I am absolutely bumfuzzled that a PAC can be raided to pay for tRump's legal expenses. How is he not incurring a tax liability for this? If somehow the Dems do well next November it looks to me like the campaign finance and PAC laws need a major overhaul.
Personally, I'll be happy when PAC donors and financers peek into the PAC books and say, "I'm just bumfuzzled at what happened to my money. It seems to have ALL gone to defense lawyers! I wasn't expecting all these sexual assaults and grifty grifts to cost me so much money!"
I thought they already prevented such activities. Of course, I don't know where he has all of his allies. Some of his allies might have seats on the - I think it's - FEC.
Are there no legal constraints at all that govern campaign v personal expenditures? Can looting of the RNC campaign treasury be as blatant as people are suggesting? Paying legal fees - i.e., attorneys' billing for court cases - is one thing, but directing moneys into paying down a court-ordered civil judgment? Seriously? Grift isn't the word for all this, how about felony fraud and misappropriation of campaign funds? Works for me.
We probably wouldn’t learn about it until the FEC filings. And then there would have to be a case brought. Trump is betting he can quash anything by being president again.
“Trump is betting he can quash anything by being president again.”
Which makes the point, again, that making sure Trump loses the election cuts the legs out from all his desperate strategies. Making sure Biden wins is THE answer to so many problems.
"FCC filing"...that filing will have as much credibility as all those "statements of financial condition" found to be utterly and irrevocably fraudulent by Judge Arthur Engoron in the recently complete tRump business fraud trial. How can ANY responsible entity accept ANY filing coming from tRump or his stooges? Weisselberg got another guilty verdict on perjurious testimony, and anything the tRump RNC files on his behalf would be false by definition, it's his way of doing bidness - he knows no other.
Didn't Rick Scott already loot the RNC of a significant amount of money? Looks like it's fair game to Con Men for quite a while. These top CEO types are mostly grifting narcissistic monsters. A cancer which sucks up everything of value and kills it's host.
1) IF Trump plans to blatantly siphon off RNC funds?? Pu-leez!!! WHEN, more like.
2) Considering the damage the GOP has done to the country and ongoing threat DJT presents, pardon me while I fail to shed a tear. It couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch.
The bad thing about this is that it even hurts Republicans who have opposed him and those who don't want his backing. Now, it may appear to many that he endorses all of the candidates down ticket even if they don't reciprocate. His parasitic ways did harm to this country before and would do so again if he gets the presidency or should I say kingship.
The Republicans who opposed Trump have been dropping out like flys anyway. The last bunch with any sense are leaving after their families were threatened by the Jim Jordan deblicle. Hopefully the Trump crazies without RNC money won't go far.
Agreed. The ones that have dropped like flies may go Libertarian, Forward or No Labels. Forward already has a municipal plan with no big names for this election cycle and No Labels has approached Nikki Haley. No word from Haley's camp on that offer.
Even that is not a bad thing. As I have pointed out many times here (and full disclosure, I got this from a friend, but he ain't wrong):
There.
Are.
No.
Good ones.
Even those who have not joined the cult still believe in trickle-down economics, little to no taxes, and the absolute right to possess any and all kinds of firearms without limit. Among many, many other annoying 18th century notions of upper-class White men.
And they have ALL been complicit in enabling Trump with very few exceptions. The two that didn't, Cheney and Kinzinger, were ousted even though they were far right but just happened to also believe in the Constitution and the law.
He will cut off funds for everyone who doesn't bend the knee. It will be almost impossible for anti Trump Republicans to get elected unless they have their own strong sources of campaign income
RIP RNC! DJT is desperate for cash and he’s set his sights on you. Too bad you weren’t paying attention to his grifting ways. Also, you ignored the obvious about the way DJT works, everything and everyone he touches fails or dies.
“RIP RNC! DJT is desperate for cash and he’s set his sights on you. Too bad you weren’t paying attention to his grifting ways. Also, you ignored the obvious about the way DJT works, everything and everyone he touches fails or dies.”
This is quite the epitaph for the RNC tombstone. I like it very much, thank you!
The Republicans deserve being taken for rubes. tRump is going to have his own chapter in history where all his marks are listed - top of the list MAGA, next RNC. When you will do anything to win, you are so much more likely to be pegged as a sucker. Just don’t stand next to the Evil Orange One or you’ll find his hand in your pocket. Guess it helps to have tiny hands.
I think it is awesome that the Orange Jesus is going to grift off the RNC and deprive other Republican candidates of their financial assistance. I mean, it is not as though it was a secret that he already grifted his own tax exempt "foundation", that he pocketed money he raised for veterans, and that his family even pocketed money donated for kids with cancer. The RNC knew exactly what they were doing when they swore their fealty to him, at least they should have.
