Thanks for your excellent analysis; it is a lot to process, as someone noted earlier. I still believe that the best way to get the necessary relief from Trump & Trumps that we all seek is to step into the ballot box on the appropriate day and vote for someone else. In Nov. 2020, 88-plus millions of us did and Trump's now out of office, not standing the intervening difficulties. If Trump is the Republican nominee, then 90-plus millions of us need to deliver the message again that he' and his supporters are not welcome to participate in our political process.
I fervently hope that works, F.P.. The thing that frightens me is our toxic one-choice balloting system--toxic because it enables the spoiler effect. With this system the voter is faced with the dilemma: do I vote for the person I truly want to be elected, or do I limit my choice to one of the two main political parties so that my vote counts? If we had Ranked Choice Voting he could vote for his favorite as first choice and whomever he regards as "lesser-of-two-evils" as his second choice. When his favorite was eliminated in the instant runoff enabled by Ranked Choice, his second choice would count and the spoiler effect would be destroyed. But we don't have Ranked Choice Voting for this contest. I hope that this experience will motivate a future Congress to legislate a mandate that all future federal elections will use the Ranked Choice Voting system. This is especially true if the spoiler effect curses us with the fascist cult-leader Donald Trump as President.
I agree that ranked choice voting is a far more desirable way to elect candidates but since that doesn't exist for the 2024 presidential election, the only choice is to vote for the Democratic Party nominee.
2024 is not a normal election. Normality need not apply. It is a referendum on our form of government, our way of life and whether our country is to remain--or become something very frightening. Because it is so singularly dire this time, it is more like we are at war with forces who plan the overthrow of our government. It isn't important what your politics are this time. We cannot vote for the anarchists, whichever party they pretend to be.
Why would tRump accept the outcome of the 2024 election when he won’t accept the fact that he LOST the 2020 election by over 7 million votes?
I can’t understand how anyone in the public who’s been paying attention and MSM still give tRump the benefit of the doubt and treat him like he’s a normal person. He’s not! He’s trying to overthrow our government and will do it again in 2024 regardless of the results.
His fragile little ego won't allow him to accept that he was massively rejected in 2020. The good news this time is that he's not in the White House...So, no matter how much he kvetches and whines and cries, there'll be nothing he can say or do that will help him prevail. And, after having heard his lies about the 2020 election being stolen, I'm willing to bet that voters will be sick and tired of hearing him cry wolf, so his cries will fall on deaf ears. I, for one, will be encouraging him to leave the country (if he's not convicted and already incarcerated) if he genuinely doesn't like the way we do politics in a constitutional democracy. I'm sure that Putin, Victor Orban, or Kim would welcome him with open arms.
The Trumpers and his Crime Family should be removed from our political system! They have tried to repeatedly destroy it. Perhaps they can relocate to Russia where he already has an alliance!
We have a government document prepared by the January 6 Committee stating that Donald Trump instigated the insurrection on January 6. Why do we need a conviction when we already have this valuable government document laying blame at DJT's feet? It seems to me that this should be more than adequate for Article 14 Section 3.
Your right, Steve. This case would not require the "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt" standard of a criminal prosecution. The January 6 Committee documents certainly seem to satisfy the "preponderance of evidence" standard.
But he was not oblivious. He knew full well what was going on. He was in constant contact with his minions in the house and senate. There is cell phone proof that he spoke at length with Tommy Tuberville and Jim Jordan.
I used the wrong word, so I'm glad you clarified that for me! Come to think of it, he's never been oblivious about anything his whole life, has he? He always knows what he's doing, even though he'd prefer to have people believe he's a pitiful, misunderstood victim who's being abused by the courts, etc., ad nauseum, when he's making US victims for having to put up with his daily shenanigans.
He’s going to pretend he ‘knew nothing’ all the way to jail. He IS going to prison, but it won’t be a regular one. I predict it will be a fortified building at Langley with lots of CIA agents, and what not to guard him with the Secret Service in their own special house next-door. That’s where he’s going to live. He made his choice: he wanted to be a lifetime president. He wanted to destroy our democracy. He listened to people like Roger Stone who said he should declare martial law via the Insurrection Act and seize ballots in Nevada.
Stone appealed to Trump to pardon Matt Gaetz, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley and Jim Jordan.
So let’s connect the dots here: among this crew has most often shuffled and snuffled their way to Mara Lardo? And then who’s interest is it to get Trump elected so they can get pardoned? The answer is number A ‘all of the above.’
They hate him and lick his boots, hoping to get a pardon. Roger Stone took the fifth amendment during the January 6 committee hearings, and Steve Bannon refused to testify. Jack Smith is saving them all till later by the way. They can huff and puff all they want but they’re going to jail. Not everybody’s going to jail, but I predict they will. They are members of Congress, who planned the insurrection with Trump. Or they’ll plea deal. And testify against Trump.
The only thing I'd argue about is Trump's desire to destroy to democracy. I don't think that is his primary target. It would be a great side benefit, for sure, and he probably would enjoy the destruction, because he loves chaos, but he doesn't think about democracy that way. He's always been a beneficiary of the way rules and justice in this country are structured for the wealthy among us, so why should he go out of his way to destroy it? I believe his main motivation is simply to stay out of jail and raise money from his followers. That is certainly his motive for running again--that and his "campaign rallies". His Ego Gratification/ Rile the Base In Person rallies, I should say. But that's merely my own opinion.
It no longer can matter to me what MAGA motives might or might not be. To vote the Rs out, massively, is all that can any longer matter to me. Protecting voting rights, undoing Gerrymandering, packing the Supreme Court, these are vital issues for the obvious reasons.
And the majority of the Senate voted FOR impeachment (just not the 2/3 needed to remove him in that process). Many Republicans who voted against it said at the time that they didn't believe that a president already out of office could be impeached. That was Mitch McConnell's craven excuse--but Mitch said he could be civilly and criminally held to account.
Where do I stand? I stand with the Constitution. Sec. 3 of the 14th Amendment can't be dismissed as a relic of Civil War times. It was intended then and is still intended now to prevent those who have taken and subsequently don't honor their pledge to support and defend the Constitution from holding public office in the future. The courts will decide who has the burden of proof.
A solid legal argument indeed! I am cautious however that denying him and his multi-millions of hard core supporters an opportunity to elect him would lead to many violent encounters and probably loss of innocent lives. Of course I don’t endorse such disgraceful and dangerous acts but the political future of this nation should be decided by ballot! I am entirely confident that he will be defeated by tens of millions of votes but I fear the lasting impact of having a legal argument and court decision stand in the way of democracy! Very very dangerous for our safety and our future!
