Althouse: Watch the Governor of Guam talking on his speaker phone to President Trump, who tells him "You're going to become extremely famous."

August 12, 2017

Watch the Governor of Guam talking on his speaker phone to President Trump, who tells him "You're going to become extremely famous."

On Facebook.

Trump tells him (Eddie Baza Calvo) that everybody's talking about him and about Guam and: "Tourism. I can say this: Tourism, you're going to go up, like, tenfold." Trump tells him Guam looks beautiful, and the Governor says "It's paradise" and laughs and laughs.

Trump says — "just between you and I" — "You don't talk like they talk. You can't do that. And you can't do that with people like us."

35 comments:

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Speaking of Guam.
Andrew Sullivan said ...
The president of the United States laid down an ultimatum that if the North Korean dictator issued any more threats to the U.S., there would be a response more ferocious than any military action in human history — i.e., presumably worse than Hiroshima or Nagasaki. Within hours, Kim Jong-un issued a threat to Guam. And nothing has happened … or will happen.

This was a nuclear threat that was exposed as a bluff on the same day it was made.

When a superpower makes such a threat and doesn’t follow through, its nuclear credibility — the cornerstone of our deterrence — is damaged well below the waterline. That credibility — sustained by successive presidents of both parties, for decades — is integral to our national security and to global stability and peace.

Trump’s reckless nuclear bluff was not run by any aides beforehand. It was not coordinated with the Pentagon or State Department. The language was improvised. He was venting. He was winging it.

For the Republican Party, this is a particularly dark and surreal moment. A party once defined by its edge in national security is now actively, recklessly, impulsively endangering it with a president manifestly unfit for the office he holds and the power he wields.; 8/12/17, 8:35 AM
rhhardin said...: Trump is saying what's in it for him, in the deal.; 8/12/17, 8:37 AM
rhhardin said...: worse than Hiroshima or Nagasaki

Those are taken as good, generally. They ended the war cheaply. On a bluff, too.

Firebombings here and here killed more people, just not so impressively effortwise.; 8/12/17, 8:40 AM
rhhardin said...: You'd think Trump had written a memo at Google, for all the negative comment he's getting.; 8/12/17, 8:43 AM
rhhardin said...: Some say the world will end in fire, and some say in fury.
I hold with those who favor covfefe.; 8/12/17, 8:46 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: For the Republican Party, this is a particularly dark and surreal moment.

LOL - Andrew. Poor Andrew. The democrat party has a HUGE corruption and lying problem, and the left cannot call it out.; 8/12/17, 8:52 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Hey Andrew - next time stop Hillary. Hillary = you lose. So, perhaps you should consider purging all the lies and corruption of the Hillary-Obama era?

Nah.; 8/12/17, 8:53 AM
Birkel said...: ARM:
Any word from Andrew Sullivan about his investigation of Sarah Palin's uterus?

The threat was conditioned on North Korean action. It was not about words. So, Sulivan should get back to topics he understands. Like lady parts.; 8/12/17, 8:53 AM
Unknown said...: Famous last words. Good thing it's on video.; 8/12/17, 8:55 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Trump said that IF North Korea strikes, we will strike back.

What part of IF does IdiotAndy not understand?; 8/12/17, 8:58 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Andrew Sullivan would be amazing on a day time soap opera.; 8/12/17, 9:00 AM
exhelodrvr1 said...: "Our message to the North Koreans and everyone else listening, they will not be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon that has a deliverable capacity on a ballistic missile."

I have absolutely no problem with that comment!; 8/12/17, 9:12 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Kim Jong Un and the American Left sing the exact same tune.

Crazy Kim Jung Un threatens us, threatens Guam, fires missiles...

Trump responds... Left and Kim Jong Un scream "stop spreading violence! waaa!"

Hilarious.; 8/12/17, 9:14 AM
mockturtle said...: It is disappointing for a head of state to make such a gross grammatical error. If he was unsure, he should have just said entre nous. ;-D; 8/12/17, 9:17 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: ARM quotes Randy Andy Sullivan? HaHaHa! Good one, ARM!

You will seldom go wrong if you assume that whatever Dr. Sullivan, world famous OB/GYN, believes is wrong and stupid.; 8/12/17, 9:18 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: "Our message to the North Koreans and everyone else listening, they will not be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon that has a deliverable capacity on a ballistic missile."

I have absolutely no problem with that comment! "

Nor I.

I've asked Inga several times what she thinks we should actually do about this problem that is decades in the making, since she doesn't like what Trump does or says. Of course, she has no idea, nor does ARM, besides "let's be nicer to Kim."

What a useless pack of bedwetting pantywaists. All they can do shriek "Trumpists!" from their high chairs and throw their Cheerios on the floor.; 8/12/17, 9:25 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Dickin'Bimbos@Home said...
Andrew Sullivan would be amazing on a day time soap opera."

Is "General Hospital" still around? He could be Dr. Andy, the flaming, yet totes compassionate gay GYN who not only fixes up lady parts but takes his grateful patients out shopping and helps them pick out china patterns and designer shoes. Then they go out for brunch and gossip about all the affairs and murders and adulteries that occur on a daily basis at General Hospital.; 8/12/17, 9:32 AM
rhhardin said...: Soap Dish (1991) is an entertaining flick.; 8/12/17, 9:36 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Exiled - indeed. And after all the gossip and designer shoe shopping, they can wallow in how dark are the GOP. oh! the humanity.; 8/12/17, 9:53 AM
The Godfather said...: The Guam preparedness memos seem to contemplate that the Nork missles may be armed with nuclear warheads. I didn't think that was part of the Nork threat. Of course, if Kim wants to call the US bluff (if he thinks it's a bluff), that would be a way to do it.

