Waffle House killer was a sovereign citizen who wanted to meet Donald Trump. Update!

Courtesy of USA Today:

The suspected gunman on the run after riddling a Tennessee Waffle House with bullets dubbed himself a "sovereign citizen," before being arrested in July 2017 outside the White House. 

Travis Reinking, 29, used that term — which the FBI has also used to describe a group of anti-government extremists — during a clash last year with the Secret Service, according to a police report obtained by USA TODAY. 

Reinking told agents he needed to see President Trump and defined himself as sovereign citizen who had a right to inspect the grounds, according to an arrest report by the Metropolitan Police Department in D.C. He was arrested on an unlawful entry charge after refusing to leave the area. 

The FBI has said sovereign citizens "believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or 'sovereign' from the United States." 

The agency has also defined sovereign citizens as "anti-government extremists who claim the federal government is operating outside its jurisdiction and they are therefore not bound by government authority—including the courts, taxing entities, motor vehicle departments, and even law enforcement."

You may remember that Alaska's own domestic terrorist, Schaeffer Cox, also identifies himself as a sovereign citizen.

So you know, they're crazy.

After that incident at the White House the Secret Service actually took Renking's guns away and gave them to his father. A solution that had only one problem.

Courtesy of Newsweek:

Police said the father of suspected Waffle House shooter Travis Reinking handed his son back an AR-15 found at the scene, after it had been seized by authorities in relation to another incident.

That's right, daddy gave his guns back.

After all this is America, right?

There is at least one hero here and that is the young man who actually disarmed this killer bare handed.

What can really stop a bad guy with a gun? A good guy with quick thinking, bravery and the presence of mind to act. James Shaw is truly a hero. https://t.co/M9M2AesueW via @HuffPost

— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) April 23, 2018

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

James Shaw Jr. said he was dining at the restaurant near Nashville with a friend when suspected gunman Travis Reinking, armed with an AR-15, opened fire at people outside and then inside the establishment just before 3:30 a.m. 

Shaw said he jumped behind a nearby door and suffered a minor gunshot wound to his arm in the process. As he waited to see if he would live or die, Reinking’s gun appeared to jam, giving him a chance to charge.

“It was about that time that I made up my mind ― because there was no way to lock that door ― that if it was going to come down to it, he was going to have to work to kill me,” Shaw said at a press conference. “I rushed him and it actually worked out to my favor.” 

Shaw tackled Reinking and grabbed the gun’s barrel with his bare hand, an act that badly burned him in the process. 

Shaw said he didn’t feel the metal’s scorching heat on his skin. Instead, he continued to grip the firearm before tossing it over a counter. He then proceeded to physically remove Reinking out of the restaurant. Reinking disappeared on foot and remained at large as of late Sunday afternoon. 

Thanks to Mr. Shaw's courage there were not more people killed of wounded in this attack.

However it should be noted that if there had been stricter gun laws, or if  Reinking's dad was not such a fucking idiot, Shaw's life would not have been put at risk in the first place.

Getting a gun, especially an AR-15, should not be as easy as buying a pack of gum.

There should be an extensive background check, a waiting period, and then a viable reason given for why you think you need a gun in the first place.

And if the answer given is I hear voices in my head, my bitch of a wife is getting a little mouthy at home, or I am a sovereign citizen and I want to defend myself in case the government comes to take me away, then the answer should be a resounding "NO!"

Update: They finally caught this asshole.

BREAKING: Travis Reinking apprehended moments ago in a wooded area near Old Hickory Blvd & Hobson Pk. pic.twitter.com/00ukga37s6

— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) April 23, 2018

Courtesy of the New York Times:  

The police said Monday that they had arrested a suspect in the killing of four people at a Waffle House in Nashville, ending a wide search that had unnerved one of the largest cities in the South.

About 160 law enforcement officials had been involved in the search for the suspect, Travis Reinking, 29, who officials said used an AR-15 rifle to carry out a rampage at a restaurant southeast of downtown on Sunday morning. 

