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[ Republicans do not care about Trump's own words on tape ]
Trump's Present and Future possible indictments
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Sixties Fan
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They warned us, were dismissed, and we've been paying the price ever since. That time is over.
Look familiar? Going to hang around, read a bit, and join in the conversation — or turn away? If you’re going to stay, I will not promise preciseness. Thoughts are banging against each other rather fiercely this afternoon after last night’s news. Trump...
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Handling Classified Material at Trial
How do prosecutors try a case when the charges are based on top secret and other classified documents? By definition, top secret means that releasing the information publicly could do grave damage to national security. That harsh truth can be a stumbling block in prosecutions. If documents are...
joycevance.substack.com
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Part 1
“It’s a test for the rule of law.” “It’s a test for the Department of Justice.” “It’s a test for President Biden.” This is what we’re being told by the very serious papers of record, The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Unfortunately, framing the issue in those ways is both misleading and wrong.
The actual test is this: Do the leaders of the Republican Party care enough about the rule of law, American democracy, and the oath they took to uphold and defend the Constitution, to tell the truth about the indictments being brought against Donald Trump?
The answer, at least so far, is emphatically “no.” Elected Republicans, do not care about any of those things; nor do they care about the knock-on effects of amplifying the kind of dangerous rhetoric that led to January 6th as evidenced by the easily debunked and patently obvious lies they’ve been telling since Donald broke the news of his own indictment. These lies include the following:
As to the second, while the Department of Justice is lodging the charges against Donald, they are doing so because a Miami grand jury of Donald’s peers made the decision to hand down an indictment based on the evidence that was presented to them.
As to the third, there has always been a double-standard for Donald—and it has always been in his favor. Elected Republicans and his followers are reacting to the fact that, for only the second time in his life, Donald is being treated appropriately based on the crimes he’s committed. (I’m not going to bother to say allegedly—we know what he did.) And just think about how long it took us to get here.
* Whether Garland appointed the Biden special counsel out of a supra-abundance of caution or because he is craven, I don’t know. But in doing so, he gave weight to the right’s false equivalence. When Kevin McCarthy was asked, "Was that a good look for the former president to have boxes in a bathroom?" he answered "I don't know. Is it a good picture to have boxes in a garage that opens up all the time? A bathroom door locks.” He was referring to the fact that some of the documents in Pres. Biden’s possession were found in the garage of his private home—not a members-only social club. To emphasize his point, McCarthy even made the up and down garage door motion with his hand. Sadly, he did not provide sound effects.
“It’s a test for the rule of law.” “It’s a test for the Department of Justice.” “It’s a test for President Biden.” This is what we’re being told by the very serious papers of record, The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Unfortunately, framing the issue in those ways is both misleading and wrong.
The actual test is this: Do the leaders of the Republican Party care enough about the rule of law, American democracy, and the oath they took to uphold and defend the Constitution, to tell the truth about the indictments being brought against Donald Trump?
The answer, at least so far, is emphatically “no.” Elected Republicans, do not care about any of those things; nor do they care about the knock-on effects of amplifying the kind of dangerous rhetoric that led to January 6th as evidenced by the easily debunked and patently obvious lies they’ve been telling since Donald broke the news of his own indictment. These lies include the following:
- Joe Biden was behind the indictment of Donald Trump.
- Jack Smith and the Department of Justice decided to bring the indictments.
- There is a double-standard and Donald is being treated unfairly.
As to the second, while the Department of Justice is lodging the charges against Donald, they are doing so because a Miami grand jury of Donald’s peers made the decision to hand down an indictment based on the evidence that was presented to them.
As to the third, there has always been a double-standard for Donald—and it has always been in his favor. Elected Republicans and his followers are reacting to the fact that, for only the second time in his life, Donald is being treated appropriately based on the crimes he’s committed. (I’m not going to bother to say allegedly—we know what he did.) And just think about how long it took us to get here.
* Whether Garland appointed the Biden special counsel out of a supra-abundance of caution or because he is craven, I don’t know. But in doing so, he gave weight to the right’s false equivalence. When Kevin McCarthy was asked, "Was that a good look for the former president to have boxes in a bathroom?" he answered "I don't know. Is it a good picture to have boxes in a garage that opens up all the time? A bathroom door locks.” He was referring to the fact that some of the documents in Pres. Biden’s possession were found in the garage of his private home—not a members-only social club. To emphasize his point, McCarthy even made the up and down garage door motion with his hand. Sadly, he did not provide sound effects.
