Heather, thank you for such a concise summary of the Trump threads. I’m looking forward to hearing more about his properties, savings, and investments next week as Judge Engoran and DA Leticia James decide which to liquidate to pay the judgement. It’s beginning to look like 45 and Melania may soon be doing their own grocery shopping (no …
Heather, thank you for such a concise summary of the Trump threads. I’m looking forward to hearing more about his properties, savings, and investments next week as Judge Engoran and DA Leticia James decide which to liquidate to pay the judgement. It’s beginning to look like 45 and Melania may soon be doing their own grocery shopping (no driver’s license required unless they pay by check LOL ). It will be interesting to see if 45’s diehard supporters will still love him when he’s no longer seen as a billionaire.
Except, he hasn’t been a billionaire for quite some time. He’s a six-time bankrupt, who seemingly can’t get out of his own way when it comes to all matters financial.
Remember the orange chimp saying under oath in a deposition that his brand was his most valuable possession? I think it's his only possession. He doesn't own the plane, Mar a Lardo is mortgaged well over its value and he owes their membership money back to all his members, every property has been borrowed against to the hilt.
And when this months legal bills are presented, he'll have bankrupted the RNC. Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of folks.
And bonus, he won't have to pay Manafort this time either, Vlads got this.
"Chimps" are much more intelligent than tfg and much more appealing in every way. What a creep this person is. I am waiting for the release of Jeffrey Epstein docs in July where that name might show it's ugly head.
I think he does own a plane trump Force One (wanna be) and is in the progress of selling a smaller jet. It could be it is his company which owns them and not him.
Oh, that is fantastic. I love word play & that's about as playful it can get during these ominous times! Thanks for starting my day off with a smile! ☺️
Up until #45 got elected, he was just tabloid crap with a TV show. As long as the lawyers got fed, bankruptcies were just a problem for the ones who got stiffed. He looked good standing along side women with big boobs. Shallow as they come.
I'm not sure what the requirement is to make the Forbes 400, but he did make it for 25 years until he didn't. He fell from grace 2 out 3 years recently. His automatic response was: I am going to sue you,
I'm looking forward to it too, but since tffg's supporters think of him as some God-annointed prophet, I can't see anything rational changing their minds.
It seems to me that as tfg weakens financially, his current problems with speaking coherently to his worshipers will
become way more pronounced. There will probably be at least some % of his base that will respond to these very visible trends by pulling away. His crowds are much smaller as time goes by already. It will be interesting to see what happens.
The 50% of Republicans who are keeping Trump around because they are greedy and intimidated, but not crazy, must be getting worried. They probably don’t care about democracy as much as they do about money, but Trump is desperate and deteriorating cognitively. Having a cornered paranoid narcissist as president would be dangerous to everyone. Also, where is the DOJ? He is certainly a security risk. He has probably already pawned many of the documents that he kept. I’m sure Judge Cannon realizes this.
I really think she has no idea of how dangerous TFG is. All she seems to know is that she owes her lifetime appointment to him and all she needs to do is string out the delays until after the election. She doesn't have a clue.
She probably has a clue and that is why she is doing what she is doing what she is doing. Here's that Mafia image. I'm sure the members knew what was going on, but look what will happen if you don't play along.
And now trump is allowed to attend briefings because he is the official presidential candidate? The quandary is that if he is not invited, he will complain discrimination because he is not allowed to do what presidential candidates traditionally have done in the past. If briefings are doctored, the intelligence agencies won't have his trust if he is elected president. We all know how that will go. A bloodbath in the CIA, FBI, and any other intel service. And if (when) he loses, imagine the temper tantrum. This one has lasted almost 4 years.
The intelligence agencies haven't had tffg's trust since early in his term as president because they kept telling him factual things that he didn't agree with.
Didn't trump fire his head of FBI ? I know he was messing around with one of the departments. I wouldn't be surprised if the Secret Service had been bought lock stock, and barrel. The erased tapes for instanced. The stereo type SS man seems to be very rigid in their thinking. It's almost like they are programed. It may not be so, but it seems that way.
Mary Ann, actually I just reposted a very concerning report by Robert P. Jones, who writes about evangelicalism and white supremacy, detailing a speech by ttfg to white evangelical broadcasters that shows how completely he's playing to them, and how completely they're buying it. https://substack.com/profile/10639253-alexandra-sokoloff/note/c-51966846
Thank you for that link. I tried but I simply could not watch trump's con job BS to the NRB, that purports to be his "vision" of a white kkkristian nationalist country. It made me nauseated. The article, I did manage to read and it is terrifying. We cannot let these creatures win.
TL, it's unbearable. My reaction is utter revulsion. Which reminds me of psychiatrist M. Scott Peck's observation (in THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED and PEOPLE OF THE LIE) = that our instinctive human reaction to evil IS revulsion.
I loved People of the Lie -- helped me understand the role of lying to oneself and others in creating real evil in the world. Thanks for mentioning it.
Makes me sick to my stomach. I wish I could reach more of those misguided fools. "Each one will claim that he is a prophet; but I am the last of the Prophets (Seal of the Prophets), and there will be no Prophet after me."
Bruce, me too. I actually think in this case the misguided fools started calling him a prophet first, and he had just enough evil cunning to think, "I can work with THAT..."
