318 Comments

Love that closing screenshot, thanks for the laughs!

So exhilarating to see that Judge Chutkan is on top of things, and that the election interference case is back on track.

Expand full comment

She is doing what every federal judge should do: Handling her case in the most expeditious and fair manner possible to all parties.

Expand full comment
founding

It's not just the Judge...it's her entire team too. Imagine being the various assistants...the kids in law school...the ones just starting out after law school deserve a lot of credit they will never receive.

Expand full comment

Maybe, but think of the experience of working for a top notch judge in a very exciting atmosphere.

Expand full comment

Invaluable and unique experience for the students/interns who are lucky enough to work for Chutkan. All their hard work will pay big dividends.

Expand full comment

Barbara, you are right about the big dividends, and they will not only be for them, but for all of us too. Terrific!

Expand full comment

By my calculations a trial COULD begin sometime in early OCTOBER! Judge Chutkin could respond to Trump's complaints by pointing out he only has himself (and his SCOTUS) to blame because he's the one whose strategy was STALLING. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for!

Expand full comment

I liked that, too!

Expand full comment

So true, JustRaven! So exhilarating! Like this am's great fight song and exquisite video thanks to LFAA's commentor Susan Kettell, https://youtu.be/FciQeRGYFlw?feature=shared

Expand full comment

After spending my entire career in the state and federal courts and having worked with some really fabulous judges, this judge is among the best I have seen in taking a complex case, distilling it to the pertinent legal issues, making timely (!!!) rulings, setting future dates, and taking no nonsense. Honestly, whatever the ultimate outcome is in this case, it will be a model of how a case should be administered. Judge Cannon should take lessons.

Expand full comment

No, Cannon should be taken off bench. She's biased ad inept.

Expand full comment

She might be beyond lessons

Expand full comment

Andy Borowitz has started a GoFundMe to send Aileen Cannon to law school. Sounds like a plan.

Expand full comment

That's rich. Love it!

Expand full comment

I love it! (I also love Andy Borowitz...)

Expand full comment

Trudy, is inept a synonym for corrupt?

Expand full comment

Not in my dictionary.

Expand full comment

Please check “facetious”

Expand full comment

Got it! Sorry my brain wasn't working well.

Expand full comment

Certainly is!!!

Expand full comment

ABSOLUTELY, Ms Stevens! She shouldn’t be on the bench anywhere.

Expand full comment

Amen

Talk about WHAT that was all along other than a preliminary to Project 2025!

Expand full comment

Judge Cannon should be impeached and removed from the court. 😉

Expand full comment

Perhaps that will happen if Kamala is elected.

Expand full comment

It won't happen, even if Kamala is elected--it has nothing to do with the President. She would need to be impeached by the House (which Dems don't even control as of now), and then 2/3 of the Senate would have to vote to remove her. In this divided nation, my guess is that no member of the GOP would vote for removal. Also, a lot of this assumes that the Dems hold the Senate, which will be tricky this year because there are more Dem seats at play.

Expand full comment

Holding the Senate is up to US!! All of us! It’s up to us to get everyone we know out to the polls this November. No 2016 this time around; we assume nothing, and ensure a Democratic sweep on ALL levels. It’s up to US!

Expand full comment

GOTV!!!!

Expand full comment

That can only happen through impeachment, and I seriously doubt that that will happen.

Expand full comment

And jailed with #45 - maybe she's his type.

Expand full comment

Judge Cannon needs to be removed from the case at the very least, removed from being a judge and/or possibly disbarred for judicial misconduct due to blatant favoritism.

Expand full comment

One wishes Cannon would pay attention. Never gonna happen. 🤨

Expand full comment

Overdrawn at the memory bank.

Expand full comment
founding

How much did she sell her soul and brain to pooty for?

Expand full comment
founding

Dear Lauren: A "free ride" to Trump University, no. A gross of Trump steaks, no. $1000 to play at Trump casino, nope. A pair of Trump sneakers, nah. Stock in DJT, no. A Trump Bible, maybe. A night at Trump Tower, no. ...with the Mango Muffin and Giuliani, yep.

