• 👍Maximum Derek👍
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      668 months ago

      Yeah, they don’t “think” Biden did anything, they’re just trying to find something to justify what they did so when they get caught they can say “but what about…” Then the media gets to blissfully keep insisting that the parties are the same, so they can justify not running stories about all the terrible things their corpoRate owneRs keep doing.

      • @EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world
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        168 months ago

        They’re flooding media and their followers (they aren’t acting for constituents) so that when they get found out for doing X they can say it’s them dems just mirroring everything

    • IninewCrow
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      98 months ago

      Every Trump headline announces to the world that American politics is a joke

  • TechyDad
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    898 months ago

    For all the “Hunter Biden” cries, the right sure doesn’t care that Ivanka got a lot of money from China (copyright deals that were held up until her father became President) or that Jared got billions from the Saudis for a job he had never done.

    When Trump children use their father’s position to make money, the right says they are just being “smart business folks.” If Hunter Biden so much as sells a glass of lemonade, the Republicans want a Congressional investigation to see if Joe was involved in any way.

    • @Daft_ish@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      We all just need to accept anything the GOP does is not in the interest of the public but only the interest of their party.

      No, holding Trump to account is not something they will do because they will not benefit. No, pointing out their hypocrisy won’t change anything because they aren’t acting in good faith. There is no moral or ethical standard to adhere to because the only objective is to gain more power. In this way they are doomed to consume themselves because the more they consolidate power the fewer people can be in the in group.

    • @PunnyName@lemmy.world
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      88 months ago

      Like being in a family with a narcissistic parent (the GQP), and the Golden Child who can do no wrong (who always breaks every rule).

    • @cricket97@lemmy.world
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      18 months ago

      two things can be true at once. left sweeps bidens shady dealings under the rug, right sweeps trumps shady dealings under the rug. you really can’t deny that hunter biden working at Burisma and the emails showing him promising calls with his father to business associates isn’t sketchy.

      • spaceghotiOP
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        98 months ago

        “Enlightened centrism” once again appears to promote right wing agendas.

        You are seen and recognized.

        • @cricket97@lemmy.world
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          18 months ago

          I’m just a bit sick of everyone pretending like Biden is squeaky clean. You have your own agenda which results in you defending the establishment

          • spaceghotiOP
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            48 months ago

            Zero people have defended Biden. I have myself declared that if it turns out that this is actionable then he should be prosecuted. I will bet you any amount of money that House Republicans and the DOJ will find nothing actionable, just like the last thirty times they launched investigations into Democrats.

            So do us a favor and stop pretending you’re morally outraged. You didn’t give a shit about many public examples of corruption in the Trump administration, you’re not going to bring up his felony indictments, and you won’t admit it when Biden is cleared of any malfeasance. You’re just here to sling mud and pretend “both sides are the same” like a good sower of disinformation. We see you. We know who you are. You will not hear from me again.

            • @cricket97@lemmy.world
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              18 months ago

              You seem a bit too paranoid, I’m just a dude giving my opinion. This whole article is defending Biden. But “no one is defending Biden” give me a break, read the fucking comments of your own post.

      • @frezik@midwest.social
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        48 months ago

        The left that I know would be perfectly happy if Biden went away. By all means, if there’s evidence, convict him. If not, then we can all move on. Those of us who do vote for him only do it because we know what happens when Republicans are in charge, and it’s much worse than Biden.

        • @cricket97@lemmy.world
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          18 months ago

          How is anyone supposed to convict him? Are you seriously arguing that every single crime that has evidence is convicted upon?

          Those of us who do vote for him only do it because we know what happens when Republicans are in charge, and it’s much worse than Biden.

          I accept this view as valid. But what I don’t accept is people flip flopping from this view and defending Biden from substantive criticism.

          https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66368126

          • @frezik@midwest.social
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            38 months ago

            Well, you could start by gathering evidence and presenting it in a court of law. I don’t know why you think that’s an unseemly burden.

      • prole
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        8 months ago

        Hunter Biden is not an elected official! Who cares what he does in his free time? Jesus fucking Christ.

          • prole
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            18 months ago

            Years later and y’all are still desperately grasping at straws. Keep trying, one of these days something will stick for sure!

