites can be found in…
IKEA MonkeyGood Dogs
The first quarter of Wednesday’s women’s college basketball game between Drew University (N.J.) and Moravian College (Penn.) ended bizarrely when one of Moravian’s live greyhound mascots had a run-in with a Drew player. It’s hard to be more specific beyond a “run-in,” because it happened away from the camera, but…
IKEA MonkeyIt was a Bush admin decision, but Fox isn't bothering to correct that of course
IKEA MonkeyI have never thought about the fact that this song had a writer. Its just always been part of what I felt is our collective consciousness. Sandstorm has always exist. Sandstorm will always exist. *oontz oontz oontz*
You might not know "Sandstorm" by name, but you've definitely heard it. Darude's EDM song has been a hit at clubs across the globe for years, spawned a legendary meme, and served as a backing track for countless YouTube gems. The track is so ubiquitous, it's easy to forget its origin story is just as wild as the song itself.
On this VICE Special, we take a deep dive into "Sandstorm" with the man who wrote it, Ville Virtanen, AKA Darude. In the late 90s, the Finn was just an average clubgoer with a passion for mixing—but when he released "Sandstorm," he rocketed to the top of the charts, nabbing high-profile DJ gigs at clubs he'd only dreamed of playing. Virtanen tells VICE how he came up with the song and introduces the producers and DJs who helped make it a banger. Then, we follow him to his set at a massive EDM festival in Finland, where—16 years after it came out—"Sandstorm" is still a hit.
IKEA MonkeyI want to go to there
Hello, and welcome back to Will It Casserole?, the column where I take your delicious concepts and re-imagine them as delicious casserole creations. Today we’re taking another favorite sandwich of mine—the Italian sub/grinder/hoagie/whatever—and transforming it into a hot, comforting dish of wonder.
IKEA Monkey1) This is amazing and I wish our journalists were this dogged, and 2) In 2002 I was a last-minute guest at a party at the Ambassador's house in the Hague, I was woefully underdressed (think "cocktail attired" on the invite and I wore jeans and a fleece pullover with a skirt over my jeans), and there was a 3-story cheese tower and I basically ate the entire thing. cool story, me.
Pete Hoekstra, he is this dumb fucking Trump idiot. He used to be a Republican congressman from Michigan, but now he is Donald Trump’s ambassador to the Netherlands. Presumably he got the job because he was borned there, way back in 1953! But alas, he moved to America when he was three.
AND THEN THE MURDERS BEGAN.
No seriously, Pete Hoekstra thinks that is what happened in the Netherlands, because he is a raging dildo breath who watches Fox News. In December, a Dutch journalist asked Hoekstra about comments he made in 2015, alleging that The Netherlands is full of “no-go zones,” where non-Muslims aren’t even allowed to go, and that all the Dutch politicians get set on fire all the time, by the Muslims:
HOEKSTRA: I didn’t say that. That is actually an incorrect statement. We would call it fake news. I never said that. No, it’s not what I said!
First of all, we must take issue with his statement, “we would call it fake news.” Because NO, you Trump-licking cum sock, WE in America would not call it anything besides the fucking truth. Trump-licking cum socks such as YOURSELF would call it “fake news,” because you are brainwashed by the brain-addled orange shithead in the Oval Office.
OK, now that we’ve gotten that moment of RAGE out of the way, we shall proceed.
When that happened in December, the Dutch journalist proceeded to SHOW HOEKSTRA THE CLIP OF HOEKSTRA SAYING THE DUMB STUFF, then asked, “You call that fake news?” To which Hoekstra responded:
HOEKSTRA: I didn’t call that fake news. I didn’t use the words today.
JOURNALIST: No?
HOEKSTRA: I don’t think I did.
And then the Dutch journalist literally exploded because of the bullshit. RIP that Dutch journalist, who is now dead of explosion!
Fast forward to this week, when Dutch reporters decided to ask Hoekstra more questions about “no-go zones” and Dutch politicians who are aflame. And oh, did they ask him questions! They refused to stop asking him questions, and he just stood there like a guy who can’t find his wooden shoes with both hands (common Dutch joke! unless it isn’t), refusing to answer the questions. But sir, tell us about everybody being on fire! Tell us about the neighborhoods you are scared of! Show us on the doll where the fiery Dutch “no-go zones” touched you!
