Mike Lee, a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, no doubt thinks he is a fine and moral man. He is not. His indecent social media posts this weekend tell us exactly who he is. The senators from Minnesota have lost friends and colleagues in this senseless attack; his disrespect of them is palpable. I applaud Tina Smith for confronting him today; Amy Klobuchar has said she will talk to him when she returns to Washington. But now they have to bury the dead and console their families. Shame on you, Mike Lee.
Barbara, I do believe there is a lot of civility. I see it every day all over the place, folks helping folks out, sharing what they have, donating to service organizations, donating food and clothing so others will have what they need, and so much more. The challenge, these acts of kindness and decency are common, so don't make it into our media. When was the last time one saw a program or movie where that level of kindness was included? It is sometimes covered by local news, but usually as the "caring moment" or something similar which means we should all say "ah, isn't that so nice" assuming it is so rare it was included at the end of the newscast or before the ad break. Think about all those rallies this weekend and almost no violence or incivility among about 5 million+ people. The unfortunate thing is that we have decided that our businesses should be uncivil in caring only for shareholders who have only money at stake in the corporation. We have made elections so expensive that only very rich people run, and many of those who choose to do so are desperate for power their money has not given them yet, that is particularly true for Republicans. We have an entire political party that lives and breathes incivility and it has been taken over by a rich old white man and his cruel handlers/puppeteers who want to make us all believe this nation is just like them; it isn't. Maybe we all who care need to be more willing to show kindness publicly and on a regular basis so our young people will see that being kind is a belief and skill that is valuable, probably above all others.
I just become so discouraged some days with the political mess we find ourselves in. Everyday I wake up and instead of looking forward to the day, it is more and more political shenanigans. Politicians led by Mr. trump seem to feel no shame in lying, saying things your mother would have washed your mouth out with soap for saying with impunity and applause.
Here is to seeing and showing kindness everyday in . Thank you for reminding me.
Barbara, you are right about being discouraged easily. I feel it too, but I have been blessed to live in and near a community that really does care about each other even though most people outside that community think of it as a horror of violence, poverty, and incivility, only the poverty is true and that because of those huge corporations Toddler-Trump wants to reward, those corporations who left to find cheaper workers and left the people here desperate for work. I cannot walk on the street in our community without people greeting me and me them. I told my students that and they told me I was wrong, then came back the next session and told me I was right; they had never noticed or participated themselves before. We need to work on this everywhere so we won't be so discouraged and will be less likely to vote for people who only fake their civility, if they show any at all. Trump never did and "won" anyway, and has still a too-large following.
Then I will hear it today. We always watch it the next day, because in the interests of sleeping, we do not watch news at night. Or I should probably say I can't watch news at night. Lawrence is a favorite of mine, because he is so clear and unequivocal about the truth.
Never forget his offhand remark to a First Responder telling the harrowing tale of being in the collapsing building on 9/11 (in hopes of gaining support for benefits for those First Responders): "Bet you have a lot of stories to tell."
Mike Lee has the morals of the average 21st century Republican politician; that is to say, none at all.
Mike Lee is not a fine and upstanding person because he is a Republican at this point in time in history. The killer is a terrorist, and Mike Lee is supporting terrorism.
This is what living in a Kakistocracy looks like.
I was just talking to one of my Mormon neighbors yesterday because I live in a place where there are several Mormon families in Chicago. He told me that he is no longer a Mormon in beliefs, and neither are his parents, but they still belong to the church because they like the community. This young man was never going to go on a mission. However, his older brother did. Maybe his younger brothers will now that they have moved back to Utah. His older brother went. My next door neighbors who are also Mormon have a son who is a gay ballet dancer. Although his two older sisters went on Missions and are very involved in their faith, I don't think he is going on a mission either.
Another neighbor of mine who is Mormon, I have seen their daughter who is in middle school walking to school and holding hands and kissing her Black girlfriend. I live in a progressive community in Chicago and it has clearly rubbed off on the Mormon families around me. By the way, my next door neighbor Mormon family is half Mexican.
The Mormom church in my neighborhood is very involved in an interfaith group in our community of a Lutheran church, a Jewish Temple and their church in a refugee resettlement program, which has been taking in Syrian refugees. I live in a community where the Catholic Theological Union that the new Pope studied in holds interfaith dialogues regularly for many years. Before my mom had dementia she used to go. They include members of many different faiths.
