Trump 41: Waiting For My Impeachment

[Smash!]

It's almost beyond belief that we're watching the rise of Dictator Trump in slow motion, and nobody is seemingly willing to do a thing about it.

Thank you for putting so eloquently into words what I was trying to say but couldn‘t find the right words for it.

[fraurosena]

Huh. I guess adding Gorsuch and Kavanaugh to the SC isn’t working out quite like they imagined.

 

[AmericanRose]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-vows-mass-immigration-arrests-removals-of-millions-of-illegal-aliens-starting-next-week/ar-AAD1XYe?ocid=spartanntp

Trump just enjoys being cruel. I think he really enjoys sitting in the White House, imagining the terror he can inspire in anyone not white.

[GreyhoundFan]

"Trump’s mental gymnastics are incomprehensible"

Spoiler

Only a man who is, like, really smart could perform mental gymnastics at the level President Trump has attained over the past few days.

On Saturday, Trump declared that the New York Times committed a “virtual act of Treason” by reporting on a U.S. cyber campaign against Russia.

Mere seconds later, he proclaimed that the supposedly treasonous report was “ALSO, NOT TRUE!”

Thus, in Trump’s telling, did the journalists commit the capital offense of . . . divulging false state secrets?

During his interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, meanwhile, Trump denied that internal Trump campaign polling showed him trailing: “Those polls don’t exist.”

Trump then fired his campaign pollsters for leaking . . . the supposedly nonexistent polls. (This was similar to Trump calling Bob Woodward a writer of “fiction” while simultaneously venting at his aides for “leaking” this supposed fiction to Woodward.)

During the ABC interview, Trump also said that if he received dirt on his opponent from a foreign country, he would accept it without calling the FBI — and that his FBI director was “wrong” to say the FBI should know of such offers. Soon thereafter, Trump told “Fox & Friends” a contrary view: “of course” he would tell the FBI.

This followed by a few days Trump’s claim that “I had nothing to do with Russia helping me get elected.” Minutes later, he delivered a second opinion: “Russia did not help me get elected.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that “the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” Trump’s ability to function is a matter of much dispute, but if the ability to hold opposing thoughts in mind is a measure of intelligence, Trump is a very stable genius indeed. Nobody contradicts himself as forcefully, fluently and frequently.

Last December, Trump declared that “we have defeated ISIS.” The very next day he said that Russia, Iran and others “will have to fight ISIS” without us.

In recent weeks, Trump has said Robert Mueller conducted his probe in an honorable way and his findings offered full vindication and exoneration. During roughly the same period, Trump has also promoted the contrary idea that Mueller’s report is “total bullshit,” not to mention “fabricated” and “pure, political garbage.”

Last month, Trump pronounced China’s Huawei “very dangerous” as a military and security threat; in the next sentence, he said this dangerous threat should be included in a trade deal.

Trump earlier this year declared an emergency on the border because of a migration “crisis”; the same day, he said, “I didn’t need to do this” — and, two months earlier, he had boasted that the “border is tight.”

In January, Trump proclaimed, in all caps, “MEXICO IS PAYING FOR THE WALL.” Exactly 11 minutes later, he complained that the border wall was in jeopardy because Democrats provided “NOTHING” to pay for it.

Trump’s ability to, er, evolve has been well documented. The Post Fact Checker long ago dubbed Trump “the king of flip-flops.” Stephen Colbert hosted a Trump vs. Trump debate.

But while most politicians (and most people) can change their minds over time, what truly distinguishes Trump’s intellect is his ability to believe — or at least express — two entirely contradictory thoughts at roughly the same time:

You have to take the children away when you prosecute their parents for illegal immigration; ergo, anybody with a heart would keep families together.

The world’s biggest problem is nuclear proliferation; therefore, Japan and South Korea should prepare to defend themselves with nuclear weapons.

Trump has one of the “greatest memories of all time”; accordingly, he could not recall the answer to Mueller’s questions at least 37 times.

One day, Trump had no reason to believe Russia interfered in U.S. elections; the next day, he had no reason to believe Russia didn’t interfere.

In December, Trump said he would be “proud” to accept responsibility for shutting the federal government to pay for the border wall; soon thereafter, he announced that “The Democrats now own the shutdown.”

