Since election day last month the days and news emerging from them have been bad for the President. He is at a dangerous point in two ways.
First of course are the investigations. The Mueller probe, the Southern District of NY and the NY Attorney General are all pounding him.
Second, is the danger of losing his base. The base that has remained steadfast with him until now, may be getting weary.
Let’s look deeper.
His backing down on the wall. This is all a result of his poor performance and “proud” statement to lead a government shutdown in that meeting last week. Despite his supporters early “he was great” and “he is a master negotiator”, that was a disaster in negotiation. He is caving now just not to look worse if the shutdown occurred.
Yesterday the White House signaled it “wanted to avoid a partial government shutdown”, even if Congress doesn’t meet Mr. Trump’s border security demands, a shift in position.
Pelosi and Schumer were adamant, constant and clear, “you are getting no money”. The President, who promised for two years he would build a wall, is now backing down.
The media caught up yesterday with the “Mexico will pay for it” promise and were all over the airwaves asking why is Mexico not paying. The sad administration cover that it was in the new USMCA deal was laughed at and quickly abandoned.
The President even tried to agree to Schumer’s $1.6 billion offer if he would provide a slush fund of $1 billion for the President to use on “border security”, at his desire. The Democrats told him “no way”. Faced with owning the shut down the President has backed all the way down now and is even calling it “border security” and not the “wall”.
A weakened President by the scandals is now shaken to his core promises. This will shake his base, and if they begin to waver he is finished.
It is that bad.
On top of Mexico not paying comes this:
The United States pledged $5.8 billion in aid and investment Tuesday for strengthening government and economic development in Central America, and another $4.8 billion in development aid for southern Mexico.
The U.S aid aims to promote better security conditions and job opportunities as part of a regional plan to allow Central Americans and Mexicans to remain in their countries and not have to emigrate.
The plan was announced in a joint U.S.-Mexican statement released by the State Department and read aloud by Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard in the Mexican capital.
So Mexico is not only not paying, we are paying them to build security on their southern border! And, it’s $5 billion. Where is that money coming from?
Then The Scandals:
Here’s a story you may not have heard yet:
“Trump signed letter of intent for Trump Tower Moscow project despite Giuliani insisting he didn’t”: “A newly obtained document shows President Donald Trump signed a letter of intent to move forward with negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Russia, despite his attorney Rudy Giuliani claiming on Sunday the document was never signed. CNN’s Chris Cuomo obtained a copy of the signed letter of intent that set the stage for negotiations for Trump condominiums, a hotel and commercial property in the heart of Moscow.
“The letter is dated October 28, 2015, and bears the President’s signature.
Isn’t it becoming clear why in the election campaign President Trump never criticized Putin? He never thought he would win and he wanted to build this Tower in Russia. He was thinking business in the campaign, as I see it.
Then there was this yesterday announced by the NY AG:
The President has agreed to shut down his charitable foundation (Trump Foundation) and distribute the remaining money to “reputable” groups.
NY State Attorney General Barbara Underwood secured a stipulation dissolving the foundation under judicial supervision, her office said. It was a primary goal of a lawsuit filed by her office in June.
The lawsuit against Donald Trump and his children will continue for actions related to the charity’s operation.
Ms. Underwood’s office said the foundation “has signed a stipulation agreeing to dissolve under judicial supervision, with review and approval by the attorney general of proposed recipient charities of remaining assets.”
The attorney general said Tuesday that her investigation found “a shocking pattern of illegality involving the foundation, including unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and willful self-dealing, and much more.”
“This amounted to the foundation functioning as little more than a checkbook to serve Trump’s business and political interests,” she said.
Her lawsuit alleged “persistently illegal conduct” at the charity. Ms. Underwood is still seeking nearly $3 million in restitution and a court order that would ban the Trumps temporarily from serving on the boards of other nonprofits in the state.
The legal action claims that the president and his three eldest children violated campaign-finance laws and abused the foundation’s tax-exempt status. The most recent tax return listed its net assets at slightly more than $1.7 million.
The President allegedly used some of the charity’s money to settle legal claims against his business and to purchase art for one of his clubs.
The president, of course, denied any wrongdoing and said two years ago that he wanted to close the foundation, but the attorney general blocked that move during the investigation.
I believe every word of this and expect this to come back and haunt the President. You are right to ask how the Clinton Foundation survives and they walk, but this one was as bad.
Other Stories:
The President angered another of his large support groups yesterday when he moved to ban “bump stock” devices for firearms. A new rule would make the rapid-fire devices illegal to own or sell. This move was right, but it
will likely set the stage for long legal battles with gun rights groups and owners.
Not good for the President if some walk away from him.
Two studies commissioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee offer granular detail of efforts by Russian actors to pose as Americans on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms and inject divisive content into America’s political discourse.
They charged the Russians took aim at black voters in 2016 to boost Trump.
I disagree with this. The Russians and Chinese know the way to destroy America is from within. They were not taking sides, they were trying to divide.
The judge in the General Flynn case said:
“This is a very serious offense—a high-ranking senior official of the government, making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation while on the physical premises of the White House.”
The judge was so out of bounds the MSM actually questioned where he was coming from. When did you see that in the last two years?
While his friends on Fox and Friends this AM were attacking him on his caving at the border!
What a news reversal for a few minutes!
By the way, a President of the U.S. as chief law enforcement officer tweeting about “rats” is unbecoming.