In the snippets of that rally over the weekend that I saw did you happen to see the young man about 2-3 rows up & to trump's right, break into a huge yawn? It was right around his bloodbath statement if I'm remembering correctly. Hey, maybe these people are paid to sit there, you know, like "extras" in a movie, in this case a really bad movie, really bad!
There is a litany of news reports going back the past year plus on the subject of dwindling crowds... They are maybe getting down to Bruce Willis "die hards"... (no offence to Bruce Willis!)
And how many in those crowds are the groupies who apparently follow him from rally to rally for his entertainment value? Lately, however, they’ve appeared pretty uninvolved, as if they’re not really paying attention. They’ve heard it all before, as ugly as it is.
I talked to one guy (I was campaigning for Pete when the trumpers stampeded the city), and he was talking about the next rally he was going to. Some have gone to as many as 28!!!! Must be nice to not have to work.
I’ve been fascinated watching the crowd sitting behind him at these recent rallies. It’s looking more and more like they aren’t really listening. They aren’t rabidly responding; in fact, they look bored. Who knows why they were selected to be in those seats. The funniest was the one they showed with college age fans, supposedly to show he attracts the youth. I don’t think ant of them were interested in his ramblings, or even listening.
Good observation. I suspect that the people who surround him, whom he relies upon to feed him 'lines (he mucks up)' are diminishing in numbers, if not in substance(BS) they can dream up for him. Hahaa..,and, those "rallys" cost money, which is becoming harder to come by. We're seeing supporter burnout. And, seeing staff burnout too, because they may not be getting paid. Poor little Alina Habeena, she looks so cute standing beside him.., he likes her.., but she probably hasn't been paid either. Maybe been given a place to sleep in Mara-"Lardo" hohoho. Gag me!
I agree with "supporter burnout". And those rallies DO cost a lot of money and effort of the staff. (and fuel for his B757.) I'm betting Alina Habeena is getting paid -- that $50M of campaign money spent on lawyers has to go somewhere. And now he just sued CNN's Don Lemon -- new lawyers have to get some cash up front or they won't even start on the case.
The more money he has to spend, the more messy he's going to become.
If it gets to the point where NY Attorney General Letitia James actually seizes some of Trump's high-profile property in New York, Trump will claim loudly and often - assuming he can remember what he's talking about - that the government stole his properties, and that he's been victimized hugely once more. We can expect that Trump will use it to put out a fundraising appeal to his crazy, ignorant supporters who believe he's been anointed by God.
Oh, "rational" left the building years ago. What's needed is an even better conspiracy about him that they'll suck up, digest & then decide he's not their "hero". And, no, I have no idea what kind of conspiracy could do that but it would have to be a doozy!
Alexandra, someone posted on FB the image TFG posted on his social media page of him praying, bathed in a light from seemingly nowhere, in a church. Apparently he is very proud of this pic because it has shown up on a lot of different pages. But there are, shall we say, problems with the picture? Firstly, he was raised a Presbyterian and he is praying in a Catholic church. Second (it gets better and better), he is praying backwards in the pew, whose kneelers face a different direction and the backs of the pews are going the wrong way. Third (this is the best yet): he has 6 fingers on each hand. According to most Christofascist pundits over the ages, extra fingers is a sign of Satan--vestigial fingers in the 17th century got you burned as a "witch" if you happened to be female. https://petapixel.com/2024/01/24/trump-shares-ai-image-of-himself-praying-with-six-fingers/
Alexandra, it's one thing to say he's being persecuted and the charges are all made up. It's quite another to watch his properties get liquidated! What conspiracy theory can explain that?
I am hoping that they snag Mar-a-lago as their collateral, since that probably lessens the amount of devious planning Trump could engage in, because he would be thrown off kilter if he had to vacate the premises. It would also perhaps give the FBI another chance to go in there and look for hidden documents.
Apparently, the bond companies don't like real estate as collateral.
In 2023, Jeff Bezos bought a new yacht for $500 million and Nancy Walton paid $300 million for hers. And which of the 200,000 members of the 1% doesn't own a yacht they could hock for some cash or maybe sell some of their stock for cash to help out their good buddy Donnie?
Trump isn't even trying to raise the money. And after he saved them and their companies billions in Federal income taxes. What an ungrateful lot.
To quote some sage person, You knew I was snake when you picked me up.
I was incredulous when I heard him tell that story. Why would he be telling a story about himself, a treacherous, deceiving person? He's actually telling everyone that he is a wolf in sheep's clothing. The punch line is that he was talking about democrats..Speaking of projection.
It also takes away an escape route--I had a friend speculate that a Russian sub would pull up off the coast and he'd get picked up and ferried to Russia.
Actually, i should have picked a higher number. Movies were still a dime in the 50s too, well, heading upward as i recall . And I see Trump wants to tariff "Chinese" cars made in Mexico 100%. Japanese / South Koreans have had plants in US for some time. On that topic, https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/mexico-automotive-industry Trump is crazy, no surprise
The thing is: there are now enough true billionaires out there that one or another can front the $500mio and then own Trump lock stock and barrel. I just hope they don't have a return address in Russia.
There's also the fact that Trump has a spotty record of re-paying his creditors. If you don't have collateral, you'd better have character. Both appear in short supply.
