Tag: Donald Trump

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News Round-Up: February 10, 2021

Funnyman Michael Henry is down because he doesn't have a boo for Valentine's Day

Funnyman Michael Henry is down because he doesn't have a boo for Valentine's Day
Michael Henry is down about Valentine’s Day (screen capture)
Some news items you might have missed: • Yahoo News: Ryan Williams, 24, was beaten until he lost consciousness by Brandon Forrester, 19, in 2019. Forrester pleaded guilty to causing bodily harm and was sentenced to a nine-month term. But due to the COVID pandemic and “previous good character,” his sentence was suspended and was allowed to walk free. “After court he started laughing at my mum’s face, he showed no remorse,” said Williams. • Instinct Magazine: The U.K. has experienced a record number of HIV tests recently and many attribute the increase to the popular new AIDS-era drama, It’s A Sin. HIV advocacy group Terrence Higgins Trust says there has been a “four-fold increase” on HIV Testing Week stats compared to earlier years. • YouTube: Funnyman Michael Henry (top image) throws a wrench into plans to shoot a ‘quarantine cruising’ clip with his buddy ‘Terry’ because he’s down about not having a boyfriend for Valentine’s Day.

• Boy Culture: Matt Rettenmund remembers Larry Flynt, the controversial publisher of Hustler Magazine who championed free speech (smutty or not). Flynt died today due to heart failure at the age of 78. • The Daily Beast: During an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Wednesday Twitter’s CFO Ned Segal told viewers that Donald Trump will never be allowed on the social media platform. • The Atlantic: Soon after the November election, a business colleague of Donald Trump’s close ally Corey Lewandowski offered a whistleblower and convicted ex-banker an expensive deal: In exchange for a $300,000 fee up front—plus another $1 million if successful—the two men would push the then-president for a pardon. • HBO Max: Check out the trailer for the new HBO documentary There Is No ‘I’ In Threesome premiering on February 11. Ollie Lucks is the director of the new doc film that explores his bisexual, polyamorous identity alongside his girlfriend Zoe. Hoping to expand their sexual horizons, the couple decided to open up their relationship before getting hitched.

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Georgia Prosecutor Begins Criminal Investigation Into Trump Election Interference

A prosecutor in Georgia is reportedly in the early stages of investigating Donald Trump for attempting to overturn the election results in the state

A prosecutor in Georgia is reportedly in the early stages of investigating Donald Trump for attempting to overturn the election results in the state
(image via Depositphotos)
A prosecutor in Georgia has taken steps to launch an investigation into Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the state’s presidential election results. Election officials in the state have been asked to preserve documents (including phone call transcripts) related to “an investigation into attempts to influence the administration of the 2020 Georgia General Election.” From the New York Times:

For two months after Joseph R. Biden Jr. was declared the winner, Mr. Trump relentlessly attacked election officials in Georgia, including Mr. Raffensperger and Mr. Kemp, claiming they were not doing enough to uncover instances of voting fraud that might change the outcome.

In addition to the phone call to Mr. Raffensperger, he also called Mr. Kemp in early December and pressured him to call a special legislative session to overturn his election loss. Later that month, Mr. Trump called a state investigator and pressed the official to “find the fraud,” according to those with knowledge of the call.

The inquiry makes Georgia the second state after New York where Mr. Trump faces a criminal investigation. And it comes in a jurisdiction where potential jurors are unlikely to be hospitable to the former president; Fulton County encompasses most of Atlanta and overwhelmingly supported President Biden in the November election.

This new investigation is in addition to a criminal fraud inquiry into Trump’s finances by the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., and a civil fraud inquiry by the New York attorney general.

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Impeachment: Senate Votes 56-44 That Trump Trial Is Constitutional

U.S. Senate votes that second impeachment of Donald Trump is constitutional

U.S. Senate votes that second impeachment of Donald Trump is constitutional
(screen capture via C-Span2)
As the first day of Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial got underway, House Managers leading the prosecution against Trump began with a powerful video presentation compiled from actual footage from the January 6 invasion of the U.S. Capitol building. Following the video, Trump’s own lawyers, during a meandering speech, acknowledged the video was a very compelling argument. It’s worth noting that, in a written response a day ago, Trump’s lawyers described the mob who attacked the U.S. Capitol building “a small group of criminals.” “A small group?” That sounds like five, six people…a dinner party… Does this look like a “small group of criminals?”

Weeks ago, five Republicans voted with Senate Democrats that the impeachment proceeding was constitutional. After today’s presentations, Sen. Cassidy (R-LA) changed his mind and made it six Republicans who believe the impeachment is constitutional as the final vote was 56-44. Many sources are reporting that Trump was irate to the point of screaming at the TV as his lawyer failed to make a full-throated defense. Even Trump-friendly legal expert Alan Dershowitz admitted on the far-right leaning outlet Newsmax that Trump’s team didn’t score any points today.