At one point, a journalist asked Hoekstra to read a John Adams quote about “honest and wise men” on the fireplace mantle behind him, and in light of that, whether he would take back his comments about “no-go” zones. Hoekstra’s response was to read the quote and then say “thank you”:
Today Dutch press welcomed @petehoekstra as new ambassador to the Netherlands. In 2015 Hoekstra said Dutch”politicians are being burned” (not true). The only one who did get burned today is… Hoekstra himself. By refusing to answer our questions. pic.twitter.com/Dv2aalbhDP
— Roel Geeraedts (@RGjournalist) January 10, 2018
This is a remarkable exchange, as reported by the Washington Post:
“If you’re truly an honest and wise man, could you please take back the remark about burned politicians or name the politician that was burned in the Netherlands?” [journalist Roel] Geeraedts asked.
An uncomfortable silence followed the question.
“Thank you,” Hoekstra said, before trying to call on someone else over the clamor of the reporters in the room.
“Excuse me, I asked you a question,” Geeraedts said.
Another journalist jumped in.
“Mr. Ambassador, can you mention any example of a Dutch politician who was burned in recent years?”
Again, silence, as Hoekstra stared around the room.
“This is the Netherlands, you have to answer questions,” another reporter said.
Yeah, not like in that banana republic you have over there in America now that a small minority of Americans elected a lying tinpot dictator wannabe!
WaPo, citing a CNN report, gives more background on the loony-ass anti-Muslim conspiracies (in addition to the stuff about “no-go” zones and all the Dutch people currently being on fire) this dipshit has pushed over the years:
He speculated that some 10 to 15 percent of the Muslim community in the world — 270 million people — were radical Islamist militants and appeared to imply that Huma Abedin had “egregious” ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, a claim that The Washington Post’s fact-checker Glenn Kessler, and other publications, have determined as “bogus.” On another far-right show, Hoekstra said he had considered the possibly that President Barack Obama might be intentionally aiding the rise of Muslim extremists.
Donald Trump really does hire the best people. Or rather, he hires people just as stupid as he is, probably because it makes him uncomfortable when normal people are in his presence.
Thanks for voting, Trump supporters! Is this what #MAGA looks like?
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IKEA MonkeyThis is amazing. He really is just watching TV And tweeting whatever Fox & Friends tells him.
Singed by aides’ and former aides’ portrait of a president not equal to his job, Donald Trump has spent the last few days trying to demonstrate that he’s on top of things.
The results have been mixed. The president was able to garner some positive reviews for his session with congressional leaders on Tuesday—though as one of those reviewers, Peter Baker of The New York Times, acknowledged, “The bar, of course, was historically low given that Democrats and even some Republicans have been describing him as so unstable that he should be removed from office.”
But at the same time—in that Tuesday meeting, over the weekend at Camp David, and on Twitter Thursday morning—Trump has demonstrated that he continues to have no functional grasp of policy, including the putative positions of his administration. He demonstrated this Thursday with regards to the FISA Amendments Act, which Congress is preparing to reauthorize before it expires. But reformers, including libertarian-leaning Republicans like Representative Justin Amash and Senator Rand Paul and Democrats like Representative Zoe Lofgren and Senator Ron Wyden, have sought new privacy safeguards in response to the revelations produced by Edward Snowden.
Like most White Houses of both parties, the Trump administration has sought the widest possible power for the executive branch and the intelligence community. The official White House line has been that the president supports reauthorization but opposes reform efforts. Wednesday night, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders released this statement:
The Administration strongly opposes the “USA Rights” amendment to the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act, which the House will consider tomorrow. This amendment would re-establish the walls between intelligence and law enforcement that our country knocked down following the attacks of 9/11 in order to increase information sharing and improve our national security. The Administration urges the House to reject this amendment and preserve the useful role FISA’s Section 702 authority plays in protecting American lives.
Then the president woke up Thursday, tuned in to Fox, and blew up the administration’s position for almost two hours.
During a segment on Fox and Friends, pundit Andrew Napolitano made a plea for Trump to veto the law. If Napolitano’s name rings a bell, it’s because Trump credited or blamed him for the unsubstantiated claim that Obama had “tapped [Trump’s] wires.” That claim was false, never backed by any evidence, and Napolitano was suspended from the air following it. But Trump believed it and has continued to say so, and on Thursday, Napolitano repeated the claim, using it to argue Trump should reject the reauthorization.
