Trump’s Extortion and Bribery Tour May Come to a High School Gym Near You

With less than two weeks to go before an election that could result in a Democratic majority in Congress, and therefore some unwanted scrutiny for him, his family’s business dealings, and his administration, Donald Trump is barnstorming the country to convince his voters to support a slate of GOP candidates who will rubber stamp everything he wants and ignore his various self-enrichment schemes.

When we say “the country,” we don’t actually mean the entire place, just solidly red districts in states Republicans should have no business losing had the president not started (and bungled) a war with Iran and burdened American consumers with punishing tariffs.

The reason why these rallies are held there is obvious: They are not as much about supporting imperiled House candidates as they are about making the president feel good about himself. And that’s why Trump only goes to MAGA strongholds where he can be reasonably certain that he will speak in front of adoring crowds that giddily applaud him when he talks about how he knows what giraffes look like and who won’t bat an eye when he repeatedly comments on Sen. Jon Husted’s (R-OH) nice buttocks.

But it’s not just the president lusting over another man’s anatomy that makes his appearances unusual. Or his two-hour “weaves” from lies to anecdotes about things that probably never happened.

What is really something to behold are the mob-like tactics with which he is trying to convince Americans to back Republican candidates.

Most famously, there is the $5,000 bribe that he has been offering all US adults if they keep the GOP in power. But only then, of course.

While, like past promises of other “dividends” that he supposedly wanted to pay Americans, those checks will never be sent out, Trump has been quite generous with the taxpayers’ money in recent weeks as he has engaged in a vote-buying spree.

Twenty million seniors got a $100 payment to offset the Medicare Part B premiums that have gone up by 16 percent over the past couple of years, and a million middle class Americans enrolled in Obamacare received a $500 rebate for some reason. It should be noted that it is not clear whether those actions were legal, but that’s obviously never been a concern for this administration.

Then, of course, there was the $20 million that was earmarked for homeland security that was instead spent on a propaganda campaign that was definitely illegal.

Amazingly, those aren’t even the most egregious examples of Trump trying to buy votes or coercing Americans into voting for the GOP.

That dubious honor goes to something the president said in North Carolina this week. At a rally in Greenville, he talked about how his administration had already paid out $1 billion to victims of exposure to contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

Fair enough.

However, that $1 billion covers only a fraction of the more than 400,000 claims that have been filed by service members and their families (and surviving family members) who lived on the base from 1953 and 1987.

In other words, a lot more money will have to be paid out, and this is a huge deal affecting many people in North Carolina and across the country.

According to Trump, however, this will only happen if voters in the Tar Heel State keep the GOP in power.

“If we don’t win, there is no money,” the president said of the payments. “If we do win, you’re getting it.”

He cynically added that he will “never abandon the heroes who served America.” However, it certainly sounds like he will abandon the heroes who served America if this mafia tactic doesn’t work.

It should go without saying that this is pretty gross.

By the way, this is not the only extortion attempt.

A day earlier, the mafioso-in-chief said in Kansas that he would only allow the year-round sale of fuel blended with 15 percent ethanol, which is a big deal in the Midwest, if incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) wins.

“If [Democrat] Adam Hamilton is in, I’m not doing it.”

In spite of all of those threats, bribes, and false promises, the prospects of the GOP have not noticeably improved, so we wouldn’t be surprised if Trump, in a future rally, will tell voters that “maybe something terrible will happen” to their families if they don’t vote for Republicans.