Foreign Influence on POTUS

[Belsnickel]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-business-got-least-78-mln-foreign-payments-during-presidency-report-2024-01-04/

Seems like there is a lot to make one wonder about this sort of thing...

[Arturo Bandini]

BREAKING: New documents show Donald received  up to $7.8 million dollars  from foreign governments when he was in the White House.

Here are the details and the breakdown:

-China made the largest payments to Donald’s businesses during his tenure, spending more than $5.5 million at Trump Tower in New York and two of Donald’s hotels in Washington and Las Vegas.

Millions of dollars came directly from China’s Embassy in the U.S and a state-owned Chinese bank accused by the DOJ of helping North Korea evade sanctions.

- Donald also received over $2 million from corrupt and authoritarian governments including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

According to the documents, Donald’s lawyer said he “planned to donate foreign profits from his hotels to the US Treasury Department. However, the amount reportedly donated by the Trump Organization in 2017 and 2018 falls well short of estimated foreign payments that were made to its properties.”

The Constitution prohibits a president from accepting money, payments or gifts “of any kind whatever” from foreign governments unless he obtains “the consent of the Congress” to do so.



But what about Hunter then ?

[*pally*]

(01-05-2024, 02:03 AM)Arturo Bandini Wrote: BREAKING: New documents show Donald received  up to $7.8 million dollars  from foreign governments when he was in the White House.

Here are the details and the breakdown:

-China made the largest payments to Donald’s businesses during his tenure, spending more than $5.5 million at Trump Tower in New York and two of Donald’s hotels in Washington and Las Vegas.

Millions of dollars came directly from China’s Embassy in the U.S and a state-owned Chinese bank accused by the DOJ of helping North Korea evade sanctions.

- Donald also received over $2 million from corrupt and authoritarian governments including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

According to the documents, Donald’s lawyer said he “planned to donate foreign profits from his hotels to the US Treasury Department. However, the amount reportedly donated by the Trump Organization in 2017 and 2018 falls well short of estimated foreign payments that were made to its properties.”

The Constitution prohibits a president from accepting money, payments or gifts “of any kind whatever” from foreign governments unless he obtains “the consent of the Congress” to do so.



But what about Hunter then ?

And that’s not even looking at what money was flowing into the pockets belonging to Ivanka and Jared

[Arturo Bandini]

(01-05-2024, 05:20 AM)pally Wrote: And that’s not even looking at what money was flowing into the pockets belonging to Ivanka and Jared

They'll find a way to argue that he wasn't paid enough. 

[CKwi88]

(01-05-2024, 07:19 AM)Arturo Bandini Wrote: They'll find a way to argue that he wasn't paid enough. 

He was actually saving the American taxpayer heaps of money by giving such a great discount to stay at his properties no doubt. What a guy. 

[BigPapaKain]

Oooh - can't wait to see the Conservative think tank around here come in and say something along the lines of 'it's a Democrat led investigation, they're making it up' with absolutely zero self awareness or sense of irony.

[masonbengals fan]

Oh the irony.

[*Nately120*]

The president is held to far less stringent measures and standards than zounds of far less powerful government and civilian employees alike.

With great power comes great immunity.

[Belsnickel]

(01-05-2024, 08:42 AM)BigPapaKain Wrote: Oooh - can't wait to see the Conservative think tank around here come in and say something along the lines of 'it's a Democrat led investigation, they're making it up' with absolutely zero self awareness or sense of irony.

The entire argument in favor of Trump is "yeah, well, that thing you saw me doing?! He's the one who did it!" It's all projection and an attempt as misdirection banking on gullible rubes not seeing through the bullshit.

[*Nately120*]

(01-05-2024, 11:42 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: The entire argument in favor of Trump is "yeah, well, that thing you saw me doing?! He's the one who did it!" It's all projection and an attempt as misdirection banking on gullible rubes not seeing through the bullshit.

People see through Trump's bullshit, they just identify with accepting it and denying it if not outright celebrating it.  Trump's skill is to form a symbiotic relationship with his followers.  His successes are their successes.  Attacks on him are attacks on them.  He is their only voice, their only hope, their only genuine chance at having any say in the way things are.

And with this comes the egotistical ability of a human being to be much more lenient in what he accepts from "himself" than in others.  But like any scammer or abuser, the good ones scam and abuse and you move on.  They pulled one over on you, you dummy.  But the great ones are the ones you catch in lies and the ones people warn you about but you start excusing them and defending them and you always get away once and then you let them back in and that's when they have you and you know it.

