Nepotism – MinBane

USA: Senators Warner, Feinstein, Menendez & Reed letter to DNI Coats and IG Atkinson asking for a review of White House security clearance policies (08.03.2019)

Nepotism103: Cutting Corners to keep the Family Close [Kushner-Ivanka Edition]

Well, over the recent day, there been news of a John Kelly of last year trying to stop the White House from giving Security Clearance to Jared Kushner, surely there would be speculations into the wife as well, Ivanka Trump, who is the daughter of the President, both who are in informal or non-specific roles in the Trump Administration. They are there, but not really there. Which makes the whole arrangement more hectic.

However, ever since winning the election, these two, the power-couple behind the President. Has lingered around him. Not that they have any expertise or knowledge in public administration. No, they are just relatives of the President and therefore, trusted counsel. They are not what you say, career civil servants nor been ideological driven to get the position they are in. It is not because of their education or their profession, they have no experience and no merits to prove their value. Therefore, only the blood-line and the relations are the reasons.

That is why it is even more striking, that the power-couple behind the President are under fire today again. Because of an issue that lasted so long. They went so long without proper security clearances. It is now proven that the President demanded the son-in-law to get the Top Secret Security Clearance, even if he could be compromised, lied about foreign communications and other forms, which is used to prove scrutiny and eligibility for security clearances in the White House. The same was done by his wife Ivanka, as she also had revise her forms and information to the officials for Security Clearance.

These two wouldn’t have gotten away with it, if they weren’t related with the President. The White House has already been in a hot mess of the Security Clearances, as there been plenty with interim security clearances and not gotten properly integrated and following protocol, as the staff is supposed to be clear and trustworthy of such. As they are keeping state secrets and ensuring the safety of the Republic. However, instead there been plenty of questionable behaviour and connections, that even the ones who was already flagged and in question got appointed with the likes of Gen. Michael Flynn.

What we have seen and read is yet another step of nepotism. Where the President has resident and ruled in favour of his family and his closest kin over the Republic. Where the President are ordering for his own sake and not for the safety of the Republic. That is why Security Clearance given to Jared Kushner is done in spite of the laws. The same can be said about the position and abilities Ivanka has too in the White House. They are there because of the President and nothing else.

This is what Tin-Pot dictators does. This is what autocrats and tyrants do, because they doesn’t trust anyone else than family. This is like the mafia and crime-families, this is not actions made by government or public administrations, which are taken serious. They would hire and appoint people of expertise and merits in the fields. Not hire family members and give them ultimate security clearances without having an official office or position in the Cabinet.

Instead, they are two internal satellites within the West Wing. Doing whatever they like, as their mission, their value to staff is bound by family loyalty and not by any ordinary function. They are not afraid of being fired or retired. The family will always take care of them. They are as thick as thieves and maybe they are. Since the investigations are following them and they have to answer for the public for the orders and the appointment of themselves. Since, it is a public administration and not a Sopranos. Feel me?

Kushner, explain yourself, why you revised your documents a million times, John Kelly didn’t advance you and later you still got clearance! Explain, also Mr. President explain that and why Ivanka got a vital role, when none is doing anything significant. Peace.

Trump’s 4 trips to Mar-a-Lago in 2017: Cost the taxpayer $13.6m!

If anyone says something about the waste of government funds. Someone can point at the President Donald J. Trump. Not only the revealed amount of Executive Time, that he spends watching Fox News, eating burgers and drinking diet coke. President Trump has also spent massive amount of time on his own golf-courses and travelled with the federal agencies since taking power.

Americans should be shocked at the amount of funds spent on the President and his golfing exercises on his own properties. What is the worst. Is that this is only four instances and we know, the President has spent massive amounts times on his own Golf Courses during his time as President. That is why this revelation should bug the American Taxpayer, because they are paying for him doling and playing golf. Not ensuring policies, industries or securing the state as he should. He is having fun, while the American citizen is paying him to do so.

The report:

“We were asked to examine the cost of 4 trips to the Mar-a-Lago resort by the President and 3 international trips by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump between January and March 2017. We estimate that federal agencies spent about $13.6 million for the Mar-a-Lago trips. The Departments of Defense and Homeland Security incurred most of the costs—about $8.5 million and $5.1 million, respectively. This excludes certain classified cost information. We estimate that the Secret Service spent about $396,000 protecting the President’s sons and their spouses on 3 international trips” (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 05.02.2019).