It’s time for campaign finance reform #555! DJT has formed a whole new level of graft and corruption in America. Once he is in prison, lots needs to be done to change all the rules and regulations in this country to avoid encouraging others to tear down civility even further.
I pray Biden soundly defeats him. I just wonder how many states have already picked their electrical college electors. If they have, how many support Trump or plan on supporting the popular vote?
I'm not against trump raiding the RNC. They went all in on him and deserve every negative consequence of that choice. However, I read that Viktor Orban is making a visit to maga lardo this week. Anyone else think trump will suddenly come into a shit ton of money right after that? Perhaps selling some of those classified documents he still has on hand? Just a thought.
the money begins and ends in wall street. if you are invested in any organizations, industry, etc. that support the regime wanna be's DIVEST and REINVEST. The Occupy Wall Street movement was premature but NOW is the time to change the dynamics of the wealthy.
The more money they spend on trumps legal bills, the less money they have to spend of candidates in local elections. The GQP has been doing this to democrats for YEARS, by making voting harder democrats are forced to spend money to help people get through the red tape to register to vote.
However, they can pay the legal fees for his lawyers, but I don't think they can pay any of his judgements. Not that they have the money to.
Donors have already turned away from them because of the House debacle of Mike Johnson and the MAGAT faction. I can't see any willing donor choosing to finance the RNC with this in mind. Of course, I don't have grifty clairvoyance.
I read an article that showed a video where Lara Trump said that all monies raised would be going to elect P01135809 president which to my understanding equates to no other candidates for any office will get a dime. The latter is a bit of an upside, but obviously unfair.
The article (which I believe was in a WaPo opinion piece) did selectively quote her. The rest of the sentence mentioned other candidates when I went and listened to her.
I had a feeling I hadn't heard the full context. Unfortunately, Trump has a way of getting what he wants at the expense of others. He gives leeches a bad name.
Yes, I saw that, too. There must be a LOT of Republicans—especially candidates & their campaign managers—across the country who are frustrated about what’s going on at the RNC and how it affects their ground game.
Oh, I don’t feel in the least bit sorry for them. I’m happy to see evidence that they are now aware of the consequences and figuring out how f*cked they are, having tied their tail to that particular kite.
Gonna be difficult, since SCOTUS is firmly in the pockets of those who think "meaningful reform" has already been enacted - by and for themselves. See: "Citizens United" et. al. It will require a filibuster- and veto-proof majority in Congress, followed immediately by the expansion of SCOTUS. Also the approval of Biden, who doesn't seem especially enthused by any of these remedies.
I don't particularly mind if the idiots want to blow their bank on Trump's legal woes rather than down-ballot candidates, but we should also keep in mind that they don't need to spend quite as much as Dems on advertisements when they have the Fox Ministry of Propaganda (and related "media" outlets) on their side, coupled with the click-bait style reporting on the other main outlets.
I keep forgetting about them and that definitely helps team Trump. It means Fox, Sinclair Broadcasting, OAN, and Newsmax may really help them more than we anticipate. NYT isn't helping things.
The RNC says he can’t have their money because there’s still another candidate in the race, Nikki Haley;
There’s a proposition to just have Trump declared the nominee, which is voted down;
Trump makes a post on his Play-Skool Twitter saying he agrees with the decision, which is good enough for our six- and seven-figure political media stars to declare the matter closed and never to be spoken of again;
Trump goes absolutely ballistic on Nikki Haley for not dropping out;
Trump says Ronna Not Romney McDaniel has to resign;
Trump moves to install his daughter-in-law and one of his state campaign chairmen atop the RNC;
Trump admits in open court that he doesn’t have the money to appeal the $454 million fraud settlement, and the clock is ticking loudly on the deadline for the Carroll settlement.
And our six- and seven-figure political media stars still think Trump is a billionaire. They still think his net worth is positive.
His wealth is not really straight forward, so I can understand the confusion.
IF he can sell all his buildings and interests for the best reasonable price (not his wacky valuations) he could come out of this a bare millionaire. But who is going to offer him top dollar when he's between a rock and a hard place? His poor planning and behavior have left him in a less than desirable position regarding cash.
There is also the question of how highly leveraged he is. He has never been afraid of debt. So he actually might be cash negative when all the calculations are done.
It's going to be a wild ride. Part of me would be quite happy to see him living in a van down by the river but I doubt I'll be that lucky. He'll most likely come out of this as a bare millionaire (just has a million in cash and assets.)