This is textbook stuff...not that anyone gives a rat's ass what textbooks say anymore. 

[Sociopathicsteelerfan]

(01-05-2024, 11:42 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: The entire argument in favor of Trump is "yeah, well, that thing you saw me doing?! He's the one who did it!" It's all projection and an attempt as misdirection banking on gullible rubes not seeing through the bullshit.

I think the issue with legitimate criticism of Trump is that it's muddied by plenty of hyperbolic criticism of Trump.  Take his indictments as an example.  The Bragg indictment is a joke, even far left pundits were shitting on it.  The James indictment isn't a whole lot better, with several bank executives literally pulling the rug out from under it.  This is compounded by James's highly partisan public statements/attacks on Trump, bordering on (IMO past bordering) racist, e.g. his cabinet was "too male, too pale and too stale".  

I always tell my officers that the appearance of impropriety is often, if not always, as bad as actual impropriety.  And the left has given Trump supporters reams of ammunition in this regard.  There is so much legitimate cause for criticizing or attacking Trump that it baffles me that people will invent bullshit reasons to do it further.  

[Belsnickel]

(01-05-2024, 01:52 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: I think the issue with legitimate criticism of Trump is that it's muddied by plenty of hyperbolic criticism of Trump.  Take his indictments as an example.  The Bragg indictment is a joke, even far left pundits were shitting on it.  The James indictment isn't a whole lot better, with several bank executives literally pulling the rug out from under it.  This is compounded by James's highly partisan public statements/attacks on Trump, bordering on (IMO past bordering) racist, e.g. his cabinet was "too male, too pale and too stale".  

I always tell my officers that the appearance of impropriety is often, if not always, as bad as actual impropriety.  And the left has given Trump supporters reams of ammunition in this regard.  There is so much legitimate cause for criticizing or attacking Trump that it baffles me that people will invent bullshit reasons to do it further.  

I don't disagree at all. In regards to the last line, though, there is a reason for it: a lack of reason. What I mean by this is that from the earliest days of his candidacy there have been legitimate criticisms of him that have gotten nowhere. This has resulted in the Democrats and traditional Republicans throwing everything they can at the wall to see what sticks because nothing is. Nothing has pulled his supporters away and it baffles them. So they keep trying. They don't know what to do with him.

[Sociopathicsteelerfan]

(01-05-2024, 08:03 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I don't disagree at all. In regards to the last line, though, there is a reason for it: a lack of reason. What I mean by this is that from the earliest days of his candidacy there have been legitimate criticisms of him that have gotten nowhere. This has resulted in the Democrats and traditional Republicans throwing everything they can at the wall to see what sticks because nothing is. Nothing has pulled his supporters away and it baffles them. So they keep trying. They don't know what to do with him.

All the while providing ample fuel to the fire for his claims of unprecedented persecution.  Whether it's true or not, the left supplies abundant evidence of such intent for anyone inclined to view it that way.  It's similar to how Trump lambasted the media for being bad at their job and failing to be impartial, then the media took it personally and did everything they could to prove Trump right.  One instance, albeit a small one, that really stuck with me was in the very early days of the Trump presidency.  A reporter rushed to report that Trump had removed the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. from the Oval Office.

https://time.com/4645541/donald-trump-white-house-oval-office/

There was plenty of mea culpas and "it was an honest mistake that was quickly apologized for."  But what no one in the media acknowledged is that it was a mistake driven by personal animus.  The only reason it was reported in the first place is because the media was, is and continues, to look for any way they can pile on Trump.  While I can't say I blame them on a personal level, as a paid professional you cannot conduct yourself like that at your job.  I could cite other examples, but this one, seeing as it occurred so soon after inauguration, really stuck with me.  As much as Trump haters are loathe to admit it, they are, IMO equally responsible for Trump's remaining relevant as his most ardent supporters.

