Tag: Donald Trump

Posted on

Village People Are Cool With Trump Campaign Using Their Music?

The Village People, whose disco-tastic hits include “In The Navy,” “YMCA,” and “Macho Man,” have given the green light to President Donald Trump’s campaign to use their songs at campaign events even though fans have urged the band to withhold permission. In a statement posted on their Facebook page, the band shared that they had received “numerous requests” to ban Trump from using their songs, particularly “YMCA” and “Macho Man.” Noting that Trump recently made his entrance at Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, on Monday to the 1978 track “Macho Man,” the band told fans they can “no longer remain silent” on the issue. “Since our music is not being used for a specific endorsement, the President’s use is “perfect[ly]” legal,” read the statement. “He has remained respectful in his use of our songs and has not crossed the line; if he or any other candidate were to use any of our songs in a manner that would suggest our endorsement, or in a promotional advertisement, that would cross the line.” The Village People also underscored that their music is “all-inclusive and certainly everyone is entitled to do the YMCA dance, regardless of their political affiliation.”

While Trump has been using “Macho Man” at campaign events since 2018, many have noted the irony in the Donald’s usage of the gay anthem considering his unceasing attacks on the LGBTQ community since he took office. Just a few of the attacks include the president’s anti-transgender military policy, which prohibits transgender people from serving in the U.S. armed forces; the administration’s proposed policy to allow religiously affiliated businesses to turn away LGBTQ people; and attempts to discharge HIV+ soldiers who are healthy and able to serve. Plus, according to Lambda Legal, Trump has nominated dozens of circuit court judges who have demonstrated anti-LGBTQ bias in their careers. While the Village People are cool with Trump using their music, other artists, including Adele, Rihanna, R.E.M., Aerosmith, and Queen, have publicly demanded the Trump campaign stop using their music at his events.

Posted on

Report Showing Russia’s Preference For Trump Gets Intel Chief Fired

Donald Trump

And now we know why Donald Trump suddenly fired his acting director of national intelligence and moved German Ambassador Richard Grenell (who has zero experience in national intelligence) to the post. From the Washington Post:

Shelby Pierson, the intelligence community’s election threats executive, participated in a classified briefing on election security last week for the House Intelligence Committee.

Pierson told the lawmakers — Democrats and Republicans — that according to the intelligence gathered by U.S. agencies, Russia had “developed a preference” for Trump in 2020, according to an official briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a classified briefing.

Following that, Trump grew angry at his acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, in the Oval Office, seeing Maguire and his staff as disloyal for speaking to Congress about Russia’s perceived preference.

The intelligence official’s analysis and Trump’s furious response ­ruined Maguire’s chances of becoming the permanent intelligence chief, according to people familiar with the matter who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.

Trump says he’s considering Rep. Douglas A. Collins for permanent DNI post; Collins says he doesn’t want it

Trump announced Wednesday that he was replacing Maguire with a vocal loyalist, Richard Grenell, who is the U.S. ambassador to Germany.

Posted on

Trump Ally Roger Stone Sentenced To 40 Months Prison Term

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Thursday sentenced Donald Trump’s longtime friend, Roger Stone, to a 40-month prison term for obstructing a congressional investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

From the Washington Post:

In a lengthy speech before imposing the penalty, Jackson seemed to take aim at Trump, saying that Stone “was not prosecuted for standing up for the president; he was prosecuted for covering up for the president.” She also appeared to call out Attorney General William P. Barr, whose intervention to reduce career prosecutors’ sentencing recommendation she called “unprecedented.” But she said the politics surrounding the case had not influenced her final decision.

Jackson made clear she thought Stone’s crimes were serious. She called his testimony “plainly false” and “a flat-out lie” and said his misdirection “shut out important avenues” for Congress to investigate. The judge said Stone knew “it could reflect badly on the president if someone learned” about his efforts to obtain damaging information from the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks about Clinton, who was then running against Trump for president.

Prosecutors said the longtime GOP operative lied during testimony to the House Intelligence Committee in September 2017 to conceal his central role in the Trump campaign’s efforts to learn about computer files hacked by Russia and made public by WikiLeaks. Stone also threatened a witness who was an associate of his in an attempt to prevent the man from cooperating with lawmakers.

In addition to the prison time, Judge Jackson ordered Stone to pay a $20,000 fine, do community service and submit to substance abuse testing.

Stone was convicted on all seven counts of lying to Congress and tampering with a witness by a jury last November. He is the sixth Trump associate convicted of crimes discovered by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation.

I continue to believe Trump will pardon Stone sometime in the near future.

Posted on

Buttigieg To Limbaugh: My Marriage Has Never Involved “Hush Money” To Porn Stars

During last night’s CNN Town Hall event, Pete Buttigieg’s response to recent comments by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh about his sexual orientation earned him the biggest applause of the night. Last week, Limbaugh asked his listeners if they could imagine Donald Trump “having fun” with the idea of Buttigieg kissing his husband, Chasten, after a debate. He added that “America’s still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate stage.” Rushbo’s stance seemed to be that Democrats were uncomfortable with the idea of Pete and Chasten exchanging PDAs. Note – it’s very common for candidates to hug/kiss their spouses after a debate event. Why a hug between the Buttigiegs would be ‘too much’ isn’t quite clear. Limbaugh also wondered aloud how parents would “explain” Buttigieg kissing his husband to their children. This point became an instant meme with folks referencing Donald Trump’s infamous Access Hollywood statement: “How do you explain ‘Grab’em by the p*ssy’ to your children?” The next day, Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera asked Trump about Limbaugh’s comments. Trump said that he could see Americans voting for an openly gay candidate. “There would be a group that probably wouldn’t, but you or I wouldn’t be in that group.” On Sunday, during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, Dana Bash asked Buttigieg to respond to Limbaugh’s remarks. “Well, I love my husband. I’m faithful to my husband. Onstage, we usually just go for a hug, but I love him very much,” Buttigieg said. “And I’m not going to take lectures on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh.”

