How Do Trump Supporters Defend His Travel Expenditures?

[anaconda]

Are there any good comebacks against Trump-hating bloggers on this issue?

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-mar-a-lago-trump-branded-properties-weekends-41d373bbe97a#.mi8ngh17x

And the security costs for Melania living offsite?

http://www.snopes.com/melania-trump-nyc-costs/

https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p480x480/17361805_1751446404866330_8382444280830872064_n.jp g?oh=19c76fc4b9773cb1a6bb38a13f065272&oe=5964C2AC

[anaconda]

I mean, what good is a $100,000 travel allowance if we need the Coast Guard to patrol the Florida Coast while the Trumpster is golfing?

[dannno]

They keep calling them vacations, but they keep talking about all the important meetings with world leaders he is having there..

I guess they don't understand how to win at negotiations. That is why they are not President and Trump is.

[CPUd]

842889255823294464
https://twitter.com/pbpost/status/842889255823294464

[silverhandorder]

So unfair. Trump works 10x more then Obama ever did. The only time Obama worked is when his party got thrown out of power. And he worked to undermine democracy.

[CPUd]

Are there any good comebacks against Trump-hating bloggers on this issue?

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-mar-a-lago-trump-branded-properties-weekends-41d373bbe97a#.mi8ngh17x

And the security costs for Melania living offsite?

http://www.snopes.com/melania-trump-nyc-costs/

https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p480x480/17361805_1751446404866330_8382444280830872064_n.jp g?oh=19c76fc4b9773cb1a6bb38a13f065272&oe=5964C2AC

Those are fake numbers from leftist rags

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

How much did it cost for Laura Bush to go prancing around to libraries in her first lady "cause?" How much money was spent on Fatty Michelle's eating program? What was the cost to freedom when Nancy Reagan resurrected Nixon's "War on Drugs?" How much money was spent incarcerating people for what Nancy wrought?

I would rather see money spent on a first lady being quiet than on her pet cause.

[unknown]

The problem is that very few people/groups/organizations are consistent with regards to their criticism.

Principles (assuming they exist) are selectively applied.

Before it was hijacked into an anti-Obama group, Ron Paul's Tea Party formed as a movement whose primary concern was with the GOP because the GOP was no longer adhering to its stated principles.

Thinkprogress is not wrong in their criticism but these people are hardly fiscal conservatives.

[Ender]

How much did it cost for Laura Bush to go prancing around to libraries in her first lady "cause?" How much money was spent on Fatty Michelle's eating program? What was the cost to freedom when Nancy Reagan resurrected Nixon's "War on Drugs?" How much money was spent incarcerating people for what Nancy wrought?

I would rather see money spent on a first lady being quiet than on her pet cause.

Pretty sure the "bullying" issue will soon be the next 1st Lady Tax-Payer Royale.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Pretty sure the "bullying" issue will soon be the next 1st Lady Tax-Payer Royale.


I haven't heard anything about it since last November, and doubt if it will come up. It just doesn't fit it so many ways. She'd have to work with a bunch of motley groups opposed to Don. She would also be incessantly mocked, and I doubt she has the stomach for it. The big thing is that she has a built-in excuse for getting away from that dumbass. Can you imagine periodically f*cking his flabby ass? This is a perfect opportunity for her to get away from that imbecile.

[Ender]

I haven't heard anything about it since last November, and doubt if it will come up. It just doesn't fit it so many ways. She'd have to work with a bunch of motley groups opposed to Don. She would also be incessantly mocked, and I doubt she has the stomach for it. The big thing is that she has a built-in excuse for getting away from that dumbass. Can you imagine periodically f*cking his flabby ass? This is a perfect opportunity for her to get away from that imbecile.

I can't even think in that direction or I'll barf. Already throwing up in my mouth. :eek:

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

I can't even think in that direction or I'll barf. Already throwing up in my mouth. :eek:


He's pretty hot. I'm sure the RPF ladies agree.


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/07/10/article-2171634-1401FD4B000005DC-27_1024x615_large.jpg

[TheCount]

They keep calling them vacations, but they keep talking about all the important meetings with world leaders he is having there..

I guess they don't understand how to win at negotiations. That is why they are not President and Trump is.

The taxpayers already pay for one place that the president can host meetings. Why does he need two?

[UWDude]

I have never worried about Presidential traveling expenditures. Nor have I worried about the parties they throw, or anything like that. Statecraft and business requires grandeur. Also, most of the travel costs are security, which is absolutely essential.

You will not find a thread of me ever whining about travel expenses or security. Moving the president around is expensive, and since he is the president, he is allowed to go anywhere in the world he wishes, at any time.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

The taxpayers already pay for one place that the president can host meetings. Why does he need two?


Your boy Obama didn't use Camp David much. City boy was always flitting out to California, Hawaii, or some such place.

[anaconda]

Can you imagine periodically f*cking his flabby ass? This is a perfect opportunity for her to get away from that imbecile.

They've gotta have some sort of "arrangement," don't they? Like a "pool boy," "chauffeur," "personal trainer," "dog walker," "piano teacher," or some sort of American Gigolo guy for her?

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjEyMzU0NTYxMF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMjMyMjU5._V1_. jpg

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

They've gotta have some sort of "arrangement," don't they? Like a "pool boy," "chauffeur," "personal trainer," "dog walker," "piano teacher," or some sort of charade.



"Oh, pool boy!"




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxjB-zW4YmU

[anaconda]

He's pretty hot. I'm sure the RPF ladies agree.


Well he DOES look a bit like the guitarist for Sonic Youth.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/25/66/5f/25665fde3cb6e9c686c90ff4c47a2b7b.jpghttps://orlandocultureshock.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/thurston-moore-of-sonic-youth-the-beachum-theatre-downtown-orlando-fl-1991.jpg?w=557

[anaconda]

"Oh, pool boy!"




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxjB-zW4YmU

LOL!

