# Most Americans believe Trump owns Trump Tower, making it PERFECT cover for ... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 25, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034 "2017-03-25T21:15:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/41 "2017-03-27T23:21:24Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Which I did. Would you like me to quote you again? Your claim is still bullshit, Smapti. It’s clear to any intelligent reader that my argument does not rely upon the building being brought down or utterly demolished. Serious damage would be sufficient to the purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/42 "2017-03-27T23:26:15Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > [Noam Chomsky: Trump could stage a ‘false flag’ terror attack and ‘change the country instantly’](http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/noam-chomsky-trump-could-stage-a-false-flag-terror-attack-and-change-the-country-instantly/) > > If the OP is crazy, then so is Noam Chomsky. Interesting–I hadn’t seen that. Today on CNN historian Julian Zelizer discussed the situation Ronald Reagan faced in the early days of HIS presidency; Reagan was having trouble getting anything done and faced a Congress that was anything but a rubber stamp. Then, the assassination attempt occurred—and Reagan’s popularity received a huge boost. Now he was able to get Congressional cooperation. The interview isn’t yet available, but some similar remarks: > [@](#): > > … The tax cut faced early skepticism from Democrats and even some Republicans. Vice president George H.W. Bush had belittled supple-side theory as “voodoo economics” during the 1980 Republican primaries.33 But a combination of skill and serendipity pushed the bill over the top. Reagan aggressively and effectively lobbied individual members of Congress for support on the measure. **Then on March 30, 1981, Reagan survived an assassination attempt by a mentally unstable young man named John Hinckley. Public support swelled for the hospitalized president.** [29. The Triumph of the Right | THE AMERICAN YAWP](http://www.americanyawp.com/text/29-the-triumph-of-the-right/) I’ll link to today’s CNN interview when the video or transcript become available. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/43 "2017-03-27T23:51:39Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > If the OP is crazy, then so is Noam Chomsky. Yes. What’s your point? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/44 "2017-03-27T23:59:45Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Yes. What’s your point? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/45 "2017-03-28T00:14:27Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > You missed the point-- which was directly above the very paragraph that you quoted: > [@Sherrerd](#): > > It doesn’t matter if this gets discussed as tinfoil-hattery—as long as it gets discussed. Noo…I got that loud and clear. As long as people propagate your dumb theory, you’re happy, it doesn’t matter if they call it dumb in the process. Meme away. Ain’t gonna work. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/46 "2017-03-28T00:23:00Z")
I don’t see Trump having the wherewithal to stage a false-flag terror attack, but it’s certainly in his range (as well as the range of current Republicans) to wildly exaggerate one, keep it in the news for years, conjure up imaginary blame and place where convenient. Ref: Benghazi. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/47 "2017-03-28T01:09:19Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Interesting–I hadn’t seen that. > > Today on CNN historian Julian Zelizer discussed the situation Ronald Reagan faced in the early days of HIS presidency; Reagan was having trouble getting anything done and faced a Congress that was anything but a rubber stamp. > > Then, the assassination attempt occurred—and Reagan’s popularity received a huge boost. Now he was able to get Congressional cooperation. I’ve long believed the Reagan assassination was staged. It was just too carefully orchestrated - Reagan being wheeled into the operating room, telling the nurses “I hope you guys are Republicans”, the patsy the son of party contributors with no political motive. And the one thing an old cowboy actor knows how to do is act like he’s been shot. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/48 "2017-03-28T02:00:41Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > 🙂 Wait…you thought I meant that neither of you were crazy? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/49 "2017-03-28T02:23:38Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I’ve long believed the Reagan assassination was staged. It was just too carefully orchestrated - Reagan being wheeled into the operating room, telling the nurses “I hope you guys are Republicans”, the patsy the son of party contributors with no political motive. And the one thing an old cowboy actor knows how to do is act like he’s been shot. And Hinckley agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison… Just because? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/50 "2017-03-28T16:53:47Z")
I had assumed you had meant that the false flag operation would destroy or severely damage Trump Tower because you said it in the OP, but also because as crazy of an idea that is, it’s even crazier to think that a very minor attack with little to no damage and just one guy as the supposed culprit would be enough to justify taking away civil liberties. And that people would allow their rights to be taken away because of it. If Trump Tower was destroyed, I could maybe see a significant part of the population going along with doing whatever must be done to protect the country. But if something relatively small like the 1993 WTC bombing happened, and a few people were dead and a lot more injured, and there was just one patsy set up, then most people would mourn but not want drastic changes to our security and rights. It would be a sad event but not a pivotal one in our country that would change our course. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/51 "2017-03-28T18:09:24Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Noo…I got that loud and clear. As long as people propagate your dumb theory, you’re happy, it doesn’t matter if they call it dumb in the process. > Meme away. Ain’t gonna work. The reason I disagree is that I believe neither Bannon nor Trump has any yen to end up hanging from a lamppost. If Bannon realizes that this idea is floating around and too many people have gone from “unthinkable” to actually thinking it through, even if they come down on the side of “can’t happen,” then he won’t risk _anything_–not even simply _allowing_ one of the existing nutjobs who would like to target Trump Tower\* to go through with their plans. That’s the goal. Moving it from something virtually no one could even imagine, to “_hmm, could he do it? nah_…” > [@gaffa](#): > > I’ve long believed the Reagan assassination was staged. It was just too carefully orchestrated - Reagan being wheeled into the operating room, telling the nurses “I hope you guys are Republicans”, the patsy the son of party contributors with no political motive. And the one thing an old cowboy actor knows how to do is act like he’s been shot. I’d never heard that. If there were evidence to support such a theory, surely some of it, at least, would have come out. But even if, as I assume, it was a genuine, unstaged attempt on Reagan’s life, the _result_ is what Bannon will be wistful about: a major boost in Reagan’s popularity and a consequent increase in his ability to get things done. As things get worse and worse for the White House denizens, many will be musing about potential events that could change the dynamic. > [@Lemur866](#): > > Wait…you thought I meant that neither of you were crazy? Don’t be ridiculous. \*If no nutjob had designs on Trump Tower and/or its occupants, then there would be no need for the current expense of more than $300,000 per day to protect it. > **[Protecting Trump Tower cost New York $300,000 every day for three months](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-tower-protect-new-york-cost-police-24-million-a7594681.html)** > > Bill will drop to half that figure when only Melania and Barron are in town ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/52 "2017-03-28T19:28:19Z")
