Trump Administration Updates

[ANEW]

Where did your picture come from? I asked two AI platforms and they say it's never been blue before.

No, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has not been blue before 2026. Historically, the pool's basin was composed of granite and concrete, which gave the water a natural gray hue.

The transition to a blue color began in April 2026 as part of a renovation project directed by President Donald Trump.

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No, the reflecting pool had never been blue before 2026. Since its completion in the early 1920s, the pool's bottom had always been its natural gray hue — the color of the granite and asphalt it was built from

The blue color is a very recent development. In April 2026, President Trump announced plans to coat the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in what he called "American flag blue," using an industrial-grade swimming pool surface applied by private contractors he knew from his real estate days. Trump had originally wanted turquoise, saying it would look "like the Bahamas," but was talked into "American flag blue" by his contractor.

The pool underwent a major $34 million renovation between 2010 and 2012, funded by an Obama-era stimulus package, but even that extensive reconstruction kept the pool's traditional appearance. The blue color is entirely new to the monument's roughly 100-year history.

https://claude.ai/chat/0481afc8-90e9-42b8-b9e0-071f98fc3d11

ah finally let me quote. i edited my post and didn't see this. The blue in the photo is probably a combo of reflection of blue sky and maybe a funciton of the color of the film itself which might not be 100% faithful given the state of color photgraphy at the time. I wasn't suggesting that it was painted blue. my comment still stands. I kinda like the blue. We'll see once it's done adn then i'll have a better opinion. If i don't like it you can rage for me becase i won't spend 5 minutes thinking about it after that. if i like it? Well, i won't spend 5 minutes thinking about it after that either. In fact, until today i haven't spent any time thimking about he reflecting pool. I have more important things in my life going on.

 

[dpic73]

ah finally let me quote. i edited my post and didn't see this. The blue in the photo is probably a combo of reflection of blue sky and maybe a funciton of the color of the film itself which might not be 100% faithful given the state of color photgraphy at the time. I wasn't suggesting that it was painted blue. my comment still stands. I kinda like the blue. We'll see once it's done adn then i'll have a better opinion. If i don't like it you can rage for me becase i won't spend 5 minutes thinking about it after that. if i like it? Well, i won't spend 5 minutes thinking about it after that either. In fact, until today i haven't spent any time thimking about he reflecting pool. I have more important things in my life going on.

I mean same, lol but you brought it up so...

I hate that they'll have to spend money to return it to it's original color but I'm sure they will when the regime is gone.

 

[ANEW]

I mean same, lol but you brought it up so...

I hate that they'll have to spend money to return it to it's original color but I'm sure they will when the regime is gone.

Change it 99 more times for the cost of a full re-do (not factoring in inflation). And a full re-do woudl have had the added bonus of having the pool torn up for the 250th birthday. Again i'm not a reflecting pool expert. This could be nothing more that a couple $MIL quick fix to kick a big fix to include plumbing and new granite down down the road for x years but after the 250th.

Me? no need to fix with granite. Tear it out, fix whatever pipes need fixed underneath and then pour some concrete and seal it back up with whatever color. I think red and white stripes would be cool so be glad i'm not in charge, maybe add some pool lights so it could be lit up on the 4th of july. (i'm only half joking about the lights....maybe colored ones and not stripes on the bottom of the pool) Lol.

 

[dpic73]

Change it 99 more times for the cost of a full re-do (not factoring in inflation). And a full re-do woudl have had the added bonus of having the pool torn up for the 250th birthday. Again i'm not a reflecting pool expert. This could be nothing more that a couple $MIL quick fix to kick a big fix to include plumbing and new granite down down the road for x years but after the 250th.

Me? no need to fix with granite. Tear it out, fix whatever pipes need fixed underneath and then pour some concrete and seal it back up with whatever color. I think red and white stripes would be cool so be glad i'm not in charge, maybe add some pool lights so it could be lit up on the 4th of july. (i'm only half joking about the lights....maybe colored ones and not stripes on the bottom of the pool) Lol.

If the industrial sealant works and it can be easily maintained or re-coated every few years or so, I'm fine with leaving it instead of doing a complete granite tear-down. Much more cost efficient.

