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You are here: Home / Elections / Election 2016 / Late Night Farce Open Thread: Another Brilliant Trump Ploy

Late Night Farce Open Thread: Another Brilliant Trump Ploy

by Anne Laurie|  October 19, 20161:53 am| 45 Comments

This post is in: Election 2016, Hail to the Hairpiece, Open Threads, Republican Stupidity, Assholes

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Trump bringing Obama's half brother to the debate, per the campaign.

— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) October 18, 2016

This will be a crushing blow to Obama's 2016 reelection campaign. https://t.co/xETpxaRdZU

— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) October 18, 2016

RYAN: What does that accomplish?
TRUMP: Strategy-wise? Nothing. Might hurt!
RYAN:
TRUMP: I just wanted to boss around someone named Obama

— Owen Ellickson (@onlxn) October 18, 2016

At this point, I figure the kids are giving Deadbeat Donnie free reign, so that after the November 8th fiasco they can use his actions to sue for a medical conservatorship.

(Next fun chapter of this Dickensian saga involves Ivanka & Jared tussling expensively with Don Jr. & Eric over who gets the keys and the twitter passwords… with Melania, standing in for Barron, in a supporting role. Key question: Which party gets custody of Mark Halperin?)

2nd debate: Brings Bill's accusers

3rd debate: Brings Obama's half-brother

Inauguration Day: Brings folding chair to watch from the Mall

— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) October 18, 2016


Figures. Screws up, then he expects a black guy to bail him out MT @BraddJaffy: Trump is bringing Obama's half-brother to the debate

— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) October 18, 2016

Trump inviting Obama’s half-brother to the debate like he didn’t do this: https://t.co/Ad5zhSC0PT pic.twitter.com/N8GKULWAcS

— Sam Adams (@SamuelAAdams) October 18, 2016

Given that I believe he's asked for $$ for past interviews, curious to see the post-November FEC report on this…. https://t.co/8buiFA0I86

— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) October 18, 2016

Ppl suggest a payment to Malik Obama will show up in Trump's post-elex FEC report, but my guess is Trump promised him money & will stiff him

— Josh Barro (@jbarro) October 19, 2016

Why doesn't Trump just cut out all the middle men and invite Putin to the debate as his guest (handler)?

— John Weaver (@JWGOP) October 18, 2016

Per @KatyTurNBC, there are more Trump surprise guests in store for the debate, in addition to Obama's half-brother & Benghazi mom Pat Smith

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) October 18, 2016

Yo @UGPresDebate can we please not do audiences in future cycles? I mean, look at this nonsense https://t.co/cJGkGFLRPn

— Will Caskey (@WillCaskey) October 18, 2016

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Previous Post: « Trump & Pence, Deliberately Undermining Our Voting Process
Next Post: Early Morning Open Thread: Bad Houseguests & Generally Shifty Fellas »

Reader Interactions

45Comments

  1. 1.

    Major Major Major Major

    October 19, 2016 at 2:00 am

    Maybe audiences, but no guests, except, I don’t know, immediate family?

    Oh! I know! Don’t nominate lowest-common-denominator trashy reality TV stars!

  2. 2.

    MoeLarryAndJesus

    October 19, 2016 at 2:03 am

    Who the hell wants Mark Halperin? He eats his own weight in seaworms and rabbit pellets every day. Even rich people get sick of paying out that kind of money.

  3. 3.

    NotMax

    October 19, 2016 at 2:04 am

    “You’re kidding me. You mean the casinos here stay open and actually make money?”

  4. 4.

    NotMax

    October 19, 2016 at 2:10 am

    About the only thing not to expect is Trump coming onstage in blackface.

    And it’s decidedly shaky to dismiss that possibility.

  5. 5.

    Jerzy Russian

    October 19, 2016 at 2:14 am

    Didn’t Bill Clinton have a half brother? Is that gentleman the same as President Obama’s half brother? If so, that could explain a lot.

  6. 6.

    Calouste

    October 19, 2016 at 2:19 am

    I wonder if Clinton will have one of Trump’s out of wedlock children as a guest. His talk about VDs suggested he wasn’t a consistent condom user.

  7. 7.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    October 19, 2016 at 2:19 am

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Don’t nominate lowest-common-denominator trashy reality TV starsgame show hosts!

    FIFY.

  8. 8.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    October 19, 2016 at 2:20 am

    @Jerzy Russian:

    Didn’t Bill Clinton have a half brother?

    Yup, Roger Clinton.

  9. 9.

    amk

    October 19, 2016 at 2:26 am

    da carnival barker show. produced and owned by gopee.

  10. 10.

    Calouste

    October 19, 2016 at 2:32 am

    @Jerzy Russian: Just checking Wikipedia, Bill Clinton had a half-brother and a half-sister via his father (that he never knew of), and a half-brother via his mother. Reading about Bill’s dad, the philandering seems to be hereditary.

  11. 11.

    PatrickG

    October 19, 2016 at 2:33 am

    @NotMax: Decidedly unfair to the rest of us having two brilliant comments in a row. You should be ashamed proud.

  12. 12.

