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babylonsister
babylonsister's Journal
babylonsister's Journal
September 30, 2020
The Most Important Thing Biden Did During Tuesday’s Debate
The president did his best to make the whole thing an unwatchable nightmare, but this one answer saved the night.
By Dahlia Lithwick
Sept 30, 2020
11:59 AM
snip//
Here was where Joe Biden did his best work of the evening. Instead of accusing Trump, Trump’s postmaster general, Trump’s attorney general, Trump’s new Supreme Court nominee, or anyone else of outright stealing the election—which has the effect of depressing the very voter confidence he needs to encourage—Biden did almost precisely what communications expert Anat Shenker-Osorio has been suggesting voting advocates do in discussing “rigged elections”: He made it clear that this is not Trump’s election, but the voters’. As Shenker-Osorio puts it in an interview with Rolling Stone: “When he says I’m not going to step down—or the ‘covfefe version’ of that in his garbled way of talking—instead of repeating him, Democrats should say, ‘Over my dead body. You don’t decide how long you’re in this job. We do.’ ” Her point is that instead of succumbing to the dispiriting possibility that Trump gets to cheat and steal the vote, refocus voters on their power to stop it. More from Shenker-Osorio:
Those are the threats and the taunts of a bully who knows he can’t win fairly, and also a man absolutely terrified of the immense legal consequences of returning to civilian life.
That is precisely the tack Biden took when, faced with Trump’s lies about millions of stolen ballots and fraudulent ballots and discarded ballots, he simply looked directly into the camera and named the game: “This is all about trying to dissuade people from voting because he’s trying to scare people into thinking that it’s not going to be legitimate,” Biden said. And then he built a seven-layer truth sandwich as he carefully outlined mail-in voting procedures, warned voters to allow time for every vote to be counted, described how to challenge invalidated ballots, and explained how the pandemic has complicated voting. Biden explained that Trump’s own national security experts have discredited his mail fraud claims. The words echoed President Barack Obama’s convention speech urging patience and confidence and determination in every voter. It was simple. Biden simply reminded everyone to just “show up and vote. You will determine the outcome of this election. Vote, vote, vote.”
snip//
What Biden did on Tuesday that matters more than anything else was to remind us how to keep Donald Trump out of our heads in the weeks before the election. In the most technical, brass tacks formulation he could muster, he simply told everyone who wants to be counted how to do that and where to do that and why, if they in fact do that, Donald Trump will be gone in January. The debate was a misery to the extent we had to witness—yet again—broken truth, shattered norms, and needless, abusive cruelty that Trump acts out for his base on every stage and in every forum. But it was a triumph as a mechanism for reframing the idea of power and agency and hope, none of which Donald Trump controls, and none of which should be surrendered when it is needed most.
Dahlia Lithwick:The Most Important Thing Biden Did During Tuesday's Debate
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/09/biden-most-important-debate-answer-election-security.htmlThe Most Important Thing Biden Did During Tuesday’s Debate
The president did his best to make the whole thing an unwatchable nightmare, but this one answer saved the night.
By Dahlia Lithwick
Sept 30, 2020
11:59 AM
snip//
Here was where Joe Biden did his best work of the evening. Instead of accusing Trump, Trump’s postmaster general, Trump’s attorney general, Trump’s new Supreme Court nominee, or anyone else of outright stealing the election—which has the effect of depressing the very voter confidence he needs to encourage—Biden did almost precisely what communications expert Anat Shenker-Osorio has been suggesting voting advocates do in discussing “rigged elections”: He made it clear that this is not Trump’s election, but the voters’. As Shenker-Osorio puts it in an interview with Rolling Stone: “When he says I’m not going to step down—or the ‘covfefe version’ of that in his garbled way of talking—instead of repeating him, Democrats should say, ‘Over my dead body. You don’t decide how long you’re in this job. We do.’ ” Her point is that instead of succumbing to the dispiriting possibility that Trump gets to cheat and steal the vote, refocus voters on their power to stop it. More from Shenker-Osorio:
The overarching thing is: Let’s have our conversation. If Trump believes he’s going to block us from deciding our next government, he’s got another thing coming. We’re turning out in record numbers and this will be a government by and for the people. If he needs to be ushered out of the White House by force, and that seems to be what he’s asking for—if need be, we’ll deliver.