In January 2018, he told a bipartisan group of lawmakers he would sign any immigration deal they sent him. The next day, he said he would not sign such a bill without funding for his wall.

In February 2018, Trump proposed comprehensive legislation with gun-safety measures, saying “it would be nice if we could add everything onto it.” Twenty minutes later, he said he supported a piecemeal approach.

In June 2018, he tweeted an all-caps call: “HOUSE REPUBLICANS SHOULD PASS THE STRONG BUT FAIR IMMIGRATION BILL.” Three days later, he tweeted: “I never pushed the Republicans in the House to vote for the Immigration Bill.”

How does he do it? My second-rate intelligence can’t figure it out.

We need to get the orange toxic megacolon off the balance beam and into a straitjacket.

[GreyhoundFan]

This is a bit scary to read, but important food for thought:

 

[fraurosena]

Things are  so bad that nobody wants to be in the administration in an official capacity. Hence the many 'acting' officials. Now, even the 'acting' officials don't want to be there. 

 

[Dandruff]

3 hours ago, fraurosena said:

Things are  so bad that nobody wants to be in the administration in an official capacity. Hence the many 'acting' officials. Now, even the 'acting' officials don't want to be there. 

 

He'll do a fantastic job for how long?  If recent history is the slightest indication, some disagreement will eventually occur and the subsequent tweets won't be quite as nice.

[GreyhoundFan]

I liked this op-ed from Eugene Robinson: "Trump plans to turn the Fourth of July into a political rally in honor of himself"

Spoiler

The Fourth of July celebration in Washington has long been a grand pageant of democracy, a family-friendly event that transcends ideology and partisanship. President Trump intends to turn it into a cult-of-personality political rally in honor of himself.

No, I’m not surprised, but what Trump is doing makes me angry. And it makes me sad to see one of our very best traditions being trampled and dishonored.

Anyone who has raised children in the D.C. area knows what I mean. Independence Day is a highlight of the summer, a chance to wave the flag and watch the fireworks. The crowds on the Mall are always thick. The muggy heat is reliably oppressive. Clouds often reduce the pyrotechnics to diffuse flashes of colored light. The traffic jam afterward is epic. And the whole thing, every minute of it, is simply wonderful.

There’s entertainment on the West Lawn of the Capitol, way down yonder, visible to most revelers only via giant video screens. But the point isn’t what’s happening on any stage. The point is the crowd itself, a cross-section of a diverse and often fractious nation, united in celebration of what holds them together rather than what pulls them apart. What the Declaration of Independence means to me might be different from what it means to the grizzled Vietnam War veteran to my left or the family of immigrants from Pakistan to my right, but that doesn’t matter. We’re all Americans, we’re all borderline dehydrated, we’re all having a great time, and we all hope the sky clears before dark.

Most presidents understand that the theme of the day is “we the people,” not “me, me, me.” They usually have the good sense to keep a low profile. Some, beginning with Ulysses S. Grant, have made a point of leaving town; others have opted for symbolic activities befitting the occasion. George W. Bush and Barack Obama chose to preside over naturalization ceremonies for new citizens. Last year, Trump appropriately hosted a picnic at the White House for military families.

This year, the real Trump — the bullying narcissist — promises to make an appearance.

On Feb. 24, Trump posted this alarming tweet: “HOLD THE DATE! We will be having one of the biggest gatherings in the history of Washington, D.C., on July 4th. It will be called ‘A Salute To America’ and will be held at the Lincoln Memorial. Major fireworks display, entertainment and an address by your favorite President, me!”

With less than a month to go, Trump’s aides still haven’t fully informed local officials of the plan for a revamped celebration. We know that they intend to move the fireworks display from the Washington Monument to West Potomac Park, closer to the Potomac River — and much farther from the usual entertainment stage at the Capitol. Apparently, officials may erect a second stage nearer the new fireworks site.

And we know that Trump plans to give a speech at the Lincoln Memorial. The temple that honors our noblest president will be sullied by our basest. The sacred site of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s immortal “I Have a Dream” speech will be usurped by a president who looks at a group of neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members and sees some “very fine people” among them.

An in-person speech by any president would change the dynamics of the event, encouraging attendance by political supporters while discouraging opponents from braving the crowds. Trump is such a polarizing figure that this effect will surely be magnified. What once was the most inclusive holiday in the nation’s capital threatens to become just another Trump rally, providing lots of gaudily patriotic imagery for use in his reelection campaign.