Just think about it. The state paid used over 13 million United States Dollars just for him to golf four times at the Mar-A-Lago resort. That is the sort of man, the President is and he has no trouble doing this. This excessive expenses of luxury, that all citizens of United States is paying. They are all chipping in, so he can put and try to get a whole in one. While later ensure that he get his cake and enough scoops of ice-cream. That is just the man he is.

The Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense has spent this amount of funds just to secure the President and added costs for his travel from the White House to the Mar-A-Lago Resort. This is just the narrow window of January to March 2017. That is just a short time and we can just imagine how much he spent until now. As he has travelled a lot more since then. Just to golf and having long-weekends off on his resorts to golf. Therefore, this is just a drop in the ocean of the total cost of the life in luxury the President likes on the Federal Reserves Dime. Peace.

White House ends this year with more chaos and a prolonged shutdown!

If you ever thought Donald J. Trump was a great leaders. Always visit one of his profitable Casinos in Atlantic City, oh wait, they all went bankrupt. Just as that should have been a warning from the king of debt. The art of the Steal, sorry Deal. President Trump is showing his true horrific leadership skills, as the calender year of 2018.

There been people leaving the Cabinet since the appointments, the list is longer than a phone catalogue. Therefore, mentioning all of them… would be so long and futile, that the Trump Administration cannot keep people around or even be a little stable. That is why there has been Three White House Communication Directors. There are soon on the third or the forth Chief of Staff. Who remembers Reince Prebius from the start, right? We know, that Trump is creating a mess, but blaming the people around him.

That is why everyone around is acting, except for Jared Kusner and Ivanka Trump, who is playing Civil Servants, while getting paid. That is what nepotism does. They are advisors who survives, because they are connected by blood, not by skills or paid by lobbyists to get hired in his cabinet. That is why at the current moment this is the titles of plenty people: Acting Director of EPA, Acting Secretary of Defence, Acting Attorney General, Acting Chief of Staff and an Acting Pentagon Secretary.

That is why the White House is in chaos. The government is looking foolish and terrible. That is because the President cannot rule himself out. He just blame others and fires them. If not get other people to fire them for him. Trump has started a trade-wars with tariffs, that is hitting the market. There are even reports of no export of soybeans to China. Which is a key market for this commodity, however, because of the tariff war started with steel and aluminium, are now hurting the market. The Stock Exchange is crashing and getting blown, there is lack of confidence in the markets and the wealthy doesn’t want invest in the erratic market, which the state has created by the trade-wars.

Trump has made this mess, he has closed the government as the Senate and Congress had voted over it. Agreed so, that the civil servants and state officials would get paid. However, the President didn’t care, because he doesn’t want to look weak to Conservative Commentators Ann Coulter, who said he was weak for accepting a deal without funding for a wall. A wall Mexico was supposed to pay for somehow. However, the President expect now the US taxpayers to pay for a fictional wall to serve the Southern Border. Which, no one at the Capitol want to give the old man, whose busy watching Fox & Friend, while he drinks doing Diet Coke and bitch about democrats on Twitter. Such a statesman. Nah, not really, but we all knew that by now.

Lets be clear, the whirlwind the US is in, because their own mistakes. They made the system and crowned this man their President. That he took it for granted and doesn’t serve them. Trump does this because of his ego and mismanaged judgment. The White House Cabinet is crappie, because he appointed them and later fired them. If not they resigned for various reasons, but never for honourable ones. As they should have done it for Charlottesville, Children in Cages and Prisons, Zero Tolerance Policy or even Drone Strikes in Yemen and Somalia without any transparency. However, they leaves for other things, because they want to salvage their legacy. Nevertheless, that train has left that station, as they all was enabling the President to do his despicable acts and policies without anyone stopping him.

President Trump will blame others for the financial crashing by his taxes levies, tariffs, trade-wars and other policies, which is making the world more unstable and lack of good trade. Even if he is supposed to be a genius. Everything he touches because worse. He is revising everything Barrack Obama did, without seeing the consequences or even thinking about who it hits. That is why there are more pain to see. Just as the innocent children are dying behind bars in the United States. That is the President fault, as his policy and his orders made it happen. He is guilty for the dying innocent children. That is the mere reality of what the United States has become.

