Well... it's Trump... again. #47, here we go.

[Jimmy Higgins]

Trump administration will accept a luxury jet from Qatar to use as Air Force One

Trump is expected to discuss arrangements for the plane during his visit to Qatar this week, one source said.

www.nbcnews.com

The Trump administration is preparing to accept a superluxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar as a gift to be used by President Donald Trump as the new Air Force One for presidential travel until shortly before Trump leaves office, according to four sources familiar with the planning.

Two of the sources also confirm that ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation once the president ends his second term.

"Trump must seek Congress’ consent to take this $300 million gift from Qatar. The Constitution is perfectly clear: no present “of any kind whatever” from a foreign state without Congressional permission. A gift you use for four years and then deposit in your library is still a gift (and a grift)," Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, wrote in a post on X.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer similarly blasted Trump, calling the plane an example of "foreign influence."

"Nothing says 'America First' like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar. It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom," Schumer, D-N.Y. wrote in a post on X.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., went even further, calling the move "corrupt" and "unconstitutional."

"I don’t know who needs to hear this, but NO, Donald Trump cannot accept a $400 million flying palace from the royal family of Qatar. Not only is this farcically corrupt, it is blatantly unconstitutional," Sanders wrote.

​

Sociopaths are the reason laws become more restrictive.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Wasn't charged with that either. If you want to be pedantic, right back atchya.

Ok, he was charged with recording a hush money payment to a porn star wrong. A nothing misdemeanor elevated to 34 felonies based on nothing but Alvin Bragg's overinflated ego.
It was a stupid case that ended up helping Trump far more than it hurt him.

He wasn't charged with a boatload of things due to Due Process. Kind of inconsistent logic there.

 

[Elixir]

Trump administration will accept a luxury jet from Qatar to use as Air Force One

Trump is expected to discuss arrangements for the plane during his visit to Qatar this week, one source said.

www.nbcnews.com

The Trump administration is preparing to accept a superluxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar as a gift to be used by President Donald Trump as the new Air Force One for presidential travel until shortly before Trump leaves office, according to four sources familiar with the planning.

Two of the sources also confirm that ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation once the president ends his second term.

"Trump must seek Congress’ consent to take this $300 million gift from Qatar. The Constitution is perfectly clear: no present “of any kind whatever” from a foreign state without Congressional permission. A gift you use for four years and then deposit in your library is still a gift (and a grift)," Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, wrote in a post on X.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer similarly blasted Trump, calling the plane an example of "foreign influence."

"Nothing says 'America First' like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar. It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom," Schumer, D-N.Y. wrote in a post on X.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., went even further, calling the move "corrupt" and "unconstitutional."

"I don’t know who needs to hear this, but NO, Donald Trump cannot accept a $400 million flying palace from the royal family of Qatar. Not only is this farcically corrupt, it is blatantly unconstitutional," Sanders wrote.

​

It's his reason for wanting to be president. To grift and Take bribes.

Uh, the FIRST priority was staying out of prison, and he’s still preparing for the eventuality that his bid for Dictator For Life fails and he ends up back in court.
Hollowing out the judiciary and every law enforcement entity and mechanism that could come to bear on him, is ongoing.
The grift is just a continuation of what he has done all his life.

 

[unapologetic]

ME:
"Then you are missing the point. Or don't know the history of it."
Derec:
"I do not think I am. Can you enlighten me about what I am supposedly missing?"

The point of the poem is that fascists are equal oppertunity oppressers.
Do not support them no matter who their current target is. They may come after YOU. (yes I am calling Rump a fascist)

Again, I am not defending Trump's process.
But Dems swung too far the other way.

So your idea of 'balence' is to swing all the way in the other direction?

Bilby is equating political persecution with a government going after criminals.

Sezz Who? Who said they are criminals? That pathological lier, Rump? He lies so much, you are stupid to take his word for anything.
They need Due Process first. Otherwise it IS just political persecution. A political move by Rump, not justice.

The executive branch is certainly the part of government tasked with doing things like detaining people or deportating them. It has always been that way.
It is the job of the judiciary branch to render decisions. Like ordering that pro-Hamas Islamist chick from Tufts released.

You got that ass-backward.
The judiciary branch renders decisions. THEN the executive branch may deport.

By the way, this mayor, one Ras Baraka, is on the left-wing of the Democratic Party.

You are making MY point. It's political.

So, you are equating US government going after criminals with Nazis going after political opponents.
And you are equating deporting illegals with persecuting, and eventually murdering and trying to entirely wipe out, Jews.

Aledged criminals. Aledged illegals.

Now you're blaming the Brits too?

It was a joke. Guess who settled Australia.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Stock market set to soar after market forgets 30% tariff is still "fucking high"!

