President Trump: The NEW one and only politics thread

Every cleared Federal employee is required to disclose overseas contacts and financial interests. It doesn't seem outrageous to expect the same of candidates for President, and it should make you feel weird that President Trump refuses to allow Congress or the American people to understand his conflicts and has lied - and had people lie on his behalf - to obscure those conflicts.

 

You asked why seeing tax returns matters/is any of our business. They matter because seeing them can function as a guardrail against corruption and let the electorate know when the president might be working in his own best interest instead of the country's.
I didn't say the norm served as a guardrail against a corrupt motherfucker being elected. Because, again, I agree it doesn't matter a ton to the American public in this day-and-age (if it ever did, who knows).
And again, yes, it's not a perfect anti-corruption measure! No one is claiming it is. There's probably no single measure that is. But it's a non-zero benefit to identifying corruption and providing transparency to the electorate. It can direct investigations and oversight. It can indicate where things might be fishy.

(I have no idea if a law forcing the release of tax returns would be constitutional. If I needed to, I could definitely make an argument that it isn't. But that doesn't mean it isn't a positive and useful norm!)

 

Here's something hopeful.

$2.5 trillion 'Holy Grail' found? Breakthrough discovery could lead to 100 percent recyclable plastics, scientists say

 

"The Apprentice" cemented the myth.

 

Fun fact: The surprise subpeona for Jr. from the Intelligence Committee chaired by Richard Burr - Burr announced in '16 that if he won, he wouldn't run again in '22.
Odd how only Republicans who are retiring find the courage to stand up to the President.

 

yep

How Mark Burnett Resurrected Donald Trump as an Icon of American Success

 

On a related note:

Second Trump Ghostwriter Says He Was Lousy at Business, Bored, and Obsessed With Carpet Swatches

 

Worth noting that Charlie was also an executive editor at Sports Illustrated.

Exclusive: Trump, the billion-dollar loser — I was his ghostwriter and saw it happen

 

For the first time in history, Miss USA, Miss America and Miss Teen USA are all black women.

Trump's America strikes again!