Tag: Trump

Categories
Business

Gucci Extends Lease in Trump Tower

Gucci Extends Lease in Trump Tower

On the day President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were inaugurated in Washington, DC, Melania and Donald Trump stepped off Air Force One in South Florida to reach the borders of the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach .

He wore a typically boxy suit of undetermined origin. She wore an orange-and-blue boldly patterned Gucci caftan worth $ 3,700, which was as symbolic as the famous “I really don’t care, do you” jacket she wore on a trip to children in 2018 in a border prison to visit in Texas.

With its laid-back lines and orange hexagons reminiscent of a David Hicks rug, the new dress telegraphed the idea of ​​Mrs. Trump taking on a new role as a recreational person, seemingly carefree. It was also a global advertisement for a brand that is heavily linked to the Trump business, unwittingly or not.

For the past 14 years, Gucci has leased 48,667 feet at the base of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan, making it the building’s largest commercial tenant.

Other companies that rented space with the Trumps have reduced their space or not extended their leases. One of them is Nike, which in 2018 closed its Niketown location at 6 East 57th Street – a building around the corner from Trump Tower for which the Trump Organization has signed a 100-year long lease – and opened a new flagship, the so-called House of Innovation, five blocks south. (A Nike spokeswoman then declined to reach out to Forbes about whether the move was political.)

In 2019, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China reduced its presence in Trump Tower. Tiffany, who temporarily took over the Niketown space in 2018 while her flagship was being renovated, is not extending its lease next year, Bloomberg reported recently.

But in 2020 Gucci renegotiated and renewed its lease, according to two people knowledgeable about the deal who both asked not to use their names because they are not authorized to speak about it.

The luxury company received a rent reduction in return for agreeing to extend its lease beyond 2026. Trump Tower had to keep an extremely desirable tenant: a brand that has been booming since designer Alessandro Michele took over creative direction in 2015, whose presence in the building helps counter the idea that its namesake is nothing more than the idea of ​​a “poor person from a rich person, ”as Fran Lebowitz said.

However, the players involved do not speak about it publicly.

Four days after receiving a detailed list of questions about the deal, a Gucci representative called and said a statement was on the way within an hour. A little over an hour later the agent called back and said the explanation would not come.

The Trump Organization did not respond to two requests for comment.

One possible reason: According to the person who saw the new lease, Gucci asked Trump organization staff to sign confidentiality agreements regarding their terms.

Even so, the deal paid off for the Trumps for reasons beyond symbolism.

Numerous luxury brands occupying prime Manhattan retail space have renegotiated leases during the coronavirus pandemic as pedestrian traffic has decreased. Others simply sublet their space. That’s what Ralph Lauren did at its Fifth Avenue location last November, leasing 28,300 square feet to fast fashion retailer Mango for $ 5 million – that’s $ 22 million less than Ralph Lauren paid for it.

In recent years, the revenue from “The Apprentice,” Mr. Trump’s former reality show on NBC, has dried up. Debt payments across the Trump business are falling due. This has made the retail space in and around Trump Tower a lifeline. Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner wrote in the New York Times in January of last year that this is probably the most reliable and “largest long-term money producer” in his empire.

A 2012 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with Trump Organization finances described Gucci as a 20-year lease in 2006. Gucci paid $ 384.40 per square foot of rent per month. This equates to an annual base rate of $ 18.7 million and accounts for about two-thirds of the total of $ 29.53 million that the Trump Organization makes annually from its commercial tenants there, according to the filing.

Regardless of Gucci’s discretion, it is far from clear that news of the renegotiation could affect sales. The fashion industry tends to be politically liberal, but sometimes business is just business and aesthetics outweigh politics.

Oscar de la Renta jumped between first ladies with diametrically opposed worldviews. James Galanos pledged allegiance to Nancy Reagan despite the catastrophic neglect of AIDS by her husband’s government. In 2019, Bernard Arnault, whose company LVMH owns Tiffany, was accompanied by Mr. Trump at a Louis Vuitton factory in Texas and posed for photos with him.

But Mr Trump’s divisive behavior, especially since the beginning of the pandemic and elections, has strengthened activists’ determination to denounce him. Brands are more sensitive than ever to the threat of boycotts. Companies like Nike and Twitter have joined the Black Lives Matter movement.

Gucci’s latest incarnation was more racially inclusive than most high-end fashion brands.

Shortly after Mr. Michele became its lead designer and began shedding a high-profile and self-conscious snobby aesthetic for an ironic, referential style that could perhaps be described as Etsy Luxe, the company ran an advertising campaign with all black models.

But it also failed.

In 2017, the release of a jacket was announced that looked remarkably like one designed decades ago by Dapper Dan, aka Daniel Day, a black couturier based in Harlem. In response, the brand reached out to him, placed him in an ad for his men’s tailoring and worked with him in a luxury boutique.

Soon after, she announced an initiative called Gucci Equilibrium, which in part aimed to improve diversity and inclusion in the company.

But in 2019, Gucci pulled out a $ 890 sweater that was criticized for taking Blackface off the market. And its executive team, along with that of its parent company Kering, continues to be dominated by white men (Kering has a black board member).

Though Gucci’s decision to extend the 725 Fifth Avenue lease was made back in January before protesters carrying Confederate flags stormed the Capitol, Trump’s 2020 connection with white supremacists was little-known, Kailee Scales said. Ms. Scales is the former executive director of Black Lives Matter Global Network and a principal at ThinkFree Global Strategies, a boutique company that supports brands like Amazon and Sprite with marketing strategies on social justice issues.

“This is a time,” she said, “when brands, organizations and individuals around the world are counting on racial justice and are working to address and dismantle the systems that led us to one of the most terrifying moments in history – murder at.” George Floyd. “

As a result, it is “an odd choice” for Gucci to continue to bond closely with a man who “has openly refused to reject white supremacy” and “has built political justice by promoting racist conspiracy theories”.

Ms. Scales’ opinion was shared by Shannon Coulter, who launched the Grab Your Wallet campaign, which boycotted SoulCycle and New Balance after people with interests in these companies donated significant sums of money to Mr. Trump’s campaigns.