Jay, given the impending "grift" by the Trump campaign and the subsequent funneling of RNC dollars towards his legal cases, what type of effect does that have on downstream races for local, state, and future national candidates? More importantly, what percentage of a candidate's campaign is supported by the RNC? Hypothetically, if a state representative needs to raise $15M to defend a seat, in a typical election year how much support does the RNC offer? And with the "Trump" takeover, what happens to the big money donors (Koch network), will they refrain from donating to the RNC or continue to utilize PACs to pinpoint their contributions to specific races?
It most certainly would affect the ability of candidates to win. Many depend on those funds to assist them with very expensive media buys. And the RNC can sometimes rush funds to candidate who are on the verge or winning or losing. If the RNC is weakened, the entire party is jeopardized. Certainly that GOP House majority is in danger.
I hope Haley stays in to take votes away from Trump. She could take some away from Biden. If she goes with No Labels, that could affect this election cycle since they have approached her.
That would complicate things for Haley. The big question on that issue: can voters write her in anyway? Last I heard some states that don't allow write-in candidates.
You likely read the following on Robert Hubbell’s substack.
“ PowerPoint presentation confirms that No Labels plans to attack Joe Biden.
No Labels claims that it will run as a “national unity party” only if it is clear that no candidate can win the 2024 election. But a recently obtained PowerPoint obtained from a No Labels presentation confirms that the organization is planning to attack Joe Biden on positions that mimic Trump's false attacks on Biden--hardly a “national unity” platform. See CNN Politics, No Labels aims to swing at Biden even as its own plan remains unclear.
Per CNN,
No Labels officials – who have repeatedly said they don’t want to become a spoiler that would result in Donald Trump going back to the White House – have urged prospective candidates and others to prioritize accusing Biden of having politically toxic positions he does not actually hold. They are hoping to spread those accusations more widely next week, ahead of Biden’s annual State of the Union to Congress.
Please tell any friends considering voting for a No Labels candidate that the platform of the party is to amplify false claims against Joe Biden.”
If a GOPer needs $15M in a "typical" year, he/she is going to need a lot more than that due to the backlash against Trump, Dobbs, and the fact that Taylor Swift is encouraging young people to vote.
I don't understand why Liz Cheney, Kinzinger, Barbour and their like start a new Conservative party. That is actually a party and actually conservative. They can even use the name free of charge.
They have zero GOP support. Cheney lost badly as an incumbent running for reelection in deeply red Wyoming. GOP is gone for all practical purposes. It's all maga now.
The Forward Party is attempting to offer a center-right, pro-business, technocratic alternative with a vision for the future of America to what the Republican Party has become.
Never Trump Republican campaign managers have teamed up with Yang and the Forward Party to devise and implement a strategy that could bring a viable third party option to the U.S. political scene. They decided not to run top-line candidates at all (unlike No Labels, who chose the exact opposite strategy—an attempt to buy the Presidency). Instead, the Forward Party committed to a municipal election strategy and they are fielding hundreds of “Forward-aligned” candidates, some of whom have obscure party affiliations like “the Veterans Party.”
They are also mostly sidestepping pressure to present a party platform on issues, instead choosing to run on their intention to support electoral reforms like alternative voting methods (e.g., instant runoffs), campaign finance reforms, and partisan gerrymandering.
For some reason, I sense an aura of failure around anything political that Yang is involved in. He may be a math whiz and a millionaire business guy but his political instincts seem flawed.
I can see why you would think so. However, it’s far beyond Yang. My comments have more to do with the three organizations that came together after his Presidential bid, the explication of strategy that I heard from a former GOP campaign manager, and how I observe them implementing the strategy. I like a lot of what I see (not talking about policy here), but am open to respectful pushback. They intend to push out extremists and appeal to what they see as the “moderate middle” or “reasonable majority,” which I think will appeal to some Americans.
Their approach to building a party platform is interesting to me; more bottom up. They’ve taken up the idea of “guardrails” that loosely define “the party’s position” while staying inclusive of a fairly wide range of specific positions on key issues.
They just put out this stuff on gun control today:
The vote will focus on the establishment of our guardrails around gun safety regulation, and it should take approximately 2 minutes to complete. It is a 'yes-no' vote with one question.
Do you support the following guardrails around gun safety regulation?
(Left Guardrail) The North Carolina Forward Party will not advocate for policies that arbitrarily deny individuals the constitutional right to bear arms for their defense, suitable to their condition and degree.
(Right Guardrail) The North Carolina Forward Party will maintain that owning a firearm is a public allowance subject to due restrictions, as allowed by law.
Please note that the wording is subject to change; however, your vote today will be informative of the process we are building to have a bottom up party structure.
