If Donald Trump was anyone other than Donald Trump, he would have pled guilty by now to the charges that are inevitably coming from the Mar-a-Lago search. Of course, if he was smart, he would have comprehensively searched and returned everything in his possession the minute the National Archives came knocking. So, this isn’t about whether he’s smart. It’s about whether he has a survival instinct and some common sense at this point.
It makes sense, on the level of national security, to let people who threaten our security it 'get away with crimes. 'However, it makes me feel sick inside.' At the level of principle it is injustice of the worse kind... it threatens the psyche, undermines believe in justice itself. If 45 threatens to use information against the country, put him in isolation, do not allow anyone to speak to him or hear him. That will solve the dissemination problem... and it would be just, considering the magnitude of the crime.
Tfg wants to delay a prosecution until he’s well into his campaign. Then he’ll file whatever motions his lawyers invent and will delay until the election is nearly at hand. If heaven help us his minions have gerrymandered and voter suppressed enough to claim victory, he’ll assert immunity to prosecution and will appeal that all the way to a fascist SCOTUS. The devil always has survival instincts. We need to turn out every Democratic vote and prosecute him yesterday to prevent this.
I was so pissed reading this, excused me, Joyce. Holder's explanation for not convicting the General is lame. Letting Nixon resign and the pardoning him was/is unforgivable. And the list is long for those, even previous presidents that should have been impeached and convicted and never held accountable. If they had, we wouldn't be in this 'should we or shouldn't' we BS today. Of course, we should and it's way overdue for us to treat all politician with the same Rule of Law the average citizens must abide by. "Trump kept the documents for a long period of time, at least 18 months, although there is some suggestion that federal prosecutors are not confident everything has been returned even now. " What I keep going back to 1. No one or agency seems to know what is missing? And if that is a fair statement, we have a bigger problem than Trump. 2. The DOJ, as in M. Garland drag his feet way too long. I just hope SP Smith brings some of the ethics and courage that is often seen at The Hague.
Consider the ongoing threat Trump is to the US from a national security perspective, why can't they arrest and install him at Gitmo along with all the other people being held that are threats to our nation? He is just as dangerous if not more so.
We all know by now that this is untrue: " Of course, if he was smart," as well as completely against his nature. He probably has access to smart advisors - but to paraphrase Ben Franklin about advice,
"A wise man doesn't need it
And a fool won't heed it."
We can only hope that his clear lack of common sense and his own big mouth does him in and eventually leads to time in jail. But we shall see. He seems to have an uncanny knack for evading any consequences of his lies, misdeeds and outright crimes.
Despite his conviction for retaining classified documents, sharing them w/ his lover, and lying about that to the FBI, General Petraeus has received numerous academic honors and positions, is on the boards of directors of several companies. It makes sense Trump would have considered another liar to be his Secretary of State. Perhaps DOJ and the world consider a man having an extra-marital affair w/ his biographer to be so affected by hormones, lust, and ego that betraying his oath was simply a case of "boys will be boys" and not deserving of a meaningful felony conviction.
It's a lesson for future potential traitors: there's money, status, and a career to be made. Perhaps Trump is learning from Petraeus after all: no punishment, no shaming, lots of glory.
Dear Miss Penelope! When this whole shutstorm has finally blown over - hopefully SOON - It will be time for America to review / revise many of the provisions of its legal system. For all their wisdom the Founding Fathers could never have envisaged that a despicable criminal scumbag like #45 would ever become president. Likewise for many SCOTUS justices who have defiled the oath of office many of them never really took. And that doesn't consider the 200 odd representatives who should have been imprisoned for treason a long time ago! God save America - you're going to need all the help you can get!
We need to lance this boil. The great unwashed will rise up and they need to be dealt with accordingly by a massive federal force, unlike J6. Bullies need to be dealt with and we cannot let the "unpleasantness" stop us from finally dealing with those who would destroy our nation. Charge, convict and jail him. Deal with the protests in a strong, legal manner. Zero tolerance with the fake militias and guys sporting tactical gear. They are bullies and it is time to smash them in the mouth or suffer their rule forever. This is the line we cannot cross.
If he’s indicted for everything short of dissemination (which might be the subject of a superceding indictment), how could he avoid being taken into custody? Wouldn’t remaining free be unjustifiable special treatment? Could bail be withheld?
What Trump has done, crimes he’s committed, are unconscionable. If I were the judge, at this point, after all the b.s. he’s put out about how this is a “witch hunt” and all, I’d refuse to accept his plea of guilty. He can stand trial.
Trump is looking at 5-20 years on one charge, alone. I’m going to be really honest here. The only prayer he has is if he can get one of his hard core MAGA followers on the jury. Then, and only then, he might have a chance at beating this. Because that one person will never find Trump guilty of anything. I honestly believe this is what’s he’s gambling on.
Another thing. Trump will never survive a federal prison. He’s not built for it.
The malignant narcissist is invested with a kind of hubris that cannot imagine himself unable to dodge consequences for his actions as he has managed to do for many years in the private sector. He'll disavow both his culpability and the weight of the law right to the jailhouse door. Negotiating for a misdemeanor charge would be tantamount to admitting guilt, which he will never do.
Dear learned friend: why on this good earth would tfg plead guilty for the exact reasons you just stated above - there appear to be no consequences for their actions or those like them. IMHO, their actions may not fall under the current definition of treason but they have and will continue to cause great irreparable harm to the USA, and it's democracy and placed it's citizentry in actual physical danger and should suffer the natural consequences for doing so.
