For the question, “who’s a bigger suck-up, tRUmp or Saudi Arabia?” correct answer is “yes.”

As 2020 comes to a close admidst transnational mafia hysterically trying to cling to power, I thought I’d offer some alternative programming. Specifically, a deeper dive in to those 500 nights Saudi Arabia purchased at tRUmp’s D.C. hotel-shithole.

Since Jamal Khashoggi—WaPo journalist and legal-U.S. resident—was brutally murdered at behest of MBS, these two moments in time need connecting.

‘Losers & Suckers’ used as pawns

Back in 2016—before Fat Nixon’s fake-administration had even started destroying U.S. agencies—Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) thought it would be cool to hire U.S. veterans as tools of their PR campaign. Details are truly disgusting (from David Farenthold WaPo):

At the time, lobbyists were reserving large numbers of D.C.-area hotel rooms as part of an unorthodox campaign that offered U.S. military veterans a free trip to Washington — then sent them to Capitol Hill to lobby against a law the Saudis opposed, according to veterans and organizers

Following The Installation in 2016 KSA decided to switch venues from northern Virginia to Trump’s D.C. shithole (hi, there’s a tell). That’s where sucking up to Dollar Store Tyrant took an even darker turn:

Some of the veterans who stayed at Trump’s hotel say they were kept in the dark about the Saudis’ role in the trips. Now, they wonder if they were used twice over: not just to deliver someone else’s message to Congress, but also to deliver business to the Trump Organization.

To review: heroes who donald called “losers and suckers” got punched in the gut by gutter-trash lobbyists hoping to elicit niceties from Tangerine Nixon on behalf of KSA. At least 2 attorneys general are investigating as emoluments-clause violation.

Kind words of affirmation

What Khashoggi wrote and said about MBS probably offended many of the world’s hypersensitive authoritarians. Here’s a sampling via WaPo:

• “Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is acting like Putin“—5 Nov 2017
• “Saudi Arabia’s crown prince already controlled the nation’s media. Now he’s squeezing it even further“—7 Feb 2018
• “Saudi Arabia cannot afford to pick fights with Canada“—7 Aug 2018
• “Saudi Arabia’s crown prince must restore dignity to his country — by ending Yemen’s cruel war“—11 Sept 2018

Twenty-one days after that last post went live, Khashoggi entered Saudi’s consulate in Turkey and never came out, lured under ruse of acquiring marriage documents.

Saudi Arabia saw donald trump successfully installed by Russia in 2016 under a sweeping conspiracy—aided and abetted by republicans, let’s not forget—and decided to exploit as many people/entities as possible. Setting aside American PR firms willing to do dirty work of global mafia (post for another time) Saudis spent more than $270,000 on those 500 rooms but what they achieved was priceless: curry favor with illegally installed Putin puppet willing to do anything for people who like him, up to and including conspiring to cover-up Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder.

For more on Khashoggi and how tRUmp likely knew of the threat against him, read my Twitter thread. Updates as events warrant. 🔴

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Will Pollock is a perpetually crabby New York City escapee based in Midtown Atlanta. He’s a freelance multimedia journalist, media analyst and author of two books (award-winning Pizza for Good & Leaving Triscuit), with more on the way.

In 2001, Will earned his Masters from The Medill School of Journalism, graduating with highest honors from the magazine sequence. As permanent member of Journalism’s National Honors Society, he’s been active in monitoring, writing and blogging about media and journalism ever since he graduated.

Obsessed with good storytelling and journalistic excellence, Will uses snark, humor and reason to distill dumb shit and make it fun. He’s a seeker/maker of non-consensus news, and helps you cure crankies by finding the nut in every story.

As for-profit media continues to fail us, it’s more important than ever to find reliable sources. Authentic storytelling exists—you just have to look for it. On this blog you’ll get ideas, not ideology. Sass with class. Reporting with rapport. Evidence with a touch of evil. You get the idea.

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