Expand full comment

On the bright side, maybe she will be removed from the case 🤞🏻

Expand full comment

Sadly, I do not believe Cannon is interested in learning anything from anyone... except her fellow MAGA cult members. She should be removed from the bench!

Expand full comment

So-called "judge" Cannon needs to transfer laterally to Crispy Creme doughnuts in New Smyrna Beach.

Expand full comment

I wouldn't trust that wingnut with food.

Expand full comment

No, please! I have relatives in New Smyrna Beach and don't want them to be poisoned.

Expand full comment

Cannon would learn the wrong lessons from this. I don't know how? But she'd wind up finding Trump was being unfairly attacked. Her default switch reads "Trump is innocent and a good guy so let's help him out".

Expand full comment

I agree Reader/Writer. But Cannon is a lost cause and irrevocably biased.

Expand full comment

Totally agree, but even if she is severely admonished by the 11th Circuit, technically her bosses, impeachment will never happen in the current political climate. Our best hope is Kamala winning, the prosecutions of tfg proceeding, and cannon relegated to hearing traffic cases under federal jurisdiction in the small area she’s in.

Expand full comment

Can't Jack Smith as her to be removed from this case at some point? Even that would be small comfort and undoubtedly would change the trajectory. Do you think Cannon can grasp even traffic issues ?? ;)

Expand full comment

True! Family with Federal Prosecutors and one, now retired Federal judge, observing the truly professional and respected in this profession has of course, been a privilege ( one we all share) and such an eye opener to what we have as citizens! The RULEof LAW!. What we could have been and could become should the rich oglichary of certain Republicans become the ruling "party as in Leo Leonard 's bought a d paid gor SCOTUS. PLEASE, see founding fathers for more!

We have watched the Congress versus Newt Gingrich turn that institution into a Casino and now everyone must "pay" in one way or another. Do you want to "pay" to the purchased votes and interests of corporations or to the wealthy interests that offer a JD Vance( after a Trump president that made GOP reps unable to speak hearing against the " monarch " of Trump because they would be primayed out? When we have elected Representatives and Senators that have given voice in our 250 year plus past? I say WTF is that when 150+ GOP leave office during Trump's administration or won't run again during what would be politically natural during a Republican president?

Because, of course he really wasn't was he?

So, what exactly IS he? If not a party corrupting "president "? Some folks need to ask exactly what...besides an assclown, is he?

Expand full comment

It's clear that Judge Cannon believes her actions are not going to be reversed due to the interference run by the Conservative dominated SCOTUS. We can expect Trump's team to file any and all appeals all the way to the SCOTUS where Judge Cannon undoubtedly believes her outrageous actions will be upheld.

Expand full comment

As much as I’d like to watch the trial, I’d rather have Judge Chutkan go full steam ahead. No delays and just leave don in the dust! As far as the ten million dollars from Egypt, they should use a tracker to see where the “personal” ten million dollars he gave to his campaign come from. IMO it is a smoking gun.

Expand full comment

Davis & Leonnig know exactly where the money came from & went to based on their access to U.S. intelligence reports.

The Al-Sisi millions💵 came from the Dictator's U.S. $100 bill reserves & was delivered in cash money bags 💰💰💰💰💰💰💰weighing about 100 Pounds.

Senator Menendez -- Eat your heart out.

See, NBC Universal, Friday, 8/2/2024 PDT

"Revelatory bombshell: Secret probe of Trump, suspicious Egypt money [probe]

shut down by Barr's DOJ"

See also, @CaroLeonnig/. [and/or] carol.leonnig@washpost.com

Expand full comment

Joyce can correct me, but isn’t there a tolling of the statute of limitations if the defendant conspires to prevent discovery of the crime. Bill Bar can be a named defendant as part of an ongoing conspiracy to prevent discovery of the criminal activity. Or maybe that’s all just wishful thinking. Law school was a long time ago and I quit practicing over 10 yrs ago.