But next thing you know you'll be asking for a rainbow flag design for Pride. I kid, we know you'd burn Washington to the ground first lol.

 

[JohnHughsPartner]

@dpic73

 

[dpic73]

@dpic73

 

[JohnHughsPartner]

Look how straight that wrist is. Are you jealous lol

 

[dpic73]

Look how straight that wrist is. Are you jealous lol

 

[JohnHughsPartner]

View attachment 1274982

Resembles Cole Allen, no?

 

[JohnHughsPartner]

 

[dpic73]

 

[JohnHughsPartner]

View attachment 1275068

 

[baltimorened]

Your first paragraph ignores that the President you claim brought us inflation would have done much less spending if the president before him had managed the pandemic responsibly. Not only did Trump look the other way while it spread uncontrollably and even asked them to stop the testing, but you might not remember that when the vaccine was approved, the Trump administration had the military drop off the vaccines to the states with no guidance or distribution plan. So Biden had to spend money to get the vax to within arms length of every American at a time when 3500 people were dying per day. So in short, we weren't voting for inflation, we were voting for badly needed competence. The inflation was a byproduct of getting the US open for business again.

so you're position is that the 9.1% inflation reached during the Biden admin was to buy vaccines?

 

[TheValley91]

Are we winning yet?

 

[dpic73]

so you're position is that the 9.1% inflation reached during the Biden admin was to buy vaccines?

You"re smarter than this Ned so don't make me flesh it out in detail. The American Rescue Plan was necessary after the neglect of the last administration that resulted in the US having hundreds of thousands more deaths than any other country. We can quibble about how much he spent but it was needed nonetheless and dont forget inflation was a worldwide phenomenon that Trump also contributed to.

Inflation around the world, over the past two years | Pew Research Center

In nearly all of the 44 advanced economies we analyzed, consumer prices have risen substantially since pre-pandemic times.

www.pewresearch.org

 

[JohnHughsPartner]

 

[TigerGrowls]

Reminds me of his "Mexico's going to pay for the big beautiful wall" nonsense from a decade ago

He's pulled much more than the cost of the wall from Mexico. Just the facts.

 

[TigerGrowls]

I'm sure you know the intent of the Reflecting pool was to represent depth or deep reflection. A garish shade of blue doesn't meet that intent as you shouldn't be able to clearly see the bottom. I dont have a problem with the industrial coating but we shouldn't allow the most unpopular president in history to remake our storied monuments into a commemoration of his tacky taste.

Very sad dpic. You have never given Trump any credit at all for anything.

 

[TigerGrowls]

You"re smarter than this Ned so don't make me flesh it out in detail. The American Rescue Plan was necessary after the neglect of the last administration that resulted in the US having hundreds of thousands more deaths than any other country. We can quibble about how much he spent but it was needed nonetheless and dont forget inflation was a worldwide phenomenon that Trump also contributed to.

Inflation around the world, over the past two years | Pew Research Center

In nearly all of the 44 advanced economies we analyzed, consumer prices have risen substantially since pre-pandemic times.

www.pewresearch.org

Lol....dpic still trying to blame the China virus that the commie dems worked with the chicoms to release on America on Trump. Nobody buying your bs.

 

[DailyBuck7]

You"re smarter than this Ned so don't make me flesh it out in detail. The American Rescue Plan was necessary after the neglect of the last administration that resulted in the US having hundreds of thousands more deaths than any other country.

Inflation around the world, over the past two years | Pew Research Center

In nearly all of the 44 advanced economies we analyzed, consumer prices have risen substantially since pre-pandemic times.

www.pewresearch.org

Here is Chatgpt on India: "

• Official total: ~530,000 deaths

Accuracy​

• Strong evidence of undercounting, especially during the 2021 Delta wave

Independent estimates​

• Excess mortality studies suggest:
  • 3–5 million deaths (some estimates even higher) [US 1.1 million]
  • 
    
  • Top per capita countries --
  • Peru — ~650–700 deaths per 100,000
  • Bulgaria — ~550–600
  • Hungary — ~500–550
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina — ~480–520
  • North Macedonia — ~450–500
  • Montenegro — ~450–500
  • Croatia — ~420–470
  • Czech Republic — ~400–450
  • Slovakia — ~400–450
  • Romania — ~380–430

 

[TigerGrowls]

Ohhh yes!!!

