Merged So what's next for Trump?

[ZiprHead]

Trump made $160 Million from Foreign Sources and Influence Peddling while in the White House

CREW reports that based on leaked copies of Trump’s tax returns he appears to have made $160 Million from foreign sources while he was in the White House. Donald Trump made up to $160 million from international business dealings while he was serving as...

www.dailykos.com

Donald Trump made up to $160 million from international business dealings while he was serving as president of the United States, according to an analysis of his tax returns by CREW.

Throughout his time in office, President Trump, his family and his Republican allies repeatedly assured the public that his refusal to divest from his businesses wouldn’t lead to any conflicts of interest. Americans were promised that Trump would donate his salary, which he did, until maybe he didn’t—all while siphoning millions from taxpayers that more than offset his presidential pay. When it came to foreign conflicts of interest, Trump and his company pledged to pause foreign business. They did not.

The full extent to which Trump’s foreign business ties influenced his decision making as president may never be known, but there is plenty of evidence that Trump’s actions in the White House were influenced–if not guided–by his financial interests, subverting the national interests for his own parochial concerns. For example, while campaigning in 2015, Trump bragged to a crowd in Alabama about his longstanding business ties with the Saudis. “They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million,” he told the crowd. “Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.” In office, Trump continued to benefit from Saudi business and faced repeated criticism, especially in the wake of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, for his apparent desire to shield Saudi leaders from criticism, going so far as to question US intelligence while parroting allegations from Saudi Arabia that Khashoggi was tied to the Muslim Brotherhood.

 

[ZiprHead]

But but but... Waddabout Hunter Biden???

 

[jab]

Donald Trump drops from the Forbes 400 rich list. Here's what changed.

Former President Donald Trump is no longer wealthy enough to be included in the Forbes 400, an annual list of the wealthiest Americans.

finance.yahoo.com

OTH, Trump has not yet been added to the Wikipedia  List of fraudsters. This may seem like an omission, but I think that he has to be convicted of the frauds first. The Citizens United ruling should have fleshed out the list with more politicians, since they can command such large sums of money now, but many of them come by their wealth as handouts from donors expecting to cash in on influence peddling. Trump, however, is probably one of the most successful fraudsters in American history through his skillful use of the legal and tax systems to accumulate wealth and power. He even managed to rise to the presidency on the success of his ability to scam people, sometimes quite openly and brazenly, without having to pay any consequence for the behavior. We have yet to see whether any of his multiple trials lead to any serious consequences. Most of the people who made the fraudster list only got there because they got caught and punished.

Didn't Engoron's summary judgement convict of fraud?

 

[Elixir]

Donald Trump drops from the Forbes 400 rich list. Here's what changed.

Former President Donald Trump is no longer wealthy enough to be included in the Forbes 400, an annual list of the wealthiest Americans.

finance.yahoo.com

OTH, Trump has not yet been added to the Wikipedia  List of fraudsters. This may seem like an omission, but I think that he has to be convicted of the frauds first. The Citizens United ruling should have fleshed out the list with more politicians, since they can command such large sums of money now, but many of them come by their wealth as handouts from donors expecting to cash in on influence peddling. Trump, however, is probably one of the most successful fraudsters in American history through his skillful use of the legal and tax systems to accumulate wealth and power. He even managed to rise to the presidency on the success of his ability to scam people, sometimes quite openly and brazenly, without having to pay any consequence for the behavior. We have yet to see whether any of his multiple trials lead to any serious consequences. Most of the people who made the fraudster list only got there because they got caught and punished.

Didn't Engoron's summary judgement convict of fraud?

No. Found him liable for fraud.

 

[ZiprHead]

Trump’s 40 Wall St. Tower Loan Transferred to Special Servicer - BNN Bloomberg

The mortgage on former President Donald Trump’s Manhattan tower at 40 Wall St. has been transferred to a special servicer.

www.bnnbloomberg.ca

(Bloomberg) -- The mortgage on former President Donald Trump’s Manhattan tower at 40 Wall St. has been transferred to a special servicer.
The Financial District building has been on watchlist status since February as costs and vacancies increased.

The mortgage on 40 Wall St. has a 3.67% coupon and matures in July 2025, according to loan documents. The tower’s occupancy rate dropped to 77% as of June 30 from 98% when the loan originated in 2015.

Pre-negotiation letters allow talks between borrowers and lenders to begin before workout discussions, which can lead to a loan modification or, in the most serious circumstances, a foreclosure. Special servicers are assigned to manage CMBS loans that are in default or at potential risk of default.

