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NY AG Letitia James is not done with Donald Trump - Business Insider
There are almost daily headlines now describing what Donald Trump would do if elected: the mass deportations, the pardons handed out to his friends and golf buddies, the Justice Department settling scores and waging personal vendettas. The former president has even promised violence if the election goes against him, warning that it could be a blood bath.
But as worrying as these prospects are, they are far from the biggest threats he poses. What we should fear most is Mr. Trump transforming our government into a modern-day Tammany Hall, installing a kleptocratic leadership that will be difficult if not impossible to dislodge.
I do not discount the possibility of state-sponsored violence, and I worry deeply about the politicization of the civil service. But those are, for the most part, threats and theories, and while they need to be taken seriously, people should be paying more attention to a far more likely reality: that Mr. Trump would spend much of his time in office enriching himself. He failed spectacularly as an insurrectionist and as a disrupter of the civil service, and his clownish and chaotic style may well lead to failure again but he has succeeded time and time again in the art of the steal. If his grift continues into a second term, it will not only contribute to the fraying trust Americans have in their institutions, but also impair our ability to lead the world through a series of escalating crises.
Recall how Mr. Trump operated in his first term. Not only did he keep his stake in more than a hundred businesses, he made it a practice to visit his properties around the country, forcing taxpayers to pay for rooms and amenities at Trump hotels for the Secret Service and other staff members who accompanied him money that went straight into his bank accounts and those of his business partners. Those interested in currying favor with the president, from foreign governments to would-be government contractors, knew to spend money at his hotels and golf clubs. According to internal Trump hotel documents, T-Mobile executives spent over $195,000 at the Trump Washington Hotel after announcing a planned merger with Sprint in April 2018. Two years later, the merger was approved.
Government, like fish, rots from the head down. Mr. Trumps example freed up cabinet members to award huge contracts to their friends, business associates and political allies, while others ran their departments like personal fiefs. After the State Departments inspector general was fired, Secretary of State Mike Pompeos use of official trips for clandestine meetings with conservative donors and his familys alleged misuse of staff members for tasks like walking his dog, picking up his wife from the airport and fetching his takeout came to light. And, in addition to being accused of improperly accepting gifts from those seeking influence, several other cabinet members were alleged to have used government funds for private travel. These may seem like banal infractions, but taken together, they are a reflection of who Mr. Trump is and how he governs.
Throughout his life, through Trump-branded wine, chocolate bars, sneakers, NFTs, ties, MAGA paraphernalia, a $59.99 Bible (of all things) and, most recently, his Truth Social meme stock ploy, he has shown an unstoppable drive to enrich himself at all costs. He sees politics, like business, as a zero-sum game in which he wins only if someone else loses. These are the instincts that drive corruption, kleptocracy and grift. And, if past is prologue, were looking at a much more damaging sequel.
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Opinion | What Worries Me Most About a Trump Presidency - The New York Times
Former President Donald J. Trump once again criticized Jews who back Democratic candidates on Wednesday, saying that any Jewish person that votes for a Democrat or votes for Biden should have their head examined.
His comments, made to reporters in Atlanta as he was attacking President Bidens approach to Israels war in Gaza, marked the third time in the last month that Mr. Trump has cast aspersions on Democrat-supporting Jewish voters, a group that in the past he has accused of disloyalty.
Mr. Trump has received blowback over such remarks for years, with critics saying that they revive an antisemitic trope that Jews have a dual loyalty and are more loyal to Israel or their religious beliefs than to their own countries.
A Biden campaign spokesman, James Singer, condemned Mr. Trumps comments as divisive. Jewish Americans do not need to be spoken to or threatened by Donald Trump, Mr. Singer said, adding, This is what Trump does, using division and hate as political weapons while seeking power for himself.
Mr. Trump has for years been trying to peel American Jews, a substantial majority of whom are liberal, away from the Democratic Party. Those efforts have intensified since the start of the war in Gaza, which exposed divisions among Democrats over how the Biden administration has handled it.
But in seeking recently to win Jewish voters support, Mr. Trump has repeatedly castigated American Jews who do not support his candidacy as insufficiently loyal to Israel. On Monday, during an interview on the right-wing channel Real Americas Voice, Mr. Trump said that any Jewish person that votes for Biden does not love Israel, and frankly, should be spoken to.
And last month, Mr. Trump told Sebastian Gorka, a former White House aide who now hosts a conservative talk-radio program, that any Jewish person who backed Democrats hates their religion and hates everything about Israel.
Since Hamas led an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Mr. Biden has maintained support for Israel despite increasingly vocal opposition from critics within his own party who say he has not done enough to address civilian deaths in Gaza.
