Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Breccia]

I'm just beyond fuckin' tired of his "but if I pay the people I horribly defamed, I might not stay rich" bullshit.

Agreed. Let's hope the judge agrees, too.

Jones can and will continue to make money afterwards. He could literally drop down to 0 money and still become a millionaire within a year or two at most with a "radio show" on Rumble, Gettr, or Parler. Bankruptcy doesn't take future earnings -- a lawsuit could, maybe.

[Edge-]

The Trump Organization and the Presidential Inaugural Committee will pay a total of $750,000 to settle with the Washington, DC, attorney general's office over allegations they misspent money raised for former President Donald Trump's inauguration.

The Trump Organization will pay $400,000 and the PIC will pay $350,000, according to a person familiar with the settlement. As part of the deal, the money will be directed to two DC nonprofits, DC Action and Mikva Challenge DC, the DC attorney general's office said.

In announcing the settlement, DC Attorney General Karl Racine said, "After he was elected, one of the first actions Donald Trump took was illegally using his own inauguration to enrich his family. We refused to let that corruption stand. With our lawsuit, we are now clawing back money that Trump's own inaugural committee misused."

In a statement released by the Trump Organization, the former President said the settlement reflects "absolutely no admission of liability or guilt."

"As crime rates are soaring in our Nation's Capital, it is necessary that the Attorney General focus on those issues rather than a further leg of the greatest Witch-Hunt in political history," Trump said. "This was yet another example of weaponizing Law Enforcement against the Republican Party and, in particular, the former President of the United States. So bad for our Country!"

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/03/polit...nds/index.html

Trump is big-mad that he got caught grifting again.

[Kaleredar]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/03/polit...nds/index.html

Trump is big-mad that he got caught grifting again.

I'm glad they got their money, but settling carries that unfortunate stigma of "no admission of liability or guilt" that they so keenly pointed out.


Screw that noise, screw the cost, and screw the time; government bodies should be going after judicial rulings on these things, not chump change.

[Breccia]

Fell almost 9% yesterday?

Down nearly 3% more today.

[PhaelixWW]

CNN: DHS watchdog says Trump's agency appears to have altered report on Russian interference in 2020 election in part because of politics

Former President Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security delayed and altered an intelligence report related to Russian interference in the 2020 election, making changes that "appear to be based in part on political considerations," according to a newly released watchdog report.

The April 26 Homeland Security inspector general's assessment provides a damning look at the way DHS' Office of Intelligence and Analysis dealt with intelligence related to Russia's efforts to interfere in the US, stating the department had deviated from its standard procedures in modifying assessments related to Moscow's targeting of the 2020 presidential election.

The conclusion that Trump's appointee appeared to have tried to downplay Russian meddling in a key intelligence report is the latest example of how his aides managed his aversion to any information about how Russia might be helping his election prospects. According to special counsel Robert Mueller's report, Trump officials tried to avoid the topic during meetings and at hearings, because he would become enraged and upset when Russian meddling came up.

The US intelligence community announced during the 2020 campaign that Russia was actively meddling in the election to weaken then-candidate Joe Biden. At the time, Trump downplayed those findings and promoted false claims about Biden that aligned with Russia's disinformation efforts. The IG report addresses past suspicions that Trump appointees distorted some intelligence reports to foster a more Trump-friendly narrative.

The watchdog found, for example, that then-acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf had participated in the review process "multiple times despite lacking any formal role in reviewing the product," which caused delays and may have helped create the "perception" that assessments were changed for political reasons.

"We determined that the Acting Secretary's involvement led to the rare occurrence of I&A ceasing dissemination of a product after it had already been approved by the mission manager and circulated via advanced notification," the report states.

"The delays and deviation from I&A's standard process and requirements put I&A at risk of creating a perception of politicization. This conclusion is supported by I&A's own tradecraft assessment, which determined that the product might be viewed as politicized," it continues.

The report stems from previous allegations of the Trump administration downplaying Russian interference. CNN first reported in September 2020 a whistleblower complaint alleging that top political appointees in DHS repeatedly instructed career officials to modify intelligence assessments to suit Trump's agenda by downplaying Russia's efforts to interfere in the US.

The whistleblower claimed that Wolf had instructed DHS officials to "cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference" and, instead, focus their efforts on gathering information related to activities being carried out by China and Iran.

The scope of the DHS IG report was limited to the single intelligence report in question.

Initially, the IG found, the DHS Intelligence and Analysis Office had followed internal drafting and editing processes. The report was two pages in length and related to one "'current Democratic presidential candidate'" and to Russian activities to influence the presidential election. It evolved over time after receiving internal input, according to the IG report.

The IG also followed up on a July 2020 meeting mentioned by the whistleblower, who claimed Wolf had asked for the product to be held because "'it made the President look bad.'"

According to notes of the meeting obtained by the IG, one top official wrote: "AS1 -- will hurt POTUS -- kill it per his authorities." The official told the IG the notes meant the acting secretary had told him to hold the product because it would hurt Trump and the authorities cited were in reference to those possessed by the secretary.

The IG's office interviewed Wolf, who denied saying this and added that he had asked for the product to be improved.

"I tried to put myself in the position of one of our state and local partners who would be reading this and I could not see where the product, as written on July 8, would have added any value or given them any knowledge they could use. ... The product was not well written," the acting secretary told the IG's office, according to the report.

The delays and disruptions, though, put the office at risk of creating the perception of politicization, the IG report states. The IG recommended working with the Office of the Secretary and I&A oversight entities to make sure election-related reports are in line with policies and guidelines. I&A agreed with the recommendation.

[Paranoid Android]

Meet J.R. Majewski, a GOP House primary winner. He’s an Air Force veteran, QAnon adherent, Jan. 6 protester, and MAGA rapper, with lyrics like, “Joe [Biden] is focused on ice cream while he’s crappin’ his pants.”

Hell yeah Brother!

In baseball we call the best of the best, 5 tool players; arm, speed, hitting, hitting for power and fielding. Missing 1 tool from this guy, but he has it all. Godspeed in the upcoming general election. The oh btw, is these are the people elected on right and people will vote for him.

The district has been strong Democratic since 1980 held by a Dem atm. Yet it has been redrawn I guess and might be close to a flip.

[Edge-]

https://miami.cbslocal.com/2022/05/0...porations/?amp

In which Republicans actually don't like Freeze Peach when it's not Peach they agree with.

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/04/polit...den/index.html

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy discussed the 25th Amendment on a call with GOP leadership days after the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and said the process "takes too long," according to an audio recording obtained by two New York Times reporters and shared with CNN.

McCarthy also said during the call that he wanted to reach out to then-President-elect Joe Biden as he expressed hope for a "smooth transition," and said he thought impeachment would further divide the nation.

The call took place on January 8, 2021, and the audio was obtained for the new book "This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future," by Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns.

At one point in the recording, McCarthy asks an aide for a readout of a separate call. It's not clear exactly what call he is referring to. The aide responds, "I think the options that have been cited by the Democrats so far are the 25th Amendment, which is not exactly an elegant solution here."

McCarthy interjects to say, "That takes too long too. It could go back to the House, right?"

The aide responds, "Correct. If the President were to submit a letter overruling the Cabinet and the vice president, two-thirds vote in the House and the Senate to overrule the President. So it's kind of an armful."

Man, I love how McCarthy is just earning a reputation as a dishonest fuck who only cares about personal political power and will say literally anything to get it.

Truly, he's the Minority Leader Republicans deserve. Even Paul Ryan was better, and Paul Ryan fuckin sucked as Speaker, lol.

- - - Updated - - -

https://abcnews.go.com/US/dr-ozs-vot...ry?id=84326742

Do we need to worry about "Foreign agent Senator Dr. Oz"?

As Dr. Mehmet Oz embarks on a bid for the U.S. Senate, the television star has largely shied away from discussing his ties to Turkey, where he maintains citizenship, and dismissed criticism from political opponents that he harbors any so-called "dual loyalties."

But a photograph of Oz casting a ballot in Turkey's 2018 presidential election is rankling some national security experts -- particularly after recently saying he has "never been politically involved in Turkey in any capacity."

Never politically involved...except he proudly votes there -



That's fine! Just be honest about it. If Republicans are very bigly concerned about the "dual loyalty" of members of Congress like Ilhan Omar because she's originally from Somalia before gaining US Citizenship, and doesn't appear to be politically active in Somalia still, I'm sure Republicans will be ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGED at this.

That's aside from his properties and holdings in Turkey, you know, as "regular folk who are totally not rich elites" are want to do.

Now if elected, he'll get access to all kinds of classified information that civilians have to go through background checks before seeing. Would he see it if he was a civilian?

"Any single one of those would be enough to torpedo a [security] clearance," McClanahan said. "Taken together, I would not put good odds on that person getting a clearance anywhere."

Well then, not surprising. It seems Republicans do love their foreign agents quite a bit.

[jonnysensible]

lol whoever is leaking the cawthorn stuff

[postman1782]

lol whoever is leaking the cawthorn stuff

Didn't he claim today that it was his cousin? Like that makes it any better?

[Edge-]

Didn't he claim today that it was his cousin? Like that makes it any better?

Seems related to a new video - https://www.wral.com/cawthorn-respon...-act/20265688/

A political group whose primary focus is unseating U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn released a graphic video Wednesday showing Cawthorn naked and simulating a sex act near someone he describes as a friend.

Video is not linked in the article, and I'm not sure if I even want to see it...in fact I most definitely do not. I'll take their word for it.

[fwc577]

Seems related to a new video - https://www.wral.com/cawthorn-respon...-act/20265688/



Video is not linked in the article, and I'm not sure if I even want to see it...in fact I most definitely do not. I'll take their word for it.

Saw it on Reddit before I realized what I was looking at. Horrified at first then I laughed my fucking ass off watching a Republican flush his career down the drain.


If you need a laugh, here it is with the Benny Hill theme: https://twitter.com/JeffCross5000/st...20098080493571

[jonnysensible]

the whole CRT panic is meant to make it easier for republicans to privatize schools in order to get a generation kids to be home schooled with 'christian patriotic' educations and end up like Madison Cawthorn....

[Kaleredar]

lol whoever is leaking the cawthorn stuff

Need more of this playing dirty, frankly.

Some might call it stooping to their level, but I don't really think that's true. Unlike the GOP just blatantly making shit up as their "dirty tactic," this is showing things that actually happened that they just so happen to want hidden.

[jonnysensible]

Need more of this playing dirty, frankly.

Some might call it stooping to their level, but I don't really think that's true. Unlike the GOP just blatantly making shit up as their "dirty tactic," this is showing things that actually happened that they just so happen to want hidden.

all because he talked about the gops xocaine swinger parties

[Gorsameth]

Need more of this playing dirty, frankly.

Some might call it stooping to their level, but I don't really think that's true. Unlike the GOP just blatantly making shit up as their "dirty tactic," this is showing things that actually happened that they just so happen to want hidden.

You call it 'stopping to their level' as if its not most likely a Republican doing this. They are already at this level, just this time they are targeting one of 'their own', rather then making shit up about a Democrat.

[fwc577]

Kind of feel hopeful for the first time in a while that Trump and the GOP are cooked.

With the SCOTUS ruling and a lot of the infighting going on at the moment, there is absolutely a chance for the Democrats to have a path forward to completely invalidate the current GOP until they finally change their platform and shift towards being a more moderate party.

At this point too, I feel that Trump is done. If he runs in 2024, it will be a guaranteed loss. There isn't going to be a "Because he's not Biden" vote like Biden benefited against Trump in 2020. Biden will likely get even more support because of Roe v Wade and the SC fuckery.

