#NeverWasMyPresident Donald John Trump and serial
scammer Kevin Trudeau (aka KT, aka
Katie on this blog) are still turds of a feather, actively
grifting not only directly, but also through PACs (in the case of
Trump) or fan clubs (in the case of Trudeau) and various other proxies
(in both cases). And the marks are still eagerly swallowing
whatever these two incorrigible con men toss their way... because
that's how cults work.
In late May of 2023, for instance, NBC News reported that MAGA types were complaining about
having been scammed out of, in some cases, thousands of dollars
when they purchased so-called "Trump Bucks" from various Colorado-based web sites that strongly
insinuated the gaudy merch had the approval of Trump himself.
These bogus bucks, emblazoned with photos of the Cantaloupe
Caligula, were advertised, in the words of the NBC report, as
"a kind of golden ticket that will help propel Trump's 2024
bid and make the 'real patriots' who support him rich when cashed
in."
And MAGAts, being MAGAts, bought it hook, line, and sinker. Some
gave thousands, expecting that somehow their Trump Bucks could
morph into great wealth for them, especially if their idol were
to be reinstated in the Oval Office. Boy, were they shocked when
it dawned on them that they'd been had.
The news reports I've seen on this matter have all taken care to
explain that there is no evidence that the Trump Bucks scamsites
had any connection to either Trump or his reelection campaign.
But isn't there an old saying about absence of evidence not
necessarily meaning evidence of absence? In any case, according
to NBC, a Trump spokesman has so far not responded to emails
seeking comments about the scams. And my guess is that even if
Trump and his toadies were not directly or indirectly involved in
these particular grifts, they were, at the very least, envious,
and no doubt resentful that lesser scammers had so successfully
ripped a page from the Trump playbook (or preybook, as the case
may be).
Because, let's face it, it's not as if the Trump camp is a
stranger to similar sorts of scams. Consider, for example, all of
those various incarnations of "Trump cards" that have
been hawked with Trump's approval over the years,
promising exclusive elite benefits, including and especially a
pretty "membership card," to those who donate
everything they possibly can to the Trump coffers. I wrote about that back in 2019. And here's a more recent look, this one from Business Insider in
April 2022, at a Trump "gold card" grift via his PAC.
A few days after their initial report, NBC reported that the Trump Bucks scamsites had been
taken down or deactivated, the strong
implication being that NBC's harsh light had made the cockroaches
scatter. Maybe, maybe not, but good for NBC for reporting it
anyway. Still, where Trump is concerned, there's always another
grift right around the corner, and I'm not holding out hope that
even MAGAts who've been badly screwed will be any the wiser the
next time around.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, in the realm of lesser but equally
skillful and incorrigible scammers... in case you missed it, a May 10, 2022 piece from the Chicago Sun-Times
reports on a court hearing that revealed serial scammer Kevin
Trudeau's fan club has raised millions of dollars from folks who "admire his teachings" (which,
in all too many cases, is code for "abjectly worship
him").
Lawyers for the FTC say Trudeau has
hidden gold bars and other assets from the government and
raised questions about donors who have made five-figure
donations to support Trudeau’s legal defense and living
expenses — which included a $750 dinner at
Michelin-starred Alinea.
Testifying by remote video from her home in Texas on
Wednesday, fan club co-owner Tonya Canada [speaking of
abject worshipers... ~ CLS], a retired teacher,
testified that she collects $5,000 a month to manage the
club, with the proceeds doled out to Trudeau upon request.
Trudeau “has, probably millions, hundreds of thousands of
fans around the world who love his teachings,” Canada said.
So which is it, Tonya? Millions? Or just
hundreds of thousands?
Federal Trade Commission lawyer Jonathan Cohen said that of the
$3 million raised through the fan club, only a little more than a
million has gone to pay off the big fine that Trudeau still owes
the FTC. Meanwhile, besides spending money on his own
self-indulgences, Trudeau has directed Canada to make $7,500
payments to "volunteers" who help maintain his web
sites, as well as to a woman that Cohen identified as Trudeau's
girlfriend.
Moreover Trudeau was, until recently, selling a "Tesla"
device through the fan club, claiming that it would lower blood
pressure and blood sugar while reducing inflammation and
increasing circulation. These are exactly the types of
"health benefit" claims that Trudeau has been barred by
the court from promoting. But it's a pretty safe bet that
he's going to continue to flout court orders, and then cry big
martyr tears if (when) he gets nabbed again -- and that, like
Trump, he will be able to turn his misfortune into yet another
fundraising op.
Besides, even if the Tesla frauduct is no longer available via
the KT grift machine, that vehicle offers plenty of other
opportunities to throw your money away. In February 2022 I wrote about just a few of the
egregiously overpriced, Trudeau-endorsed frauducts (see under the
subhead, "Frauducts in store").
Lawyer Jonathan Cohen also told the court that several fan club
donors had made multiple five-figure gifts. (Jeez, people! What
the hell do you think you're actually going to get from all of
this? Don't you know that Katie will eventually drop you like a
hot potato when he decides that you're no longer of use to him?
That is, unless you wake up on your own, as some folks of my acquaintance have done within the past couple of years, and you
drop him like a hot potato.)
When Cohen asked Tonya Canada to confirm that the club had done
nothing to determine the source of the funds, she said,
"Right. We just accepted the contributions." And then,
of course, they passed them to the Overlord as he demanded them.
It doesn't appear that the FTC is going to give up on its
years-long search for hidden assets that Trudeau continues to
deny he has. And since he's a serial liar as well as a serial
scammer, I'm guessing that the search is justified. Meanwhile,
Trudeau will continue to sit back and rake in the money,
pretending that he is engaged in serving humanity and fighting
for your freedom as well as his, when the funds are
actually going towards subsidizing $750 dinners at
Michelin-starred restaurants, helping to support Katie's latest "girlfriend," and other necessities
for maintaining his "signature lifestyle."
Call me cruel and unfeeling, but I think that at this point, both
the MAGAts and the Trudopes deserve to lose money.