Who will be next to speak out about Trump?

[NobleHunter]

Change the laws how? I'm not sure Congress has the power to decide was is and is not the President's business.

[LetterRip]

I think it's tacky, in bad taste, and a long list of other things. But it is legally permissible, so completely up Trump's alley to do.

I don't think it is legally permissible.  The relevant law is only for their government speech, not private speech.  His statements as a private citizen are not to be defended by the government lawyers.

Found a good article that discusses how courts have interpreted the Westfall Act, there apparently is some precendent.

https://www.reuters.com/article/legal-us-otc-carroll/can-trump-rape-accuser-block-doj-takeover-of-defamation-suit-idUSKBN2603C3

I'm curious if the case can/will be remanded to the State Court after removal to Federal court.

[TheDeamon]

Change the laws how? I'm not sure Congress has the power to decide was is and is not the President's business.

This is made possible by an interpretation of the Westfall Act. In that respect, they just amend the Westfall Act to better specify what circumstances can or cannot be applied with regard to the Westfall Act.

[Wayward Son]

Don't like it? Get the relevant laws changed.

How do you do that when Trump would just veto any such law, and at least a third of the Senate are such toadies they would never disagree with him?

That's why we need him voted out of office (along with as many of his toadies as we can).

[DonaldD]

Pence's former lead coronavirus task force aide slams Trump and endorses Biden.  Or, with your wml filter turned up to 11, "disgruntled ex employee and snowflake turns traitor."

Olivia Troye, who was a homeland security adviser to Pence and his lead staffer on the White House's coronavirus task force, charged in the two-minute video that Trump failed to protect the American public because he only cared about himself and getting reelected. Troye's criticism is particularly striking because of her role working on the coronavirus task force, which Pence leads.

"Towards the middle of February, we knew it wasn't a matter of if Covid would become a big pandemic here, it was a matter of when," said Troye, who left the White House in late July. "But the President didn't want to hear that, because his biggest concern was that we were in an election year, and how was this going to affect what he considered to be his record of success?"

Tens of thousands dead because he wanted to improve his 'look' for the election.

[DonaldD]

Has there ever been another president with either as many indicted or convicted members of his hand picked team or as many former administration members who not only no longer support the sitting president's re-election, but who actively oppose his re-election?

The current president owns the record for both, yet his supporters still unquestioningly follow him, even though an unprecedented number of his co-workers are publicly stating that he is not just completely incapable, but also immoral, evil and unworthy of the position.  His own hires are stating that.

[Wayward Son]

Add John McCain's widow, Cindy McCain, to the list.

My husband John lived by a code: country first. We are Republicans, yes, but Americans foremost. There's only one candidate in this race who stands up for our values as a nation, and that is @JoeBiden. ...

Joe and I don't always agree on the issues, and I know he and John certainly had some passionate arguments, but he is a good and honest man. He will lead us with dignity.

At one time, John McCain was the Republican presidential nominee, the highest honor a party can give a member.  I'm sure it wasn't easy for his widow to endorse a Democrat for President.

OTOH, maybe it wasn't that hard.

[yossarian22c]

https://www.npr.org/2020/09/24/916184218/nearly-500-national-security-experts-endorse-biden-for-president

Nearly 500 national security experts – both civilians and former senior uniformed officers — have endorsed Joe Biden for president, saying the "current president" is not up to "the enormous responsibilities of his office."

Addressed to "Our Fellow Citizens," the 489 national security experts include 22 four-star officers. The letter never mentions President Trump by name.

Among those signing the letter is retired Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, who stepped down last year as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Pentagon's No. 2 officer.

Trump had a similar letter signed by about 200 military leaders last month. But none were quite as high ranking as a former vice chair of the joint chiefs under Obama.

[Wayward Son]

The letter never mentions Trump by name, but it does say:

The next president will inherit a nation – and a world – in turmoil. The current President has demonstrated he is not equal to the enormous responsibilities of his office; he cannot rise to meet challenges large or small. Thanks to his disdainful attitude and his failures, our allies no longer trust or respect us, and our enemies no longer fear us. Climate change continues unabated, as does North Korea’s nuclear program. The president has ceded influence to a Russian adversary who puts bounties on the heads of American military personnel, and his trade war against China has only harmed America’s farmers and manufacturers. The next president will have to address those challenges while struggling with an economy in a deep recession and a pandemic that has already claimed more than 200,000 of our fellow citizens. America, with 4% of the world’s population suffers with 25% of the world’s COVID-19 cases. Only FDR and Abraham Lincoln came into office facing more monumental crises than the next president.

