I wouldn't charactorized Mr. Abe's expression as regrettable but shock and unbelivable relief that 45 the S**tgibbon finally let him go. What was the idiot in chief trying to get across by that, "I got the power you little Jap."? (Apologize to all Japanese wherever they may live.) It seems to me that it is the same kind of power play of a rapist. Someone wake me up and tell me this nightmare is over.

Here's one of many incidents:

"A regrettable facial expression" is an understatement. The prime minister does a major eye roll and turns away. Given the deeply held practice of saving face that is cherished in Japanese culture, Abe must have been truly revolted for such a facial expression to have overridden his self control.

19 seconds seems like a long time. I just timed shaking hands with myself to see what felt natural, and 5-6 seconds would be plenty

would be understood after such a spectacle. This trumpster-shake may be new record for the 45th as a statesman, but Abe will have come into this very aware that the 45th is not housebroken.

That is perfect! He certainly isn't, and I don't think he can be.

If 45 wasn't so outrageous it would drive those of us with a shred of decency nuts

I've heard about Trump's handshaking before.
He grabs the person's hand,
squeezes it,
and pulls the hand toward him (Trump).

It's a 'power play' = I'm in charge here.

just creepy and weird. I have never, ever had anyone shake my hand like that.
I had my own carpet and upholstery biz before health problems forced me to retire.
I was in business for over 20 years. Shook many hands of all genders and nationalities.

Never had anyone pull me in like that. I think I'd have fought it off. Don't know.

status just by whether a person lets the 45th pull them in or braces himself to resist. (And, of course, women just need to hold an aspirin firmly between their knees and wear thick shorts under their skirts as a backup.)

Check the video on line for his SCOTUS nominee. Gorsach had clearly already decided on a judicious middle course, allowing the 45th to yank his arm out to full extension but bracing himself against being wrestled into further subservience.

With Rex Tillerson giving him yank for yank, the next step might have been Tillerson throwing POTUS on his hip if the cameras weren't rolling.

These clips are priceless, and I am enjoying them thoroughly. 45 may be our president, but he's 100% the trumpsters' choice. They own his behavior.

Power play in public.

But we all know he pays hookers to be on him. Bad Donald! Bad!

He's thinking "4 more years of this, aiiiieeeeee!!!!"

look at Gorsuch's face at the very end

I kept rewinding it, I couldn't believe he really did that. He is such a strange and creepy man.

At least two times blotus yanked him toward him.

he's a MF Loser.

He is delusional beyond belief.

I've traveled around the world, and the first thing I do is read up on polite behavior in different societies and learn a few words of the language. And I didn't have a huge staff to coach me.

Oh wait...neither does he.

On the full video you can hear a Japanese media person asking them to shake hands.

I also noticed that Trump did that thing where he yanked Abe's arm toward him, although not as hard as he yanked Neal Gorsuch's arm. Apparently Trump does this with many people in an attempt to show dominance.

...can come across as quite condescending, unless it is someone you know well and you are offering comfort at a time of distress.

I was stationed in Japan for my second active duty tour with the Air Force nurse corps, in the late 1970s. I totally loved it. It took me several months, after I returned to the US, to stop bowing to store clerks when making purchases. I became so accustomed to it while there that I had to make a conscious effort to stop.

Trump's showing Abe he's in total control of the situation and Abe has no say in the matter.

using the bathroom. (Another power play, according to the Art of the Deal)

that if this presidentin' thing doesn't work out, he can get a gig as "Mr Shake Hands Man 3" on Banzai.

Here is actor (and Los Angeles science fiction fan) Tadao Tamamatsu as "Mr Shake Hands Man 2":

Poor guy shook my hand , got distracted, and would not let go.

This reminded me of that.

So so uncomfortable.

hands were smaller than his.

at Mar-a-Moscow yet?

This is undoubtedly the most shocking thing a president of the United States has ever uttered. I mean that. This is the very essence of fascism. This is an offense that is so beyond the pale that every American should be up in arms. But we have become so inured to this kind of treasonous balderdash that it is no longer remarkable. Instead this sweeping condemnation of US history and of systemic government is brushed off as "another day in Trump-world," and it is subsumed by a story-line about the "cost of the wall."

Seriously, do we not understand the implications of this utterance? This is not mere hyperbole. This is a threat. Why is this not the headline in every article on Trump in every news outlet in the country? Have we become so numb to Trump's treason that we now just shrug off his statements as yet another silly tweet? This is not a silly tweet. This is an active attempt to undermine what our country is at its core -- a country of laws, not of men.

The news that's posted here has to be less than 12 hours old. You'll find more on this in General Discussion or Editorials and Other Articles. For example:

Trumps Deportation Plan Will Create Chaos/National Emergency/Legal Crisis.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028629103

I feel nothing but disgust for the people who do not know the ethical and legal conflicts
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028627683

HOW OUR ANTIDEMOCRATIC FEDERAL SYSTEM SHAFTS DEMOCRATS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028632439

Welcome to DU, jetcat! We're glad to have you with us!

Sorry for the misplaced post. But I will note that those threads you cited do not directly address this tweet.

It's rather remarkable that this substantively different tweet, this categorically different tweet, is being shrugged off as just more Trump bluster. He has managed to normalize radically unprecedented statements to such an extent that a truly threatening statement like this is now met with a sanguinary eye-roll. We just move along to the next outrage, and the neon warning sign in this tweet dims behind us.

And now there are so many that there are some I haven't yet discovered, LOL.

And I know that this has been a big issue here, just found a few posts that were fairly recent. You'll find that DUers are pretty sharp, keep track of every issue that comes out, sometimes even before it reaches the news media!

But I take your point about Trump. We need to take his ignorant bluster seriously, though it is tough to maintain the outrage when each and every day he manages to outdo himself with even more unbelievable and alarming attacks.

If you click that, you will get the Statement of Purpose for that forum. For instance, LBN

I mean, a republican tax-&-draft-dodging hand-jerker is telegraphing major weaknesses.

The compulsive, mentally deranged need to try and unexpectedly jerk another person around belies a tragically weak and fragile ego.

You can bet the worldwide diplomatic corps is making careful strategic note of how lame & low are the ways of the KGOP draft-dodger-in-chief.

It's one of those things that makes YOU feel uncomfortable watching it. The PM was trying to take his hand back and wouldn't let him.

I can't wait for the day when he meets Queen Elizabeth. He'll probably slap her on the back.