Trump uses presidential seal at N.J. golf club amid ethics complaints

[applegrove]

Trump uses presidential seal at N.J. golf club amid ethics complaints

By Mariana Alfaro, Rick Maese and Ellen Francis

July 29, 2022 at 6:23 a.m. EDT

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/07/29/trump-presidential-seal-liv-golf-tournament/?utm_campaign=wp_politics_am&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_politics&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F3781379%2F62e3c279cfe8a216010cab32%2F596ff74c9bbc0f57fef77640%2F9%2F62%2F62e3c279cfe8a216010cab32&wp_cu=46f906e62a1a7a7c3bd7e8cc1376c9f9%7Cf93f4a68-a5fe-11e1-8e4d-12313d1f7406

"SNIP......

Former president Donald Trump was spotted using the presidential seal on multiple items during the LIV Golf tournament at his Bedminster, N.J., golf course.

The seal was plastered on towels, golf carts and other items as the former president participated at the pro-am of the Saudi-sponsored tournament Thursday.

It is against federal law to use the presidential and vice-presidential seals in ways that could convey “a false impression of sponsorship or approval by the Government of the United States.”

While violating this law could result in imprisonment of “not more than six months,” a fine, or both, these punishments are rarely doled out.

.....SNIP"

[applegrove]

1. He's so weird.

[hlthe2b]

2. Just send in the damned Federal Marshalls to dig up, conviscate, destroy those items

and keep sending them in quite publicly.

[MerryBlooms]

32. r&k ❤

[SergeStorms]

3. Until someone stops him...

he'll just keep on doing it.

[twodogsbarking]

4. But he isn't above the law.

Right?

[The Jungle 1]

5. Lock him up!

[tanyev]

6. Man who put up fake historical marker at another golf course did what?

“Many great American soldiers, both of the North and South, died at this spot. The casualties were so great that the water would turn red and thus became known as ‘The River of Blood.’ It is my great honor to have preserved this important section of the Potomac River!”

Nice sentiment, small problem: there apparently was no such battle.

The Times checked with various historians in the area who had trouble tying the site of Trump's course to any such event.

During his campaign, Trump questioned how historians could dispute the battle. "How would they know," he told the Times. "Were they there?"

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/details-details-donald-trump-has-plaque-at-his-golf-course-commemorating-civil-war-battle-that-never-happened

[PatSeg]

14. Yeah, Trump is all about symbols, never substance

He never cared about the actual job of President, he loved the title and the presidential seal that comes with it. He lives in a fantasy TV world where he writes the script to suit his huge ego. So if he decides that spot by the river is historic, he just rewrites history to make it so.

You can be anything you want when YOU are writing the script!

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

18. "Many great soldiers, both of the North and South, died at this spot."

It's easy to see this piece of grammatical diarrhea was written by dipshit Donald John Trump.

[geardaddy]

30. And I've never seen a personal quote

on a historical marker ending with an exclamation point. The guy is a total loser.

[Ilsa]

20. TFG writes his own "truth," and to some degree,

expects others do too.

[Norbert]

26. This gets me so upset.

There is so much research that goes into recording history as accurate as possible then this ass wipe puts up plaques like this.

[MerryBlooms]

28. I totally missed that one. Make junk up, photo op,

Now we're stuck with an alternative reality historical marker. That's a nice phony historical marker you got there, be shame if something happened to it. 😄

[madaboutharry]

7. His life is now CosPlay.

The misuse of the presidential seal is a symptom of his psychotic break from reality. Shame on those around him failing to get him the help he desperately needs.

[Ocelot II]

22. Using the seal makes it easier for him to pretend or believe-

whichever it is - that he didn’t lose the election.

[Aviation Pro]

8. Fucking poser

…..

[Lovie777]

9. shithole wants to be a dictator so baddddddddddddddddd.......

[Totally Tunsie]

10. Always has been, is now, and forever will be...

a FRAUD.

Time to get this criminal put away for good. Take his damn family with him.

[Richard D]

11. Clearly, tfg is well above the law...

... Until he's not.

[FloridaBlues]

12. He knows that it's illegal he doesn't care and so far getting away with it

[C_U_L8R]

13. He needs a cease and desist

with hefty escalating fines for non-compliance.
That trademark belongs to us.

[MerryBlooms]

29. 💯

[CaptainTruth]

39. I don't think the presidential seal is trademarked.

Which is a surprise to me, I assumed it was. I did a quick search of TESS (the USPTO TM database) for descriptions of a mark & didn't see anything for "presidential seal," but I may not have seen all relevant records.