Fast forward to last night’s event on CNN, Erin Burnett asked Buttigieg about the comments from Limbaugh (who’s been married four times) and Trump (who’s been married three times): “Publicly, Trump says he would not have a problem supporting a gay candidate? Do you take him at his word?” “Not if he’s sending out his supporters to talk in this way,” answered Buttigieg. “The idea of the likes of Rush Limbaugh or Donald Trump lecturing anybody on family values?” “I’m sorry, but one thing about my marriage is it’s never involved me having to send hush money to a porn star after cheating on my spouse.” #BOOM #HugeApplause “So if they want to debate family values, let’s debate family values, I’m ready,” added the former mayor.

Six of the Democratic candidates, including Buttigieg, will take to the debate stage tonight in Las Vegas in advance of Saturday’s Nevada caucuses. The debate will be broadcast live on NBC News, MSNBC and Universo (in Spanish) beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

Posted on

Obama Triggers Trump Over Economic Results

Former President Barack Obama took to Twitter on Monday to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The $800 billion stimulus package paved “the way for more than a decade of economic growth and the longest streak of job creation in American history.” But the tweet apparently triggered Donald Trump, who constantly takes credit for the “greatest economy in the history of our country.” Trump frequently mentions the economy as he campaigns in his bid for reelection. A few facts from CNN: The average monthly job growth has declined from 224,000 during Obama’s last three years to 182,000 during Trump’s first three. The unemployment rate has fallen to 3.6% last month from 4.7% in January 2017 as Trump took office. Yet that merely continued the trend of the last six years of Obama’s term. Since Trump assumed the presidency in January 2017, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen by 47%, as of about 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday. During Obama’s second term, the Dow rose 44%.

Posted on

Parody: Randy Rainbow ‘There Are No Rules For Donald’

Political satirist Randy Rainbow is back to brighten our week with his new video, “No Rules For Donald.” The song is a parody of the smash hit “New Rules” by Dua Lipa. As some of the commenters on the YouTube page noted, this is slightly darker than earlier parodies which is perhaps as it should be. There’s not much funny about this situation anymore.

Posted on

Senate Set To Pass Resolution Limiting Trump’s War Powers

Donald Trump

Politico is reporting the U.S. Senate appears ready to approve a bipartisan resolution that would “limit President Donald Trump’s authority to launch military operations against Iran weeks after the U.S. killed a top Iranian general.”

The War Powers resolution, introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), came to the floor Wednesday with a final expected vote Thursday.

While the measure is not likely to garner enough support to overturn a likely Trump veto, its expected passage in the Senate nevertheless illustrates a rare congressional effort to rein in the president’s executive authority.

In addition to all 47 Democrats, the measure so far has support from Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Todd Young of Indiana, Mike Lee of Utah, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Jerry Moran of Kansas.

The Democratic senators running for president are expected to be in Washington for the vote on Thursday, ensuring that the 51-vote threshold for the War Powers resolution will be met.

Predictably, the Donald is not happy.

Posted on

Following Trump Meltdown DOJ Will Reduce Roger Stone Prison Sentence Recommendation

Roger Stone (screen capture)
A senior Justice Department official tells the Washington Post the DOJ now plans to reduce its sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone, who was convicted in November of obstructing Congress and witness tampering in the Robert Mueller investigation. The announcement comes after Donald Trump ranted on Twitter about the requested seven-to-nine year recommendation.

In a stunning rebuke of career prosecutors that will surely raise questions about political interference in the case, a senior Justice Department official said the department “was shocked to see the sentencing recommendation in the Roger Stone case last night.”

“That recommendation is not what had been briefed to the department,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive case. “The department finds the recommendation extreme and excessive and disproportionate to Stone’s offenses. The department will clarify its position later today.”

The statement came hours after Trump tweeted about the sentence prosecutors recommended, saying: “This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!” The senior Justice Department official, though, said the decision to revise prosecutors’ recommendation came before Trump’s tweet.

Let’s face it, folks. Trump is going to pardon Stone AND Michael Flynn. No matter what, no matter what prison sentence they get, he will pardon them. Mark my words.

Posted on

South Carolina Republicans Plan To Boost Bernie To Help Trump

First, Trump supporters called the Iowa caucus hotlines to jam up reporting the results – and now this. From the New York Post:

Republicans in South Carolina have hatched a plan to encourage GOP voters to support Sen. Bernie Sanders in the state’s upcoming Democratic primary, arguing that he poses the weakest threat to President Trump in the general election.

That plan has two goals: Boost the candidate the party believes will have the hardest time winning the state in November against Trump, and pressure Democrats to support their effort to have closed state primaries in the future.

South Carolina has open primaries, which means voters can participate in any primary without being required to register with a specific party.