WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump received at least $7.8 million in payments from foreign governments during two of his four years in the White House, according to a report released Thursday by the House Oversight Committee.

Twenty foreign governments made the payments to Trump's businesses during the two-year period that the committee was able to review. The information in the report was first reported by The New York Times and CNN.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, wrote in the report's foreword that the payments came from "some of the world's most unsavory regimes," with China being the leading spender, paying more than $5.5 million to Trump-owned properties, according to the report. Some of the other countries that made payments to Trump were Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, India and Afghanistan, the report said.

I know, especially on this site that this can get me a lot of negative comments. Of course I don’t care, but here’s why.
First off, I believe four more years of Democrats will ruin the country as we know it, for good. I believe Trump is very beatable. Biden doesn’t have to run on his record (which he can’t successfully) as long as Trump is the opponent. It’ll constantly be negative trump bashing. Any other Republican besides Trump would be able to force Biden to debate policies. Trump is an average of two points ahead. Ahead of the worst president we’ve ever had. He cannot win IMO.
I will v**e for Trump if he is the nominee because he’s better than any Democrat. I h**e losing.

2024 will be a referendum on the loser
2024 will be a referendum on the loser
Donald J. Trump/Shutterstock
John StoehrJanuary 05, 2024

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The Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a report this morning showing that Donald Trump’s businesses received foreign payments in the amount of $7.8 million while he was president. They came from governments in China, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

“These payments were made while these governments were promoting specific foreign policy goals with the Trump Administration and even, at times, with President Trump himself, and as they were requesting specific actions from the United States to advance their own national policy objectives,” according to the 155-page report.

The Posthas the rest, including that the Trump Organization solicited “business deals” (ie, bribes) while Trump was the president. But I want to step back and point out something about this news, particularly about how this kind of news is going to play out – it’s going to be the foundation for what will eventually become a referendum on the loser.


Normally, an e******n year like this one would be what I might call a “ree******n e******n”: a referendum on a sitting president, his record thus far and what he says he wants to do with second term. The presidency is his. The challenger has to take it, but with the help of an e*****rate that subjects the incumbent to an up-or-down v**e.

The president is usually the center of our collective attention during a “ree******n e******n.” For one thing, he has the biggest platform, as anything that he says is newsworthy and reported widely. But having actual power makes all the difference. When Joe Biden talks, for instance, about the importance of funding Ukraine’s war against Russia, he doesn’t sound like an ordinary politician. He appears to be above politics. Even the wealthiest challenger can’t buy that look.

But this “ree******n e******n” is different for an obvious reason. Donald Trump is not Walter Mondale (who challenged President Reagan) or Bob Dole (President Clinton) or John Kerry (President Bush) or Mitt Romney (President Obama). He’s Donald Trump. His every word has become as newsworthy and widely reported as Biden’s. In terms of his dominance of our attention, Trump is like an incumbent. If 2024 is a referendum on Biden, and it is, it’s equally a referendum on him.


But what sets Donald Trump apart from previous p**********l challengers (other than the fact that he’s Donald Trump) is that he’s a loser. He’s been through the “ree******n e******n” dynamic. So has Joe Biden. The former was the challenger in 2020. The latter was the incumbent. The presidency was his. Biden had to take it. With the help of an e*****rate that subjected Trump to an up–or-down v**e, he did. If 2024 is a referendum on Trump, and it is, it’s a referendum the loser.

You’d think Trump would be worried about that, but he doesn’t seem to be. Maybe he can’t help himself. He appears to think that he can run in 2024 like he ran in 2016, though the gambit has gotten less effective over time, to the point where lots of respectable white people are now willing to recognize openly that his campaign has dictatorial overtures. Instead of trying to rehab his public image as a f*****t (or perhaps worse, an incompetent who failed to steer us out of the p******c), he doubles down on virtually everything, even the fact that he’s a loser.

Another thing that makes 2024 different from other “ree******n e******ns” is what Joe Biden is doing. Normally, the incumbent would act like he’s not really running for ree******n. He’s too busy doing world-historical stuff. He barely has time to recognize the presence and legitimacy of his challenger. But, according to the Post, Biden is planning a big speech for the anniversary of the J6 i**********n in order to highlight Donald Trump’s unique threat to the republic.

You’d think Biden would want to draw attention away from Trump, toward his own record of achievement and what he says he wants to do with a second term. He is doing that, of course, to an extent. (And he should, given the paradigm-shifting nature of his legislative record. He is the first president in my lifetime to take the side of working people with the force of law against the very obscenely rich.) But to a remarkable degree, he’s also putting Trump in the center, almost like he’s asking the e*****rate to subject the loser to an up-or-down v**e.