[anaconda]

He could play miniature golf on the White House Lawn.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/151206114541-donald-trump-dec-5-horizontal-gallery.jpg



http://www.mimages.co.za/files/imagecache/watermark/files/CABAA-CCBCC-BACJG-GI_thumb.jpg

[anaconda]

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/151206114541-donald-trump-dec-5-horizontal-gallery.jpg



http://www.mimages.co.za/files/imagecache/watermark/files/CABAA-CCBCC-BACJG-GI_thumb.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxGt_RfBg9A

[Ender]

Your boy Obama didn't use Camp David much. City boy was always flitting out to California, Hawaii, or some such place.

Obama cost tax payers an average of $12.5 Million a year, adding up to about $100 million total. Trump has already cost tax payers about $11 million.

[Anti Federalist]

If our beloved leaders are so beloved, let them drop all the security.

Frankly, if I were Trump, I'd have my own people anyways.

[agitator]

Asked whether Trump was outstripping Obama in terms of sticking taxpayers, Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, questioned the accounting of Trump’s Florida trips, which he said were likely less expensive than Obama’s 2013 trip because Trump does not rely for in-state travel on Marine One, the presidential helicopter, as Obama had.

Fitton also said that according to the best available information, Air Force One, the president’s jet, currently costs $142,000 an hour to operate – as much as 25% less than it cost to operate during the Obama years.

“The per-trip cost is a little bit less since the cost-per-hour of Air Force One are less,” Fitton said, comparing Trump and Obama. “Now, if [Trump] travels more – it will depend in the long run on the number of trips he takes, and for what purposes. And to his credit, it’s readily apparent – and he’s criticized for it – when he’s in Mar-a-Lago, he’s doing business.

[anaconda]

when he’s in Mar-a-Lago, he’s doing business.

Is this a fact? This might be a game changer for the furor over travel expenses.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Obama cost tax payers an average of $12.5 Million a year, adding up to about $100 million total. Trump has already cost tax payers about $11 million.


And I didn't hear one peep from TheCount while Obama was spending that money. Gee, what a surprise.

[dannno]

The taxpayers already pay for one place that the president can host meetings. Why does he need two?

Because we've been fucking up.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Thinkprogress is not wrong in their criticism but these people are hardly fiscal conservatives.

Pretty much this. TheCount and CPud aren't critical of Donny based on liberty principles, but because they think progress just like ThinkProgress.

[dannno]

they keep talking about all the important meetings with world leaders he is having there..




Those are fake numbers from leftist rags


Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, questioned the accounting of Trump’s Florida trips, which he said were likely less expensive than Obama’s 2013 trip it’s readily apparent – and he’s criticized for it – when he’s in Mar-a-Lago, he’s doing business.

Ya leftists aren't known for being very good at math.

[Jamesiv1]

"Oh, pool boy!"




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxjB-zW4YmUthat's unusual lol

[CPUd]

How much is Donald Trump’s travel and protection costing, anyway?
By Philip Bump March 17 at 3:24 PM


President Trump’s 2018 budget proposal is unabashed in its goal: slashing or eradicating a number of social and research programs to offset new spending on defense and homeland security. That emphasis quickly met with broad criticism, including from some who pointed out an apparent contradiction. Trump places a heavy emphasis on cutting waste and targets for elimination programs that, in some cases, cost the government only a few million dollars a year. That is a lot of money in the context of the amount of money you or I spend in a year, but in the context of the government, spending a million dollars is like someone with a $50,000-a-year salary spending one penny.

What really jumped out at some people, though, was that Trump was proposing cuts to some relatively low-cost programs shortly before he prepared to fly to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. According to an analysis from Politico, that’s a trip that costs about $3 million each time — and it’s a trip that he’s made three times this year.

If that $3 million estimate is true, he could have funded the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness — budgeted at $4 million in 2016 — for three years if he’d just stayed in the White House.

Others noted the cost of protecting first lady Melania Trump and the Trumps’ young son, Barron, at Trump Tower. Shortly after the election, a CNN Money report indicated that protecting Trump’s family in New York cost $1 million a day. If they instead joined him at the White House, of course, that cost would essentially be eliminated.

Combined, these costs could make Trump’s presidency awfully expensive, particularly in light of that proposed budget.

But that’s only if those estimates are correct.

We can start with the Trump Tower number. The million-dollars-a-day figure was sourced to three city officials, reflecting the city’s costs.

In February, the city of New York detailed precisely how much it had been spending to provide additional security at Trump’s home. Between the election and the inauguration, when Trump was living there as president-elect, the city spent about $308,000 a day. Once Trump moved to Washington, the city expects that the cost will be up to $145,000 a day when Trump isn’t visiting. (He hasn’t since being inaugurated.) That’s sharply lower than $1 million a day.

It’s also only the city’s costs. There are additional costs at the federal level, like Secret Service protection. In 2008, the former head of that agency estimated that protecting a candidate costs about $38,000 a day. Presumably protecting a spouse and young child would cost less. There were also reports about the Secret Service and the military seeking to rent space in Trump Tower to aid in supporting the president. It’s not clear whether that’s happened or how much space has been rented. (The Secret Service denied that it was planning to rent space.)

CNN estimated that one of the floors of space reportedly under consideration could cost $1.5 million a year — or about $4,100 a day. If those numbers are all correct, and if the military rents that floor, the total for protecting Trump’s family in New York is a bit under $200,000 a day, including New York City’s costs.

Then there are those Mar-a-Lago trips.

Politico’s $3 million-plus estimate was based on an October 2016 Government Accountability Office report on a trip President Barack Obama took in 2013. That trip, which included a stop in Palm Beach, Fla., cost $3.6 million, $3.2 million of which was the cost of aircraft.

Air Force One costs $206,337 an hour to operate, and the D.C. to Palm Beach flight takes about two hours. That’s $824,000 right there, round-trip. So where did the other $2.8 million come in?

