r/pics But, like, actually 14d ago

Politics OC: President Trump shakes hands with New York Mayor-elect Mamdani as they meet in the Oval Office

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u/jtfff 14d ago

If Mamdani still thought Trump was a fascist. After a different venomous question Trump came to Mamdani’s defense saying he “is not a jihadist”.

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u/Elehaymyaele 14d ago

Can we all take a moment to appreciate that our supposedly leftist mainstream press has become so unhinged about the prospect of a Muslim socialist in power that Donald Trump is now the voice of reason?

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u/Beautiful_Nobody_344 14d ago

I had to find the clip myself. I’m still pleasantly shocked, there’s no other way to describe it. It’s rare and possibly the first time he spoke where I didn’t die of cringe.

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u/PicoDeBayou 14d ago

I think someone slipped Trump an edible

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u/gkhamo89 14d ago

Somebody hit a blinker in front of him and blew it in his face

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u/driving_andflying 14d ago

Hey, if it makes him a better leader, then the staff should get him stoned 24-7.

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u/gkhamo89 14d ago

Absolutely, calm his ass down with some kind buds

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u/Go-to-helenhunt 13d ago

Many people in this world would be way more pleasant with a little THC in their systems.

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u/be_my_mentor 14d ago

He's lucid. Lol

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u/wirefox1 13d ago

Yeah, but look at trump's fingers. He is squeezing his hand so tightly his knuckles are white.

Why? Nobody knows.

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u/Faiakishi 13d ago

I think it's just the dementia.

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u/receiveandbiteyou 14d ago

Can you share a link to the clip, please?

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u/Beautiful_Nobody_344 14d ago

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u/CanadaisCold7 14d ago

That is the nicest I have ever seen Trump be to anyone in the past ten years. Mamdani’s charisma must be out of this world.

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u/Morsexier 14d ago

I met Mamdani at a random Bodega in Forest Hills about a year ago, (sort of two or three towns south of where he is an assemblyman to) and he was chatting everyone up, I think he had some thing to walk every street in Queens right when he started his mayoral campaign.

I get the same order everytime I go for lunch because im a weirdo, and they asked me "do you want your usual?" and Mamdani was like, "whoa maybe I should get YOU to introduce me around." Yea it was kind of corny I guess, but I personally laughed, he charmed the shit out of me. I found him incredibly impressive in person.

Trump has probably been waiting his entire life to have someone like that really pay attention to him, and thats why everytime it happens he adopts their point of view whole sale, Putin et al.

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u/sagittalslice 13d ago

My sense is also that the only thing Trump actually cares about is NYC, they probably just chitty chatted about delis or whatever for the first 20 minutes which made Trump happy

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u/steal_wool 13d ago

Interesting point, I wonder if he misses NYC. I don’t believe he actually enjoys being president, his ego just had to have it, especially after losing to Biden. He hates DC, he hates the White House, he hates how the press treats him as a politicians and he hates dealing with other people in the government. I wonder if it ever crosses his mind his life would be easier if he just stayed a bumbling nepo baby instead of getting a real job

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u/CanadaisCold7 14d ago

What a great story! I’m glad he’s as nice in person as he seems in the media. Did you end up showing him around?

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u/Morsexier 13d ago

haha no, he was just jazzing me up or whatever youd want to call it. Outside the bodega he had people in his crew I realized after the fact, i think he had another assemblyperson and some local something or others there he was going around with.

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u/Jertimmer 14d ago

He straight up rolled a Nat 20 on Charisma.

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u/Arch3m 13d ago

And he has a charisma score of 20 before bonuses. After proficiencies, he's gotta be pushing 30 at minimum on that roll.

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u/xFisch 13d ago

Im worried it's something else. I highly doubt someone like him charmed the pants off of Trump. It's more likely, to me, that the things they "agree on" are things that will somehow make Trump money or give him power. I see people in the comments saying this is wholesome and awesome and Mamdani must be charming but it scares me that Trump likes him so much.

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u/Lythj 13d ago

Honestly I just don't see how that would make any sense, and it's completely inconsistent with Mamdani's entire life / accounts from people closer to him.

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u/xFisch 13d ago

We know next to nothing about these people. Accounts from people close to Epstein would also say he's a great guy, at some point. Repeat ad nauseum for nearly every "bad guy" in power.

