We were fortunate with last night’s weather. All of the Vances, including the baby chicks, are fine. They spent their first night in the big coop with all of the grown-ups and were waiting for me this morning, having followed the big chickens down the ladder. They were peeping for breakfast when I got there.
An interesting note related to your apt comment is that he has paid approximately $100 Million for attorney services but they didn’t recognize and abide by the timing/filing rules of this Court? Any competent lawyer would figure that out! The motion is meritless but at least a litigator would want to get a shot at it by filing it on time. Chances are that this very competent Judge will handle this case carefully and competently which should give all the rest of us considerable comfort! Full speed ahead, Your Honor!
I dunno. They may actually be competent, but they may also be spending too much time avoiding the shite he keeps throwing. It's likely distracting even for them.
Hi Jerry, It is clear that Alina Habba is incompetent. And she has said in an interview that can be found on YouTube that 'I would rather be pretty than smart, because I can fake being smart.' Everyone is entitled to their own bad taste. I'm not sure she achieves pretty, and she definitely achieves dumb. As Albert in The Bird Cage said to the dancer who said blowing bubbles with his bubble gum helped him to think: "Sweetie, you're wasting your gum." So I say: "Sweetie, you're wasting your mascara." She is not bright by any measure; but with those kinds of statements, Trump can say he didn't have competent attorney representation, and Alina Habba could lose her law license. How smart is that?
Todd Blanche, former prosector for the SDNY and Susan Necheles, a veteran defense lawyer are representing trump in the "Hush-Money" case. Andrew Weissman has often complimented Ms. Necheles as a brilliant attorney. It's clear Habba is out of her league and, after the E. Jean Carroll ($5M and $83.3M) and the Manhatten fraud civil trials ($355M) losses, he may have a better chance with Mr. Blanche and Ms. Necheles. Hope not.
Alina Haba, if she's actually getting paid, is filling her nest egg. Escape velocity from the upper middle class having-to-work world is between $1-4 million depending on one's spending habits. She may get close enough with her fees. Using Trump to get OUT of the rat race isn't necessarily dumb, unless she's a true believer.
Disagree, respectfully. These attorneys are very good at what they are doing which is to find any kind of loophole or crack in the legal system and use it to delay a guilty man's coming to justice. They share Trump's goal of delaying until after the coming election, in the hope that their client wins, and the whole thing goes away. Oh, and they get paid in full by the American people. They are heartless, corrupt, devious and dishonest. They are the embodiment of the qualities that the general public have come to hate about lawyers over many many years, in spades. But incompetent? No.
I agree with your assessment that Trump’s attorneys are not incompetent. I think Habba is an exception in as much as she has had little to no courtroom experience but many of them, including Todd Blanche, are experienced litigators - he in criminal law. And never underestimate a jury. There is an assumption Trump will be found guilty but this is a criminal trial and the standard for conviction is different than in the E Jean Carroll case and the A.G. case. Anyone who has had to face a jury knows nothing is certain. That being said Alvin Bragg and his team are doing a great job.
More than likely the bond filing did not involve Habba but rather Chris Kise who is an experienced appellate attorney and co-counsel in this case. I cynically presume Trump told him not to include the info to see if it would fly. Also the bonding company has responsibilities too.
james wheaton claims: "These attorneys are very good at what they are doing... [they] hope that their client wins.... Oh, and they get paid in full by the American people. They are heartless, corrupt, devious and dishonest...."
Well, they certainly do not "get paid... by the American people." And they may be heartless and devious, but if it can be shown that they are corrupt or dishonest, they could be disbarred.
"paid by the American people" - yeah not currently, although indirectly through the RNC and the donations that come their way. What I meant is after an election that Trump wins. I have no doubt Trump would in that scenario pay his legal team through any and all means except from his own coffers. Including tax dollars. If, BTW, he would pay at all.
Possibly but I would think that the Judge would hold that this tactic also is too late as we are talking about only eleven days. The old trick is that either the lawyer or the defendant suddenly gets very sick but the Judge isn’t going to buy that either!