The police said they arrested Mr. Reinking on Monday afternoon in a wooded area near the apartment complex where he lived, bringing an end to a manhunt that had stretched into its second day.

Well at least that's some good news. 

Man shoots and kills himself outside of White House. Don't get too excited, it wasn't him.

BREAKING: Secret Service personnel are responding to reports of a person who allegedly suffered a self-inflicted gun shot wound along the north fence line of @WhiteHouse.

— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) March 3, 2018

Courtesy of NBC News:  

The Secret Service said Saturday afternoon that it was responding to reports of a man who "allegedly suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound" along the White House's north lawn fence. 

The security agency said that medical personnel had been called to respond to the male victim, but he was declared dead at the scene. His body remained there as of 2:15 p.m, according to the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. 

"The subject approached the vicinity of the North White House fence line and removed a concealed handgun and fired several rounds, none of which appear at this time to have been directed towards the White House," the Secret Service said in a statement. 

The agency said they had identified the shooter but were withholding his name until they could notify next of kin. The Metropolitan Police Department will lead an investigation into the shooting with the support of the Secret Service. 

The agency alerted the public to the incident following reports of a lock down at the White House. They added that there were no other reported injuries relating to the incident.

If you were like me you probably heard this story and for just one second you actually had hope.

But no it wasn't Donald Trump, it was just some poor bastard tired of living in Donald Trump's America.

I think we all know that Donald Trump's life will not end with a bullet, it will end when he reaches down to pick up a Chicken McNugget and the exertion causes his heart to explode.

And for those who may have actually worried about Trump's life, put your mind at ease. He was almost a thousand miles away in Mar-a-Lago avoiding the possibility of having to do his job, as usual.

To be honest I really do not want any harm to befall Donald Trump.

I would much rather have him hale and hearty when they drag him away in handcuffs.

I also think that we should mourn the fact that yet another life has been taken by the very constitutional right that so many conservatives want to convince us exists solely to protect us.

So wait, WHAT almost happened with the nuclear football?

Courtesy of Axios:  

On Thursday Nov. 9, when President Trump and his team visited Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Chief of Staff John Kelly and a U.S. Secret Service agent skirmished with Chinese security officials over the nuclear football. 

I've spoken to five sources familiar with the events. Here's what happened, as they describe it: 

When the U.S. military aide carrying the nuclear football entered the Great Hall, Chinese security officials blocked his entry. (The official who carries the nuclear football is supposed to stay close to the president at all times, along with a doctor.) 

A U.S. official hurried into the adjoining room and told Kelly what was happening. Kelly rushed over and told the U.S. officials to keep walking — "We're moving in," he said — and the Americans all started moving. 

Then there was a commotion. A Chinese security official grabbed Kelly, and Kelly shoved the man’s hand off of his body. Then a U.S. Secret Service agent grabbed the Chinese security official and tackled him to the ground. 

The whole scuffle was over in a flash, and the U.S. officials told about the incident were asked to keep quiet about it. Trump's team followed the normal security procedure to brief the Chinese before their visit to Beijing, according to a person familiar with the trip — but somebody at the Chinese end either didn't get the memo or decided to mess with the Americans anyway.

The article goes on to state that at no time did the Chinese have the nuclear football in their possession, but I do not take a whole lot of comfort in that.

It sounds to me like the Trump Administration barely avoided yet another foreign relations nightmare.

This is what happens when a puppet of the Kremlin fills his cabinet with the modern version of the Keystone Kops.

All I have to say is that we NEVER heard stories like this during the Obama Administration.

Turns out Donald Trump Jr. can't quit his Secret Service detail.

Courtesy of CNN:

Donald Trump Jr.'s Secret Service protection has been reactivated, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. 

The President's son had previously requested his protection be scaled back, seeking more privacy. 

By law, as an immediate family member of President Donald Trump, his son is authorized, but not required, to have protection. 

It is not clear what prompted the move. 

Previously, Trump Jr. had also requested to travel without protection during a family trip in June, which the Secret Service reluctantly approved. 

