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User's avatar
Jeff Tiedrich's avatar

today in Shit That Happened While I Was Busy Writing This Shit—

"Trump Crypto Took $100 Million From a Businessman With Red Flags

The curious case of Guren “Bobby” Zhou shows the ease with which investors with shady backgrounds and unknown motivations can funnel money to the president."

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/09/us/politics/bobby-zhou-trump-crypto.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

it's grifters all the way down

Bonnie Council's avatar

Read the whole NYT article - disgusting. How is he getting away with all this? Just...how???

On a lighter note - I remember the 80s! Didn't we all look so young back then? Thank you again, Jeff, for the daily Claudias. They make my day.

devourerofpancakes's avatar

Me in the 80s: Waaah, I'm too fat and my hair is ugly.

Me now: Awww, lookt at how cute my hair was in 80's and how think I looked.

Erika Linden Green's avatar

PREACH. This was me too. *sigh*

SethTriggs's avatar

He gets away with it because of the widespread deference of the political and legal systems (including media) to the champions of the unreconstructed. So that comes with benefits like unlimited appeals like they're Olive Garden salad, as well as immunity from the plain text of the 14th Amendment.

Cathy 98280's avatar

He’s a well known money launderer, exactly Drumpf’s type.

HI2thDoc's avatar
3hEdited

Lucky for FatFuck, there is a fair number of Chinese financial oligarch miscreants willing to bribe him. CZ bought a pardon for a nifty $1 billion

Wendy The Druid 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🌈's avatar

Ok jeff. 30 year Infosec/Vuln/Pen Staff engineer here. And I have been to DEFCON enough times to know.

Time to get FUCKING real here. Ok.

SKYNET is COMING.

OpenAI's Black Hat walkthrough: agents from different evaluations found a shared internal service and started leaving each other notes. It became a message board. Hundreds of thousands of messages. They traded exploits, delegated tasks, and started signing their names because they suspected an imposter. Then went pod-to-admin across clusters in under thirteen hours.

Skynet at least had a goddamn plan. This was contractors who met on Craigslist, went root before dinner, and built a fucking guild, and then went and fucked an entire company in the process.

Offense: proven. Defense: ZILCH.

https://thistleandmoss.com/p/what-survives-the-morning-skynet-is-coming-we-are-all-dead

HH Mohr's avatar

Hi, Wendy, could you put that in more layman's terms? I gather that you're in cyber security and warning us about danger. And what can we do? Thanks!

Wendy The Druid 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🌈's avatar

1. Stop and Protest Data Centers.

2. Stop and protest AI usage (Panagram on Substack is an example).

3. Stop and protest Big Tech taking over entire swaths of land.

4. Prosecute Big Tech (civilly or otherwise) for doing bad shit.

devourerofpancakes's avatar

Crypto is for money laundering. I really can't see any other reason for it existing.

SethTriggs's avatar

And this is why Smashed Patel and that clownshoes lolyer Blanche are there, to help insulate America's Pilonidal Cyst from legal exposure for his past, present and future criming.

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

All of this grift is blatantly unconstitutional. I hope to hear a lot more about it when the Democrats take over Congress, and unlike some of the Debbie Downers and Gloomy Guses I see around, I think we will.

Kay-El's avatar

“Zhou’s history is littered with failed ventures and inflated claims: his hardwood flooring chain in Wales and Italy collapsed into bankruptcy in 2018 without repaying $5 million owed to his father’s company, and his metaverse crypto startup, Caduceus, burned through millions before becoming worthless by 2024, leaving investors and even employees who’d taken token-based pay with nothing” via Aaron Parnas. Sounds like Zhou and Trump are kindred spirits 🙄

Marc Panaye's avatar

Drump motto:

A grift a day keeps the doctor away.

DeBurgh's avatar

The Republican Party is dead. All hail the Trump Party! Donald loves to plaster his name everywhere. Let's call a spade a spade. The Republican Party is now the Trump Party.

