The Daylight Mugging of Ethiopia by Donald Trump and Abdel Fattah El-Sisi! 

“Mueller’s team tried to understand both the $10 million contribution Trump gave to his campaign 11 days before the 2016 election and the Trump campaign’s ties to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

In the closing weeks of the 2016 campaign, Trump and Sisi met in New York during the United Nations General Assembly. The Republican presidential candidate hit it off with the dictator. Sisi said afterward that Trump would ‘no doubt’ be a strong president while Trump called the Egyptian leader ‘a fantastic guy’ with whom he had ‘good chemistry’.

Sisi became the first foreign leader to call and congratulate Trump after he won the election.  At a 2019 G7 summit, Trump called out, ‘Where’s my favorite dictator? as he awaited the Egyptian President.” CNN Report, October 14, 2020

I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! From day 1

An Egyptian state bank funneling $10 million to the Trump campaign in 2016 11 days before the election!

I knew Donald Trump and Abdel Fattah El-Sisi had a thing goin’ on.

Just like the old Billy Paul song, Me and Mrs. Jones, “We got a thing going on.”

Donald Trump and El-Sisi had “a thing goin’ on about Ethiopia/ They knew that it’s wrong/ But it’s much too strong/To let it go now…”

They had a thing going on to give Ethiopia the royal shaft on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

When the U.S. “invited” (read arm-twisted) Ethiopia to join in a “discussion” with Egypt over the GERD on November 6, 2019, I could smell a rat.

A big, fat, hairy, dirty rat.

Sniff, sniff!

As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”

I wrote something is rotten in Washington, D.C. “Something is stinking to high heavens in the conspiracy of Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, U.S. Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin  and World Bank Group President David Milpass’ (the “Gang of Three”) secret conspiracy to wreck the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).”

Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smelled the smell of the Gang of Three, four with “The Don”.

The spinmeisters quickly manned the defensive line. Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the Trump 2020 campaign speaking from the Land of Denialistan said, “President Trump has never received a penny from Egypt.”

Of course, he did not. Don (“Corleone”) Trump never received a penny from Egypt. He received $10 million from Egypt.

Trump, Treasury Secretary David Mnuchin and The World Bank’s David Malpass “invited” Ethiopia to a discussion in Washington DC in November 2019 to make Ethiopia an offer she can’t refuse.

In my March 16, 2020 commentary, I wrote, “Don Mnuchin and his Consigliere Lerrick are saying to Ethiopia: “We have made you an offer you can’t refuse. But if you do, well… Quid pro quo, as they say. No sign agreement, no aid, no loan.”

That is exactly what happened when Ethiopia refused to sign the Trump-El Sisi Agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

I predicted that was what Trump and Mnuchin would do and said so in my “Private Letter to Secretary Steven Mnuchin”.

I told Mnuchin that “the Treasury Department’s diplomatic engagement in the GERD talks is an egregious usurpation of the statutory duties of the State Department.” In other words, I told Mnuchin he is flagrantly trashing the Constitution and federal law by what he is doing in the GERD.

Now, it is all clear why Munchin assumed the role of the country’s top foreign policy role. Mnuchin was doing Trump’s bidding by short-circuiting the law because Trump was eager to payback El Sisi’s for the $10 million under the table cash gift by arm-twisting and breaking Ethiopia’s back to agree to a raw deal on the GERD.

I knew on November 6, 2019, the fix was in! The trap was set. The bait attached and the fishing rod cast.

The only thing left was to reel in Ethiopia, bag and tag her with the label “Trump-El Sisi GERD Project.”

In my March 1, 2020 commentary, in puzzlement, I asked, “Is the U.S. an “Observer”, A “Facilitator” or a Snake Oil Diplomatic Salesman in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance (Hedase) Dam Discussions?”

The answer, as it is clear now, is “None of the Above”.

The answer is, Trump, El Sisi, Mnuchin and Malpass” (The Gang of Four”) were trying to mug Ethiopia over the GERD in broad daylight.

That is why I asked in my June 16, 2020 commentary, “Did Ethiopia get snagged in a diplomatic “bait and switch” scam in November 2019 when it agreed to join Egypt and Sudan for “discussions” in Washington, D.C. under the ‘observer’ sponsorship of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the World Bank?”

That is why I asked, “But wait, what is wrong with this picture? When did the Treasury Department and the World Bank replace the State Department as the foreign policy and diplomatic organ of the United States Government?

I am glad, thankful and proud Ethiopia has leaders who will not be intimidated into selling Ethiopia down the River Nile and will stand their ground come hell or high water on the Nile.

Just like our ancestors who stood their ground never backed down.

Just like our ancestors who stood their ground and never backed down against the mighty fascist army of Italy in 1935.

Just like our ancestors who stood their ground and never backed down against the mighty imperial army of Italy in 1896.

Just like our ancestors who stood their ground and never backed down against the mighty Egyptian army lead by European generals in 1875-76.

I am thankful today we have leaders and ordinary people who carry the “stand your ground and never back down” gene against neocolonial, imperialist and  wanna-be dictators. 