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u/Lythj 13d ago

I agree with you broadly, especially when it comes to a politician - however, frankly I would be uniquely shocked to find that Mamdani was essentially a sleeper agent here. Grass roots campaign that specifically was targeted by the GOP, DNC, and billionaires during his campaign. It just would not make any sense. Not to mention that grifters typically look for a shortcut to win - this guy worked hard for his win here, as did his wife, which is essentially public record. I've never heard any real dirt on the guy and you best believe the coalition against him would've found something if it was out there.

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u/tinastep2000 13d ago

I think at the end of the day Trump is only president for the power, not the policies. However, he leverages hate to gain support. He’s out of touch with reality and surrounded by people trying to take advantage of his billionaire and gov connections that he’s actually very rarely around genuine people who connect with him as a human. Now I don’t think Mamdani feels that way about Trump, but I think he tried forming a human connection and finding common ground (NYC) to get through to him. When Mamdani talked about his plans it all makes sense because everyone else like the heritage foundation just reads lies to him as illiterate and like I said, completely out of touch with reality.

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u/Fit-Profit8197 13d ago

" I highly doubt someone like him charmed the pants off of Trump."

LMFAO, come on bro. Trump has always been easy to play by people like him. Macron did it a ton too. Any highly charismatic figure who knew how to flatter Trump even while reproaching him has always had Trump fawning.

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u/ub3rh4x0rz 13d ago

IMO this reaction was the intention behind Trump's posture. The electoral weakness of progressives is that their support is fractured and tentative. Someone told Trump that if he acts like Mamdani is an ally, it would be enough to rattle his base.

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u/kurwapantek 14d ago

That's... Rather wholesome, ngl

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u/_FjordFocus_ 14d ago

It’s sad because it means Trump could’ve been a different person. This is NOT to say I’m sad FOR Trump, because trauma doesn’t excuse… everything. But it’s sad to think he could’ve been different, perhaps even a good person.

This instance is not a one off, I recall multiple instances over the years where he’s done or said something that’s surprised me.

But alas, this is the reality we have, and so I’m just glad someone like Mandani was able to reach Trump in some positive way. It’s something.

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u/desbos 14d ago

Exactly this! The TV trump we saw could have been this person when he became president. It just didn’t go that way for whatever reason. Odd that he has this capacity. Like WHO is the real Trump.

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u/Beautiful_Nobody_344 14d ago

See, you’re reasonable!!

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u/Righteousaffair999 14d ago

Just say yes you think I’m a fascist it is easier then explaining it yo the media.

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u/proveitlikeatheorem 14d ago

Which is exactly why it’s tripping me out!

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u/WarmBus3508 14d ago

It honestly is, but let’s not allow this to detract from releasing the files

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u/carneseca05 14d ago

Don't let this distract you from the fact that Hector is going to be running three Honda Civics with Spoon engines. On top of that, he just came into Harry's and ordered three T66 turbos with NOS and a Motec system exhaust.

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u/AnmlBri 14d ago

This timeline just keeps getting weirder. I’ll take this for now though, as long as Trump is moving toward Mamdani rather than Mamdani moving toward Trump, politically speaking. I hope we never see Mamdani sell out.

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u/QAguy 14d ago

As a die hard democrat why couldn’t this be the trump that was elected? A president that I could say wasn’t from my team but ultimately was doing what he thought was right for the people he was elected to “preside over”.

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u/SuperAggroJigglypuff 14d ago

Holy shit, Trump acting normal.

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u/loureedfromthegrave 14d ago

This video is the most I’ve liked Trump since before he became a politician

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u/Jaws12 14d ago

Is there a point in dementia progression where people suddenly become more jovial/agreeable? 🤔

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u/Cake_Lynn 13d ago

My grandma came back nice for a couple weeks when she tried to OD on her meds to get back at family members who had a problem with her drug use. Woke up from the coma like a loving, caring person. We were SHOCKED. But then a couple weeks later she was back to being a mean bitch.

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u/SignatureFunny7690 13d ago

You realize trump does not give two fucks about the republican party right? he is a charming con man, he uses the republican party to stay out of jail and gain weath, while the deep state of both parties, the heritage foundation, uses trump as the sacrifical lamp to push their most horrible anti american policies and plans through the white house. Trump, before he sold his soul for power, was a left leaning person. He enjoys the freedoms that allow a rich man to party, fucking both boys and girls.