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Part 2
Of course, leaders of the Republican Party aren’t content with lying; like the man they follow, they are compelled to stir up violence. Also, they are cowards and wannabes who won’t lay their bodies on the line for any person, any principle, or any ideal any more than Donald would. Their followers are merely cannon-fodder who are being instructed, in ways increasingly less subtle, to provide cover for the man who was just arrested on 37 counts in a Miami Federal Court.
Kari Lake, who has lost the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial race more times than Donald has lost court cases, recently gave a speech in which she was clearly borrowing from the absurd meme that’s been going around in which Donald says, “In reality, they’re not after me. They’re after you. I’m just in the way.” But Lake flipped that on its head. “If you want to get to President Trump,” she said, “you’re going to have to go through me and you’re going to have to go through 75 million Americans just like me. Most of us are card-carrying members of the NRA. That’s not a threat, that’s a public service announcement.” Also, that is a threat.
Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) tweeted, “We have now reached a war phase. Eye for an eye.” I’m sure he was being metaphorical. Either way, I’d like to offer this: if a Democrat did one-tenth of what Donald is accused of by all means indict, try, and convict that person.
On June 8th, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), another pathetic cosplayer using pseudo-military language to rile up his anti-American constituents, tweeted “[Donald] said he has ‘been summoned to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, at 3 PM.’ This is a perimeter probe from the oppressors. Hold. rPOTUS has this. Buckle up. 1/50K know your bridges. Rock steady calm. That is all.”
Two days later, this clear call to arms was followed by this tweet (which makes me wonder if Mr. Higgins received a visit from the F.B.I):
“Patriots, we’ve manipulated the MSM to establish deep commo, now copy this… do NOT trip the wire they’ve laid for you. Maintain your family. Live your life. Know your bridges. Hold. Let Trump handle Trump, he’s got this. We use the Constitution as our only weapon. Peace. Hold.”
Unfortunately, the tweet calling for “peace” only got 1.3 million views while the original tweet, which is still on Twitter, received 4.6 million views.
Of course, leaders of the Republican Party aren’t content with lying; like the man they follow, they are compelled to stir up violence. Also, they are cowards and wannabes who won’t lay their bodies on the line for any person, any principle, or any ideal any more than Donald would. Their followers are merely cannon-fodder who are being instructed, in ways increasingly less subtle, to provide cover for the man who was just arrested on 37 counts in a Miami Federal Court.
Kari Lake, who has lost the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial race more times than Donald has lost court cases, recently gave a speech in which she was clearly borrowing from the absurd meme that’s been going around in which Donald says, “In reality, they’re not after me. They’re after you. I’m just in the way.” But Lake flipped that on its head. “If you want to get to President Trump,” she said, “you’re going to have to go through me and you’re going to have to go through 75 million Americans just like me. Most of us are card-carrying members of the NRA. That’s not a threat, that’s a public service announcement.” Also, that is a threat.
Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) tweeted, “We have now reached a war phase. Eye for an eye.” I’m sure he was being metaphorical. Either way, I’d like to offer this: if a Democrat did one-tenth of what Donald is accused of by all means indict, try, and convict that person.
On June 8th, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), another pathetic cosplayer using pseudo-military language to rile up his anti-American constituents, tweeted “[Donald] said he has ‘been summoned to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, at 3 PM.’ This is a perimeter probe from the oppressors. Hold. rPOTUS has this. Buckle up. 1/50K know your bridges. Rock steady calm. That is all.”
Two days later, this clear call to arms was followed by this tweet (which makes me wonder if Mr. Higgins received a visit from the F.B.I):
“Patriots, we’ve manipulated the MSM to establish deep commo, now copy this… do NOT trip the wire they’ve laid for you. Maintain your family. Live your life. Know your bridges. Hold. Let Trump handle Trump, he’s got this. We use the Constitution as our only weapon. Peace. Hold.”
Unfortunately, the tweet calling for “peace” only got 1.3 million views while the original tweet, which is still on Twitter, received 4.6 million views.
Sixties Fan
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Part 3
But they are not simply supporting Donald, they are explicitly going after the mechanisms of the institutions that are, for better or worse, necessary in order for us to get beyond the very tragic circumstances in which we find ourselves.
On the other hand, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to say anything, which is, in its way, just as dangerous.