I'm not interested in the Forward party which is just Never trumpers. It's just another attempt to bring conservatism back.
The GOP and conservatism are failed movements pushing policies that have never worked for anyone but the very rich. They need to go away. Or at least come to the actual middle. The far right of middle is not the middle.
Margaret, I get that you want to see Democrats elected. So do I.
However, you ignored the information that I shared and chose to respond with axioms like “the far right of middle is not the middle” and nonsense like “they’re just a bunch of never trumpers.” You have insufficient basis for making that claim. I know people in the party and they are not “never Trumper Republicans.” They are moderates who see value in capitalism, are OK with regulation, and object to culture wars, extremism, and the polarized political situation. Probably closer to “corporate Dems” than to any of the far right, Christian Nationalist, isolationist MAGAts. In other words, people that want to govern in ways that are pro-business; people capable of enacting bipartisan legislation. Not ideologues.
From what I can see so far, their political aim is to reach moderate unaffiliated voters and it might work. We have more unaffiliated voters in NC than either major party. The third party energy that we’re seeing now matters; the system (the ‘stable two party” system) is unfrozen; the time is ripe for change. I think. I hope.
I don’t believe a one party system is healthy—and I think the level of polarization that exists is toxic—so I’m interested in meaningful reform that changes the incentives so the political tactics change.
It’s not logical to me to just wish they would go away. And to just proclaim that conservatism itself—as well as one of the major parties in a two-party system—need to go away is just magical thinking. I’m uninterested in THAT.
I don't trust any group that is funded by Republican millionaires and billionaires. I think we all know where that goes.
A third party is not viable in American politics. If they take over from the Republicans that's one thing but it's not going to happen this year. It will take many years of running candidates in local and state races.
Right now it's just a way to elect trump so those donors can get their tax breaks. I believe you are being lied to . I've seen what Republican rule has done to the country. We don't need more of it. If they are serious about keeping trump out of office, then they need to get behind Biden. But they would rather see Biden lose.
You may know people in the party but that doesn't make them people who are looking to make the US better. LOOK at where the money comes from.
I don't hate capitalism but I don't trust Republicans or former Republicans to have the best interest of the US at heart because I've seen what they have done since Reagan. You have to look at history to understand this.
CountryFirst is a great starting place for disgruntled Republicans to find their way forward. People are pissed off for good reason. Most people aren’t sure what to do about it, though.
No Labels says they are going to run top ticket candidates in 2024. 800 people on virtual call in next few days; no announcement of who, just that they are in conversation with people and intend to do it, and think the 800 “delegates” or whatever they call themselves are enthusiastic about doing this in THIS election cycle. The party that isn’t a party that refuses to share donor information intends to insert a spoiler into the 2024 race.
The most accurate poll currently being conducted might just be comparative campaign contributions. People who "vote with their wallet" mean it. There has been speculation that Koch stopped backing Nikki Haley because of concerns that the contributions would end up in Trump's pocket.
I am absolutely bumfuzzled that a PAC can be raided to pay for tRump's legal expenses. How is he not incurring a tax liability for this? If somehow the Dems do well next November it looks to me like the campaign finance and PAC laws need a major overhaul.
Personally, I'll be happy when PAC donors and financers peek into the PAC books and say, "I'm just bumfuzzled at what happened to my money. It seems to have ALL gone to defense lawyers! I wasn't expecting all these sexual assaults and grifty grifts to cost me so much money!"
change "if somehow" to when.
I thought they already prevented such activities. Of course, I don't know where he has all of his allies. Some of his allies might have seats on the - I think it's - FEC.
And let's not leave out the SEC.
I grew up in KY. Still used there.
Are there no legal constraints at all that govern campaign v personal expenditures? Can looting of the RNC campaign treasury be as blatant as people are suggesting? Paying legal fees - i.e., attorneys' billing for court cases - is one thing, but directing moneys into paying down a court-ordered civil judgment? Seriously? Grift isn't the word for all this, how about felony fraud and misappropriation of campaign funds? Works for me.
We probably wouldn’t learn about it until the FEC filings. And then there would have to be a case brought. Trump is betting he can quash anything by being president again.
“Trump is betting he can quash anything by being president again.”
Which makes the point, again, that making sure Trump loses the election cuts the legs out from all his desperate strategies. Making sure Biden wins is THE answer to so many problems.
"FCC filing"...that filing will have as much credibility as all those "statements of financial condition" found to be utterly and irrevocably fraudulent by Judge Arthur Engoron in the recently complete tRump business fraud trial. How can ANY responsible entity accept ANY filing coming from tRump or his stooges? Weisselberg got another guilty verdict on perjurious testimony, and anything the tRump RNC files on his behalf would be false by definition, it's his way of doing bidness - he knows no other.
