I ran hotels back in the 70s and I see the 'grand' Versailles-like interior, but I have yet to see where the supply and staging areas are being put, let alone an industrial kitchen that can feed 500+ at a time... Herr Drumpf is hiding some key details. And where is the money for staffing, food, and upkeep coming from?
You know where the overhead for keeping this behemoth staffed, maintained, and generally cared for will come from -- the taxpayers. Trump never willingly spends his own money for anything. Assuming the monstrosity gets completed, we'll be stuck with its support for as long as it stands.
We need to make sure it doesn't stand very long after Trump leaves office. There should be a memorial plaque or, better yet, tombstone. It could say, "Here stood the Trump Memorial Ballroom. Removed by 'We the People' as an unnecessary disruption of the beauty of the White House. It stood until January, 2028 as a monument to unimaginable corruption."
The "Epstein Ballroom" will suffice. Jeffrey would be so proud.
Fun Fact: Pam Bondi was Florida AG 2011-2019, where she refused to censure GOP DA Barry Krischer, who prosecuted Epstein in Palm Beach, and gave him the ultimate sweetheart deal. Bondi is thus the Keeper of the Epstein files. No wonder she doesn't want them made public.
Because Krischer indicted Epstein on a *single* count of soliciting an underage prostitute--disregarding his molestation of literally *dozens* of underage teens--he stopped an ongoing FBI investigation into and prosecution of ANY and ALL Epstein co-conspirators. Bondi could've reopened the case--but chose not to, lest she implicate multiple GOP politicians and ex-politicians.
Please read James Patterson's 'Filthy Rich', naming some of the more egregious Epstein brothel users.
Also read Julie K Brown's 'Perversion of Justice'. She is the Miami Herald investigative journalist who tracked down and interviewed the trafficked survivors. It is a harrowing and compelling narrative.
Julie K Brown is a fricking hero. If not for her original Miami Herald expose on Donald's BFF, we might never have known it was Trump1's own Sec'y of Labor, Alex Acosta, who was the Federal prosecutor in the original Epstein prosecution, and who added to Krischer's sweetheart deal with an unbelievable sweetener of his own: a *federal* guarantee of no further prosecution. Brown's series brought down Acosta, and alerted the nation to Donald's deep, deep friendship with America's most notorious pedophile.
Where did the money come from to refurbish the plane from Qatar? If the Dems take the House, the plane should never be given to the Felon's library and any funds to refurbish the plane should be ended.
The refit is for security and communications equipment to make it useable as AF 1. If it eventually meets the requirements for AF-1 use, we should keep it for the next president. Certainly not give it to Trump.
On the other hand he really is going to need filler for his library diven his dearth of books.
The guy can barely read a teleprompter 3 words at a time, and won't read most of what crosses his mostly bare desk. He doesn't even read his own Exec. Orders! Just scribbles on them with a Sharpie.
By the way, Sharpie permanent marker inks are not archival.Maybe that's a good thing.....
I think his library is going to be more of a movie house to show videos--after all, he isn't saving written works for his library because he always mangles them when he tries to read them off the monitors. He likes videos--they are colorful and entertaining, especially videos in which he is prominently featured. So--nah, no shelves needed, just cushy seats. Hey--maybe the jet can function as the theater in which to play the videos--everyone gets their own headphones and a choice of titles, just like when we (used to) fly off on vacations...
The library will need a lot of space for all of the presidential documents he's going to take home with him - assumng he's still alive at the end of his term- (from madness not outside effects?
That 13 year old plane must NEVER be used as AF1. No refit can really ensure that there's no spyware on board. And there are ALREADY two AF1s being built from scratch, with delivery expected in 2027 and 2028.
What's the saying about "the best laid plans of mice and men"? The majority are already tired of the shennanigans and kerffuffle, not to mention the hate and lies. These people are making too many waves to be tolerated forever. Latest polls indicate that Trump only has a 37% approval rating. It's downhill from here.
Well.... thanks to the immunity granted to him by Roberts et al, he doesn't need building permits or any of those pesky things the rest of us live with.
How is it 'an official presidential act' to saddle the taxpayers with this atrocity? What does the creation of this eyesore have to do with governance? It's a wild stretch.
I agree with Steve 218. As all these activities are illegal and unconstitutional, the American taxpayers will be on the hook for all of this in the future and given that Justice Roberts the other 5 MAGA Buddies gave up on the Constitution to grant him immunity there will be very few ways to collect the cost to dismantle this atrocity and rebuild the East Wing as it should be.
Restore the old east wing. Plow up and replant the rose garden. Remove the new flagpoles. Replant the trees they cut down. Make Washington Great Again.
Yes!! Obliterate every grotesque monument he is creating to himself. Let him be remembered in history books and future laws, and commemorated nowhere else.
S#!t, I am writing this and I'm not even an American! The world is watching, in horror.
Just cut off the last third of the ballroom which is too big anyway. It would be cheaper than redoing the whole nine yards. If my money has created it I sure don't want my money to have gone utterly to waste, and don't want to spend very much fixing it--we need to feed people and get them health care and education. So a simple slicing off of the end would suffice to bring it somewhat more in line with sanity.
Your money isn't building it, bribes are. And we must ensure that every penny spent by these wannabe oligarchs IS wasted, or they'll keep doing it. There must be no monuments to Trump on any federal property.
Charles, as I see it, you are absolutely correct. Those actions and more devastation done by him while in office do not constitute official acts because they are not part of the assigned and defined duties. Therefore, proper actions should be taken in each of the other two branches of our government.
