Originally published by Ian Bremmer on LinkedIn: Winners and Losers - Central Park Strolls
Congratulations for making it through yea--I mean week three of the Trump presidency. Here's a video I recorded a few days ago (oh to be young again). Then some updated W&L to tide you over until decad--I mean week four.
The Week in Getting Around NYC
And speaking of the greatest city on earth...
Winner: NYC Subway Riders—confronted with swastikas drawn in Sharpie all over a subway car, a train of passengers reached into their bags, pulled out Purell and tissues, and got to work. The train was swastika-free by the time it reached 96th street. #AndNeverSoClean
Loser: NYC bus riders—With the Defense Department reportedly considering renting office space in Trump Tower, navigating security checks on the way through midtown just got that much harder. #DamnThisTrafficJam
The Week in Trump vs Business
Winner: DC Lobbyists--DC lobbyists have begun selling insurance to companies for Trump tweets. #MakingKStreetGreatAgain
Loser: Workers in China—Nordstrom will be fine, but the Chinese workers that make Ivanka Trump’s fashion line? Not so much. #BuyAmerican
The Week in French Politics
Winner: Emmanuel Macron—A rumor of an illicit gay love affair wasn’t enough to derail the centrist candidate, who is now the presumed frontrunner to take down far-right Marine Le Pen in France’s presidential election. Bonus points for inviting disgruntled US scientists to come work in France. #AlreadyTrollingLikeAPro
Loser: France’s center right—With Francois Fillon, its presidential candidate, already reeling from accusations last week that he employed his wife as a parliamentary aide and can’t prove she did any work, a French court this week ordered former French President Nicolas Sarkozy (like Fillon, a member of Les Republicains party) to stand trial for alleged campaign finance fraud. #LeReelingRight
The Week in Russian Blowback
Winner: Bill O’Reilly—The Kremlin says it’s not too late for the Fox News host to apologize for calling Putin a “killer” in his interview with Donald Trump. O’Reilly responded: “I’m working on that apology, but it may take a little time. You might want to check in with me around 2023.” #PapaBearBitesTheBear
Loser: Victims of Domestic Abuse—Vladimir Putin signed a law this week that decriminalizes first offenses of domestic violence that don’t “seriously injure” the person, whatever that means. More than 85% of legislators in Russia’s parliament voted for the law last month. #RussianFamilyValues
Ian Bremmer is president of Eurasia Group, foreign affairs columnist at TIME and Global Research Professor at New York University. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook.