“It’s a pain in the [posterior] having those guys down there."
October 27, 2020 12:03 PM Subscribe
Ballrooms, Carriages, and Luxury Cottages During Trump's Term, Millions of Government and GOP Dollars Have Flowed to His Properties (WaPo)
The Russian elite had luxury cottages the were/are called dachas
posted by robbyrobs at 12:12 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by robbyrobs at 12:12 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
One of the things that amazes me about Donald Trump is that he's been quite possibly the most corrupt person of the 20th and 21st centuries and has *still* managed to wind up hundreds of millions of dollars in debt.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:21 PM on October 27, 2020 [29 favorites]
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:21 PM on October 27, 2020 [29 favorites]
David Fahrenthold has been covering Trump's financial shenanigans since the 2016 election. And he's still going.
It's a goddamned shame that his work is being buried by the countless other daily disasters that get throw onto the pile.
But if you watch Fahrenthold's twitter account you can see everything he's tracking. He's detailed and he's meticulous. Hopefully he writes this all into a book or something someday.
posted by mookoz at 12:26 PM on October 27, 2020 [13 favorites]
It's a goddamned shame that his work is being buried by the countless other daily disasters that get throw onto the pile.
But if you watch Fahrenthold's twitter account you can see everything he's tracking. He's detailed and he's meticulous. Hopefully he writes this all into a book or something someday.
posted by mookoz at 12:26 PM on October 27, 2020 [13 favorites]
> has *still* managed to wind up hundreds of millions of dollars in debt
It doesn't matter to him, though. He gets to live the life he likes and wash his hands in a gold-plated sink; it doesn't matter that he's technically in debt.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:09 PM on October 27, 2020 [8 favorites]
It doesn't matter to him, though. He gets to live the life he likes and wash his hands in a gold-plated sink; it doesn't matter that he's technically in debt.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:09 PM on October 27, 2020 [8 favorites]
~has *still* managed to wind up hundreds of millions of dollars in debt
~It doesn't matter to him, though. He gets to live the life he likes and wash his hands in a gold-plated sink; it doesn't matter that he's technically in debt.
What’s that saying? “If you owe the bank thousands, it’s your problem. But, if you owe the bank millions, it’s the bank’s problem.”
posted by Thorzdad at 1:34 PM on October 27, 2020 [12 favorites]
~It doesn't matter to him, though. He gets to live the life he likes and wash his hands in a gold-plated sink; it doesn't matter that he's technically in debt.
What’s that saying? “If you owe the bank thousands, it’s your problem. But, if you owe the bank millions, it’s the bank’s problem.”
posted by Thorzdad at 1:34 PM on October 27, 2020 [12 favorites]
What’s that saying?
"Fuckin' goddamn capitalism, man..."
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:08 PM on October 27, 2020 [13 favorites]
"Fuckin' goddamn capitalism, man..."
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:08 PM on October 27, 2020 [13 favorites]
Another link to the Washington Post story; cached version; Forbes summary, Report: U.S. Government Paid Over $2.5 Million To Trump’s Businesses
(Clicking on FPP link returned "Sorry, we can’t seem to find the page you’re looking for" for me.)
[MSN often reprints WaPo stuff, but hasn't caught this yet]
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:09 PM on October 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
(Clicking on FPP link returned "Sorry, we can’t seem to find the page you’re looking for" for me.)
[MSN often reprints WaPo stuff, but hasn't caught this yet]
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:09 PM on October 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
I knew an Envirinmental Remediation Engineer who had his own thriving business in the 1980s until he did a site clean-up job for one of Trump's properties that he never got paid for because Donald declared it "didn't need to be done". Even after suing and getting a 'substantial judgment', my friend never saw a penny. That spoke volumes about the man, including how he would handle environmental issues as a President.
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:50 PM on October 27, 2020 [25 favorites]
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:50 PM on October 27, 2020 [25 favorites]
Ballrooms, Carriages, and Luxury Cottages During Trump's Term, Millions of Government and GOP Dollars Have Flowed to His Properties (WaPo) the thieving bastard has stolen millions of dollars worth of taxpayer funds and he needs to go to jail.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 3:48 PM on October 27, 2020 [14 favorites]
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 3:48 PM on October 27, 2020 [14 favorites]
...the thieving bastard has stolen millions of dollars worth of taxpayer funds and he needs to go to jail.
