To give another answer to Andrew's point on 'The Gulf of America' and which might help people to understand Trump's methods. You have to realise that he is not the clown that his opponents want to paint him as. He knows how to use psychology to get what he wants. It is all part of the "art of the deal". He is an expert, and even possibly a genius, at this.

Take Greenland. All the NPCs are going mad about how he wants to buy and control it. What he really wanted was for the delinquent, lazy European country - Denmark - to step up and take more responsibility for its possessions, which the US is paying disproportionately to protect. It has worked. Denmark has suddenly started springing into action.

When he demands that Europe spends more on defence, achieves energy security, etc. He's saying "man up, be stronger". It's like a father who wants his children to be more self reliant, successful and useful. Rather than dependent wasters. That's what a strong and sensible country wants in its allies. It makes your own sphere stronger.

The Gulf of America... I think this is partly a signal to Mexico that the new administration is deeply unimpressed by their performance too. Allowing millions of illegal migrants to wash over their territory and into the US? The drug cartels that cause mayhem across the border? As a minimum, this delinquency by the Mexican state could be construed as passive aggressive. Isn't that deserving of some contempt? And I bet they'll start making positive changes soon enough.

Sometimes, the small seemingly silly gestures can have their effect together with the more expensive ones.

The ceasefire in the middle east, the removal of the god awful Justin Trudeau, and more positive developments to come. It is all happening and it is the outcomes that really count. It's the art of the deal. A successful businessman, who knows how to play the game, is now in charge.

Finally, and I am referring to others now, not responding to Andrew. It is quite telling that so many of the soy-milk life forms that exist on this forum, who believe their daily drivel is about "investing", are so far removed from the reality of the world and genuine success that they have nothing to say about this expert in business, and now leader of the free world, other than to grumble the word "orange". And to start whinging when somebody comes along and has more expansive and interesting things to say. It really is an autard echo chamber at times.

im not a particularly pro trump person.... but...

what % of the world follow a religion... where they have been told by a bunch of people wearing fancy clothes that there is some mystical wonderful place where the poor will enter freely / the rich are unwelcome, the mass murderers get to sleep with virgins, where those who lead good/humble lives come back as more superior beings, etc etc... a very significant percentage of human race WANT to believe - however logically bonkers... they NEED strong leaders who will tell them everything will be OK as long as you 'follow me!'... Trump to some extent fulfils that purpose...

(as an aside when my son parrots something like 'Trump is an idiot' I like to remind him that he is currently the most powerful person, leading the richest country and is able to influence / change world events through his own actions... that doesnt sound like a particularly stupid person... just because you dont agree with someone / like someone it doesnt make them stupid!)

I wonder if Trump`s idea to export large amounts of LNG to Europe and also seek to lower oil prices is having an effect on renewables , which still seem to be in free-fall . It may transpire that higher inflation and rates , coupled with lower power prices , squeezes the profit out of these renew - cos , so even if if on a 10 % divi yield ( eg. BSIF ) they don`t represent good value and may end up halving the divi or even cancelling it ( GRID ) .

Neither did our elect.
Yet they both fail to acknowledge that two wrongs do not make a right !

Inflation is on a rampage and RR has a bigger problem in that there is no sign of growth in the economy whatsoever - her raising of taxes without any growth is hurting the very people she vowed to protect and paves the way for stockmarket investors (who she tried to can) to make an absolute packet.

Sainsbury to cut jobs, Lakeland to sell their, Royal mail gone, Morrisons gone- many other casualties to emerge - millionaire and billionaires leaving the UK - the vultures are circling. That measly £6m from China, compared to the wads of dosh from Saudi to the US is going to do bugger all. Add to that the news that young lorry drivers quitting which is likely to hamper their big house building plans.

She needs to incentives job creation and capital investment for real jobs, not wind turbines in a farm which farmer Joe can put up with a few locals every twenty years and watch the money come in until they need replacing.

Alternatively she can do a Saudi and give everyone government jobs to reduce the unemployment - wait we do not have oil or energy source to sell the world to pay for the jobs, we have a tax system for which the big payers are shifting fast to the likes of Saudi etc.