Yes Cathy!! We have a week and a half left. I fully expect several hail Mary's. Only question is - will any of them be the stumbling block they are intended to be. Methinks they may be holding the best for last, whatever it might be.
Thanks, Ira, almost sounds normal… comfort, indeed for a moment. Take each one as it comes. DJT is such a bad person. Be well. We have to keep working at it. Just like Jack Smith today was so needed for our sanity. Good Lord. (Sigh)
Ira is sage: a 65 year career as an attorney and now works with Harvard students for registering voters. You can pretty much go to the bank on what he says:)) He is often the voice of reason on the substack and certainly helps to talk me back down out of the tree (slowly). He is very calm, as in 'saving the day.'
Much too complementary but thank you and coming from someone as well informed and scholarly as you it is much appreciated! We have so much work to do to insure victory; please pass on the suggestion that each of us should use our personal connections to persuade PP and other reproductive rights local organizations to sponsor and organize local marches on LABOR DAY at their own State Capital in support of reproductive rights!!
Yes! (the you are sage with a stable voice is true though because I always calm down when I read your responses. I don’t always like what I read, but in the end, it is better to ‘face the truth of it’ than what we ‘want to hear’)
Yes Ruth, I agree. Read Elliot Kirschner's Substack for today if you want another wonderfully up moment. There are good people and good thing happening.
I suspect his attorneys are bein bullied into these filings by an increasingly desperate elderly chid. But hey, at least the RNC has some money to pay them.
If you are being bullied by your client, you have a moral if not legal responsibility to resign! BTW the more you represent him the more you sully your legal reputation plus the more you lose his cases
I would suspect that they insist on payment up front because they all know his reputation and don’t want to risk weeks of hard work making bad arguments into at least plausible ones!
Ira Agreed, but who actually pays? Trump has stiffed so many contractors and lawyers that the idea that he would use his own funds to pay lawyers I find almost humorous.
Re: "The DA also opposes Trump’s motion to delay the case because of pre-trial publicity, arguing that Trump shouldn’t be rewarded with more delay when he’s been the one ginning up the media attention on the case, that he’s now complaining about."
This has become the RShit strategy for everything: seed lies in their echo chamber and then use that noise (Benghazi, Hunter's laptop, war on Easter, etc) to have talking points, hearings, press releases, speeches, rallies, legal filings, etc, etc, et cetera!
Wish I knew how to stop this echo chamber. The Fox $787.7 million judgement barely slowed it down.
Media, especially the NYT, has to stop playing along. Democracy is at stake.
Hi Jason, Re your statement that you 'wish you knew how to stop the echo chamber': Ira Lechner on this substack has a group of Harvard students who are registering community college young folks to vote. They are nonpartisan (I think). I believe our answer is the Gen Z, Millennials this go-round. They are not happy with Democrats either - but they will vote against Trump if we can explain to them that their vote is important - and then they can go form their own party afterward - or work within the Democrats.
Valere, I am excited by all the efforts taking place across the country, they will make a difference. The best distillation of this entire situation occurred on The Last Word on Wednesday when Ali Velshi spoke with Professor Timothy Snyder (TS). Here's the YouTube MSNBC highlights link:
The TS segment starts at 11:58; but, you might want to watch the entire piece to see Neal Katyal and Joyce discuss Jack Smith v Judge Cannon prior to today's (Thursday's) breaking news.
