Trump 43: King of Chaos

[GreyhoundFan]

"New York writer who accused Trump of sexual assault sues him for defamation"

Spoiler

A writer and longtime women’s advice columnist on Monday sued President Trump, accusing him of defaming her this summer after she claimed he sexually assaulted her two decades ago in an upscale New York City department store.

E. Jean Carroll publicly described the alleged assault for the first time in June, in a published excerpt of a memoir. At that time and in the new lawsuit, she said that after running into the then-real estate developer at Bergdorf Goodman in late 1995 or early 1996, they chatted and shopped together before he attacked her in a dressing room. She said he knocked her head against a wall, pulled down her tights and briefly penetrated her before she pushed him off and ran out.

Carroll is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

“I am filing this on behalf of every woman who has ever been harassed, assaulted, silenced, or spoken up only to be shamed, fired, ridiculed and belittled,” Carroll said in a statement. “No person in this country should be above the law – including the president.”

Trump has denied ever meeting her and has said she was trying to promote her book.

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham on Monday called the lawsuit “frivolous” and Carroll “a fraud.”

“Let me get this straight – Ms. Carroll is suing the President for defending himself against false allegations?” she asked. “I guess since the book did not make any money she’s trying to get paid another way. The story she used to try and sell her trash book never happened, period. Her version of events is not even feasible if you’ve ever tried on clothing in a dressing room of a crowded department store. The lawsuit is frivolous and the story is a fraud – just like the author.”

One year before the 2020 election, Trump is grappling with a number of legal challenges, including the impeachment inquiry on Capitol Hill and lawsuits targeting his businesses and finances. Carroll filed her lawsuit in New York State Court, where another defamation suit against Trump has cleared some key hurdles.

In that case, Summer Zervos, a former contestant on Trump’s reality TV show, “The Apprentice,” says Trump groped her and kissed her without permission in 2007.

Zervos was among more than a dozen women in the weeks before the 2016 election who accused Trump of sexual impropriety, following the disclosure of a videotape in which he boasted about grabbing women’s genitals. Trump called the women who accused him of wrongdoing “liars,” prompting Zervos’s suit.

But another defamation case against Trump did not survive. Adult-film star Stormy Daniels sued the president last year after he suggested she had lied about being threatened to keep quiet about their alleged affair. A federal judge in Los Angeles dismissed the suit last October, ruling that Trump’s “rhetorical hyperbole” was political and ordering Daniels to pay the president’s legal fees.

Carroll’s assertion in the lawsuit that he “raped her” stands apart from less violent allegations regarding Trump’s treatment of women. Under New York law, the alleged incident occurred too long ago to try to press criminal charges.

Carroll, who is 75 years old, tells the same story in the lawsuit that she wrote in the book excerpt. She said shortly after the incident in the department store, she confided in two close friends, who have publicly confirmed her account. She decided not to tell anyone else for fear of of the damage to her own reputation.

Carroll considered coming forward before the 2016 election but said it was the #metoo movement that took off in late 2017 finally pushed her to tell her story. The longtime advice columnist for Elle magazine said she felt compelled to speak publicly after many women who said they were victims of sexual assault or harassment turned to her for help.

Trump quickly denounced Carroll after she told her story in June to media outlets, including The Washington Post.

“Shame on those who make up false stories of assault to try to get publicity for themselves, or sell a book, or carry out a political agenda,” he said at the time. “It is a disgrace and people should pay dearly for such false accusations.”

Trump also said he had “never met this person in my life.” But the excerpt of Carroll’s book “What do We Need Men For,” published in New York magazine in June, included a photo that appears to show her with Trump at what Carroll said was an NBC party around 1987.

Trump said Carroll was “totally lying” and “not my type” when she made her accusation this summer.

Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said she intends to prove that Trump acted with “malice,” meaning that he knew his statements were false or showed reckless disregard for the truth.

“I don’t know what type a woman needs to be for him to decide to sexually assault someone, but that kind of gratuitous insult about her appearance is the kind of the thing that juries and judges look to,” Kaplan said in a recent interview with the Post. “It looks like malice.”