Those are the threats and the taunts of a bully who knows he can’t win fairly, and also a man absolutely terrified of the immense legal consequences of returning to civilian life.
That is precisely the tack Biden took when, faced with Trump’s lies about millions of stolen ballots and fraudulent ballots and discarded ballots, he simply looked directly into the camera and named the game: “This is all about trying to dissuade people from voting because he’s trying to scare people into thinking that it’s not going to be legitimate,” Biden said. And then he built a seven-layer truth sandwich as he carefully outlined mail-in voting procedures, warned voters to allow time for every vote to be counted, described how to challenge invalidated ballots, and explained how the pandemic has complicated voting. Biden explained that Trump’s own national security experts have discredited his mail fraud claims. The words echoed President Barack Obama’s convention speech urging patience and confidence and determination in every voter. It was simple. Biden simply reminded everyone to just “show up and vote. You will determine the outcome of this election. Vote, vote, vote.”
“Vote whatever way is the best way for you,” he said. “Because he will not be able to stop you from determining the outcome of this election.”
snip//
What Biden did on Tuesday that matters more than anything else was to remind us how to keep Donald Trump out of our heads in the weeks before the election. In the most technical, brass tacks formulation he could muster, he simply told everyone who wants to be counted how to do that and where to do that and why, if they in fact do that, Donald Trump will be gone in January. The debate was a misery to the extent we had to witness—yet again—broken truth, shattered norms, and needless, abusive cruelty that Trump acts out for his base on every stage and in every forum. But it was a triumph as a mechanism for reframing the idea of power and agency and hope, none of which Donald Trump controls, and none of which should be surrendered when it is needed most.
September 30, 2020
Call off the next two debates
A Trump fiasco
Eric Boehlert
2 hr
Shedding all semblance of decency, let alone public civility, a desperate Trump turned Tuesday’s presidential debate not only into a brawl, but also a national embarrassment. Behaving like a petulant teenager, Trump rolled his eyes, constantly interrupted, hectored, tried to pick fights, and generally made a fool of himself as more than 80 million Americans tuned in, most of whom were likely thinking, ‘What have we become as a nation?’
It was clearly the worst presidential debate in American history, as Fox News moderator Chris Wallace got completely steamrolled by Trump’s bullying ways. And it was a debacle that Trump pre-planned. Allergic to debate prep and still seething about the blockbuster revelation about his massive tax evasion practices, Trump arrived with one goal — to make sure the debate was incomprehensible and that viewers learned as little as possible.
That’s why it’s time to call off the next two debates. Tuesday’s car wreck was a complete waste of time.
snip//
Comically, Wallace told the New York Times he wanted to be “invisible” during the debate, meaning it was up to the candidates to engage each other. Commission officials actually thought Wallace would act as a “facilitator,” gently walking Trump through the evening’s topics. That makes sense if you think Trump is a rational, sane person. But Trump’s a nihilistic actor. And the Beltway’s refusal to knowledge that — to think that protocols like presidential debates could still be adhered to — fueled last night’s disaster.
It also lends credence to canceling the next two debates, because it’s not possible to stage a two-person debate when one of them is a sociopath. The debate Commission can act quickly to try to save this format, by allowing Trump’s mic to be cut. But anything short of that would be a waste of time. It would be a waste of Biden’s time, and a waste of Americans’ time.
Trump has torn up so many norms and traditions with his radical behavior. So let’s add another one to the list — cancel the next two debates. Nobody will miss them.
Eric Boehlert: Call off the next two debates
https://pressrun.media/p/call-off-the-next-two-debatesCall off the next two debates
A Trump fiasco
Eric Boehlert
2 hr
Shedding all semblance of decency, let alone public civility, a desperate Trump turned Tuesday’s presidential debate not only into a brawl, but also a national embarrassment. Behaving like a petulant teenager, Trump rolled his eyes, constantly interrupted, hectored, tried to pick fights, and generally made a fool of himself as more than 80 million Americans tuned in, most of whom were likely thinking, ‘What have we become as a nation?’
It was clearly the worst presidential debate in American history, as Fox News moderator Chris Wallace got completely steamrolled by Trump’s bullying ways. And it was a debacle that Trump pre-planned. Allergic to debate prep and still seething about the blockbuster revelation about his massive tax evasion practices, Trump arrived with one goal — to make sure the debate was incomprehensible and that viewers learned as little as possible.