In part, it’s the cost of support aircraft. That 2013 trip included five other planes and four helicopters as part of Obama’s overall team, serving defense and short-distance transport roles. (The president goes to and from Andrews Air Force Base by helicopter, for example.) But that trip also included an unrelated trip to Illinois, meaning a much more complicated ballet of movement than Trump’s Mar-a-Lago trips would require.

Secret Service staffing on the 2013 trip ran about $180,000, according to the GAO. Most of the cost was eaten up by those support aircraft. The 89th Airlift Wing ran up a tab of $1.3 million, including the costs of operating Air Force One. Additional aircraft were used to “provide global passenger airlift, logistics, and aerial support and communications to the President,” which they would presumably also do for Trump’s trips down to Florida. But again, that trip included a flight to and from Chicago, which is slightly closer than Palm Beach from Washington.

If we assume, just for the sake of an estimate, that the full cost of the 2013 trip can be allocated by hour of overall flight time — since the trips themselves were about the same length, one weekend, and since air support costs ate up most of the bill — we get an estimate of about $514,000 an hour. ($3.6 million divided by 3½ hours to and from Chicago and four hours to and from Palm Beach).

A five-hour trip to Palm Beach, then, would be about $2 million — $514,000 times four hours. This is a very loose estimate, mind you, but it seems more fair than $3.6 million.

These figures put Trump’s costs in a slightly different light. Sure, two trips to Mar-a-Lago still eats up the same amount as that year of funding for the Interagency Council on Homelessness, but at a slightly disproportionate level.

If Melania and Barron never move to Washington and if Trump continues to head to Mar-a-Lago for four out of every nine weekends, our estimates put the total cost at something like $526 million over the course of Trump’s presidency. Melania Trump is apparently planning to join her husband in Washington at the end of the school year, though, and Trump calls Mar-a-Lago the “winter White House,” implying that he won’t be there in the summer. In which case the overall spending plummets further.

To only, say, $130 million or so. Only enough to fund the homelessness agency until 10-year-old Barron Trump is 42.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/03/17/how-much-is-donald-trumps-travel-and-protection-costing-anyway/

[Zippyjuan]

http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2017/02/23/montini-donald-trump-barack-obama-gold/98289192/


Trump outspending, out-golfing Obama

Being president is a difficult job, and I don’t begrudge the officeholder from taking the occasional day off.

However, current President Donald Trump was relentlessly critical of former President Barack Obama, railing against Obama for taking vacations and/or for golfing. Only here’s the thing: In his first month in office, Trump has spent way more taxpayer money than Obama did on weekend getaways and has done a LOT more golfing.

It’s been estimated that in just his first month Trump’s golfing forays to Florida on the weekends have cost taxpayers $10 million.

By comparison, during President Obama’s entire eight years in office his vacations – with all the security precautions that come with protecting a president and his family – cost taxpayers $97 million.

It’s an awful lot of money.

But it took eight years.

Golfing = 20 percent of Trump's time

Trump is on pace to spend more taxpayer money than that in one year.

One.

This from a man who for years has ridiculed Obama for taking time off.



Estimated cost of a trip to Mara Largo- his "weekend getaway" is about $3 million.

[klamath]

There is no defense except that they are hypocrites. He spends a lot of money on his vacations and golf and seems to be well ahead of Obama. It has always been his lifestyle, except now we are paying a great part of it.

[donnay]

There is no defense except that they are hypocrites. He spends a lot of money on his vacations and golf and seems to be well ahead of Obama. It has always been his lifestyle, except now we are paying a great part of it.

:rolleyes:

New Obama Travel Costs Bring Eight-Year Total over $96 Million
http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-new-obama-travel-costs-bring-eight-year-total-96-million/

And he didn't do anything but encroach on our liberties in all the 8 years.

[angelatc]

How about I don't care?

Liberals are only concerned with costs when they're not in control of the purse strings.

[angelatc]

I have never worried about Presidential traveling expenditures. Nor have I worried about the parties they throw, or anything like that. Statecraft and business requires grandeur. Also, most of the travel costs are security, which is absolutely essential.

You will not find a thread of me ever whining about travel expenses or security. Moving the president around is expensive, and since he is the president, he is allowed to go anywhere in the world he wishes, at any time.

Exactly.

[CPUd]

He is also making money renting out space to the Secret Service and the pay-to-play thing he's got going on in WPB.

838649968193851392
https://twitter.com/christinawilkie/status/838649968193851392


http://i.imgur.com/Y69DnNT.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/eI1bfgY.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/SpGK5xp.png

[klamath]

:rolleyes:

New Obama Travel Costs Bring Eight-Year Total over $96 Million
http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-new-obama-travel-costs-bring-eight-year-total-96-million/

And he didn't do anything but encroach on our liberties in all the 8 years. Yep and Trump is looking to top that.

[RPtotheWH]

http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2017/02/23/montini-donald-trump-barack-obama-gold/98289192/



Estimated cost of a trip to Mara Largo- his "weekend getaway" is about $3 million.

Estimated by who? Politico, CNN money and the Washington Post? Was change.org not available to pull some numbers out of thin air?

[phill4paul]

How about I don't care?

Liberals are only concerned with costs when they're not in control of the purse strings.

Because opposing them by not caring about the government expenditure they are opposed to makes sense? Somehow I don't think Ron Paul would be jetting away from the White House every weekend.

[Ender]

And I didn't hear one peep from TheCount while Obama was spending that money. Gee, what a surprise.

Did you peep about it?

All presidents spend money on travel- Obama was not the greatest spender on "vacations"; Bush was far greater.

[euphemia]

Trump's travel seems to be linked with work. He's not down in Florida golfing for kicks and giggles. He's working. He's entertaining heads of state so he can talk to them and negotiate the way to better relationships with other nations. He's getting a lot of work done while his wife is home caring for their son and helping him get through the school year. She's not galavanting around the world spending money like she deserves it.

Trump is also not accepting a salary. While $400K a year is not a lot of money compared to what it takes to guard the president, it's still something. I can imagine it's not fun having to undo eight years of international nonsense perpetrated under Obama and Clinton.

