The Long Con

Remember this date: May 16, 2025. It seemed like an innocuous enough day, but there was a little Easter egg that went largely unnoticed except in the wrong context. 

On the last day of his Gulf tour, as he was leaving Abu Dhabi laden with all manner of anticipated grift, President Felon told reporters:

We're looking at Gaza. And we're going to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving.

While President Felon played huggy-bear-kissy face with the Saudis, and the Emirates, he basically sidelined Israel and, no surprise, Netanyahu, Why no surprise? Netanyahu doesn't have two shekels to rub together for baksheesh. The others have offered him caskets of gold, fancy airplanes, and real estate deals. Even Syria's new leader, Ahmed al-Shara got a promise of lifted sanctions for a "chance at greatness" when he showed up in Riyadh to kiss President Felon's ring. 

Why Riyadh and not Damascus? Well, lifting the sanctions, it turns out, secured an $600 Billion dollar deal with the Saudis for investment in the US. But here's the punchline:

"Oh what I do for the crown prince."

It got a laugh. I just wanna know at whose expense? Syria is a long time sponsor of terrorism directed at Israel.  Since Israel was denied a place at this table, I wanna know what exactly President Felon gave them....because you know damn well he gave them something.

As per the New York Times:

During his flight on Air Force One from Riyadh to Doha, Mr. Trump dismissed concerns about sidelining Israel.

“No not at all,” he told reporters. “This is good for Israel, having a relationship like I have with these countries, Middle Eastern countries, essentially all of them.”

But Mr. Trump’s five-day tour through the Middle East this week underscored a new dynamic, one in which Israel — and Mr. Netanyahu, in particular — is something of an afterthought. In Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Trump has sought to negotiate peace deals in Iran and Yemen and cut trillion-dollar business deals with the wealthy nations of the Persian Gulf.

He did not make a stop in Israel.

“The overall sense is of shifting attention and perception of interest, mainly to the Gulf States, where the money is,” said Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States.

Read that statement carefully in case you missed what Rabinovich said: "...mainly to the Gulf States, where the money is." 

Ya' think?

But wait! There's more!

President Felon has finally figured out the only way he's gonna get real estate anywhere near Israel is to "get [Gaza} taken care of." And that was not the first time he flew that trial balloon. On February 4th, 2025, he mentioned that idea during a joint press conference with Bibi. From TIME Magazine:

The President proposed on Tuesday that the U.S. should “own” the Gaza Strip, “level the site” and develop it, explicitly calling for displacing 2 million Palestinians from their homeland as the region’s leaders struggle to maintain a fragile ceasefire.

 

During a wide-ranging press conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump laid out a sweeping plan for the U.S. to colonize Gaza and build resorts there. “I don’t want to be cute. I don’t want to be a wise guy, but—the Riviera of the Middle East. This could be so magnificent,” Trump said.

Since Plan A failed spectacularly, the devoted minions slaving away in the White House  came up with an even "better" idea:  relocate a million Palestinians to Libya for permanent resettlement. 

No. I am not kidding. According to NBC news dated today, May 19th, 2025:

The plan is under serious enough consideration that the administration has discussed it with Libya’s leadership, two people with direct knowledge of the plans and a former U.S. official said. 

In exchange for the resettling of Palestinians, the administration would potentially release to Libya billions of dollars of funds that the U.S. froze more than a decade ago, those three people said.

NBC reached out to the State Department for comment, but their response came only after the article was published, saying the "reports are untrue." Keep in mind, this is the same very unstable Libya President Felon tried to send deportees. They sat on a plane on the tarmac in Texas waiting for clearance that Libya refused to provide. But President Felon thinks they're gonna okay taking a million Palestinians. Right.

Believe whatever you want on this one....but just know the question was asked and the baksheesh from the US was offered. 

He claims he's securing cease fires with Russia and Ukraine and with the Houthis in Yemen. Both wars continued unabated, He claims he's close to a deal with Iran. He claims all sorts of stuff because what he really wants is the Nobel Peace Prize. He is the Cowardly Lion yearning for a medal to proclaim his braverism. 

I hope the Swedes are smarter than that. And sure I hope the Israelis and the rest of those who believe President Felon is their friend wake up and smell the coffee before Israel is betrayed in the worst possible way....not to mention the American Jewish community.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

If you watched Eurovision on Saturday, you know that Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the Nova massacre, represented Israel. Two terrorists attempted to get to her onstage, but were quickly thwarted by security. Despite boos and Palestinian flags, she delivered a powerful performance. 

Rumors floated around saying no country would give Israel their 12 points, but they ended up with only 60 jury points  in 15th place. 

Only when the public voting reached Israel, did my smile and millions of other smiles break out. In the individual popular vote, Israel got 257 votes, leapfrogging it into first place. At the very end, when Austria, who had a substantial lead in the jury votes, did they retake first place. Israel finished 2nd which, of course, caused great teeth gnashing and outcry in parts of the world. 

If you don't know Yuval's story, this is the short version. She was at the Nova Festival. Hiding in a small space with as many as could fit,, the terrorists found them and shot up the bomb shelter. 40 were hidden there, 11 survived beneath the other bodies. When they left, Yuval managed to call her father who said to stay under the dead bodies until it was over. She did. 