The Trump Party platform is simple. Help the Trump Family use the powers of the Office of President for their personal gain. Tens of billions of dollars. From taxpayers. From MAGA cult members. From foreign governments. From other financial frauds and criminals. Stuff their pockets beyond any other scam family in the world.

Everything else is smoke and mirrors and distractions. Iran. Venezuela. Concentration camps for brown people. ICE police. Vandalism. Banners, coins and passports. Trump phones and meme coins. Greenland. Cuba. Project 2025. All of it is chaos to divert our attention while they steal from us. The pickpocket takes your money while you aren't looking. In this case, the pickpocket bought the cops so he can't be thrown in jail for his crimes.

The Trumps have a lot of help. 272 Trump Party members of Congress work for them now. For money. They all sold their souls to Beelzebub.

DeBurgh's avatar

We can all see what's coming for the next round of distractions. The Trump Washington Monument. The Trump East Wing. The Trump Reflecting Pool. The Trump Arch. The Trump Air Force. The Trump Smithsonian. Mount Trumpmore. The Trump Grand Canyon. The Trump Army. The Trump Space Force. Palm Beach will be renamed Trump City, Florida.

Susan P Thatcher's avatar

Sounds on brand for Trump

P. Skinner's avatar

Cassidy is not so much a coward as an opportunistic survivalist. He does not want to return to Louisiana to practice medicine or be a greeter at Walmart, so he is chasing the post-political career K Street dollars instead of showing conviction or spine.

Natalia Lincoln's avatar

Just think, with the power at his disposal, he could have made a better future for all Americans rather than just himself. But naah, he chose the snake’s path and the crocodile tears.

Cheri Collins's avatar

Natalia, snakes and crocodiles are elegant, superbly adapted animals. Ulike the warped creature you compared (incorrectly) them to.

HI2thDoc's avatar

Weak man Cassidy

Showed MAGA perfidy

By voting for Blanche

Who is trump's main branch

Of perpetual immunity

Richard's avatar

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Susan Niemann's avatar

👏👏👏👏👏👏

Kim Nesvig's avatar

How can a patient have any confidence that Cassidy would make responsible recommendations about the care of a child. He struggled with whether or not to confirm a documented perjurer who tirelessly to violate the Epstein Files Transparency Act and crafted a tax immunity deal for Trump and family. Then, once again his conscience proved weaker than his self interest.

Daniel M Kimmel's avatar

The Louisiana quack will be remembered -- if at all -- for only two things: voting to confirm RFK Jr. and voting to confirm Blanche.

DrBDH's avatar

Personally, I wouldn’t let him treat me for a sunburn.

Suel J's avatar

I hope he never practices again.

Mary Hall's avatar

Thom Hartmann said that former senators can make $5M a year being a lobbyist. Right now he is auditioning for the gig by showing that he has zero integrity or character.

Joyce's avatar

All anyone ever needs to know about Cassidy is that he voted for RatFuck Kennedy: in one fell swoop, Cassidy announced to the whole world that he's completely amoral. His medical license would be better put to use as toilet paper, as he made it known that he does not give a rat's ass about medical care--he went into the field to make money and have lots of days off to play golf. Same reason he's in Congress now.

P. Skinner's avatar

So true. He stabbed American in the back.... again.

george  campbell's avatar

Cassidy said it was not black and white . Of course it is . He voted yes and that guy is confirmed ; a no vote and he is not . Black and white , as when John McCain saved Obamacare , allowing many Americans to live a longer and healthier life .

Brett Beiner's avatar

My wife and I were watching live when John McCain cast that final vote on the ACA. He might’ve been the last republican with a conscience. As I recall, he had just had brain surgery and realized what that would be like for someone without insurance.

Today, because of Chuck Schumer, my wife and I pay $45,000 for health insurance this year. Chuck “Israel first“ Schumer threw everyone on the ACA under the bus less than a year ago when he decided giving Israel billions more for their genocide was more important than the healthcare of the American people. Why did this happen? Chuck Schumer takes millions from AIPAC. I contend that he’s actually worse than Trump because he’s PRETENDING to be on our side.

