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''"At the height of Palm Beach’s charity ball season, Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons, a prominent member of geriatric high society, suddenly vanishes during a swank gala. Kiki Pew was a founding member of the Potussies, a group of women dedicated to supporting the President, who spends half the year at the "Winter White House" just down the road. Meanwhile, Angie Armstrong, wildlife wrangler extraordinaire, is called to the island to deal with a monster-sized Burmese python that has taken residency in a tree. But the President is focused on the disappearance of Kiki Pew. Never one to miss an opportunity to play to his base, he immediately declares her a victim of rampaging immigrant hordes. This, it turns out, is far from the truth, which now lies in the middle of the road, where a bizarre discovery brings the First Lady’s motorcade to a grinding halt."''

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''"At the height of Palm Beach’s charity ball season, Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons, [=FitzSimmons=], a prominent member of geriatric high society, suddenly vanishes during a swank gala. Kiki Pew was a founding member of the Potussies, a group of women dedicated to supporting the President, who spends half the year at the "Winter White House" just down the road. Meanwhile, Angie Armstrong, wildlife wrangler extraordinaire, is called to the island to deal with a monster-sized Burmese python that has taken residency in a tree. But the President is focused on the disappearance of Kiki Pew. Never one to miss an opportunity to play to his base, he immediately declares her a victim of rampaging immigrant hordes. This, it turns out, is far from the truth, which now lies in the middle of the road, where a bizarre discovery brings the First Lady’s motorcade to a grinding halt."''
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* CoolMask: after his face is fried by his malfunctioning tanning bed, Mastodon refuses to skip his fundraising dinner, but likewise refuses to let the crowd see his blistered face, so he grabs an African tribal mask from one of the mansion's rooms and holds it in front of his face. Several of his agents agree that the mask looks cool, but none of the guests can understand why he chose to wear it, especially because he holds it so close to his mouth that the first few minutes of his speech are completely unintelligible.
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** Kiki Pew [=FitzSimmons=]'s two sons, Chance and Chase Cornbright, liquified their trust funds by getting married as soon as possible after finishing college, and there was a rift between them and their mother during her marriage to her ''"steeply neoconservative"'' second husband, who disapproved of his stepsons being too lazy to ever hold jobs.

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* {{Money Is Not Power}}: Partially averted, partially subverted. Of course money is power, especially in Palm Beach, but what grates on the Potussies' pride, and what explains their fanatic support of Mastodon as President, is the pesky notion that their money doesn't give them ''complete'' freedom of action, including immunity from the laws that normally govern ''"civilians"'', or ''total'' protection from the random events that can happen to ''anyone'' in Florida. In the words of the reviewer for ''The New Republic'' Mastodon shares these people's ''"disdain for anyone beneath them"'', and encourages them in ''"acting out fantasies of punishing the poor and the non-white."''

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* {{Money Is Not Power}}: Partially averted, partially subverted. Of course money is power, especially in Palm Beach, but what grates on the Potussies' pride, and what explains their fanatic support of Mastodon as President, is the pesky notion that their money doesn't give them ''complete'' freedom of action, including immunity from the laws that normally govern ''"civilians"'', or ''total'' protection from the random events that can happen to ''anyone'' in Florida. In Florida - such as getting swallowed by an eighteen-foot python on the words grounds of the reviewer for ''The New Republic'' Mastodon shares these people's ''"disdain for anyone beneath them"'', and encourages them in ''"acting out fantasies of punishing the poor and the non-white."''an island estate during a charity ball.


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* RichBitch: The Potussies, UpToEleven. In the words of the reviewer for ''The New Republic'': ''"By setting ''Squeeze Me'' in Palm Beach, Hiaasen focuses squarely on the president's wealthiest supporters - the true heart of his base... These people support [the President] because they have nothing but disdain for everyone beneath them - it's a way of acting out fantasies of punishing the poor and the non-white."''
** Mockingbird, to a lesser degree. In the main novel, most of the characters, and the reader, might feel somewhat sorry for her, being ''"lonely, bored out of her mind"'', and desperately needing to distract herself from her ''"ghastly husband"''. But she takes plenty of solace in shopping, expensive jewels, and a ''"super-sloppy hot affair"'' with her lead Secret Service Agent. When Angie confronts her and demands that she intercede with the President on Diego Beltran's behalf, Mockingbird is genuinely baffled at why Angie cares, or why Mockingbird should be expected to do anything.
*** (in the updated epilogue) Mockingbird is equally baffled when her bodyguard/lover expects her to divorce her husband for the sake of their relationship. [[spoiler:After he dumps her, she's ''"extra testy"'' to her remaining agents and the staff at Casa Bellicosa.]]

