Porn stars, weed industry and sex workers excluded from Trump's $2 trillion coronavirus relief package
President Trump may have introduced a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package to prevent the economy from plummeting and sustain small businesses and freelancers, but it seems that it's not accessible to just anyone. And by anyone, we mean pornstars and the weed industry.
Trump's administration now requires applicants for the new COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application on the SBA website to swear under penalty of perjury that they do "not present live performances of a prurient sexual nature." Basically, they are expected to not be porn stars, because if they are, they can forget about availing a loan to stay afloat during the pandemic amidst their unemployment crisis.
In addition, weed dispensaries, casinos, lobbyists and members of Congress are barred from applying for the loan. The same goes for any serious delinquents on child support. But on the contrary, oil companies and the airline industry are permissible to apply for this disaster loan.
"The multibillion-dollar oil industry now needs a bailout!? Insane! They’ve been making hundreds of billions of dollars per year, don’t they have any savings!?," a Twitter user express.
"We're going to see an oil bailout before we see fair allocation of medical equipment amid a deadly pandemic," Miranda Yver, Political Scientist in US Law and Policy at UCLA said in a tweet.
Referring to the exemption on airlines, a Twitter user said "If not careful, this will be a repeat of 2008 bailout. My guess airlines will start laying off thousands and yet keep the BILLIONS for other (things) @realDonaldTrump do not pay them to let people go!!"
Airplanes are flying virtually empty to gain access to bailout funds, which has apparently caused 'confusion'. The Senate has also been urging these airlines to refund tickets after receiving the bailout money.
A twitter user posted tax receipts with the following tweet: "Cheating #airlines #airlinebailout cheating taxpayers again. #Trump gave YOUR money, they then slash #businessfares for Europeans (who can't even fly to the U.S. w/ the travel ban) while spiking fares to those who gave the $$$. NOT NICE! #americanair #United"
"United Airlines threatened the U.S. government that if they didn’t get financial assistance/bailout then they would start laying employees off. They got the bailout and STILL laid off hundreds. I will NEVER support them", another relayed on Twitter.
Now the paperwork for the relief package bans applicants who earn their “revenue through the sale of products or services, or the presentation of any depictions or displays, of a prurient sexual nature,” which essentially also includes retailers of sex toys, porn magazines, etc.
"The exclusion of strip clubs, brothels, independent contractors, and porn companies from getting loans from SBA is super f**ked. But sex workers individually can still apply for unemployment if you filed your taxes," a user informed on Twitter.
"@realDonaldTrump paid $150,000 to bang a porn star but hasn’t given that amount of money to help with Coronavirus. Let that sink in," another comments, referring to the infamous scandal, that Trump was had slept with porn-star Stormi Daniels and paid her hush money prior to his 2016 elections.
"Not available to porn makers. What the #$**?! It's a $12B industry, with workers and businesses who are impacted," another user quipped.
The Federal government is extending small business loans through the EIDL program and also a $350 billion provision to cover paychecks for small non-profit businesses. But not the bigger companies that trade in porn and weed.
Marijuana growers and the dispensaries are legal, but cannabis is still restricted at the federal level although restrictive consumption is permitted. The application for the disaster loan would require the borrower to assure that they are “not engaged in any illegal activity (as defined by Federal guidelines).”
The “prurient sexual nature” clause has been a loan eligibility rule, even before the coronavirus outbreak. Still, plenty of rules have been altered. But the Trump administration doesn't seem to have any qualms about the condition of the legal weed and porn industry amid the pandemic.
Trump has previously expressed his true opinion on the legalization of the drug across the country. He believes that smoking weed might make you dumb.