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GOP Convention Promises to Be a Joke: Part II – Trump Camp Says Tim Tebow Speaking, Tebow Says No

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Also, Fiscal Conservatives Go Over Budget by $6 Million, Beg Billionaire for Check

As presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump and his campaign are supposed to be intimately involved in the details of the Republican National Convention, which kicks off Monday. But day after day after day news breaks of embarrassing decisions and falsehoods.

On Thursday, the full list of speakers was finally released, after much prodding by the media who historically get it a few weeks in advance. It was a roundup of “B” list celebrities and others, with a dash of obligated GOP leaders, from RNC Chairman Reince Priebus to House Speaker Paul Ryan. While not on that list, the Trump camp confirmed to The New York Times that NFL free agent quarterback and religious right darling Tim Tebow would be speaking at the convention. In fact, a Wednesday article in the Times was titled, “Speakers at Donald Trump’s Convention: Tim Tebow, Peter Thiel, but No Sarah Palin?”

“A night highlighting the tragedy in Benghazi, Libya. An appearance by onetime football star Tim Tebow. A presentation detailing former President Bill Clinton’s sexual misconduct,” the Times article begins. It goes on to state the roster of speakers was “confirmed by two people with direct knowledge of the convention planning.”

Tim Tebow, in fact, is not going to speak at the GOP convention next week. 

In a video he posted to Facebook late Thursday night, the former Denver Broncos quarterback and Christian conservative says not only was he not planning on speaking, he was never even asked.

“It’s amazing how fast rumors fly, and that’s exactly what it: a rumor,” Tebow said in a video that has received nearly 800,000 views overnight and in under 12 hours.

Posted by Tim Tebow on Thursday, July 14, 2016

In a new article Thursday, the Times reports Trump’s “campaign had invited Mr. Tebow to speak, according to a person directly involved in the planning and invitation process.”

“But like other sports stars whom Donald J. Trump said he would like to have appear at the convention — Tom Brady and Serena Williams, for example — Mr. Tebow is out.”

To be more accurate, he says he was never even in.

The fiscal conservatives in the Trump campaign and the RNC are proving just how bad they are at business too. They are $6 million over budget, and strapped for cash have turned not to billionaire Donald Trump, but to billionaire and GOP candidate financier Sheldon Adelson for a handout.

“The GOP admits two dozen companies have pulled out because of Trump,” Politico reports Thursday evening, adding “more than two dozen prominent corporations and individuals … have reneged on a collective $8.1 million in pledged donations.”

“Over the past couple months,” a letter from the Cleveland organizers reads, “negative publicity around our potential nominee resulted in a considerable number of pledges backing out from their commitments.”

Politico reports, “those who have canceled their donations, according to the letter, are David Koch ($1 million), FedEx ($500,000), Visa ($100,000), Pepsi ($500,000) and Coca-Cola ($1 million).”

And finally, Sarah Palin.

Why is she not scheduled to speak at the convention?

When asked directly, here’s what Trump had to say.

“She was asked,” Trump told the Washington Examiner Thursday. “It’s a little bit difficult because of where she is. We love Sarah. Little bit difficult because of, you know, it’s a long ways away.”

But air travel in July from Alaska has never been a problem. 

What is a problem is how Palin’s children’s bad behavior continues to dog her.

Little Green Footballs’ Charles Johnson reports Track Palin went to jail on Wednesday:

“Those three charges are Class A misdemeanors,” notes Joe.My.God., “and at this writing there’s no news account on why they would result in Track Palin being remanded. However, the Twitterverse is already buzzing that this may be why Mama Grizzly will not speaking at the GOP convention.”

The GOP convention promises to be a joke.

 

RELATED:

Trump, After Posting Self-Serving, Ugly Tweet About Nice Attack, Postpones VP Announcement

Republican National Convention Promises to Be at Best a Joke: Part I – Here’s the List of Speakers

Breaking: Mike Pence Will Be Donald Trump’s Pick for VP: Reports

 

Image: Screenshot via Facebook

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'DEHUMANIZING AND DANGEROUS'

Trump Team’s Efforts to Rein Him ‘Wilted’ in Waco as He Invoked ‘Retribution and Violence’: Report

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Any hope that Donald Trump’s new re-election team may have had that they could steer him into running a more conventional campaign appears to have been swept aside as he used his first major rally to whip up the crowd with a litany of grievances and personal attacks.

According to the Guardian’s David Smith, during Trump’s appearance in Waco late Saturday, the former president used his speech to “invoke retribution and violence” at his perceived enemies, with attacks on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) who might possibly challenge him for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination.

As Smith wrote, “Efforts by Trump’s team to steer a more conventional, disciplined candidacy have wilted in recent days as the 76-year-old unleashed words and images that – even by his provocative standards – are unusually dehumanising, menacing and dangerous,” before adding nothing the past week Trump used “increasingly racist rhetoric as he launched ever more personal attacks against Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, raising fears that supporters could try to lash out on his behalf. Trump even shared an image of himself holding a baseball bat next to a picture of Bragg.”