(Emphasis mine.)

Pretty strong stuff for a former Joint Chief to sign on to. 

[wmLambert]

The letter never mentions Trump by name, but it does say:

The next president will inherit a nation – and a world – in turmoil. The current President has demonstrated he is not equal to the enormous responsibilities of his office; he cannot rise to meet challenges large or small. Thanks to his disdainful attitude and his failures, our allies no longer trust or respect us, and our enemies no longer fear us. Climate change continues unabated, as does North Korea’s nuclear program. The president has ceded influence to a Russian adversary who puts bounties on the heads of American military personnel, and his trade war against China has only harmed America’s farmers and manufacturers. The next president will have to address those challenges while struggling with an economy in a deep recession and a pandemic that has already claimed more than 200,000 of our fellow citizens. America, with 4% of the world’s population suffers with 25% of the world’s COVID-19 cases. Only FDR and Abraham Lincoln came into office facing more monumental crises than the next president.

(Emphasis mine.)

Pretty strong stuff for a former Joint Chief to sign on to. 

...And everything incorrect and disinformational. The whole idea of Trump failing as President is sheer projection. It is the elites in the Swamp, including bureaucrats in uniform, who don't like the old ways getting fixed.

[Wayward Son]

In your humble opinion.

But have you ever worked with Trump?

Have you ever been responsible for national security?

Have you ever dealt with Russia as an adversary?

Have you done any of those things in the past 3.75 years?

Assuming you haven't, what are you basing your assessment on?  What makes you think you can judge and dismiss the opinions of almost 500 service members?  What makes you think you can know, or even give an opinion on, the thought process of these service members?

Their opinions are based on experience, knowledge and service to our country.  What are your opinions based on?

[wmLambert]

In your humble opinion.
...But have you ever worked with Trump?
...Have you ever been responsible for national security?
...Have you ever dealt with Russia as an adversary?
...Have you done any of those things in the past 3.75 years?
...Assuming you haven't, what are you basing your assessment on?  What makes you think you can judge and dismiss the opinions of almost 500 service members?  What makes you think you can know, or even give an opinion on, the thought process of these service members?
...Their opinions are based on experience, knowledge and service to our country.  What are your opinions based on?

...Have you followed Biden in office for 47 years?
...Did idiot morons believe the lies about Trump calling military dead, losers and suckers?
...Trump is the first President since Reagan to treat Russia as an adversary.
...Have we watched Biden in the last 47 years? Everything Trump has done has been good.
...The military adores Trump. A few Swamp-bred military politicos will sign anything for a seat at the table. We can judge these few by what they have aligned themselves with in the past. There are enough malcontents in any group who can be searched out and made into something they are not. Why do you sneer at anyone holding opinions that are beyond your ability to understand? Why the rampant hypocrisy and sneering?

[TheDeamon]

The letter never mentions Trump by name, but it does say:

The next president will inherit a nation – and a world – in turmoil. The current President has demonstrated he is not equal to the enormous responsibilities of his office; he cannot rise to meet challenges large or small. Thanks to his disdainful attitude and his failures, our allies no longer trust or respect us, and our enemies no longer fear us. Climate change continues unabated, as does North Korea’s nuclear program. The president has ceded influence to a Russian adversary who puts bounties on the heads of American military personnel, and his trade war against China has only harmed America’s farmers and manufacturers. The next president will have to address those challenges while struggling with an economy in a deep recession and a pandemic that has already claimed more than 200,000 of our fellow citizens. America, with 4% of the world’s population suffers with 25% of the world’s COVID-19 cases. Only FDR and Abraham Lincoln came into office facing more monumental crises than the next president.

(Emphasis mine.)

Pretty strong stuff for a former Joint Chief to sign on to. 

One retired in 2012, so no first-hand experience to be had there.

The other resigned in 2017 and ran for office as a Democrat that same year, so that one can't claim to be non-partisan. Which just leaves the vice-chair of the Joint Chiefs who stepped down last year. And playing the odds, good chance that Selva was a Democrat prior to 2016. While the military likes to talk about being non-political, the advancement of Flag-level officers involves input for White House appointees, so from 2009 to 2017 there was likely a (minor) selection bias towards flag officers that agreed with the Democrat in office at the time. Much like there was one towards conservatives from 2001 to 2009, or Democrats from 1993 to 2001, or Conservatives from 1981 to 1993.

