What Have You Done, America?

PEOTUS was right off the bat in his press conference yesterday ... lying about himself:

It’s very familiar territory, news conferences, because we used to give them on an almost daily basis. I think we probably maybe won the nomination because of news conferences, and it’s good to be with you.

Sound right to you? Do you recall "almost daily" press conferences either before he won the nomination or after? (Note: Above direct quote is from the published transcript of the press conference, since I couldn't actually make my eyes watch it.)

Trump Will Keep His Conflicts of Interest

He keeps telling us that the law on conflicts of interest don't apply to him, like a man who already knows just how egregiously he plans to exercise his privilege to benefit the family business by steering the US government in certain lucrative directions. He says he'll turn over daily business operations and management to his two oldest sons, Don Jr. and Eric, and won't discuss any business dealings with them.

Yeah, riiight! If you believe that, you're as stupid as you act.

Because Mr. Trump is known for his high-grade truthfulness and his almost Christ-like selflessness.

Bottomline: Most of what PEOTUS proposes for his business does not satisfy governmental ethics experts. The director of the Office of Government Ethics said yesterday after Trump's announcement: "This is not a blind trust," he said. "It's not even close."

Braggart-in-Chief

Trump said:

We’re going to create jobs. I said that I will be the greatest jobs producer that God ever created, and I mean that.

Under Obama, the unemployment rate now stands at 4.7 percent, which is at or very near what economists have generally considered "full employment." In other words, it's not more jobs that's needed as much as higher wages, and Trump's already on record saying wages are too high. People can find jobs. The problem right now is that they often need two or three of them to maintain a toe-hold in the middle class.

Later Trump said this:

...if our politicians had what it takes .... you would have millions more workers right now in the United States that are 96 million really wanting a job and they can’t get. You know that story — the real number. That's the real number.

According to NPR reporter Danielle Kurtzleben, "There are not 96 million Americans who want a job and can’t get one. Not even close. According to the latest jobs report, there were around 7.5 million unemployed Americans — that is, people who are out of work and looking for a job. Of course, there are discouraged workers and other 'marginally attached workers,' all of whom want to work but are not searching. Those people total nearly 1.7 million. Add that to the number of unemployed, and you get around 9.2 million."

 

His Continuing Tickle-Fight with Putin

Trump said:

As far as hacking, I think it was Russia. But I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people.

That's a first! Opening the door a crack on Russian hacking, but then he very quickly smudged the threshold: "other countries and other people" have done it too, so who can be sure, amirite? Much later in the press conference, he essentially took it all back: "But you know what, it could have been others also" who did the hacking.

All the furor yesterday was over the leaked report that Putin has collected incriminating video of "salacious behavior" and other shit on Trump that he can use to blackmail our prez. Maybe that's all fantasy, but Trump has been acting like a man who knows he's under threat of blackmail.

"If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability," PEOTUS said, which sounds so much like whistling past the graveyard.

Late in the press conference, Trump was asked directly: "Can you stand here today, once and for all, and say that no one connected to you or your campaign had any contact with Russia leading up to or during the presidential campaign." Trump ignored the question and changed the subject.

Still No Release of Tax Returns

Because ... of course not. Hell has not frozen over yet.

"The only one that cares about my tax returns are the reporters. They’re the only ones," said Trump. A new poll by the Pew Research Center found that 60% of Americans want Trump to release his tax returns.