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Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Just to be clear, if you're a U.S. taxpayer, this action means that almost $1.8 billion of your money will be handed ...

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Stealing US taxpayer money to give to your political allies.[image or embed]

-- Brian Finucane (@bcfinucane.bsky.social) 11:53 AM · May 18, 2026

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Not to be a nudge, but this takes me right back to the first and most confusing thing about GOP/MAGA---The absolutely don't care when they are stolen from.

This not only contradicts what I used to understand as being conservative values, it contradicts what I used to understand as being ordinary human nature.

So where did I go wrong? GOP/MAGA was never conservative? Never human?

But I note that this special strain of craziness continues right up until this moment. If there are any MAGA here pissed off about Trump looting their public treasury I haven't seen them.

And so I extend an open invitation. This is a clear chance for anyone to get back on the side of conventional sanity.

It will feel good, trust me.

#1 | Posted by Zed at 2026-05-19 10:59 AM | Reply

If divided equally among the approx. 1600 people convicted and pardoned for their actions on Jan 6th, this equates to more than $10 million each. That's a pretty nice payday for being traitors.

#2 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2026-05-19 11:13 AM | Reply

How do you settle a million dollar lawsuit for a billion?

#3 | Posted by Brennnn at 2026-05-19 11:19 AM | Reply

This is what I voted for.

-pedoringer
-boaz aka "mooch"
-lfthndcuck
-onelumpofs*&^
-fartfisher

#4 | Posted by jpw at 2026-05-19 11:30 AM | Reply | Funny: 1

"Trumpism is more about following the leader than it is about adhering to a particular set of ideological or political principles."

Will Gottsegen

#5 | Posted by SomebodyElse at 2026-05-19 11:36 AM | Reply

And keep in mind that Trump is claiming that he was irreparably harmed because an IRS subcontractor gave two-years worth of his tax returns to the New York Times. If this had ever gone to court it would have been thrown out. After all, ever since Nixon was president, all presidential and vice-presidential candidates have released years worth of their income tax returns and there's no record that any of them have ever been harmed by those releases, so how could Trump make that claim unless he was afraid that it would show that he had cheated on his taxes or that he was not as wealthy as he claimed that he was.

OCU

#6 | Posted by OCUser at 2026-05-19 11:39 AM | Reply

Trump claims he knows nothing about what was agreed to between his lawyers and the DOJ when they set up the nearly $1.8 billion slush fund, referred to as the Anti-Weaponization Fund'. If that's true, then the bar association needs to open an investigation as lawyers are required, by law, to get their clients concurrence before they're allowed to accept any deal in their client's name.

But that aside, it appears that the agreement that Trump's lawyers made with the DOJ and the Treasury Department is that Trump will appoint five individuals, whom he can remove anytime he wishes for whatever reason he wishes, to a panel which will decide who gets money from this slush fund. And the way it's set up, conceivably it will only take two individuals to agree for a payment to be made since three individuals will constitute a quorum and only a majority is needed for a decision, which would therefore only need to be two individuals.

Also, the payouts will be confidential and the individuals receiving them will not have to pay any taxes on the money. Also, there will be no restrictions on how the money is spent, meaning that it could be used to fund a criminal enterprise or it could conceivably be paid to individuals who are not US citizens or who don't even reside in the United States. Basically, there are NO restrictions on who can receive a payout, even to a member of the Trump family. The only individual, who is barred by law from taking any of the money, is Donald Trump himself.

OCU

#7 | Posted by OCUser at 2026-05-19 11:41 AM | Reply

This is what I voted for.
--Boaz

#8 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-05-19 11:45 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

Wait. For those of us who were pardoned on J6 and then went back to jail on other charges, do we get paid twice? Just don't tell my three ex-wives and two baby mommas...

#9 | Posted by catdog at 2026-05-19 12:13 PM | Reply

The government politically targeted Americans. It was weaponized lawfare, misconduct and an abuse of power.

Hey, who was in charge of the government on Jan 6, 2021?

#10 | Posted by Derek_Wildstar at 2026-05-19 12:29 PM | Reply

The funny sad haha about this administration is they are the closest thing to the caricature my stridently anti-government friends have always presented as an accurate picture of the government anywhere from 2000 to 2016. Oddly enough, it was always claimed to be perpetrated by the Dems.

Those friends today? At best, silent. At worst, strong advocates for all of this. They differ in their rationales, but each of them has become accepting and even supporting of this massively corrupt, intrusive, constitution shredding administration and they not only don't bat an eye, they get pissed off when it's pointed out to them.