That is what the US is supposed to be like. Coming together in shared humanity. Mike Lee misses the part of humanity.
I am so glad the killer has been caught. Mike Lee should resign, but probably won't. Still, I have several Mormon neighbors who are fine upstanding people and tolerant of other religions. So, Mike Lee does not represent the best of his faith.
Very eloquent, Linda. I'm glad to know that there are communities like yours that see people as people before they are anything else. I believe I live in such a community also, though I am not involved in mine the way you are.
Mike Lee is another proof that religion doesn't make bad people good. Most of those on the right who've been clamoring for federal LE in L.A. to start shooting unarmed protesters consider themselves 'Jesus-lovin' christians.'
Bravo to Ed Shelleby, Sen. Smith's chief of staff for his moving message rebuking those who would attempt to justify this heinous act for political reasons. His heartfelt words will not 'move the needle' for the cultists, but definitely struck a chord with the rest of the country.
That was my first thought - violence in pursuit of trump’s agenda is always ok. So what better way to telegraph that - as if he hasn’t done that enough already - than by pardoning an assassin doing “his work” for the “good of the country”. Ridding us of the vermin that are democrats and leftists.
Obviously Lee is yet another conditional Christian, who as a purported member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, clearly hasn't remembered his Covenant obligation (if he ever knew it) to "mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." He is a disgrace. To his church. To his state. To the country.
First Hoffmans, then 2 visits to politicians who were not home, then to the Hortmans where the real police showed up. The killer fired on them, killed the Speaker Emerita and husband and fled on foot out the back door. Sen Hoffman and wife have survived, though he was shot 9 times, she 8. A long road ahead.
Just for the record it is “”Hortman” not “Hoffman”… Mellissa was a personal friend of mine for 20 years (we are both attorneys) and I’ve been numb since Saturday.
Please accept my condolences on the loss of your friend, Melissa Hortman. Our hearts are with the people of Minnesota as they mourn the loss of such a special person -- in such a senseless tragedy.
Expect Joyce will make corrections to her recording of the events. The state handling and charging has been solid throughout. Like to keep the feds out, because of the possible motives of the administration. Minnesota will pursue justice under it's established laws and without prejudice or by adding a layer of spin.
OMG! I am so very very sorry, Alan! I watched Ken Martin last night on MSNBC and he was in tears. My eyes welled up. I hope you can find peace somehow. I really do. I would like for him to have the other couple confront him face to face before he reaches his final sentencing, once they are able. My heart is with you and all of their families.
A couple of points. First, while it’s true that political violence is never acceptable, it needs to be noted that in this country 90 percent of it comes from the right.
Second, it’s a good thing there are state charges, because Trump can’t pardon those.
>>>... That needs to be noted but in this country 90% of it [political violence] comes from the right. <<<
Agreed, and it's one of the great FAILURES of our media (not that we could ever count on Fox as part of the mediasphere) to pound home this fact time and again. And to spend the energy debunking every lie, even the same lie, every time it's uttered, instead of simply reporting the utterance and leaving it hang in the air unjudged and, for the most part, uncommented.
Not sure how you came up with that percentage. Where are the 1 lefty out of every ten political assaults committed? 2500 rioters at the Capitol: no lefties. Vehicle ramming attacks in the US: no lefties. Mass shootings? Incels and right-wing haters. Where are you seeing left-wing violence?
EXACTLY what the media is NOT saying!, that MOST political violence in the USA comes from Republicans against Democrats, led by the felon president who pardoned the insurrectionists!!!!!!
>>>Trump supporter Laura Loomer tweeted that the shooter had been appointed to a state commission by Minnesota’s Governor, the former Democratic Vice Presidential nominee. “Tim Walz's goons are now assassinating law makers who support legislation Walz opposes.”<<<
She and other influencers like her got her training and inspiration from one of the originals in the Bush era, Ann Coulter. Utterly despicable, nasty, immoral lies. I don't know how such people live with themselves and dream up this sewage. Clearly it takes some form of narcissism, perhaps in the same vein of Trump. Same with Mike Lee... Given the posts here in this article and the fact that when the Trump assassination attempt happened in Pennsylvania, Lee immediately tweeted "Biden gave the order." It's beyond unconscionable. And it does not help that the media reports these lies but does not debunk them each and every time.