Maybe Trump is doing this in an attempt to finally draw a crowd to the Mall that he can credibly claim is as big as Obama’s inaugural throngs. Maybe he’s frustrated that his ridiculous demand for a grand military-style parade, complete with tanks and missiles, never panned out.

Whatever the genesis of this truly awful idea, the District of Columbia’s nonvoting delegate to Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), put it best:

“It’s about the worst holiday he could have chosen. You never want to make events like this around a single person. This is the difference between the Soviet Union — the old Soviet Union — and the United States. Cults of personality are not how we operate in this country.”

That is indeed how Trump operates, though. The desecration of the Fourth of July is yet another reason to kick him out of town in November 2020.

 

[Dandruff]

I hope the vast majority of people decide to stay home or attend different 4th of July celebrations.  The spectacle on the Mall can be seen on the 11 o'clock news with the mute button on.

[formergothardite]

10 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

With less than a month to go, Trump’s aides still haven’t fully informed local officials of the plan for a revamped celebration.

In other words it is going to be a hot mess just like everything else Trump does. 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

I didn't watch the tangerine toddler's pep rally, but I was not surprised about what I read online: "5 takeaways from Trump’s 2020 campaign launch speech"

Spoiler

Midway through the speech Tuesday night officially launching his 2020 reelection campaign, President Trump joked about his campaign staff. “They cost a fortune, and they never give me any ideas,” he said, adding that he was “kidding.”

Judging by his speech, it might be truer than he let on.

Trump broke little new ground in Orlando — not just relative to the dozens of political rallies he has held since his inauguration, but also relative to his 2016 campaign. It was very much a Greatest Hits rally, replete with grievances against the media and Democrats. It referred to Hillary Clinton more than Trump’s would-be 2020 opponents.

That said, there were a few interesting and newish lines that stuck out. Below are the ones I’ve isolated.

1. A Russia sanctions shout-out

For much of his presidency, Trump has been allergic to blaming Vladimir Putin for Russia’s 2016 election interference or even talking about said interference. But someone has apparently prevailed upon Trump to at least allude to the sanctions that were imposed on that country in response.

While hailing his achievements, Trump noted that he “built up the military, imposed sanctions on Russia” and supported countries that compete with Russia.

It was a brief, fleeting mention that he didn’t expound upon — nor did he refer to how much he resisted those sanctions, both when Congress passed them in 2017 and in response to the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Britain. Trump also offered similar lines a couple of times last month.

If nothing else, though, it suggested that he and his campaign feel the need for him to argue he hasn’t given Russia a complete pass. Until recently, Trump basically relied upon everyone else around him to make that case.

2. Kavanaugh and judges

Perhaps one of the most long-lasting changes brought on by the Trump presidency is the remaking of the judiciary, both at the Supreme Court and in the lower courts.

And Trump made that a key element of his speech, both alluding to the large number of judges confirmed and speaking at some length about Brett M. Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.

Trump, of course, seized upon the grievance-related aspects of the Kavanaugh fight, accusing the justice’s opponents of trying to destroy his family. So even where Trump has a legitimate and extensive victory, it all comes back to how nefarious his opponents are.

3. ‘People who refuse to concede an election’

One conspicuous line that Trump didn’t dwell upon but seems likely to make a return is when Trump alluded to Democrats “who refuse to concede an election” and suggested they were sore losers.

Trump appeared to be referring to Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (D), who has not conceded her loss to Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and has argued that minority votes were suppressed. Abrams has also said she still might run for president in 2020.

Left unsaid: Trump’s repeated threats during the 2016 election to not concede if he lost because of potential rampant voter fraud that hadn’t taken place. That’s not hugely different from the case Abrams has made.

4. The TBD slogan

Even as he was launching his 2020 campaign, Trump suggested he still hadn’t landed on a slogan. He called 2016′s “Make America Great Again” the “greatest theme in the history of politics,” but he also said it might be “Keep America Great.”

At one point, he invited the crowd to applaud for which slogan they thought he should run on. It wasn’t clear which one they preferred.

5. A new African American talking point

During his 2016 campaign, Trump appealed to would-be black supporters by arguing, “What the hell do you have to lose?” It didn’t earn him an unusual level of support for a GOP candidate.

