How stupid is Trump?

• Trump extended post-presidency protections by six months
• Secret Service detailing four siblings and two of their spouses

Donald Trump’s adult children reportedly cost taxpayers $140,000 in Secret Service security in the month after the clan’s patriarch left the White House in January.

Ordinarily, family members of a president lose their security detail when they leave office. But in the case of the four Trump siblings and two of their spouses, the former president issued a directive to extend post-presidency protections by six months.

The costs, obtained by the watchdog group Citizens for Ethics, do not include security protections at Trump properties in New Jersey, Palm Beach and Briarcliff, New York. With those factored in, the total would likely be far higher, according to the group.

According to the watchdog, records reveal that the Trump children maintained a “breakneck speed of travel, and racked up significant hotel and transportation bills for the Secret Service”. Transport costs alone amounted to $52,296.75, and hotel costs totaled at least $88,678.39.

If that schedule is maintained, the group estimates, post-presidency protection costs could nearly $1m. The group has previously calculated that the Trump family made 12 times as many trips in three years as the Obamas made in seven.

The arrangements, however, are not unique: former presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and George W Bush also sought protection extensions, though in the case of Clinton and Obama their children were by then at, or close to, college-age.

The Washington Post, which reported on Trump’s directive in January, found that extensions to Secret Service protections were also extended to former treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin, former chief of staff Mark Meadows and former national security adviser Robert O’Brien.

Under federal law, Trump and his wife Melania are entitled to protection for their lifetime; their teenage son Barron receives his until he turns 16.

The watchdog found that Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump went from their jobs at the White House to a 10-day vacation in Utah, racking up hotel costs of $62,599. After a month in Miami, they stayed at Trump’s Bedminster golf property for three days in late February.

Eric and Lara Trump spent much of February at Trump’s Briarcliff property, interspersed with trips to New York, Miami and Palm Beach, at a cost of $12,742.

Donald Trump Jr also spent time in New York City, on Long Island, and in upstate New York, racking up bills of $13,337.

But Citizens for Ethics said the Secret Service did not provide records of spending at Trump businesses.

“While it may be tempting to put the story of the Trump family’s profiteering in the past, we cannot until they have actually stopped directing taxpayer money into their own bank accounts,” the group said.

if you think "Trump is a hero", i can get you hooked up with a good psychiatrist...

Trump is a hero willing to stand up to Putin's Russia. Biden would do well to follow suit.

goldberg wrote:

Trump is a hero willing to stand up to Putin's Russia. Biden would do well to follow suit.

How did Trump stand up to Putin's Russia, exactly?

“What is he talking about? Does he think the horse tested positive for Antifa?” — JIMMY KIMMEL

“And honestly, if he’s going to start picking fights with horses, we should let him back on Twitter, because I want to see that.” — JIMMY KIMMEL

“I just can’t stop laughing at the image of him at his desk writing about his thoughts about a horse by hand.” — JIMMY FALLON

“This was an official statement from the former president calling a horse a ‘junkie,’ as if it bought the drugs itself in some back alley, like it only got caught cause the horse’s parents found it in a shoe box under its bed — its stable?” — SETH MEYERS

“Medina Spirit tested positive for elevated levels of Betamethasone, or as it’s called on the street, ‘the devil’s oats,’ ‘happy apples,’ ‘horse horse.’” — STEPHEN COLBERT

“When he heard that, the horse is like, ‘Hey, you said that needle was the third Pfizer vaccine.” — JIMMY FALLON

“On the bright side, the horse has no idea what’s going on. He didn’t even know he was in a race, because he’s a horse.” — JAMES CORDEN

“Race organizers became suspicious when the horse kept telling people about his screenplay, and then going, ‘God, don’t you just want to dance?’” — JAMES CORDEN

“And the horse claimed it was just holding it for a friend.” — STEPHEN COLBERT

“Right now the horse is thinking, ‘As long as I’m being put out to stud, this sounds more like a you problem.’” — JIMMY FALLON

“As if things weren’t bad enough for Medina Spirit, a photo just surfaced of him partying with Jeffrey Epstein.” — JIMMY FALLON

“Yeah, his racing days may be over, but on the bright side, he just joined the Russian gymnastics team.” — JIMMY FALLON

“This is the most high-profile animal drug scandal since the winner of last year’s Westminster dog show, Heisenberg.” — STEPHEN COLBERT

That was a good piece, Bill. Almost cathartic to read!

Think either Oralloy or builder have the chutzpah or integrity to read it?

I've disagreed in the past when Hightor or Blatham or Frank Apisa have sung the praises of certain conservatives that used to post here regularly. They've said that they miss those like georgeob1, who would make good faith efforts to engage about the actual policies; that with them, discussions could at least be centered on issues rather than on personalities.

I had my share of caustic encounters with georgeob1 (and others that are named among conservatives who would debate issues).
I will take my share of the responsibility for fueling the flames.

Never thought I'd say it but - after pages and months of "I know you are, but what am I", I'm coming to appreciate what those posters brought to the table.

Facebook Oversight Board upholds Trump's suspension from the platform
(cnn)

Feds execute search warrant on Rudy Giuliani's apartment
(cnn)

The long term solution to these witch hunts is to outlaw the Democratic Party altogether.