                      She lived. 

                      She sang. 

                      In three languages. 

A New Day Will Rise

And even if you say goodbye

You’ll never go away

You are the rainbow of my sky

My colours in the grey

My only wish upon a star

Sunshine in the day

The only song that my piano ever plays

And even if you say goodbye

You’ll always be around

To lift me up and take me high

Keep my feet close to the ground

Are you proud of me tonight

Dreams are coming true

I choose the light

Nothing to lose if I lose you

New day will rise

Life will go on

Everyone cries

Don’t cry alone

Darkness will fade

All the pain will go by

But we will stay

Even if you say goodbye

‏Et même si tu dis adieu

‏Tu ne partiras jamais

‏T’es l’arc-en-ciel de mon ciel bleu

‏Mes couleurs dans le gris

‏Et mon seul souhait sous un ciel d’art

‏Un rayon dans ma journée

‏La seule chanson que mon piano peut jouer

New day will rise

Life will go on

Everyone cries

Don’t cry alone

Darkness will fade

All the pain will go by

But we will stay

Even you say

New day will rise

Life will go on

Everyone cries

Don’t cry alone

Darkness will fade

All the pain will go by

But you will stay

The love of my life

מים רבים

לא יכבו

את האהבה

ונהרות לא ישטפוה

New day will rise…

Everyone cries

Don’t cry alone

Darkness will fade

All the pain will go by

But we will stay

Even if you say goodbye

A new day will rise

New day will rise

And even if you say goodbye

You’ll never go away

You are the rainbow of my sky

My colours in the grey

My only wish upon a star

Sunshine in the day

The only song that my piano ever plays

And even if you say goodbye

You’ll always be around

To lift me up and take me high

Keep my feet close to the ground

Are you proud of me tonight

Dreams are coming true

I choose the light

Nothing to lose if I lose you

New day will rise

Life will go on

Everyone cries

Don’t cry alone

Darkness will fade

All the pain will go by

But we will stay

Even if you say goodbye

‏And even if you say goodbye

You’ll never go away

You are the rainbow of my sky

My colours in the grey

My only wish upon a star

Sunshine in the day

The only song that my piano ever plays

New day will rise

Life will go on

Everyone cries

Don’t cry alone

Darkness will fade

All the pain will go by

But we will stay

Even you say

New day will rise

Life will go on

Everyone cries

Don’t cry alone

Darkness will fade

All the pain will go by

But you will stay

The love of my life

Many waters cannot quench love

Neither can the floods drown it

New day will rise…

Everyone cries

Don’t cry alone

Darkness will fade

All the pain will go by

But we will stay

Even if you say goodbye

A new day will rise

New day will rise

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

SING

If we keep singing, at least our hearts win.

America For Sale - Buy Now & Get Photo Op With #47

Imagine, if you will, Hillary Clinton had used a public chat to discuss current/ongoing military maneuvers with a circle of correspondents that included journalists, Bill and Bill's brother, Roger. They wanted to lock her up for wedding plans she didn't even keep in the bathroom!

Imagine, if you dare, Hunter Biden creating a meme coin. $BIDEN,  offering it for sale, and then offering a meeting and private White House tour with his dad for the highest meme coin buyers, raking in millions of dollars for the family. Man, Congress woulda had a heyday with that one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Imagine, if you will, the royal family of Qatar presenting President Felon with brand new Air Force One jet worth over $400,000,000 with all the bells and whistles. I wanna know what kind of bells and whistles are on the plane. Gift-giving in the Arab world is rife with bakshish... a kind of quid pro quo where the gift is a way of greasing the wheels to make something happen. Some would call it a bribe to expedite a transaction. The Qataris want something....access to the Oval Office? Access to the president? A blind eye turned away from other sorts of activities? A highly favorable trade deal that freezes out other states? It could be anything. But it will be something because that's how that part of the world traditionally conducts business. 

And in case you forgot, one of the 9/11 masterminds, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, slipped away from US custody thanks to a tip from the Qatari government. 

Toon smash-up by Rob Benson

President Felon has lined his own pockets with these $trump and Melania meme coins. Now, they're planning a big dinner to auction off access to the White House and the President to a select crowd of his meme coin purchasers.

“If you are one of the Top 220 $TRUMP holders, you’ll receive an invitation with details to confirm your attendance at the Gala Dinner. Join President Trump on May 22, 2025 at his private Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C. for a once-in-a-lifetime evening. Learn about the future of Crypto!” 

The Posts also points out the top 25 Trump meme coin owners get an exclusive private event with the president. The website states, “Trump is appearing at the dinner as a guest and not soliciting any funds for it.”

Sure, he's not. Do we all look like we fell off the turnip truck this afternoon??????? Let's be real: President Felon never does anything unless there is something in it for his pocket. 

Meanwhile, back on the tarmac, The Hill reports:

Trump insisted the gift would be received by the Defense Department “in a very public and transparent transaction,” as he pushed back on criticism from Democrats who described the arrangement as a grift.  