Since then, he has pointed to a historically low black unemployment rate, and yet his approval rating among African Americans remains extremely low.

On Tuesday, though, Trump offered something somewhat new, pointing to the criminal justice overhaul bill that was passed through Congress with bipartisan support. He alluded to “crime policies that so unfairly affected the African American community — so unfair.”

The true target of the line, though, may not have been elusive black Republican voters. It seemed more likely it was the leading 2020 Democratic candidate, former vice president Joe Biden, whose support for President Bill Clinton’s crime bill has become a hot-button issue in the Democratic primary.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

An excellent op-ed from Dana Milbank: "Let’s talk about what really matters in 2020: Hillary Clinton’s emails"

Spoiler

President Trump was up early the day he formally kicked off his reelection campaign, contemplating the issue that has consumed much of his presidency.

He was thinking about Hillary Clinton’s emails.

“Wow! The State Department said it has identified 30 Security Incidents involving current or former employees and their handling of Crooked Hillary Clinton’s Emails,” he tweeted at 12:51 a.m., crediting Fox News with this scoop. “This is really big.”

Huge. But mostly because of what it says about Trump: Now approaching 2020, he is perpetually stuck in 2016.

At his campaign kickoff in Orlando on Tuesday, Trump alleged that “Crooked Hillary Clinton” funded “the phony dossier.” He accused her of an “illegal attempt to overturn the results of the election, spy on our campaign.”

On and on Trump went, about “Crooked Hillary” and her “insurance policy,” falsely stating that she refused to concede the election and alleging that she “destroyed evidence, deleted and acid-washed 33,000 emails, exposed classified information and turned the State Department into a pay-for-play cash machine.”

“Lock her up!” the crowd chanted.

His pronouncements in recent days have been much the same, with routine mentions of Clinton’s (and President Barack Obama’s) “Collusion Scandal,” her “criminal” behavior, their orchestration of “the biggest & worst political scandal in the history of the United States” and more.

Since his inauguration 879 days ago, Trump has mentioned or referred to his 2016 opponent or his presidential predecessor an average of 2.56 times per day, or once every nine hours and 20 minutes, according to computations by Factba.se, a data analytics company. This is an order of magnitude more than Trump’s peers mentioned prior opponents and predecessors.

At the same point in their presidencies, Obama had mentioned or referred to his opponent or predecessor once every 3.52 days, George W. Bush every 62.79 days, Bill Clinton every 3.38 days, George H.W. Bush every 6.56 days and Ronald Reagan every 58.6 days, Factba.se chief executive Bill Frischling tells me.

Why does Trump live in the past? Maybe because of the woeful record he has compiled since he descended the escalator in Trump Tower four years ago.

It’s a record of cruelty. Late Monday, Trump rolled out a campaign-season plan to deport “millions” of migrant parents and children, which he is implementing after firing officials who objected on grounds that it would be ineffective and appear heartless after the debacle of last year’s family-separation policy. Despite the cruelty, the border situation has substantially worsened under Trump.

It’s a record of incompetence. Trump’s defense-secretary pick Patrick Shanahan withdrew from consideration Tuesday over domestic-violence matters, becoming the latest of many botched nominations for an administration that has had record turnover and an unprecedented number of officials in “acting” roles.

It’s a record of fraudulence. Trump is closing in on 11,000 false or misleading statements as president, The Post’s Fact Checker calculates. Trump sows distrust of the courts, the FBI, the Justice Department, the intelligence community and the media, while spreading paranoia about a “Deep State” conspiracy.

It’s a record of criminality. Five of his advisers have been convicted or pleaded guilty in the Mueller probe (a sixth awaits trial), which concluded that it could not clear Trump of obstruction of justice.

It’s a record of vulgarity. Trump has maintained a steady stream of Twitter insults, uttered obscenities in public, posthumously attacked the character of John McCain and skipped a visit to an American military cemetery because of rain.

It’s a record of isolation. Trump set off a trade war and upset decades-old alliances while siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin over U.S. intelligence, making common cause with autocrats and falling “in love” with North Korea’s murderous dictator (falsely absolving that country as a nuclear threat). Trump has divulged intelligence secrets to adversaries and overridden the security clearance process for friends and family.

