You’d think I’d
realize that reading PolitiFact first thing every day would sour
me on politics, but this even-handed fact checking service has no problem with truth,
and judges questionable allegations and outright falsehood based on data and reality.
In one truly bizarre instance, the clinically batshit nuts Michele Bachmann once
stated in a debate that “Even PolitiFact verified it” (referring to a statement
she had made). Of course, being who and what she is, she had misunderstood that
PolitiFact had awarded her statement a “Pants on Fire” (liar!) rating. Today’s
leadoff debunking was headlined as below:
“It cost
taxpayers $120,000 to fly Nancy (Pelosi) to get her hair done.”
This is typical
of the misinformation bullshit which Trump supporters spread in vain attempts
to deflect public scrutiny from the almost hourly lies, deceptions and gaffes, not
to mention profligate spending, of their leader.
Begin with the fact that Mrs. Pelosi was
already at home and continue with the fact that almost any hairdresser in San Fran
will admit that clients come in separately for haircuts at salons all over town.
The larger lie here is that, even if Mrs. Pelosi had flown home specifically
for a haircut, she flies commercial unlike, of course, Trump, who saddles up
ole AF One just for a round of golf.
Let’s put that
in perspective. A flight to Mar A Lago for a Trump golf weekend costs taxpayers
$3 million. This includes the fact that the secret service detail books rooms
in Trump’s facility for a 2-week block even for a two day stay, at a cost of
(to date) another million dollars plus. All the fees are charged by and paid to
the Trump organization! This, even though on the campaign trail in 2016, Trump
had offered one simple way to underline his separation from his properties: He
just wouldn’t visit.
“I may never
see these places again,” Trump said during a rally in August 2016. “Because I’m
going to be working for you. I’m not going to have time to go play golf.
Believe me.” Instead, he has played more
golf per year than any other President except Woodrow Wilson, who was driven to
local courses.
Meanwhile the
real cost, if Mrs. Pelosi had actually flown home first class just to get her hair done
(which was not the case, as she was home on business anyway) and assuming she
had a 4 person security detail who also flew first class, (cannot find out the
real number, but only two persons went
to the hair dresser with her) would have been just under $10,000 for air fare
with a (very) generous $10,000 more for room and board.
So, to compare,
The second person in line for the Presidency would (remember, she didn’t really
go just for the haircut) in this most costly case scenario, spend about $20,000
whereas the President, just to play golf, spends $3 million!
I only did this
little exercise to point out the extent of the duplicity and downright lies to
which then Right will go to attempt to discredit any person not of the Red persuasion.
Meanwhile, 18
members of the Trump immediate and extended families are gifted with Secret
Service security. This is not only, or even primarily, to cover government trips
or trips to and from a Congressional office at home. In February 2017, Forrest Trump (Eric) and Don
Jr. flew to Dubai to open a Trump-branded golf club, which cost the Secret
Service more than $200,000. The same month, Eric flew to the Dominican Republic
to potentially relaunch a failed Trump-branded resort project, which cost
$20,000. Eric Trump has visited Uruguay twice for Trump Organization business,
costing taxpayers $97,830 in 2017, and $80,786 in 2019. These trips are totally
unrelated to government business and should be (but are not) compensated for by
The Trump Organization. What we do know is that the President’s frequent trips
to Trump branded properties also put taxpayer money directly into the coffers
of the Trump Organization. These trips are lumped under the heading “protected
travel.” A partial accounting of the
cost of these “private trips for private profit at public expense” shows that:
Protective
travel spiked massively in 2017 when Trump became president. In the last two fiscal
years, the Trump family has taken 3,249 protected trips. In seven years, the
Obama family took a total of 933. On a per year basis that amounts to 12 times
as much protected travel as the Obamas! The greater disparity is that, while previous presidents have
separated themselves from their assets and placed them in a blind trust,
President Trump appointed his two adult sons to manage the international
businesses that continue to make hundreds of millions of dollars a year
on his behalf. The Trump family’s extremely high number of protected
trips can be partially explained by the fact that Eric and Don Jr. have
traveled the world promoting Trump-branded businesses throughout the
Trump presidency. Ski weekends in Aspen, Colo., and Whistler, British Columbia,
by daughter Ivanka exacerbate the expense factor which has far outstripped
budgeted allocations. As of the most recent data these overruns have exceeded $200
million for 2017 and 18.
This
explanation of course, ignores concerns related to the extent to which the American
people are subsidizing the Trump family business. Despite this greatly increased
security spending for private profit, high tab, the Trump Organization has not
paid the American people back for the security taxpayers have subsidized when
Trump family members travel to support a business that regularly cashes in on
the presidency.
It isn’t only the President
who benefits from extensive security staff. While the size of Speaker Pelosi’s
detail isn’t readily available, the senior Senator from Utah, Orrin Hatch, said
this:
“Twenty-three armed guards protect me and my wife around the
clock in and around the Capitol and beyond.” These men and women are like
family to me,” the Utah Republican said. “Over the past two and a half years,
I’ve built a special bond with each of them.”
And Republicans
whine about a cut and blow dry at home?
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