That the wealthy are feeling a pinch, the elites are getting hurt. As they all had faith in Trump is ironic. As they should have seen it coming. He has been the snake-oil salesman for decades. He is proving that with how he runs the government itself.

The Shutdown of the government is a week old now or about so. Where the Trump is doing it over a fictional wall, a requiem of a racist dream. The President are risking wages, added more cost to the government of fan-fiction from the hyperbole white supremacists and their fear. That is who the man seeks support from, that is what he will be remembered for and also his mismanagement. Because even his close allies are screwing up like Mnuchin and his calls with banks before Christmas Eve. But, they are trying to cover-up for the mad-man in the Oval Office. Who cannot deliver and creating havoc on his own. He doesn’t own up to he, he will just fire the Fed Chairman and have someone acting their too.

That is why the President has an acting cabinet, into the worst Stock Market in ages, where the government is in a Shutdown, which will be long-lasting into January somewhere, maybe longer. Depending on the wall and how hard Trump tantrums will last. However, he will look foolish and he continues to hurt civilians and the ones serving the Republic over a tragic Greek tragedy. Something he wouldn’t get or understand. That is the reality.

US is a laughing stock and made so by the President. Who cannot keep himself coherent for a day. Sooner or later, even more of his decisions will back-fire. We just don’t them yet. But he will not enriching the Republic. No, he is on self-destructive mode and many are awaiting the Robert Mueller Report on the Collusion and Obstruction of Justice made the President. As Individual One will have to answer for his actions, at one point, just not while he is in Office. Peace.

White House Sack-Race Contines: John Kelly ousted, the enabler is now blocked!

John Kelly was hired as new Chief of Staff in the Trump Administration on the 27^th July 2017. He was first the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security, to become the clean-up boy within the Administration. Not that it has worked, as the man couldn’t bring stability or any sort of coherent acts together. More like another enabler of the President. That is who General Kelly will be remembered as now.

There been so many sacked or replaced in the White House since the November 2016, that the Trump Administration has a long sheet getting closer to a pamphlet. That is why this sort of sacking isn’t surprising, as he is supposed to leave by end of the year. That means by 2019, the administration will have their third Chief of Staff.

It was first Reince Priebus and now John Kelly. Whoever takes the post after these two, knows the issues within the Administration and it starts with the head. It is the Commander-In-Chief, the Executive or the President who is wasting people and using them like skittles.

I do not feel for sorry for any individual getting fired. They knew what they went into. They wanted power and get appointed to high offices. By a nonchalant and self-serving man, who has no care for anyone else, than himself. Just like is now hiring a former Fox News Hostess as the UN Ambassador after Nikki Haley. So, if he would hire someone from there wouldn’t be surprising at this point. He is having more of a game-show approach, than finding people out of merit for the positions. Even Ivanka or Kushner could get this one as he wants to keep the state in the family.

We know also now thanks to his statements what sort of man, Kelly really is, this was reported by Paul Waldman: “What all this adds up to is the insistence that immigrants are not us, and that they will never become truly American. Kelly might or might not be aware that it is precisely how his Irish ancestors were portrayed a century and a half ago, as uneducated brutes who brought nothing but crime and violence to America. Kelly is also of Italian descent; his maternal grandfather “never spoke a word of English and made his living peddling a fruit cart in East Boston,” according to an article last month in Politico. Yet he seems to have turned out okay” (…) “Finally, we should understand that while Kelly’s rhetoric might not be as inflammatory as that of the president, he has essentially the same perspective, and that perspective is now being put into action through the administration’s policies” (Paul Waldman – ‘The Plum Line – John Kelly’s terrible immigration lies’ 11.05.2018, link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/05/11/john-kellys-terrible-immigration-lies/?utm_term=.de15880d97b1).

Kelly is just following a long line of people who has shown their vicious side in the White House. Not that it is something new, but this Administration is really getting it out of people. If you want to loose your respect and people acknowledging you. Than, you are enabler who take a job at this White House. Trump will use you and take your pledges. There will be nothing left to remember or redeem, as your legacy will be stained. Just like Kelly has.