It’s a record of greed. Trump and many of his appointees have used taxpayer funds for personal luxuries and their offices to promote their businesses and investments. Multiple investigations have found ethical and legal violations at high levels.

It’s a record of racism. From Charlottesville, to the clumsy travel ban, to his remark about s---hole countries, to a census revision aimed at suppressing nonwhite participation, Trump has used racial and gender resentment and fear of immigrants to mobilize his supporters.

And it’s a record of buffoonery. The prince of “whales” and others may tolerate with politeness Trump’s self-promotion and bumbling — the moon is part of Mars! — but the world literally laughed at Trump at the United Nations.

His defenders point to judicial appointments, as if these were worth losing the nation’s soul. And until now they have pointed to economic growth, propped up by deficit spending and tax cuts. But now business conditions have deteriorated, growth has slowed, and a recession could be coming.

So by all means, let’s talk about what really matters for 2020: Hillary’s emails.

 

[47of74]

Things are  so bad that nobody wants to be in the administration in an official capacity. Hence the many 'acting' officials. Now, even the 'acting' officials don't want to be there. 
 

Of course fuck Face is only an acting human being and not a real one so that might explain all the acting people there.

[GreyhoundFan]

2 hours ago, 47of74 said:

Of course fuck Face is only an acting human being and not a real one so that might explain all the acting people there.

He does such a bad job of acting like a human being that he should win a lifetime Razzie.

[fraurosena]

Cue some presiduncial histrionics.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

Oh FFS: "Trump plans Air Force One flyover of Mall for July Fourth celebration"

Spoiler

President Trump plans to have U.S. military planes, including one of the jetliners used as Air Force One, fly over the Mall as part of his Fourth of July celebration next month, according to three people briefed on the plans.

The flyover reflects Trump’s long-standing interest in replicating the Bastille Day celebration he observed in France in 2017 and his desire to throw an extravagant patriotic celebration, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because final plans have not yet been announced. He has regularly been briefed on the event.

Under the arrangements, Trump would not be on board the presidential Boeing jetliner as it flew overhead, the people familiar with the plans said.

The White House, which declined to comment Tuesday, has provided few details on how it plans to change the long-standing celebration of Independence Day in the nation’s capital. The Washington Post reported in May that the president plans to speak on July 4 at the Lincoln Memorial in an event dubbed “Salute to America,” a move that has shifted the National Park Service’s fireworks launch from the reflecting pool area to West Potomac Park.

Speaking to supporters in Orlando Tuesday night as he launched his reelection campaign, the president touted the Independence Day festivities he’s helped to orchestrate.

“By the way, on July 4th in Washington D.C., come on down! We’re going to have a big day,” Trump told the crowd. “We’re going to have hundreds of thousands of people.”

In a statement Wednesday, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said the White House event “will honor each of the nation’s five service branches with music, military demonstrations, flyovers and much more.” He added that the public will now be able to watch the fireworks from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the World War II Memorial and Constitution Gardens, since the launch site has changed.

“There is no more appropriate place to celebrate the anniversary of American independence than among the Nation’s monuments on the National Mall and the memorials to the service men and women who have defended the United States for the past 243 years,” Bernhardt said.

But some lawmakers remain skeptical. On Tuesday, three senior Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee wrote Bernhardt a letter asking that he provide the panel with details on how much the celebration would cost, who would pay for it and what other changes were planned.

“We are deeply troubled that the president’s involvement at the event will turn the long-standing, nonpartisan celebration into a de facto campaign rally conducted at taxpayer expense that will serve to further divide rather than unify the nation,” wrote Sens. Tom Udall (N.M.), Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.) and Chris Van Hollen (Md.). “We are also concerned that the decision to expand the event to include a potential Presidential address will require the National Park Service to divert resources from other priorities of the Mall or other national park system units at a time when it is facing significant budgetary pressures to address its $12 billion deferred maintenance backlog and accommodate record-setting visitation.”

Interior Department spokeswoman Molly Block said Tuesday in an email that the department had “nothing to announce” regarding a military flyover on the Mall. In regards to the senators’ request, she added, “We have received the letter and will respond in a timely manner.”

