20020710 Lockergnome Digital Media 07.10.2002 MediaREPORT A BOOK FOR EVERY GEEK: Want to know more about networking? Have you ever wanted to write an e-book? Maybe you need to polish your Web design skills? Get full-length books from the Poor Richard's series, including Poor Richard's E-mail Publishing, by Chris Pirillo, at GnomeTomes.com, for 50% off the suggested retail price of the print versions. Click here to learn more. I'm now twice a published author. Earlier in the week, I released my top 50 Mac OS X tips, which marks the only thing I've ever written that I expect anyone to pay for. If you happen to use OS X, go check them out. My second publication is a PDF only explanation of the process for converting Vinyl LPs to CD, by way of your PC (how's that for alphabet soup). For the time being, you can get it absolutely free, with the caveat that I'd appreciate some feed back on what could be added to make it more useful (I'm considering some screen shots for it if I get some time). What are you waiting for -- get something free already. With the expiration of Lockergnome's old cell phone plan, Lori and I opted to make a switch to Verizon, at the recommendation of Brian Stevens. I'm already happy with the suggestion, as our previous provider had horrid customer service, not to mention I now have a much geekier phone in the form of the Kyocera QCP 6035 Palm powered unit. It's just larger than most Palm devices on the market, but having the device integration is nice. It has all the functionality of a Palm, with some Internet browsing capabilities and of course, phone access. A built in speakerphone actually works better than I expected, Now all I need to do is get more applications installed. Of interest to anyone who signed up for emusic after Chris and I talked the service up and down last week: It seems they've added in the ballpark of 1,000 Universal titles to their roster of offerings. Not surprising considering they're part of the same conglomerate, but still good news in terms of feature expansion. Jake Ludington GnomePRODUCER GIF Movie Gear v3.02 [1129k] W9X/NT/W2K/XP $40 The majority of GIF animation on the Web does absolutely nothing for me. I'm of the mindset that animation is meant to either tell a story or illustrate a concept -- not put something in motion just because you can. That said, for anyone wanting to create animations, this tool makes it nice and easy. A storyboard interface keeps you thinking like a movie maker as you build your animated creations, which lends itself to helping anyone who'd like to get from point A to point B in an orderly fashion. The software supports PSD, JPG, AVI, BMP, and GIF formats, leaving your options open for creating animated segments. GnomeFEATURE Madshrimps Extreme CDROM Testing A little on the childish side, but this CD-Rom drive test is still very funny. Watch as this group rewrites the rules on drive benchmarking. If geek TV were more like this, even non-geeks would tune in to watch (which probably says more than it should about the lowest common denominator). A WMV capable player is required,. GnomeSKIN Modular Orbb XP for S2 Remotes by Travelian Posted on 7/11/02 2:17PM -- [Download] -- [Zoom] -- [Visit DeskMod] GnomeAUDIO Liquid Tension Experiment Unearthed by Jeff Orr Fans of fusion guitar heroes, like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, are going to dig this collection of talented players. Formed from the ashes of now defunct Dream Theater, the current line up is inhabited by some of the most talented "school of music" players currently laboring in the rock genre, this is as highbrow as rock gets. Challenging song structures and interesting time changes will keep your mind stimulated while your ears are tuning in." Now You Can Get Chris Pirillo In Your Mailbox, Too! Computer Power User magazine is for people who know that technology rocks. It�s for people who enjoy wireless gadgets and fast Internet connections. For people who like refreshing commentary from world class computing experts and honest reviews. Does that sound like you? Get your 2 FREE TRIAL issues now! GnomePLUGIN Wallpampered v2.0 [28k] W9X/NT/W2K/XP $5 For Photoshop Set your wallpaper directly from Photoshop. No need to save your work, no need to leave your work area. If you've just edited the picture you dreamed of using as your next wallpaper, this plug-in makes it a snap to get that desktop re-imaged in a matter of clicks. Choose between tiling, centering, or stretching the image to fit the space, with an option for modifying the background color as well. The product is shareware, but you are on your honor to register, as there is no expiration or nagging from the software. GnomeDVD Click for Details Tapeheads (R) 1988 Comedy - 93min Reviewer's Tilt (2) Two out of work rent-a-cops make an attempt to break into the music video industry in this quirky comedy. John Cusack and Tim Robbins make this comedy work, starring as the two security guards as they send up all sorts of Hollywood stereotypes. You can't help but laugh at the ridiculous predicaments these two survive, as they are greeted with cameos by a who's who of music and movie industry names. I'm sure neither Robbins nor Cusack would openly list this movie on a resume, but it is indeed a brilliant performance by both of them, especially as a demonstration of their ability to play off of each other. Although this is a late 80's release (one of the few 80's underground classics I hadn't previously seen), it remains relevant to those out there who are looking to put it to the man. If you've ever hated the recording industry and its in-crowd attitude, you'll love this film. A closing reference to Rene's Courtyard Cafe in Santa Monica, which is a regular stop for me every time I'm in the LA area, prompted me to want to watch the film for a second viewing. The movie is humorous enough for several viewings. Nothing really grabs attention on the DVD, but then again, the studio probably expects no one will buy it anyway. Region 1 Encoding (US and Canada only) Color, Closed Captioned, Widescreen Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 (English) Audio Commentary - Bill Fishman - Director, Michael Nesmith - Executive Producer, Catherine Hardwicke - Production Designer GnomeWALLPAPER A N N I H I L A T I O N for Abstract by prelude Posted on 7/11/02 2:15PM -- [Download] -- [Zoom] -- [Visit DeskMod] Your subscribed e-mail address is: [qqqqqqqqqq-lg@example.com] - To unsubscribe or change your delivery address, please visit the subscription management page. For further information, please refer to the GnomeCREDITS in the sidebar. LOCKERGNOME Geekathon 2002 Latest Windows Daily Latest Digital Media Latest Tech Specialist Latest Penguin Shell Latest Apple Core Latest Web Weekly Latest Bits & Bytes Latest Audio Show The GnomeSHOPPER Microsoft Office Tips PC Productivity Tips Cool Internet Tips Windows 2000 Tips Windows XP Tips Top 50 Fun Sites Must-Know Tech Terms Top 50 Useful Sites Top 75 Tech Sites Top 50 PenguinCORE Top 50 PenguinTWEAKS Recommend Us! Advertise With Us High-Tech Job Search Chat With Gnomies Watch The Webcams Computer Power User Submit Your Opinion Read Past Issues Download X-Setup About Lockergnome Our Privacy Policy View More Options Get Chris's Book General Feedback E-mail the Editor Jake's Blog Our XML / RSS Feed Syndicate Our Tips Link To Lockergnome CLICK HERE TO ZOOM GNOMESPECIALS Manage Your Workgroup Form Pilot Say the Time 5.0 Boomer - Stream Now Create Web/CD catalog Easy Web Editor Kleptomania Tag&Rename Pretty Good Solitaire Visualize Color Combos FirstStop WebSearch Ecobuilder Book Collector Get Listed Here Question: which group is 250,000+ strong and always looking for stuff to make their personal and professional lives run smoother? GNOMEMUSIC Nickelback's Too Hot For Canada Nickelback fans and Camrose Canada may be seeing a special low tech version of the NMC eCharters' Kiss-style stage... Madonna Plays Bond's Foil Yes, music fans, it has been confirmed. Madonna will show up in the next Bond movie, Die Another Day. Reports say... Dixie Chicks- DMB CMT Show Cancelled The much-ballyhooed paring of the Dixie Chicks and the Dave Matthews Band may never see the light of day. Here's... Weezer Singer Goes to Crazy Town Weezer Singer Goes to Crazy Town Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo has lent his fingers to a track off Crazy Town's... The Boss Will Barnstorm Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are hitting the road to support their new album The Rising and it will be a... Not Much Sympathy for Michael The King of Pop's claim that Sony Music is racist and has treated him badly isn't getting him much support in the... GNOMECREDITS ©2002, Lockergnome LLC. ISSN: 1095-3965. All Rights Reserved. Please read our Terms of Service. Our Web site is hosted by DigitalDaze. Domain registered at DNS Central. Search Past Issues:


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IN THIS ISSUE: 01. Readers write 02. Extension search 03. Dumb messages revisited 04. XP Tweak 05. Hardware Diagnostic Tool 06. Training Windows 07. Hold that button 08. Hagai's freeware 09. Online help And Coming Next Week! Make Internet Explorer Faster, More Capable, and Secure! NNT's reviewers called Secure IE great, easy-to-use,awesome, impressive, a total "thumbs up"! Read what they're raving about and get yours at  01. READERS WRITE. A Wisconsin subscriber wrote to express his displeasure with the links contained in Neat Net Tricks. It seems he is bothered by the frequent pop-up ads and he felt that only those sites without the ads should be featured in NNT, particularly in the Premium issue. We replied that pop-ups can be annoying but, while not defending them, we must realize that they are a form of marketing in which the site owner hopes to recover his costs and possibly make a profit. We suggested using a pop-up stopper (there are lots of them on the Web) and ALT F4 will quickly close active pop-up windows. Finally, we pointed out that no publication can guarantee only sites without pop-up ads. As we've often said in the past, the Internet isn't free and never was. Someone has to pay the freight and if those ads are unprofitable, they will cease to exist. 02. EXTENSION SEARCH. Next time a file extension has you puzzled, try the database at information. 03. DUMB MESSAGES REVISITED. Not long ago we mentioned a few dumb messages we see from our computer and invited others to share their favorite "dumbness." A reader frequently gets a banner ad that asks "Do you click on banner ads." She asks, if you don't, how do you click "No" without clicking on the banner ad? Others galled at their computers crashing, then sitting through the Scandisk operation and being reminded "To avoid seeing this screen again, always shut down Windows properly" as if it was their fault. Another reader nominates the download site at for having a really dumb comment. After downloading a Windows update, it says: "How to Get Started -- You don't need to do anything after downloading" and he asks, "what's the point of downloading?" Still another reader nominates the instruction manual for the Windows Internet Information Server (ILS) accessible only when ILS is operating. Thus, the entire section on troubleshooting a nonfunctional installation is inaccessible at precisely the moment one needs to consult it. But judging by the sheer quantity of email, the top dumb instruction has to be the message that "Keyboard not detected, Press (whatever key) to Continue." Keep them coming and we'll do it again in a future issue! 04. XP TWEAK. A recent article reminded readers of the neat things that can be done with TweakUI, but the XP operating system was not supported by the Tweak at that link. Never fear, XP folks, you'll find a whole array of power tools included Tweak - all for XP - at  . . . . . . 1, 400+ Neat Net Tricks tips updated 4 times yearly for the word processing format of your choice, also in ebook format, plus extra features, downloadable and just $20 a year, a bargain (and a nice stocking stuffer for Santa) at  . . . . . 