TS says this about what we can do (times indexed to the video):
Hi John, I posted this earlier, but I'll take a stab at your question. One of the attorneys on this case received a $3 Million retainer in advance. So far as today's posting, this is what I wrote: "It is clear that Alina Habba is incompetent. And she has said in an interview that can be found on YouTube that 'I would rather be pretty than smart, because I can fake being smart.' Everyone is entitled to their own bad taste. I'm not sure she achieves pretty, and she definitely achieves dumb. As Albert in The Bird Cage said to the dancer who said blowing bubbles with his bubble gum helped him to think: "Sweetie, you're wasting your gum." So I say: "Sweetie, you're wasting your mascara." She is not bright by any measure; but with those kinds of statements, Trump can say he didn't have competent attorney representation, and Alina Habba could lose her law license. How smart is that?" So I guess what I think is that Alina Habba is not very pretty, unless one likes pancake makeup, and $25.00 worth of mascara. She is not smart. The other attorneys are flailing around, trying to show Trump that they are doing something: but to try to ask the Judge to rule in their favor to not admit written messages from Trump because he is stupid is silly. But Trump's attorneys are trying to show him that they are 'doing something.' They are 'in it for the money' because they know who Trump is. But $3 Million only goes so far when you cannot pass the mirror test and your children stop speaking to you. Look for them to try to bail from the case.
Valere, thanks for this response. Last night I participated in the BigTent USA Zoom call with Senator Chris Murphy & Lis Smith (she was a political advisor to Tom Suozzi. The discussion was about how important border security is and the way Dems need to address it. It was quite eye opening for me. Just another example of how many moving parts there are to this election. Suozzi won by 7 points by being smart and confronting the reality of the issue, flipping it to point out that he recognized the issue and that the Republicans are stalling it for the 2024 election. This is not related to your observations about the attorney but it sure caught my attention. Thanks for responding to my question. As Joyce Vance states, “We are in this together.”
Alina Habba is what I call a Trump Girl. Look first at Melania, then look at almost every young woman who has spent time in his inner circle. They never wear pants, they all have long, flowing hair and stiletto heels.
Bryan, you said it out loud - Alina has had some ‘work’ done. I certainly don’t mind what anyone does with their time, money, and appearance, but I was offended for all women - attorneys and professionals, because we can be pretty without faking being smart. And ‘pretty’ is all relative anyway: beauty is skin deep, but ugly is clear to the bone. She certainly failed the ‘faking smart’ test with her statement: it’s one of the most bonehead things she could have said because she might lose her law license for admitting she’s not competent and that she’s faking being smart enough to represent ex-president Trump in court as his corporate counsel. The question is, did he hire her for being ‘pretty’? or did he expect some degree of intelligence? He’ll throw her under the bus when he’s done with her and say “I thought she was smart and here she is admitting she’s not, and I’m losing my cases because of her.”
It’s Trump’s nature to get rid of people, and she is no exception. He’s not getting rid of Melania because she’s a Russian connection and she has protection. Indeed, there was a picture of Alina outside the courtroom during the second E. Jean Carroll trial where she looked like a copy of Melania: clothes, hair, makeup.
Thank you, Valere, I wondered if it was just me. Alina Habba's past legal experience was in traffic court.
Melania is the mother of Trump's youngest son, whom it appears Trump has little interest in, which is why he spends his time with his mother. It seems Trump can't be bothered with young Barron.
Meanwhile Valere ... Jurors in their court seats continue to heart evidence & reach Felony Verdicts actually 3 Felonies in the case of TAYLOR JAMES JOHNATAKIS who was sentenced today to over 7 years in Jail.
Actually it was a very easy case for the Jury as Johnatakis was quite specific about his felonious intent under #stopthesteal i.e. disrupt J6 Congressional election certification.
The "Capitol Breach" cases keep coming into my inbox. CBS News reports over 500 plus documented police assaults on J6 & over 120 with deadly or dangerous weapons.