In an interview, Ms. Coulter said that she deliberately removed Gucci and Nike from the boycott list. “We were pretty generous knowing they had signed leases before his campaign,” she said.

Gucci’s decision to extend 2020 was something completely different.

“It’s disgusting,” she said. “You are essentially doing business with a white supremacist. That’s what this decision means. “

Still, few people directly related to the fashion world seem anxious to address the potential controversy. Editors like Samira Nasr from Harper’s Bazaar, Nina Garcia from Elle and Anna Wintour from Vogue have positioned themselves as administrators of racial justice. But they also rely on Gucci for advertising. Representatives for All declined to comment. Mr. Day did not respond to a request for comment.

Jeremy O. Harris, the author of “Slave Play”, has had a contractual relationship with the house since November 2020. In general, such arrangements involve wearing a branded clothing in public appearances and then keeping it safe. “I’m very proud of my relationship with them after meeting people and seeing them really listening and trying to change,” he said in an interview last Friday. And “while there are few real estate moguls who have risen to the level of semi-fascist leaders like Trump, as far as I know they are pretty much all deeply compromised people.”

Still, Mr. Harris admitted, “this is complicated.”

Fortunately, he added, “I really only go to the Wooster Street store.”

Ben Protess and Vanessa Friedman contributed to the coverage.

Categories
Politics

Congress has listening to on Trump supporters’ Capitol riot

Congress has hearing on Trump supporters' Capitol riot

Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund testifies before a joint Senate hearing on Homeland Security, Government Affairs, and Senate Rules and Administration on February 23, 2021 in Capitol Hill, Washington, DC to discuss the April 6 attack on the Capitol Investigate January.

Andrew Harnik | AFP | Getty Images

The former head of the U.S. Capitol Police will tell Congress that he asked Senate and House NCOs on Jan. 4 to request the National Guard to attend a joint congressional session two days later for protection.

Both officials effectively denied this request from then-chief Steven Sund, which came from a group of supporters of then-President Donald Trump two days before the Capitol uprising on Jan. 6. This emerges from a copy of the testimony that Sund is expected to give a Senate hearing on Tuesday.

Sergeant at the time, Paul Irving, “stated that he was concerned about the” optics “of the National Guard’s presence and did not feel that the secret service supported it,” said Sund in his prepared testimony.

“He referred me to the Senate Sergeant at Arms [Michael Stenger] … to get his thoughts on the request, “wrote Sund.

“I then spoke to Mr. Stenger and asked the National Guard again. Instead of approving the deployment of the National Guard, Mr. Stenger suggested asking them how quickly we could get support if needed and lean forward if necessary . Ask for help January. “

Sund resigned in mid-January after the uprising that killed five people, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, and for hours disrupted confirmation of Joe Biden’s electoral college win for the presidency.

Stenger does not directly address Sund’s claim in his own briefly prepared testimony, which does not discuss in detail the events that led to the uprising.

Senate Sergeant Michael Stenger walks the halls of the U.S. Capitol in front of the Senate Chamber during a pause in the impeachment proceedings of President Donald Trump on January 22, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images

Stenger resigned Jan. 7 after Senator Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., who is now majority leader, said he would be fired once the Democrats take majority control of the Senate.

But Irving says in his own prepared testimony that he and other Capitol security officials expected the scheduled January 6 and demonstration in Washington and the Capitol to be a “First Amendment” event.

“Intelligence reported that some groups were encouraging protesters to be armed, that violence was a possibility as it was in November and December, and that Congress would be the focus,” said Irving, who also resigned shortly after the uprising .

But he added, “Intelligence did not believe there would be a coordinated attack on the Capitol, nor was it considered in any of the inter-agency discussions I attended in the days leading up to the attack. “

Irving said he spoke with Sund and Stenger on Jan. 4 about an offer from the National Guard to include 125 unarmed troops in the security plan to provide transportation near the Capitol with the expectation that those troops would be Capitol police officers would be released in the Capitol. “

Irving also said: “Certain media reports have determined that the ‘optics’ determined my judgment about the use of these National Guard troops. That is categorically wrong.”

“‘Looks’ as portrayed in the media did not determine our security posture. Security has always been paramount in our January 6 security assessment,” said Irving.

“We discussed whether the Secret Service justified having troops in the Capitol, and our collective judgment at the time was no – the Secret Service did not justify it. The Secret Service justified the plan prepared by Chief Sund.”

House NCO Paul D. Irving, right, and Chief Administrative Officer of the House Phil Kiko say during the House Legislative Subcommittee hearing titled “House Officers FY2021 Budget” on Tuesday March 3rd 2020, in the Capitol.

Tom Williams | CQ Appeal, Inc. | Getty Images

Irving said in the course of his meeting with the other two security chiefs on January 4th, “We agreed that Chief Sund would ask the National Guard to have the 125 troops available as reserves.”

“If I had thought for a moment that the secret service required the presence of 125 unarmed National Guard troops for the transport service … I would not have hesitated to do whatever was necessary to ensure their presence,” said Irving.

“In addition, Chief Sund, Senate NCO at Arms Stenger, or one of the law enforcement officers involved in the planning, had concluded that the January 6th intelligence service requested the National Guard or some other resource (or that the security plan fell short in some way) I would not have hesitated to ensure the presence of the National Guard or make any other changes necessary to ensure the security of the Capitol. “

He added, “Our ultimate need for the National Guard was very different from that of unarmed transport troops.”

Irving also said that Sund gave a briefing on Jan. 5 in which the then chief of police “stressed that” hands on deck “were and described the assets of the law enforcement and contingent National Guard that would be on call.”

“Like Chief Sund, based on the intelligence and extensive use of law enforcement resources, I mistakenly believed we were prepared,” Irving said.

“As we now know, the security plan for the unprecedented attack on January 6th was not sufficient.”

Categories
Politics

New York AG James says Trump Supreme Court docket tax information case will not have an effect on probe

New York AG James says Trump Supreme Court tax records case won't affect probe

New York attorney general Letitia James said Monday that her office is continuing to actively investigate alleged inflation and deflation of Trump Organization’s real estate values ​​in an effort to evade state tax liability and gain other financial benefits.