05. HARDWARE DIAGNOSTICS TOOL. Windows98 users have a neat tool at their fingertips without downloading. Click on Start and Run and enter "hwinfo /ui" without quotes. The information displayed is color-coded. Error messages are in red, warnings are in blue. Green denotes registry entries, Configuration Manager information is in brown and file attributes are shown in magenta. 06. TRAINING WINDOWS. One pet peeve is Windows' determination to identify a shortcut icon as "Shortcut to (whatever)" This is pure redundancy, since shortcuts are identified by an arrow. And, with the added verbage of "Short cut to" you can't jump from one icon to another by pressing the first letter (since they would all start with an "s". If you keep removing "Shortcut to," Windows will eventually understand your intent and future shortcuts won't include "Shortcut to". 07. HOLD THAT BUTTON. The site at invites you to hold the mouse key down. Now, before you hastily jump to conclusions that there's nothing more to this site, when you release the button, you are told how you rank in stamina with other button holders. And when I took my turn at the controls, I found that the longest record was a little over six hours, proving once again that some folks need to get a life. 08. HAGAI'S FREEWARE. A baker's dozen (13) freeware programs are at  . They include a bug checker, screen saver loader, clock, shutdown utility, CD autorun, boot editor, menu, counter,icon viewer and editor, and more. 09. ONLINE HELP. Of limited scope, but considering that you can never get enough help with your computer, try . . . . . . Apologies to those readers who were inconvenienced with multiple issues of NNT Issue #137. As luck would have it, Lyris (our mail server) had hardware failure causing some of the repeated distribution. We'd like to tell you that there will never be another problem in future mailings, and if you'll buy that, as the song goes, we have some oceanfront property in Arizona for sale. . . . . . IN NEXT WEEK'S NEAT NET TRICKS PREMIUM: Google is generally accepted as the most popular search engine, but we show you another free download that enhances Google, along with a way to "Google" without a browser. Learn a neat trick with text manipulation, a Winamp plugin that you need if you have a taste for MP3 music, and a slick trick with your cursor. Our Software Pick-Of-The-Issue is a great image manipulator. And our feature is an in-depth tutorial on how to handle Microsoft Words' sometimes weird formatting and styles. All that awaits you if you're a Premium subscriber and it costs just $10 a year for 24 fact-packed issues. Subscribe at the NNT Store, and get on the cutting edge. . . . . . . NNT makes no endorsement or warranty, expressed or implied, with regard to featured products or services. Results may vary based on operating systems and other variables beyond our control. For info on how to subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your address, send a blank email to info-neatnettricks@silver.lyris.net . Comments or questions about your computer and the Internet? Visit the NNT Bulletin Board at . NNT is hosted by Lyris.com, the best in email list management. Copyright 2002 by Jack Teems. All rights reserved. Neat Net Tricks is registered with the U.S. Library of Congress ISSN: 1533-4619. --- You are currently subscribed to neatnettricks as: legit-list-neatnettricks@spamassassin.taint.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-neatnettricks-2424157K@silver.lyris.net


2016 DAILY UPDATE - 5/10/16 ROUNDUP UPDATE DONALD TRUMP ROUNDUP TRUMP MEETS WITH RNC TO PLAN BIG-MONEY STRATEGY: "The fundraising agreement was among the subjects discussed at a Monday meeting at the Republican National Committee's Washington offices between top RNC officials, including chairman Reince Priebus, and senior Trump aides, including campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, senior adviser Paul Manafort and political director Rick Wiley, according to the sources." [Politico, 5/9/16 ] TRUMP ACCEPTING BIG-MONEY DONATIONS HE ONCE SAID CORRUPTED POLITICIANS: "Donald Trump, who has spent months decrying politicians who take big money for their campaigns, now says he will accept money from big-dollar donors for the general election. Trump's team announced last week that he will create a fundraising apparatus that will take big checks from the wealthiest donors to fund a campaign that could cost upward of $1 billion, according to Bloomberg." [Vox, 5/9/16 ] FORMER 'STOP TRUMP' MEGA DONOR STANLEY HUBBARD JOINS PRO-TRUMP SUPER PAC: "Once a big donor to the anti-Trump movement, billionaire broadcasting executive Stanley Hubbard is now backing the presumptive GOP nominee. Hubbard, a prolific giver to Republican candidates and causes, will join the advisory committee of Great America PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC. During the primary, Hubbard cut a $10,000 check to the Our Principles PAC, a group that was devoted to defeating Trump." [Politico, 5/9/16 ] BUT YOU CANNOT SAY MY NAME - GOP ENDORSERS SUPPORT "NOMINEE" NOT "TRUMP": "The trick is not to speak his name. But fortunately for senators in tough, competitive seats, there is another option. You don't have to endorse Trump. You can just support the Nominee of the Party. These are not the same thing at all! They are quite different. The Nominee is everything Trump isn't." [Alexandra Petri, Washington Post, 5/9/16 ] KRUGMAN: "TRULY, DONALD TRUMP KNOWS NOTHING": "Truly, Donald Trump knows nothing... He really is frighteningly uninformed; worse, he doesn't appear to know what he doesn't know... Nobody has a monopoly on wisdom, but in this election, one party has largely cornered the market in raw ignorance." [Paul Krugman, New York Times, 5/9/16 ] TRUMP SAYS LONDON'S NEW MUSLIM MAYOR COULD BE EXCEPTION TO HIS BAN ON MUSLIMS: "'There will always be exceptions,' Mr. Trump said when asked in an interview on Monday how his proposed ban would affect London's mayor, Sadiq Khan. 'I was happy to see that,' Mr. Trump said of Mr. Khan's election. 'I think it's a very good thing, and I hope he does a very good job because frankly that would be very, very good.'" [New York Times, 5/9/16 ] FORMER MEXICAN PRESIDENT VINCENTE FOX BASHES TRUMP IN RANT: "'This is a smart guy who takes advantage of that, the Hugo Chavezs, the Evo Morales, the, so many populists and demagogues that we had in Latin America. The Perons, Evita,' said Fox... 'I'm not gonna pay for that fucking wall and please don't take out the fucking full word,' he said. 'He's crazy. He is crazy.'" [Buzzfeed, 5/9/16 ] FROM PLAYBOY TO PRESIDENT - TRUMP'S FORMER SEX TALK COMES BACK INTO THE FORE: "'You could've gotten her, right?' Stern asked Trump on-air shortly after Princess Diana's death in 1997. 'You could've nailed her.' 'I think I could have,' Trump said. How about singer Mariah Carey? 'Would you bang her?' Stern asked. Trump replied, 'I would do it without hesitation.' Trump's crude talk on-air with Stern between 1990 and 2005 was part of an image the businessman cultivated as a Manhattan playboy who had so many women that he barely had time to sleep. He was often seen at trendy nightclubs with different women, appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine, wrote in his books about all the women chasing him and publicly boasted about his sex life." [Washington Post, 5/10/16 ] BACK TO THE TOP TRUMP DAILY UPDATE The Trump Campaign Refuted Reports About A Planned Trip To Israel, Russia, And Germany After The Republican Convention. "Donald Trump's presidential campaign has denied a report by the Israeli news outlet Maariv that the candidate was planning to visit Israel, Russia and Germany after formally accepting the Republican presidential nomination at the party's convention this July. Despite cancelling a trip to Israel that had been planned for earlier this year, and would have included a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a source close to Trump told Maariv that the candidate had mentioned a post-convention tour overseas in meetings with his advisers. Trump campaign spokewsoman Hope Hicks later told the Washington Examiner that no such trip is being planned." [Washington Examiner, 5/9/16 ] May 2016: Trump Drank Diet Coke During An Interview. "Trump also said his work was so 'all-consuming' that he could not have been the libidinous playboy portrayed in the media. 'People may be surprised that my life is much simpler than they thought,' said Trump, with a Diet Coke in a plastic cup on his desk. 'And they may be surprised that my life is much less glamorous than they thought, including every story about a supermodel.'" [Washington Post, 5/10/16 ] * Trump In 2012: "I Have Never Seen A Thin Person Drinking Diet Coke." [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 10/14/12 ] * Trump In 2012: "The More Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, Etc You Drink, The More Weight You Gain?" [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 10/15/12 ] * 2004: Donald Trump Was Reportedly A Devoted Diet Coke Drinker. "Then how do you explain the way Diet Coke keeps popping up as the celebrity soda of choice? Surely there's some link between success and this caffeinated, chemically sweetened serum... Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig are also reported to be devoted Diet Coke drinkers." [Daily Press, 1/26/04] HEADLINE: "Donald Trump Shares His Opponent-Branding Secrets." [Mark Leibovich, New York Times Magazine, 5/9/16 ] Trump On Giving Nicknames To Opponents: "I Feel It, It's An Instinct." "Get used to 'Crooked Hillary,' for better or worse. That's Donald Trump's comic-book villain name for Hillary Clinton. It's gaining traction on Twitter and in other forums across the virtual schoolyard. Soon it will be chanted at Trump's rallies, painted on posters and deployed as a heckling epithet against the probable Democratic nominee. Trump is confident the name will stick, and he's usually right about these things. 'I feel it, it's an instinct,' Trump told me over the phone. He envisions 'Crooked Hillary' as the latest triumph in a series, after 'Lyin' Ted,' 'Liddle Marco' and 'Low Energy Jeb,' the nicknames that he affixed to his vanquished Republican rivals, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush. Trump has a knack for coining just the right moniker, the perfectly dismissive and catchy thing. 'It works, it flows,' Trump said, admiring his latest work." [Mark Leibovich, New York Times Magazine, 5/9/16 ] Trump Said His Opponents' Nicknames Die Once They Drop Out. "Once an opponent drops out of the race, Trump told me, his or her nickname dies, at least as far as he's concerned. He goes back to using the actual name, although he reserves the right to bring the nickname back if he ever feels disrespected. 'With Jeb, I just said he's a low-energy individual, but I don't mind talking about it now,' Trump said. 'Jeb has said he's not going to the convention. You know, he's just a spoiled guy.'" [Mark Leibovich, New York Times Magazine, 5/9/16 ] Trump Specified The Spellings Of His Opponents' Nicknames Mattered For The Branding Effect: "It Matters As To The Look And Feel And Touch." "Like Trump himself, these monikers have a tabloid-ready directness. They can feel almost old-fashioned, like the professional wrestling shows of days gone by. (When Trump kept calling Rubio 'Little Marco,' I kept thinking of 'Little Louie.') No deep thought or nuance or hand-wringing goes into his coinages, which should come as no surprise. As he has demonstrated with his mastery of Twitter, punchiness is crucial to the Trump playbook. Spelling counts, however. It was important that 'Lyin' Ted' be rendered with an apostrophe (no 'G'), and 'Liddle Marco' with D's. 'It matters,' Trump said of the spellings. 