Two sources who spoke on condition of anonymity previously told CNN that the Secret Service strongly pushed back on his request, but said it was "demanded" by Trump Jr. himself. 

The Secret Service detail has been restored to what it was before, the sources said.

As a taxpayer I really don't want my money going to protect some sniveling trust fund baby who does not even appreciate it.

As far as I'm concerned the douchebag can walk away from his Secret Service protection and take his chances out in the real world.

We should take bets on how long he would last.

My money's on less than a week.

Donald Trump Jr. dismisses his Secret Service detail, wants more privacy.

Courtesy of the New York Times:

Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, has elected to forgo protection by the Secret Service, according to a senior administration official, and another top White House official is losing hers. 

The agency ceased protecting Mr. Trump, who lives in New York City and is an executive at the Trump Organization, last week. Mr. Trump, an avid camper and hunter, was said to be seeking more privacy than he can expect with a contingent of agents accompanying him everywhere. 

It was not immediately clear whether the decision applied to his family; he and his wife, Vanessa, have five children. Mr. Trump could not be reached, and the White House did not return a message seeking comment. 

Now we know that Junior is not going to walk around with no security because he is a high value target for kidnappers, and there are a whole lot of people who hate his daddy.

Which means that he is switching to his father's private security team. 

Folks directly paid by his father to help keep the family secrets.

It is almost like the Trump family has decided to no longer even pretend that they are not guilty anymore.

Also contained in this article, but apparently unrelated (Or is it?), is this tidbit.

Additionally, Kellyanne Conway, a counselor to President Trump, will no longer be covered by agents, according to an administration official briefed on the matter.

Well I am not going to go all Alex Jones with a conspiracy theory here, and I am pleased that our tax dollars will no longer go to protect his harpy, but isn't this all just a little TOO coincidental?

I'm just saying.

Don't feel outraged enough? Well this rundown of Trump family expenses compiled by Newsweek should remedy that.

Who needs to repair roads and build infrastructure when we can spend taxpayer money on these assholes?

Courtesy of Newsweek:  

President Trump's trips to Mar-A-Lago 

Total cost for security in Palm Beach: $3.7 million 
Roundtrip flights from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland to West Palm, Florida: $700,000 
Overtime for local law enforcement during Trump’s trips: $60,000/day 
Total golf cart rentals ordered by the Secret Service "for POTUS visit": $35,185 
Loss to business due to airport closure: -$30,000/weekend 

Keeping the first family in Trump Towers 

Request for additional Secret Service funding to secure Trump Towers: $60 million 
New York Police Department security costs: $127,000-$146,000/day 
"Elevator services" ordered by the Secret Service: $64,000 
Air Force One flights to New York City: $180,000/hour 

The Trump children's trips around the world with Secret Service 

Eric Trump’s hotel costs in Uruguay: $97,830 
Eric Trump’s hotel costs in the U.K. this week: $11,261 
Eric Trump’s limousine services in Dublin: $4,029.85 
Rental ski equipment and clothing for secret service during Ivanka Trump's trip to Aspen: $12,208 
Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump’s hotel costs in Vancouver: $53,155 
Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump’s hotel costs in Dubai: $16,738 

The provided costs don't even include airfare rates for Secret Service agents taking each trek with the Trumps, nor does it include the data on those agents’ salaries and other expenditures taxpayers may be footing the bill for. 

I think we all know that this is really only a fraction of what is being spent on this gold plated white trash family.

So not only is this the worst presidency in American history, by far.

It is also the most expensive presidency in American history, by far. 

I'm confused. Was the "Make America Great Again" slogan supposed to actually be interpreted as "Make America Bankrupt Again?"

Just asking.

Even Tiffany Trump is draining this country dry of funds.

Courtesy of the Daily Mail:

Official government records show three payments were made by the State Department to a car rental agency in Rome on July 18 totaling $117,489.44.

That pales in comparison to the $1,956,949.73 that was spent at the same agency back in May during President Trump's 48-hour trip to Italy.