[oldbrian]

TheDeamon:
I believe you yourself described Pres Trump as a 'raging dumpster fire'.

But every single person who speaks against him must be politically biased?  Every single one?  No room for conscience or honesty?

[TheDeamon]

TheDeamon:
I believe you yourself described Pres Trump as a 'raging dumpster fire'.

But every single person who speaks against him must be politically biased?  Every single one?  No room for conscience or honesty?

Dumpster Fires are dumpster fires, so long as they're left to themselves and kept away from other things, it's not a significant problem. It also should be noted that things can run on concurrent tracks. Plenty of people have personal lives that are complete and total train wrecks but their professional life is largely unaffected by it.

So just because Trump has dumpster fires burning in the first and second ring of his three ring circus doesn't mean that the third ring had nothing of value happening in it.

[DonaldD]

Dumpster Fires are dumpster fires, so long as they're left to themselves and kept away from other things, it's not a significant problem.

It's pretty difficult to keep the president away from the presidency - unless you mean to vote him out of that position as well...

[TheDeamon]

Dumpster Fires are dumpster fires, so long as they're left to themselves and kept away from other things, it's not a significant problem.

It's pretty difficult to keep the president away from the presidency - unless you mean to vote him out of that position as well...

Dumpster fires are unappealing, but sometimes they're better than the alternative.

[DonaldD]

An unprecedented number of former members of this administration disagree with you in this case.

[DonaldD]

The New York Times has just kicked off its exposé on Trump's tax returns with the following article: The President Taxes

They also state they have a number of follow up articles to be released in the next several weeks.

Highlights include:

• Starting in 2000, Trump paid no income taxes whatsoever in 10 of 15 years.
• In 2016 and in 2017, Trump paid just 750$ in taxes.
• Trump wrote off $70,000 for hair expenses during his run on the Apprentice
• Trump is fighting the IRS, arguing that losses incurred should have led to a $73,000,000 refund...
• Trump has $300,000,000 in loans coming due in the next 3 years...and the list goes on

Michael Cohen can hardly contain his glee.

Everything I have stated about @potus @realDonaldTrump has been proven100% #TRUE! On page 94 of my #1 book #Disloyal @nytbestsellers_, #Trump showed me a 10 million dollar #IRS “refund” check and exclaimed, “Can you believe how *censored*ing stupid the IRS is?”...they are so stupid!”

[TheDrake]

And Trump supporters will admire him for being clever and sticking it to the government, especially the IRS, which is stealing everyone's money - except for the part that pays for prisons, courts, law enforcement and the military.

[NobleHunter]

It's easy to avoid paying taxes when you're losing money hand over fist.

[TheDeamon]

It's easy to avoid paying taxes when you're losing money hand over fist.

It's easy to avoid paying taxes when most of your income doesn't come through wages or salaries.

[NobleHunter]

It's easy to avoid paying taxes when most of your income doesn't come through wages or salaries.

It's easy to pay lower taxes when not earning wages or a salary. Paying nothing, as Trump often did, requires either losing money or giving it away. He did not give away notable amounts of money. At least some of the assets that he "gave away" appear to have questionable value.

[TheDeamon]

It's easy to avoid paying taxes when most of your income doesn't come through wages or salaries.

It's easy to pay lower taxes when not earning wages or a salary. Paying nothing, as Trump often did, requires either losing money or giving it away. He did not give away notable amounts of money. At least some of the assets that he "gave away" appear to have questionable value.

Or taking a lot of depreciation on assets, which would be very easy to do for a real estate firm that boasts of having "only the best"(latest) available.

But that only addresses his company, not personal income. Hard to tell what's going on with personal income with only leaked summaries of indeterminate reliability.

[DonaldD]

If only there was a way to know the details of a president's or a candidate's tax history...

[DonaldD]

To put it another way - Trump personally is on the hook to pay back more than 300 million dollars in the next 4 years, to parties unknown.

That may or may not be a security issue, but it certainly begs people to question an open-ended perception of conflict of interest.

Isn't that the kind of information that the electorate really should know before handing over the keys to the country?

