"Two people close to Trump told The Daily Beast that Trump has repeatedly griped to associates about how President Obama had more Twitter followers than he has, even though—by Trump’s own assessment—he is so much better at Twitter than Obama is." https://t.co/GwAVXB3OxF
— Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) April 23, 2019
Trump spent a "significant portion" of his meeting with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey complaining that he was losing followers. https://t.co/VbtnNUkOAi
— Will Sommer (@willsommer) April 23, 2019
… In a statement, Twitter said the meeting — initiated by the president — focused on “protecting the health of the public conversation ahead of the 2020 U.S. elections and efforts underway to respond to the opioid crisis.” Twitter partners with the federal government on a program to encourage Americans to dispose of prescription drugs they no longer need to prevent against abuse.
In March, Trump accused Silicon Valley’s largest companies of harboring a “hatred” for “a certain group of people that happen to be in power, that happen to have won the election.” In doing so, Trump threatened potential regulation, telling reporters at a press conference that the government may “have to do something about it.”
Previously, Trump joined a chorus of Republicans in claiming that Twitter secretly limits the reach of conservatives, a tactic known as “shadow banning” that Twitter has vehemently denied. And the president regularly has raised fears about changes in his follower count. Twitter’s heightened crackdown against spam, however, long has affected both liberals and conservatives on the site.
In response, Twitter regularly has stressed its political neutrality. “Impartiality is our guiding principle,” Dorsey told lawmakers last year who grilled him over allegations that the site and its social-media peers exhibit bias against conservatives. Over the past year, Dorsey has sought to huddle with high-profile right-leaning pundits and political figures, hoping to assuage their concerns about censorship…
Dorsey long has faced pressure to curtail Trump’s tweets, as critics contend that the president regularly violates the site’s policies against harassment and abuse. Twitter has long maintained that it applies a different standard to prominent public figures, given that their comments — even offensive ones — remain in the public interest. But the company in March said it soon would adopt a new approach, labeling offensive tweets so users know why such content hasn’t been removed…
Reminder: Dorsey was *not* invited to Trump's 2016 sit-down with big tech CEOs. https://t.co/i9qLknmxl0
— John Paczkowski (@JohnPaczkowski) April 23, 2019
Trump’s Twitter support is as much of a fraud as he is. https://t.co/6hlkBJcb71
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) April 24, 2019
Let's inventory his followers, shall we pic.twitter.com/Y85k5XVa0K
— leoluminary ?? (@leoluminary) April 23, 2019
Next up: Trump privately worries Twitter may ban him as part of crackdown on accounts with no actual human behind them. https://t.co/iAcPftULbi
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) April 24, 2019
"Why does Game of Thrones trend and I do not?"
"Mr President?"
"MAKE ME TREND LIKE IM A LANNISTER"
"Your memes are not as good sir"— Oliver Willis (@owillis) April 23, 2019
It is good that Jack had to listen to Trump complain about his follower count and other soft-skulled MAGA junk, but I imagine that basically every world leader Trump talks to hears the same shit. Trump has definitely talked to Macron about Diamond & Silk.
— David Roth (@david_j_roth) April 23, 2019
Baud
“I am big. It’s the Twitter that got small.”
lamh36
Before getting into politics, had to share my latest recipe Turkey Chili…now I’m not usually one for chili but I gotta say this came out pretty good for the first time.
All I need now are some pita chips or tortilla chips??
Gonna freeze individual portions once it cools.
https://twitter.com/psddluva4evah/status/1121164479927062535
lamh36
Brachiator
Trump is a petty little shit. I hate his dumb ass. I hate having to see his pouty-ass rages continually pop up in the news.
But when he goes to the UK for D-Day festivities, if there is a just God, the British media will make a point of noting how well Obama was received when he visited, and how the Queen apparently is fond of Obama and his wife.
Also, the gold obsessed Trump would just hate this little tidbit:
lamh36
Bernie wasn’t ready…again.
