Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
When trump was running in 2024, many supporters claimed that he would keep us out of foreign conflicts, as a rationale for voting in a convicted felon. Now he has bombed Syria, attacked Argentina several times, and is planning a second attack on a near-nuclear power (Iran). The laughable reality of that belief is shattered.
Lower prices, affordability, more jobs, better access to health care, fewer foreign conflicts, helping Main Street...none of it. In fact, the exact opposite. But hey, we can try and portray the resilience of the U.S. economic machine against his onslaught into his doing, with zero substantive support. The words of the uninformed! "I love the uneducated, they believe my bull carp".
"The first Trump tax cut has saved Charles Koch and Koch Industries an estimated $1 to $1.4 billion a year, not even counting tax savings on profits stored offshore and a shrunken estate tax. The second Trump tax cut saved the Kochs even more. They and their affiliated groups spent some $20 million lobbying for the Trump tax cut and $550 million seeking to get Trump elected in 2024. Not a bad return on investment."
"Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, sank a quarter of a billion dollars into getting Trump elected in 2024 and is on the way to spending as much if not more trying to keep the House and Senate under Republican control. What does Musk get out of it? Lower taxes on himself and his businesses, rollbacks of regulations that limit his profits, and federal contracts that make him even richer."
"Trump and his own family have also reaped big rewards by changing the economy’s rules in their favor. By the end of 2025, they had cleared at least $1.2 billion through their crypto investments — whose value has ballooned in large part because of Trump’s decisions to deregulate crypto and encourage its use."
"Earlier this year, a state-controlled United Arab Emirates firm bought $100 million of cryptocurrency issued by World Liberty Financial — essentially a huge deposit for World Liberty, which could then generate returns in the tens of millions of dollars each year."
"Trump’s wealth soared again in mid-December on news that Trump Media & Technology Group, the publicly traded company whose biggest shareholder is Trump, is merging with TAE Technologies, a privately held fusion technology company. The additional wealth was the consequence of more self-dealing by Trump: His Department of Energy had created an Office of Fusion to support the commercialization of fusion."
"The family company of billionaire Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has also been making a bundle off political influence. Lutnick’s company helped raise capital for Toby Neugebauer, a billionaire who’s building one of the giant data centers that will power the next generation of AI, banking millions in fees in the process. Lutnick has also been twisting the arms of American allies and dangling policy favors in exchange for investments in U.S. industrial projects that have given his family’s clients access to foreign capital."
"If we had tough anti-corruption laws preventing such political payoffs and self-dealing, the Kochs, Musks, Trumps, Lutnicks, and other high-rollers wouldn’t get the spoils of their political influence: tax breaks, regulatory rollbacks, and government subsidies that have enlarged their fortunes."
Comments: Whatever happened to free-market capitalism that many Republicans supposedly supported? Why do we tolerate this massive corruption and self-dealing? Perhaps @FD1000 can provide answers to these very important questions?
What an awesome opportunity to engage in genuine debate. Set aside all of the debate fallacies and "politics" and engage in discussion about free-market capitalism in a true pro/con fashion. To look at facts, data, results and form an empirical foundation.
Who thinks that will happen?
Or instead we get WH press release level comments and non sequiturs bordering on science fiction?
I'm pleased to share some good news! Donald J. Trump is utterly powerless in obtaining the release of a Colorado country clerk — a vocal election denier — who schemed to manipulate 2020 election results. We should send her to CECOT or Eswatini to serve her nine-year prison sentence.
"Earlier this year, President Trump pardoned around 1,500 people for their involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. As we near the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, there is one high-profile election denier still behind bars. As White House correspondent Liz Landers reports, there is little Trump can do to get former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters out of prison."
Judge Matthew Barrett at sentencing hearing: "Your lies are well documented and these convictions are serious. I'm convinced you would do it all over again if you could. You are as defiant a defendant as this court has ever seen. You are no hero. You abused your position, and you are a charlatan."
Jena Griswold — Secretary of State, Colorado: "It would set the precedent that that people can attack our elections and potentially disenfranchise Americans without any type of consequences."
"It would also set the precedent that if people break the law and are friends with Donald Trump, they won't face consequences. That's a direct assault to the rule of law in this country and it just cannot stand."
The Republican party claims to be the party of "law and order." I'm curious as to your opinion regarding the rule of law. Do you think it's ok when people are allowed to violate U.S. laws without any repercussions because they are Trump allies? What does the MAGA crowd think about this?
@FD1000 doesn't give a damn about "law and order". As long as he's making his money he's just fine with the outrageous attack on our Capitol, and the pardoning of the attackers.
"As you’ve probably heard by now, Trump is renaming the White House. In all official government documents and correspondence, it will now be called the 'Donald J. Trump White House.' I’m joking, but it’s not really funny. It’s entirely consistent with what he’s done so far."
"On December 22, Trump announced the Navy’s new 'Trump-class' battleship."
"On December 19, his handpicked Kennedy Center board renamed it the 'Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.'"
"Earlier in the month, he renamed the United States Institute of Peace (an independent nonprofit group created by Congress) the 'Donald Trump Institute of Peace.'"
"The giant ballroom Trump is adding to the White House is already called the 'Donald Trump Ballroom' in solicitations to fund it made to billionaires and CEOs."
"Trump is lobbying to have the new Washington Commanders’ stadium (on the site of the old RFK Stadium) named 'the Donald Trump Stadium.'"