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** When a White House aide politely deflects Fay Alex's demand that the Secret Service reinstate the Potussies' protection details, she threatens to speak with the President personally that very evening. The aide is unimpressed, knowing exactly how likely that is to happen.



** When a White House aide politely deflects Fay Alex's demand that the Secret Service reinstate the Potussies' protection details, she threatens to speak with the President personally that very evening. The aide is unimpressed, knowing exactly how likely that is to happen.
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** (in the updated epilogue) whatever affection she has for him, Mockingbird clearly considers her bodyguard/boyfriend Ahmet Youssef to be the "sub" in their relationship, and considers it ''"jarringly out of character"'' when he [[spoiler:breaks off their affair and transfers out of Florida after she refuses to divorce Mastodon.]]

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** (in the updated epilogue) whatever affection she has for him, Mockingbird clearly considers her bodyguard/boyfriend Ahmet Youssef to be the "sub" in their relationship, and considers it ''"jarringly out of character"'' when he [[spoiler:breaks off their affair and transfers out of Florida off her security detail after she refuses to divorce Mastodon.]]
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** (in the updated epilogue) whatever affection she has for him, Mockingbird clearly considers her bodyguard/boyfriend Ahmet Youssef to be the "sub" in their relationship, and considers it ''"jarringly out of character"'' when he [[spoiler:breaks off their affair and transfers out of Florida after she refuses to divorce Mastodon.]]

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* DoesThisRemindYouofAnything:

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* DoesThisRemindYouofAnything: DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything:


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** (in the updated epilogue) After one of the Potussies' sons is arrested during the Capitol riots, she repeatedly insists that he was ''"framed by antifa!"''

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* RefugeInAudacity: Retired Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Jim Tile gate-crashes the President's fundraiser in Palm Beach. When Angie asks how he scored an invitation, he laughs and says he didn't, but asks whether she honestly believes any of the guests or staff will try to turn away ''"the only black man in a tuxedo in this whole damn zip code?"''



* {{Screw the Rules I Have Connections}}: Averted. Fay Alex Riptoad and the other Potussies assume the President is ''"very fond"'' of them, and that Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons' death will immediately capture his attention. They remain unaware, or else can't admit, that the President counts on their financial support, but has never bothered to distinguish them, by name or appearance, from the dozens of other ''"lacquered weekend warriors"'' who cheer his appearances at Casa Bellicosa.
** Played straight with Jim Tile, who after decades of service with the Florida Highway Patrol, actually knows several high-ranking members of the state government, and knows exactly which names to drop when he gate-crashes the President's fundraiser.



* {{Screw the Rules I Have Connections}}: Averted. Fay Alex Riptoad and the other Potussies assume the President is ''"very fond"'' of them, and that Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons' death will immediately capture his attention. They remain unaware, or else can't admit, that the President counts on their financial support, but has never bothered to distinguish them, by name or appearance, from the hundreds of other ''"lacquered weekend warriors"'' who cheer his appearances at Casa Bellicosa.
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* UglyGuyHotWife: Uric Burns, seeing the First Lady arrive at Lipid House for a charity event, tries and fails to imagine ''"this sleek, gorgeous woman hopping into bed with someone as soft and mountainous as the President."''

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** Fay Alex Riptoad is furious when Kiki Pew's two sons, Chance and Chase Cornbright, balk at paying the promised reward money to the tipster who led to her body being found:
--->''They're whining about a lousy hundred thousand bucks. My God, Kiki Pew spent more than that every year on stem cells!''



** Diego Beltran, an innocent Honduran immigrant, becomes the ''"poster villain"'' for the President's latest social media "crusade";
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*INeedAFreakingDrink:
** Chief Jerry Crosby keeps a bong in his desk for "emergencies"; after being summoned to Casa Bellicosa to escort the President's mistress discreetly off the grounds, he locks himself in his office and ''"for the first time in his police career, got baked while on duty."''
** Mockingbird ''"vapes like a fiend"'' on medical marijuana before and after any face-to-face encounter with her husband.