Ira, I totally understand. But I don't think it is wise to decide which parts of the Constitution to support and which to reject. Obviously that doesn't mean we don't try to interpret what these words mean, we do. But where they clearly state what is intended, then that clear statement should and indeed must not be ignored.
See, I’m so anxious I hit the post button before I was ready to....anyway 2 states, Colorado & Minnesota. Let’s say both states win & keep his name off the ballot so does that mean he will not be eligible to receive the electoral votes from Colorado & Minnesota? Both have 10 electoral votes so that would be 20 votes djt would not get. Does anyone know...
Cindy, someone very recently posted the handy note that the three dots (...) to the lower right of your message gives you access to an edit after you have posted a note. I wish I had known that previously.
I appreciate your reasoning and I believe it is legally correct for Colirado and Minnesota. But violence could be far worse than Jan6 and after it is put down, it will seethe for a decade! The impact upon our democracy would be great so that really worries me! If I felt that he may win at the ballot box I might feel differently but he’s at 30% and after these convictions probably at 25%. Thanks for your well reasoned view!
Couy Griffin, the NM cowboy that Joyce mentioned, spent the worst 17 days of his life in a DC swamp jail with vermin and no heat. In the winter. Lessons learned. So far, Trump has helped Bannon and Roger Stone. But he has not helped any of the MAGA. Bannon is useful as he continues his false messaging. And Stone is a useful idiot.
Stone is a useful, extremely shady Republican operative, grubbing around the powerful and willing to do all manner of dirty work for his rich and ruthless patrons. He has been doing his dirty rat 'work' (I shall not use the word that was used in Nixon's time) for over 50 years. Stone should have been slapped into prison long ago and he would be there now--except Trump pardoned him.
Both Colorado & Minnesota are blue states so djt wouldn’t get those electoral votes any way. Oh, I suppose we need to be patient & let some of this court stuff play out. Thanks for getting back to me. My mind just spins when I think of another 4 years...
I'm more worried about the restrictions on voting that are being put in place. We need 90 million and I wonder if anyone has come up with a count of votes lost to these outrageous restrictions. We need to factor that in to get out the vote efforts.
As for the suits in Colorado and Minnesota, it's a start and may spread to other states if successful. Gotta hope.
Early on the last word was that Jan 6 was a rehearsal unless there is accountability. Not seeking accountability is the danger. Threats of violence notwithstanding: they are there in any case.
Ira, we are already in extreme danger. The FBI is on alert for Trump initiated terrorism from his so-called 'code' messages to the MAGA. Our danger from having him re-elected is worse than anything those yay-hoos can offer.
ps: Ira, just a further comment. The very worst thing we could do is succumb to tyranny. This is a bully tactic from Trump. I'm waiting for Jack Smith to kick him from here to China. The bar is set high for the DOJ to bring charges. Jack Smith knows this from his past years at the DOJ before he went to The Hague. So he is 99% sure in his case. Remember, he waited for the Acting Director of the National Archives to write a letter to Trump telling him he did not have the right to the documents. Jack Smith is dotting the i's and crossing the t's. Now he has Alex Whiting helping him - and Trump is afraid of him because he knows Alex Whiting has years of experience prosecuting the Mafia in New Jersey. Trump is the one who is afraid. And he does not give a whit about his minions. He knows he is going to jail. I'm not afraid of him for one split second. He has now met some of the best attorneys and judges our legal system has. It's as though they have been in training for this moment. He is going to jail. His cult members will self-implode because they will have no communication with their cult leader. They are blindly following the cult Trump has established. I'm sorry you feel fear but the outcome of Trump becoming president will be the end of our democracy. Trump is not a Democrat. He is not a Republican. He is a despot. If you have a wish to make, please make it that Trump threatens Jack Smith, Alex Whiting, any witness, court employee - and Judge Chutkan will have him in court pronto. He will be convicted before the November 2024 elections.
Trump wants us to live a fear-based life. If he opens his trap, Judge Chutkan has indicated she will move up his trial date. November is now open - because Kraken lady and Chesebro plea dealed guilty (after having gained their own trial date). Also, Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys is in prison for 22 years. Whatever he believes about 'the election is stolen' he is sitting in a cell. Trump had ample time to pardon him and did not do so. Other leaders are in jail - and some of them have stated they wish they had not believed Trump's message. We may have a wing nut here and there - but nothing organized. The FBI is on high alert to messaging. And if they find Trump giving anything in code to MAGA, Chutkan will proceed to trial. What you need to understand is that Trump wants to be a life-time president/dictator. The only way to stop his is a complete defeat. Then we have to sit backand watch Jack Smith and team send him to prison.
Your points are well taken but let’s be clear here: he is not going to “jail”. Neither of these judges are sending him to an ordinary prison along with his 20 person Secret Service crew! They will most probably sentence an 80 year old, fat and delusional former President to very restrictive “home confinement.” That probably means his personal bedroom, bathroom and maybe even office at MAL with meal service from the downstairs kitchen and with TV and internet. He will be restricted there and not permitted to go downstairs probably for the rest of his life. BUT he will be able to rant and complain on letters to the editor and the internet and through his children and visitors to his violent followers to rally in his name (which will be a signal to commit violence because judges will restrict his explicit violations of law)! Restricting his place on the ballot in two blue states will only inflame the violent mob! Just sayin…
I have no clue about logistics. I have never maintained that he would go to a 'regular prison.' I have said for many months that he would be in high security at Langley or something similar where real protection can be offered. I have never said he would have his 20 person Secret Service crew in a regular 'prison or jail.' That could never work so far as security or logistics. I may have said he is 'going to jail' or 'he will be in prison.' But that was only to mean that he is not going to 'get off' or not be punished. Sorry for that confusion - but I've maintained something like Langley and definitely NOT home confinement for many months. There is no protection for him at Mara Lardo or his NJ golf course or any other of his properties (if he even owns them after his fraud trial ends) given that he has allegedly endangered the United States by keeping Top Secret 'eyes only' documents. Some nut job will attempt to gain access by walking right in the front door. That would not happen at a secure facility. It is wishful thinking on your part to believe he will have home confinement because of his age. Mafia members went to jail in their late 70s and at age 80. So have international criminals. I cannot fathom a judge giving him access to the internet through surrogates. And he will have lost the right to send inflammatory messages out on the air waves. That would keep his message alive. That will all be determined at sentencing, but why give him access to do further damage? His political career will be pretty much over and the Secret Service will be tasked with keeping him safe. So far as enflaming the mob with restricting Trump's name on a ballot: those are blue states where he wouldn't have real chance of winning - on or off the ballot. The CREW is going after the low hanging fruit. If you are concerned about the mob being enflamed, read the words Trump posts after all of his comments. The code is: 'MAGA.......' That is what he uses to stir them up. We are in HUGE danger right now from him.
