Donald Trump has met Emmanuel Macron and his hot-for-teacher wife Brigitte Macron before. They all met at the G8 conference however long ago (it feels like ten lifetimes ago). When Macron and Trump met for the first time, Macron crushed the Baby Fist and it was amazing. At the time, too much was happening to actually acknowledge the fact that we didn’t hear any stories about Trump saying anything inappropriate, gross, misogynistic, ageist or appalling to or about Brigitte Macron. Brigitte is, after all, 25 years older than her husband. She’s 64 years old, well past her “trade-in” age for a Trump man. Thankfully, we’ll always have Paris.
On Thursday, the Trumps arrived in Paris (despite what his imaginary friend Jim said) ahead of Bastille Day (which is today) and they were given the standard red carpet treatment at the Élysée Palace. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron happily greeted Melania and Baby Fists, which is where Bigly did his patented grab-and-jerk-and-shake with Brigitte’s hand. But the worst part was when he made a comment about Brigitte being “in good shape.” Watch:
“You’re in such great shape,” Bigly said to the piece of meat with astonishment. He turns to the meat’s husband and owner. “Beautiful,” he says of his friend’s property. What’s really painful is that Trump was actually trying to be “charming.” He was trying to compliment the First Lady of France by objectifying her with an ageist side-eye.
Here’s the awkward kiss and handshake with Brigitte and Bigly:
See Trump’s awkward handshake with French First Lady Brigitte Macron as he tells her ‘you’re in such good shape’ https://t.co/HUkgbffYLO pic.twitter.com/arAX2kRPsC
— People Magazine (@people) July 13, 2017
Of course I’m not a Bigly Apologist, but I feel like this “handshake” is the lesser controversy. Leaders and diplomats have awkward handshakes/hugs/kisses all the time. I actually don’t think Bigly was trying to, like, authoritatively jerk Brigitte’s hand. I think he just didn’t know where to put his hands or how best to greet her. Probably because he’s not used to A) kissing a woman that old and B) warmly greeting a woman and not following up the greeting with some kind of sexual assault. Donald Trump gives new meaning to the concept of The Ugly American Abroad.
Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News and Backgrid.
Yea what an embarrassment.
Although I still am skeeved out by Macron relationship with his wife but what do I know
Had a teacher at the school I taught at who had one of his students babysit his children. A few years after she graduated, he married her. It was not accepted very well. So that doesn’t surprise me.
So he groomed her to be the new wife. Gross
@Nicole, I agree it was not okay and at the time wondered what he was thinking by doing that.
I don’t know if people like that do think. I can’t imagine why you would want to be with a child
At least Trump didn’t say that.
Yep, Brigitte and trump are both creeps. Trump’s comments are still embarrassing.
Creeps who are in very poweful positions… urgh..this planet. Wrong.
COMPLETELY agree. Trump is being reprehensible scum as usual-there is no rock bottom anymore. But I also have some clear issues with Brigitte. She groomed, stood-up and took ownership of Macron since he was under 15 years old. I’ve seen pictures from them back when she was his drama teacher and she is a middle-aged woman even then and none of this is by any means ok. Macron never had a change to grow up as an individual, only alongside this woman. They may “love” each other now, but Brigitte grabbed on when he was a kid and has never let go since.
I am sorry France. We hate him too.
But why did Macron even invite him? I’m sure it was for some political gain but what? This man actively advanced Marie LePenns campaign. He has spoken disparagingly of France and mocked them after terrorist attacks. He backed off the Paris climate treaty, destroying one of Frances greatest accomplishments on the global stage since probably before WW2. We all know he will continue to kiss up to Russia no matter what. Even if there was no collusion (there was!), Putin could end his presidency and his freedom with one TV interview. Plus theres no domestic gain for Macron since Trump appeals only to those who would never ever vote Center Left anyway. So the F did Macron give him this photo op???
What’s the old saying: Keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer. Think he is smart in doing this. It was also reported that Trump wasn’t going to go until he found out there was to be a “bigly” military parade. We all know how Trump loves those type of things.
Flattery gets you everywhere with Trump, and Macron knows this. he has the chance to paint himself as a “true” ally to Trump. By becoming his friend, he thinks he can bridge the gap between the EU and the States. Not a bad move, I just hope it doesn’t backfire. though I would hope that they wouldn’t do this, and it will just make Trump enjoy the presidency a bit more, they’re trying to help the world at the expense of Americans, if that makes sense.
I think what Macron is doing is pretty transparent.
I think it’s hilarious how Brigitte keeps trying to step back away from him.
I agree with swak, keep your enemies closer. Macron has made it clear how he feels. Trudeau of Canada has also given Trump the impression of being besties, while his team does an end-run around him on trade. People do what they have to do. Poor Brigitte, she should have hit him with her shoe.
Again, I really don’t think any of us should be disparaging towards Macron for this. Regardless of how we all feel about Trump, we NEED this relationship with France, they are one of our most important allies. Plus if Macron can influence Trump even a little bit in terms of re-joining Paris Accord then that’s a good thing.
Macron is very smart. Trump is so vain he just wants to be loved. He doesn’t actually have many ideas about foreign policy much of it comes from bannon. So there’s room for someone to step in and lead him a little on stuff like Paris agreement for instance
Also there’s the fact that the Uk has weak leadership and Brexit. Macron wants to fill that void and strengthen the EU.
Macron pulled an alpha male move of forcing Trump (who is a homebody) to leave his country and make another visit to Europe. It was along the lines of the handshake and Macron’s “make our Planet great again speech”. I don’t think he expected Trump to accept. Now that he got him, Macron flattered him enough that the next time he sees Trump, he will go for the kill and get him back on the Paris Accords.
