Trump Timeline ... Trumpocalypse

[Michael Scally MD]

Wyden told DHS and LookingGlass Cyber Solutions in the letters, which were obtained by The Intercept, that the public has a right to understand why the company was closely monitoring lawful protests and then sharing that information with DHS, as well as what, if anything, DHS did with the information.

“Surveillance of protests — whether by the government, defense contractors, or unlawful vigilantes — can significantly chill this lawful, First Amendment-protected activity,” Wyden wrote in both letters, which were sent on Monday. “The restrictive effects of surveillance are further amplified for people who belong to communities that have long been over-policed and discriminated against by the state, particularly people of color.”

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

For the past 21 years, I have had the high privilege of holding a White House press pass, a magical ticket that gives the bearer a front-row seat to history.

I was in the White House the night Bill Clinton admitted his affair with Monica Lewinsky, and the day he was impeached. I was there on Sept. 11, 2001, and the fearful days thereafter, when we were trained to use escape hoods. I watched George W. Bush make the case for the Iraq War and Barack Obama pitch his remedies for the market crash. There, too, I have witnessed the carnival-like briefings and high histrionics of Donald Trump’s presidency.

But no more. The White House eliminated most briefings and severely restricted access to official events. And this week came the coup de grace: After covering four presidents, I received an email informing me that Trump’s press office had revoked my White House credential.

I’m not the only one. It was part of a mass purge of “hard pass” holders after the White House implemented a new standard that designated as unqualified almost the entire White House press corps, including all six of The Post’s White House correspondents. White House officials then chose which journalists would be granted “exceptions.” It did this over objections from news organizations and the White House Correspondents’ Association.

The Post requested exceptions for its six White House reporters and for me, saying that this access is essential to our work (in my case, I often write “sketches” describing the White House scene). The White House press office granted exceptions to the other six, but not to me. I strongly suspect it’s because I’m a Trump critic. The move is perfectly in line with Trump’s banning of certain news organizations, including The Post, from his campaign events, and his threats to revoke White House credentials of journalists he doesn’t like.

White House officials provided me no comment for the record.

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

 

[Michael Scally MD]

TRUMPY TAX TRAGEDY
Trumpy Tax Tragedy

If you still believe Donald Trump is a genius, great businessman, great negotiator, and built a great company, you’re in a cult. ‬

The New York Times published a story this week in great detail about how Trump spent the 1980s losing over a billion dollars. According to the IRS, Donald Trump lost more money during this time than any other American. In fact, his loses accounted for one percent of all loses declared by American tax filers. Donald Trump shouldn’t have hosted The Apprentice and instead should have starred in the Biggest Loser.

Trump is a loser. The one positive a loser like Trump can take from losing a billion dollars is that he didn’t pay taxes for eight of those ten years.

If you’re a Trump sycophant, don’t worry. Trump had an explanation. He meant to do that. He explained in a Tweet that it was for “tax purposes” and was a “sport” among real estate developers. He then called the story “fake news.” So, did he lose all that money for tax purposes like he claimed or was the Times lying? It’s hard to keep his defenses straight. Also, if he’s only “showing” losses, does that mean he committed tax fraud?

There are two other interesting points in this story. All this billion dollar losing occurred while he was promoting himself as a huge success story, master of the universe, and educator on being a miser by publishing his book “Art of the Deal.” The real art of the deal was borrowing money from daddy while you’re bankrupting casinos.

The other highlight that piqued interests is that in 1989, he reported $52.9 million in interest income. Here’s why that’s interesting: The three years before this, he reported $460,566, then $5.5 million, then $11.8 million in interest. So, 52 after 11 is a huge jump in interest income (if you’re a Republican, that’s a difference of 41). So, where’d that interest come from? Public findings from New Jersey casino regulators show no evidence that he owned anything capable of generating that much interest. Nor is there any such evidence in a 1990 report, which was prepared by accountants he hired at his bankers’ request. So, where did that $52.9 million come from? Daddy? Russians? People paying him not to tell anyone they had sex?

Of course, if Trump really wants to prove this is all “fake news” and he doesn’t have anything to hide, he would release his taxes. But, he won’t do that because it’s not “fake news” and he has a LOT Of skeevy shady shit to hide.

Of course, Trump wants to change the laws that allow a free press to publish stories such as these. What he doesn’t want to change are the laws that enable people to shoot up schools.

There was another school shooting this week, this time at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Colorado. Eight students were injured with Kendrick Castillo dying after lunging at one of the two shooters. Kendrick Castillo died saving lives three days before the end of the school year.

Donald Trump tweeted out condolences. Then, he went to one of his hate rallies in Panama City, Florida and laughed at a supporter’s suggestion that we start shooting immigrants at the border. Trump said, “Only in the Panhandle could you get away with saying something like that.” You can also get away with saying something like that at a Donald Trump rally. Other fun things you can get away with at a Trump rally are, heiling, goose-stepping, wearing a white sheet, waving a Swastika, punching black people, and shouting obscenities at Jim Acosta.

Donald Trump is not a genius, or a great businessman, or a great negotiator, and as evidenced from his most recent hate rally, he’s not even a decent human being. And, if you’re still a Trump supporter, neither are you.