Today, two major events take place, as we continue to wait and see whether our democratic institutions are strong enough to hold a former president, who is untethered to the expectations the Constitution sets for our elected leaders, accountable. In the Mar-a-Lago case, senior district Judge Raymond Dearie, appointed special master in the case based on Trump’s nomination and the government’s agreement, will hold a hearing at 2:00 p.m. ET to set an agenda and timeline for his work. Trump’s lawyers sent the court a letter yesterday, demanding access to classified documents next week but proposing a delay to any obligation on their part to discuss whether and how Trump declassified any seized documents until “early November,” i.e. after the midterm elections. Interested in listening in? Here’s the access info: (571) 353-2301, Access Code: 620191294
Thank you again for the explainer. I find myself reading each new piece with dread fascination, as if this was a horror novel that didn't have real consequences for our democracy, while knowing, no matter how extreme the reality of these proceedings becomes, it is reality. There is no sitting on the sidelines and hoping it all works out in the end. So, thank you for the reminder that the power of this country arises from the people and that we are the ones who enable what occurs, whether we like it or not. Our energy must be used to change the course and we can't let our amazement at the scene deter us from doing our part. Voting is not just a civic duty, it is the civic duty.
Dear Ms. Vance, Check my thoughts on this: I think Trump's Florida lawyers are discovering they are dancing close to the line on the ethical rule that prevents lawyers from knowingly letting their client lie to the court, even the Loose Cannon Court.
Curiously, the lawyers in their pleadings urge the Court to believe documents were declassified, but they do not present Trump's affidavit on that fact. [Do the lawyers fear losing their licenses if they present a lying Trump affidavit?] Now they don't want to say to the Special Master which and whether documents were declassified. Yet it was Trump's lawyers who asked for the Special Master to do that task. When will Judge Loose Cannon realize that she has been tricked by Trump?
One remedy would be for Judge Loose Cannon to give Trump's lawyers a choice: either identify the documents that they claim were declassified OR she will rescind the order appointing the Special Master and rescind the stay.
Appreciate the clarity (and relative brevity) of your explainers, Joyce! Thank you.
For those somehow still needing historical context and rationale for going beyond feeling as though Trump’s a joke or the rally (hugely diminished and over reported, but still a big rally) in OH isn’t threatening… I cannot commend to you enough the latest Ken Burns/Sarah Bottstein/Lynn Novick documentary “The US and the Holocaust” airing on PBS. Always take the “silly” seriously when they keep telling/showing you who they are. No less Kevin McCarthy than Donald Trump, no less the Pillow Guy than Stephen Miller.
Trump uses the legal system, which he nevertheless clearly disdains, to wear the rest of us down and buy time to rewrite public narratives. It has served him well for decades. The Rule of Law must prevail. It starts with stopping Donald Trump, but it certainly doesn’t end there.
When will Trump's lawyers confront the dilemma that they will be punished if they knowingly let Trump lie under oath to the Loose Cannon Court? So far the lawyers have presented their "arguments" about the "declassified" documents, but have not presented any affidavits by Trump.
Thank you, I am not not looking for comfort in these time but rather strength and clarity and writing are a great source for this. My father who was part of the 8th Army Airforce in WWll who died in 2020 at the age of 101 would not recognize how much this country has changed in just two years. Thanks for the access to todays hearing.
God help me, but I’m beginning to buckle under gravity of what’s going on here. If the 11th Circuit does not do the right thing, I am really going to lose faith in our judicial system. P.S. Thanks again Joyce for your explanations.
My black cat, Shadow, knows more about the law and federal practice than Judge Cannon and to think that Trump has appointed numerous toadies like her all over the federal bench. It's disgusting.
I feel a lot of dread about what happens in the 11th Circuit. The only thing I keep hanging onto is that all the judges Trump appointed, stood tall and stood for facts and truth in the 65 cases during Trump's attempts to negate the 2020 election.
What also comforts me and gives me some faith in Justice is the organization called 'The 65 Project' managed by Michael Teter. His organization is going state by state to hold the lawyers accountable who raised these false claims to overturn the 2020 election results. I listened to him on a Lincoln Project podcast hosted by Reed Galen. Well worth a listen to.
Thanks for the conference call information--will definitely listen in on the call.