RELATED: Trump is giving his ‘violent followers’ time to get organized: former FBI official

According to the Guardian report, “Wearing a dark jacket, white shirt and no tie, he said: ‘I got bad publicity and my poll numbers have gone through the roof – would you explain this to me … It gets so much publicity that the case actually gets adjudicated in the press and people see it’s bullshit.'”

The former president also, once again, called his 2024 run the “final battle.”

“Our opponents have done everything they can to crush our spirit and to break our will. But they failed. They’ve only made us stronger. And 2024 is the final battle, it’s going to be the big one. You put me back in the White House, their reign will be over and America will be a free nation once again,” he told the crowd.

You can read more here.

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Trump Desperate to Keep Any Possible Criminal Evidence From Supreme Court: Legal Expert

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Donald Trump’s decision to allow one of his lawyers to speak before a grand jury on Friday morning, instead of appealing all the way to the Supreme Court, may have been made out of fear of what the justices on the nation’s highest court might see if they reviewed the case.

According to MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin, under normal circumstances, the former president would have dragged out a legal fight over attorney-client privilege that would have kept attorney Evan Corcoran from testifying under oath about Trump’s possession of government documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort that led to the FBI showing up with a warrant.

As Rubin notes, the fact that Trump let Corcoran testify over three hours raised eyebrows.

“For one, yes, it is indeed unusual, if not unheard of, for a lawyer to be litigating against a party one day and then testifying under court-ordered examination by that same party the next one,” she wrote before suggesting Trump and his legal team were looking at the long game when he might need the predominantly conservative Supreme Court to lend him a helping hand.

RELATED: Revealed: Emails show how Trump lawyers drove Michael Cohen to turn on the president

Writing, “Trump has made clear he believes this Supreme Court — controlled by conservative justices, three of whom he appointed — owes him one,” she added, “My hunch is that Trump’s team let Corcoran’s testimony happen because of what’s likely involved in any request to pause, much less, review a crime-fraud-related ruling: the evidence.”

“Put another way, if Trump had petitioned the Supreme Court to stay Corcoran’s testimony and document production, the justices would have seen some, if not all, of what Judge Howell and the three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit have already reviewed: proof that Trump misled Corcoran and engaged in criminal conduct,” she elaborated.

Rubin went on to note that Trump would likely appeal any conviction to the Supreme Court, writing, “And for someone whose one last hope, if he is ultimately charged or tried by any of the multiple entities now investigating him, is that same Supreme Court, letting the justices see evidence of his alleged crimes now would be a bridge too far.”

“Trump can’t afford to lose the Supreme Court yet,” she suggested.

You can read more here.

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No TX Congressional Republican Will Say If They’re Attending Trump’s Rally in Waco – Will He Have Trouble Filling Seats?

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Donald Trump‘s Saturday campaign rally in Waco, Texas, falls during the 30th anniversary of the 51-day siege that community is known for, when 86 people died after a failed ATF raid on an anti-government religious cult suspected of illegally stockpiling firearms amid allegations of sexual abuse, statutory rape, and polygamy.

Experts have been warning for a week that Trump’s choice of Waco, synonymous with violent anti-government extremism, was no accident. His rhetoric this week, including most recently Friday when he warned of “potential death & destruction” should he be indicted, has been seen as encouraging violence.

NCRM was among the first news outlets to report experts’ concerns over Trump’s choice to hold a rally in Waco during the 30th anniversary of the deadly siege.

Not a single congressional Republican from Texas will say they are attending, nor has the town’s GOP mayor, according to a report from Insider, which contacted over two dozen Republican lawmakers and other elected officials.

“None of the 30 Texas Republicans Insider contacted about the event said they were going,” Insider reveals.

“Most of the 30 GOP members contacted about Donald Trump’s inaugural visit to the site of a 30-year-old standoff between cult leader David Koresh and federal authorities did not respond to requests for comment about whether they intended to rally with the scandal-plagued candidate and perhaps say a few kind words,” Insider reports.

“Rep. Pete Sessions, a Waco native who now represents the surrounding 17th congressional district, praised Trump for shining a light on his hometown but said he’d have to miss the spectacle,” Insider adds. “Aides to Rep. Troy Nehls, one of the four House Republicans from Texas who have formally backed Trump’s 2024 run, told Insider he wouldn’t be heading to Waco because of a prior commitment in Washington, DC, this weekend.”

READ MORE: ‘Utter Cowardice’: Jim Jordan Blasted for Telling Reporter He Can’t Read Trump’s Violence-Threatening Post Without Glasses

Meanwhile, in addition to guest list challenges – the campaign refused to tell Insider who the guest speakers will be – Trump may have trouble filling seats.

Mary Trump, the ex-president’s niece who opposes him, has been running a campaign to get anti-Trump Americans to “sign up” for tickets to the Saturday rally, in the hopes of being able to turn away supporters.

“Donald has a rally in Waco this Saturday,” she also said via Twitter. “It’s a ploy to remind his cult of the infamous Waco siege of 1993, where an anti-government cult battled the FBI. Scores of people died. He wants the same violent chaos to rescue him from justice.”

“But we can stop him. If we book the 50,000+ venue, we can make sure most of the seats are empty when the traitor takes the stage,” she said. “We can no longer fail to hold powerful men accountable for their crimes against our country.”

Image via Shutterstock

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