# Trump scandal and corruption omnibus thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 13, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880 "2016-11-13T18:58:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/41 "2016-11-14T17:59:04Z")
Who is this thread about? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/42 "2016-11-14T18:16:43Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > …It draws ire. Ire, me hearties, ire! Ire! ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/43 "2016-11-14T18:28:13Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > You list 3 things, not a couple. And I don’t think your use of the word emanate in the second one is proper. > > Do you see how nitpicking can be annoying as hell? Not really, no. Both of those are well-taken critiques. I think I started imagining two, wrote “couple,” and ended up offering three but failed to edit myself. That was an error on my part. And you’re right about “emanate,” for which I don’t really even have an excuse. It was simply not the right word. > [@](#): > > Why in heavens name would Trump court such voters by saying what he did if they were such a small percentage and he would, in turn, turn off a huge number of voters by saying such things? Seems like that kind of plan would only work if the number of voters you got by saying those things far outweighed the number of voters you lost by saying them. I suppose we can start with the assumption that Trump had a master plan, and skillfully executed it. If he did, then your reasoning makes some sense to me. If Trump had no real plan at all, and acted like a capricious asshole because he’s a capricious asshole, then I don’t think any argument about his “plan” is well-grounded. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/44 "2016-11-14T18:28:18Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Ire, me hearties, ire! Ire! You scalawag, you. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/45 "2016-11-14T18:56:58Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Dude, could you stop being an asshole for a few minutes and just point out that conflict of interest laws do not apply to the POTUS and Veep? > > Your constant need to show people up is really tiresome and serves no purpose other than gratifying your own ego. > > It sucks, because when you’re not being a shitty person, you’re a knowledgable and interesting guy. I would just like to point out that there is no actual law against being an asshole on the SDMB, therefore Bricker is entirely in the right here. No laws were broken; therefore it is allowed. \ ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/46 "2016-11-14T19:10:23Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I suppose we can start with the assumption that Trump had a master plan, and skillfully executed it. If he did, then your reasoning makes some sense to me. It doesn’t need to be a master plan, requiring real intelligent and foresight. It’s simply betting that there are more stupid, hate filled, scared, and divisive Republicans than there are intelligent, calm, and rational Republicans. When he started running, it was a joke, mostly because no one believed he could win by pandering to those kinds of people. But he was right all along, and he knew the Republican base better than they did. > [@Bricker](#): > > If Trump had no real plan at all, and acted like a capricious asshole because he’s a capricious asshole, then I don’t think any argument about his “plan” is well-grounded. But this contradicts your earlier thought that some of the people who voted for Trump somehow thought his governing would be different than his campaigning, which would require some kind of belief that Trump does have a plan rather than just is a capricious asshole. I don’t think a Republican voter gets to say that sure Trump’s a caparicious asshole, but somehow he knows what he’s doing and will be better as President. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/47 "2016-11-14T19:14:20Z")
By the way, whatever happened to all those “honest Conservatives/Republicans” with their “Never Trump!” movement? Have they had their Come to Donald moment, and repented their sinful ways? ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/48 "2016-11-14T19:27:29Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Please stop being an asshole. So speaks the knob with the stupid “quarry” gimmick, when are you going to stop being an asshole and give up that retarded shtick? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/49 "2016-11-14T19:30:41Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > No, you didn’t post it out. You tried to hand **BigAppleBucky** a shovel so he could dig himself deeper into a hole. > > Pointing it out would have been “We’ve recently touched on this in two other thread. Conflict of interest laws do not apply to the POTUS and Veep.” Someone should follow **Bricker** around posting the non-douchebag version of his posts: Doucehbag version of **Bricker** : BigAppleBucky summarizes Guliani’s comment as Guliani thinking “Trump can do anything.” Guliani’s actual comment was that the ethics and conflict of interest laws do not apply to the President. Is Guliani’s statement true? Is BigAppleBucky’s summary précis of Guliani’s comment a fair one? Undouchified version of **Bricker’s** comment: Conflict of interest laws do not apply to the POTUS and Veep. I guess the downside to de-douchifying **Bricker’s** posts is that he doesn’t get to whinge about how mean everyone is when they point out that he’s being a douchebag. And by this point we should all realize that, as the bear said to the hunter, "You’re not doing this for the hunting, are you?” ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/50 "2016-11-14T20:35:12Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > Undouchified version of **Bricker’s** comment: > > Conflict of interest laws do not apply to the POTUS and Veep. My point that “Conflict of interest laws do not apply,” is unfairly summarized as “Guiliani says Trump can do anything,” seems to be lost by your proposed filter. Is there a friendlier, less assholish way I should have pointed that out? See, you’re focusing on the fact that the laws don’t apply. I’m focusing on the fact that Guliani didn’t say “Trump can do anything.” ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/51 "2016-11-14T20:41:03Z")