Trump likes strongmen AND he is vulnerable to flattery. Macron is using both tactiles. Like a gangster!
I think the Europeans have been talking together and figured out that Trump loves flattery and pageantry and will flip from foe to friend in an instant if he imagines you like him. Macron may be the one delegated to test the theory, since Bastille Day was coming up and Trump loves military parades (he was so disappointed when he couldn’t have tanks at his own inauguration). So it was easy to make him think it all was for him….
Macron’s secret mission might be to try to plant positive thoughts about NATO and the Paris Accord in Trump’s alleged brain. The problem is that as soon as Trump is home, others will counteract the programming. So he will most likely just flip flop between positive and negative thoughts depending on who talks to him last. But it’s nice that the Europeans are giving it a try.
I think Merkel & Macron are playing “good cop, bad cop”. Merkel will never get anywhere with him – she is intelligent, powerful and not trying to be sexy – Bigly has no idea how to deal with that.
In my opinion, we should send him back to the U.S. with a note attached to his suit: “Dear American People, please send us someone who is actually sane, intelligent and educated. Sincerely, The Rest of The World.”
Ramona, Trump was invited because he is the current US president. What I mean by that is that the US armed forces were invited for the 100th anniversary of the US entry into WW1 to lead the parade and unfortunately he happens to be president so they had to invite him. These things are decided several years in advance so unfortunately it came down to Trump could have been Obama if the US had joined WW1 in 1915.
That this old fart moron thought it was even remotely appropriate to talk about the shape a woman is in, and that she is beautiful at a business or diplomatic meeting shows what a gross, out of touch, misogynistic, sexist old windbag traitor he is.
Ugh. Hurry up, Bob Mueller!
Yes, JWOOLMAN, I think you’re spot on. I think this buddy act is definitely a “take it for the team” strategy that the top EU leaders came up with, for lack of any better options.
And poor Brigitte. It must suck to be objectified in front of the entire world like that. 45 is just…beyond words!
And you know Trump was just seconds away from saying “You’re in such great shape…for such an old broad. I might even grab you.” I’m surprised he was able to stop himself.
I actually think he was also jabbing at Melania, who has gained weight since the inauguration. He’s the kind of husband who would point out the women who are in better shape, especially a woman who is older, ringer under Melanias skin.
@Embee
Has she really? I think she looks great, to be fair. But if that is the case, I hope she puts on all the weight, enjoys pancakes, and gains 50b lbs. Whatever lets her keep Trumps hands off.
Oh, gosh, I didn’t mean that her weight gain was unattractive at all! I think she looks lovely at this size but I just see the difference and can imagine that to her husband any weight gain is bad.
Is it so hard to say “nice to meet you” and leave it like that?
Something Nice: I like Mel’s suit and Brigitte’s Dress.
Donald Trump has an American macho style of complimenting women. Somehow he thinks he is a Casanova. Deep in his heart, he is like an old-fashioned construction worker who would whistle at women passing by the construction site and even say lascivious compliments to them in the belief that women actually want men to look at them as sexual objects. So Kaiser is right, Donald Trump thought he was actually being charming with his lustful remarks toward the first French Lady. Sad.
This! Trump has a 1950’s mentality when men were men, women were women and people of color “knew their place.” It’s so gross, so offensive, and so awful for the entire world.
Exactly. I am so fed up with the internet. “It’s just a compliment you libralz.” It’s not a compliment. It’s about asserting control.
In his mind, Donald Trump is another member of the Rat Pack.
Meanwhile, HOW many Russians were in the room with Manafort, Kushner, Junior?
Are we going to get a remake of The Third Man?
Trump’s a New York Real Estate guy–that’s like one small step above the mob in this town–plenty of $$$, but no class or manners at all. Seriously-for all of these mooks–change a few life facts and they’re loan sharking out of a candy store.
Somehow, I suspect that decades ago Trump read a few men’s magazine articles about “how to score points with women by complimenting them and making them feel good about themselves”, and he is still heeding that archaic advice. He has no idea how outdated and sexist he is, he’s still operating in “Mad Men” style.
Well, we assume he hasn’t read anything in years, so it really may have been the 1950s when he brushed up on his flattery tactics.
Exactly. Trump thinks he still looks like the floor-to-ceiling Robert Redford-esque portrait of himself hanging in Trump Tower. Thing is, he was a squinty-eyed lipless wonder when that “artwork” was painted (nothing like Redford), and now he’s a bald fat old version of that guy. Still, he thinks of himself as a perennial ladykiller. In his mind, Madame Macron was thrilled by his “compliments.” That poor woman, having to smile at him. Ugh.
He’s like the creepy, sleazy uncle at the Christmas gathering that everyone tries to avoid. Apart from every other repugnant thing about trump, he’s a complete tool.
The last photo is kind of weird. Melania looks matronly and Brigitti looks like a child wearing her mother’s heels.
Melania looks like a Soviet Women’s Prison Matron, and Brigitte is cosplayings as a Naughty Nurse 😂
The accuracy of this comment caused me to spontaneously burst into laughter, so thanks, Imqrious2!
Ha ha ha ha Laughing so hard
That photo also caught my attention. I feel like it represents one aspect of our world, in a way. Two unmoving women placed in the background as helpless spectators, staring mutely at the blur of two men in powerful, active motion–men who control the destiny of these women and millions of others.
Brigitte looks very very FRENCH to me. She reminds me so much of my mom and a bit of a my mom’s best friend.
“Brigitte looks very very FRENCH to me.”
Ditto! Those legs are a thing of envy! She looks like the classic elegant ageless French woman to me. Melania looks like an angry James Bond female villain shooting daggers of hate at Trump. LOL.
It looks like thy forgot to reprogram the fembots.
I can’t say I blame her.