Carroll is a registered Democrat who has said her decision to accuse Trump had nothing to do with politics.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

"RNC covers $60,000 cost for Trump and entourage to attend cage-fighting match"

Spoiler

President Trump’s cage-side seats to a fighting match in New York City cost the Republican National Committee about $60,000, according to officials familiar with the cost.

The price included the ringside seats for Trump and his guests, catering and security, one of the officials said. The president’s guests included House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Reps. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), all Republican allies, along with his two adult sons.

It was unclear what each ticket cost, as one official said the $60,000 total tab included catering and security. Public ticket prices before the event ranged from about $100 to nearly $700.

The “UFC 244: New York City” event — which ended prematurely because of a cut on a fighter’s face — included the “Baddest Mother----er” award. Trump was seen posing backstage with the “BMF” belt before the event, a smile across his face. Dana White, the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has long been friends with the president.

Members of the House are allowed to take free tickets for sporting events if the event is a “bona fide” fundraiser, according to House ethics rules. The event was not an official fundraiser nor a campaign event, so it is unclear how the lawmakers could accept tickets. Members also have to receive written approval to take a gift. The official said the RNC paid because the president attended.

King, Meadows and a spokesman for McCarthy did not respond to a request for comment. McCarthy posted a picture on Instagram riding on Marine One over New York City with Trump and Meadows. His spokesman has previously said he will follow all ethics rules.

The president was cheered and booed at the fight when he waved to the arena. The president could be seen standing and looking on after a fighter was knocked out with a left kick to the face. When he finally was revived and appeared to be all right, the president could be seen clapping. He left Madison Square Garden around 1 a.m.

A week earlier, the RNC had paid $465 per seat in a luxury suite at Nationals Park for Trump, 11 members of Congress and senior White House staffers to attend the fifth game of the World Series between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros.

The RNC also previously paid for the president to attend the college football national championship game in Atlanta.

 

[fraurosena]

On my phone the first line in this tweet was...

My son DonaldJTrumpJr is coming out

And I was like whaaa?!

 

[RosyDaisy]

Trump expected to attend LSU-Alabama football game

He picked the one state where he's guaranteed to  not be booed.  Heck, I'm willing to bet the game will be delayed  due to all the cheering.  I hate my state right now!  ?

Spoiler

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is expected to attend Saturday’s college football matchup between top-ranked University of Alabama and Louisiana State University.

The Federal Aviation Administration is advising that Trump will travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the game.

It will be the third Trump visit to a high-profile sporting event in as many weeks. Last month Trump attended Game 5 of the World Series in Washington, and Trump traveled to New York on Saturday to watch Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 244 at Madison Square Garden.

 

[AnywhereButHere]

So, I guess after getting booed at two sporting arenas within a week, his minions were tasked with finding someplace to sooth his bruised ego? I would absolutely love it if it completely backfired and the boos continue. Probably won’t - but I’m crossing every crossable body part in hopes that they will! ? 

[smittykins]

16 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

The mango moron demonstrates his level of stupidity:

 

“Vote Republican”?
 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

"‘Who built this beautiful place?’ Despite Trump’s visits to his properties, some of his businesses show new signs of financial decline."

Spoiler

“What a beautiful ballroom,” President Trump said as he walked into a campaign fundraiser recently at a hotel in downtown Chicago.

Donors laughed. The hotel was Trump’s. They were paying the president to cater his own fundraiser.

The Chicago event exemplifies a pattern of the Trump presidency: It was another presidential trip that brought Trump private benefits. The hotel was paid about $100,000 for the lunch, according to a Republican official who helped coordinate it.

Trump’s presence also gave a boost to a property that, like some of his others, is suffering from financial decline.

Profits fell 89 percent from 2015 to 2018, from $16.7 million to $1.8 million, according to documents filed with Cook County, Ill. Trump’s hotel struggled even as other Chicago hotels held steady or thrived.

“Performance of [the Trump hotel] is clearly disassociated from that of its competitive set,” the company’s lawyers said in a letter to the county seeking to lower the hotel’s taxes.