    Brachiator

    October 19, 2016 at 2:33 am

    OT:The Schiaparelli lander — part of the European-Russian ExoMars 2016 mission — is scheduled to touch down on the Martian surface this morning at 10:48 a.m. EDT

    A bit of a respite from debate fever.

    The buzz that Trump invited Obama’s half brother reinforces my instinct to skip this last piece of farce.

  13. 13.

    hitchhiker

    October 19, 2016 at 2:37 am

    OT … been listening to Mike Murphy’s Radiofree GOP podcast for a while now. He’s a fairly good talker & it can be amusing to listen to a Republican wring his hands over the current debacle. Mike’s been an outspoken Donald-hater for a long time and loves to say so.

    What I wanted to say, though, is that in all the dozens of shows he’s done since last summer, he’s always had a guest. A white guest. A white male guest. Every single time. And I realized that part of what makes his show feel dull & smug is that I’ve gotten used to other voices in my media, so that’s good, right?

    He’s always sharing old campaign trail stories with these guests, and they’re always talking about even more white guys who were their old friends and clients. It’s like their world is made of white guys, who are the only ones doing anything that matters. I wonder if they could imagine being on the other side of that, listening week after week to pairs of women talk about all the other women they put into the white house or the governor’s mansion, with help from even more women whom they remember fondly.

    I think that Hillary Clinton’s presidency is going to throw a whole lot of stuff into relief that’s been invisible forever.

  14. 14.

    gene108

    October 19, 2016 at 2:56 am

    @Calouste:

    Roger Clinton also gets around.

  15. 15.

    Steeplejack

    October 19, 2016 at 3:02 am

    @Anne Laurie:

    I figure the kids are giving Deadbeat Donnie free reign rein.

    C’mon, man, you’re a front-pager.

  16. 16.

    AnotherBruce

    October 19, 2016 at 3:10 am

    @MoeLarryAndJesus: Damn, are you channeling HST? Share some of that good stuff with me.

  17. 17.

    EBT

    October 19, 2016 at 3:19 am

    They nixed his last around invitees I expect them to do the same this time.

  18. 18.

    Mustang Bobby

    October 19, 2016 at 3:22 am

    If Trump actually figured out who he’s running against, he might have a shot.

  19. 19.

    hellslittlestangel

    October 19, 2016 at 3:28 am

    Unless Obama’s half-brother is rumored to have had an affair with Bill Clinton, I fail to see the point of this gambit.

  20. 20.

    Sloane Ranger

    October 19, 2016 at 3:43 am

    I think inviting the half brother is someone’s bright idea at African American outreach. Look, Obama’s brother’s with me. You should be too. Desperate!

    As for Pat Smith, what are the odds she screams “You lie!” or otherwise disrupts proceedings at some point during the debate? I’m sorry for her loss but her subsequent actions have lost her a lot of sympathy as far as I’m concerned.

  21. 21.

    Sloane Ranger

    October 19, 2016 at 3:44 am

    I think inviting the half brother is someone’s bright idea at African American outreach. Look, Obama’s brother’s with me. You should be too. Desperate!

    As for Pat Smith, what are the odds she screams “You lie!” or otherwise disrupts proceedings at some point during the debate? I’m sorry for her loss but her subsequent actions have lost her a lot of sympathy as far as I’m concerned.

  22. 22.

    Keith G

    October 19, 2016 at 3:51 am

    moved

  23. 23.

    Vhh

    October 19, 2016 at 3:55 am

    It is obvious now that Hillary should issue an open invite to any woman who was groped by the Donald and have them seated in the front row. Plus anyone who eas ripped off by Trump U. Plus any contractor who was stiffed. I prrdict it will take Donnie less than an hour to backtrack on his provocative invites.

  24. 24.

    Vhh

    October 19, 2016 at 3:57 am

    The name of this game is Liar’s Poker.

  25. 25.

    Viva BrisVegas

    October 19, 2016 at 3:58 am

    @hellslittlestangel:

    Unless Obama’s half-brother is rumored to have had an affair with Bill Clinton, I fail to see the point of this gambit.

    Obama’s brother is still pissed off over Ghaddafi’s death.

    Kind of like an inverted Benghazi.

    Like Trump, he never met a murderous dictator he didn’t like.

  26. 26.

    Aleta

    October 19, 2016 at 3:58 am

    @Vhh: And the casts of shows that out performed the Appren. in the ratings.

  27. 27.

    Sm*t Cl*de

    October 19, 2016 at 4:49 am

    Recycling a comment from an earlier thread:
    Once again, Trump smuggles furriners into the country rather than look for an American to do the work,* but this time it’s a MUSLIN FURRINER.

    * Much like his marriages.

  28. 28.

    EBT

    October 19, 2016 at 4:53 am

    @Sloane Ranger: She and her son weren’t even on speaking terms when he died. He was paid staff on Something Awful and had been vocal about how unwell she was.

  29. 29.

    kd bart

    October 19, 2016 at 5:05 am

    Next up, Frank Pentangeli’s brother from Sicily. Won’t work. Hillary’s tougher than Frankie Five Angels.