The answer to his nonsense is having Judge Chutpak move his trial date forward. I have another prediction if you can stand it: he will go off the rails when Ivanka testifies. She has already thrown Trump uner the bus when she told the January 6 Committee she accepted Bill Barr's analysis that the election did not show fraud (I'm paraphrasing). So I would not expect her to protect Daddy on his property value fraud. Or whatever. Trump will be berserk at week's end.
TC I vaguely remember you mentioned something to the effect that a neighbor of yours, who was all hung ho about using violence, face went blank when you mentioned that you were quite capable of using a gun (due to military background?) and could shoot him just as easily if he were to begin shooting.
If I remember correctly this neighbor was more than stunned, possibly freaked out after being told/ realizing he could be shot too. No doubt it was something he hadn’t thought about. Seems a lot of maga idiots think no one will defend themselves should they decide to take up arms.
(Perhaps you could refresh my memory about the situation and what you said. I’m not sure if you posted here or on HCR’s or Hubbell’s Substack.)
You have it right enough George. Every once in awhile, I like to remind idiots that they have a nose that can easily be punched, too. And telling someone "I already killed people, so I won't be upset killing you" does get their attention.
tRump and his supporters will not accept any outcome other than a tRump “win” at any cost in 2024. There is zero evidence to suggest that tRump and co. will support the rules of our democracy!
I apologize for being off-topic a bit, but I cannot find anyone who can answer or even respond to my question. As someone who worked for the Federal Government years ago, and had a security clearance, I recall the many background checks I had done whenever I changed positions. The higher the clearance, the more involved they were --- and rightly so!
My question is: How can anyone with Trump's criminal record PASS a background check? If nothing else, shouldn't ANY candidate for POTUS, VPOTUS, SCOTUS, House and Senate be required to have a background check before they can toss their hat in the ring? If they don't have to be cleared at all, then something's definitely wrong with "the system." I was a lowly secretary-stenographer, so to allow these candidates to forgo this doesn't make sense, does it?
Thank you in advance. And my apologies to the others who had to read it, too. I thought of contacting my Congressman, but he's a MAGA,
The president gets a security clearance because they are president. Another one of those slip-ups where nobody ever thought a guy like Trumpsterfire would ever be within shouting distance of a federal office.
They need to do something about that, but as long as the Trumplicans are the rulers, it won't happen.
It scares me to think about all the damage he has done by sharing secrets to the highest bidder, and anyone who happens to hang out at one of his hotels or golf resorts. Instead of having Readers Digest magazines from 20 years ago, that are missing their covers, they can pick up a classified document from the coffee table. I'm exaggerating, but the word treason keeps coming to mind every time I think about him.
I had security clearances too. Our security folks used to say that voters issued the security clearances for POTUS, VPOTUS, reps and senators.
Congressional leadership did put responsible people on the most sensitive committees.
Having an ignoramus president like Trump, whose loyalty was suspect and whose judgment was so AWOL he couldnt tell the difference between what he COULD do and what he SHOULD do was a real problem. Hence all the “I had a perfect right to...[fill in something stupid] “ statements.
Good evening Joyce: Somehow I cannot see FPOTUS not running against Biden in ‘24. It seems inevitable. I’m mainly concerned about “Magic Mike” our new Majority House Speaker interfering with the results should Biden win. I appreciate so much your deep dive with each post on what we might want to be focusing on. Your courage and steady pace is an example I strive to emulate 🇺🇸🗽🗳️👏❤️
She is teaching us law right now. We just have to be careful not to practice law. I am amazed at the depth she gives us and always with so much patience. I try to remember to say 'allegedly' and 'until he is convicted in a court of law.' But so far as our opinion of his character, we can have that under the First Amendment, so long as we say 'my opinion.' And so long as we don't mind finding a horse head in our mail box.
Great question, Dianne! I, too, was a non-governmental lowly stenographer who had to pass background checks in order to get a Secret clearance. So, too, I was interviewed about my colleagues who also needed clearances in order to do their jobs.
As a public school TEACHER, I had to be fingerprinted with background check and swear to uphold both the US and CA constitutions. The public is quick to charge teachers with all sorts of crimes of child endangerment, which is 100% right to do, but not so quick to charge a POTUS with national endangerment. [Not very well stated - still working on my first cup of coffee]
With the appointment of Mike Johnson via a complete capitulation by all (former) republicans, it has become rather frightening where we are heading. Trump and Mike Flynn are telling MAGA that voting won’t be necessary because there won’t be an election. The country voted through WWII so I’m stressing thinking about what they will do to just take over.
The court cases are moving too slow for me. Even worse, I just do not get the sense enough people either know what’s really happening or the ramifications. For me, now, the court cases, other than the 14AS3 cases, are a distraction. I’m focusing on the clues like - don’t bother voting, the appointment of a psycho as House Speaker, extreme gerrymandering and cleaning of vote roles. Stuff like that. I read and listen to Ruth Ben-Ghiat very closely. She’s a leading autocrat expert and she’s very, very worried and warns of incredible danger if the lunatic gets back in power.
There needs to be more chatter about getting this right. For me, there is too much politeness and Ruth warns people may wake up and it’s too late.
Lloyd, me, too. We must pay attention, tell others what we know, & encourage everyone to vote. We must blow MAGA out of the water, so there’s no doubt. Joyce is so good at explaining it that I sound pretty knowledgeable when I’m talking to people. I really respect our democracy & I want to make sure I’m being factual. Joyce is great with that. Stay focused & hydrate!
Yes, more urgency is demanded. The longer this demonic megalomaniac is free, the MAGA's stay empowered. The Department of Justice has been an abysmal failure in the most consequential and dangerous time in our history. The evidence is overwhelming and has been for well over a year. It is impossible to fathom why the Justice Department cannot prosecute the equivalent of a robbery committed in plain sight.
I am interrupting my reading of this issue of Civil Discourse to express my frustration at the lack of mentioning how a key area of Sec 3 of the 14th Amendment...applies to Trump..Where it states in plain language "or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof". this describes Trump's 187 minutes of inaction during the insurrection / rebellion..where he did nothing to stop the mob from attacking our Capitol..Giving them aid and comfort..It belies belief that no one is connecting these dots..
Wow...that's a lot! Thanks for keeping track and summarizing!
Sometimes it feels like nothing is happening but that is only because we don't see it in detail. I like being able to see the documents. so grateful to you Joyce, for your knowledge and willingness to share it...we are as you say in this together.