The lawyers said the problem was a reaction to Trump’s politics. They even quoted a line from a 2018 Washington Post article, in which one small-time investor described the effect of Trump’s candidacy on his buildings thusly: “Then the Embarrassment came.”

Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, which prides itself on indulgent luxury, is trying to keep up by cutting costs. In a presentation to investors, obtained by The Post, the company described leaving jobs open, cutting back on gifts for high rollers and children, and buying cheaper housekeeping supplies.

As Trump concludes the tumultuous third year of his presidency, it is becoming clear that the political environment he helped create is having consequences for the real estate empire he and his family built.

While his properties have benefited from his repeated visits and business from conservative customers, there are signs that at least parts of the company are struggling, beset by financial setbacks, regulatory and legal battles, and a tarnished brand name.

From the outside, it is not possible to gauge how serious those problems are for the company as a whole, and the Trump Organization declined to comment for this article. But, in recent days, the company has announced two other moves that seem sharply out of character.

In late October, the Trump Organization said that it was considering selling the lease on its D.C. hotel, one of its marquee properties. The decision came despite the company’s previous reluctance to sell any Trump-branded real estate, and though the hotel opened only three years ago after a massive, $200 million renovation.

In New York, the company recently redecorated two properties — a pair of ice rinks in Central Park — to remove or reduce in size uses of the name “Trump.” It was a small change with huge symbolism: A company built around Trump’s world-famous name was now seemingly trying to play it down.

“This is Donald Trump looking at the cold hard financial reality, that his name drags down the value of properties he controls,” said journalist Tim O’Brien, who wrote a book about Trump and has followed his company for decades. “And that — with his political prospects in question over the next year and a half — he understands that it means his financial prospects are in question.”

O’Brien said part of the difficulty stems from Trump’s decision to keep ownership of his businesses, defying White House precedent.

There are few rules governing presidents who have side businesses, though before Trump, presidents generally gave up any financial interests that could pose a conflict. After his election, Trump addressed that issue by promising to hand over day-to-day management to his sons Eric and Donald Jr., a response that many ethics experts criticized as inadequate.

Trump also promised not to pursue new overseas deals — a pledge that he and his sons have repeatedly complained about.

In an interview with Fox News last week, Donald Trump Jr. said the family was exploring the sale of the Washington hotel because the company was hampered by that promise and allegations of conflicts of interest.

“It’s D.C., it’s all international business, and we have chosen not to do that. And then every time we do, we get another lawsuit about this and another lawsuit about that. It’s almost easier to stay away from it,” he said.

The president also promised that the Trump Organization would give away the profits from any business with foreign governments. So far, the company says, it has donated about $343,000 to the U.S. Treasury. It has not given details about how that figure was calculated or who its foreign customers are.

Trump is still facing three lawsuits alleging that he has violated the Constitution by benefiting from payments from foreign governments.

In speeches, Trump has said the presidency has hurt his bottom line.

“This thing is costing me a fortune, being president,” he said at a speech in Pennsylvania in August.

But the Trump Organization has not provided figures to back up this claim. Trump’s tax returns might provide evidence — but Trump has declined to release them, unlike every other president since the 1970s.

As president, Trump has done one thing that has helped his bottom line. He and his traveling entourage have visited his properties more than 200 times, according to a Post analysis. That travel has brought at least $1.8 million in revenue to his businesses, according to a Post tally.

Trump has visited Mar-a-Lago, which he calls his “winter White House,” 24 times. Those trips have brought payments from the U.S. government — which paid the president’s company for hotel rooms and even for a $1,000 bar tab run up by White House aides.

At Trump’s Irish golf course — which has lost money consistently since he bought it in 2014 — a Trump visit this summer brought more than $100,000 in revenue from the Irish government, according to Irish government records. The reason: A presidential visit requires police, and police need to eat. Trump’s club charged Irish police more than $118,000 for food and rooms, according to an itemized bill released after a public-records request. (When Vice President Pence visited the same club in September, the Irish police paid Trump’s company another $3,800, according to Irish government documents.)