James also said the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Manhattan Attorney’s Office to obtain former President Donald Trump’s income tax return and other financial records for eight years as part of a criminal investigation would not affect their own ongoing civil investigation.

This decision, made on Monday, “does not change the tenor of our lawsuit,” James said in an interview with the New York Times’ DealBook DC Policy Project.

“We will continue our investigation and will announce our results when we are finished,” said James.

James also said the Supreme Court’s decision would not mean that her office would receive Trump’s tax filings from Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr., who is expected to receive it this week from the former president’s accounting firm through a grand jury subpoena.

“There’s a wall separating the two offices,” she said.

The Supreme Court in its decision denied Trump’s motion to hear an appeal against decisions by lower courts confirming the legality of the subpoena issued at Vance’s request.

James noted that “we received information ourselves”.

“We’re reviewing Trump Organization tax information,” said James.

This tax information, which could include property tax records, is different from the former president’s income tax returns, which he always kept secret.

There is an overlap in the focus of the two probes, which are among the biggest legal threats Trump faces a month after leaving the White House.

Both studies examine how the Trump Organization values ​​real estate assets for different types of transactions.

Both offices are known to have a particular interest in the Seven Springs Estate in Westchester County, New York, an area of ​​212 acres.

The company had filed for a $ 21.2 million tax deduction on the property to grant a conservation measure preventing development on nearly 160 acres of land.

James also examines the valuations of Trump real estate in Manhattan, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

“In our investigation, we look at the fact that, based on the testimony of Michael Cohen, who was the Trump Organization’s advocate and Donald Trump, the Trump Organization has increased its taxes to take advantage of insurance companies as well by mortgage companies and then dumped the same fortune to avoid New York state tax debt, “said James.

Cohen, who made these allegations during the testimony of Congress in 2019, is known to collaborate with Vance’s criminal investigation.

While James commented several times that her investigation was civil in nature, she implied that this could change.

“At this point, until we uncover illegal behavior, our investigation will continue as a civil matter,” she said.

James had repeated success in court by forcing the Trump Organization to cooperate with its investigation despite objections.

In late January, a Manhattan Supreme Court judge ordered the Trump Organization to give James’ investigators a series of documents they had requested.

A judge had previously directed Trump’s son, Eric Trump, who runs the company with his brother, to answer questions from James’ investigators before the presidential election, not after what Eric asked.

Trump beat up both James and Vance as well as the Supreme Court, three of which nine members he had appointed, in a statement on Monday.

Trump has called both probes witch hunts and denies any wrongdoing.

“The new phenomenon of ‘headhunting’ prosecutors and AGs trying to defeat their political opponents using the law as a weapon is a threat to the very foundation of our freedom,” said Trump.

“This is being done in third world countries. Worse still are those who run for prosecutors or attorneys-general in states and jurisdictions on the far left and pledge to eliminate a political opponent. This is fascism, not justice – and that is what they are. ” I try to do it with respect for myself, except that the people in our country will not stand up for it. “

When asked by DealBook columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin if she was surprised that Trump did not pardon himself before leaving office, James said, “I am never surprised at the behavior of the former President of the United States.”

“There have been some rumors of ‘secret pardons’,” added James. “I dont know.”

When asked if she personally believed Trump pardoned himself and not made that fact public, James said, “I really don’t know. We’ll see.”

“There’s been a lot of speculation, but it’s nothing but speculation,” she told Sorkin, who is co-anchor of CNBC’s “Squawk Box”.

Even if Trump pardoned himself and found such a pardon legal under the Constitution, it would not protect him from civil sanctioning by James or prosecuted by Vance or Fulton County, Georgia, DA, who are investigating whether Trump is investigating breaking the law by pressuring the Georgian foreign minister to “find” him enough votes to undo Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election there.

Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes, not state crimes.

James had urged the successful passage of a law in 2019 to close New York’s so-called double-exposure gap, which in some cases was seen as a potential obstacle for prosecutors filing criminal charges against a person who had received a presidential pardon.

Categories
Politics

Oath Keepers boss quoted Trump earlier than Capitol riot

Oath Keepers boss quoted Trump before Capitol riot

Jessica Marie Watkins (2nd from L) and Donovan Ray Crowl (center), both from Ohio, march with the Oath Keepers militia group among the supporters of US President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021 in Washington down the eastern front steps of the US Capitol Both have since been charged by federal authorities for their roles in the siege of the U.S. Capitol.

Jim Bourg | Reuters

The self-described leader of the Florida chapter of the far-right group, the Oath Keepers, urged supporters to travel with him to Washington on January 6 because “Trump said it was going to be wild !!!!!!” That day revealed court documents that were released on Friday.

“He wants us to do it WILD, he says,” wrote Kelly Meggs, chief of the oath guard, in a Facebook message.

This news is listed in a new indictment indicting him and five other Oath Guards for crimes related to the Jan 6th Capitol riot by thousands of Trump supporters.

“He called us all to the Capitol and wants us to go wild !!! Sir Yes Sir !!!”, Meggs wrote in the Capitol, according to the indictment in the US District Court in Washington in which the defendants are accused. Complex to have penetrated.

The news referred to a tweet from Trump in late December when he was frantically seeking law and propaganda to overturn Joe Biden’s election as president.

January 6th was the day for a joint congressional session chaired by then Vice President Mike Pence to confirm Biden’s victory.

“Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 election,” tweeted Trump, referring to his unfounded claims that widespread electoral fraud got him out of an electoral college victory.

“Big protest in DC on January 6. Be there, be wild,” wrote Trump.

Meggs wrote in his Facebook message: “Gentlemen, we’re going to DC, pack your shit !!”

“”[W]We’ll have at least 50-100 OK there, “added Meggs.

The replacing indictment alleges that Kelly and several other defendants – Connie Meggs, Graydon Young, Laura Steele and Sandra Ruth Parker – wore paramilitary gear and sat with two other previously indicted defendants, Jessica Watkins and Donovan Crowl, “in a military style “Teamed up” formation that marched up the middle steps on the east side of the US Capitol, broke through the top door, and then stormed the building, “the US Department of Justice said in a January 6 press release.

