Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[zorkuus]

Oh what the hell did Giuliani do that wasn't just stupid but actually illegal?

He's beholden to foreign interests. That's a nice way of saying he has been bribed to be a foreign asset.

But yeah, go ahead and pardon him. Then we know for sure he's guilty of something illegal.

[Zan15]

BUT BUT ITS PEEEELOOOSSSEEEIIII

Glad we are not "worth the time".

What a shit plan....

Can't give 1200 dollars to the people who pay for the plan but hey 17 billion for airlines, liability protection, etc etc


https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/01/coro...lief-bill.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/01/senate-p.html


McConnell shoots down bipartisan $900 billion coronavirus stimulus plan as stalemate drags on

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rejected a new bipartisan $908 billion stimulus plan put forward in an effort to break the legislative stalemate as the coronavirus surges throughout the country.

“We just don’t have time to waste time,” he told reporters in response to the roughly $908 billion plan put together by bipartisan members of the GOP-controlled Senate and Democratic-held House.

McConnell said a must-pass spending bill and pandemic relief provisions will “all likely come in one package.” Congress needs to approve funding legislation by Dec. 11 to avoid a government shutdown.

The proposal would not include another direct payment to most Americans. It also would offer temporary federal protection from coronavirus-related lawsuits — a provision Democrats have opposed — while states determine their own laws.

[Edge-]

“We just don’t have time to waste time,” he told reporters in response to the roughly $908 billion plan put together by bipartisan members of the GOP-controlled Senate and Democratic-held House.

Like fuck he doesn't. He's wasted 7 months since House Democrats passed the second round of stimulus/financial assistance. He's got all the time in the world, especially if the numbers in GA start looking bad for Republicans and there's no more motivation to help people out to try to secure wins.

[Felya]

Like fuck he doesn't. He's wasted 7 months since House Democrats passed the second round of stimulus/financial assistance. He's got all the time in the world, especially if the numbers in GA start looking bad for Republicans and there's no more motivation to help people out to try to secure wins.

They were on vacation... AOC gave a speech to an empty congress last week.

[Edge-]

They were on vacation... AOC gave a speech to an empty congress last week.

Aren't that how most House/Senate speeches are delivered, anyways? I can't remember the last time I saw an actual debate with half+ of the House/Senate in session outside of like, voting time when they all have to be there to vote.

[Felya]

Aren't that how most House/Senate speeches are delivered, anyways? I can't remember the last time I saw an actual debate with half+ of the House/Senate in session outside of like, voting time when they all have to be there to vote.

The whole premise was that she was talking about the plight of Americans, while congress is on vacation. She directly called out Mitch...

[Xeones]

I've just been watching aoc on twitch she has a bigger audience there.

[Breccia]

“We just don’t have time to waste time,”

He's been doing nothing but for months.

[Gorsameth]

BUT BUT ITS PEEEELOOOSSSEEEIIII

Glad we are not "worth the time".

What a shit plan....

Can't give 1200 dollars to the people who pay for the plan but hey 17 billion for airlines, liability protection, etc etc


https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/01/coro...lief-bill.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/01/senate-p.html


McConnell shoots down bipartisan $900 billion coronavirus stimulus plan as stalemate drags on

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rejected a new bipartisan $908 billion stimulus plan put forward in an effort to break the legislative stalemate as the coronavirus surges throughout the country.

“We just don’t have time to waste time,” he told reporters in response to the roughly $908 billion plan put together by bipartisan members of the GOP-controlled Senate and Democratic-held House.

McConnell said a must-pass spending bill and pandemic relief provisions will “all likely come in one package.” Congress needs to approve funding legislation by Dec. 11 to avoid a government shutdown.

The proposal would not include another direct payment to most Americans. It also would offer temporary federal protection from coronavirus-related lawsuits — a provision Democrats have opposed — while states determine their own laws.

I will laugh my ass off if Trumps presidency ends in a government shutdown.

And the Democrats should be in no hurry to pass a short term continuing resolution because as soon as Trump is gone the Republicans will go back to loving a fight over the budget and a chance to shut the government down.

[Corvus]

off topic whos the poster from OZ on here? I want to know what the think about losing the meme war to china

is it @Elegiac

I'm from Australia but probably not the one you are thinking of.

Its just another day in the unrelenting and ongoing economic/cyber warfare China has launched against us for basically not kowtowing to their ever whim and demand. They recently put out a list of 14 'grievences' we'd have to address to get back in their good books. Things like getting rid of freedom of press, protection of minorities, human rights. Nothing minor really.

They are getting frustrated that we are not budging, even with their paid schills bleating we need to bend over to China for the sake of the economy.

[Paranoid Android]

BREAKING from CNN:
“The Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to a court record unsealed on Tuesday by the chief judge of the DC District Court.”

https://twitter.com/JohnJHarwood/sta...042701316?s=19

Hmm? Bill Barr can't be trying to take down Trump
If anything and true someone trying to bribe but not on Trump's side. I still don't see the lackey Barr taking down Trump on bribery.

[Kaleredar]

https://twitter.com/JohnJHarwood/sta...042701316?s=19

Hmm? Bill Barr can't be trying to take down Trump
If anything and true someone trying to bribe but not on Trump's side. I still don't see the lackey Barr taking down Trump on bribery.

Dunno, maybe they know that it's inevitably coming down the pipes and they're moving on it now in hopes that Trump can pardon the implicated individuals before a far less "sympathetic" administration takes the reins?

In essence: "people got caught for taking money for offering pardons? Just pardon them!"

Eh, that seems a little too actual 5D chess for me.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm from Australia but probably not the one you are thinking of.

