Trump lecturing others on paying bills is hilariously hypocritical

It has been said the most reliable indicator that Donald Trump is lying during a speech is when he begins a story by saying “He (or she) said to me, Sir…” Weird but true.

In Trump’s mind, everyone from Generals on down approaches him with what can best be described as a kind of simpering deference. Something on the order of: “Sir, how do you remain so popular and beloved and also, quick sidebar, have you lost weight?”

Daniel Dale, a political factchecker for CNN, compares it to a “tell” in poker. Dale, who also fact-checks Biden and other office holders and candidates, discovered the “Sir” as preface to flat-out fabrication during Trump’s presidency. In one memorable case, video disproved Trump’s meandering “Sir” story about people crying behind him at the signing of a bill. No tears. Never happened.

Remembering this, I was waiting for the “Sir” moment like it was a drinking game listening to Trump’s campaign speech in South Carolina last week.

It didn’t take long. Trump was beating a familiar drum about countries who don’t pay their fair share to participate in NATO.

“One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, “Sir, if we don’t pay (NATO) and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?” I said, “You didn’t pay. You’re delinquent…No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.”

Whoa. Trump’s tone was Old Testament bad guy, with the preface of “Sir” evoking a sniveling sap groveling for mercy. Alas, “sir” was fresh out.

Also, just spitballing here, but I’m pretty sure inviting Russia to do whatever the hell it wants to our NATO allies sounds reliably, uh, crazy.

Even Putin must’ve spit out his borscht on that one.

The unnamed president of the “big country” had been given a life lesson in financial integrity by one Donald J. Trump! Take that to the bank!

You don’t pay your bills in full and on time? Don’t expect Trump to bail you out with a payment plan. Who do you think you’re dealing with? That drive-time radio show softie Dave Ramsey? Think again. You haven’t paid what you owe so now Vlad can do with you and your “big country” whatever he wants with Trump’s blessing.

What a hardliner!

What a tough guy!

What a hypocrite!

 Surely even Trump loyalists cringed a bit at this coming from a man who has spent a lifetime being sued by hundreds of contractors for failing to pay them what he owed. I’m thinking about the $70 million owed to 253 contractors on just one Atlantic City Trump property. Truth is, “Sir” has stiffed thousands of workers in dozens of trades for decades.

“You didn’t pay. You’re delinquent.”

Sadly, for the contractors, many of them ran small businesses and had to take out loans to pay their workers after Trump failed to pay his bills. Eventually, many went out of business.

The grift was shockingly simple.

The job would be completed but it would be deemed “subpar” on the walk-through, so payment was withheld. If they tried to fight it, Trump would just “see ‘em in court.” Of course, most couldn’t handle years of litigation, so they gave up or settled for pennies on the dollar. What an artful dealer!

It’s not just contractors and the trades that got screwed over. Trump has been sued for not paying overtime to servers working at his Miami golf resort, has filed corporate bankruptcy numerous times, and owed $1.6 million to media platform Truth Social after inexplicably making only the first three payments like he was using EZ pay on QVC.

Fact: Blowhard lectures on financial responsibility from “Sir” are tougher to swallow than an old Trump steak.

Celia Rivenbark is a humor columnist and NYT-bestselling author. Write to her at celiarivenbark@gmail.com.