 

[ZiprHead]

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

I am the victim of a corrupt legal system that is being used by those surrounding Crooked Joe Biden, with his full knowledge & consent, to hurt, demean, and damage his Political Opponent, ME. A terrible precedent is being set, but so far, despite the vulgarity & viciousness of it all, it has driven my poll numbers to record numbers. You see, the American people are MUCH smarter than Crooked Joe! They see what is going on with a Corrupt & Racist New York State A.G., and a Trump Hating Puppet Judge willing to do her dirty work, even as it takes him, and his reputation, to new levels of low. They fully understand the Obama appointed, Radical Left D.C. Federal Judge, who refused to recuse, fully "gagged" me, and set a trial date THE DAY BEFORE "Super Tuesday," the biggest & most powerful day in the Primaries. They get the fact that A.G. Garland and his boss, Lisa Monaco, sent their TOP DOJ lawyer to Manhattan to run the District Attorney's "case" on me...And Much More. BUT WE WILL WIN!!!

 

[bilby]

I sincere hope that every American who has been jailed for contempt of court, after saying far less unpleasant things about their trial judges, is planning to sue the courts for compensation.

Nobody else would be allowed to say such things about the judges presiding over their trials, and remain at liberty.

 

[ZiprHead]

Trump touts ‘weight loss’ and ‘excellent’ health in new report: Live updates

Former president boasts about his apparently ‘exceptional’ cognitive exams the same day his legal team argued against a gag order in his federal election interference trial

www.independent.co.uk

Donald Trump used President Joe Biden’s 81st birthday to tout his own apparent weight loss and “excellent” overall health.

The former president posted a letter from his doctor Bruce Aronwald on Truth Social on Monday, reading: “His physical exams were well within the normal range and his cognitive exams were exceptional.”


The letter added that Mr Trump has “reduced his weight through an improved diet and continued daily physical activity, while maintaining a rigorous schedule”.

 

[Elixir]

Trump touts ‘weight loss’ and ‘excellent’ health in new report: Live updates

Former president boasts about his apparently ‘exceptional’ cognitive exams the same day his legal team argued against a gag order in his federal election interference trial

www.independent.co.uk

Donald Trump used President Joe Biden’s 81st birthday to tout his own apparent weight loss and “excellent” overall health.

The former president posted a letter from his doctor Bruce Aronwald on Truth Social on Monday, reading: “His physical exams were well within the normal range and his cognitive exams were exceptional.”


The letter added that Mr Trump has “reduced his weight through an improved diet and continued daily physical activity, while maintaining a rigorous schedule”.

He’s gonna be fully ready for The Yard when he gets to the Big House.

It’s depressing to know that we will be paying his keep no matter what else happens.

 

[Shadowy Man]

I sincere hope that every American who has been jailed for contempt of court, after saying far less unpleasant things about their trial judges, is planning to sue the courts for compensation.

Nobody else would be allowed to say such things about the judges presiding over their trials, and remain at liberty.

If anything, this whole affair shows how unfair the justice system in this country is. How much that money and power plays a role in the outcomes of indictments and trials. On full display here.

 

[Bronzeage]

I sincere hope that every American who has been jailed for contempt of court, after saying far less unpleasant things about their trial judges, is planning to sue the courts for compensation.

Nobody else would be allowed to say such things about the judges presiding over their trials, and remain at liberty.

When Richard Nixon was elected, Lyndon Johnson said, "He'll fuck up in the end. He always does. Lyndon never met Trump, but would probably feel like same.

Trump is not a smart man. His money has insulated him from the consequences of his actions all his life. He's finally run up against something bigger than his money and it's his own stupidity.

The best way to deal with a stupid person is to do is to something smart. Trump is being given a rope that he thinks is a lifeline, but there's a noose at the end.

 

[ideologyhunter]

What alternately cracks me up or makes me speechless is the way talking heads will say, "This is important testimony, because it shows that Trump knew he was breaking the law." Ummmm...yes, I suppose if you're on the prosecution team, this is part of the case you're building, but, seriously, we need to know that the former chief executive was conscious of wrong-doing? This was the guy in charge of enforcing U.S. law -- that's what his branch does. He has access to more lawyers than most of us will ever meet. We need to prove that he wasn't hoodwinked into crime? (I know, it goes way beyond that, because this is Donald, and his lies and espousing of violence have been on full display since 2011.) I guess you have to be explicit because the jury pool may include dodo birds. But...it still gets me going. It's like saying, "Yes, but did the bank teller know that taking money from the drawer was illegal?"