VeniceRiley
@lamh36: Is there a link somewhere where I can see the whole thing? Really enjoyed the twitter commentary at the hashtag. SheThePeople made my day!
Chief Oshkosh
As this is an open thread, I’ll quote the best of what I’ve read today. It’s in the comments section of a WaPo article by a former CIA agent who is sort of saying the same thing that Adam at BJ has been saying – that the CI investigation is still going on and has probably found lots of awful stuff about Trump and the GOP. Anyway, I like the succinctness of this comment:
lamh36
lamh36
Mike in NC
We should consider that if this leering degenerate did any actual work all day, instead of constantly tweeting his demented thoughts and worrying about his fucking “ratings”, his approval numbers might be slightly higher. What a farce our fake president is.
danielx
It must be exhausting to be Donald Trump – he seems to be in a rage about SOMETHING every day, usually to do with his public image. At this point I’m wondering if he’ll stroke out when a Demographic candidate tells him to his face that he is a liar.
ETA: why hasn’t somebody said this already? Is it so difficult to say that the President is a habitual, pathological liar?
NotMax
At this rate, the tiny violin is going to catch fire from the constant frantic friction.
@lamh36
Depending on the chili, I sometimes like to mix Goldfish crackers into a serving. Or even, if they’re already in stock, crushed Doritos.
Call me plebeian.
lamh36
SHERO!
Baud
@Mike in NC:
Or lower. Like during the 2016 campaign, I think he derives some benefit in being seen as an unserious entertainer.
lamh36
Brachiator
@lamh36:
Not a good sign. Didn’t he claim to have learned from his 2016 mistakes?
Emma
@Baud: All right, then. I will send you the bill for the Pepsi-stained shirt.
lamh36
@Brachiator: smh…just refuses to learn…that tells me he doens’t consider “those” voters worth the time of at least panderingly prepping to speak to them
?BillinGlendaleCA
@NotMax:
Plebeian; but for the record, I didn’t call you Shirley.
JPL
Obama was loved among our allies and trump is loved by extremists. It’s simple.
When Notre Dame burned last week, this was a comment on President Obama’s twitter feed
There is no way trump can raise to those standards. It’s not his nature.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Brachiator: Bernie only knows one note, he’ll play it louder if you didn’t like it the first time.
lamh36
Mod tried to give him a gimme…and this is what he came up with…smh…
Sab
@Brachiator: If there is a God he would be struck by a lightning bolt (rare in the UK). That won’t happen, but I still believe in God. Who works in mysterious ways. I am getting sick of mysterious ways, but that’s just me.
lamh36
NotMax
Half expect Dolt 45 to announce in Britain that he wants to pull out of the Treaty of Paris and open new negotiations because the U.S. got shafted and deserves to have Nova Scotia.
trollhattan
@lamh36:
When I opine that a Wilmer nomination will hurt turnout, helping Trump, Certain People think I’m nuts. Sticking with my theory, thanks.
ruemara
@Sab: I can’t stand mysterious ways that look exactly like not working at all. I’m dawdling like mad at work and I’m still accomplishing shit. I expect a deity to at least have that level of competence.
@lamh36: That’s Our Bernie! episode 307.
Mary G
I love black Twitter. I have learned so much.
One of the things I like to do is Tweet at Twitler on occasions like holidays, or when a tragedy has happened, that President Obama’s one tweet on the subject always gets two or three times as many likes as Donnie’s. Like this:
You have to know it drives the current president crazy.
lamh36
@NotMax: well…I’ve been dabbling in low fat soul food…this is one of the recipes…my cousin recommended cornbread, but eh…I’m not big on cornbread.
I guess I could go with salt free crackers or something like that…hmmm
trollhattan
@Sab:
I’m fine with an “escaped” cassowary taking him out on the golf course.
“Where did everybody go? Hello? Aaaah, Pelosi!!!”