Joyce, here is where I stand as a citizen: Trump began his incitement when he sic 'em'd dude the Proud Boys in Michigan on the governor. He is a thug, who told the Proud Boys to 'stand by and stand down.' And at the same time that he gave his thumbs up approval to the Proud Boys to cause them to believe they were empowered and entitled by our highest elected official to kidnap the Governor of Michigan, he ridiculed and demeaned distinguished military officers who had served honorably for forty plus years. When he went to France for the 100 year anniversary of WW II, he could not find his way in the rain to our fallen soldiers' graves. He is an insult to our established military. And yet, to undermine our democracy and establish himself as a lifetime president/dictator, he enables the less than noble Proud Boys (and others who aligned with them on January 6). But long before January 6, Trump was sending dangerous messages to enable and empower these groups. They were convinced that Trump had requested they come to the Capitol on January 6. And when they were thrown in jail, they thought he would pardon them. He used his position as president of the United States to spread the inflammatory lie of a stolen election. So now, that behavior should be used to stop him from trying to do the same in 2024. States have always had the right to make their own laws. If Colorado and Minnesota cannot keep Trump off the ballot, Texas should not have the right to keep citizens from voting vis a vie SB1933, SB1070 (the law that Abbot signed eliminating ERIC cross-checking so an important election safeguard is gone); and SB1600 that makes voting impossible without documentary proof of citizenship. You can't take away state's rights on one hand and give it to states on the other hand. The States of Colorado and Minnesota have the right to decide who can be on their ballots - and CREW has provided ample evidence for Colorado showing Trump instigated stopping certification of OUR votes. It wasn't just from voters in Colorado, Georgia and Minnesota that Trump attempted to steal: it was the votes of all of us who voted for Biden. When someone is such a thug that the FBI is on the highest alert for his messages to his MAGA followers because those messages entail terrorism, all states should recognize that his is a thug, like a Mafia don. My opinion.
I agree. I keep hearing his debate with Biden when he gave the Proud Boys an "engraved invitation" to come join their fellow tourists on The Hill in January. Then he has the audacity to insult our intelligence by saying he never heard of them?????
“All too often, the legal system is glorified into something that people who haven’t been to law school can’t understand. I don’t think that’s the case. With a little explanation of court procedure and legal terms, and some time, you can decipher what’s happening for yourself if you choose to.”
Same in medicine. But all too often these days, the intersection of intellectual laziness, willful ignorance and Dunning-Kruger is a giant Charlie Foxtrot.
I think back to a bumper sticker (I know how you love bumper stickers!) that showed up around one August - “Drive carefully, school’s back in,” and I remember thinking, no, school’s always in. Thank you Joyce for helping the intellectually curious have the tools needed to wade through this legal morass.
There are people who have been convicted of insurrection, the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys. They would clearly be "enemies of the country." He has clearly provided comfort by stating that he will pardon them if he is elected again. That alone should disqualify him from holding office again.
Thanks, Joyce. I stay awake Sunday nights to read your articles. As a long term accountant then a long term nurse my brain didn’t think in legal terms prior to the scourge of djt. I wish I could apply your teachings to a fifth degree, because through all of this my brain is beginning to apply law principles, with the accounting and nursing principles floating around in my head. You are a very good educator, and I really appreciate the time and effort you put into your writings, MSNBC hits, & of course SIL.
Joyce, sometimes I look at the original documents where you provide the links, so thank you for that! I recently received a paralegal certificate so this is helping to satisfy that side of my brain.
I wish I had confidence that he would be barred from office. But the case will end up in the Supreme Court, and I don’t trust that supermajority that McConnell conspired to put in place.
I’m not so sure the Supreme Court would bend over backwards to protect Trump. They’re under a ton of scrutiny these days. A few a remorseless, but others may choose to do the right thing. They refused to intervene in his attempt to challenge the election. And that was well before the spotlight on Thomas and Alito.
Judge Luttig and Professor Tribe are crystal clear - Trump is not eligible. That’s my position. Society faces enormous risk by having non-constitutional scholars at the state and federal court levels getting involved. I worry a great deal that of one or both of Colorado and Minnesota allow him on the ballot then this country is over. Done. He’s explicit about the damage he is going to do and society around the world will never be the same. Just think of the economic, mental health, physical security implications. Think of the violence . This country will look like Ukraine or Gaza. Trump has enormous support in the secret service, policing and the military and I have no doubt he is nurturing those people and, even worse, those people are eager to participate in crushing any descent. I could see open fighting and destruction on day one.
We can't have it both ways. We either work our tails off to elect Biden and a Blue House and Senate or we have a 'no man's land.' I'm not so sure the military supports him. He has called them losers and insulted their leaders. Now his crony Tuberville is withholding promotions. So heel spurs, who has no respect for the military, has their support?? The Secret Service who did his bidding on January 6 is going to have to work out their own plea deal. Police??
In the meantime, we have Jack Smith and team, Fani Willis and Trump is going to jail.
Thanks for your excellent analysis; it is a lot to process, as someone noted earlier. I still believe that the best way to get the necessary relief from Trump & Trumps that we all seek is to step into the ballot box on the appropriate day and vote for someone else. In Nov. 2020, 88-plus millions of us did and Trump's now out of office, not standing the intervening difficulties. If Trump is the Republican nominee, then 90-plus millions of us need to deliver the message again that he' and his supporters are not welcome to participate in our political process.
I fervently hope that works, F.P.. The thing that frightens me is our toxic one-choice balloting system--toxic because it enables the spoiler effect. With this system the voter is faced with the dilemma: do I vote for the person I truly want to be elected, or do I limit my choice to one of the two main political parties so that my vote counts? If we had Ranked Choice Voting he could vote for his favorite as first choice and whomever he regards as "lesser-of-two-evils" as his second choice. When his favorite was eliminated in the instant runoff enabled by Ranked Choice, his second choice would count and the spoiler effect would be destroyed. But we don't have Ranked Choice Voting for this contest. I hope that this experience will motivate a future Congress to legislate a mandate that all future federal elections will use the Ranked Choice Voting system. This is especially true if the spoiler effect curses us with the fascist cult-leader Donald Trump as President.
I agree that ranked choice voting is a far more desirable way to elect candidates but since that doesn't exist for the 2024 presidential election, the only choice is to vote for the Democratic Party nominee.
I totally agree that ranked choice voting is the only remedy for the fringe partisan primaries. I think all states should adopt that.