Amd Melania is trying to do a Michelle O by putting her hand on Brigitt’s back like Michelle would warmly do often.
At least Melania is smart enough to have a good role model.
There is evidence that Melania is actually a kind person, despite what she may say to go along with her vile husband. I still think we will never know what she really thinks about things until Donald is safely dead and her son’s inheritance is safely locked in. Regardless, people can be genuinely nice to individuals despite the most awful thinking about general issues. What they think about a group doesn’t always transfer to what they think about someone actually in front of them as a real person. I saw this repeatedly in my mother.
They knew what they were getting when they invited him..
Ok yes he’s gross, but she’s also a sexual offender in my eyes, or at least moderately messed up to pursue any type of relationship with a teen. BUT, I did feel sorry for her. You could see she was trying to position herself behind Melania. And Melania obliged and put her hand on her back like she knew this woman was uncomfortable. Ugh these people. Sorry world!
Question; when did the relationship begin and what do FRANCES age of consent laws say? Because there is a big difference between a figure of authority exploiting that position versus sleeping with an underage person. There are levels to grossness afterall and the first act isnt always illegal. Maybe someone can clarify which it was.
He was under 18 at the beginning of their relation. As she was her teacher she is considered a figure of authority and since he was under 18 years and over 15 years she could have been sentenced to three years in prison so yes it’s was ans it’s still illegal It’s the same level as Woody Allen and his wife for me. So trump can’t be rude for me I will refuse to talk or be in the same room as a sex offender
France’s age of consent is 15, they meet when he was 15 and in class with her daughter. Brigitte was married at the time. She was divorced much later on and they married in 2007. As for the rights of children and an authority figure, I am still reading through what I have found. Icky, but so far, nothing says illegal. If I find differently, I’ll post again, or maybe we have some lovely French commenters who could enlighten us.
Never mind, there we go. Thanks FrenchyFrench.
Edited to add, here is the bit from the penal code in France:
“The consensual relationship between a person full of age and a minor over 15 years will prohibit if the person full of age is a person of authority (art. 227-27 Penal Code).”
(Btw, reading a penal code first thing in the morning with little coffee on board is not highly recommended. Just a note.)
Thanks Frenchy and Eden! Great research there Eden75, methinks you are doing much better than most of us even without the coffee. So it was illegal and his parents were sufficiently concerned to move him. I wonder why charges werent charges pursued then.
Doesn’t whether they were having sex figure into it? It may have been a major problem for her to get involved with him emotionally, but if the law was about the “age of consent,” that’s consent to sex, not emotional involvement.
Not condoning what happened.
In France as in most European countries “sexual relationship” doesn’t only mean intercourse. Other forms of sexual intimacy (and if a judge is strict that can mean kissing) are limited to the age of sexual consent as well.
Oh come on. They’ve been married 20 years. The relationship clearly works. She’s not a child predator. She was his after school drama teacher, not his formal school teacher, and they didn’t get married until he was 29. The initial attraction was undoubtably intellectual not physical.
Yes, it’s unusual. But I’m not judging them.
As far as I know, HE was the driving force behind the relationship, not her. It took him a very long time to convince her – this man is anything but a victim. After his parents sent him to school in Paris to seperate them when he was 17, he said to her: “Whatever you do, you cannot get rid of me – I will come back and marry you.”
Other than Prince Charles, he had the courage to fight for the woman of his dreams. I think this is incredibly romantic – Jane Austen worthy.
I’m not sure she did anything wrong. It seems as though he was strongly attracted to her and even told her (a married teacher!) when he was 17 that he was going to marry her someday. His parents may have considered it a crush that was getting out of hand and so took steps to finish his education elsewhere. She has said he was unusually mature for his years and she obviously admired his intelligence, but no real sign of “grooming” him. She might not actually have responded to his feelings while he was a teen and her student in an inappropriate manner. It’s possible that the affair started much later when he was clearly an adult, apparently while she was still married so that’s not a good thing if so.
Yes, Amelia, the women’s body language was blatantly “Help me, Melania”, and “It’s okay, I’ll protect you, I’m sorry.”
“Oh come on. They’ve been married 20 years. The relationship clearly works.” It was the same for Celine Dion and her husband Rene. She was 12 when she met her 26-years-older husband to be. They were happy, too.
Guessing that Trump Corp was not keeping up with the EEOA’s mandatory annual trainings on sexual harassment in the workplace. Grossly inappropriate and disrespectful. He is such a pig.
Brigitte looks tiny compared to Melania. Anyone know their heights?
Off the top of my head Melania is 5’10.886 and Brigitte is 5’6.142
lol
Melania is around 5’11…
I would guess she’s more like 5’2″. French women are generally much smaller than average and from my experience, French PEOPLE are smaller than Americans for sure.
My mom said that was one of the strangest things for her to get used to when she first moved to the US: how effin BIG everyone is.
According to the charts, the US is, on average, an inch to two inches taller. Melania is exceptionally tall for a woman and Brigitte is smaller than the French average of almost 5’4″.
Since I live on this side of the pond, I’m thinking that maybe I should wonder over the European way and see if I fit in over there better. I lie and say I’m 5’2″. Yeah, you know you’re short when 5’2″ is your lying height. Still taller than my one kid though. She is full grown and finished at a whopping 4′ 11.75″. Ha, take that kid.
That is so true. It is hard for me to find bottoms that don’t look stupid in France and I always feel like a giant. American women have a hard time shopping in France and Italy. Shoes aren’t always easy either.
Lol Eden. Tiny. I wished so hard to stop growing. I was already awkward but then when you are tall it just makes it worse. And then if you are tall and scrawny forget it. I thought people were nicer to the petite girls.
