President-elect Donald J. Trump.
President Trump
The NYT title says it all:
Donald Trump Is Elected President in Stunning Repudiation of the Establishment
Donald John Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States on Tuesday in a stunning culmination of an explosive, populist and polarizing campaign that took relentless aim at the institutions and long-held ideals of American democracy.
The surprise outcome, defying late polls that showed Hillary Clinton with a modest but persistent edge, threatened convulsions throughout the country and the world, where skeptics had watched with alarm as Mr. Trump’s unvarnished overtures to disillusioned voters took hold.
I watched basically all day as I did other things. It seemed to start slowly enough but once it was clear he had won Ohio, it seemed to me, that the entire dynamic changed. You could hear the puzzlement of anchors as they spoke, realizing everything they expected to see, was not happening. It wasn’t disappointment or disapproval but more an absorption, a wonderment, as to how this could be happening. Questioning how the pollsters and pundits could have gotten it so wrong. Some had no problem allowing that to have a positive edge; you could see them mentally re-arranging their thoughts. John King was the first I heard say, long before it was a given, that things were not going well for Hillary. He seemed to have a feel for it, to see the pattern present itself and then play out, state by state. It was fascinating to watch him go through each one, accurately assessing which pockets had yet to be counted, which ones would go to Hillary but as things progressed, would still not be enough.
A long long wait to get the final counts for Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania (which earlier in the evening, had seemed clearly in the Democrat’s pocket). Trump had 244 electoral votes with 9 states to go. It was pretty obvious how it was going to work out in the end.
An ugly argument took place between Van Jones and Corey Lewandoski once John Podesta announced that there would be no announcement from Clinton’s end until all the votes were counted. In a very undignified and ungracious way, Lewandoski pounced on the fact that Trump had been roundly criticized for saying he might not accept the results of the election. He did not listen when it was suggested that if Trump were in Hillary’s shoes, he likely would have waited too, until every vote had been counted. I believe in that exchange also came the statement that Hillary would be investigated for all of her alleged issues.
That aside, the DOW fell 1000 points the last time I checked. The USD was worth $0.75 CDN. Just like that. The Senate remains Republican; thank God Chuck Schumer, will not be the Senate Majority leader. (What a nice taste of revenge for expats.) Let’s hope we see some of what was in the Republican platform, though I expect it may take some time to get to it. At least we can envision tax reform. This time, we will be speaking to a more receptive group.
So, the American people have chosen to strike down the establishment. It is not difficult to understand. In spite of some of Mr. Trump’s less-than-dignified ideas/statements about Muslims, women, Mexicans, et al, the American people said “Enough” to the useless bureaucracy of Washington. I don’t blame them.
FINALLY, IT’s OVER!
Now it is time to demand that promises made are promises kept.
This may be the end of the persecution we have endured.
My deepest sympathy to Dr kish who may have found the solution had he waited.
And with Republicans in charge of Congress and the White House, expats need to brainstorm the most effective way to rub their faces in the section of their party platform which pledges FATCA repeal and moving to RBT.
My gut tells me that Paul Ryan will want to proceed as soon as possible toward a major tax reform. Therefore now (or January) is the time to beat the drum for FATCA repeal and RBT. After all, they promised it!
Trump has only a very small majority on the popular vote, so no clear overwhelming mandate from the people. From what I saw this morning, majority in Congress is not overwhelming either.
I was nonetheless surprised that Trump won so many states. Clearly, this is a question of “enough is enough” as to the establishment.
It would be a step backward if they repeal Obamacare completely.
But for us, we’ve got to put pressure on the GOP and on Trump/Pence to repeal FATCA and move to RBT!!! Hold them to the Republican platform!
Now is the time for us to SEIZE THE DAY!
Correction: according to CNN website just now, both Trump and Clinton have 47.6% of the popular vote!
there’s a long list of celebrities who said they’d leave US if Trump wins. Hopefully they do leave, discover the evils of FATCA and then become champions of our cause.
The result of this election is a great great victory for “retail democracy” in the United States. Hard to feel any sympathy whatsoever for the Democratic Party. By closing ranks around Hillary, they deprived the American people of the opportunity of choosing a suitable candidate.
In any case, the Trump victory spells the beginnig of the end of the “Democrat Republican” party dominated political process in the USA. Also, the Liberal media have been shown to be the fools that they clearly are.
The defeat of the Democrats is the best thing that could have happened in America.
@Barbara and @Non-Canada Expats…..Good Morning World. 🙂
In the next month, we in the collective need to brainstorm a political action plan. This needs to be domestic and foreign (US).
Domestically we need to point out why it was wrong for our governments to sign these dubuios authority IGA that were only as strong as the Oval Office occupant. I think our comrades in Canada need to lobby the Liberals to “save gace” and fold up their cards on the lawsuit so they can depart with political dignity after all do they want to die on a hill that is going to collapse arround them? I think they need to be told how they will lose political capital by fighting for the Americans who are going to fold!
But importantly we need a list of; What we want, What the GOP promised, How they can deliver…..
I also think we need to demand “the right of return” meaning those that renounced under the “persecution” can reinstate their US Citizenship!!!! To be honest I am personally deeply hurt for Dr Kish for the sacrafice he had to take. Many will not want to take the option but it needs to be available.