Given all the discussion how strong the government’s case (United States of America vs Donald J. Trump) is vs. TFG, it gives me heartburn. Trump has no right to the papers yet he can leave the jurisdiction of Palm Beach to shop judges. He succeeds...
Then we have a judge he appointed wildly (and incorrectly) writing opinions and she has the LAST word in this--even after the Special Master.
There seems to be no course of action for the judges, Circuit, Supreme, etc. who write opinions that ignore facts, (or previous statements on precedence--it is called lying).
I vote and will continue to vote. I will support facts. There is a huge lack of faith (earned by action) in our judicial system.
I watched you and Asha last night and see we are uneasy where these appeals, etc. will go even knowing the law. Frightening...
Uplifted by Garland’s speech administer oath to new citizens at Ellis Island, my grandparents path at the turn of the century 19/20
highlight, links to YouTube and full speech follows
“The protection of law—the Rule of Law—is the foundation of our system of government,” the attorney general said.
“The Rule of Law means that the same laws apply to all of us, regardless of whether we are this country’s newest citizens or whether our [families] have been here for generations.
“The Rule of Law means that the law treats each of us alike: there is not one rule for friends, another for foes; one rule for the powerful, another for the powerless; a rule for the rich, another for the poor; or different rules, depending upon one’s race or ethnicity or country of origin.
“The Rule of Law means that we are all protected in the exercise of our civil rights; in our freedom to worship and think as we please; and in the peaceful expression of our opinions, our beliefs, and our ideas.
“Of course, we still have work to do to make a more perfect union. Although the Rule of Law has always been our guiding light, we have not always been faithful to it.
“The Rule of Law is not assured. It is fragile. It demands constant effort and vigilance.
“The responsibility to ensure the Rule of Law is and has been the duty of every generation in our country’s history. It is now your duty as well. And it is one that is especially urgent today at a time of intense polarization in America.”
Frankly, I am at my wit's end. That FPOTUS has publicly and flagrantly aligned w Q anon while believing he should have back the classified documents he stole, which he refuses to say if he did or did not declassify, is completely beyond my comprehension. My father's family was lost in the Holocaust. The Nazi salute guised as Q anon symbolism means as a Semite I am not safe here in America.
Sigh. Today I am simply hoping for some indicator that the judicial system will prove to be untainted by Trumpism.
Thank you, as ever, for your clarity.
Thank you again for the explainer. I find myself reading each new piece with dread fascination, as if this was a horror novel that didn't have real consequences for our democracy, while knowing, no matter how extreme the reality of these proceedings becomes, it is reality. There is no sitting on the sidelines and hoping it all works out in the end. So, thank you for the reminder that the power of this country arises from the people and that we are the ones who enable what occurs, whether we like it or not. Our energy must be used to change the course and we can't let our amazement at the scene deter us from doing our part. Voting is not just a civic duty, it is the civic duty.
Hope the chickens are doing well.
Dear Ms. Vance, Check my thoughts on this: I think Trump's Florida lawyers are discovering they are dancing close to the line on the ethical rule that prevents lawyers from knowingly letting their client lie to the court, even the Loose Cannon Court.
Curiously, the lawyers in their pleadings urge the Court to believe documents were declassified, but they do not present Trump's affidavit on that fact. [Do the lawyers fear losing their licenses if they present a lying Trump affidavit?] Now they don't want to say to the Special Master which and whether documents were declassified. Yet it was Trump's lawyers who asked for the Special Master to do that task. When will Judge Loose Cannon realize that she has been tricked by Trump?
One remedy would be for Judge Loose Cannon to give Trump's lawyers a choice: either identify the documents that they claim were declassified OR she will rescind the order appointing the Special Master and rescind the stay.
Thank<you. I signed up for poll work, so you had a direct impact on me.
Appreciate the clarity (and relative brevity) of your explainers, Joyce! Thank you.
For those somehow still needing historical context and rationale for going beyond feeling as though Trump’s a joke or the rally (hugely diminished and over reported, but still a big rally) in OH isn’t threatening… I cannot commend to you enough the latest Ken Burns/Sarah Bottstein/Lynn Novick documentary “The US and the Holocaust” airing on PBS. Always take the “silly” seriously when they keep telling/showing you who they are. No less Kevin McCarthy than Donald Trump, no less the Pillow Guy than Stephen Miller.