            Gotta love the open and blatant hypocrisy of Republicans here. The Venn diagram of people who care about Hunter Biden, and people who criticized Trump/Ivanka/Kushner for open influence peddling (including copyrights from China for Ivanka, and literally billions of dollars in unexplained income from the Saudis for Jared) is two separate circles with no overlap.

            Just completely incapable of applying the same standard when the shoe is on the other foot. Actually, a much higher standard.

            Jared Kushner was a government official (even though he shouldn’t have been, for literally this exact reason: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/437292-kushners-security-clearance-was-denied-due-to-concerns-of-foreign/) and we know he mysteriously received billions of dollars from the Saudi government.

            Nobody gave a shit.

          • @frezik@midwest.social
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            8 months ago

            Did you give McDonald’s money in exchange for a burger? You’re guilty of quid pro quo.

            Words have meaning, and quid pro quo is not inherently illegal.

            • @cricket97@lemmy.world
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              18 months ago

              Uhh i’m obviously talking about in the context of politics. I know you think you said something smart but you didn’t.

              • @frezik@midwest.social
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                28 months ago

                And it still doesn’t matter. No matter if you or I think it should be otherwise, bribery laws are quite narrow in this country.

            • @cricket97@lemmy.world
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              18 months ago

              What kind of nonsense pedantry is this? Do you not think it’s wrong to do political favors for those who help out your sons business dealings?

              • prole
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                8 months ago

                Do you not think it’s wrong to do political favors for those who help out your sons business dealings?

                Where is the proof? Been years now, and I’ve seen nothing but Hunter hanging dong.

                The fact that you’re still here arguing the talking points kind of detracts from the whole, “I’m just a normal guy asking questions” bit. If that were at all true, any number of the correct answers provided to you would be more than enough. Yet here you still are, just coincidentally using right wing talking points word for word.

  • BarqsHasBite
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    8 months ago

    It’s always projection.

    Has anything been done about Trump forcing the secret service to stay at his hotels?

  • @Techmaster@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    It’s all part of whataboutism. It’s okay that Trump did it if they can prove (or make everybody believe) that Biden does it too.

  • @Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Conservatives are pathological liars who are not capable of honesty. Every word uttered by a conservative is either dishonesty or manipulation. Every word.

    Never believe the word of a conservative. Never.

  • @gearheart@lemm.ee
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    148 months ago

    Yeah… I’m not sure if this is obvious but it does not matter to right wingers what crimes trump committed. Trump aligns with the right wingers morals. Regardless of the consequences caused to the future it simply not matter to them.

    It’s called malignance. I see many treating right wingers as stupid when their just willfully malignant.

  • iquanyin
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    8 months ago

    guys. he’s a crook. that’s not even in doubt. he had a set price for pardons for christsake. you think he stopped there? his e tire life and fortune was and is thanks to corruption of every kind available to him at whatever level he was at. why would he stop when he hit the bigtime? he didn’t. (obviously, this comment is addressed to those saying otherwise. if that’s not you, congrats on having some common sense.)

  • Sparking
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    128 months ago

    Jared Kushner very openly accepted 2 Billion in Saudi investment the receives 25 million annual fees from, and whose collaborative policy has led to a once in a generation international crisis. It’s very goofy,

  • @cricket97@lemmy.world
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    38 months ago

    I was expecting a much more solid claim based on the headline. Instead it’s “dude buys a bunch of hotel rooms in hopes it would make trump return favors” yet no evidence favors were promised.

      • @cricket97@lemmy.world
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        18 months ago

        He spent it in hopes trump would return the favor. There is no evidence Trump requested it. I hope you keep the same attitude when looking at people who donated to the Clinton foundation.

        • @aesthelete@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          I hope you keep the same attitude when looking at people who donated to the Clinton foundation.

          Objection, irrelevant to the topic at hand.

        • @abraxas@sh.itjust.works
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          8 months ago

          He spent it in hopes trump would return the favor. There is no evidence Trump requested it.

          There is no evidence he spent it in a vain hope without knowledge he was buying something, either. There’s an extremely suspicious money trail, and it should be investigated. There may be a criminal presumption of innocence, but there is at least probable cause of illegal activity here.