Thank you Bryan, I did not know about Johnatakis’ sentencing. Judge Lamberth (republican appointee) is one of the judges who have been speaking publicly about the threat Trump’s rhetoric is to our court system (first in January when he talked about distortion seeping into the public consciousness). I just looked at WaPo, and I’m glad that they are quoting him in this sentencing case Judge Walton was most recent. Judge Hogan has called out Trump‘s calling these criminals patriots and tourist destructive rhetoric. I am glad credible judges are speaking up. And they’re not doing it because they’re in danger and they’re doing it despite being in danger. Every single one of them has been threatened. Thank you for always keeping me/us informed on the latest news because I don’t have television and I have sparse spare time lately:) I did read that Johnatakis defended himself in the trial. The one I’m waiting for is Steve Bannon. He is one of the greatest dangers to our democracy because he has taken his psychological operations training from the military and used it with Cambridge Analytica to wrongly gain Facebook accounts to help Trump with data in 2016, and worked with Russian scientist on that. He originally worked with Ted Cruz, but then gave the data to Trump when Ted Cruz bowed out. I know Steve Bannon is on trial for his border Weil scam, but I’m just mentioning that he is much worse than that. He now is running his podcast The War Room’ six days a week with the Republican mega as his entranced audience. This is how he helps Trump reinforce his cult power over. He set up his podcast. War Room nearly immediately after Trump pardoned him for the DOJ indictment on his last day in office, January 21 and he’s been spewing right up until today that ‘Trump won.’ I’ve never listened to him, but I have read the online articles by CNN, Atlantic and others. So if he is sentenced, he will be off the air. He also is appealing his conviction on ignoring a subpoena from Congress. He’s playing the waiting game to try to get Trump back into office to pardon him again. What little time I have is spent defeating Trump. I am constantly speaking with my ‘red’ people, friends and family whom I will not give up on. I think they may come back to reality in the future… at least they’re still speaking to me:)
Hi Jen, we had the same thought:)) I just posted the same thing to Jeffrey before I read your comment below. So that makes two of us: we need to get him a bottle of Crown:) I don’t drink, and I’ve only tasted whiskey once… But I do pay my workers with a bottle sometimes. You have to meet them where they are and they love Crown more than money I think💙
Carolina Wrens are among my favorites, for a bird hardly bigger than a large egg they have a voice that carries remarkably far, and they don’t mind being around people, I have their nests all around my house 🏡
Cate: I love this. Indeed, the chickens, Tofu and Bella have earned some good karma to have come to Joyce and her family this time around. And Joyce is doing her sweet dharma and as well with us💙
I would like to come back as a chicken, cat, or dog—heck, even as myself—to provide a couple of working hands to do whatever needs to be done. I can't go so far as to say a fly on the wall, as that is a very short life.
This is one of those messages that I'm never quite sure how to take. It seems like some judges are finally standing up to Trump's BS, and that makes me feel a tiny bit hopeful. But tomorrow will bring some other set-back, and hope will once again be difficult to attain. I don't know how all sane Americans are handling this as we enter what, Year #9 of Trumps derangement! For tonight, I'm gonna have a little hope! Anyone else?
Ditto Kathryn - I like the vegan recipes - didn't know I could cancel the other. I did cancel the WSJ after 30 years. Their transparent bias for Trump is quite odd given that he is a fraudulent business man, convicted in their very city - and he is not even a good business guy: he has been bankrupt, he has no ethics, no core. Are those the attributes the board wants? Oh wait, wait: I just googled: Rupert Murdoch owns WSJ. And water runs downhill. Answered my own question.
I just replied to Ira… actually, yes, I feel it when Jack Smith steps up. I want to see him slap her down, she is not qualified for this case. From the very beginning when she came in the picture and Jack went to the 11th ct. of appeals. This is not a normal trial, we have never had a President like this one (even hard for me to say he was a Prez, cause he wasn’t) he is a trouble maker through and through. 😴
Sometimes it helps to join like-minded groups. I recommend working with Ira Lechner on this Substack and his Harvard students who are registering community college students. The Harvard students are non-partisan and are working with the community college population because they are the most unregistered numbers in the US. Also writing postcards. All of this connection helps one to realize there are more of us than ‘them.’