[wmLambert]

The New York Times has just kicked off its exposé on Trump's tax returns with the following article: The President Taxes

They also state they have a number of follow up articles to be released in the next several weeks.

Highlights include:

• Starting in 2000, Trump paid no income taxes whatsoever in 10 of 15 years.
• In 2016 and in 2017, Trump paid just 750$ in taxes.
• Trump wrote off $70,000 for hair expenses during his run on the Apprentice
• Trump is fighting the IRS, arguing that losses incurred should have led to a $73,000,000 refund...
• Trump has $300,000,000 in loans coming due in the next 3 years...and the list goes on

Michael Cohen can hardly contain his glee.

Everything I have stated about @potus @realDonaldTrump has been proven100% #TRUE! On page 94 of my #1 book #Disloyal @nytbestsellers_, #Trump showed me a 10 million dollar #IRS “refund” check and exclaimed, “Can you believe how *censored*ing stupid the IRS is?”...they are so stupid!”

Quite a load of BS. Does anyone understand that tax loopholes were ostensibly created to benefit the country, not tax payers? For instance, When AOC lost the thousands of jobs in her district for blocking the incentives for Amazon, that was a loophole she blocked. Amazon backed away from the deal and went elsewhere.

Trump's business was put in the hands of his experienced kids. He has accepted a salary for four years, but donated all the money to charities with 100% tax write-offs. Does that make him a target?

BTW, Joe Biden was a committee leader or VP during the last 47 years passing all those loopholes unto law. So don't blame the target, blame the shooter.

[msquared]

I am not concerned about the low level of payments the past few years.  What about the possible 79 million dollar fraudulent refund?  Or the fact that he tells us he is a great business man but has lost so much money has has not had to pay taxes for the 10 of the past 15 years?  It would be interesting to know how much he paid in those other 5 years. I know in real estate you can have years in which you have huge losses on sales of properties, but also huge gains.  He has run several casinos into bankruptcy, so his business skills can be called into question, since they customers are literally throwing money at you.

[msquared]

Also, I am not bothered by the write off for the hair cut stuff.  It seems high but prices in NY are out of this world and his hair probably needs a whole lot of work. I expect that writing something like that off is fairly common in Hollywood as well.

[NobleHunter]

I am not concerned about the low level of payments the past few years.  What about the possible 79 million dollar fraudulent refund?  Or the fact that he tells us he is a great business man but has lost so much money has has not had to pay taxes for the 10 of the past 15 years?  It would be interesting to know how much he paid in those other 5 years. I know in real estate you can have years in which you have huge losses on sales of properties, but also huge gains.  He has run several casinos into bankruptcy, so his business skills can be called into question, since they customers are literally throwing money at you.

From what I understand, his losses in business and real estate were used to zero out his profits from his the Apprentice and other forms of celebrity. He hasn't much money from his business at all.

[wmLambert]

...From what I understand, his losses in business and real estate were used to zero out his profits from his the Apprentice and other forms of celebrity. He hasn't much money from his business at all.

Is that what you felt about Obama making a fortune from his two autobiographies that many suspect was ghost-written for him by Bill Ayres?

No, Trump is not as rich as George Soros or Bill Gates. But he has been a successful builder. That Obama/Democrat sabotage of the economy at the end of Bush 43's term is probably what ruined some of his projects and inspired him to run for office. I saw what happened in Vegas because of Schumer illegally and untruthfully posting a letter saying IndyMac had gone bankrupt (which it hadn't). It made Dubai World and other investors back out of projects which caused all the Casino Owners to stop all their projects. Tens of thousands of workers were let go, as Obama was telling people to have "Staycations" and killed tourism. McCarron Airport cut half their flights into Vegas, and no one could pay their mortgages or rent, so the real estate market tanked nationwide. I was estimating on several casino projects for Boyd Gaming and MGM, which all closed overnight. Only City Center kept building, because the CM got his investment money upfront. I had one son working at Echelon which was the main closure that burst the bubble, and one son working at City Center. What happened shouldn't have happened; Schumer's letter was the catalyst, and Obama's words killed tourism everywhere.

[TheDeamon]

He has run several casinos into bankruptcy, so his business skills can be called into question, since they customers are literally throwing money at you.

You do realize it wasn't just his Casinos that were failing during that time frame? Casinos do fail, and more importantly, Casino operators who want to be associated with quality are more likely to shut down an operation rather than downsize/minimize the offerings within the venue. They don't want to be known as a *censored*hole operation, or have such an operation be in a position to possibly impinge on their branding elsewhere.

