Trump offers fancy footwear, Joe Manchin is a no-go, and Biden finally makes it to East Palestine. Plus why is Trump talking to Tulsi? It’s 260 days until Election Day 2024, and we are Resolute.

Trump Responds to NY Civil Verdict as Only Trump Would … By Introducing High-End Sneaker Line

On Friday, radical NYC judge Arthur Engeron slapped Donald Trump with what legal scholar Jonathan Turley calls an “obscene” $364 million judgment. Engeron banned Trump from doing business in New York for three years. Fulfilling NY AG Letitia James’s campaign vow to get Trump, the court convicted Trump of defrauding banks that insist Trump didn’t defraud them.

To recap: @realDonaldTrump borrows $$ from banks; pays it back on time; banks happy & made $$; no one lost $$. NY made $$ off the entire process, but hate-filled leftist lunatic AG & smirking judge abuse court system for their political agenda. Just disgusting. https://t.co/BzBx5JQFAb

— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) February 16, 2024

How did Trump respond? Of course he vowed an appeal, slammed the ruling as “an unconstitutional atrocity that sets fire to our laws like no one has ever seen in this country before” and blamed Joe Biden for “election interference.” But then he pulled a move only Trump would think of.

The former president showed up at Sneaker Con, a convention for aficionados of fancy sneakers. Yes, there is such a thing. There, Trump introduced his own line of high-end, high-top “Never Surrender” sneakers. The gold sneakers sell for $399 … well, except they’re already sold out.

Less expensive versions are also for sale.

The launch also includes promotion of Trump-branded “Victory47” fragrances, the AP reports.

The leading candidate for President of the United States is selling gold sneakers as a side hustle. That’s 2024 for you.

Truckers to Stop Delivering to NYC to Protest Harassment of Trump?

Meanwhile, a question for those doing business in New York City. Why aren’t you already renting the U-Hauls? Fox News reports on likely business exodus in the wake of Friday’s ruling, even though NY Governor Kathy Huchel insists other New York businesses have “nothing to worry about.”

So if you’re saying a law that has never been used in 70 years as it was used against Trump won’t be used against other businesses that do the same as he did … or for that matter, run politically afoul of AG Letitia James … then aren’t you making Trump’s case for selective prosecution?

More fascinating, a group of truckers say they will no longer serve New York City starting Monday, to protest the railroading of Trump. Will the boycott actually materialize?

Stay tuned, good buddy.

Joe Manchin Announces He Won’t Be Running Third Party

After months of teasing and speculation, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin announced he will not be launching a third-party bid for the presidency.

“I will be involved in making sure that we secure a president that has the knowledge and has the passion and has the ability to bring this country together,” Manchin said during a speech Friday at West Virginia University.

Manchin has been a part of the “No Labels” initiative, which is trying to gain ballot access for an independent bid. Manchin’s decision is good news for Biden, as he would have siphoned more votes away from the incumbent.

Trump Still Swamping Nikki in SC, While Almost Half of Voters Think Biden Will Be Replaced on Ticket

We are now less than a week away from the South Carolina Republican Primary, scheduled for February 24. As of today, FiveThirtyEight average polling shows Trump with a 63.6% to 31.5% lead over Nikki Haley in her home state. Haley has barely moved the needle despite her increasingly harsh and personal attacks.

Speaking of polling, new numbers from Monmouth University show 48% of American voters think Biden will be replaced on the Democratic ticket over his mental decline. And 32% believe Trump will not end up the GOP nominee, due to the assorted lawfare efforts against him.

Biden Losing Support With Black Voters. So He Goes to Eat Fried Chicken and Talk Basketball With a Black Family?!

Joe Biden must hate The Babylon Bee, since he works so hard to outdo it. When the following newws first broke, we swore that the Bee was behind. But nope.

Biden has been hemorrhaging black support. His solution? Get filmed having dinner with a black family. Bringing fried chicken. And talking about basketball. (No mention, alas, of his dear departed pal, the one-time Klan leader Robert Byrd.)

For some reason, Kamala Harris, who dubbed Biden a racist in 2020, didn’t go, “Hey, boss. Maybe not the most sensitive move.” What’s his next culturally stereotypical and insensitive ploy to shore up support among his base? Gardening with a Mexican family? Watching a Friends marathon with some white elites?

Actually, the Biden campaign tactic is more cynical: Create the illusion Joe is out and about with normal people while keeping his public exposure to a minimum, lest he continue confirming Special Counsel Robert Hur’s conclusion Joe is a few drumsticks short of a bucket.

Biden did finally manage to get to East Palestine, Ohio on Friday, more than a year after the toxic train derailment laid waste to that town. He chatted with local officials, gave a six minute speech, briefly toured the disaster site, hung with a few townfolk at a candle shop before quickly hightailing it to his beach house for the weekend.

The Hiring Game: Trump Meets With Tulsi to Discuss Reforming the Department of Defense. Or is it More?

Donald Trump recent met with former Hawaiian Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. The topic? Picking her brain on how the Department of Defense should be run if Trump gets back into office. Foreign policy was also discussed. Is he eyeballing the now-Independent Gabbard for Secretary of Defense?

Or is he eyeballing her for an even bigger job?

Resolute has avoided jumping into the “Who’s Gonna Be His VP?” game … mostly because for two years I’ve been saying to anyone who’d listen that Gabbard would be perfect for Trump. Perhaps when the nomination is sealed, we’ll lay out all the reasoning. We’ll just give you this tease: Gabbard shares the same traits as the rare few who can tell Trump when he’s being a dolt and have a good shot at him listening. She’d be Hawaiian mellow when dealing with Trump, a hardcore warrior when dealing with the Deep State.

Would Gabbard even accept the gig? “I’d be open to that conversation,” Ms. Gabbard told Fox and Friends earlier this month. “My mission in life is to serve our country and serve the American people and find the best way to be able to do that.”

Til next time, stay Resolute!

 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and co-author of the counter-terrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.