Dennis, in addition to the judges, facing Trump in court, we have federal judges like Reggie Walton (a Republican Point, who recently publicly, spoke out about the danger of this kind of rhetoric by Yrump to our democracy and Royce Lamberth (he has been speaking publicly since January. He’s another Republican appointed judge who has sat on many January 6 cases. He sentenced Taylor James Johnatakis to 7 years in prison) and district judge Thomas Hogan spoke to Georgetown law, school students in January about Trump‘s fraudulent story. so far as hope, we also have the reality that the majority of Americans have a strong core. We align more with. E. Jean Carroll, an 80-year-old woman who decimated Trump. He’s done. It’s not hopeful thinking, and we do have to work very hard to get our young people to register. One thing you could do that is really constructive is join Ira Lechner here on this Substack with his Harvard student voter registration group. They are working with community college students to register them because that is what we know as the least voter registered group. or write postcards. The dominoes are falling in so many ways as one by one Trump‘s cronies are sent to jail prison. We have Steve Bannon coming to trial on May 28, and that will be a significant win if he is convicted for the fraud scheme to build the wall. He was trained in psychological operations by the US military. He pays back Trump for pardoning him from his DOJ indictment for the border scheme by starting up his War Room with a daily rant about how Trump really won. His audiences Republican and they soak it up because they know it align them with Trump. Most of Bannon audience are MAGA minions, cultists. Bannon is smart, unlike Trump, who is intellectually deficient, but gifted in scamming, and he can have some interpersonal relationship skills no matter how superficial he is. Sometimes to have hope when needs to take some positive constructive action, so that’s why I’m suggesting postcards and joining Ira Lechner’s group - more contact with ‘like minds.’
3. We are heartened that Florida is now in play. To protect American democracy, reach out to millions of unregistered likely Democrats using a dedicated database using every outreach method possible (phone and text, postcard, email and targeted ad, and in-person too), where new Democratic voters will make the most impact – in the most flippable states and districts.
He's running us around in circles...What a tangled web he's got us in!. If we try to understand and keep track of this, we are submerged by it. Trump rides, skims the waves avoiding the undertow... his lawyers keeping him on top afloat, for now. Trump is trying to bring down the country, this very system that is holding him up by people abiding by its laws, rules and norms, and whose patience does not seem to run out. He's out on a ledge... or gangplank. I would rather that somehow we would know and it could be ajudicated that Trump is mentally unfit and he should never get near the office of president of the US again.
Potter, my brain constantly goes to: how can anyone (tfg) do/and continue to tell us what he is going to do, not get arrested for such blatant hate towards “We The People” walk around without any consequences. Waiting for the SC to weigh in regarding “Immunity” is eating at me, let alone all of us. That, to me is so unacceptable. 🤔
I think everyone is afraid of him. He does have freedom of speech but he constantly confesses his crimes albeit obliviously and obliquely. He’s got the media and consequently us wrapped around him. It’s sick and sickening. I believe he has a mental disorder that is serious and he should be kept from the highest office without a doubt. It does not need a diagnosis. It’s obvious. He’s asking to be punished.
Read Bandy Lee, MD, a psychiatrist and 37 of her colleagues (psychiatrists) who indeed have deemed him unfit and a sociopath. The President of the AMA made the first group (27 psychiatrists) withdraw their paper from publication because of the 'Goldwater Rule.' That ruling (in 2017 by the AMA president) was political - and scholarly brinkmanship). So the group's response was to add ten additional prestigious colleagues and publish their findings in an updated version of the book: 'The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, 2019'
All prior 27 and those added to the second group said they were writing from a sense of duty to America. And they said they didn't need to sit personally with them because they had 1,000s of yours of videos to observe: and they said 'such a client would lie in a face to face meeting, but was not lying in the videos, so far as behaviors.' Of course he is a liar, liar pants on fire and that indeed was an element of their diagnoses.
I am glad you brought that up. I have been listening to her, the Moyers interview; someone on one of the substacks recommended her. Maybe it was you. Bandy Lee also mentions Robert Jay Lifton and Judith Hermann both of whose work I am familiar with for years. Thank you.
Indeed our collective pants should be on fire!!
Instead I hear the commentariat surmises what will be when Trump gets back in the WH. What is the matter with us?
Hi Potter, I always confront that. I say “we don’t have ‘if’ on this Substack. We are going to react Biden.” trump’s game plan is to disrupt. He’s simply a disruptor and he gets a lot of energy when we push back at that. we need to push back at it. but we just need to recognize it for what it is his disruption because he knows he’s going to lose. He’s terrified and the only game plan he has is to cause chaos. he’s going to jail.
