THIS POST IS INCOMPLETE; BUT ALL THESE DUDES APPEAR IN THE EPSTEIN FILES - AND NONE LOOK GOOD.
Did we just mention billionaires
– and tax cuts – and pollution fun? Yes, we did. In December, the Wall
Street Journal noted that billionaire wealth had reached the
highest level ever – and that the pile of loot owned by 2,900 people had
climbed by $1.8 trillion in just one year.
That is: from $14 trillion to $15.8
trillion.
When discussing billionaires,
the numbers can get a little confusing, but both the Journal and CNBC agree
that billionaires now control $15.8 trillion. And both sources agree that 287 new billionaires were created last
year, thanks to President Trump’s valiant efforts to help the little guys in
red hats. In fact, CNBC reports that there are now 2,919 members of the Ten
Digit Club, including 860 lucky individuals who did nothing more taxing (physically,
we mean) than to inherit their plunder.
In fact, America’s 924
billionaires did even better than the superrich slackers in countries like
China and Russia, with their combined wealth rising by 18 per cent, to $17.5 trillion. Or so CNBC says.
(I realize those numbers don't
But you can’t fool me. While
trying to sort out another report on wealth growth in 2025, because the
percentage of growth cited seems wrong, I do a double take on CNBC’s report,
which has America’s billionaires controlling more cash and assets than all the
billionaires in the world, including themselves.
Anyway, I check Fortune, my
favorite magazine, and they note that America’s 924 fattest cats control a
measly $7.5 trillion. So CNBC has a typo, I guess. And then, a touch of sadness
for these folks. According to Fortune, citing the Swiss bank, UBS, the U.S. saw
eighteen members of the Ten-Digit Club
fall out of the billionaire class into the Nine-Digit Loser’s Guild, which I am
sure we can all agree that must suck. No doubt, those poor saps have trouble
walking out of their front doors and facing the cruel glare of publicity and
being mocked for their threadbare clothes and broken-down footwear.
You can find other numbers, like
Oxfam’s report that the Ten Digit folks now
control $18.3 trillion and that their piece of the World Wealth Pie surged by
$2.5 trillion in one year. That slice of banana crème alone would more than
equal the wealth of the bottom half of humanity, or 4.1 billion people
walking this earth.
Oxfam also notes that – just as
Jesus would have wanted it – a billionaire has 4,000 times as many chances of holding
political office as a poor dolt like me.
Or, I am guessing, almost every
rank-and-file member of the Trump-loving, Trump-worshipping MAGA crew.
So, let’s look at a few members of
the elite Ten-Digit Club who are in the news. There’s Donald, himself, whose wealth
jumped $3 billion in just one year, to
$7.3 billion – which just so happens to be a year in which he pulled all the
levers of power that he possibly could.
(I know many of may MAGA friends
are proud to announce that Dear Leader sacrifices his presidential salary every
year – pretty much gifting back the $400,000 taxpayers would have had to shell
out to support him.
Then again, I am no dope, and if
we divide 400,000 into 3,000,000,000, and make life simple by knocking off five
zeroes (4 divided into 30,000, which is also equal to 2 divided into 15,000, or
1 into 7,500) I think we will all agree that The Dumpling is doing just jim-dandy
as it is.
Finally, since our topic for
today is “billionaires and their pie slices,” let’s mention a few other
billionaires in the news. You have Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and he’s
doing better than good.
All of the following have now
been exposed, to greater or lesser degree, in the Epstein Files.
We’re going to kick it off with
Mr. Lutnick because his denial of ties to Jeffrey the Pedophile were so
emphatic.
(Lied about when he cut ties with Epstein.)
Then there’s Steve Tisch:
(Epstein offered to bring a Russian girl to meet him. He wondered,
“Is she fun?”)
Then include Andrew Farkas (no
cool graphic found)
2.3
billion USD
(Called his friendship with Jeffrey a “blessing.”)
Toss in Reid Hoffman:
(None other than Donald Trump has called for Hoffman to be investigated.)
(Pot calls kettle?)
And Sir Richard Branson:
(Sarah Ransome, an Epstein victim, says he had tapes of
Branson.)