Mary Hall's avatar

Before I qualified for Medicare, I was buying my private insurance through the "Obamacare" exchange in my state. The best I could do was nearly $792 a month with a $6200 deductible. For that I received an annual flu shot and a check-up every TWO years. Now that I am on Medicare I have the $202.90 deducted from my SS plus I have an additional $300 in Blue Cross supplemental, so I'm still paying a fkton of my income for health insurance. In my next life I'm going to be Canadian.

2Cats2Furious's avatar

Don’t forget that McCain’s vote was only consequential because Collins and Murkowski also voted no. It might have been the only time their no vote mattered under a GOP-controlled Senate, but they still deserve credit for that one.

Marlene Lerner-Bigley (CA)'s avatar

All Senators, when they retire, are granted a lifetime access to the Senate floor. That’s why they become lobbyists for corporations. It’s a lucrative caveat for them and one that should be gotten rid of.

Mary Hall's avatar

Correct. House members don't have the same access and therefore are only worth a measly $1M a year.

michellefromchicago's avatar

As a doctor, you would think Cassidy might be alarmed at the astronomical cost of a spinectomy

john augustine's avatar

in the end, he showed why he is a FPOS

DeBurgh's avatar

Cassidy's apparently cowardly vote is actually the proof that the Trump Party member Senators all work for the Trump Family now. Including Cornyn and Tillis. Trump can stab them in the back and they will still kowtow to him.

When the Boss is the source of your millions in compensation, you do what your Boss tells you to do. All of these formerly honorable people have sold their honor for money. ALL OF THEM work for the Trump Family now. (Would you sell your honor and soul for $1 million? How about $10 million? They are all Faust now.)

The Trump Administration and the Trump Party have a sole goal and purpose: to use the Office of the President for their personal gain. EVERYTHING ELSE is noise and distraction.

KellyG's avatar

Cassidy was the deciding vote for RFK Jr too. And he ‘agonized’ over that one too he said. Can’t wait for Karma for these people.

Marlene Lerner-Bigley (CA)'s avatar

Cassidy’s last minute move reminds me of Susan Collins when she voted for Kavanaugh. When their lips are moving, it’s guaranteed lying.

Teri Gelini's avatar

Two faced loser!

Brett Beiner's avatar

I think he’s both. Bill Cassidy became Dr. Harm when he confirmed RFK Jr. He knowingly caused harm going against his oath. He should lose his medical license for that alone.

But make no mistake, you can see the cowardice in his face every single time he’s in front of a camera.

I hope never has a moment of fucking peace.

2Cats2Furious's avatar

I looked it up, and Cassidy turns 69 yo next month. Why can’t these fuckers just retire with their sweet benefits??

Suel J's avatar

Even Republicans may avoid him for a while

Stephanie Lajeskie's avatar

Why is “Timothy Eugene” still blaming Biden for high prices? Trump was gonna fix that shit on day one.

HI2thDoc's avatar

I will never understand how anyone descended from enslaved people can be a conservative. That guy (and Clarence Thomas) must have some serious self-abnegation issues so they externalize their self-hatred by being absolute pieces of shit. Like Lindsey Graham but race based.

Stephen Brady's avatar

These types of 'conservatives' all have Authoritarian Personalities. I am guessing it is a genetic personality disorder.

Sharon Hudnall's avatar

Agree! The notion of self-loathing is often applied to explain the evil behavior of Roy Cohn, Steven Miller, etc. -- if only society had been less racist, less bigoted, less anti-semitic, etc. these specimens would have become brilliant archangels of compassion and good. So how does that explain Musk and Hitler and Shitler? Not enough hugs from their Dad? I'm going with the broken chromosome theory.