OK, you’re assuming too many things about Trump and Bannon. Trump doesn’t plan _anything_. He’s completely visceral. He blurts out ideas and expects his underlings to do all the planning and heavy lifting for him. He’s got legions of accountants and lawyers to cover up for his transgressions. It never occurs to him to do anything that detailed. He doesn’t think he needs to distract the public from his current issues because he doesn’t think he ever makes mistakes. It’s his enemies in the press that are the problem, not him. If he feels he needs to get the public on his side, he’ll go to a red-friendly venue and bask in the glow of his supporters for a weekend. Anybody who disagrees with him is automatically an enemy, traitor, or a spy. He doesn’t think of ways of getting them over to his side. He thinks of revenge and insults them publicly instead. Bannon may have Trump’s ear, but he’s no master plotter. He’s a letterhack. He looks for what he perceives to be evidence of conspiracy on the left’s part and broadcasts it. He has no desire to manipulate the system, because it’s already controlled by the invisible enemy. He thinks he needs to destroy the system instead. He wouldn’t come up with the idea of sabotaging Trump Tower. He would instead devote his attention on how somebody else would do it. He’d do what you’re doing. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/53 "2017-03-28T19:45:06Z")
Look, I don’t think that Bannon or Trump is too good to do this. They’re the worst. But I don’t think this sort of false flag operation has much chance of success, even without a weird thread on a messageboard about it; and I think they know that. Furthermore, if they were too dumb to know that (they’re not), and evil enough to do it (they’re the worst), but if this thread would stop them (it wouldn’t), they would just transfer their false flag somewhere else. There’s nothing particularly special about Trump Tower in this regard, where people would say, “No way would Trump bomb that, but he’d totally bomb the Empire State Building.” I just don’t buy it. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/54 "2017-03-28T20:21:13Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I’ve long believed the Reagan assassination was staged. It was just too carefully orchestrated - Reagan being wheeled into the operating room, telling the nurses “I hope you guys are Republicans”, the patsy the son of party contributors with no political motive. And the one thing an old cowboy actor knows how to do is act like he’s been shot. > [@Smapti](#): > > And Hinckley agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison… Just because? And that would make [Brady](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brady) the ultimate Party man! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/55 "2017-03-29T11:07:09Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > Seriously ? When foreigners expect mass killing, torture and death from the skies _anywhere_, over the last 50 years, they automatically look to America, not Russia. Fair point - the Russians seem to prefer either killing people off one at a time covertly or engaging in open military action. They leave the middle ground to the Americans and Al Qaeda. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/56 "2017-03-29T19:54:55Z")
There don’t appear to be any recent updates to the “Secret Service Laptop with Trump Tower Plans on it, Stolen” story: > [@](#): > > A brazen thief in New York City stole a Secret Service agent’s laptop computer that reportedly contained **Trump Tower’s floor plans** , information about the Hillary Clinton email probe and national security information. > > The theft from the agent’s car in Brooklyn occurred Thursday morning, according to the New York Daily News, which cited police sources in a story published Friday. > > The car was parked in the driveway of the agent’s home. In addition to the laptop, other reportedly “sensitive” documents and **an access keycard belonging to the agent were stolen** , the Daily News reported. [Laptop containing Trump Tower plans and Clinton email probe stolen from Secret Service agent's car](http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/17/laptop-containing-trump-tower-plans-stolen.html) This was reported nearly two weeks ago, and there don’t seem to be any follow-up stories. So the laptap and access-keycard are still out there. This could have happened exactly as reported (or not). Perhaps we will never hear anything else about it. Or perhaps we _will_ hear more about it. Time will tell. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/57 "2017-03-29T20:31:59Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > So the laptap and access-keycard are still out there. The Trump Tower floor plans are available to the public. A keycard that is reported stolen is rendered useless almost immediately. You got anything else? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/58 "2017-03-29T22:00:39Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > The Trump Tower floor plans are available to the public. A keycard that is reported stolen is rendered useless almost immediately. You got anything else? You apparently misread my post. I didn’t claim that the theft of the laptop was proof of anything, or that it was instrumental to some upcoming operation. However, to assume that _no_ one would make use of that theft in any way–as part of the “explanation” of how some hypothetical attack happened, to give one example of many–would be over-reaching. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/59 "2017-03-30T02:15:49Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > However, to assume that _no_ one would make use of that theft in any way–as part of the “explanation” of how some hypothetical attack happened, to give one example of many–would be over-reaching. They could try, but it would be pointless. People can claim all sorts of things with no basis in reality and people with any knowledge of the situation will shoot it down quickly. See this thread as an example. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034/60 "2017-03-30T22:13:55Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > They could try, but it would be pointless. People can claim all sorts of things with no basis in reality and people with any knowledge of the situation will shoot it down quickly. See this thread as an example. Why “pointless”? You are saying that if some attack were to occur at Trump Tower, no official would say a word about the March theft of the laptop—? Why do you believe that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-americans-believe-trump-owns-trump-tower-making-it-perfect-cover-for/783034.md?page=4)