This fall, Trump awarded a much bigger event to his business, choosing his Doral club in Florida to host next year’s Group of Seven summit of world leaders — though he rescinded that decision after backlash from fellow Republicans. GOP officials say they expect he will return to Florida in early December to hold another fundraiser at a Trump property. He has held fundraisers at at least seven of his properties.

A former senior administration official said Trump kept close tabs on his properties and often suggested them for events. This former official said the White House Counsel’s Office advised Trump that only political events should be held at his properties, not official ones.

The former official said the president is more likely to attend if an event is held at one of his properties — partly because it guarantees a friendly crowd and nonhostile staff. Like the Republican official who helped organize the Chicago lunch, this person spoke on the condition of anonymity to relay private conversations.

“We chose the Trump Hotel because it’s a great venue that fits our needs,” said Blair Ellis, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, in response to a question about the Chicago fundraiser.

These visits have given fodder to Trump’s critics, who say he has used his office to prop up his business.

“What’s terrible about this is that it continues the pattern of President Trump finding ways to use the presidency — or his campaign — to profit himself at somebody else’s expense,” said Walter Shaub, a former head of the Office of Government Ethics, who quit after Trump took office.

But — as big as a president’s entourage is — a few visits are unlikely to balance out a broader loss of business, if Trump’s politics drive his old customers away.

“A night or two? Not so much,” said Mark Eppli, a University of Wisconsin business professor who reviewed financial data on Trump’s hotel in Chicago at the request of The Post. “It’s one night out of 365.”

In Chicago, Trump’s hotel has fallen out of step with its competitors in the luxury market, according to documents that the company filed with Cook County tax assessors. The Post obtained those documents from the county through a public-records request.

At Trump’s hotel, the documents show, profits, revenue per available room and banquet business all fell behind competitors after 2015, Eppli said. That was the year Trump entered the 2016 presidential race, with a speech in which he denounced undocumented Mexican immigrants as “rapists.”

Earlier this year, the Trump Organization issued a statement blaming its struggles on Chicago itself.

“Chicago . . . is down as a market,” the company said in a statement to The Post in May. “It’s sad to say, but the perceived threat of gun violence has harmed visitation to the destination.”

But in its private appeal to the county, the company told a different story. The problem was not Chicago. In fact, Trump’s competitors in the city’s luxury market were seeing increases in room revenue, even while his hotel saw a drop.

“Unfortunately, [the hotel is] suffering from unfair political backlash,” the Trump Organization’s lawyers wrote.

“If you are a company having a conference at a hotel in Chicago, are you going to stay at the president’s hotel? My sense is no. You would want to stay away from that. You could go to the Four Seasons, you could go to the Ritz and not endure that political divisiveness,” Eppli said.

At the Chicago hotel, former employees said they saw the decline up close. It began in 2015, when Trump’s rise as a hard-right politician began to alienate the rich, urban customers to whom the hotel catered.

Then came election night.

“A [supervisor] walked by me real fast and said: ‘Oh my God, he just won Michigan. It’s over,’ ” said Connor Buhagiar, a waiter who worked in the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Sixteen. Inside the bar, Trump supporters were cheering. Outside, however, “I looked out the window and looked back down Michigan Avenue, and I saw a line of protesters coming, already,” to picket the hotel, he said.

“My thoughts were, I’ve got to get the [expletive] out of here,” Buhagiar said. After that, he said, the restaurant became “just a mortuary” on most days. He left. Sixteen closed, replaced with a lower-cost restaurant. Overall, the hotel’s food-and-beverage business declined sharply: In 2016, that line of business produced $3.2 million in profits. Last year, it had a $679,000 loss, according to the documents filed with the county.

Another former employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve relationships in the hotel business, said the lobby’s atmosphere of quiet luxury began to be disrupted — by protesters, curious drunks and Trump fans asking the staff to convey letters to the president.

Despite being down the street from a flagship Apple store that opened two years ago, the hotel’s street-level retail space — about the size of two Whole Foods stores — remains vacant. A firm hired by the Trump Organization to fill the space told the county that it had contacted 81 prospective tenants, including restaurants, cafes, a food hall operator and a gym, according to the documents provided to Cook County.

None said yes, the documents showed.