The midterms have the potential to be a blue wave because of Roe v Wade now as well. Gerrymandering could end up biting Republicans in the ass since margins are slim in some places, having independents and people who don't normally vote suddenly showing up in a midterm because of Roe v Wade could result in an early termination for Republican hopes of regaining the House and/or Senate.

At this point, it looks to me like the Republicans had a game plan. It involved Trump winning in 2020 and because that didn't happen, they've gone off script. If Trump won in 2020 and they could regain control of the House if the win was large enough while also maintaining control of the Senate, they could've killed the filibuster and fucked this country into a true authoritarian state and made the Democrats powerless forever.

Then you have the SC hand down rulings like Roe v Wade while overturning other things like Obergefell, etc. and then not have to worry about the fallout because they've legislated and changed the judicial branch to ensure that Dems remain powerless and fuck over voting? Man, I think America really dodged a bullet in 2020 by actually showing up and electing Biden.

[Kaleredar]

Kind of feel hopeful for the first time in a while that Trump and the GOP are cooked.

With the SCOTUS ruling and a lot of the infighting going on at the moment, there is absolutely a chance for the Democrats to have a path forward to completely invalidate the current GOP until they finally change their platform and shift towards being a more moderate party.

At this point too, I feel that Trump is done. If he runs in 2024, it will be a guaranteed loss. There isn't going to be a "Because he's not Biden" vote like Biden benefited against Trump in 2020. Biden will likely get even more support because of Roe v Wade and the SC fuckery.

The midterms have the potential to be a blue wave because of Roe v Wade now as well. Gerrymandering could end up biting Republicans in the ass since margins are slim in some places, having independents and people who don't normally vote suddenly showing up in a midterm because of Roe v Wade could result in an early termination for Republican hopes of regaining the House and/or Senate.

At this point, it looks to me like the Republicans had a game plan. It involved Trump winning in 2020 and because that didn't happen, they've gone off script. If Trump won in 2020 and they could regain control of the House if the win was large enough while also maintaining control of the Senate, they could've killed the filibuster and fucked this country into a true authoritarian state and made the Democrats powerless forever.

Then you have the SC hand down rulings like Roe v Wade while overturning other things like Obergefell, etc. and then not have to worry about the fallout because they've legislated and changed the judicial branch to ensure that Dems remain powerless and fuck over voting? Man, I think America really dodged a bullet in 2020 by actually showing up and electing Biden.

It’s all about mobilization in the places that matter. We saw that bold things are indeed possible in Georgia.

As for dodging a bullet… that’s the understatement of the century, not just on a National scale but likely an international scale as well.

Biden has taken zero crap from Russia about Ukraine. Were the pumpkin man still in charge I have few doubts that the US would have withdrawn from NATO and trump would have insisted upon Ukraines immediate surrender to any and all Russian demands, all the while spewing Russian propaganda to obfuscate and confuse.

Instead, we have a largely United world telling Russia to fuck off, with the US effectively leasing the charge in economic support for Ukraine.

[Breccia]

Biden has taken zero crap from Russia about Ukraine. Were the pumpkin man still in charge I have few doubts that the US would have withdrawn from NATO and trump would have insisted upon Ukraines immediate surrender to any and all Russian demands, all the while spewing Russian propaganda to obfuscate and confuse.

Normally I come down hard on people who make hypothetical statements, but normally that's because they're making shit up with no backup. Trump openly threatened to leave NATO and actively worked to shield Russia from sanctions. There is no reason to believe he'd have sided with NATO against Russia from his own words and actions.

[Endus]

Need more of this playing dirty, frankly.

Some might call it stooping to their level, but I don't really think that's true. Unlike the GOP just blatantly making shit up as their "dirty tactic," this is showing things that actually happened that they just so happen to want hidden.

Is it true? Then it's not stooping. It's exposing the truth.

It can't be defamation or character assassination if it's true.

[Breccia]

And DWAC is already down another 3%.