More on Trump’s conflict of interests [Vox says it’s the biggest conflict of interests in US history](http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/14/13608960/donald-trump-conflicts-of-interest-corruption) That’s a strong statement. > [@](#): > > As long as the company is intact and under the control of Trump’s children and direct heirs, the conflict of interest has not been even slightly mitigated. Further exacerbating the problem is the well-known fact that Trump’s three oldest children — and Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner — are some of his closest political advisers. The council of kids running the Trump Organization, for example, have also been appointed to the council running the Trump transition project. There will be perfect and intimate coordination between Trump’s policymaking and Trump’s business life. > [@](#): > > But names are just names. If Trump wants to establish a holding company that buys construction companies that are about to get infrastructure contracts from the American government, he can call it whatever he wants. Ivanka and Eric can have DT Marks Qatar LLC buy or sell stock in whatever companies they like, tell Dad about it, and have him make policy accordingly, and all Trump’s financial disclosure forms will ever report is that he owns a company called DT Marks Qatar LLC. Any way you look at it, the Trump Organization will be fully informed of the business ramifications of public policy and the Trump White House fully informed of the state of the Trump organization’s business holdings. > > The public will be left entirely in the dark. So every policy move Trump makes can be used to enrich himself and his family personally with no legal obligation for anyone outside the family to know about it. But Rudy says Herr Drumpf can do all of this, no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/52 "2016-11-14T20:42:59Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > My point that “Conflict of interest laws do not apply,” is unfairly summarized as “Guiliani says Trump can do anything,” seems to be lost by your proposed filter. > > Is there a friendlier, less assholish way I should have pointed that out? Suggestion for less assholic way to point out what you said. “BigAppleBucky says, ‘Giuliani thinks Trump is allowed to do anything.’ That is a misleading and inaccurate reflection of what Giuliani’s tweet says.” ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/53 "2016-11-14T20:56:03Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > My point that “Conflict of interest laws do not apply,” is unfairly summarized as “Guiliani says Trump can do anything,” seems to be lost by your proposed filter. > > Is there a friendlier, less assholish way I should have pointed that out? > > See, you’re focusing on the fact that the laws don’t apply. > > I’m focusing on the fact that Guliani didn’t say “Trump can do anything.” There is the other way of looking at how this goes down, not just that guliani issaying that these laws do not apply to him, but that guliani will find a way to get other laws not to apply to him. In that perception, guliani is in fact enabling trump to do anything. This may not be correct, of course, and guliani may not be able to open up every law to trumps whim, but it does create a negative perception if one of the first things out of the new whitehouse is decrees of laws that do not apply to the new president elect. Just saying, if you are going to assure us that our fears are unfounded, then starting with the actual concern, rather than concentrating on the literal formulation of that concern would be a good starting point. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/54 "2016-11-14T21:02:00Z")
Nixon famously told David Frost, “When the President does it, that means that it is _not_ illegal.” Now, do Bricker and/or Rudolph Giuliani want to look to Richard Nixon as their model for appropriate presidential behavior? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/55 "2016-11-14T21:07:42Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > My point that “Conflict of interest laws do not apply,” is unfairly summarized as “Guiliani says Trump can do anything,” seems to be lost by your proposed filter. > > Is there a friendlier, less assholish way I should have pointed that out? > > See, you’re focusing on the fact that the laws don’t apply. > > I’m focusing on the fact that Guliani didn’t say “Trump can do anything.” You’re a grown man: I suspect if you really wanted to say something in a less assholish manner you could figure out a way without my input. Or just go ahead and be confrontational (god knows that’s usually my choice), but then don’t be all indignant when people call you an asshole. You want to be rude and not get called on it, which probably isn’t going to happen, at least not in the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/56 "2016-11-14T21:32:03Z")
