It's straight-up grifting -- especially in light of the reality that "campaign contributions" simply land up in Trump's pocket or are used to pay his lawyer bills. 'A for sale sign around his neck': Trump sells 'policy in exchange for campaign contributions' https://www.alternet.org/trump-for-sale/
It's all about the grift. 'Con artist': Analyst argues Trump has ulterior motive for priming MAGA men https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-white-male-voters/ A Salon columnist issued on Monday a stark warning to male voters ahead of Election Day: that former President Donald Trump may be more interested in their wallets than their votes. Amanda Marcotte on Monday addressed Trumpworld's "divorced dude energy" by drawing a parallel between the Republican presidential nominee's campaign and what she described as his followers' anti-woman sentiments. "This downward spiral of self-destruction isn't subtle," Marcotte wrote. "Being a misogynist boor may offer temporary gratification, but in the long or even medium term, it will just make men's problems worse." Marcotte's analysis comes as Trump allies share bitter complaints about dark rhetoric they say could lose him the election as mainstream Americans distance themselves from his increasingly narrow messaging. On Sunday, an Iowa pollster known as the "harbinger of doom" for her accurate election predictions said Trump has so isolated older women voters that he could lose the historically red state. Marcotte argued Trump should be losing male voters too. Marcotte's analysis comes as Trump allies share bitter complaints about dark rhetoric they say could lose him the election as mainstream Americans distance themselves from his increasingly narrow messaging. On Sunday, an Iowa pollster known as the "harbinger of doom" for her accurate election predictions said Trump has so isolated older women voters that he could lose the historically red state. Marcotte argued Trump should be losing male voters too. "Trump's base of insecure and ignorant male voters isn't just useful electorally but offers up a steady supply of marks for shady MAGA-related hustles," Marcotte wrote. "Trump took time out of his 'busy' campaign schedule in August and September to roll out a cryptocurrency scheme, with partners whose profiles were comically on-the-nose: Chase Herro, who calls himself a 'dirtbag of the internet' and Zachary Folkman, who sells 'how to pick up women' classes online." Marcotte added, "Trump is a con artist." The columnist pointed to Trump's aligning himself with crypto world bros who openly boast of the "scam" they pull on investors in order to "make so much money." "Crypto and MAGA are made for each other because both prey largely on male insecurity with false reassurances to their targets that they're secretly the smart ones for buying into this snake oil," Marcotte wrote. "Tricking men into voting against their self-interest using cheap appeals to toxic masculinity is very on-brand for him."
Trump insider investigated for allegedly demanding cash for access to president-elect https://www.rawstory.com/boris-epshteyn-2669999565/
Nothing but grifters. Drain the swamp? More like overt, unapologetic swampy displays at Mar-a-Lago https://www.latimes.com/opinion/sto...zos-elon-musk-mar-a-lago-conflict-of-interest
It's all about grifting and tax evasion. Trump’s Outburst Over Canal Tied to Tax Evasion Investigation Against Trump Organization, Says Political Strategist https://dailyboulder.com/trumps-thr...ion-investigation-against-trump-organization/ Donald Trump’s recent public attack on Panama over the fees charged for using the Panama Canal initially seemed to come out of nowhere. Trump blasted Panama for what he called “ridiculous” fees and suggested that the U.S. might demand the return of the canal if Panama didn’t reduce them. His harsh words raised eyebrows, especially since no clear reason was given for his sudden animosity towards the country. But it turns out that there may be a hidden reason behind Trump’s outburst: his organization, the Trump Organization, is currently facing serious accusations of tax evasion in Panama. The legal issue involves a hotel in Panama City that was managed by Trump’s business, and which bore the Trump name. Back in 2019, the hotel’s owners, led by Orestes Fintiklis and his company, Ithaca Capital Partners, accused Trump’s businesses of not paying taxes on millions of dollars in earnings from the hotel. The Trump Organization allegedly failed to pay the required 12.5% tax on its earnings and misreported the number of employees at the hotel in order to avoid paying Panamanian social security taxes. The legal battle escalated when the Panamanian government audited the hotel and found major financial irregularities. As a result, Fintiklis and his company were forced to pay the taxes that Trump’s businesses owed. Fintiklis has argued that, had he known about the tax problems, he would never have entered into the deal with Trump’s company in the first place. The case is still ongoing in U.S. courts. This legal dispute could explain Trump’s sudden and sharp criticism of Panama. His threat to “take back” the canal and label Panama’s actions as a “rip-off” seemed out of the blue at first. But as more details about the ongoing tax case emerged, it became clear that Trump may be trying to use his influence to pressure Panama into dropping the tax evasion investigation. While there is no direct evidence linking Trump’s Canal comments to the tax case, many observers now suspect that his words are part of a larger strategy to intimidate Panama. Ana Navarro, a political strategist, suggested on social media that Trump might be threatening Panama to deflect attention from his legal troubles, specifically the investigation into his company’s tax practices in the country. “Now we know what the sudden threats against Panama and ownership of the Panama Canal are all about,” she wrote on X, while linking to a 2019 ProPublica article about the hotel tax controversy. Trump’s comments about the Panama Canal are legally complicated. The U.S. handed over control of the Canal to Panama in 1999 under a treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter, and Trump has publicly criticized that deal as “foolish.” His comments about reclaiming the canal are unlikely to result in any immediate action, but they have sparked tensions between the two countries. With the tax investigation still unresolved and the dispute with Panama growing, it’s clear that Trump’s recent statements were not just an unprovoked attack. There may be much more behind his words than initially met the eye—especially as he prepares to take office again in January. Panama, for its part, has made it clear that it will defend its sovereignty, and any future conflict will likely require careful international negotiation.