A Buffoon Walks Into The Oval Office...

@alter-idem.bsky.social

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Financial Analyst for over 40 years Treat social media like it is a Russian agreement, Question & Verify

A man who appears similar in appearance to JD Vance covers his mouth with what appears to be tiny, plastic hands.
A photo of a large crowd of Iranian citizens holding up a red banner with white lettering stating "Hey TRUMP We Will Kill You".
A cartoon of Putin selling hats and shirts claiming Russia is winning the war before a small crowd of people looking at Russian refineries burning and exploding behind Putin.
Donald Trump waving to the crowd at a baseball game with a baseball hitting him in the right eye.
At New Year Emperor Naruhito and his family stepped onto a balcony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Thousands of well-wishers waved Japanese flags and cheered. But it was 24-year-old Aiko, or Princess Toshi, who made the crowd swoon. As if awaiting a pop idol, some held fans emblazoned with her name. Aiko is the emperor’s only child. But she can never inherit the throne: succession is restricted to men and only passes through the male line. When she marries, Aiko will leave the imperial family and become a commoner. That is a problem for the family. Japan’s monarchy, the world’s oldest, is running out of heirs. In recent decades royal men have fathered several girls but only one boy: 19-year-old Prince Hisahito, Naruhito’s nephew. If he does not father a son, the 2,700-year-old imperial line will die out. Aiko’s popularity has encouraged more Japanese to think that should change. From a young age she showed public-spiritedness. As a schoolgirl she wrote a story about a nurse who heals injured animals. After college she worked for the Red Cross. Her public appearances have impressed people, too; during her first official overseas visit, to Laos in 2025, she clung to a toy elephant a sick child had given her, refusing to pass it to an aide. And many Japanese regret the intense scrutiny her mother, Masako, faced for failing to produce an heir. Japan’s politicians are acutely aware. On June 10th leaders from the main political parties approved a proposal to amend the Imperial House Law to allow female royals to remain in the family after marriage. It would also enable royals to adopt children from imperial branch families that were stripped of royal status following the second world war (though they will not have succession rights). But the changes will still not let women rule. Polls suggest that 90% of Japanese support a female emperor. Last year the country elected its first female prime minister, Takaichi Sanae.
A cartoon of Marco Rubio, Trump's Secretary of State, saying "In Cuba the Castro family has been running a Brazen Kleptocracy. They have been exploiting their position of power to Enrich themselves. But, Don't Worry!! The US will ensure that any family behaving like that Faces Justice!" Trump enters on the left and says "Ahem!" while Rubio looks at Trump with concern about what he has just said.
The president holds up a poster board of the scale of his renovated, “American-flag blue”, Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool comparing the pools length to the height of skyscrapers.
493 days into Donald Trump's term The president's net approval rating is -24, down 1.9 points since last week. 34% approve, 58% disapprove, 6% not sure
Home-schooling has long been seen as a fringe phenomenon associated with fanatical parents, socially inept children and patchy pedagogy. But it is moving into the mainstream across the world. In America 6% of the school-age population were home-educated in 2024—double the share in 2019. In Britain and Australia the number of home-schooled children has roughly doubled over the same period. Organizers of the world’s biggest home-schooling convention, which begins in Kissimmee, Florida on Thursday, expect many of the 18,000 attendees to come from abroad. Participants may be diverse in other respects. In America home-schoolers are still mainly white Christians, but growth is rising among families of color. According to Census Bureau data, a higher percentage of homeschool parents identify as LGBT than do public or private school parents. Globally parents increasingly say that their main reason for home-schooling is to ensure their child’s physical or psychological safety. For a growing number, there’s no place like home-school.
Every week YouGov polls Americans on behalf of The Economist. This week, as Mr Trump announced a $1.8bn fund to compensate allies claiming political persecution, The Economist asked whether he is using the presidency for personal gain. Most respondents think he is: 59% said yes, compared with 30% who said no. Republicans mostly disagree, though nearly one in five (19%) think Mr Trump is benefiting personally from office. Unsurprisingly, Democrats overwhelmingly agree.
Caricatures of Xi and Trump talking where Xi asks "What's new with you?" and Trump responds "Not much. You?" while his arm is stuck in a hornets nest called Iran and hornets are covering Trump's head and face.
The Farside cartoon "It's just one damn thing after another" depicting two ladies walking and one remaking on the sudden appearanced of strange creatures crossing their path: "It's just one damn thing after another".
Britain, shortest-serving prime ministers since 1900, days in office.