I’ve been to few countries in the former Yugoslavia and people there are really really tall. So Melania isn’t that exceptionally tall for that part of the world.
I was a thin teen and loved finding Italian and French sample sizes in my American department store. And if I could afford to travel and shop there, I would probably do so well – no more tailoring! China is another great place for small women to find clothes – though there, we take a size L or XL!
Oh, man reading this makes me convinced I really should pack my bags up and head west then. My lying height is 5ft10, but I’m actually a smudge over 6ft1. Getting clothing that fits is a nightmare. Plus cute shoes are tough to find. *starts packing*
I’m 5’4″ and live in Stockholm and it’s not my ideal place to shop for clothes, everything tends to be too big or too “tall”. France however is perfect for me. I even look like them and blend right in. But my closest friend, who actually lives there, is 6’1″ and it’s impossible for her to find anything that fits. Italy is a little better. In general, the Dutch are usually the tallest and biggest, not fat but statuesque and imposing. So big differences between European countries 🙂
I’m also 4’11”, and I love being short, except for the constant hemming of pants and the asinine “jokes” tall people sometimes still make. My older sister is shorter than me.
I had to search every store in Kuala Lumpur, where women tend to be petite, to get a pair of panties big enough to fit my (large-ish but not enormous) frame, and found it in the “Water Buffalo” section…
Annakist- i’m 5’0 and love being short too! I honestly wouldn’t want to be any taller. I don’t get jokes from taller people too often, maybe from really tall guys who would’ve made a stupid joke about something anyway, and the height is an easy target to make them feel funny and “charming.” The most recent comment on my height that I can remember was a few months ago. My brothers friend who was probably around 6’6 met me and said, “holy shit! How tall are you?” It was actually really funny.
For once I would have loved it if Brigette used the famous French bluntness and replied back saying: you look fat and may not have the stamina to handle these meetings…
When my mom was in a nursing home that was the type of “handshake” you would give to get her attention (she had dementia and alzheimer’s). I may not be explaining this really well. Why not just a normal handshake? Maybe he’s afraid she will show him up like her husband did last time. And of course he said something about the way she looks. And does anyone not worry that he has an imaginary friend at his age?
Trump is stuck in the ’80s and still working on his power handshakes after watching a couple of shows about body language and interpersonal power trips. He probably picked up “The Naked Ape” hoping for nudies and got into the dominance displays instead.
What was the point of him saying something like that? A simple ” Lovely to meet you ” would have been sufficient I would think.
Also has anyone noticed Melania seems to be looking angrier in photos since she moved to Washington ? She has always had a stern look about her in photos, but lately she just looks like one more handhold with trump and she will tell him to go f**k himself. Lots of tension there
The point him saying like that was, he’s a pervert. We all remember p$$y gate.
On real news this morning.yahoo.com: Republican donor kills himself after talking about working with Russian hackers to get Hillary clinton’s email. Lots of breaking news this morning.
Yes! I heard that story about Peter Smith last night on Rachel. There had been a lot of speculation about how he had died as when he gave the interview admitting he was working with the Russians he was supposedly in good health and spirits. Definitely a story to keep an eye on.
He was old and was found in a hotel room near the Mayo Clinic, where he’d been for consultation. So we shouldn’t speculate other than to assume he was unwell or had been given a bad diagnosis. The facts will surely come out.
Honestly, I think Trump is likely confounded and secretly disgusted by the age difference between Macron and his wife. I assume he’s so used to seeing old men with young women that this role reversal just confuses the f*ck out of him.
In short, I think he complimented her figure because he could never say that an older woman is beautiful because well, she’s “old” and in his eyes “old” women are not attractive.
The ironic thing is that isn’t there a similar age difference between trump and Melania? Frankly I can’t see anyone complementing him on his figure. I have seen and met men his age who were in much better shape. Also with better manners too!!
To be fair, most men have better manners than that buffoon.
@RBC – 24 years, so practically same difference. He’s 71, she’s 47.
I thought the same about Melania. I think she is making sure her honey bunny back home knows she is miserable with bloated Tangerine and she locks her bedroom door at night. She is also thinking she was almost free until this freaking election. Damn you Putin.
His remark was so condescending like he was complimenting his date’s mother. She should have said I must compliment you too. You can still talk in a full body girdle and spanx at the age of 84. Remarkable.
😅😅😅👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Universe bloody save us. I am so sorry that you all have to die a little inside every time this idiot opens his mouth/appears in public/gets his phone back off his minders and opens Twitter.
Thank you, Sixer .
Honestly, I can’t believe how every time I think he’s hit a new low, he sinks down further. And it’s only been SIX MONTHS!
I am discovering today elsewhere how impossible it is to argue with Trumpsters. There’s a really sad court case involving a terminally ill baby, Charlie Gard, and I’m trying to explain that, controversial as the case is, it has nothing whatsoever to do with “socialised medicine” or “death panels” or cost of treatment, but everything to do with the way UK law balances child and parental rights. I mean, there’s an argument to be had over this case, however tasteless that might be – it’s just not the one they are making from their own ignorance and prejudice.
These people have cloth ears, they really do. Absolutely deaf to anything that contradicts their own fallacious preconceptions.
I should step away from the keyboard really but I’m so infuriated I can’t make myself do it!
i have been following that case a bit. It’s a horrible scenario all around. I feel for the parents, but I also see how you can try to pin your hope on any doctor promising you a solution, how vague and baseless it might be.
And at the end of the day all they do is prolong their kids suffering. But then again I am not a parent. Round and around I go in my mind. I would not want to have to decide this.
