Transcription
After days of anemic attendance at Trump's Great American State Fair, this is the new issue that he's now being forced to contend with.
Attention fairers, the event has been postponed. We will reopen at 5 p.m. Please refer to Freedom 250 social for updates. Please proceed to the nearest exit.
Just when they managed to get a few warm-blooded bodies to actually show up, now the fair is being postponed. But while that is actually a responsible move, contrast that with what Trump proposed just days ago.
On July 4th, it's going to be approximately 107 degrees out and I'm going to go and I'm going to make a really long speech just to show that I can do anything. It's going to be 107. Now, Trump knew that it was going to be hot. He himself acknowledged as much. But it really is telling that whether he's being tongue-in-cheek or not, his gut reaction to sweltering temperatures is to say that he's going to hold people hostage so they can hear him say the same thing he said at a thousand other rallies and appearances. So now people can get heatstroke listening to Trump complain about the water pressure in showers and light bulbs not being bright enough or whatever it is he finds so offensive about light bulbs. And look, while Trump of course can't control the temperature in DC, he could make sure that there was AC in the indoor facilities at the fair.
And yet, Megan, you were just over in the medical tent being treated. Tell us about how you're feeling now. I'm fine. But previously, none of these booths have air conditioning. You don't know what happened. But I started seeing stars. Oh, really? And we went to the tent. There's a religious tent because that's the theme for today. And they had a pool. They're baptizing people. Thank God they had the pool. They said, "Do you want to get in?" I go, "Yes, I think I do. I think I want to be baptized. I'm soaking wet." But I went to the medic tent. They took care of me. I still got one of these towels. They filled me with electrolytes, but good in there for sure. Oh, they're wonderful. Absolutely excellent. So, yeah, not exactly taking into account the human beings at this fair.
Just a quick note here to say that if you appreciate my work, which is and always will be 100% free, a small ask is if you could please pre-order my new book, The Day After, which explores how Democrats must finally wield power if they're fortunate enough to get it back. I'll also be on tour in DC, New York, and LA mid July. You can grab tickets to the tour, and you can pre-order the book at the same link, which I'll put on the screen and in the post description of this video. You can also find them at brianttylcohen.com/book. Again, I'll never pay wall a single piece of content, but this is the one time that I'll ask for some support for a book that I really think meets this moment. Thanks so much.
But of course, installing AC would cost money. And any money that goes into the event is money that doesn't go into someone's pocket. And when you consider who's putting this event together, suddenly it begins to make sense. Now, the reason I'm telling you this is not just to make fun of Donald Trump. The reason I'm telling you about it is because Donald Trump's celebration of America's 250th birthday is in many ways a reflection of the Trump administration itself. A bizarre two-bit right-wing circus that is deeply unpopular with the American people. And just like the Trump administration itself, this event is also rife with corruption.
Now, in order to put on this celebration, Trump is using $68 million of taxpayer money. At least some of that money is being paid to a company called Event Strategies Incorporated. It's run by a group of Trump allies, and it's the same company responsible for organizing Trump's Ellipse Rally on January 6. We've talked about them before. We don't know how responsible they are for the 68 million of your tax dollars going towards this event, but so far that money has paid for a janky ferris wheel plagued by power outages, a couple of tents with chairs in them, a teeu version of Trump's planned arch, which appears to be falling apart and seems like it's being held together with a slap dash sealant job, and of course, some bizarre entertainment. half of which seems to just be Trump officials sitting on stage basically filling the time. So, how much of that $68 million actually went to the state fair and how much to Event Strategies Incorporated did they get to keep for themselves? Well, we don't we don't actually know right now. The New York Times reached out to Event Strategies Incorporated who declined to tell them how much money they are being paid. They later said the firm was making a profit of 3.5% on the that payment. Wish we could see what that meant. And the Trumpbacked organization running the event declined to say how much the events thus far have actually cost been to put on in total.
But it actually gets worse because that $68 million in taxpayer money is not the only money going to this event. Trump's organization also solicited donations to help pay for this half-ass celebration. And a new report released today by Congressman Jared Huffman alleges that some of those donors were misled about where their money was actually going.
And this is a recurring theme that Trump takes care of his pals regardless of whether those pals can actually do the work. You might remember another Trump pal named John Kafaro. Now, we found out about another another no bid contract to another firm. This one, according to the New York Times, is tied to one of Donald Trump's neighbors. Greenwater Services was paid $1.7 million to install a water purification system earlier this spring. Funny name. The firm is tied to a man named John J. Carafo. He lives down the road from Mara Lago and was once involved in a very public scandal in the early 2000s when he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bribe a member of Congress. He didn't respond to the New York Times request for comment this time around. Not nor did his firm. When it comes to Donald Trump, he spent his money above board, technically speaking, Carafo has in donations to Trump causes and campaigns dating back at least 10 years, earning him praise from the president who's called him a quote, "Fantastic man, and just maybe a lucrative contract for a job not so well done, maybe." You see, these renovations might offer up a pretext for Trump to pretend that he's beautifying Washington DC, but in reality, he gets to help out his friends who have supported him by heaping taxpayer dollars, our money, onto them in exchange for services that may or may not actually be done correctly. But that's beside the point, because it's not about the work they do. It's about the money they make. When Donald Trump is involved in anything, there is always a grift. That's why the contracts are always no bid because if qualifications were the driver, they wouldn't get the job. But qualifications are never the driver. They are never in the MAGA GOP. It is only about allegiance to one man.
So, I'm sure that tonight a bunch of Trump loyalists will re-enter the shoddy great American state fair to walk around substandards displays and booths and eat overpriced food. But I hope those people realize that this event isn't for them. This is a financial transaction paid to reward Trump's pals for their feelalty to the God King. And we are the ones paying for it.
Before you go, I'm very excited to announce that I've written a new book titled The Day After: How to Wield Power in a PostTrump World. The book explores what is, in my opinion, the single most important theme that we're dealing with in politics today and moving forward. Power. specifically, how Republicans abuse it and how Democrats refuse to wield it. This book explains how we got here and more importantly, how we should finally wield power if we're fortunate enough to get it back. It is the blueprint for progressives who want to do far more than just restore the status quo. Please pre-order today by visiting the link in the episode description or go to brianttylercohen.com/book. You can grab yours from any of the major retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble, or find an independent bookstore closest to you that's also listed on that website. Thanks so much for supporting Independent Media.