# Trump is wasting taxpayer money sending superfluous letters to take credit for the stimulus payments **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 2, 2020, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012 "2020-05-02T03:55:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/41 "2021-04-29T21:54:54Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > I’ve yet to see any news story where Biden explains why he copied Trump’s message so closely, so it’s still possible that it was all done without his knowledge. That’s hardly relevant. He’s the head of the Executive Branch. The buck stops there. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/42 "2021-04-29T22:25:15Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > That’s hardly relevant. He’s the head of the Executive Branch. The buck stops there. If it was a major disaster relief effort that he flubbed, you might have a point here. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/43 "2021-04-29T22:36:02Z")
Some people have said that it wouldn’t have happened if Hillary had been properly elected. I’m not so sure about that either. Viruses do not know politics. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/44 "2021-04-29T22:53:10Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > That’s hardly relevant. He’s the head of the Executive Branch. The buck stops there. What an incredible change of heart with no political motivation whatsoever! 🙄 x ∞ ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/45 "2021-04-29T23:04:15Z")
The only letter I’ve seen here is one for my daughter letting her know to look for her payment in the mail (as they couldn’t direct-deposit into a new bank account). ---
**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 29, 2021, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/46 "2021-04-29T23:11:19Z")
> [@Manlob](#): > > The IRS was going to send a letter for security reasons anyway to inform people within 15 days of their payment that there was a payment made in their name, the amount, and how that payment was made (direct deposit or check). > > The letter from Trump includes that information along with some encouraging words for those concerned about their future health, safety, and economic well-being. Also given is why the money was sent, for those unaware, and thanks to the House and Senate for passing the CARES Act. It is just hypersensitive Trump hating to misconstrue that as an attempted bribe or a campaign propaganda letter, unless you count giving people what they want as campaigning. Nice Man-splanation, Manlob. Got one for this, too … ? > Federal stimulus checks for millions of Americans will be delayed by several days because President Donald Trump wanted his signature to be on them, the _Washington Post_ reported late Tuesday. It will reportedly be the first time any president’s signature has appeared on checks to taxpayers. > [Trump's signature to be on stimulus checks, delaying mailing process: report - MarketWatch](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trumps-signature-to-be-on-stimulus-checks-delaying-mailing-process-report-2020-04-14) ---
**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 29, 2021, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/47 "2021-04-29T23:32:02Z")
Psst: that post is a year old. Although it’s actually relevant to the revival of this thread. We never received a letter, either then or now, for our direct-deposited stimulus payments. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > > [@D\_Anconia](#): > > > > That’s hardly relevant. He’s the head of the Executive Branch. The buck stops there. > > What an incredible change of heart with no political motivation whatsoever! > > 🙄 x ∞ It’s a gotcha-ya accusation of hypocrisy, because any tiny glitch in Biden’s administration is exactly the same as the grandiose credit-grabbing of the previous guy. Exactly the same, no differences at all. ---
**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 29, 2021, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/48 "2021-04-29T23:39:54Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Psst: that post is a year old. Although it’s actually relevant to the revival of this thread. I know, the subject matter makes that clear. But I had not seen it before and my pissed-off-ness was new! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/49 "2021-04-29T23:44:05Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Exactly the same, no differences at all. Oh, it is exactly the same. They changed the dates, the title of the bill, and the signature. I don’t see a scintilla of a difference. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/50 "2021-04-29T23:45:03Z")
That leads me to believe that it was just simple laziness/efficiency at work. Higher-ups tell the people beneath them to send a new round of checks . People who actually do all the work, realize that some message needs to go with the check. Rather than taking the time to draft a new letter, they just update last years note, and get back to the back log of other things they need to deal with. There is a big difference between taking immediate action to stop the presses in order make a meaningless grandiose attention grabbing gesture, vs not taking the effort to prevent making the same meaningless grandiose gesture. ---
**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 30, 2021, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/51 "2021-04-30T00:02:29Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Oh, it is exactly the same. They changed the dates, the title of the bill, and the signature. I don’t see a scintilla of a difference. Maybe Biden is a pathologically narcissistic sociopath, too, and we just never realized it until now. Do ya think? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/52 "2021-04-30T00:05:48Z")
Not having filed my income taxes in the last 2 years, I received no stimulus money. But certainly did receive a letter from Trump bragging about the money “he” was making available to me. I have since straightend away my tax situation, and will benefit from the stimulus dollars. But it’s no secret that Trump and his dumb signature hoped to influence dumb voters with his bullshit letter. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/53 "2021-04-30T01:18:02Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Oh, it is exactly the same. They changed the dates, the title of the bill, and the signature. I don’t see a scintilla of a difference. It’s a bureaucracy - the procedure for sending out stimulus checks was put in place by the previous administration, and included the requirement to include a letter with the president’s signature. Said procedure was followed. Possibly it should have occurred to someone to check if Joe wanted the procedure followed, but it apparently didn’t. Conceivably, changing the procedure could have delayed things (much as the original requirement did). ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/54 "2021-04-30T01:28:36Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Oh, it is exactly the same. They changed the dates, the title of the bill, and the signature. I don’t see a scintilla of a difference. Your best bet, considering your reputation 'round these parts, is that if you want people to be convinced about a position you should shut the fuck up about it and stay the fuck away from it. If I were a Republican I would wish you are a Democrat, as convincing as your arguments aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/55 "2021-04-30T01:37:00Z")
I guess it’s a problem only when republicans do it. We spent 40 posts talking about what an ass Trump is for doing it and we’ll spend another 40 making excuses for Biden. I greatly respect Biden and loathe Trump but the actions of their administrations are pretty similar here. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/56 "2021-04-30T01:49:42Z")
I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. There’s a difference between the guy who takes the pandemic seriously, implements a vaccine distribution plan, encourages people to wear masks, and actually takes science seriously…and a guy who calls a virus a hoax and says in a televised presser that people can inject themselves with bleach. Since this is the pit, I’ll try to tread lightly, but take your ‘both sides’ and…put it in the waste bin. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/57 "2021-04-30T02:02:01Z")
I’m not sure why it’s always an all-or-nothing. In this case it is both sides. Let’s just admit it and move on. We look silly trying to defend what we just spent 40 posts decrying. As you rightly point out it’s nowhere near as important as a lot of other policies. Overall there’s little comparison between Biden and Trump but sometimes there are. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/58 "2021-04-30T02:08:28Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > I’m not sure why it’s always an all-or-nothing. Because the stakes are that high. The stakes are that high when one party deliberately encourages its members to reject legitimate election results. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/59 "2021-04-30T03:27:54Z")
Get rid of Dems and Fartsocks Republicans. I’m all for Labour Party. Or the Whigs. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012/60 "2021-04-30T03:51:41Z")
Yep, it’s hands-down 100% the worst thing Biden’s “done” as president. I put “done” in quotes because, as others have mentioned, since this is the “same letter,” it’s likely a piece of bureaucracy still in place from the piece of garbage who actually put it in place to feed his widdle cheeto-dicked ego. That being said, if Biden “does” a thousand things that are even twice as bad as this over the next three and a half years, it still won’t hold a candle to the crimes and malfeasances of the last guy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-wasting-taxpayer-money-sending-superfluous-letters-to-take-credit-for-the-stimulus-payments/853012.md?page=4)