Today, during a White House meeting, Pres. Trump not only scoffed at the idea of ending unlimited civil asset forfeiture, but even threatened to destroy the career of a state senator in Texas trying to do just that.
An overview of the exchange, via Politico:
“On asset forfeiture, we’ve got a state senator in Texas that was talking about introducing legislation to require conviction before we could receive that forfeiture money,” Eavenson said.
“Can you believe that?” Trump interjected.
“And I told him that the cartel would build a monument to him in Mexico if he could get that legislation passed,” the Texas sheriff continued.
“Who is the state senator? Do you want to give his name? We’ll destroy his career,” Trump replied, presumably suggesting that the lawmaker would suffer for holding a position contrary to the president’s.
The bill in question in Texas is SB156 from Sen. Juan Hinojosa (D-Dist. 20). However, a slew of bills to deal with the rampant abuse of forfeiture by law enforcement has been filed by both democrats and republicans in Texas, most notably SB380 from Sen. Konni Burton (R-Fort Worth).
I generally don’t like to blog about the personal traits of the president – but this attack on efforts to restrain asset forfeiture can’t be ignored. It tells me one of three things:
- Trump is just trying to cozy up to the law enforcement community (all of which seem to oppose any limits on their power)
- Trump doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about.
- Trump’s word should be taken at face-value.
Any of these three are dangerous.
Learn about the Asset Forfeiture “Federal Loophole” in this video:
Michael Boldin [send him email] is the founder of the Tenth Amendment Center, where this article first appeared. He was raised in Milwaukee, WI, and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.Follow him on twitter – @michaelboldin, on LinkedIn, and on Facebook.
WTF is going on with Mr Trump? I was so enthused with his election and he seems to have lost his focus. ?
Could have told you he was a phony and big Government thug beforehand. Probably woulnd’t have listened though.
I don’t think your take is correct. Phony? Thug? No. Perhaps politically naive.
Politically naive? Uh-huh.
Still no prosecution of the Clintons or Obama? Check. Still no prosecution of psycho-pedos in government? Check. Still no reining in Wall Street MASSIVE fraud? Check. Still trying to foment illegal, aggressive wars across the world? Check. Still tied-at-the-hip with a racist, apartheid regime? Check. Still tied at the hip with the “Federal Reserve”? Check.
I could fill another 1000 words easily but why bother? You get the drift. If he does not return to his roots, I’ll migrate left-wise and join the zombie minions calling for us to become ungovernable.
Look bex, you seem like a thinking person. You might want to look at the bigger picture.
1. He is not in office to fulfill any of our expectations in any order.
2. He has only been in office for twenty days, 19 without an AG.
3. Look at your own life as being an agent of change that will help carry water.
By attending any meeting making decisions on your life, be it PTA, or school board, city and county council meetings, anything on land and water use, especially Agenda 21.
This is the one thing I disagree with the President about…. A.F. is wrong…. any way you look at it…it’s Highway Robbery…. I will not stand idle as someone tries to rob me…. uniform or not…. I will not give up without a fight…
It is Tramp’s job to take the US of A into the finial stages of a police state. It started with Bush 2 and will be completed by Tramp
Trump’s an A$$hole. Why is this a surprise?
Trump maybe “populist” but many of his ideas are definitely anti-liberty. It appears this man has no concept of liberty. His embrace of Goldman Sachs and police-state theft without *real* due process …… is this just another *fake* president?