'It matters as to the look and feel and touch.'" [Mark Leibovich, New York Times Magazine, 5/9/16 ] Media HEADLINE: "Trump Gave $150,000 To Charity That CNN Head's Wife Helped Lead." [BuzzFeed, 5/9/16 ] Over The Past Three Years, The Trump Foundation Gave Over $150,000 To Columbia Grammar And Preparatory School. "The personal ties between Donald Trump and Jeff Zucker, the chief executive of CNN, extend beyond the reality TV hit they created together into a far more personal realm: the expensive Manhattan private school where they have both sent children, and where Zucker's wife was until recently a member of the board. Trump's foundation has contributed more than $150,000 over the past three years to the Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School, a nonprofit school on Manhattan's Upper West Side also known as Columbia Prep. Caryn Zucker is listed as a board member for the school in tax documents covering July 2012 through June 2014."[BuzzFeed, 5/9/16 ] * Caryn Zucker, Wife Of CNN Chief Executive Jeff Zucker, Was On The Board Of Columbia Grammar And Preparatory School. "The personal ties between Donald Trump and Jeff Zucker, the chief executive of CNN, extend beyond the reality TV hit they created together into a far more personal realm: the expensive Manhattan private school where they have both sent children, and where Zucker's wife was until recently a member of the board. Trump's foundation has contributed more than $150,000 over the past three years to the Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School, a nonprofit school on Manhattan's Upper West Side also known as Columbia Prep. Caryn Zucker is listed as a board member for the school in tax documents covering July 2012 through June 2014. Zucker has drawn criticism inside and outside of CNN for the cable channel's coverage of Trump, including charges that CNN has turned its platform over to a demagogue and hasn't been sufficiently skeptical of Trump's routine campaign falsehoods. Zucker has brushed off these charges, saying that it's only natural for a political frontrunner to receive outsize attention. Neither party has referred publicly to this family connection." [BuzzFeed, 5/9/16 ] * The Zuckers Were Active Members Of The Columbia Grammar And Preparatory School Community. "The Zuckers are active members of the Columbia Prep community, too, and in addition to Caryn's work on the board, Jeff has made speeches to Columbia Prep students and delivered the school's commencement address in 2013. In November of this past year, as Trump soared in the polls, Zucker gave a talk to high school juniors and seniors with the title 'The Media's Impact on History & History's Impact on the Media.'" [BuzzFeed, 5/9/16 ] * February 2015: Donald And Melania Trump Attended Columbia Grammar And Preparatory School's Annual Benefit And Took Photos With Caryn Zucker. "In February 2015, five months before Trump announced his candidacy, he and his wife, Melania, posed for a photograph with Caryn at the Upper West Side school's annual benefit. In a gallery that was initially posted on the photographer's website, Caryn Zucker was the only person Trump was pictured with other than Melania. (After an inquiry to Columbia Prep from BuzzFeed News, the photograph was removed from the photographer's website.) Trump's foundation donated $50,000 to the school that same day. The program from this year's event, which Trump did not attend, lists him as having contributed several items to the school's auction. It is not clear if the $150,000 listed by the Trump Foundation represents cash gifts or the value that the foundation assigned to the donated items, which as the Washington Post has documented is Trump's preferred mode of giving." [BuzzFeed, 5/9/16 ] Trump Complained That When He Went On Megyn Kelly's Show, "It Was The Worst I've Ever Looked On Television. Maybe She Set Me Up." TRUMP: "I was thinking of ears, or nose, but that's it, but Megyn came up and we had a great talk, and that was it. I'll do her show. In fact, I've done her show and I loved it, other than I didn't like the way I looked. It was the worst I've ever looked on television. Maybe she set me up. Maybe she-- it was the worst I've ever looked on television. To me the look is important. You know, the look is important. Don King, the big boxing promoter, he would say, 'You have the look.' The look. I mean, the look's important. Now we're not supposed to say that, but the look is important, okay? You know there are other people that could say the same words as I'm saying and it's not going to work too well. Look at here, some of these people here, they'll look." [Campaign Rally, Eugene OR, 5/6/16] Trump: "To Me The Look Is Important... Now We're Not Supposed To Say That, But The Look Is Important, Okay? You Know There Are Other People That Could Say The Same Words As I'm Saying And It's Not Going To Work Too Well." TRUMP: "I was thinking of ears, or nose, but that's it, but Megyn came up and we had a great talk, and that was it. I'll do her show. In fact, I've done her show and I loved it, other than I didn't like the way I looked. It was the worst I've ever looked on television. Maybe she set me up. Maybe she-- it was the worst I've ever looked on television. To me the look is important. You know, the look is important. Don King, the big boxing promoter, he would say, 'You have the look.' The look. I mean, the look's important. Now we're not supposed to say that, but the look is important, okay? You know there are other people that could say the same words as I'm saying and it's not going to work too well. Look at here, some of these people here, they'll look." [Campaign Rally, Eugene OR, 5/6/16] HEADLINE: "Trump Biographer: Trump Had Me Remove Unflattering Divorce Details From My Book." [BuzzFeed, 5/9/16 ] Donald Trump Biographer, Robert Slater, Said Trump Coerced Him Into Removing A Detail About His Divorce And Changing The Cover Image Which Trump Thought Made Him Look Fat. "Donald Trump biographer Robert Slater revealed in a 2005 lecture that he removed unflattering details from the book at Trump's request. Slater, who wrote No Such Thing as Over-Exposure: Inside the Life and Celebrity of Donald Trump, said in the talk at the Library of Congress that Trump asked him to remove a detail about his divorce and to change the cover because Trump thought it made him look fat. 'Now, the real hazard of writing a book about Donald Trump, after you remove the threat of the lawsuit, is when he says to you, 'Bob, if I like this book, I'm going to buy a huge number of them,' said Slater, who died in 2014. 'By the way, because we're in whatever company that you're not allowed to use those words, he did not use the word 'huge.' Privately, later I'll tell you what he said.'" [BuzzFeed, 5/9/16 ] Trump Got The Publisher Of A Biography To Show Him The Book In Advance Of Its Release In Return For Trump Agreeing To Make A Large Order Of The Books. "Donald Trump biographer Robert Slater revealed in a 2005 lecture that he removed unflattering details from the book at Trump's request. Slater, who wrote No Such Thing as Over-Exposure: Inside the Life and Celebrity of Donald Trump, said in the talk at the Library of Congress that Trump asked him to remove a detail about his divorce and to change the cover because Trump thought it made him look fat. 'Now, the real hazard of writing a book about Donald Trump, after you remove the threat of the lawsuit, is when he says to you, 'Bob, if I like this book, I'm going to buy a huge number of them,' said Slater, who died in 2014. 'By the way, because we're in whatever company that you're not allowed to use those words, he did not use the word 'huge.' Privately, later I'll tell you what he said.' Slater said his publisher, Pearson, was thrilled with the notion of Trump buying a large amount of books. 'And I took this back to my publisher and I said, 'We have a problem. Donald Trump wants to buy a lot of our books, if he likes it.' The publisher said, 'Oh, that's great. How do we get him to do that?' I said, 'Well, you know, he's not going to buy the books unless he likes the book. And he's not going to know whether he likes the book unless he reads the book. And we're not supposed to do that, are we? Show the book to the subject beforehand.' ' The publisher, Slater said, agreed to show Trump the book in advance of its release." [BuzzFeed, 5/9/16 ] Foreign Workers Politifact: "Trump Did Try To Hire Hundreds Of Foreign Workers At His Mar-A-Lago Resort In Palm Beach." "The bottom line: Trump did try to hire hundreds of foreign workers at his Mar-A-Lago resort in Palm Beach, although it's unclear just how many actually took jobs. The workers also weren't necessarily replacing Americans, but filled temporary jobs locals allegedly couldn't do or didn't want... The charge that Trump hires foreign workers revolves around the club seeking H-2B visas for low-skilled workers such as cooks, wait staff and housekeepers. H-2B visas are legal - Congress has set the cap at 66,000 per year - and its agricultural counterpart is the H-2A visa. Nationwide for both programs, the vast majority of the workers are young Mexican men, although news reports say Trump sought workers from Europe. Employers argue they need these temporary workers to fill jobs Americans don't want, while critics say the workers can be exploited. Since the visas are tied to a particular job, the foreigners can't simply jump ship for a better paying job at another resort, and unlike Americans, they may be reluctant to raise any complaints with their employers." [Politifact, 5/6/16 ] Since 2010, Trump's Mar-A-Lago Club Only Hired 17 Of 300 U.S. Resident Applicants While Seeking Over 500 Visas For Foreign Workers. "Since 2010, nearly 300 U.S. residents applied or were referred for jobs at Mar-A-Lago, but only 17 were hired, the New York Times reported. Meanwhile, Mar-A-Lago sought more than 500 visas for foreign workers. (The visas were also sought at some of his other properties.) We don't know how many people actually used the visas and became employees. A spokesman for the State Department said that information is kept confidential. To obtain the visas, businesses must prove they tried but couldn't fill positions with Americans or legal residents. According to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the resort posted jobs through CareerSource Florida, the local workforce development boards throughout the state. A U.S. Labor Department spokesman told PolitiFact Florida that 93 people applied for 250 seasonal job openings. Four were hired, while 79 didn't answer interview requests or turned down jobs (10 applications were classified with unknown status). Documents the resort later filed with the Labor Department showed that many of the American applicants weren't hired because they didn't meet requirements. Some applicants didn't want to work split shifts, or didn't have enough experience. Many wanted full-time jobs instead of part time, or didn't respond when the resort contacted them. One applicant said they only were applying as a prerequisite to continue getting unemployment. After that process, the Labor Department certified 685 H-2B visas for the Mar-A-Lago Club between 2008 and 2015. News reports suggested Mar-A-Lago did the bare minimum to meet legal requirements to try to recruit U.S. workers. For example, CNN wrote that job openings were placed in a local newspaper with small circulation for just two days rather than a larger newspaper." [Politifact, 5/6/16 ] Republican Party Speaker Paul Ryan Said He Was Willing To Step Down As Chairman Of The Republican National Convention If Trump Requested. "Facing a steep challenge as he prepares to meet with Republican leaders about uniting their splintering party, Donald J. Trump on Monday struck a more conciliatory tone about House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, disavowing an ally's call for a primary challenge against Mr. Ryan. Mr. Ryan responded by saying he would step down from his position as chairman of the Republican National Convention in July if that is what the party's presumptive nominee requests. After Mr. Ryan, the nation's highest-ranking elected Republican, said last week that he was 'not ready' to endorse Mr. Trump for president, Mr. Trump on Sunday refused to rule out blocking Mr. Ryan from the convention role. Also on Sunday, one of Mr. Trump's top supporters, the former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, called for a primary challenge against Mr. Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin. But by Monday, both Mr. Trump and Mr. Ryan appeared to be backing away slightly from confrontation. Mr. Trump disavowed any hand in Ms. Palin's remarks in a morning interview on CNN with Chris Cuomo. 'She's a terrific person, but she's very much a free agent and I didn't know about this until yesterday,' Mr. Trump said. 'I guess she's been fighting, or she's endorsing somebody that's running against Paul Ryan, and I didn't know about it until yesterday when I read about it.' For his part, Mr. Ryan told a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist, Christian Schneider, 'I'll do whatever he asks me to do,' referring to Mr. Trump. A spokesman for Mr. Ryan, Brendan Buck, said he understood Mr. Schneider's report to be accurate." [New York Times, 5/9/16 ] Paul Ryan Was Conciliatory Toward Trump And Said A Third-Party Candidacy To Challenge Trump "Would Be A Disaster For Our Party." "Voters in West Virginia and Nebraska will vote in primaries Tuesday. And on Thursday, Trump will meet on Capitol Hill with Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has offered his guarded support, and other GOP leaders in the House and Senate. Ahead of the meeting, Ryan struck a conciliatory tone in interviews with home-state reporters Monday, while defending his stunning decision to refuse to back Trump. Ryan denounced the idea of any Republican launching a third-party or independent candidacy to challenge Trump, telling the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel it 'would be a disaster for our party.' And Ryan said he'd step aside from the House speaker's traditional role as chairman of the Republican National Convention if Trump wants him to, a scenario that Trump left open over the weekend. 'He's the nominee. I'll do whatever he wants in respect to the convention,' Ryan said, insisting that the party must strive to unify, and Trump must lead the effort. Trump himself shrugged off the need for unity. 'I think this is a time for unity. And if there's not going to be unity, I think that's OK, too,' Trump said on Fox Business Network. 'I mean, I'll go out and I think I'll do very well. I think I'm going to win the race either way.' But Ryan's reluctance seemed to embolden others to withhold their support." [Associated Press, 5/10/16 ] HEADLINE: "Congressional Republicans Grapple With New Trump Reality." [Associated Press, 5/10/16 ] Many Republicans In Congress Who Were Facing Re-Election Fights Feared Trump Could Prove A Drag On Their Re-Election Chances. "Congressional Republicans are returning to Capitol Hill to confront an awkward new reality: Donald Trump is their presumptive presidential nominee, but instead of uniting behind him, leading figures like House Speaker Paul Ryan are withholding their support. That highly unusual state of affairs is creating a tricky situation for Republicans in the House and Senate, some of whom fear Trump could prove a drag on their own re-election chances in a year when the GOP is fighting to hang onto its slim Senate majority. 'He's our nominee and there's no reason for me not to be happy about it,' asserted South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who is up for re-election. Asked if he could say he's endorsing Trump, Scott replied: 'I can say that that's a ridiculous question. Obviously if I'm endorsing the nominee I'm endorsing the candidate, right?' Yet the question might not be so ridiculous in an election year where the GOP has been set against itself, perhaps irrevocably, by a divisive billionaire who spent years as a registered Democrat and has managed to insult women, Hispanics, disabled people and others. Many leading Republicans can bring themselves to support Trump only reluctantly, if at all. And that posture is irritating to others in the party who insist that it's time for the GOP to get behind Trump and start preparing for a likely contest against Democrat Hillary Clinton in November." [Associated Press, 5/10/16 ] Republican Platform Anti-Trump Conservatives Planned To Prevent Trump From Reshaping The Republican Platform To Include Abortion Exceptions And Reversing Party Orthodoxy On Free Trade. "Many Trump opponents see the Republican platform, the party's statement of ideals and policy goals, as a place for a stand in Cleveland. The convention's 2,472 delegates must approve the platform before formally anointing the presidential nominee. All - including those chosen to support Trump - can vote however they want on the platform. Many conservatives say they will use that vote to keep Trump from reshaping GOP dogma against abortion, for free trade and on other issues. While it seems likely Trump would prevail, a showdown could be an embarrassment he'd seek to avoid by not pushing divisive changes. 'If the party walks away from any of its clearly cut social, family values issues, it will be an issue,' said Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council and GOP delegate from Louisiana. 'We're not just going to fall in line because he's the nominee.' Trump has said he would seek to include exceptions for rape and incest to the GOP platform's opposition to abortion. He's also flouted the party platform by repeatedly criticizing trade deals and calling NATO obsolete. 'We'd want to make sure the platform is protected from Donald Trump,' said Rory Cooper, senior adviser for the Never Trump political committee." [Associated Press, 5/9/16 ] Family Research Council President, Tony Perkins: "If The Party Walks Away From Any Of Its Clearly Cut Social, Family Values Issues, It Will Be An Issue... We're Not Just Going To Fall In Line Because [Trump]'s The Nominee." "Many conservatives say they will use that vote to keep Trump from reshaping GOP dogma against abortion, for free trade and on other issues. While it seems likely Trump would prevail, a showdown could be an embarrassment he'd seek to avoid by not pushing divisive changes. 'If the party walks away from any of its clearly cut social, family values issues, it will be an issue,' said Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council and GOP delegate from Louisiana. 'We're not just going to fall in line because he's the nominee.' Trump has said he would seek to include exceptions for rape and incest to the GOP platform's opposition to abortion. He's also flouted the party platform by repeatedly criticizing trade deals and calling NATO obsolete. 'We'd want to make sure the platform is protected from Donald Trump,' said Rory Cooper, senior adviser for the Never Trump political committee." [Associated Press, 5/9/16 ] Running Mate HEADLINE: "Trump Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski Will Oversee The Vice-Presidential Search." [Washington Post, 5/10/16 ] Trump Campaign Manager, Corey Lewandowski, Led The Team To Vet Potential Vice-Presidential Candidates. "Lewandowski, Trump's traveling confidant and campaign manager, will be in charge of the team that will survey and vet potential vice-presidential candidates for the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, two top Republicans said. The two Republicans familiar with Lewandowski's responsibilities spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss their private conversations with the Trump campaign, which is planning to ramp up the vice-presidential search in the coming weeks. Lewandowski formally took charge of the hunt for a running mate last week and has since been described inside and outside of the campaign as the point person for all related questions and meetings, the Republicans said. For the moment, he is coordinating the list of possibilities and conversing with key party figures but will soon involve a larger group of Trump allies and staff members who will contribute to the secretive selection process, they added." [Washington Post, 5/10/16 ] 5/9/16: Marco Rubio Issued A Statement Saying He Was Not Interested In Being Donald Trump's Running Mate. "Ever confident, Trump announced that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a former foe but now an enthusiastic supporter, would head his transition team as he heads for the White House if he wins the election. Another former opponent, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who's been mentioned by Trump as a potential vice presidential pick, issued a statement saying he wasn't interested because Trump 'will be best served by a running mate and by surrogates who fully embrace his campaign.'"[Associated Press, 5/10/16 ] HEADLINE: "Evangelicals Raise Hell Over Trump's VP Search." [Politico, 5/10/16 ] Support For Trump By Conservative Evangelical Groups Hinged On His Choice Of Running Mate. "Donald Trump's primary run left him with few friends among evangelical leaders, who are now weighing sitting out the general election entirely. But there is one way, they say, to win them back: picking a vice presidential candidate socially conservative enough to compensate for Trump's many heresies. Several of the country's top socially conservative leaders, from Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council to Penny Nance of Concerned Women for America, said Trump's choice of running mate would be among the most important factors in deciding whether to activate their extensive grass-roots networks on on the real-estate billionaire's behalf." [Politico, 5/10/16 ] Evangelical Leaders Said Withholding Their Full Support For Trump Make It Difficult For Him To Win In The General Election. "Certainly, the extent to which Trump needs support from evangelical leaders to win over evangelical voters remains an open question. In the Republican primaries, Trump demonstrated an ability to perform with just about every Republican constituency, beating out Ted Cruz, for example, for the evangelical vote in South Carolina even though Cruz had support from many of the most prominent evangelical leaders in both the state and the country. But in a general election matchup that Trump begins, according to most polls, well behind Clinton, he needs every element of the usual Republican base to turn out. That includes very religious evangelical voters, plenty of whom also tend to be active Republican volunteers - and that subset of the conservative vote has long been hostile to Trump. 'The evangelical activists, those who attend church regularly, were always Trump's weakness,' said Chris Wilson, who headed research and analytics for the Cruz campaign. 