And one more thing: He told Congress he wanted a health care bill on his desk by Feb 20. You see that deadline has come and gone. Congress needs to get moving.

Finally, it's not safe in the White House, clearly, so if Trump needs the Cost Guard because the Secret Service can't secure the White House grounds and the White House, then where is Trump supposed to work? Sheesh.

[Ender]

Trump's travel seems to be linked with work. He's not down in Florida golfing for kicks and giggles. He's working. He's entertaining heads of state so he can talk to them and negotiate the way to better relationships with other nations. He's getting a lot of work done while his wife is home caring for their son and helping him get through the school year. She's not galavanting around the world spending money like she deserves it.

Trump is also not accepting a salary. While $400K a year is not a lot of money compared to what it takes to guard the president, it's still something. I can imagine it's not fun having to undo eight years of international nonsense perpetrated under Obama and Clinton.

And one more thing: He told Congress he wanted a health care bill on his desk by Feb 20. You see that deadline has come and gone. Congress needs to get moving.

Finally, it's not safe in the White House, clearly, so if Trump needs the Cost Guard because the Secret Service can't secure the White House grounds and the White House, then where is Trump supposed to work? Sheesh.

All presidents vacations are linked with work- yes, even Obama's. And there is a great deal of money spent guarding Trump's wife & child- she doesn't have to "galavant" to have millions spent on forces that are 24/7 at Trump Tower. And the Coast Guard is at Florida- not the White House.

[CPUd]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNgExPf6Oco

[phill4paul]

Trump's travel seems to be linked with work. He's not down in Florida golfing for kicks and giggles. He's working. He's entertaining heads of state so he can talk to them and negotiate the way to better relationships with other nations. He's getting a lot of work done while his wife is home caring for their son and helping him get through the school year. She's not galavanting around the world spending money like she deserves it.

Trump is also not accepting a salary. While $400K a year is not a lot of money compared to what it takes to guard the president, it's still something. I can imagine it's not fun having to undo eight years of international nonsense perpetrated under Obama and Clinton.

And one more thing: He told Congress he wanted a health care bill on his desk by Feb 20. You see that deadline has come and gone. Congress needs to get moving.

Finally, it's not safe in the White House, clearly, so if Trump needs the Cost Guard because the Secret Service can't secure the White House grounds and the White House, then where is Trump supposed to work? Sheesh.

He has an office to conduct business.

http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2017_03/1869111/170118-tussauds-wax-mn-0945_27fea2b5dbb633c5f5fb2c16c02a3256.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000.jpg

And a dining room to entertain in.

http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/floor1/state-dining-room/state-dining-room-2006-sw.jpg

And he is accepting his salary. Instead of giving it back to tax payers, like Ron Paul would have done, he's going to donate it to charity. Which of course will give him a write-off vs. his other income.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-plans-donate-salary-pledge/story?id=46102984

[euphemia]

All presidents vacations are linked with work- yes, even Obama's. And there is a great deal of money spent guarding Trump's wife & child- she doesn't have to "galavant" to have millions spent on forces that are 24/7 at Trump Tower. And the Coast Guard is at Florida- not the White House.

I'm not stupid. I read the article. There was an intruder at the White House recently. If Trump is not safe there, then maybe he needs to be on his own turf in Florida with the Coast Guard standing by.

[klamath]

The whole point of this thread was stupid. Give us some taking points so we can defend Trump lavish lifestyle spending against the democrats!

[phill4paul]

I'm not stupid. I read the article. There was an intruder at the White House recently. If Trump is not safe there, then maybe he needs to be on his own turf in Florida with the Coast Guard standing by.

If you believe that intruder was any threat to Trump, then you aren't as smart as you think you are.

[angelatc]

Because opposing them by not caring about the government expenditure they are opposed to makes sense? Somehow I don't think Ron Paul would be jetting away from the White House every weekend.

Of course he wouldn't. But I would not care if he did.

[CPUd]

Ron Paul often flew commercial, but he got detained by TSA during the 2012 campaign and started using small charter planes. Rand got detained as well:


Rand Paul stopped by TSA
By TIM MAK 01/23/12 10:37 AM EST Updated 01/24/12 12:01 PM EST

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was blocked from boarding a flight Monday by the Transportation Security Administration in Nashville, Tenn., after refusing a full body pat-down, POLITICO has confirmed.

“I spoke with him five minutes ago and he was being detained indefinitely,” Paul spokesperson Moira Bagley said. “The image scan went off; he refused patdown.”

Paul’s father, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), tweeted out news of the incident, saying that there had been an “anomaly” with a body scanner.

“My son @SenRandPaul being detained by TSA for refusing full body pat-down after anomaly in body scanner in Nashville. More details coming,” wrote the authenticated Twitter account of presidential candidate Ron Paul.

The TSA disputed this characterization of the incident.

The Kentucky senator triggered an alarm during routine airport screening and declined to finish the process, said a TSA official, but was “not detained at any point.” A targeted pat-down is usually used to address the alarm.

“Passengers, as in this case, who refuse to comply with security procedures are denied access to the secure gate area. He was escorted out of the screening area by local law enforcement,” the official said.

Shortly before noon, the TSA said Paul had been re-booked on another flight and went through the screening process again without incident.

After he was first stopped, Paul told The AP in a telephone interview that he asked for another scan after setting the scanner off but refused a pat-down, after which he was “detained” at a small cubicle and missed his flight to Washington.

Paul, a Republican, was traveling to Washington, when he was detained. He noted earlier on his Twitter that he was planning to speak at the March for Life.

“Today I’ll speak to the March for Life in DC. A nation cannot long endure w/o respect for the right to Life. Our Liberty depends on it,” tweeted Rand Paul at 9:49 A.M.

The TSA first released a statement to POLITICO without referring to the specific incident.