The luxury jet would temporarily replace Air Force One and then be transferred over to the Trump presidential library at the end of his term.

Well, that sorta sounds like it's not being given to the US Government, but rather it's a private grift...I mean gift...to President Felon. In other words, this is not a gift to the government of the United States, this is a personal gift to the grifter-in-chief...something the Emoluments Clause seriously frowns upon. I wrote about said clause back in February, but in case you forgot what it says, Article I Sec. 9 of the Constitution states very clearly:

Article I, Section 9, Clause 8:

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State. 

I may be about as far away as Mars for being Laura Loomer's biggest fan, but she does happen to agree with me and makes a valid point for her own position. From the same article in The Hill: 

“I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him,” Loomer wrote in a post on the social platform X. “But, I have to call a spade a spade. We cannot accept a $400 million ‘gift’ from jihadists in suits.

“This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true,” I’m so disappointed. It’s going to be hard for the admin to designate the Muslim Brotherhood and obliterate Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah when Qatar funds the Muslim Brotherhood, harbors HAMAS, and the US just accepted a $400 million jet from Qatar, The biggest lobby in DC is the Qatar lobby. We are watching an Islamic takeover of our country in real time."

All things considered, Qatar is not exactly Switzerland in this game; they are hardly a neutral power. They housed and fêted the upper echelon of Hamas in Doha, providing them with a base of operations from around 2012 forward. The Wikipedia article on Qatar and State Sponsored Terrorism will give you a quickie overview. None of this is news. More recently, they are  openly and not-so-openly funding pro-Palestinian actions in the US, including but not limited to the encampments and the non-student leadership of the movement. 

And they're gonna give POTUS a plane. There are so many What-Ifs in that fuselage that someone would have to take the whole thing apart to find all those bells and whistles. Since the Muskrat has already removed all technology experts from the intelligence agencies and has fired all the significantly smart brass, there's no one left to do that level of work. He even fired the librarian at the Library of Congress....and everyone knows librarians know to find out everything! 

Makes me wonder how much the Qataris are paying Muskrat.  And speaking of Muskrat, how 'bout them South African refugees? How much and who did they pay to get their special refugee visas? 

Or, come to think of it,  what deal the Syrians are trying to cut. According to Reuters:

DAMASCUS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) — A Trump Tower in Damascus, a detente with Israel and US access to Syria’s oil and gas are part of Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa’s strategic pitch to try to get face time with US President Donald Trump during his trip to the Middle East, according to several sources familiar with the push to woo Washington.

First, it was Gaz-a-Largo, then it was Schuss-Greenland, now it's Damasminster Golf Club. I just wanna vomit. Is that graphic enough?

Breaking news: from the Washington Post:

Trump announces U.S. will remove all sanctions against Syria to give the country ‘a chance at a greatness’ President Donald Trump’s remarks, delivered from Saudi Arabia, garnered a standing ovation from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and others. “Oh, what I do for the crown prince,” Trump mused after some of the applause had died down.

The real question is what is the Crown Prince doing for him? 

 

On a more personal note, I want to write a bit about this past weekend. Whoever said "You can't go home again" wasn't a New Yorker. As the plane began its descent into JFK (no, never Newark) I could feel the tension roll off me as I watched waves rolling toward the beach. My intrepid cousin found me at the curb, and we headed into Brooklyn. My documentary producer came to get me for lunch, and we had the best pizza in Brooklyn (documented) at De Fara's. Falafel and all sorts of stuff for dinner and I thought I had died and gone to food heaven.

Thursday, we unveiled Aunty Gladknit's headstone. The last of my folk's generation to leave the building. That was harder than I anticipated. We stopped to see my folks down the block, and painted Minnesota stones went on every headstone.  Ambiance -10 but food +20 at Central Perk Cafe. Kosher, vegetarian, but really good. The poutine is incredible. And then, we baked. At least we made a quick stop at Brighton Beach so I could put my feet in the Atlantic.

Friday, despite the pouring rain, we managed to reach Little Miss et al in time to walk with her into the Metropolitan Museum. My turf. When she saw me, her face was priceless. I was over the moon to be doing this (L to R) Diz, me, Little Miss, Cousin Perdie, and Mrs. Junior Son.

Giving them Grandma Don't's Mandelbrot made by her only two granddaughters was a total hit. And we had a riot making it. We'd never baked together before. Doing this whole shleppy thing?  Best idea ever. Then we left them to their adventure. Perdie went off to work and Diz and I went off on an adventure.

Second best idea ever was running through the pouring rain to visit Adele Bloch-Bauer at the Neue Galerie, We were two drowned mice! But, oh, to see Adele up close and personal! Breathtaking! If you've never seen her, you should. The Galerie was marvelous and so was lunch at Le Pain Quiotidien. We laughed and caught up, talking about all things that matter to us. (JP, I know you're reading this....we missed you sooooo much! Your ears shoulda been burning!) And I managed to navigate the subway back to Brooklyn! It all felt so right.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

If you've never experienced a regular ol' Shabbat in Brooklyn,

find someone to invite you.

This was truly an island in time,  refreshing and renewing. 

I highly recommend it.