That’s why it’s time to call off the next two debates. Tuesday’s car wreck was a complete waste of time.
snip//
Comically, Wallace told the New York Times he wanted to be “invisible” during the debate, meaning it was up to the candidates to engage each other. Commission officials actually thought Wallace would act as a “facilitator,” gently walking Trump through the evening’s topics. That makes sense if you think Trump is a rational, sane person. But Trump’s a nihilistic actor. And the Beltway’s refusal to knowledge that — to think that protocols like presidential debates could still be adhered to — fueled last night’s disaster.
It also lends credence to canceling the next two debates, because it’s not possible to stage a two-person debate when one of them is a sociopath. The debate Commission can act quickly to try to save this format, by allowing Trump’s mic to be cut. But anything short of that would be a waste of time. It would be a waste of Biden’s time, and a waste of Americans’ time.
Trump has torn up so many norms and traditions with his radical behavior. So let’s add another one to the list — cancel the next two debates. Nobody will miss them.
September 30, 2020
Posted on Wed, Sep 30th, 2020 by Jason Easley
CNN Instant Poll Declares Joe Biden The Debate Winner 60%-28%
A CNN Instant Poll of debate watchers found that Joe Biden won the debate by a margin of 60%-28%, as Trump managed to lose support.
CNN’s Dana Bash said, “I think the fact that — the fact that the expectations in this instant poll, versus the reality of what the people who are part of this saw, is really telling. So before the debate, 56% of the people said that they thought that Joe Biden would win. But afterwards, 60%. And then, more importantly, making your point, Jake, 43% said that they thought Trump would win. But afterwards, 28%. It was Donald Trump’s debate to lose and he lost it.”
https://twitter.com/i/status/1311166855365758976
CNN Instant Poll Declares Joe Biden The Debate Winner 60%-28%
https://www.politicususa.com/2020/09/30/poll-biden-wins-debate.htmlPosted on Wed, Sep 30th, 2020 by Jason Easley
CNN Instant Poll Declares Joe Biden The Debate Winner 60%-28%
A CNN Instant Poll of debate watchers found that Joe Biden won the debate by a margin of 60%-28%, as Trump managed to lose support.
CNN’s Dana Bash said, “I think the fact that — the fact that the expectations in this instant poll, versus the reality of what the people who are part of this saw, is really telling. So before the debate, 56% of the people said that they thought that Joe Biden would win. But afterwards, 60%. And then, more importantly, making your point, Jake, 43% said that they thought Trump would win. But afterwards, 28%. It was Donald Trump’s debate to lose and he lost it.”
https://twitter.com/i/status/1311166855365758976
September 30, 2020
Dan Rather: This was a sad, sad, sad night for this nation...
Dan Rather
https://www.facebook.com/theDanRather/posts/10164304460165716
·
America is hurting, really hurting. Thousands of people are dying every week. Jobs lost. Lives thrown asunder. The West on fire. Our international standing at the lowest point I can remember. We need leadership. We need empathy. We need unity. We need justice. We need hope.
Who won and lost tonight in a horse race sense, I don't even want to address. Frankly, I don't give a damn. This was a sad, sad, sad night for this nation that I love with all my heart. This is a moment to mourn what we have lost, and are in danger of losing. I don't want to hear from the pundits, I want to hear from the people. I want to hug all of you in a warm embrace and say, we can, we must be a helluva lot better than this.
We need to dig deep into our moral character. We need to look at ourselves in the mirror and into the hearts of our neighbors and fellow citizens. We need to embrace a patriotism that is broad, inclusive, and just. We know bullies. We know when racists refuse to denounce racism. We know when autocrats try to undermine democracy.
There will be an election. And then there will be a future. No president is bigger than the nation. The American people have a voice. And after tonight, I sense millions are eager to turn their yelling at the television into marking their ballots.
Who won and lost tonight in a horse race sense, I don't even want to address. Frankly, I don't give a damn. This was a sad, sad, sad night for this nation that I love with all my heart. This is a moment to mourn what we have lost, and are in danger of losing. I don't want to hear from the pundits, I want to hear from the people. I want to hug all of you in a warm embrace and say, we can, we must be a helluva lot better than this.
We need to dig deep into our moral character. We need to look at ourselves in the mirror and into the hearts of our neighbors and fellow citizens. We need to embrace a patriotism that is broad, inclusive, and just. We know bullies. We know when racists refuse to denounce racism. We know when autocrats try to undermine democracy.