Interestingly, I heard a discussion on public radio today regarding Trump and his use of presidential pardons. The thinking was that, if he’s defeated, he’ll start pardoning everyone in his sphere, including himself. It turns out that there isn’t anything in law preventing a sitting president from pardoning himself for any crime.
Of course, that’s on the federal level. I don’t believe it’s ever been absolutely determined whether a presidential pardon affects any criminal actions states might take. That might require SCOTUS to weigh in and...oh...right......*sigh*
posted by Thorzdad at 4:03 PM on October 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
Interestingly, I heard a discussion on public radio today regarding Trump and his use of presidential pardons. The thinking was that, if he’s defeated, he’ll start pardoning everyone in his sphere, including himself. It turns out that there isn’t anything in law preventing a sitting president from pardoning himself for any crime.
Of course, that’s on the federal level. I don’t believe it’s ever been absolutely determined whether a presidential pardon affects any criminal actions states might take. That might require SCOTUS to weigh in and...oh...right......*sigh*
posted by Thorzdad at 4:03 PM on October 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
The Russian elite had luxury cottages the were/are called dachas
This side effect of the patterns of Russian urbanisation has to do with this. I can see why you're writing it, but every single assumption as to why it might be germane points to a failure to understand that the problem is about people who owe loyalty to no country, and will exploit whichever country they find easiest, especially by exploiting ways to sew division between people, instead of letting us see everyone across the world as our allies.
posted by ambrosen at 4:40 PM on October 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
This side effect of the patterns of Russian urbanisation has to do with this. I can see why you're writing it, but every single assumption as to why it might be germane points to a failure to understand that the problem is about people who owe loyalty to no country, and will exploit whichever country they find easiest, especially by exploiting ways to sew division between people, instead of letting us see everyone across the world as our allies.
posted by ambrosen at 4:40 PM on October 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
Smallest of compensations: it’s $2.5 million of taxpayer money but an additional $5.6 million of campaign funds and fundraising donations extracted from deluded deplorables and overweening millionaires.
But wait, there’s more!
But wait, there’s more!
Much spending remains hidden, because some federal agencies — including the State Department, and the White House itself — have declined to release records. “The amounts we’re seeing are just the tip of the iceberg,” [Ryan] Shapiro [of the group Property of the People] said.posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:41 PM on October 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
It turns out that there isn’t anything in law preventing a sitting president from pardoning himself for any crime.
Look, I'm not a US lawyer, but I'm pretty sure you have to be convicted before you can be pardoned. By the time he is convicted for anything he will no longer be president, and will not be able to pardon anyone.
Also, he can only pardon people for federal crimes. If a state brings charges and gets a conviction, the president has no ability to issue a pardon.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:08 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
Look, I'm not a US lawyer, but I'm pretty sure you have to be convicted before you can be pardoned. By the time he is convicted for anything he will no longer be president, and will not be able to pardon anyone.
Also, he can only pardon people for federal crimes. If a state brings charges and gets a conviction, the president has no ability to issue a pardon.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:08 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
Look, I'm not a US lawyer, but I'm pretty sure you have to be convicted before you can be pardoned.
Oh wow, I'm so, so wrong. He can absolutely pardon people before charges are even laid:
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:14 PM on October 27, 2020 [25 favorites]
Oh wow, I'm so, so wrong. He can absolutely pardon people before charges are even laid:
In an opinion issued in 1886, the Supreme Court clarified that the pardon power conferred by the Constitution is “unlimited, with the exception [of cases of impeachment],” and it “extends to every offence known to the law.” The Supreme Court wrote that the President may exercise the pardon power after the commission of the criminal offense, before or during legal proceedings, and after conviction and judgment. In fact, so long as the President grants a pardon before conviction, then doing so prevents any of the “penalties and disabilities consequent on conviction from attaching” to the pardoned person.That is frankly insane.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:14 PM on October 27, 2020 [25 favorites]
Plot twist is he loses, pardons Pence, resigns, and then President Pence (!) does a Ford/Nixon pardon for Trump.
posted by ewan at 5:17 PM on October 27, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by ewan at 5:17 PM on October 27, 2020 [4 favorites]
Also, he can only pardon people for federal crimes. If a state brings charges and gets a conviction, the president has no ability to issue a pardon.
