>> THANK YOU. >> THAT IS "ALL IN" FOR THIS
EVENING.
EVENING. "THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW" STARTS
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. >>> THANKS TO YOU AT HOME FOR
JOINING US THIS HOUR.
WELL, OVERALL, THIS IS GETTING
WORSE NOT BETTER.
24 HOURS AGO THIS TIME LAST
NIGHT WE WERE SORT OF TRYING TO
GET OUR HEADS AROUND THE FACT
THAT THE WHITE HOUSE HAD
ACTUALLY ANNOUNCED THAT THE
LOCATION OF THE NEXT G7 SUMMIT
WOULD BE THE PRESIDENT’S PRIVATE
CLUB IN FLORIDA.
THE WHITE HOUSE ON ITS OFFICIAL
TWITTER FEED CLIPPED THE
PRESIDENT TALKING ABOUT HIS
DURAL GOLF CLUB THINGY IN SOUTH
FLORIDA BEING THE HOST FOR THE
G7, AND THE WHITE HOUSE TWITTER
ACCOUNT POSTED THOSE REMARKS
FROM THE PRESIDENT ONLINE WITH
THIS CAPTION.
THIS CAPTION. "PRESIDENT TRUMP SHARES THE
LOCATION OF THE NEXT G7 SUMMIT."
SHARES THE LOCATION?
MEANING THAT’S REALLY WHERE IT’S
GOING TO BE?
I MEAN, AMONG THE MANY AND
VARIED PROBLEMS WITH THE
PRESIDENT REQUIRING FOREIGN
COUNTRIES TO PAY MONEY DIRECTLY
TO HIM AND HIS FAMILY, IF THOSE
COUNTRIES WANT TO ATTEND NEXT
YEAR’S G7 SUMMIT, AMONG THE MANY
AND VARIED PROBLEMS WITH THAT IS
THE FACT THAT SUCH A THING WOULD
BE WILDLY AND FLAGRANTLY
ILLEGAL.
ILLEGAL. THERE IS LITERALLY AN EXPLICIT
LINE IN THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
THAT SAYS THE PRESIDENT CAN’T
TAKE STUFF FROM FOREIGN
COUNTRIES.
COUNTRIES. HE CAN’T ENRICH HIMSELF FROM
FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS WHILE HE’S
IN OFFICE.
IN OFFICE. SO AS I SAY, 24 HOURS AGO,
RIGHT, THIS TIME LAST NIGHT THIS
WHOLE THING WITH THE PRESIDENT
SAYING, OH, WE SHOULD HOST THE
NEXT G7 AT MY CLUB DURAL, IT’S
PERFECT.
PERFECT. THIS TIME LAST NIGHT THAT SEEMED
INSANE, YES, BUT ALSO TOTALLY
IMPOSSIBLE, RIGHT?
IMPOSSIBLE, RIGHT? YES, CLEARLY THE PRESIDENT WANTS
TO HOLD THE G7 AT HIS PRIVATE
CLUB SO HE AND HIS FAMILY CAN
PROFIT FROM IT PERSONALLY, BUT
THAT IS SO BLATANTLY ILLEGAL
IT’S LITERALLY AGAINST THE BLACK
LETTER LAW OF THE CONSTITUTION.
WE DO STILL HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT
IN THIS COUNTRY.
SO AS INSANE AS IT WAS THAT THE
PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO PROMOTE
THAT ADDS AN IDEA, AT LEAST WE
CAN BE SURE THAT THAT WON’T
HAPPEN, RIGHT?
HAPPEN, RIGHT? RIGHT?
RIGHT? WELL, THEN TONIGHT WE GOT THIS
ON THE FRONT PAGE OF "THE
WASHINGTON POST."
WASHINGTON POST." ATTORNEY GENERAL WILLIAM BARR,
TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL IN
THE UNITED STATES, BOOKS TRUMP’S
HOTEL FOR $30,000 HOLIDAY PARTY.
SO DON’T WORRY.
IT IS CLEARLY ILLEGAL FOR THE
PRESIDENT TO SET HIMSELF UP TO
PERSONALLY PROFIT FROM HIS
PRESIDENCY BY MAKING IT SO THAT
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO OR NEED TO DO
POLITICAL BUSINESS WITH HIM CAN
PAY HIM IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
DON’T WORRY, AMERICA, THAT’S ILL
ILLEGAL.
ILLEGAL. LAW ENFORCEMENT WON’T LET THAT
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY
WILL GET RIGHT ON THAT RIGHT
AFTER THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE
TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL IN
THE COUNTRY, PAYS THE PRESIDENT
AND HIS FAMILY MORE THAN
$30,000.