Exactly. And it’s been unhappily politicised. This case isn’t about rationing medicine or cost of treatment. Neither is it a case of the UK state against the parents – an independent guardian (advocate) for the child was appointed when the parents conflicted with the doctors and the case is the guardian, as a proxy for the child, against the parents. It’s about the right of a child (who cannot give consent) to be protected from suffering balanced against the likelihood of a good outcome from further treatment. Had the guardian reviewed everything and agreed with the parents, the child would be on his way right now.
Some might say that the parents should be the sole arbiter of this but that’s not how UK law sees it.
It’s sad and heartbreaking enough, without awful people weaponising it to fit partisan politics.
I’ve been following this case closely. I feel so deeply for Charlie’s parents, and would do anything for my child, fight to the death for them.
But, as stupid as this seems, I remember what Arizona Robbins said to Alex Karev, that being in Peds is about advocating for the child, because they can’t themselves. Even an older child, how often can they disagree with their parents and advocate for themselves, especially with medical issues in play? They can’t, so they rely on doctors to help and sometimes, protect them from their parents. Sad as that is.
This poor baby, he’ll never know how he is being used as a pawn in a political game (trump, not his parents).
As for others, Americans I guess, saying that this is a HUGE issue with universal healthcare, the fact remains that ANY doctor is obligated to report any suspected abuse to authorities, and those authorities have the right to remove any child if deemed necessary. So all this baloney about this would never happen in the US, of course it would. If doctors prove that any course of treatment is detrimental to the child and it lands in an abuse of their (the child’s) rights, then yes, they will step in. Naive to think otherwise. Children are protected from even their parents.
There is no right or wrong here. Charlie’s parents are not wrong to want to try absolutely everything. The doctors and gov’t are not wrong to want to protect him.
Most of the coverage of the case here in the US seems to miss the point entirely. What little I’ve seen does imply that your universal health care system is what is preventing Charlie from undergoing further medical care here in the States. I’ve only seen one news broadcast that captured the nuance of what is going on.
My sister and I reemed my cousin’s wife out on Facebook over that case. She and her sister were ripping the NHS and going on about how this would never happen here and my sister, a Medicaid policy manager, flat out said that if the baby were in the US and not living near a major pediatric hospital and in a state with a generous Medicaid program, he probably would have been dead months ago. This sad case is not an issue of health care systems, it is one of medical ethics in end of life decisions. First, do no harm. Anyone of us who has experienced surgery, chemo, radiation knows those things can and do cause harm. There is no hope of recovery for this poor baby. He should not be used for experiments. He should be made as comfortable as possible while nature takes him. My cousin’s daughter-in-law, whose daughter suffers a disabling deadly condition with a very short life expectancy, which she is bumping up against, called us to thank us afterwards. She knows the day is coming when she and her husband will have to agree to withhold care and let their daughter go.
jetlagged – I have fallen down a real rabbit hole with Trumpster Americans today with all this! It’s driving me up the wall.
Cost vs likely benefit DOES come into it in the NHS. For example, it wouldn’t fund a drug treatment costing £100k if the benefit was a median 6 weeks of extra life, but it would if the drug cost £1k or the median extra life was several years. We have a body, NICE, which makes these decisions. Once NICE has approved a treatment, it’s available to all. This is what the Trumpsters consider to be a death panel. But of course, if you have £100k, you can buy your six weeks. Not nice, but no different to an insurance panel.
But this is nothing to do with the case of this small child. It’s not about what the NHS will or won’t pay for. It’s about whether the parents have the right to make their child suffer for what is a Hail Mary experimental treatment or not – whichever health service provides the treatment and whomever is paying for it. If there was a good chance of success and the hospital – which is our best centre for paediatric care in the whole country – had the expertise, the child would get the treatment no matter the cost.
lightpurple – exactly.
As far as cost issues, putting a baby in a NICU for a night is one of the most expensive medical treatments. When states analyze their annual Medicaid costs by patients, the most expensive group, of course, is the elderly in nursing homes because they take up such a large chunk of that population but the most expensive individuals are babies needing intensive care in NICUs. The British NHS has already spent a fortune on that poor little boy so money isn’t really the issue there. Meanwhile, back here in the states, our Senate is about to vote on a bill that would allow private insurers to dump babies like Charlie while simultaneously slashing the Medicaid safety net, which means states will be denying such treatments based on costs.
Sixer – for your own sanity, I’d recommend not even trying to win the argument. It won’t happen, no matter how logical, persuasive and factually correct your points are. Our for-profit medical and insurance industries, and their Republican mouthpieces, have done a very effective job of fear-mongering and brainwashing.
So many people here conveniently gloss over the fact that our private insurance system routinely makes decisions about what it will and won’t cover based on their own cost/benefit analysis of said treatment. The overriding factor probably has little to do with quality of care and more about prohibitive cost, just don’t say that too loud around those that are in denial. We routinely hear of people holding fundraisers to try and raise enough money on their own for a treatment that their insurance company considers “experimental” and thus not covered.
In a way, our health care debate boils down to who you want making the decisions about access to treatment when you need care – the government or the private sector.
jetlagged – after several hours, I gave up. Won’t be trying that again!
American’s expect perfect results. It’s one of the things wrong with our health care system.
At least the U.K. has been given a reprieve for hosting his gloriousity. Maybe he will be retired or improsoned by 2018. Or has that already changed? It’s so hard to keep up.
Jaysus. Yet ANOTHER embarrassment on the national stage. He’s the kind of tool that sees a woman minding her own business and says “You should smile. You’d be prettier if you smiled” and then calls you a bitch if you don’t immediately comply.
I guess we (and probably she) should all be grateful that she isn’t about 25 years younger or that remark probably would have been accompanied by an ass grab or a slimy, doughy handed caress.
On a better note, Bonne Fete Nationale, celebitches!
Bonne Fete Nationale!
I’m sure the french first lady overjoyed at the Trump seal of approval
Shut up, you porky pervert.