It makes sense, on the level of national security, to let people who threaten our security it 'get away with crimes. 'However, it makes me feel sick inside.' At the level of principle it is injustice of the worse kind... it threatens the psyche, undermines believe in justice itself. If 45 threatens to use information against the country, put him in isolation, do not allow anyone to speak to him or hear him. That will solve the dissemination problem... and it would be just, considering the magnitude of the crime.
Incredibly grateful for the Master Class you teach with every post you write. Thank you. Now, c’mon DOJ. Indict DJT.
Tfg wants to delay a prosecution until he’s well into his campaign. Then he’ll file whatever motions his lawyers invent and will delay until the election is nearly at hand. If heaven help us his minions have gerrymandered and voter suppressed enough to claim victory, he’ll assert immunity to prosecution and will appeal that all the way to a fascist SCOTUS. The devil always has survival instincts. We need to turn out every Democratic vote and prosecute him yesterday to prevent this.
I was so pissed reading this, excused me, Joyce. Holder's explanation for not convicting the General is lame. Letting Nixon resign and the pardoning him was/is unforgivable. And the list is long for those, even previous presidents that should have been impeached and convicted and never held accountable. If they had, we wouldn't be in this 'should we or shouldn't' we BS today. Of course, we should and it's way overdue for us to treat all politician with the same Rule of Law the average citizens must abide by. "Trump kept the documents for a long period of time, at least 18 months, although there is some suggestion that federal prosecutors are not confident everything has been returned even now. " What I keep going back to 1. No one or agency seems to know what is missing? And if that is a fair statement, we have a bigger problem than Trump. 2. The DOJ, as in M. Garland drag his feet way too long. I just hope SP Smith brings some of the ethics and courage that is often seen at The Hague.
Consider the ongoing threat Trump is to the US from a national security perspective, why can't they arrest and install him at Gitmo along with all the other people being held that are threats to our nation? He is just as dangerous if not more so.
We all know by now that this is untrue: " Of course, if he was smart," as well as completely against his nature. He probably has access to smart advisors - but to paraphrase Ben Franklin about advice,
"A wise man doesn't need it
And a fool won't heed it."
We can only hope that his clear lack of common sense and his own big mouth does him in and eventually leads to time in jail. But we shall see. He seems to have an uncanny knack for evading any consequences of his lies, misdeeds and outright crimes.
20 years in a windowless 8x10 cell on the third sub-basement level of the Florence SuperMax. I think that will be appropriate.
Despite his conviction for retaining classified documents, sharing them w/ his lover, and lying about that to the FBI, General Petraeus has received numerous academic honors and positions, is on the boards of directors of several companies. It makes sense Trump would have considered another liar to be his Secretary of State. Perhaps DOJ and the world consider a man having an extra-marital affair w/ his biographer to be so affected by hormones, lust, and ego that betraying his oath was simply a case of "boys will be boys" and not deserving of a meaningful felony conviction.
It's a lesson for future potential traitors: there's money, status, and a career to be made. Perhaps Trump is learning from Petraeus after all: no punishment, no shaming, lots of glory.
Dear Miss Penelope! When this whole shutstorm has finally blown over - hopefully SOON - It will be time for America to review / revise many of the provisions of its legal system. For all their wisdom the Founding Fathers could never have envisaged that a despicable criminal scumbag like #45 would ever become president. Likewise for many SCOTUS justices who have defiled the oath of office many of them never really took. And that doesn't consider the 200 odd representatives who should have been imprisoned for treason a long time ago! God save America - you're going to need all the help you can get!
We need to lance this boil. The great unwashed will rise up and they need to be dealt with accordingly by a massive federal force, unlike J6. Bullies need to be dealt with and we cannot let the "unpleasantness" stop us from finally dealing with those who would destroy our nation. Charge, convict and jail him. Deal with the protests in a strong, legal manner. Zero tolerance with the fake militias and guys sporting tactical gear. They are bullies and it is time to smash them in the mouth or suffer their rule forever. This is the line we cannot cross.
If he’s indicted for everything short of dissemination (which might be the subject of a superceding indictment), how could he avoid being taken into custody? Wouldn’t remaining free be unjustifiable special treatment? Could bail be withheld?
What Trump has done, crimes he’s committed, are unconscionable. If I were the judge, at this point, after all the b.s. he’s put out about how this is a “witch hunt” and all, I’d refuse to accept his plea of guilty. He can stand trial.
Trump is looking at 5-20 years on one charge, alone. I’m going to be really honest here. The only prayer he has is if he can get one of his hard core MAGA followers on the jury. Then, and only then, he might have a chance at beating this. Because that one person will never find Trump guilty of anything. I honestly believe this is what’s he’s gambling on.
Another thing. Trump will never survive a federal prison. He’s not built for it.
Thanks, Joyce! Pure brilliance as usual! And the beat goes on and on and on…..
The malignant narcissist is invested with a kind of hubris that cannot imagine himself unable to dodge consequences for his actions as he has managed to do for many years in the private sector. He'll disavow both his culpability and the weight of the law right to the jailhouse door. Negotiating for a misdemeanor charge would be tantamount to admitting guilt, which he will never do.
Thanks for the detailed descriptions again Joyce. KARMA to TFG.... peace☮️
Dear learned friend: why on this good earth would tfg plead guilty for the exact reasons you just stated above - there appear to be no consequences for their actions or those like them. IMHO, their actions may not fall under the current definition of treason but they have and will continue to cause great irreparable harm to the USA, and it's democracy and placed it's citizentry in actual physical danger and should suffer the natural consequences for doing so.