$30,000. BECAUSE THIS YEAR AFTER TRUMP
NAMED WILLIAM BARR TO BE
ATTORNEY GENERAL, THIS YEAR
WILLIAM BARR DECIDED HE WOULD
MOVE HIS ANNUAL HOLIDAY BASH TO
THE PRESIDENT’S HOTEL.
SO THIS TIME HE CAN PAY THE
PRESIDENT AND HIS FAMILY.
SOMEWHERE UPWARDS OF $30,000.
MIGHT GET UP TO $50,000
DEPENDING ON HOW HARD THEY HIT
THE OPEN BAR.
AFTER HE PAYS THE PRESIDENT THAT
30 TO $550,000 THEN ATTORNEY
GENERAL WILLIAM BARR WILL GET
RIGHT ON TO THE PEOPLE’S
BUSINESS OF MAKING SURE THE
PRESIDENT DOESN’T, YOU KNOW,
PROFIT FROM HIS PRESIDENCY.
DOESN’T VIOLATE THE CONSTITUTION
BY MOVING THE G7 TO HIS PRIVATE
CLUB SO THOSE OTHER PEOPLE CAN
PAY THE PRESIDENT, TOO, JUST
LIKE WILLIAM BARR IS AT HIS
CHRISTMAS PARTY THIS YEAR.
HE’LL BE JOHNNY ON THE SPOT
MAKING SURE THE PRESIDENT IS
KEPT TO THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW
ON THAT.
ON THAT. SOON AS THE CHECK CLEARS.
AFTER "THE WASHINGTON POST"
TODAY, JOSH DOZENY AND DAVID
FARENTHOLD ALSO HAD SOME
APPROPRIATELY GONZO REPORTING
ABOUT WHY EXACTLY THE PRESIDENT
MIGHT BE TRYING TO DO THIS G7
SUMMIT THING FOR HIS DURAL CLUB
IN FLORIDA IN PARTICULAR.
PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID YESTERDAY,
MONDAY, THAT HE WAS LIKELY TO
HOLD NEXT YEAR’S GROUP OF SEVEN
SUMMIT AT HIS GOLF RESORT IN
DURAL, FLORIDA.
DURAL, FLORIDA. THAT DECISION WOULD BE AN
UNPRECEDENTED USE OF AMERICAN
POWER TO CREATE PRIVATE REVENUE
FOR THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT.
IF TRUMP DOES CHOOSE DURAL, HE
WOULD BE DIRECTING MASSIVE
AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO A RESORT HE
OWNS PERSONALLY AND WHICH
ACCORDING TO HIS COMPANY’S
REPRESENTATIVES HAS BEEN
SEVERELY UNDERPERFORMING.
SEVERELY UNDERPERFORMING. TRUMP SPOKE ABOUT THIS IDEA OF
HOSTING THE NEXT G7 AT HIS
PRIVATE CLUB FROM THE FRENCH
RESORT TOWN THAT HOSTED THIS
YEAR’S MEETING.
YEAR’S MEETING. IT WAS TYPICAL OF OTHER SUMMIT
SITES, LUXURIOUS BUT SEE
COLLUDED, PRETTY ENOUGH FOR
PHOTO SHOOTS AND SUFFICIENTLY
ISOLATED TO BE SEALED OFF FOR
SECURITY.
SECURITY. THE PAST TWO MEETINGS HOSTED BY
THE UNITED STATES HAVE BEEN HELD
AT CAMP DAVID, THE PRESIDENTIAL
RETREAT IN MARYLAND AND ON A
RESORT ISLAND IN GEORGIA.
BUT TRUMP AND HIS -- EXCUSE ME,
TRUMP SAID HIS ADVISERS HAVE
SEARCHED THE ENTIRE NATION AND
DECIDED THE MOST SUITABLE SPOT
FOR THE 2020 G7 SUMMIT IS
SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT. A GOLF CLUB SET AMONG DRAB
OFFICE PARKS NEAR THE MIAMI
AIRPORT.
AIRPORT. THE PRESIDENT’S OWN GOLF CLUB.
I MEAN, EVEN IF THAT GOLF CLUB
THAT BELONGS TO THE PRESIDENT
WAS DOING GREAT, WAS LIKE A
JEWEL IN THE CROWN FOR THE
PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS INTERESTS
AND WAS LIKE THIS IMMENSELY
PROFITABLE THING, IT WOULD OF
COURSE STILL BE CRAZY AND
FANTASTICALLY ILLEGAL FOR HIM TO
BE TRYING TO PULL OFF THIS
STUNT, TO DIRECT ALL THIS
ILL-GOTTEN BUSINESS, RIGHT, THIS
BIG CORRUPTION WINDFALL THAT HE
CAN DIRECT TO THAT PRIVATE CLUB
BY NAMING IT AS THE VENUE FOR
THE G7.
THE G7. I GET THAT, RIGHT?