Expand full comment

That would be great if it did.

Expand full comment

What is "tolling of the statute of limitations?"

Expand full comment

The clock in the statute of limitations stops ticking until whatever the impediment is resolved. Then it starts up again. In this instance, the entire time that Bill Barr kept it hidden from everyone would be “tolled” and only now would the clock start ticking.

Expand full comment

Thanks, Ann, I see!

Expand full comment

Thanks for clarification

Expand full comment

Yeah, except he and Barr are off the hook because of the statute of limitations.

Expand full comment

I realize the statute of limitations has passed,but it will still be another black mark against him.

Expand full comment

Absolutely! And I’ve reached the point where it’s delicious, in a way, to know that his followers will eventually see more and more how they’ve been duped. Some of them won’t live long enough, though, because sometimes it takes a very, very long time for the truths reach them and their closed minds.

Expand full comment

It would be so nice to have trump's followers to see another, horribly wrong deed he's done as wrong and for that deed to cause them to finally see the light about him. I just don't think these folks are capable of ever seeing the light until they've been arrested and spend time in prison thinking about how they got there, and what their actions have cost them like their jobs, their marriages, and lifestyle. Unfortunately, it seems that without their lives being drastically and involuntarily altered, Trump and his goons can continue to do no wrong no matter what they do, in their eyes. It's hard to believe they refuse to grasp the concept of right and wrong but for some reason they aren't able to or refuse. Hillary Clinton remarked in some publication a few months ago that these people really needed to be deprogramed. It's cultlike membership.

Expand full comment

Deborah, I think his followers disagree with the law itself ie “trump SHOULD be allowed to take money from foreign governments as long as it helps him win”

Expand full comment

That's scary. Are all his followers also sociopaths?

Expand full comment

That's a major finding in Dr. Bandy Lee's new book about the specific pathology of 'Trump Contagion'.

All Subscribers are receiving weekly chapters of her new book. Next week comes Chapter 13 IF I am counting correctly.

"Narcissistic sociopath" per Mary Trump.

Expand full comment

No it isn't, it won't make any difference. If it isn't indictable it means n-o-t-h-i-n-g.

Expand full comment

I’ve wondered why Bill Barr hasn’t faced any punishment for all his dubious actions as Trump’s Attorney General. He seemed to be acting as Trump’s personal lawyer and partisan hack instead of head of an independent Department of Justice.

Expand full comment

Pull his license?

Expand full comment

Pull his license?

Expand full comment

But could there be other donations more recently that the statute of limitations wouldn't apply to? I hope someone is looking into it!

Expand full comment

Yeah with that crowd no bad deed goes unrepeated.

Expand full comment

They may technically be off the hook, but then there is the “court of public opinion!” There are no statutes of limitations there.

Expand full comment

Remember the good old days when all it took to upend a campaign was a little Monkey Business?

Expand full comment

“A leopard doesn’t change its spots.”

Expand full comment

and as X used to say "You can't make a ho into a housewife". In his case into a faithful husband.

Expand full comment

Surely agree with a needed investigation of this!

Expand full comment

Please describe what this 'tracker' is. I perform asset profile work for attorneys in pre-litigation investigations and would like to get one.

Expand full comment

I believe that a monitor (not tracker)named Barbara Jones was appointed to monitor financial statements of monies going in and out.

Expand full comment

Understood ✔︎

Expand full comment

RE: Your last item. THIS is the way to get under the Loser's skin. Not to act as immaturely as him but just point out immature things like crowd size that the little whiner finds important. His outsized reactions to this stupid crap further exposes him as the shallow whiny coward he is.

Expand full comment

Yes, he's up to old tricks by changing the debate to Fox plus an audience instead of ABC; he is taking control, and both the moderators and audience will be hostile. If Kamala says no, he will accuse her of cowardice. I am beyond tired of his antics. He's like an injured rodeo bull, still butting, hobbling, and dangerous to all.