Not only has he been the General that kept Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility open and working directly to undermine the efforts of Obama to close it. He was the General in-charge of it. Therefore, we should understand, why he is such an ignorant man, whose preferences politically would be aligned with Trump. Just saying it more calmly, but having the same meaning.

We also saw his bad judgment when he described and lied about Frederica Wilson, which he did in October 2017, as he said this about her:

“And a congresswoman stood up, and in the long tradition of empty barrels making the most noise, stood up there and all of that and talked about how she was instrumental in getting the funding for that building, and how she took care of her constituents because she got the money, and she just called up President Obama, and on that phone call he gave the money — the $20 million — to build the building. And she sat down, and we were stunned. Stunned that she had done it. Even for someone that is that empty a barrel, we were stunned” – John Kelly (Ledyard King – ‘Video debunks John Kelly’s claim that Frederica Wilson took credit for FBI building funds’ 20.10.2017, link: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/10/20/chief-staff-kelly-falsely-accuses-rep-wilson-taking-credit-funding-fbi-building/784456001/).

So with him saying that about Congresswoman Wilson, the further reporting from Ledyard King states: “A video of the ceremony released Friday by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel shows that Wilson never took credit for getting the money, which was appropriated before she came to office. To the contrary, she gives a speech praising the FBI and the dead agents for which the building is named. She does take credit for, at the request of the FBI, rushing through in four weeks the naming of the building for the agents in time for the dedication ceremony: Benjamin P. Grogan and Jerry L. Dove” (Ledyard King – ‘Video debunks John Kelly’s claim that Frederica Wilson took credit for FBI building funds’ 20.10.2017, link: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/10/20/chief-staff-kelly-falsely-accuses-rep-wilson-taking-credit-funding-fbi-building/784456001/ ).

So, we see what the Oval Office and the President does to a man. He makes them little and disgraceful, lying and not apologizing for it. He went out and attacked Wilson, but he didn’t cover his story. As it wasn’t true, he did that with an open critic of the President. As a token of loyalty attacking her, but not with truth, but empty rhetoric. Just like his boss.

Who is up next, to take the job and become another piranha for Trump? Someone who doesn’t care about their legacy and want to show their true despicable attitude for a moment of power. Because, clearly, that is what this administration does to people. It is just inevitable.

John Kelly has proven that, he was supposed to be the adult in the room, instead he was the enabler of all the madness, the insincerity and deception done by this Administration. He didn’t soften or make things better, he didn’t make it worse either. It was just more of the same, the same rhetoric, the same policies and actions, which everyone see.

Kelly cannot run away from it, he can hope people forget, but not bank on it. Peace.

The White House Sack-Race Continues: Secretary of State Tillerson sacked, because Trump is a ‘moron’!

The former Exxon-Mobile CEO and Russian Friendly Businessman Rex Tillerson was lucky enough to have 13 months as the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State had just left from meeting with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta before his supposed travel to Western Africa and Sahel Region for the Security issues there, as well as the partner-states of the AFRICOM there. After visiting, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. Clearly, the Secretary never got the chance.

Not like the White House in this day and age, that people expect to have the positions for long. This is just over 30^th people who has left the West Wing since January 2017. The turnover rate of appointed officials is huge and insane. But that is the way the stable genius works apparently. I was skeptic to the appointment of him, he seemed like the guy to circumvent the sanctions and be able to bring Exxon-Mobile and Gazproom into business. To make sure the oil dealing could happen.

While the big-shot Rex Tillerson was fired, the same happen to the President’s own assistant John McEntee, who was escorted out. Together with the resignation of Communication Director Hope Hicks and Chief Economic Financial Advisor Gary Cohn. The last few days has been brutal in regards to staff. This is just a little group of the people who has left the building. The stability of the administration is such a pale state, you would be worried if a I-Hop would lose this much of staff and had to recruit and train. You would be worried as a costumer if you knew the turnover at the particular shop was this big.

Tillerson, a man of 13 months, what did he do? Other than getting ridicule and being mocked by the President. This happens hours after he was in Kenya, but also after commenting on the spy-scandal in the United Kingdom. Where Tillerson said the Russians was involved in the poisoning of the spy. This is something that was countering the White House. Because the White House will not directly blame the Russians. Hence, since Tillerson went outside his safe space, he now lost his job. That is how it looks like.

