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Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#122401: May 14th 2016 at 2:33:03 PM

Trump is involved in a new scandal, which involved him likely pretending to be a guy named John Miller.

Some guy on Reddit explained the whole thing pretty well.[1]

The "John Miller tapes" is a recent controversy revolving around Donald Trump and his former publicist John Miller. The tapes in question refer to an interview conducted in 1991 via telephone by reporter Sue Carswell of People Magazine. The interviewee was a man by the name of John Miller who was, allegedly, Donald Trump's publicist at the time. According to this article, Trump was amidst a series of financial troubles, including real estate busts and a divorce from his first wife Ivana. Miller essentially hyped up Trump, saying that Trump was on the verge of huge financial success despite his problems in his personal and professional life. Trump is accused of lying about the existence of such a publicist due to John Miller's voice resembling that of Donald Trump's. In fact, in 1990, one year prior to the interview, Trump admitted his usage of the name John Miller on multiple occasions.

The controversy stems from a recent interview conducted via phone on the Today show. When the recording of the interview was played back to him, Trump denied having conducted such an interview and claims to have no knowledge of the incident in question nor the name of his publicist John Miller.

TL;DR: Trump is being criticized for his denial of a direct association with an allegedly phantom publicist of whom may or may not have been himself.

Edit: It is possible that Trump leaked the tapes himself and anticipated such an interview (with the Today show).

Man, this fucking election.

Any group who acts like morons ironically will eventually find itself swamped by morons who think themselves to be in good company.
pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#122402: May 14th 2016 at 2:48:46 PM

[up] There was an article in my local newspaper about that, reprinted from the Washington Post. It seems that since the 1970s, Trump has been using the phony names of John Miller and John Barron, masquerading as an unusually forthcoming and boastful advocate for himself. Over the phone, the voice of this alleged PR man sounded exactly like Trump himself.

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TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#122403: May 14th 2016 at 2:52:22 PM

Trump is so Internet...

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
DrDougsh Since: Jan, 2001
#122404: May 14th 2016 at 2:55:04 PM

Would Trump really leak something like that? Is the idea that he just trusts his voter base to like his assholishness so much that they'll admire him pulling an illegal scam to promote himself? Granted, he might not be that far off in regards to the people who already like him, but I doubt it's going to win him the additional voters he so desperately needs for the general election.

pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#122405: May 14th 2016 at 2:57:42 PM

He admitted in court to doing so, when he testified in a case in 1990. On Friday, he denied it.

Can you say "misrepresentation" boys and girls? How about "Trump is a fraud"? I knew you could...

edited 14th May '16 4:09:47 PM by pwiegle

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SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#122406: May 14th 2016 at 3:07:45 PM

I just found out that Trump apparently is on the Panama Papers client list.

As for that impersonation business, mmm, isn't that like, very low key?

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#122407: May 14th 2016 at 3:13:17 PM

I'd be more surprised if Donald wasn't involved with the Panama Papers or a similar entity.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
smokeycut Since: Mar, 2013
#122408: May 14th 2016 at 3:18:00 PM

How badly could that affect him?

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#122409: May 14th 2016 at 3:20:50 PM

No idea. This is a guy with no consistent platform beyond something that can't actually happen (the wall), whose only real debate tactic appears to be personal attacks, and who refuses to admit that massively public failures actually happened.

carbon-mantis Collector Of Fine Oddities from Trumpland Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Married to my murderer
Collector Of Fine Oddities
#122410: May 14th 2016 at 3:24:04 PM

If anything his base would just add it to the list of things they like about him. "Hiding money offshore? Take that, G-Man!"

TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#122411: May 14th 2016 at 3:36:56 PM

Probably even as they decry anyone else doing it and mutter about how the elites can get away with anything...

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#122412: May 14th 2016 at 4:13:10 PM

His base can't win him the election, so it would probably hurt him amongst the few people who aren't already committed to voting against him.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#122414: May 14th 2016 at 5:30:43 PM

Saying it's stacked against them implies the disadvantage is somehow unfair.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#122415: May 14th 2016 at 7:26:08 PM

Only by drawing unintentional implications. "The math really doesn't favor a Republican win" might be a better way to put it.

edited 14th May '16 7:26:24 PM by Ramidel

pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#122416: May 14th 2016 at 7:44:32 PM

It depends on your perspective. For example: to Trump, anything that isn't heavily biased in his favor is "unfair."

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Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#122417: May 14th 2016 at 8:07:23 PM

Objectively the EC is still biased towards the GOP since voters in Wyoming and Alaska are better-represented in there, proportionately, than ones in New York or Washington.

AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#122418: May 14th 2016 at 8:22:51 PM

Thought I'd post a link to this (very lengthy) discussion here between Jimmy Dore and Sam Seder about the Democratic nomination.

Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#122419: May 14th 2016 at 10:40:20 PM

Would Trump really leak something like that? Is the idea that he just trusts his voter base to like his assholishness so much that they'll admire him pulling an illegal scam to promote himself?

Some people have speculated that he's trying to distract people from his taxes. I find this theory rather questionable to say the least. Still someone had to leak this conversation, and the reporter says it wasn't her.

How badly could that affect him?

I assume very little. Especially since Trump sells his name to many investors with capital.

In other news:

Delegates at Nebraska GOP convention smack down Senator Ben Sasse's call for third-party candidate.

Delegates at the State Republican Convention overwhelmingly passed a resolution opposing Sasse’s call for a third candidate.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus is slamming efforts within his party to organize a third-party candidate to block Donald Trump from the White House.

Ralph Nader says Hillary Clinton is "going to win by dictatorship" in her Democratic primary race against Bernie Sanders.

edited 14th May '16 10:44:41 PM by Demonic_Braeburn

Any group who acts like morons ironically will eventually find itself swamped by morons who think themselves to be in good company.
PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#122420: May 14th 2016 at 11:22:17 PM

The Party is now Trumps. All the unbelievers must be purged. Those who do not conform to the Great Toupee must be Removed.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#122421: May 14th 2016 at 11:59:20 PM

This is ironic: Instead of Trump running third-party, Trump's numbers melt down because of Republicans going third-party.

Still, it would be awesome (in the same way as a slow-motion trainwreck) to see some state's electoral votes go to the Libertarian Party (picking the most recognizable right-wing third party).

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#122422: May 15th 2016 at 2:23:48 AM

It's not clear to me why Priebus expects that a third party run would cost the Republicans the Senate. Maybe if you have third party Senate candidates but I don't understand his thought process at all.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#122423: May 15th 2016 at 4:33:22 AM

Possibly because the shit shown of the Republican establishment trying to torpedo the Republican candidate might make a number of Republican voters rage quit the idiot fest and stay home.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#122424: May 15th 2016 at 7:45:58 AM

@Demonic_Braeburn: Oh come on Ralph. Yes, the nomination process being closed in most states is absurd given its publicly funded, and yes the DNC Chairwomen did pretty much everything in her power to help Clinton along, but that's just pure hyperbole.

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#122425: May 15th 2016 at 7:47:02 AM

Even all that aside Clinton still won fair and square.

Oh really when?

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