Expand full comment

Harris's response was to say he's running scared. Back to faux nooz to protect him..

And I see that the sad NYT is running an article of Doug imhoffs relationship with a teacher while he was married to his first wife. Nothing but class, NYT.

Expand full comment

Quit reading NYT. It is junk.

Expand full comment

He’s changed nothing. Fox wasn’t involved in his wishful thinking. I read they didn’t know anything about it when he wrote his tweet, although I’m sure they will be ready to tunnel into his rear orifices as quickly as possible.

Expand full comment

tRump just loves to brag about "crowd size" as a compensatory mechanism for LACKING in size in another department...wink-wink, nudge-nudge.

Expand full comment
founding

Is "crowd size" related to "fist size"?

Expand full comment

Have you ever noticed, that when Trump has his fist raised, he usually looks like “Lucky Cat”?

Expand full comment

What about the accordion hands. That means "I know nothing but I will convince you that I do!" I stole that description but when watching a clip of the Black Journalists interview, I saw the accordion hands in action 🎬 😳 😄 🤣 😐 😅

Expand full comment

Yeah that gesture is increasingly annoying. As if anything he does can get worse.

Expand full comment

And I have never watched him at a rally so it was enlightening. My TV was set on MSNBC so when I turned it on, I only got the tail end of the interview. Thanks to people like Joyce and Heather Cox Richardson I don't have to watch any news shows to learn what's actually happening 😅 🙃 🙂

Expand full comment

Thumb size

Expand full comment
founding

the crowd boone is connected to the fist bone is connected to the thumb bone is connected to the tRump bone?

Expand full comment

Apparently .maybe he thinks the accordion hands will make it bigger....

Expand full comment

and if you see the live clips of these: Harris - it shows before she arrives on stage, her supporters up on their feet, swaying and dancing, and joyful.

and: Don old's "crowd" sitting and waiting, bored, and seemingly not expecting any relief from that boredom when he does arrive

Expand full comment

Thank you so much Joyce, for taking the time to explain these complex legal maneuverings. We'd be lost without you.

Expand full comment

Yay! I'm so glad Judge Chutkan is moving this forward so quickly-- after such a long and annoying delay. I'm also curious to know more about that "donation" Trump received in Egypt, and also why there hasn't been, or when there will be an investigation of Jared Kushner and the $2 billion he got from the Saudis. For which information, exactly? And thank you for the great photos of the two rallies! It looks like another busy week ahead of us. Thanks, Joyce!

Expand full comment

Maybe Joyce would like to be the next DOJ? She could prosecute Barr, investigate Trump & Kushner regarding the $10 million & $2 Billion for starters. We need to make a list!

Expand full comment

The next Attorney General? ❤️ But we'd miss her here! And what about her chickens?!?

Expand full comment

And we would never see her on MSNBC, and her students would miss her and what about her family needing to up and move or stay without her…? Waaaah!

Expand full comment

They wouldn't mind as long as they’re fed!

Expand full comment

I’m not at all sure Joyce would consider AG a promotion…

Expand full comment

A ways back, I thought Harris would have made a great AG.

Expand full comment

Jared definitely needs to be under the microscope. He should get the same treatment as Hunter Biden.

Expand full comment

This is great news! TRump may not have to go to trial before the election, but, it seems that the information about all of the charges against him will be available for public viewing. Nice work, Judge Chutkan! Let's rock and roll! 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

Expand full comment

And vote BLUE!

Expand full comment

AlwaysBLUE

Expand full comment

🇺🇸 💃🕺🇺🇸

Expand full comment
founding

The SCOTUS Immunity ruling (travesty) does not protect Bill Barr. That obese hack should be investigated and charged. Oh, and, of course, Trump must be tried and convicted and jailed after VP Harris becomes Pres. Harris.

Expand full comment

When Harris wins, she needs to immediately replace Garland!