I was correct about this. Here's a cite.
Hopefully New York will lay criminal charges.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:20 PM on October 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
I was correct about this. Here's a cite.
Hopefully New York will lay criminal charges.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:20 PM on October 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
Things like the emolument clause violations are on going though; I'm sure there are dozens of these sort of crimes being committed (if only of the mandatory reporting variety). So even if Trump pardons himself (he's never quitting) as his last act new crimes will be committed in the final seconds of his presidency.
It's amusing though to think of Trump playing pardon beat the clock. Waiting in the oval office till the very last second of his presidency to sign a self-pardon.
posted by Mitheral at 6:50 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
It's amusing though to think of Trump playing pardon beat the clock. Waiting in the oval office till the very last second of his presidency to sign a self-pardon.
posted by Mitheral at 6:50 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
Waiting in the oval office till the very last second of his presidency to sign a self-pardon.
Ugh! Do I actually have to write it now?
Worst timeline ever!
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:59 PM on October 27, 2020
Ugh! Do I actually have to write it now?
Worst timeline ever!
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:59 PM on October 27, 2020
The link gave me a 404. This link requires no paywall and works for me.
posted by geoff. at 7:31 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by geoff. at 7:31 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
He's going to siphon off as much cash from government coffers as he can before he's kicked out.
Do keep in mind that he theoretically is granted a Secret Service detail for him and some of his family for life. If the detail stays exclusively at Trump properties, then that would be additional lifetime income for him and the family.
The taxpayers will be paying Donald Trump and his family indirectly, long after they have left the White House. I wonder what the budget for USSS protection is for former Presidents?
posted by JDC8 at 8:32 PM on October 27, 2020 [8 favorites]
Do keep in mind that he theoretically is granted a Secret Service detail for him and some of his family for life. If the detail stays exclusively at Trump properties, then that would be additional lifetime income for him and the family.
The taxpayers will be paying Donald Trump and his family indirectly, long after they have left the White House. I wonder what the budget for USSS protection is for former Presidents?
posted by JDC8 at 8:32 PM on October 27, 2020 [8 favorites]
David Fahrenthold has been covering Trump's financial shenanigans since the 2016 election. And he's still going.
Back in the early months of 2017, I attended a talk in Toronto about journalism in the age of Trump. The panel was Daniel Dale (Toronto Star Washington bureau at the time, now CNN), Susanne Craig (NYT, on the Trump tax beat, and part of the team that broke the $750-in-taxes story), and David Farenthold.
At one point in the talk, Farenthold said something like: "When I became a working journalist, if you had told me my beat was going to be 'the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution,' I would have said, 'The WHAT?' and laughed at you."
The taxpayers will be paying Donald Trump and his family indirectly, long after they have left the White House. I wonder what the budget for USSS protection is for former Presidents?
Qualitatively speaking, I like to imagine the Jimmy Carter security detail as a pleasant sinecure for Secret Service agents who did good.
The Trump retirement detail? Punishment for a fuckup you can't quite technically be fired over.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:01 PM on October 27, 2020 [10 favorites]
Back in the early months of 2017, I attended a talk in Toronto about journalism in the age of Trump. The panel was Daniel Dale (Toronto Star Washington bureau at the time, now CNN), Susanne Craig (NYT, on the Trump tax beat, and part of the team that broke the $750-in-taxes story), and David Farenthold.
At one point in the talk, Farenthold said something like: "When I became a working journalist, if you had told me my beat was going to be 'the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution,' I would have said, 'The WHAT?' and laughed at you."
The taxpayers will be paying Donald Trump and his family indirectly, long after they have left the White House. I wonder what the budget for USSS protection is for former Presidents?