But as the humanitarian crisis within Gaza has extended past six months, Mr. Biden has increasingly taken a more critical stance toward Israel. Last week, after the killing of seven humanitarian aid workers in Gaza, Mr. Biden threatened to condition future support for Israel on how the country addresses his concerns about its military conduct.
Mr. Trump has had comparatively less to say about the war. Days after the attack, he criticized Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israeli intelligence services for being unprepared. After receiving swift criticism, Mr. Trump quickly pivoted to express support for the countrys right to defend itself.
But Mr. Trump drew criticism from staunch Israel supporters on the right after an interview last month in which he said that Israel was losing public support, in part because images of the destruction in Gaza were ruining the countrys global reputation.
Israel has to be very careful, because youre losing a lot of the world, Mr. Trump said in the interview with Israel Hayom, a conservative Israeli news outlet. Youre losing a lot of support. You have to finish up. You have to get the job done.
And last week, Mr. Trump told Hugh Hewitt, a conservative radio host, that Israel was losing the P.R. war because it was releasing images of its military campaign online.
As president, Mr. Trump consistently favored Israel against the Palestinians. He moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights and brokered accords between Israel and four Arab states.
On Wednesday, he tried to portray himself once more as Israels most aggressive supporter. He told reporters that Mr. Biden, who has faced protests from within his party for continuing to provide military aid to Israel, has totally abandoned the country.
Biden has totally lost control of the Israel situation, Mr. Trump said.
Even as he seemed to make a direct appeal to American Jews, for at least the third time this month Mr. Trump framed the upcoming election as a referendum on Christian values, saying that Election Day would also be Christian Visibility Day, when Christians would turn out in droves to vote for him.
The appellation was a nod to a conservative firestorm that erupted last month after Mr. Biden formally acknowledged Transgender Day of Visibility, which is observed annually on March 31 and this year coincided with Easter.
But Mr. Trumps response to the controversy was in line with his efforts to frame his third presidential campaign as a crusade to defend Christian values from the left, even as he never showed interest in religion before entering politics.
Last month, he endorsed a $60 Bible that comes with printed copies of some of the nations founding documents. Religion and Christianity are the biggest things missing from this country, he said in a video promoting the new Bible, adding, We must make America pray again.
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Election Live Updates: Abortion and Inflation Raise Issues for Biden and Trump - The New York Times
When Donald Trump first ran for the Presidency in 2016, he famously staked his reputation on his wealthnot only had the real estate magnate mastered the art of the deal, but his vast riches meant special interests couldnt buy him.
Nearly a decade later, his finances are in tatters: legal bills are piling up with interest accruing; the state of New York is threatening to seize some of his prime properties; and the stock of his Truth Social parent company is now in free fall.
Now, media group Bloomberg has stripped Trump of his prestigious membership in its virtual country club of billionaires.
This week he wasbootedfrom its index of the500 wealthiest people in the worldafter shares in Trump Media and Technology Group tumbled.
Trump Medias crown jewel is Truth Social, the Twitter-like social network Trump launched after being banned from that service following the events of Jan. 6. The stock is still phenomenally high for a company that lost more than $58 million last year on revenues of just $4 million. Trump supporters have also bought into the company as a show of support, driving the price up.
The more Wall Street saw just the business substanceor lack thereofthere was to TMTG, a loss-making Twitter clone whose main draw is its most famous user, the more the stock dived.Trump Media shares have been in a steady, uninterrupted fall since April 2and have only risen one day since March 27. They lost another 9% on Wednesday to close at $34.26 each, bringing total declines to 57% since its peak on March 26.
Trump owns roughly 60% of Trump Media with 78.75 million shares. That puts the value of the stock at a little under $2.7 billion, compared to the $5.2 billion it was worth a few weeks ago. All of that is paper billions, though. Trump cannot sell any shares until September, unless given permission from the companys board of directors.
In truth, the formerApprenticehosts empire has already fallen into a less-than-pristine state.
At least four of Trumps businesses have declared bankruptcy and no major lender save for risk-friendly Deutsche Bank isstill willingto do business with him.
In February, the Trump Organization was foundliableto the tune of $464 million for borrowing against fraudulently inflated real estate values, and the $175 million bond Trump secured fromKnight Specialty Insuranceto postpone asset seizures until his appeal is heard looks dicey.
New York prosecutors are currentlyquestioningwhether the companywhich is not licensed in the stateis even good for the money.
If not, the authorities could start collecting, and New York attorney general Letitia James haswarnedhis building on40 Wall Streetcould be a prime candidate.
Trump also will have to roll over$780 million in mortgage debtover the next five years, according to an estimate byForbes, right when interest rates have hit punishing levels and vacancies in prime real estate markets soar as more people work from home.
The March 26 listing of Truth Social parent company Trump Media and Technology Group seemed to come just in the nick of time.