There will be an election. And then there will be a future. No president is bigger than the nation. The American people have a voice. And after tonight, I sense millions are eager to turn their yelling at the television into marking their ballots.
September 30, 2020
An Epic Moment of National Shame
I suppose we couldn't expect any better with this neanderthal.
https://politicalwire.com/2020/09/30/an-epic-moment-of-national-shame/
An Epic Moment of National Shame
September 30, 2020 at 6:30 am EDT By Taegan Goddard
John Harris: “At frequent intervals on Tuesday night, the natural human reaction—lower the sound, wince and look away—took over, and the first presidential debate of the 2020 general election became nearly unwatchable.”
“Those who did persist in watching were rewarded, in a perverse way: They witnessed history in the making. The proceeding was an epic spectacle, a new low in presidential politics, a new high watermark in national shame.”
“The stain will be visible for many years to come. It will serve as a reminder of the night the dam broke, and currents of contempt that have been building in public life for many years flooded the stage with tens of millions of Americans viewing President Donald Trump, Democratic nominee Joe Biden, and an overwhelmed moderator on live television.”
“Those who did persist in watching were rewarded, in a perverse way: They witnessed history in the making. The proceeding was an epic spectacle, a new low in presidential politics, a new high watermark in national shame.”
“The stain will be visible for many years to come. It will serve as a reminder of the night the dam broke, and currents of contempt that have been building in public life for many years flooded the stage with tens of millions of Americans viewing President Donald Trump, Democratic nominee Joe Biden, and an overwhelmed moderator on live television.”
September 30, 2020
Biden raises a record $3.8 million in 1 hour during debate with Trump
Axios
Joe Biden netted $3.8 million in fund-raising in one hour as the presidential debate with President Trump aired Tuesday night, his campaign confirmed in an email.
Why it matters: The amount raised on the Democratic donation-processing site ActBlue from 10-11 p.m. is the campaign's biggest fund-raising total in one hour on record. The money poured in during a fiery debate punctuated by interruptions and hallmarked by name-calling.
Biden raises a record $3.8 million in 1 hour during debate with Trump
https://www.axios.com/biden-raises-record-38-million-trump-debate-7d4607e5-81b1-43cc-a065-37b2b41e6f36.htmlBiden raises a record $3.8 million in 1 hour during debate with Trump
Axios
Joe Biden netted $3.8 million in fund-raising in one hour as the presidential debate with President Trump aired Tuesday night, his campaign confirmed in an email.
Why it matters: The amount raised on the Democratic donation-processing site ActBlue from 10-11 p.m. is the campaign's biggest fund-raising total in one hour on record. The money poured in during a fiery debate punctuated by interruptions and hallmarked by name-calling.
September 30, 2020
Trailblazing Australian singer Helen Reddy dead at 78
By Nathanael Cooper and Garry Maddox
September 30, 2020 — 10.52am
Australian singer Helen Reddy, who became a global superstar on the back of her hit I Am Woman, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 78.
The Melbourne-born Reddy, whose trailblazing life was dramatised in the recent bio-pic I Am Woman, was regarded as the queen of 1970s pop with her hits including Delta Dawn, Angie Baby, Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress) and Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady.
After arriving in New York as a 24-year-old single mother of a three-year-old with just over $US200 to her name, she overcame years of struggle in the US to become the world's top-selling female singer in 1973 and 1974.
She won a Grammy for I Am Woman, had her own weekly prime-time television variety show and branched into an acting career on screen and stage that included a Golden Globe nomination for Airport 1975.
more...
https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/trailblazing-australian-singer-helen-reddy-dead-at-78-20200930-p560i0.html
Trailblazing Australian singer Helen Reddy dead at 78
Trailblazing Australian singer Helen Reddy dead at 78
By Nathanael Cooper and Garry Maddox
September 30, 2020 — 10.52am
Australian singer Helen Reddy, who became a global superstar on the back of her hit I Am Woman, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 78.
The Melbourne-born Reddy, whose trailblazing life was dramatised in the recent bio-pic I Am Woman, was regarded as the queen of 1970s pop with her hits including Delta Dawn, Angie Baby, Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress) and Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady.
