Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

mfcorey1

(11,001 posts)
Tue Sep 10, 2019, 02:21 AM Sep 2019

Family split: 'Tension' over Trump at George W. Bush staff reunion in Washington

Differences over President Trump reverberated during a weekend reunion bash for George W. Bush White House alumni, exposing rifts in the network of Republican operatives and officials.

Matt Schlapp, a lobbyist and enthusiastic Trump supporter who was political director in the Bush White House, had to be convinced to attend the reunion by a fellow "Bushie," often a term of scorn in the Trump White House, after he expressed fears of being confronted. Another Bush administration veteran, sometimes critical of Trump and sometimes not, was accosted at the gathering by a former colleague and accused of being too pro-Trump.

Both the Never Trump faction and the pro-Trump group are outspoken, rarely hesitating to criticize each other despite their shared Bush roots. That was the case as approximately 2,500 of them met for a few days in Washington to reminisce about old times. “There’s been a lot of passion — and tension,” said Schlapp. His wife, Mercedes, also a Bush official, was a senior White House official until recently.

Bush, 73, and Dick Cheney, 78, his vice president, spoke at the reunion but generally steered clear of the disagreements roiling national politics. The party was held Saturday night at The Anthem, a concert venue in Washington.

“I understand the tensions,” added Ron Kaufman, a Republican insider who worked for Bush’s father, President George H.W. Bush, is supportive of Trump, and has witnessed the evolution of the family’s political network over three decades.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/family-split-tension-over-trump-at-george-w-bush-staff-reunion-in-washington/ar-AAH49kR?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=mailsignout

12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Family split: 'Tension' over Trump at George W. Bush staff reunion in Washington (Original Post) mfcorey1 Sep 2019 OP
Those fully on board vs those who "don't like the tweeting" JHB Sep 2019 #1
Amen!!! Beakybird Sep 2019 #2
THIS malaise Sep 2019 #4
"I mean, belly up to the trough, sure, but the belching and slurping! So . . . distasteful!!" hatrack Sep 2019 #9
Interesting that Mercedes Schlapp left the WH Justice Sep 2019 #3
She is working on Trump's campaign now. nt tblue37 Sep 2019 #6
If the actual white house staffers can't see the damage being done by the orangatan, lindysalsagal Sep 2019 #5
Lock them all up. Kid Berwyn Sep 2019 #7
Trump has spent 3 years trying and failing to figure out how to be Dick Cheney DFW Sep 2019 #8
+1000 Chump would love to hit paydirt in the same way FakeNoose Sep 2019 #11
Bush needs to start speaking out Johnny2X2X Sep 2019 #10
You have to love right wing infighting Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Sep 2019 #12

JHB

(37,152 posts)
1. Those fully on board vs those who "don't like the tweeting"
Tue Sep 10, 2019, 03:49 AM
Sep 2019

They were all part of what used to be the worst, most damaging administration since the end of WW2 (until Trump outdid them). This is a spat between those who think it's great to be able to wave their junk around, vs those who are ok with the waving, just fergawdsakes keep a towel on.

Shameless opportunistic liars, fiscally irresponsible, corrupt, throwing norms overboard to push through their pet agenda, grabbing power with both hands...

The difference is mainly of degree, not of kind.

malaise

(268,647 posts)
4. THIS
Tue Sep 10, 2019, 05:37 AM
Sep 2019

Shameless opportunistic liars, fiscally irresponsible, corrupt, throwing norms overboard to push through their pet agenda, grabbing power with both hands...

The different is mainly of degree, not of kind.

hatrack

(59,564 posts)
9. "I mean, belly up to the trough, sure, but the belching and slurping! So . . . distasteful!!"
Tue Sep 10, 2019, 08:30 AM
Sep 2019

Whatever.

lindysalsagal

(20,564 posts)
5. If the actual white house staffers can't see the damage being done by the orangatan,
Tue Sep 10, 2019, 05:47 AM
Sep 2019

then I guess it's no surprise 25-30% of voters can be forgiven...

Kid Berwyn

(14,789 posts)
7. Lock them all up.
Tue Sep 10, 2019, 07:59 AM
Sep 2019

Smirk ‘n’ Sneer and their crooks lied US into an illegal, immoral, unnecessary war for profit — killing untold hundreds of thousands of innocent people and destroying the cradle of civilization in the process.

DFW

(54,268 posts)
8. Trump has spent 3 years trying and failing to figure out how to be Dick Cheney
Tue Sep 10, 2019, 08:25 AM
Sep 2019

Dick Cheney had a big company that was in financial difficulty. He cooked up a danger that wasn't there, and launched a completely unnecessary massive military undertaking to fight it. In the course of that military action, he arranged for the U.S. Government to award his company untold billions in contracts. Its stock price went from $19 (when Cheney took office) to $87 during the course of the invasion. Having taken out 200,000 stock options (just one transaction that was made public) at the $19 price for $1 a share, Cheney personally made 200,000 times $67 (i.e. $13,400,000) on just that one transaction alone.

Trump is just as corrupt as Cheney, just nowhere near as clever.

FakeNoose

(32,552 posts)
11. +1000 Chump would love to hit paydirt in the same way
Tue Sep 10, 2019, 09:44 AM
Sep 2019

I think that was his major motivation in running for president. Well, that plus revenge against Obama. Luckily there's no way for Chump to profit from tossing nukes, or he would have done it already.

Johnny2X2X

(18,967 posts)
10. Bush needs to start speaking out
Tue Sep 10, 2019, 09:22 AM
Sep 2019

He can help this country if he spoke out against the madness. But he won't because he's a coward.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Family split: 'Tension' o...