'Those are the voters Trump had and continues to have the highest negatives with. It's going to be very difficult to get them excited about his campaign in the fall. No question those make up a core part of any winning Republican coalition.' The movement's leaders are confident that their endorsements and their networks still matter." [Politico, 5/10/16 ] Trump On His Potential Running Mate: "I Don't Care. Whether People Support Or Endorse Me Or Not, It Makes Zero Influence On The Voters. Historically, People Don't Vote Based On Who Is Vice President." "Asked if he was surprised about the array of Republicans who are uncomfortable being his running mate, Mr. Trump said: 'I don't care. Whether people support or endorse me or not, it makes zero influence on the voters. Historically, people don't vote based on who is vice president. I want someone who can help me govern.'" [New York Times, 4/30/16 ] Campaign Staff Trump Hired John Mashburn As Policy Director. "For example, John Mashburn, a former chief of staff to Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C), just started with the Trump campaign as policy director, joining longtime Sessions aide Stephen Miller, another senior policy adviser." [Politico, 5/9/16 ] * John Mashburn Formerly Worked For Senators Thom Tillis, Jesse Helms, And Trent Lott. "Now the presumptive GOP presidential candidate, Donald Trump is moving fast to shore up his support among conservatives, making pro-life advocates his first target with the hiring of a policy director well known and admired in the anti-abortion movement. According to those groups, Trump hired long-time conservative congressional aide John Mashburn, who has advised noted pro-life lawmakers including the late Sen. Jesse Helms, former Senate Republican leader Trent Lott and current North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis." [Washington Examiner, 5/5/16 ] Campaign Finance HEADLINE: "Trump Aides Huddle With RNC To Plot Big-Money Strategy." [Politico, 5/10/16 ] Trump Campaign Senior Aides Met With RNC Officials About A Joint Fundraising Agreement And National Committee Resources. "Donald Trump's campaign is hashing out the details of an agreement with Republican Party leaders that could allow the presumptive GOP presidential nominee to raise six-figure checks for his presidential campaign, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations tell POLITICO. The fundraising agreement was among the subjects discussed at a Monday meeting at the Republican National Committee's Washington offices between top RNC officials, including chairman Reince Priebus, and senior Trump aides, including campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, senior adviser Paul Manafort and political director Rick Wiley, according to the sources. The talks represent the first formal steps towards a merger between the official apparatus of the Republican Party and a candidate who many party leaders scorned until recently, and about whom there remains deep leeriness in some Republican quarters." [Politico, 5/10/16 ] The Currently Planned Joint Fundraising Agreement Between The RNC And Trump Campaign Included Between Four And 12 State Committees. "Early in the election cycle, the talk among GOP state party officials was of a joint fundraising committee that could include all 50 states and six territories, allowing maximum donations of about $1 million per person, according to one state party chairman. But those talks quieted as Trump's surprising rise threw the GOP primary into chaos, said the chairman. Sources with knowledge of the RNC's current plans said its joint fundraising arrangement would include between four and 12 state committees, which could allow the committee to accept checks ranging from $78,800 and $158,000. The joint committee could help Trump's campaign as well as the RNC, which has struggled to keep its finances intact. The committee ended March with just $16 million on hand and nearly $2 million in outstanding debt. Taken together, the bank account is a fraction of where the committee had been at similar points in 2008 and 2012. Many Republican state party chairs, who depend on the RNC to fund a get-out-the-vote program, are anxious to see Trump and the committee form an agreement." [Politico, 5/10/16 ] Trump Planned To Host A Roundtable Fundraising Event With Chris Christie To Benefit The New Jersey Republican Party. "Trump has already agreed to appear next week at a $25,000 per-plate fundraiser to benefit the New Jersey Republican Party, just days after the New York billionaire tapped Gov. Chris Christie to run his presidential transition. The May 19 event is being billed as a 'roundtable' with Christie and Trump, and will be held at the Lawrenceville National Guard Armory, according to an invitation obtained by POLITICO. Just 12 people will be permitted to attend the roundtable, according to a note sent with the invitation." [Politico, 5/10/16 ] HEADLINE: "Donald Trump, In Switch, Turns To Republican Party For Fund-Raising Help." [New York Times, 5/9/16 ] New York Times: "Trump Has No Fund-Raising Apparatus To Resort To, No Network Of Prolific Bundlers To Call Upon, And Little Known Experience With The Type Of Marathon, One-On-One Serial Salesmanship And Solicitousness That Raising So Much Money Is Likely To Require." "Mr. Trump, who by the end of March had spent around $40 million of his fortune on the primaries, has said that he may need as much as $1.5 billion for the fall campaign, but that he will seek to raise it from donors rather than continue to self-finance. But Mr. Trump has no fund-raising apparatus to resort to, no network of prolific bundlers to call upon, and little known experience with the type of marathon, one-on-one serial salesmanship and solicitousness that raising so much money is likely to require - even if individuals can contribute up to the current limit of $334,000 at a time to the party. And he has to do it all in six months, with a deeply divided party that is still absorbing the fact that Mr. Trump is its standard-bearer." [New York Times, 5/9/16 ] The Trump Campaign And Republican National Committee Needed To Rapidly Increase Their Fundraising Given Trump's Late Start And The Likelihood Of Allied Outside Groups Sitting Out The Election. "While Mr. Trump's continued feud with the Republican establishment was likely to cheer his supporters, his intense need for money to run his general election campaign suggests the degree to which he will rely heavily on the party's existing infrastructure. Underscoring the urgency with which Mr. Trump and Republicans will need to increase their fund-raising, some of the party's allies who spent enormous sums in the 2012 election now appear likely to stay on the sidelines in the presidential race - including the vast Koch brothers network, which had pledged to spend nearly $900 million in 2016. Mark Holden, chairman of the Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, one of the Koch network's main umbrella groups, signaled that it would require a significant change in tactics by Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, for his group to open the spigot." [New York Times, 5/9/16 ] Trump Predicted He Would Raise $1 Billion For The General Election: "As Soon As There's Unity" Fundraising Is "Going To Very Easy To Do." "Republican Party officials have pressed Mr. Trump to sign a joint fund-raising agreement, which would allow him to raise money for the national committee and for his own campaign simultaneously. That, in turn, would also give Mr. Trump a defensible answer for why, after months of railing against Wall Street executives and special interests, he recently turned to a former Goldman Sachs executive, Steven Mnuchin, to corral large checks for his campaign. Both Mr. Trump's aides and party officials were caught by surprise by the abrupt end of the primary contest last week, when Mr. Trump carried Indiana, prompting Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Gov. John Kasich of Ohio to withdraw from the race. But the two sides have hurried to wrap up a joint fund-raising agreement, and one is close to being signed, according to people close to the national committee who were not authorized to speak publicly. 'As soon as there's unity, it's going to be very easy to do,' Mr. Trump said in an interview Monday, adding that he still planned to write checks for his campaign. 'I think we'll raise $1 billion,' he said. Under a joint fund-raising agreement, Mr. Trump and the party would most likely be able to raise even more than the current individual limit. But such efforts are difficult and take time: While the limits were lower in 2012, Mitt Romney raised less than $500 million under such an agreement that year, using a donor network that had taken years to develop." [New York Times, 5/9/16 ] HEADLINE: "Anthony Scaramucci, A Top Republican Fundraiser, Signs On With Trump Campaign." [Washington Post, 5/9/16 ] Anthony Scaramucci Was The First Traditional Republican Bundler To Sign On To Trump's National Finance Committee. "Anthony Scaramucci, a high-profile New York investor and a leading fundraiser on several past Republican presidential campaigns, said Monday that he has signed on to join Donald Trump's nascent national finance committee. Scaramucci becomes one of the first traditional Republican bundlers to join the Trump campaign and commit to raising money for the party's presumptive nominee, who is struggling to unite the fractured party for the general election. Scaramucci said he met with Trump last week at the candidate's New York office. 'I am on board and will support and raise money for him,' he said. 'I will do whatever I can to support our Republican nominee.' Scaramucci previously served as a national finance co-chairman for Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign and for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's 2016 campaign. Soon after Walker dropped out in the fall, he signed on with Jeb Bush's campaign, joining the former Florida governor's national finance committee." [Washington Post, 5/9/16 ] 2012: Scaramucci Was National Finance Co-Chair For Mitt Romney. "Scaramucci previously served as a national finance co-chairman for Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign and for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's 2016 campaign. Soon after Walker dropped out in the fall, he signed on with Jeb Bush's campaign, joining the former Florida governor's national finance committee." [Washington Post, 5/9/16 ] Stanley Hubbard, Who Formerly Was A Big Donor To The Anti-Trump Movement, Said He Would Support Trump. "Once a big donor to the anti-Trump movement, billionaire broadcasting executive Stanley Hubbard is now backing the presumptive GOP nominee. Hubbard, a prolific giver to Republican candidates and causes, will join the advisory committee of Great America PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC. During the primary, Hubbard cut a $10,000 check to the Our Principles PAC, a group that was devoted to defeating Trump. In an interview on Monday, Hubbard said he was still no fan of Trump, but he said that he viewed him as a better choice than Hillary Clinton. And he called on the party's donor class, much of which remains deeply skeptical of Trump, to get on board. 'All of my favorite candidates dropped out one by one. We're down to my least favorite candidate. And my least favorite candidate is better than Hillary Clinton in terms of what's best for the country,' said Hubbard. 'I'm very happy to get behind Mr. Trump. He's our best hope at this time,' said Hubbard, who over the years has been a major funder of the Karl Rove-founded American Crossroads. 'He's our candidate. There's no point in crying about it.'" [Politico, 5/9/16 ] Stanley Hubbard On Backing Trump: "All Of My Favorite Candidates Dropped Out One By One. We're Down To My Least Favorite Candidate... He's Our Candidate. There's No Point In Crying About It." "In an interview on Monday, Hubbard said he was still no fan of Trump, but he said that he viewed him as a better choice than Hillary Clinton. And he called on the party's donor class, much of which remains deeply skeptical of Trump, to get on board. 'All of my favorite candidates dropped out one by one. We're down to my least favorite candidate. And my least favorite candidate is better than Hillary Clinton in terms of what's best for the country,' said Hubbard. 'I'm very happy to get behind Mr. Trump. He's our best hope at this time,' said Hubbard, who over the years has been a major funder of the Karl Rove-founded American Crossroads. 