Donald Trump has resigned from the Screen Actors Guild ahead of a disciplinary meeting over his membership in the wake of the Capitol riot.
In a letter obtained by Fox News the former president writes ‘who cares’ at the union’s threat to expel him before listing off his on screen credits including on Home Alone 2, Zoolander and on The Apprentice.
Trump, who holds a pension with the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, wrote: ‘I write to you today regarding the so-called Disciplinary Committee hearing aimed at revoking my union membership. Who cares!’
The letter, addressed to SAG President Gabrielle Carteris, goes on: ‘While I’m not familiar with your work, I’m very proud of my work on movies such as Home Alone 2, Zoolander and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps; and television shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Saturday Night Live, and of course, one of the most successful shows in television history, The Apprentice—to name just a few!’
Trump appeared on Saturday Night Live in 2004 and later in 2015.
The union had accused him of violating the union’s ‘sacred values of democracy, truth and respect’ in the wake of the deadly siege in DC on January 6.
Commenting on Trump’s resignation letter SAG-AFTRA only said: ‘Thank you.’
Donald Trump has resigned from the Screen Actors Guild ahead of a disciplinary meeting over his membership in the wake of the Capitol riot
Its board voted ‘overwhelmingly’ that he violated membership guidelines. A disciplinary hearing for scheduled for next week.
But Trump, who had been a member of SAG since 1989 and is said to still earn money from his acting credits, said the union had done ‘nothing’ for him.
He went on to boast about ‘greatly helping’ the ‘dying’ cable news platforms, ‘creating thousands of jobs at networks such as MSDNC and Fake News CNN, among many others.’
Trump is said to be so angry at being thrown off Twitter that he writes out insults in the hope allies will post them.
In a letter obtained by Fox News the former president writes ‘who cares’ at the union’s threat to expel him before listing off his on screen credits including on Home Alone 2, pictured, Zoolander and on The Apprentice
The letter, addressed to SAG President Gabrielle Carteris calls The Apprentice, pictured, one of the most successful shows in television history
The union had accused him of violating the union’s ‘sacred values of democracy, truth and respect’ in the wake of the deadly siege in DC on January 6. Trump and wife Melania appear in Zoolander
He added: ‘Which brings me to your blatant attempt at free media attention to distract from your dismal record as a union.
‘Your organization has done little for its members, and nothing for me—besides collecting dues and promoting dangerous un-American policies and ideas—as evident by your massive unemployment rates and lawsuits from celebrated actors, who even recorded a video asking, ‘Why isn’t the union fighting for me?’
SAG President Gabrielle Carteris said ‘Trump attacked the values that this union holds most sacred – democracy, truth, respect for our fellow Americans of all races and faiths, and the sanctity of the free press’
That refers to a 2020 video from 2020 featuring actors Mark Hammill and Whoopi Goldberg, which criticized the union over its health plan.
Trump continues: ‘I no longer wish to be associated with your union. As such, this letter is to inform you of my immediate resigning from SAG-AFTRA.’
SAG-AFTRA says it ‘represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals’.
It costs $3,000 to join with an annual base fee of $222.96 and work dues.
In a statement last month its president Carteris said: ‘Donald Trump attacked the values that this union holds most sacred – democracy, truth, respect for our fellow Americans of all races and faiths, and the sanctity of the free press.
‘There’s a straight line from his wanton disregard for the truth to the attacks on journalists perpetrated by his followers.’
SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director David White added: ‘Our most important role as a union is the protection of our members. The unfortunate truth is, this individual’s words and actions over the past four years have presented actual harm to our broadcast journalist members.
‘The board’s resolution addresses this effort to undermine freedom of the press and reaffirms the principles on which our democratic society rests, and which we must all work to protect and preserve.’
Trump was impeached for a second time charged with ‘incitement of insurrection’ over the deadly mob siege of the Capitol in a swift and stunning collapse of his final days in office.
SAG-AFTRA says it ‘represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals’. Trump is pictured featuring on The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
Trump had been a member of SAG since 1989 said the union had done ‘nothing’ for him. He is pictured appearing on Saturday Night Live in 2015
Donald Trump is so angry at being thrown off Twitter that he writes out insults in the hope allies will post them – and had seen deposing Liz Cheney as key to his political hold over the GOP
President Donald Trump was working behind the scenes from Mar-a-Lago to try to undermine Rep. Liz Cheney within the Republican conference for she was overwhelmingly reelected to her leadership post – and amid his frustration at his Twitter ban has taken to penning insults for others.
Cheney faced an uproar after voting with Democrats and nine other Republicans to impeach Trump on a charge of ‘incitement of insurrection’ – but blew away predictions by GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz and others that there were enough votes to strip away her leadership post.
Trump spent his time in office inveighing against ‘RINOS’ and Republicans who stood against him, and people close to him took the move against Cheney as a post-presidency test of Trump’s strength in and control over the party.
President Donald Trump and his allies viewed the effort to depose Liz Cheney as a test for the party. Trump is reportedly chaffing at his Twitter ban, and has been penning insults that others can use online
One House member who led the charge against Cheney and even flew to Wyoming to speak against her is Trump loyalist Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, calling the race a ‘battle for the soul of the Republican Party.’
In another time, Trump himself might have been throwing off Tweets insulting the most powerful House member to cross him on impeachment.
But with Twitter having banned him after the Jan. 6 riot, Trump wrote out insults and ‘observations’ for others to use, the DailyBeast reported.
According to the DailyBeast Trump has been penning insults for others to use on Twitter
Liz Cheney (R-WY) departs after a House Republican Caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 3, 2021, where she was backed by an overwhelming majority of her conference despite the push by Trump loyalists
Trump loyalist Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) flew to Wyoming to blast Cheney
Twitter suspended Trump’s account after the Jan. 6 riot
A source with direct knowledge of the situation told the publication Trump suggested the farmed out insults for others to use, while people close to Trump cast the Cheney situation as a test of his sway.
Trump loyalists within the GOP Conference had hoped to take down Cheney in a demonstration of their continued sway – after Senate Minority Leader denounced Trump after the riot and issued a rare public statement of support in an internal House contest by backing Cheney.
Although Wednesday night’s results sent mixed messages about the civil war within the GOP – Cheney kept her post while Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene avoided internal sanction – the results also revealed far more Republicans were willing to cross Trump on a secret ballot than in a public declaration.
Just 61 Republicans voted to oust her with 145 voting to keep her in her leadership role.
Trump last tweeted about Cheney in July, going after her after she voiced support for Dr. Anthony Fauci and backed a primary challenger for Rep. Thomas Massie, (R-Ky.). He also retweeted Gaetz saying Cheney was working behind the scenes against Trump and his agenda.
Trump wrote then: ‘Liz Cheney is only upset because I have been actively getting our great and beautiful Country out of the ridiculous and costly Endless Wars. I am also making our so-called allies pay tens of billions of dollars in delinquent military costs. They must, at least, treat us fairly!!!’