          I hope you keep the same attitude when looking at people who donated to the Clinton foundation.

          The Clinton Foundation is a charity. IF there was evidence of the Clintons using it to launder money, it should be investigated as well. You’ve already agreed there’s one side to the quid pro quo here. Nobody in their right mind would think donating to help children or the environment would earn them favors from the Clintons… but laundering dirty money through the rental of unused hotel rooms is actually the plot a crime show and security articles. Spending $1m on hotel rooms you don’t intend to use is a massive red flag on both sides of the equation. I’d go so far as to say that most hotels that became aware that kind of transaction was happening would reject it for liability reasons because it looks too much like a blatant laundering scheme…

          In the typical laundering scheme, you then request a refund and receive it in clean money. When it’s a payment for something, obviously, you receive that something right at the end of the return window, turning the Hotel into an illegal semi-escrow.

          Don’t get me wrong, charities can be used for the illicit transfer of money. But there’s a paper trail for that and inordinate amounts of money needs to go to someone.

          • @Nudding@lemmy.world
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            38 months ago

            most hotels that became aware that kind of transaction was happening would reject it for liability reasons because it looks too much like a blatant laundering scheme…

            This seems obvious to most rational people, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the guy you’re replying to fails to understand this.

          • @cricket97@lemmy.world
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            18 months ago

            There’s an extremely suspicious money trail, and it should be investigated. There may be a criminal presumption of innocence, but there is at least probable cause of illegal activity here.

            The title literally says “Trump is actually guilty” despite there being no evidence he is guilty. Rich guys try to bribe politicians in roundabout ways all the time. I’m not discounting the possibility of it Trump being involved in it but there’s no evidence of it now yet the article is stating that he’s guilty. How is he supposed to prevent someone from buying up all the rooms in his hotels in an attempt to get on his good side? Trump is not involved in the day to day of his business and its not out of the question that he had no idea it was happening until after it happened.

            The Clinton Foundation is a charity. Don’t get me wrong, charities can be used for the illicit transfer of money

            Give me a break. What’s the point of bringing up the fact that it’s a charity if you admit charities are used for this exact purpose all the time. Why do you think the Saudi’s donated 10 figure amounts to the Clinton foundation? Because they believe in its charitable goals?

            • @abraxas@sh.itjust.works
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              48 months ago

              The title literally says “Trump is actually guilty” despite there being no evidence he is guilty

              You’re misusing the word evidence. There is absolutely evidence that he is guilty. Whether it’s enough to prosecute is a question for those closer to the case. But, if you’re going to attack someone on the semantics, you should use your own words correctly.

              Rich guys try to bribe politicians in roundabout ways all the time

              I would say “try to” is an unsubstantiated addition.

              How is he supposed to prevent someone from buying up all the rooms in his hotels in an attempt to get on his good side?

              Simple. If you see a transaction attempt that reeks of criminality, you reject it. If this rich guy had any intention of bribing a politician in roundabout way, there’s no way he went through the effort to hide the transfers so the Trump or the hotel couldn’t tell what was going on. Because then it wouldn’t work.

              Trump is not involved in the day to day of his business and its not out of the question that he had no idea it was happening until after it happened.

              So you will agree the hotel was involved in illicit spending, or are you just trying to muddy the water by separating him from his for-profit businesses?

              Give me a break. What’s the point of bringing up the fact that it’s a charity if you admit charities are used for this exact purpose all the time

              Because I’m an honest person and the only thing I attack is bullshit. You don’t donate money to a charity as a bribe without prearranged quid pro quo because the owners of the charity don’t just get to pocket the donation. This is not true of a hotel that is 100% owned by Trump.

              Why do you think the Saudi’s donated 10 figure amounts to the Clinton foundation?

              Good question. It should be investigated (and was, heavily investigated with no proof of illicit behavior discovered). Unlike the $1M hotel thing, we need to see if any of that money reached Hillary/Bill. We KNOW the $1M hotel bill largely reached Trump’s pockets.

              But take a step back and be honest with me. If I hand you $1M to curry favor, is that the same as if I hand St. Jude’s Hospital $1M to curry favor of someone who works there?