'He's our candidate. There's no point in crying about it.'" [Politico, 5/9/16 ] HEADLINE: "Donald Trump's Pick For Fund-Raiser Is Rife With Contradictions." [New York Times, 5/9/16 ] Trump Finance Director, Steven Mnuchin, Formerly Worked For Institutions Trump Has Attacked, Including Goldman Sachs And A Firm Funded By George Soros. "Wall Street has been agog since last Thursday, when Donald Trump announced that Steven Mnuchin - who made his fortune at Goldman Sachs, worked for a firm funded by George Soros, and donated to Hillary Clinton - would be responsible for helping him raise $1 billion for Republicans and his own campaign. For if Mr. Trump is an unconventional political candidate, his appointment of Mr. Mnuchin as his national finance chairman is the epitome of just how unconventional this election has become. Despite what Mr. Mnuchin said was a personal friendship of 15 years, Mr. Trump has attacked both Mr. Mnuchin's investment company - suing it in 2008 over a building deal - as well as Goldman Sachs, the Democratic Party and other institutions Mr. Mnuchin has supported." [New York Times, 5/9/16 ] Trump Finance Director Mnuchin: "I Don't Think It's True" That Goldman Sachs Refuses To Work With Donald Trump. "The job could be considered high-risk for someone who hasn't lived in the glare of the public eye - and for someone backing as controversial a figure as Mr. Trump. With the exception of a handful of financiers like Carl Icahn, few big names on Wall Street have yet endorsed Mr. Trump. Indeed, many of the nation's largest banks - including Goldman Sachs - haven't done business with Mr. Trump in years. Among the lenders on Mr. Trump's disclosure form, only Merrill Lynch, among the country's largest lenders, is listed for a loan made in 1993 and 1994. Since then, smaller banks or foreign institutions like UBS and Deutsche Bank are listed as his biggest lenders. According to former Goldman Sachs executives, the firm doesn't solicit business from Mr. Trump and has declined at least one project; a spokesman for the firm declined to comment. Mr. Mnuchin said, 'I don't think it is true' that Goldman refuses to work with Mr. Trump. He added: 'There is a long, long list of some of the largest banks in the country that have done business with him. He has had no problem finding people who want to lend to his businesses.'" [New York Times, 5/9/16 ] 2008: Trump Sued Mnuchin's Firm, Dune Capital, To Extend The Terms Of Loan For Trump International Hotel & Tower In Chicago. "One of the lenders that have extended credit to Mr. Trump is Mr. Mnuchin's Dune Capital. Dune was among a syndicate of lenders led by Deutsche Bank for the construction of his Trump International Hotel & Tower, a 92-story skyscraper in Chicago. Mr. Trump sued the lenders, including Dune, in 2008 to extend the terms of the loan on the basis of 'unprecedented financial crisis in the credit markets.' The suit was later settled. Mr. Mnuchin's firm was also involved in investing in Trump Waikiki in Hawaii. 'I haven't really commented on what business we've done together,' he said. 'I would describe it as more of a personal relationship than a professional relationship.'" [New York Times, 5/9/16 ] Trump Finance Director Mnuchin: "Even On Wall Street, Notwithstanding Certain Comments He's Made And Things Like That, I've Gotten Hundreds Of Calls From People Who Want To Support Him." "Wall Street has been agog since last Thursday, when Donald Trump announced that Steven Mnuchin - who made his fortune at Goldman Sachs, worked for a firm funded by George Soros, and donated to Hillary Clinton - would be responsible for helping him raise $1 billion for Republicans and his own campaign. For if Mr. Trump is an unconventional political candidate, his appointment of Mr. Mnuchin as his national finance chairman is the epitome of just how unconventional this election has become. Despite what Mr. Mnuchin said was a personal friendship of 15 years, Mr. Trump has attacked both Mr. Mnuchin's investment company - suing it in 2008 over a building deal - as well as Goldman Sachs, the Democratic Party and other institutions Mr. Mnuchin has supported... Despite Mr. Trump's changing rhetoric, Mr. Mnuchin is bullish: 'Even on Wall Street, notwithstanding certain comments he's made and things like that, I've gotten hundreds of calls from people who want to support him." [New York Times, 5/9/16 ] Silicon Valley Billionaire Peter Thiel Was A California Delegate For Donald Trump. "Billionaire investor and Facebook board member Peter Thiel has never shied away from contrarian ideas. He thinks kids should drop out of college to launch a startup. He's backed efforts to build floating cities in international waters. But in the liberal bastion that is San Francisco, Thiel's latest move may be the most daring yet: Thiel is going to be a California delegate for Donald Trump. On Monday, Trump filed his slate of delegates for California, and right there on the list for Trump's 12th Congressional District picks is Peter Thiel." [Wired, 5/10/16 ] * Peter Thiel Was A Major Backer For Ron Paul In 2012, And Donated $2 Million To Carly Fiorina's Super PAC In 2015. "Billionaire investor and Facebook board member Peter Thiel has never shied away from contrarian ideas... On Monday, Trump filed his slate of delegates for California, and right there on the list for Trump's 12th Congressional District picks is Peter Thiel. That Thiel would support any Republican candidate is not all that surprising. In 2012, he was a major backer for Ron Paul, and last summer, he donated $2 million to Carly Fiorina's Super PAC. In the techtopia of Silicon Valley, Thiel is certainly not alone in his libertarian beliefs." [Wired, 5/10/16 ] HEADLINE: "Donald Trump Is Now Accepting The Kind Of Big-Money Donations He Thinks Corrupts Politicians." [Vox, 5/9/16 ] Debt Trump: "I'm The King Of Debt. I Understand Debt Better Than Probably Anybody. I Know How To Deal With Debt Very Well. I Love Debt. But Debt Is Tricky And It's Dangerous And You Have To Be Careful And You Have To Know What You're Doing." TRUMP: "It was reported in the failing 'New York Times' and other places that I want to default on debt -- I'm the king of debt. I understand debt better than probably anybody. I know how to deal with debt very well. I love debt. But debt is tricky and it's dangerous and you have to be careful and you have to know what you're doing, but let me just tell you, if there's a chance to buy back debt at a discount, U.S. debt, in other words, interest rates go up and the bonds go down, you can buy debt, that's what I'm talking about. People had it, 'The Times' and others wrote, oh, Trump wants to go and see creditors and buy debt at a discount. Now there could even be a time when somebody comes in but with the government, they're never going to walk in and say, do me a favor. Would you buy my debt at a discount? In business, that happens all the time. I bought mortgages back when the market went bad. I bought mortgages back at tremendous discounts, and I love doing that. There's nothing like it, actually. It gives me a great thrill. But in the United States with bonds, that won't happen because in theory, the market doesn't go down so that you default on debt and that's what happens. So here's the story. Just to have it corrected -- if we have an opportunity where interest rates go up and you can buy debt back at a discount, I always like to be able to do that if you can do it, but that's all I was talking about." [New Day, CNN, 5/9/16] Trump Admitted Government Was Different Than Business In Managing Debt: "People Had It, 'The Times' And Others Wrote, Oh, 'Trump Wants To Go And See Creditors And Buy Debt At A Discount.' Now There Could Even Be A Time When Somebody Comes In, But With The Government, They're Never Going To Walk In And Say, Do Me A Favor. Would You Buy My Debt At A Discount? In Business, That Happens All The Time." TRUMP: "It was reported in the failing 'New York Times' and other places that I want to default on debt -- I'm the king of debt. I understand debt better than probably anybody. I know how to deal with debt very well. I love debt. But debt is tricky and it's dangerous and you have to be careful and you have to know what you're doing, but let me just tell you, if there's a chance to buy back debt at a discount, U.S. debt, in other words, interest rates go up and the bonds go down, you can buy debt, that's what I'm talking about. People had it, 'The Times' and others wrote, oh, Trump wants to go and see creditors and buy debt at a discount. Now there could even be a time when somebody comes in but with the government, they're never going to walk in and say, do me a favor. Would you buy my debt at a discount? In business, that happens all the time. I bought mortgages back when the market went bad. I bought mortgages back at tremendous discounts, and I love doing that. There's nothing like it, actually. It gives me a great thrill. But in the United States with bonds, that won't happen because in theory, the market doesn't go down so that you default on debt and that's what happens. So here's the story. Just to have it corrected -- if we have an opportunity where interest rates go up and you can buy debt back at a discount, I always like to be able to do that if you can do it, but that's all I was talking about." [New Day, CNN, 5/9/16] Trump: "I Bought Mortgages Back When The Market Went Bad. I Bought Mortgages Back At Tremendous Discounts, And I Love Doing That. There's Nothing Like It, Actually. It Gives Me A Great Thrill." TRUMP: "People had it, 'The Times' and others wrote, oh, Trump wants to go and see creditors and buy debt at a discount. Now there could even be a time when somebody comes in but with the government, they're never going to walk in and say, do me a favor. Would you buy my debt at a discount? In business, that happens all the time. I bought mortgages back when the market went bad. I bought mortgages back at tremendous discounts, and I love doing that. There's nothing like it, actually. It gives me a great thrill. But in the United States with bonds, that won't happen because in theory, the market doesn't go down so that you default on debt and that's what happens. So here's the story. Just to have it corrected -- if we have an opportunity where interest rates go up and you can buy debt back at a discount, I always like to be able to do that if you can do it, but that's all I was talking about." [New Day, CNN, 5/9/16] HEADLINE: "Donald Trump Amplifies His Stances On Tax Cuts, U.S.'s Debt." [Wall Street Journal, 5/9/16 ] Trump Sought To Allay Concerns Over His Suggestion He Would Renegotiate U.S. Debt In An Economic Downturn: "This Is The United States Government. The Bonds Are Absolutely Sacred." "Donald Trump sought Monday to clarify his views on fiscal and monetary policy, saying he was open to compromise on tax cuts but wouldn't try to alter the terms of the nation's $19 trillion in debt, which he called 'absolutely sacred.' In an interview Monday, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee moved to tamp down jitters over remarks in recent days suggesting he might push to renegotiate U.S. debt in an economic downturn. 'This is the United States government,' he said Monday. 'The bonds are absolutely sacred.'" [Wall Street Journal, 5/9/16 ] Trump's Plan For The Government To "Buy Back Debt At A Discount" Was Unlikely To Save Money In The Long-Run As New Debt Would Have To Be Issued At Higher Interest Rates. "On the debt issue, Mr. Trump suggested he would be open to buying back Treasury notes if interest rates rise as a way to bring down the U.S. debt load. Bond prices fall as rates rise, which means the government theoretically could turn a profit by buying back debt for less than when it was issued. 'With the United States government there are times on occasion you can buy back debt at a discount, meaning the interest rate goes up and you buy back debt at a discount,' he said. With the government now running large annual deficits, such a buyback would require issuing new debt to purchase the old debt. Because that new debt would be issued at higher interest rates, it isn't clear that type of buyback would save money in the long run." [Wall Street Journal, 5/9/16 ] Trump Supported Holding Down The Value Of The U.S. Dollar: "If The Value Of The Dollar Goes Up, It Would Be At This Point Not A Very Good Thing." "Mr. Trump also said he supported holding down the value of the dollar in order to help American manufacturing and the economy. 'If the value of the dollar goes up, it would be at this point not a very good thing,' he said. Most American presidents typically advocate for a strong dollar." [Wall Street Journal, 5/9/16 ] HEADLINE: "Trump Backtracks On Proposal To Renegotiate U.S. Debt." [Bloomberg, 5/9/16 ] After Trump Received Backlash For His Suggestion He Would Renegotiate U.S. Debt, Trump Backtracked And Said He Only Meant The U.S. Could Buy Back Debt On Favorable Terms And Refinance With Long-Term Bonds. "Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump backtracked on a statement last week that he would renegotiate U.S. debt if the economy sours. Trump said on CNN on Monday that he intended only to signal he would use advantageous market conditions to save money by repurchasing debt on favorable terms, and refinancing with longer-term bonds. 