Separately, Van Hollen and D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) wrote House and Senate appropriators Tuesday that they need additional funds this year for the District’s Emergency Planning and Security Fund because it will run out of funds in July, in part because it has still not been reimbursed $7.3 million for costs stemming from Trump’s 2017 inauguration.

“It is important to note that the spend rate does factor in the substantial unanticipated costs for President Trump’s July 4th speech and activities at the Lincoln Memorial,” Van Hollen and Norton wrote. “Since the July 4th program has not yet been set, those costs are still unknown.”

Park Service and D.C. officials have already begun to make changes to accommodate the White House’s planned celebration. Park Service officials issued a notice last week informing local residents who play softball and other sports in West Potomac Park that between June 29 and July 6, “multiple athletic fields managed by the Mall will be unavailable for use due to activities associated with President Trump’s Independence Day celebration.”

 

[Dandruff]

What are the plans for the Trump baby balloon?  That's what I want to see.

[GreyhoundFan]

2 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

What are the plans for the Trump baby balloon?  That's what I want to see.

Code Pink has applied for a permit to fly it.

[Alisamer]

I'm a big fan of planes and flyovers, but a 747 flyover seems a bit over the top. Of course, it's Trump's current plane, so that's why he chose it I assume. I wouldn't be surprised if it was accompanied by a couple private jets in Trump livery.

It couldn't be just a military flyover, of course. Because that would honor the military. It has to have something more closely related to mr tangerine man, because narcissism. I'd be willing to bet he could get a flyover of some vintage military aircraft for relatively little cost, by private owners who are Trump fans. But no. Gotta be Air Force One. Wonder if that was one reason he was pushing for a re-paint of it? 

Quote

The Washington Post reported in May that the president plans to speak on July 4 at the Lincoln Memorial in an event dubbed “Salute to America,” 

Is there anyone else who cannot read this without hearing it in Sam Eagle's voice? "It's called 'A Salute to All Nations but Mostly America.' It's a glorious three-hour finale..."  Kermit: "You've got a minute and a half!"

If the dumpster somehow manages to stay in office despite losing an election, or past 8 years, I'd expect him to declare the constitution "terrible, one of the worst deals ever" and institute a brand new re-write of it. Item one: re-name the country "the United States of Trump".

[Dandruff]

2 hours ago, Alisamer said:

I'm a big fan of planes and flyovers, but a 747 flyover seems a bit over the top. Of course, it's Trump's current plane, so that's why he chose it I assume. I wouldn't be surprised if it was accompanied by a couple private jets in Trump livery.

I'll be surprised if some sort of "MAGA" paraphernalia isn't included in what should be a national vs. Trump celebration.  Next, maybe, a war since other Presidents got to be part of a (literal) war and he hasn't.

[fraurosena]

Huh. First Trump tweets this:

Then this happened:

And therefore this followed:

 

[GreyhoundFan]

Updated information from the WaPo: "When Trump visits his clubs, government agencies and Republicans pay to be where he is"

Spoiler

When President Trump finished the first official rally of his reelection campaign this week, he got on Air Force One. But he didn’t go home to Washington. Instead, he flew 190 miles in the opposite direction — to visit his own Doral golf resort, outside Miami.

The resort’s profits have fallen since Trump took office. But it had a major event planned for the next day, a fundraiser for Trump’s reelection campaign.

It would be his 126th visit to one of his properties since taking office. And this visit — like more than a dozen before it — would bring paying customers, allowing Trump to play a double role.

The president would be the headliner and the caterer.

Trump has bigger designs for the Doral club: He has suggested holding next year’s Group of Seven meeting — a gathering of world leaders — at Doral or another of his luxury resorts, current and former White House staffers said.

Since taking office, Trump has faced pushback about his official visits to his properties from some of his aides, including inside the White House Counsel’s Office. They worried about the appearance that he was using the power of the presidency to direct taxpayer money into his own pockets, according to current and former White House officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Trump has rebuffed such warnings, overruling a recommendation that he not visit his Turnberry golf club in Scotland last summer, according to aides. And in recent months, he has scheduled even more detours from official trips to visit his businesses — golf courses in Ireland, Los Angeles and Doral.

In all, his scores of trips have brought his private businesses at least $1.6 million in revenue, from federal officials and GOP campaigns who pay to go where Trump goes, according to a Washington Post analysis.