Every single Republican, from McConnell on down, knows better. They know what’s at stake. Those who are lying know they’re lying. Those who remain silent know they are emboldening the liars.
The problem is, once you activate the people with the MAGA hats and the comically large Trump flags, it’s almost impossible to get them to stand down. Mass violence is less of a concern now than it was on January 6th, first of all, because law enforcement is much more prepared; secondly, because the leadership of many of the organizations Donald placed on standby in 2020 has been disrupted; and third, because a lot of the participants in January 6th are currently serving lengthy prison sentences.
Much more troubling is the potential for stochastic terrorism—isolated acts of violence carried out not by a “lone wolf” but by somebody who is loosely connected to, and who feels empowered by, the rhetoric coming from the right. These are precisely the people Donald is speaking to.
What we’re about to learn is just how far down this road the Republican Party is willing to go. For the last seven years it has proven itself to be completely committed to enabling, supporting, and championing Donald Trump at the expense of everything else.
We know with Donald there is no bottom. For the Republicans, is there no line? Is there no line he can cross that will make this Republican party stand up, take notice, and stop the madness? The signs are not good, so the rest of us need to be prepared for anything that might happen next.
It’s going to be up to the media and the Democratic Party to set things right.
As to the former, its normalization of Donald and his abnormal behavior should shake us to our core—their coverage suggests that his long history of committing crimes is already “baked in.” They take it in their stride, just as they have his racism, misogyny, and authoritarianism.
As for the Democrats, they have not yet wrapped their head around the fact that Donald has figured out something most others have not: white evangelicals, the white working class, the Proud Boys and their ilk, aren’t voting against their self-interests, they are voting for what is of most interest to them and what most animates them—white supremacy, Christian nationalism, and hatred of the other.
What we are collectively facing is a test to see whether this country can set itself right. This is a test we have failed repeatedly throughout the centuries. One aspect of this case that makes the situation more fraught, is the knowledge that Donald’s indictments and criminality intensify his followers’ devotion to him. The same if true for the entire Republican Party, with very few exceptions.
We have to hope that this indictment, in conjunction with the others, will be the brick wall that Donald’s impunity crashes into.
But that impunity has always been self-perpetuating. The creeping authoritarianism he embraces is now galloping. And his road to the Republican nomination for the presidency has just become easier.
But they are not simply supporting Donald, they are explicitly going after the mechanisms of the institutions that are, for better or worse, necessary in order for us to get beyond the very tragic circumstances in which we find ourselves.
On the other hand, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to say anything, which is, in its way, just as dangerous.
Every single Republican, from McConnell on down, knows better. They know what’s at stake. Those who are lying know they’re lying. Those who remain silent know they are emboldening the liars.
The problem is, once you activate the people with the MAGA hats and the comically large Trump flags, it’s almost impossible to get them to stand down. Mass violence is less of a concern now than it was on January 6th, first of all, because law enforcement is much more prepared; secondly, because the leadership of many of the organizations Donald placed on standby in 2020 has been disrupted; and third, because a lot of the participants in January 6th are currently serving lengthy prison sentences.
Much more troubling is the potential for stochastic terrorism—isolated acts of violence carried out not by a “lone wolf” but by somebody who is loosely connected to, and who feels empowered by, the rhetoric coming from the right. These are precisely the people Donald is speaking to.
What we’re about to learn is just how far down this road the Republican Party is willing to go. For the last seven years it has proven itself to be completely committed to enabling, supporting, and championing Donald Trump at the expense of everything else.
We know with Donald there is no bottom. For the Republicans, is there no line? Is there no line he can cross that will make this Republican party stand up, take notice, and stop the madness? The signs are not good, so the rest of us need to be prepared for anything that might happen next.
It’s going to be up to the media and the Democratic Party to set things right.
As to the former, its normalization of Donald and his abnormal behavior should shake us to our core—their coverage suggests that his long history of committing crimes is already “baked in.” They take it in their stride, just as they have his racism, misogyny, and authoritarianism.
As for the Democrats, they have not yet wrapped their head around the fact that Donald has figured out something most others have not: white evangelicals, the white working class, the Proud Boys and their ilk, aren’t voting against their self-interests, they are voting for what is of most interest to them and what most animates them—white supremacy, Christian nationalism, and hatred of the other.