Two days later Secret Service agents arrived in Portofino to meet Tiffany Trump as she disembarked from a two-week yacht trip on the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Well that certainly helps to explain why the Secret Service is going broke.

Not sure why the Secret Service has to spend so many resources to protect Tiffany Trump.

I don't think that even her father cares enough about her to have any concerns for her welfare. 

And if he does, then let HIM foot the bill for her protection. 

The Secret Service is going broke trying to protect Trump and his family, and keep up with their extravagant lifestyle.

Courtesy of USA Today: 

The Secret Service can no longer pay hundreds of agents it needs to carry out an expanded protective mission – in large part due to the sheer size of President Trump's family and efforts necessary to secure their multiple residences up and down the East Coast. 

Secret Service Director Randolph "Tex'' Alles, in an interview with USA TODAY, said more than 1,000 agents have already hit the federally mandated caps for salary and overtime allowances that were meant to last the entire year. 

The agency has faced a crushing workload since the height of the contentious election season, and it has not relented in the first seven months of the administration. Agents must protect Trump – who has traveled almost every weekend to his properties in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia – and his adult children whose business trips and vacations have taken them across the country and overseas. 

"The president has a large family, and our responsibility is required in law,'' Alles said. "I can't change that. I have no flexibility.'' 

Alles said the service is grappling with an unprecedented number of White House protectees. Under Trump, 42 people have protection, a number that includes 18 members of his family. That's up from 31 during the Obama administration. 

It is not just the large number of Trump family members and associates that is draining resources, it is also the number of locations the Secret Service is expected to cover and the amount of traveling they are required to do.

In response a number of agents are leaving the agency.

And that situation does not appear to be changing anytime soon:

The compensation crunch is so serious that the director has begun discussions with key lawmakers to raise the combined salary and overtime cap for agents, from $160,000 per year to $187,000 for at least the duration of Trump's first term. 

But even if such a proposal was approved, about 130 veteran agents would not be fully compensated for hundreds of hours already amassed, according to the agency. 

"I don't see this changing in the near term,'' Alles said. 

So not only do you have to protect Cheeto Hitler, but you may have to do it on your own time without any hope of compensation. 

I don't know why anybody should be surprised. After all this is EXACTLY how Trump treated contractors that worked for him in the past.

Secret Service vacates Trump Tower over dispute about cost.

Courtesy of WaPo: 

The Secret Service has vacated its command post inside Trump Tower in Manhattan following a dispute between the government and President Trump’s company over the terms of a lease for the space, according to two people familiar with the discussions. 

Previously, the Secret Service had stationed its command post — which houses supervisors and backup agents on standby in case of an emergency — in a Trump Tower unit one floor below the president’s apartment. 

But in early July, the post was relocated to a trailer on the sidewalk, more than 50 floors below, a distance that some security experts worry could hamper the agency that protects the president’s home and family. 

The command post appears unlikely to move anytime soon back inside Trump Tower, where the president and his family have rarely gone since moving to the White House. 

On Thursday, a spokeswoman for the Trump Organization said the government should seek space in another location.

Apparently the brouhaha is over the fact that the Trump folks are charging the taxpayers too goddamn much for the space.

And good for them for standing up for the American taxpayer.

Remember we have already learned that it costs in excess of $300,000 a day to protect this building. 

Personally I would not pay fifty cents toward the protection of Cheeto Hitler and his family.

As far as I'm concerned if the Trump Organization cannot make a better deal on the rent, then Donald Trump can pay private contractors to protect his family and employees.

Trump attorney suggests that Donald Trump Jr. meeting with Russians was not nefarious because Secret Service did not interfere. SS crushes that argument.

So this is the argument put forward by Trump attorney Jay Sekulow on various Sunday news program yesterday.

On its face it is kind of ridiculous since the Secret Service is supposed to protect candidates and their families from physical harm, not stupid choices.

However as it turns out the SS has an even better reason why they did not protect Junior from himself.