'I said if we can buy back government debt at a discount -- in other words if interest rates go up and we can buy bonds back at a discount -- if we are liquid enough as a country, we should do that,' he said. He called 'ridiculous' suggestions that he would favor a default or forced restructuring that would require creditors to take a loss. 'You never have to default because you print the money,' he added. 'I could see renegotiations where we borrow at long term at very low rates,' he said on CNBC on May 5. 'I would borrow, knowing that if the economy crashed, you could make a deal,' he said. Trump's comments last week provoked furious criticism. The Washington Post in an editorial the following day said the statement 'sets a new record for economic recklessness.'" [Bloomberg, 5/9/16 ] HEADLINE: "Donald Trump Says The U.S. Will Never Default Because It Prints The Money." [Wall Street Journal, 5/9/16 ] Tax Policy HEADLINE: "Sorry, Suckers: Trump Didn't Actually Shift On Taxing Rich And Minimum Wage." [Greg Sargent, Washington Post, 5/9/16 ] Washington Post's Sargent: Trump Was Not Actually "Moderating His Positions For The General Election" Regarding Taxing The Rich Or The Minimum Wage. "There's a lot of chatter out there to the effect that Donald Trump is shifting his stances on taxing the rich and on the minimum wage. He's moderating his positions for the general election! He's going to get to Hillary Clinton's left on economic issues! The only problem with this reading - which is based largely on what Trump said on the Sunday shows yesterday - is that it didn't actually happen. The only way to conclude that he's actually shifting his positions in any real sense is to treat the idea of having a 'position' as if it's utterly meaningless. First, the minimum wage. On ABC's This Week, Trump said that 'I am looking at it and I haven't decided in terms of numbers,' adding that 'people have to get more.' Asked whether this was a 'change,' Trump said, 'well, sure, it's a change.' But in the context of the policy debate, these phrases mean exactly nothing. Trump is saying generally that people's wages have to rise, not that he intends to work with Congress to raise the federal minimum wage. When Trump says this is a 'change,' the most plausible reading is that this is a change from his general statement during the primaries that wages are 'too high.' In fact, later in the ABC interview, he says that his 'real' rise in the minimum wage will result from his success in bringing 'companies back into this country,' presumably due to his trade wizardry and ultra-tough busting of CEO heads. When he says wages have to go up, he means this is his general goal, and that he'll realize it not with a minimum wage hike, but by making the country filthy rich again." [Greg Sargent, Washington Post, 5/9/16 ] Washington Post's Sargent: "Trump Is Saying Generally That People's Wages Have To Rise, Not That He Intends To Work With Congress To Raise The Federal Minimum Wage." "There's a lot of chatter out there to the effect that Donald Trump is shifting his stances on taxing the rich and on the minimum wage. He's moderating his positions for the general election! He's going to get to Hillary Clinton's left on economic issues! The only problem with this reading - which is based largely on what Trump said on the Sunday shows yesterday - is that it didn't actually happen. The only way to conclude that he's actually shifting his positions in any real sense is to treat the idea of having a 'position' as if it's utterly meaningless. First, the minimum wage. On ABC's This Week, Trump said that 'I am looking at it and I haven't decided in terms of numbers,' adding that 'people have to get more.' Asked whether this was a 'change,' Trump said, 'well, sure, it's a change.' But in the context of the policy debate, these phrases mean exactly nothing. Trump is saying generally that people's wages have to rise, not that he intends to work with Congress to raise the federal minimum wage. When Trump says this is a 'change,' the most plausible reading is that this is a change from his general statement during the primaries that wages are 'too high.' In fact, later in the ABC interview, he says that his 'real' rise in the minimum wage will result from his success in bringing 'companies back into this country,' presumably due to his trade wizardry and ultra-tough busting of CEO heads. When he says wages have to go up, he means this is his general goal, and that he'll realize it not with a minimum wage hike, but by making the country filthy rich again." [Greg Sargent, Washington Post, 5/9/16 ] Washington Post's Sargent: "Trump Hedged On The Core Point Of Whether He Actually Thinks The Wealthy Should Bear A Larger Tax Burden Than They Do Now. Given That His Plan Cuts Their Taxes Dramatically, This Supposed 'Openness' To A Shift Is Meaningless." "There's a lot of chatter out there to the effect that Donald Trump is shifting his stances on taxing the rich and on the minimum wage. He's moderating his positions for the general election! He's going to get to Hillary Clinton's left on economic issues! The only problem with this reading - which is based largely on what Trump said on the Sunday shows yesterday - is that it didn't actually happen. The only way to conclude that he's actually shifting his positions in any real sense is to treat the idea of having a 'position' as if it's utterly meaningless... Now, taxes on the rich. On ABC's This Week, Trump repeatedly said his tax plan - which delivers a massive windfall to the wealthy - would ultimately be 'negotiated' with Congress. After that negotiation, Trump said, taxes on the wealthy will 'go up a little bit,' adding: 'by the time it's negotiated, they'll go up.' Pressed on whether Trump actively wants taxes on rich people like himself to go up, he said that the 'wealthy are willing to pay more,' and that 'I have a feeling we may pay some more.' This shouldn't need to be said, but that isn't actually a position. Taken on its own terms, it is a declaration about what the wealthy want to do of their own accord, and merely a 'feeling' that something 'may' happen in terms of policy to make it so. Indeed, on NBC's Meet the Press, Trump further clarified that when he said businesses may pay more after negotiations with Congress, he really meant that 'they might have to pay a little bit more than my proposal' (emphasis mine). That could easily mean that in the end, businesses may get less of a tax cut than he has proposed for them...On taxes, in both interviews, Trump hedged on the core point of whether he actually thinks the wealthy should bear a larger tax burden than they do now. Given that his plan cuts their taxes dramatically, this supposed 'openness' to a shift is meaningless." [Greg Sargent, Washington Post, 5/9/16 ] Trump: "Why Does The Media, With A Strong Push From Crooked Hillary, Keep Pushing The False Narrative That I Want To Raise Taxes. Exactly Opposite!" [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 5/10/16 ] HEADLINE: "Trump's Tough Talk On Hedge-Fund Taxes Doesn't Match His Plan." [Bloomberg, 5/9/16 ] Despite His Criticism Of Hedge Fund Managers, Trump's Tax Proposal Would Lower Their Tax Rates From 23.8 To 15 Percent. "Donald Trump said 'hedge fund guys are getting away with murder' when he called for ending a lucrative tax advantage for investment managers, but his published tax plan would give them an even bigger break. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has called for abolishing the special tax treatment that applies to 'carried interest,' the share of investment funds' profits that are paid to fund managers. Currently, carried interest is treated as capital-gains income, which makes it eligible for a tax rate as low as 23.8 percent -- much lower than the current top individual income tax rate of 39.6 percent. But the plan published on Trump's website would also create an entirely new tax rate -- just 15 percent -- for individuals who get income from business partnerships. That category includes most managers at hedge funds, private-equity funds and venture capital funds. In other words, if Trump's proposals came to pass, many investment managers' tax rates would go from 23.8 percent to 15 percent." [Bloomberg, 5/9/16 ] Urban-Brooking Tax Policy Center: Under Trump's Tax Plan "Carried Interest Would Be Taxed At A Much Lower Rate Than Under Current Law." "Some analysts have pointed out previously that the plan on Trump's website would actually benefit investment managers. The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center found that under Trump's plan, 'carried interest would be taxed at a much lower rate than under current law.' Alan Viard, a tax policy scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said of Trump's proposal: 'It's clearly a tax-rate cut for private equity, hedge funds and venture capital.' Trump's 15 percent rate would apply to so-called 'pass-through' business structures, including partnerships, limited liability companies and sole proprietorships. For tax purposes, such businesses pass their earnings through to their owners, who then pay tax at rates that reach 39.6 percent under current law. Saying the current system 'stifles small businesses,' the campaign has pitched its 15 percent rate as a boon for them. Trump also has proposed a top income tax rate of 15 percent for large corporations, which currently are subject to a top statutory rate of 35 percent. And he has called for cutting individual income-tax rates across the board as well, taking the top rate from 39.6 to 25 percent." [Bloomberg, 5/9/16 ] The American Enterprise Institute Said Trump's Tax Plan Was "Clearly A Tax-Rate Cut For Private Equity, Hedge Funds And Venture Capital." "Alan Viard, a tax policy scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said of Trump's proposal: 'It's clearly a tax-rate cut for private equity, hedge funds and venture capital.' Trump's 15 percent rate would apply to so-called 'pass-through' business structures, including partnerships, limited liability companies and sole proprietorships. For tax purposes, such businesses pass their earnings through to their owners, who then pay tax at rates that reach 39.6 percent under current law. Saying the current system 'stifles small businesses,' the campaign has pitched its 15 percent rate as a boon for them. Trump also has proposed a top income tax rate of 15 percent for large corporations, which currently are subject to a top statutory rate of 35 percent. And he has called for cutting individual income-tax rates across the board as well, taking the top rate from 39.6 to 25 percent." [Bloomberg, 5/9/16 ] Trump Said He Would Try To Persuade Congressional Democrats To Lower Taxes On High-Income Households In Exchange For Unrelated Policy Concessions. "On tax policy, Mr. Trump said that as president he would seek to persuade congressional Democrats to lower taxes on high-income households by trading on completely unrelated and unspecified policy issues. 'There will be a give and take. They're going to want other things having nothing to do with this,' Mr. Trump said. 'It's one very big, very complex proposal, into a negotiation.'" [Wall Street Journal, 5/9/16 ] Trump Said It Was "Always Possible To Change" His Tax Plan: "I Believe In Flexibility And Remaining Flexible." "On tax policy, Mr. Trump said that as president he would seek to persuade congressional Democrats to lower taxes on high-income households by trading on completely unrelated and unspecified policy issues. 'There will be a give and take. They're going to want other things having nothing to do with this,' Mr. Trump said. 'It's one very big, very complex proposal, into a negotiation.' He said he was also open to changing his tax plan unveiled last year, which proposed lowering tax rates, pushing 33 million households off the income-tax rolls and, according to an analysis, reducing federal revenue by nearly $10 trillion over the next decade. It's 'always possible to change,' Mr. Trump said. 