Donald Trump gave an interview to Tucker Carlson at Fox News during the G20 Summit in Japan last week. Trump was particularly terrible during this trip, because he hates traveling and because he’s senile AF. That’s why Ivanka was everywhere – she’s truly his babysitter and “handler” and if she hadn’t been there, it would have been “worse” for everyone involved. But Ivanka can’t do a ventrilocist act (because she’s stupid too), and so Trump was allowed to give this interview to Tucker unfettered. And it went about as badly as you would think.
President Donald Trump has seemingly claimed credit for homelessness, describing it as a “phenomenon that started two years ago.” During an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, which aired Monday, Trump covered a range of topics, including the G20 meeting in Japan and his historic trip to North Korea. But the sit-down with Carlson also veered into domestic matters and took a bizarre turn when the host brought up the issue of homelessness and “filth” in America’s cities in comparison to major Japanese cities.
“You come to where we are now, Osaka, or Tokyo and the cities are clean, there’s no graffiti, no one going to the bathroom on the streets,” Carlson said. “Very different than our cities…. New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles have a major problem with filth.”
“It’s very sad,” Trump said before adding, “It’s a phenomenon that started two years ago. It’s disgraceful. I’m going to maybe, and I’m looking at it very seriously. We’re doing some other things, as you’ve probably noticed, like some of the very important things we’re doing now.”
Trump then turned the discussion to police officers getting sick from walking their beat. “You can’t have what’s happening, where police officers are getting sick just by walking the beat. I mean, they’re actually getting very sick,” Trump claimed, without providing any evidence. Returning to a familiar theme, Trump blamed the “liberal establishment” for rising homelessness and then claimed, without evidence, that he had “ended it very quickly” in the Washington D.C. when he became president.
I’m sure everyone else realized this years ago, but damn, the racist dog-whistles on “filth” huh?? Tucker Carlson is a white supremacist (or at the very least sympathetic to and benefiting from white supremacy) and I’m chilled to the bone by the way he drops in the part about “filth.” As for Trump believing that homelessness just started happening two years ago… my God. His brain is basically Swiss cheese.
Photo courtesy of Avalon Red.
We should all consider what’s going on in Oregon a test run for the radical right wing. They’re seeing how far they can push it before utilizing their violence against the mainstream elements. People like Tucker Carlson are here to embrace it, every dehumanizing step of the way.
The unhoused man sitting outside of my DC office building would beg to differ.
Trump makes me seriously consider day drinking.
Consider???
Wait, are…are we not suppose to?
@Tiffany – LMAO! I ignore the ignoramous. BUT, crapping on the street, gathering trash, having tents up after 7 am, illegal dumping, needle dumping have all been slowly decriminalized in California. As a result there is a typhus epidemic, rat infestation quadrupled, Hep A is an epidemic not to mention homeless fires burning down buildings and starting wildfires. It has EXPONENTIALLY increased in the last two years in LA and San Fran. The scumbag politicians in our state are now trying to add more housing and public toilets (the self cleaning kind) it’s an insurmountable problem. There IS ROOM in our shelters and missions, but MANY PEOPLE PREFER THE STREET I speak from experience of volunteering making breakfast and running showers and clothing, etc. donations at the Downtown Women’s Center early mornings for years back when I lived in LA. I left LA to move to OC because LA became a toilet
Hey, just a crazy idea, but maybe all of this overpriced, empty real estate could be put to actual use instead of allowing to languish in dust and disuse while very real human beings suffer on the streets, eh, America?
@Veronica: yep! Totally. If people can’t afford rent anymore, they’ll end up homeless. The housing prices in SF are getting so high that even when prospectors are offering you 5millions to buy your place, it’d be silly to sell because you won’t be able to buy anything with that money… If you want to reduce homelessness, you need to have affordable housing included in every new construction. And public schools, and increase access to mental healthcare and addiction clinics (and stop criminalizing drug users; and help reinsertion of those getting out of jail).
If there’s no proper safety net and housing is too expensive even for those working full time, then you’ll have homelessness
I’m in PDX, OR and we’ve seen a definite uptick in homelessness. It is a health problem, for sure. And many people do prefer not to stay in shelters, for a variety of reasons: don’t take animals, don’t like the rules, etc. The survey by a local TV station did not include a wide number of respondents, but I believe there’s still truth there: https://www.kgw.com/article/news/investigations/tent-city-a-closer-look-at-the-numbers/481808539
Right now, ODOT is trucking in huge rocks to property they own so people can’t camp there anymore because the state keeps cleaning up the camps again and again and it’s cheaper to bring in rocks.