And Glenn Dubin:
(His wife was Epstein’s “true love,” some say.)
(He has been accused of raping a victim.)
And John Paulson:
(Has been accused of sexual assault by one of the victims.)
(Has donated heavily to an effort to defeat Rep. Thomas Massie
for reelection.)
There’s Ronald Lauder:
(Ties in the art world with Epstein; still checking on his
story.)
And Thomas Pritzker:
(Has been accused of sexual assault.)
And this big galoot:
7.3 billion USD
(He has been accused of rape of a 13-year-old.)
We would be remiss if we forgot to include Sultan Ahmed bin
Sulayem a Emirati businessman:
7 or 8 billion USD
(Talks about sampling new women on his yacht; messages about
torture!)
Give it up for:
And Les Wexner:
(Has been named as a co-conspirator in an indictment never
filed.)
And Mikhail Prokhorov:
(It would appear he was set up with a girlfriend by Epstein.)
Josh Harris:
(Ongoing business ties to Epstein.)
And let’s not leave out Leon
Black.
(Has been accused of rape; may have been blackmailed by Jeffrey.)
Don’t sleep on Peter Theil:
(Epstein called Thiel “a great friend.”)
(Thiel was “outed” by the website Gawker and put the site
out of business.)
(Gawker first published Epstein’s black book – with notes
on guilty individuals.)
(More recently: He bankrolled J.D. Vance and his rise in
politics.)
And Bill Gates:
(Visited Epstein’s Paris apartment where a stable of girls was
kept.)
(Epstein tried to blackmail Gates, in another case.)
AS PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP has
often reminded us, the Iran War ended long ago and we won! It was over in
March, and over in April, again. The Iranians had no cards, we were told. The president
won the war again in May and had so much fun that he won it in June, for good
measure.
At that point, The New York
Times offered a collection of the president’s comments on how the war was going.
I have diligently added examples
to flesh out their list and bring it forward to today.
***
President Trump, speaking to the
Iranian people on the night the war began:
The hour
of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very
dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished,
take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be, probably,
your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America’s
help, but you never got it. No President was willing to do what I am willing to
do tonight. Now you have a President who is giving you what you want.
[emphasis added unless otherwise noted]. Fox News, February 28.
“I think it’s wonderful that
they would want to do that. I’d be all for it.” Trump says he hopes the Iranian
Kurds, who make up ten percent of the population of Iran, almost entirely in
the north mountains, will join us in the fight for regime change. Trump to reporters, March 6.
“I think
the war is very complete, pretty much. [Iran has] no navy, no
communications, they’ve got no air force. Their missiles are down to a scatter.
Their drones are being blown up all over the place, including their
manufacturing of drones. If you look, they have nothing left. There’s nothing
left in a military sense.” Trump to CBS News, March 9.
“They’ve
shot everything they have to shoot, and they better not try anything cute or it’s
going to be the end of that country. … If they do anything bad, that would
be the end of Iran and you’d never hear the name again.” Trump to CBS News, March 9.
(The U.S., says the president, will soon open the Strait of
Hormuz.)
That same afternoon the
Department of Defense posted on X, “We have Only Just
Begun to Fight” and “no mercy.”
“No, in my opinion, based on
what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran. We think it was done by Iran – because
they are very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no
accuracy whatsoever. It was done by Iran.” Trump blames Iran for hitting their
own girls’ school, killing 175 students and faculty. March 7, the president replies to a question on Air Force One.
“I think the war is very
complete, pretty much. [Iran has] no navy, no communications, they’ve got no
air force. Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown
up all over the place, including their manufacturing of drones. … If you look,
they have nothing left. There’s nothing left in a military sense.”March 9, in call to CBS, from his golf club in Doral, Florida.
Initial reports from the U.S.
military indicate the school was hit by a Tomahawk cruise missile, a staple of the U.S. attack capabilities. Trump
is asked by a reporter if he takes responsibility. “I don’t know about it,” he
replies. March 11, speaking to gathered reporters outside the White House.
The president describes the
attack on Iran as a “a little excursion that will keep us out of war.” He says attacking Iran has been “easier than we thought.” March 11, speaking to reporters in Ohio.