Members of the Oath Keepers provide security to Roger Stone at a rally the night before groups attacked the U.S. Capitol in Washington, USA, on January 5, 2021.

Jim Urquhart | Reuters

Trump held a large rally outside the White House on Jan. 6, where he and his allies, including attorney Rudy Giuliani, encouraged supporters to help them fight Biden’s confirmation of victory.

When planning the trip to Washington, according to the indictment, Meggs made statements that his group would not need to be armed for the attack on the Capitol, as he expected there would be a “heavy QRF 10 min out”.

Prosecutors said “QRF” refers to a “rapid response force,” a term used by law enforcement and the military to refer to an armed unit that is able to respond quickly to developing situations respond, typically to aid allied units in need of such assistance. “

The indictment states that around the same time as Meggs’ embassy, ​​Young arranged for him and others to be trained by a company in Florida that provides firearms and combat training.

Young, 54, of Englewood, Florida, was arrested Monday in Tampa, Florida, while Meggs, 52, and Connie Meggs, 59, both from Dunnellon, Florida, were arrested in Ocala, Florida on Wednesday.

The other newly indicted defendants were arrested elsewhere. Steele, 52, of Thomasville, North Carolina, was arrested Wednesday in Greensboro, North Carolina, while Sandra Ruth Parker, 62, and Bennie Alvin Parker, 70, both of Morrow, Ohio, were arrested Thursday.

All six defendants are charged with conspiring to obstruct formal proceedings in Congress, rob federal government property and prevent illegal entry.

Bennie Parker and another previously indicted defendant, Thomas Caldwell, are also charged with obstructing the investigation by allegedly tampering with documents or procedures by failing to send and delete content on Facebook.

Trump was indicted by the House of Representatives in January, accused of instigating the uprising on his false fraud allegations, and calls on his supporters to fight. Five people died in the riot, including a Capitol policeman.

But Trump, who stepped down from office on Jan. 20, was acquitted by the Senate last week on his impeachment trial.

Categories
Politics

Trump to make first post-presidency speech as CPAC keynote

Trump to make first post-presidency speech as CPAC keynote

President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at Joint Base Andrews before he boarded Air Force One for the last time as President on Jan. 20, 2021 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

Pete Marovich | Pool | Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump is expected to deliver a keynote address at the conclusion of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida next weekend, sources familiar with the plans told NBC News.

Trump is due to speak about the future of the Republican Party and the Conservative movement, say sources familiar with the plan.

The full list has not yet been released and is subject to change.

The event would be Trump’s first extended public appearance on camera since he left office last month.

For the past few weeks, Trump has continued to rage against top Republicans who stand up against him, including Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell; Senator John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate; and longtime GOP politician Karl Rove, according to people familiar with the matter.

Trump spokesman Jason Miller responded to CNBC’s request for comment on the matter via email: “Fake news. We are focused on getting the House and Senate back in 2022.”

The former president said he plans to support several key competitors who support his “Make America Great Again” agenda.

Advisors have told Trump that, according to his own strategists, Republican voters don’t want to see an all-out war in the GOP. Instead, voters would rather see Trump focus his attacks on Biden and top Democrats, advisors say.

Rep Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., A Trump defense attorney in Congress, tweeted that grassroots Republicans would be rejected by the party if they don’t accept the former president’s agenda.

Although Trump escaped conviction on his second impeachment trial, he now faces several serious criminal and civil investigations that could be harder to beat. At least one investigation holds the potential for Trump to be jailed if convicted. On January 20, he lost his protection from prosecution while holding the office of president.

“There are a lot of balls in the air in the potential criminal arena and if I were Donald Trump I wouldn’t just rest,” said Joseph Tacopina, a senior New York City criminal lawyer.

Trump spoke at the CPAC several times during his presidency, often making some of his longest speeches, and using his remarks to bolster his conservative base.

Last year’s event organizers came under criticism for their precautions with Covid-19 screening after a New Jersey man attending CPAC tested positive for the coronavirus.

This year’s event will take place from Thursday, February 25th to Sunday, February 28th. Trump is expected to close the events over the weekend.

– CNBC’s Dan Mangan and Brian Schwartz contributed to this report

Categories
Politics

Trump rages at GOP leaders at the same time as advisors urge him to focus assaults on Biden

Trump rages at GOP leaders even as advisors urge him to focus attacks on Biden

Former President Donald Trump continues to rage over the top Republicans who have criticized him, though some advisors insist that he should target President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders instead, according to people familiar with the matter.

Senator John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, and longtime GOP politician Karl Rove are among the targets of Trump’s anger, these people said.

These people refused to be named in order to speak freely.

Trump spokesman Jason Miller responded to CNBC’s request for comment on the story with an email: “Fake news. We are focused on getting the House and Senate back in 2022.”

CNBC had asked which Republicans Trump wanted to target during the mid-term primaries after the former president announced he would support several lead candidates who support his “Make America Great Again” agenda.

Republicans currently have 20 seats in the Senate, including four who are not running. These will be available in 2022. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski is the only one of the seven Republicans convicted of Trump in his second impeachment process, which is up for re-election next year. The whole house is also at stake.

Trump’s anger at Republicans for criticizing him was most evident in his statement calling out Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Whom Trump described as a “grumpy, grumpy and unsmiling political hack” .

Trump’s remarks came after McConnell, even after acquitting the former president in his second impeachment trial, Trump said he was responsible for the Jan. 6 uprising in Capitol Hill. Trump responded that he intends to support the main candidates in the 2022 midterm elections that stand by his side.

Advisors have told Trump that many Republican voters polled by the former president’s strategists don’t want to see an all-out war in the GOP. Instead, they’d rather see Trump focus his attacks on Biden and top Democrats.

Senator Rick Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told his staff he wanted to convince McConnell to look into Trump so the two can settle their differences before halftime, a GOP adviser said. Sen. Lindsey Graham, RS.C., is reportedly planning to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort this weekend to play peacemaker.

