The Midday Briefing: So, About that, You Dumb Sh*t

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | December 19, 2018 |

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | December 19, 2018 |

— So, as part of the dissolution process of the Trump Foundation, they must liquidate all their assets. This is my favorite tidbit:

The Trump Foundation will be required to sell its remaining assets and donate the proceeds.

That includes a Tim Tebow-signed Broncos helmet, bought for $12,000, and two portraits of Trump, bought for $30,000 Trump now values the items at a combined $975. https://t.co/0vLmESnaWl

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 19, 2018

What a dumb shit.

— Speaking of dumb shits, Rudy Giuliani is out there telling everyone that Trump did have plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow but that he never signed a letter of intent. “It was a real estate project. There was a letter of intent to go forward, but no one signed it,” Giuliani said on Sunday. So, about that:

Chris Cuomo has the Trump Tower Moscow letter of intent with Trump's signature. pic.twitter.com/Xt12u8tRZr

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) December 19, 2018

— The White House announced plans to pull troops out of Syria today. Trump tweeted that ISIS has been defeated there.

We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018

So, about that …

Three separate reports including by the Pentagon Inspector General, by the United Nations and by ⁦@CSIS⁩ have estimated that ISIS still has between 20,000 and 30,000 fighters just in Iraq and Syria, but sure, let’s call the group “defeated.” #DejaVu https://t.co/6hDb4ilUIR

— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) December 19, 2018

Withdrawal of this small American force in Syria would be a huge Obama-like mistake. https://t.co/atsjHUyJlB

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 19, 2018

“ISIS has NOT been defeated,” says @SoccerMouaz of the Syrian Emergency Task Force. “I have no idea what the president is talking about.”

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 19, 2018

— A federal judge has reviewed dozens of complaints that were filed against Brett Kavanaugh. He called them “serious,” but nevertheless had to dismiss them because he’s now a Supreme Court justice and the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act does not cover the Supreme Court.

— Meanwhile, the Senate is expected to pass a bill that would fund the government and avoid a partial shutdown, at least until February. It does not provide Trump with funding for a wall. Trump will make vague threats not to sign it and then he will sign it.

— Finally, South Carolina is contemplating not holding a Republican primary at all in 2020 to help ensure that Trump does not get primaried by another GOP opponent. It’s total bullshit, but it’s not unprecedented. It does demonstrate, however, the level of concern that Republicans have about Trump’s ability to get re-nominated.