“Look, we took an excursion. ... And we have to do a little excursion
to get rid of mad people, crazy people that have – that want to have nuclear
weapons.” Trump, calling in to Fox News, March 13.
Trump says a former president
told him he approved of his decision to go to war with Iran. “I’ve spoken to a
certain president, who I like, actually, a past president, a former president.
He said, ‘I wish I did it, I wish I did,’ but they didn’t do it. I’m doing it.”
March 17, talking to the Board of Trustees at the Kennedy Center.
(All four living presidents quickly deny saying that.)
Could it have been the ghost of George H.W. Bush?
Or this guy?
The White House lifts sanctions,
allowing Iran to sell oil to the rest of the world. “In essence,” Treasury
Secretary Scott Bessent explains, “we will be using the Iranian barrels against
Tehran to keep the price down as we continue Operation Epic Fury.”
In other words, we have outfoxed
the Iranians by agreeing to let them sell valuable oil so that they can buy
more missiles and drones from Russian and China. Absolute genius! Bessent post on X, March 20.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant
Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. Open the Fuckin’ Strait,
you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!” Truth Social post, April 5.
“They’ve made a proposal, and
it’s a significant proposal.” Remarks on April 6.
Trump changes direction the next day: “A whole
civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want
that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and
Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds
prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?” Truth Social post on April
7.
U.S. casualties in the
Iran War now total 13 Americans killed, another 381 wounded. Pentagon report, April 8.
“I think it's close to
over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over.” Trump, to Fox News, April
15.
“This process should go
very quickly,” and most points are “already negotiated and agreed to. … The U.S.A. will get all nuclear dust. You
know what the nuclear dust is? That was that white powdery substance created by
our B-2 bombers. No money will exchange hands in any way, shape or form.”April 17, Iran will agree
to give up their enriched uranium, Trump speaking to a Arizona rally.
Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday
in the Strait of Hormuz – A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement! Many of
them were aimed at a French Ship, and a Freighter from the United Kingdom. That
wasn’t nice, was it? My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan – They
will be there tomorrow evening, for Negotiations. Iran recently announced that
they were closing the Strait, which is strange, because our BLOCKADE has
already closed it. They’re helping us without knowing, and they are the ones
that lose with the closed passage, $500 Million Dollars a day! … We’re offering
a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they
don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and
every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They’ll come down fast,
they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to
do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other
Presidents, for the last 47 years. Trump, posting on Truth
Social, April 19.
(Knocking out bridges with no military significance would be a war crime.)
(Same with power plants.)
“Based on the fact that
the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon
the request of [Pakistani leaders] … we have been asked to hold our Attack on
the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can
come up with a unified [peace] proposal.” April 20, Trump,
explaining on X, why he will extend the ceasefire with Iran.
Iranian forces fire on three merchant vessels in the Strait of
Hormuz. April 22.
A variety of people
familiar with damage to American assets in the Middle East note that “runways,
high-end radar systems, dozens of aircraft, warehouses, command headquarters,
aircraft hangars and satellite communications infrastructure” have been
destroyed or damaged. April 26, as reported by
The Hill.
“They’ve got nothing left,
they’re done,” Trump says of the Iranians. Yet, some news outlets make it sound
like the enemy is “winning the war.”CNN, he calls “stupid,” regarding its coverage.
“If you read The New
York Times – it’s actually seditious, in my opinion,” he grumbles.
The president added that
he did not “care” about such reporting, insisting, “everybody knows the facts.
We are decimating the country.” Oval Office meeting with
reporters, May 1.
“Iam fully aware that my Representatives are having very
positive discussions with the Country of Iran, and that these discussions could
lead to something very positive for all.” Truth Social Post on May 3.
In that same post, the president
made a promise to nations whose ships were
trapped in the closed Strait. “We will guide their Ships safely out of these
restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their
business.”
“They’ll be blown off the face
of the earth.” Warning to Iran, if they attack
U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz, May 4.
Under heavy pressure, Iran has
become “much more malleable” in negotiations. Trump statement, May 4.
“I’m getting a letter supposedly
tonight, so we’ll see how that goes.” Trump sees progress in negotiations. Press gaggle on
May 8.