Hopefully, it becomes his dirge.
He seems to love seeing if he can turn the short game into the long one, and when he can't he blames others.
He's an incredible swindler who has this down based on how he has done this his whole life. Someone else pays-never him
Didn't Rick Scott already loot the RNC of a significant amount of money? Looks like it's fair game to Con Men for quite a while. These top CEO types are mostly grifting narcissistic monsters. A cancer which sucks up everything of value and kills it's host.
Scott raided the RSCC.
I was wondering the same
1) IF Trump plans to blatantly siphon off RNC funds?? Pu-leez!!! WHEN, more like.
2) Considering the damage the GOP has done to the country and ongoing threat DJT presents, pardon me while I fail to shed a tear. It couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch.
The bad thing about this is that it even hurts Republicans who have opposed him and those who don't want his backing. Now, it may appear to many that he endorses all of the candidates down ticket even if they don't reciprocate. His parasitic ways did harm to this country before and would do so again if he gets the presidency or should I say kingship.
The Republicans who opposed Trump have been dropping out like flys anyway. The last bunch with any sense are leaving after their families were threatened by the Jim Jordan deblicle. Hopefully the Trump crazies without RNC money won't go far.
Agreed. The ones that have dropped like flies may go Libertarian, Forward or No Labels. Forward already has a municipal plan with no big names for this election cycle and No Labels has approached Nikki Haley. No word from Haley's camp on that offer.
Even that is not a bad thing. As I have pointed out many times here (and full disclosure, I got this from a friend, but he ain't wrong):
There.
Are.
No.
Good ones.
Even those who have not joined the cult still believe in trickle-down economics, little to no taxes, and the absolute right to possess any and all kinds of firearms without limit. Among many, many other annoying 18th century notions of upper-class White men.
And they have ALL been complicit in enabling Trump with very few exceptions. The two that didn't, Cheney and Kinzinger, were ousted even though they were far right but just happened to also believe in the Constitution and the law.
It’s so infuriating.
He will cut off funds for everyone who doesn't bend the knee. It will be almost impossible for anti Trump Republicans to get elected unless they have their own strong sources of campaign income
Indeed!
RIP RNC! DJT is desperate for cash and he’s set his sights on you. Too bad you weren’t paying attention to his grifting ways. Also, you ignored the obvious about the way DJT works, everything and everyone he touches fails or dies.
“RIP RNC! DJT is desperate for cash and he’s set his sights on you. Too bad you weren’t paying attention to his grifting ways. Also, you ignored the obvious about the way DJT works, everything and everyone he touches fails or dies.”
This is quite the epitaph for the RNC tombstone. I like it very much, thank you!
The Republicans deserve being taken for rubes. tRump is going to have his own chapter in history where all his marks are listed - top of the list MAGA, next RNC. When you will do anything to win, you are so much more likely to be pegged as a sucker. Just don’t stand next to the Evil Orange One or you’ll find his hand in your pocket. Guess it helps to have tiny hands.
Add in ca. one-half of the US voting public...sheesh!
He already has multiple chapters set aside.
I think it is awesome that the Orange Jesus is going to grift off the RNC and deprive other Republican candidates of their financial assistance. I mean, it is not as though it was a secret that he already grifted his own tax exempt "foundation", that he pocketed money he raised for veterans, and that his family even pocketed money donated for kids with cancer. The RNC knew exactly what they were doing when they swore their fealty to him, at least they should have.
“But surely he won’t do that to US….” Dumb arses.
More like effing stupid.
After elevating the "leopards eating people's faces" candidate, they're suddenly surprised it's _their_ faces being eaten.
It’s time for campaign finance reform #555! DJT has formed a whole new level of graft and corruption in America. Once he is in prison, lots needs to be done to change all the rules and regulations in this country to avoid encouraging others to tear down civility even further.
I pray Biden soundly defeats him. I just wonder how many states have already picked their electrical college electors. If they have, how many support Trump or plan on supporting the popular vote?
I don’t disagree. But that’s a YUGE gap between now and “once he is in prison”🤞🏼🤞🏼
Agreed. I honestly don't expect tfg to actually serve any prison time...even if he is found guilty on all counts, in all of the Courts.
I'm not against trump raiding the RNC. They went all in on him and deserve every negative consequence of that choice. However, I read that Viktor Orban is making a visit to maga lardo this week. Anyone else think trump will suddenly come into a shit ton of money right after that? Perhaps selling some of those classified documents he still has on hand? Just a thought.
the money begins and ends in wall street. if you are invested in any organizations, industry, etc. that support the regime wanna be's DIVEST and REINVEST. The Occupy Wall Street movement was premature but NOW is the time to change the dynamics of the wealthy.