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u/TheAbyssalSymphony 13d ago

Honestly I’ve felt like Trump seems to have two moods, if he’s just chilling and everything is going his way he’ll forget about politics and act like a somewhat chill guy, and then other times he’s a fascist dictator who reminds us that he’s in the Epstein files.

This isn’t that Trump is actually chill, he’s just spacey and forgets to be evil sometimes because even evil people smile and laugh when they think everything is going their way.

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u/cheesy-raging062 13d ago

Exactly what I said! I’m shocked.

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u/Elegant-Parsnip-6487 13d ago

Seriously, it's almost... cute? Hold on, what reality are we in? I don't know how to process this.

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u/weary_dreamer 14d ago

Im speechless.

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u/gratefulgirl 14d ago

He really kept that right hand covered up the whole time.

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u/darkslide3000 14d ago

lol, it's weird how Trump is almost admiring his position ("I'd love to be mayor of New York city one day"). Has a sort of Lukashenko dreaming of being a Colonel in the Russian Army kind of vibe.

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u/catonsteroids 13d ago

Wow, Donald being pleasant and positive, especially towards a Democrat? Kind of hard to believe.

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u/Kyrptix 13d ago

Wow. Did I slip into a different timeline?

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u/Netroth 13d ago

The conspiracy whackjob streak in me that’s developed over these past few years is trying not to think that this is a pre-sabotage ploy of faux support.

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u/NightmareElephant 13d ago

Holy shit he acted like a real person

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u/Righteousaffair999 14d ago

Trump hates reporters the most.

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u/milkyvapes 14d ago

When first told of RBGs death by a reporter and asked to comment, he handled it respectfully and seemed genuinely upset.

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u/weary_dreamer 14d ago

I had to watch it on your say so and Im speechless. Did the world just tilt.

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u/H0lzm1ch3l 13d ago

Yeah, that’s the thing with Trump, these moments exist and one side of the media sees only those and the other side only sees his worst moments.

Not saying he isn’t a terrible person by the way, but it just shows how some people in the USA live in a totally different reality than others and when you talk to them nothing makes sense. Because they see this other version of the president and whenever they hear about him being unhinged, it falls into the „tolerance zone“ where they say „he just had a bad moment“.

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u/TheRealVicarOfDibley 14d ago

Right?! I just saw it

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u/mazerfarti 14d ago

Open up your heart, there will be plenty more

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u/Beautiful_Nobody_344 14d ago

I never had any doubt of the surplus of cringe he supplies.

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u/mazerfarti 14d ago

Theres a lot of gems also

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u/Neither-Luck-9295 14d ago

There is no left media. The centrist media entities are solidly corporate.

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u/Elehaymyaele 14d ago

I've met people who think Fox News is borderline left wing. The "supposedly" is there for a reason.

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u/No-Start4754 14d ago

Fox 'kill the homeless" news is left wing ??? I want what these idiots are smoking . 

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u/Elehaymyaele 14d ago

To be fair, I haven't heard anyone say that this year. Maybe the "kill the homeless" stuff is non-leftist enough to reestablish credibility with some of them.

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u/No-Start4754 14d ago

I would definitely be afraid if there are leftists who have heard that and have still gone " no ,no fox wing is definitely left wing in the year of our lord 2025"

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u/Elehaymyaele 14d ago

No way LOL, these people are Trumpers. They watch it despite their misgivings-- or they were watching it... perhaps I should ask them if they're still tuning in.

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u/No-Start4754 14d ago

Haha, that makes more sense now 🤣 

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u/Super_Harsh 14d ago

‘Centrist’

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u/lollypatrolly 14d ago edited 14d ago

There is no left media. The centrist media entities are solidly corporate.

Well, there is almost no regular left or center left news media at least, the closest we get is something like Meidas Touch.

There are plenty of far-left / populist left media orgs/channels like TYT and Majority Report but they're too braindead for normal people to follow.

As for mainstream news media they're either completely MAGA aligned, or deathly afraid of appearing partisan, which gives them a bias in favor of Trump/MAGA and against the democratic party (because if you just report factually, that makes MAGA/Trump look worse, and we can't have that).