Comments: This hopelessly insecure "man" needs constant attention and adulation. His malicious narcissism is boundless! Donald J. Trump's smirks are truly cringeworthy.
Comments
Lower prices, affordability, more jobs, better access to health care, fewer foreign conflicts, helping Main Street...none of it. In fact, the exact opposite. But hey, we can try and portray the resilience of the U.S. economic machine against his onslaught into his doing, with zero substantive support. The words of the uninformed! "I love the uneducated, they believe my bull carp".
a year, not even counting tax savings on profits stored offshore and a shrunken estate tax.
The second Trump tax cut saved the Kochs even more.
They and their affiliated groups spent some $20 million lobbying for the Trump tax cut
and $550 million seeking to get Trump elected in 2024. Not a bad return on investment."
"Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, sank a quarter of a billion dollars into getting Trump
elected in 2024 and is on the way to spending as much if not more trying to keep the House and Senate
under Republican control. What does Musk get out of it? Lower taxes on himself and his businesses,
rollbacks of regulations that limit his profits, and federal contracts that make him even richer."
"Trump and his own family have also reaped big rewards by changing the economy’s rules in their favor.
By the end of 2025, they had cleared at least $1.2 billion through their crypto investments —
whose value has ballooned in large part because of Trump’s decisions to deregulate
crypto and encourage its use."
"Earlier this year, a state-controlled United Arab Emirates firm bought $100 million of cryptocurrency
issued by World Liberty Financial — essentially a huge deposit for World Liberty,
which could then generate returns in the tens of millions of dollars each year."
"Trump’s wealth soared again in mid-December on news that Trump Media & Technology Group,
the publicly traded company whose biggest shareholder is Trump, is merging with TAE Technologies,
a privately held fusion technology company. The additional wealth was the consequence
of more self-dealing by Trump: His Department of Energy had created an Office of
Fusion to support the commercialization of fusion."
"The family company of billionaire Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has also been making
a bundle off political influence. Lutnick’s company helped raise capital for Toby Neugebauer,
a billionaire who’s building one of the giant data centers that will power the next generation of AI,
banking millions in fees in the process. Lutnick has also been twisting the arms
of American allies and dangling policy favors in exchange for investments in U.S.
industrial projects that have given his family’s clients access to foreign capital."
"If we had tough anti-corruption laws preventing such political payoffs and self-dealing, the Kochs, Musks, Trumps, Lutnicks, and other high-rollers wouldn’t get the spoils of their political influence: tax breaks, regulatory rollbacks, and government subsidies that have enlarged their fortunes."
Comments: Whatever happened to free-market capitalism that many Republicans supposedly supported?
Why do we tolerate this massive corruption and self-dealing?
Perhaps @FD1000 can provide answers to these very important questions?
Who thinks that will happen?
Or instead we get WH press release level comments and non sequiturs bordering on science fiction?
Donald J. Trump is utterly powerless in obtaining the release of a Colorado country clerk —
a vocal election denier — who schemed to manipulate 2020 election results.
We should send her to CECOT or Eswatini to serve her nine-year prison sentence.
"Earlier this year, President Trump pardoned around 1,500 people for their involvement in efforts to overturn
the 2020 presidential election. As we near the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, there is one high-profile
election denier still behind bars. As White House correspondent Liz Landers reports,
there is little Trump can do to get former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters out of prison."
Judge Matthew Barrett at sentencing hearing:
"Your lies are well documented and these convictions are serious.
I'm convinced you would do it all over again if you could.
You are as defiant a defendant as this court has ever seen.
You are no hero. You abused your position, and you are a charlatan."
Jena Griswold — Secretary of State, Colorado:
"It would set the precedent that that people can attack our elections
and potentially disenfranchise Americans without any type of consequences."
"It would also set the precedent that if people break the law and are friends
with Donald Trump, they won't face consequences.
That's a direct assault to the rule of law in this country and it just cannot stand."
@FD1000,
The Republican party claims to be the party of "law and order."
I'm curious as to your opinion regarding the rule of law.
Do you think it's ok when people are allowed to violate U.S. laws
without any repercussions because they are Trump allies?
What does the MAGA crowd think about this?
Doesn't offset the pedophile pardoning 1,500 perps who tried to overturn the 2020 election.
But we will try to enjoy the smaller victories for now.
based on a simple calculation, none of these gop supported trump actions made me rich :
cryptoscams, tesla ads, taxpayer funded retribution cases, violent criminal pardons, real estate deals with authoritarian dictators, fisherman strikes, farm and housing immigrant labor deportations, ICE captures of american citizens, neverending nonsense...
In all official government documents and correspondence,
it will now be called the 'Donald J. Trump White House.'
I’m joking, but it’s not really funny. It’s entirely consistent with what he’s done so far."
"On December 22, Trump announced the Navy’s new 'Trump-class' battleship."
"On December 19, his handpicked Kennedy Center board renamed it
the 'Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.'"
"Earlier in the month, he renamed the United States Institute of Peace
(an independent nonprofit group created by Congress) the 'Donald Trump Institute of Peace.'"
"The giant ballroom Trump is adding to the White House is already called the 'Donald Trump Ballroom'
in solicitations to fund it made to billionaires and CEOs."
"Trump is lobbying to have the new Washington Commanders’ stadium
(on the site of the old RFK Stadium) named 'the Donald Trump Stadium.'"
Comments: This hopelessly insecure "man" needs constant attention and adulation.
His malicious narcissism is boundless!
Donald J. Trump's smirks are truly cringeworthy.