They gave Trump valuable marketing opportunities — to showcase his opulent properties on an international stage.

Trump’s preference for his own properties also has reshaped the GOP fundraising schedule, with benefits for the Trump Organization.

About one-third of all the political fundraisers or donor meetings that Trump has attended — 23 out of 63 — have taken place at his own properties, according to the Post analysis of federal campaign finance records and the president’s public schedule. Campaign finance records show several Republican groups paying to hold events where Trump spoke. GOP fundraisers say they do that, in part, to increase the chances Trump will attend.

It has also reshaped the spending habits of the federal government, turning the president into a vendor.

“The president knows that by visiting his properties, taxpayer dollars will flow directly into his own pockets. Then, surprisingly, the president visits his properties all the time,” said Ryan Shapiro, the executive director of a watchdog group called Property of the People. That group obtained extensive records on federal spending at Trump properties, via public-records requests and lawsuits, that it shared with The Post.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Trump still owns his businesses, although he says he has given day-to-day control to his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric.

Federal spending at Trump’s properties has drawn scrutiny from the attorneys general in Maryland and the District of Columbia. They have sued Trump for allegedly violating the Constitution’s prohibition against presidents receiving extra gifts or payments — known as emoluments — from the federal government outside the presidential salary. They have also accused Trump of violating a constitutional ban on “emoluments” from foreign governments, by doing business with them at his D.C. hotel. The case is pending.

And this week, the House passed an amendment banning the State Department from spending money at Trump-branded properties.

“It’s against the emoluments clause of the Constitution to be making money out of the job,” said the amendment’s sponsor, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) “And he does it every chance he can.”

The Trump Organization did not respond to requests for comment. George Sorial, a former ethics adviser to the company, said Trump’s properties do not seek to make a profit from government customers but charge them the cost of their stays.

And in interviews, political customers say their attendees love patronizing the Trump brand.

To estimate the revenue produced by Trump’s visits to his properties, The Post reviewed public records about federal spending and campaign spending at Trump’s properties — then compared those records to Trump’s publicly available travel schedule.

The Post sought to identify any spending that seemed triggered by Trump’s visit — payments by federal officials who accompanied him, payments by campaign committees for events at which Trump spoke.

The actual amount of money Trump has received as a result of his visits and campaign events is probably much higher than the $1.6 million The Post identified. That’s because most of the records available about government spending date to the first half of 2017 — covering just the first few months of Trump’s presidency so far. And the records of campaign spending don’t account for other revenue that Trump may have made off campaign events, including overnight stays by donors attending the event.

These records show that Trump began receiving payments from his own government in February 2017, when he made his first presidential visit to his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla.

The Defense Department paid $12,000 for rooms at the club, according to invoices, emails and other records obtained by Property of the People.

In April 2017, Trump returned again to Mar-a-Lago — where he hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping. Over those four days, the government paid Trump’s club at least $30,000 on meeting rooms and hotel lodgings for then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other VIPs in suites and beachfront cabanas, the documents show.

Tillerson got the Adam Suite, touted for its “double sized Jacuzzi tub.” Then-Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Hagin was assigned to the “Banyan Bungalow,” which includes a private meditation garden, according to a State Department manifest.

“Do you know what they charged for each room?” one State Department official asked Michael Dobbs, a State Department travel coordinator in an email obtained by Property of the People. The Post could not reach Dobbs for comment.

“$546 — I believe which is 300% of the lodging per diem,” Dobbs wrote back — meaning it was three times the standard allowance for federal travelers in that part of Florida. There are some exceptions, but 300 percent is the maximum amount that the government will reimburse any traveler for lodging.

Also, as first reported by ProPublica, the government was sent a $1,000 bill rung up by Trump aides at one of the club’s bars.

“They asked the bartender to leave so they could speak confidentially, and the Secret Service did not allow the bartender to enter the room again,” the club’s catering director wrote. “The group served themselves.”

In all, The Post found $145,000 in government payments to three Trump businesses — Mar-a-Lago; a golf club in Bedminster, N.J.; and the golf resort in Turnberry — that appeared connected to Trump’s visits.

The State Department and the White House did not answer questions about how much more federal money had been paid to Trump’s clubs.