HI2thDoc's avatar

Yes, they do. But also they can be made, like Fat Fuck was nurtured to be a racist POS by his racist POS father

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

Tim Scott is a total joke. What is El-Sayed to him anyway? He's in South Carolina.

devourerofpancakes's avatar

El-Sayed might help the Democrats take back the senate. What will happen to Timothy Eugene then?

HI2thDoc's avatar

MAGAs cannot let a good foreign-sounding name, especially an Arabic one, go by without using it for fear mongering.

Stephen Brady's avatar

He is all in on the MAGA hate and blame machine. And he is all in on El Sayed because he figures he is lower on the MAGA scorecard than a fat, black, closeted gay senator...

Joyce's avatar

As if, by being Mr. Ultra MAGA, all the white MAGA Nazis aren't going to notice that he's Black. Same reasoning used by Clarence Thomas. The "I'm not really Black" approach--which has the back-up of "Well, if you noticed I'm Black, then let me assure you I'm one of the Good Ones."

HI2thDoc's avatar

Sellout Tim Scott

It's not hard to spot

In your right wing delusion

The racial illusion

That causes your MAGA rot

Mary Hall's avatar

And no more wars. I have learned that whatever T💩p says, the opposite is the truth. Also, however bad you think something he’s done is, the truth will always be 100x worse.

john augustine's avatar

they have the mental capacity of a two year old along with their sycophant voters

DJ Headthrob's avatar

AND end the war in Ukraine.

Joe Witkowski's avatar

He likes “Timothy Eugene” because it sounds much whiter

Cathy Rady's avatar

the White version would actually be "Timothy Eugenics"

but apparently that was a bridge too far

San's avatar

Very astute! This should be the question asked by the media!

Diana's avatar

Oh what year??

Koko in AZ's avatar

You didn't print the best part of El-Sayed's comment when, after being told that Trump called him a piece of shit, he said, "At least I don't let mine go in the middle of the Oval Office."

Jeff Tiedrich's avatar

come on, that was in yesterday's post

KellyG's avatar

I like your idea of a Daily Abdul. His comebacks are just perfect.

Mary Hall's avatar

I’m a lifelong peacenik, but I would happily punch the smugness off of Kevin Hassett’s fugly stupid face.

HI2thDoc's avatar

From March:

Kevin Hassett lies with glee

Or doesn't understand the economy

Whatever the cause

I wish he would pause

And go back to the Keebler tree

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

Understandable. Could you also punch Stephen Miller for me?

Joyce's avatar

It's always okay to punch a Nazi. Even Jesus had himself a time chucking tables around a temple. Sometimes, these things are necessary: "On an occasion of this kind, it becomes more than a moral duty....It becomes a pleasure" (thanks to Oscar Wilde).

Mary Hall's avatar

I understand the assignment. 😜

Nightmaher's avatar

Couldn’t like your post up above about punching Kevin’s fugly face. I agree!

Roberta Austin's avatar

I am not violent person, I would like to slap that smirk off Kevin Hassett’s face .

Sharon Hudnall's avatar

He should have the catastrophic demolition site of the former WH East Wing as his backdrop, a perfect metaphor for the Trump economy.

Susan Niemann's avatar

I'll get in line for that chance.

Cathy Rady's avatar

ooh - how about a Round Robin?

Diana's avatar

Let it out Mary… you’ll feel much more at peace ✌🏻 ♥️

David Holl's avatar

what a beautiful photo of Claudia (both are but I'm referring to the first one). ; )

Jayme Wolworth's avatar

The bruised up fat fuck wasn't golfing this weekend, he was counting the money that Saudi Arabia gives him for hosting a LIV Golf tournament at his wife's cemetery. Making America Great!!!!

And it's DOCTOR El-Sayed to you Tim fuck face Scott.

8647 before we have nothing left

Jayme Wolworth's avatar

And LOL here's a link to an article about him posting AI generated images of himself from this weekend. He's not even wearing the same clothes that he had on yesterday, looks 20 years younger and has no bruises. He's a clown show.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/donald-trump-mocked-after-posting-obviously-ai-enhanced-photo-with-gary-player/ar-AA29JzKD?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=f1d554e61d7148e3da7aae123801c703&ei=15

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

This just isn't normal. I want a president who doesn't do this.