“Porky Pervert.” LOL
Edit.
I wish I could edit everything about him
Dirty rotten sleaze bag. He’s obviously making her uncomfortable. Making surprise judgements about other peoples physique is totally inappropriate wether it’s “flattering” or not. It’s like a back handed compliment, saying really you look way better than I thought a woman would at that age… when is Trump going to just piss off??
Or when are we going to learn what got pissed ON… (pee tape reference here)
He’s a sexual predator. So is she, IMO, no matter how lovely she looks and that they’ve been married for years now.
She just can’t get a pass for her own sexual pretator behviour just because trump is now in the picture. She knowingly groomed a young man, a boy. She has some serious issues as well.
He must have thought he was in a bar.
When guys made such remarks to me out of the blue, I silently made plans to make sure they didn’t find out where I lived. Creepy and cringe-inducing, and in the workplace – a control move intended to trivialize and humiliate.
JWOOLMAN I totally agree, I’ve dealt with this behavior at a workplace that I’ve left now, had a boss surprise drive me home wanting to check out where I lived and trying to get me to drink beer with him in the car as if we were on a date . “Flattering” me all the way and making lewd nauseating comments (he was married too, the whole thing was so uncomfortable) . Jumped out at a convenient store a number of blocks away from my house because he was acting so creepy. These guys have been getting on my radar in a big way ever since, probably one of the reasons I’m so mad at Trump and his sycophantic supporters, how can they accept this sleazy racist corrupt two faced imbecile? People like him are a nightmare to work with or -god forbid – have as your boss! Now he’s the boss of America? Yeah he can piss off! ;D
I said on a thread yesterday he did this to retaliate at Macron for the handshake before when Macron dominated him. He did this on purpose. He is a predator.
I totally agree with you. Retaliation is a primary driver for him.
That’s because he has the emotional maturity of a four year old, if that.
Maybe? But I honestly don’t think he is capable of that degree of advanced planning. I imagine this has more to do with Melania then anything. He’s probably been criticizing her looks/figure ever since she moved to the White House, and he’s praising Brigitte to take a dig at his own wife.
Either way, he’s an abusive POS.
Exclusive Report: The latest from 45gate. There was a 5th person in the room for Russian Gate. No one mention this other person who is a Russian in the Room. All the lies are going to come to an head sooner than we believe.
Let me grab my coffee and catch up on the latest. Not a moments rest with this crime family in office.
Latest up date: there was a 6th person in the room. Remember when Jr was with Shawn Hannity? He put everything on the table.
Was just coming here with that update. Unbelievable. These jerks need to go down.
I’d believe it. Where did you read this?? LInk please???
NBC news and MSNBC news, right now.
This former Russian intelligence officer?
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1680594
Thanks for the link. Of course DJ Fredo can’t fathom that no one is going to just take his word for anything.
All those people there just to talk about “adoption?” These lies are coming back to haunt them like his father’s tweets have over the years
Ok I haven’t read the news yet but who leaked the 5th person? How did they find out?
The 5th came forward themselves (though NBC declined to reveal his name, he’s been ID’d). But now we’re up to at least a 6th, per latest reports.
It’s all coming out. DO NOT diss the 4th Estate.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/russian-lawyer-brought-ex-soviet-counter-intelligence-officer-trump-team-n782851
Seriously how f*cking cavalier, arrogant and downright STUPID do you have to be to alienate and condemn both the free press and the intelligence community?
This man is so used to bullying everyone and wielding his power to punish and control others without consequence but he done messed with the wrong mother*ckers this time.
I will watch it all on CNN tonight, they have a special on everynight ;Crisis in the Whitehouse’ and lets you know every knew detail thats happening, you dont need to be reading a book at the moment because this is more interesting, ha.
The lawyer doesn’t speak English. So unless Manafort could interpret (which maybe he could), there had to be someone to interpret. But the U.K. Guy who sent the e-mail said he had checked into Trump Tower and was preparing for a meeting on social media that day. Was he the fifth person?
I am not that bothered to comment but I just want to say that I love the two FL looks and appreciate the colour coordination. I can’t help it though: Drumpf you are a moron and should take some lessons in etiquette. Not sure if you understand this FRENCH WORD!
“I think he just didn’t know where to put his hands or how best to greet her.”
Yes, I agree with that, given where he normally puts his hand when near an attractive woman.
So disgusting. My husband and I have near daily conversations on how to explain all of this to our children. We were both repulsed by his statements to this woman (and, frankly, his statements to and about just about all women on the planet). We were trying to decide how to explain when giving this type of statement would be appropriate. Certainly not at first meeting and likely not even on a first or second date! So skeevy! We kind of both felt that complimenting someone’s physique in that way would almost have to come POST intimacy! It’s a very, very gross thing to say to someone you know less well than that.
He needs to stop it. He’s too old for Brigitte anyway. Oops.
No, she’s too old for him!
LMAO!
Ha, he met his own match on that topic!
Look at Melania’s clenched fists. It’s like she’s trying to keep herself from hauling off and hitting him.
LMAO. Did anyone see images of the de-planing upon arrival to Paris? He did not even try to touch her, she looked MAD ANGRY (sorry for the capital letters) and they were about a foot apart. Something is very, very wrong in their marriage. What could it be?
Being married to Donald Trump (although its her own gold digging fault).
If she finds an excuse to move back to NY for September, we’ll know the jig is up.
I hope there’s a big messy divorce. That will distract him from ruling the country! :p
In his asswipe mind, he probably was thinking “you’re in such good shape “……for someone your age
This completely.
Is there any other way to take it?
I guess his experience of aging is decrepitude, given what he sees in the mirror.
Beth, exactly thats what I was thinking.