Right on
2024 is not a normal election. Normality need not apply. It is a referendum on our form of government, our way of life and whether our country is to remain--or become something very frightening. Because it is so singularly dire this time, it is more like we are at war with forces who plan the overthrow of our government. It isn't important what your politics are this time. We cannot vote for the anarchists, whichever party they pretend to be.
Do or die for democracy in the USA.
Why would tRump accept the outcome of the 2024 election when he won’t accept the fact that he LOST the 2020 election by over 7 million votes?
I can’t understand how anyone in the public who’s been paying attention and MSM still give tRump the benefit of the doubt and treat him like he’s a normal person. He’s not! He’s trying to overthrow our government and will do it again in 2024 regardless of the results.
His fragile little ego won't allow him to accept that he was massively rejected in 2020. The good news this time is that he's not in the White House...So, no matter how much he kvetches and whines and cries, there'll be nothing he can say or do that will help him prevail. And, after having heard his lies about the 2020 election being stolen, I'm willing to bet that voters will be sick and tired of hearing him cry wolf, so his cries will fall on deaf ears. I, for one, will be encouraging him to leave the country (if he's not convicted and already incarcerated) if he genuinely doesn't like the way we do politics in a constitutional democracy. I'm sure that Putin, Victor Orban, or Kim would welcome him with open arms.
As Joyce says, "We're in this together."
Agree! 100%!!
The Trumpers and his Crime Family should be removed from our political system! They have tried to repeatedly destroy it. Perhaps they can relocate to Russia where he already has an alliance!
We have a government document prepared by the January 6 Committee stating that Donald Trump instigated the insurrection on January 6. Why do we need a conviction when we already have this valuable government document laying blame at DJT's feet? It seems to me that this should be more than adequate for Article 14 Section 3.
Your right, Steve. This case would not require the "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt" standard of a criminal prosecution. The January 6 Committee documents certainly seem to satisfy the "preponderance of evidence" standard.
That’s an interesting point.
Not only that, but he can't argue that millions saw this whole thing --- as it happened in real-time --- while he was oblivious to the carnage.
But he was not oblivious. He knew full well what was going on. He was in constant contact with his minions in the house and senate. There is cell phone proof that he spoke at length with Tommy Tuberville and Jim Jordan.
I used the wrong word, so I'm glad you clarified that for me! Come to think of it, he's never been oblivious about anything his whole life, has he? He always knows what he's doing, even though he'd prefer to have people believe he's a pitiful, misunderstood victim who's being abused by the courts, etc., ad nauseum, when he's making US victims for having to put up with his daily shenanigans.
Thanks, Valere, for helping me out here!
🙇♀️ :))
He’s going to pretend he ‘knew nothing’ all the way to jail. He IS going to prison, but it won’t be a regular one. I predict it will be a fortified building at Langley with lots of CIA agents, and what not to guard him with the Secret Service in their own special house next-door. That’s where he’s going to live. He made his choice: he wanted to be a lifetime president. He wanted to destroy our democracy. He listened to people like Roger Stone who said he should declare martial law via the Insurrection Act and seize ballots in Nevada.
Stone appealed to Trump to pardon Matt Gaetz, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley and Jim Jordan.
So let’s connect the dots here: among this crew has most often shuffled and snuffled their way to Mara Lardo? And then who’s interest is it to get Trump elected so they can get pardoned? The answer is number A ‘all of the above.’
They hate him and lick his boots, hoping to get a pardon. Roger Stone took the fifth amendment during the January 6 committee hearings, and Steve Bannon refused to testify. Jack Smith is saving them all till later by the way. They can huff and puff all they want but they’re going to jail. Not everybody’s going to jail, but I predict they will. They are members of Congress, who planned the insurrection with Trump. Or they’ll plea deal. And testify against Trump.
The only thing I'd argue about is Trump's desire to destroy to democracy. I don't think that is his primary target. It would be a great side benefit, for sure, and he probably would enjoy the destruction, because he loves chaos, but he doesn't think about democracy that way. He's always been a beneficiary of the way rules and justice in this country are structured for the wealthy among us, so why should he go out of his way to destroy it? I believe his main motivation is simply to stay out of jail and raise money from his followers. That is certainly his motive for running again--that and his "campaign rallies". His Ego Gratification/ Rile the Base In Person rallies, I should say. But that's merely my own opinion.
Very well written!
Maybe I'll join my grandkids in writing letters to Santa. Valere, you already know what my Santa Wish will be!
"I predict it will be a fortified building at Langley with lots of CIA agents"
Valere, I hadn't thought of that, but the case of the stolen top-secret documents might make this the inevitable choice. Your right.
Would House Arrest be an option for Trump?
It no longer can matter to me what MAGA motives might or might not be. To vote the Rs out, massively, is all that can any longer matter to me. Protecting voting rights, undoing Gerrymandering, packing the Supreme Court, these are vital issues for the obvious reasons.
It should be, but I suspect because the spineless cowards in the Senate acquitted him at trial, it is more than useless.
And the majority of the Senate voted FOR impeachment (just not the 2/3 needed to remove him in that process). Many Republicans who voted against it said at the time that they didn't believe that a president already out of office could be impeached. That was Mitch McConnell's craven excuse--but Mitch said he could be civilly and criminally held to account.
Because the 14th Section 3 has never been tested in court, and we also have the "innocent until proven guilty in a court of law" thing.
Probably need to add to docket
Where do I stand? I stand with the Constitution. Sec. 3 of the 14th Amendment can't be dismissed as a relic of Civil War times. It was intended then and is still intended now to prevent those who have taken and subsequently don't honor their pledge to support and defend the Constitution from holding public office in the future. The courts will decide who has the burden of proof.
Yes! they want to dismiss the Constitution when it gets rid of Trump, but not when it comes to bearing arms.
Or free speech. 🥰
Or establishment of religion, or freedom of religion, or due process, or habeas corpus, ...
Or anything normal, like confirming officers and judges.
A solid legal argument indeed! I am cautious however that denying him and his multi-millions of hard core supporters an opportunity to elect him would lead to many violent encounters and probably loss of innocent lives. Of course I don’t endorse such disgraceful and dangerous acts but the political future of this nation should be decided by ballot! I am entirely confident that he will be defeated by tens of millions of votes but I fear the lasting impact of having a legal argument and court decision stand in the way of democracy! Very very dangerous for our safety and our future!
Ira, I totally understand. But I don't think it is wise to decide which parts of the Constitution to support and which to reject. Obviously that doesn't mean we don't try to interpret what these words mean, we do. But where they clearly state what is intended, then that clear statement should and indeed must not be ignored.
