130 Comments

First, I think once a president leaves office s/he loses all privileges given to a sitting President, that means no more SS. Second, did we adults really think that kids would continue to sit and do nothing while people keep coming to their schools and killing them? Bravo to these kids and hopefully more and more adults, ethical adults will join them. Third, I really think it is ridiculous the way the media is once again treating Trump. Inform us of what is happening media folks, but not every damn thing he utters or does? The 'does' is more important. We are all going to come out of this fascist period very soon and be better for it. I wait, with much hope for a Trump, indictment, trail and conviction in GA and with SP Smith.

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I agree for the most part, Marilyn. But presidents (all presidents, even crooks like frump) need their security details forever. Can you imagine how long the Obamas would last if we stopped protecting them? I'm happy to pay for the Frumps Secret Service, if it means keeping the Obamas and Bushes and Carters and Clintons safe. NO ONE would run for president if they thought a fool with a grudge would be gunning for them the instant they're out of office.

And we have way too many fools with grudges and guns these days. Even in Congress.

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...and parenthetically, it would be a nightmare if anyone killed frump... can you imagine what the rightwing nut cakes would do? Yes, we all can.

I pray for frump's safety, as should we all. The last thing this country needs is a mafioso martyr.

ugh... now I need an alka-seltzer!

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More like a double Scotch, hold the rocks!

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I would shed no tears, and I don't think it would cause as much trouble as you think.

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Me either.

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Really? Because turning him into a martyr means we will NEVER be rid of him. If he's killed, he will become more of a GOD to the crazies... and the violence will never ever ever end.

The only way to stop this nightmare is to let him grow old and impotent and weak in front of them. But the very nature of martyrdom is to elevate the martyr to eternal godhood, (dozens of historical examples). And that would be a very bad thing. IMHO.

The reason his numbers are way down is because many of his previous followers now see he's just a paper tiger, but if he becomes a martyr? He'll be untouchable and unstoppable. In death he wins. But if we force him to live and grow old, and wither and shrink and drool... then he can't win anymore. Not even by lying.

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Yes, that’s why I say let him rot in jail. If he’s off Twitter, and everything else, he’ll just vanish in thin air. Then he’ll be forgotten.

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Eventually, the secret service agent who draws the short straw will be the guy who gets to sit in the cell with Trumpy all day, watching Apprentice re-runs and eating one of those ginormous containers of cheese balls that you can buy at Walmart. Alternative use, makeup replacement for Trumpy when his fake Florida tan turns into a cadaverous pallor in his cell at Sing Sing.

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Maybe he could get a decent haircut too.

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Under his incredible comb-over Trump is going bald. It isn't a problem for most people, but for him it appears to be some kind of big negative embarassment. That is the look I want to see when he is in his cell.

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🤣 point I hadn’t thought about 👍

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Trump denied the results of a fair election. He should pay for his own security.

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The secret service detail for ex-presidents is a must, for their, and their families, protection. BUT, in cases like this, when a person that has a secret service detail is indicted, in my opinion, he should lose that detail privilege. When he’s prosecuted and found guilty of the charges, then he should lose all title, salary, everything. Trump used over 100 Secret Service agents today just to get him from Mar-a-Lago to Trump Tower in New York.

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When Gerald Ford was President, his son was attending a university in central coast CA. It was rumored that the Secret Service remodeled a house for Ford's son to live in and house the agents as well. I would expect the Secret Service may do something like that with Trump if he is convicted and sentenced to jail time.

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If my memory serves me correctly, the Secret Service didn’t do any remodel. The Fords did it so their son and the agents would have a place to live, secure. The secret service assisted with the design of the remodel for the security measures that needed to be installed.

Again, I may be incorrect, but that’s how I believe remembering that going down.

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👏 That’s a good suggestion, thanks.

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Actually, under the Former Presidents Protection Act of 2012, which Obama signed into law, the former guy and his spouse are entitled to Secret Service protection for the rest of their natural lives.

It may be a(nother) case of casting pearls before swine, but it's the law...

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I'd argue that tfg isn't living a natural life. :)

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Tonight I checked out the NYPD Special Operations news story - the Broadcastify scanner for them was quite busy up til midnight Eastern Time... One thing they are doing is monitoring social media posts for threats in NY. Also, FBI and Cap Cops are monitoring for disturbance nationwide and at the Capitol. They don't ID anything in the news story. I'm not sure I would either.