We must have swearing in of newly elected representatives first. Maybe we need our 2026 election first, but I should think action to stop unofficial liberties taken could be curtailed and dealt with appropriately before then.
Can people contact the Supreme Court to request a reversal of that immunity decision? If ordinary citizens may not, then who is to handle that action, and how? I have wanted to know ever since they approved it.
It seems that being in his pocket would be the only reason anyone would have approved the immunity allowance in the first place, because everyone should realize that it was wrong, no matter who was or ever would be in office.
We can contact them until we turn blue, but I don’t think it will make any difference. The old ones are bought and paid for and haven’t been outside their bubble for so long they have no clue. The newer ones have their own agendas to manage. The three liberal women make an effort to stay informed 👹
Ah,yes! The Trump triumphal arch, designed in true noble Roman style. This whole thing ballroom, Mar-a-Lago patio and arch are ridiculous monuments to the worst president in history.
Another thing the next administration needs to put on its demolition list - along with Donnie's Dance Hall, Donnie's Pedo Patio, and Donnie's Used Cars flag poles.
Ye gods, another atrocity. Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial at the ends of the Arlington Memorial Bridge at least stand for things historical. This arch will be just another of his eyesores - out of place, time and taste. If he yearns for an arch, let him join the homeless in Washington Square Park in New York City.
April Ryan, in an interview with Jim Acosta, raised the same point about the White House kitchen, which is currently pretty small and located way on the other side of the complex from Donnie's Dance Hall and Brothel. Where are the storage areas for china, glassware, flatware, tablecloths, tables, chairs for serving up to 1,000 people? Where is the laundry? Where is the delivery dock for food, flowers, and other supplies? Trump claims this monstrosity isn't costing taxpayers a dime, but he fails to include ongoing costs like heating, AC, and maintenance. He's hiding things, alright!
One other thing: The East Wing formerly stood over the PEOC, the emergency bunker to used by the president in case of an emergency. With all the construction going on, there currently isn't one. Where is it?
Charles, I think it's all it will ever be. The bulldozers weren't AI, but that's all. He's sliding into a new altered state. Those cushioning him need to wake up to this very quickly before anything else happens. Has the 25th ever been invoked? Blanche Dubois: "Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."
The 25th Amendment is levied on the president by the cabinet. Do you think that this bunch of lackeys and toadies are going to break with their loyalty to Trump and invoke it?
Thank you. I’ve been saying this on repeat every time some *shouts* 25th Amendment! Certainly JD’s not going to get the ball rolling even though he’s the one who would benefit most from doing so.
if trump gets to be too much of a liability, and the project 2025 people like Miller and Vought see that he has served his purpose to get them into places of decision making and budget slashing, and their altar boy into the VP position, they will abandon him without much of a fight.
I've just written this, but can't remember where: even lackeys and toadies will avoid getting hurt - that's why they are what they are. Darth Vader wasn't invincible without his helmet.
Consider that they don't even get a thank-you if they pay taxes, but for a tax deductible (business expense, you know) donation, they will get favors granted, pay-to-play, and quid-pro-quo deals galore!
Yes, it will be something else. Beyond its cost, no one is talking about how hideously out of proportion it will be. Just wait until it's built and see how people will react to this monstrosity completely overshadowing the WH. Will they rent it out for private functions? I don't see it lasting long....
Good point. This will end up probably being $500M before he's done. He'll extort that cash from some businesses, Universities or through White House "commissions" paid to the DOJ to get major mergers completed. Corruption will be rampant. The spineless Congress won't stand in his way for fear of having to go to jail on his whim.
Where are the guests and the staff going to park? How about the security for thousands of people working or attending events at the White House? How often are these huge events going to take place? The logistics of the whole "plan" are terrible.
Given the number of people who have quit going to The Kennedy Center, I'm thinking there won't be enough attendance to make use of 1000 plates. Maybe the billionaires will attend once or twice, but they'll get bored with it. I'm picturing Bezos, Musk, Ellis, Zuckerberg sitting around a golden table trying to chat to each other and asking themselves "which one of us is a total psychopath?" (Easy answer). Like all things DJT, it will be a bust fairly quickly.
and at this point, what foreign diplomats, performing artists etc want to come visit the USA anyway--I can see it being mostly empty and expensive to heat with all of those windows... Or maybe that's where trump will eat his hamberders...
I'm sure he will use the South Lawn for the for-rent guest quarters and parking garage. He is planning to develop all that empty space on the WH 'property'.
I just designed them; I didn't have to pay for them. But we always found that the HVAC people got in first and ran their ducts right where we needed to run our pipes.
Exactly! When I heard about this monstrosity, I thought the poor, unfortunate tax payers are going to be flagged with all these expenses for entertainment!
They accepted him back in 2016. when they CHOSE him, over other Republican candidates, some of them, reasonable choices. They chose their weapon against the country, and most of them are stuck to that choice with superglue.
Thanks to Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett for giving felon Trump seemingly unlimited power to destroy everything that has made America GREAT before Trump showed up. Did $50M each in crypto do it? And Mike Johnson- another $50M? And all of the MAGA Congress- $5M each in crypto? All a drop in the bucket for Trump and his billionaire cabinet, and tech bros…
Crypto only exists for nefarious reasons. It’s like a big, black hole.
Musk paid well over $300M to try to buy Trump. He could easily buy SCOTUS and the MAGA Congress.