This partisan toxicity has got to end. I wonder if any representative has the fortitude or courage to be the first to challenge their own party and make it stick. We should be demanding this.
TBH, I don't really care which Senator(s) confront Mike Lee. Everyone has demons and personal challenges, but resorting to political rhetoric in the face of cold blooded assassination is shameless demagoguery beyond excuse. Any church that does not insist on an obsequious apology from Lee is an apostate of Christ. May the Utah media continue to relentlessly grill him. My condolences to those who knew Melissa and Mark Hortman. May their memory bless their family and all who knew them.
Once again...thank you for your work and the clear, understandable for those of us who didn't go to law school, explanations of what's going on. I'm in awe of your expertise and so grateful for each and every one of your posts (chicken photos included!).
On mornings like this one, I am prepared to overlook all spelling, grammar, usage and punctuation errors. The important thing is that I'm able to comprehend the views of those who comment. (I often wonder how many of these are the direct result of AI "auto-botch".)
it's become a very trendy word, no doubt makes many of the people who use it sound scientific in some way - but it is not helpful. One wonders if there is something about the violence besides its randomness, and there isn't.
My use of the word stochastic (now correctly spelled) is to distinguish Mike Lee's fomenting from Boelter's direct actions, the latter of which are the proximate cause of the terrorism that Mike Lee celebrates. Mike Lee wraps his horrible words and images in the First Amendment and spews them through a social media megaphone ... but should he be able to di so with impunity? Should there not be some consequence for stirring the pot in the direction of violence that is random and statistically determinable? Should not a jury of Mike Lee's peers be called to bring a carefully considered judgment of his actions? I would like to see some movement at the state or federal level for addressing "sideline cheerings" of violence with some form of justice.
Thank you for sharing with us what the right wing universe was saying about this tragedy. I never read or listen to that, except for Mike Lee's awful words. I can't believe what goes on over there! I look forward to you helping us all to understand the law side of this as it goes on.
Because we are living in this bizarre timeline and what used to be unthinkable, a Minnesota state conviction must prevail. It is not beyond inconceivable that Trump could issue a pardon of a federal conviction.
Mike Lee, a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, no doubt thinks he is a fine and moral man. He is not. His indecent social media posts this weekend tell us exactly who he is. The senators from Minnesota have lost friends and colleagues in this senseless attack; his disrespect of them is palpable. I applaud Tina Smith for confronting him today; Amy Klobuchar has said she will talk to him when she returns to Washington. But now they have to bury the dead and console their families. Shame on you, Mike Lee.
Send a letter to LDS Leaders in Salt Lake City about Mike Lee's posts. The values of the Church are what he is displaying for the world.
His posts are not simply "political." They are promoting hate.
1-2-3 censor Sen. Lee. https://www.ethics.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contacting-the-committee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT_Yvpt2Jjw
Thank you for this information. I used the link to request that Mike Lee be censored.
Good idea. And consider sharing this link when you do write:
https://open.substack.com/pub/charliesykes/p/have-you-absolutely-no-conscience?r=f38fk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Thank you. There seems to be no civility left in this country, no human decency and no empathy for your fellow human beings.
How will we ever find a way back ?
We need another John McCain to emerge in the GOP leadership. His kind of character is, as far as I can tell, non-existent today.
Barbara, I do believe there is a lot of civility. I see it every day all over the place, folks helping folks out, sharing what they have, donating to service organizations, donating food and clothing so others will have what they need, and so much more. The challenge, these acts of kindness and decency are common, so don't make it into our media. When was the last time one saw a program or movie where that level of kindness was included? It is sometimes covered by local news, but usually as the "caring moment" or something similar which means we should all say "ah, isn't that so nice" assuming it is so rare it was included at the end of the newscast or before the ad break. Think about all those rallies this weekend and almost no violence or incivility among about 5 million+ people. The unfortunate thing is that we have decided that our businesses should be uncivil in caring only for shareholders who have only money at stake in the corporation. We have made elections so expensive that only very rich people run, and many of those who choose to do so are desperate for power their money has not given them yet, that is particularly true for Republicans. We have an entire political party that lives and breathes incivility and it has been taken over by a rich old white man and his cruel handlers/puppeteers who want to make us all believe this nation is just like them; it isn't. Maybe we all who care need to be more willing to show kindness publicly and on a regular basis so our young people will see that being kind is a belief and skill that is valuable, probably above all others.
