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Donald Trump Jr. charging $100,000+ for speaking appearances

Donald Trump Jr. is facing scrutiny for raking in $100,000 for a sold out speech Thursday night in Alabama, the latest in a string of questionable ethics decisions by the Trump family.

Trump Jr. will also earn the six-figure honorarium, plus up to $5,000 in food, lodging and travel accommodations, to give a 30-minute speech and take questions on October 24 at University of North Texas, matching his Faulkner University fee.

The oldest son of President Donald Trump works as the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, and he is not formally employed the White House, so his speaking engagements don't violate the law. However, members of the Trump family have joined the president at meetings with world leaders of countries where the family has financial interests.


And Trump Jr. remains at the center of a federal investigation into possible collusion between President Trump's campaign and Russia, bringing scrutiny as to whether his speaking engagements can be used to influence the Trump Organization and president.

“The paid speeches do not break any laws, but create a risk of Trump’s children getting unethical benefits from their father’s role as president,” said Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, to NBC News. “They also open the possibility of foreign governments using access to Trump’s children as a way to influence U.S. policy.”

More tawdry sleaze here:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-jr-giving-100k-133331320.html
 

Kaban

Member
I didn't get annoyed at Obama or HRC bringing in big paychecks for their speeches, so I'm not going to get annoyed at this. I hate Trump and anyone associated with him, but if someone wants to waste 100K on this dumbass, it's their problem, not mine.

edit: I will say, this just further proves how hypocritical his supporters are about the 'pay-to-play' nonsense, not that we needed more proof.
 

Akuun

Looking for meaning in GAF
I'd rather listen to a guy read lorem ipsum out loud than go to one of this guy's speeches.
 
Can you imagine paying to hear him struggle with basic sentence structure for an hour? Ughh

If he's getting paid $100k, I wanna believe an Obama speech should be a million or more.

....actually anyone who's pays for Trump Jr. to speak is most likely a moron and deserves to lose the money...
 

traveler

Not Wario
For reference, Obama came under fire for taking $400K speaking fees. Granted, there is a massive gulf between Trump and Obama as speakers, but, given the modern president asking rate, this is basically a "look at that bitch eating crackers" moment.

It's worth noting that part of the reason Obama was criticized is that he actually kept a number of post-tax fees instead of donating them to charitable causes. The taxes were pretty significant, however, and some of his fees were also used to support his Presidential library, which is a cause in its own way.

Edit: missed that this was Jr. The closer comparison would probably be Michelle then, who was criticized for receiving 200k fees. First Lady is an actual established and venerated position, but it's still a case of someone outside the presidency itself benefiting from being a relation of the president.

Except this is Donald Trump Jr., not Donald Trump.

Yup. Just noticed that. To be fair, they're probably getting a better speaker than if they were actually getting the president, but somehow I doubt that factors in to the fee...
 
For reference, Obama came under fire for taking $400K speaking fees. Granted, there is a massive gulf between Trump and Obama as speakers, but, given the modern president asking rate, this is basically a "look at that bitch eating crackers" moment.

It's worth noting that part of the reason Obama was criticized is that he actually kept a number of post-tax fees instead of donating them to charitable causes. The taxes were pretty significant, however, and some of his fees were also used to support his Presidential library, which is a cause in its own way.

Except this is Donald Trump Jr., not Donald Trump.
 

Link

The Autumn Wind
For reference, Obama came under fire for taking $400K speaking fees. Granted, there is a massive gulf between Trump and Obama as speakers, but, given the modern president asking rate, this is basically a "look at that bitch eating crackers" moment.

It's worth noting that part of the reason Obama was criticized is that he actually kept a number of post-tax fees instead of donating them to charitable causes. The taxes were pretty significant, however, and some of his fees were also used to support his Presidential library, which is a cause in its own way.

Edit: missed that this was Jr. The closer comparison would probably be Michelle then, who was criticized for receiving 200k fees. First Lady is an actual established and venerated position, but it's still a case of someone outside the presidency itself benefiting from being a relation of the president.



Yup. Just noticed that. To be fair, they're probably getting a better speaker than if they were actually getting the president, but somehow I doubt that factors in to the fee...
Nobody gives a shit that he was paid to speak; it’s the blatant hypocrisy from him and his father. They couldn’t shut up about Hillary getting paid to speak, yet Jr. is doing the same thing. Not that it should surprise anyone. That entire family is nothing but projectionists.
 