I imagine one thing that focuses the thinking of every billionaire would be the prospect of losing half-a-billion dollars on a bad risk. Clear thinking would show DT is not likely to return to the White House, and even if he does, there is no guarantee he wouldn't simply erase the debt via executive fiat. He's done this on a smaller scale with numerous contractors, why not an oligarch, once he has all political power? DT, after all, stands for DicTator.
My instinct is to think that drump doesn't have many "friends"; he just isn't trustworthy--his word means absolutely nothing. He's just too crass and defiantly unpolished for the old money folks (although that is exactly why his uneducated cultists love him) and the new money folks are just as friendless and self absorbed as is drump. Drump's classless bragging and flamboyant ostentation gives the ultra wealthy the shudders.
I think a lot of his insecurity comes from his rejection by the old money folks in NY. He and his children will never be part of their society, no matter how much money he has. All of the old money people I’ve ever known have been very discreet, which is not a word anyone has ever associated with TFG. He’s way too ostentatious, tacky, greedy, immoral, and dishonorable.
Unless you’re an Oligarch. Then it might be like betting your horse to win at Aquaduct. If you lose, you lose. But if you win, your wildest dreams can be fulfilled.
It is a real dilemma for Trump since his base beleives he is enormously rich. So was he lying under oath about how rich he is or is he broke? His money was from the television program and I have to assume his golf courses are not making money. And Mary, if Melania is smart, she should cash out on that prenup before it disappears.
If you're wondering her age, she's 53, born April 26, 1970. The silent woman is taking care of herself and her kid, hoping to get out of the mess she helped create with some of the money.
John There should be a Trump Monopoly game in which the ‘winner’ has the largest number of bankruptcies. To be fair, Trump can’t count his past six bankruptcies, only the bankruptcies triggered by his lack of cash for bonding.
His base may believe he is rich, but that doesn't seem to stop them from donating money to him for his campaign, legal expenses, and whatever other BS he requests their hard-earned dollars for...
It truly is nuts how these people send him money. I have two older sisters living next door, both in their 80s, living on SS, and they send him money every month after they get their checks.
They are both christians, and believe what their minister tells them about trump being sent by God. It's a crazy world right now for sure.
Mary - your heart is in the right place. But hear me when I say that, if past trends are any reliable indicator, he will wiggle his way out of this predicament and manage to delay justice once again. I have very little faith in the predictions of his coming financial demise. After all, his much maligned legal team has been working miracles for him so far. Thy are pitching a shut-out. It is time we gave that team the recognition it deserves. I was as hopeful as any of us weeks ago, on all fronts except Mar-a-Lago. Now, I have lost hope for every case against him. All have been successfully turned into tar babies. Sorry to rain on the parade, but I see the handwriting on the wall.
Jay, my optimistic coffee is kicking in again. JMO...
My understanding is that Trump is highly leveraged. And his source of income has been more of the royalty sort. In other words, he may not have that much collateral after all. I think his financial "empire" is built on bullshit and reputational monetization. As James and the judge start looking deeper for the funds, a lot of truth will be revealed. Perhaps the "emperor has no clothes". This will be entertaining.
The delayed trials (so frustrating!) won't have an impact on the election one way or the other. Besides, Trump was right. He could randomly shoot someone and his "base" would still love him. But there will be trials. And even if he skates on some charges, ultimately he will be convicted and shamed.
But his base is not growing. And some Republicans and Independents are shifting away from the Orange Menace. Now we have a candidate who can't put together an understandable speech - just a word salad. Not a Caesar Salad. Watch for more "blood bath" speeches because he can't put together a meaningful or intelligent string of words. I foresee a complete breakdown at a rally in the next few months. Especially as his crowds continue to dwindle - his most sensitive subject. Trump is the most insecure and fragile politician on the scene today. He's a great actor. But the chokes in his performances will only worsen as he becomes more frightened.
Trump's greatest political mistake was nominating justices that would blow away Roe vs Wade. The Dobbs decision was so horrible, that it is THE motivating factor for millions and millions of women and men who believe (were raised with idea!) that reproductive freedom of choice is more than normal - it is a basic right. That was a bridge too far.
I smell blood in the water. The sharks are coming for this bucket of chum.
I could not agree with you more! Thank you for your positive take on this most horrible situation. If we succumb to despair and lose hope, it helps no one.
I wouldn't go that far, but i get your point. My bet is that Trump loses 2024, and the trials and their contortions simply proceed apace... with more and more legal fees, is his team working "pro bono" yet?
I agree Frank. However I believe the polling that a pre-election conviction takes away from his vote count. I do not want this to be close. I want a blow-out. I want the world to see that this movement was an aberration. And importantly, I want both arms of Congress. Look at what our loss of the House has done.... the country is politically dead in the water. We cannot have that.
He's gonna lose, but things are about to be OBE. She Gin Bling is going to blockade the S.China Sea.., annex Taiwan thereby creating election-distraction of immense proportion, but not quite a war. But like wars do, China's people will suddenly all go back to work in the 'defense industrial capacity' supplying Putin who will deploy some local nuke/like weapons to show who's boss. Our forces are busy airlifting supplies and aid.., and building a seaport for Gaza. Not to mention sailing an aircraft carrie around with about 5000 soles on-board dodging missiles being actively targeted and/or shot at by Houthi's pissed at our suport of Jewish religion gone amuck. #45 will become irrelevant. But, the "bloodbath" will be in Europe. The S.China sea not so much.