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Monday, after weekend talks in Geneva with a Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifeng, that U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods would be reduced from 145 to 30 percent.

Beijing said it would cut its blanket tariffs on American products from 125 to 10 percent. Both reductions will take effect on Wednesday.

Stock markets across Asia rose on Monday as investors waited for details of the talks, including hopes of a partial rollback of the tariffs. But analysts cautioned that the announcement fell far short of a trade deal and was merely the beginning of more rounds of negotiations.

A joint statement released by the White House and China’s Ministry of Commerce said that the two countries had agreed on the 90-day pause in the “spirit of mutual opening, continued communication, cooperation, and mutual respect.” They agreed to a mechanism for continuing talks.

As a reminder 30% on $500 billion of annual imports is $150 billion in import taxes! While that is better than ~$675 billion, it is still high. Trump apparently was able to brain wash the markets into thinking a drop from 145% to "just" 30% was a huge achievement for trade barriers, but it isn't. The question at the moment is are importers still going to wait? Currently imports from China have crashed. It will take time for that to fire back up, but again, with 30% tariff, 90 days is 1/4 of the year, that is $37.5 billion in tariff taxes that the US Government wants to be paid. Are importers going to continue to balk at that.

 

[TomC]

Also dodging prosecution for insurrection and treason, don't forget about that.
Tom

He wasn't changed with either. And the only case that actually went forward was the stupid one about him paying hush money to a porn actress.

Oh yes he was.
But he had enough pull amongst his sycophants on Capitol Hill and a pet federal judge in Florida to prevent the cases from being prosecuted.
If he weren't so obviously guilty he'd have wanted the cases to be heard. But he and everyone else knew what the outcome of that would be.
Tom

 

[TomC]

Also dodging prosecution for insurrection and treason, don't forget about that.
Tom

He wasn't changed with either. And the only case that actually went forward was the stupid one about him paying hush money to a porn actress.

Even that one has been misrepresented as being about the hush money. It wasn't, that's not illegal. It was about the fraud committed to avoid Trump paying it personally. Back then, nobody realized that fraud, deciet and philandering had become Christian values. It was (incorrectly) believed that such a scandal would sink his chances with the crucial conservative Christian voters. Who knew Christians were more about greed and hate than honesty or family?
Tom

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Also dodging prosecution for insurrection and treason, don't forget about that.
Tom

He wasn't changed with either. And the only case that actually went forward was the stupid one about him paying hush money to a porn actress.

Even that one has been misrepresented as being about the hush money. It wasn't, that's not illegal. It was about the fraud committed to avoid Trump paying it personally

Not accurate. The issue was he was hiding a major payment by cutting it into smaller payments to avoid detection of regulators. This was why each payment was a crime. Trump could have written a single personal check, he could have used his campaign money to pay it as long as he recorded it. But instead, he tried to do it under the radar.

 

[TomC]

Trump could have written a single personal check, he could have used his campaign money to pay it as long as he recorded it.

I might be misremembering, but I thought the legal issue revolved around using campaign funds and lying about what they were paying for.
It's still fraud.
Tom

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Trump could have written a single personal check, he could have used his campaign money to pay it as long as he recorded it.

I might be misremembering, but I thought the legal issue revolved around using campaign funds and lying about what they were paying for.
It's still fraud.
Tom

Michael Cohen made the payoff by mortgaging his house.

The Trump Org paid Cohen back with installment payments aimed at hiding the lump sum payment (illegal). This was why the Trump Org was involved in the trial (not Trump's campaign). They also needed to demonstrate that it wasn't Trump Org alone, but that Trump signed off on the payments. This also why Cohen's initial payment itself wasn't illegal, he did a lump sum. This would have been notable to regulators who monitor transactions of these sizes for money laundering.

Trump could have used campaign money, but would have needed to account for it, and that would have defeated the whole purpose of paying someone to be quiet as then people would know something was up. Trump could have paid Cohen himself. Trump could have had the Trump Org pay him in a lump sum. That would have all been legal. What wasn't legal was chopping it into tiny bits.

 

[ideologyhunter]

It's fraud, which is part of the reason Cohen was behind bars for a time, and in need of a chubby cellmate.

 

[TomC]

It's fraud, which is part of the reason Cohen was behind bars for a time, and in need of a chubby cellmate.

That's the way I remember it.
Trump was laundering campaign funds, which are regulated by law, to pay a Very personal expense, shutting up a hooker. Cohen got caught in the middle. Trump tried to conceal the fraud by splitting it up into multiple smaller payments to avoid notice.

But Cohen got convicted and, as usual, Trump got off scot free.
Tom

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Taking back a lot of Afghans in the final days of America's retreat from the W debacle in Afghanistan, was about one of the only decent things that happened with that occupation. I mean, yes, women had things much nicer for over a decade... in urban areas. But otherwise, the US fulfilling a promise to those we promised protection for their self-less acts to help the US Military, was really the only long-term thing we accomplished.