 

[baltimorened]

Very sad dpic. You have never given Trump any credit at all for anything.

true, but you have to admire his consistency

 

[baltimorened]

You"re smarter than this Ned so don't make me flesh it out in detail. The American Rescue Plan was necessary after the neglect of the last administration that resulted in the US having hundreds of thousands more deaths than any other country. We can quibble about how much he spent but it was needed nonetheless and dont forget inflation was a worldwide phenomenon that Trump also contributed to.

Inflation around the world, over the past two years | Pew Research Center

In nearly all of the 44 advanced economies we analyzed, consumer prices have risen substantially since pre-pandemic times.

www.pewresearch.org

dpic here were terms of American rescue plan...the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) of 2021, signed on March 11, 2021, provided immediate COVID-19 relief, including $1,400 direct stimulus checks, enhanced unemployment benefits, and $350 billion for state/local governments. It expanded the Child Tax Credit, bolstered vaccination efforts, increased food assistance (WIC), and provided funding for schools and small business...

the "hundreds of thousands of death" from covid, was a small part of the excessive spending...even left leaning economists said it was either too much - would lead to inflation - or unnecessary.

Now I know you want to make this all about trump, and he played his role, but you can't excuse the Biden admin's spending as a cause of the high inflation during his term.

 

[fskillet]

dpic here were terms of American rescue plan...the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) of 2021, signed on March 11, 2021, provided immediate COVID-19 relief, including $1,400 direct stimulus checks, enhanced unemployment benefits, and $350 billion for state/local governments. It expanded the Child Tax Credit, bolstered vaccination efforts, increased food assistance (WIC), and provided funding for schools and small business...

the "hundreds of thousands of death" from covid, was a small part of the excessive spending...even left leaning economists said it was either too much - would lead to inflation - or unnecessary.

Now I know you want to make this all about trump, and he played his role, but you can't excuse the Biden admin's spending as a cause of the high inflation during his term.

There’s no doubt the spending Biden and Trump did during COVID directly impacted our inflation. However, their spending directly impacted the US’ economic recovery which was I think 2nd fastest in the world behind Japan? It also showed the world that the next time something like this happens, politicians will take the slow recovery route since the massive fiscal support was a death sentence for the incumbent party due to inflation spiking.

 

[dpic73]

Very sad dpic. You have never given Trump any credit at all for anything.

I've said at least ten times that I approve of the job he's done at the border. Very sad TG. You never give me credit at all for anything.

 

[dpic73]

dpic here were terms of American rescue plan...the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) of 2021, signed on March 11, 2021, provided immediate COVID-19 relief, including $1,400 direct stimulus checks, enhanced unemployment benefits, and $350 billion for state/local governments. It expanded the Child Tax Credit, bolstered vaccination efforts, increased food assistance (WIC), and provided funding for schools and small business...

the "hundreds of thousands of death" from covid, was a small part of the excessive spending...even left leaning economists said it was either too much - would lead to inflation - or unnecessary.

Now I know you want to make this all about trump, and he played his role, but you can't excuse the Biden admin's spending as a cause of the high inflation during his term.

Ned, I know he overspent and the stimulus checks should have been more targeted. My point was that even though he spent too much, just like every other country, it was going to be expensive to get us reopened regardless. In other words, a lot of the spending was necessary, but not all of it, and I do blame him for that.

 

[baltimorened]

There’s no doubt the spending Biden and Trump did during COVID directly impacted our inflation. However, their spending directly impacted the US’ economic recovery which was I think 2nd fastest in the world behind Japan? It also showed the world that the next time something like this happens, politicians will take the slow recovery route since the massive fiscal support was a death sentence for the incumbent party due to inflation spiking.