A picture of the entire Trump crime family collectively referred to as "A Picture of Stupid".
A graphic displaying the share prices of Nvidia and AMD with AMD rising to greater than $350 while Nvidia remain below $200.
Each week YouGov polls Americans on behalf of The Economist. With just over six months before the midterm elections, Americans trust Democrats more than Republicans on the economy and taxes, two of the GOP’s traditional strengths. Even on immigration there is little between the two parties. That is a big problem for the Republicans—voters consistently rate economic issues as the most important.
The American and British publics are growing disenchanted. Opinion polls suggest Americans and Britons still held each other in high regard at the turn of the century, with more than 80% of respondents in each country saying they had a favorable view of the other. Americans’ approval of Britain has fallen from 91% to 76% in the past five years. Britons’ opinions have deteriorated more gradually but farther: just 34% now express a positive view of America.
Graph shows that Dems win a majority in the US Senate in 48 percent of simulations while Reps win a majority in the US Senate in 52 percent of simulations
What Trump would look like as a trans blonde.
Trump's T-shirt stating "I'M STUPID"
Man with head up backside.
During his first term, Mr Trump regularly purged the unfaithful from his cabinet. This time, his underlings were selected for their willingness to bend the knee. But disappointing the president is still a sackable offence, as Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi found out recently. Polling by YouGov on behalf of The Economist suggests that Americans dislike many of Mr Trump’s inner circle. But they can upset the public all they want, so long as they keep the boss happy.
A picture of a man with his head inside his bum.
This University of Michigan graphic shows consumer sentiment just above 50 in 2026, tumbling from 100 in 2018 with decreasing spikes in 2021 and 2024.
429 days into Donald Trump's term The president's net approval rating is -18, down 0.3 points since last week. 38% approve, 56% disapprove, 6% not sure
Uncle Sam in a jet named "Epic Fury" faced with seven smart bombs saying "You launched a war without clear objectives... In a volatile region... Creating economic havoc around the World... What were you thinking?!?". While Uncle Sam's jet carries smart bombs saying "It's not good when your smart bombs think you're stupid!".
49.4% of voters voted for Trump while 50.6% of voters voted against Trump.
408 days into Donald Trump's term The president's net approval rating is -19, down 0.6 points since last week. 38% approve, 58% disapprove, 4% not sure
The Unholy Trinity: JD Vance, Mike Johnson, and Dumbold Trump
A man dressed in armor, all twisted up, holding a stars and stripes shield that reads "US TRADE POLICY, asks "Are you scared yet!?" while being surrounded by the Chinese dragon on the left and EU medieval soldiers on the right who are saying "It is rather an unusual negotiating position..."
Two men sitting at the negotiating table, in the first panel Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin reach out across the table reaching for middle ground in Ukrainian style. In the second panel President Zelenskyy laying across the table extending his hand almost touching Putin while Putin holds his hand away, just far enough, so that they cannot not shakes hands displaying the Russian style of reaching middle ground.
395 days into Donald Trump's term the president's net approval rating is -17, down 0.0 points since last week. 39% approve, 56% disapprove, 6% not sure
Happy Presidents’ Day. In advance of the holiday, YouGov asked Americans their opinions of 20 of the country’s leaders. Unsurprisingly, they were mostly likely to describe Abraham Lincoln and George Washington as “outstanding”. But that is only half of the story. Subtracting the negative views of a president from the positive ones shows that opinions of recent presidents were more polarized—Barack Obama is the only one since Ronald Reagan to have a net positive rating.
Trump's cabinet picks 2025: Robert F Kennedy Jr, Marco Rubio and 'Dr Oz ...
A majority of Americans approve of voting by mail. But despite this general confidence, two-thirds of Americans think that you should need proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Every week YouGov polls Americans on behalf of The Economist. Despite Donald Trump’s efforts to sow doubt about election integrity, more people think that the midterms in November will be fair than don’t.
Are you satisfied with Bad Bunny performing at halftime of this year's Super Bowl? Greater than 30 percent of respondents "Don't Care", A little over 10 percent are "Not Sure" Just under 30 percent are "Satisfied" and just over 25 percent are "Not Satisfied"
Every week YouGov polls Americans on behalf of The Economist. Democrats want significant reforms to immigration enforcement before agreeing to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Our polling suggests that a majority of Americans support all of the above measures. Even the least popular—a ban on immigration-enforcement agents wearing masks—was supported by 55% of respondents.
380 days into Donald Trump's term The president's net approval rating is -15%, up 2.2 points since last week. 41% approve, 56% disapprove, 5% not sure