Is trump for sale?

[berg80]

Why Trump’s ‘Bridgegate’ controversy has managed to get even worse​

The Gordie Howe International Bridge, which links Michigan and Ontario, is supposed to be open. As The Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest newspaper, reported, it is not.

Friday was supposed to be a big day for the Canadians and Americans who live on either side of the Detroit River.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony had been scheduled to mark the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge — a $6.4-billion crossing that was first announced by former prime minister Stephen Harper in 2012. … The bridge opening was abruptly cancelled on Thursday at the demand of the Trump administration.

This controversy, dubbed Donald Trump’s “Bridgegate” by The Wall Street Journal, has been simmering for months, and it already looked pretty bad.

In Trump’s first term, he endorsed the project, and there was no reason to expect him to reverse course. In February, however, the Republican did reverse course, announcing plans to prevent the bridge from opening, at least for a while.

Initially, it wasn’t at all clear what prompted the president’s declaration — right up until we learned that Michigan billionaire Matthew Moroun had met privately with administration officials to lobby against the bridge. His motivation was obvious: Moroun owns a separate bridge that connects Michigan and Canada, and as former Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan explained in a piece for MS NOW, he wants to maintain a near-monopoly with his privately owned toll bridge.

Complicating matters, Moroun gave $1 million to MAGA Inc., the Trump-aligned super PAC. In short order, he secured a meeting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and the same day as that meeting, Trump abandoned his previous position, announced his opposition to a project he’d already endorsed and said what Moroun wanted to hear.

Why Trump’s ‘Bridgegate’ controversy has managed to get even worse

Given the pattern, the appearance of pay-for-play is hard to ignore in an administration rife with corruption allegations.

www.ms.now

It would be bad enough if this was a singular example of what's called "pay for play." But it isn't.

Political Donors Should Not Be Above the Law​

Last December, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued the operator of the payment processor Zelle and three of the nation’s largest banks for failing to protect customers from rampant fraud on the platform that caused them to lose more than $870 million. According to the bureau, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and JPMorgan Chase left customers on their own to deal with fraud, failed to investigate complaints and issue reimbursements, and told some customers to contact the fraudsters to recover their money. Around that same time, Bank of America contributed $500,000 to Donald Trump’s inaugural committee. JPMorgan Chase gave $1,033,057. The Electronic Payments Coalition — which counts the three banks as members — donated $1,000,000. In early March, not only was the case dropped, but the entire CFPB was shuttered.

This example is consistent with the broader pattern of Trump donors receiving favorable legal outcomes after making contributions. Consider the cases of two corporate executives, Paul Walczak and Trevor Milton. Walczak was convicted of misappropriating over $10 million of his employees’ payroll taxes and Milton was found guilty of securities and wire fraud for misleading inexperienced investors, many of them ordinary people who began investing during the COVID-19 pandemic to make ends meet.

Political Donors Should Not Be Above the Law

The line between public service and private gain continues to blur as financial elites secure pardons and regulatory leniency following campaign contributions.

www.brennancenter.org

We're at the point where there have been so many examples of this sort of thing their egregious nature need to be ranked. No one wants to think their prez is for sale but it's difficult to reach any other conclusion after what has transpired. Yet, with a cowed Congress ruled by R's, a DoJ completely under Don's control, and a compliant Supreme Court so stacked with conservative ideologues that they bestowed upon trump immunity for selected illegal acts........nothing will be done.

 

[frigidweirdo]

Why Trump’s ‘Bridgegate’ controversy has managed to get even worse​

The Gordie Howe International Bridge, which links Michigan and Ontario, is supposed to be open. As The Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest newspaper, reported, it is not.


This controversy, dubbed Donald Trump’s “Bridgegate” by The Wall Street Journal, has been simmering for months, and it already looked pretty bad.

In Trump’s first term, he endorsed the project, and there was no reason to expect him to reverse course. In February, however, the Republican did reverse course, announcing plans to prevent the bridge from opening, at least for a while.

Initially, it wasn’t at all clear what prompted the president’s declaration — right up until we learned that Michigan billionaire Matthew Moroun had met privately with administration officials to lobby against the bridge. His motivation was obvious: Moroun owns a separate bridge that connects Michigan and Canada, and as former Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan explained in a piece for MS NOW, he wants to maintain a near-monopoly with his privately owned toll bridge.

Complicating matters, Moroun gave $1 million to MAGA Inc., the Trump-aligned super PAC. In short order, he secured a meeting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and the same day as that meeting, Trump abandoned his previous position, announced his opposition to a project he’d already endorsed and said what Moroun wanted to hear.

Why Trump’s ‘Bridgegate’ controversy has managed to get even worse

Given the pattern, the appearance of pay-for-play is hard to ignore in an administration rife with corruption allegations.

www.ms.now

It would be bad enough if this was a singular example of what's called "pay for play." But it isn't.