Chris Hartline, a spokesman for the NRSC, told CNBC that Scott “is not involved in any mediation. He is focused on the future and winning back the Senate. He spends money every day and talks about the importance of this country to rescue.” to stop the insane onslaught of the Democrats on socialism and the loss of freedom and prosperity. “

“I don’t know if he spoke to the chairman recently, but we’re not talking about private conversations he has had with other senators,” added Hartline.

McConnell and Scott representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

Even so, Trump’s allies are not backing down on the idea that supporting his agenda will help Republicans in the primaries.

“When you know that you have the muscles of President Trump behind you, and all of the president’s loyal supporters and even his America First policies, importantly or more importantly, it will be hard to beat,” said Roy Bailey, one Texas businessman and former head of Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee between the campaign and the Republican National Committee, told CNBC.

Rep Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., A staunch defender of Trump in Congress, tweeted that grassroots Republicans would be rejected by the party if they don’t accept the former president’s agenda. Gaetz has called for the overthrow of Republican house manager Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo, after she voted in favor of the Trump charges.

Rove has emerged as a leading Republican critic of Trump, and the former president isn’t happy about that, one person said. Rove, a former senior adviser to former President George W. Bush, recently wrote a comment in the Wall Street Journal defending his longtime ally McConnell and blaming Trump directly for the party’s losses in the two Georgia Senate runoffs.

“Mr Trump lost those seats in Georgia by campaigning there not because of the need for scrutiny and deliberation for the new administration in Biden, but because of his anger over the loss of the presidential election,” Rove wrote on Wednesday.

Trump is also mad at Thune, who can be re-elected next year, said another person. According to FiveThirtyEight data, the South Dakota Republican voted with Trump over 90% of the time. But he was also a vocal critic of Trump regarding the Capitol Hill uprising.

Trump warned in December that Thune would face a major challenge after the Senator said efforts to question the electoral college results would go down “like a dog” in the Senate. The Cook Political Report has raced Thunes as a “solid Republican”.

After Thune voted for the president’s acquittal in his impeachment proceedings, he said: “What former President Trump has done to undermine confidence in our electoral system and disrupt the peaceful transfer of power is inexcusable.”

Thune recently criticized Republican activists in an interview with the Associated Press. He said these activists campaigned for the “undoing of culture” by rushing to reprimand GOP lawmakers who voted for Trump’s impeachment.

According to the AP, Thune plans to help candidates “who don’t go out and talk about conspiracies and the like”.

“At the grassroots level, there are a lot of people who want to see Trump-like candidates,” he said. “But I think we will look for candidates who are eligible.”

Categories
Business

U.S. to pay WHO greater than $200 million in membership charges Trump withheld

Blinken calls for Russian release of Alexei Navalny

Newly confirmed Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to reporters during his first press conference at the State Department in Washington on January 27, 2021.

Carlos Barria | Reuters

WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the United States will pay the more than $ 200 million it owes the World Health Organization by the end of the month. This reaffirms the new government’s commitment to global health.

“This is an important step forward in fulfilling our financial commitments as a WHO member and reflects our renewed commitment to ensuring WHO receives the support it needs to lead the global response to the pandemic, even as we do work to reform them for the future. ” “Blinken told the UN Security Council during a video conference.

“The United States will work with our partners around the world to expand production and sales capabilities and improve access, including marginalized populations,” said Blinken in his first speech since being named the country’s best diplomat.

Blinken also urged his colleagues to fight misinformation about vaccines and provide investigators with relevant information about the origin of the coronavirus.

“The ongoing expert investigation into the causes of this pandemic and the report that will be published must be independent of scientific and fact-based evidence and free from interference,” said Blinken. “To better understand this pandemic and prepare for the next one, all countries must provide all data from the earliest days of the outbreak,” he added.

Blinken’s remarks come as President Joe Biden works to fight the unfolding coronavirus pandemic, which killed more than 2.4 million people and infected more than 109.6 million worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the United States, the coronavirus has infected more than 27.7 million people and killed at least 488,295 people.

In one of his first acts as president, Biden overturned former President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the Geneva-based health organization of the United Nations.

In April, Trump said he had suspended US funding for the organization pending a review, citing what he described as “the World Health Organization’s role in the serious mismanagement and cover-up of the spread of the coronavirus”.

A month later, he announced his intention to remove the US from the organization amid the coronavirus pandemic, citing the WHO’s so-called abuse of funding and its cozy relationship with China.

“China has total control of the World Health Organization even though it only pays $ 40 million a year, compared to what the United States paid, which is roughly $ 450 million a year,” Trump said.

In July, the Trump administration sent the UN Secretary-General its notice to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization by July 6, 2021.

In October, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he hoped the United States would reconsider its decision to leave WHO, adding that the coronavirus could not be defeated “in a divided world”.

“The problem is not the money. It is not the funding that is the problem. It is actually the relationship with the US that is more important and its overseas leadership,” Ghebreyesus told a virtual audience at the Aspen Security Forum.

Categories
Politics

Trump faces felony, civil investigations after White Home

Trump faces criminal, civil investigations after White House

Donald Trump

Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump could easily have avoided conviction on his second impeachment – but he might find it much more difficult to beat the various serious criminal and civil investigations he is now facing.

And at least one of those investigations has the potential for Trump to be jailed if convicted.

That would be an unprecedented event in American history as no ex-president has ever been charged with a crime, let alone one.

Trump, a Republican whose spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment, has claimed the probes were politically motivated witch hunts by Democratic prosecutors.

But judges in two of those investigations have repeatedly ruled against Trump’s attorneys in evidence-related disputes.

These decisions underscore the criminal and civil risk Trump faces, as well as the fact that on Jan. 20 he lost the protection from law enforcement that came into effect through serving as president.

“There are a lot of balls in the air in the potential criminal arena and if I were Donald Trump I wouldn’t just rest,” said Joseph Tacopina, a senior New York City criminal lawyer.

Find him the voices

During that call, which was taped, Trump pressured Raffensperger, the state’s top election official, to “find” enough votes for him to reverse his election loss to Joe Biden in Georgia.