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I do have to wonder... what happens to SS protection if tfg goes to prison?

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I’m not saying this is gospel, but I remember one morning on MSNBC “Morning Joe” this was addressed. I can’t recall the folks that were interviewed about it. But, the way I understood the answer from these experts was that Secret Service stays with him, even if he’s sentenced to jail/prison.

Now, to me, IF this is true, that’s a crime in itself! When he’s found guilty, Secret Service agents should be reassigned. No need gif them to sit over the guilty in prison or jail. That’s what the federal or state correctional officers are paid to do.

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I know and probably you know that despite the presence of correctional officers, violence happens in prisons. If tfg actually does time, it almost certainly will not be in a high-risk facility, but I wouldn't discount the possibility that he might be a target wherever he ends up.

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That may be very true. But in my eyes, when he walks through those gates with a state/federal number on his shirt, he’s no different than the convict next to him. Plus, correctional officers have a lot of training for just those situations. I can’t see having Secret Service there to cater to just one convict. They don’t need to be in the way. Plus, the stuff they carry under their coats in public isn’t allowed on any institution grounds.

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He'd be "no different from the convict next to him" -- apart from being a former president of the U.S. and entitled to Secret Service protection for the rest of his life. Correctional officers may indeed be trained to deal with "those situations," but law enforcement officers in general are trained to deal with, e.g., routine traffic stops, but look what happens at an alarming number of them. (People who know the prison system well might dispute your claim that correctional officers have a lot of training, period.)

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If found guilty, I'm placing my bets on a long-term house arrest, with SS staff still on duty. Still lots of "hamburders" and catsup.

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Yep, doing his time confined to Mar-a-Lago. That’s highly likely. If it is, they need to go in and strip the place of all electronic devices and everything. He needs to have the same comforts and goods convicts in an institution have. No preferential treatment.

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And to make sure that there is no 'inappropriate' reading material.

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Excellent question. It could get really weird... Personally, I'm hoping that's a question our system will be forced to answer (but I'm not getting my hopes up terribly high).

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agree with #2 & 3. The ideal media coverage would be the headline (small font size) 'T indicted' period. Maybe even below the fold. I wait for the day I don't see his face in the news. How about just a bit of that ridiculous hair instead of full body or face?

Maybe there should be a push to make insurance companies require proof of gazillion dollar coverage when purchasing guns.

As to #1 - hate to think of the Obamas without SS security.

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Thank God for the children.

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YES! These children give me a glimmer of hope for the future.

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The most important part of this story tonight, even though it's hard to look away from Bragg's #117th indictment for falsification of documents.

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Well! #117...interesting, hopeful! 🙏

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But not tfg’s children right?

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I am truly disgusted by comments supporting TTIIFG (The Twice Impeached Indicted Former Guy) by so many elected Rs, many who are lawyers. I would venture a guess that their law professors are even more disgusted. I scratch my head wondering how they can denigrate a judicial system they are a part of. I hope the day comes when they will all be voted out of office. As always, thank you Joyce for educating all of us on what to expect.

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I have a deeply instilled habit of watching the PBS Newshour since college days and the program that precedes it, BBC World News. Both programs have been influenced by right wing money in it's broad sweep to "infiltrate" formerly liberal strongholds. The latter, especially, interviews Republicans and gives them "in depth" permission to minimize the whole truth. Last night someone ranted about how Trump is persecuted and how he was impeached but his innocence prevailed. Ugh!

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Always thought there will be no real changes in gun laws till the youth of today get into government.

Till then it’s thoughts and prayers which to my knowledge has never brought the dead back to life.

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Or prevented more deaths.

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The students in TN freaking ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

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founding

There is a poetic irony in the arc of the indictments... to start in NY, where trump has been a law breaker for many decades, and ends with an indictment for J6 for his single most egregious crime. (Of course I am speculating on the future) but it gives me hope for the rule of law.

And I am SO proud of the students, who are standing up. Shame on the TN legislature for sanctioning the lawmakers who stood with the students.

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I had not heard that teachers were sanctioned...oh my . Thanks. Go Gen Z Go Gen Z Go Gen Z ...just plain awesome!!!!🙏👍👏

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founding

I don’t believe it was teachers. I thought some legislators were sanctioned.

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Oh thanks, Laurie...family in for several days , this mommy VERY happy, but TV off and lots of snuggle time. I will catch up. VOTE💙 GO Gen Z!