Political Donors Should Not Be Above the Law​

Last December, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued the operator of the payment processor Zelle and three of the nation’s largest banks for failing to protect customers from rampant fraud on the platform that caused them to lose more than $870 million. According to the bureau, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and JPMorgan Chase left customers on their own to deal with fraud, failed to investigate complaints and issue reimbursements, and told some customers to contact the fraudsters to recover their money. Around that same time, Bank of America contributed $500,000 to Donald Trump’s inaugural committee. JPMorgan Chase gave $1,033,057. The Electronic Payments Coalition — which counts the three banks as members — donated $1,000,000. In early March, not only was the case dropped, but the entire CFPB was shuttered.

This example is consistent with the broader pattern of Trump donors receiving favorable legal outcomes after making contributions. Consider the cases of two corporate executives, Paul Walczak and Trevor Milton. Walczak was convicted of misappropriating over $10 million of his employees’ payroll taxes and Milton was found guilty of securities and wire fraud for misleading inexperienced investors, many of them ordinary people who began investing during the COVID-19 pandemic to make ends meet.

Political Donors Should Not Be Above the Law

The line between public service and private gain continues to blur as financial elites secure pardons and regulatory leniency following campaign contributions.

www.brennancenter.org

We're at the point where there have been so many examples of this sort of thing their egregious nature need to be ranked. No one wants to think their prez is for sale but it's difficult to reach any other conclusion after what has transpired. Yet, with a cowed Congress ruled by R's, a DoJ completely under Don's control, and a compliant Supreme Court so stacked with conservative ideologues that they bestowed upon trump immunity for selected illegal acts........nothing will be done.

Of course he's for sale. He only understands money

 

[Mac1958]

Fully. Completely. Shamelessly. Blatantly.

 

[ColonelAngus]

Your daily dose of TDS.

 

[Mashmont]

Why Trump’s ‘Bridgegate’ controversy has managed to get even worse​

The Gordie Howe International Bridge, which links Michigan and Ontario, is supposed to be open. As The Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest newspaper, reported, it is not.


This controversy, dubbed Donald Trump’s “Bridgegate” by The Wall Street Journal, has been simmering for months, and it already looked pretty bad.

In Trump’s first term, he endorsed the project, and there was no reason to expect him to reverse course. In February, however, the Republican did reverse course, announcing plans to prevent the bridge from opening, at least for a while.

Initially, it wasn’t at all clear what prompted the president’s declaration — right up until we learned that Michigan billionaire Matthew Moroun had met privately with administration officials to lobby against the bridge. His motivation was obvious: Moroun owns a separate bridge that connects Michigan and Canada, and as former Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan explained in a piece for MS NOW, he wants to maintain a near-monopoly with his privately owned toll bridge.

Complicating matters, Moroun gave $1 million to MAGA Inc., the Trump-aligned super PAC. In short order, he secured a meeting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and the same day as that meeting, Trump abandoned his previous position, announced his opposition to a project he’d already endorsed and said what Moroun wanted to hear.

Why Trump’s ‘Bridgegate’ controversy has managed to get even worse

Given the pattern, the appearance of pay-for-play is hard to ignore in an administration rife with corruption allegations.

www.ms.now

It would be bad enough if this was a singular example of what's called "pay for play." But it isn't.

Political Donors Should Not Be Above the Law​

Last December, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued the operator of the payment processor Zelle and three of the nation’s largest banks for failing to protect customers from rampant fraud on the platform that caused them to lose more than $870 million. According to the bureau, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and JPMorgan Chase left customers on their own to deal with fraud, failed to investigate complaints and issue reimbursements, and told some customers to contact the fraudsters to recover their money. Around that same time, Bank of America contributed $500,000 to Donald Trump’s inaugural committee. JPMorgan Chase gave $1,033,057. The Electronic Payments Coalition — which counts the three banks as members — donated $1,000,000. In early March, not only was the case dropped, but the entire CFPB was shuttered.

This example is consistent with the broader pattern of Trump donors receiving favorable legal outcomes after making contributions. Consider the cases of two corporate executives, Paul Walczak and Trevor Milton. Walczak was convicted of misappropriating over $10 million of his employees’ payroll taxes and Milton was found guilty of securities and wire fraud for misleading inexperienced investors, many of them ordinary people who began investing during the COVID-19 pandemic to make ends meet.