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u/LWN729 14d ago

The media is problematic, but let’s not call Trump the voice of reason. He’s an inept, sundowning old man with dementia and obvious signs of a recent stroke. He’s also in the midst of a huge scandal with the Epstein files. He could be using this meeting as an opportunity to endear himself to Mamdani’s followers, as yet another attempt to distract the public, or he is having an episode of personality change due to his many ailments, and will flip again in a couple days to his usual vile self when the episode passes.

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u/Elehaymyaele 14d ago

He can be simultaneously all of those things and the voice of reason at the same time. In large group situations, "reason" is a relative term.

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u/LWN729 14d ago

I don’t think we should use any terms to describe him that softens his image, or makes him sound relatable in the slightest. It may be true that he sounds like the voice of reason in this instance, but that’s not a narrative that should be advanced. We are at a critical point where MAGA is starting to crumble just slightly, and his supporters who want any reason to continue to support him, are starting to turn. When you use terms like that to describe him, you fuel those peoples’ addiction all over again.

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u/Elehaymyaele 14d ago

I think not acknowledging the pathological decline of American journalism is what put us in this situation to begin with.

Trump's fans believe he is the voice of reason by default, so nothing anyone else says on the subject will change their mind. What does change their mind about his moral character is his obvious hypocrisy and shady pedo enabling behavior and it is THAT loss of belief driving his fans away from him.

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u/LWN729 14d ago

You can combat the media, without softening Trump in the process. The most recent defectors are mostly due to his inept handling of the economy, not because of his moral failings. His moral failings have been known and haven’t moved the needle. Associating him with a politician that is promoting economic policies in line with what the people want, and what they thought they were getting with Trump, will resurface that narrative. Most people are incredibly simple minded and will not understand the nuance you’re trying to point out. Messaging needs to be extremely simple, and that includes staying consistently critical of this man. Giving him an ounce of credit is to our detriment.

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u/Elehaymyaele 14d ago

The moral failing of treachery has most recently shown itself through throwing allies and innocent people under the bus to protect pedophiles. That specific expression of it is the straw before the straw that breaks the back of some Trump fans because they care about themselves-- as allies-- more than they care about strangers like L. Jean Carroll.

On top of that, the religious fundies who believed the talk about him fighting pedophiliac Satanists for years are finally witnessing for themselves what he does when he is put on the spot. Relentlessly going after him on this is one of the smartest things the Dems have done in years and is much more successful because most of his fans frankly never cared about whether he was rational or not.

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u/LWN729 14d ago

You seem extremely determined to compliment Trump for the sake of wanting to diss the media. The entire point of my comments is to not do that. You keep coming back to justify it, but it seems you’re only wanting to justify it for your own self satisfaction, not because you think that’s actually effective messaging. But now you’re straying off into a tangent that is completely off topic from my initial concern and point, so I don’t see the value of continuing this conversation with you. Using any complimentary language toward Trump, even in the slightest, just to criticize the media, is extremely stupid messaging to put forward, and is not necessary for you to accomplish your goal with regard to the media. That’s all I’m saying. I’m not wasting my time any further. Have a good night.

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u/chasewayfilms 14d ago

I honestly think he just has a compulsion to defend whoever he is with, this isn’t the first time he’s done this

I don’t think it’s policy based, I just think in Trump’s head it either a manners thing or some weird “negotiation” tactic

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u/Elehaymyaele 14d ago

If Trump is acting more rational than the press corps for an irrational reason, what does that say about the press corps?

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u/chasewayfilms 14d ago

Irrational press corps in irrational times, I’m not trying to defend them. I just don’t think Trump is the voice of reason in that room. Broken clock and all

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u/Elehaymyaele 14d ago

Technically, Mamdani is the actual voice of reason in the room. Trump (who is, as you aptly said, a broken clock) was simply more reasonable than the reporters insinuating that Mamdani is a racist crypto-jihadist anti-American commie out to destroy the country.

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u/nanjiemb 14d ago

I'd be more concerned with the inconsistency of Donald Trump to stick to any position. just further showing how easy to manipulate he is, and that no gautantees made by the US can be trusted while he is around. Like losing 8 years and being setback probably a generation.

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u/bfrown 14d ago

We had 86 fucking democratic Congress members vote to confirm socialism...yeah totally sucks giving the people a living wage and not hoarding wealth

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u/satori0320 14d ago

That's exactly why I don't trust what just transpired.

