Tag: Donald Trump

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Trump To Puerto Rico: “You’ve Thrown Our Budget A Little Out Of Whack”

Sitting with local Puerto Rican officials and federal cabinet members, Donald Trump said, “Now I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you’ve thrown our budget a little out of whack.”

He went on to contrast the devastation on the U.S. territory to that of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina which he characterized as a “real catastrophe.”

“Every death is a horror. But if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina, and you look at the tremendous – hundreds and hundreds of people that died – and you look at what happened here with a storm that really was totally overpowering. Nobody’s ever seen anything like this. And what is your death count – 16 people certified. Sixteen people versus in the thousands. You can be really proud of all of your people, all of our people, working together. Sixteen versus literally thousands of people.”

I’m not sure how he thought that sentiment would help the citizens of Puerto Rico.

Nor why he chose to think of “your people” versus “our people.” Everyone there is an American.

Watch below.

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Trump Continues To Blame Puerto Rican Locals For Poor Conditions: “They Have To Give Us More Help”

Donald Trump continued praising the federal government’s efforts in Puerto Rico today as he shifted blame to local truck drivers for any delay in improving conditions on the hurricane-battered island.

From ABC News:

President Donald Trump says the federal government has done a good job in Puerto Rico responding to the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria, but says local officials need to “give us more help.”

Trump says Tuesday that “in Texas and in Florida we get an A-plus, and I’ll tell you what, I think we’ve done just as good in Puerto Rico.”

Trump says roads are cleared and communications are “starting to come back.” He says on a “local level they have to give us more help.”

The president lashed out at the mayor of San Juan after she criticized the federal response. He now says that San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz “has come back a long way.”

The White House says Cruz had been invited to participate in Tuesday’s events, but it was unclear whether she and the president would meet.

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SNL Cold Open: “The Chaos President”

On Saturday Night Live‘s season premeire last night, the iconic show’s cold open featured – who else? – “The Chaos President.”

Clip description:

President Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) speaks with Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Aidy Bryant), Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz (Melissa Villaseñor) of San Juan, Jeff Sessions (Kate McKinnon) and Senator Chuck Schumer (Alex Moffat).

Riffing on this week’s news story, “Trump” takes a call from the “Mayor of San Juan” where he tells her: “You should have paid your bills. FEMA takes a few days unless you join FEMA Prime.”

“Ma’am, I don’t know if you know this, but you’re in an island in the water the ocean water big ocean, with fishies and bubbles and turtles that bite. We want to help you, but we have to take care of America first.”

Bonus clip: The “Weekend Update” segment also touched on the Puerto Rico debacle as anchor Michael Che reports on Trump’s angst from being criticized on the glacial pace of hurricane relief.

Watch below.

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Donald Trump Attacks Mayor Of San Juan From A Luxury Golf Course

Donald Trump

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the people of Puerto Rico are facing terrible devastation. We’ve seen that all week on the news.

But on Friday, Carmen Yulin Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, had had enough. In a passionate plea, she called out to anyone who could possibly help Puerto Rico.

“We are dying here,” Cruz said at a press conference. “I cannot fathom the thought that the greatest nation in the world cannot figure out the logistics for a small island of 100 miles by 35 miles. So, mayday, we are in trouble.”

And then this morning, from a luxury golf club in New Jersey, Donald Trump attacked the mayor for trying to help her people. He added that “fake news” outlets are trying to “disparage” the first responders in Puerto Rico.

It’s not surprising that Trump attacked the mayor. She’s challenged him, she’s a woman and a Hispanic. We know his track record in these situations.

Cruz pleads for help, “We are dying,” and Trump responds with “poor leadership” and “nasty.”

I also think it’s worth noting that Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory inhabited by primarily Hispanic people, has no electoral votes. On the other hand, Texas and Florida, which commanded Trump’s attention have lots of electoral votes and are primarily white citizens. You do the math.

The Twitterverse responded:

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Poll: Trump Drops 4 Points After NFL Tweets & Slow Reaction To Help Puerto Rico

Gallup’s daily tracking poll on Donald Trump’s job approval took a 4 point dive after he went after NFL players who kneeled during the national anthem.

Or was it his glacial pace to help Puerto Rico?

On September 23, Trump’s approval stood at 40% with 54% disapproving.

But by September 27 he had dropped to 36% approval with 59% disapproval.

#LifeComesAtYouFast

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Trumps Sends Dog Whistle: NFL Owners Are “Afraid Of Their Players”

Days after Donald Trump sparked a national controversy over NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem before football games, Trump now sounds a very audible dog whistle saying NFL owners are “afraid of their players.”