Chyron HR
@lamh36:
I mean, do we know this is true? Is there a little-known digression in the letter from Birmingham jail where MLK mentions a little Woody Allen-looking guy who keeps saying that the people shooting them with firehoses just have “economic anxiety”?
ThresherK
Speaking of “How to tell who’s more beloved”: Who else wanted to see Barack and Michelle hold their own Easter Egg Roll in Washington DC at the same time as the Presidential one?
NotMax
@lamh36
Hear ya. Real cornbread has its place but when it comes down to it is butter which requires more chewing.
;)
rikyrah
@lamh36:
Red onion
Avocado
Lime
Sour cream
All yummy ?? toppings for chilli
ruemara
@Brachiator: He learned to go after CAP & be steadfastly shameless. It worked for Don
jl
Trump is more like a crazy drifter who is best dealt with via a 911 call.
One thing I will say in favor of the Trumpsters in my family is that, as frustrating and dysfunctional as they can be at times (or, to be honest, often times), they are miles better than their miserable object of worship.
More hope that they will see the error of their ways than there is for Trump himself.
The Lodger
@Sab:
Thank you. That was brilliant.
chopper
@danielx:
he really is the most miserable sonofabitch, isn’t he. if i spent half the time that pissed off i’d have stroked out years ago.
chopper
@Brachiator:
the guy’s been a one-trick pony for the last 40 years, he’s not changing any time soon.
ruemara
@Chyron HR: He’s always said he attended the March – the speech part at the monument. Him saying he actually marched means he’s buying into his own hype. The photos Bernistas have posted are of a different young man in glasses with curly hair.
Barbara
@lamh36: @DailyLibber
It’s such a softball, really, because it shouldn’t be controversial to oppose groups threatening mayhem and armed insurrection. How hard is it to say that you will at a minimum revert to what was being done prior to Trump, which is to treat these groups with the kind of law enforcement focus that other potential terrorists receive, and coordinate internationally where the groups cross boundaries?
Jeffro
@lamh36: @NotMax: @rikyrah: crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheddar, or a cup of leftover mac n’ cheese. Plus a couple dashes of green hot sauce. That’s the way to go!
Jeffro
@Barbara: Maybe he was trying to avoid irritating half his base? That half that’s only kinda sorta very fine people? Fine-curious?
Spanky
@lamh36:
The picture that went through my mind when I read that ….
ThresherK
@Barbara: This is the moment Bernie should have been practicing for since Black Liives Matter called him out in 2016. (I don’t remember when, exactly, that was, during the primaries.)
The Germans have a word for “The sharp quip I should have had ready to go, but I only remembered an hour later”. Bernie’s had four years.
SenyorDave
I am at the point where if someone likes Trump I want no part of them. I do have a very small family and all of them loathe Trump, so I’m fortunate I don’t have to deal with the holiday issues. If I had have Trump-loving family, I have a feeling that even if we made a pact not to discuss politics I would blow up and do a “how the fuck could you like this piece of….” If he is president in 2021 my wife and I will be looking to leave the country.
Sab
@NotMax: Love her recipe. But I have serious salt issues, so nix the goldfish.
If I get the salt in recipes up to where my husband finds it faintly palatable, then my fingers puff up like balloons and my blood pressure goes through the roof.
Can’t wait until Passover is over so I can buy up the matzos that nobody else wants. Unsalted crackers to me.
trollhattan
@Barbara:
Remember when asked about Ralph Reed’s endorsement Trump couldn’t recall who that was?
Good times.
Chyron HR
I’d feel more satisfied about Trump’s Twitter Tantrum if at-Jack didn’t go back to his office afterwards and start brainstorming ways to provide better service to the American nazi party and their fuehrer.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
@lamh36: ahhahaahahahahhahahahhahah
I mention this a couple weeks ago. He was invited to speak on criminal justice reform at big conference last year. He arrived and refused to address the issue and instead played his broken record stump speech on the minimum wage and minyanaires and billyanaires.
