Taxpayers Paid $77,000 So Trump Jr. Could Murder Mongolian Sheep

“Donald Trump Jr.’s eight-day trip to Mongolia last August was controversial, not least because he was awarded a permit to hunt an endangered argali sheep after he had already killed one. He also had a private meeting with Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga, a month after Battulga met with President Trump in the White House, and he was traveling with a major Republican donor, ProPublica reported. Also, taxpayers spent nearly $77,000 on Secret Service protection during the trophy hunting expedition, the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington reports, citing updated Freedom of Information Act requests.

— “Taxpayers spent $77,000 on Donald Trump Jr. Mongolia sheep hunting trip, Secret Service receipts show,” Peter Weber, The Week [emphasis added]

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$18 Billion Border Wall Breeched by $90 Saws.

Smugglers sawed into new sections of President Trump’s $18 billion border wall 18 times in the San Diego area during a single month last year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection records FOIA’ed by the Washington Post. Evidence suggests the smugglers used inexpensive battery-powered reciprocating saws, which you can buy at Home Depot for about $90, to saw through the new compsite steel bollard walls.

Even if workmen stop sawing though the wall, Mother Nature might knock it over during the desert monsoon season if storm gates aren’t installed and left open, which would defeat the whole absurd, costly premise of the thing.

More:

“Smugglers sawed into Trump’s border wall 18 times in one month in San Diego area, records show,” Nick Miroff, Washington Post

Related:

“Long-term maintenance for Trump’s border wall could cost billions, but government isn’t saying, Nick Miroff, Washington Post

“Trump administration awards $569M border wall contract despite calls to spend more on the coronavirus fight,” Kim Slowey, Construction Dive

Updates:

“Trump order to paint border wall black could drive up cost $500 million or more,” Nick Miroff and Josh Dawsey, Washington Post

“Ups and downs: Trump’s $27m-a-mile border wall being scaled with $5 ladders,” Luke O’Neil, The Guardian

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Mar-A-Lago Weekends Are ‘Part Of Being President’

Spending weekends at a private Florida club is “part of being president,” according to White House spokescreature Sean Spicer. Each weekend of presidential golf and steaks with ketchup at Mar-a-Lago is said to cost U.S. taxpayers about $3 million. For what Trump’s trips have cost to date, Meals on Wheels could feed 5,967 seniors for a year.

Seats of Government

Kenya’s parliament is in the hot seat for excessive expenses for interior decorating. The legislative chamber’s $11 million re-furb includes new chairs for MPs at $3,000 each. The government maintains the fancy furnishings actually represent civil service savings, since the chairs would have cost $5,000 each if they hadn’t been made in prison workshops.

Kenya’s government says the make-over was needed so Parliament could enter the digital age. Technologists are eager to examine the posterior-controlled computer interface provided by the plushy red chairs.

More:

“Kenyan MPs get new $3,000 seats,” BBC News
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