Political Donors Should Not Be Above the Law

The line between public service and private gain continues to blur as financial elites secure pardons and regulatory leniency following campaign contributions.

www.brennancenter.org

We're at the point where there have been so many examples of this sort of thing their egregious nature need to be ranked. No one wants to think their prez is for sale but it's difficult to reach any other conclusion after what has transpired. Yet, with a cowed Congress ruled by R's, a DoJ completely under Don's control, and a compliant Supreme Court so stacked with conservative ideologues that they bestowed upon trump immunity for selected illegal acts........nothing will be done.

At issue is ownership of the bridge. Trump correctly believes the US deserves a stake in it. Somehow that was missed in the MSNOW report.

 

[berg80]

At issue is ownership of the bridge. Trump correctly believes the US deserves a stake in it. Somehow that was missed in the MSNOW report.

In February, Mr. Trump threatened to stop or delay the project in a rambling social media post, saying he wished to punish Canada for what he described as its exploitation of the United States and its revival of trade ties with China, among other perceived transgressions.

He also demanded compensation for a wealthy Detroit-area family that owns a nearly century-old bridge upstream, which currently carries around $300 million a day in trade.

Matthew Moroun, a billionaire trucking industry scion in Detroit whose family has mounted legal challenges of the project for decades — one even reaching Canada’s Supreme Court — and aggressively lobbied governments on both sides of the border.

Mr. Trump had issued his post hours after Mr. Moroun met in Washington with Howard Lutnick, the secretary of commerce, The New York Times reported in February. Mr. Lutnick then called Mr. Trump.

Less than one month before that meeting, Mr. Moroun donated $1 million to a super PAC devoted to President Trump.

The Gordie Howe Bridge Opening Between the U.S. and Canada Was Postponed. Here’s What to Know

President Trump’s threat to block the opening of the new crossing may be behind the cancellation of a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

www.nytimes.com

Dotard was originally in favor of the new bridge. Then came a change in policy after his PAC got a $1M donation from the owner of the old one. MSNOW didn't miss anything..........but you did.

 

[Mashmont]

In February, Mr. Trump threatened to stop or delay the project in a rambling social media post, saying he wished to punish Canada for what he described as its exploitation of the United States and its revival of trade ties with China, among other perceived transgressions.

He also demanded compensation for a wealthy Detroit-area family that owns a nearly century-old bridge upstream, which currently carries around $300 million a day in trade.

Matthew Moroun, a billionaire trucking industry scion in Detroit whose family has mounted legal challenges of the project for decades — one even reaching Canada’s Supreme Court — and aggressively lobbied governments on both sides of the border.

Mr. Trump had issued his post hours after Mr. Moroun met in Washington with Howard Lutnick, the secretary of commerce, The New York Times reported in February. Mr. Lutnick then called Mr. Trump.

Less than one month before that meeting, Mr. Moroun donated $1 million to a super PAC devoted to President Trump.

The Gordie Howe Bridge Opening Between the U.S. and Canada Was Postponed. Here’s What to Know

President Trump’s threat to block the opening of the new crossing may be behind the cancellation of a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

www.nytimes.com

Dotard was originally in favor of the new bridge. Then came a change in policy after his PAC got a $1M donation from the owner of the old one. MSNOW didn't miss anything..........but you did.

MSNOW also missed the geopolitical angle. Trump has lately played hardball with both Mexico and Canada to get the best trade deal possible to replace NAFTA. As usual, there is a lot more going on than just the simpleton take.

 

[JohnDB]

Here's Gavin Newsom's purchase price for which he and the Pritzker foundation are in trouble for.

 

[berg80]

MSNOW also missed the geopolitical angle. Trump has lately played hardball with both Mexico and Canada to get the best trade deal possible to replace NAFTA. As usual, there is a lot more going on than just the simpleton take.

In February, Mr. Trump threatened to stop or delay the project in a rambling social media post, saying he wished to punish Canada for what he described as its exploitation of the United States and its revival of trade ties with China, among other perceived transgressions.

Dotard has tried to weaponize all manner of things as part of his tariff idiocy. The timing of the about face on the bridge and the $1M contribution is something only a trumple can ignore.

 

[berg80]

Here's Gavin Newsom's purchase price for which he and the Pritzker foundation are in trouble for.

Deflection noted.

 

[Nostra]

At issue is ownership of the bridge. Trump correctly believes the US deserves a stake in it. Somehow that was missed in the MSNOW report.

Berg gets duped again.

 

[Mashmont]

In February, Mr. Trump threatened to stop or delay the project in a rambling social media post, saying he wished to punish Canada for what he described as its exploitation of the United States and its revival of trade ties with China, among other perceived transgressions.

Dotard has tried to weaponize all manner of things as part of his tariff idiocy. The timing of the about face on the bridge and the $1M contribution is something only a trumple can ignore.

First off, $1 million is chump change. Do you really think Trump is going to make a decision affecting billions of dollars of international commerce over a paltry donation?