David Evans
The French call it l’esprit d’escalier (staircase wit).
eclare
A good friend of mine has started doing Sentiment Analysis and put together a one minute video. Check it out, he’s on our side.
Is Trump Winning on Twitter
Dan B
@lamh36: Great snippet! Economic anxiety is what you are feeling when your teenage son is slammed to tge pavement and whenever he goes out on his own. Economic anxiety is what you are feeling when your white co-workers get a raise and you don’t.
Right… thanks for your colorblindness.
I saw on the gay blogs that Warren owned the room. Great if Harris did as well! Two fantastic people. Time to march on the corporate media, actually was time when Reagan set out the welcome mat for Fox.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Shorter Wilmer: I had a black friend in 1960
Plato
Kudos to whoever called him needy amin first. What a whiny petty scum.
trollhattan
Welp, Franklin Graham just gave Mayor Pete a nice popularity boost.
Hellfire and Dalmatians.
Sloane Ranger
@Sab: O/T but the house of some friends of mine actually was hit by a lightening bolt a couple of weeks ago. It took out all their electrics, went down their phone line and shorted all landlines in their street and knocked a massive hole in their roof.
They have been wondering what they’ve done to earn such divine disfavour ever since.
Cacti
@Brachiator:
Not possible. Wilmer never makes mistakes.
Adam L Silverman
The 5,000 bot swarm that went operational as soon as Barr released the Mueller report has been traced back to the Saudis.
Sab
@SenyorDave: My Dad, who used to be a moderate Republican/occassional Democrat likes Trump, but he is 95 with Alzheimers. Trump speaks his language :(shouty with limited vocabulary and weirdly restricted hand gestures.)
Can forgive Dad because he used to be okay and his mind is
blown.
Much harder to forgive the sweet housewife down the street with the dog I like. She is sweet but she is voting for serious ill to her immediate neighbors and to my relatives. She doesn’t know that and her ignorance is not my problem ( and cannot be corrected in any case. She believes her facts.)
Dan B
@lamh36: OMG is Bernie going to end up like Santorum, a noun that describes a mix of condescension, lack of self awareness, and old-man-shouts-at-clouds? At least Abe Simpson doesn’t demean clouds.
My partner loves Wilmer. He claims that BernieBros are Russian Bots. So? Is Wilmer working 24/7 to root them out?
(((CassandraLeo)))
@Adam L Silverman: I’ll wager that we haven’t yet seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Saudis’ assistance to this criminal administration*. If you’ll allow me to mix my metaphors, I hope someone in the Democratic caucus is pulling the thread. “Follow the money” seems a good place to start.
Ohio Mom
@ruemara: Re: Bernie and the March on Washington. 56 years (did I calculate that correctly?), over half a century, is a long time to rest on one’s laurels.
In my mind, the only thing you should still boast about that many years later is being lucky enough to have convinced your much smarter/better-looking spouse to marry little ole you. In front of them.
@Brachiator: Following the link to the newspaper article quoting Michelle on their trip to Buckingham Palace, I see a photo of the Obamas and the Queen, all dressed up for a party. The Queen is wearing the tasteful but rather small brooch the Obamas gave her (purchased out of their own pocket) and has coordinated her earrings and necklace to match. It’s very sweet, and demonstrates the affection they share.
Villago Delenda Est
@lamh36: If it wasn’t for Donald, Bernie would be the most despised old politician in the country.
NotMax
@Jeffro
Like there’s any such a thing.
;)
@Sab
Are you able to tolerate oyster crackers? Reasonable substitute.
Sab
@Sloane Ranger: I am so sorry. That is unusual in the UK, am I not right? Not wishing lighnimg on the rest of you in any case. (“Rest of you”? Trump isn’t one of you even if he is there.)
Cacti
Mitch McConnell marched with MLK too.
Just sayin’.
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: This was my favorite response:
Villago Delenda Est
@Barbara:
Wilmer is not going to go against his bestest friends in the NRA.