Why can’t something be done about him. He should be taken off the ballot and put away for starters. And the people that follow him and protect him are just as dangerous as he is.
I would like to see us put him in jail. Surely he belongs there. That will make a breakthrough to his psyche, get beyond the act which is his weapon as well. That would signal our recovery from fear of him. The others will, I believe, repress their inner demons, as we all must do. They have been given permission by Trump.
But we, i mean those with the duty and the power, have been very hesitant and cautious because he’s got this following of potentially very dangerous people that he is threatening with and the cheerleading crowds. And we have to follow the law. The law cannot do it for us ( as we see SCOTUS will not). So it’s the voters job.
I love the image of Trump walking the plank, making a ginormous splash as he falls into the ocean, flailing around and finally going under (glub, glub).
One cannot debate with this unreasoned oppositional disrespectful kind of mental illness. That said It would be like an elderly gladiator match with Trump getting his zingers in and each side cheering for gotchas. Biden would be at a disadvantage. I am sure Biden's sanity would prevail in this "show" to those looking for sanity, decency and even self composure. But those who refuse to see or hear will still refuse to see or hear at this point, those who unbelievably are still undecided or those who want their guy to "win". Then if you have RFK Jr added to the mix and others, it would be farcical, a melee. A network would love it because they are into entertainment. A very strong manager of this "discussion" would be required. I don't know of anyone that exists who could handle Trump. Trump perhaps would have to be in a booth ( remembering what he did threatening, looming behind Clinton) and that would mean Biden would have to be in a booth too. Bulletproof. But would Trump expose himself to a crowd that is not his costumed yahoos?
I think we, in this country, on the whole, do not know how to recognize mental illness of this sort. Trump's issues is not decline mainly, though I think it is decline and worse than ever in this decline. It's life long. He's "perfected it" his act, the one that has gotten him so far. He's gotten away with so much for so long that he's unmanageable. The justice department, judges, prosecutors have their hands full. He tries every trick, every opening he can. He rules by fear of what he can unleash. This is a truly serious challenge the likes of which" we have never had before" (to use Trump's superlative language). I don't think Hitler is an inappropriate comparison. We are so vulnerable. People who have the power to counter him had better stop fearing Trump more than the fear of his and his supporters attacks, of being called names, unfair or partisan.
Most insightful is that we don't have the ability to understand what we see. I know this is true of myself, and this vulnerability is dangerous to survival.
What an absolute mess.
It is easier to fool people than convince them they've been fooled - Mark Twain
Potter -- I wondered why his children didn't do something to stop him from making such an ass of himself and destroying our democracy. Then I thought-- they could be named his guardians and they would be stuck with all his debts ! The only answer is to defeat him on Nov. 5th, though he insists that would mean a "bloodbath". He's already primed, like he was in 2020 when he said a year before the election "If I lose, the election is rigged".
Trump is an inveterate bully. Just imagine the motives of the lawyers who agree to work for him!!! Do they feel any shame? Or was that not taught in Law School?
Swbv, follow the money: one of those working on the hush money case received a $3 Million retainer. Yes. A course on ethic is taught in law schools and an attorney on this substack has written about using Trump as his example of what not to do when he taught about ethics in business law (when Trump was a much younger shyster).
Not that it's in any way earthshaking, but certainly illustrative: the NY Supreme Court has sent back Trump's $175MM appeal bond paperwork for a re-do. Conveniently forgot (among other things) to include the required financial statement. Probably still making that up at the time. Wonder how many billable hours went into the incorrect submission ?
I have not seen coverage of that! So, in other words, he is being thralled by his millionaire high-interest-loan billionaire buddy and still hasn't ponied up anything himself.
The DA cites the Ethics Advisory Committee’s opinion, "A relative's independent political activities do not provide a reasonable basis to question the judge's impartiality." Hmm. I can see the Thomases using this.
I'm not a legal scholar and going to guess that the key words are "independent political activities." What.Justice Thomas's wife did was not independent of issues before the Supreme Court.