Wikipedia says:

In general, commercial use of the seal is prohibited by 18 USC 713[6] of the United States Code, and further defined by Executive Orders 11916 and 11649.

It seems like it should be trademarked, to give it added protection against unauthorized use.

[C_U_L8R]

41. Yes, 18 U.S. Code § 713 essentially protects the Seal from illicit use

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/713

[EndlessWire]

45. Someone step up!

"...upon complaint by any authorized representative of any department or agency of the United States..."

ANYBODY could step forward and complain! Where is an authorized rep who has the courage to complain!? Why are we sitting here allowing him to host SA on our own land using symbols of our country that he no longer has the right to use? It is against the law! Get him! Garland, hire someone to do it, if you don't have the time!

[Hotler]

15. Hey Garland, here's a crime right here in plain site. Don't need no Gran Jury for this.

I suggest sending U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens to have a talk with him.

[badhair77]

16. If Obama did this the Repubs/ Fox would go berserk.

But he just does what he wants. Lots of issues for that one.

[msfiddlestix]

17. They certainly would go berserk, except Obama would never ever do something like this..

[Ocelot II]

19. Add it to the list. What does he do that isn't a crime?

[Irish_Dem]

21. For the elite, laws are just customs and traditions.

And it is fine if you don't follow them.

The law also protects them.

The GOP only sees the law as a way to control others.

For the rest of us, the laws must be obeyed and offers little or no protection.

[jaxexpat]

27. Man, that's clear and cold and true.

[Irish_Dem]

31. Yep, the elite no longer pretends the law applies to them.

They flaunt it in our face that the laws are only for the little people.

[jaxexpat]

33. What bemuses me is how lower-middle-class retirees believe they have the same sanction.

It's one of the big reasons why so many seniors still support Republicans despite their on-the-record stance to eliminate SS and Medicare. Apparently, these fools think they could make it on their (less than) $500,000 savings while paying their medical costs out of their pockets.

[Irish_Dem]

34. Those with white privilege assume they will be given a pass.

They probably think the GOP claims of ending SS and Medicare is code for ending benefits to only the poor and POC.

[jaxexpat]

37. :fistbump:

[EndlessWire]

42. Why is everything a WP issue??

Here is an issue of misuse of the Presidential Seal by a former pRes. Why bring in your issues regarding WP?

[Irish_Dem]

43. Someone asked me a question. I answered it because it is the well mannered thing to do.

Just like I am answering your question.

[EndlessWire]

46. What question did you answer?

At any rate, not everything is a WP issue.

[3825-87867]

23. Maybe He's getting it mixed up...

with his official seal?

[Frustratedlady]

24. How much is Trump making off this tournament? I had heard, the Saudis offered Tiger Woods

one Billion...as in BILLION...and he turned it down.

If Trump is making a penny off this tournament, he should be charged for using the seal. I'm sure the Saudis were proud to exploit the seal for their own purposes in the future. They are into symbols.

[Totally Tunsie]

47. "If Trump is making a penny off this tournament..."

IF? IF? Of course he's making a bundle on this. There is no way he'd participate otherwise. He does nothing for free.

Pay up, Chumpman!

[jaxexpat]

25. ".....these punishments are rarely doled out."

Surely, in this case, there could be made and exception.

When this sort of, in your face, mockery is brought to an abrupt halt, I might acknowledge that we're seeing a light at the end of this tunnel.

[Paladin]

35. Gotta love the sweaty-ass photos of tfg from this tournament.

They make him look 110 years old.

[kairos12]

36. A more accurate one

would be a cartoon of a burning Capitol.

[Initech]

38. Does this really surprise anyone?

He'll do this shit regardless of whether or not you tell him to, because fuck your feelings, that's why.

[niyad]

40. Stroke out already, you F'n, murdering, orange TRAITOR**.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

51. +1

[Mysterian]

44. Ethics, shmethics

Until they put some teeth into ethics laws, everybody will ignore them.

[Kid Berwyn]

48. Fake pee-resident didn't recognize fake seal.

[Sugarcoated]

49. This actually makes him look like he's nuts

or still nuts, or nuttier to swing voters. The nonaffiliated, nonpartisan voters whos' votes win or lose elections.

[spanone]

50. He has two LIV tournaments scheduled the one this week and another at Doral in Miami

What's the going price for a former United States President?

[Grins]

52. Illegal? Fuck you?

Who’s going to charge him?

Tell him to desist and if he doesn’t arrest and charge him. We can. We should. We won’t.

America in the 21st century! Gutless wimps.