Qualitatively speaking, I like to imagine the Jimmy Carter security detail as a pleasant sinecure for Secret Service agents who did good.
The Trump retirement detail? Punishment for a fuckup you can't quite technically be fired over.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:01 PM on October 27, 2020 [10 favorites]
he's been quite possibly the most corrupt person of the 20th and 21st centuries and has *still* managed to wind up hundreds of millions of dollars in debt.
That's the scam. The trick is running up as much debt as possible without any of it getting called in because you've successfully kept the government away via endless audits, and you've kept the debtors away with...who knows. This is step 2: ???.
Step 3: Profit! is when he dies without any of this getting resolved and all of those debts have to be written off. His family inherits the assets paid for by those debts without being encumbered by having to pay them back. How much will be subject to foreclosure? Not as much as you'd like to think, I'm sure!
Ta da, free money.
posted by rhizome at 9:25 PM on October 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
That's the scam. The trick is running up as much debt as possible without any of it getting called in because you've successfully kept the government away via endless audits, and you've kept the debtors away with...who knows. This is step 2: ???.
Step 3: Profit! is when he dies without any of this getting resolved and all of those debts have to be written off. His family inherits the assets paid for by those debts without being encumbered by having to pay them back. How much will be subject to foreclosure? Not as much as you'd like to think, I'm sure!
Ta da, free money.
posted by rhizome at 9:25 PM on October 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
Do keep in mind that he theoretically is granted a Secret Service detail for him and some of his family for life.
It's just for the President, spouse and minor children (and then only till age of 16) though. Not even sure if a divorced Melania gets SS protection; as far as I know the situation (president divorcing post presidency) has never come up before and the act refers to "spouse of the president" and "widow of the president" not former spouse. Eric, Junior, Ivanka et.al. aren't protected. And none of his appointees that have also wrangled SS protection to pickup their laundry will be covered either. It's also a much smaller detail, just a couple of guys. Ultimately there will be some grift but it is limited to 1 million a year for the president and an additional half million for his spouse and that amount includes everything like the SS agent travel expenses. The Trump family is currently burning though that sort of money at least every few days. And that's just the public expenditures, full expenses haven't been released. It's possible Trump and his family are burning though a million dollars a day or more.
Plus it also entails a lack of privacy and imposed restrictions (like not being able to drive, not that Trump ever does). All that law breaking that Trump engages in has had a blind eye turned to it so far but when he isn't President people will be able to subpoena the SS agents. 50/50 Trump refuses the SS protection to protect his crime syndicate. It's not unprecedented (the refusal, not the syndicate). Nixon of course but also Bush the Elder's First Lady Barbara Bush refused protection.
Be interesting to see how this would be handled if he actually went to jail. I mean that is never going to happen; at worst he'll get house arrest at Mar-a-lago. However it is an interesting thought experiment.
Trump is also entitled to a quarter of a million dollar annual pension. Which I'm betting he doesn't donate to charity.
posted by Mitheral at 9:55 PM on October 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
It's just for the President, spouse and minor children (and then only till age of 16) though. Not even sure if a divorced Melania gets SS protection; as far as I know the situation (president divorcing post presidency) has never come up before and the act refers to "spouse of the president" and "widow of the president" not former spouse. Eric, Junior, Ivanka et.al. aren't protected. And none of his appointees that have also wrangled SS protection to pickup their laundry will be covered either. It's also a much smaller detail, just a couple of guys. Ultimately there will be some grift but it is limited to 1 million a year for the president and an additional half million for his spouse and that amount includes everything like the SS agent travel expenses. The Trump family is currently burning though that sort of money at least every few days. And that's just the public expenditures, full expenses haven't been released. It's possible Trump and his family are burning though a million dollars a day or more.
Plus it also entails a lack of privacy and imposed restrictions (like not being able to drive, not that Trump ever does). All that law breaking that Trump engages in has had a blind eye turned to it so far but when he isn't President people will be able to subpoena the SS agents. 50/50 Trump refuses the SS protection to protect his crime syndicate. It's not unprecedented (the refusal, not the syndicate). Nixon of course but also Bush the Elder's First Lady Barbara Bush refused protection.
