Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[DarkTZeratul]

This is my fave comment on Trump ever.

Trump. A world class criminal.

Best laugh of the day.

I suppose in the sense that he's obviously a criminal and the whole world knows it...

[Breccia]

Looks like DeathSantis is drawing criticism from more Floridian public figures.

There are 25 times more people hospitalized for COVID in the state of Florida than the country of Canada. Canada's population is roughly double. Yes, Florida really is that bad in the context of a first-world country.

What a damn shame for Giuliani.

So, apparently Giuliani's broke. Trump at least claims he's not. As this article demonstrates, Trump's been fundraising and...not spending it.

(EDIT: The article goes on to suggest that Trump's not running in 2024, that he's just telling people he is because he wants their money)

Remember all that fuss and those emails put out along the lines of "Donate to Trump quick quick quick NOW! He needs your money to fight the evil election fraud!" and then he...just didn't do that? It's happening again. Trump is fundraising on "Donate to Trump quick quick quick NOW! He needs your money to fight the evil big tech that banned him for violating the terms of service!" and he's...not doing that. Oh, and Lewandowski's running the show.

Trump's campaign is under the highest scrutiny it's ever been. Yes, he can still host events at his own properties and beef up the prices. Trump's various PACs have spent hundreds of thousands in 2021 at Trump properties. But he's got $100 million or so and has spent under $1 million of it on legal fees, despite (again) claiming he's going to engage is massive lawsuits. Now, could he be hoarding it till 2022 and then enact revenge against anyone not in the Party of Trump? That would be legal, ethical, and highly likely. I know, he didn't spend that much in 2018, but Trump might already know he's not running in 2024 and might really want revenge on those classic Republicans who put country over Trump. But he could spend it on campaign-related legal fees, such as Giuliani. And he's just, you know, not doing that.

“The president deceived his donors. He asked them to give money so he could contest the election results, but then he spent their contributions to pay off unrelated debts,” said Adav Noti, a former associate general counsel at the Federal Election Commission and now chief of staff at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center.

Noti added: “That’s dangerously close to fraud. If a regular charity – or an individual who didn’t happen to be president of the United States – had raised tens of millions of dollars through that sort of deception, they would face a serious risk of prosecution.”

Trump has every ability to pay Giuliani in broad daylight without getting in trouble, backing one of his staunchest supporters. It's not that he can't. It's that he won't.

Giuliani is publicly showing every intent of taking a metaphorical legal bullet for Trump. If he does, he gets what he deserves, including no sympathy from me. It's metaphorical suicide to me and martyrdom to the rabid fanbase. At this point, someone who's been as close to Trump as Giuliani has to know the words to the "I never thought Trump would turn on me" song, so he has no right to feel betrayed anymore.

But he can still be disappointed, even angry, when Trump is sitting at a feast and won't even throw him table scraps. Just because Trump's lack of concern for even his closest allies isn't a surprise doesn't make it less deplorable.

The real fun, of course, is when you ask "who is left in Trump's inner circle, and what lessons have they learned?" Giuliani has the ability to turn on Trump and do real damage. (He might do so accidentally, as we've discussed) But who's left that isn't Trump? Which trusted ally and friend will Trump sacrifice next?

[Omega10]

They are surprised Trump didn't pay what he contractually owed? Why? At this point, that's not hopeful, that's just stupid.

I wonder if Giuliani can, well, blackmail Trump by saying "pay me what you owe me, or I tell everyone the whole thing was your idea". I mean, he's nearly admitted it anyhow, his records were seized, and it's not like he'd be lying under oath. He wouldn't save his career, but Giuliani doesn't have $1.3 billion. Trump....Trump doesn't either, but he has more than Guiliani does. If Dominion wants any real payout at all, they have a limited time to get their claim on the table before NY takes half and Deustche Bank takes the other half.