But yes, if you're content to run a 1 star hotel/casino operation, it's very hard to run one of those into the ground... But that isn't the Trump brand.

[DonaldD]

Donald Trump's company pays "consulting fees" to daughter Ivanka's consulting firm, while she was an executive in the same Trump organization, and while  managing the hotel deals for which the consulting fees were paid.

This might actually be provably fraudulent activity - there are no reasons to pay Ivanka consultation fees on a project for which she is already the managing employee within the Trump Organization.

[TheDeamon]

Also something else potentially relevant to Trump's company and himself:
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/losscarryforward.asp

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) removed the 2-year carryback provision, extended the 20-year carryforward provision out indefinitely, and limited carryforwards to 80% of net income in any future year.

So in 2016, 20 years previous would have been 1996, about the time Trump was having a number of his bankruptcies.

Those operating losses being reported on his taxes may very well be hold-overs from the 1990's. So while according to the Tax code, thanks to loss-carry-over, his company is losing money, it is quite possible that his business has been quite profitable for over a decade.

This also isn't to mention that If had a string of bad years in the 1990's and he was still claiming loss-carry-forward on that in say, 2008/2009, then he may have been profitable between 1999 and 2007 but his taxes would show losses due to the 1990's. 2008-2011 would still be claiming operating losses from the 1990's, and it has only been in the past few years where he has been starting to make claims against the economic crash that happened in 2008.

[yossarian22c]

Also, I am not bothered by the write off for the hair cut stuff.  It seems high but prices in NY are out of this world and his hair probably needs a whole lot of work. I expect that writing something like that off is fairly common in Hollywood as well.

Except that they aren't.

https://www.npr.org/2020/09/28/917810562/dont-deduct-that-haircut-just-yet-tax-court-has-rejected-such-claims

The U.S. Tax Court has repeatedly ruled that the costs of maintaining an appealing appearance are not deductible, even for public personalities. In a 2011 case, the court ruled against a television news anchor who wanted to claim deductions for the costs of maintaining her personal appearance.

[DonaldD]

Donald Trump's company pays "consulting fees" to daughter Ivanka's consulting firm, while she was an executive in the same Trump organization, and while  managing the hotel deals for which the consulting fees were paid.

This might actually be provably fraudulent activity - there are no reasons to pay Ivanka consultation fees on a project for which she is already the managing employee within the Trump Organization.

More about this: in the time frame covered by the NYT article, Trump claimed deductions on about $25,000,000 in consulting fees.  The NYT was able link this one particular claim to Ivanka because the numbers on her White House declaration matched: but it is likely that much if not most or all of that $25,000,000 in unspecified fees went to his children in order to reduce his tax burden.

Sure, $747,622 in fraudulent tax deductions is more than enough to put normal people in jail for years, but $25,000,000 might almost be enough to get even Trump and his children in trouble with the courts.

[rightleft22]

I don't think Trump followers or the Trump Republican party cares about Trumps taxes. Its clear that values, morality, character don't matter. And one wonders about the rule of law unless the new rule of law is whatever Trump decides it is. He is the great decider after all.

In 2008 everyone knew the Trump was in trouble and that the only thing that saved him was his Brand which is all smoke and mirrors.
We all knew that all of Trumps deals were questionable.
We all knew that he was hiding something by hiding his tax records. I would have said ashamed vice hiding but Trump does not feel shame.

The reality is that nothing Trump did or does matters to his followers and if that means undermining their own values well they never matter that much either.

[yossarian22c]

No, Trump is not as rich as George Soros or Bill Gates. But he has been a successful builder. That Obama/Democrat sabotage of the economy at the end of Bush 43's term is probably what ruined some of his projects and inspired him to run for office. I saw what happened in Vegas because of Schumer illegally and untruthfully posting a letter saying IndyMac had gone bankrupt (which it hadn't). It made Dubai World and other investors back out of projects which caused all the Casino Owners to stop all their projects. Tens of thousands of workers were let go, as Obama was telling people to have "Staycations" and killed tourism. McCarron Airport cut half their flights into Vegas, and no one could pay their mortgages or rent, so the real estate market tanked nationwide. I was estimating on several casino projects for Boyd Gaming and MGM, which all closed overnight. Only City Center kept building, because the CM got his investment money upfront. I had one son working at Echelon which was the main closure that burst the bubble, and one son working at City Center. What happened shouldn't have happened; Schumer's letter was the catalyst, and Obama's words killed tourism everywhere.