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* InelegantBlubbering: Stanleigh Kobo weeps like a baby (twice) when the Secret Service tells him he can't bring a Chinese spy (who promised him a ''"last hope"'' erectile dysfunction cure in exchange) as his date to the President's fundraiser;



* ManlyTears: Averted. Stanleigh Kobo weeps like a baby (twice) when the Secret Service tells him he can't bring a Chinese spy (who promised him a ''"last hope"'' erectile dysfunction cure in exchange) as his date to the President's fundraiser;

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** The reviewer for ''The New Republic'' described this version of the President as ''"at once an idiot and a man possessing incalculable power"'', and highlighted the following exchange between Ryscamp and another Secret Service Agent:
-->'''Agent''': ''"You think he could be right about this Diego kid being involved in the old lady's death?"''
-->'''Ryscamp''': ''"Don't you get it? It doesn't fucking matter whether he's right or not. That's the scary part."''



* RacistGrandma: the POTUS Pussies social club; subverted in that there is nothing funny about their racism, as they fully embrace the President's ''"fake populist narrative"'' about illegal immigrants ''"charging like rabid wolverines across the borders"'', and enthusiastically support his social media campaign to denounce Diego Beltran as not only the murderer of their recently deceased friend, but also the leader of a ''"border cartel"'' targeting all of the President's most loyal supporters.

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* {{The Power of Language}}: The reviewer for ''The New Republic'' described the novel's version of the President as ''"at once an idiot and a man possessing incalculable power"''; the President is never shown engaged in official duties of any kind, yet rampant consequences occur every time he opens his mouth, especially on social media; lampshaded by the following exchange between Ryscamp and another Secret Service Agent:
-->'''Agent''': ''"You think he could be right about this Diego kid being involved in the old lady's death?"''
-->'''Ryscamp''': ''"Don't you get it? It doesn't fucking matter whether he's right or not. That's the scary part."''
* RacistGrandma: the POTUS Pussies social club; subverted in that there is nothing funny about their racism, as they fully embrace the President's ''"fake populist narrative"'' about illegal immigrants ''"charging like rabid wolverines across the borders"'', and enthusiastically support his social media campaign to denounce Diego Beltran as not only the murderer of their recently deceased friend, but also the leader of a ''"border cartel"'' targeting all of the President's most loyal supporters.supporters; there are even oblique hints that they are the ones who place the bounty on Diego's life that lead to several murder attempts while he is in prison;
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** Also Kiki Pew's second husband, Mott [=FitzSimmons=], who managed to survive the ''"day-to-day stress of having a [[Creator/BarackObama black man in the Oval Office]]"'', only to be killed by ''"non-partisan liver cancer, brought on by a stupendous lifetime intake of malt Scotch."''

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** Also Kiki Pew's second husband, Mott [=FitzSimmons=], who managed to survive the ''"day-to-day stress of having a [[Creator/BarackObama [[UsefulNotes/BarackObama black man in the Oval Office]]"'', only to be killed by ''"non-partisan liver cancer, brought on by a stupendous lifetime intake of malt Scotch."''
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** Also Kiki Pew's second husband, Mott [=FitzSimmons=], who managed to survive the ''"day-to-day stress of having a [[BarackObama black man in the Oval Office]]"'', only to be killed by ''"non-partisan liver cancer, brought on by a stupendous lifetime intake of malt Scotch."''

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** Also Kiki Pew's second husband, Mott [=FitzSimmons=], who managed to survive the ''"day-to-day stress of having a [[BarackObama [[Creator/BarackObama black man in the Oval Office]]"'', only to be killed by ''"non-partisan liver cancer, brought on by a stupendous lifetime intake of malt Scotch."''
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**Also Kiki Pew's second husband, Mott [=FitzSimmons=], who managed to survive the ''"day-to-day stress of having a [[BarackObama black man in the Oval Office]]"'', only to be killed by ''"non-partisan liver cancer, brought on by a stupendous lifetime intake of malt Scotch."''