Willis plans to ask a grand jury to issue subpoenas in the investigation next month, which, according to her office, is “monitoring” possible violations of electoral fraud laws as well as “false statements to state and local government agencies, conspiracy and extortion” and other charges.

Trump had claimed for months without evidence that he had been removed from a second term in office by widespread electoral fraud in Biden’s favor.

Thousands of Trump supporters who believed these falsehoods violently led to rioting in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, however, ultimately failed to get Congress to reject Biden’s victory. Trump was charged by the House of Representatives for instigating this uprising with his allegations.

A Justice Department official said last month, while prosecutors are now focused on indicting individuals who rioted in the Capitol itself, “we will continue to obey the facts and the law” when dealing with whether or not Trump others are to be charged with inciting his allies.

Senate Minority Chairman Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who was one of 43 Republicans who voted for Trump’s acquittal Saturday as one of 43 Republicans in his impeachment trial, made a speech following the ruling that suggested that Trump could be prosecuted for the riot.

McConnell voted in favor of acquittal because a former president could not be charged with impeachment. But McConnell also said there is “no question” that Trump “is practically and morally responsible for provoking the“ insurrection ”.

“He hasn’t gotten away with anything,” said McConnell. “We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil trials. And former presidents are not immune to being [held] accountable by both. “

McConnell’s argument was underpinned by a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday by the NAACP and Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., In federal court in Washington. Trump, his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and two right-wing groups, the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, conspired to start the Capitol uprising.

“The uprising was the result of a carefully crafted plan by Trump, Giuliani and extremist groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, all of whom shared the common goal of using intimidation, harassment and threats to stop the certification of the electoral college.” The NAACP said Biden’s victory in a statement.

Trump’s spokesman, Jason Miller, said Trump “did not instigate or conspire to violence in the Capitol on Jan. 6”.

The worst criminal case

While the Capitol riot investigation and Georgia investigation are the most recent investigations, perhaps the most serious criminal case Trump faces is likely the one that has been carried out by the Manhattan Attorney’s Office for several years.

DA Cyrus Vance Jr.’s investigation appeared to have initially focused on a relatively minor issue: whether Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, was properly accounted for in their financial books, hushed up cash payments to two women who said they had sex with him.

If the company hadn’t properly recorded these payments in its records, the Trump Organization could have gotten away with a small civil penalty, if only this.

One of those payments was made by Trump’s attorney at the time, Michael Cohen, to pornstar Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election.

The other payment was made by the Trump allied editor of The National Enquirer to Playboy model Karen McDougal in the months leading up to the same election.

Trump, who denied having sex with both women, still refunded Cohen the payment to Daniels. Cohen later pleaded guilty to federal crimes which included campaign funding violations related to facilitating payouts to both women.

Cohen, who was in prison, has been working with Vance’s probe since 2018.

And the investigation, as court files and news reports suggest, has only grown in scope since then.

Last August, a court filing by Vance said the investigation could consider possible “insurance and banking fraud by the Trump organization and its officials”.

A month later, another filing from Vance suggested the investigation could also investigate Trump for possible tax crimes.

Cohen had testified to Congress in early 2019 that Trump had not properly inflated and deflated the value of his real estate assets for tax and insurance purposes.

Doubtful tax systems and outright fraud

Vance’s records appeared to refer to this testimony, and one file specifically stated that the New York Times reported that Trump operated “dubious tax systems, including outright fraud,” in the 1990s.

Shortly before Christmas, Vance’s investigators requested records from three cities in Westchester County, New York, as part of the investigation. The records refer to Trump’s 213 acre Seven Springs Estate property that extends across these towns.

And the Wall Street Journal reported last Saturday that Vance’s office is also monitoring loans Trump took out on Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue and three other Manhattan properties: 40 Wall Street, the Trump Plaza apartment building, and Trump International Hotel and Tower.

At the same time, Vance is waiting for the US Supreme Court to decide whether Trump should hear an appeal against a grand jury subpoena for years of income tax returns and other financial documents the prosecutor is seeking as part of his investigation.

The Supreme Court rejected Trump’s argument last summer that the subpoena issued to his accountants Mazars USA was on hold because of his then president status. However, the Supreme Court said Trump could bring new arguments against the subpoena to a judge in Mahattan federal court.

However, these arguments were quickly rejected by this judge and then by a jury of the 2nd District Court of Appeal.

Trump then asked the Supreme Court in October to hear his appeal against these denials. However, the court has yet to say whether it will.

Gerald Lefcourt, a Manhattan criminal defense attorney, said, “It is very strange that it has taken the Supreme Court so long” to decide whether it will accept the case, especially given that it has previously come across other related arguments decided with the summons.

“When will they rule?” Lefcourt asked rhetorically.

If the Supreme Court denies Trump’s motion, Vance, whose office has refused to comment on the nature of his investigation, would quickly get the tax returns and other documentation.

However, since these records are expected to be extensive, they can take several months to sift through and determine if they provide evidence of criminal prosecution.

Tacopina, the fellow criminal defense attorney, said Vance’s persistent search for Trump’s tax returns – which the former president voluntarily refused to publish publicly for years – could be a sign of how strongly the prosecutor believes his case is right.

“Cy Vance is fighting way too hard for this case to fall,” said Tacopina. “He seems to be on something.”

Civil investigation

While Vance awaits the Supreme Court decision, New York attorney general Letitia James conducts a civil investigation into Trump and his company, the focus of which partially overlaps with the criminal investigation.

James’ investigations have been ongoing since 2019 but did not become known until August with a court battle for answers that her investigators sought from Eric Trump, the second eldest son of Donald Trump, who runs the Trump Organization with his brother Donald Trump Jr.

James’ office said it was researching how Trump valued certain properties, including the Seven Springs Estate, as well as properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Los Angeles.

A big question related to the Seven Springs property is whether the site’s valuation has been grossly inflated to demand a $ 2.1 million tax deduction for a 2015 conservation donation.

Eric Trump, after initially agreeing to be interviewed by James’ investigators, later turned down that deal, the AG said. Eric Trump then tried to postpone the interview until after the presidential election.

