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Trump’s PAC-funded Smithsonian portrait remains on track — despite jailhouse mugshot

ALSO READ: Leaving MAGA: NY mom who fell for anti-vaxxers, QAnon and Trump describes painful escape

WASHINGTON — On Thursday, former President Donald Trump got a new mugshot.

His official presidential portrait, destined for a Smithsonian Institution museum, remains on track, too, Raw Story has learned.

An official for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery confirmed to Raw Story that Trump’s litany of felony charges has not altered the museum’s plans to facilitate, unveil and display official portraits for Trump and former first lady Melania Trump.

Also unchanged: The portraits are primarily funded by a $650,000 “charitable contribution” from Trump-tied political committee Save America PAC, which a federal grand jury is investigating for fundraising off false assertions that widespread voter fraud invalidated the 2020 election.

RELATED ARTICLE: Trump PAC lauded by Smithsonian for its 'generous support': government documents

Save America PAC has meanwhile served as Trump’s chief fundraising vehicle to cover tens of millions of dollars in legal fees associated with his criminal defense. Trump is now grappling with 91 felony counts across four separate cases — two in Washington, one in New York City and one in Fulton County, Ga. Trump on Thursday posted $200,000 bail after his formal booking on 13 counts related to his alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

“Nothing has changed in that regard since you last reported on the matter,” said National Portrait Gallery spokesperson Concetta Duncan, adding that there is still “no set time” for the official unveiling of Trump’s portrait.

In May, Raw Story revealed that Smithsonian officials lauded Save America PAC for its “generous support” and, because they were “grateful,” promised Trump officials perks in exchange for the PAC’s money.

ALSO READ: 'A little too close for comfort': Why did the National Archives disappear this Trump photo?

"To recognize this generous support, the Smithsonian will recognize Save America on the object labels that will be displayed alongside the portraits when they are on exhibition and alongside images of the portraits on the NPG website," National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet and Assistant Secretary for Advancement Robert J. Spiller wrote on May 11 to Save America PAC treasurer Bradley Crate, according to a letter obtained by Raw Story through a Freedom of Information Act request.

"In addition, Save America will be recognized in the commemorative program for, and remarks delivered at, the unveiling ceremony and provided with invitations and reserved seating for 10 guests to attend the event,” the letter to Crate continues.

The letter further states that Save America will have the "opportunity to arrange a private viewing of the portraits for up to five guests." Save America PAC would also be honored in the text of the Smithsonian's annual report.

The letter did note that Save America PAC would not be allowed to use the Smithsonian and National Portrait Gallery logos and other branding in the PAC's "products" or "product packaging," or in "advertising, promotion, publicity, or fund-raising" without Smithsonian approval.

"Just an update that we're seeing tons of angry tweets about the Trump portrait, from small and huge accounts," Smithsonian social media official Erin Blasco wrote to several colleagues. "People do not seem to understand, of course, that we have portraits of all the presidents. They're upset that we're getting a Trump portrait but also there are plenty of people upset that this counts as a 'donation,' especially since their fundraising practices have been criticized."

Among the tweets Smithsonian officials shared with each other, per their emails:

"Nice to see that @smithsonian is in bed with a Nazi pedophile wanna-be tyrant. Donation or bribe ?"

"This is f*cking infuriating."

"This is not how museums are supposed to work."

"Why would the Smithsonian even hang anything with that treasonous pig? Unless the exhibit talks about the crimes, abuse of power, and a portrait of Narcissism!"

"It's disturbing to hear that the Smithsonian is accepting so much money from Trump's Save America PAC, which has been using what Business Insider calls 'aggressive and deceptive' solicitations to squeeze money from the faithful."

The National Portrait Gallery houses a complete collection of presidential portraits.

Smithsonian officials have, however, declined to release the names of the artists who are slated to paint the Trumps’ portraits.

"Two different artists. Again, we really don’t want to get into the names," Duncan advised colleagues in an Aug. 22, 2022, email.

"We are not sharing any information about the artists at this time," National Portrait Gallery Director of Advancement Usha Subramanian emphasized in another email the same day.


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Trump's new jobs nominee had a secret account that spread explicit images of Kamala Harris

"You can't run a race on your knees," wrote E.J. Antoni on a secret Twitter account that bashed former Vice President Kamala Harris with a sexually explicit image doctored from a campaign poster.

Antoni, a Heritage Foundation economist, has long been opposed to the non-partisan nature of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but President Donald Trump appointed him to run the department anyway, CNN's K-File reported on Friday.

His "digital trail reveals a pattern of incendiary rhetoric that veered frequently into conspiracy theories and misogyny," the report said.

In a different NBC News report, Antoni was confirmed as one of the "bystanders" present at the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol; however, he never went inside the building.

"Antoni also referred to Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, as 'Miss Piggy.' In February 2020, he retweeted a post titled 'Advice For Women: How To Land a Great Guy,' which instructed women to 'be in shape,' 'grow your hair long,' 'be sweet,' 'learn to cook,' and 'don’t be annoying,'" CNN reported.

That post also included the comment, “Angry feminists and simps will try to sabotage you in the comments. Don’t listen to them. Listen to me.”