I am holding back on believing he will begin to have assets seized just because he always gets a break, often at the last minute. Until the first seizure happens, I’m skeptical.
As Ted Lasso said: "Believe!". I could be wrong. It happens all the time. But this judge and prosecutor don't mess around.
I believe that as James digs into the "books" she may find out that the "most successful real estate developer in NYC" is a fake. A phony.
The profits in such bonds are easy money. If he couldn't get a single firm to provide one, I think we may find that there is nothing really there. Nothing that would back the bond. I think the Orange Menace is about to be embarrassed big time.
It has been my position, ever since he refused to release his tax returns, that his "empire" was a house of cards built on bullshit, and that, in reality, he is flat-assed broke
Yup. Why else would he make a fool of himself by selling playing cards or golden sneakers? In a time not too long ago, his fraudulent use of Trump University would have ended ANYONE's career. Instead the Kool Aid drinkers keep sending him money. One con after another.
We should continue to be appalled at what he gets away with. Because I BELIEVE that we will return to a sense of legal and moral standards re: public figures once we wake up from this nightmare.
I remember articles about the rising star of New York real estate...But the day he signed up to be on "reality tv" everyone who was paying attention, knew what New York had known for years: trump is a loser. It's Karma that a New York Court is bringing him down in a very public way.
I agree, except for the nice cash injections he got from foreign governments, income from his DC hotel, lodging billed to secret service. Not sure if he ever pulled off deals renting out his golf properties for government events... Clearly, being re-elected is his best/only shot at making money and staying out of prison.
"The Biden administration continues to make the case that a democratic government can work for ordinary Americans while Trump and his supporters insist that a country run by such an administration is an apocalyptic nightmare."
Of course, over in the House Trump's Speaker Mike Johnson continues to say that -what reality based people call his MAGA pig mess- is a shining example of how democracy works. On second thought, maybe he's saying 'see this is how democracy works, wouldn't you rather have something like in Hungary and Russia where 'the trains run on time.'
"Supporters"..? They could care less about his $$. They just want him in office so they can pursue "whatever the heck they want".., because as long as they're on his 'good' list it shouldn't be a problem.
Michele, awhile back there was a video of a guy giving reasons that he’d never vote for 45. They included the suicide of a friend because the friend had been stiffed for work he’d work done for 45. Look at his offer in the case (16 cents on the dollar; $100 million instead of $600 million). That’s what a contractor gets in Trump world, if he gets anything at all.
Heather, thank you for such a concise summary of the Trump threads. I’m looking forward to hearing more about his properties, savings, and investments next week as Judge Engoran and DA Leticia James decide which to liquidate to pay the judgement. It’s beginning to look like 45 and Melania may soon be doing their own grocery shopping (no driver’s license required unless they pay by check LOL ). It will be interesting to see if 45’s diehard supporters will still love him when he’s no longer seen as a billionaire.
Except, he hasn’t been a billionaire for quite some time. He’s a six-time bankrupt, who seemingly can’t get out of his own way when it comes to all matters financial.
My name is Bond.
Cantafforda Bond.
Too funny.
Remember the orange chimp saying under oath in a deposition that his brand was his most valuable possession? I think it's his only possession. He doesn't own the plane, Mar a Lardo is mortgaged well over its value and he owes their membership money back to all his members, every property has been borrowed against to the hilt.
And when this months legal bills are presented, he'll have bankrupted the RNC. Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of folks.
And bonus, he won't have to pay Manafort this time either, Vlads got this.
"Chimps" are much more intelligent than tfg and much more appealing in every way. What a creep this person is. I am waiting for the release of Jeffrey Epstein docs in July where that name might show it's ugly head.
An October surprise four months early, perhaps. Yes!
Jen, Manafort offered to work for free the first time; perhaps Vlad had it back then as well.
https://www.businessinsider.com/paul-manafort-ukraine-debt-trump-campaign-unpaid-volunteer-2018-2?amp
Rachel Maddow did a whole thing on her show about this yesterday -
https://www.nbc.com/the-rachel-maddow-show
Becky Estill, True, that’s what brought it back to mind. Thank you for sharing the link.
I think he does own a plane trump Force One (wanna be) and is in the progress of selling a smaller jet. It could be it is his company which owns them and not him.
The judgements were meant to be large enough to send a message. Boo hoo, they are being bad to me is not the proper response.
Marla, this is brilliant!
As Gall Collins noted a few years ago, he is at least a thousandaire.
I’m really laughing out loud! Marla, that is tooooooo perfect! Thank you!!
Oh, that is fantastic. I love word play & that's about as playful it can get during these ominous times! Thanks for starting my day off with a smile! ☺️
Up until #45 got elected, he was just tabloid crap with a TV show. As long as the lawyers got fed, bankruptcies were just a problem for the ones who got stiffed. He looked good standing along side women with big boobs. Shallow as they come.
Brilliant ‘wordsmiting’!
My question is, was her EVER really a billionaire?
I'm not sure what the requirement is to make the Forbes 400, but he did make it for 25 years until he didn't. He fell from grace 2 out 3 years recently. His automatic response was: I am going to sue you,
I shouldn't be laughing....really I shouldn't!!
🤣🤣🤣
That is RICH!
❤️
🤣
Marla, very true, except in the minds of those who have combined his persona on The Apprentice with the actual man.