As someone who has been involved in hiring names to speak at events, this isn't unusual pricing at all.

Though, I think it's more than a little unusual for Donald Trump Jr. though. He isn't worth that much.
 

JABEE

Member
Using the Presidency for this purpose is unethical and unbecoming of the office.

The President and their family should not be able to enrich themselves off the office of the Presidency.
 

kevin1025

Banned
I'll pay for $25 to sit in a chair and have Clint Eastwood talk to him like he isn't there.

Also known as how Donald Trump Sr treats him.
 

Slayven

Member
For reference, Obama came under fire for taking $400K speaking fees. Granted, there is a massive gulf between Trump and Obama as speakers, but, given the modern president asking rate, this is basically a "look at that bitch eating crackers" moment.

It's worth noting that part of the reason Obama was criticized is that he actually kept a number of post-tax fees instead of donating them to charitable causes. The taxes were pretty significant, however, and some of his fees were also used to support his Presidential library, which is a cause in its own way.

Edit: missed that this was Jr. The closer comparison would probably be Michelle then, who was criticized for receiving 200k fees. First Lady is an actual established and venerated position, but it's still a case of someone outside the presidency itself benefiting from being a relation of the president.



Yup. Just noticed that. To be fair, they're probably getting a better speaker than if they were actually getting the president, but somehow I doubt that factors in to the fee...
yeah they are the Obamas. Excluding the presidency both are accomplished and well spoken in their own right
 

Zolo

Member
What people want to hear Don Jr. talk that's worth 100k? At least his father I can understand. MAYBE Ivanka.
 

KingV

Member
I hate Trump as much as the next Gaffet, but how is this any different from Bill taking $500k per speech while Hillary was Secretary of State or a US Senator?

Becaus lot of people here swore that shit was bog standard normal and beyond reproach.
 

Zolo

Member
I hate Trump as much as the next Gaffet, but how is this any different from Bill taking $500k per speech while Hillary was Secretary of State or a US Senator?

Becaus lot of people here swore that shit was bog standard normal and beyond reproach.

If he can get that much, then whatever. Most people here aren't criticizing him doing this; they're wondering why would anyone want to pay him that much?
 

Link

The Autumn Wind
I hate Trump as much as the next Gaffet, but how is this any different from Bill taking $500k per speech while Hillary was Secretary of State or a US Senator?

Becaus lot of people here swore that shit was bog standard normal and beyond reproach.
See my above reply.
 
D

Deleted member 1235

Unconfirmed Member
who the hell wants to hear his ass speak
Enough people to pay 100k for 30 min. I don't even blame him. If someone wanted to hear me be a rich cunt for 100k and 0 work I can't pretend I would say no.
 

Jzero

Member
I hate Trump as much as the next Gaffet, but how is this any different from Bill taking $500k per speech while Hillary was Secretary of State or a US Senator?

Becaus lot of people here swore that shit was bog standard normal and beyond reproach.
If we're talking about the money only Bill was a president, Donald is a spoiled little shit that got everything handed to him like his father did.
 

KingV

Member
If he can get that much, then whatever. Most people here aren't criticizing him doing this; they're wondering why would anyone want to pay him that much?

I think it’s obvious why they would pay him that much. And for him the veneer of respectability for the entire idea of paying the spouse/kid/sibling of a politician 10’s of thousands for minor effort sort of falls apart.

Someone can plausibly say you paid Bill Clinton a hefty chunk of change for legitimate reasons. It’s much harder to do so for Trumps dumb little turnip.

It sort of discards the false story that this is not done to garner influence out of the window, because there is not really a believable reason to do this for Trump JR.
 

Late Flag

Member
I hate Trump as much as the next Gaffet, but how is this any different from Bill taking $500k per speech while Hillary was Secretary of State or a US Senator?

Becaus lot of people here swore that shit was bog standard normal and beyond reproach.

It was wrong and unethical when the Clintons did it. It's also wrong and unethical when the Trumps do it.
 

Volimar

Member
When all is said and done I wonder how much money the Trump family will have made from their time in the WH.
 
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