Drip-drip-drip

This pattern is going to get more intense as the year goes by. Today, the news is about Trump appearing to take bribes while president. Tomorrow, it’s going to be about his theft of government secrets. The day after, about his attempts to overturn the will of the v**ers of Georgia. The day after that, about any of nearly 100 criminal charges against him. Every day is going to be a drip-drip-drip of bad news for the loser. There are lots of good reasons why Trump lost in 2020 and every day of the coming year is going to remind us all of them all.

Biden and Trump represent opposites in every way, but they seem to agree that 2024 is going to be determined by attention. For Trump, “more attention on me means I win.” For Biden, “more attention on him means I win.” Given that the incumbent already came out on top in the last “ree******n e******n,” one of these gambits is better than the other.

Which one , boys and girls ????

First off, I was able realize that coming back this soon will raise eyebrows but some very nice people asked me to stay.

I know this because the forum sent me the replies of my post for some reason. After discussing it with my old hippie dude ( who obviously said " Do what you want to do, honey") I've got him trained pretty well.

Anyways, I was thinking about this at work and came to a conclusion. I really can't have a fulfilling life without reading h**e filled posts after work.

I don't remember who asked if I was a snowflake but no I'm not. That's why I'm back. Besides, when I lived in Phoenix, it was all year long.

Albert, Albert, Albert. you called it, I'm back and USING MY NAME I DID BEFORE. I know you don't care but I really don't either.

I am no sock puppet for anyone. Besides, who in the hell would come up with a handle of Knightlady for an alias on here. Unless you've played World of Warcraft or Diablo, something like that, with an old hippie dude with the name of KnightHawk, i doubt you'd think of it.

I dare you to actually debate me on anything except personal. No insults or name calling. Do you have the wits to do that? Or are you the school yard bully that's all blow, no show?
Perhaps you're just the s*** that you just can't wipe off your ass no matter how hard you try. You know all about that, huh?

Just like your president whose speech today was laughable. All he has to run on is 1*6 , a******n and Trump's going to be Hitler and a dictator. Why didn't he even bring up his big accomplishments besides " saving democracy " because it's bull squirt.

I'm sure I'll hear about " what about no insults or name calling. " I am getting it out now in case he actually takes me up on my challenge.

I don't think you can, Albert. Especially since you keep using the same crap over and over again.

I'd tell you that you need to get laid more often but that hand is busy typing. Don't forget batteries for your pink dildo.

You are nothing but a right fighter ( as Dr.Phil would say). You don't care to share actual information, you just want to be the loudest in the crowd screaming I'm right and everyone is wrong unless they agree with me. To me, that's being the bottom of a cow pond.

Take me up on my challenge. I double dog dare you, you stupid piece of dog crap.

Biden sucks! GO TRUMP!!!

First off, I was able realize that coming back this soon will raise eyebrows but some very nice people asked me to stay.

I know this because the forum sent me the replies of my post for some reason. After discussing it with my old hippie dude ( who obviously said " Do what you want to do, honey") I've got him trained pretty well.

Anyways, I was thinking about this at work and came to a conclusion. I really can't have a fulfilling life without reading h**e filled posts after work.

I don't remember who asked if I was a snowflake but no I'm not. That's why I'm back. Besides, when I lived in Phoenix, it was all year long.

Albert, Albert, Albert. you called it, I'm back and USING MY NAME I DID BEFORE. I know you don't care but I really don't either.

I am no sock puppet for anyone. Besides, who in the hell would come up with a handle of Knightlady for an alias on here. Unless you've played World of Warcraft or Diablo, something like that, with an old hippie dude with the name of KnightHawk, i doubt you'd think of it.

I dare you to actually debate me on anything except personal. No insults or name calling. Do you have the wits to do that? Or are you the school yard bully that's all blow, no show?
Perhaps you're just the s*** that you just can't wipe off your ass no matter how hard you try. You know all about that, huh?

Just like your president whose speech today was laughable. All he has to run on is 1*6 , a******n and Trump's going to be Hitler and a dictator. Why didn't he even bring up his big accomplishments besides " saving democracy " because it's bull squirt.

I'm sure I'll hear about " what about no insults or name calling. " I am getting it out now in case he actually takes me up on my challenge.

I don't think you can, Albert. Especially since you keep using the same crap over and over again.

I'd tell you that you need to get laid more often but that hand is busy typing. Don't forget batteries for your pink dildo.

You are nothing but a right fighter ( as Dr.Phil would say). You don't care to share actual information, you just want to be the loudest in the crowd screaming I'm right and everyone is wrong unless they agree with me. To me, that's being the bottom of a cow pond.

Take me up on my challenge. I double dog dare you, you stupid piece of dog crap.

Biden sucks! GO TRUMP!!!