Take Elon Musk. Huge Trump donor. Far more than $1 million. Trump pulled the plug on EV mandates, angering Musk, causing their brief rift.
The guy puts the country first at all times. Leftists don't understand that, because living on the take is a way of life for them.

 

[Mashmont]

Berg gets duped again.

as always.

 

[berg80]

The guy puts the country first at all times.

Was he putting the country first when he orchestrated a plot to steal the 2020 election? Is sowing distrust in elections and the judicial system for his benefit or the country's? What did the country gain when he pardoned the crypto billionaire.........

There is also the issue of Trump’s own cryptocurrency businesses. The ventures known as World Liberty Financial (WLF) and the $TRUMP meme coin represent some of the most glaring conflicts of interest ever associated with a sitting or former president, as individuals and entities with business before the U.S. government can spend money directly with the president’s family business. In May, Trump raised alarms when he held a private gala for his meme coin’s largest holders.

One of the attendees at that event was the Chinese billionaire Justin Sun. In 2023, the SEC brought civil fraud charges against Sun, alleging the unregistered sale of crypto securities, market manipulation, and deceptive practices, such as paying celebrities to promote tokens without disclosing their compensation. In January, Sun purchased $75 million of $TRUMP with 75 percent of the profits ($56.25 million) going directly to the Trump family. The next month, court documents showed that the SEC had agreed to pause the case as they engaged in talks with Sun to resolve the claims. In July, Sun announced his intention to purchase $100 million more of $TRUMP. Recently, he complained on social media that his $WLFI coins (a different coin sold by World Liberty Financial) had been “unreasonably frozen,” but then announced that he would be purchasing even more $WLFI tokens. His case remains pending, but there is no indication the SEC is actively pursuing it.

You must be effing blind.

 

[berg80]

Fully. Completely. Shamelessly. Blatantly.

It's not only been both defended and denied by trumples, it's now been normalized. Rampant corruption is routine. What would be astonishing is if it stopped.

 

[Mashmont]

Was he putting the country first when he orchestrated a plot to steal the 2020 election? Is sowing distrust in elections and the judicial system for his benefit or the country's? What did the country gain when he pardoned the crypto billionaire.........

There is also the issue of Trump’s own cryptocurrency businesses. The ventures known as World Liberty Financial (WLF) and the $TRUMP meme coin represent some of the most glaring conflicts of interest ever associated with a sitting or former president, as individuals and entities with business before the U.S. government can spend money directly with the president’s family business. In May, Trump raised alarms when he held a private gala for his meme coin’s largest holders.

One of the attendees at that event was the Chinese billionaire Justin Sun. In 2023, the SEC brought civil fraud charges against Sun, alleging the unregistered sale of crypto securities, market manipulation, and deceptive practices, such as paying celebrities to promote tokens without disclosing their compensation. In January, Sun purchased $75 million of $TRUMP with 75 percent of the profits ($56.25 million) going directly to the Trump family. The next month, court documents showed that the SEC had agreed to pause the case as they engaged in talks with Sun to resolve the claims. In July, Sun announced his intention to purchase $100 million more of $TRUMP. Recently, he complained on social media that his $WLFI coins (a different coin sold by World Liberty Financial) had been “unreasonably frozen,” but then announced that he would be purchasing even more $WLFI tokens. His case remains pending, but there is no indication the SEC is actively pursuing it.

You must be effing blind.

The 2020 election was stolen all right.

 

[Mac1958]

It's not only been both defended and denied by trumples, it's now been normalized. Rampant corruption is routine. What would be astonishing is if it stopped.

Yeah. That describes this entire term: A hurricane of corruption, lawbreaking and chaos that has essentially made us numb. The "flood the zone" idea.

To normalize this, and even the press has done it, is to enable it. There's just no way to keep up.

And again, the useful idiots think it's all benefitting them. It's simultaneously fascinating and sad as hell.

 

[Mac1958]

When everybody is happy, but you,

In your mind. I'm sure it's quite a place.

 

[jacksonlamb]

Do bird generally fly?

Trump is always for sale.

 

[Mashmont]

Yeah. That describes this entire term: A hurricane of corruption, lawbreaking and chaos that has essentially made us numb. The "flood the zone" idea.

To normalize this, and even the press has done it, is to enable it. There's just no way to keep up.

And again, the useful idiots think it's all benefitting them. It's simultaneously fascinating and sad as hell.

I just don't get this. I'm educated, have been what people would call successful, have a history of making decisions that have worked out, and I am extremely happy with Trump and his presidency. I couldn't be more optimistic about the future. So I don't understand people who have the complete opposite take who think everything is a disaster and the world is going to end. There is nothing that's happening that is cause for any of the pessimism I'm seeing. How is this huge disconnect possible?