Originally published at: Don’t Get Conned By Trump’s Big, Beautiful Air Force One Boondoggle - TPM – Talking Points Memo
A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. Who’s Conning Whom Exactly? Before jumping ahead to the constitutionality of President Trump accepting as a “gift” from Qatar a $400 million 747 jumbo jet as short-term replacement for Air Force One and the legality…
7 Likes
Hugh Hefner’s Black Bunny Playboy 747 wasn’t available…
17 Likes
So we can ride you out of town on them rails?
7 Likes
The Trump plane doesn’t need to be ready for use until January 2029 , when Trump can take possession. Plenty of time to fix it up.
13 Likes
I refuse to be railroaded.
13 Likes
Today’s rally in front of the Parliament building brought to you by Democrats Abroad Norway. From Hope To Action: Join The Fight. Obama is speaking here in a few hours.
40 Likes
No defense or communication systems? David has convinced me, we need to get this plane to Trump asap. In fact, if we could mandate that he much live in it at all times, even better.
34 Likes
Not sure if this is the same interview of Souter video posted on the MM:
Long before CHUMP ran for his first term in office, conservative Justice David Souter appeared to glimpse the future in a stunning warning of how democracy could die.
The judge, who retired from the High Court in 2009, died last week at the age of 85. However, His 2012 comments were recalled in a New York Times column Monday by Adam Liptak.
“One person will come forward and say, ‘Give me total power, and I will solve this problem,’” Souter said while speaking at an open forum at a New Hampshire Arts Center.
Liptak said Souter was usually the opposite of excitable, but when asked, “What should schools be doing to produce civically engaged students?” The Judge grew “animated."
He recalled his own high school days, saying, “There were two required civics courses. When we got out of high school, we may not have known a lot, but we at least had a basic understanding of the structure of American government.”
“I’ll start with the bottom line,” Souter said. “I don’t believe there is any problem of American politics and American public life which is more significant today than the pervasive civic ignorance of the Constitution of the United States and the structure of government.”
According to Liptak, “Souter said he was worried that public ignorance about how the American government works would allow an authoritarian leader to emerge and claim total power.”
“That is the way democracy dies,” Souter said. “An ignorant people can never remain a free people. Democracy cannot survive too much ignorance.”
“That is how the Roman Republic fell,” he added.
Liptak noted, “Augustus became an autocratic emperor by promising to restore old values.”
Justice Souter warned, “The day will come when somebody will come forward, and we, and the government will, in effect, say: ‘Take the ball and run with it. Do what you have to do.’”
The remarks, from 2012, were made during an hour-long interview with Margaret Warner of “PBS NewsHour.”
55 Likes
WH: Qatar Expects Nothing In Return For $400M Jet
May 12, 2025 Trump Corruption, Trump Lies
Reuters reports:
Qatar has offered to donate a plane to the United States and details are still being worked out, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Monday. “The Qatari Government has graciously offered to donate a plane to the Department of Defense. The legal details of that are still being worked out,” Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/white-house-confirms-qatar-offered-plane-to-us/ar-AA1EC0yA
13 Likes
13 Likes
Technically, they did not “reduce it by 115%”. Reducing 145% by 115%, you’re left with ~80%. But then again, math eludes this administration. Along with a whole lot of other things.
37 Likes
Sweeeet!
4 Likes