Rolling Stone’s Taibbi Dubs Schilling the “Next Donald Trump”

Wednesday, August 24, 2016
GoLocalWorcester News Team

Rolling Stone journalist Matt Taibbi is no stranger to the intersection of politics and money in Rhode Island — in 2013, he took then-General Treasurer Gina Raimondo to task in his scathing article, “Looting the Pension Funds.”

Now, he’s turned his sights to former Red Sox pitcher-turned-central player in the 38 Studios saga, Curt Schilling.

In a piece release Tuesday in Rolling Stone entitled, “Curt Schilling is the Next Donald Trump,” Taibbi picks apart the former ballplayer turned failed video game company owner’s political aspirations. 

Taibbi on Schilling

Taibbi delineates Schilling’s social media forays that have landed him in hot water at ESPN — and specifically as they relate to 38 Studios. 

“More recently, Schilling worked at ESPN, where he was paid $2.5 million a year to be an analyst. He needed the money. Soon after his playing career ended, he blew his $50 million fortune on a failed video game venture, a fiasco that cost Rhode Island taxpayers $75 million,” wrote Taibbi.

Taibbi then posted a Tweet that Schilling re-tweeted about Irish immigrants not looking for free handouts, and went to town. 

This tirade against the seekers of "free shit" was posted by a man who got $75 million in taxpayer money to keep his already failing video game company afloat. If you're wondering, $75 million would be enough to cover year's worth of food-stamp benefits for about 47,845 Rhode Island residents.

Having proven incapable of running a business, being a good steward of either his own money or the taxpayers', or holding down the world's cushiest job, Schilling naturally decided to get into politics.

Read Taibbi’s article here.