President Trump is spending taxpayer funds worth thousands of dollars to make and hang more large banners with his face on them all over federal buildings in Washington, D.C. Democratic Senator Adam Schiff shared newly discovered federal contracts with MeidasTouch News that show government agencies putting their own budgets towards “America First” banners, which include ones of the president’s face.The Department of the Interior made a $39,000 contract for “America First” banners with Trump’s portrait, while the Federal Aviation Administration awarded a $114,000 contract for “Freedom 250” banners. Both contracts went to a Maryland-based graphic design agency called Grafik Industries.Using taxpayer dollars to fund government propaganda and self-promotion by public officials isn’t allowed, Schiff says.“The Trump administration is spending hundreds of thousands of your tax dollars to glorify and pay tribute to a sitting U.S. President and his political agenda,” Schiff said in a statement. “Not only is this a terrible waste of Americans’ hard-earned money, it is clearly against the law. Congress has long outlawed spending tax dollars on propaganda and self-aggrandizement and an eight-story high Donald Trump head certainly qualifies as propaganda.”In September, Schiff issued a report showing that Trump had spent at least $56,000 on promotional banners with his face later hung on government buildings including the Department of Labor, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Health and Human Services headquarters, part of a pattern of Trump wanting to put his name and face on as many things as possible in Washington, D.C., and remake the city in his own image.No matter how much money Trump wastes on his propaganda art, it won’t change the fact that his popularity is plummeting and that federal workers in the nation’s capital hate him.
Trita Parsi, Rami Khouri, Rula Jebreal, and Mehdi will be unpacking the latest developments (and U.S. and Israeli aggressions) in the region – plus taking audience questions!
The process to replace Graham Platner on the November ballot is an organizing opportunity.
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