Roberts-he will go down as the biggest traitor in America's history for undermining the very foundation of our country which he pledged to preserve and protect.
Yes JayW. I’ve always believed that all these asshats are getting $$$ in exchange for their souls. Wish a Cracker Jack reporter would do a deep dive on this. What they’d find will be appalling!
One plank of the Democratic Party’s platform (do they even have these anymore?) in 2028 must be a promise to tear the damned thing down and rebuild the East Wing as well as restoring the Rose Garden to its original condition. Eliminate every single scrap of the dictator's stench, like he was never there. Replace his official portraits with empty frames.
That includes influential people as well as killers. The great singers and conductors had to be deNazified, and it took a couple of years. Karajan, who had joined the party at about 22, passed easily, but he had to wait ten years for the job he coveted: the great Furtwangler, who had stayed in Germany to safeguard German music, who never gave nor permitted the Nazi salute, was restored, but only had those ten years left.
Bring it ALL back to historic designs and the payment to do so should come out of drumpf's family pockets! Every penny spent on all this garishly ugly "renovations" of OUR house should be taken out of their pockets to pay for all the restorations that will be needed. I look forward to the day he is removed, in handcuffs, and takes his last ride in the helicopter to his waiting transport to prison for the rest of his ugly, profane life.
Oh, great idea!! Let Jack Smith do the prosecution, he’ll finally get to put that lying POS criminal behind bars where he should have been all along. Model the whole thing after the WWII Nuremberg trials. After all, we’re dealing with Nazis here as well.
I am baffled; WHO is going to hold this regime, and these illegal donors, accountable? HOW are they able to be getting away with so much overt greed and corruption? WHEN will the day of reckoning arrive, or am I / are we naive to think laws, truth, and decency will prevail?
With the complicity of both the GOP Congress and the supine court, and the corruption of the Department of Justice, there will be no accountability or prosecution. We will have to wait for a major housecleaning by elections to return integrity and responsibility to government. With hope and prodding, Nuremberg II trials should hold the criminals accountable.
Steve, I appreciate your optimism; I used to be a 100% optimist but these days I occasionally succumb to despair as I witness the blatant disregard for the rules of law and the lack of response from elected officials. Your response reminded me that justice and kindness do prevail and that our waiting will be worth it in the long run. In the meantime, Mike Johnson is the devil incarnate as he lies every single day to protect 45 from accountability. Grrrrr.
There are many devils. Six sit on the supine court. Bondi and her crew of cheerleaders are in the Department of Injustice. The Faux Noise presenter is in what is now the Department of War, and the puppy and goat killer is in charge of Homeland Insecurity; ICE thugs in particular. One must also not forget the major manipulators Russell Vought and Stephen Miller and of course Trump himself. There is plenty of accountability to go round.
I'm thinking that another issue which needs to be addressed is to codify NORMS! It is obvious that the country can not rely on the decency of any government to follow norms established over decades of governance. If this time has taught us anything it is that humans are not a trustworthy species. We can't rely on people following precident any longer, just look at what happened to Roe when the 6 Supremes got their grubby, money filled hands on it.
We're going to need a lot more actual law-making & to be quite honest I don't think the electorate has the brains/IQ to select competent candidates to fill our hallowed halls.
~~~By the way yesterday I left messages at Thune & Johnson's offices asking them if they got the message on election day & to grow a spine & stand up to trump because he'll turn on them next. In fact he already is doing that.
You're very correct. What used to be established by conventional thinking, ethical behavior, and a show of statesmanship and integrity clearly needs to be be codified into enforceable law. We need to understand that honorable behavior cannot be assumed.
Democratic members of Congress have actually been doing a marvelous job of exposing the unheard of grift. I think at this point more Hill investigations will only help on the margins as important as they are. We have just gotten jaded because they do not result in change.
This needs to be a semi coordinated grass roots campaign with billboards and TikToks and bridge brigades and boycotts. It is coming. They want to have small wins (Disney, Avelo, and Spotify, keeping up the pressure on Tesla) to build on. Maybe the bulldozing of the White House boycott should be led by the Bulwark and other former Republicans. Let the Democrats stay focused on working for the benefit of the people.
THAT would be useful. Maybe we need to persuade a few GOP types that we will protect them (witness protection program?) and give them positions to assure that they can feed their families so they aren't in such fear of retribution.
Of one thing we can be certain: Mike Johnson hasn't seen the stories of the corruption implicit in the fund raising for the ballroom. He hasn't been made aware of the crypto shenanigans of Trump's kids. He's not aware that the 747 being donated to the President will then be for Trump future personal use through the to-be built Trump Library. It's astonishing what our Speaker of the House has managed to not learn about. He no doubt sees that blindness as a gift.
Many Congressional Republicans privately admit Trump is nuts.
I keep posting. According to Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) Trumpepstein may cause an "Epstein bomb" causing over 100 Republican members to "jailbreak" from Trump.
Daniel, I'd been hoping that Trump could get Mel Brooks to tutor him on how best to do Louis 14, but he wouldn't likely think of it.
It may be that these election results will convince those republicans who still have some semblance of integrity that SS Trump is sinking and that contesting him may no longer be professional suicide. Maybe some will dare to publicly note the daily increase in evidence of his descent into demntia.
And then the Supremes may unanimously recognize the unconsitutionality of Trump's application of tariffs. Yipppee.
it is interesting that the challenge of the tariff madness argued so effectively by Neal Katyal yesterday at the Supremes was brought by Liberty Justice Center, a very conservative/Libertarian group based in Chicago who took the lead in behalf of a group of similarly disposed organizations and business groups.