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Cohen Apologizes To Stormy Daniels For ‘Needless Pain’

Porn star Stormy Daniels and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen

Porn star Stormy Daniels and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen
L-R Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen
For the first time, Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen speaks with porn star Stormy Daniels in an hourlong chat on Cohen’s podcast, Mea Culpa. Via HuffPost:

Seeking to bury the hatchet, Cohen interviews Daniels in the latest episode of his podcast, “Mea Culpa,” in which the two commiserate over life-altering experiences with Trump and his recent departure from office.

Cohen, in keeping with the title of his program, apologizes for “the needless pain” he put Daniels through when he arranged a $130,000 payment during the 2016 presidential campaign to keep her quiet about an alleged dalliance with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the affair.

“Both of our stories will be forever linked with Donald Trump, but also with one another,” Cohen tells her. “Thanks for giving me a second chance.”

Also in the podcast chat, Daniels refers to the 2008 sexual encounter with Trump “the worst 90 seconds of my life, for sure, because it just made me hate myself.” She shares that she hadn’t planned on having sex with the Donald. At one point in the tryst she apparently pondered how to escape the room, thinking “I could definitely outrun him.” Cohen has been recording the podcast from his living room in Manhattan since being released from prison last summer. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and health concerns in crowded prisons, he’s being allowed to serve out the rest of his sentence at home.

 

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Trump Balked At Legal Bill After Raising $170+ Million From Supporters

Donald Trump

Trump balked at hefty legal bill after raising over $170 million from his cultists
Donald Trump speaking to Axios (screen capture)
Donald Trump balked at paying the legal bill proposed by the legal team that was set to defend him in his second impeachment trial. According to many, Trump wanted the lawyers to continue his line of baseless claims that the election was ‘stolen’ from him, which has no basis in reality. The attorneys said the best course of action would be to argue against the constitutionality of the impeachment proceeding saying the Constitution doesn’t provide for impeaching a president out of office. In any case, the legal eagles flew the coup coop. But now, Axios reports that Trump balked at paying the legal fees the lawyers were requesting. Mind you – this is after Trump had already grifted over $170 million from his cultists to be used for legal defense.

The notoriously stingy former president and his lead lawyer, Butch Bowers, wrangled over compensation during a series of tense phone calls, sources familiar with their conversations said. The argument came even though Trump has raised over $170 million from the public that could be used on his legal defenses.

The two initially agreed Bowers would be paid $250,000 for his individual services, a figure that “delighted” Trump, one of the sources said.

However, Trump didn’t realize Bowers hadn’t included additional expenses — including more lawyers, researchers and other legal fees that would be accrued on the job.

He was said to be livid when Bowers came back to him with a total budget of $3 million. Trump called the South Carolina attorney and eventually negotiated him down to $1 million.

Scrambling, Trump announced on Sunday he had found new attorneys to represent him:  David Schoen and Bruce L. Castor Jr. Trump is probably not worried about being found guilty anyway after a preliminary vote showed 45 Republican Senators are not in favor of the impeachment proceeding.

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Florida: Trump Plaza Dumps Trump Name

Donald Trump (screen capture)

Trump Plaza in West Palm Beach voted to dump the Trump name from building
Donald Trump (screen capture)
The folks at Trump Plaza in West Palm Beach are done with being associated with the Trump name. From the Palm Beach Post:

The Trump name has been dumped from a signature West Palm Beach condominium in the wake of the Jan. 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol.

Last week, the board of the Trump Plaza condominium voted unanimously to change the legal name of the twin-tower complex. As a result, former President Donald Trump no longer will have a condo bearing his name across the water from his island enclave on Palm Beach.

The 32-story, twin-tower complex decided to cut its last link with Trump following his actions in inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The condo’s Jan. 19 vote cleared the way for residents to cast a ballot to choose a new name for the luxury condo, where units sell from $1 million to more than $4 million.

“The Trump brand is damaged, so rebranding the complex is a wise move,” said Burt Minkoff, a real estate agent with Douglas Elliman on Palm Beach.

It’s not just Florida, either. Data shows buildings in Manhattan bearing the Trump name have seen their value drop by half. “The Trump name is probably pretty radioactive right now,” realtor Mark Cohen told Business Insider.

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Trump Considered Firing Acting AG, Using Justice Dept To Overturn Georgia Election Results

Donald Trump

Donald Trump
Donald Trump (photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr – CC License)
According to a new report, Jeffrey Clark, the acting head of the civil division at the end of the Trump administration, supported Donald Trump’s plans of undermining the 2020 presidential election and using the Department of Justice to pressure Georgia officials to change the state’s election results. From the New York Times:

The department’s senior leaders were shocked when Mr. Clark’s machinations came to light. They have spent recent weeks debating how he came to betray Mr. Rosen, his biggest champion at the department, and what blend of ambition and conviction led him to reject the results of the election and embrace Mr. Trump’s claims, despite all evidence to the contrary, including inside the department itself.

The plot devised by Mr. Clark and Mr. Trump would have ousted Mr. Rosen and used the Justice Department to pressure lawmakers in Georgia to overturn the state’s election results. But Mr. Trump ultimately decided against firing Mr. Rosen after top department leaders pledged to resign en masse.