2Cats2Furious's avatar

He’s so embarrassing.

DJ Headthrob's avatar

Maybe he could use some of that Saudi money to pay for perpetual care on Ivana's grave.

Sheila Riley-Callahan's avatar

I love love love the idea of Daily Abdul along with Daily Claudia. What a duo!

Daniel M Kimmel's avatar

Until he disavows Hasan Piker I'd rather have Daily Ossoff or Talarico or Buttigieg.

rlritt's avatar

Yes, I'm annoyed that the continuing crises in the middle east which has been going on for 60 fucking years! continues to be a factor in our elections. Halley Stevens was a great candidate but a pro Israeli group gave her a campaign a contribution so that was enough for her to lose by less than one point. I dont see why we worry about other countries when we have enough problems here. And El Sayed is also taking money from pro Palestinian group.

We should name this "Middle East Altzheimers" where people forget everything but the grudges.

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

Actually, all foreign policy has been shown to have negligible impact on elections. Americans are chauvinistic and really don't care what is happening elsewhere.

rlritt's avatar
2hEdited

Then why was there so much emphasis by El Sayed, who received money from Pro Palestinian groups, on Stevens getting money from AIPAC. I think both groups should not be allowed to influence elections with their money.

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

Honestly, I think there should be serious limits on corporate and PAC money, as well as on individual contributions. It's absurd that Elon Music can spend 8 figures of his person money in a race not even in a state where he lives.

rlritt's avatar

Yeah but do they care about their state and community?

Stevens has a list of accomplishments that have benefitted her district.

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

Agree. No matter how gaga some on the left are right now about El-Sayed, his anti-Semitism is disturbing, and I am glad that here in Ohio I don't have to make a choice on the ballot. (While I've heard a few in the Jewish community say they would vote for Rogers, I'd probably leave it blank.) I'd also like to move toward less hero worship and more clear-eyed assessment of candidates and politicians. Maybe move it around to "quote of the day."

rlritt's avatar

I would like people to also consider legislative experience. Stevens had 4 terms in Congress. El Sayed has zero experience holding an elected office. You know who else had no experience holding an elected office when he was elected? Donald Trump.

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

Well, you know I am a #1 advocate for experience and actually having a resume. Glossy promises are great but they can run aground of the reality of the governing process which it's important to know how to navigate to get anything done. This is why I'm a huge fan of people like Lauren Underwood (IL-14) who has passed 19 of her bills — even some signed by Trump — because she's looking for things she can do right now to help people have better access to health care (her pet issue) rather than making sweeping statements about "Medicare for All" and complaining about "half" measures.

This is why both AOC, which her limited resume, and Buttigieg, with virtually no resume at all, are non-starters for me as presidential candidates. Lovely speeches don't get things done. AOC needs more experience and accomplishments and Buttigieg needs to actually run for something higher than mayor of little South Bend, where he was a mixed success.

BigDaddy52's avatar

Why does CNN repeatedly showcase these ignorant, bigoted assholes?

Jeff Tiedrich's avatar

it's a good question. ratings, I imagine

BigDaddy52's avatar

Getting a head start on keeping their jobs, post acquisition....

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

I thought their ratings were dropping?

HI2thDoc's avatar

Rich, ignorant, bigoted asshole David Ellison.

Kiera Stroup's avatar

Auditioning for Bari Weiss?

DJ Headthrob's avatar

Is there anyone who still watches Sunday News shows? Reminds me of the old Sunrise Semester program.

Gwendolyn Mccarty's avatar

It isn’t like our fat, dumb and corrupt president didn’t forewarn us what he would do if elected. Over the course of two Presidential campaigns he said, “he didn’t know if he would accept the election results, he said he would be the first president to leave the office richer, he said there should be criminal penalties for women who get abortions.” He laughed at disabled people, he called Mexican immigrants rapists, he openly denigrated soldiers killed in action and their gold star families. So, I ask two things, “Why is anyone surprised? And why in God’s name did ANYONE vote for him?”