Within the White House, ethics officials sometimes sought to dissuade Trump from making side trips to his courses or holding public presidential events there. But in some cases, Trump did it anyway, former White House aides said. He stopped to visit his Waikiki hotel during a Hawaii layover in 2017, on his way to Asia. He stopped in Turnberry.

Earlier this month, Trump also inserted a three-day detour to his golf club in Ireland between official trips to the United Kingdom and France — taking Trump and his aides hundreds of miles out of the way.

“We’re going to be staying at Doonbeg in Ireland because it’s convenient and it’s a great place. But it’s convenient,” Trump said then. While in Ireland, he also met with Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

His ethics officials have also sought to dissuade his subordinates. Stefan Passantino, a former White House lawyer, tried to bar any Cabinet or White House official from appearing at a Trump property in their official capacity, according to former White House officials.

Sorial, the Trump Organization’s former compliance counsel who served as the company’s in-house ethics adviser until this year, in an interview rejected the idea that Trump was turning a profit off business with his own government.

“It generates nothing. We charge domestic government entities our costs,” Sorial said. Last year, for instance, Trump spent two days at his Turnberry golf course in the middle of an official trip to Europe. Sorial said the hotel charged the government only $175 per room, a huge discount from the normal rate of $500 or more.

“I assure you,” he said. “It’s not business we want.”

Sorial did not provide any statistics on the total revenue from government entities.

Federal Election Commission records paint a more detailed picture of political spending at Trump properties, showing about $1.2 million paid by GOP-linked committees for events like the one on Wednesday — where Trump was the guest of honor, and also the guy who owned the room.

Republican officials say Trump has not told them to hold events at his properties.

But, after a while, he didn’t have to.

They saw how much time he spent at his own properties — and decided to go where the president liked to be.

In addition, GOP fundraisers said, Trump hotels are used to the logistics of presidential events, are luxurious and can even be cheaper than competitors.

The Trump Organization’s properties are “world-class venues in destination locations that our supporters want to visit and are excited to attend events at,” said Brian O. Walsh, president of a pro-Trump committee — America First Action PAC — that has spent $427,000 on events at Trump properties. “The staff is always respectful, professional and provides best-in-class service.”

So far, GOP fundraisers say, donors aren’t concerned that some of their money winds up spent at the president’s private business.

They’re thrilled.

“The Trump hotel in Washington is the best hotel in D.C.,” said Roy Bailey, GOP donor and fundraiser for Trump’s 2020 reelection. “It’s got all the ample space and it’s got the president’s name on it, it’s fantastic. It’s a huge draw for people who want to support the president.”

Doug Deason, another prominent Trump donor, explained one reason: Visiting Trump’s hotel often means hobnobbing with officials in Trump’s government, who treat the lobby as a friendly hangout. He said he recently saw White House counselor Kellyanne Conway there and Attorney General William P. Barr, who was having dinner and taking pictures with customers.

“Donors, when they come to town now, they want to go to the hotel. They think it’s the place to be,” said Sean Spicer, an adviser to America First Action and former White House press secretary.

This week’s fundraiser took place at Doral — a resort that Trump bought in 2012 that is now “severely underperforming” its competitors, according to testimony that Trump’s representative gave in a county tax dispute last year.

Trump stayed overnight at the resort Tuesday, then attended Wednesday’s fundraiser — which attracted about 100 donors and raised $6 million, according to a person familiar with the event, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly. The event was closed to the public.

 

[AmericanRose]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-administration-argues-detained-migrant-children-dont-need-toothbrushes-soap/ar-AADbenO?ocid=spartanntp

Soap? Toothbrushes? A bed? Not necessary.

"Pro-life" my ass.

[47of74]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-administration-argues-detained-migrant-children-dont-need-toothbrushes-soap/ar-AADbenO?ocid=spartanntp
Soap? Toothbrushes? A bed? Not necessary.
"Pro-life" my ass.

I hope these fucks in the DOJ using their law degrees for this sort of evil have their arguments coming back to bite them in the ass. Hard. I hope we have our own Nuremberg trials and the arguments these pieces of shit made get those arguments thrown right back in their fucking faces when they whine about the conditions of their confinement.

[fraurosena]

Will there be war with Iran? Seth Abramson has done extensive research on precisely this subject, as he lays out in this thread:

Here’s a link to the unrolled version:

https://threader.app/thread/1141928448950226944