I don't disagree with what you posted. But what you didn't say was that at least part of today's higher prices are directly attributed to the inflation created by all of the money spent during Biden's admin. Lots of folks excoriate trump because of affordability issue as somehow seem to forget how we got here. Do Trump policies play a role, absolutely: depending on where you get the data, it's estimated that cumulatively inflation was between 17 and 21% during Biden's years. So, if we wonder how prices got this high, let's not forget.

 

[baltimorened]

Ned, I know he overspent and the stimulus checks should have been more targeted. My point was that even though he spent too much, just like every other country, it was going to be expensive to get us reopened regardless. In other words, a lot of the spending was necessary, but not all of it, and I do blame him for that.

responded below before I read your message. I believe we're saying the same thing...

 

[fskillet]

I don't disagree with what you posted. But what you didn't say was that at least part of today's higher prices are directly attributed to the inflation created by all of the money spent during Biden's admin. Lots of folks excoriate trump because of affordability issue as somehow seem to forget how we got here. Do Trump policies play a role, absolutely: depending on where you get the data, it's estimated that cumulatively inflation was between 17 and 21% during Biden's years. So, if we wonder how prices got this high, let's not forget.

I literally said it was because of spending in both administrations. Biden's stimulus definitely impacted US inflation, but at the time it was the short term fix to get the economy back on track - and you can't argue that it didn't work. What people repeatedly fail to mention is, after that peak in 2022, inflation dropped back down to ~3-4% in 2023, and ~3% by the end of 2024.

 

[baltimorened]

I literally said it was because of spending in both administrations. Biden's stimulus definitely impacted US inflation, but at the time it was the short term fix to get the economy back on track - and you can't argue that it didn't work. What people repeatedly fail to mention is, after that peak in 2022, inflation dropped back down to ~3-4% in 2023, and ~3% by the end of 2024.

again, don't disagree, but I was responding to dpic's post.

the other part of the equation, and I'm not trying to be a blame Biden guy, but what some of us don't seem to appreciate is that the cumulative inflation of the Biden years is the baseline for the "affordability" issue that all of us clamor about today.

And, of course, where we are today affordability wise is not just based on Biden years but from the "beginning of time" (might be a slight exaggeration)

 

[TigerGrowls]

I've said at least ten times that I approve of the job he's done at the border. Very sad TG. You never give me credit at all for anything.

So you will be voting republican in November to keep the border closed?

 

[dpic73]

So you will be voting republican in November to keep the border closed?

Will the border magically reopen if I don't?

 

[TigerGrowls]

Will the border magically reopen if I don't?

Answer this. Will democrats open the border if they take control?

 

[dpic73]

Answer this. Will democrats open the border if they take control?

They better not. I don't think the majority of the party would be supportive and we'll want to know in the primary how they'll approach the issue. However, I could see them opening up legal ports of entries for more legitimate asylum claims.

 

[baltimorened]

They better not. I don't think the majority of the party would be supportive and we'll want to know in the primary how they'll approach the issue. However, I could see them opening up legal ports of entries for more legitimate asylum claims.

I'm all for "legitimate asylum claims" just don't overlook the fact that we already have years of backlogs in the courts deciding if all the legitimate claims are, in fact legitimate. Right now there's still a large number of these which are disapproved

 

[TigerGrowls]

I'm all for "legitimate asylum claims" just don't overlook the fact that we already have years of backlogs in the courts deciding if all the legitimate claims are, in fact legitimate. Right now there's still a large number of these which are disapproved

@dpic73 knows that democrat leadership insists that all asylum claims are legitimate. It would end up just as it was under Biden if a democrat becomes potus guaranteed.

 

[TigerGrowls]

Harmeet Dillon is going on the warpath.

DOJ says it will enforce SCOTUS ruling in every state with racially gerrymandered districts

Soon every such congressional district in the nation will face decertification, and their states will be forced to do some kind of emergency redistricting.

I don’t know if this means Congress reps in illegal districts will be rapidly removed from office, and special elections added to November elections. No clue how they execute on the cleanup, but we should have some idea very soon when the DOJ lawsuits go out to the states.

This is biglier than big.

 

[TigerGrowls]