[Belsnickel]

(01-05-2024, 09:05 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: All the while providing ample fuel to the fire for his claims of unprecedented persecution.  Whether it's true or not, the left supplies abundant evidence of such intent for anyone inclined to view it that way.  It's similar to how Trump lambasted the media for being bad at their job and failing to be impartial, then the media took it personally and did everything they could to prove Trump right.  One instance, albeit a small one, that really stuck with me was in the very early days of the Trump presidency.  A reporter rushed to report that Trump had removed the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. from the Oval Office.

https://time.com/4645541/donald-trump-white-house-oval-office/

There was plenty of mea culpas and "it was an honest mistake that was quickly apologized for."  But what no one in the media acknowledged is that it was a mistake driven by personal animus.  The only reason it was reported in the first place is because the media was, is and continues, to look for any way they can pile on Trump.  While I can't say I blame them on a personal level, as a paid professional you cannot conduct yourself like that at your job.  I could cite other examples, but this one, seeing as it occurred so soon after inauguration, really stuck with me.  As much as Trump haters are loathe to admit it, they are, IMO equally responsible for Trump's remaining relevant as his most ardent supporters.

It's all about that corporate media. Trump news gets clicks which means ad revenue. As a result he gets all sorts of attention and reporters find any reason to cover him they can come up with.

[StoneTheCrow]

(01-05-2024, 10:10 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: It's all about that corporate media. Trump news gets clicks which means ad revenue. As a result he gets all sorts of attention and reporters find any reason to cover him they can come up with.

To the tune of estimated billions of dollars of free air time back in 2015.

“There’s no way he can win, let’s do this and also have a little fun with it.” Well that turned out to be a short wick on a long piece of dynamite they held in their hands with full control of the lighter.

[Belsnickel]

(01-05-2024, 10:48 PM)StoneTheCrow Wrote: To the tune of estimated billions of dollars of free air time back in 2015.

“There’s no way he can win, let’s do this and also have a little fun with it.” Well that turned out to be a short wick on a long piece of dynamite they held in their hands with full control of the lighter.

That's the thing, they talk about how unfair the media is to him but the attention they give him, even if intended to be negative, is what catapulted him into the Oval Office.

[GMDino]

(01-05-2024, 10:10 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: It's all about that corporate media. Trump news gets clicks which means ad revenue. As a result he gets all sorts of attention and reporters find any reason to cover him they can come up with.

If it bleeds it leads...he is an incredibly divisive figure.

It's been his MO forever:  Say/do something outrageous, media reports it, he claims he is being treated unfairly because what he said/did was reported.

That 10% of what gets reported as bad is opinion is cited as a reason Democrats are to "blame" for Po1135809 winning.  Meanwhile the 90% that is true doesn't matter to his supporters.

He is the Teflon Don...especially to the cult members.  The 30% that believe everything he says...unless it is accurately reported in the "mainstream media" and then it is just bias/a witch hunt/a political attack.

It's sad, but not unexpected.

What is sadder is that in small forums like this where folks can debate the truth of a story directly there are still those who simply believe he is right and he is being persecuted "unfairly" at every turn.  Or, worse, because one story/case is weak or shaky then we have to focus on THAT as opposed to the all the legitimate claims against him.

I was saying the other day that he reminds me of a guy I graduated with.  Complete egotistical ass.  Daddy was a lawyer, he was a football player.  Got whatever he wanted and knew he was "better" than everyone else.

I had to be friends with/tolerate him for a couple years while he dated a couple of my friends.  But I told them, and my family who loved him, what he really was.  

It was easy to see through. It still is with lots of people if you watch how they act and talk.

Fast-forward and his own family won't talk to him, he became a lawyer and was recorded saying wildly racist things, he even moved out of state.

But some people still thinks he was "great" when his name comes up.  I compared him to P01135809 to my mom, who loved that guy, and said "well he was nice to me"...ignoring all the horrible things he did in exchange for a couple personal experiences.  

Sometimes they never learn.

[Arturo Bandini]

Russian schoolbooks are the only schoolbooks of the world where Trump won the 2020 election.

I don't get why russians are so supportive of him. That tough dude who every enemy of America is in love with.

[BIGDADDYFROMCINCINNATI]

Now you see why the GQP is trying so hard to put up a smoke screen. It's to deflect the attention on Hunter Biden. Why? It's b/c Ivanka and Jarod made $Billions$ from the Chinese and Saudis and they don't want the truth to come out about them.

[Sociopathicsteelerfan]

(01-06-2024, 11:06 AM)Arturo Bandini Wrote: Russian schoolbooks are the only schoolbooks of the world where Trump won the 2020 election.

I don't get why russians are so supportive of him. That tough dude who every enemy of America is in love with.

It's not that hard to understand.  If it sows dissension and makes the US look bad the Russians will run with it.  It's them saying, "See, they don't even have an actual democracy, who are they to lecture us?"