Senior Justice department officials, including Rosen, former Attorney General William Barr and former acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall repeatedly refused to file a case with the Supreme Court case since there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud. The Times goes on to quote colleagues of Clark who were stunned to find out about the plan. “The story kind of shocked me because this is not the Jeff that I know,” said Theodore H. Frank, a friend and former co-worker. A Justice Department watchdog is now apparently investigating the matter. Read the full report at the New York Times.

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Biden Beats Trump With Higher Inaugural TV Ratings

L-R Donald Trump, Joe Biden (screen capture, campaign photo)
First Donald Trump lost the popular vote to Joe Biden, then the Electoral College, now – gasp – the TV ratings. From the New York Times:

President Biden’s inaugural address on Wednesday attracted about a million and a half more viewers than tuned in for Donald J. Trump’s inaugural speech four years ago, according to preliminary data from Nielsen.

Nearly 40 million people watched Mr. Biden’s address on the major cable news stations and the three big broadcast networks. In 2017, 38.3 million viewers watched his predecessor’s first speech as president, the Nielsen data shows.

CNN was the ratings leader, drawing roughly 10 million viewers from roughly 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., when Mr. Biden took center stage. Only 2.7 million watched Mr. Biden’s address on Fox News, the lowest of the major networks and a sharp reversal from four years ago, when nearly 12 million viewers tuned in to Mr. Trump’s preferred cable news network.

Of course, we’ve also seen reports that Trump was irked that Hollywood turned out bigly for the Biden inaugural with such stars as Lady Gaga, JLo, Garth Brooks, Katy Perry, John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato, Tom Hanks and more. Every time a star showed up during either the swearing in ceremony or the Inaugural Concert last evening, my hubby Michael would remind me of Trump’s ‘galaxy of stars’ – Scott Baio, reality contestant Jackie Evancho and Lee Greenwood.

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Randy Rainbow Counts Down The Seasons Of Trump

Randy Rainbow serves up a satirical sendoff for the 'Seasons of Trump'

Randy Rainbow serves up a satirical sendoff for the Seasons of Trump
(image via YouTube)
Like many of us, political satirist Randy Rainbow has been counting down the days (even the minutes) until Donald Trump leaves the White House. The day before the Donald’s departure, Rainbow has reassembled some of his most popular characters from over 100 videos to perform this musical sendoff, a parody of the iconic “Seasons of Love” from the Broadway musical RENT. Throughout Trump’s time in the political spotlight, Rainbow has provided dozens of spot-on, uber-clever music video parodies skewering the Trumpster. Taking the melodies from Broadway and pop culture and meshing them with sharp-as-a-tack lyrics, Rainbow has served up hilarious helpings of biting commentary on Trump and his orange misdeeds. Today, Rainbow and company remember the “Seasons of Trump” the country has had to endure for the past 2,102,400 minutes.

Two million a hundred two thousand four hundred minutes With just one president so unhinged and unfit Two million a hundred two thousand four hundred minutes How do you measure four years of this sh*t?

In scandals, impeachments, in porn stars, in Scaramuccis In rallies, in insurrections, in flies In two million a hundred two thousand four hundred minutes How do you measure four years of the lies?

Along the way, we’re reminded of some of the outrageousness that was the Trump administration. That includes Trump’s declaration as ‘a very stable genius,’ plus a rogues gallery of characters like Kellyanne Conway, Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kelly McEnany. Rainbow also manages to mention pee tapes, fake news, COVID, covfefes, and ‘alternative facts.’ It all culminates in a Mariah-inspired high note and a whispered ‘bye gurl.’ His most recent musical missive took aim at the insurrectionists who invaded the U.S. Capitol building. Co-opting the tune of ‘Tradition’ from Fiddler on the Roof, Rainbow’s ‘Sedition!’ garnered over 2 million views in less than a week. As Saturday Night Live has found, there’s always something in politics to lampoon, so here’s hoping Rainbow continues to entertain us even without the Orange one in office. You can find my many posts covering Rainbow’s past parodies by clicking here.

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Gallup: Trump’s Approval Rating Craters At 34%

Fifty-four percent of Americans believe Donald Trump should be impeached

The last Gallup poll to report on Donald Trump’s approval rating shows the 45th president will leave the Oval Office with a dismal 34 percent approval. The number of Americans who disapprove of the job Trump has done has skyrocketed to 62 percent. Those are Trump’s worst numbers in the weekly tracking poll. His average job approval over 4 years is 41 percent.

Donald Trump's approval rating has plummeted to 34 percent
(screen capture via Gallup)
It won’t be good news to Trump to learn that he lags far behind other recent presidents at this point in their time in office. At this point in their first terms in office, the three most recent presidents – Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton – all fared much better in terms of approval rating. Obama was at 54 percent, Bush was at 52 percent, and Clinton enjoyed 62 percent approval from the nation. Of course, it goes without saying that all three of those men served two terms in the Oval Office. See the graphic below. Donald Trump's approval rating is much lower than his recent predessessors As I recently reported, Trump’s approval rating hit another all-time low over at Pew Research which showed a sad 29% approval.