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What Trump did when people tried to tell him the law about inauguration spending


Michael Lewis's book The Fifth Risk recounts some of Christie's transition efforts in 2016 before Trump won the election—and then literally and figuratively trashed every shred of work Christie had done.

Keep in mind that party nominees are legally required to form transition teams. Trump didn't want one but Christie explained he must have one and he could either pay for it himself or pull from campaign funds. Trump refused to do either, so Christie was forced to fundraise for the committee in order to pay its hundred-plus staffers.

Trump almost entirely ignored the transition work until he read an article reporting that Christie had raised several million dollars toward the effort. That's when Steven Bannon walked into Trump's Trump Tower residence to find Christie getting an earful from Trump. Lewis writes:

Trump was apoplectic, actually yelling, You're stealing my money! You're stealing my fucking money! What the fuck is this?? Seeing Bannon, Trump turned on him and screamed, Why are you letting him steal my fucking money?

Bannon and Christie together set out to explain to Trump federal law. To which Trump replied, Fuck the law. I don't give a fuck about the law. I want my fucking money.

Bannon and Christie tried to explain that Trump couldn't have both his money and a transition.

Shut it down, said Trump. Shut down the transition.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/14/1...tion-greed

That book is my night time read this evening.

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