# A Perfectly Reasonable Amount of Schadenfreude about Things Happening to Trump & His Enablers (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 14, 2020, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537 "2020-11-14T00:09:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 68
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1343 "2021-04-04T01:09:58Z")
Either way, the Schadenfreude here is the rapidly growing number of major organizations that refuse to have anything to do with Trump. It would be great if his disastrous presidency directly led to another one of those business accomplishments he’s so proud of: another bankruptcy. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1344 "2021-04-04T01:35:22Z")
Bravo from a nostalgic Boomer/ ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1345 "2021-04-04T04:47:16Z")
This needs to be clarified: It wasn’t Trump or his campaign that was directly scamming all those donors into making excessive donations. It was a private for-profit fund-raising web business, WinRed, that specializes in fund-raising for Republicans. They make their profit by taking a small cut of each donation. None of the articles I saw mentioned (that I noticed) if Trump’s campaign had ever asked them to do that. But IIRC, WinRed was mentioned to have done this before. They have the incentive: It’s how they make more money. But wait! It gets better! They also handed out all the millions in refunds that people asked for – BUT they don’t refund their cut of the action. No article that I saw mentioned who takes the loss for that – do the donors get less than their full money back? Or does the Trump campaign have to cover that? ETA: The corresponding Democratic fund-raising outfit, ActBlue, is a non-profit so they don’t have the kind of incentive to scam like that. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1346 "2021-04-04T04:48:22Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Here’s a stunning but totally unsurprising story about how the Trump campaign- increasingly desperate for cash and humiliated by poor fund-raising numbers- resorted to increasingly dishonest tactics in order to fleece their not-very-smart small dollar donors. From your linked article: > [@](#): > > Trump officials attributed the excessive donations to enthusiastic supporters and said the surge in postelection complaints was a result of losing the election, not of the recurring donation tactics. IOW, Trump officials admitted Trump lost the election, and accused their “enthusiastic supporters” of being sore losers who demanded a refund of their freely given donations because they were sore about losing. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1347 "2021-04-04T05:18:24Z")
^ 🤣 And thanks, **AH** , for that NYT link. > [@](#): > > Perhaps nowhere was that pressure more acute than on Mr. Trump’s expansive and lucrative digital operation. That was the unquestioned domain of Gary Coby, a 30-something strategist whose title — digital director — and microscopic public profile belied his immense influence on the Trump operation, especially online. A veteran of the R.N.C. and the 2016 race, Mr. Coby had the confidence, trust and respect of Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, who unofficially oversaw the 2020 campaign, according to people familiar with the campaign’s operations. Mr. Kushner and the rest of the campaign leadership gave Mr. Coby, whose talents are recognized across the Republican digital industry, wide latitude to raise money however he saw fit. That meant almost endless optimization and experimentation, sometimes pushing the traditional boundaries. The Trump team repeatedly used phantom donation matches and faux deadlines to loosen donor wallets (“1000% offer: ACTIVATED…For the NEXT HOUR”). Eventually it ratcheted up the volume of emails it sent until it was barraging supporters with an average of 15 per day for all of October and November 2020. Mr. Coby, who declined an interview request for this article, outlined his philosophical approach when offering advice to other ambitious young strategists after he was named to the American Association of Political Consultants’ [“40 under 40” list](https://theaapc.org/awards/40-under-40/40-under-40-winners-class-of-2017/gary-coby/) in 2017: “Asking for forgiveness is easier than permission.” Really - such a heart-warming bromide to inspire us all. Nothing like prepping up-and-comers with the importance of 😏accountability, prudence, foresight, transparency, and fairness. slightly switching gears… My memory’s really shot, there: don’t know why I have a recollection of a post of yours, **AH** , stringing along some Trump fund-raising email flunkie who went to increasing lengths with flailing, desperate emails, _beseeching_ their harrasees to fulill their donation obligations. Must’ve been someone else. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1348 "2021-04-04T11:48:18Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > My memory’s really shot, there: don’t know why I have a recollection of a post of yours, **AH** , stringing along some Trump fund-raising email flunkie who went to increasing lengths with flailing, desperate emails, _beseeching_ their harrasees to fulill their donation obligations. Must’ve been someone else. Was it [URL= [How has Former President Trump pissed you off today? - #8456 by Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-former-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today/777640/8456)]this[/URL] one, or [URL= [NEW Stupid Republican Idea of the Day (Part 1) - #3852 by Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/911140/3852)]that[/URL] one? ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1349 "2021-04-04T16:24:36Z")
