The New York Times reports that Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narenda Moti had a phone call where Trump said that it was because of him that the recent hot war with Pakistan over control of Kashmir calmed down, and that he wanted Modi’s support for the Nobel Peace Prize. Modi responded by saying that Trump was not the reason the war calmed down and that Trump did nothing regarding that war that would merit that prize.

Since then, Trump and Modi have not communicated, India has become a country whose exports to the US are taxed higher than any other countries, and Modi has traveled to Beijing and had long discussions both with Xi and Putin.

Now, I am not a fan of Hindus über Alles Modi, but this country has long looked to India as our counterbalance against China, just as we had potentially looked at Russia in the same way. Now, we have brought those three countries closer together. While I am sure they will be unable to be allied with each other for long, the fact that for now, none are allied with us cannot be good.

In the meantime, it’s a new month. September and October are usually the best months in Washington. The temperature and humidity break, the sky is generally blue, and in October, the leaves change colors, often starting with our front yard maple. Of course, eventually, we get to January and February, two months I could do without (thankfully, February is short), but they are both a long way off.

This fall promises to be an awful one for Hispanics in Washington DC.  I mentioned yesterday that about 10% of the city is Hispanic. So far, the ICE push has not reached our suburbs, but both Montgomery and Prince George’s counties are more than 20% Hispanic, and with Maryland Governor Moore so forcefully opposing Trump’s talk about crime in Baltimore, you never know what might happen.

Of course, consistent with Trump’s push against India because of Modi’s opposition to him, Trump has selected DC, Maryland, California, and Illinois for attacks. He ignores high crime cities like Little Rock and Shreveport because they are in red states. He also ignores Texas, which is 40% Hispanic and perhaps has more Hispanic non-citizens than any other state.

Yes, Trump picks favorites. That is the way he governs on any level. He doesn’t understand why everyone doesn’t praise him. After all, it is so easy. And then, once someone praises him, he becomes a favorite, no longer a pariah. So simple.

This is, by the way, what is meant by calling Trump a transactional president. The easiest and simplest of transactions. You like me? I like you. You don’t like me? Too bad for you.

A transactional presidency is necessarily a presidency that picks favorites. You need to decide with whom to be transactional. Political favorites. Ethnic favorites. Religious favorites. State and city favorites.

And now, corporate favorites. The US now apparently owns, or will own, 10% of Intel, the first of what may be many such arrangements. Once the US owns equity in a corporation, that corporation becomes too important (if not always too big) to fail. Picking winners and losers like this has, of course, always been anathema to Republicans. But no longer. Whether this is creeping socialism or just another facet of fascism, I am not sure. Or a combination of both. Hitler, after all, called his fascist party the National German Socialist Workers Party.

Tough times ahead, even if it is September and October. The calendar says the fall cometh? But, as to Trump, whence comes his fall?