Donald Trump will come to Wildwood, where his politicians are also accused

Wildwood i Donald Trump. Clout can’t imagine a more fitting couple.

A boardwalk notable for its collection of politically incorrect T-shirts will soon be flooded with people raving about a cut-off T-shirt that says “Let’s Go Brandon.”

Trump, who faces four impeachment charges in state and federal courts, will soon rally in a city where two of three top officials are also facing impeachment.

Mayor Ernie Troianocity ​​commissioner Steve Mikulskiand former mayor Pete Byron they were charged with defrauding the state health care system by impersonating full-time employees and collecting health insurance premiums. The indictment accuses the men of falsifying time sheets in order to obtain benefits that are only available to full-time employees. They denied any irregularities.

Byron faces separate charges for allegedly abusing his official position while serving as a Shore town commissioner and for failing to pay state taxes. Byron, a Democrat, resigned in September after pleading guilty in federal court to tax fraud charges.

Troiano, a former longtime mayor of Wildwood, was elected to the board of commissioners following the allegations against him and then promoted to mayor by his colleagues in January.

Meanwhile, Trump spends the week leading up to the Wildwood rally in a Manhattan courtroom listening to adult film stars Stormy Daniels told of the alleged sexual encounter at the center of his hush money trial.

Trump’s trial resumes on Monday, and Wildwood officials will return to court next week, but on Saturday, Trump and Troiano will share the stage on the sand.

The Council versus the World

Apparently, Philadelphia’s problems are not enough for the City Council. Our local police officers have a history of speaking out about conflicts abroad.

So Clout’s ears perked up on Thursday when we heard “Council Member.” Jimmy Harrity sounding like Kensington Kissinger in the Council Chamber.

“The problem is that governments are attacking each other and the people who are suffering are actually living there,” Harrity said. “When I heard about the situation in Ethiopia, I thought it deserved recognition.”

No, the Democrat in general was not talking about the divisive war between Israel and Hamas that plagued the council for months.

” READ MORE: The Philadelphia City Council once again rejected a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza | Council Summary

Rather, he was referring to a resolution he introduced last year calling on U.S. leaders to “reexamine foreign policy toward Ethiopia.” On Thursday, the council hosted members of the U.S.-Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee to belatedly adopt a resolution, and Harrity said he was proud to support the local people of the East African nation.

For most of the President Joe BidenWhile in office, Ethiopia was plagued by civil war, initially raging around the prime minister Abiy Ahmeda bloody fight against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in 2021. After a ceasefire in 2022 that suppressed that war, a new conflict broke out last year between Ahmed and the Amhara people. Harrity’s guests are critics of the Ahmed regime.

“I think it’s right that we, as always, call on the president to do the right thing,” Harrity said. “We always call people out when we think they’re not doing the right thing.”

Of course, Harrity is not the Council’s first diplomat. Take a short stroll through the legislative annals and you’ll find plenty of condemnations of genocide, despots and warmongers. In 2022, during a particularly bizarre exchange, members debated the merits of the summons Uncle Sam to impose a partial no-fly zone in Ukraine following the Russian invasion. One member commented that it would probably be best if the Council did not take a position that could be interpreted as a “declaration of war”.

” READ MORE: Philadelphia council member David Oh just called for a partial no-fly zone over Ukraine

The recognition of the Ethiopian group on Thursday appeared to delicate a fire under the council member’s leadership Curtis Jones Jr., who was critical of the way Israel waged its war against Hamas. Jones gave a speech in which he did not name Hamas but included an extended metaphor comparing the group to a public housing tenant who had just fired up a neighborhood.

“If a public housing attacker walked into a neighborhood and shot someone and then came across the projects – would we destroy the projects that concern him?” he said. “No, we wouldn’t do that.”

A chance meeting

President Pro Tempore of the Senate Kim Ward (R., Westmoreland) did not accept the invitation to appear before the governor. Josh ShapiroDemocrat, at an event in her home county on Thursday.

The onetime leadership pals have been at odds since last year, so her absence isn’t that surprising. But where she went instead is more captivating: Ward and her Senate GOP colleagues are on a retreat at the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows.

Ward said in a statement that the Senate Republicans’ annual retreat was scheduled months before Shapiro was invited. They unite and relax (or maybe gamble?) before the budget talks begin in earnest.

During the retreat, Republican lawmakers will plan further progress their proposed reduction in personal income tax“to put money back into the pockets of Pennsylvanians,” Ward added.

Meanwhile, Shapiro was in Ward’s hometown to announce a $2.5 million grant to redevelop a former industrial facility. That’s part of its own $48.3 billion budget. (State Representation Eric Nelsona Republican representing part of a western Pennsylvania county was actually present at the press conference).

Ward and Shapiro have barely spoken since 2023 budget negotiations collapsed over his decision to veto the school voucher program he helped create with Senate Republicans. Ward also criticized Shapiro’s office for how it handled a former employee’s allegations of sexual harassment against Mike Verebhis former chief legislative aide.

Budget talks won’t start for another few weeks, but the political mood is already advanced. We’ll see who comes out elated.

Clout delivers often irreverent news and analysis about people, power and politics.