It amazes me that you think one letter from Schumer (just a NY senator at the time) and a staycation line from Obama (senator and presidential candidate) were enough to cause a giant global financial crisis. The root of the crisis 2 year arm mortgages, negative amortizing mortgages, and massive CDS's that could magnify the impact of any default or loss. I get you've calcified that causal chain in your mind. But if a politician spouting off about trouble with some company or another was enough to not just sink that one company but the entire world economy then Trump would have caused multiple recessions already.

[TheDeamon]

Also, I am not bothered by the write off for the hair cut stuff.  It seems high but prices in NY are out of this world and his hair probably needs a whole lot of work. I expect that writing something like that off is fairly common in Hollywood as well.

Except that they aren't.

https://www.npr.org/2020/09/28/917810562/dont-deduct-that-haircut-just-yet-tax-court-has-rejected-such-claims

The U.S. Tax Court has repeatedly ruled that the costs of maintaining an appealing appearance are not deductible, even for public personalities. In a 2011 case, the court ruled against a television news anchor who wanted to claim deductions for the costs of maintaining her personal appearance.

Uh, this is going to fall under "it depends on how you categorize it" for the purpose of deduction.

Hair and makeup are acknowledged "business expenses" for Hollywood productions, which The Apprentice would fall under, and that was the thing under which those haircuts were deducted under.

Now if you're "Joe Businessman" and try to write-off that haircut you had done just before attending a board meeting.. That probably isn't to fly.

But making "hair and makeup" not a deductible expense for Hollywood? Prepare for screaming.

[DonaldD]

But if a politician spouting off about trouble with some company or another was enough to not just sink that one company but the entire world economy then Trump would have caused multiple recessions already.

I think you misunderestimate the president: he would have caused the Sun to go nova at least once already.  And here's the kicker: Sol just doesn't have sufficient mass to go nova.

[msquared]

From what I have read on the haircuts, these were in addition to the hair cuts he got for show, which the production company can write off, or at least the salary of the person who does the work.  This is looking more likely to be an issue for him, although on the small side.

[wmLambert]

...The U.S. Tax Court has repeatedly ruled that the costs of maintaining an appealing appearance are not deductible, even for public personalities. In a 2011 case, the court ruled against a television news anchor who wanted to claim deductions for the costs of maintaining her personal appearance.

Very slickly put. In reality, all necessary equipment, clothes, and uniforms needed for one's work is deductible, they just have to be separate from one's personal stuff. An "appealing appearance" is not in the description, but other things are. For instance if a green room make-up artist is paid for sprucing up that news anchor, then that appealing appearance is created by the company and carried in the company books. If that make-up artist makes $70K, then I'm sure the MSM would pretend that was a tax write-off for "doing Trump's hair." No big deal.

...you think one letter from Schumer (just a NY senator at the time) and a staycation line from Obama (senator and presidential candidate) were enough to cause a giant global financial crisis. The root of the crisis 2 year arm mortgages, negative amortizing mortgages, and massive CDS's that could magnify the impact of any default or loss.

Yes. I was there dealing with the Casino owners. They had their funding pulled. The reason they were given were the Obama "Staycation" and attacks on tourism, and Schumer's letter. Your "root" of the crisis was merely the result of construction workers not having long-term employment, but well-paid wages based on today's projects. When that shuts off with no new projects in the offing, those mortgages and leases were walked away from. The market took a 50% hit. I looked at million-dollar homes on sale for half-price, with no buyers. It spread all over the nation. Sneer if you like, but Obama and Schumer owned that bubble burst.

[yossarian22c]

https://www.npr.org/2020/09/30/918928313/trump-senior-adviser-brad-parscale-steps-away-from-campaign-after-police-inciden

Brad Parscale, the former campaign manager and longtime digital strategist to President Trump, has stepped away from his role in the president's re-election effort, campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh confirms to NPR. Last weekend, Parscale was involved in an incident with police that saw him involuntarily hospitalized.
...
Over the weekend, Parscale was involuntarily hospitalized after his wife, Candice, called police concerned that Parscale was attempting to harm himself.

According to the police report from that incident, Candice had bruises on both arms from "a few days ago, during a physical altercation with Bradley, which she did not report."