Its just another day in the unrelenting and ongoing economic/cyber warfare China has launched against us for basically not kowtowing to their ever whim and demand. They recently put out a list of 14 'grievences' we'd have to address to get back in their good books. Things like getting rid of freedom of press, protection of minorities, human rights. Nothing minor really.

They are getting frustrated that we are not budging, even with their paid schills bleating we need to bend over to China for the sake of the economy.

I'm going to guess they're trying to make their moves before they know the absolutely impotent commander and chief of the US is out?

Unfortunately Biden likely wont be "tough on China" as much as is necessary either, but I do expect him to facilitate (or at least not actively undermine already existing) trade deals with countries like Australia and actually strengthen the US' global alliances, rather than weakening them. Both things China doesn't want to happen, so they're trying to get their licks in while they still can. Because they know Australia seeking any form of assistance on the matter from the US under the next president, whatever that form might take, might actually go somewhere, rather than how it would go under the current president, wherein Trump would ask the Australian government for some sort of unscrupulous personal favor in exchange for some token gesture.

[Edge-]

https://twitter.com/JohnJHarwood/sta...042701316?s=19

Hmm? Bill Barr can't be trying to take down Trump
If anything and true someone trying to bribe but not on Trump's side. I still don't see the lackey Barr taking down Trump on bribery.

Tiger King is toast, I tells ya.

[Redwyrm]

Uh oh. Barr has been summoned to the White House. Hope he brought boxes for his collection of brown nosing trophies.

[Breccia]

Uh oh. Barr has been summoned to the White House.

He's been busy. He just named the guy in charge of the "Russia Hoax" investigation Special Counsel, purely for the benefit of making him nearly impossible to fire.

This is purely a fishing expedition. The origins of the Russia investigation are clear: Trump colluded with Russia and got caught. Barr is just being an asshole.

[Edge-]

He's been busy. He just named the guy in charge of the "Russia Hoax" investigation Special Counsel, purely for the benefit of making him nearly impossible to fire.

This is purely a fishing expedition. The origins of the Russia investigation are clear: Trump colluded with Russia and got caught. Barr is just being an asshole.

Oh, it stopped being that long, long ago after spending years with baited hooks and finding nothing.

Now they're down to a very narrow scope - the FBI agents involved in Crossfire Hurricane - and are functionally fishing for tadpoles while they have the weighing scale ready for a marlin.

[PhaelixWW]

These two articles, unironically sharing front-page space on CNN.com:

CNN: Trump associates, including Giuliani, are asking for pardons

...which we all already knew, but then the more interesting one...

CNN: Justice Department investigating potential presidential pardon bribery scheme, court records reveal:

The Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House or related political committee in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to court records unsealed Tuesday in federal court.

The case is the latest legal twist in the waning days of President Donald Trump's administration after several of his top advisers have been convicted of federal criminal charges and as the possibility rises of Trump giving pardons to those who've been loyal to him.

The disclosure is in 20 pages of partially redacted documents made public by the DC District Court on Tuesday afternoon. The records show Chief Judge Beryl Howell's review in August of a request from prosecutors to access documents obtained in a search as part of a bribery-for-pardon investigation.

The filings don't reveal a timeline of the alleged scheme, or any names of people potentially involved, except that communications between people including at least one lawyer were seized from an office that was raided sometime before the end of this summer.

No one appears to have been publicly charged with a related crime to date.

At the end of this summer, a filter team, used to make sure prosecutors don't receive tainted evidence that should have been kept from them because it was privileged, had more than 50 digital devices including iPhones, iPads, laptops, thumb drives and computer drives after investigators raided the unidentified offices.

Prosecutors told the court they wanted permission to the filter team's holdings. The prosecutors believed the devices revealed emails that showed allegedly criminal activity, including a "secret lobbying scheme" and a bribery conspiracy that offered "a substantial political contribution in exchange for a presidential pardon or reprieve of sentence" for a convicted defendant whose name is redacted, according to the redacted documents.

Communications between attorneys and clients are typically privileged and kept from prosecutors as they build their cases, but in this situation, Howell allowed the prosecutors access. Attorney-client communications are not protected as privileged under the law when there is discussion of a crime, among other exceptions.

"The political strategy to obtain a presidential pardon was 'parallel' to and distinct from [redacted]'s role as an attorney-advocate for [redacted name]," Howell wrote in her court order.

The grand jury investigation also appears to relate to unnamed people acting as unregistered "lobbyists to senior White House officials" as they sought to secure a pardon and use an intermediary to send a bribe, the unsealed court records say.

Prosecutors hadn't provided evidence to the judge, however, of any direct payment, and instead showed evidence that a person was seeking clemency because of past and future political contributions.

The investigators indicated in court that they intended to "confront" three people with the communications and complete their investigation.

Over the last week, the Justice Department told Howell it wanted to keep filings related to the matter confidential in court, because "individuals and conduct" hadn't yet been charged.

[Edge-]

August? Nevermind my Tiger King theory then, I hadn't bothered to read the article in full, just the headlines.

So it's a lawyer, by the looks of it?

[PhaelixWW]

Also, @Benggaul's report today ain't going to be pretty.

Today is already the 6th worst day as far as deaths go, even including the peak of the first wave back in April/May, and the day still isn't over.

[Zan15]

oh shit looks like this thread will be going on for years after he is out of office

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...al-pardon.html

Department of Justice reveals secret probe into plot to bribe White House 'in exchange for a presidential pardon' for mystery prisoner - which it kept secret for months before election

Alleged 'Bribery-for-pardon scheme' outlined in judicial memorandum
It describes a 'secret lobbying scheme'
'Substantial' political contribution in exchange for a pardon
News came on a day it was reported Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani last week sought a pardon for himself
Giuliani denied the report
Trump pardoned former national security advisor Mike Flynn last week
Two unidentified people acted as lobbyists to 'senior White House officials'