Earlier this year, The Post reported a similar decline at Doral, where tax filings show that the company’s profits fell almost 70 percent between 2015 and 2017. The reason given by the Trump Organization’s tax consultant: “There is some negative connotation that is associated with the brand.”

Doral still made $4.3 million in profits in 2017, the most recent year for which data was available. Revenue rebounded slightly from 2017 to 2018, according to Trump’s financial disclosure forms.

In addition, the company has lost its contracts to manage three hotels, in Manhattan, Toronto and Panama. And six residential buildings in Manhattan chose to remove the Trump name.

In the past few days, however, the company has made surprising changes — at properties that look, from the outside, like some of its best-performing.

In Central Park, for instance, Trump operates a pair of ice rinks under a contract with the city. On paper, they are a bright spot in his portfolio: Revenue at the rinks has increased 18 percent since 2015, according to figures filed with New York City.

But this year, the Trump Organization still decided to redecorate them in a way that downplays the Trump name. The company didn’t respond to questions about that decision.

In Washington, company officials made a decision that was even more striking: They would put the lease of their D.C. hotel up for sale.

Before he took office, Trump often vowed never to sell real estate, sometimes likening himself to an art collector who would pass his collection to his children. Since his inauguration, his adult sons have repeatedly touted their interest in holding their real estate portfolio long-term. And the Trump International Hotel in Washington had become a well-known magnet for Republican fundraisers, corporate clients and visiting dignitaries.

The president’s annual financial disclosures, which he is required to submit, show that the D.C. hotel brought in $40.8 million in revenue for him last year. Unlike the data available on the Chicago and Doral hotels, however, those disclosure forms don’t show whether the hotel made a profit.

Under the terms of the company’s lease with the federal government, which owns the building that houses the hotel, the Trumps were not allowed to sell it until at least Oct. 26, 2019.

The company is seeking $500 million for its lease interest, according to the Wall Street Journal, equating to more than $1.9 million per room.

The sale could be tricky. The General Services Administration has to approve the buyer, and any potential bidders could come under scrutiny because of concerns that they might be trying to curry favor with the White House.

Trump also carries a $170 million loan on the property, from Deutsche Bank.

Some buyers could pursue the Pennsylvania Avenue landmark for bragging rights and not worry about whether they will turn a profit. Marc Magazine, an executive at the services firm Savills, said that it will fetch one of the highest prices in the city but that $500 million is probably too high for a regular hotel company. “They’re not going to get that.”

Last week, Trump added a little revenue of his own: He attended a Republican fundraiser at his Washington hotel, serving again in the dual role of candidate and caterer.

“I wonder who built this beautiful place,” he said, according to one attendee — drawing laughs from donors with the same joke as in Chicago.

 

[JMarie]

On 11/4/2019 at 3:51 PM, GreyhoundFan said:

The mango moron demonstrates his level of stupidity:

 

One of the commenters said Trump was implying the state races, which were today, and not the federal level ones.  True, the races today were at the state level.  But Democrats won those too.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polls-open-in-virginia-balance-of-power-in-state-government-is-at-stake/2019/11/05/bdb57972-ff5b-11e9-8501-2a7123a38c58_story.html

Quote

Democrats appeared to gain control of both houses of the Virginia General Assembly Tuesday, with election results incomplete but suggesting that the party would complete a historic sweep of the state’s government.

After polls closed on the most expensive and most-watched Virginia legislative races in years, Democrats appeared to have picked up at least two seats in the state Senate and that many or more in the House of Delegates to take narrow majorities.

Quote

The GOP was defending paper-thin majorities of 20-19 in the state Senate and 51-48 in the House of Delegates, with one vacancy in each chamber. All 140 seats in the legislature were on the ballot, but all the heat was on suburban districts in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads where voters could swing either way.

Both sides trumpeted the possibility that a General Assembly controlled by Democrats could work with Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam to enact laws that Republicans have long opposed, from gun control to a higher minimum wage and passing the Equal Rights Amendment. They would also oversee statewide redistricting after next year’s census, influencing political power for a decade to come.

 

[fraurosena]

But Hunter Biden!