Nothing but the "best" people around Trump.

[yossarian22c]

We may have covered her before but this is a nice summation.
https://www.npr.org/2020/09/30/918333059/trump-often-gives-complete-opposite-of-health-experts-advice-former-staffer-says

"They brief him. They tell him the facts. They're telling him the truth. They're telling him things that need to be done," Troye said in an interview with NPR's Ari Shapiro. "And it is a very frustrating environment to work in, when you know that the message that is going to be relayed is counter to what you just told him."

Troye, who worked for Vice President Mike Pence for two years as a special adviser for homeland security and counterterrorism issues, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention often faced two challenges: coping with a massive coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., and navigating political interference as the agency sought to protect the American people.
...
Troye describes herself as a lifelong Republican, but she says she will vote for Democratic candidate Joe Biden this fall, citing what she calls a critical moment in U.S. history.

"I think it's country over party right now for me, and what I've seen in the past two years of my tenure in the White House has been upsetting," she says. "I think that we need to get to a point where we steer our country back to a sense of normalcy, a sense of who we have been in the past."

Trump, she said, "will not lead us in that direction."

How many people leaving his administration saying he isn't fit for office does it take to convince people that he isn't fit for office.

[DonaldD]

You know the response to this charge: she's just a disgruntled never-Trumper, upset that he is draining the swamp.  Other admins didn't have to worry about this because they weren't draining the swamp, and the career criminals in the bureaucracy were kept happy and fed.

It immunizes the thinker from otherwise dealing with the critical mass of defectors.

[Aris Katsaris]

...Did idiot morons believe the lies about Trump calling military dead, losers and suckers?

What exactly makes you think they're lies? I suppose *perhaps* they are, but what exactly makes you so sure of it? Do you think it would be against Trump's character to say such things?

...Trump is the first President since Reagan to treat Russia as an adversary.

Trump wanted to veto Montenegro's entry into NATO, a thing which Russia also dearly wanted.
Trump wanted to have Russia rejoin the G7

As far as I can remember there's not a single thing Trump has done during his entire term in office which even mildly displeased Russia.

So, what exactly do you have in mind when you say that Trump treats it as an adversary?

[noel c.]

Aris,

“Possession of marijuana is a felony offense, right?“

To my knowledge, “recreational” amounts are legal in most states. It is like firearms laws; check state laws carefully before going on interstate vacations.

“I mean you say ‘felons’ and some people may be thinking that ‘felons’ means murderers and rapists -- rather than guys who had weed on them.“

That is the general idea. Financial crimes might also be included.

“12% of US adults smoke marijuana. So that's at least 12% of US adults that should be disenfranchised, according to you.“

No, look into current U.S. laws, by state.

“(of course, in reality you're only really in danger of being charged with the crime of possessing marijuana if you're non-white)“

Under federal law, if you start hauling bales, or cultivating in distribution quantities, expect felony charges regardless of ethnicity.

[DonaldD]

Walter Reed attending physician slams Trump motorcade photo op: "The irresponsibility is astounding"

A non-military attending physician at Walter Reed National Medical Center harshly criticized President Trump’s motorcade photo op as something which could endanger lives of Secret Service agents who accompanied him in his SUV.

“Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential 'drive-by' just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die. For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity,” Dr. James Phillips tweeted.
That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play.

[DonaldD]

Secret Service agents aren't happy either:

"That should never have happened," one current Secret Service agent who works on the presidential and first family detail said after Trump's drive-by, adding that those agents who went along for the ride would now be required to quarantine.
"I mean, I wouldn't want to be around them," the agent said, expressing a view that multiple people at the Secret Service also voiced in the wake of Sunday's appearance. "The frustration with how we're treated when it comes to decisions on this illness goes back before this though. We're not disposable."

Another veteran Secret Service agent also expressed deep dismay at the Walter Reed ride, though was sympathetic for those around the President given the difficulty in pushing back on the commander-in-chief.
"You can't say no," the agent said.

[yossarian22c]

It's the New England Journal of Medicine's turn to speak out against Trump.

The Trump administration has "taken a crisis and turned it into a tragedy" in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, The New England Journal of Medicine says in a scathing editorial that essentially calls on American voters to throw the president out of office.

It is the first time the prestigious medical journal has taken a stance on a U.S. presidential election since it was founded in 1812.