“His woes began with unlawful foreign surveillance and unconstitutional domestic surveillance of him, before he was president of the United States,” Napolitano said. (There is no evidence for any of this.) “Mr. President, this is not the way to go.”
The nap-napping of U.S. policy was successful. At 7:33 a.m., Trump tweeted his opposition to the bill:
“House votes on controversial FISA ACT today.” This is the act that may have been used, with the help of the discredited and phony Dossier, to so badly surveil and abuse the Trump Campaign by the previous administration and others?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018
The missive came during a period that Axios reported has become known as “executive time”—the stretch when Trump lounges around the White House private residence, sans aides and mostly watching television, before starting his workday. This is often when he sends his most outlandish tweets. Then, almost two hours later, and after already tweeting about a different topic (another story he’d seen on Fox and Friends), Trump walked back the comment at 8:14 a.m.:
With that being said, I have personally directed the fix to the unmasking process since taking office and today’s vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land. We need it! Get smart!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018
The immediate reaction to the Fox and Friends story, the lag between the two tweets, and Trump’s history of anemic interest in policy all suggest a simple chain of events: He was persuaded by the segment, then staffers had to explain to him that he was contradicting the official White House position, leading to the clumsy-clean-up tweet. The implication, made before and reinforced Thursday, that the president can be induced to swing his stance on key policy fights based on a single segment on cable news has potentially wide-reaching implications for American policy—including for lobbyists, special interests, or foreign countries seeking to influence the government. The walk-back shows that some such moves can often be undone quickly, but that won’t always be the case.
That doesn’t even get into the spurious wiretap accusation, which Trump has refused to quit making even though he has offered no evidence to support it, and his own Justice Department has said it is not true. There’s no small irony that he continues to lodge the accusation against Barack Obama in the same week he calls for stricter defamation laws.
This is at least the third time in the last week that the president has demonstrated his weak grasp on policy. During Monday’s meeting with leaders of both parties, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein floated the idea of a “clean” extension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program—in other words, a bill with no other provisions attached. Republicans oppose a clean extension because they want to extract concessions from Democrats, such as spending on border security in exchange. Trump readily agreed to Feinstein’s idea of a clean extension, only to have House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy awkwardly interrupt him and remind him of his own stated view. Within minutes, as my colleague Russell Berman wrote, Trump was saying something completely different. The meeting was intended to showcase Trump’s competence, and while some of the press coverage may have been what the White House wanted, the reality was it also showed Trump’s serious limitations.
Another curious case unfolded at a GOP retreat at Camp David over the weekend. Trump told assembled congressional leaders on Friday that he did not believe that public-private partnerships, the central mechanism for his administration’s (supposedly) forthcoming infrastructure bill, would work. The following day, economic adviser Gary Cohn presented the outlines of a plan, including the public-private partnerships, as the administration’s approach, as though nothing had happened. White House officials told The Washington Post that Trump is indeed skeptical of the partnerships.
The phenomenon of Trump contradicting aides, especially on foreign policy and especially Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, is at this point familiar, and has created chaos—and worries of more to come—on the world stage. As the last week demonstrates, domestic policy is no less susceptible to the problem.
This creates extensive challenges. Foreign leaders have long since realized Trump is a pushover who can easily be rolled in face-to-face meetings, eroding U.S. authority on the world stage. Republican leaders in Congress have desperately sought guidance from Trump on major initiatives, both to make sure he will not attack them and in the hopes that his leadership will help patch over divides within the party. The meager legislative accomplishments of this Congress speak to Trump’s inability to offer that guidance. Democrats seem fitfully interested in trying to make deals with Trump, but that’s impossible too, as Jonathan Chait wrote Wednesday: “It’s hard to make a deal with a president if the president doesn’t understand anything about the deal beyond his belief that deals are good.”
What, then, is the administration’s policy on any given question? Is it the stance that that White House lays out in background briefings, fact-sheets, and official statements? Or is it the stance that the president offers? In any ordinary administration, the answer would clearly be the president, since he’s the top official—though in any ordinary administration, such cleavages would never become public. But since nearly no one, and certainly not his own aides, takes Trump seriously on policy, his statements no longer get the presumption of authority, especially when he is liable to reverse himself two hours later. And if foreign leaders, members of Congress in both parties, and voters cannot tell what the U.S. government’s policy is, the government effectively has no policy at all.