That’s absolutely what it was. I don’t want to pit two women’s physical apparence against each other, but damn, Brigitte won best legs. Woman has some toned jams.
Is there anyone in trump’s inner circle that is not a sleazebag? This is his lawyer. Oh, and that was a rhetorical question.
http://www.propublica.org/article/marc-kasowitz-trump-lawyer-threat-emails-maddow
What is with these people that think they can spout anything out of their mouths (via email or otherwise) and then think it’s okay when they apologize later. Again, another old saying: Measure twice, cut once. Think before you say/write something, even at the end of a long day. Maybe wait to respond until the next day or don’t respond at all.
And the way he went totally psycho when the guy had written him a very benign, polite letter in the first place. Jeez.
That was a poor excuse. I’m sorry I’ve work with a lot of attorneys. They are respectful and professional. After all I believe they have a code of conduct they have to follow. My thing is where does he dig up these morons. They act like second or third tier counsel!
@holly hobby – It is a poor excuse for ANYONE! I taught for 30 years and had to be very careful how I worded things when dealing with parents – phone call or emails. Now I deal with managers and coaches for softball/baseball and there are times I have to back off answering an email as it hits a nerve. I back off and wait to answer and then when I answer I read my response two and three times before I send it. Sometimes I wait until the next day and reread it before I send. He’s a supposed professional and should know better.
BTW – LOVE your name. I stitched two pillow cases (a LONG, LONG time ago) with Holly Hobby. Think I’m showing my age.
I swear a lot and since Trump became president, I get angry very easily, but I’m not his lawyer. The lawyer of the POTUS should be a person who doesn’t snap and swear at someone who doesn’t agree with him. He’s almost as rude and nasty as Trump
Truly I hope he gets disciplined by the NY Bar. That is unacceptable for an attorney. Congressman Ted Lieu filed a complaint with the Alabama Bar Assoc to get Evil Keebler disbarred for conduct. I hope that comes to pass because no license no job.
Maddow covered it last night, in great detail about the time stamps and how he obviously stewed and kept slapping back via e-mail. His apology was just as SAD. Long day, 10PM, blah blah.
Birds of a feather…
That picture with Melania and Brigitte is hilarious. Melania looks like she’s thinking “He’d better not pull any embarrassing sh*t this time after the long talking to I gave him before we got here”. Brigitte looks like she’s thinking “WTF is that moron doing?” Lolol
Brigitte should take Melania shopping too. 🙂
Typical immature frat-boy mentality: they think it is their right to comment on a woman’s body, ie objectify her. Sitting around watching porn just exaserbates it.
What we have here is a p*ssygrabber’s “charm offensive”. Trump was thinking out loud … wow, she’s looking good for an old lady, forgetting he’s an old man who looks awfully bloated for his age and seems to be heading for dementia.
Brigitte’s hair is impeccable.
It’s a wig, but a really good wig. It’s very natural looking.
There are blonde wigs with black roots?
There are dark roots, ombré, you name it. The variety available is amazing.
her hair in a pic from her teaching days looks like this. I also doubted her nose,but she looks just like this, too. she seems to be pretty much natural.
baby fists is a sleazy showman, pervert and creep.
She’s 64. He’s an ageist regarding women. They aren’t sexy, attractive in his mind. Younger men wouldn’t be attracted to women over 40, over 50, over 60. Only out-of-shape senior citizen men, in his mind, are still virile and so powerful young women clamor after them. That’s society’s rules in his world.
So he thought by complimenting her on being in good shape, he was helping the poor little woman out, by giving her The Donald’s seal of approval to make her feel good about herself, since she’s with a much younger man.
He’s so shallow, so transparent, so juvenile, so ………..he’s an effin’ idiot.
What a sexist and AGIST PoS !
IT’S ON VIDEO TOO?!?
*head desk*
I don’t have the words!
Melania’s red is telling us something….either “yes, he did it” or “I am in hell.”
Watching the visit here in the UK, I think that the First Lady has carried off this visit with style and aplomb. As to the President, coverage and commentators here have said that he has been more engaged in Paris especially when watching the military parade. He stood throughout and applauded. In regard to his comments to Madame Macron, I think it illustrates he just does not do political/diplomatic talk and he greeted her has if they were meeting at a Hollywood party “wow, you look great!” Before people jump all over my comments, this is just my observation and not a statement of approval of the actions that have many Americans so angry with him.
1. Leaders with aspirations to or who are active in dictatorship love military parades. The Kims of Korea, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini … “engaged” with military parades. Trump wanted a show of military power at his inauguration (what an isolationist) but was overruled. The criticism isn’t about whether Trump is blase or excited.
2. He’s NOT in Hollywood anymore; he is the president. If he cannot figure out appropriate social interaction and cannot shift his mindset from being the owner of a beauty pageant who can sneak into the women’s dressing room, then he doesn’t belong in that office. His JOB is to do political and diplomatic talk. He is the country’s top politician and top diplomat.
So yes, I did just jump all over your comment. Because I am an American and I’m angry.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This^^^^
Pretty much everything you wrote sums it up.
The bar is set so so low. Only one major embarrassment? What a triumph, what a statesman. Ffs.
92 year old Jimmy Carter builds houses for the poor and collapses from dehydration while trump manhandles Madame Macron.
http://twitter.com/votevets/status/885596223192932352
http://twitter.com/thedailyedge/status/885574551945568256
Exactly. But I have a huge soft spot for Jimmy anyway. A smart, classy man who walks his talk. One millimeter of his pinky has more selfless substance than Orange and his ilk.
Jimmy is out of the hospital and back on the build site.
Loved Mrs. Macron’s face in the pic next to Melania. Honey we all feel that way.