😂🤣😂
Bravo!
I'm looking forward to it too, but since tffg's supporters think of him as some God-annointed prophet, I can't see anything rational changing their minds.
It seems to me that as tfg weakens financially, his current problems with speaking coherently to his worshipers will
become way more pronounced. There will probably be at least some % of his base that will respond to these very visible trends by pulling away. His crowds are much smaller as time goes by already. It will be interesting to see what happens.
The 50% of Republicans who are keeping Trump around because they are greedy and intimidated, but not crazy, must be getting worried. They probably don’t care about democracy as much as they do about money, but Trump is desperate and deteriorating cognitively. Having a cornered paranoid narcissist as president would be dangerous to everyone. Also, where is the DOJ? He is certainly a security risk. He has probably already pawned many of the documents that he kept. I’m sure Judge Cannon realizes this.
Agree with every word (except your cheeky handle!) but this is pricelessly concise: "a cornered paranoid narcissist."
Oaitw, I do not think "Judge" Cannon can even comprehend this danger, much less realize and then act on it.
I know she clerked for Thomas, but I wonder if she graduated from law school and passed the bar.
I really think she has no idea of how dangerous TFG is. All she seems to know is that she owes her lifetime appointment to him and all she needs to do is string out the delays until after the election. She doesn't have a clue.
She probably has a clue and that is why she is doing what she is doing what she is doing. Here's that Mafia image. I'm sure the members knew what was going on, but look what will happen if you don't play along.
And now trump is allowed to attend briefings because he is the official presidential candidate? The quandary is that if he is not invited, he will complain discrimination because he is not allowed to do what presidential candidates traditionally have done in the past. If briefings are doctored, the intelligence agencies won't have his trust if he is elected president. We all know how that will go. A bloodbath in the CIA, FBI, and any other intel service. And if (when) he loses, imagine the temper tantrum. This one has lasted almost 4 years.
The intelligence agencies haven't had tffg's trust since early in his term as president because they kept telling him factual things that he didn't agree with.
Didn't trump fire his head of FBI ? I know he was messing around with one of the departments. I wouldn't be surprised if the Secret Service had been bought lock stock, and barrel. The erased tapes for instanced. The stereo type SS man seems to be very rigid in their thinking. It's almost like they are programed. It may not be so, but it seems that way.
Mary Ann, actually I just reposted a very concerning report by Robert P. Jones, who writes about evangelicalism and white supremacy, detailing a speech by ttfg to white evangelical broadcasters that shows how completely he's playing to them, and how completely they're buying it. https://substack.com/profile/10639253-alexandra-sokoloff/note/c-51966846
"Make America Christian Again" so spoke The Devil. This is terrifying, along with Michael Flynn's "Army of God."
There is a stark distinction between Christ’s message and the message of the white nationalists who are ‘Kristians’ followers of the Klan!
Thank you for that link. I tried but I simply could not watch trump's con job BS to the NRB, that purports to be his "vision" of a white kkkristian nationalist country. It made me nauseated. The article, I did manage to read and it is terrifying. We cannot let these creatures win.
TL, it's unbearable. My reaction is utter revulsion. Which reminds me of psychiatrist M. Scott Peck's observation (in THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED and PEOPLE OF THE LIE) = that our instinctive human reaction to evil IS revulsion.
I loved People of the Lie -- helped me understand the role of lying to oneself and others in creating real evil in the world. Thanks for mentioning it.
I like the additional k’s! I will use it!
Makes me sick to my stomach. I wish I could reach more of those misguided fools. "Each one will claim that he is a prophet; but I am the last of the Prophets (Seal of the Prophets), and there will be no Prophet after me."
Bruce, me too. I actually think in this case the misguided fools started calling him a prophet first, and he had just enough evil cunning to think, "I can work with THAT..."
Sorry Bruce, that quote is not receptive through the cult’s ears! Not in their Byble!
That claim has gone down a multitude of times, literally. (besides Mohammed that is! )
Terrifying agenda. Thanks for posting this.
Alexandra, Thank you for this link. Trump's rhetoric is truly frightening. Why do we not read/hear about this on MMM? It should be front page news.
April Fools.
They absolutely are.
Not April yet.
Just sickening.
That article documenting tfg’s speech to the Evangelicals is a series of horrific lies. Feeding them what they want to hear. It’s disgusting.
In the snippets of that rally over the weekend that I saw did you happen to see the young man about 2-3 rows up & to trump's right, break into a huge yawn? It was right around his bloodbath statement if I'm remembering correctly. Hey, maybe these people are paid to sit there, you know, like "extras" in a movie, in this case a really bad movie, really bad!
There is a litany of news reports going back the past year plus on the subject of dwindling crowds... They are maybe getting down to Bruce Willis "die hards"... (no offence to Bruce Willis!)
And how many in those crowds are the groupies who apparently follow him from rally to rally for his entertainment value? Lately, however, they’ve appeared pretty uninvolved, as if they’re not really paying attention. They’ve heard it all before, as ugly as it is.
I talked to one guy (I was campaigning for Pete when the trumpers stampeded the city), and he was talking about the next rally he was going to. Some have gone to as many as 28!!!! Must be nice to not have to work.
Yes, I guess when Trump becomes a dictator he’ll take care of them, although his history doesn’t show him to be an exemplary “daddy”.