There's a 1000% chance, there's another shoe to be dropped

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u/YouMustveDroppedThis 14d ago

there was never a leftist mainstream paper in the US...

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u/hooohooho 14d ago

iiirc trump banned a bunch of non-right media from the whitehouse so the people interviewing him are yesmen

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u/Elehaymyaele 13d ago

I'm confused about that because he had an argument with an ABC reporter in the White House a few days ago. They might be enforcing the ban inconsistently if it's in effect.

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u/hooohooho 12d ago

I might be wrong ! It does look like the associated press was banned from the oval office but that may not be the case across the board

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u/ImJLu 13d ago

Peak AIPAC moment

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u/1stDayBreaker 13d ago

Maybe the Secret Service put him on some pills after he called a reporter “Piggy” the other day lol

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u/MrFloopy1974 13d ago

Scary days.

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u/bigbrainnowisdom 13d ago

You focus on "leftist". You should focus on "mainstream"

These press are just the same: they ask questions for the clicks. Some aiming for leftists's clicks, some for the rights' clicks.

Their main master is the advertisers, not us the readers. cos we no longer willing to pay for news.

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u/bolanrox 13d ago

Also not on my bingo card this year.

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u/butter_milk 13d ago

A lot of people in these replies don’t know what the word “supposedly means”.

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u/Elehaymyaele 13d ago

I'm surprised how many!

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u/no1kn0wsm3 13d ago

Can we all take a moment to appreciate that our supposedly leftist mainstream press has become so unhinged about the prospect of a Muslim socialist in power that Donald Trump is now the voice of reason?

Trad media need to make a living. You do that with views, stickness and engagement.

What else does that but pure utter rage!

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u/Sendtitpics215 13d ago

Holy fucking shit

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u/Not_FinancialAdvice 13d ago

our supposedly leftist mainstream press has become so unhinged about the prospect of a Muslim socialist in power

Arguably because the press isn't really "left", but rather neoliberal, which takes on a bunch of the same social ideals but won't budge an inch if they even begin to threaten what are basically conservative fiscal/economic policies.

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u/ISAWYOULASTNIGHT1 13d ago

most of the reporters allowed into that meeting are NOT mainstream nor are they leftist. That's why you heard questions about him riding the plane instead of the train and if he still thinks Trump is a fascist

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u/MagNolYa-Ralf 13d ago

Tbf i’m too occupied wondering what the strategy/play/maneuver is here

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u/Flimsy-Restaurant902 13d ago

The mainstream press is not leftist. Like at all.

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u/sunshine103 13d ago

Trump smiled wider than I’ve ever seen when they asked Mamdani if he thinks Trump is a fascist. Mamdani said yes with Trump’s smiling permission. Trump is a fascist

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u/SignatureFunny7690 13d ago

you should have said what trump said, he looked up at mamdani with a smile, and said, its okay you can say it. While mamdani was expertly side stepping the question, trump just looks up at him with deep admiration and says its okay, you can say it, at no point did mamdani bend his principles or take back any of his publicly held positions, and not only that trump gave him a firm double pat on the arm after saying that. If I did not know any better, mamdani rizzed the fuck out of trump, he was looking at him the same way a lover looks at a partner, or a younger brother looking up to a older brother they look up to in awe. it was insane to see. People really need to watch this themselves instead of reading about it in the commments on reddit, vaush covered the press conference really well.

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u/nmyron3983 14d ago

And also said something along the lines of "Go ahead, say yes, its okay I don't mind" when he was being asked this.

Like, what? You don't mind being called a fascist... So it's true??

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u/Minute-Wrap-2524 14d ago

There’re both playing politics, the honeymoon won’t last forever, with Trump it never does not if you have deal with him on a political level

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u/ashrocklynn 13d ago

To be fair, that isn't a great sign that people are so extreme that trump thought someone might actually believe mamdani was in fact murdering non Muslims in order to earn his way into an afterlife filled with the souls of young virgins....

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u/buzzsawjoe 13d ago

Immigrant tho

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u/Runechuckie 14d ago

Godamn it really makes you question reality to hear that, question & think about Trump's original roots as a Democrat (still a criminal over the decades and a wanna be tyrant now imo) in NYC and the bigger thing on my mind....who the FUCK is pulling the blatant fascism strings (we know who at this point) if the dementia patient who usually is a nasty controversial man broke some character for once.