Let us connect the dots between Don Trump and Caudillo El-Sisi… 

On November 9, 2016, El Sisi was the first leader to congratulate Trump on his election victory in what the media described as “upstaging world leaders to congratulate Trump” and invited him to visit Cairo. El Sisi followed up with a statement, “The U.S. President-elect Donald Trump expressed his utmost appreciation to the president, pointing out that his was the first international call he had received to congratulate him on winning the election.”

Why would El Sisi be the first world leader to congratulate Trump unless that congratulations was intended to send a message to Trump that El Sisi made it happen at the last minute by facilitating the transfer of $10 million to Trump’s campaign?

In January 2017, in Trump’s first executive order banning entry of Muslims into the U.S., he conveniently left out Egypt despite the fact that the leader of the 9/11 hijackers was Mohammed Atta, an Egyptian.

Why did Trump give Egypt, home of Mohammad Atta, a pass from Day 1?

On August 26, 2019, Trump stated, “We met during the campaign, a little before the campaign. And we got along right away.  I didn’t actually ask for an endorsement, but I think if I would’ve asked, I might have gotten it.  (Laughter.) We understood each other very well.

“We met during the campaign, a little before the campaign.” To discuss the Trump campaign running out of cash?

Trump did not ask for an endorsement because he already had received $10 million through an “Egyptian state bank”.

Could a Egyptian state bank transfer $10 million to Trump’s campaign without authorization by El Sisi and Trump’s knowledge in the eleventh hour of the campaign?

Was the Egyptian government itself the source of the $10 million?

On September 23, 2019, Trump stated, “It’s an honor to be with my friend, the President of Egypt. And he is a real leader. He’s done some things that are absolutely amazing in a short period of time. When he took over not so long ago, it was in turmoil. And it’s not in turmoil now.”

But in September 2019, “In villages and towns stretching from Damietta in the north to Luxor and Aswan in the south, small but widespread street protests erupted predominantly in some of the poorest and most remote areas in the country.”

On February 26, 2020, an official Egyptian Government Statement declared the so-called Washington agreement on the GERD was “developed by the American side and the world bank.” Ethiopia objected to the agreement stating she had no role in drafting the agreement and that Mnuchin and the World Bank were trying to shove it down her throat.

Chancellor Ahmed Hafiz, minister of foreign affairs, said that Egypt is committed to the negotiating path Sponsored by the United States and the world bank, especially since the goal of the current meeting in Washington as agreed by the three countries is to complete the agreement to fill and operate the renaissance dam, which was developed by the American side and the world bank. In Light of the round of negotiations between the three states since the first Washington meeting on November 6, 2019. (Emphasis added.)

On January 31, 2020, a Trump mouthpiece “expressed optimism that an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam was near and would benefit all parties involved.”

On February 29, 2020, Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew condemned the Treasury Department’s announcement: “The statement issued by US Treasury on GERD is unacceptable & highly partisan, Ethiopia believes in continued engagement with Egypt & Sudan to address the outstanding issues and finalize the Guidelines and Rules on a win-win basis for all.”

On April 3, 2017, Trump said of El Sisi, “We agree on so many things. I just want to let everybody know, in case there was any doubt, that we are very much behind President el-Sisi. He’s done a fantastic job in a very difficult situation. We are very much behind Egypt and the people of Egypt, and the United States has, believe me, backing and we have strong backing.”

Does Trump’s statement “we are very much behind President el-Sisi” indicate that Trump is very much behind Egypt on the GERD which Egypt claims represents an “existential threat”?

On April 9, 2019, stated “We’ve never had a better relationship, Egypt and the United States, than we do right now. I think he’s doing a great job. I can just tell you he’s doing a great job. He is great person.”

In April 2019, El Sisi amended the Egyptian Constitution (Articles 185, 189, and 193) making himself, judge, jury and executioner by giving himself “broad and unchecked supervisory powers over the judiciary and the public prosecutor, in contravention of fundamental rule of law principles concerning the separation of powers, the independence of the judiciary, and the right to a fair trial by a competent, independent, and impartial tribunal.”

On August 26, 2019, Trump stated, “It’s a great honor to be with President El-Sisi, who’s a friend of mine for now a long time, it seems, right?  From even before the campaign.

“From even before the campaign”? Ummm!

Trump has 96 companies registered in Delaware bearing the name “Trump Marks” including “Trump Marks Egypt Corp” and “Trump Marks Egypt LLC”. Is that what the two “friends” were doing before the campaign?

In the past two years, Trump has had only two telephone communications with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed!

On April 26, 2020, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spoke with the President of United States Donald Trump on Saturday to discuss efforts to contain COVID-19 in the East African nation. “His (Abiy’s) Country needs ventilators. The U.S. is in good position to help him. We will!”

Three months later, on August 4, 2020, with Covid 19 running rampant, “The U.S. government has donated a shipment of 250 state-of-the-art ventilators and other critical care equipment to assist Ethiopia with its response to COVID-19.”

In 2020, the Trump administration appropriated $1,432,300,000 billion in aid to Egypt.

In 2020, the Trump administration appropriated $453,073,000 million in aid to Ethiopia.

