The faithful gathered for the sermon from the mountebank(s) in Florida, ending with a shuttle from the Trump National Doral to Mar-a-Lago to have rock hard steaks served with a side of ketchup and listen to the Orange Oracle preach the gospel of stolen elections, dumb sons of bitches and people who were full of crap. But there were a few notable acolytes missing.
Wait, what? How come this hasn’t been more widely reported?
Could it be COVID — is that why it’s being kept so quiet? Or is it just another lie Peter’s telling about the wolf? pic.twitter.com/dkHGMRIGsD— Jackie S ??? (@KaysGramma) April 11, 2021
Shane Goldmacher is a New York Times reporter and the excerpt is from Politico, linked to in the tweet.
The reason this could be meaningful is because a lot of RNC donors present made no bones about how much they hated the confab. His speech was characterized as “horrible, long and negative.” That’s an encapsulation of the man’s life, let alone one speech.
Many major donors have been fed up with Trump’s antics since Jan. 6. While Trump was speaking, we spotted at least two — both of whom received prominent appointments during his administration — out dining with friends at a local restaurant in Palm Beach rather than sitting through the former president’s dinner at Mar-a-Lago.
As Playbook and the New York Times have reported, Trump has become a complication for donors. They don’t want their money going toward his retribution efforts. Remember: These are exorbitantly wealthy people — some with egos as big as Trump’s — and they are not interested in hearing about how another rich guy had his ego bruised. The fact that they even had to shuttle from the Four Seasons resort where the retreat was being held to Mar-a-Lago for Trump’s speech was enough of a sign of fealty to Trump, donors told us.
Trump’s lack of interest in the state of the Republican Party also creates a problem for fundraising: Per the NYT, Trump’s new fundraising enterprise has $85 million in cash on hand, while the RNC has $84 million. This comes just days after the RNC officially responded to a cease-and-desist demand from Trump’s lawyers over the use of his likeness for fundraising. It’s just a reminder that the party can’t quit Trump — which GOP fundraiser Fred Zeidman told the NYT was “a tremendous complication.”
Mike Pompeo bowing out is something to ponder. Pompeo just took a job as contributor on Fox News and he’s made no bones about his interest in the 2024 GOP nomination, which at this point is stacking up to be a farce on the order of 2016, only a lot crazier given the advent of the Trump era wedged in between. It’s a bit early to speculate why Pompeo may not have shown up, but maybe he senses a change in the wind and he doesn’t want to offend donors by appearing to be so close to Trump. This could be significant.
As to Marjorie Taylor Greene, she’s as gung ho MAGA/QAnon as anybody in the entire Republican party. The fact that she didn’t show up is indicative of something major. And unless her father is indeed seriously ill, and took so suddenly, then she may have just lied her way out of appearing. And that’s something to ponder as well.
Interesting signs in the political heavens. We will keep the tea leaves handy.
The words ‘rats’ and ‘sinking ship’ do come to mind
“may have” speculations are useless, and sometimes dangerous. Trump’s entire Big Lie is built on “may have” speculations served up as “evidence.”
T-rump is a LOSER and so are his cronies