I suggest we call all dems in congress and ask them to donate their last month’s salary to local food banks. This would be a strong emblem -and action-that tells the core story-dems care for our people not just ourselves. of how we treat e
I love this idea--show the public that they put their money where their mouth is. Or actually OUR money--but all the better, I would love my money to go to helping those who are being used as pawns... Who is and who isn't taking their salary could be used as a piece of information about whom to vote for next....
During a press conference yesterday, a journalist asked Hakeem Jefferies about his salary during the shutdown. He said that he is not taking it. Of course, such a question is never asked of the absent Republicans.
i have called and left this message for jeffries and schumer and a bunch of other dems...will do more tomorrow... hopefully many of you will call and suggest this--i think it would be splashy AND meaningful! Help the people AND get our message out vividly.
We the People need to divide giving our oxygen to the vile ruthless amoral t regime & their ignorant orange fool and in ousting every single disgraced Congressional Republican for their unrelenting complacent silence in their takedown of our Democracy, Humanity & Earth.
Yes! While the destruction of the East Wing certainly wasn't the only factor in Tuesday's elections, it is an indelible image that will deservedly haunt Republicans for years to come. They let it happen on their watch.
I have a mundane suggestion that most US citizens will identify with, i.e., Congress should require every President upon their election to pay a $100 million security deposit to cover damages to the White House incurred during their term. I also suggest making this retroactive to January 1, 2025.
Oh I love this concept!! People can quibble about the price, but the concept is what we have to do at the sleaziest motels we stay at--why not the most fabulously important house of the land???
Once again, JB Pritzger shows us the way. We need a commission to keep track of all illegality so we can pursue charges against the offenders when we regain the Congress.
I ran hotels back in the 70s and I see the 'grand' Versailles-like interior, but I have yet to see where the supply and staging areas are being put, let alone an industrial kitchen that can feed 500+ at a time... Herr Drumpf is hiding some key details. And where is the money for staffing, food, and upkeep coming from?
You know where the overhead for keeping this behemoth staffed, maintained, and generally cared for will come from -- the taxpayers. Trump never willingly spends his own money for anything. Assuming the monstrosity gets completed, we'll be stuck with its support for as long as it stands.
We need to make sure it doesn't stand very long after Trump leaves office. There should be a memorial plaque or, better yet, tombstone. It could say, "Here stood the Trump Memorial Ballroom. Removed by 'We the People' as an unnecessary disruption of the beauty of the White House. It stood until January, 2028 as a monument to unimaginable corruption."
Here stood the Trump Epstein ballroom.
The "Epstein Ballroom" will suffice. Jeffrey would be so proud.
Fun Fact: Pam Bondi was Florida AG 2011-2019, where she refused to censure GOP DA Barry Krischer, who prosecuted Epstein in Palm Beach, and gave him the ultimate sweetheart deal. Bondi is thus the Keeper of the Epstein files. No wonder she doesn't want them made public.
Because Krischer indicted Epstein on a *single* count of soliciting an underage prostitute--disregarding his molestation of literally *dozens* of underage teens--he stopped an ongoing FBI investigation into and prosecution of ANY and ALL Epstein co-conspirators. Bondi could've reopened the case--but chose not to, lest she implicate multiple GOP politicians and ex-politicians.
Once the Dems take things back, she needs to be4 disbarred.
Please read James Patterson's 'Filthy Rich', naming some of the more egregious Epstein brothel users.
Also read Julie K Brown's 'Perversion of Justice'. She is the Miami Herald investigative journalist who tracked down and interviewed the trafficked survivors. It is a harrowing and compelling narrative.
Julie K Brown is a fricking hero. If not for her original Miami Herald expose on Donald's BFF, we might never have known it was Trump1's own Sec'y of Labor, Alex Acosta, who was the Federal prosecutor in the original Epstein prosecution, and who added to Krischer's sweetheart deal with an unbelievable sweetener of his own: a *federal* guarantee of no further prosecution. Brown's series brought down Acosta, and alerted the nation to Donald's deep, deep friendship with America's most notorious pedophile.
Investigated, too. There's a lot of smoke around her and we all know the saying...
Epstein files are trump's Achilles bone spur vulnerability.
Amen to that! They should let people line up and have some whacks with a sledgehammer
$5 per whack. The deficit would shrink almost immediately.
in true trump fashion...2 for $15
I LOVE that idea! I would take part in that! Get out all my anger and frustration over what this bastard is doing to our country.
Start a PayPal account for donations to destroy this Epstein/Trump Monument now!
Until January 2029.
Opps!: You're right.
No worries. I loved your comment.
Now I like that!
Amen!!
Where did the money come from to refurbish the plane from Qatar? If the Dems take the House, the plane should never be given to the Felon's library and any funds to refurbish the plane should be ended.
Hear hear, and any refitting that's been done should be removed. That aircraft should be as originally built.
Steve 218,
The refit is for security and communications equipment to make it useable as AF 1. If it eventually meets the requirements for AF-1 use, we should keep it for the next president. Certainly not give it to Trump.
On the other hand he really is going to need filler for his library diven his dearth of books.
One shelf would be all that's needed to be filled with copies of his signed Executive Orders. Any more would be surpurflous, as he doesn't read.
Why put books in there?
The guy can barely read a teleprompter 3 words at a time, and won't read most of what crosses his mostly bare desk. He doesn't even read his own Exec. Orders! Just scribbles on them with a Sharpie.