  30. 30.

    bjacques

    October 19, 2016 at 5:31 am

    @kd bart: Ha! Late night TV was showing Godfather II last night, so I saw that bit.

    @EBT: I remember that about Something Awful. Damn.

  31. 31.

    Joyce H

    October 19, 2016 at 5:39 am

    @Sloane Ranger:

    think inviting the half brother is someone’s bright idea at African American outreach. Look, Obama’s brother’s with me. You should be too. Desperate!

    I think it’s supposed to be one of his ‘gotchas’ because Obama is estranged from his half-brother. But it will blow up in his face because this clown-car of deplorables never ever vets anyone. Turns out that Malik Obama is a Hamas supporter and was photographed a few years back wearing a Hamas scarf with the slogan “Jerusalem is ours!” and “We are coming!” The wingnut media tried to use that photo against Obama a few years back. Now the fellow is firmly in Trump’s camp.

    Does Trump have any Jewish supporters left? If so, I doubt that he will by this time tomorrow.

  32. 32.

    Just One More Canuck

    October 19, 2016 at 6:10 am

    Hillary wouldn’t invite him, but it would be hilarious to see Judge Curiel there

  33. 33.

    Zinsky

    October 19, 2016 at 6:15 am

    Everyone has a wackadoodle relative in their background that they ain’t proud of – Malik must be Obama’s albatross. This is also kind of a sneaky odd way of keeping the birther thing alive because he is a negro, he is from Kenya and, you know, he is Barack Obama’s half-brother. I’m sure many of Trump’s low-information, poorly educated voters will make that connection. In any case, this is just such a low-life move that you just wonder how low this narcissistic bastard can go?

  34. 34.

    Dmbeaster

    October 19, 2016 at 6:45 am

    The half brother schtick is pure Breitbart inspired nonsense, with no resonance other than with those people. Trump is now more insulated from reality than the bubble boy.

  35. 35.

    Sloane Ranger

    October 19, 2016 at 6:54 am

    EBT
    Joyce H

    I did not know these things. Thanks for the info.

    Joyce H – What are the chances of the mainstream media talking about the brother’s Hamas love?

  36. 36.

    Jeffro

    October 19, 2016 at 7:18 am

    @hellslittlestangel:

    Unless Obama’s half-brother is rumored to have had an affair with Bill Clinton, I fail to see the point of this gambit.

    don’t put it past Alex Jones at this point…

    Seriously, I haven’t been on Twitter yet, is there a #TrumpDebateStunts hashtag yet?

  37. 37.

    adorable trnc

    October 19, 2016 at 8:22 am

    Has Trump adopted Malik so he can put him in the family box at the debate?

  38. 38.

    Another Scott

    October 19, 2016 at 8:45 am

    In the last debate, the C-Span cameras cut to Trump’s kids (and The Women a couple of times, I think). Audience reaction shots should be verboten, but I’m not optimistic.

    Supposedly Hillary is going to play it safe tonight. I don’t think she should. Yeah, she should continue to show that she’s sane and likable and not a monster, but she should continue to show that Donnie is insane and a danger to all of humanity (as are all of his enablers). If that means standing back and shimmying, that’s fine, but if she needs to twist the knife, she should do that too.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  39. 39.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    October 19, 2016 at 9:26 am

    @Viva BrisVegas:

    Obama’s brother is still pissed off over Ghaddafi’s death.

    Kind of like an inverted Benghazi.

    Like Trump, he never met a murderous dictator he didn’t like. .

    So Trump’s going to argue that Hillary is awful because she had a dictator who was a Russian tool and who attacked the US repeatedly toppled. All she has to do is say “view it as payback for Lockerbie, Donald”

  40. 40.

    Exit 135

    October 19, 2016 at 9:39 am

    @Another Scott: Strange trump dynamic, again. trump had his adult kids front and center. Alone without their wives and Jared Kushner, who is a world class spoiled prick & new president of trump TV, LLC.

    What I want to know is when the adult kids will mention their mom, Ivana. It’s always about daddy, daddy. Strange. trump must have a clause in their inheritance & trust funds. Mention mom and you are on the street.

  41. 41.

    Citizen_X

    October 19, 2016 at 10:38 am

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    “view it as payback for Lockerbie, Donald.”

    Yeah, well Trump doesn’t like Scotland either.

  42. 42.

    daves09

    October 19, 2016 at 12:34 pm

    I’d heard that Trump’s debate prep. consisted of exhuming Vince Foster and bringing him to the debate-but maybe I heard wrong.

  43. 43.

    EBT

    October 19, 2016 at 2:13 pm

    @Sloane Ranger: his posts on the nature and purpose of the Marines that guard embassies that he made less than a month before his death were very enlightening as well.

  44. 44.

    tkrr

    October 19, 2016 at 2:29 pm

    When Frank Luntz, the king of GOP messaging and Saul Alinsky’s evil offspring, burns you like that, you are truly screwed.

  45. 45.

    Cain

    October 19, 2016 at 5:10 pm

    @daves09:

    And tag team debating Hillary!

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