'I always believe in flexibility and remaining flexible.' Mr. Trump spoke after weekend TV appearances in which he said taxes on high-income households would go up, then later said they would rise only in comparison with his own tax-cutting proposal. His comments left some Republican tax experts trying to decipher what the party's 2016 standard-bearer believes on a central GOP issue." [Wall Street Journal, 5/9/16 ] Trump: "My Core Beliefs Are I Want A Major Tax Cut." "'My core beliefs are I want a major tax cut,' Mr. Trump said in the interview. 'And I'm only being honest with people. You can't just say this is what my plan will be. You have to negotiate this with many other people, and those many other people are congressmen and senators, etc., and everybody knows that you have to do that.' Aides to the likely Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, said Monday that voters should look past Mr. Trump's imprecise language and instead focus on his actual plan, which he said Sunday was his 'optimum' policy. The tax plan is the Republican's most specific economic policy, said Clinton policy adviser Jake Sullivan, and Democrats will hold him to it." [Wall Street Journal, 5/9/16 ] Trump Admitted There Was A Contradiction Between His Calls To Reduce Tax Loopholes For The Rich, And His Actual Tax Proposal That Would Cut Taxes For Hedge Fund Managers. "Mr. Trump's plan calls for 'reducing or eliminating most deductions and loopholes available to the very rich.' Asked to be specific, Mr. Trump cited carried interest, the tax provision that lets some investment professionals pay lower capital-gains rates for managing other people's money. But under his plan, the 15% tax rate on business income would be lower than the 20% tax rate on capital gains. Investment managers would no longer need carried interest because they would rather be compensated in lower-taxed fees. Asked to explain the contradiction, Mr. Trump said, 'You're right, depending on what the final deal is. But what I'm going to do and what my priority is going to be is business and middle income.'" [Wall Street Journal, 5/9/16 ] HEADLINE: "Wall Street: Trump's Debt Policy Smacks Of Bankruptcy." [Politico, 5/10/16 ] Chief Investment Officer At Cumberland Advisors, David Kotok, Criticized Trump's Comments On The Federal Government Printing Money To Pay Back Debt: "It's A Stupid Idea. You Don't Discharge Debt, Especially U.S. Dollar Debt, By Printing Money. You Do Print Money To Create Liquidity For Banking Systems In Trouble, But You Don't Print Money To Cheapen Your Debt Which Is The Reserve Currency Of The World." "That comment - that the U.S. can simply pay back its trillions of dollars in debt by printing a ton more money - drove Wall Street crazy again and prompted a conference call from top Democrats to rip Trump as completely unglued on the economy... 'If there is ever an example of how dumb it is to print money to handle debt, I'm in a country which has had to learn that the hard way more than once,' said David Kotok, chief investment officer at Cumberland Advisors, speaking from a conference in Argentina. 'It's a stupid idea. You don't discharge debt, especially U.S. dollar debt, by printing money. You do print money to create liquidity for banking systems in trouble, but you don't print money to cheapen your debt which is the reserve currency of the world.' Other Wall Street analysts said while the basic concepts Trump highlighted - buybacks and money printing - are common, the fact that they came from a presidential candidate was shocking. 'We've basically renegotiated existing debt in the past and we certainly do print money,' said Jim Paulsen, chief investment officer at Wells Capital. 'These concepts are far from odd. But to say them as a presidential candidate is what is so striking to me and frightening. For a president to say these kinds of things publicly would have the opposite effect you would want in that they would put the economy into recession.'" [Politico, 5/10/16 ] Conservative Republicans Criticized Trump For Trying To Influence Policy At The Federal Reserve, Which Is Supposed To Operate Independent Of Political Pressure. "Some conservative Republicans also reacted sharply to Trump's comments, which lie far outside the mainstream of GOP economic policy. Generally, Republicans have favored attacking the debt through spending cuts and faster economic growth rather than manipulating it through buybacks, creditor negotiations or money creation. These people also criticized Trump for appearing to try and influence policy at the Federal Reserve, which is supposed to operate independent of political pressure from the White House or Congress. 'This is yet another big misstep. What he is implying is the era of Fed independence is over,' said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum and a former official under President George W. Bush. 'I no longer know what Trump does and doesn't know about managing the debt, but I'm pretty sure I don't trust his judgment. I also worry about the international community watching this daily. They have reason to be nervous about him.'" [Politico, 5/10/16 ] HEADLINE: "Donald Trump Has Been All Over The Place On Taxes For The Past 30 Years." [BuzzFeed, 5/9/16 ] Trump Said Taxes Under His Administration Would Go Up For The Wealthiest Americans, Despite Advocating For The Bush Tax Cuts In The 2000s And Proposing A Tax Plan In 2015 That Would Cut Taxes For Top Earners. "On Sunday, Donald Trump said that under his administration, taxes probably will go up for the wealthiest Americans, in contradiction of his proposed tax plan. On Monday, he clarified that he meant his proposed tax cut, after negotiation with Congress, might just become a smaller tax cut. Trump's inconsistency on the issue of taxes extends back 30 years. In the early 1990s, Trump criticized Reagan-era tax cuts for those in the top tax bracket, saying they removed any incentive for wealthy people to invest. At the end of the '90s, Trump was saying taxes needed to be increased to pay down the national debt and for universal health care. In the 2000s, Trump advocated for the Bush-era tax cuts. Last year, he proposed a plan that would dramatically cut taxes for top earners." [BuzzFeed, 5/9/16 ] Women HEADLINE: "From Playboy To President? Trump's Past Crude Sex Talk Collides With His White House Bid." [Washington Post, 5/10/16 ] In The 1990s And Early 2000s, Trump Used His Playboy Reputation And Public Boasting About His Sex Life To Build His Brand. "Trump's crude talk on-air with Stern between 1990 and 2005 was part of an image he cultivated as a Manhattan playboy who had so many women that he barely had time to sleep. He was often seen at trendy nightclubs with different women, appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine, wrote in his books about all the women chasing him and publicly boasted about his sex life. That reputation was useful as Trump, in his 40s and 50s, built a brand designed to equate his name with success and the high life. But it is problematic as Trump, 69, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, tries to wash away his tabloid past and fashion a more dignified persona - as a potential commander in chief and leader of the free world." [Washington Post, 5/10/16 ] Trump Said The Media Narrative Of His Playboy Lifestyle Was "Overblown" And That His "Life Is Much Less Glamorous Than They Thought, Including Every Story About A Supermodel." "Trump also said his work was so 'all-consuming' that he could not have been the libidinous playboy portrayed in the media. 'People may be surprised that my life is much simpler than they thought,' said Trump, with a Diet Coke in a plastic cup on his desk. 'And they may be surprised that my life is much less glamorous than they thought, including every story about a supermodel.' Trump said the media coverage of his personal life was 'overblown.' But it is clear that Trump played a role in shaping public perceptions." [Washington Post, 5/10/16 ] Trump Said He "Had Great Moments" On Howard Stern's Radio Show, But Would Have Tamped Down His Language Or Not Have Gone On Had He Known He Would Eventually Run For Office. "Some of Trump's most raw language came during his appearances with Stern, when the two would critique women's looks. The BuzzFeed list included one clip in which Trump said: 'Her boob job is terrible. They look like two light posts coming out of a body.' In another clip, Trump said, 'A person who is very flat-chested is very hard to be a 10.' Stern had a huge national audience and made a name for himself with off-color questions, like this one, to Trump: 'Is oral sex important to you? Man to man, and I've had this discussion with many men.' Trump responded, 'No, it's not important to me.' In his recent interview with The Washington Post, Trump said he and Stern 'had great moments' on the air, but he acknowledged he would not have said certain things had he known then that he would eventually be running for office. 'Or I wouldn't have gone on the show because that is the easier way of doing it,' Trump said. Trump said Stern is a good friend, 'a really good guy and a very different guy when you take the radio microphone away.' Stern declined to comment." [Washington Post, 5/10/16 ] * Trump Told Howard Stern Oral Sex Was Not Important To Him. "Stern had a huge national audience and made a name for himself with off-color questions, like this one, to Trump: 'Is oral sex important to you? Man to man, and I've had this discussion with many men.' Trump responded, 'No, it's not important to me.'" [Washington Post, 5/10/16 ] * Trump: "A Person Who Is Very Flat-Chested Is Very Hard To Be A 10." "Some of Trump's most raw language came during his appearances with Stern, when the two would critique women's looks. The BuzzFeed list included one clip in which Trump said: 'Her boob job is terrible. They look like two light posts coming out of a body.' In another clip, Trump said, 'A person who is very flat-chested is very hard to be a 10.'" [Washington Post, 5/10/16 ] Muslim Ban HEADLINE: "Donald Trump Says Sadiq Khan, New London Mayor, Could Be Exception To His Muslim Ban." [New York Times, 5/9/16 ] Trump Said London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, Would Be An Exception To His Proposed Muslim Ban: "There Will Always Be Exceptions." "Donald J. Trump has attracted enormous attention for his proposal to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the United States. But on Monday he said he was 'happy' that London had elected its first Muslim mayor and suggested that the new official would be among the exceptions to his proposal. 'There will always be exceptions,' Mr. Trump said when asked in an interview on Monday how his proposed ban would affect London's mayor, Sadiq Khan. 'I was happy to see that,' Mr. Trump said of Mr. Khan's election. 'I think it's a very good thing, and I hope he does a very good job because frankly that would be very, very good'... Mr. Trump has been criticized for his proposed ban, which he announced soon after the terrorist attacks in Paris in November that killed 130 people." [New York Times, 5/9/16 ] Trump Said He Was "Happy" Sadiq Khan Was Elected Mayor Of London And Hoped Khan Would Do A Great Job So He Could "Lead By Example." "Donald J. Trump has attracted enormous attention for his proposal to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the United States. But on Monday he said he was 'happy' that London had elected its first Muslim mayor and suggested that the new official would be among the exceptions to his proposal. 'There will always be exceptions,' Mr. Trump said when asked in an interview on Monday how his proposed ban would affect London's mayor, Sadiq Khan. 'I was happy to see that,' Mr. Trump said of Mr. Khan's election. 'I think it's a very good thing, and I hope he does a very good job because frankly that would be very, very good.' Asked why, Mr. Trump said, 'Because I think if he does a great job, it will really - you lead by example, always lead by example. If he does a good job and frankly if he does a great job, that would be a terrific thing.' Mr. Trump has been criticized for his proposed ban, which he announced soon after the terrorist attacks in Paris in November that killed 130 people." [New York Times, 5/9/16 ]