Courtesy of The Hill: 

The Secret Service responded on Sunday to President Trump’s personal lawyer Jay Sekulow’s claim that Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Russian lawyer during the campaign would not have happened if the Secret Service had considered it “nefarious.” 

“If this was nefarious, why'd the Secret Service allow these people in?” Sekulow asked on ABC’s “This Week.” 

"The president had Secret Service protection at that point," he said. "That raised a question with me.” However, that protection did not extend to Trump Jr. at the time, according to the Secret Service. 
"Donald Trump, Jr. was not a protectee of the USSS in June, 2016. Thus we would not have screened anyone he was meeting with at that time,” Secret Service spokesman Mason said in a statement to Reuters on Sunday.

So to be clear so far the line of defense for Junior taking this meeting are that Hillary Clinton may have received town hall questions early and the not yet assigned Secret Service agents did not stop the Russians from meeting with Donnie Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort.

This is all like an SNL skit come to life.

Donald Trump claims he is saving taxpayer money by going to New Jersey instead of his home in Trump tower. Talk about fake news.

Rather than causing a big disruption in N.Y.C., I will be working out of my home in Bedminster, N.J. this weekend. Also saves country money!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2017

In what universe does it save money for Trump to have a squad of Secret Service agents travel with him to New Jersey instead of going to Trump Tower where there is already a large contingent of agents on the premises to protect his wife and son?

That make no sense.

Maybe Melania has forbidden him to return to Trump Tower until after he is finished pretending to be the president?

Or maybe he was just trying to avoid seeing this in front of his favorite building.

Protesters gather outside the Intrepid ahead of Trump's arrival https://t.co/KHFZVFhRrg via @YahooNews pic.twitter.com/hbLdfBLM9l

— Steven Wroblewski (@WrobStv) May 5, 2017

Anti-Trump protest on NYC Westside. pic.twitter.com/Bi9PITUHmL

— Miguel Marquez (@miguelmarquez) May 4, 2017

"New York hates you, Donald Trump!" protestors yell around @TrumpTower in response to @realDonaldTrump's presence in NYC today pic.twitter.com/ZhARTcu0dm

— Madina Toure (@madinatoure) May 4, 2017

Hundreds march against Donald Trump ahead of New York visit https://t.co/rqR01Gry67 pic.twitter.com/eonA6Yett2

— The Straits Times (@STcom) May 5, 2017

By the way if Trump REALLY wanted to save taxpayer money perhaps he ought to force his wife and kid to join him in DC, and stop going to Florida every damn weekend.

Donald Trump's constant tweeting is making the Secret Service's job near impossible.

Courtesy of Politico: 

Trump’s free-flowing tweets have invited more threats than his security detail can keep pace to investigate. On top of that, he’s been telegraphing his movements for the bad guys by establishing regular travel patterns in his first 100 days in office. And his very famous family is jetting around the world, draining the resources of a bureau still gasping from the frenzied pace of the 2016 campaign. 

All presidents live in a target-rich environment — agents often talk of mentally-ill people approaching the White House gates making threats against long-gone leaders like Jimmy Carter or Ronald Reagan. But law enforcement experts say the new Republican president has particularly upped his exposure levels through Twitter, with the missives emanating from his phone giving the masses the impression they can correspond directly with Trump. 

“The Twitter thing is creating a lot of hassles,” said Dan Bongino, a former protective detail agent for presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. “It’s generated a tidal wave of threats that the Secret Service can’t ignore.”

I know what most of you are going to say, "Well fuck it then, if he wants to invite those kinds of threats then the Secret Service should just take a long lunch break and let events play out as they will."

However I think we all know they cannot do that, nor deep down would we really want them to.

Nor it seems can anybody pry that damn phone out of Trump's hand, which means that we are left watching millions of taxpayer dollars burned up in trying to keep Trump and his misfit family alive until at least the end of his first term.

That is of course unless one of these many investigations finally comes up the smoking gun to get this POS hauled out of the White House in chains and thrown into prison where he clearly belongs.