Doesn't Orban's country have plenty of financial woes?
Probably. I'll bet he doesn't, though.
Good point.
He probably still has copies of ALL of them. And you can sell a copy to many different buyers.
I hope this has some negative impact on the Senate and House races.
I think that's a given.
The more money they spend on trumps legal bills, the less money they have to spend of candidates in local elections. The GQP has been doing this to democrats for YEARS, by making voting harder democrats are forced to spend money to help people get through the red tape to register to vote.
However, they can pay the legal fees for his lawyers, but I don't think they can pay any of his judgements. Not that they have the money to.
Them not being able to help down ballot Republicans is good thing!
Vote out every republican.
Donors have already turned away from them because of the House debacle of Mike Johnson and the MAGAT faction. I can't see any willing donor choosing to finance the RNC with this in mind. Of course, I don't have grifty clairvoyance.
They may not be able to legally pay any of his judgements but that doesn't mean he won't go after the money for his judgements.
I read an article that showed a video where Lara Trump said that all monies raised would be going to elect P01135809 president which to my understanding equates to no other candidates for any office will get a dime. The latter is a bit of an upside, but obviously unfair.
The article (which I believe was in a WaPo opinion piece) did selectively quote her. The rest of the sentence mentioned other candidates when I went and listened to her.
I had a feeling I hadn't heard the full context. Unfortunately, Trump has a way of getting what he wants at the expense of others. He gives leeches a bad name.
He always manages to sniff out, and appropriate any money found, for his own benefit.
So, that sniffling he does has to do with money and not snorting lines of Adderall?
LOL!
It may have been or somewhere else quoting WaPo. I hate it when stuff is shown out of context. Thanks for the correction.
I read/heard that as well. Not sure where.
That's the only reason why Donald proposed putting Lara in that position. She's just another nepotism minion of his.
Bingo‼️
What's a good word that combines those two? Nepion?
Yes, I saw that, too. There must be a LOT of Republicans—especially candidates & their campaign managers—across the country who are frustrated about what’s going on at the RNC and how it affects their ground game.
Absolutely. However, many chained themselves to Trump so I can’t feel sorry for them. They have to own it.
Oh, I don’t feel in the least bit sorry for them. I’m happy to see evidence that they are now aware of the consequences and figuring out how f*cked they are, having tied their tail to that particular kite.
Lol, I didn’t think you did. I doubt any of us here do. It’s the price they’ll pay for it.
What I’m most curious about, and somewhat anxious, is how this particular time in our history can be seized to enact meaningful reform.
Great question. It seems to me that many in Congress have plans for that waiting in the wings until after the election. I’m counting on that.
Gonna be difficult, since SCOTUS is firmly in the pockets of those who think "meaningful reform" has already been enacted - by and for themselves. See: "Citizens United" et. al. It will require a filibuster- and veto-proof majority in Congress, followed immediately by the expansion of SCOTUS. Also the approval of Biden, who doesn't seem especially enthused by any of these remedies.
Trump: “Mine, mine, mine! All mine! Mwuhahaha!”
Where are the Koch brothers in all this?
Well, I read they gave up backing Nikki Hayley, so I’m not sure at this point.
welp, one is in the ground....
Yep, even family is enslaved by P01135809 to do his bidding except Mary.
I don't particularly mind if the idiots want to blow their bank on Trump's legal woes rather than down-ballot candidates, but we should also keep in mind that they don't need to spend quite as much as Dems on advertisements when they have the Fox Ministry of Propaganda (and related "media" outlets) on their side, coupled with the click-bait style reporting on the other main outlets.
I keep forgetting about them and that definitely helps team Trump. It means Fox, Sinclair Broadcasting, OAN, and Newsmax may really help them more than we anticipate. NYT isn't helping things.
In the course of a month or so:
Trump loses an $83.3 million judgment;
The RNC says he can’t have their money because there’s still another candidate in the race, Nikki Haley;
There’s a proposition to just have Trump declared the nominee, which is voted down;
Trump makes a post on his Play-Skool Twitter saying he agrees with the decision, which is good enough for our six- and seven-figure political media stars to declare the matter closed and never to be spoken of again;
Trump goes absolutely ballistic on Nikki Haley for not dropping out;
Trump says Ronna Not Romney McDaniel has to resign;
Trump moves to install his daughter-in-law and one of his state campaign chairmen atop the RNC;
Trump admits in open court that he doesn’t have the money to appeal the $454 million fraud settlement, and the clock is ticking loudly on the deadline for the Carroll settlement.