“When an irregularity is found during the TSA screening process, it must be resolved prior to allowing a passenger to proceed to the secure area of the airport. Passengers who refuse to complete the screening process cannot be granted access to the secure area in order to ensure the safety of others traveling,” said TSA Spokesperson Jonella Culmer.

Ron Paul’s presidential campaign released a strongly worded statement Monday afternoon, blistering the TSA for its practices.

“The police state in this country is growing out of control. One of the ultimate embodiments of this is the TSA that gropes and grabs our children, our seniors and our loved ones and neighbors with disabilities. The TSA does all of this while doing nothing to keep us safe,” it said.

The incident was first disclosed by the senator’s spokesperson on Twitter.

“Just got a call from @senrandpaul. He’s currently being detained by TSA in Nashville,” read her tweet just minutes later, at 9:59 A.M.

Like his father, Rand Paul has libertarian leanings and has been a fierce critic of TSA’s pat-downs of passengers at airports, which he views as government overreach. The senator grilled TSA Administrator John Pistole last year after a 6-year-old girl from Paul’s hometown, was patted down by airport security.

“I guess this little girl would be part of the random pat-downs, this little girl from Bowling Green, Kentucky, one of my constituents,” Paul said, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. “They’re still quite unhappy with you guys as well as myself and a lot of other Americans who think you’ve gone overboard, you’re missing the boat on terrorism because you’re doing these invasive searches on six-year-old girls.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2012/01/rand-paul-detained-by-tsa-071818

[phill4paul]

Of course he wouldn't. But I would not care if he did.

I'm sure there was a reasonable purpose by allowing taxes to pay for presidential sojourns when it got started. However, it seems each successive POTUS is trying to out do his predecessor. I personally think travel expenditure needs to be reigned in. But, if you are fine with it I know from experience that nothing I type will change your mind. :p

[phill4paul]

POTUS, the best vacation package in existence.


It is unclear how the White House designates travel that is not directly related to a governmental
or political function, because of traditional reluctance to address this matter. It appears that, in
most cases, such travel is treated as official, under the assumption that the President and Vice
President are always on duty. Vacation trips, for example, fall under the official travel category.

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RS21835.pdf

[JK/SEA]

this should be the leading story for the HAHA Maddow Show on monday.

i expect a full report fron cpu afterward, or any of the 'other' rug biters in here would suffice..

tia

[angelatc]

That memo seems to be with regard to reimbursement of Air Force expenses.

This whole article (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-presidential-vacations/2014/08/15/2aa969c6-2311-11e4-958c-268a320a60ce_story.html)is a fun read. Adams spent 8 months away from DC. Can you imagine the horror?


Presidents pay for their own and their families’ lodging, food and incidentals while on vacation, which may be why they generally prefer to stay at properties they own, as guests of wealthy friends or at the official presidential retreat at Camp David.

But since presidential vacations are always working vacations, taxpayers cover what it takes to keep the commander in chief working. Lodging and meals are an extra cost, but taxpayers pay the salaries of White House staffers and Secret Service agents whether the president stays in Washington or not, so a presidential vacation does not significantly increase personnel costs.

The biggest additional expense is the use of Air Force One and the support aircraft needed to haul all the equipment and ground transportation the president needs. The Congressional Research Service estimated that the cost of operating Air Force One is nearly $180,000 per hour. Ultimately, a presidential vacation can cost taxpayers an additional $1 million or considerably more than if the president had just stayed put in the White House. How significant this is within a $3.5 trillion federal budget is something voters can decide for themselves.

[merkelstan]

Tiny minds focus on insignificant things and think they're meaningful.

[euphemia]

All presidents vacations are linked with work- yes, even Obama's. And there is a great deal of money spent guarding Trump's wife & child- she doesn't have to "galavant" to have millions spent on forces that are 24/7 at Trump Tower. And the Coast Guard is at Florida- not the White House.

Let's just remember how Michelle took over a whole floor of the most expensive hotel in the world. Obama was not there. How is that state business?

[phill4paul]

Tiny minds focus on insignificant things and think they're meaningful.

My lifetime has taught me that some seemingly insignificant things, if left unattended, can become, over time, quite meaningful.

[donnay]

I'll just throw this in here...


President Trump no longer safe in White House: Former Secret Service agent

By Malia Zimmerman Published March 17, 2017 FoxNews.com

The president is no longer safe on the White House grounds, according to former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino, who once guarded presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Bongino made the stunning assessment in an interview Friday with Fox News. It followed an incident last Friday night when a man jumped the White House fence and may have roamed the property for as long as 15 minutes before he was stopped by the Secret Service.

Jonathan Tran, who carried two cans of mace, set off multiple alarms, Bongino said, and was even spotted by Secret Service officers, but was still able to come within “close proximity” of the White House and even reportedly “jiggled the door” to the executive mansion.

“The intruder set off multiple alarms, alarms that clearly showed someone breached the property, and he was seen by officers who didn't think anything of it. This is a big story,” Bongino told Fox News.

“That just shows the president is not safe there - in the White House. The Secret Service does not have the assets, they don't have personnel on the ground they need to keep him safe.”

Should a group of terrorists decide to storm the White House, the Secret Service would not be able to protect Trump, Bongino predicted.

“The Secret Service cannot even keep one person off the grounds - what will they do if 40 terrorists charge the White House?” he asked. “And believe me the terrorists are already thinking about that.”

According to the Secret Service, Tran was charged with entering a restricted building and carrying a dangerous weapon.

Trump, who was on the property, has praised the Secret Service for doing a “fantastic job” and said the suspect was “troubled.”

But Bongino said the current Secret Service management “sucks.”

“The Secret Service is stuck in their ways and don't want to redo and upgrade the White House security plan. President Trump won't be safe there until they do,” Bongino said.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, also blasted the latest incident and said “this keeps happening.” Chaffetz’s panel oversees the Secret Service.

He added, “Our information is incomplete at best.”