Yes Ruth, I do agree with everything you said.
I just become so discouraged some days with the political mess we find ourselves in. Everyday I wake up and instead of looking forward to the day, it is more and more political shenanigans. Politicians led by Mr. trump seem to feel no shame in lying, saying things your mother would have washed your mouth out with soap for saying with impunity and applause.
Here is to seeing and showing kindness everyday in . Thank you for reminding me.
Barbara, you are right about being discouraged easily. I feel it too, but I have been blessed to live in and near a community that really does care about each other even though most people outside that community think of it as a horror of violence, poverty, and incivility, only the poverty is true and that because of those huge corporations Toddler-Trump wants to reward, those corporations who left to find cheaper workers and left the people here desperate for work. I cannot walk on the street in our community without people greeting me and me them. I told my students that and they told me I was wrong, then came back the next session and told me I was right; they had never noticed or participated themselves before. We need to work on this everywhere so we won't be so discouraged and will be less likely to vote for people who only fake their civility, if they show any at all. Trump never did and "won" anyway, and has still a too-large following.
Thank you for posting this link. Great article. Ed Shelleby is very eloquent.
I believe that this is the letter that Lawrence O'Donnell read aloud last night on his show, The Last Word, MSNBC.
Then I will hear it today. We always watch it the next day, because in the interests of sleeping, we do not watch news at night. Or I should probably say I can't watch news at night. Lawrence is a favorite of mine, because he is so clear and unequivocal about the truth.
Lee should be censured by the Senate at a minimum.
Never forget his offhand remark to a First Responder telling the harrowing tale of being in the collapsing building on 9/11 (in hopes of gaining support for benefits for those First Responders): "Bet you have a lot of stories to tell."
Mike Lee has the morals of the average 21st century Republican politician; that is to say, none at all.
Mike Lee is not a fine and upstanding person because he is a Republican at this point in time in history. The killer is a terrorist, and Mike Lee is supporting terrorism.
This is what living in a Kakistocracy looks like.
I was just talking to one of my Mormon neighbors yesterday because I live in a place where there are several Mormon families in Chicago. He told me that he is no longer a Mormon in beliefs, and neither are his parents, but they still belong to the church because they like the community. This young man was never going to go on a mission. However, his older brother did. Maybe his younger brothers will now that they have moved back to Utah. His older brother went. My next door neighbors who are also Mormon have a son who is a gay ballet dancer. Although his two older sisters went on Missions and are very involved in their faith, I don't think he is going on a mission either.
Another neighbor of mine who is Mormon, I have seen their daughter who is in middle school walking to school and holding hands and kissing her Black girlfriend. I live in a progressive community in Chicago and it has clearly rubbed off on the Mormon families around me. By the way, my next door neighbor Mormon family is half Mexican.
The Mormom church in my neighborhood is very involved in an interfaith group in our community of a Lutheran church, a Jewish Temple and their church in a refugee resettlement program, which has been taking in Syrian refugees. I live in a community where the Catholic Theological Union that the new Pope studied in holds interfaith dialogues regularly for many years. Before my mom had dementia she used to go. They include members of many different faiths.
That is what the US is supposed to be like. Coming together in shared humanity. Mike Lee misses the part of humanity.
I am so glad the killer has been caught. Mike Lee should resign, but probably won't. Still, I have several Mormon neighbors who are fine upstanding people and tolerant of other religions. So, Mike Lee does not represent the best of his faith.
Resignation is far too noble a path for Mike Lee to choose. He's just looking to go to Mar a Lago.
Of course he is. Showing how ugly you can be is a prerequisite for getting into the Trump administration.
Very eloquent, Linda. I'm glad to know that there are communities like yours that see people as people before they are anything else. I believe I live in such a community also, though I am not involved in mine the way you are.
There needs to be more interfaith services/events...especially now. Signed, another Chicagoan.
Yes. I think this is important work and glad that here is work on it in my community.