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My hope;

is for a solemn, serious event;

is that tfg, for once, shows some respect for authority;

is that the justice places some sort of restraint on his public speaking regarding the case and other participants in the trial, and that violation of that restraint has some real consequence;

and, that the trial proceeds with all due haste, without endless delay tactics by the defense.

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You do know all your hopes will be sadly dashed this afternoon, correct?

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but, hope springs eternal!...

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"But it is literally unthinkable that a former president would put private citizens at risk." It is indeed. BUT this one went after the mother and daughter election officials, upturned their lives, and put them in grave danger to this day. He's a despicable human being.

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Joyce...thank you for your clear explanation of the process that has been unfolding in NY. It comes as no surprise that Trump is threatening and menacing the prosecutors and citizens who have seen him held responsible for his crimes.

If anything happens as a result of his threats and “call-to-action”, can those politicians and his cronies who condone and/or exacerbate Trump’s threats be charged as an accessory?

Trump and the majority of the GOP are a cancer on American Democracy.

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Agree. Elegantly written executive summary for those of us awaiting relief in the trenches. Thank you.

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Not sure I totally understand the legal language but I do feel a lot more informed about the process. Still I am so sick and disgusted with trump and his destruction of our republic and really the endless media pandering over every stupid word that comes out of his mouth. The man is just flat

Ugly, as well as evil, through and through.

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Not forgetting he’s a lying narcissistic sociopath skumbag.

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Agree completely. Just this morning, while watching Morning Joe on MSNBC, John Heilman was speaking live, in the right frame of their TV coverage. And in the left frame of their coverage they were showing still photos of Trump - one photo after another. It was sickening.

I don’t need to see any more photos of Donald Trump! I’ve seen so many photos of that malignant narcissist that I’ll never forget his visage - the orange skin, the reptilian eyes, the menacing scowl.

But, for all the damage Donald Trump has done to our country, the media just can’t quit him.

And here I am, talking about him! I feel a little like King Richard II, speaking about Thomas Beckett, “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”

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I would like to see a mug shot.

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founding

The Tennessee kids, Gen Z-ers and millennials will be the overwhelming constituency of voters by 2030. Watch out old white politicians, and young aspirants who could care less about these kids’ future Mr(s). Hawley, Cotton, Green, Cruz, Boebart and Goetz… enjoy your moment while it lasts

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I’m not surprised to see the route in Florida lined with his supporters cheering him on like he’s a Saint or something. They need to be cheering him in. That’s about all they’re going to get for the $7 million plus they forked out to him in the last week.

I’m not understanding why he’s not arrested in criminal charges on making the threats he’s made. Free speech only goes so far. If you or I were to make those same threats we’d getting our evening meal in the local Grey Bar Hotel.

I hope he understands he’s rewriting the criminal law book for everyone. So far you can incite a riot which causes multiple deaths, verbally assault all types of government officials with death and serious bodily harm, and nothing happens.

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The more threatened Donald Trump feels, the uglier things will get, per his usual.

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Thank you Joyce for your legal direction. I was trying to figure out the need for all of the local coverage. I live in Palm Beach County and I won't apologize for it! I was born here, TFG is a transplant. It was a total spectacle as predicted. Boo hiss again! And then I saw the coverage that several thousand students, parents and legislators made today in Tennessee. I am so proud of them standing up for themselves and the lives of every student against gun violence! Such a difference in the two news stories is mind boggling! One was because TFG just won't quit trying to game the system and continue to grift to continue that journey. The other speaks for itself!

We have to do better America! Prayers that Lady Liberty does indeed balance the scales.....

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stop giving thectwice impeached now indited Expresident press. he is nothing but a common criminal awaiting justice.

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Speaking of corruption in the dark of night. Keep your eye on Gov DeSantis.

While we are focused on tfg and the amazing resilience of the representatives and youth in Tennessee-- Gov. DeSantis has been busy.

He’s pushing multiple legislative bills in Florida. His goal to enact a 6 week abortion ban to continue to erode women access to healthcare-- and he’s pushing to rewrite Florida law so he can remain governor and run for president.

Tonights example of fascist behavior indicates -- he showed us his true colors. He is very dangerous. He sent police to arrest sitting peaceful protestors who were singing. Including elected members of Florida Democratic Party Representatives. This is undemocratic.

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