In a letter to acting Secret Service Director Bill Callahan, Chaffetz said Tran “may have attempted entry into the building. If true, these allegations raise questions about whether the agency’s security protocols are adequate.”

Chaffetz suggested there may have been alarms that were ignored by the Secret Service.

Chaffetz wants a briefing by the end of next week. He also is asking for all video from the White House grounds that night as well as logs from the Joint Operations Center and information about “alarms” at the White House.

The episode recalled another in September 2014, when Omar Gonzales penetrated the White House grounds and actually made it inside. Then-Secret Service Director Julia Pierson afterward conceded “mistakes were made.” But the Secret Service was found to have publicly lied about how far Gonzales made it into the White House.

It cost Pierson her job.

They later found the White House alarms had been muted in the Gonzales incident.

Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/17/president-trump-no-longer-safe-in-white-house-former-secret-service-agent.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fmost-popular+%28Internal+-+Most+Popular+Content%29

[phill4paul]

I'll just throw this in here...


He's as safe in the White House as anywhere. If the Secret Service is being lax then being in Mar-A-Lago isn't going to help any.

[TheCount]

Let's just remember how Michelle took over a whole floor of the most expensive hotel in the world. Obama was not there. How is that state business?So was that okay or was that not okay?

[Ender]

Let's just remember how Michelle took over a whole floor of the most expensive hotel in the world. Obama was not there. How is that state business?


De Blasio asked the U.S. government in December for up to $35 million to cover security costs for protecting Trump in his home atop the 58-story skyscraper, which is located on Fifth Avenue near Central Park, an area popular with tourists.

At $24 million, the final cost was less than that. Trump spent most of his time from Election Day on Nov. 8 until his inauguration on Jan. 20 at his penthouse apartment in Trump Tower.

In addition to the police protection, the Fire Department incurred $1.7 million in costs during the time period Trump was in New York, according to O'Neill.

On days when first lady Melania Trump and the couple's son, Barron, are the only ones in the city, security going forward will cost between $127,000 and $145,000 per day, less than when the president is in residence, O'Neill said.

When Trump is in town, the cost of police protection will go back up to $308,000 on average per day, O'Neill said. It will cost about another $4.5 million per year for the New York City Fire Department to protect the building, he said.

"We anticipate these costs will increase significantly whenever the president is in New York City," he said.

http://fortune.com/2017/02/22/trump-tower-security-costs-taxpayer/

[JK/SEA]

looks like the White House needs to become a museum.

[euphemia]

So was that okay or was that not okay?

On my dime, it is neither state business nor okay.

[euphemia]

Like De Blasio cares about costs. The graft and corruption in NYC cost way more than protecting a First Family. There are NYC government school principals who make more than $135K a year and ride in limos on days when they bother to show up for work.

Bill and Hillary Clinton live in a suburb of NYC. Bill's office is in Harlem. Nobody complains how much it costs to protect them, and they have a detail even though they are hopefully retired from politics.

New York residents are heavily taxed. I'm sure the Trumps pay their share and then some.

[anaconda]

Like De Blasio cares about costs. The graft and corruption in NYC cost way more than protecting a First Family. There are NYC government school principals who make more than $135K a year and ride in limos on days when they bother to show up for work.

Bill and Hillary Clinton live in a suburb of NYC. Bill's office is in Harlem. Nobody complains how much it costs to protect them, and they have a detail even though they are hopefully retired from politics.

New York residents are heavily taxed. I'm sure the Trumps pay their share and then some.

+1

[nikcers]

I think Trump supporters feel like that is what his salary is worth because they feel like his time is worth that much because he bragged about being worth 10 billion for a year. Trump supporters probably feel like his presidential salary should be 10X higher then Obamas. Hence Ron Paul on steroids, because Ron Paul would of taken a smaller salary and spent less tax payer money.

[Zippyjuan]

Trump's travel seems to be linked with work. He's not down in Florida golfing for kicks and giggles. He's working. He's entertaining heads of state so he can talk to them and negotiate the way to better relationships with other nations. He's getting a lot of work done while his wife is home caring for their son and helping him get through the school year. She's not galavanting around the world spending money like she deserves it.

Trump is also not accepting a salary. While $400K a year is not a lot of money compared to what it takes to guard the president, it's still something. I can imagine it's not fun having to undo eight years of international nonsense perpetrated under Obama and Clinton.

And one more thing: He told Congress he wanted a health care bill on his desk by Feb 20. You see that deadline has come and gone. Congress needs to get moving.

Finally, it's not safe in the White House, clearly, so if Trump needs the Cost Guard because the Secret Service can't secure the White House grounds and the White House, then where is Trump supposed to work? Sheesh.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/after-pledging-donate-salary-trump-declines-release-proof-n732466


After Pledging to Donate Salary, Trump Declines to Release Proof

President Donald Trump pledged to forgo a presidential salary, but as his second payday approaches, the White House is declining to say if the president has donated any of his earnings yet.

During the campaign, Trump promised he would take "no salary" if elected — a pledge he reiterated after he won.

"I'm not going to the take the salary," he said on CBS' "60 Minutes" in November.

The Constitution, however, requires that the president receive a salary, and that it not be reduced during his term. Federal law mandates the president receive a $400,000 annual salary, paid out once a month.

Trump aides have previously said Trump would donate his salary to the Treasury Department or a charity.

MSNBC requested details and documentation about any salary donations from the White House, the Treasury Department and the Office of Personnel Management, which all declined to say whether Trump has donated any of his salary to date. (OPM referred questions to the White House.)



People may recall that during the campaign Trump promised to donate $6 million raised plus $1 million of his own money to veterans charities. A month or so later when somebody checked on it, he hadn't donated any money yet. When the story hit the news, suddenly the checks were issued.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trumps-veterans-controversy-goes-bad-worse


It no doubt seemed like a good idea at the time. In January, Donald Trump was in the middle of a spat with Fox News, so the Republican presidential hopeful boycotted a debate ahead of the Iowa caucuses, instead holding a fundraiser in the Hawkeye State for veterans. The GOP candidate boasted that he’d raised $6 million for vets, and he’d contributed $1 million out of his own pocket.

