If you want to understand where we are at this moment in Trump’s second administration, all you have to do is look at that picture of Marco Rubio wearing a pair of oversized Florsheim shoes.
And this one: …Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who looks more like a mendacious milkmaid every day, insisted that it was “propaganda” that [we Tomahawked the girls’ school]….
Mendacious milkmaid--finally the sobriquet I have been searching for to describe Trump's mouthpiece! I am also grateful that you shared General Caine's vivid description of a moment in a flight deck sailor's life, the real nitty gritty of which Peter Hegseth hasn't a clue.
At the risk of increasing what must already be your very healthy sense of self-esteem (rightly so) Tina, I have to say that your penning (is that a word?) is just one of the very, very, few bright and witty spots of reading in our dismally asphalt grey and functionally illiterate current condition.
Exhibits 1 and 2: "an inescapable escape room, in which we are trapped with a berserk brontosaurus", and "a mendacious milkmaid".
Oh! How far you have fallen Little Marco. When it’s all said and done, he will take not only take your soul, your self respect but demand you return your oversized shoes. 👞 👞
Talk about a war of choice. We are now joined at the hip with Netanyahu. Both Trump and Netanyahu need a war, for Trump to distract from Epstein and Netanyahu knows once war/conflict is over the handcuffs are coming on for so many past illegalities. These bozos think Iran is like Venezuela. The ignorance and lack of effort is astounding. The Iranian mullahs are true believers in a perverted religion, whereas Mauduro and his "adoring" wife are just thieves who love money, power and exercising cruelty on their people. Israel's reputation is deservedly in tatters due to Gaza and now our reputation is the same. Netanyahu is still violating the Gaza agreement with no consequences. Will "Maga" wake up? I doubt it. Where is the Democratic voice to point all of this out to the public in a charismatic and competent way? Let's face it, not hard to point out. The endless mixed messaging, Hegseth's ignorant machoism. I feel sorry for the Gulf States, they have done a magnificent job opening up their societies, building spectacular infrastructure, attracting business, embracing green tech and on and on. And Orange Jesus with his band of White House thugs pulls a stunt like this. And it is a stunt. To the administration it is just a video game. Another example among hundreds of shameless and dangerous behavior. As a reporter recently described it, the new axis of evil is Trump and Netanyahu. I say thank God for reporters!
In a reader comment at the WSJ on an article about brand new tariffs Trump is planning to substitute for the ones SCOTUS struck down, one guy said his business had lost over a million dollars on tariffs.
Last week I had quoted a line from Country Joe and the Fish's anti Vietnam War song; the one that was made famous at Woodstock. He died on March 7th. There's a kind of poignancy to that, like he took one look at this latest foray into hubris and said "not me, I'm outta here. open up those pearly gates".
Trump famously does not drink alcohol. Instead, his intoxicant of choice is power, and he is now in the throes of an epically furious bender with his war against Iran. We all know that his hubris will be followed by a nemesis he cannot defeat. Will this misadventure lead to his downfall? We can only hope.
He drinks cases of Diet Coke. Now we know the truth of "Coca Cola and the shiny penny": all of that fizz has burned his brain so that it resembles Wisconsin cheese.
I’ve no interested in Karoline and business shoes (-Trump is a shoe size savant ?). I am more concerned with Iran seemingly growing quiet. Yes we have all the power . Destroying by air and sea. Remember? Waking a sleeping giant ? The Iranians are very well educated people and millions are not praising America for our attempts to “free the people.” Houston we have a problem….
I do think personal negative comments about physical appearances and personalities within Trump’s band are banal . All need to focus on Trump “war” in Iran and our democracy.
There is a guy who is a macho-motorcycle-man, veteran, with a f+++ trump flag on his cycle, who rides around in red districts. When challenged, he asks if the people he encounters if they voted for trump. If they hedge or sheepishly admit it, he says -you are a piece of shit who voted for a pedo and for torturing immigrants, etc., etc.' which stuns them into silence, not expecting liberals to push back. Going high is just damn dumb. the other team has NEVER played by the rules of comity.