Mike Lee is another proof that religion doesn't make bad people good. Most of those on the right who've been clamoring for federal LE in L.A. to start shooting unarmed protesters consider themselves 'Jesus-lovin' christians.'
onward xtian soldiers misses then whole point of Jesus.
Bravo to Ed Shelleby, Sen. Smith's chief of staff for his moving message rebuking those who would attempt to justify this heinous act for political reasons. His heartfelt words will not 'move the needle' for the cultists, but definitely struck a chord with the rest of the country.
100%
Mike Lee is disqualified — grotesque and dangerous without any concern for others. Utah should do better.
Very true and well spoken.
A state case also means Trump can’t pardon him. The idea of doing that is beyond belief, but it’s Trump.
That was my first thought - violence in pursuit of trump’s agenda is always ok. So what better way to telegraph that - as if he hasn’t done that enough already - than by pardoning an assassin doing “his work” for the “good of the country”. Ridding us of the vermin that are democrats and leftists.
He pardoned traitors and murderers when he pardoned the insurrectionists
Minnesota does not have a death penalty. There is a federal death penalty.
Obviously Lee is yet another conditional Christian, who as a purported member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, clearly hasn't remembered his Covenant obligation (if he ever knew it) to "mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." He is a disgrace. To his church. To his state. To the country.
To the human race.
This is an excellent perspective on the lack of comapassion and decency in Mike Lee's bones:
https://open.substack.com/pub/charliesykes/p/have-you-absolutely-no-conscience?r=f38fk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Hi Joyce - I think the Residence 2 paragraph must refer to the Hortman residence, not the Hoffman's. Right?
Also, I believe Hoffman was a state senator.
That is correct. The Hortman shooting occurred first, but was discovered after the Hoffman shooting.
First Hoffmans, then 2 visits to politicians who were not home, then to the Hortmans where the real police showed up. The killer fired on them, killed the Speaker Emerita and husband and fled on foot out the back door. Sen Hoffman and wife have survived, though he was shot 9 times, she 8. A long road ahead.
This is correct rendition of what has been reported
This is the correct sequence of shootings.
Incorrect.
Something is off in the description of what happened in each residence and when in addition to the names being incorrect. Horrific nonetheless.
I wondered about that, too.
Just for the record it is “”Hortman” not “Hoffman”… Mellissa was a personal friend of mine for 20 years (we are both attorneys) and I’ve been numb since Saturday.
So sorry for your loss, Alan.
I’m so sorry for the loss of your friend. She sounds like an amazing person.
Please accept my condolences on the loss of your friend, Melissa Hortman. Our hearts are with the people of Minnesota as they mourn the loss of such a special person -- in such a senseless tragedy.
Expect Joyce will make corrections to her recording of the events. The state handling and charging has been solid throughout. Like to keep the feds out, because of the possible motives of the administration. Minnesota will pursue justice under it's established laws and without prejudice or by adding a layer of spin.
OMG! I am so very very sorry, Alan! I watched Ken Martin last night on MSNBC and he was in tears. My eyes welled up. I hope you can find peace somehow. I really do. I would like for him to have the other couple confront him face to face before he reaches his final sentencing, once they are able. My heart is with you and all of their families.
Deepest condolences for your loss. I can only imagine how much you will miss her.
The hypocrisy of those who voice support for The 10 Commandments and are silent now is galling.
They should be called the “Thou shalts”.
I’m so unbelievably sad for the children of these families. Their lives are irreparably changed and they face such sorrow and challenges ahead. 🙏
A couple of points. First, while it’s true that political violence is never acceptable, it needs to be noted that in this country 90 percent of it comes from the right.
Second, it’s a good thing there are state charges, because Trump can’t pardon those.
>>>... That needs to be noted but in this country 90% of it [political violence] comes from the right. <<<
Agreed, and it's one of the great FAILURES of our media (not that we could ever count on Fox as part of the mediasphere) to pound home this fact time and again. And to spend the energy debunking every lie, even the same lie, every time it's uttered, instead of simply reporting the utterance and leaving it hang in the air unjudged and, for the most part, uncommented.
Picket, boycott Fox and its local stations.