In August 2020, the U.S. cut $130 million (“temporary pause”) from its annual aid to Ethiopia because Ethiopia did not sign the agreement drafted by the Gang of Four.

On September 2, 2020, Trump personally directed aid cuts to Ethiopia because of the  “lack of progress” in Ethiopia’s talks with Egypt and Sudan over the GERD.

On October 15, 2020, we learned that the actual cut was more than double of what was reported in August for a whopping $264 million cut (42%) in security and development assistance from Ethiopia!

If further cuts are not made, U.S. security and development assistance to Ethiopia in 2020 will be a measly $189 million.

Simply stated, the U.S. would have given barely 13% of the aid it gave to Egypt in 2020!

On January 10, 2020, Trump made a laughing stock of himself by declaring, “I made a deal, I saved a country, and I just heard that the head of that country is now getting the Nobel Peace Prize for saving the country [PM Abiy Ahmed, 2019 Nobel Peace Luareate]. I said, ‘What, did I have something do with it? Yeah. But that’s the way it is.’”

In the memorable words of Forrest Gump, “Stupid is as stupid does.”

An old Ethiopian saying teaches, “A dog barks where he is fed.” Or where he gets campaign contributions.

In the GERD matter, we see the tail wagging the dog.

Trump, President of the most powerful country and wanna-be dictator, has become handmaiden of a two-bit, tin-pot African dictator.

El Sisi commands Trump, “Cut aid to Ethiopia!”

Trump stands at attention and asks, “How much, Boss?!”

What a tragedy!

The President of the greatest country in the world is bought for a measly $10 million!

Who else has bought Trump?

Russian oligarchs?

Who are all those shadowy entities to whom Trump owes $450 million?

Trump believes he can break Ethiopia’s back and bring to her knees and beg, “Massah, Massah, please don’t cut back on the handouts.”

The fact of the matter is that I knew exactly what Trump was going to do before he announced it.

I laid it out in black and white in my June 16, 2020 “My Private Letter to Mnuchin”:

The specter of US of aid cutoff, obstruction of access to multilateral loans to Ethiopia and deferment from participation in bilateral trade and investment opportunities which, according to some observers, hangs over Ethiopia if she refuses to sign the so-called February 28 agreement is counterproductive and will exacerbate the existing situation and must not be contemplated.

Dump Trump on D-Day, November 3, 2020

Donald J. Trump MUST be dumped on November 3, 2020!

It is the moral duty of all Ethiopian Americans who believe in fair play, decency, democracy, accountability, transparency and the rule of law to show up at the polls and hand Trump a crushing defeat.

I don’t like foreign aid at all because it creates dependency and makes panhandlers out of countries.

If Trump wants to play a foreign aid protection racket game for his buddy El Sisi on Ethiopia, Ethiopian American voters should prove to him they can play the voting game and kick him out of office and into the waiting hands of the N.Y. State Attorney General.

“Justice is like a train that is nearly always late.” But it always arrives in the nick of time.

Justice will arrive for Donald Trump in the form of a humiliating electoral defeat and a criminal trial in N.Y. state courts.

On November 3, 2020, Ethiopian Americans must vote because it is their constitutional right and moral obligation as citizens to dethrone this lying, immoral, corrupt, depraved, villainous, wicked and vicious ignoramus.

The price for not voting is too high to contemplate.

Remember Ethiopian American voters!

Donald Trump will do everything he can to do the bidding of his bankroller El Sisi.

If he gets reelected, the next thing he will do is issue a personal order to the World Bank and the IMF to deny all loans to Ethiopia, just like he did to the State Department.

Trump will also ban Ethiopia from participating in his hollow Prosper Africa program and have Ethiopia blacklisted with the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.

Mnuchin has already put the fix in with the World Bank and other multilateral lending institutions.

On December 11, 2019, the International Monetary Fund announced “IMF Reaches Staff-Level Agreement on a US$2.9 Billion Financing Package with Ethiopia.”

More than ten months later, there is not a whiff of the $2.9 billion.

That is because Mnuchin put the fix in the IMF.

Trump no doubt believes Ethiopia is just another “s**thole country in Africa”.

That is why Ethiopian Americans must come out in full force on November 3, 2020 and kick him the s**t out of office.

**** Of the more than 120 million votes cast in the 2016 election, 107,000 votes in three states effectively decided the election.***

Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania accounted for 46 electoral votes.

If Hilary Clinton had won these states, there would have been no Donald Trump.

I know for a fact there are hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian Americans in the states of Texas, Florida, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.

If these Ethiopian Americans come out in full force for the Biden-Harris ticket, we can singlehandedly determine the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

THINK ABOUT IT! IMAGINE THAT!

Vote early if possible. Mail in your vote before November 3rd. Send in your absentee ballot promptly.

If you must, brave Covid, take all the precautions and vote in person!

And make Donald Trump history on November 3, 2020!

Dump Donald Trump into the dustbin of  history on November 3, 2020!

On November 6, 2019, Donald Trump conspired with El Sisi to break Ethiopia’s back and make Ethiopia a water colony of Egypt.

On November 3, 2020, Ethiopian Americans should teach Donald Trump a lesson he will NEVER forget.

Dump Trump on November 3, 2020!