"Karoline Leavitt, who looks more like a mendacious milkmaid every day."
Love it when you use the light touch! Yeah, the milkmaid who likes to roll in the hay with daddy, my apologies, her husband.
As many a hellion has commented in your earlier missives, Wag the Dog. Clinton did it when things were getting too close for comfort with Monica Lewinsky. Decades later Trump is doing the same in trying to distract everyone from the information released that a 13-year-old perform fellatio on his Schwanstucker, and the records of the FBI interviews with that young girl have gone missing.
Not to mention how conveniently the FBI under his last administration bungled the 2019 warrant to keep the goods collected from Epstein's safe in their possession. That didn't happen. Now we know two of Epstein's financial fixers made off of the booty from that safe.
No wonder late night comedians have been so angry with this guy for the last 11 years; they could never conjure up material like this in their wildest dreams.
$149 sounds very cheapskate for a decent pair of shoes - Church’s Oxford brogues are now circa $1000. But then again they aren’t Made in (Great) America (but neither are Florsheim products which are manufactured in Cambodia, China, India, Mexico and the Dominican Republic). 🤣
Oh, Tina Brown, this column is wonderful (it will be long known as the Florsheim shoe column). In contrast to the sleepy articles that the NYT presents us every morning. Thank you so much, Christine Stansell, NYC
“But it’s only MS NOW hosts who think Trump is in a panic about his underwater polling.” Just when I thought I was alone in noticing the delusional thinking on that show. I keep hoping they’ll invite you on as a guest just to burst Joe’s bubble.
"we are trapped with a berserk brontosaurus peddling vehement ignorance"
Oh Tina, we have to take our laughs where we can get them...
And this one: …Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who looks more like a mendacious milkmaid every day, insisted that it was “propaganda” that [we Tomahawked the girls’ school]….
‘A brontosaurus in a china shop’ is an image now lodged firmly in my mind…
And best of all, the Corporate owner of Florsheim is currently suing the shit out of Trump and his administration for his illegal tariffs.
https://lionelatwill.substack.com/p/hey-bob-how-are-you-doing?r=24gsex&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
So quiet in the War Room, you could hear the shoe drop.
The Florsheim company is suing over the tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/company-behind-one-trumps-oft-204155595.html
Mendacious milkmaid--finally the sobriquet I have been searching for to describe Trump's mouthpiece! I am also grateful that you shared General Caine's vivid description of a moment in a flight deck sailor's life, the real nitty gritty of which Peter Hegseth hasn't a clue.
Milkmaid with a cross always prominently worn around her neck.
At the risk of increasing what must already be your very healthy sense of self-esteem (rightly so) Tina, I have to say that your penning (is that a word?) is just one of the very, very, few bright and witty spots of reading in our dismally asphalt grey and functionally illiterate current condition.
Exhibits 1 and 2: "an inescapable escape room, in which we are trapped with a berserk brontosaurus", and "a mendacious milkmaid".
And don’t forget “bespoke bullshit”!
Oh! How far you have fallen Little Marco. When it’s all said and done, he will take not only take your soul, your self respect but demand you return your oversized shoes. 👞 👞
That photo of Marco is hilarious!
Hope he gets the worst blisters!
Don't piss off our next president LOL- (JD Vance would be worse!)
The end is nigh!
Talk about a war of choice. We are now joined at the hip with Netanyahu. Both Trump and Netanyahu need a war, for Trump to distract from Epstein and Netanyahu knows once war/conflict is over the handcuffs are coming on for so many past illegalities. These bozos think Iran is like Venezuela. The ignorance and lack of effort is astounding. The Iranian mullahs are true believers in a perverted religion, whereas Mauduro and his "adoring" wife are just thieves who love money, power and exercising cruelty on their people. Israel's reputation is deservedly in tatters due to Gaza and now our reputation is the same. Netanyahu is still violating the Gaza agreement with no consequences. Will "Maga" wake up? I doubt it. Where is the Democratic voice to point all of this out to the public in a charismatic and competent way? Let's face it, not hard to point out. The endless mixed messaging, Hegseth's ignorant machoism. I feel sorry for the Gulf States, they have done a magnificent job opening up their societies, building spectacular infrastructure, attracting business, embracing green tech and on and on. And Orange Jesus with his band of White House thugs pulls a stunt like this. And it is a stunt. To the administration it is just a video game. Another example among hundreds of shameless and dangerous behavior. As a reporter recently described it, the new axis of evil is Trump and Netanyahu. I say thank God for reporters!