The trouble, however, started two weeks ago, when the Washington Post started asking what happened to the money. The newspaper found that Trump did not raise $6 million as he’d claimed, and making matters worse, though his campaign said Trump had already made a $1 million contribution, that turned out not to be true, either.



The AP reported yesterday, for example, “Phone calls to all 41 of the groups by The Associated Press brought more than two-dozen responses Tuesday. About half reported checks from Trump within the past week, typically dated May 24, the day The Washington Post published a story questioning whether he had distributed all of the money.”

In other words, four months after his big fundraiser, where Trump touted a tally that turned out to be untrue, Trump only started cutting checks to a variety of groups after the Washington Post published a story that made the candidate look awful.


So where does that leave us? Trump said he’d raised $6 million for veterans, but that wasn’t true. He later claimed he never used the $6 million figure, but that wasn’t true. His campaign insisted Trump had contributed $1 million himself, but that wasn’t true. Trump said he “didn’t want to have credit” for the fundraising efforts, but that wasn’t true. He said he and his team were vetting groups they’d never heard of four months after the fact, but that wasn’t true.

And as of yesterday, all of this, the Republican candidate insisted, is the media’s fault. Indeed, Trump thinks journalists should be “ashamed” of themselves for scrutinizing his claims that turned out to be wrong.

Maybe he was (and is) too busy to do it right now.

[silverhandorder]

So why you posting about it you smelly communist?

[euphemia]

Cut it out Zippy. You only care about spending when it is somehing or someone you don't like. The President is to be protected. Another guy slipped through the fence today. What do you think should be done about it?

[Zippyjuan]

Cut it out Zippy. You only care about spending when it is somehing or someone you don't like. The President is to be protected. Another guy slipped through the fence today. What do you think should be done about it?

1) travel expenses are not the same thing. The president has security costs no matter where he is. He is actually safer in the White House if that is what you are worried about.

2) how close did the guy actually get?

[silverhandorder]

zippy just sore for losing with communist hillary. fake american.

[CPUd]

Secret Service laptop containing Trump Tower evacuation and floor plans stolen
By Shimon Prokupecz, CNN
Updated 7:26 PM ET, Sat March 18, 2017

Laptop theft is latest Secret Service mishap

(CNN)A laptop with highly sensitive information was stolen from a Secret Service agent's car Thursday morning in Brooklyn and has not been found, according to two senior New York law enforcement officials.

The officials said the laptop, which was highly encrypted and contained floor plans and evacuation protocol for Trump Tower, cannot be traced or erased by officials remotely, leaving the information at risk of being discovered.

The agent described the incident as a compromise of national security, according to one of the officials.

Also stolen were the agent's lapel assignment pins that gave her access to security details that protected Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, the pope and the United Nations General Assembly.

The laptop and pins were in a backpack that was taken from the car, which was parked in the agent's driveway.

The backpack has since been found, but not the laptop.

Secret Service spokeswoman Cathy Milhoan confirmed that the laptop had been stolen and that an investigation is underway.

"Secret Service-issued laptops contain multiple layers of security, including full disk encryption, and are not permitted to contain classified information. An investigation is ongoing and the Secret Service is withholding additional comment until the facts are gathered," Milhoan said. "The Secret Service requests anyone with information regarding this crime to please contact the New York Police Department and the US Secret Service New York Field Office."
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/17/politics/missing-secret-service-laptop/index.html

[UWDude]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/17/politics/missing-secret-service-laptop/index.html

How is this related to the topic of the thread, spambot?

[CPUd]

1 person in custody after driver makes bomb claim at WH: report
BY THE HILL STAFF - 03/19/17 01:30 AM EDT 63


One person was in custody after a car drove up to a White House checkpoint late Saturday and the driver claimed to have a bomb in the vehicle, CNN reported.

There wasn't any immediate confirmation that a device was in the car, but the vehicle was being checked, CNN reported citing law enforcement sources.

CNN said there didn't appear to be an imminent threat. Streets around the White House were closed immediately following the incident.

The report followed another incident earlier Saturday when a man was detained after jumping a pedestrian barrier near the White House.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/324669-1-person-in-custody-after-driver-makes-bomb-claim-at-wh-report

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Did you peep about it?

Yes.


All presidents spend money on travel- Obama was not the greatest spender on "vacations"; Bush was far greater.

Yes, I already alluded to that.

[CPUd]

https://i.imgur.com/7ifrZ5E.jpg

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

that's unusual lol


Yeah, I thought some of Mad TV was pretty funny stuff.

[TheCount]

On my dime, it is neither state business nor okay.I would think that same standard should apply to Trump and co,.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

I would think that same standard should apply to Trump and co,.


I would think the same standard should apply to you as the people on whom you constantly pounce.

[Madison320]

There's a lot of really bad things that I remember under Obama's term. The national debt doubled, health care was partially nationalized, higher income earners were constantly threatened, the IRS targeted opposing political groups, members of the Black Panthers were not penalized for flagrantly intimidating voters. So far nothing Trump has done even remotely comes close to any of those things that happened under Obama's term.

That's not to say he won't screw up. In fact I'm expecting he will. But let's keep things in perspective.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

There's a lot of really bad things that I remember under Obama's term. The national debt doubled, health care was partially nationalized, higher income earners were constantly threatened, the IRS targeted opposing political groups, members of the Black Panthers were not penalized for flagrantly intimidating voters. So far nothing Trump has done even remotely comes close to any of those things that happened under Obama's term.

That's not to say he won't screw up. In fact I'm expecting he will. But let's keep things in perspective.



Yep. Ask the average person about Obama's scandals, and you'll probably get a blank stare. But he's scandal free!, they'll say. The media mostly gave him a free pass. I rarely--if ever--saw comedians even joking about him.