Not sure how you came up with that percentage. Where are the 1 lefty out of every ten political assaults committed? 2500 rioters at the Capitol: no lefties. Vehicle ramming attacks in the US: no lefties. Mass shootings? Incels and right-wing haters. Where are you seeing left-wing violence?
It was an estimate. I wqs writing on my phone in the middle of the night. Give me a break.
I really did want to know if you were seeing something I wasn't seeing. Thank you for your note.
I get it. Might be 95 or 99%.
EXACTLY what the media is NOT saying!, that MOST political violence in the USA comes from Republicans against Democrats, led by the felon president who pardoned the insurrectionists!!!!!!
>>>Trump supporter Laura Loomer tweeted that the shooter had been appointed to a state commission by Minnesota’s Governor, the former Democratic Vice Presidential nominee. “Tim Walz's goons are now assassinating law makers who support legislation Walz opposes.”<<<
She and other influencers like her got her training and inspiration from one of the originals in the Bush era, Ann Coulter. Utterly despicable, nasty, immoral lies. I don't know how such people live with themselves and dream up this sewage. Clearly it takes some form of narcissism, perhaps in the same vein of Trump. Same with Mike Lee... Given the posts here in this article and the fact that when the Trump assassination attempt happened in Pennsylvania, Lee immediately tweeted "Biden gave the order." It's beyond unconscionable. And it does not help that the media reports these lies but does not debunk them each and every time.
Don’t forget Rush Limbaugh.
Good point. He lit the brush fire
This partisan toxicity has got to end. I wonder if any representative has the fortitude or courage to be the first to challenge their own party and make it stick. We should be demanding this.
TBH, I don't really care which Senator(s) confront Mike Lee. Everyone has demons and personal challenges, but resorting to political rhetoric in the face of cold blooded assassination is shameless demagoguery beyond excuse. Any church that does not insist on an obsequious apology from Lee is an apostate of Christ. May the Utah media continue to relentlessly grill him. My condolences to those who knew Melissa and Mark Hortman. May their memory bless their family and all who knew them.
Read and share this on Mike Lee and his inhumanity and lack of decency:
https://open.substack.com/pub/charliesykes/p/have-you-absolutely-no-conscience?r=f38fk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
So the same people who decry “politicizing” mass shootings rushed to politicize this one.
Once again...thank you for your work and the clear, understandable for those of us who didn't go to law school, explanations of what's going on. I'm in awe of your expertise and so grateful for each and every one of your posts (chicken photos included!).
Yes, political violence is never the answer ... except for the Mike Lee's of the world who readily, shamelessly foment stoichastic violence.
“sto·chas·tic” = random. Had to look it up again for about the fifth time.😵💫
Not quite. Predictable within certain probabilities but not possible to predict exactly who when where.
Thanks for catching my misspelling. Darnit.
I think Wm Burke was just saying it is an uncommon word and had to look it up.....Me as well ! I as well...?
On mornings like this one, I am prepared to overlook all spelling, grammar, usage and punctuation errors. The important thing is that I'm able to comprehend the views of those who comment. (I often wonder how many of these are the direct result of AI "auto-botch".)
it's become a very trendy word, no doubt makes many of the people who use it sound scientific in some way - but it is not helpful. One wonders if there is something about the violence besides its randomness, and there isn't.
My use of the word stochastic (now correctly spelled) is to distinguish Mike Lee's fomenting from Boelter's direct actions, the latter of which are the proximate cause of the terrorism that Mike Lee celebrates. Mike Lee wraps his horrible words and images in the First Amendment and spews them through a social media megaphone ... but should he be able to di so with impunity? Should there not be some consequence for stirring the pot in the direction of violence that is random and statistically determinable? Should not a jury of Mike Lee's peers be called to bring a carefully considered judgment of his actions? I would like to see some movement at the state or federal level for addressing "sideline cheerings" of violence with some form of justice.
Thank you for sharing with us what the right wing universe was saying about this tragedy. I never read or listen to that, except for Mike Lee's awful words. I can't believe what goes on over there! I look forward to you helping us all to understand the law side of this as it goes on.
Well said Kandace.
Thank you, Chris.
Because we are living in this bizarre timeline and what used to be unthinkable, a Minnesota state conviction must prevail. It is not beyond inconceivable that Trump could issue a pardon of a federal conviction.