By the way, Sharpie permanent marker inks are not archival.Maybe that's a good thing.....
They will need space for all of the People's documents he'll take home with him.
How did you know Sharpies weren't archival? I'm impressed.
I think his library is going to be more of a movie house to show videos--after all, he isn't saving written works for his library because he always mangles them when he tries to read them off the monitors. He likes videos--they are colorful and entertaining, especially videos in which he is prominently featured. So--nah, no shelves needed, just cushy seats. Hey--maybe the jet can function as the theater in which to play the videos--everyone gets their own headphones and a choice of titles, just like when we (used to) fly off on vacations...
The library will need a lot of space for all of the presidential documents he's going to take home with him - assumng he's still alive at the end of his term- (from madness not outside effects?
That 13 year old plane must NEVER be used as AF1. No refit can really ensure that there's no spyware on board. And there are ALREADY two AF1s being built from scratch, with delivery expected in 2027 and 2028.
Tear it down!
Don't you think the Repubs (Trump) plan to stay in office forever and just keep following the pay-for-play routine?
What's the saying about "the best laid plans of mice and men"? The majority are already tired of the shennanigans and kerffuffle, not to mention the hate and lies. These people are making too many waves to be tolerated forever. Latest polls indicate that Trump only has a 37% approval rating. It's downhill from here.
Well.... thanks to the immunity granted to him by Roberts et al, he doesn't need building permits or any of those pesky things the rest of us live with.
How is it 'an official presidential act' to saddle the taxpayers with this atrocity? What does the creation of this eyesore have to do with governance? It's a wild stretch.
as is all his shit the stoopine sup crt has allowed...
I agree with Steve 218. As all these activities are illegal and unconstitutional, the American taxpayers will be on the hook for all of this in the future and given that Justice Roberts the other 5 MAGA Buddies gave up on the Constitution to grant him immunity there will be very few ways to collect the cost to dismantle this atrocity and rebuild the East Wing as it should be.
build back better...
Restore the old east wing. Plow up and replant the rose garden. Remove the new flagpoles. Replant the trees they cut down. Make Washington Great Again.
Yes!! Obliterate every grotesque monument he is creating to himself. Let him be remembered in history books and future laws, and commemorated nowhere else.
S#!t, I am writing this and I'm not even an American! The world is watching, in horror.
Just cut off the last third of the ballroom which is too big anyway. It would be cheaper than redoing the whole nine yards. If my money has created it I sure don't want my money to have gone utterly to waste, and don't want to spend very much fixing it--we need to feed people and get them health care and education. So a simple slicing off of the end would suffice to bring it somewhat more in line with sanity.
Your money isn't building it, bribes are. And we must ensure that every penny spent by these wannabe oligarchs IS wasted, or they'll keep doing it. There must be no monuments to Trump on any federal property.
Does building a monumental travesty funded by corruption constitute an official act protected by the questionable SC ruling? I am doubtful!
With this Court? That's a resounding "YES"
SCOTUS itself gets to define “official act.“
Charles, as I see it, you are absolutely correct. Those actions and more devastation done by him while in office do not constitute official acts because they are not part of the assigned and defined duties. Therefore, proper actions should be taken in each of the other two branches of our government.
We must have swearing in of newly elected representatives first. Maybe we need our 2026 election first, but I should think action to stop unofficial liberties taken could be curtailed and dealt with appropriately before then.
Can people contact the Supreme Court to request a reversal of that immunity decision? If ordinary citizens may not, then who is to handle that action, and how? I have wanted to know ever since they approved it.
It seems that being in his pocket would be the only reason anyone would have approved the immunity allowance in the first place, because everyone should realize that it was wrong, no matter who was or ever would be in office.
We can contact them until we turn blue, but I don’t think it will make any difference. The old ones are bought and paid for and haven’t been outside their bubble for so long they have no clue. The newer ones have their own agendas to manage. The three liberal women make an effort to stay informed 👹
Rachel, thanks for the accurate breakdown. Thank goodness for the three liberal women! How can we stop people being bought and paid for?
When we have the power, impeachment of Thomas and Roberts, at least 👹
Don't forget about that arch he plans to build for the 250th birthday celebration.
Ah,yes! The Trump triumphal arch, designed in true noble Roman style. This whole thing ballroom, Mar-a-Lago patio and arch are ridiculous monuments to the worst president in history.
Another thing the next administration needs to put on its demolition list - along with Donnie's Dance Hall, Donnie's Pedo Patio, and Donnie's Used Cars flag poles.
Along with that Qatari jet.
God, I forgot about that thing !
yes, stop USAID and SNAP and pay for that, really nice christian move
Maybe the US military should go after the war-mongering anti-christian in the Oval Office, not Nigerians.
Ye gods, another atrocity. Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial at the ends of the Arlington Memorial Bridge at least stand for things historical. This arch will be just another of his eyesores - out of place, time and taste. If he yearns for an arch, let him join the homeless in Washington Square Park in New York City.
Or go to McDonalds, a win-win!
Golden Arch modeled on McDonald’s
I'm afraid that Trump will view Arlington Nat'l Cemetery as a great spot for a golf course 😒
And the ghosts and families of those resting there will visit their wrath upon him.
watch me throw up.