 

[onekidanddone]

8 hours ago, fraurosena said:

But Hunter Biden!

 

Appearing next week in the 99 cent bin at your local car wash. 

[smittykins]

Donald Trump Jr. can actually write?[/BEC]
 

I’m sure it was ghostwritten.

[fraurosena]

Yay, the stock markets are high! Such good news for the happy few who hold shares.

But as most Americans don’t, fluctuations of the stock markets are no indication of how well their finances are doing.

This is just you crying oooh shiny! 
 

 

[mamallama]

I plan to spend some supporting the Democratic candidate for President.  I think that's money well spent.

 

[kpmom]

On 11/4/2019 at 7:01 PM, RosyDaisy said:

Trump expected to attend LSU-Alabama football game

He picked the one state where he's guaranteed to  not be booed.  Heck, I'm willing to bet the game will be delayed  due to all the cheering.  I hate my state right now!  ?

  Hide contents

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is expected to attend Saturday’s college football matchup between top-ranked University of Alabama and Louisiana State University.

The Federal Aviation Administration is advising that Trump will travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the game.

It will be the third Trump visit to a high-profile sporting event in as many weeks. Last month Trump attended Game 5 of the World Series in Washington, and Trump traveled to New York on Saturday to watch Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 244 at Madison Square Garden.

 

Darn it, I was looking forward to that game, too.

And what's with Trump attending sporting events all of the sudden?

[Audrey2]

12 hours ago, fraurosena said:

Yay, the stock markets are high! Such good news for the happy few who hold shares.

But as most Americans don’t, fluctuations of the stock markets are no indication of how well their finances are doing.

This is just you crying oooh shiny! 
 

 

Unfortunately, that is more folks than you think. About 30 years ago 401K started to come in the popularity, first with the higher-wage earners and now with many people in corporate America. Corporations have been getting rid of pensions in favor of the 401K or we will match up to a certain point the money you set aside. My best friend retired last year from a warehouse that has this plan as his primary retirement along with social security. To me, this is one of the biggest scams for the American worker, as those in the lower end of the wage range who are struggling to put a roof over their head and food over their table and pay all their bills really find themselves in trouble for not being able to save enough money to allow them to retire. (Think about people making 25,000, 30,000 or 35,000 a year). These 401Ks are invested in the stock market so as the stock market goes so do people's retirement fund. So many Americans are now on these defined-contribution plans, which is put so much aside each check or each month, matched by the company, with no guarantee about what benefits will be there when you're ready to retire, as these funds were invested in the market. I know during the last recession that people lost a lot of their retirement savings which cost some to postpone retirement and others who thought they would be okay in retirement two are now really struggling because they lost so much.

Edited November 7, 2019 by Audrey2

[Audrey2]

To add on to my previous post, especially for people in other countries who may have different systems, when your 401k is depleted you are done. With a pension, there are folks who pay more into the pension than what they will get out of it, as they died either before retirement or within a few years of when they retire. On the other hand, there are those who live very long lives and end up taking more in benefits than what they paid into the system. I know we talked about the struggle with senior citizens especially those on social security with small fixed incomes as it is, but I can see things getting worse, with the underfunding of social security as well as people out living their 401K savings.

[AnywhereButHere]

For at least the past 20-25 years, every company I’ve worked for has had a 401K program the employees could opt into. I never did, but last year my current company made participation mandatory. You can add up to however much you want per paycheck, but there is a required minimum percentage. It’s kind of annoying that the choice was taken away, but the minimum percentage is doable.

anyway, long way of saying yeah, 401K investments are ubiquitous. 

[fraurosena]

Is Trump ever not upset?

If you're wondering what he's on about, it's this. Barr said no.

Trump asked for Barr to host news conference clearing him on Ukraine

Quote

President Donald Trump asked Attorney General William Barr to hold a news conference clearing him of legal wrongdoing with regard to his phone call pressuring the Ukrainian President to investigate Democrats, a person familiar with the matter tells CNN.

Trump has raised the idea in conversations surrounding the ongoing impeachment inquiry over recent weeks, and has said he thought the idea could help project the message that he hadn't done anything wrong, the person familiar with the matter said.