Sloane Ranger
@Sab: Very unusual. We had a very powerful electrical storm at the time. Lots of thunder and lightening but hardly any rain.
Seriously, they think they got hit because they still have their TV aerial up and they’re the only people in their street who do.
trollhattan
@Adam L Silverman:
We should get on that chop-chop.
trollhattan
@Villago Delenda Est:
Chuck Grassley on line #3.
Martin
@lamh36:
I have the particular privilege of being accepted enough by my black coworkers that they will talk to each other as if there isn’t a white person in the room. It is always enlightening and more enjoyable than anyone could imagine. It has also reminded me that when I’m in the minority in the room, that any stupid/clueless shit that I say will not be quietly eyerolled away – I will get called on it in a way that white people generally don’t do to each other. We almost always have our guard up, and in that setting, people are speaking their minds. I will leave that situation with some bruising. I would not speak before thousands of women of color without really doing my homework and really being willing to open myself up, because if they figure out that I’m full of shit or holding back (and they will), I’m gonna feel it.
Sanders either has terrible advisors, or he’s terrible at listening to them.
chopper
@Martin:
can’t it be both?
Wayne Marks
@Dan B: I agree Dan B. I was held up by four teenagers when I was just walking home to my apartment from the train. It’s traumatic. It’s wrong. You never ever forget it. It’s not like when you get hurt in sports and the coach says, “Walk it off.” No. No. No. It changes your mindset.
Dan B
@lamh36: Vicious crowd! “You’re one of them!”
Searches for multiple heart emoji’s…
Sloane Ranger
@Sloane Ranger: Just to clarify lightening does hit buildings in the UK but it takes the fastest rote down as you know. Here that usually means church spires as they tend to tower over surrounding buildings. Nowadays they all have lightening conductors.
Sab
@NotMax: Too salty. Love them, but too salty. Any salt is too salty. There is salt in everything these days. I can live with it but I hate the puffy hands.
I have a friend with congestive heart failure and he really can’t handle any salt. And it’s everywhere, in all food, in massive quantities.
Villago Delenda Est
@Brachiator: Donald Trump is a whiny ass titty baby.
Gwangung
Long time to be hanging on that match on Washington,
Particularly after the way you left Kiah Morris twisting in the wind.
It’s the type of allyship you’ve come to expect from Sanders, unfortunately.
chopper
@Dan B:
one of the most basic talents any politician should have is to be able to read a room. to know before whom you are speaking. that was straight up political malpractice there. cringeworthy.
mrmoshpotato
@lamh36: @Spanky: SAME!
“Oh please tell me the moderator actually punched Wilmer in the face!”
Sab
@Wayne Marks: Welcome to women’s world. We are smaller and everyone thinks we are vulnerable. As we are.
Most of the men I know don’t think that could be them, until it is.
So sorry for you.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@trollhattan: When the kid and I were headed down from Echo Mountain, I said ‘chop-chop’ to mean hurry up. She’d never heard such a term and thought it hilarious, my mom would use it when I was a kid. So I use it all the time with her now, gets a laugh every time
pluky
@ThresherK: I believe you’re reaching for (the French) “l’esprit d’escalier”.
Adam L Silverman
@David Evans: I fixed whatever you had done to your comment to make it capture the reply button.
Ladyraxterinok
@Villago Delenda Est: Maybe it’s a feature ofwhite guys 70 plus yrs old that they find it super easy to believe everyone absolutely totally super admires if not adores them.
In case anyone wonders, I’m thinking of Trump, Bernie, and–yes–Biden.
Dan B
@ThresherK: Black Lives Matter grabbed the mic at Wilmer’s rally in Seattle. They held it for 20 minutes or so. I was unhappy that they didn’t let B speak. That’s who the crowd came to hear. B left the stage and resumed when BLM finished. He could have turned it into an opportunity but didn’t. That’s when the scales started to fall from my eyes.