And our six- and seven-figure political media stars still think Trump is a billionaire. They still think his net worth is positive.
"Play-Skool Twitter" love it 🤣
I can’t claim credit. I wish I could remember where I first heard it.
His wealth is not really straight forward, so I can understand the confusion.
IF he can sell all his buildings and interests for the best reasonable price (not his wacky valuations) he could come out of this a bare millionaire. But who is going to offer him top dollar when he's between a rock and a hard place? His poor planning and behavior have left him in a less than desirable position regarding cash.
There is also the question of how highly leveraged he is. He has never been afraid of debt. So he actually might be cash negative when all the calculations are done.
It's going to be a wild ride. Part of me would be quite happy to see him living in a van down by the river but I doubt I'll be that lucky. He'll most likely come out of this as a bare millionaire (just has a million in cash and assets.)
I’m fully confident many of his debts are off the books.
Good point. The interesting thing will be who holds those debts...
Oh, I think we can take some pretty good guesses.
There might be some wild cards though.
Jay, given the impending "grift" by the Trump campaign and the subsequent funneling of RNC dollars towards his legal cases, what type of effect does that have on downstream races for local, state, and future national candidates? More importantly, what percentage of a candidate's campaign is supported by the RNC? Hypothetically, if a state representative needs to raise $15M to defend a seat, in a typical election year how much support does the RNC offer? And with the "Trump" takeover, what happens to the big money donors (Koch network), will they refrain from donating to the RNC or continue to utilize PACs to pinpoint their contributions to specific races?
It most certainly would affect the ability of candidates to win. Many depend on those funds to assist them with very expensive media buys. And the RNC can sometimes rush funds to candidate who are on the verge or winning or losing. If the RNC is weakened, the entire party is jeopardized. Certainly that GOP House majority is in danger.
Woot-woot! 😁🇺🇸🔥💪🏼
Not Jay, but I read (somewhere?) that part of Koch pull-out from funding Haley was to redirect those funds to down-ballot races. Wish I could remember where I read that. Maybe here (the dreaded NYT) https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/25/us/politics/haley-koch-network.html
I hope Haley stays in to take votes away from Trump. She could take some away from Biden. If she goes with No Labels, that could affect this election cycle since they have approached her.
I think there are rules in some states that a sore loser can’t change parties to stay on the ballot.
That would complicate things for Haley. The big question on that issue: can voters write her in anyway? Last I heard some states that don't allow write-in candidates.
You likely read the following on Robert Hubbell’s substack.
“ PowerPoint presentation confirms that No Labels plans to attack Joe Biden.
No Labels claims that it will run as a “national unity party” only if it is clear that no candidate can win the 2024 election. But a recently obtained PowerPoint obtained from a No Labels presentation confirms that the organization is planning to attack Joe Biden on positions that mimic Trump's false attacks on Biden--hardly a “national unity” platform. See CNN Politics, No Labels aims to swing at Biden even as its own plan remains unclear.
Per CNN,
No Labels officials – who have repeatedly said they don’t want to become a spoiler that would result in Donald Trump going back to the White House – have urged prospective candidates and others to prioritize accusing Biden of having politically toxic positions he does not actually hold. They are hoping to spread those accusations more widely next week, ahead of Biden’s annual State of the Union to Congress.
Please tell any friends considering voting for a No Labels candidate that the platform of the party is to amplify false claims against Joe Biden.”
Thank you for the info.
It was in 3/4 (today’s) letter
I haven't read that yet. It makes sense.
If a GOPer needs $15M in a "typical" year, he/she is going to need a lot more than that due to the backlash against Trump, Dobbs, and the fact that Taylor Swift is encouraging young people to vote.
I don't understand why Liz Cheney, Kinzinger, Barbour and their like start a new Conservative party. That is actually a party and actually conservative. They can even use the name free of charge.
They have zero GOP support. Cheney lost badly as an incumbent running for reelection in deeply red Wyoming. GOP is gone for all practical purposes. It's all maga now.
The Forward Party is attempting to offer a center-right, pro-business, technocratic alternative with a vision for the future of America to what the Republican Party has become.
Never Trump Republican campaign managers have teamed up with Yang and the Forward Party to devise and implement a strategy that could bring a viable third party option to the U.S. political scene. They decided not to run top-line candidates at all (unlike No Labels, who chose the exact opposite strategy—an attempt to buy the Presidency). Instead, the Forward Party committed to a municipal election strategy and they are fielding hundreds of “Forward-aligned” candidates, some of whom have obscure party affiliations like “the Veterans Party.”