Folks, I know some do not like the President Elect but we have been dealt a set of cards and I do believe we have a good hand to play.
@Jefferson Thomas; “Trump has only a very small majority on the popular vote, so no clear overwhelming mandate from the people.”
The mandate comes with 270 electoral votes, period.
“It would be a step backward if they repeal Obamacare completely.”
That is a matter for homelanders not outlanders.
I voted Democrat, but now is the time to turn that page and look at the positives! We have a fully Republican power structure in the US, and we might as well make it work for us, as you say, George. I also agree that Trump and the Republicans have a mandate. That’s just the way it is, they can govern now.
I am going to write my Republican representatives about FATCA and CBT again. I hope we can make progress in this domain.
I wonder if this changes anything for the IRS. Any ideas?
@Barbara: “My gut tells me that Paul Ryan will want to proceed as soon as possible toward a major tax reform.”
Looks like Paul Ryan’s plan may be dead in the water: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/can-paul-ryan-survive-231057
That leaves Trump’s tax plan (which doesn’t mention FATCA or CBT), or the platform (which promises to call for repeal of FATCA and a switch to RBT).
@George: Yes, 270 electoral votes= legally he won. However, with such a small margin of the popular vote the mandate is not as clear as if there had been, say, a 5-10% difference…
But now we have to work with the GOP and ensure that they do not forget us.
I don’t believe for a moment that those who renounced will be allowed to reinstate their citizenship after a move to RBT. It seems to me that the act of renunciation would be considered deeply unpatriotic by the voters who brought us the Trump presidency, and I can’t see the Senators and Representatives who will be riding the wave of this populist vote doing something that would be seen to be soft on such “traitors”. In fact, I fully expect things to go the other way–I believe there will be another effort to exclude persons who have renounced from ever entering the United States again.
Stand with Rand! He made it as well!
You say:
The USD was worth $0.75 CDN. Just like that.
but the Canadian dollar rose only slightly, then plunged against the US dollar, and you got the exchange rate reversed anyway.
@qm “I don’t believe for a moment that those who renounced will be allowed to reinstate their citizenship after a move to RBT.”
Those that renounced, did so under duress because of O-B-A-M-A. That is fact, they were persecuted and that message will be well received.
We need to lobby for everything and go all the way.
Just as I will never ever leave Calgarys son behind to get rid of USC, I feel the same about “mona lisa” and Dr. Kish in having the option of getting it back if they want.
These have been dark days in the expat history of the USA.
@Fred, if you are writting to GOP reps remeber to credit the expat vote. 😉
The time now is to be bold.
Yep, George, good idea. I did say I was a voter living abroad, but good to remind them that it is an important voting bloc. Not sure they voted R … but they well may in the future if FATCA is repealed.
@George
Re. Reinstating US Citizenship
If offered, would you ever feel that you could trust them again?
I would never want it back. Who knows when the next crowd of bounty hunters will get elected.
It’s a new day! Yes, let’s all start writing our letters. Let’s cover Washington with reminders of the Republican Party Platform 2016, p. 13!!! Their promises are there in black and white. It is the job of Congress ( Republican majority in both houses) to introduce the legislation that will end citizenship-based taxation once and for all. All Mr. Trump has to do is sign it.
It’s a new day, and it’s ours!
@Heidi, I am done but that said I know persons some of them at IBS who would like that option. I will fight for them.
@Muzzled…love your spirit.
@Muzzled…..President Trump can instruct his Treasury Security under the BSA to exclude wide swaths of people, countries and increase the reporting threshold on FBAR. Congress is not even involved.
Further, the IGAs are executive agreements!!! He can disown them by his pen without Congress. Hence my idea for ADCS to ask through their lawyers if Government wants to continue defending.
Thanks, George.
For my family, we will never want USC back. Nothing changes. I was warned that I would lose my USC when I became a USC in 1975. And, I still want a way for my son and for any accidental American, however so deemed, to have a claim to USC if their facts permit — that is an OPT-IN, not an OPT-OUT for *accidental Americans* if there remains the anomaly and the consequences of exceptional US citizenship-based taxation and compliance from their own countries abroad.
I do, though, agree that those like Dr. Stephen Kish and Monalisa should have an avenue to get their USC back if that is what they desire and trust. Going forward, our decisions are very personal.
@Tom
Thanks. Someone else also mentioned this. I received information that I didn’t check. My apologies.
@Heidi
I will never go back for exactly that reason (among others). If Obama came by and personally apologized on his knees, I would still tell them to go where the sun never shines. I will never ever trust the US again.
As far as taking US citizenship back were such an opportunity offered-NO WAY! After what they did? That level of violation produced a permanent rift which cannot be healed. You had to be around in late 2011 to understand.
I meant it when I dumped it. I am a Canadian and a Canadian only. Why go back to an abusive spouse? Ninety-nine times out of 100 you’ll be beaten again.
@qm
Is there anything in addition to
your sense that Homelanders would not appreciate the unpatriotic behaviour that leads you to believe there will be another effort to exclude expats from ever entering again?