I’ve been fascinated watching the crowd sitting behind him at these recent rallies. It’s looking more and more like they aren’t really listening. They aren’t rabidly responding; in fact, they look bored. Who knows why they were selected to be in those seats. The funniest was the one they showed with college age fans, supposedly to show he attracts the youth. I don’t think ant of them were interested in his ramblings, or even listening.
Good observation. I suspect that the people who surround him, whom he relies upon to feed him 'lines (he mucks up)' are diminishing in numbers, if not in substance(BS) they can dream up for him. Hahaa..,and, those "rallys" cost money, which is becoming harder to come by. We're seeing supporter burnout. And, seeing staff burnout too, because they may not be getting paid. Poor little Alina Habeena, she looks so cute standing beside him.., he likes her.., but she probably hasn't been paid either. Maybe been given a place to sleep in Mara-"Lardo" hohoho. Gag me!
I agree with "supporter burnout". And those rallies DO cost a lot of money and effort of the staff. (and fuel for his B757.) I'm betting Alina Habeena is getting paid -- that $50M of campaign money spent on lawyers has to go somewhere. And now he just sued CNN's Don Lemon -- new lawyers have to get some cash up front or they won't even start on the case.
The more money he has to spend, the more messy he's going to become.
I understand some of his rallies still owe money to the towns.
Watch their faces in the crowd. They don’t know what to do.
Prosperity Gospel...no longer in favor with his god?
I don't believe for one second he acknowledges any god except himself.
Nailed it!!!
Thus the lower case god...money, power, self above all others and all else.
Alexandra, for hitting that nail squarely on the head, 🏆👍🏻.
If it gets to the point where NY Attorney General Letitia James actually seizes some of Trump's high-profile property in New York, Trump will claim loudly and often - assuming he can remember what he's talking about - that the government stole his properties, and that he's been victimized hugely once more. We can expect that Trump will use it to put out a fundraising appeal to his crazy, ignorant supporters who believe he's been anointed by God.
What is he going to hawk next? his used golf balls (which never have seen a rough, sand trap, or water hazard, lol)
Oh, "rational" left the building years ago. What's needed is an even better conspiracy about him that they'll suck up, digest & then decide he's not their "hero". And, no, I have no idea what kind of conspiracy could do that but it would have to be a doozy!
Looks like he'll have to go extraterrestrial on this one....
Yeah, but you're really on to something: we need an alt-conspiracy theory!
Alexandra, someone posted on FB the image TFG posted on his social media page of him praying, bathed in a light from seemingly nowhere, in a church. Apparently he is very proud of this pic because it has shown up on a lot of different pages. But there are, shall we say, problems with the picture? Firstly, he was raised a Presbyterian and he is praying in a Catholic church. Second (it gets better and better), he is praying backwards in the pew, whose kneelers face a different direction and the backs of the pews are going the wrong way. Third (this is the best yet): he has 6 fingers on each hand. According to most Christofascist pundits over the ages, extra fingers is a sign of Satan--vestigial fingers in the 17th century got you burned as a "witch" if you happened to be female. https://petapixel.com/2024/01/24/trump-shares-ai-image-of-himself-praying-with-six-fingers/
Linda The imagery is of Trump as the antiChrist. You know what the 6th finger was for.
Maybe the computer has never gone to church either.
Don't confuse them with facts. Their minds are made up.
Alexandra, it's one thing to say he's being persecuted and the charges are all made up. It's quite another to watch his properties get liquidated! What conspiracy theory can explain that?
I am hoping that they snag Mar-a-lago as their collateral, since that probably lessens the amount of devious planning Trump could engage in, because he would be thrown off kilter if he had to vacate the premises. It would also perhaps give the FBI another chance to go in there and look for hidden documents.
Apparently, the bond companies don't like real estate as collateral.
In 2023, Jeff Bezos bought a new yacht for $500 million and Nancy Walton paid $300 million for hers. And which of the 200,000 members of the 1% doesn't own a yacht they could hock for some cash or maybe sell some of their stock for cash to help out their good buddy Donnie?
Trump isn't even trying to raise the money. And after he saved them and their companies billions in Federal income taxes. What an ungrateful lot.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Bravo, Gary. That’s priceless. What an ungrateful lot, indeed!
Expensive pleasure yachts have a long status symbol history, show up in James Bond movies to boot.
To quote some sage person, You knew I was snake when you picked me up.
I was incredulous when I heard him tell that story. Why would he be telling a story about himself, a treacherous, deceiving person? He's actually telling everyone that he is a wolf in sheep's clothing. The punch line is that he was talking about democrats..Speaking of projection.
What a happy thought, Linda!!! Thanks for the lift!
It also takes away an escape route--I had a friend speculate that a Russian sub would pull up off the coast and he'd get picked up and ferried to Russia.
Like he could fit through the hatch of a submarine.
lol
One can only imagine what the assigned secret service for him have to put up with ...
Do they volunteer for such duty? What happens if he goes to jail?
Can google 'Secret Service
for Donald Trump CBCnews...
I think the documents are in NJ where they haven’t looked yet.
Good point Linda.
Please add to this playlist:
Nobody loves you when you're down and out
Nobody knows you when you're down and out
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Vlad, let's make a deal.
Betsy A favorite during the Great Depression. Now Trump causes me great depression.