Be interesting to see how this would be handled if he actually went to jail. I mean that is never going to happen; at worst he'll get house arrest at Mar-a-lago. However it is an interesting thought experiment.
Trump is also entitled to a quarter of a million dollar annual pension. Which I'm betting he doesn't donate to charity.
posted by Mitheral at 9:55 PM on October 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
What’s that saying? “If you owe the bank thousands, it’s your problem. But, if you owe the bank millions, it’s the bank’s problem.”
But when you owe Russian mobsters over 37 billion rubles, it's your problem again. But don't worry. As long as you do any "favors" they ask, they won't demand you pay them back right now.
posted by mikelieman at 10:09 PM on October 27, 2020 [4 favorites]
But when you owe Russian mobsters over 37 billion rubles, it's your problem again. But don't worry. As long as you do any "favors" they ask, they won't demand you pay them back right now.
posted by mikelieman at 10:09 PM on October 27, 2020 [4 favorites]
Grifters gotta grift.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:15 PM on October 27, 2020
posted by kirkaracha at 10:15 PM on October 27, 2020
Trump is also entitled to a quarter of a million dollar annual pension. Which I'm betting he doesn't donate to charity.
$750 post-Trump bucks says he tries not to declare even this income.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:13 AM on October 28, 2020 [4 favorites]
$750 post-Trump bucks says he tries not to declare even this income.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:13 AM on October 28, 2020 [4 favorites]
Keeping in mind daughter Ivanka’s prior consulting fees, are Trump family members getting paid for consulting/working on his presidential campaign?
posted by cenoxo at 4:30 AM on October 28, 2020
posted by cenoxo at 4:30 AM on October 28, 2020
Mitheral > ...50/50 Trump refuses the SS protection to protect his crime syndicate.
Trump used his own security team (including longtime bodyguard Keith Schiller*) early in his presidency: Trump’s Private Security Force: an Operational and Legal Swamp — Trump's precedent-breaking decision to retain a private security force raises troubling questions about transparency and accountability., American Prospect, Manuel Madrid, 1/20/2017.
*Per Wikipedia, “When Schiller left the White House in October 2017 his security company, KS Global Group LLC, was hired by the Republican National Committee to provide security consultation relating to the committee's 2020 convention.[26]”, so in a sense he’s still working for Trump.
posted by cenoxo at 5:16 AM on October 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Trump used his own security team (including longtime bodyguard Keith Schiller*) early in his presidency: Trump’s Private Security Force: an Operational and Legal Swamp — Trump's precedent-breaking decision to retain a private security force raises troubling questions about transparency and accountability., American Prospect, Manuel Madrid, 1/20/2017.
*Per Wikipedia, “When Schiller left the White House in October 2017 his security company, KS Global Group LLC, was hired by the Republican National Committee to provide security consultation relating to the committee's 2020 convention.[26]”, so in a sense he’s still working for Trump.
posted by cenoxo at 5:16 AM on October 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Hopefully New York will lay criminal charges.
If he loses, he is 100% going to try to negotiate immunity from state charges as part of going quietly.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 6:20 AM on October 28, 2020
If he loses, he is 100% going to try to negotiate immunity from state charges as part of going quietly.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 6:20 AM on October 28, 2020
Trump Friends and Family Cleared for Millions in Small Business Bailout — Beneficiaries of the PPP included a lettuce farming venture backed by Trump’s son, Kushner companies, and a dentist who golfs with the president. The figures were released after a lawsuit by several news organizations, including ProPublica., ProPublica; Jack Gillum, Isaac Arnsdorf, Jake Pearson, Mike Spies; 7/6/2020.
Trump's children take in millions overseas as president slams Biden's son, Los Angeles Times; Noah Bierman, Chris Megerian; 10/10/2019. [Alternate link]
How Don Jr., Ivanka, and Eric Trump Have Profited Off Their Dad's Presidency — No one knows a “clear conflict of interest” when they see it better than the president's children., GQ, JayWillis, 10/14/2019.