Thanks! Pretty sure it was the first one, and wow the other one! Funky! ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1350 "2021-04-06T00:06:29Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > ETA: The corresponding Democratic fund-raising outfit, ActBlue, is a non-profit so they don’t have the kind of incentive to scam like that. And when they do refund money (which all campaign donor orgs do) they also refund their cut. I donated to Biden using them. They did have boxes for repeat donations, but they were well marked and unchecked by default. I feel bad for some Trump donors - except for the ones who say they still love the Donald despite getting ripped off. They can get evicted dumped in the gutter and pissed on for all I care. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1351 "2021-04-06T12:11:13Z")
Here’s a good opportunity to employ the sad trumpet sound…WAH wah: > **[Trump and his allies abandon Gaetz](https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/06/trump-matt-gaetz-lifeline-479126)** > > The congressman was a MAGA fixture. Now, engulfed in scandal, he’s persona non grata in Trumpworld. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1352 "2021-04-06T12:41:55Z")
Huh. I figured Trump was giving him tips on how to hit on high school girls. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1353 "2021-04-06T13:00:13Z")
trump only likes pedophiles who _ **don’t** _ get caught. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1354 "2021-04-06T16:03:50Z")
Ding, ding. You’ve got it. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1355 "2021-04-06T16:16:41Z")
Here’s a nice little frisson of trump shadenfreude. I’m reminded of the Aesop’s Fable “The Dog and its Reflection”: [A dog that is carrying a stolen piece of meat looks down as it is walking beside or crossing a stream and sees its own reflection in the water. Taking that for another dog carrying something better, it opens its mouth to attack the “other” and in doing so drops what it was carrying.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dog_and_Its_Reflection) > **[Donald Trump Tumbles Nearly 300 Spots In Billionaire Ranks](https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2021/04/06/donald-trump-tumbles-nearly-300-spots-in-billionaire-ranks/?sh=2d6898eb7fe1)** > > The former president, who prides himself on his business acumen, refused to divest his assets upon taking office. Had he sold out in 2017 and reinvested in the market, he’d be an estimated $1.6 billion richer. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1356 "2021-04-06T16:29:20Z")
What the article is essentially saying is that if Trump had invested his assets in companies that were reasonably competently run instead of being run by himself and his imbecilic sons, the assets would have appreciated instead of ruinously plummeting like everything else he has ever managed. This should surprise no one. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1357 "2021-04-06T16:36:12Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > This should surprise no one. It’s not a surprise, but it is a delight. And not just because ‘trump is doing badly financially because he is a bad businessman’ but because ‘trump did the wrong thing by not divesting his business assets when he became president, which was highly unethical if not illegal, and he suffered, not gained, as a consequence’. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1358 "2021-04-06T17:05:03Z")
> [@solost](#): > > ‘trump did the wrong thing by not divesting his business assets when he became president, which was highly unethical if not illegal, and he suffered, not gained, as a consequence’. I think it’s important, conceptually, to separate those two things. Trump is highly unethical and willing to at least push the boundaries of legality if not leap over them, that’s one thing. Trump and by extension apparently members of his family are incompetent at running businesses. That’s a second thing. So on the schadenfreude front, we have to conclude that crime did not pay this time because the criminal was an incompetent boob, not just at being a criminal, but also at business and life in general. Maybe that’s a two-fer. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1359 "2021-04-06T18:43:09Z")
> “He has done permanent damage to the Trump name and image, at least for two or three decades,” concludes real estate analyst Kevin Brown. Gee, that’s tough. ---
**Author:** ![mistymage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mistymage/32/459_2.png) [@mistymage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistymage)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1360 "2021-04-06T19:42:30Z")
Trump’s boycott of Coke didn’t last very long. Icky Stephen Miller posted a pic of him and the Orange One at Mar-A-Lago. Folks played a Hidden Object game and found a diet coke behind the telephone, blank sheets of paper, no pictures of his kids but 1 picture of Melania. No one could find Miller’s hair. > ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1361 "2021-04-06T19:57:55Z")
And a statue of Trump! ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/1362 "2021-04-06T20:26:20Z")
Here’s hoping this is the pebble that starts the avalanche of former Trumpers getting the smackdown for violating the Hatch Act. This is the HUD official who put together the video shown at the RNC without the knowledge or consent of those she interviewed. [https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/lynne-patton-rnc-video-hatch-act-violations](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/lynne-patton-rnc-video-hatch-act-violations) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537.md?page=67) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537.md?page=69)