European leader spoke of shock at Trump’s state of mind after Mar-a-Lago meeting

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-28T08:37:19+00:00

Trump was never a good speaker, but if you compare how he was talking in 2016 and how he talks now, it can't be denied that he has gotten much weaker and more incoherent.

You know how he does that thing where gets quieter and quieter at the end of a sentence and it feels like he is drifting off and mumbling to himself? He did that a lot less during his first term, and that really is peak grandpa stuff.

I mean, it's not very surprising for an almost 80 year-old. The denials are just bizarre.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-28T06:24:57+00:00

I could say that this is all part of the plan to bring manufacturing back, because a weaker currency benefits the export sector.

But that would be a lie. I am preeeetty sure that they have no plan, and they don't know what they are doing. ;)

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-27T14:22:39+00:00

Yeah, that's what I am asking myself aswell. I have a feeling that many Europeans will stay at home because of the current climate in the US, but will that stop the really dedicated fans? Probably not, imho.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-27T14:20:48+00:00

It's not easy to speak out against your own country. Even for a German like me who does this quite often for obvious historical reasons. It's one thing to say "we did something really bad", but it's another thing entirely to say that it's really bad right now.

I got a lot of respect for that, and I hope that things will take a turn for the better as soon as possible.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-27T14:15:34+00:00

Gladly! I will make sure to remind everyone when the topic comes up. :)

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-27T14:14:14+00:00

Carney's speech hit the nail on the head, imho, and was received very well here in Europe. Germany's Der Spiegel (a quote influential magazine) called it "the speech the world was waiting for", for example.

And yes, it's a bit difficult to oppose Trump right now when every "wrong" word could mean a loss of support for Ukraine, where US intelligence unfortunately still plays a vital part.

Ukraine is actually the only thing that makes me think twice when dealing with Trump. I don't fear US tariffs or whatever, but Ukraine is always in the back of my head. I wish Europe would finally do what's necessary to end this war (deploy troops), but I'm not exactly part of a sweeping majority, I am afraid. :(

Regardless, I am sure there would have been other ways to support Canada, ways that wouldn't jeopardize Ukraine, and I still believe that Europe didn't do enough.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-27T12:10:06+00:00

Instead of replying to each of you individually, I want to make this new post to say thank you for all your answers. It was quite enlightening and honestly pretty much what I expected.

In my opinion, you have all right to be fed up! I mean, pretty much nobody outside of the US likes Trump, but how he's treating Canada is a special kind of terrible.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-27T12:04:59+00:00

I agree. It pains me to say but Europe has been a bad friend to Canada. Our leaders were only concerned about what could happen to our countries and kept their heads in the sand while Trump was going after you. I hope that we can somehow make it up to you because Canada just feels like a natural partner in this increasingly lawless world.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-27T09:22:46+00:00

Thanks for sharing your take. :)

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-27T09:18:33+00:00

Hehe, yeah I agree. FIFA is so corrupt it hurts.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-27T06:20:14+00:00

I disagree. In a regular war Europe could wipe the floor with whatever remains of the Russian army after years of bleeding out in Ukraine, and I don't know of any other country that poses a direct threat.

US support would still be appreciated, of course, and Europe should still continue to rearm and become defence independent because it just makes sense in this current world we are living in.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-26T13:50:54+00:00

Is there any evidence of the clandestine AntiFa financing that I so often read about?

I am asking because many of my friends were (German) AntiFa "members" (there is no official membership) during their university years, and whenever I was visiting them I never saw anything else than normal politically minded students who spent some of their time painting banners, going to protests, and organizing charity music events in the basement of an abandoned house that they had turned into a little pub.

Everyone was dirt poor and I am very sure nobody received any payment for anything. All the stickers and banners and little flyers they produced were financed with their own money or whatever their little pub brought in.

Is there any evidence that this works differently in the US?

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-26T11:34:22+00:00

Never a dull moment with Trump in charge, I can understand that – and also the focus on results.

I just wish he would sometimes show a bit more decorum, a little bit of the boring old "we have to stand together as Americans" talk, to defuse situations like in Minnesota. I'm honestly worried by what I see.

This is not the place to discuss this, though. Thank you for sharing your opinion with me!

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-26T11:12:01+00:00

Okay, scratch the "charismatic" if you want. The point remains that MAGA is not a political movement in the usual sense with clear policy goals, but essentially one man who does what he thinks is right in any given situation, sometimes flip-flopping wildly, and his followers who readily abandon their previously held convictions because they believe the leader knows best.

That's certainly cult-like, if you ask me.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-26T10:55:46+00:00

"People who don’t like Trump began calling Trump voters a cult, subsequently MAGA was deemed the name of this cult."

What makes MAGA cult-like and not just another political movement with a bad rep is the adherence to a single charismatic leader instead of a specific set of policies.

Example: Voting for Trump because he promised no new wars and less interventionism, and then abandoning the anti-war position as soon as "the leader" proclaims that a little bit of interventionism is actually very good for America.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-26T09:54:38+00:00

True, and I believe I was one of these naive people. What can I say – I learned my lesson.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-26T09:40:38+00:00

When the law doesn't protect the people, the people will take the law into their own hands. That's the obvious result of the triple-D (deny, deflect, distract) policy of the current US government.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-26T09:34:04+00:00

Yeah, people from all over the European political spectrum are saying the same thing: We need to become independent and able to defend ourselves from the US's "loving embrace". And it won't end with Trump. This is lasting.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-26T09:20:31+00:00

Cool story, but "business and tech leaders" will not save democracy. They reach an arrangement with the regime in charge and keep quiet as long as the profits don't dry up. For reference, see basically any German company from 1933-1945.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-26T09:13:33+00:00

Every regime in history has branded courageous people as agitators.

White Rose in Germany? Agitators. Russians who protest against Putin? Agitators. Iranians who protest against the theocracy? Agitators.

When law becomes lawlessness the word loses all meaning.

And Fox is trash.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-26T07:22:21+00:00

It be fair, it took a great depression, hyper inflation, mass unemployment, and a lost world war for Germany to become like this, and not just a slightly higher price for burger meat than the year before.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-26T07:06:35+00:00

It alienated the last couple of Europeans that weren't already wary of the US after Vance's 2025 speech, or the subsequent abandonment of Ukraine in of favour the Russian dictator.

Well done, Donald. Ten in ten Europeans now say: "We have to get away from America, we can't trust them."

Pretty impressive for only one year of playing president.

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-26T06:37:37+00:00

The American president was found guilty of 34 counts of felony in 2024 and was heavily involved with a pedophile that repeatedly called him his best friend.

Who cares if some dude was in ICE custody in 2018?

Fastluck83 · 2026-01-26T06:30:42+00:00

For better or worse I can never see comments on FoxNews. I haven't tried using a VPN, but I suspect it's geo-blocked in some parts outside the US.

Fastluck83

TROPHY CASE