On our political radar this week…

In between Oval Office naps, his costly, tacky fixations on the Reflecting Pool on the National mall and his $1-billion NOW TAXPAYER FUNDED ballroom, misogyny toward female reporters, rage posting on Truth Social, his bizarre, constant bragging about his regularly scheduled dementia tests, and stuffing his pockets full of payola from domestic and foreign tycoons and potentates, Donald Trump did Democrats a huge favor – voicing a soon-to-be Democratic campaign commercials in every competitive state and district across the fruited plain proclaiming “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation, I don’t think about anybody…”

© Clay Jones – https://claytoonz.substack.com
New polling, paid for by the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce, shows the Chamber’s endorsed candidate for Governor with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson taking the lead. The same poll says it’s a virtual three-way tie for the Democrats’ U.S. Senate nomination. A second poll, paid for by MIRS News, shows Benson’s lead growing to 12 points.
The two leading Republican candidates for Governor are engaged in a reprise of the sad GOP song of 4 years ago … problems with nominating petition signatures. But John James and Perry “Quality Guru” Johnson aren’t the only Republicans with unplanned campaign hiccups. First district Congressman Jack Bergman faces a possible ethics violation over extracurricular moneymaking efforts by his congressional staff. And US Senate candidate Mike Rogers has some unseemly ties to child sex predators. In the Macomb County based 10th district, GOP candidate Robert Luljguraj is accused of lying about where he lives on his state paperwork. It all adds up to some interesting times at the State Elections Bureau.
In this week’s chapter of Trump’s Perpetual Grifting, it’s looking like the highly promoted but non-existent Trump phone ain’t gonna happen. The 600,000 true believers who put down deposits of $100 seem unlikely to get their money back … but in the meantime, the Huckster Trumps have fleeced $60-million from the rubes.
Also new on the Trump Perpetual Grifting beat:
– The BBC reports that Trump is selling sponsorships of his oh-so-tacky UFC match at the White House for up to $1.5 million. No word on who gets the money, but it isn’t hard to guess.
–The Wall Street Journal revealed that Trump is considering issuing 250 pardons in conjunction with the USA 250 celebration. So far, no pardon prices have been announced.
–He’s being sued in Florida for plans to have a for-profit hotel inside his Presidential museum … on land given him by the state that’s worth around $67-million.
–Construction of the above-ground portion of his ballroom is underway in direct violation of a court order, and
–Preliminary work has begun on his Arch De’ TACO, er Trump … without legally required authorization.
Inflation has soared to its highest level in 3 years and shows every sign of climbing higher and higher. Trump’s response, as usual, is to promise that things will get lots better … later. In “about two weeks.”
The “good news, bad news”: 81-year-old Rudy Giuliani has recovered from the pneumonia that sent him to the ICU last week, and we’re happy that he’s apparently survived the medical crisis. The bad news: he’s resumed his podcast.

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