I assume that if the US shoots down the Nork missiles, the Norks could learn something about our anti-missile defenses, and that might allow them to develop ways to overcome those defenses. Of course, if we try but fail to shoot down the missiles, the Norks would learn quite a lot. Tough decisions to be made by the US.; 8/12/17, 10:12 AM
Darrell said...: Turning the US to ash was part of the Nork threat, Of course, America's Left and Democratic Party stands by North Korea.; 8/12/17, 10:17 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: "Turning the US to ash was part of the Nork threat, Of course, America's Left and Democratic Party stands by North Korea."

Given that the areas Kim would be most likely to hit are blue states, you'd think the left would be a bit more angry at NK. But apparently "better dead than pro-Trump" is a thing.

Of course, if he nuked Alaska or Texas, the leftists would dance with glee, thinking of the deaths of all those deplorables.; 8/12/17, 10:27 AM
Unknown said...: I've been there a few times. Navy has a good sized presence. Medical and R&R. Spectacular beaches. Now being built out like Hawaii's by commercial interest. Hotels used to, may still, send out a private driver to meet you at the airport and concierge by name at the hotel door. A hidden jewel waiting to be discovered. Just a little too far away and not enough traffic to draw the giant jets. Trump is changing this. More jobs. More arguments with the indigenous people who make the green argument to put a foot in the way. But as long as they get more than their share that will be ok too.; 8/12/17, 10:58 AM
Dave Begley said...: I have a good friend in Guam. The THAAD system is locked and loaded. All is calm.; 8/12/17, 11:30 AM
rhhardin said...: I talked to Guam once.

see?

$ glog.sh guam
1141:Sun Feb 19 07:27:22 EST 2017 ah2r 599 kw 599 oh tamuning guam na

I've talked to more distant places and more obscure places, but Guam seems exceptionally surprising for some reason.; 8/12/17, 11:34 AM
Drago said...: In times of trouble the nation turns it's eyes and ears to the Very Deep Wisdom of the one and only Mr Andrew Sullivan.

Lol

Good one ARM. Hilarious way to start a weekend.; 8/12/17, 11:47 AM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: ~
Trump needs to send his body double and a Howard Stern look alike to Guam for 18 holes, wearing ultra cool Blues Brothers shades.; 8/12/17, 11:58 AM
Lyle said...: Trump is awesomesauce.; 8/12/17, 12:02 PM
Anonymous said...: George Spix: A hidden jewel waiting to be discovered. Just a little too far away and not enough traffic to draw the giant jets.

The Japanese tourists discovered it ages ago; don't know if they've moved on. Place was crawling with them last time I was there, 20+ years ago. Japan Air Lines 747s full of tourists arriving regularly. Big chain hotels catering to Japanese lining Tumon Bay.

Beautiful beaches (except on Tumon Bay itself, those were kinda trashed). Great snorkeling and scuba diving. Golfing - word was that it was cheaper for the Japanese to fly to Guam to golf than it was to play at home. Fascinating geology (it's really two islands, geologically - one volcanic, one coral).

As you say, too far away for most Americans. But anyone into the tropical island thing would enjoy a visit. (I myself, who detest tropical climates, can still vouch for the natural beauty. And I even braved the miserable heat and merciless sun to hike to Sargeant Yokoi's hidey-hole.); 8/12/17, 12:22 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Peggy Noonan has a thoughtful take on the Trump-Kim slap fight.

"Kennedy knew that precisely because you are a nuclear power, you can’t make nuclear threats. A thing too easily referred to will lose its horrifying mystique, its taboo. So don’t go there when you speak, or allow people to think you’re going there."; 8/12/17, 1:27 PM
Unknown said...: not mentioned in these articles is folks like Kim have been extorting the U.S. and others for Billions a year. A lot of their economy. Just o we could lie to the U.S. voter that non-proliferation actually works and all these fancy pants jet setting around the world generate book sized treaties actually meant something. Trump finally put a stake in the ground and said "no more, Uncle sugar is out of money, and has been for some time. Want to end it? now's the time. Prepare to meet your elders you pond scum extortionist).; 8/12/17, 1:46 PM
MadisonMan said...: A couple of comments on Guam, an island I have visited (and yes, it is beautiful, but oh what a long flight)

I wasn't really paying attention when the NK threatened Guam with Nukes -- I was busy at work, and on travel, but the hotel had USA Today, and rather than reporting on the Nuclear Threat, the Front-Page story was about Catholic Church Abuse on Guam! What the heck?

I decided that they long ago put this story together, but then shelved it because no one in the USA cared about Guam, or probably even knew where it was. But then this threat to Guam from Kim arrived, and someone at USA Today said "Hey, remember that story we paid for someone to work on years ago? Let's run it!"

What a lousy newspaper! All the News that's fit to print from many years ago.; 8/12/17, 1:47 PM
Jim at said...: "Andrew Sullivan said ..."

Nice to see Andrew writing about something other than Sarah Palin's vagina.

He's a good source for a reasoned point of view. Thank you.; 8/12/17, 1:52 PM
Jim at said...: "Kim Jong Un and the American Left sing the exact same tune."

Well, of course they do.

But the American left are the Patriots, you see.
With a Capital P.

Patriots!; 8/12/17, 1:55 PM
mockturtle said...: ARM extends: Peggy Noonan has a thoughtful take on the Trump-Kim slap fight.

Noonan has a nice way of rewriting history. I guess those Irish Catholics need to stick together.; 8/12/17, 2:13 PM