Expand full comment

Are you referring to the Egyptian funds? If so, the investigators couldn't find if the funds were deposited in Trump's account. That's because Bill Barr, then AG, refused permission to investigate Trump's accounts, which is why the statute of limitations expired. Barr should be investigated! His redacting of the Mueller report was criminal and kept Putin's influence during the election campaign hidden. The depth of wrongdoing that surrounds Trump is outrageous.

Expand full comment

Please, gods, yes!

Expand full comment

Why is obstruction of justice, i.e., preventing an official count of votes in order to formalize an election of the President of the United States, an official duty of the President? I have never understood any rational explanation of this that would warrant a lawsuit by someone who charges followers to break into a building where the official count is being conducted. Nevermind, threatening death to a Vice President who is doing his official duty to conduct the vote counting.

Expand full comment

I’m with you on this. How can anyone consider these acts as official duties of a President???

Expand full comment

Susan, that is the $64,000 question. Since SCOTUS is ignoring this question altogether, do you think ANYONE out there will be able to explain WHY they're sweeping all of his crap under the rug, as if it never happened? Even all that he had --- and has --- without being President?

Are we to believe that since he bragged about this when he was in office, that any day now, he'd be able to go down Fifth Avenue, or Pennsylvania Avenue, or Main Street, USA, in the middle of the day, with five thousand witnesses, and blow someone away and get away with it?

.

Joyce, what are your thoughts on this?

Expand full comment

It’s not. The only “official duty” was Vice President Pence’s to certify the election.

It was NOT Pence’s duty as the Vice President to call for the Military to stop the rioting, which he did, but the DUTY of the PRESIDENT of the UNITED States, I.e., DJT who did not and would not make that needed call.

Expand full comment

I think that was “dereliction of duty” plain and simple, as well as criminal that Trump didn’t call in the Military, particularly with his own Vice President’s life being threatened.

Expand full comment
deletedAug 4
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

there is on a laptop. Or at least there is on mine.

Expand full comment

To support your point, it seems to some of us that the President's official duty would have been to work to ensure that the formal business of the Electoral College would be carried out in good order and in a timely manner -- if the proceeding should have involved the President in any way. In view of the riot, or insurrection, the President could have, should have, invoked his power as the Chief Executive to ensure that the lawful proceedings were carried out properly.

If he needed immunity at all, surely it would have been for his obvious misfeasance or malfeasance of his duty to defend the Constitution.

[Edit: on 6 Aug 2024] Adding a link to an article from Common Cause accusing 45 of violating his oath of office by failing to uphold and defend the Constitution on Jan 6:

https://www.commoncause.org/press-release/trump-violated-his-oath-of-office-in-desperate-attempt-to-cling-to-power/]

Expand full comment

( Just expressing my anger towards the SCOTUS.)

Expand full comment

We all understand that anger. My blood boils every time when I realize that Trump's putting yet another feather in his big, fat cap.

Expand full comment

Maybe we humans will conjure up a challenge project among AI developers. Each company would work up their own version of an AI Supreme Court Justice. Feed the same data to each SC AI, based on what the human High Court hears in each case. Considering law and precedent, each AI would "hear" what the human Supreme Court Justices hear, and would render an opinion. Then we could compare those AI opinions to what the human Supreme Court Justices opine in each case.

The six right-leaning Justices, especially Alito, seem to form their personal opinions, and then go in search of some semi-plausible legal theory or case to offer as their carefully-considered judicial reasoning. The programmers of the SCAI bots would necessarily train their machines to derive their legal logical conclusions from the law and precedents. If the SCAI bots were adept, it could force the human Justices to put their political opinions aside, and do their job the way it was intended.

Maybe they could start with District of Columbia v. Heller. Or Roe v. Wade.

Expand full comment

They’re not part of the official actions of a President. If they were, Nixon would have had no need to have the Watergate Hotel bugged. He would have been able to just stop the certification.