How is he even allowed to get away with his frequent sexual harassment? And yes, that is what it would be called in the workplace, and he is greeting women in the capacity of his employ. There was also that Irish reporter just before this that he commented on in the White House, his workplace. If this isn’t covered by workplace HR rules, I would be astounded. He is no man, he a dirty creep and pervert.
The Irish reporter certainly knew Trump was being a perv. She tweeted some video, referring to it as the bizarre moment etc. How could even The Donald think that what he said to her and the Prime Minister about her was anything close to appropriate?!?
Every morning. Every. Single. Morning. I wake up, steel myself a bit and wonder “what fresh fuckery will I see/hear, read today?” Every morning.
Same, same, SAME!
Me too.
Two very creepy couples.
As a former teacher I can’t warm to either of the Macrons. As for Trump and Melania, the least said the better.
Trump seems to lack social niceties and always looks awkward when meeting and greeting other dignatories. Probably in his own deluded mind he thought he was paying her a compliment.
Melania looked very nice in all her outfits but a little stern.
God he’s a pig.
I am sorry but I cant stop laughing, he just is so unbelievable, you have to just laugh at him sometimes.
I do not like Marcon. His comments about Africa at the G20 summit were disgusting. All about how uncivilized the black race is and that is why there is no development. But I guess no surprise given his countries history pillaging and exploiting all over Africa so that his country could becom3 as developed as it is. Funny how those who talk so poorly of Africa tend to leave that fact out.
I thought this was a really good write-up on the subject.
“The fact remains that France stubbornly refuses to capitalize on its diversity. It will induct the odd non-white intellectual in the Académie française, but representation in politics, business, media, and other spheres that matter, is abysmal. Obsession with Islam and defending secularism only galvanizes opponents—including on the Left—of basic recognitions of difference that are standard in the US or UK.”
https://qz.com/1026263/emmanuel-macrons-africa-civilizational-statement-was-racist/
The man is a pig why does this surprise anyone.
At this point, I believe no one is surprised by anything Trump says or does.
This is a very shallow comment from me here, but did anyone watch Trump watching the band performing “Get Lucky”? His hair!!!! Omg it was like it was its own person tapping along to the beat while perched atop a nasty scowling face. I fully admit to the pettiness here. Hoping it’s revealed he was the sixth person in that meeting!!!!
France has obviously run out of hairspray. I for one can’t get enough of that Daft Punk Video. Macron having the time of his life, old generals clapping, the audience barely sitting still. Only Orange doesn’t get it – great music without military power is of zero interest to him.
I bet, when the Trumps were finally gone, poor Brigitte said to Emmanuel: “You owe me something now!” The French President probably posted the “great shape” video to his Facebook page to avenge his First Lady. And it worked beautifully.
Trolling at a master level. Manu loved it.
Trump is president, but it it’s Bannon, Jared, and Putin who are making the decisions for this country.
Actually I don’t think he said anything wrong. It is hard to look beautiful and in shape at 64. Everyone else would be thinking the same thing in their mind that she looks great. If I got that compliment at 64, I would enjoy the compliment.
From a friend, yes. Not from a stranger in a work situation. Dirty old man.
It was a work situation. Not the time or the place. When guys say such things to us under such situations – it is not a compliment. It is a reminder that they are not considering us as anything more than eye candy. And it is especially creepy and cringe-inducing coming from a known predator like Trump. And then to repeat it to her husband, as though she were a show dog or a new car — clueless.
You may think you would enjoy the compliment even from a perv like Trump- but if you were just trying to do your job and some guy said that out of the blue, it might be more uncomfortable than you imagine.
If Trump gave me that compliment, I’d hate it. I don’t care what the setting is. If anyone else said it to me, I’d be flattered. If I sack of potatoes like him said it, I’d give myself an alcohol scrub after.
If you want to see stupid, check out tonight’s CBS Evening News. They interviewed five Republicans in Terre Haute, IN. Their basic attitude was “Russia, Russia, Russia, big fvcking deal. So what!” The two women in the group would register as minus 5 on trump’s attractiveness scale and no, I don’t care if that is appearance shaming. They don’t seem to have a clue that they are meaningless to him. The bitter part of me hopes they find out the hard way.
Why people on this site excuse her behavior ? It’s because she’s a woman . probably… if it’s was a man and a seventeen years old girl you will all be outraged, sexism is very strong here, it’s a shame
It seems like millions of your countrymen forgave her behavior, as they voted Macron into the presidency of France. Sexism must be very strong there, it’s a shame. And there are several comments here condemning her behavior. And this thread is about trump’s behavior, so the main focus is not on her.
his comment is appalling. being judged as a piece of meat, like it was a contest, he probably thought “I won”.
I reserve the judgement for those close to her. They probably have ben punished enough by their people, their town, the gossip, etc. It has been over 25 years. he is going on 40 and he decided on his own and knew what sharing his life with her meant.
I say let them be.
Go check the original article on her on this site. You will find it in the archive section of this blog. You will find our utter disgust with her coming through loud and clear, you are way off base here.
She is not excused but if an article isn’t focused on her most likely it won’t be talked about at length. It is hard to sustain outrage when he has been married to her for 25 years and doesn’t seem to be mentally deficient or captive.
Ummmmm no, plenty of people on this site have commented on the inappropriateness of the origins of their relationship. Troll much?
Watching the disastrous orange era from overseas and just wanted to point out trump can pardon anyone for federal crimes, possibly even himself. Best thing for Libs and progressives is to start mobilising to vote him out in 3.5 years’ time. Good luck to the US!
“It’s a rather interesting comment to make. I wonder if she could say the same of him?”
– Australia’s Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop.
All these comments about Brigitte being a sexual predator make me sick. I live in France and nobody is saying that.
This disgusting sack of potatoes.