#11 | Posted by jpw at 2026-05-19 12:47 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 4

If any of the dirtbag righties on this blog (sorry for the redundancy) show up to "defend" this larceny, they'll just blame it on the "Dems".

#12 | Posted by Angrydad at 2026-05-19 01:33 PM | Reply

It's also been reported that the DOJ may also be asking the IRS, as part of Trump's settlement with the agency, that neither he nor any of his family members, as well as any of the business entities, will ever be subject to an IRS audit in the future, which would just invite them to commit all kinds of tax fraud and that there would be nothing that anyone could do about it.

OCU

#13 | Posted by OCUser at 2026-05-19 01:45 PM | Reply

#8

Boaz may be getting some of the money.

#14 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2026-05-19 01:52 PM | Reply

Let's absolutely look at how it will paid out....

$1.775 Billion to the orange chomo for the "weaponization" of the prosecution of the documents and election interference case.

$.001 Billion to the rest of the chuds that polish his turds.

#15 | Posted by Nixon at 2026-05-19 02:39 PM | Reply

I want some.

Where do I apply?

#16 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2026-05-19 02:48 PM | Reply

Where do I apply?

Just submit your posting history to Laura Loomer.

You're a full fledged Deplorable Trumping MAGAt.

Go join your fellow pedophiles.

NAMBLA has become a branch of the Republican Party.

#17 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-05-19 03:34 PM | Reply

Where do I apply?

#16 | Posted by BillJohnson

At any of the "fund raising" parties at Ped-o-Lago. They especially love payments in crypto.

#18 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2026-05-19 03:35 PM | Reply

From Plato 'The Republic', paraphrased-

The government ends up being run by men whose goal is to make as much
money as possible, which is impossible

#19 | Posted by john_savage2 at 2026-05-19 06:26 PM | Reply

#19 john_savage# says, "The government ends up being run by men whose goal is to make as much money as possible, which is impossible"

Welcome to the fight...

...john_savage#

#20 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-05-19 06:38 PM | Reply

^image ng

#21 | Posted by john_savage2 at 2026-05-19 06:54 PM | Reply

loop
inc_profit
end_loop

#22 | Posted by john_savage2 at 2026-05-19 06:55 PM | Reply

In the words of Church Lady,

"Isn't that special"

On May 19, DOJ posted a separate one-page document on its website " signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche " with the new details. It includes what appears to be an all-inclusive release in which the Internal Revenue Service is "FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED" from "prosecuting or pursuing" any and all efforts to determine if Trump and the other parties are liable for non- or under-payment of taxes, interest, attorney's fees or expenses incurred by the government.

#23 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2026-05-19 07:14 PM | Reply

I believe this is the exact wording. My previous post was paraphrased.

The United States is hereby FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED from prosecuting or pursuing any examinations or similar or related efforts to determine whether Donald J. Trump, related or affiliated individuals, trusts, partnerships, corporations, organizations, and/or other entities are liable for any non-payment, underpayment, taxes, interest, attorney's fees, costs, expenses, or any other sums whatsoever

#24 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2026-05-19 07:17 PM | Reply

It's only fair.

Look what Biden did for his family.

Where was the outrage then?

It may be difficult for Democrats to say much about this without sounding hypocritical.

#25 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2026-05-19 07:21 PM | Reply

#25 bj boi says, "Look what the right-wing smear machine did to Biden and his family."

You're welcome.

#26 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-05-19 07:33 PM | Reply

#25 bj boi says, "Look what the right-wing smear machine did to Biden and his family."

You're welcome.

** BJ BOI's DEFINITION OF JUSTICE **
"Two things happened as a result of these shootings. First, ICE has likely been given additional training and the anti-ICE protestors don't appear to be so forcefully aggressive interfering with ICE agents.

"That's my opinion."

#63 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2026-05-17 03:08 PM

So, in a nutshell, if an ICE agent MURDERS an American citizen in cold blood, then ...
  1. ICE agents will"likely" receive additional training; and

  2. Americans are further terrorized by their government
And there you have it, boys and girls...

** BJ BOI's DEFINITION OF JUSTICE **

#27 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-05-19 07:34 PM | Reply

#25

Your Cult Leader is raping the American People in literally dozens of obscene ways. Financing his pals with taxpayer dollars from the poor and middle class.

Cutting healthcare. Raising prices... stiffing his dumbass Base for their Phone Deposits?!

Being the Oil Companies Top Sales Person for 12 mos in a row.
Starting Wars he can't finish.

Giving Xi Taiwan for Greenland. Still hiding the Epstein Files. Building Golden Ballrooms and Golden Idols to Himself.

You must be proud!

#28 | Posted by Corky at 2026-05-19 07:35 PM | Reply

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