Hi Bryan, did you mean to reply to Ann above - not Katherine? Is Ginny an unnamed J6 co-conspirator? I was not aware of that. But yahoo if that is the case! V
She helped PLAN the event, and was at the rally beforehand. She has admitted her part publicly. She is in touch with many no-gooders who want Trump to succeed. I remember thinking during Clarence's hearing for his job that "That lady is trouble" and Ya' Howdy! I was surely correct !
It doesn't seem to matter what the facts are, with these folks. She definitely wasn't, but that likely would not keep them from trying it as a defense, if it ever comes to that.
Hi Ann, Did you happen to read the letter written by attorneys that a substack member posted the link to last night? It clearly spelled out how impossible it will be for Clarence to claim he did not know about Ginny's activities on January 6. And they called for Clarence to recuse himself from Trump's cases. I signed it, as did others here - excellently written.
I don’t want to come back as a chicken myself but I can see others for good reason. It is nice to see, hear and read public officials not putting up with the nonsense that Trump throws at the court system. I hope the Supreme Court takes notice that having a spine is an advantage to holding up the rule of law and the constitution. Thanks Joyce and glad the “family” is in safe harbor.
Trump is a psychopathic,narcissistic criminal and should have his feet held to the fire without delay! Everyone knows his strategy! 😡
An interesting note related to your apt comment is that he has paid approximately $100 Million for attorney services but they didn’t recognize and abide by the timing/filing rules of this Court? Any competent lawyer would figure that out! The motion is meritless but at least a litigator would want to get a shot at it by filing it on time. Chances are that this very competent Judge will handle this case carefully and competently which should give all the rest of us considerable comfort! Full speed ahead, Your Honor!
Of course he has incompetent attorneys. Competent attorneys would never represent him.
The best attorneys on earth could not put humpty together again, nor be much help in court.
I dunno. They may actually be competent, but they may also be spending too much time avoiding the shite he keeps throwing. It's likely distracting even for them.
Hi Jerry, It is clear that Alina Habba is incompetent. And she has said in an interview that can be found on YouTube that 'I would rather be pretty than smart, because I can fake being smart.' Everyone is entitled to their own bad taste. I'm not sure she achieves pretty, and she definitely achieves dumb. As Albert in The Bird Cage said to the dancer who said blowing bubbles with his bubble gum helped him to think: "Sweetie, you're wasting your gum." So I say: "Sweetie, you're wasting your mascara." She is not bright by any measure; but with those kinds of statements, Trump can say he didn't have competent attorney representation, and Alina Habba could lose her law license. How smart is that?
Todd Blanche, former prosector for the SDNY and Susan Necheles, a veteran defense lawyer are representing trump in the "Hush-Money" case. Andrew Weissman has often complimented Ms. Necheles as a brilliant attorney. It's clear Habba is out of her league and, after the E. Jean Carroll ($5M and $83.3M) and the Manhatten fraud civil trials ($355M) losses, he may have a better chance with Mr. Blanche and Ms. Necheles. Hope not.
Thank you Ema for the attorney lineup correction.
I suspect any No. 1 qualification is to be a MAGA Republican. Anything else is a bonus.
Alina Haba, if she's actually getting paid, is filling her nest egg. Escape velocity from the upper middle class having-to-work world is between $1-4 million depending on one's spending habits. She may get close enough with her fees. Using Trump to get OUT of the rat race isn't necessarily dumb, unless she's a true believer.
Hardest job in the country.
Disagree, respectfully. These attorneys are very good at what they are doing which is to find any kind of loophole or crack in the legal system and use it to delay a guilty man's coming to justice. They share Trump's goal of delaying until after the coming election, in the hope that their client wins, and the whole thing goes away. Oh, and they get paid in full by the American people. They are heartless, corrupt, devious and dishonest. They are the embodiment of the qualities that the general public have come to hate about lawyers over many many years, in spades. But incompetent? No.
