JD Vance: I’m fine if we give free taxpayer money to people who assaulted poilice officers on 1/6
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Trump had his Big Mac de-boxers out defending the most corrupt act in the history of the American presidency, with the expected results:
But the vagueness of the agreement set up a situation where Trump’s Vice President JD Vance and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche were made to sorta publicly eat shit on Tuesday, selling the arrangement publicly as they responded to pointed questions from reporters and, in Blanche’s case, bipartisan concerns from lawmakers.
Both reporters and lawmakers had questions about whether those who were convicted of attacking police officers on Jan. 6 would qualify for a payout. Vance’s response was garbled as he flailed between attacking the reporter who asked the question and giving a cohesive answer that wouldn’t upset the faction of Trump’s base that still respects law enforcement.
“We’re not trying to give money to anybody who attacked a police officer. We’re trying to give money — not give money, we’re trying to compensate people
Note the Kinsleyian gaffe here, where Vance starts out accurately describing this as a slush find and catches himself and his to pretend that some kind of “compensation” is involved.
where the book was thrown at them, they were mistreated by the legal system,” he said during a White House press briefing, during which he was covering for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt while she is on maternity leave.
“Sometimes, you know, we are — we do have, John, in this country, innocent until proven guilty,” he continued, addressing the reporter. “We have people who were accused of attacking law enforcement officers. That doesn’t mean that we’re gonna completely ignore some of the claims they’re gonna make.”
We do indeed have a presumption of innocence in our legal system, a fact that is entirely immaterial to cases in which people with legal counsel are convicted of a crime by a jury of their peers after a fair trail. You know, the kind of people that Trump/Vance plan to give a reward to because they affirmatively support their violent insurrectionist activities.
Things went no better for Blanche:
Clear as mud. Blanche was asked to answer to similar concerns during his previously scheduled appearance before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee. Democrats tore into the acting AG for the “obvious abuse of power by the Department of Justice, by the president,” as Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) put it.
“What we are talking about is nothing short of the sitting president of the United States looting from the treasury for his own gain. Do you seriously think this arrangement is appropriate? The president telling the federal government to settle a case and let him pay billions to the people that he chooses?” Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said. “This is corruption that has never been more blatant. … What is happening is you write the check, Trump and his cronies cash it. American taxpayers, who are already being whacked with high prices, are going to foot the bill.”
Democrats and Republican Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) pressed Blanche to give specifics about who exactly could qualify for compensation.
“It’s not limited to Republicans. It’s not limited to the Biden weaponization. It’s not limited to in any way, scope or form to Jan. 6 or to Jack Smith. There’s no limitation on the claims,” Blanche said.
“It’s entirely voluntary if an individual wants to apply and assert that they were a victim of weaponization, and the commission can do anything according to what was set up yesterday, from issuing an apology to the … claimant to awarding to awarding compensation,” he continued before making the cartoonish suggestion that even Hunter Biden could qualify!
“It does not limit it to President Trump or President Trump’s friends. To the contrary, President Trump isn’t taking a dime,” Blanche said. “The commissioners will set rules I’m sure … That’s not for me to set. That’s for the commissioners, and whether an individual, an Oath Keeper as you just mentioned, applies for compensation … anybody in this country can apply.”
As long as Trump himself isn’t personally profitting, but the Oath Keeper insurrectionists are, who could be concerned?
“Anybody can apply to receive a bailout from Donald Trump’s vault — insurrectionists, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, the Ted Bundy estate, you name it!” Very reassuring!
Nothing good comes from this, but at least every violent asshole who gets a taxpayer emolument will be another news story, and this seems corrupt enough to actually be getting some traction.
…And of course we know who else is going to get paid:
