White House on the defensive when asked how billionaire Trump can tell average Americans to limit kids' Christmas gifts
Source: msn/The Independent
12h
With an estimated net worth between $5 billion and $7 billion and a penchant for coating every surface in the White House with what he claims to be 18-karat gold leaf paint, President Donald Trump isnt exactly an expert on personal cost-cutting.
But after the uber-wealthy ex-real estate developer claimed that record-high toy prices caused by his tariffs are just fine because young girls dont need 37 dolls and can make do with two or three instead, his official spokesperson was left scrambling when asked to defend the eyebrow-raising remarks.
Asked about Trumps claim that Americans can give up certain products and limit toy purchases because tariffs have caused prices to go upon the 80 percent of toys on the U.S. market that are imported from China, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt first told reporters that the presidents comments were meant as an exhortation to buy more expensive American-made ones instead. Maybe you'll pay $1 or two more, but you will get better quality, and you'll be supporting your fellow Americans by buying American and that's what the President was saying, she said. But when
The Independent pressed her on whether it is appropriate for one of the wealthiest men in the country to be lecturing cash-strapped parents on how many dolls their sons or daughters need to own, Leavitt irately pivoted to recasting Trumps wealth as a positive while ignoring the substance of the question. Do you think the people in that room in Pennsylvania who the President was speaking to don't know the President's a billionaire? I think that's a very well established fact, she said.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-au/politics/government/wh-confronted-over-trump-s-suggestion-to-limit-kids-christmas-gifts/ar-AA1Sb6we
democrank
(12,049 posts)According to Leavitt, pay a dollar or two more? Some people are starving! Homeless!
How about Trump yanks some of that gold crap off the walls and scraps it for charity?
marble falls
(70,163 posts)Roy Rolling
(7,382 posts)A press secretary answering a legitimate reporter inquiry with a sarcastic question is the height of incompetence. And just plain ignorant.
marble falls
(70,163 posts)JohnnyRingo
(20,380 posts)...I guess they can cross out Santa lists that include video games and skateboards.
"Dude, what did you get for Christmas?" "Three lousy pencils", but my sister got a "Garby Doll."
Irish_Dem
(78,960 posts)JohnnyRingo
(20,380 posts)Now when he goes to school in clothes a size too small and a bread wrapper boots he can still hold his head high with a panoply of #2 Ticonderoga yellows.
Irish_Dem
(78,960 posts)Just puts ideas into their heads.
The only idea they should have is that Trump is the greatest person who ever lived.
ms liberty
(10,902 posts)Gawd I hate this timeline. Where's the one where he died in utero? I want to be in that one.
travelingthrulife
(4,173 posts)MarineCombatEngineer
(17,429 posts)and how Karoline can stand there and lie with a straight face.
marble falls
(70,163 posts)barbtries
(31,058 posts)by kellyanne conway, she of the flawless gish gallop and alternative facts.
maddiemom
(5,163 posts)Last edited Sun Dec 14, 2025, 09:48 AM - Edit history (1)
but the conceit and superiority just pours off Leavitt. Obviously she took lessons from SHS, PLUS she 's a head tossing "hot blond," Despite the difference in ages, does anyone else confuse her with Bondi at first glance?
Attilatheblond
(8,088 posts)and feed them when they have more month than paycheck every damned month.
Somebody needs to 'slpain some history to these entitled cretins, and do not skip over the gruesome details about what happened to those who thought cake would be served when the bread ran out.
BOSSHOG
(44,454 posts)marble falls
(70,163 posts)ProudMNDemocrat
(20,511 posts)Being told to tighten their belts this Christmas as he lives the high life at our expense, takes a lot of nerve on his part.
For Karolyin Leavitt to have to explain the statements makes them even more the subject of CRUELTY.
I have ONE 18" Doll I use as a model for the Doll Clothes I make and sell. Little and big girls, most likely, have but one doll.
Bayard
(28,257 posts)If I remember correctly, he didn't have nearly that much when he came into office. Little girls and boys need to learn grifting skills.
Hieronymus Phact
(714 posts)Last edited Fri Dec 12, 2025, 01:09 PM - Edit history (1)
It's an old story about how much a politician earns while in office being a measure of their corruption.
This needs to be publicized more.
Bayard
(28,257 posts)Justice matters.
(9,236 posts)https://archive.is/Sc9I3
A Reporter at Large
The Number
How much is Trump pocketing off the Presidency?
By David D. Kirkpatrick
August 11, 2025
I decided to tally up the Trump familys profiteering, including five Persian Gulf mega-projects, a luxury jet from Qatar, a sprawling resort in Hanoi, half a dozen projects peddling crypto, and MAGA merch.Illustration by Ben Wiseman; Animation by Nicolo Bianchino
Estimated at around one billion per month.
But... but... but... pedo the felon "donates" his salary to charity (no proof provided, of course).
ShazzieB
(22,108 posts)During the first term, I kept hearing that he wasn't nearly as rich as he claimed, that he probably wasn't even a billionaire, etc. But he started grifting every way he could right away, and has continued ever since. Even during the four years he was out of office, he was selling overpriced "Trump Bibles," gold hightop sneakers, and God knows what else. (I haven't bothered to keep track, but it's s been one thing after another, plus an untold amount for selling classified documents that he stole.)
Since he got back into office, it's obvious the grifting has gone into overdrive. He's evidently even selling pardons. There's no telling how rich he'll be by the end of this term (or the day he drops dead, whichever comes first).
not a texan
(78 posts)What will happen to you if you get caught selling single pencils on the street corner?
marble falls
(70,163 posts)Bystander video showed Garner gasping the phrase while locked in a police chokehold and spurred Black Lives Matter protests in New York and across the country. More demonstrations followed weeks later when Michael Brown, an 18-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, on Aug. 9, 2014.
Six years later, George Floyd was recorded uttering the exact same words as he begged for air while a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyds neck, sparking a new wave of mass protests.
-snip-
Garner died after a July 17, 2014, confrontation with Pantaleo and other officers who suspected that he was selling loose, untaxed cigarettes on the street.
-snip-
Authorities in New York determined that Pantaleo had used a chokehold banned by the New York Police Department in the 1990s, and the city medical examiners office ruled Garners death a homicide, but neither state nor federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against Pantaleo or any of the other officers who were present.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Michael_Brown
On August 9, 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.[2]
Brown was accompanied by his 22-year-old male friend Dorian Johnson.[3] Wilson, a white male Ferguson police officer, said that an altercation ensued when Brown attacked him in his police vehicle for control of his service pistol.[4] Johnson claimed that Wilson initiated the confrontation by grabbing Brown by the neck through Wilson's patrol car window, threatening him and then shooting at Brown.[5] At this point, both Wilson and Johnson state that Brown and Johnson fled, with Wilson pursuing Brown shortly thereafter. Wilson stated that Brown then stopped, turned around and charged at him after the short pursuit. Johnson contradicted this account, stating that Brown turned around with his hands raised up after Wilson shot him in the back. According to Johnson, Wilson shot Brown multiple times until Brown fell to the ground. In the entire altercation, Wilson fired a total of twelve bullets, including twice during the struggle in the car.[6] Brown was struck a total of six times, all in the front of his body.[7][8][9]
This event ignited unrest in Ferguson. Johnson, and later some other witnesses, claimed Brown had his hands up in surrender or said "don't shoot", which lead to protestors using the slogan "Hands up, don't shoot".[10][11][12] A subsequent FBI investigation said that there was no evidence that Brown had done so, with the U.S. Department of Justice also acknowledging an official report that no other witnesses credibly backed this claim, with some who contradicted Wilson's story even retracting their initial accounts of what they said they witnessed during the shooting.[13][14][15] Peaceful protests and violent riots continued for more than a week in Ferguson; police later established a nightly curfew. The response of area police agencies in dealing with the protests was strongly criticized by both the media and politicians. Concerns were raised over insensitivity, tactics, and a militarized response.
-snip-
At 11:47 a.m., Officer Wilson responded to a call about a baby with breathing problems and drove to Glenark Drive in Ferguson, east of Canfield Drive.[35] About three minutes later and several blocks away, Brown was recorded on camera stealing a box of Swisher Sweets cigars and forcefully shoving a Ferguson Market clerk. At 11:53, a police dispatcher reported "stealing in progress" at the Ferguson Market and described the suspect as a black male wearing a white T-shirt running toward QuikTrip. The suspect was reported as having stolen a box of Swisher cigars.[35] Brown and his friend, Dorian Johnson, left the market at about 11:54 a.m.[36] At 11:57, the dispatch described the suspect as wearing a red St. Louis Cardinals hat, a white T-shirt, yellow socks, and khaki shorts, and that he was accompanied by another male.[35] Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said that the incident with Brown stealing cigars had "nothing to do" with why Brown was stopped by Wilson prior to the shooting, and that the reason Brown and Johnson were stopped was because "they were walking down the middle of the street, blocking traffic."[37]
At 12:00 p.m., Wilson reported he was back in service and radioed units 25 and 22 to ask if they needed his assistance in searching for the suspects.[35] Seven seconds later, an unidentified officer said the suspects had disappeared.[35] Wilson called for backup at 12:02, saying "[Unit] 21. Put me on Canfield with two. And send me another car."[35]
St. Louis County police protect the scene eight hours after the shooting
Initial reports of what happened next differed widely among sources and witnesses, particularly with regard to whether Brown was moving towards Wilson when the shots were fired. At noon on August 9, Wilson drove up to Brown and Johnson as they were walking in the middle of Canfield Drive and ordered them to move off the street. Wilson continued driving past the two men, but then backed up and stopped close to them.[38][9][39][40] A struggle took place between Brown and Wilson after Brown reached through the window of Wilson's police SUV, a Chevrolet Tahoe.[41] Wilson was armed with a SIG Sauer P229[42] pistol, which was fired twice during the struggle from inside the vehicle, with one bullet hitting Brown's right hand.[41][42] Brown and Johnson fled and Johnson hid behind a car.[43] Wilson got out of the vehicle and pursued Brown.[44] At some point, Wilson fired his pistol again, while facing Brown, and hit him with at least six shots, all in the front of his body.[9] Brown was unarmed and died on the street.[41][45] Less than 90 seconds passed from the time Wilson encountered Brown to the time of Brown's death.[46][47]
An unidentified officer arrived on the scene and, 73 seconds after Wilson's call, asked where the second suspect was. Thirty-one seconds later, a supervisor was requested by Unit 25. At 12:07 p.m., an officer on scene radioed to dispatch for more units.[35] Also at 12:07, the St. Louis County police were notified and county officers began arriving on scene at around 12:15 p.m. The St. Louis County detectives were notified at 12:43 p.m. and arrived about 1:30 p.m., with the forensic investigator arriving at about 2:30 p.m.[48]
Police dispatched 12 units to the scene by 1:00 p.m. with another 12, including two canine units, by 2:00 p.m. Gunshots were recorded in Ferguson police logs at 2:11 p.m., and by the ambulance dispatch again at 2:14 p.m., which led to the response of 20 more units from eight different municipal forces in the next 20 minutes. As the situation deteriorated, the police commanders had investigators seek cover and detectives assisted in crowd control. At 2:45, four canine units arrived on scene, and the SWAT team arrived at 3:20 p.m.[49] The medical examiner began his examination of Brown at approximately 3:30 p.m. and concluded about half an hour later, with Brown's body being cleared to be taken to the morgue.[49][50] At 4:37 p.m., Brown's body was signed in at the morgue by workers.[49]
efhmc
(16,021 posts)Sneederbunk
(17,165 posts)Linda ladeewolf
(1,061 posts)Maybe theyll begin to realize that if you dont pay people, people cant buy things. Plus if you cant import things, people cant buy them. Then there is the fact that when you elect a dumbass, everything goes to hell.
Wednesdays
(21,515 posts)He was against unions, but his philosophy was to pay his workers enough so they could buy his cars! (My grandfather was one. He worked for Ford for 40 years, and drove Ford cars his whole life.)
dedl67
(151 posts)Maybe there could be Christmas Special on "Christmas Gifts of the Filthy Rich". Those of us with three pencils and a doll in our stockings could enjoy vicariously seeing the fabulous gifts lavished on the uberwealthy, especially the Trump family. I was taught never to be envious, so I will wish the billionaires the Merriest of Christmases.
twodogsbarking
(17,357 posts)Wednesdays
(21,515 posts)Jack Valentino
(4,218 posts)since I don't have any......
Number9Dream
(1,851 posts)A 3-pack of cheap underwear.
A single shoe.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mary-trump-christmas-presents-donald_n_67697c3be4b073432f4c5972
Aussie105
(7,505 posts)And this time, it is not a work of fiction.
Retailers will be happy. Not.
Kids will be happy. Not.
Garbage collectors might be though, less discarded packaging and toys that died within days to collect.