One can only hope. 

Here is a breakdown of what it has cost the American taxpayers so far to have Donald Trump as our president.

Courtesy of Yahoo News:  

President Trump's trips to Mar-A-Lago 

Total cost for security in Palm Beach: $3.7 million 

Roundtrip flights from Joint Base Andrews, Mayland to West Palm, Florida: $700,000 

Overtime for local law enforcement during Trump’s trips: $60,000/day 

Total golf cart rentals ordered by the Secret Service "for POTUS visit": $35,185 

Loss to business due to airport closure: -$30,000/weekend 

Keeping the first family in Trump Towers 

Request for additional Secret Service funding to secure Trump Towers: $60 million 

New York Police Department security costs: $127,000-$146,000/day 

"Elevator services" ordered by the Secret Service: $64,000 

Air Force One flights to New York City: $180,000/hour 

The Trump children's trips around the world with Secret Service 

Eric Trump’s hotel costs in Uruguay: $97,830 

Eric Trump’s hotel costs in the U.K. this week: $11,261 

Eric Trump’s limousine services in Dublin: $4,029.85 

Rental ski equipment and clothing for secret service during Ivanka Trump's trip to Aspen: $12,208 

Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump’s hotel costs in Vancouver: $53,155 

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump’s hotel costs in $16,738 

The provided costs don't even include airfare rates for Secret Service agents taking each trek with the Trumps, nor does it include the data on those agents’ salaries and other expenditures taxpayers may be footing the bill for. The budget was expected to naturally increase based on the size of the Trump family as compared to the size of his predecessors, but critics are concerned the billionaire first family hasn’t acknowledged that it's not him paying for his trips, it's the American people.

It is estimated that Trump's trips to Mar-a-Lago alone will cost more than President Obama's entire yearly travel expenses before his first 100 days. 

So I guess this is what Trump was talking about when he said he wanted to Make America Great Again.

Apparently that just meant for him and his family.

It's tax day, have you decided where to file your protest yet?

Courtesy of The Hill:

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend rallies on Saturday that are aimed at pressuring President Trump to release his tax returns. 

The events, which will be held as the tax-filing deadline approaches, are one of a number of protests that have sprung up since Trump’s election, including the women’s march held the day after the inauguration. 

The marches come eight years after Tea Party rallies on President Obama’s first Tax Day in office. 

Trump’s tax returns are a long-running controversy from his presidential campaign. 

In a sharp break with precedent, Trump has refused to release the documents, blaming an audit. But the IRS says that nothing prevents people from releasing their own tax information.

Remember folks our tax dollars are now being used to pay for Trump's extravagant lifestyle, to provide additional security for his Secretary of Education, and to pay for the golf carts used by Trump's Secret Service at Mar-a-Lago.

And all of this is happening for a man who we are not even sure is even paying HIS OWN taxes! #Showyourtaxes

The protests are not just in this country by the way, but will also be taking place in parts of the world as far away as Great Britain and Japan.

The whole world is tired of this orange tinged POS, and we should never stop reminding him of that fact.

Secret Service on verge of collapse under strain of protecting the First Family.

Courtesy of The Independent:  

Protecting Donald Trump's family is putting a major strain on Secret Service agents, a senator from the US leader's Republican Party has claimed. 

"They are flat worn out," Jason Chaffetz told The New York Times, adding that more staff were needed to keep up with the demands. 

The agency has seen staff levels drop to approximately 250 agents and 350 administrative and technical staff, but it currently has around 40 per cent more people under its protection than in previous non-campaign years. 

Mr Trump's wife Melania and son Barron are currently living in New York's Trump Tower and agents have also been required to guard his four adult children and their families. 

The US leader has also requested protection detail for aides like Reince Priebus and Kellyanne Conway. 

As a result, dozens of agents have been temporarily pulled off criminal investigations to serve two-week stints protecting members of the first family.

So the Secret Service cannot conduct in depth criminal investigations because they have to split their forces between Washington, Florida, and New York and also protect the likes of Kellyanne Conway? 