Somehow, when writing about the White House, the Russian involvement always come snickering out of the wood-works, or in the sense of the Trump Administration. Out of the Tanning machine on the second floor. Tillerson was unaware of the firing, just like former FBI director James Comey was, as he was in Los Angeles for function of some kind. Now Tillerson came home early to Washington, since he canceled parts of his Africa trip. Clearly, the pressing issues was there, but he couldn’t solve it or Trump had cheerios on his mind.

What we do know, he has somebody to exchange him with CIA’s Mike Pompeo. One of his favorites. We will wonder how long he will in Trump’s graces, since fires and hires willi-nilly and isn’t hesitating.

Tillerson didn’t deliver for his former oil-company, you can wonder what he has achieved. Since the State Department hasn’t hired the needed staff in many regions. Therefore, not getting the knowledge or relationships needed to deliver the program of the staff there. But we are forgetting, in the Trump Administration, it is only Trump that matters. Not the state, nothing else. Making America Going Apeshit. That is what is happening.

Know that the Trump administration has no currently functioning State Department. They have a new head, but he will be clueless for while. Not like after 13 months Tillerson achieved anything. The reason is Trump and the leadership he has, with is praising his ego and nothing else. Peace.

Most likely offending the Don with this statement, aye?

Opinion: Who will plead the fifth? Sorry, my bad, who want to be hired as the White House Communication Director now?

Yesterday, yet another White House Communication director resigned, the White House under the Presidency of Trump is weird. It is chaotic and this being bluntly. Now that the longest serving Communication Director Hope Hicks resigned, we know that the position isn’t any good. That is evident with the frequent changes of the position. Not weird as well, those incoherent messages of policy must be hectic for someone assigned to spread the information from there.

With that in mind that Michael Dubke, Sean Spicer and Anthony Scaramucci, all came and went. They all served in capacity, the one that we know the least about is Dubke, who was Priebus affiliate and worked in Right Wing Media in the past. Spicer came through the Republic party, while Scaramucci seemed more like a golfing-buddy turned apprentice at the White House. While the hiring of Hicks, was another fellow associate and employee directly from the Trump Organization.

Therefore, that she resigns is a sign of lost hope, after the public defence of boyfriend Rob Porter, and now questioned in the Russian Probe for 8 hours. Clearly, the pressure within the White House is hot. She was in an impossible position, where she couldn’t win. That was evident, with her history with Trump and her close association through business and campaigning. Therefore, if someone knows the real Trump, the man, the self-made legend in his own mind. Hicks would know by the years spent at the Trump Tower and by his side.

These other Communications Directors have not had this standing, they have not had the previous history, even if Scaramucci want to profess of his genuine friendship with him Like that is it, when he was hired and fired, quicker than toast of bread. It amazing that this shortly into his term, that he has 4 Communications Directors and so much changes of staff. It isn’t strange that many lacks Security Clearances and whatnot, they don’t get the time to even scrutinize the forms before the government agencies can dispense what sort of clearance they need or can get.

That Trump who promised to bring the best and brightest, clearly cannot pick them out of bucket, he just brings friends, cronies and family into it and hope they will solve the issues he creates. That is how it looks from the outside. It doesn’t look like a steady ship, it looks like it is sinking and with no moral authority, what so ever.

We can wonder if General John Kelly, the Chief of Staff will have any say in the newly open position or if any suitable candidate want to get there. By now it’s seemingly a position no one should want, because Trump destroy and deflect, lies and deceive anyone for his personal benefit. Therefore, if you want to walk on eggshells and trade his water, you should go there, but if you want a job worth having. Get hired somewhere else.

If there was someone out there who wanted this now, it must the likes of Katrina Pierson, Kayleigh McEnany or even Tomi Lahren. These are the ones who is suitable to be hired and fired, quickly one by one. Therefore, they can continue to spread the narrative and let Sarah Huckabee-Sanders continue to lie in public, just like her boss. It says a lot about the state of affairs, when individuals like these comes to mind, when you are thinking of someone to replace Hicks. Because any ordinary person doesn’t want to be in the line of fire, any ordinary person don’t want to be in a place where you know your days are numbered. It is just a matter of time, before your cut loose, just like the rest of them.

Now we can just wait and see, who will plead the fifth? Sorry, who will be the fifth Communication Director at the White House under President Trump. Peace.