- - - Updated - - -



Hyperbole. Trump supporters are cosplaying as freedom fighters. After the first, I dunno, thousand are dragged out of their homes by SWAT teams, crying and sobbing like handcuffed babies, the rest will suddenly decide overthrowing the government isn't really their Constitutional duty anymore. Even those few that actually took a stand and tried to overthrow the government are now pleading in court "Please, Your Honor, I am too stupid to stand trial" and not "YOU HAVE NO AUTHORATAH".

Will some resort to violence? Well, they already have, so yes. A million? Might as well say Jaxonville will win the Super Bowl this year.



I would not feel bad if US law enforcement put down thousands of armed insurrectionists, no. These aren't innocent people we bombed in the Middle East, these aren't starving men stealing bread to feed their family, these hypothetical people are armed terrorists willing to kill over something they have proof is an objective falsehood. My sympathy towards them will be the same be it one, ten, a hundred or a thousand.

Give them every chance to surrender and face trial for their crimes. If they refuse, show their next of kin how America deals with terrorists. I don't want loss of life, but if this situation unfolds, I will put the blame squarely where it belongs: the terrorists.

Nice post. It's a shame that it has gotten to this, but this is a very realistic take on our current situation. And yes, this could very well get quite gruesome

[Breccia]

this could very well get quite gruesome

That's up to them. Fortunately for everyone, most of the people claiming they want an armed revolution aren't going to. Not that they're cowards for refusing to take on US law enforcement and military, but they're lying about claiming they want an armed revolution.

But even if the 75 million Trump voters had 75,000 amongst them willing and able to be armed terrorists in an insurrection, basically an army that would fill most of an NFL stadium, yes they would manage to kill many an unarmed civilian before they were crushed by people with superior weapons, armor, and training. Those that survive would be tried and convicted. All they would do is ensure the nation and world saw them as soulless murdering monsters, locked away or killed for using threats and violence to change political outcomes.

Oh, and since "I am too stupid to stand trial" is a defense Trump supporters are using in actual trials of the actual murderous insurrection, I hope they know the law enforcement and if need be military responding to any terrorist incidents they might enact already know about that defense and are free to act accordingly. Remember: there's more than one way to suffer enough brain damage not to stand trial. Pick the one in which you live.

[Zan15]

There are 25 times more people hospitalized for COVID in the state of Florida than the country of Canada. Canada's population is roughly double. Yes, Florida really is that bad in the context of a first-world country.

Its ok i noticed a grand shift from blaming the "brown" people to blaming tourist this morning on the COVID threads and story posting i follow

Mostly from Librual states...somehow they concluded i guess they have more money to vacation in florida but won't admit this is why there are more of them?

They will do anything but blame themselves at this point

[Poopymonster]

No report today because, as usual, only about 14 states reported on Sunday, but there's this:

Tennessee GOP rep who rejected masks now says COVID-19 is 'real and dangerous' after his 8-month battle with the virus



Great that he's "seen the light" and has decided that facts matter now, I guess, but given how long he spent spouting the same bullshit Trump and the rest of his cronies did about COVID I'd say that ship has sailed.

Bets on him being primaried because of his "Come to Covid" meeting?

[Edge-]

Gotta say, watching MAGA America cheer on the US Women's soccer team losing and sniping at US athletes is pretty god-damned patriotic!

Almost like "owning the libs" is the biggest, most important part of the modern Republican party. There's no central tentpole holding up anything, just a bunch of people with their faces covered by a collapsed tent shrieking, "Yeah, but at least we owned the libs!"

[Ursus]

Gotta say, watching MAGA America cheer on the US Women's soccer team losing and sniping at US athletes is pretty god-damned patriotic!

Laura Ingraham was making the case last week that the soccer team is a bunch of anthem-kneeling, Marxist, America-haters, so that rooting for them to lose is patriotic.

[beanman12345]

Interesting day so far, Lady G has Covid, and Murkowski looking like she'll be senator for 6 more years since Sarah Palin gonna fail to primary her.

[Belize]

Interesting day so far, Lady G has Covid

Iirc she's he's vaccinated too, so it's either a fun breakthrough case OR it's a variant where the vaccine is less than ideal.