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* AnimalAssassin: Averted. Angie asks Skink what the point of releasing giant pythons near the President's mansion is, since ''"not even a twenty-four footer can swallow that fool"''; Skink just laughs and says all he wants to do is open people's eyes a little;

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* AnimalAssassin: Averted.
**Jerry Crosby and Paul Ryscamp are both worried when
Angie concludes that the giant Burmese pythons appearing in Palm Beach are being released deliberately, but Angie reassures them:
--->These things aren't like Rottweilers; you can't train 'em to seek and attack... [[DidIJustSayThatOutLoud can you guys believe this fucked-up conversation?]]
**Angie
asks Skink what the point of releasing giant pythons near the President's mansion is, since ''"not even a twenty-four footer can swallow that fool"''; Skink just laughs and says all he wants to do is open people's eyes a little;
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* AnimalAssassin: Averted. Angie asks Skink what the point of releasing giant pythons near the President's mansion is, since ''"not even a twenty-four footer can swallow that fool"''; Skink just laughs and says all he wants to do is open people's eyes a little;
**Inverted in the ending, [[spoiler:when Angie accuses Skink of releasing the python that killed Kiki Pew [=FitzSimmons=], and is stunned when he swears that that snake was not one of his.]]


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*ThisBearWasFramed: Inverted; a large Burmese python ''is'' in fact responsible for Kiki Pew [=FitzSimmons=]'s death, but everyone who learns this (with the exception of Angie) goes out of their way to pin her death on a human actor, and the idea of her being swallowed by a snake is too much for the public at large to accept;
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* ClearMyName: Angie's motivator for much of the novel, securing Diego Beltran's release from jail after the President re-casts him as a ''"terrorist"'' and a murderer, responsible for Kiki Pew [=FitzSimmons=]'s death.
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* {{Ghostwriter}}: Suzie Spooner, Mastodon's mistress, is already shopping a racy book proposal to New York publishers, but complains that ''"the dude that's helping me with the words, sometimes he's such a smartass"''
** When she learns about the book, Mockingbird's scornful appraisal is ''"the dumb whore couldn't write a Post-It note"''.

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* NoHeroToHisValet: The Secret Service have no stars in their eyes when it comes to the First Family they are required to protect; various agents describe Mastodon as ''"a pathogen"'' and an ''"ignorant clown"'' likewise, Paul Ryscamp doesn't bother to flatter the First Lady or pamper her self-importance during their conversation:

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* NoHeroToHisValet: The Secret Service have no stars in their eyes when it comes to the First Family they are required to protect; various agents describe Mastodon as ''"a pathogen"'' and an ''"ignorant clown"'' likewise, Paul clown"'';
**When one agent asks if there is any actual evidence that ''"terrorist immigrants"'' murdered Kiki Pew [=FitzSimmons=], or that Diego Beltran has a connection to any such group, Ryscamp's terse response is that Mastodon ''"just pulled it out of his ass, like everything else."''
**likewise,
Ryscamp doesn't bother to flatter the First Lady or pamper her self-importance during their conversation:
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* InsaneTrollLogic: When an unemployed car mechanic's dead body is found floating near Casa Bellicosa, Fay Alex Riptoad immediately calls the White House and demands that the Secret Service reinstate the Potussies' Secret Service details:

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* InsaneTrollLogic: When an unemployed car mechanic's dead body is found floating near Casa Bellicosa, Fay Alex Riptoad immediately calls the White House and demands that the Secret Service reinstate the Potussies' Secret Service protection details:



* {{Screw the Rules I Have Connections}}: Averted. Fay Alex Riptoad and the other Potussies assume the President is ''"very fond"'' of them, and that Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons' death will immediately capture his attention. They remain unaware, or else can't admit, that the President counts on their financial support, but has never bothered to distinguish them, by name or on sight, from the hundreds of other ''"lacquered weekend warriors"'' who cheer his appearances at Casa Bellicosa.

to:

* {{Screw the Rules I Have Connections}}: Averted. Fay Alex Riptoad and the other Potussies assume the President is ''"very fond"'' of them, and that Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons' death will immediately capture his attention. They remain unaware, or else can't admit, that the President counts on their financial support, but has never bothered to distinguish them, by name or on sight, appearance, from the hundreds of other ''"lacquered weekend warriors"'' who cheer his appearances at Casa Bellicosa.
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*DudeNotFunny: Hiaasen is well-known for creating madcap comedy scenarios, but there is no humor whatsoever in his description of the nightmare Diego Beltran is plunged into as a result of the President's scapegoating; forced to remain in jail, surrounded by right-wing protestors, attacked several times by racist inmates, and [[spoiler:finally DrivenToSuicide (almost)]]. All while telling his entirely true version of events to Jerry Crosby and Paul Ryscamp, and them being forced to say they can't do anything in the face of the public furor stirred up by the President.
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* GoodAdulteryBadAdultery: Not a single character blames Mockingbird for having an affair with her lead Secret Service agent, Keith/Ahmet (in Angie's words, ''"with her husband, I'd go straight for the needle"''), even if Paul Ryscamp wishes she were a little more discrete; Mastodon, by contrast, has a sloppy affair with a local stripper, who he's too clueless to realize is planning to get rich off a tell-all memoir she's already shopping to New York publishers.