Some Trump voters have had it.
In a reader comment at the WSJ on an article about brand new tariffs Trump is planning to substitute for the ones SCOTUS struck down, one guy said his business had lost over a million dollars on tariffs.
He’s not voting R in November.
Last week I had quoted a line from Country Joe and the Fish's anti Vietnam War song; the one that was made famous at Woodstock. He died on March 7th. There's a kind of poignancy to that, like he took one look at this latest foray into hubris and said "not me, I'm outta here. open up those pearly gates".
Trump famously does not drink alcohol. Instead, his intoxicant of choice is power, and he is now in the throes of an epically furious bender with his war against Iran. We all know that his hubris will be followed by a nemesis he cannot defeat. Will this misadventure lead to his downfall? We can only hope.
He drinks cases of Diet Coke. Now we know the truth of "Coca Cola and the shiny penny": all of that fizz has burned his brain so that it resembles Wisconsin cheese.
I’ve no interested in Karoline and business shoes (-Trump is a shoe size savant ?). I am more concerned with Iran seemingly growing quiet. Yes we have all the power . Destroying by air and sea. Remember? Waking a sleeping giant ? The Iranians are very well educated people and millions are not praising America for our attempts to “free the people.” Houston we have a problem….
I do think personal negative comments about physical appearances and personalities within Trump’s band are banal . All need to focus on Trump “war” in Iran and our democracy.
There is a guy who is a macho-motorcycle-man, veteran, with a f+++ trump flag on his cycle, who rides around in red districts. When challenged, he asks if the people he encounters if they voted for trump. If they hedge or sheepishly admit it, he says -you are a piece of shit who voted for a pedo and for torturing immigrants, etc., etc.' which stuns them into silence, not expecting liberals to push back. Going high is just damn dumb. the other team has NEVER played by the rules of comity.
Dear T,
Great perspective, "America's work."
"Karoline Leavitt, who looks more like a mendacious milkmaid every day."
Love it when you use the light touch! Yeah, the milkmaid who likes to roll in the hay with daddy, my apologies, her husband.
As many a hellion has commented in your earlier missives, Wag the Dog. Clinton did it when things were getting too close for comfort with Monica Lewinsky. Decades later Trump is doing the same in trying to distract everyone from the information released that a 13-year-old perform fellatio on his Schwanstucker, and the records of the FBI interviews with that young girl have gone missing.
Not to mention how conveniently the FBI under his last administration bungled the 2019 warrant to keep the goods collected from Epstein's safe in their possession. That didn't happen. Now we know two of Epstein's financial fixers made off of the booty from that safe.
No wonder late night comedians have been so angry with this guy for the last 11 years; they could never conjure up material like this in their wildest dreams.
$149 sounds very cheapskate for a decent pair of shoes - Church’s Oxford brogues are now circa $1000. But then again they aren’t Made in (Great) America (but neither are Florsheim products which are manufactured in Cambodia, China, India, Mexico and the Dominican Republic). 🤣
Mendacious milkmaid!!
I heart you, Tina.
"We are in Uganda’s Idi Amin territory now."
I fear you are, once again, 100 percent spot on.
I LOVE your writing Tina - it’s such a tonic in these dark times
Oh, Tina Brown, this column is wonderful (it will be long known as the Florsheim shoe column). In contrast to the sleepy articles that the NYT presents us every morning. Thank you so much, Christine Stansell, NYC
“But it’s only MS NOW hosts who think Trump is in a panic about his underwater polling.” Just when I thought I was alone in noticing the delusional thinking on that show. I keep hoping they’ll invite you on as a guest just to burst Joe’s bubble.