April Ryan, in an interview with Jim Acosta, raised the same point about the White House kitchen, which is currently pretty small and located way on the other side of the complex from Donnie's Dance Hall and Brothel. Where are the storage areas for china, glassware, flatware, tablecloths, tables, chairs for serving up to 1,000 people? Where is the laundry? Where is the delivery dock for food, flowers, and other supplies? Trump claims this monstrosity isn't costing taxpayers a dime, but he fails to include ongoing costs like heating, AC, and maintenance. He's hiding things, alright!
One other thing: The East Wing formerly stood over the PEOC, the emergency bunker to used by the president in case of an emergency. With all the construction going on, there currently isn't one. Where is it?
Try to imagine what 1000+ place settings of Whitehouse china and silver or gold flatware will cost...
And you KNOW he's going to want a new service, probably incorporating his name or initials somehow and plated with gold. $$$$$$$
Yuck. More tasteless gold kitsch.
He goes for that warlord chic.
That's Hegseth. Trump is after the king's gold image. Too bad it's iron pyrite.
Jane , the new emergency bunker is now in russia...
OMG! My first spit take of the day! 😂😂
Very good question!
Yes. I think the "ballroom" is going to be something else.
Pam, I hope it becomes a pile of rubble.
Charles, I think it's all it will ever be. The bulldozers weren't AI, but that's all. He's sliding into a new altered state. Those cushioning him need to wake up to this very quickly before anything else happens. Has the 25th ever been invoked? Blanche Dubois: "Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."
The 25th Amendment is levied on the president by the cabinet. Do you think that this bunch of lackeys and toadies are going to break with their loyalty to Trump and invoke it?
Thank you. I’ve been saying this on repeat every time some *shouts* 25th Amendment! Certainly JD’s not going to get the ball rolling even though he’s the one who would benefit most from doing so.
if trump gets to be too much of a liability, and the project 2025 people like Miller and Vought see that he has served his purpose to get them into places of decision making and budget slashing, and their altar boy into the VP position, they will abandon him without much of a fight.
NO! Trump put them where they are and is giving them the ride of their life! Such importance?
I've just written this, but can't remember where: even lackeys and toadies will avoid getting hurt - that's why they are what they are. Darth Vader wasn't invincible without his helmet.
ooo, cut trump's hair
Amazing that all those filthy rich donors finagle to pay NO taxes, if possible. Then they willingly give to this atrocious federal building?
Consider that they don't even get a thank-you if they pay taxes, but for a tax deductible (business expense, you know) donation, they will get favors granted, pay-to-play, and quid-pro-quo deals galore!
Yes, it will be something else. Beyond its cost, no one is talking about how hideously out of proportion it will be. Just wait until it's built and see how people will react to this monstrosity completely overshadowing the WH. Will they rent it out for private functions? I don't see it lasting long....
The working side - kitchen, storage, loading dock, employee area, etc, etc will have to be facing Pennsylvania Avenue.
Ye Gads! Yikes!
Can't have it blocking the view from the J.E. Ballroom of The South Lawn!
It's the impossible dream of the Man of La Mancha.
And notice that the estimated cost keeps going up.
If it gets built, it will be a billion dollar boondoggle built without any checks or balances from Congress.
The costs of using the ballroom for guess will come from the taxpayers.
Great point about where the kitchens, supplies, etc. will be. Of course this is the man who can't focus on details.
Details - like taxes - are for 'the little people.
Didn't Leona Helmsley say something to this effect long ago?
He is kind of the orange version of Leona.
The "losers."
or pay for anything
Good point. This will end up probably being $500M before he's done. He'll extort that cash from some businesses, Universities or through White House "commissions" paid to the DOJ to get major mergers completed. Corruption will be rampant. The spineless Congress won't stand in his way for fear of having to go to jail on his whim.
"Corruption will be rampant. "
It has been in the past, already is, and will keep growing. The Trump way.
CoTRUMPtion?
More from CBS? Or some other channel?
It's a Potemkin village ballroom
Where are the guests and the staff going to park? How about the security for thousands of people working or attending events at the White House? How often are these huge events going to take place? The logistics of the whole "plan" are terrible.
Given the number of people who have quit going to The Kennedy Center, I'm thinking there won't be enough attendance to make use of 1000 plates. Maybe the billionaires will attend once or twice, but they'll get bored with it. I'm picturing Bezos, Musk, Ellis, Zuckerberg sitting around a golden table trying to chat to each other and asking themselves "which one of us is a total psychopath?" (Easy answer). Like all things DJT, it will be a bust fairly quickly.
just like everything he does...bankrupt 6 times
and at this point, what foreign diplomats, performing artists etc want to come visit the USA anyway--I can see it being mostly empty and expensive to heat with all of those windows... Or maybe that's where trump will eat his hamberders...
I'm sure he will use the South Lawn for the for-rent guest quarters and parking garage. He is planning to develop all that empty space on the WH 'property'.
Just like the Qatari jumbo jet, it's the gift that keeps on costing.
I worked for Grinnell Fire Protection for a short time in 1974-75. Designing a sprinkler system for this building will be a real challenge.
Those systems are not inexpensive to install, either.
I just designed them; I didn't have to pay for them. But we always found that the HVAC people got in first and ran their ducts right where we needed to run our pipes.
Good job coordinators in charge of staging what happens when on a site is a forgotten art (and necessity).
Exactly! When I heard about this monstrosity, I thought the poor, unfortunate tax payers are going to be flagged with all these expenses for entertainment!
From us taxpayers unfortunately. I don't imagine that the donors are going to contribute indefinitely.
Not when he does his final dive into the pit of Hell.
I agree. No room for materials or parking.