What we are collectively facing is a test to see whether this country can set itself right. This is a test we have failed repeatedly throughout the centuries. One aspect of this case that makes the situation more fraught, is the knowledge that Donald’s indictments and criminality intensify his followers’ devotion to him. The same if true for the entire Republican Party, with very few exceptions.
We have to hope that this indictment, in conjunction with the others, will be the brick wall that Donald’s impunity crashes into.
But that impunity has always been self-perpetuating. The creeping authoritarianism he embraces is now galloping. And his road to the Republican nomination for the presidency has just become easier.
SeaMajor7
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Stalinist Chronicles by 60's fag.
It's interesting that this poster has its own personal blog in the Politics forum......
It's interesting that this poster has its own personal blog in the Politics forum......
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Donald Trump essentially admitted to one of the federal charges he is accused of in the classified documents case during his speech in New Jersey, according to a legal expert.
Trump also said that the reason he had so many boxes of classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago resort after he left office was that he had "every right under the Presidential Records Act" to keep them, and that the boxes also contained "all types of personal belongings."
However, under the Presidential Records Act, which was implemented in the wake of the Richard Nixon Watergate scandal, all presidential documents must be sent to the National Archives when the commander-in-chief leaves office as they belong to the federal government.
Speaking to MSNBC, Weissmann, who worked on special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia inquiry into Trump, said the former president's comments about purposely holding onto the materials he has been charged over could be used as evidence of admission of guilt against the Republican, regardless if he takes the stand at a trial.
"Those are admissions. Part of what he said is just a straight-out confession. It's not a defense. It's a confession," Weissmann said.
"He said, 'I could take these.' When you are charged with the illegal retention, the illegal possession of the documents, it is not a good idea to say, 'Hey, you want to know why I took these? Because I could," Weissmann said.
"That is not a defense to that charge. That is an admission to the charge."
Elsewhere during his speech, Trump claimed that he did not know what was in all the boxes that he kept at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as going through them all would have been a "long, tedious job" and he has "a very busy life."
Weissmann said that this claim from Trump is "disproved by his own voice" in reference to the apparent existence of an audio recording in which the former president can be heard at a July 2021 meeting in Bedminster admitting that he had retained a secret Pentagon paper after he left the White House, and that he no longer had the authority to declassify it.
Weissmann added that Trump also did not attempt during his speech to defend the obstruction of justice allegations, where he is accused of ignoring a subpoena to return all the necessary documents and hindering the federal attempt to retrieve them.
(full article online)
www.newsweek.com
Trump also said that the reason he had so many boxes of classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago resort after he left office was that he had "every right under the Presidential Records Act" to keep them, and that the boxes also contained "all types of personal belongings."
However, under the Presidential Records Act, which was implemented in the wake of the Richard Nixon Watergate scandal, all presidential documents must be sent to the National Archives when the commander-in-chief leaves office as they belong to the federal government.
Speaking to MSNBC, Weissmann, who worked on special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia inquiry into Trump, said the former president's comments about purposely holding onto the materials he has been charged over could be used as evidence of admission of guilt against the Republican, regardless if he takes the stand at a trial.
"Those are admissions. Part of what he said is just a straight-out confession. It's not a defense. It's a confession," Weissmann said.
"He said, 'I could take these.' When you are charged with the illegal retention, the illegal possession of the documents, it is not a good idea to say, 'Hey, you want to know why I took these? Because I could," Weissmann said.
"That is not a defense to that charge. That is an admission to the charge."
Elsewhere during his speech, Trump claimed that he did not know what was in all the boxes that he kept at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as going through them all would have been a "long, tedious job" and he has "a very busy life."
Weissmann said that this claim from Trump is "disproved by his own voice" in reference to the apparent existence of an audio recording in which the former president can be heard at a July 2021 meeting in Bedminster admitting that he had retained a secret Pentagon paper after he left the White House, and that he no longer had the authority to declassify it.
Weissmann added that Trump also did not attempt during his speech to defend the obstruction of justice allegations, where he is accused of ignoring a subpoena to return all the necessary documents and hindering the federal attempt to retrieve them.
(full article online)
Donald Trump made "confession" over classified docs—Ex-FBI special counsel
Andrew Weissmann discussed the former president's speech in Bedminster, during which Trump claimed he had "every right" to retain presidential papers.
www.newsweek.com
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[ David Frum, one of many Republicans who do follow the Constitution and Rule of Law of the USA ]
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