They are also mostly sidestepping pressure to present a party platform on issues, instead choosing to run on their intention to support electoral reforms like alternative voting methods (e.g., instant runoffs), campaign finance reforms, and partisan gerrymandering.
Interesting.
For some reason, I sense an aura of failure around anything political that Yang is involved in. He may be a math whiz and a millionaire business guy but his political instincts seem flawed.
I can see why you would think so. However, it’s far beyond Yang. My comments have more to do with the three organizations that came together after his Presidential bid, the explication of strategy that I heard from a former GOP campaign manager, and how I observe them implementing the strategy. I like a lot of what I see (not talking about policy here), but am open to respectful pushback. They intend to push out extremists and appeal to what they see as the “moderate middle” or “reasonable majority,” which I think will appeal to some Americans.
Their approach to building a party platform is interesting to me; more bottom up. They’ve taken up the idea of “guardrails” that loosely define “the party’s position” while staying inclusive of a fairly wide range of specific positions on key issues.
They just put out this stuff on gun control today:
The vote will focus on the establishment of our guardrails around gun safety regulation, and it should take approximately 2 minutes to complete. It is a 'yes-no' vote with one question.
*******************************************************************
Do you support the following guardrails around gun safety regulation?
(Left Guardrail) The North Carolina Forward Party will not advocate for policies that arbitrarily deny individuals the constitutional right to bear arms for their defense, suitable to their condition and degree.
(Right Guardrail) The North Carolina Forward Party will maintain that owning a firearm is a public allowance subject to due restrictions, as allowed by law.
*******************************************************************
Please note that the wording is subject to change; however, your vote today will be informative of the process we are building to have a bottom up party structure.
I'm not interested in the Forward party which is just Never trumpers. It's just another attempt to bring conservatism back.
The GOP and conservatism are failed movements pushing policies that have never worked for anyone but the very rich. They need to go away. Or at least come to the actual middle. The far right of middle is not the middle.
Margaret, I get that you want to see Democrats elected. So do I.
However, you ignored the information that I shared and chose to respond with axioms like “the far right of middle is not the middle” and nonsense like “they’re just a bunch of never trumpers.” You have insufficient basis for making that claim. I know people in the party and they are not “never Trumper Republicans.” They are moderates who see value in capitalism, are OK with regulation, and object to culture wars, extremism, and the polarized political situation. Probably closer to “corporate Dems” than to any of the far right, Christian Nationalist, isolationist MAGAts. In other words, people that want to govern in ways that are pro-business; people capable of enacting bipartisan legislation. Not ideologues.
From what I can see so far, their political aim is to reach moderate unaffiliated voters and it might work. We have more unaffiliated voters in NC than either major party. The third party energy that we’re seeing now matters; the system (the ‘stable two party” system) is unfrozen; the time is ripe for change. I think. I hope.
I don’t believe a one party system is healthy—and I think the level of polarization that exists is toxic—so I’m interested in meaningful reform that changes the incentives so the political tactics change.
It’s not logical to me to just wish they would go away. And to just proclaim that conservatism itself—as well as one of the major parties in a two-party system—need to go away is just magical thinking. I’m uninterested in THAT.
I don't trust any group that is funded by Republican millionaires and billionaires. I think we all know where that goes.
A third party is not viable in American politics. If they take over from the Republicans that's one thing but it's not going to happen this year. It will take many years of running candidates in local and state races.
Right now it's just a way to elect trump so those donors can get their tax breaks. I believe you are being lied to . I've seen what Republican rule has done to the country. We don't need more of it. If they are serious about keeping trump out of office, then they need to get behind Biden. But they would rather see Biden lose.
You may know people in the party but that doesn't make them people who are looking to make the US better. LOOK at where the money comes from.
I don't hate capitalism but I don't trust Republicans or former Republicans to have the best interest of the US at heart because I've seen what they have done since Reagan. You have to look at history to understand this.
See: https://www.country1st.com/
CountryFirst is a great starting place for disgruntled Republicans to find their way forward. People are pissed off for good reason. Most people aren’t sure what to do about it, though.
No Labels says they are going to run top ticket candidates in 2024. 800 people on virtual call in next few days; no announcement of who, just that they are in conversation with people and intend to do it, and think the 800 “delegates” or whatever they call themselves are enthusiastic about doing this in THIS election cycle. The party that isn’t a party that refuses to share donor information intends to insert a spoiler into the 2024 race.
The most accurate poll currently being conducted might just be comparative campaign contributions. People who "vote with their wallet" mean it. There has been speculation that Koch stopped backing Nikki Haley because of concerns that the contributions would end up in Trump's pocket.