New symptom: AI dependency.
Lobbying should be outlawed. FULL F’ING STOP.
Absolutely-I've been squawking about that one since I was 20, 54 years ago.
Lobbying is legalized bribery.
100%
And you know who's responsible for launching lobbying on steroids? Paul Manafort and Roger Stone.
Not at all surprised. We’ve got a lot of work to do!!
Here it is "lobbying" but when it happens in other countries we decry it as "corruption".
Thanks, Hal. Def needed that!
You're very welcome!
Totally agree, but there's a little more to it. Here's a tongue-in-cheek yet spot-on encapsulation of how our government works:
"Get Konnected with The Kronies Action Figures"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDXuPQ9ML9E
The sad news is how easily Republicans have accepted and normalized Trump’s corruption and how corrupt these major corporations are. Repulsive.
They accepted him back in 2016. when they CHOSE him, over other Republican candidates, some of them, reasonable choices. They chose their weapon against the country, and most of them are stuck to that choice with superglue.
Russian superglue. Nobody recognised it then.
My father and godfather, who ran Lockheed until the 1970s, would be appalled.
Thanks to Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett for giving felon Trump seemingly unlimited power to destroy everything that has made America GREAT before Trump showed up. Did $50M each in crypto do it? And Mike Johnson- another $50M? And all of the MAGA Congress- $5M each in crypto? All a drop in the bucket for Trump and his billionaire cabinet, and tech bros…
Crypto only exists for nefarious reasons. It’s like a big, black hole.
Musk paid well over $300M to try to buy Trump. He could easily buy SCOTUS and the MAGA Congress.
Roberts-he will go down as the biggest traitor in America's history for undermining the very foundation of our country which he pledged to preserve and protect.
A complete enemy of democracy.
Agree! Follow the money, follow the money, follow the money!
Go back to CITIZENS UNITED! A dreadful blunder by the high Court!
Do you think it was a blunder or was it intentional?
Yes JayW. I’ve always believed that all these asshats are getting $$$ in exchange for their souls. Wish a Cracker Jack reporter would do a deep dive on this. What they’d find will be appalling!
One plank of the Democratic Party’s platform (do they even have these anymore?) in 2028 must be a promise to tear the damned thing down and rebuild the East Wing as well as restoring the Rose Garden to its original condition. Eliminate every single scrap of the dictator's stench, like he was never there. Replace his official portraits with empty frames.
De-trumpification. If the Germans could do it after WW2, so can we.
That includes influential people as well as killers. The great singers and conductors had to be deNazified, and it took a couple of years. Karajan, who had joined the party at about 22, passed easily, but he had to wait ten years for the job he coveted: the great Furtwangler, who had stayed in Germany to safeguard German music, who never gave nor permitted the Nazi salute, was restored, but only had those ten years left.
Bring it ALL back to historic designs and the payment to do so should come out of drumpf's family pockets! Every penny spent on all this garishly ugly "renovations" of OUR house should be taken out of their pockets to pay for all the restorations that will be needed. I look forward to the day he is removed, in handcuffs, and takes his last ride in the helicopter to his waiting transport to prison for the rest of his ugly, profane life.
Before tearing down the ballroom, it should be used as a 24/7 war room for rectifying all instances of Trump/MAGA corruption.
Oh, great idea!! Let Jack Smith do the prosecution, he’ll finally get to put that lying POS criminal behind bars where he should have been all along. Model the whole thing after the WWII Nuremberg trials. After all, we’re dealing with Nazis here as well.
John, replace his portrait with one in his prison suit...
I think all these things should be done, but not blatantly advertised ahead of time.
Yes, yes, yes. Tear both down.
I am baffled; WHO is going to hold this regime, and these illegal donors, accountable? HOW are they able to be getting away with so much overt greed and corruption? WHEN will the day of reckoning arrive, or am I / are we naive to think laws, truth, and decency will prevail?
With the complicity of both the GOP Congress and the supine court, and the corruption of the Department of Justice, there will be no accountability or prosecution. We will have to wait for a major housecleaning by elections to return integrity and responsibility to government. With hope and prodding, Nuremberg II trials should hold the criminals accountable.
Steve, I appreciate your optimism; I used to be a 100% optimist but these days I occasionally succumb to despair as I witness the blatant disregard for the rules of law and the lack of response from elected officials. Your response reminded me that justice and kindness do prevail and that our waiting will be worth it in the long run. In the meantime, Mike Johnson is the devil incarnate as he lies every single day to protect 45 from accountability. Grrrrr.
There are many devils. Six sit on the supine court. Bondi and her crew of cheerleaders are in the Department of Injustice. The Faux Noise presenter is in what is now the Department of War, and the puppy and goat killer is in charge of Homeland Insecurity; ICE thugs in particular. One must also not forget the major manipulators Russell Vought and Stephen Miller and of course Trump himself. There is plenty of accountability to go round.
The devil incarnate!? We all know he is a devout Christian! /s
"WHO is going to hold this regime, and these illegal donors, accountable? "
Voters. We're the only ones left. The GOP must be relegated to the trash heap of history.
The recent election reminded me of a joke that gives me hope for the future.
A Dog Food maker's owner passed away and his Ivy League graduate son took over.
Sales were falling and he held a firey meeting with the salesmen to pump them up and to reenergize them.
He started with presentation that told about their state-of-the-art manufacturing, their sales channels, etc.
When it was over the salesmen were virtually foaming at the mouth to get out and sell. All except George, the most senior of the group.
