[Discussion] Hope to Remember The Trump Administration Thread as being 'transparent and honest'

Let's follow and discuss what our newest presidential administration gets up to, the good, the bad, the lawsuits, and the many many indictments.

The orange autocratic cheeto just veto'd the cancellation of his "emergency."

I'm more concerned with Barr's response though....

Attorney General Bill Barr defended President Trump's national emergency declaration as legal during a veto ceremony in the Oval Office today.

Barr said the measure was “clearly authorized under the law” after Congress voted to reverse it.

Barr said the southern border situation was precisely the type of situation that would warrant a national emergency.

There are, so far, 7 legal challenges to his declaration.

I wonder how long till it is in front of SCOTUS?

Rio Grande International Study Center, et al. vs. Trump, et al.
El Paso County, Texas et al. vs. Trump, et al.
State of California et al. vs. Trump et al.
Center for Biological Diversity et al. vs. Trump et al.
Alvarez et al. vs. Trump et al.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington vs. Department of Justice
Sierra Club et al. vs. Trump et al.

JC wrote:
Barr said the southern border situation was precisely the type of situation that would warrant a national emergency.

What the hell situation at the southern border? I know they keep repeating this, but it isn't like we even have an unusual amount of border crossings or something--there's been a number of refugees from Guatemala requesting asylum and the like but overall it has been way, way down. For example, in 2016 immigration was about 0.36 percent of the US population. Immigrants (including undocumented immigrants) are a drop in the bucket and declining over the past couple of decades. The idea that there's some kind of acute crisis is a right wing fantasy with no relation to any facts.

Spa operator brought head of Chinese Communist Party’s Florida group to mingle with Trump aides

Miami Herald wrote:

South Florida day spa entrepreneur Li “Cindy” Yang — now famous for her Super Bowl party selfie with the president — used her burgeoning political access to bring Xianqin Qu, a leader from the foreign arm of the Communist Party of China, to an event where she met top Republicans and members of the Trump administration, including Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump.

Qu is the president of the Florida Chapter of the Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Unification of China— a group ”directly subordinate” to the Communist Party of China, according to a 2018 U.S. government report. The group’s stated purpose is to push for reunification of China and Taiwan, although in recent years members in chapters around the world actively promoted a wide range of policies in harmony with Beijing’s agenda abroad.

“Blood is thicker than soil,” said Qu, speaking about China/Taiwan relations at a South Florida event hosted by the Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Unification of China last summer, according to a translation of the organization’s website.

Organizations like the Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Unification of China “actively cultivate ties to campaign donors and politicians in the United States in order to lobby for Beijing’s policy priorities, [and] encourage overseas Chinese to get involved in politics to advocate for Beijing’s interests,” said a 2018 staff research report from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

Although liaisons with lobbyists from foreign governments are normal, Qu gained access to some of Trump’s closest allies not through official channels but at political and social events.

Yang is also active in China's reunification efforts.

Mother Jones wrote:

In June 2016, Yang participated in the founding of the Florida China Peaceful Reunification Promotion Association, and she is pictured in photographs of its inaugural meeting, which was attended by China’s Houston-based consul general and deputy consul general. According to China News, which covered the event, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of China sent a message congratulating the group on its founding. Yang, according to the profile posted on Freewechat, was named a Vice President of the organization.

Experts Tie Massage Parlor Mogul To Chinese Government

TPM wrote:

Experts on Chinese intelligence and security issues keyed in on Yang’s involvement with the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), but they differed on how significant it is that Yang was vice president of CAST’s Miami chapter while she was mingling with the GOP glitterati at Mar-a-Lago.

Some suggested it could implicate her in CAST’s alleged aim of technology transfer from the U.S. to China, while others suggested that the group itself is less important but that Yang fits into a larger web of Chinese state-sponsored efforts to collect information on and influence the U.S.

CAST traces its roots to 1949, the same year the communists seized power in China. , “A number of the nation’s primary scientific and technological organizations gathered at a meeting to call upon the country’s science and technology community to dedicate all their efforts to the building of New China,” according to the group’s website.

The group exists within China, where it operates under the guidance of the Communist Party, and is an arm of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology. It also maintains a branch in the U.S. that “primarily functions as to spot and assess U.S. tech personnel for talent recruitment programs back in China,” according to James Mulvenon, vice president of Defense Group Inc.’s intelligence division and a co-author of “Chinese Industrial Espionage: Technology Acquisition and Military Modernization.”

Mulvenon described CAST’s purpose – and the story around Yang’s role – as “illicit technology transfer.”

Now it makes a bit more sense that someone who came to America 20 years ago and avoided all things politics suddenly started slinging around tens of thousands of dollars at Republican fundraisers.

And I'm sure the government of Taiwan is going to sleep better at night knowing that the Republican leadership will turn a blind eye to China's efforts to gobble them up because they either want those sweet, sweet campaign donations or there's 4K video of them getting a stripmall handie.

Honey trap diplomacy is nothing new, I mean, the Russians used it on 45, seems to be unusually effective on the entire administration.

ProPublica's reporting that Elliott Broidy--major Trump campaign fundraiser, national deputy finance chair of the Republican National Committee, and creepy dude who paid a Playboy model he had an affair with $1.6 million have an abortion and keep quiet--was raided by the feds over the summer.

The feds were looking for evidence of conspiracy, money laundering and violations of the law barring covert lobbying on behalf of foreign officials.

OG_slinger wrote:

Elliott Broidy--major Trump campaign fundraiser, national deputy finance chair of the Republican National Committee, and creepy dude who paid a Playboy model he had an affair with $1.6 million have an abortion and keep quiet

And also one of Cohen's three clients: Broidy, Trump, and Sean Hannity. I'm starting to think that maybe Cohen's clients weren't all on the up and up.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
OG_slinger wrote:

Elliott Broidy--major Trump campaign fundraiser, national deputy finance chair of the Republican National Committee, and creepy dude who paid a Playboy model he had an affair with $1.6 million have an abortion and keep quiet

And also one of Cohen's three clients: Broidy, Trump, and Sean Hannity. I'm starting to think that maybe Cohen's clients weren't all on the up and up.

Says who?

Tanglebones wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:
OG_slinger wrote:

Elliott Broidy--major Trump campaign fundraiser, national deputy finance chair of the Republican National Committee, and creepy dude who paid a Playboy model he had an affair with $1.6 million have an abortion and keep quiet

And also one of Cohen's three clients: Broidy, Trump, and Sean Hannity. I'm starting to think that maybe Cohen's clients weren't all on the up and up.

Says who?

Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I think we should let the facts speak for themselves and let this play out. Besides, what we should really be worried about is all these socialists cropping up in the US.

Socialist crop circles? Trump better build that wall so we can keep all them aliens out.

OG_slinger wrote:

Socialist crop circles? Trump better build that wall so we can keep all them aliens out.

Those socialist croppers are stealing jobs from hard working Americans.

Tanglebones wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:
OG_slinger wrote:

Elliott Broidy--major Trump campaign fundraiser, national deputy finance chair of the Republican National Committee, and creepy dude who paid a Playboy model he had an affair with $1.6 million have an abortion and keep quiet

And also one of Cohen's three clients: Broidy, Trump, and Sean Hannity. I'm starting to think that maybe Cohen's clients weren't all on the up and up.

Says who?

IMAGE(http://66.media.tumblr.com/fd67c7943f3d745c28b3df8972faebb0/tumblr_mgq773aGeH1r7yk82o3_250.gif)

Reaper81 wrote:
Tanglebones wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:
OG_slinger wrote:

Elliott Broidy--major Trump campaign fundraiser, national deputy finance chair of the Republican National Committee, and creepy dude who paid a Playboy model he had an affair with $1.6 million have an abortion and keep quiet

And also one of Cohen's three clients: Broidy, Trump, and Sean Hannity. I'm starting to think that maybe Cohen's clients weren't all on the up and up.

Says who?

Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I think we should let the facts speak for themselves and let this play out. Besides, what we should really be worried about is all these socialists cropping up in the US.

Says Who?

Going for the trifecta and posting this here as well.

The White House wants to see the Mueller report before anyone else so that they can claim executive privilege.

That’s horse sh*t

Washington (CNN) — White House lawyers expect to have an opportunity to review whatever version of Robert Mueller's report Attorney General Bill Barr submits to Congress before it reaches lawmakers and the public, multiple sources familiar with the matter said, setting up a potential political battle over the hotly anticipated document.

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/03/18/pol...

Trump accuses Facebook and Twitter of "collusion" against conservatives

President Trump joined conservative voices in criticizing American social media companies like Facebook and Twitter on Tuesday, accusing the platforms of censoring Republicans and stating the US must "get to the bottom" of it.

"I tell you, I have many, many millions of followers on Twitter and it's different than it used to be: Things are happening, names are taken off, people aren't getting through," Trump said. "You've heard the same complaints. And it seems to be if they're conservative, if they're Republicans, if they're in a certain group, there's discrimination and big discrimination."

"I see it absolutely on Twitter and Facebook," he added, though offered no examples. Trump suggested that "collusion" is happening behind the scenes, be he did not elaborate on who the tech executives might be colluding with.

IMAGE(https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/716/623/38b.jpg)

ahahahaha

“The Economic Report of the President has revealed that the quality of interns at CEA is much better than it was when I was there....we never got cool ones like Steve Rogers, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker, Aunt May, and John Cleese”

Most wrote:

ahahahaha

“The Economic Report of the President has revealed that the quality of interns at CEA is much better than it was when I was there....we never got cool ones like Steve Rogers, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker, Aunt May, and John Cleese”

Lol

Also Kathryn Janeway and J(aba) T(he) Hutt.

John Snow was not a valuable contributor. Dude knows nothing.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

John Snow was not a valuable contributor. Dude knows nothing.

He strongly denies the existence of global warming though.