As Joe Hill is reputed to have said, "Don't mourn. Organize"
Betsy I often play Paul Robeson singing JOE HILL. I find it very comforting.
It's good that you find Paul Robeson's gorgeous voice comforting. It would be better if you also found it energizing...
Betsy Both and, especially, his song about what it means to be an American.
that'd be a buck these times! I remember that from the 50s
I disagree: thanks to Donnies tariffs, the dollar stores went to $1.25
:-(
Actually, i should have picked a higher number. Movies were still a dime in the 50s too, well, heading upward as i recall . And I see Trump wants to tariff "Chinese" cars made in Mexico 100%. Japanese / South Koreans have had plants in US for some time. On that topic, https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/mexico-automotive-industry Trump is crazy, no surprise
You spelled 'ruble' incorrectly.
The thing is: there are now enough true billionaires out there that one or another can front the $500mio and then own Trump lock stock and barrel. I just hope they don't have a return address in Russia.
Taylor Swift is probably looking for a good investment for her new found billion.
And Warren Buffett has bailed out the Williams Pipeline Co. and BofA while earning about 10% interest.
Either Trump isn't really trying or even the uber wealthy hate him too.
There's also the fact that Trump has a spotty record of re-paying his creditors. If you don't have collateral, you'd better have character. Both appear in short supply.
You pinned that one down!
Nailed it!
I imagine one thing that focuses the thinking of every billionaire would be the prospect of losing half-a-billion dollars on a bad risk. Clear thinking would show DT is not likely to return to the White House, and even if he does, there is no guarantee he wouldn't simply erase the debt via executive fiat. He's done this on a smaller scale with numerous contractors, why not an oligarch, once he has all political power? DT, after all, stands for DicTator.
My instinct is to think that drump doesn't have many "friends"; he just isn't trustworthy--his word means absolutely nothing. He's just too crass and defiantly unpolished for the old money folks (although that is exactly why his uneducated cultists love him) and the new money folks are just as friendless and self absorbed as is drump. Drump's classless bragging and flamboyant ostentation gives the ultra wealthy the shudders.
I think a lot of his insecurity comes from his rejection by the old money folks in NY. He and his children will never be part of their society, no matter how much money he has. All of the old money people I’ve ever known have been very discreet, which is not a word anyone has ever associated with TFG. He’s way too ostentatious, tacky, greedy, immoral, and dishonorable.
And a Nazi sympathizer! 🤨
Looks like Musk already spent $42 billion on supporting the right wing. Should have saved it for a loan to tfg.
Musk is a very good example. He's got the money and the morals to support Trump.
The Trump brand has been devalued since 2016. No one attaches themselves to a loser. Especially the extremely wealthy, lest they be perceived as such.
Unless you’re an Oligarch. Then it might be like betting your horse to win at Aquaduct. If you lose, you lose. But if you win, your wildest dreams can be fulfilled.
Swbv - like how they bought Brett Cavanaugh and Clarence Thomas.
It is a real dilemma for Trump since his base beleives he is enormously rich. So was he lying under oath about how rich he is or is he broke? His money was from the television program and I have to assume his golf courses are not making money. And Mary, if Melania is smart, she should cash out on that prenup before it disappears.
Gotta wonder what "the silent woman" is about these days... she's sure not up on the hustlings these past couple years. 58 or so now?
If you're wondering her age, she's 53, born April 26, 1970. The silent woman is taking care of herself and her kid, hoping to get out of the mess she helped create with some of the money.
I think I saw her on "Adult Friend Finder" ...?.. or was it Match? Had a distinctive tattoo: I Don't care - Just Do Me. Probably just some AI work.
John There should be a Trump Monopoly game in which the ‘winner’ has the largest number of bankruptcies. To be fair, Trump can’t count his past six bankruptcies, only the bankruptcies triggered by his lack of cash for bonding.
His base may believe he is rich, but that doesn't seem to stop them from donating money to him for his campaign, legal expenses, and whatever other BS he requests their hard-earned dollars for...
It truly is nuts how these people send him money. I have two older sisters living next door, both in their 80s, living on SS, and they send him money every month after they get their checks.
They are both christians, and believe what their minister tells them about trump being sent by God. It's a crazy world right now for sure.
Wonder WHAT KIND OF minister would describe trump as god-sent. Boggles the mind...
I would hazard a guess that it's one of those prosperity gospel preachers. The church they go to is always begging for more money.......
Mary - your heart is in the right place. But hear me when I say that, if past trends are any reliable indicator, he will wiggle his way out of this predicament and manage to delay justice once again. I have very little faith in the predictions of his coming financial demise. After all, his much maligned legal team has been working miracles for him so far. Thy are pitching a shut-out. It is time we gave that team the recognition it deserves. I was as hopeful as any of us weeks ago, on all fronts except Mar-a-Lago. Now, I have lost hope for every case against him. All have been successfully turned into tar babies. Sorry to rain on the parade, but I see the handwriting on the wall.
Jay, my optimistic coffee is kicking in again. JMO...
My understanding is that Trump is highly leveraged. And his source of income has been more of the royalty sort. In other words, he may not have that much collateral after all. I think his financial "empire" is built on bullshit and reputational monetization. As James and the judge start looking deeper for the funds, a lot of truth will be revealed. Perhaps the "emperor has no clothes". This will be entertaining.
