I know this is Trump, but I genuinely don't get the strategy here

[Recursion]

He's forcing a shutdown on the week in which about 90% of Federal workers are already on leave. The 24th was already a "gimme" day. Once January 3rd rolls around, he has a Democratic house which means the new starting bill is going to be much worse for him than the current one. He loses leverage with every day but he's acting like he's gaining leverage. What does he expect to happen?

[Baltimike]

1. Chaos, cofusion and capitulation to Putin. Those are his only goals. nt

[Jeffersons Ghost]

28. Well, at least Putin preserves endangered species, especially tigers; and tRumps pridefully do this:

[Baltimike]

34. While Putin may not kill tigers, he's killed an awful lot of people

and he is our enemy.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Trump doesn't have strategy. He just does stuff, like a wild animal.

Actually, most wild animals are more strategic than Trump.

[ginnyinWI]

15. I really believe he loses track of what he's doing from day to day.

When you get caught in a web of lies, how do you keep track? So he thinks, hell with it, I'm just going to go with my gut.

[Nay]

19. This. He is little more than a wild animal, lashing out at anyone/anything around him,

only dimly aware of the complicated nature of a society, a country, a world. It's all about what he wants in the moment. Pathetic.

[AwakeAtLast]

21. He doesn't even have a strategery!

[dameatball]

27. Right. Trump is reactionary, perhaps tactical sometimes, but not strategic.

[underpants]

3. They still normally get paid though

and there are DHS, border guards, and the Coast Guard who will still have to work. There's no guarantee of them being retroactively paid for furlough either.

[Siwsan]

4. Suffice it to say, he's not very bright

In fact, his intellect is jealous of a 20 watt bulb.

[oswaldactedalone]

5. Burning down the government

That's what deplorables, in their infant wisdom, think is good for the country. Dump loves their adoration so he does what he can to keep them happy and showing up at his Klan meetings, er, rallies.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. this is the reason

The wrath of deplorables, as stoked by Limbaugh and Coulter, scared Baby Donnie.

[gratuitous]

6. It's another Judge Kavanaugh power play

It is solely about imposing his will on the craven little snivellers in the Republican caucus. Trump doesn't know from pyrrhic victories, he delights in winning no matter what the cost down the road. The simplest presidential tasks become forced death marches of legislation because Trump has to be the hero of every narrative, succeeding against long odds, and proving again that his doubters are just a bunch of jealous losers.

When Trump doesn't win, he just flushes the episode down the memory hole and cranks up the next "crisis." A surprising number of people who should know better are taken in by this predictable dumbshow time and again.

[RKP5637]

7. The guy is a complete fool bound to his BFF Putin. I sincerely hope tRump and his

entire herd are completely exposed with the investigations. And, his tax return will likely expose him as a miserable failure with significant indebtedness to Russia. He's also a coward and a stooge. That's the best I can say of the twerp!

[RockRaven]

9. His goal is to harm the US. The wall isn't the goal, so don't look for a strategy for getting that.

Any shutdown causes disruption, discord, and distrust in the government and politics. Even the threat of a shutdown does this. And that's mission accomplished for this traitor.

[regnaD kciN]

10. I really think he wants a "long shutdown"...

...where the country starts to collapse into chaos — at which time, he can declare a state of emergency and get the power to essentially rule by decree “for the duration.” And I’ll bet that’s what Vlad and his other strongman pals are urging him to do.

[Va Lefty]

14. Hadn't thought of that. Gee, thanks

[Algernon Moncrieff]

23. If it gets close to that, even the Republicans in Congress will override his veto

A collapsed economy is bad for their career prospects.

[Pachamama]

29. +1000

This is what I think too

[honest.abe]

11. Playing to his base of morons.

He knows that is his only hope once the Mueller hammer comes down. He is counting on his base to rise up to such an extent the GOP will be afraid to kick him out of office.

[flibbitygiblets]

12. *Distraction* is the strategy. No one's talking about Mueller, Trump Foundation, etc. today

No one's saying "Pelosi kicked Dump's balls all over the oval" today. No one's speculating about Ivanka's emails, Putin's getting his way in Syria, 17 Trump-related investigations, etc.

Trumper tantrums are how he changes the narrative because he doesn't like seeing negative press about himself. Now he feels important as opposed to cornered.

It's still a ridiculously stupid and short-sighted idea, but that's also what he does.

[Dave in VA]

13. He doesn't want the wall

he only wants the fight for the wall. Just my $0.02

[budkin]

16. All he cares about is pleasing his base... that's all he knows

And he'll continue to do it until he's out of office.

[JCMach1]

24. Correct Answer... He sees rightly the base is only thing

Saving him from impeachment... REPUBLICANS WOULD DANCE TO THE MONEY PIPER AND SEND HIM PACKING OTHERWISE.

[GeorgeGist]

17. The Art of the Deal.

Declare bankruptcy and cash out, stiffing your creditors.

[edhopper]

18. Some men

just like to watch the World burn.

[Dave Starsky]

30. I'm reminded of another Dark Knight quote from the Joker.

"Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it! I just do things."

[edhopper]

33. Trump is

a comic book villain.
Though dumber than most.

[Anon-C]

20. It gives Putin cover to make a land grab.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

22. It's sound and fury signifying nothing

He shuts down the government, so he looks tough.

Congress does nothing else in 2018.

Then he makes a deal to restart the government but doesn't get his wall.

Then he blames Democrats for the next 2 years.

[Cha]

25. The Art of the Meltdown.

[applegrove]

26. He gets 'welded' to his GOP base of 42%, which he can then hold over the heads of the

Republicans so they don't vote to impeach him in the months to come.

[k8conant]

31. I think he wanted a reason for Mel and Barron to go to Mar-A-Lago

without him.

[Vinca]

32. He probably doesn't want any part of that place give the loot he's cost his rich buddies.

Worst December on the stock market since the Great Depression.