Another post trashed the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), saying, “I like a senator who doesn’t die."

WIRED first uncovered the account last week, however, the posts it found dealt primarily with COVID-19 conspiracy theories and the 2020 election lies. Some referenced weapons that were used in Nazi Germany during World War II.

A right-wing podcaster and Antoni's cousin defended the posts on social media by claiming that their family had a grandfather who fought in WWII and that they were proud of his service.

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers defended Antoni, ignoring the controversial statements and saying that he was nominated to "fix the issues at the BLS and restore trust in the jobs reports. Dr. Antoni has the experience and credentials needed to restore solution-oriented leadership at the BLS — solutions that will prioritize increasing survey response rates and modernizing data collection methods to improve the BLS’s accuracy."

The Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025" calls on the BLS to be merged with the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Census Bureau to make the groups "a more manageable, focused, and efficient statistical agency."

Antoni, who has a Ph.D. in economics, co-wrote a report last year that claimed “the American economy has actually been in recession since 2022."

CNN noted that economists of both parties have criticized the claim.

To make it through confirmation, Antoni must be approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, on which Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Susan Collins (ME) serve.

Read the full report here.

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Trump insiders urged to 'use discretion' when laughing at JD Vance behind his back: report

Vice President JD Vance has a substantial number of detractors in Donald Trump's inner circle who believe he has inflated his own importance in the administration and have been delighted at how he has been portrayed on “South Park.”

According to a report from Salon’s Brian Karem, Trump’s veep was not the first choice by insiders for the president's running mate but wealthy benefactors urged the president to tap him over the more favored Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).

Since Vance has been on the job, the distaste for him has grown to the point where his detractors are being urged to be more discreet when trashing him behind his back.

Karem is reporting “South Park,” which has been brutally hammering the president weekly to the dismay of conservatives, is getting a thumbs-up from White House Vance critics for casting Vance as the diminutive and subservient Tattoo from “Fantasy Island."

On Friday, Karem wrote Trump had a bad Labor Day weekend, but added, “Interestingly, though, Trump’s weekend apparently included several conversations about Vice President JD Vance. The veep has tried to increase his visibility recently by going on vacation wherever he can still get a room and service, and he’s desperate to seem vital. His constant demand for gratitude has garnered international attention, but it isn’t covered much inside the U.S.”

As for those conversations, “.... some Trump insiders who don’t get along with Vance and his staff laugh at ‘South Park’ portraying the vice president as ‘Tattoo,’ the sidekick from ‘Fantasy Island.’ Some have even apparently imitated Hervé Villechaize shouting ‘Da plane, boss, da plane,’ as they refer to Vance, though I’m told 'discretion is advised' when and where such jokes are made,” Karem is reporting.

He then added that contempt for Vance’s self-regard has reached the point where he is being compared to former Ronald Reagan Secretary of State Alexander Haig who made major news after the former president was shot and he charged the lectern and blurted “I am in control here, in the White House,” when he was not next in line if the president died.

Karem added, “If this were a mob movie, all sorts of nefarious thoughts would come to mind. But in this case the speculation is limited to removal by the 25th Amendment — not likely — a sudden malady that will compromise the president or Vance just wanting to signal to MAGA supporters that he, at least, was not comatose. Some members of Trump’s staff believe the vice president ‘overstated things’ to make himself seem vital.”

You can read more here

'Just submitted to Sharia law!' MAGA lawmaker outraged over city's optional uniform patch

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) launched into an Islamophobic tirade Friday after learning that the Dearborn Heights Police Department in Michigan was considering allowing its officers to wear an “optional patch” on their uniforms that includes writing in both English and Arabic.

“Dearborn Heights just submitted to Sharia law,” Fine wrote in a social media post on X Friday, referring to a body of religious law within Islam. “They told us they were trying to establish a caliphate. Are you listening now?”

Dearborn Heights is notable for having a sizable Arab population, having become the first city in the United States to reach an Arab majority. As such, city officials often cater to its growing Arab population with signs and communications in both English and Arabic.

The city’s police department appears to have followed suit, sharing an image of the optional patch in a now-deleted Facebook post. Following reporting on the online post from Fox News, the agency released a statement clarifying that the optional patch was merely a “design mock-up idea” that it was a part of “internal discussions,” and not “an official prototype.”

The news that the patch was not being rolled out at the agency apparently had not reached Fine, or Fox News for that matter, which as of 12: 33 p.m. EST had not updated their story to note the statement.

Fine’s reference to Arab Americans "trying to establish a caliphate” refers to a form of government led by an individual with the title of “caliph,” a person deemed as the political and religious successor to Muhammad, the founder of Islam who is considered a prophet within the Islamic faith.

Fine has a long history of making Islamophobic remarks, as well as genocidal remarks directed toward Arabs. In July, he urged Palestinians suffering under Israel’s ongoing aid blockade to “starve away,” and cheerfully thanked a social media user for posting a photo of a presumed dead Palestinian infant buried in rubble.

Fine’s genocidal rhetoric was so strong that he even drew the ire of his Republican colleague Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who called him a “bloated, braindead, blithering idiot who has no business being in Congress.”


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