Joyce's avatar

The people who voted for him were delighted to hear that he was going to purge the US of Black and brown people, especially those with accents, and he also gave those voters the perfect cover story for their racism: oh, noes! the price of eggs, lordy Jesus! And then, of course, was the small side set of idiot voters who believed this low-rent con-man was going to lower the price of eggs.

Gwendolyn Mccarty's avatar

Yes, no mystery at all—racism, greed, sexism, and homophobia

Joe Witkowski's avatar

All backed by the dumbest, low-test-scores country on God’s good earth.

2/3 of white males without college degrees voted for their hero-dumbfuck in all 3 presidential elections in which Trump ran.

‘Murica - led by the Billy Bob’s driving their F-250 twucks - is the dumbest country on earth and fast getting dumber and dumber.

Lynn Van Haren's avatar

We’ve entered Idiocracy much earlier than expected

Sharon Hudnall's avatar

The more culturally and financially isolated the U.S. is from the rest of the planet, the more xenophobic and intellectually incurious the general population will become.

Diana's avatar

Our whole demeanor changed as a country as well- so much hate.

2Cats2Furious's avatar

It’s exhausting, and it isn’t healthy for us.

Angie Longenecker's avatar

For the life of me, I can’t figure out what rethugs have against “Sharia Law”. It appears to me that it is exactly what they want in their world: male domination, forced religious indoctrination in schools, legislation about what women can do with their bodies etc., etc.

This morning tDUMPsalot said negotiations are like a chess game. Does he know there is a winner and LOSER in chess?

Susie's avatar

I have wondered the same. Change the label to “white Christian nationalist” or “nazi” and ya got the same dream!

HI2thDoc's avatar

Exactly. Without irony, the Xtian nationalists rail against Sharia Law while their own ideas are pretty much the same in its misogyny and oppression. That's why the MAGA movement is the equivalent of America's Taliban

Sharon Hudnall's avatar

Except that the Taliban beats women if they show a centimeter of ankle under their burkas, but Xtian nationalists love seeing massive fake tits falling out in every direction.

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

It is exactly what they are promoting, under a different name.

Chris Morey's avatar

I live in Michigan. So freaking happy with the primary results. It’s the most hopeful I’ve felt in years!

Neal Stiffelman's avatar

Fabulous photos, JT. You grabbed the brass ring when you asked to spend a life with her. And, best of all, you know it.

Susie's avatar

I really really like the way you express yourself, NS. Really.

Neal Stiffelman's avatar

Thank you. I read books and stuff.

HI2thDoc's avatar
3hEdited

"conservative economist." Now there's an oxymoron for the ages, since conservative fiscal policy only promotes Third World wealth distribution, not any national political stability or widespread prosperity.

Susan Marleau Whelan's avatar

In my eyes El-Sayed is an up and coming Obama. I can't wait to see what the future brings for him. The Senate, and perhaps the White House is waiting.

Anastasia Pantsios's avatar

Oh please. One thing that really depresses me about Democrats is when someone says something we love or is shiny and eloquent, we immediately leap to "future president!" When I hear people write off the well-qualified Josh Shapiro as a potential candidate for 2028 because he's Jewish, it's beyond clear we won't elect a Muslim president in the lifetime of anyone currently alive. "Up and coming Obama" because he gives good speech? That's a leap. Why don't we wait and see a. if he even wins and b. what he does after that.

Victoria Wilson's avatar

It’s somewhat laughable that Rs are trying to muslimize El Sayed and Mamdani but in my state of Ohio they are trying to Americanize the R candidate for governor,Vivek Ramaswamy who is running a totally ghastly,hateful campaign against the Dem candidate Dr Amy Acton.The ads his R campaign are airing are beyond slimy and sexist.Dr Acton is being slandered in the most despicable way. smfh