The source couldn't say whether Barr and Trump had formally discussed the idea or whether Barr had ruled it out. But The Washington Post, which first reported the story, said the attorney general refused.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the paper reported that Trump's request came sometime around the White House's September 25 release of a transcript of the call. It was conveyed to White House officials and then the Justice Department. Trump has brought up Barr's refusal to aides over the past few weeks and how he wishes the attorney general had held the news conference, Trump advisers told the Post.

In a series of Twitter posts Thursday, Trump repeatedly denied the Post's report and attacked the media, at one point saying he never asked Barr to publicly defend his phone call. However, the Post's story doesn't say Trump asked Barr directly.

Even without a news conference from the attorney general, the Justice Department gave the President nearly everything he wanted. In an orchestrated rollout alongside the release of a transcript of Trump's Ukraine call, the department publicly announced that criminal division prosecutors had found no wrongdoing by the President, at least as it relates to campaign finance law.

The department also released a legal memo on why the intelligence community's inspector general was not required to turn over a whistleblower complaint to Congress.

Despite efforts to publicly declare the matter as case closed, it is clear that the Ukraine interactions and the role of Rudy Giuliani, the President's personal lawyer, are still at the heart of an investigation led by federal prosecutors in New York.

Barr and Trump continue to have a good relationship, people close to the administration told the Post, while acknowledging that the department has at times positioned itself against the White House of late.

People close to Barr told the paper that the attorney general, though a backer of presidential power, has acknowledged the possibility of having to assert his department's autonomy.

"My take is that Barr hasn't changed one bit, that he has had a healthy distance from the beginning," a person close to the administration told the Post. "He knows the parameters of the relationship between a President and an AG."

 

[GreyhoundFan]

 

[RosyDaisy]

Ahead of Trump visit, UA SGA warns students: No disruptive behavior

So apparently the University's SGA is threatened to take away seating privledges for student groups who protest Trump's visit.  Or maybe not.   I think they most definitely will do something to protesters.  If not diciplinary action, then socially.  Alabama worships Trump almost as much as much as college football.  Any protests or booing will be drowned out by the cheering.   Here's the text from the article

Spoiler

Jason Rothfarb, vice president for Student Affairs for University of Alabama SGA, issued a follow-up statement regarding his previous email related to disruptions during the Alabama/LSU football game. The email was published via social media:

“Some have misinterpreted my comment regarding “disruptive behavior.” As with other games this season, Organization’s Block Seating locations will be clearly marked, but at certain times, other students can and should have access to open seats. By disruptive behavior, we are asking students to be respectful to all students and staff and avoid altercations.

My email has nothing do with anyone’s First Amendment rights and I am sorry for any confusion. Please express yourself and especially your pride for the Tide.”

Rothfarb’s comments come after a letter was sent to block seat groups warning that “Any organizations that engage in disruptive behavior during the game will be removed from block seating instantly for the remainder of the season.”

The cautionary note was sent just days before President Trump’s expected appearance at Bryant Denny Stadium.

In a separate statement, Jackson Fuentes, SGA Press Secretary, said "The SGA strongly affirms its belief in free speech and the rights of all students to express their opinions. Today’s report erroneously assigned a political context to a message meant only to remind students about heightened security and the consequences of altercations or other behaviors unbecoming of a University of Alabama student, as defined in the Capstone Creed.

“We look forward to cheering on the Crimson Tide, alongside the student body, on Saturday afternoon.

Fuentes confirmed to AL.com that this is the first time this season a letter about disruptions was sent to block seating organizations.

“No other game this season has had the amount of attention that this one has received. Thus our statement was timely and was made for the safety of all students,” he said.

Earlier:

The Student Government Association at the University of Alabama is warning student groups that causing disruptions during President Trump’s visit to the Tide’s Saturday game vs. LSU could result in the loss of reserved seating for the remainder of the season.

A letter from Jason Rothfarb, vice president of Student Affairs, said additional security will be in Bryant Denny’s student section during the Saturday afternoon football game. President Trump is expected to be in the audience.

Disruptive activities will have consequences, Rothfarb wrote.