Last year's team was better. They had both James T Kirk AND Jean Luc Picard! What a get!

dejanzie wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

John Snow was not a valuable contributor. Dude knows nothing.

He strongly denies the existence of global warming though.

This works on many levels, considering the Others/white walkers are a huge sprawling metaphor for climate change

Seth wrote:
dejanzie wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

John Snow was not a valuable contributor. Dude knows nothing.

He strongly denies the existence of global warming though.

This works on many levels, considering the Others/white walkers are a huge sprawling metaphor for climate change

Isn't John Snow more like Al Gore in regards to white walkers/climate change?

Jayhawker wrote:
Seth wrote:
dejanzie wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

John Snow was not a valuable contributor. Dude knows nothing.

He strongly denies the existence of global warming though.

This works on many levels, considering the Others/white walkers are a huge sprawling metaphor for climate change

Isn't John Snow more like Al Gore in regards to white walkers/climate change?

If so they would have to not appear everywhere he went?

Jayhawker wrote:

Isn't John Snow more like Al Gore in regards to white walkers/climate change?

This is something that's a lot more explicit in the books than in the show. In A Feast for Crows, Jon Snow invents the internet.

Unlike Al Gore, Jon Snow wins his electoral challenges

Tanglebones wrote:

Unlike Al Gore, Jon Snow wins his electoral challenges

For the Watch.

Clocky is not getting NEARLY enough likes for those hilarious posts and it’s making me question things.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
Jayhawker wrote:

Isn't John Snow more like Al Gore in regards to white walkers/climate change?

This is something that's a lot more explicit in the books than in the show. In A Feast for Crows, Jon Snow invents the internet.

"You know nothing, Jon Snow."
"I no longer need to."

Cindy Yang helped Chinese tech stars get $50K photos with Trump. Who paid?

Miami Herald wrote:

More than a year before her Super Bowl selfie with the president, Li “Cindy” Yang brought two Chinese-born tech executives — an Australia-based cryptocurrency guru known in the industry as “the Martian” and a startup CEO whose firm recently became a jersey sponsor for the Dallas Mavericks — to take formal photos with President Donald Trump.

Both men flashed a thumbs-up for the camera. So did Trump.

It was a big moment — and it came with a big price tag: $50,000 per photo, benefiting the president’s re-election campaign.

But neither Ryan Xu nor Lucas Lu appear to have paid for the privilege. A search of a federal database showed no record of either man giving to Trump Victory, the political action committee that sold tickets — as well as perks like photos with the president — for the Dec. 2, 2017, breakfast fundraiser hosted by the Republican National Committee in New York City.

So who paid Trump Victory for their photos?

Yang isn’t saying — but she and three associates with an Asian-American political group donated a total of $135,500 to Trump Victory in the weeks leading up to the event. None of those associates would comment either. One of them told the Miami Herald she could not recall making a $25,000 donation listed in her name and address.

...

Selling tickets to campaign fundraisers without disclosing the buyer to the Federal Election Commission is illegal. Selling tickets to foreign nationals, who are banned from donating to American political causes, would be an additional violation of U.S. law. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents can contribute, although foreign nationals can attend fundraisers if they do not reimburse anyone for their tickets. It would be legal for Yang and her associates to give away tickets and high-dollar extras like photos with the president as gifts, but illegal to sell them.

So it's now gone from Yang and friends donating about $60,000 to Yang and friends donating a few hundred thousands dollars with several of Yang's friends claiming they either don't remember donating such large amounts of money or being incapable of doing so, like the receptionist at Yang-owned beauty school who donated $5,400 (and then refused to say if she had been illegally reimbursed by Yang).

Buttery Males!!1!

Politico wrote:

House Democrats are raising new concerns about what they say is recently revealed information from Jared Kushner’s attorney indicating that the senior White House aide has been relying on encrypted messaging service WhatsApp and his personal email account to conduct official business.

...

According to [Rep. Elijah] Cummings, [Kushner's lawyer Abbe] Lowell also told him and Gowdy that Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter who also serves as a top adviser, conducts official White House business through her personal email account. Cummings suggested that Ivanka Trump was in violation of the Presidential Records Act because she was not forwarding emails to her official White House account that deal with government-related business.

Cummings also told [White House Counsel Pat] Cipollone that the committee obtained a document showing that [former deputy national security adviser K.T. ] McFarland was using an AOL.com account to conduct official White House business. Cummings said the document shows that McFarland was in communication with Tom Barrack, a longtime Trump confidant and the chairman of the president’s Inaugural Committee, about transferring “sensitive U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia.”

Barrack pitched the plan to Bannon through Bannon’s personal email account, according to Cummings.

“These communications raise questions about whether these officials complied with the Presidential Records Act and whether the White House identified this personal email use during its internal review and took steps to address it,” Cummings wrote.

Recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the golan heights? f*ck off.

He's trying to keep Netanyahu in power, most likely for preferred business deals once his term is done.

He's playing to these idiot evangelicals who think Israel is sacrosanct because the big J is on his way.