The son noticed this and asked George why he was so reticent.
George, slowly and bashfully, stood up and said "It's the dogs sir. They just don't like it."
In this last election we were the dogs telling the politicians that we just didn't like what they were doing. We can do this again!
Robin, all depends on the midterms...
Trump will appeal it to his Justices on the Supreme Court?
I'm thinking that another issue which needs to be addressed is to codify NORMS! It is obvious that the country can not rely on the decency of any government to follow norms established over decades of governance. If this time has taught us anything it is that humans are not a trustworthy species. We can't rely on people following precident any longer, just look at what happened to Roe when the 6 Supremes got their grubby, money filled hands on it.
We're going to need a lot more actual law-making & to be quite honest I don't think the electorate has the brains/IQ to select competent candidates to fill our hallowed halls.
~~~By the way yesterday I left messages at Thune & Johnson's offices asking them if they got the message on election day & to grow a spine & stand up to trump because he'll turn on them next. In fact he already is doing that.
You're very correct. What used to be established by conventional thinking, ethical behavior, and a show of statesmanship and integrity clearly needs to be be codified into enforceable law. We need to understand that honorable behavior cannot be assumed.
Democratic members of Congress have actually been doing a marvelous job of exposing the unheard of grift. I think at this point more Hill investigations will only help on the margins as important as they are. We have just gotten jaded because they do not result in change.
This needs to be a semi coordinated grass roots campaign with billboards and TikToks and bridge brigades and boycotts. It is coming. They want to have small wins (Disney, Avelo, and Spotify, keeping up the pressure on Tesla) to build on. Maybe the bulldozing of the White House boycott should be led by the Bulwark and other former Republicans. Let the Democrats stay focused on working for the benefit of the people.
We are only a few House members from stopping the Trump agenda in its tracks. Pressure House Republicans.
Maybe three GOP members can leave the caucus and caucus with Democrats. Switch the speaker of the House now and make Johnson irrelevant.
Jerry Weiss' scenario. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/
THAT would be useful. Maybe we need to persuade a few GOP types that we will protect them (witness protection program?) and give them positions to assure that they can feed their families so they aren't in such fear of retribution.
Of one thing we can be certain: Mike Johnson hasn't seen the stories of the corruption implicit in the fund raising for the ballroom. He hasn't been made aware of the crypto shenanigans of Trump's kids. He's not aware that the 747 being donated to the President will then be for Trump future personal use through the to-be built Trump Library. It's astonishing what our Speaker of the House has managed to not learn about. He no doubt sees that blindness as a gift.
maybe he'll be struck down like saul and see the light...
Many Congressional Republicans privately admit Trump is nuts.
I keep posting. According to Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) Trumpepstein may cause an "Epstein bomb" causing over 100 Republican members to "jailbreak" from Trump.
Massive Congressional visits November 18.
https://www.instagram.com/flare.usa/p/DP_mdOyjdiG/
Visit CongressionalRepublicans.
https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/851451/
I think that if we play our cards right, many can be convinced by the election outcome to come forward.
Daniel, I'd been hoping that Trump could get Mel Brooks to tutor him on how best to do Louis 14, but he wouldn't likely think of it.
It may be that these election results will convince those republicans who still have some semblance of integrity that SS Trump is sinking and that contesting him may no longer be professional suicide. Maybe some will dare to publicly note the daily increase in evidence of his descent into demntia.
And then the Supremes may unanimously recognize the unconsitutionality of Trump's application of tariffs. Yipppee.
it is interesting that the challenge of the tariff madness argued so effectively by Neal Katyal yesterday at the Supremes was brought by Liberty Justice Center, a very conservative/Libertarian group based in Chicago who took the lead in behalf of a group of similarly disposed organizations and business groups.
I suggest we call all dems in congress and ask them to donate their last month’s salary to local food banks. This would be a strong emblem -and action-that tells the core story-dems care for our people not just ourselves. of how we treat e
I love this idea--show the public that they put their money where their mouth is. Or actually OUR money--but all the better, I would love my money to go to helping those who are being used as pawns... Who is and who isn't taking their salary could be used as a piece of information about whom to vote for next....
During a press conference yesterday, a journalist asked Hakeem Jefferies about his salary during the shutdown. He said that he is not taking it. Of course, such a question is never asked of the absent Republicans.
i have called and left this message for jeffries and schumer and a bunch of other dems...will do more tomorrow... hopefully many of you will call and suggest this--i think it would be splashy AND meaningful! Help the people AND get our message out vividly.
We the People need to divide giving our oxygen to the vile ruthless amoral t regime & their ignorant orange fool and in ousting every single disgraced Congressional Republican for their unrelenting complacent silence in their takedown of our Democracy, Humanity & Earth.
Yes! While the destruction of the East Wing certainly wasn't the only factor in Tuesday's elections, it is an indelible image that will deservedly haunt Republicans for years to come. They let it happen on their watch.
I have a mundane suggestion that most US citizens will identify with, i.e., Congress should require every President upon their election to pay a $100 million security deposit to cover damages to the White House incurred during their term. I also suggest making this retroactive to January 1, 2025.
But do we want presidents who HAVE $100 million to cover damages? I'd prefer not. We see how that works....
Oh I love this concept!! People can quibble about the price, but the concept is what we have to do at the sleaziest motels we stay at--why not the most fabulously important house of the land???
Once again, JB Pritzger shows us the way. We need a commission to keep track of all illegality so we can pursue charges against the offenders when we regain the Congress.