James then asked a judge to force Eric to follow the interview the judge conducted in September.

James later called the ruling a “great victory” which “makes it clear that no one is above the law, not even an organization or a person named Trump”.

For his part, Eric Trump said at the time: “The New York attorney general called my father an ‘illegitimate’ president and promised to bring him down while she was running for office. Her actions since have shown continued political vengeance and an attempt at her meddle in the upcoming elections. “

Eric was questioned under oath by James’ investigators in early October.

Categories
Politics

Trump declares struggle on McConnell, vows to again MAGA challengers

Trump declares war on McConnell, vows to back MAGA challengers

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (L) (R-KY) and Senate Minority Chairman Chuck Schumer (R) (D-NY) stand in a row during a joint Congressional session on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC the chamber of the house.

Drew Angerer | Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Promising to support the main opponents who support Trump’s agenda.

The fiery statement, which McConnell describes as a “grumpy, sullen, and unsmiling political hack” comes after the Senate GOP leader accused Trump of responsibility for the deadly Capitol riot.

Trump, whose once productive online presence was muzzled by several social media companies, claimed in a statement from his political action committee that McConnell’s “commitment to business as usual” would result in further Republican losses.

“He will never do what needs to be done or what is right for our country,” Trump said of McConnell. “Where necessary and appropriate, I will support major competitors who are working to make America great again and our America politics first.”

The statement, issued three days after Trump’s acquittal in an unprecedented second impeachment trial, shows a growing divide in the GOP over what role the former president should play in the party. Trump, who maintains a high level of approval among Republicans, had previously signaled that he would remain active in politics.

Seven Republican senators voted to condemn Trump for an article instigating the January 6 invasion of the Capitol. However, the votes for the conviction fell below two-thirds of the chamber, resulting in an acquittal.

While voting “not guilty” on impeachment, McConnell has denounced Trump’s behavior prior to the Capitol uprising. Minutes after the trial was over, McConnell said in the Senate that Trump “was practically and morally responsible for provoking the attack.”

McConnell doubled in a comment published for the Wall Street Journal published Monday night, slamming Trump’s “irresponsible” behavior during and after the invasion while defending his acquittal vote.

In his statement, Trump failed to address the attack on the Capitol that led to his second impeachment.

A spokesman for McConnell’s office did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment. But Josh Holmes, McConnell’s former chief of staff, said in a tweet: “The most amusing part of this Trump letter is all of the journos who told us Trump’s words were dangerous and should be deformed, and are now tweeting them as soon as he attacks Republicans. “

Trump, who lost the White House to President Joe Biden after a single term in office, accused McConnell of losing Republican control of the Senate by making an undersized offer for direct payments in a coronavirus aid package.

“I single-handedly saved at least 12 Senate seats,” Trump claimed, “and then came the Georgia disaster where we should have won both Senate seats, but McConnell took along the Democrats’ $ 2,000 stimulus check $ 600 reconciled. How does that work? ” Job?”

Trump spent the days leading up to the runoff elections in the Georgian Senate spreading unsubstantiated conspiracy theories that widespread fraud led to Biden’s narrow victory in the state. Shortly before those runoff elections, news outlets released audio of a phone call in which Trump pressured Georgian Foreign Secretary Brad Raffensperger to “find” the votes he needed to win the state’s presidential election. A lawyer allied with Trump had also encouraged Republicans to boycott the runoff elections.

Trump’s statement also accused Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp, as well as Raffensperger and the Republican Party itself, of losing Peach State’s drains. Trump appeared to re-emerge his false claims of election fraud by accusing these officials of “doing nothing” [their] Election Integrity Job During 2020 Presidential Contest “

Trump also accused McConnell of “lacking credibility with China because of his family’s substantial Chinese business interests.”

McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao, immigrated to the United States from Taiwan at a young age. She was Trump’s transportation secretary until January when she left his cabinet the day after the then-President’s supporters stormed the Capitol.

An advertising campaign by McConnell’s former political opponent Amy McGrath had made a similar connection between McConnell’s wealth and China. The Washington Post called this ad “grossly misleading” and McConnell’s campaign called it racist.

Trump’s testimony also claimed that McConnell, who has won re-election every six years since 1990, would have “lost hard” without his approval. Trump said the provision of this confirmation was his “only regret”.

Categories
Politics

On Trump, Michigan Republicans Lean One Method: ‘Fealty at All Prices’

On Trump, Michigan Republicans Lean One Way: ‘Fealty at All Costs’

ROCKFORD, me. – When Representative Peter Meijer voted against Donald J. Trump in January, making him one of ten Republicans in the House who opposed their party, he bluntly admitted that “it may have been an act of political suicide” .

That month, during Mr Meijer’s first town hall event since that impeachment vote, some of his constituents made it clear to the newly elected Congressman that they shared his view – not that Mr Trump had committed an impeachment act by helping to contribute to a riot to trigger the impeachment of the Capitol, but that crossing was an unforgivable sin.

“I took action against people who told me not to vote for you, and I’ve lost that belief,” said Cindy Witke, who lives in Mr. Meijer’s district, that of Grand Rapids and small communities like this one in West Michigan is anchored.

Nancy Eardley, who spoke next, asked Mr. Meijer to stop saying that the election had not been stolen. She said he “betrayed” his Republican base.

“I couldn’t have been more disappointed,” said Mrs. Eardley. “I don’t think there is much you can say that will ever change my mind about not firing you in two years.”

Mr Trump’s acquittal on Saturday in his impeachment trial was the first test of his continued influence over Republicans. All but seven senators in the party voted against the condemnation. But in Michigan, one of the major battlefield states that Mr Trump lost in the November election – and which is home to two of the ten House Republicans who backed his indictment – there are growing signs that a party is not in the River is but agree to double the same issues that defined Mr. Trump’s political style: conspiracy theories, allegiance to the leader, a web of misinformation and intolerance.