“I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called
‘Representatives.” I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Thank you for your
attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.” Truth Social post on May
10.
“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking,
and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME
IS OF THE ESSENCE! President DJT.” Truth Social post, May 17.
“We were getting ready to do a very major attack tomorrow,
and I put it off ... because we’ve had very big discussions with Iran ...” Press gaggle on May 18.
“Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being
discussed, and will be announced shortly.” Truth Social post on May
23.
The deal is imminent: “Every day it gets better and better.
I can’t tell you before I tell them, right?” Trump to reporters, May
23.
“... I have informed my representatives not to rush into a
deal in that time is on our side.” Truth Social post on May
24.
I laugh at all of the Dumocrats, RINOS, and Fools who know
nothing about the potential deal I am making with Iran, things that haven’t
even been negotiated yet, weak and ineffective people like failed Senator Thom
Tillis (Soon out of office!), Bill Cassidy, who just suffered a massive Primary
loss, really bad Congressman Thomas Massie, a major sleazebag who lost in a
landslide to a great American Patriot (Endorsed by “TRUMP”) after showing
tremendous disloyalty to his Party (and Country!), and almost all Dumocrats … These
people should go home and rest, they do nothing but create division and loss.
In other words, they are losers! The deal with Iran will either be a great and
meaningful one, or there will be no deal. It will be the exact opposite of the
JCPOA disaster negotiated by the failed Obama Administration, which was a
direct and open path to a Nuclear Weapon for Iran. Trump Truth Social post, May 25.
(On the day that President Obama left office, Iran had zero
nuclear weapons.)
The U.S. launches new strikes
targeting Iranian missile sites and boats attempting to place mines in the
Strait of Hormuz. The strikes were in “self-defense”and designed “to
protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.” U.S. Central Command (Centcom) statement, May 26.
Iran breaks off negotiations
with the United States, over Israeli strikes in Lebanon and oil prices spike. US
benchmark WTI crude now trading above $94.50 per barrel. Report, Yahoo Finances, June 1.
“We’re no longer conducting
sustained strikes inside of Iran to degrade their military, because Epic Fury
is over.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio, indicating the fighting with Iran is
over.
He continued:
“We
define victory as destroying their defense industrial base, significantly
reducing the number of missile launchers that they possess, significantly
reducing their stockpile of drones. And we achieved all those, in addition
to destroying what they had left of an air force and wiping out their entire
conventional navy.” Testimony before Congress, June 3.
“I don’t care if they’re over,
honestly. Frankly, I thought they started to get very boring.” Trump, on June 3, expressing disinterest in
whether talks with Iran to end hostilities were continuing or not.
Iranian forces shoot down a U.S.
Apache helicopter. The U.S. responds by striking “Iranian air defense, ground
control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz.” CENTCOM statement, June 10.
(Irony is dead in the Oval Office. Also: Self-awareness.)
“[The Iranians are] dying to
make a deal. They want to make a deal so badly. We dropped $250 million of
bombs on them last night. They’re really in submission. They just don’t know it
yet.” Trump call to Fox News, June 10.
Israeli forces launch new
strikes in Lebanon, after Hezbollah forces fire at targets in Northern Israel.
Trum erupts: “It is so bad – I couldn’t believe it. An hour before we are
supposed to sign the deal.”
“Why did Bibi have to do a fucking
attack? I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no fucking judgement. I let
him know that.” Trump in a call to Axios, June 14.
“Our expectation is that the
strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long term, and that’s
the sort of thing that we’re going to figure out in these technical
negotiations.” Vice President J.D. Vance, interview on CNBC, June 15.
“We’re dealing with people that
I think are very rational people. They were nice to deal with. They
were strong people, smart people. … they’re not radicalized and they’re, you
know, looking to help their country.”
The United States and Iran sign
a formal MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) and agree to a 60-day ceasefire. The
Iran War comes to an end. We won! June 17, Arab Center Washington D.C.
Trump brags about his great deal
with Iran, insisting, “nobody could have made this deal,” like he did, and
claims that Obama tried to “bribe his way out” of trouble with the Iranians.