From the Washington Post:

President Trump said in an interview broadcast Thursday that NFL owners are “afraid of their players,” his latest provocative comments in a crusade against those who take a knee during the national anthem.

Trump urged the football league to adopt and enforce a rule that requires players to stand during the anthem He said he has talked in recent days to several team owners, who he said are “in a box” on the issue.

“I think they’re afraid of their players if you want to know the truth, and I think it’s disgraceful,” Trump said in an interview broadcast of Fox News’s “Fox & Friends.” “They’ve got to be tough, and they’ve got to be smart.”

Washington Post sports columnist Kevin Blackistone explains why NFL players are taking a knee, and how Trump has high-jacked the movement for his own uses.

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Poll: 56% Of Americans Say Trump “Not Fit To Serve As President”

There’s no good news for Donald Trump in the latest poll from Quinnipiac University:

• 56% say Trump is not “fit to serve as president;” 42% disagree

• 57% disapprove of the job he is doing as president; 36% approve

• 62% disapprove of his handling of race relations; 32% approve

• 69% say Trump should kick his Twitter habit; 26% disagree

• 51% say they are embarrassed to have him as president; 27% disagree

• 59% feel he is not honest

• 60% say he doesn’t have good leadership skills

• 67% say he is not “level headed”

More at the link.

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Trump Unveils His Tax Reform Proposal

With a passive/aggressive boast that “it’s not good for me,” Donald Trump introduced his proposed tax reform plan at a rally in Indiana.

Note: he prefers everyone call it “tax cuts” for better marketing. That should tell you something right off the bat.

Here are the main details you should know:

The current 7 tax brackets would become just three consisting of 12%, 25%, and 35%. The current top rate is 39.6% and the lowest rate is 10%.

While that’s an uptick for the lowest income Americans, Trump says that would be offset by doubling the current standard deduction to $12,000 for individuals and to $24,000 for married couples. That would also simplify the complex process of itemized deductions for millions.

Most itemized deductions would also be eliminated, but would preserve deductions for mortgage interest expenses, charitable giving, as well as retaining incentives for education and retirement savings plans.

Trump’s proposal also includes the option of adding a fourth higher rate above 35% to pretend the rich might their fair share. But there are no indications of what income levels would be associated with the higher rate, or what that new rate might be. I don’t see Republicans doing anything with this.

The child tax credit will increase to an unspecified amount.

Trump is proposing no more inheritance tax (a huge boon to rich folks) as well as getting rid of the alternative minimum tax.

Corporate taxes would drop from 35% to 20%.

While Team Trump didn’t offer an immediate cost estimate for the plan, a preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget calculated a loss of around $2.2 trillion in taxes to the government over the next 10 years.

Donald Trump and the Republicans say the tax reforms will rev up the U.S. economic engine, thus compensating for lost revenue. Trump repeatedly promised during the election that overhauling the tax code would raise economic growth to 4 percent.

Find more details at the New York Times.

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Donald Trump Angry Over Backing Alabama Loser, Deletes Endorsement Tweets

As predicted, virulently ultra-conservative, anti-LGBT Roy Moore won the U.S. Senate run-off in Alabama last night over incumbent Sen. Luther Strange.

It’s worth noting that Moore is quite open about his utter disdain for LGBTs. He’s publicly stated, “Homosexual conduct should be illegal. It is immoral. It is defined by the law as detestable.”

Strange was appointed to the Senate seat after Jeff Sessions resigned to become U.S. Attorney General.

Donald Trump supported Strange and upon learning the results last night became enraged that he had backed the losing candidate.

From CNN:

Returning from a high-dollar fundraiser in Manhattan on Tuesday evening, an infuriated President Donald Trump watched aboard Air Force One as Fox News called the Alabama Senate primary for Roy Moore against Trump’s favored candidate, Luther Strange.

What ensued was a barrage of angry venting at his political team and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had consolidated establishment GOP support behind Strange. Trump, officials and informal advisers say, felt misled by McConnell and his political team, who encouraged him to endorse and campaign for Strange.

He went to bed “embarrassed and pissed” following the election loss, according to a person familiar with his mindset. Trump, multiple sources said, is furious with McConnell, and feels outdone by his former aide Bannon. It is only the latest in growing list of reasons Trump is furious at McConnell.

Inside the White House, fingers are being pointed at Ward Baker, a McConnell strategist, and Nick Ayers, the vice president’s chief of staff, both of whom were involved in pushing Trump to back Strange, according to sources.

Probably making the loss even worse to swallow was the fact that Moore had the support of former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

Trump was so embarrassed by the loss he began deleting tweets posted over the past couple of weeks showing his support of Strange.