“Any organizations that engage in disruptive behavior during the game will be removed from block seating instantly for the remainder of the season,” he wrote.

Copies of the letter were posted to social media.

The SGA has not responded to request for comment on the letter.

Almost 60 student groups – mostly Greek organizations – have reserved seat blocks at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Everyone attending the game is urged to arrive early due to additional security measures in place.

Rothfarb told students groups that all members of the organizations should be in the stadium no later than 12:30 p.m. ahead of the 2:30 p.m. kickoff.

Stadium gates open at 11:30 a.m.

In addition to the presidential visit, ESPN’s College GameDay and the SEC Network’s SEC Nation will be broadcasting live from Tuscaloosa.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox tweeted out photos of city officials working on plans for the day.

Fuck you, Trump!  Game day is a family party at my dad's house (pre-planned before this).  My sister is making her homemade pizzas, and I'm making peaunt butter and chocolate chip cookies.  So, I'll be watching.  I'll  just bring my nausea/vertigo meds with me.  Again, fuck you, Trump!

[GreyhoundFan]

 

[RosyDaisy]

Donors contribute more than $5K to bring ‘Baby Trump’ to Tuscaloosa

HELL YEAH!!!  Baby Trump (a caricature balloon) is coming to Tuscaloosa!  I hope a large crowd shows up and the protest is peaceful and non-violent.

 

Spoiler

President Donald Trump is almost certain to receive a warm welcome from football fans packing Bryant-Denny Stadium for the Alabama-LSU game Saturday.

Alabama consistently tops the states that approve of the president, the most recent poll showing a 59 percent approval rate here. In the 2016 election, 62% of Alabama voters — 1.3 million people — cast their votes him. In Tuscaloosa County, 58.4% of voters supported him in the polls.

But not everyone is glad to see the president in Tuscaloosa. An online campaign raised more than $5,000 in less than 12 hours to bring an inflatable caricature depicting Trump as a crying, orange baby wearing a diaper. Organizers plan to set the 20-foot high, 13-foot wide balloon as close as possible to the stadium.

Often called “Trump Baby” or “Baby Trump,” the first such balloon was flown over Parliament Square in London in July 2018, over a crowd of 100,000 protesters. British creators described the inflatable as a “big angry baby with tiny hands.”

As of 10:30 a.m., 287 donors had contributed $5,700 to the $4,000 cost of renting, transporting, setting up and maintain the balloon. Organizers of the GoFundMe campaign said donations exceeding the needed $4,000 will be donated to Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery.

“When the news started coming out Monday about Trump’s expected visit, I tweeted -- half joking, half serious -- that I wanted some help to find a track on one of the Baby Trump balloons,” said Nic Gulas, who helped organize the campaign. “I had a few people say they would help support financially, and then a couple others make the connection, so I went all in and helped head it up.

“I’m honestly surprised it only took 10 hours for the monetary goal to be made, and the quickness of that is why we’ve kept it open for donations to EJI. The biggest thing now is finding a place as close as we can possibly get to Bryant-Denny, which may be the most difficult part.”

Law enforcement, fire and medics are planning an “all hands on deck” weekend, with most, if not all, of their staff on duty for what’s expected to be a large turnout.

Gates open three hours before kickoff at 11:30 a.m., with fans encouraged to arrive well in advance due to increased security.

 

[Dandruff]

4 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

 

Is there any chance he doesn't know how unwanted he'll be there?  I'm pretty sure his presence will take away from the celebration of our heroes...who/what is he doing this for?

[GreyhoundFan]

19 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

Is there any chance he doesn't know how unwanted he'll be there?  I'm pretty sure his presence will take away from the celebration of our heroes...who/what is he doing this for? 

Self-awareness isn't exactly his strong suit. And doesn't he believe that every celebration is a celebration of him? (I'm thinking of his poisoning of the Fourth of July festivities in DC this year)

[fraurosena]

28 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

who/what is he doing this for?

He is hoping for adulation of course. He wants stadiums full of people cheering for him, stroking his massive ego. He's hoping it will will assuage the abject terror he's feeling because of his impending impeachment and removal from office.