We need to do better as a country.
@CA Family Code. I’m really struggling with what your comment seems to imply, that houseless people are less than. Decriminalization of dumping, camping, etc has a huge benefit of not adding to rap sheets of overwhelmingly minority and other marginalized populations. I’m addition, I’ve worked extensively with the houseless, in a professional capacity and as a volunteer, and found that most want to be housed but have no means to make that happen, and extensive trauma histories that create problems when suddenly alone with their thoughts in a very quiet place. If we want to get rid of houseless populations, we need to give people homes, either through affordable housing, employment help, grants, extensive case management and mental health. It’s actually pretty simple, and several countries prove that it works. These people are not “filth” or “less than” or anything. They’re people who fell on a hard time and didn’t have the resources to stay housed. Many Americans are an illness, a death, a bad job, a lay-off, am abusive relationship away from this very scenario.
Mental health counselor here with long background in homeless outreach for people with SPMI and substance use disorders. I can only speak for New York, but part of why people prefer the streets over shelters – many shelter workers have no background or real understanding of the issues people who are homeless have, and thus are quick to discharge or kick people out. For example, when temps drop there’s a mandatory push for anyone on the street to be allowed in a shelter, but they can be kicked out if they’re under the influence of anything. Well, many folks are suffering from SUDs, and just because they can’t/aren’t ready for whatever reason does not mean it’s ok to kick someone out into freezing temps. Our folks don’t forget that treatment. They don’t forget the overcrowding, the smell, the demeaning/savior attitude of suburban tourists bringing their kids in to serve food so they see how lucky they are in comparison. They don’t forget the nasty treatment of people completely unqualified to be proving support including crisis response and deescalation. Shelters are often incredibly unsafe (ESPECIALLY for LGBTQAI+), don’t allow pets, or have strict criteria (ability to go into a shelter is often driven by chronic status, mental health/substance use history). If you don’t have a provider to sign off on that paperwork, tough luck unless it’s freezing. That doesn’t even account for people who are dealing with housing insecurity, who may be engaging in high risk behaviors just for a roof. Again, I can only speak for shelters here (there are some ok ones in NYC, but even those can be restricted to certain demographics). I mean this in the nicest way, few people truly grasp how broken the shelter system is unless you’ve either gone through it or worked within it and had to push the paperwork. To be honest, if I were to ever become homeless I wouldn’t go to a shelter either. Like many of my clients over the years, I’d take my chances on the street.
Hmmmm. Doesn’t he remember the homeless population in NYC circa 1985? I do. I was working as a nanny for a wealthy upper east side family in Manhattan and one of my memories is of one morning, on a rare day off, relieved as hell to escape the rich-folks apartment. Met up with another nanny for coffee and we wound up on the only bench in a small Greenwich village park not occupied by sleeping homeless men. I think the homeless population in NYC has tripled since then. I’m so tired of Trump.
Even 2 decades ago doesn’t make sense if he mixed up words: It’s bad. You can see. But we fixed it. As you know. But cops sick. Quickly over.
Phew. Glad he’s on the case. Meanwhile I’ll be crying in the corner; completely unrelated I’m sure. Why? Whhhhhy?
Well technically, 2 decades ago, Guiliani “fixed” the homeless problem in NYC by bussing the homeless to New Jersey… No homeless, right?!
um…wasn’t he and his precious nagini on the streets of nyc when he pointed to a homeless man and say the homeless guy was worth more than him in his bankruptcies day?
Oh. And who was in office then? That’s right, Donnie.
Exactly. If that’s true, then it’s HIS fault!
What a maroon.
He sounded, as usual, like an idiot.
I’m surprised he didn’t mention how nostalgic and romantic homelessness used to be in the good old days. You remember those early and mid-century vagabonds! When you tied your belongings in a bandana, affixed on stick and slung over your shoulder…not a care in the world. If only……
I mean, they don’t even have to try with this clown. They never did. This BS was always a talking point for Bowtie and Prostate Pumpkin never had the good sense god gave to know that he is the joke and not apart of it.
And we are suffering as a result.
Donald Trump looking at homelessness seriously = putting them in concentration camps “for their own good”, fyi.
I think he’s referring to Los Angeles, Skid Row, and the break out of a flea-born typhus which some cops got too. THE MAN HAS NO SHAME. Shame, shame, shame on him for blaming homeless.
