Trump does something right.

[Ludovic]

@Jackmannii

Nice to see that during the final days of their tenure, Barack and Michelle apparently didn’t load up moving vans full of White House furniture and artifacts for their personal use.

Why would it be “nice”? That implies that it is unexpected. Did they or previous administrations have a precedent for doing this?

[Personal]

@Jackmannii

<snip>

Nice to see that during the final days of their tenure, Barack and Michelle apparently didn’t load up moving vans full of White House furniture and artifacts for their personal use.

I don’t get it. Has this happened?

[running_coach]

@Personal

I don’t get it. Has this happened?

Viral image claims Clintons stole $200k in furniture, china and artwork from White House

There is a grain of truth to this claim, but we found multiple problems – the amount is off, and “stolen” is an inaccurate word to describe Clinton’s actions. Also, despite the graphic’s use of the word “force,” it’s important to note that law enforcement did not come into play in this episode.
**
When Bill and Hillary left town**

Federal rules strictly limit gifts for nearly every member of the executive branch, but the exceptions include the president and vice president. They may accept gifts, due to the needs of protocol and etiquette. There are some limits, but for the most part, if you want to show your appreciation for the occupant of the White House, you can. This courtesy extends to the entire first family – and, importantly for this fact-check, if they want to keep those gifts when they leave, they can.

The accusation of theft

The viral image accuses the Clintons of theft. However, their public declaration of all the things they were taking makes it harder to call what they did “stealing.”

“Calling the Clintons’ actions ‘stealing’ or ‘theft’ is hyperbolic,” Clark said. “It’s hard to take that language seriously in this context.”

Richard Painter served as the chief White House ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration. He now teaches at the University of Minnesota Law School. Painter said the paper trail is “strange.”

“Perhaps it was stuff that was given to them and they turned it over to the government and then changed their mind and treated it as a gift to them and put it on the 278 (disclosure form) and took it with them,” Painter said. “That is more debatable, depending on the intent of the donor.”

The congressional report notes that there were some instances in which donor wishes were disregarded, but it also describes confusion in defining ownership and disposing of the gifts.

[BlankSlate]

@Colibri

While I recognize Churchill’s historical significance, exactly why should his bust be in the Oval Office in preference to any other possible choices?

Is there a bust of FDR on display at 10 Downing Street?

These are the only important questions in this thread.

[Flyer]

@Czarcasm

Your concern about what foreign commentators think, even about untrue things, is to be commended.

What concern? It was all over the news. One could hardly avoid hearing about it.

[Personal]

@running_coach

Viral image claims Clintons stole $200k in furniture, china and artwork from White House

Thanks for the reminder. I forgot that was a thing. I didn’t put much stock in it at the time. I hear the Clintons still have a kitchen-drawer full of W keyboard keys though.

[Colibri]

@Flyer

What concern? It was all over the news. One could hardly avoid hearing about it.

Maybe the “news” sources you listen to. I never heard anything about it.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@Quartz

Google is failing me too, but I’m British and I remember it well enough at the time.

Just like Mr. Trump remembers all those thousands or millions of people celebrating the WTC collapse, right? :dubious::rolleyes:

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@Flyer

What concern? It was all over the news. One could hardly avoid hearing about it.

Like how Al Gore said he invented the internet, right? Everybody heard him say that, right? :dubious::rolleyes:

[running_coach]

@Snowboarder_Bo

Like how Al Gore said he invented the internet, right? Everybody heard him say that, right? :dubious::rolleyes:

Snopes says nope.

When asked to describe what distinguished him from his challenger for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey, Gore replied (in part):

During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country's economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.

In context, Gore’s response (which employed the word “created,” not “invented”) was clear in meaning:
the vice president was not claiming that he “invented” the Internet in the sense of having designed or implemented it, but rather that he was one of the visionaries responsible for helping to bring it into being by fostering its development in an economic and legislative sense,

[Nawth_Chucka]

C’mon back, Quartzie! Surely you’ll be happy to know you were wrong to believe the fake news in this instance and your former leader’s white effigy properly respected.
That’s what’s important to you, right? That a black man is no longer disrespecting a white man you admire by setting a black man’s bust in his place, that the same black man is no longer wielding power he didn’t ask you for?

[Two_Many_Cats]

Well, grabbing a bust is a step up from grabbing a pussy.

[running_coach]

@Two_Many_Cats

Well, grabbing a bust is a step up from grabbing a pussy.

'Bout two feet, more or less.

[WildBlueYonder]

@ThelmaLou

I do not think removing MLK from the Oval Office on Day One can be classified as “doing something right.” IMHO it was a dumb move handled in a clumsy way by what promises to be a clumsy, no-class administration.

Yeah we wouldnt want any"positive good news" be spread around :rolleyes::rolleyes:

To all of Trump’s non supporters please continue to spread/talk about/broadcasting the rhetoric whether true, not true :rolleyes::rolleyes:, I’ll continue to “wait and see,” takes time.

Again which president in our history was so perfect as to complete all of his promises from the campaign trail?

And while we’re on Trump haters, why do protestors have to be violent? Seems like most all protesting whatever topic they hate, it always seems to end in violence??

:dubious::dubious:

[madsircool]

@Nawth_Chucka

C’mon back, Quartzie! Surely you’ll be happy to know you were wrong to believe the fake news in this instance and your former leader’s white effigy properly respected.
That’s what’s important to you, right? That a black man is no longer disrespecting a white man you admire by setting a black man’s bust in his place, that the same black man is no longer wielding power he didn’t ask you for?

You seem to be filled with hate. Why?

@Nawth_Chucka

That colonial mindset dies hard when they see their unearned power slipping further and further from their grasp and they have to shore up their own economy by their own means - no serfs or slaves or criminals to work for a pittance. No wonder they’re so pissed at people coming to work on their soil, only *they *get to profit off doing that to other countries!

[Czarcasm]

@WildBlueYonder

And while we’re on Trump haters, why do protestors have to be violent? Seems like most all protesting whatever topic they hate, it always seems to end in violence??

:dubious::dubious:

:dubious: is right-The so-called “Trump haters” seemed pretty damn calm and peaceful during this Saturday’s rallies and marches. In Portland, where 100,000 took to the streets, the response from the police was a big “Thank you” for our peacefulness and for the fact that not a single incident was reported about this gathering, which lasted from 10 am to 5 pm.

[cochrane]

@ThelmaLou

I do not think removing MLK from the Oval Office on Day One can be classified as “doing something right.” IMHO it was a dumb move handled in a clumsy way by what promises to be a clumsy, no-class administration.

Except Trump never removed the MLK bust in the first place. A Time Magazine reporter mistakenly tweeted that it was removed, then corrected himself less than an hour later.

Did Trump Remove a MLK Bust from the Oval Office?

[carnivorousplant]

@running_coach

Viral image claims Clintons stole $200k in furniture, china and artwork from White House

Perhaps it is an Arkansas thing. Huckabee loaded up and took home many things that were given to the Governor’s office when he left.

[LouisB]

I opened this thread hoping to read that Trump had deliberately driven a stake through his heart. Maybe next time.

[Drunky_Smurf]

@cochrane

Except Trump never removed the MLK bust in the first place. A Time Magazine reporter mistakenly tweeted that it was removed, then corrected himself less than an hour later.

Did Trump Remove a MLK Bust from the Oval Office? | Snopes.com

Even though Trump didn’t do the evil thing he’s still evil.