Here's a short list:


ACA
Behghazi
Solyndra
NSA spying
IRS scandal
Fast and Furious


What a piece of crap.

[CPUd]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/324669-1-person-in-custody-after-driver-makes-bomb-claim-at-wh-report

Update:


White House bomb threat suspect believed he spoke telepathically with Trump
BY REBECCA SAVRANSKY - 03/20/17 07:21 PM EDT 1


The man arrested last weekend after claiming to have a bomb in his car at a White House checkpoint reportedly believes he spoke telepathically to President Trump.

Sean Patrick Keoughan, 29, was arrested after driving up to a White House checkpoint late Saturday and telling security officials he had a bomb in the vehicle. Later, he said: "This is a test."

Keoughan reportedly said he was telepathically summoned to meet with the president, The Washington Times reported.

He told law law enforcement when being questioned that he "had a very large, heavy bag in the trunk of his car with an asteroid in it," according to the affidavit.

“According to Keoughan, the communication occurs through a process called ‘Think Talk,’ which is a process that occurs in his mind and allows him to communicate with high-level officials such as President Trump, the Secret Service, and Delta Force,” Secret Service Agent Jason Verdejo wrote in the sworn affidavit.

“Keoughan told agents that the asteroid was made of the heaviest metal known to man, and he stated that he obtained it from his father through a ‘wormhole.'"

Keoughan was charged with making a false bomb threat and unauthorized use of a vehicle. He was ordered by a judge Monday to get a mental competency exam.

Keoughan went up to the White House checkpoint twice on the night he was arrested. He first told security he was supposed to meet with the president. The second time he approached the checkpoint, he claimed to have a bomb.

He told law enforcement he was a "peaceful hippie" who doesn't have weapons and wasn't looking to hurt anyone.

The arrest comes after another incident earlier this month when a man, identified as Jonathan Tran, was able to jump over three difference fences around the White House.

He was able to jump one of the fences in part because Secret Service took down alarm sensors on the area of one fence he scaled, according to The Washington Examiner.

The alarm sensors had been removed along an area of fence line after increasing the height of the barrier. The move was taken following other attempts to jump the fence.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/324904-white-house-bomb-threat-suspect-believed-he-spoke

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

So user RonPaulGeorge&Ringo (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/member.php?1699-RonPaulGeorge-amp-Ringo) negged me for this and called it "picture spam." I am reposting so his butt is even more hurt. lol


http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/151206114541-donald-trump-dec-5-horizontal-gallery.jpg



http://www.mimages.co.za/files/imagecache/watermark/files/CABAA-CCBCC-BACJG-GI_thumb.jpg

[spudea]

Maybe he was (and is) too busy to do it right now.

The press secretary was asked a few days ago and he stated the salary would be donated at the end of the year.

[Zippyjuan]

The press secretary was asked a few days ago and he stated the salary would be donated at the end of the year.

By which time people will have forgotten his pledge- and perhaps he will too. He forgot about his donations for the veterans he promised to make until journalists checked on it and reminded him. He has already been getting paychecks.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-s-salary-will-be-donated-end-year-says-sean-n732931


Following MSNBC's report over questions about whether President Donald Trump has donated his paycheck, Press Secretary Sean Spicer asserted during a White House briefing Monday, "the president's intention right now is to donate his salary at the end of the year."

On Sunday evening, MSNBC's legal unit reported that it had sent a letter to the White House, the Treasury Department and Office of Personnel Management requesting details about whether Trump received his first February paycheck and if he had donated the money to charity or to the Treasury Department, as promised.

All declined to say whether Trump has donated any of his salary to date. (OPM referred questions to the White House.)

Federal law mandates the president receive a $400,000 annual salary, paid out once a month. Under the law, Trump would have received his first monthly paycheck for $33,333 on Feb. 20, and another $33,333 on March 20.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

On Sunday evening, MSNBC's legal unit reported that it had sent a letter to the White House, the Treasury Department and Office of Personnel Management requesting details about whether Trump received his first February paycheck and if he had donated the money to charity or to the Treasury Department, as promised.



I looked up the letter. It was sent March 8. They asked for a response by March 10:




Again, I look forward to your answers by Friday, March 10. Please feel free to write, email or call anytime to discuss this matter.

Sincerely,

Ari Melber MSNBC Chief Legal Correspondent

https://www.scribd.com/document/341664628/Inquiry-Re-POTUS-Monthly-Salary






So they sent a letter March 8. It would probably get to the White House March 9 or 10, the very same day they demand an answer. I guess these special snowflakes need a lesson in how mail is first sorted, routed, delivered, read by recipient, and acted upon.

I guess the snowflakes also need a lesson in how they are not special, even though that self-esteem program they got taught in school says that they can demand things just like an infant and everyone will immediately stop to meet their needs.

[Occam's Banana]

Are there any good comebacks against Trump-hating bloggers on this issue?

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-mar-a-lago-trump-branded-properties-weekends-41d373bbe97a#.mi8ngh17x

And the security costs for Melania living offsite?

http://www.snopes.com/melania-trump-nyc-costs/

https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p480x480/17361805_1751446404866330_8382444280830872064_n.jp g?oh=19c76fc4b9773cb1a6bb38a13f065272&oe=5964C2AC

This is a perfect example of the answers not mattering if they can get you to ask the wrong questions.

"Which should we prefer between ''Meals on Wheels' and "Melania Trump not living in D.C.'?" is the wrong question. :rolleyes:

The right question is "Where the fuck do any of you assholes get off forcing me to pay for either one of those things if I don't want to?" :mad:

[KrokHead]

The problem is that very few people/groups/organizations are consistent with regards to their criticism.

Principles (assuming they exist) are selectively applied.

Before it was hijacked into an anti-Obama group, Ron Paul's Tea Party formed as a movement whose primary concern was with the GOP because the GOP was no longer adhering to its stated principles.

Thinkprogress is not wrong in their criticism but these people are hardly fiscal conservatives.
Thank you!