Ok, I might have this all wrong.....so, at this point we’re talking about lawsuits to keep tfg name off the ballot in two states, c
See, I’m so anxious I hit the post button before I was ready to....anyway 2 states, Colorado & Minnesota. Let’s say both states win & keep his name off the ballot so does that mean he will not be eligible to receive the electoral votes from Colorado & Minnesota? Both have 10 electoral votes so that would be 20 votes djt would not get. Does anyone know...
Even if his name is off the ballot, people can still write his name down to vote for him.
But if he is not qualified for the office, like a twelve year old, he cannot serve
Cindy, someone very recently posted the handy note that the three dots (...) to the lower right of your message gives you access to an edit after you have posted a note. I wish I had known that previously.
Yes.
I appreciate your reasoning and I believe it is legally correct for Colirado and Minnesota. But violence could be far worse than Jan6 and after it is put down, it will seethe for a decade! The impact upon our democracy would be great so that really worries me! If I felt that he may win at the ballot box I might feel differently but he’s at 30% and after these convictions probably at 25%. Thanks for your well reasoned view!
This time they won't get to keep their sidearms and horses, and they will be prohibited from voting for the rest of their unnatural lives.
Couy Griffin, the NM cowboy that Joyce mentioned, spent the worst 17 days of his life in a DC swamp jail with vermin and no heat. In the winter. Lessons learned. So far, Trump has helped Bannon and Roger Stone. But he has not helped any of the MAGA. Bannon is useful as he continues his false messaging. And Stone is a useful idiot.
Stone is a useful, extremely shady Republican operative, grubbing around the powerful and willing to do all manner of dirty work for his rich and ruthless patrons. He has been doing his dirty rat 'work' (I shall not use the word that was used in Nixon's time) for over 50 years. Stone should have been slapped into prison long ago and he would be there now--except Trump pardoned him.
Both Colorado & Minnesota are blue states so djt wouldn’t get those electoral votes any way. Oh, I suppose we need to be patient & let some of this court stuff play out. Thanks for getting back to me. My mind just spins when I think of another 4 years...
I'm more worried about the restrictions on voting that are being put in place. We need 90 million and I wonder if anyone has come up with a count of votes lost to these outrageous restrictions. We need to factor that in to get out the vote efforts.
As for the suits in Colorado and Minnesota, it's a start and may spread to other states if successful. Gotta hope.
Early on the last word was that Jan 6 was a rehearsal unless there is accountability. Not seeking accountability is the danger. Threats of violence notwithstanding: they are there in any case.
Ira, we are already in extreme danger. The FBI is on alert for Trump initiated terrorism from his so-called 'code' messages to the MAGA. Our danger from having him re-elected is worse than anything those yay-hoos can offer.
The violence will be massive!
ps: Ira, just a further comment. The very worst thing we could do is succumb to tyranny. This is a bully tactic from Trump. I'm waiting for Jack Smith to kick him from here to China. The bar is set high for the DOJ to bring charges. Jack Smith knows this from his past years at the DOJ before he went to The Hague. So he is 99% sure in his case. Remember, he waited for the Acting Director of the National Archives to write a letter to Trump telling him he did not have the right to the documents. Jack Smith is dotting the i's and crossing the t's. Now he has Alex Whiting helping him - and Trump is afraid of him because he knows Alex Whiting has years of experience prosecuting the Mafia in New Jersey. Trump is the one who is afraid. And he does not give a whit about his minions. He knows he is going to jail. I'm not afraid of him for one split second. He has now met some of the best attorneys and judges our legal system has. It's as though they have been in training for this moment. He is going to jail. His cult members will self-implode because they will have no communication with their cult leader. They are blindly following the cult Trump has established. I'm sorry you feel fear but the outcome of Trump becoming president will be the end of our democracy. Trump is not a Democrat. He is not a Republican. He is a despot. If you have a wish to make, please make it that Trump threatens Jack Smith, Alex Whiting, any witness, court employee - and Judge Chutkan will have him in court pronto. He will be convicted before the November 2024 elections.
Trump wants us to live a fear-based life. If he opens his trap, Judge Chutkan has indicated she will move up his trial date. November is now open - because Kraken lady and Chesebro plea dealed guilty (after having gained their own trial date). Also, Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys is in prison for 22 years. Whatever he believes about 'the election is stolen' he is sitting in a cell. Trump had ample time to pardon him and did not do so. Other leaders are in jail - and some of them have stated they wish they had not believed Trump's message. We may have a wing nut here and there - but nothing organized. The FBI is on high alert to messaging. And if they find Trump giving anything in code to MAGA, Chutkan will proceed to trial. What you need to understand is that Trump wants to be a life-time president/dictator. The only way to stop his is a complete defeat. Then we have to sit backand watch Jack Smith and team send him to prison.
Your points are well taken but let’s be clear here: he is not going to “jail”. Neither of these judges are sending him to an ordinary prison along with his 20 person Secret Service crew! They will most probably sentence an 80 year old, fat and delusional former President to very restrictive “home confinement.” That probably means his personal bedroom, bathroom and maybe even office at MAL with meal service from the downstairs kitchen and with TV and internet. He will be restricted there and not permitted to go downstairs probably for the rest of his life. BUT he will be able to rant and complain on letters to the editor and the internet and through his children and visitors to his violent followers to rally in his name (which will be a signal to commit violence because judges will restrict his explicit violations of law)! Restricting his place on the ballot in two blue states will only inflame the violent mob! Just sayin…
Hi Ira,
I have no clue about logistics. I have never maintained that he would go to a 'regular prison.' I have said for many months that he would be in high security at Langley or something similar where real protection can be offered. I have never said he would have his 20 person Secret Service crew in a regular 'prison or jail.' That could never work so far as security or logistics. I may have said he is 'going to jail' or 'he will be in prison.' But that was only to mean that he is not going to 'get off' or not be punished. Sorry for that confusion - but I've maintained something like Langley and definitely NOT home confinement for many months. There is no protection for him at Mara Lardo or his NJ golf course or any other of his properties (if he even owns them after his fraud trial ends) given that he has allegedly endangered the United States by keeping Top Secret 'eyes only' documents. Some nut job will attempt to gain access by walking right in the front door. That would not happen at a secure facility. It is wishful thinking on your part to believe he will have home confinement because of his age. Mafia members went to jail in their late 70s and at age 80. So have international criminals. I cannot fathom a judge giving him access to the internet through surrogates. And he will have lost the right to send inflammatory messages out on the air waves. That would keep his message alive. That will all be determined at sentencing, but why give him access to do further damage? His political career will be pretty much over and the Secret Service will be tasked with keeping him safe. So far as enflaming the mob with restricting Trump's name on a ballot: those are blue states where he wouldn't have real chance of winning - on or off the ballot. The CREW is going after the low hanging fruit. If you are concerned about the mob being enflamed, read the words Trump posts after all of his comments. The code is: 'MAGA.......' That is what he uses to stir them up. We are in HUGE danger right now from him.