[Trump Campaigned Against Lobbyists, but Now They’re on His Transition Team](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/12/us/politics/trump-campaigned-against-lobbyists-now-theyre-on-his-transition-team.html?_r=0) Let the good times roll. > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald J. Trump, who campaigned against the corrupt power of special interests, is filling his transition team with some of the very sort of people who he has complained have too much clout in Washington: corporate consultants and lobbyists. > > Jeffrey Eisenach, a consultant who has worked for years on behalf of Verizon and other telecommunications clients, is the head of the team that is helping to pick staff members at the Federal Communications Commission. > > Michael Catanzaro, a lobbyist whose clients include Devon Energy and Encana Oil and Gas, holds the “energy independence” portfolio. > > Michael Torrey, a lobbyist who runs a firm that has earned millions of dollars helping food industry players such as the American Beverage Association and the dairy giant Dean Foods, is helping set up the new team at the Department of Agriculture. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/57 "2016-11-14T21:43:37Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > We’re going to need it. > > Credit to this thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=810449](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=810449) > “Let the corruption begin” > > There is massive potential for self-dealing in his administration. And we know Trump is involved in numerous lawsuits. > > Giuliani thinks Trump is allowed to do anything. > My contribution to the linked thread - A poster on another board claiming to insider knowledge, says this: > > and > > We’re in for a bumpy ride. The poster on the other board is full of shit. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/58 "2016-11-14T21:53:26Z")
[Despite campaigning against Wall Street, it looks like Trump will name a former Goldman Sachs executive as Secretary of the Treasury.](http://www.salon.com/2016/11/14/draintheswamp-steven-mnuchin-ex-goldman-sachs-banker-tapped-to-run-treasury/) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/59 "2016-11-14T22:00:19Z")
Well, then he won’t be on Wall Street any more! Besides which, after he elevated the King of Blightbart, Steve Bannon the Pork Cannon, to Presidential Elite status, what’s left to say or do? ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880/60 "2016-11-14T22:01:59Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > A few more likely walk-backs > > **Obamacare repeal:** Trump said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Friday that he would like to keep some parts of the law intact and may seek to amend the statute rather than repeal it. They can’t repeal it without 60 Republican senators. > [@](#): > > \*\*Lock her up: \*\*“It’s not something I’ve given a lot of thought." [Seriously, you spoke about it at every speech from before the July convention, but didn’t actually think about it? Oh, right…you’re Trump.] The POTUS can TRY to direct prosecutorial discretion, I doubt Trump could get very far even if he wanted to. > [@](#): > > \*\*The Mexican-paid wall: \*\*“He’ll spend a lot of time controlling the border. He may not spend very much time trying to get Mexico to pay for it, but it was a great campaign device.” So sayeth Newt Gingrich, Foreign Minister in waiting. He can try, but what does he do if Mexico declines? > [@](#): > > **Banning Muslims from entering the US:** “Will you ask Congress to ban all Muslims from entering the country?” a reporter asked. Trump appeared to hear the question before thanking everybody and walking away. He will have a hell of a time crafting a law that meets strict scrutiny. > [@](#): > > \*\*Protecting Medicare and Social Security: \*\*Ryan has proposed turning Medicare into a “premium support” model, which would involve doling out federal subsidies for private insurance rather than the current single-payer model. [Basically, turning Medicare into a welfare program.] Making medicare benefits means tested, turns it into a welfare program. Premium support medicare already sort of exists as medicare part C. > [@](#): > > \*\*45 percent tariff on Chinese goods: \*\*"What he actually said was if it turns out that the Chinese yuan is 45 percent overvalued, or as much as 45, and if they won’t negotiate with us, then it may become necessary as a negotiating measure to threaten them with as much as a 45 percent tariff.” This from Senior Policy Advisor Wilbur Ross. You mean if the RMB is undervalued. Tariffs are an appropriate response to currency manipulation. > [@](#): > > **Ripping up the Iran nuclear deal:** “‘Ripping up’ is maybe a too strong of word. He’s gonna take that agreement, it’s been done before in international context, and then review it." Trump adviser Walid Phares. One country (even one as big as the USA) backing out of the deal does not really undercut the deal too much. It will be about as effective as the US embargo of Cuba except in this case, the Cuba in question is far away and has oil that everyone wants. > [@](#): > > **Moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem:** Only “through consensus.” Phares, again. Palestinian leaders would not support such a plan, ergo no consensus–which is the current policy, btw. > [@](#): > > Most of that is just crazy stuff he said during the campaign and didn’t mean. Walking them back is actually sane. He promised to protect Medicare, but that one might very well be a good promise broken. That one won’t sit well. With who? The old people on medicare that voted for him? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-scandal-and-corruption-omnibus-thread/771880.md?page=4)