After arriving in New York as a 24-year-old single mother of a three-year-old with just over $US200 to her name, she overcame years of struggle in the US to become the world's top-selling female singer in 1973 and 1974.
She won a Grammy for I Am Woman, had her own weekly prime-time television variety show and branched into an acting career on screen and stage that included a Golden Globe nomination for Airport 1975.
more...
https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/trailblazing-australian-singer-helen-reddy-dead-at-78-20200930-p560i0.html
September 30, 2020
Biden mocks Trump campaign debate claims: 'I've got my earpiece and performance enhancers ready'
By Brett Samuels - 09/29/20 07:44 PM EDT
Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday made light of the Trump campaign's efforts to sow doubt about the former vice president's performance should he do well during the first presidential debate.
"It’s debate night, so I’ve got my earpiece and performance enhancers ready," Biden tweeted, accompanied by a photo of Apple headphones and Jeni's ice cream.
The tongue-in-cheek tweet came after President Trump has spent the last several weeks raising the baseless accusation that Biden may be on performance enhancing drugs, citing his solid performance during a one-on-one debate during the Democratic primary with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
The president repeatedly called for Biden to submit to a drug test, something he also demanded of his opponent in 2016. Neither candidate agreed to take a drug test.
The Trump campaign on Tuesday raised a new tactic to question whether Biden might owe a strong performance to outside help, alleging the former vice president's campaign refused to agree to be inspected for an earpiece ahead of the debate. The Trump campaign also claimed Biden wanted a pair of breaks during the 90-minute event.
"Of course he’s not wearing an earpiece and we never asked for breaks," Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield told reporters. "His staff seems concerned that he may not do well tonight and they’re already laying the groundwork to lie about why.
more...
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/518840-biden-mocks-trump-campaign-debate-claims-ive-got-my-earpiece-and
Biden mocks Trump campaign debate claims: 'I've got my earpiece and performance enhancers ready'
Biden mocks Trump campaign debate claims: 'I've got my earpiece and performance enhancers ready'
By Brett Samuels - 09/29/20 07:44 PM EDT
Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday made light of the Trump campaign's efforts to sow doubt about the former vice president's performance should he do well during the first presidential debate.
"It’s debate night, so I’ve got my earpiece and performance enhancers ready," Biden tweeted, accompanied by a photo of Apple headphones and Jeni's ice cream.
The tongue-in-cheek tweet came after President Trump has spent the last several weeks raising the baseless accusation that Biden may be on performance enhancing drugs, citing his solid performance during a one-on-one debate during the Democratic primary with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
The president repeatedly called for Biden to submit to a drug test, something he also demanded of his opponent in 2016. Neither candidate agreed to take a drug test.
The Trump campaign on Tuesday raised a new tactic to question whether Biden might owe a strong performance to outside help, alleging the former vice president's campaign refused to agree to be inspected for an earpiece ahead of the debate. The Trump campaign also claimed Biden wanted a pair of breaks during the 90-minute event.
"Of course he’s not wearing an earpiece and we never asked for breaks," Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield told reporters. "His staff seems concerned that he may not do well tonight and they’re already laying the groundwork to lie about why.
more...
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/518840-biden-mocks-trump-campaign-debate-claims-ive-got-my-earpiece-and
September 29, 2020
Trump campaign denies asking debate moderator not to mention COVID-19 deaths
So you know they did. 
Trump campaign denies asking debate moderator not to mention COVID-19 deaths
By Kaelan Deese - 09/29/20 05:05 PM EDT
The Trump on Tuesday campaign denied that it requested debate moderators not mention the number of U.S. COVID-19 deaths during the first 2020 presidential debate.
The denial comes after the Trump campaign requested that both President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden take a drug test before the debate, followed by the team asking the former vice president to have his ears checked for any earpieces or sound devices.
A staff writer for The Atlantic posted on Twitter that Biden's Deputy Campaign Manager and Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said the Trump campaign asked a condition for Tuesday's Fox News debate moderator, Chris Wallace, not to mention the over 200,000 American deaths from the coronavirus during the debate.
more...
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/518809-trump-campaign-denies-asking-debate-moderator-not-to-mention-covid-19-deaths
September 29, 2020
Why Donald Trump Is Facing a Financial Nightmare
The president has massive debts, struggling businesses, and potentially a $100 million tax bill.