- - - - -
There’s an old Soviet Union adage wrt Russian vs. American faith in their respective governments: “In Soviet Russia no one believes anything our government says, so we just go about our daily lives without getting upset. You Americans want to believe what your government says, and this drives you crazy.”
posted by cenoxo at 6:23 AM on October 28, 2020 [4 favorites]
Trump's children take in millions overseas as president slams Biden's son, Los Angeles Times; Noah Bierman, Chris Megerian; 10/10/2019. [Alternate link]
How Don Jr., Ivanka, and Eric Trump Have Profited Off Their Dad's Presidency — No one knows a “clear conflict of interest” when they see it better than the president's children., GQ, JayWillis, 10/14/2019.
- - - - -
There’s an old Soviet Union adage wrt Russian vs. American faith in their respective governments: “In Soviet Russia no one believes anything our government says, so we just go about our daily lives without getting upset. You Americans want to believe what your government says, and this drives you crazy.”
posted by cenoxo at 6:23 AM on October 28, 2020 [4 favorites]
If he loses, he is 100% going to try to negotiate immunity from state charges as part of going quietly.
How would this work? Who's he going to negotiate with on a blanket immunity from state charges; who has the power to grant such immunity? And who in their right mind would imagine that Trump would adhere to any agreement he makes?
posted by SPrintF at 7:34 AM on October 28, 2020
How would this work? Who's he going to negotiate with on a blanket immunity from state charges; who has the power to grant such immunity? And who in their right mind would imagine that Trump would adhere to any agreement he makes?
posted by SPrintF at 7:34 AM on October 28, 2020
About that 1 million/year Secret Service protection budget - (assuming he doesn't refuse the protection, which it seems likely he would) what happens if he does blow through it, they can't just walk off the job when the money runs out, can they? Do they bill him, and then he, as usual, doesn't pay? And it seems likely that he would blow through it. You know even if he loses, he's going to be out there golfing, mar-ing-a-lago, and doing campaign rallies, and that's going to eat into the budget pretty fast.
posted by mrgoat at 8:35 AM on October 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by mrgoat at 8:35 AM on October 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
They manage it by never running a deficit. Trump goes to Scotland? Guess they only send one guy with him and he's nominally only working eight hours a day and on call for the rest. It's pretty easy to set limits like this when the protectee isn't your boss and Trump isn't going to have any pull in the new administration to get the limits changed. Even in the unlikely event Congress wanted to increase Trump's budget they wouldn't because it would also mean giving more money to the Obama's and Clinton's and that just isn't going to fly.
posted by Mitheral at 10:21 AM on October 28, 2020
posted by Mitheral at 10:21 AM on October 28, 2020
Relevant to the theme of this post, I guess, fresh this morning, as reported by the Trump, Inc. podcast in collaboration with New York magazine:
Fifty-one insiders who profited off the presidency (New York Magazine)
Trump, Inc. podcast episode (includes a summary writeup and a full transcript):
This is the Washington Trump has built these past four years, where people who patronize Trump businesses can expect preferential treatment, where a deputy secretary can oversee a bailout that benefits his family’s company, where administration officials fly in private jets paid for by the public — and where top government officials don’t bother to divest from industries whose policies they oversee.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:47 AM on October 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Fifty-one insiders who profited off the presidency (New York Magazine)
Trump, Inc. podcast episode (includes a summary writeup and a full transcript):
This is the Washington Trump has built these past four years, where people who patronize Trump businesses can expect preferential treatment, where a deputy secretary can oversee a bailout that benefits his family’s company, where administration officials fly in private jets paid for by the public — and where top government officials don’t bother to divest from industries whose policies they oversee.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:47 AM on October 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
But, if he pardons himself, doesn’t that mean he’s admitting he is wrong, and that “if you’re the president it’s legal”?
Besides, we will be paying him for years. Secret Service is going to keep him safe in his own properties at our expense for the rest of his natural life. He’s never going to see a minute of jail.
posted by tilde at 3:08 PM on October 28, 2020
Besides, we will be paying him for years. Secret Service is going to keep him safe in his own properties at our expense for the rest of his natural life. He’s never going to see a minute of jail.
posted by tilde at 3:08 PM on October 28, 2020
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posted by Thorzdad at 12:08 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]