Gwangung
@Dan B: Showed his inability to be dynamic
Ohio Mom
@Sab: Passover is over Saturday. I think it’s a good bet everyone who keeps a kosher Passover already has all the matzoh they need. I think you can buy your unsalted crackers tomorrow with a clean conscience.
Sab
@Ohio Mom: Thanks. I always want to rush out and buy them, but I would hate for a disorganized family to come up short.
rikyrah
@Adam L Silverman:
You don’t say???
Dan B
@trollhattan: Graham has gone on to more specific condemnations of Pete. He’s quoted Leviticus’ call for death. He’s stated that Pete and Chasten are going to hell. There seems to be rising support among republicans who liked Obama. There’s likely a surge on the way from christians who have tolerated the christianists because they were “believers” with all the “goodness” that is implied.
Are the code words being exposed for the big element of judgementalism and cruelty towards people who are different?
NotMax
@Ohio Mom
Price it sells for here is an eye opener. $7.99 per box, minimum. Pfui to that. I do lug back a canister of farfel from NY visits in order to be able to make matzo brei during the rest of the year.
chopper
@Sab:
oy, you can have mine. i’m so sick of matzah right now.
Miss Bianca
@lamh36: I think the She the People crowd sound like my kind of people. Ah…at last! : )
Bill Arnold
@(((CassandraLeo))):
Likewise, and the Saudis (dunno for sure about who they hired. Cough.) are not notably competent in these matters.
J. Kushner in particular smells of Saudi influence. And D.J. Trump touched the orb… :-)
Sab
@chopper: Extremely crunchy egg salad sandwich tomorrow. Yay!
schrodingers_cat
@trollhattan: Was he the one who gave money to the pool boy or was that Falwell Jr. He can go to hell.
Ben Cisco
@Spanky: I had imagined an actual clock, but I’m a Looney Tunes fan, I dig the classics.
HalfAssedHomesteader
Reports I’ve heard is that the twitter meeting was about Russian adoptions.
chopper
@Sab:
can’t you just freeze the eggs instead? there’s a reason we call it the ‘bread of affliction’.
Shana
@Sab: Served on matzo? Have you ever tried making matzo rolls?
NotMax
@Shana
Have actually seen recipes for (shudder) matzo lasagna.
And kept right on web surfing.
Chacal Charles Calthrop
@Jeffro: fine-curious?
You win the internets for tonight. This was perfect, thank you
Death Panel Truck
@Plato: That would be me. Thank you. ?
Uncle Cosmo
@ThresherK: The German word is Treppenwitz, which may be a direct translation of the French l’esprit de l’escalier. Or it may be the other way around. In any case, the witty thing you think of when you’re walking down the steps on the way out of where (& when) you wish you had said it.
J R in WV
@Dan B:
Thanks for sharing that despicable hatred. These patriarchal Theocrats are becoming more hate filled, so unchristian, so not like the man – son of god – whom they claim to adore and worship.
They prove their lack of love every time they open their mouths.
Despicable!
Dr. Ronnie James, D.O.
“Amazing honor for Jack Dorsey to get to sit across from Donald Trump and watch him flutter his eyelids weirdly while explaining how he ‘created Twitter.'”
Remember when Al Gore saying he ‘invented the Internet’ meant he was a slippery braggart who lacked the moral fiber a great nation deserves in its leaders?
plato
@Death Panel Truck: You nailed it. :)
it being that traitorous twerp.
Villago Delenda Est
@HalfAssedHomesteader: Donald adopted a bunch of Russian bots that were tossed off of Twitter on Sunday and he wanted his bots back. As followers.
JAFD
@Sab: The Shop-Rite* supermarkets here in NJ had coupon two weeks ago, ‘spend $25 and get a free 5-pound box of matzoh’. So got box of their store brand whole-wheat, very good, no salt at all.
Agree with you about prevalence of salt in everything, cutting back on it since my heart attack, difficult.
* IMHO, if they really wanted to make a Rite of Shopping, they’d have Gregorian chants playing over the loudspeakers and incense burning at the checkouts. But that’s just me…