Is this what the deplorables voted for?

You know perhaps the first thing that Donald Trump could do to attack the deficit is to insist that his wife and son join him in the White House, like EVERY OTHER PRESIDENT BEFORE HIM!

But instead he guts the EPA and takes 9.2 billions from education.

This is how Trump makes America great again. 

Newly released Secret Service documents show that Trump's suggestion of a 2nd Amendment solution for Hillary Clinton resulted in numerous threats.

(Threat starts at the 40 second mark.)

Do you remember that from August of 2016?

Did you wonder if any of Trump's supporters actually got fired up enough to make actual threats against Hillary Clinton?

Well wonder no more.

These are today's tweets from journalist Michael Best who specializes in reporting on the intelligence community.

Just got docs from @SecretService on threats against Hillary Clinton, including Trump's comments.

— Michael Best (@NatSecGeek) April 6, 2017

.@SecretService pic.twitter.com/114ufXCAXq

— Michael Best (@NatSecGeek) April 6, 2017

Completely redacted pic.twitter.com/hatu6YSxJG

— Michael Best (@NatSecGeek) April 6, 2017

Secret Service docs indicate they did see threats against Hillary Clinton seemingly as a result of Trump's "2nd Amendment people" comment

— Michael Best (@NatSecGeek) April 6, 2017

DHS' reaction to Trump's "2nd Amendment people" comments: "YIKES!" pic.twitter.com/yEYu5MRGQg

— Michael Best (@NatSecGeek) April 6, 2017

Yikes! Indeed.

Could you even imagine how badly this might have gone?

After all Donald Trump's supporters are some of the angriest, mentally unbalanced crackpots that we have seen since the McCain Palin rallies of 2008.

These are the types of folks who see the solution to just about every problem as a bullet, and all it takes to set them off is a simple traffic incident, neighborhood confrontation, or careless presidential candidate and the next thing you know the air is filled with lead.

And there Donald Trump was, pouring gasoline ALL OVER those burning embers.

#Notmypresident.

(H/T to Politicususa.)

Secret Service requests 60 million more dollars to protect Donald Trump and his family.

Courtesy of the Washington Post: 

The U.S. Secret Service requested $60 million in additional funding for the next year, offering the most precise estimate yet of the escalating costs for travel and protection resulting from the unusually complicated lifestyle of the Trump family, according to internal agency documents reviewed by The Washington Post. 

Nearly half of the additional money, $26.8 million, would pay to protect President Trump’s family and private home in New York’s Trump Tower, the documents show, while $33 million would be spent on travel costs incurred by “the president, vice president and other visiting heads of state.” 

The documents, part of the Secret Service’s request for the fiscal 2018 budget, reflect the costly surprise facing Secret Service agents tasked with guarding the president’s large and far-flung family, accommodating their ambitious travel schedules and fortifying the three-floor Manhattan penthouse where first lady Melania Trump and son Barron live. 

Trump has spent most of his weekends since the inauguration at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, and his sons have traveled the world to promote Trump properties with Secret Service agents in tow.

I know what we are all thinking but let's not make any comments which could be misconstrued as threats on this blog.

Having said that I really think this is money that could be better spent elsewhere.

ANYWHERE in fact. 

Just a video I found of Hillary Clinton being a bad ass while her Secret Service detail tackles a protester.

I had never seen this before, and I found it on this Newsweek story about the Secret Service response to Trump being found unfit to hold office.

So I watched it several times and I was just really struck with how cool and calm Hillary was while this guy is getting taken down by her security staff during a campaign rally.

And that then reminded me of this clip from back in August.

Secret Service agents walk on stage during Hillary Clinton rally https://t.co/Btp1na4Pxt

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) August 4, 2016

Once again she is essentially unflappable.

Now compare both of those to this:

Quite a difference isn't it?

It takes a certain kind of person to be the leader of the free world. And clearly it is a person very unlike Donald Trump.

The Trump presidency costliest in history.