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

What alternately cracks me up or makes me speechless is the way talking heads will say, "This is important testimony, because it shows that Trump knew he was breaking the law." Ummmm...yes, I suppose if you're on the prosecution team, this is part of the case you're building, but, seriously, we need to know that the former chief executive was conscious of wrong-doing? This was the guy in charge of enforcing U.S. law -- that's what his branch does. He has access to more lawyers than most of us will ever meet. We need to prove that he wasn't hoodwinked into crime? (I know, it goes way beyond that, because this is Donald, and his lies and espousing of violence have been on full display since 2011.) I guess you have to be explicit because the jury pool may include dodo birds. But...it still gets me going. It's like saying, "Yes, but did the bank teller know that taking money from the drawer was illegal?"

And since when does ignorance of the law excuse one's behavior? As you say, that isn't really the issue here. The issue is the juror that is in Orange's pocket and adores Orange. But in cases of clear abuse of the law can't the Judge overrule?

 

[ZiprHead]

Trump's "war on democracy" fumble sparks backlash

"We've been waging an all-out war on American democracy," Trump declared to an audience on Saturday

www.salon.com

During a signature revved up speech delivered in Iowa on Saturday, Donald Trump said the quiet part out loud — as the expression goes — during a key moment of the campaign event, declaring, "We've been waging an all-out war on American democracy," and the internet is having a field day with it.

The slip-up took place as he was, per usual, railing against the 2020 election results, singing his own praises as "an outsider" who was elected to "stand up to those liars, looters, losers, crooks," faulting Democrats for not putting America first, which he feels that he did for the four years he was in office.

"That's why it was one of the great presidencies, they say," he speaks of himself. "Even the opponents sometimes say he did very well, I have to say. 'Take it back,' they scream. his people say 'Take it back.' From that day on, our opponents, a lot of opponents, but we've been waging an all-out war on American democracy."

 

[lpetrich]

Trump calls political enemies ‘vermin,’ echoing dictators Hitler, Mussolini - The Washington Post

“We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country that lie and steal and cheat on elections,” Trump said toward the end of his speech, repeating his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. “They’ll do anything, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America and to destroy the American Dream.”

Trump went on further to state: “the threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous and grave than the threat from within. Our threat is from within. Because if you have a capable, competent, smart, tough leader, Russia, China, North Korea, they’re not going to want to play with us.”

The former president’s speech in Claremont, N.H., echoed his message of vengeance and grievance, as he called himself a “very proud election denier” and decried his legal entanglements, once again attacking the judge in a New York civil trial and re-upping his attacks on special counsel Jack Smith. In the speech, Trump once again portrayed himself as a victim of a political system that is out to get him and his supporters.

Trump called his political opponents 'vermin' echoing language used by Hitler : NPR

There were other nods to authoritarianism in the speech. Trump praised Hungary's strongman leader: "The head of Hungary – very tough, strong guy – Viktor Orban," Trump told the audience, adding approvingly, "He didn't allow millions of people to invade his country."

and

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, professor of history at NYU and author of the book "Strongman," defines authoritarianism this way:

"It's when the executive branch and the leader find ways to take away checks and balances," she said. "So they have a degree of power that they don't have in a democracy, and they find ways to take away the independence of the legislature and the independence of the judiciary."

 

[lpetrich]

Media gave much less play to Trump’s ‘vermin’ comment than Clinton remark | Donald Trump | The Guardian - "Main networks gave 18 times more coverage to 2016 ‘deplorables’ remark; while top papers give it 29 times more, Media Matters finds"

Major news outlets gave much less coverage to Trump’s “vermin” attack then they did Clinton’s “deplorables” remark | Media Matters for America

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

More trouble for Trump. Liz Cheney was listening in on the pre-January 6 riots as Steve Miller was laying out the fake elector plot. And to get Pence to refuse to accept Biden's victory. Now the question is, how could Trump not know what was going on?

.....
"You know, I had heard — obviously, there had been talk about we're going to have these electors meet," said Cheney. "Steven Miller had been talking about that, but it wasn't clear to me what the contours of this particular part of the plan were until I dialed into that phone call. And listening to them describe how these fake electors were going to be used and the fact that they anticipated that Vice President Pence was going to use them to refuse to count the legitimate electors was certainly a moment of — of intense concern."
......

Liz Cheney secretly listened in on a Trump campaign planning call for Jan. 6: book

Speaking to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Monday, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) revealed she was secretly listening to Donald Trump's lawyers as they plotted Jan. 6. One of the excerpts in her new book, out Tuesday, is that the Trump campaign held a call on Jan. 4 where the legal team was telling...

www.rawstory.com

 

[Worldtraveller]

So she didn't come forward and tell the investigators? or did she? Did she just wait until people read about it in her book?

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

I don't know. I suspect she did. And I am pretty sure, once all of this goes to trial, she will be subpeonaed to testify about this.

 

[Elixir]

Even if she ends up saving the world, she is still a far right extremist, and a danger to America’s liberal democracy.
Pick your poison.