WHAT I DID NOT REALIZE BEFORE
THIS WHOLE THING ACTUALLY
STARTED HAPPENING IS THAT THAT
PARTICULAR CLUB OWNED BY THE
PRESIDENT, THAT PARTICULAR GOLF
RESORT ACTUALLY ISN’T DOING
WELL.
WELL. IT REALLY NEEDS THE MONEY.
THAT SEVERELY UNDERPERFORMING
LINE IN "THE WASHINGTON POST"
STORY ON THIS SCANDAL COMES FROM
A TAX CONSULTANT WHO WAS
ACTUALLY HIRED BY THE
PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS.
PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS. THAT TAX CONSULTANT TOLD FLORIDA
OFFICIALS LAST YEAR THAT THE NET
OPERATING INCOME AT THE DURAL
CLUB HAS FALLEN BY 69% AND IS A,
QUOTE, SEVERELY UNDERPERFORMING
PROPERTY, EVEN COMPARED WITH
OTHER NEARBY RESORTS.
ACCORDING TO "THE POST" TODAY,
QUOTE, THE DURAL CLUB IS A
KEYSTONE OF TRUMP’S BUSINESS,
SUPPLYING HIM WITH MORE REVENUE
THAN ANY OTHER HOTEL AND ALSO
CARRYING SOME OF HIS BIGGEST
LOANS.
LOANS. TRUMP PURCHASED THE DURAL CLUB
IN 2012, TAKING OUT $125 MILLION
IN LOANS TO DO SO FROM DEUTSCHE
BANK.
BANK. AND SO, YEAH, THIS IS HIS
KEYSTONE PROPERTY IN TERMS OF
REVENUE AND IT’S FAILING.
AND SO, YEAH, THE PRESIDENT
MIGHT WANT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY
TO USE HIS PUBLIC OFFICE NOW TO
FORCE PEOPLE AND FORCE OTHER
COUNTRIES TO SPEND A LOT OF
MONEY AT HIS SEVERELY
UNDERPERFORMING CLUB.
UNDERPERFORMING CLUB. "THE POST" ALSO NOTES THAT DURAL
HAD TO SETTLE A PARTICULARLY
NASTY BED BUG CLAIM IN 2016.
DURAL IS ALSO ONE OF THE
LOCATIONS WHERE TRUMP HAS BEEN
CALLED OUT USING LOTS OF
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS TO DO
RENOVATION WORK AND LAPPED SCAPE
WORK.
WORK. SO THERE’S LOTS OF PROBLEMS THE
PRESIDENT HAS WITH THE DURAL
CLUB THAT MAKES HIM WANT TO
SHOVE BUSINESS IN THAT
DIRECTION.
DIRECTION. THE FINANCIAL PROBLEM IS
PARTICULARLY INTERESTING, RIGHT?
BECAUSE SINCE 2012 FOR WHATEVER
REASON THERE IS THIS ONE BANK,
DEUTSCHE BANK, WHICH HAS GIVEN
PRESIDENT TRUMP MORE THAN $350
MILLION IN LOANS, EVEN WHEN
OTHER BANKS AND LENDING
INSTITUTIONS LONG STOPPED BEING
WILLING TO TOUCH HIM WITH A
TEN-FOOT POLE.
TEN-FOOT POLE. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS WHY DEUTSCHE
BANK HAS BEEN WILLING TO DUMP SO
MUCH MONEY INTO TRUMP’S
BUSINESSES WHEN EVERYONE ELSE
THOUGHT HE WAS A FINANCIAL
CATASTROPHE.
CATASTROPHE. BUT IF ONE OF THE CLUBS THAT HE
OWNS, ONE WHICH HE OWES $125
MILLION ON HAS JUST HAD ITS
OPERATING INCOME DROPPED BY 69%
AND THAT’S HIS KEYSTONE
PROPERTY, HE’S GETTING MORE
REVENUE OUT OF THAT PROPERTY
THAN ANYTHING ELSE THAT HE OWNS,
AND IT’S DOWN NEARLY 70% AND HE
OWES ALL THAT MONEY ON IT.
I MEAN, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY
THE PRESIDENT MAY BE WILLING TO
GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO BOOST HIS
BUSINESS THERE, EVEN IF HE HAS
TO DO SO ILLEGALLY, RIGHT?
HE MAY BE WORRIED ABOUT THAT
$125 MILLION LOAN HE TOOK OUT ON
NOW THAT FAILING PROPERTY.
BUT IS HE ACTUALLY WORRIED ABOUT
THAT LOAN?
THAT LOAN? WHY DID DEUTSCHE BANK GIVE HIM
THAT LOAN IN THE FIRST PLACE?
WHAT WERE THE TERMS?
I MEAN, WAS DURAL SUCH A GREAT
INVESTMENT AT THE TIME THAT IT
WAS WORTH DEUTSCHE BANK RISKING