Beyond the $300 million in cash raised from investors to help ensure its immediate survival, the initial surge in its stock price added more than $3 billion to Trumps wealthovernight. However, the nosedive in the price of Trump Media shares since has reduced the former presidents estimated net worth to below $5.76 billion, which puts him below the current threshold to rank among the 500 richest people in the world. At his peak, Trump was valued at $6.5 billion.
Forbes no longer ranks Trump among its 500 richest, either, estimating his worth at $4.6 billion, which makes him the 696th richest person by that publications rankings.
And dont forget, Trump is nothing if not a survivor.
The clout hed gain in the business community from a victory in Novembers U.S. presidential election could soon see his coffers replenished.
Who knowshe might even get his Bloomberg billionaire membership card back.
[This report has been updated with additional context.]
Former President Donald J. Trump once again criticized Jews who back Democratic candidates on Wednesday, saying that any Jewish person that votes for a Democrat or votes for Biden should have their head examined.
His comments, made to reporters in Atlanta as he was attacking President Bidens approach to Israels war in Gaza, marked the third time in the last month that Mr. Trump has cast aspersions on Democrat-supporting Jewish voters, a group that in the past he has accused of disloyalty.
Mr. Trump has received blowback over such remarks for years, with critics saying that they revive an antisemitic trope that Jews have a dual loyalty and are more loyal to Israel or their religious beliefs than to their own countries.
A Biden campaign spokesman, James Singer, condemned Mr. Trumps comments as divisive. Jewish Americans do not need to be spoken to or threatened by Donald Trump, Mr. Singer said, adding, This is what Trump does, using division and hate as political weapons while seeking power for himself.
Mr. Trump has for years been trying to peel American Jews, a substantial majority of whom are liberal, away from the Democratic Party. Those efforts have intensified since the start of the war in Gaza, which exposed divisions among Democrats over how the Biden administration has handled it.
But in seeking recently to win Jewish voters support, Mr. Trump has repeatedly castigated American Jews who do not support his candidacy as insufficiently loyal to Israel. On Monday, during an interview on the right-wing channel Real Americas Voice, Mr. Trump said that any Jewish person that votes for Biden does not love Israel, and frankly, should be spoken to.
And last month, Mr. Trump told Sebastian Gorka, a former White House aide who now hosts a conservative talk-radio program, that any Jewish person who backed Democrats hates their religion and hates everything about Israel.
Since Hamas led an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Mr. Biden has maintained support for Israel despite increasingly vocal opposition from critics within his own party who say he has not done enough to address civilian deaths in Gaza.
But as the humanitarian crisis within Gaza has extended past six months, Mr. Biden has increasingly taken a more critical stance toward Israel. Last week, after the killing of seven humanitarian aid workers in Gaza, Mr. Biden threatened to condition future support for Israel on how the country addresses his concerns about its military conduct.
Mr. Trump has had comparatively less to say about the war. Days after the attack, he criticized Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israeli intelligence services for being unprepared. After receiving swift criticism, Mr. Trump quickly pivoted to express support for the countrys right to defend itself.
But Mr. Trump drew criticism from staunch Israel supporters on the right after an interview last month in which he said that Israel was losing public support, in part because images of the destruction in Gaza were ruining the countrys global reputation.
Israel has to be very careful, because youre losing a lot of the world, Mr. Trump said in the interview with Israel Hayom, a conservative Israeli news outlet. Youre losing a lot of support. You have to finish up. You have to get the job done.
And last week, Mr. Trump told Hugh Hewitt, a conservative radio host, that Israel was losing the P.R. war because it was releasing images of its military campaign online.
As president, Mr. Trump consistently favored Israel against the Palestinians. He moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights and brokered accords between Israel and four Arab states.
On Wednesday, he tried to portray himself once more as Israels most aggressive supporter. He told reporters that Mr. Biden, who has faced protests from within his party for continuing to provide military aid to Israel, has totally abandoned the country.
Biden has totally lost control of the Israel situation, Mr. Trump said.
Even as he seemed to make a direct appeal to American Jews, for at least the third time this month Mr. Trump framed the upcoming election as a referendum on Christian values, saying that Election Day would also be Christian Visibility Day, when Christians would turn out in droves to vote for him.
The appellation was a nod to a conservative firestorm that erupted last month after Mr. Biden formally acknowledged Transgender Day of Visibility, which is observed annually on March 31 and this year coincided with Easter.
But Mr. Trumps response to the controversy was in line with his efforts to frame his third presidential campaign as a crusade to defend Christian values from the left, even as he never showed interest in religion before entering politics.
Last month, he endorsed a $60 Bible that comes with printed copies of some of the nations founding documents. Religion and Christianity are the biggest things missing from this country, he said in a video promoting the new Bible, adding, We must make America pray again.
Read the original here:
Election Updates: Trump says he would not sign a federal abortion ban if elected. - The New York Times