“And you know what the Iranians did? They laughed at Obama and they said he’s a
stupid son-of-a-bitch.” Trump, Oval
Office meeting, June 17.
(It’s never a good idea to be “quoting” your enemy, to make some
idiotic point.)
“I’m saying that if other
countries have them, it’s a little bit unfair
for them not to have
some.” Trump says if Saudi Arabia and Qatar have missiles, Iran should be
allowed to have them, too. The president, to reporters in Paris, June 17.
“The stupid people say that.”
Trump says he’s done dropping bombs on Iran, and only idiots tell him to
continue. He also suggests that Iran’s new leaders are “far less radicalized. I
think they’re really good. They love their country.” June 17, statement at the G7 meeting.
Iranian officials explain that when
the ceasefire ends, they will charge a “service fee” for ships using the Strait
of Hormuz. This might sound like a “toll,” but this fee will pay for “navigation
support, environmental protection, insurance coordination, and maritime safety
operations.” Channel 24 News, June 19.
With a ceasefire deal in the
works, President Trump is asked about his pledge that Iran would have no choice
but unconditional surrender. “Well, it really probably is unconditional
surrender,” he claims. Trump statement, June 19, during Axios interview.
Iran announces the Strait is closed
again, after Israeli forces pound Hezbollah positions in Southern Lebanon.
“Do not approach the Strait of Hormuz; otherwise, your security will be
jeopardized.” Iranian Revolutionary Guard, statement, June 20.
You can form some idea of how
the war is going by looking at a poll of Israelis: 92% of respondents believe Iran
has come out of the war in a stronger postion. Hebrew University of Jerusalem, June 21.
Trump decides to threaten
Iranian negotiators, already scheduled to meet with U.S. officials in
Switzerland. “You close [the Strait of Hormuz] and you won’t have a country. You
won’t even make it back to your fucking country.” Trump call to Fox News, June 21.
(Assassinating emissaries is a war crime.)
President Trump expects praise
for winning the Iran War and if he doesn’t get it, watch out. “The way the
Corrupt and Failing New York Times is covering stories on a very battered and
beat up Iran, through FAKE & MADE UP ‘FACTS’ is, in my opinion,
‘TREASONOUS’,” he says. Arab News
story, June 22.
VP Vance proudly announces that
Iran has agreed allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors back into the country. This, he says, is “a major
milestone for the American people, and the first step in permanently
denuclearizing or permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran.” Vance statement, meeting in Switzerland, June 22.
“We have not had a meeting with
the director general of the IAEA, nor do we have any plans for the agency to
inspect Iran's nuclear facilities damaged by the US and Zionist military
aggression.” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, June 23.
“It was a done deal, and then
they broke it. They always break it. We’ve had ten deals with these people – and
so we’re just going to hit them very hard... They’re a bad group of people.
They’ve been this way for a long time.” Fox News, July 13, Trump phone call.
(Someone is being played for a sucker, for sure.)
“The
U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ
STRAIT. But as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the
rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job
of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World.” President Trump’s new plan for the Strait of Hormuz, July 13.
(Like Iran’s plan to charge a “service fee,” this plan also
sounds like a “toll.”)
“Kings and emirs and all of the
people that we all know, and we all love” here about that new plan and call
President Trump. “We’d love to do it a different way,” he says they all
assured him. “We’d love to invest in the United States with billions and
billions of dollars …” Trump, doing a 180, July 14.
We’re
going to hit them very hard tonight. We’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow
night. We’re going to hit them very hard the night after... We’re going to
knock out all their power plants, we’re going to knock out all their bridges,
unless they get to the table and negotiate. Trump, speaking to Fox News, July 14.
*
WE ALL KNOW how much President
Trump likes trophies. So, it seems fitting that protesters recently put up a
10-foot-tall “Iran War Participation Trophy” on the National Mall in D.C.
We
hereby award President Donald J. Trump this participation trophy for his
enthusiastic involvement in the Iran War. While some concern themselves with
military strategy, diplomacy, or measurable outcomes, President Trump
demonstrated the courage to participate regardless of the final score.
As the
recipient of this prestigious award, President Trump joins the ranks of
children everywhere who received recognition for simply showing up.
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