And now, the Trump Admin is going to fuck that up to.

“We’ve reviewed the conditions in Afghanistan with our interagency partners, and they do not meet the requirements for a TPS designation,” Noem said. “Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent them from returning to their home country.”

The people who fled for their protection from the Taliban... being sent back to the Taliban. Yeah... that won't stick out at all.

 

[starwater]

Cheato allows in white refugees

Trump administration welcomes 59 white South Africans as refugees

The Trump administration is welcoming a small group of white South Africans as refugees, saying they face discrimination and violence at home.

apnews.com

Amerika allows refugees - they just need to be the right color.

 

[TomC]

Cheato allows in white refugees

Trump administration welcomes 59 white South Africans as refugees

The Trump administration is welcoming a small group of white South Africans as refugees, saying they face discrimination and violence at home.

apnews.com

Amerika allows refugees - they just need to be the right color.

I saw a pic and profile of the poster child for the program.
She's a hot, blued eyed blonde, who works as a life coach out of Capetown. Katia Beeden, and she advertises her "self love" services on the Internet.
Tom

 

[Derec]

The point of the poem is that fascists are equal oppertunity oppressers.

But every government should go after criminals and should protect its borders.
That makes these things a poor example for a US version of the poem.
If Martin Niemöller had bibly's penchant for choosing poor examples he might have written "Als die Nazis die Autobahnen bauten, habe ich geschwiegen ..." The Nazis did build autobahns, but that does not make them fascist.

Again, I am not defending Trump's process.
But Dems swung too far the other way.

So your idea of 'balence' is to swing all the way in the other direction?

What part of "I am not defending Trump's process" do you not understand?
But without Dems swinging too far on the left on this and other issues, Trump probably would not have been reelected.

Sezz Who? Who said they are criminals? That pathological lier, Rump? He lies so much, you are stupid to take his word for anything.

I was not taking Trump at his word. I was dissecting bilby's poem.

You got that ass-backward.
The judiciary branch renders decisions. THEN the executive branch may deport.

But they can be detained before a deportation order is rendered. Just like a common criminal can be arrested without a judicial order, but then they can file a motion to dismiss in a court.

You are making MY point. It's political.

It probably was. Then again, he might really have trespassed.
Politics is hardly limited to Trump and Republicans. Biden's DOJ went below federal sentencing guidelines for 2020 George Floyd insurrectionists for example.

Aledged criminals. Aledged illegals.

Not what bibly wrote.

 

[Derec]

Taking back a lot of Afghans in the final days of America's retreat from the W debacle in Afghanistan, was about one of the only decent things that happened with that occupation.

Why do you think taking in a bunch of poorly vetted Afghans was a good thing to do? Especially since almost all Afghans support the Sharia Law according to Pew?
Why can't Islamic countries take them in? Why does it always have to be the West?

 

[Derec]

Amerika allows refugees - they just need to be the right color.

The only acceptable refugees are Muslims: Afghans, Somalis, Pakistanis Syrians, Palestinians, etc.?

 

[Derec]

And due process is a fundamental part of law enforcement.

No disagreement here.
My issues was with bilby's "first they came after the criminals", as if that isn't something every government is supposed to do.

 

[Derec]

- Trump knowingly and willing instructed Bill Barr to drop the case federally.

And Garland could have reopened it. So could Cyrus Vance Jr., the Democratic DA of New York County before Bragg.
Both passed.

- It was proven that Trump knew what he was doing was illegal and did it anyway because he knowingly and willingly suppressed information that voters had a right to know.

I do not agree that voters have the right to know about extramarital affairs of candidates.

Note that the underlying crime was a misdemeanor that was past the statute of limitations when Bragg decided to pursue it. That's why he had to link it to a felony, which btw. Trump was not even charged with much less convicted of, to be able to prosecute.

Considering how you repeatedly say you are not a Trump supporter (and there is clearly no reason to doubt you at your word),

Just because I do not agree with every received opinion about Trump does not make me a supporter. In fact, since this prosecution helped Trump politically, if anything, you should have these doubts about people who still defend this case.
Note also that Bragg is well known to downgrade clear felonies (such as armed robbery) to misdemeanors (i.e. petty theft). But now, when the target is a political opponent, he upgraded a misdemeanor to a felony. It was a clear political prosecution, and it backfired bigtime.

it is a complete mystery why you left these facts out. Perhaps you did it "by mistake".

Because they were irrelevant to the point I was making.
Did Trump break the law? I do not think anybody thinks that he didn't.
Was prosecuting him the way Bragg did smart? No, it sure wasn't.