The answer to his nonsense is having Judge Chutpak move his trial date forward. I have another prediction if you can stand it: he will go off the rails when Ivanka testifies. She has already thrown Trump uner the bus when she told the January 6 Committee she accepted Bill Barr's analysis that the election did not show fraud (I'm paraphrasing). So I would not expect her to protect Daddy on his property value fraud. Or whatever. Trump will be berserk at week's end.
Not it won't. You forgot those scum are cowards. Shoot down 100 of them and the rest will turn tail and run.
TC I vaguely remember you mentioned something to the effect that a neighbor of yours, who was all hung ho about using violence, face went blank when you mentioned that you were quite capable of using a gun (due to military background?) and could shoot him just as easily if he were to begin shooting.
If I remember correctly this neighbor was more than stunned, possibly freaked out after being told/ realizing he could be shot too. No doubt it was something he hadn’t thought about. Seems a lot of maga idiots think no one will defend themselves should they decide to take up arms.
(Perhaps you could refresh my memory about the situation and what you said. I’m not sure if you posted here or on HCR’s or Hubbell’s Substack.)
You have it right enough George. Every once in awhile, I like to remind idiots that they have a nose that can easily be punched, too. And telling someone "I already killed people, so I won't be upset killing you" does get their attention.
Thank You.
tRump and his supporters will not accept any outcome other than a tRump “win” at any cost in 2024. There is zero evidence to suggest that tRump and co. will support the rules of our democracy!
“Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself” FDR's first inaugural address. More true today than then.
Ira: again, the spoiler effect! (see above). That could make a decision by ballot fatally perilous.
Joyce,
I apologize for being off-topic a bit, but I cannot find anyone who can answer or even respond to my question. As someone who worked for the Federal Government years ago, and had a security clearance, I recall the many background checks I had done whenever I changed positions. The higher the clearance, the more involved they were --- and rightly so!
My question is: How can anyone with Trump's criminal record PASS a background check? If nothing else, shouldn't ANY candidate for POTUS, VPOTUS, SCOTUS, House and Senate be required to have a background check before they can toss their hat in the ring? If they don't have to be cleared at all, then something's definitely wrong with "the system." I was a lowly secretary-stenographer, so to allow these candidates to forgo this doesn't make sense, does it?
Thank you in advance. And my apologies to the others who had to read it, too. I thought of contacting my Congressman, but he's a MAGA,
The president gets a security clearance because they are president. Another one of those slip-ups where nobody ever thought a guy like Trumpsterfire would ever be within shouting distance of a federal office.
They need to do something about that, but as long as the Trumplicans are the rulers, it won't happen.
It scares me to think about all the damage he has done by sharing secrets to the highest bidder, and anyone who happens to hang out at one of his hotels or golf resorts. Instead of having Readers Digest magazines from 20 years ago, that are missing their covers, they can pick up a classified document from the coffee table. I'm exaggerating, but the word treason keeps coming to mind every time I think about him.
What’s really scary is that Johnson will know all of our military secrets!
Only if he has a need to know, innit?
I had security clearances too. Our security folks used to say that voters issued the security clearances for POTUS, VPOTUS, reps and senators.
Congressional leadership did put responsible people on the most sensitive committees.
Having an ignoramus president like Trump, whose loyalty was suspect and whose judgment was so AWOL he couldnt tell the difference between what he COULD do and what he SHOULD do was a real problem. Hence all the “I had a perfect right to...[fill in something stupid] “ statements.
On the other hand, doesn't Section 3 of the 14th Amendment address how to handle traitors and people who have endangered national security?
I have always thought of the classic punishment for treason as "pour encourager les autres".
Good evening Joyce: Somehow I cannot see FPOTUS not running against Biden in ‘24. It seems inevitable. I’m mainly concerned about “Magic Mike” our new Majority House Speaker interfering with the results should Biden win. I appreciate so much your deep dive with each post on what we might want to be focusing on. Your courage and steady pace is an example I strive to emulate 🇺🇸🗽🗳️👏❤️
Joyce, you are the epitome of professionalism. I would have loved to be one of your Criminal Law students when I was in college.
She is teaching us law right now. We just have to be careful not to practice law. I am amazed at the depth she gives us and always with so much patience. I try to remember to say 'allegedly' and 'until he is convicted in a court of law.' But so far as our opinion of his character, we can have that under the First Amendment, so long as we say 'my opinion.' And so long as we don't mind finding a horse head in our mail box.
Great question, Dianne! I, too, was a non-governmental lowly stenographer who had to pass background checks in order to get a Secret clearance. So, too, I was interviewed about my colleagues who also needed clearances in order to do their jobs.
As a public school TEACHER, I had to be fingerprinted with background check and swear to uphold both the US and CA constitutions. The public is quick to charge teachers with all sorts of crimes of child endangerment, which is 100% right to do, but not so quick to charge a POTUS with national endangerment. [Not very well stated - still working on my first cup of coffee]
I think it is perfectly stated, Beth!
With the appointment of Mike Johnson via a complete capitulation by all (former) republicans, it has become rather frightening where we are heading. Trump and Mike Flynn are telling MAGA that voting won’t be necessary because there won’t be an election. The country voted through WWII so I’m stressing thinking about what they will do to just take over.
The court cases are moving too slow for me. Even worse, I just do not get the sense enough people either know what’s really happening or the ramifications. For me, now, the court cases, other than the 14AS3 cases, are a distraction. I’m focusing on the clues like - don’t bother voting, the appointment of a psycho as House Speaker, extreme gerrymandering and cleaning of vote roles. Stuff like that. I read and listen to Ruth Ben-Ghiat very closely. She’s a leading autocrat expert and she’s very, very worried and warns of incredible danger if the lunatic gets back in power.
There needs to be more chatter about getting this right. For me, there is too much politeness and Ruth warns people may wake up and it’s too late.
Lloyd, me, too. We must pay attention, tell others what we know, & encourage everyone to vote. We must blow MAGA out of the water, so there’s no doubt. Joyce is so good at explaining it that I sound pretty knowledgeable when I’m talking to people. I really respect our democracy & I want to make sure I’m being factual. Joyce is great with that. Stay focused & hydrate!
Yes, more urgency is demanded. The longer this demonic megalomaniac is free, the MAGA's stay empowered. The Department of Justice has been an abysmal failure in the most consequential and dangerous time in our history. The evidence is overwhelming and has been for well over a year. It is impossible to fathom why the Justice Department cannot prosecute the equivalent of a robbery committed in plain sight.