              • prole
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                38 months ago

                Also, all of the stuff about his private business dealings aside, Trump Foundation was also a charity. Emphasis on “was.”

                Anyone know what happened to that charity? I bet it’ll only take one guess…

              • @cricket97@lemmy.world
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                18 months ago

                You’re misusing the word evidence. There is absolutely evidence that he is guilty.

                No there isn’t. There is just evidence that this guy bought some hotel rooms to suck up to trump. Any rich person could do that. Would you say there was evidence of Hunter Biden using his connection to his father to further his business deals?

                Simple. If you see a transaction attempt that reeks of criminality, you reject it. I don’t reject the possibility of it being a pseudo bribe, I just said there is no proof of it. Any random rich guy can buy a bunch of rooms at trumps hotels. I doubt trump is monitoring who buys rooms at his hotels.

                Simple. If you see a transaction attempt that reeks of criminality, you reject it. If this rich guy had any intention of bribing a politician in roundabout way, there’s no way he went through the effort to hide the transfers so the Trump or the hotel couldn’t tell what was going on.

                Oh please, there are much more efficient means of transferring money to someone than buying up all their hotel rooms. Nothing could be more obvious at attempting to bribe than that. I’m not saying this guy didn’t try to bribe trump, there’s just no evidence that it worked. If you have evidence I will change my mind.

                Good question. It should be investigated (and was, heavily investigated with no proof of illicit behavior discovered).

                Do you recognize that there’s a disincentive for government agencies to come out with an indictment on a extremely powerful and politically connected potential presidential candidate. Do you not remember when Clinton wiped her entire email server and played dumb? They investigated that too, and of course laid no charges. If Trump did that, it would be game over for him.

                A donation to a charity controlled by a politician does not need to go into the pocket of said politician in order to be immoral. That money represents power, even if it doesn’t directly line the pockets of Hillary Clinton.

                But take a step back and be honest with me. If I hand you $1M to curry favor, is that the same as if I hand St. Jude’s Hospital $1M to curry favor of someone who works there?

                St Judes is not the same as the Clinton Foundation and you know that.

                • @abraxas@sh.itjust.works
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                  8 months ago

                  You’re misusing the word evidence. There is absolutely evidence that he is guilty.

                  No there isn’t. There is just evidence that this guy bought some hotel rooms to suck up to trump.

                  Suggestion: Look up what “evidence” means as a legal term. The paper trail of the guy buying hotel rooms is evidence that Trump was involved. Doesn’t make Trump guilty. Doesn’t make him innocent either. Evidence isn’t proof, and evidence exists of things we are not yet convinced are true (or that actually aren’t).

                  St Judes is not the same as the Clinton Foundation and you know that.

                  I really don’t know that. The name of the founders on it shouldn’t affect the charity. Except for Trump foundation, but only because he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar and had it taken away.

    • prole
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      128 months ago

      Yeah dude, I will never vote for Hunter Biden.

    • spaceghotiOP
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      48 months ago

      Liar. He wasn’t even in office when the events took place.

      • iquanyin
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        18 months ago

        because the events took place at his inauguration party, your “rebuttal” is hilarious.

        • spaceghotiOP
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          108 months ago

          TIL that Biden was inaugurated in 2018.

          Go away, troll.

        • prole
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          8 months ago

          What office in the US government was Hunter Biden’s inauguration for?

          Bet it still had more people than Trump’s. Even though it didn’t even happen.

    • @frezik@midwest.social
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      8 months ago

      Yes, no, maybe. It’s enough to investigate further.

      Part of the problem is that bribery statues are extremely narrow. Merely getting “access” to a politician happens all the time to representatives from both parties. Biden probably didn’t do anything legally wrong, or even all that out of place in Washington politics.

      It is, however, troubling in a much broader sense than the law as written. Just not in a way any Republican would want to open up, because as soon as they do, literally all of them are guilty.

      • iquanyin
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        28 months ago

        accurate as to how things work, for sure. we allow a lot of legal bribery. why? because concresss wants it, so they passed laws to allow it. their wealthy doners, aka the american oligarchy, want it even more.