The delayed trials (so frustrating!) won't have an impact on the election one way or the other. Besides, Trump was right. He could randomly shoot someone and his "base" would still love him. But there will be trials. And even if he skates on some charges, ultimately he will be convicted and shamed.
But his base is not growing. And some Republicans and Independents are shifting away from the Orange Menace. Now we have a candidate who can't put together an understandable speech - just a word salad. Not a Caesar Salad. Watch for more "blood bath" speeches because he can't put together a meaningful or intelligent string of words. I foresee a complete breakdown at a rally in the next few months. Especially as his crowds continue to dwindle - his most sensitive subject. Trump is the most insecure and fragile politician on the scene today. He's a great actor. But the chokes in his performances will only worsen as he becomes more frightened.
Trump's greatest political mistake was nominating justices that would blow away Roe vs Wade. The Dobbs decision was so horrible, that it is THE motivating factor for millions and millions of women and men who believe (were raised with idea!) that reproductive freedom of choice is more than normal - it is a basic right. That was a bridge too far.
I smell blood in the water. The sharks are coming for this bucket of chum.
I could not agree with you more! Thank you for your positive take on this most horrible situation. If we succumb to despair and lose hope, it helps no one.
Bill, I like your assessment. Sadly, it seems as though my former work cohort loves him all the more.
Please spare us trump with no clothes!
I wouldn't go that far, but i get your point. My bet is that Trump loses 2024, and the trials and their contortions simply proceed apace... with more and more legal fees, is his team working "pro bono" yet?
I agree Frank. However I believe the polling that a pre-election conviction takes away from his vote count. I do not want this to be close. I want a blow-out. I want the world to see that this movement was an aberration. And importantly, I want both arms of Congress. Look at what our loss of the House has done.... the country is politically dead in the water. We cannot have that.
Gotcha!
He's gonna lose, but things are about to be OBE. She Gin Bling is going to blockade the S.China Sea.., annex Taiwan thereby creating election-distraction of immense proportion, but not quite a war. But like wars do, China's people will suddenly all go back to work in the 'defense industrial capacity' supplying Putin who will deploy some local nuke/like weapons to show who's boss. Our forces are busy airlifting supplies and aid.., and building a seaport for Gaza. Not to mention sailing an aircraft carrie around with about 5000 soles on-board dodging missiles being actively targeted and/or shot at by Houthi's pissed at our suport of Jewish religion gone amuck. #45 will become irrelevant. But, the "bloodbath" will be in Europe. The S.China sea not so much.
Maybe if you hold a mirror up to what you see on the wall it will reflect a more accurate truth!
What do you mean Gayle? Do you mean look myself in the mirror?
I am holding back on believing he will begin to have assets seized just because he always gets a break, often at the last minute. Until the first seizure happens, I’m skeptical.
As Ted Lasso said: "Believe!". I could be wrong. It happens all the time. But this judge and prosecutor don't mess around.
I believe that as James digs into the "books" she may find out that the "most successful real estate developer in NYC" is a fake. A phony.
The profits in such bonds are easy money. If he couldn't get a single firm to provide one, I think we may find that there is nothing really there. Nothing that would back the bond. I think the Orange Menace is about to be embarrassed big time.
It has been my position, ever since he refused to release his tax returns, that his "empire" was a house of cards built on bullshit, and that, in reality, he is flat-assed broke
Yup. Why else would he make a fool of himself by selling playing cards or golden sneakers? In a time not too long ago, his fraudulent use of Trump University would have ended ANYONE's career. Instead the Kool Aid drinkers keep sending him money. One con after another.
We should continue to be appalled at what he gets away with. Because I BELIEVE that we will return to a sense of legal and moral standards re: public figures once we wake up from this nightmare.
I remember articles about the rising star of New York real estate...But the day he signed up to be on "reality tv" everyone who was paying attention, knew what New York had known for years: trump is a loser. It's Karma that a New York Court is bringing him down in a very public way.
If only they could tax the bullshit, he'd likely be the biggest taxpayer in the country.
I agree, except for the nice cash injections he got from foreign governments, income from his DC hotel, lodging billed to secret service. Not sure if he ever pulled off deals renting out his golf properties for government events... Clearly, being re-elected is his best/only shot at making money and staying out of prison.
Excellent points! "I am really rich, but (ahem) nobody will lend me a dime." Will that bring anybody to their senses?
"The Biden administration continues to make the case that a democratic government can work for ordinary Americans while Trump and his supporters insist that a country run by such an administration is an apocalyptic nightmare."
Of course, over in the House Trump's Speaker Mike Johnson continues to say that -what reality based people call his MAGA pig mess- is a shining example of how democracy works. On second thought, maybe he's saying 'see this is how democracy works, wouldn't you rather have something like in Hungary and Russia where 'the trains run on time.'
"Supporters"..? They could care less about his $$. They just want him in office so they can pursue "whatever the heck they want".., because as long as they're on his 'good' list it shouldn't be a problem.
Mary, would you accept a check as payment from death star. It would be made of rubber.
Michele, awhile back there was a video of a guy giving reasons that he’d never vote for 45. They included the suicide of a friend because the friend had been stiffed for work he’d work done for 45. Look at his offer in the case (16 cents on the dollar; $100 million instead of $600 million). That’s what a contractor gets in Trump world, if he gets anything at all.
This is disgusting.