Either way he can get fucked for all I care, but it doesn't bode well for the masses if the people with the best screening/healthcare in the country are getting sick.

[beanman12345]

Iirc she's he's vaccinated too, so it's either a fun breakthrough case OR it's a variant where the vaccine is less than ideal.

Either way he can get fucked for all I care, but it doesn't bode well for the masses if the people with the best screening/healthcare in the country are getting sick.

Apparently he got it after partying on Manchin's house boat.

[DarkTZeratul]

Iirc she's he's vaccinated too, so it's either a fun breakthrough case OR it's a variant where the vaccine is less than ideal.

He's vaccinated and openly thankful for it:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...tests-n1275739

I feel like I have a sinus infection and at present time I have mild symptoms. ...I am very glad I was vaccinated because without vaccination I am certain I would not feel as well as I do now. My symptoms would be far worse.

[Breccia]

Lady G has Covid

Oh shit, I need to get tested.

Incidentally it appears that the Senate has not mandated masks and, big surprise, guess which half wasn't wearing them. CNN claims 4 Senators aren't vaccinated but I don't know which. I also believe Graham was telling the truth about getting vaccinated.

Graham was spotted in the Capitol on Monday morning and spoke briefly with reporters. He was wearing a mask and appeared to be in a hurry, both of which caught the attention of reporters.

Hmm.

Unrelated: Trump has vowed to fight the release of his tax returns on the grounds of "there is no evidence of a crime".

First of all, cue the "only guilty people take the 5th" bit.

Second of all...fight it how? This is between Congress and the DoJ. Trump made that clear last year. Is there even an active court case involved?

Third of all, Trump's lawyer claimed he was doing this for all future Presidents. That was a stupid fucking thing to say. Every President since Nixon has released their taxes. Most people running for President don't have tax evasion or Russian money laundering secrets like Trump does, or wouldn't want to conceal the fact that they're poor (or they just aren't poor).

[PhaelixWW]

Third of all, Trump's lawyer claimed he was doing this for all future Presidents. That was a stupid fucking thing to say.

But Trump still thinks he's rex quondam, rexque futurus.

[beanman12345]

Oh shit, I need to get tested.

Incidentally it appears that the Senate has not mandated masks and, big surprise, guess which half wasn't wearing them. CNN claims 4 Senators aren't vaccinated but I don't know which. I also believe Graham was telling the truth about getting vaccinated.

I'm gonna take a guess that Rand Paul and Ron Johnson are 2 of the 4.

[DarkTZeratul]

I'm gonna take a guess that Rand Paul and Ron Johnson are 2 of the 4.

Pretty sure Rand Paul has openly stated he wouldn't get vaccinated, so that seems a safe bet.

[Benggaul]

Pretty sure Rand Paul has openly stated he wouldn't get vaccinated, so that seems a safe bet.

Correct. And I hope he gets it again. Not because I wish him death, but putting his dumb ass out of commission and off the Senate floor for any length of time is good news.

[beanman12345]

Pretty sure Rand Paul has openly stated he wouldn't get vaccinated, so that seems a safe bet.

Oh yeah I think I might have heard that now that you mention it. Just went with them cause they are the two biggest nutjobs since they actually believe most of the bullshit they spew, so yeah it was a safe bet =P

[Benggaul]

'I Just Want a Chance': Father of 5 Needs Lungs, Heart Transplants to Survive After COVID

Another day, another "I shoulda got the vaccine" story.

Neither Brian nor Rebekah were vaccinated, despite both of their work in health care.

If you work in healthcare it should be mandatory to get the vaccine. Period.

Really, really infuriating that so many people are literally waiting until they're near death to decide "Hey, maybe getting the vaccine isn't such a bad idea."

[Hollycakes]

Gotta say, watching MAGA America cheer on the US Women's soccer team losing and sniping at US athletes is pretty god-damned patriotic!

I said the very same thing earlier today.
Almost like beating cops with a thin blue line flag.
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