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* GoodAdulteryBadAdultery: Not a single character (with the exception of the President) blames Mockingbird for having an affair with her lead Secret Service agent, Keith/Ahmet (in Angie's words, ''"with her husband, ''"I were her, I'd go straight for the needle"''), needle"'' and she freely admits that Keith/Ahmet is ''"a great-looking guy"''), even if Paul Ryscamp wishes she were a little more discrete; Mastodon, by contrast, has a sloppy affair with a local stripper, who he's too clueless to realize is planning to get rich off a tell-all memoir she's already shopping to New York publishers.
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* BlatantLies: (in the updated epilogue) One of the Potussies absents herself from the group's usual gathering, after her son is arrested for ''"smearing what the FBI had determined to be beagle feces"'' over a statue in the Capitol Building during the January 6, 2021 riot. To anyone who asks, her standard response is, ''"my boy was framed by antifa!"'', but she still can't show her face in ''"hideously small town"'' of Palm Beach, since every member of the island's population knows that her son is a ConspiracyTheory-obsessed ''"imbecile"'', who happens to own several beagles.

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* BlatantLies: (in the updated epilogue) One of the Potussies absents herself from the group's usual gathering, after her son is arrested for ''"smearing what the FBI had determined to be beagle feces"'' over a statue in the Capitol Building during the January 6, 2021 riot. To anyone who asks, her standard response is, ''"my boy was framed by antifa!"'', but she still can't show her face in the ''"hideously small town"'' of Palm Beach, since every member of the island's population knows that her son is a ConspiracyTheory-obsessed ''"imbecile"'', who happens to own several beagles.
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* BlatantLies: (in the updated epilogue) One of the Potussies absents herself from the group's usual gathering, after her son is arrested for ''"smearing what the FBI had determined to be beagle feces"'' over a statue in the Capitol Building during the January 6, 2021 riot. To anyone who asks, her standard response is, ''"my boy was framed by antifa!"'', but she still can't show her face in ''"hideously small town"'' of Palm Beach, since every member of the island's population knows that her son is a [[ConspiracyTheory]]-obsessed kook, who happens to own several beagles.

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* BlatantLies: (in the updated epilogue) One of the Potussies absents herself from the group's usual gathering, after her son is arrested for ''"smearing what the FBI had determined to be beagle feces"'' over a statue in the Capitol Building during the January 6, 2021 riot. To anyone who asks, her standard response is, ''"my boy was framed by antifa!"'', but she still can't show her face in ''"hideously small town"'' of Palm Beach, since every member of the island's population knows that her son is a [[ConspiracyTheory]]-obsessed kook, ConspiracyTheory-obsessed ''"imbecile"'', who happens to own several beagles.
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*BlatantLies: (in the updated epilogue) One of the Potussies absents herself from the group's usual gathering, after her son is arrested for ''"smearing what the FBI had determined to be beagle feces"'' over a statue in the Capitol Building during the January 6, 2021 riot. To anyone who asks, her standard response is, ''"my boy was framed by antifa!"'', but she still can't show her face in ''"hideously small town"'' of Palm Beach, since every member of the island's population knows that her son is a [[ConspiracyTheory]]-obsessed kook, who happens to own several beagles.
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* {{Does This Remind You of Anything?}}:

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* {{Does This Remind You of Anything?}}: *DoesThisRemindYouofAnything:
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*{{Does This Remind You of Anything?}}:
**The President, when warned of a ''"possible python threat"'' at Casa Bellicosa, scornfully dismisses the information as ''"another fake hoax by the deep-staters"'';
**Likewise, when his mistress's ''"fake date"'' leaves the climactic fundraiser early, he remarks, ''"probably just a flu bug."''

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