Trump uses the legal system, which he nevertheless clearly disdains, to wear the rest of us down and buy time to rewrite public narratives. It has served him well for decades. The Rule of Law must prevail. It starts with stopping Donald Trump, but it certainly doesn’t end there.
When will Trump's lawyers confront the dilemma that they will be punished if they knowingly let Trump lie under oath to the Loose Cannon Court? So far the lawyers have presented their "arguments" about the "declassified" documents, but have not presented any affidavits by Trump.
Thank you, I am not not looking for comfort in these time but rather strength and clarity and writing are a great source for this. My father who was part of the 8th Army Airforce in WWll who died in 2020 at the age of 101 would not recognize how much this country has changed in just two years. Thanks for the access to todays hearing.
God help me, but I’m beginning to buckle under gravity of what’s going on here. If the 11th Circuit does not do the right thing, I am really going to lose faith in our judicial system. P.S. Thanks again Joyce for your explanations.
My black cat, Shadow, knows more about the law and federal practice than Judge Cannon and to think that Trump has appointed numerous toadies like her all over the federal bench. It's disgusting.
Thanks Joyce.
I feel a lot of dread about what happens in the 11th Circuit. The only thing I keep hanging onto is that all the judges Trump appointed, stood tall and stood for facts and truth in the 65 cases during Trump's attempts to negate the 2020 election.
What also comforts me and gives me some faith in Justice is the organization called 'The 65 Project' managed by Michael Teter. His organization is going state by state to hold the lawyers accountable who raised these false claims to overturn the 2020 election results. I listened to him on a Lincoln Project podcast hosted by Reed Galen. Well worth a listen to.
Thanks for the conference call information--will definitely listen in on the call.
Given all the discussion how strong the government’s case (United States of America vs Donald J. Trump) is vs. TFG, it gives me heartburn. Trump has no right to the papers yet he can leave the jurisdiction of Palm Beach to shop judges. He succeeds...
Then we have a judge he appointed wildly (and incorrectly) writing opinions and she has the LAST word in this--even after the Special Master.
There seems to be no course of action for the judges, Circuit, Supreme, etc. who write opinions that ignore facts, (or previous statements on precedence--it is called lying).
I vote and will continue to vote. I will support facts. There is a huge lack of faith (earned by action) in our judicial system.
I watched you and Asha last night and see we are uneasy where these appeals, etc. will go even knowing the law. Frightening...
Thanks for the info.
Thank you, Joyce, for helping me understand what is GOING ON today!!!
Definitely an emotional roll-a-coaster.
Uplifted by Garland’s speech administer oath to new citizens at Ellis Island, my grandparents path at the turn of the century 19/20
highlight, links to YouTube and full speech follows
“The protection of law—the Rule of Law—is the foundation of our system of government,” the attorney general said.
“The Rule of Law means that the same laws apply to all of us, regardless of whether we are this country’s newest citizens or whether our [families] have been here for generations.
“The Rule of Law means that the law treats each of us alike: there is not one rule for friends, another for foes; one rule for the powerful, another for the powerless; a rule for the rich, another for the poor; or different rules, depending upon one’s race or ethnicity or country of origin.
“The Rule of Law means that we are all protected in the exercise of our civil rights; in our freedom to worship and think as we please; and in the peaceful expression of our opinions, our beliefs, and our ideas.
“Of course, we still have work to do to make a more perfect union. Although the Rule of Law has always been our guiding light, we have not always been faithful to it.
“The Rule of Law is not assured. It is fragile. It demands constant effort and vigilance.
“The responsibility to ensure the Rule of Law is and has been the duty of every generation in our country’s history. It is now your duty as well. And it is one that is especially urgent today at a time of intense polarization in America.”
https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-merrick-b-garland-administers-oath-allegiance-and-delivers
https://youtu.be/k-fWluesuE8
Today is a day I think I’ll need to hug my chickens.
Thanks, Joyce. Looking forward to your assessment later of today’s filing and the hearing.
Frankly, I am at my wit's end. That FPOTUS has publicly and flagrantly aligned w Q anon while believing he should have back the classified documents he stole, which he refuses to say if he did or did not declassify, is completely beyond my comprehension. My father's family was lost in the Holocaust. The Nazi salute guised as Q anon symbolism means as a Semite I am not safe here in America.