Russ Choma
Donald Trump has hundreds of millions of dollars of debt coming due in the next few years—a cash crunch that will leave him with few good options for paying off or refinancing his loans. And the New York Times’ blockbuster story on his tax returns has revealed a new twist: Depending on the results of an IRS audit, he could also be on the hook for at least another $100 million in taxes, interest, and penalties. Together, these pending and potential liabilities suggest that Trump’s empire—with his core business already suffering from the pandemic—could face intense financial pressure in the immediate future. It’s not at all clear he has the available cash—or the ability to borrow more—to stave off disaster.
Trump entered the Oval Office with more conflicts of interest than any other president in history. Unlike previous ultra-wealthy presidents and vice-presidents, such as John F. Kennedy and Nelson Rockefeller, the question wasn’t simply what he owned. It was and remains what he owes. For years, ethics experts have raised concerns about Trump’s various debts because Trump’s creditors, including German banking giant Deutsche Bank, hold unique leverage over the president. If Trump defaults, they have the power to seize many of his most beloved properties—Trump Tower, his Doral golf course, and his luxury hotel in downtown Washington, DC. In some cases, they could even come after him personally. In June, Mother Jones reported that Trump has nearly a half-billion dollars in loans coming due during a theoretical second term. How Trump plans to handle these debts poses a very real, very serious, and very immediate dilemma.
snip//
Taxes aside, 2020 is likely going to be a historically bad year for Trump’s businesses. According to Trump’s most recent personal financial disclosure, nearly three-quarters of Trump’s revenue (which, as the Times piece reminds us, is not the same as profit) comes from the hospitality industry—his golf courses, hotels, and resorts. And that’s a sector that all but ground to a halt this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many of Trump’s properties have reopened, but at nowhere near their previous capacity. In just one example of how the pandemic is afflicting Trump’s bottom line, his Scottish golf resorts, already big money-losers, lost virtually all of their international clientele this summer.
A few weeks ago, it was reported that Trump was seriously trailing Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the fundraising game and was considering pouring as much as $100 million into his own presidential campaign. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to see how he could afford to do that.
Why Donald Trump Is Facing a Financial Nightmare
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/09/why-donald-trump-is-facing-a-financial-nightmare/Why Donald Trump Is Facing a Financial Nightmare
The president has massive debts, struggling businesses, and potentially a $100 million tax bill.
Russ Choma
Donald Trump has hundreds of millions of dollars of debt coming due in the next few years—a cash crunch that will leave him with few good options for paying off or refinancing his loans. And the New York Times’ blockbuster story on his tax returns has revealed a new twist: Depending on the results of an IRS audit, he could also be on the hook for at least another $100 million in taxes, interest, and penalties. Together, these pending and potential liabilities suggest that Trump’s empire—with his core business already suffering from the pandemic—could face intense financial pressure in the immediate future. It’s not at all clear he has the available cash—or the ability to borrow more—to stave off disaster.
Trump entered the Oval Office with more conflicts of interest than any other president in history. Unlike previous ultra-wealthy presidents and vice-presidents, such as John F. Kennedy and Nelson Rockefeller, the question wasn’t simply what he owned. It was and remains what he owes. For years, ethics experts have raised concerns about Trump’s various debts because Trump’s creditors, including German banking giant Deutsche Bank, hold unique leverage over the president. If Trump defaults, they have the power to seize many of his most beloved properties—Trump Tower, his Doral golf course, and his luxury hotel in downtown Washington, DC. In some cases, they could even come after him personally. In June, Mother Jones reported that Trump has nearly a half-billion dollars in loans coming due during a theoretical second term. How Trump plans to handle these debts poses a very real, very serious, and very immediate dilemma.
snip//
Taxes aside, 2020 is likely going to be a historically bad year for Trump’s businesses. According to Trump’s most recent personal financial disclosure, nearly three-quarters of Trump’s revenue (which, as the Times piece reminds us, is not the same as profit) comes from the hospitality industry—his golf courses, hotels, and resorts. And that’s a sector that all but ground to a halt this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many of Trump’s properties have reopened, but at nowhere near their previous capacity. In just one example of how the pandemic is afflicting Trump’s bottom line, his Scottish golf resorts, already big money-losers, lost virtually all of their international clientele this summer.
A few weeks ago, it was reported that Trump was seriously trailing Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the fundraising game and was considering pouring as much as $100 million into his own presidential campaign. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to see how he could afford to do that.
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