It’s also a myth that Japanese cities are so clean. In public spaces? Absolutely, due to social pressure mostly. But go to any beach or forest and it’s a huge dumping ground.
There are people sleeping in subway stations in Tokyo. Like, small camps. I’ve seen it.
He wouldn’t know, because he wouldn’t be caught dead on the subway.
He’s YOUR President, America. Do something about it.
He has openly praised and shown admiration for President Duterte’s approach to governance. This is a man who literally murders homeless people in the streets.
I’m betting that the dementia addled halfwit is pitching the same plan to his advisors. He’s trying to build up a case for some extreme solution to problems that don’t exist: “cops are getting sick just walking down the street.” Lies, lies, and more lies.
Gross. Good point.
He also stated we needed the citizen question on the census because you’re either a citizen or an illegal. He has no clue and refuses to do any type of educating himself on the points he talks about.
That man is a bottomless pit of stupidity. It’s hard to wrap one’s brain around the relentless idiocy that flows out of him.
I ask this honestly: Has anyone here ever met a person as stupid, ill informed and ridiculously moronic as our so-called “president?”
Once upon a time I would have answered that with a resounding “no!”, but now I have seen his followers……
Yes, let’s focus on the shiney distraction being dangled in front of us. Meanwhile Pence was called back to the White House today from New Hampshire for an undisclosed “emergency” meeting and Trump has stated there will be a military parade with tanks in DC for the 4th. Awfully suspicious if you ask me….
Yep, everyday “look over here! don’t look over there! over here!” while they do their sinister work.
I really hope that the Trump baby balloon makes an appearance at his “parade” on the 4th.
is it me or did he, accidentally, take responsibility for this problem “suddenly” happening during his presidency?
It gives me no pleasure to play devil’s advocate to this idiot, but I think when they pause meaningfully before uttering the word “filth”, it’s because they are referring literally to human excrement. And when he says it’s a phenomenon that started a couple years ago, he’s not referring to homelessness, but the widespread practise of defecating in the open, on the streets. No doubt it was always a possibility, but from what I read, it’s become more common recently.
Person with extensive history in this field here – how in Earth can one make a legitimate claim about an increase in excrement? There are far too many variables, but also who is cataloging this? Where is this data coming from? Also, if there is an uptick anywhere it likely corresponds to more public places not allowing non patrons to use bathrooms (much of this in my area is due to fears of opioid overdose, which is a valid concern, but also all the more reason to stop the moral judgement and miss information/hysteria on evidence based interventions such as safe consumption sites which have a long and successful track record in European countries, and in Vancouver). excrement will always happen in public if there are no safe places to defecate. Furthermore, ask any homeless person and they will tell you defecating in public is extremely risky in terms of legal involvement and their own safety. Defecating leaves a person vulnerable and is not going to happen unless the person is desperate or a complete and total a-hole. However, it is not uncommon for defecation to occur after anal intercourse or assault, and also can be substance induced. Unfortunately sexual assault is terribly common in the homeless population because they are so vulnerable, or trade sex for other needs. So when we talk about an increase in excrement on the street, I don’t really give a *uck about some poor police officer getting sick walking their beat. I care more about why we as a society are not providing better accomodations for people to do one of the most basic human processes. *Uck Trump, *uck this demonizing of an already disenfranchised population, and *uck the people who cast judgement with no understanding of what this community goes through (not you! Just in general).
Well, it’s good he’s taking responsibility. The Dems need to play clips of that in their campaign ads.
It is at this point one would seriously consider placing their elders in a memory center. He had lost the plot. He just rambles with no direction what so ever. When he tells us he never said something, I honestly believe that he doesn’t remember. Putting the keys in the freezer. You are right his daughter is his aid, and Ivanka should get a text credit for caring for an elderly family member with Dementia. Just look at President Reagan last years in office
I am so confused. He is allowed to say anything he wants without any evidence to back it up (primarily because there IS no evidence to back up the made up nonsense he says…not even sure how you begin to refute statements that are so aluminum-foil-hat crazy ). No one is supposed to question it or show that it is false or it is fake news. He can hurl verbal abuse at anyone who questions him…especially attacking their physical appearance and especially if they are women. He talks constantly about how smart and educated he is, but with every statement he proves that is false. He does not have any grasp of the three branches of government and each of their jobs. He tweets ranting of a madman in the middle of the night on an unsecured device. And he’s our PRESIDENT?!? No wonder the rest of the world thinks Americans are ridiculous.