Expand full comment

I would expect a motion (if not already filed) by the "Because we say so" defense to have Judge Chutkan rule on arguments alone with no witness testimony, to keep public attention to a minimum. I think that will be unlikely since as a responsible jurist, Judge Chutkan will want to give SCOTUS everything it asked for (wink-wink) and more in its remand for further fact-finding. Not that she would ever show it, but it's clear Judge Chutkan is not one to suffer fools (or Orange 1's defense) gladly, as the expression goes. My guess is we'll begin getting regular word of Orange 1's malfeasance tied to J/6 from the district court sooner rather than later. And while there will obviously not be a trial or a verdict before the election, there will be enough to remind a majority of the electorate yet again what's at stake if Orange 1 is allowed to get anywhere near the White House once more.

Expand full comment

One hopes that she will find it necessary to hear a great deal of testimony in order to assure herself that forbidden material does not reach the ears of a jury

Expand full comment

So (no surprise) Trump is blaming the school for the empty seats. Nothing is ever his fault! My guess (based on his past behavior): he is lying because that’s what liars do; they tell lies to make themselves look good.

Here’s a link to the story:

https://www.mediaite.com/trump/trump-blames-georgia-state-for-empty-seats-at-rally-imagine-what-theyre-going-to-do-on-election-day/amp/

Expand full comment

It’s just that this “man” is so mentally deranged and it’s become so normalized. I feel like we’re living in an alternate universe.

Expand full comment

I feel like many or most of us are living in the real universe, while trumpty dumpty is living in Wonderland, or some sort of alternate reality.

Expand full comment

It’s what a child would do. DJT is emotionally immature. He has tantrums, cannot control his outbursts like a child, he takes what he wants and will lie, cheat and blame others for his behavior.

But he will never, ever say he is sorry or admit he was wrong or that he did anything wrong.

Expand full comment

Describing my teenage grandson to a tee!

Expand full comment

Yep, no surprise. He blamed the late start at NABJ on the "faulty" sound system, when in fact he and his team were arguing about fact-checking. Lyin' don't look good.

Expand full comment

He drives me absolutely bonkers with his blaming of others. Now we wait for problems to really happen at the school.

Expand full comment

It's what sociopaths do.

Expand full comment

Let's not forget that Jack Smith has a number of other arrows in his quiver with six so far not "officially" disclosed co-conspirators who may be invited to take part in the hearing(s) as um..conscientious citizens (or else...)

Expand full comment

5th amendment.

But can file separate new cases against each of them.

Expand full comment

There is the possibility of immunity of one kind or another, assuming Chutkan allows witnesses, which is more likely than not.

Expand full comment

Kamala's crowd - packed with signs and smiles. Trump's "crowd" - not only no smiles or signs, but not a MAGA hat to be seen. It feels like a lot of water under the bridge since we last needed to discuss Chutkan's case; glad it is back in action.

Expand full comment

There are different “theories” as to when the alleged gift of $10M cash was made and to whom it was actually given? And for what purposes? So far no hard evidence in public but it appears Barr snuffed out an FBI investigation of whatever happened?

Expand full comment

Even if the statute of limitations has run and even if Trump may be immune as to acts of bribery, he can be forced to testify as to allegations of obstruction of justice.

Expand full comment

Are you talking about obstruction by Barr? Because if it's about trump's obstruction of justice, I believe the SCOTUS ruling is that he's immune and can't be forced to testify.

Expand full comment

Even if he's immune, he can be forced to testify.

Expand full comment

I think my brain went south… are you saying that trump can be forced to testify? (I'd love that.)

Expand full comment

Joyce, this edition of Civil Discourse is so appreciated. Good news has been few and far between. Altho Trump's pick for Veep is good news (as long as they lose), your update on Judge Chutkan's quick pick up of the trial is wonderful to hear about. She's already a hero in my book.

Expand full comment

I’m so excited about this news! I hadn’t seen it anywhere else so I’m so glad you wrote about already and sent it to us all. Is it okay to say “I love you” for this?

Expand full comment