(thanks GC)
2021 – What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Month: December 2020
Trump’s Secret Service Secret?
Is America’s Secret Service getting better at keeping secrets? During Barack Obama’s time the president’s security detail kept the scandals coming: strip clubs, prostitutes, drinking themselves into a stupor. The last incident happened a few months into Donald Trump’s presidency. Then they completely stopped.
One school of thought is that the Secret Service cleaned up its act. Changed its culture. Got rid of the overly macho agents who made bad choices.
Anyone that has experience with turning an institution’s culture around might be a bit skeptical of this. Especially if it is a quasi military institution like the Secret Service. They might just think that the agents simply got better at keeping their secrets.
If the second alternative is true, it might have been pretty handy for Trump. Here’s a guy who fancied himself as a ladies man his whole life. Being married didn’t stop him from wanting and having other women. Do we really think that he was able to turn his personal culture around on a dime when he moved into the White House? And stay faithful to his often absent wife for 4 long years?
Maybe he and the Secret Service came to an arrangement. Maybe he cut a deal with them. “Take care of me like you took care of John Kennedy – not the Dallas part but the secret staircase Marilyn Monroe part. In exchange, I’ll look the other way when you guys have your fun. As long as you get smart about it.”
We will probably never know. For now.
[UPDATE DEC 31, 2020] Joe Biden is reportedly replacing some of Trump’s Secret Service agents. Maybe he knows something we don’t.
Who Won The Kushner Pardon Pool?
Did anyone start a pool? The question was not whether Donald Trump would pardon Charles Kushner, but when it would happen. This was noted a few months into Donald Trump’s presidency – just sayin’.
Jared Kushner may be Jewish, but one can assume that he and his father will enjoy this Christmas present anyway.
Don’t Bank on Trump
Yesterday the bankers who lent money to Trump Inc. resigned, or more likely, were allowed to resign. The bank they worked for has not enjoyed the spotlight that comes with financing Trump. It will probably jettison him as a client as soon as possible (he still owes the bank over $300 million).
There probably aren’t any other mainstream banks that want anything to do with Trump’s businesses. So he will have to look for other sources of financing. Most likely private investors and/or banks from countries in the Middle East, Russia and China. Lenders that will be pleased to have Trump owe them big money.
Especially if he or his kids stay in politics. And don’t look to closely at how the money was laundered sourced.
Nothing Personal (not)
(thanks TP)
Did Trump Just Fold?
Just asking because his fundraising has slowed down. He used to send 15+ emails a day asking for money. But in the past few days it has fallen to just one or two.
The old saying is, “follow the money,” and in Donald Trump’s case that is especially true. Trump may have folded in terms of the 2020 presidential election and his “stop the steal” campaign but there is no way that he is done tapping into his supporters’ money tree.
The question is whether his next campaign focuses on helping other Republicans or just moves right into the 2024 election, keeping the spotlight on himself.
My guess is it’s primarily the latter. Unless one of his kids decides to run for office . . .
Extra Credit for a Perfect Martini
(thanks JS)
The Hangover, Part D
The country is about to have a massive hangover. It’s been on a 5 year stimulation binge, fueled by non-stop tweets and righteous outrage from the left and right. The tweeter-in-chief will keep it up once out of office, but the media coverage and shit-stirring will (hopefully) drop down a notch.
Binge drink for a night and you wake up with a hangover. Binge on tweet-crack for 5 years and you end up with the shakes, or worse.
Fortunately, there is already a name for the condition that is associated with withdrawal from 24×7 Donald Trump.
I suppose you could just call it the DTs.
Voting Twice For Trump
Many of Donald Trump’s supporters voted for him twice. Without cheating. First they supported him with their ballots. Then they supported him with their checkbooks.
Trump has sent out over 400 fundraising emails since the election. “Help me defend this election and democracy.” They’re working – he’s hauling in the cash.
As usual, the mainstream media is missing the story. The media seems obsessed with reporting on how dimwitted Trump supporters are. The media writes stories about how they are being duped – the fine print gives Trump the right to use most of the money any way he wants, not just to challenge the election results.
The truth is that they are not being duped. They don’t really care how Trump uses the money, they just don’t want him to go away. They send money to show their support for him. Another vote for Trump.
The story the media should be covering is how many people still fervently support Trump even though he lost. But the media never understood Trump supporters and prefers to think of them as the ignorant white working class.
Isn’t it time for the media get it head out of its elitist arse and do its job?
Rudy in Rehab
At some point, Donald Trump will be out of office and Rudy Giuliani will probably be out of a job. His clownish antics are working to keep Trump’s legal fight in the news, which is helping Trump raise oodles of money.
But Rudy isn’t winning, and Trump really hates losing. Rudy is a useful clown right now, but Trump could easily turn on him and blame him for his legal failures.
Where does Rudy go at that point? Isn’t it obvious? To rehab.
How else will Rudy explain fart-y hearings, sweaty, runny hair dye press conferences and all around legal incoherence? He must have been on something. Who knows what drugs he’s been taking, but they will be good ones.
Americans love a rehab turn-around story. “Rudy Recovery” could be a hit.
Rantastic 