The recent elections in the nationwide Republican Party resulted in the uprising of Meshawn Maddock, a Conservative activist who helped organize busloads of Michigandans traveling to Washington on January 6, the day of the Capitol Assault. Mike Shirkey, the Senate majority leader and Michigan’s best-elected Republican, was caught on a hot microphone arguing that the riot was “staged” and a “hoax,” an unmasked conspiratorial claim that is now popular with Mr. Trump’s supporters . And in a vivid reference to a divided state, the attempt by local Republicans to reprimand Mr Meijer for supporting impeachment stalled between 11-11.

In the state’s sixth district, which hugs Lake Michigan, two GOP branches have already voted to convict Representative Fred Upton, a veteran Republican who also supported the impeachment.

Victor Fitz, a Cass County prosecutor and Republican official who supported efforts to reprimand Mr Upton, said the current gap between the party’s base and its founding wing was the largest he has ever seen.

“There is deep disappointment” with Mr. Upton, said Mr. Fitz. “And to be honest with you, I think there are some who believe that with this vote he crossed the Rubicon.”

With loyalty to Mr Trump as the overarching point of contention, Republicans are grappling with the idea of ​​the proverbial big tent, and politicians like Mr Upton and Mr Meijer are at the forefront of the conflict. In the months since election day, when the president attacked the democratic process and a mob came to the seat of the American government on his behalf, the dangers of walking in his political shadow have rarely been clearer. But it is also clear that his party shows little desire to break with him or his complaints.

The outcome of this tug-of-war will determine the direction of a party that is out of control in Congress and the White House and needs to focus on winning the 2022 midterm elections. The GOP tent has made room for conspiracy theories like obstetrics and QAnon, as well as extremist elected officials like Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. Is there room for anti-Trumpers?

“The Michigan Republican Party is’ more Trumpy today than it was before the elections,” said Jeff Timmer, former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party. The former president’s electoral coalition has failed, but its supporters are so vehement in their belief that the party has made its mistakes cannot recognize or learn from it.

“That’s why Trumpism will continue long after Trump. People who weren’t there four years ago, ”he said,“ people we had never heard of are now controlling the party’s levers. “

He added, “When you make a deal with the devil, the story usually ends with the devil gathering your soul. You don’t get it back and you have a happy ending. “

Places like West Michigan are a landmark for conservatism, mirroring the Republican Party’s path from a political coalition defined by Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan to a coalition focused on Mr. Trump. Given the strong opposition to the big government and the decline in production that is leaving deep scars, this region of the state also has a libertarian bias and independence, as evidenced by former representative Justin Amash, a prominent Trump critic.

During interviews, business stops and the virtual town hall event, Mr Meijer tried to explain his impeachment decision on a similar principle. He responds with grace to his Republican critics, calmly pointing out the lack of evidence to support Mr. Trump’s allegations of electoral fraud. He opened City Hall by describing the immense fear he and other lawmakers felt during the January mob violence.

“This was a moment when we needed guidance, and I don’t think the President intended to do that,” he said of Mr Trump.

Even so, the ground is shifting under Mr. Meijer’s feet, party officials in Michigan warn, including some in his own district, the Third Congress. Angry people leave messages of “traitors” in response to his social media posts. News outlets backing Mr Trump have pinned Mr Meijer and other Republican incumbents who supported the impeachment by highlighting their key challengers. Furthermore, Mr. Trump’s vision lives on: Many in the party want to look backwards at grievances such as perceived electoral fraud rather than focus on the next election cycle and reach out to the swing voters he lost.

People like Mr Timmer have asked the party to look into the suburban Democratic bias that has plagued Republicans across the country. Ms. Maddock and others have focused on unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud. Her husband, a member of the Michigan Legislature, and other state lawmakers signed a brief request to the Supreme Court to give state-elected officials the power to dismiss the election results.

Several Michigan Republican officials, including Ms. Maddock, Mr. Shirkey, and recently-elected GOP chairman Ron Weiser, did not respond to multiple requests for comments on this article. Mr Upton and Mr Meijer declined to be interviewed, and several county and local officials who voted to reprimand the elected officials did not comment.

The collective public silence of many Michigan Republican leaders signals a party that is walking on eggshells without a clear leader or unifying ideology. Mr. Weiser is a former member of the University of Michigan’s Board of Regents and a powerful Republican donor, but he needed Ms. Maddock’s early support as a conduit for the Trumpian base.

Mr Meijer is already facing a main challenger, although he is still considered a favorite. Several Republicans in Mr. Upton’s orbit have raised the possibility of him retiring rather than embarking on a potentially bloody re-election campaign.

The rise of Republicans who were in Washington on Jan. 6 or vociferously supported Mr. Trump’s allegations of electoral fraud like Ms. Maddock has messed up a state with a rich history of business-friendly Republicans in the form of former President Gerald Ford, the state’s native son .

Tony Daunt, a Republican official who acts as an election guard and has advised Republican heads of state, said he hoped the party would not use Trump loyalty as a litmus test.

“I think with the right kind of leadership, the people we need would eagerly come back to the group,” Daunt said. “There are some good things from the Trump administration and even from Trump’s political instincts that are worth bringing into the Republican camp. But Donald Trump is neither the vehicle nor the messenger for it. “

Jason Watts isn’t that confident. As an election officer in Allegan County and party secretary in the Sixth Congressional District, he has seen the party transform to the point where it is now unrecognizable, he said. He doubts the necessary guidance will come.

“I almost feel like a person without a home,” said Mr Watts. “Because you can change candidates, but until we are ready to act as a party, we will wallow in this defeat for a few cycles.”

Mr Watts also has a secret to reveal: he never voted for Mr Trump despite organizing more than 15,000 yard signs for the Republican ticket in the county. In 2016, he supported Ohio Governor John Kasich in the primaries and long-term independent candidate Evan McMullin in the general election. That year, Mr. Watts voted for the libertarian candidate – a silent expression of discomfort with the former president that he has only released since the Capitol attack.

Does he wish he had spoken earlier?

“I just felt like it would be a brief storm if I rummaged through,” said Watts. “But this undertone of hatred, this loyalty at all costs, will harm us.”

And what happens now?

“If they’re crazy, so be it,” he said. “You can vote me out in two years.”