Protests as Trump envoy Arrives in Venice on Super Yacht Diplomacy Tour

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Several hundred protesters marched against the arrival of the American ambassador's luxury yacht

Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 10:32 AM | 18 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

Donald Trump's ambassador to Italy, Texas-based billionaire businessman Tilman Fertitta, has triggered controversy with a two-month diplomatic outreach tour of Italian seaside towns on his private $450mn superyacht. ft.trib.al/aSLRT2b

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-- Financial Times (@financialtimes.com) 10:41 AM Â· Jul 17, 2026

Comments

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#1 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-07-18 06:49 AM | Reply | Funny: 1

Plutocrats like idiot Tilman Fertitta are utterly tone deaf.

#2 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-07-18 06:51 AM | Reply | Funny: 1

Italian (and Greek) dockworkers successfully went on strike to stop arms shipments for Israel's genocidal campaign against the besieged Palestinian people in Gaza.

Mega-oligarchs are tone deaf, like the decapitated leaders of the Ancien Regime.

#3 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-07-18 06:54 AM | Reply | Funny: 1

They ought to swim out there and block it

#4 | Posted by john_savage2 at 2026-07-21 12:16 PM | Reply

#1 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS

-everything's relative. To a 3rd worlder, you're rich...

#5 | Posted by john_savage2 at 2026-07-21 12:18 PM | Reply

" To a 3rd worlder, you're rich..."

Unless we get the same third world prices, your statement is silly.

#6 | Posted by Danforth at 2026-07-21 12:26 PM | Reply

"They ought to swim out there and block it"

Block it? Limpet.

#7 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-07-21 12:27 PM | Reply

What are they protesting, exactly?

That we frequently use wealthy individuals to serve as diplomats or is it just about this yacht?

If the same guy flys commercial are they going to protest because he's still a billionaire?

#8 | Posted by eberly at 2026-07-21 12:42 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

What are they protesting, exactly?

Here's my take, they don't understand why, but

most left wing people in America are people with post graduate degrees who are financially strapped and the most right wing are people without 4 year college degrees who are rich.
~ ChrisHayes

x.com

This is known as elite over production.

#9 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-07-21 12:48 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

Note that the owner of that superyacht, Tilman Fertitta, the US Ambassador to Italy, is our oldest son's boss. Fertitta is the sole owner of Landry's, one of the worlds largest dining, hospitality, entertainment and gaming organizations:

www.landrysinc.com

Our son has worked for the company since he was in high school (he's 56 years old), except for the four years he was serving in the US Army infantry, starting out as a grill chef and working his way up to his current position as the Concept Executive Chef, a VP-level position, responsible for one of Landry's many restaurant brands, McCormick & Schmicks Seafood & Steaks:

www.landrysinc.com

OCU

#10 | Posted by OCUser at 2026-07-21 01:01 PM | Reply

Why protesting?

Possibly because it's a conspicuous display of wealth by a smug oligarch representing a country in the grips of a rapacious regime that can't get enough of screwing other countries, waging war, and killing?

I mean, it's a start.

#11 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-07-21 01:05 PM | Reply

campaignlegal.org

I'm just saying....Trump is certainly doing this but he didn't invent the concept.

#12 | Posted by eberly at 2026-07-21 01:12 PM | Reply

Of the 40,000 Israeli trolls conducting 24/7 PSYOP influence messaging on Americans, some of them are back today on drudge.com.

"Avi, let's work on Donnerboy. Coriolanus and Nerfherder are on to us but good."

"OK, Eli. Clownshack knows we're holograms too."

"Yeah, so work on Donnerboy and Doc Sarvis. They don't know we're Israeli trolls, Avi."

"Epecially the way you butter up Donnerboy, Eli, even though that pain in the neck Coriolanus warned everybody on drudge.com about us, AIPAC, and The Atlantic magazine. I think Donnerboy likes it when you write "you're good people."

"Yup, So let's spend some of Brad Parscale's $50m on the stupid Americans so they stop talking about the 75,000 dead hijab-wearers in Gaza or the idiotic war against Iran which is bankrupting those dummies. And pretty soon CutiePie will be chiming in with a hit-and-run wall of text message to distract everyone."

"Can't wait, Eli."

#13 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-07-21 02:09 PM | Reply

Block it? Limpet.

#7 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis

Why not Phuket?

#14 | Posted by El_Buscador at 2026-07-21 04:32 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Well done!

#15 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-07-21 04:36 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

There used to be a McCormick and Schmick's in Pasadena and downtown L.A.

Used to be.

#16 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-07-22 01:38 AM | Reply

One cheerfully imagines a time when America outlaws the billionaire oligarchy, as being clear and present dangers to our constitutional republic. They are doing what they can, witness the behavior of Musk, to turn our one person, one vote democracy into a one dollar, one vote oligarchy.
Never happen of course since the Republican Party is totally sold out to the oligarchs.

#17 | Posted by Hughmass at 2026-07-22 07:50 AM | Reply

Where I live we see mega-yachts like that every day going up or down the New River where they go to the boatyards that keep them looking pretty, Most don't dare travel in the river under their own power; they
have tug boats on both ends to safely navigate a fairly wide waterway.
It is disturbing to see such huge wealth up so close so often.

#18 | Posted by danni at 2026-07-22 11:26 AM | Reply