I am interrupting my reading of this issue of Civil Discourse to express my frustration at the lack of mentioning how a key area of Sec 3 of the 14th Amendment...applies to Trump..Where it states in plain language "or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof". this describes Trump's 187 minutes of inaction during the insurrection / rebellion..where he did nothing to stop the mob from attacking our Capitol..Giving them aid and comfort..It belies belief that no one is connecting these dots..
Yep! Says nothing about "conviction" only "engaged" and "comfort".
And how about boasting that he would pardon convicted seditionists?
Wow...that's a lot! Thanks for keeping track and summarizing!
Sometimes it feels like nothing is happening but that is only because we don't see it in detail. I like being able to see the documents. so grateful to you Joyce, for your knowledge and willingness to share it...we are as you say in this together.
Same here.
Joyce, here is where I stand as a citizen: Trump began his incitement when he sic 'em'd dude the Proud Boys in Michigan on the governor. He is a thug, who told the Proud Boys to 'stand by and stand down.' And at the same time that he gave his thumbs up approval to the Proud Boys to cause them to believe they were empowered and entitled by our highest elected official to kidnap the Governor of Michigan, he ridiculed and demeaned distinguished military officers who had served honorably for forty plus years. When he went to France for the 100 year anniversary of WW II, he could not find his way in the rain to our fallen soldiers' graves. He is an insult to our established military. And yet, to undermine our democracy and establish himself as a lifetime president/dictator, he enables the less than noble Proud Boys (and others who aligned with them on January 6). But long before January 6, Trump was sending dangerous messages to enable and empower these groups. They were convinced that Trump had requested they come to the Capitol on January 6. And when they were thrown in jail, they thought he would pardon them. He used his position as president of the United States to spread the inflammatory lie of a stolen election. So now, that behavior should be used to stop him from trying to do the same in 2024. States have always had the right to make their own laws. If Colorado and Minnesota cannot keep Trump off the ballot, Texas should not have the right to keep citizens from voting vis a vie SB1933, SB1070 (the law that Abbot signed eliminating ERIC cross-checking so an important election safeguard is gone); and SB1600 that makes voting impossible without documentary proof of citizenship. You can't take away state's rights on one hand and give it to states on the other hand. The States of Colorado and Minnesota have the right to decide who can be on their ballots - and CREW has provided ample evidence for Colorado showing Trump instigated stopping certification of OUR votes. It wasn't just from voters in Colorado, Georgia and Minnesota that Trump attempted to steal: it was the votes of all of us who voted for Biden. When someone is such a thug that the FBI is on the highest alert for his messages to his MAGA followers because those messages entail terrorism, all states should recognize that his is a thug, like a Mafia don. My opinion.
I agree. I keep hearing his debate with Biden when he gave the Proud Boys an "engraved invitation" to come join their fellow tourists on The Hill in January. Then he has the audacity to insult our intelligence by saying he never heard of them?????
“All too often, the legal system is glorified into something that people who haven’t been to law school can’t understand. I don’t think that’s the case. With a little explanation of court procedure and legal terms, and some time, you can decipher what’s happening for yourself if you choose to.”
Same in medicine. But all too often these days, the intersection of intellectual laziness, willful ignorance and Dunning-Kruger is a giant Charlie Foxtrot.
I think back to a bumper sticker (I know how you love bumper stickers!) that showed up around one August - “Drive carefully, school’s back in,” and I remember thinking, no, school’s always in. Thank you Joyce for helping the intellectually curious have the tools needed to wade through this legal morass.
Charlie Foxtrot! Love it.
There are people who have been convicted of insurrection, the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys. They would clearly be "enemies of the country." He has clearly provided comfort by stating that he will pardon them if he is elected again. That alone should disqualify him from holding office again.
Taking the Jennifer Coolidge line, it's almost as like we have one brain.
He is clearly, in my opinion GUILTY.
Mine, too. No doubt in my mind.
Thanks, Joyce. I stay awake Sunday nights to read your articles. As a long term accountant then a long term nurse my brain didn’t think in legal terms prior to the scourge of djt. I wish I could apply your teachings to a fifth degree, because through all of this my brain is beginning to apply law principles, with the accounting and nursing principles floating around in my head. You are a very good educator, and I really appreciate the time and effort you put into your writings, MSNBC hits, & of course SIL.
Joyce, sometimes I look at the original documents where you provide the links, so thank you for that! I recently received a paralegal certificate so this is helping to satisfy that side of my brain.
Congrats Ruthie. That’s a big deal 👏🥳
Ditto! Proud of you, Ruthie!
Thank you, Dianne!
Thank you, TutoneSF!
Brava Ruthie!
Thank you, Valere!
I wish I had confidence that he would be barred from office. But the case will end up in the Supreme Court, and I don’t trust that supermajority that McConnell conspired to put in place.
I’m not so sure the Supreme Court would bend over backwards to protect Trump. They’re under a ton of scrutiny these days. A few a remorseless, but others may choose to do the right thing. They refused to intervene in his attempt to challenge the election. And that was well before the spotlight on Thomas and Alito.
Stack the Supreme Court asap.
Judge Luttig and Professor Tribe are crystal clear - Trump is not eligible. That’s my position. Society faces enormous risk by having non-constitutional scholars at the state and federal court levels getting involved. I worry a great deal that of one or both of Colorado and Minnesota allow him on the ballot then this country is over. Done. He’s explicit about the damage he is going to do and society around the world will never be the same. Just think of the economic, mental health, physical security implications. Think of the violence . This country will look like Ukraine or Gaza. Trump has enormous support in the secret service, policing and the military and I have no doubt he is nurturing those people and, even worse, those people are eager to participate in crushing any descent. I could see open fighting and destruction on day one.
We can't have it both ways. We either work our tails off to elect Biden and a Blue House and Senate or we have a 'no man's land.' I'm not so sure the military supports him. He has called them losers and insulted their leaders. Now his crony Tuberville is withholding promotions. So heel spurs, who has no respect for the military, has their support?? The Secret Service who did his bidding on January 6 is going to have to work out their own plea deal. Police??
In the meantime, we have Jack Smith and team, Fani Willis and Trump is going to jail.
You meant crushing dissent. Anyway, based on what can you assert T- has massive support in the secret service, policing and the military?
Thanks, Joyce! You have the patience of a saint, to be able to "un-complicate" the continuing Trump saga so that we can understand it a little better.
If he would just hush for 24 hours, things would be better for those who still believe that everyone's the same under the law.
Looking forward to your next episode. Have a good week!