Courtesy of Politico:  

In a letter to New York City's members of Congress, New York Police Department Commissioner James O’Neill said the “unique and unparalleled” challenge of having police and fire officials protect President Donald Trump’s family, home and office for the 75 days between Election Day and Inauguration Day comes to a cost of $25.7 million, down from an earlier estimate of $35 million. 

Going forward, O’Neill said he expects the NYPD to spend between $127,000 and $146,000 per day protecting First Lady Melania Trump and her son, Barron, while they reside in Manhattan, on top of an additional $4.5 million in expenses annually for the Fire Department of New York going forward.

Those costs, O’Neill said in the letter dated Feb. 21, will “increase significantly” whenever the president is in New York City. Trump has not visited New York City since moving into the White House on Jan. 20.

New York is not the only place feeling the burden of financing Trump's expensive presidency.

Courtesy of Pop Sugar: 

During his first month as president, Trump has spent three weekends at what he has dubbed "The Southern White House" — also known as the golf club he owns, Mar-a-Lago. The Washington Post estimates those three trips have cost the federal treasury approximately $10 million — which doesn't include West Palm Beach's municipal costs that the county plans to request federal reimbursement for. 

Comparatively, conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch reported that Obama's administration spent an average of $12.1 million a year for travel. If Trump continues to spend weekends at Mar-a-Lago, he will spend taxpayer's money at a rate exponentially higher than Obama did. On top of the cost to protect Trump while he is in Florida, the federal government also has to foot the bill for protecting him and his family in New York City. 

According to The Guardian, securing Trump Tower has cost the city nearly $500,000 a day — which would total nearly $183 million a year. The Defense Department and Secret Service have also reportedly attempted to rent space in Trump Tower, meaning that taxpayer money might actually line Trump's pockets. Trump's time in New York City could be viewed as a personal trip and compounds the already high expense it costs to protect the president. The Washington Post also reported that Eric Trump's recent business trip to Uruguay cost the government $100,000 in hotel fees. 

And let's not forget that Trump used to constantly complain about how much the Obama presidency was costing the taxpayers.

We pay for Obama's travel so he can fundraise millions so Democrats can run on lies. Then we pay for his golf.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2014

Hypocrisy much?

I do not think it is in any way an exaggeration to suggest that this will be the most expensive presidency in history, and in fact might remain so for decades to come.

And it is simply NOT necessary.

If Trump wanted to he could save the country multiple millions of dollars simply by moving his family to the White House and taking his little excursions to Camp David like just about every president before him.

But he won't. He is used to a certain lifestyle and he has no intentions of changing it.

And let's face it who in his administration would have the guts to call him out over it?

Taxpayers could pay over 3 million dollars annually to house Secret Service in Trump Tower.

Courtesy of the New York Post:  

The Secret Service is in negotiations with the Trump Organization to take over two vacant floors in the gilded 68-story Fifth Avenue tower, law enforcement sources told The Post. 

The federal agency and the NYPD plan to run a 24/7 command post out of the space that would be housed at least 40 floors below Trump’s $90 million penthouse triplex, where wife Melania and their 10-year-old son Barron will continue to reside at least through the spring, sources said.

So we already know that protecting Trump and his family in New York is currently costing over a million dollars a day.  

How much  more will it cost to house these Secret Service agents in the Trump Tower?The lease deal alone could cost more than $3 million a year, based on prevailing rates in the building. 

The Post reported earlier this week that the 17th floor at Trump Tower is available. The floor is currently being marketed in three, 3,000- to 5,000-square-foot parcels at up to $105 per square foot. 

At that rate the federal government would be paying $1.5 million a year for just one floor and double that for two levels of Trump Tower offices.

So not only will Trump refuse to put his financial holdings in a blind trust, because apparently conflict of interest laws don't apply to him, but now taxpayers are expected to directly pay one of his companies to house his security detail?

This guy is actually turning the presidency, which has long been considered the pinnacle of public service, into a crass money making operation.

You know these Trump voters are a special kind of stupid aren't they?