I agree with your assessment that Trump’s attorneys are not incompetent. I think Habba is an exception in as much as she has had little to no courtroom experience but many of them, including Todd Blanche, are experienced litigators - he in criminal law. And never underestimate a jury. There is an assumption Trump will be found guilty but this is a criminal trial and the standard for conviction is different than in the E Jean Carroll case and the A.G. case. Anyone who has had to face a jury knows nothing is certain. That being said Alvin Bragg and his team are doing a great job.
Also three mistakes made by Habba on the bond filing that got rejected.
link:https://www.rawstory.com/amp/trump-bond-2667675522-2667675522?fbclid=IwAR3q3UgrC1mUZAnPh0nXIV6FHSC-k2naffyHcp4OlPo0sCMyrF0hEXzbRvQ_aem_ATaFixeDu4qJTzkEzKhAGSsFR92tFWmCA9hLloFW2lSksVr6c89l4Jm29RXLw9c-4B9xCh_81CsWFh8mXPnuP-if
More than likely the bond filing did not involve Habba but rather Chris Kise who is an experienced appellate attorney and co-counsel in this case. I cynically presume Trump told him not to include the info to see if it would fly. Also the bonding company has responsibilities too.
james wheaton claims: "These attorneys are very good at what they are doing... [they] hope that their client wins.... Oh, and they get paid in full by the American people. They are heartless, corrupt, devious and dishonest...."
Well, they certainly do not "get paid... by the American people." And they may be heartless and devious, but if it can be shown that they are corrupt or dishonest, they could be disbarred.
"paid by the American people" - yeah not currently, although indirectly through the RNC and the donations that come their way. What I meant is after an election that Trump wins. I have no doubt Trump would in that scenario pay his legal team through any and all means except from his own coffers. Including tax dollars. If, BTW, he would pay at all.
Trump is using PAC donations to pay his lawyers, which is why his campaign coffers contain mostly cobwebs.
Sorry but missing a filing deadline is inexcusable and no competent attorney would do that— these folks stink!
Hoo-rah see-rah.
Maybe they are grifters just like him : they’re only in it for the money.
Then again he probably won’t pay any outstanding bills from them once this is over. In other words they ‘deserve each other’.
Could this be the grounds he will use to fire his lawyers, thus ensuring a lengthy delay of this trial? I predict that will be his final “hail Mary”.
Possibly but I would think that the Judge would hold that this tactic also is too late as we are talking about only eleven days. The old trick is that either the lawyer or the defendant suddenly gets very sick but the Judge isn’t going to buy that either!
@Ira. 1. Please discuss Field Team 6 on your Substack.
2. Consider the post hearing conviction appeal -- incompetent counsel -- to drag it out if he loses.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/mission
Yes Cathy!! We have a week and a half left. I fully expect several hail Mary's. Only question is - will any of them be the stumbling block they are intended to be. Methinks they may be holding the best for last, whatever it might be.
A Plea deal?
Thanks, Ira, almost sounds normal… comfort, indeed for a moment. Take each one as it comes. DJT is such a bad person. Be well. We have to keep working at it. Just like Jack Smith today was so needed for our sanity. Good Lord. (Sigh)
Ira is sage: a 65 year career as an attorney and now works with Harvard students for registering voters. You can pretty much go to the bank on what he says:)) He is often the voice of reason on the substack and certainly helps to talk me back down out of the tree (slowly). He is very calm, as in 'saving the day.'
Much too complementary but thank you and coming from someone as well informed and scholarly as you it is much appreciated! We have so much work to do to insure victory; please pass on the suggestion that each of us should use our personal connections to persuade PP and other reproductive rights local organizations to sponsor and organize local marches on LABOR DAY at their own State Capital in support of reproductive rights!!
Yes! (the you are sage with a stable voice is true though because I always calm down when I read your responses. I don’t always like what I read, but in the end, it is better to ‘face the truth of it’ than what we ‘want to hear’)
Yes Ruth, I agree. Read Elliot Kirschner's Substack for today if you want another wonderfully up moment. There are good people and good thing happening.
I suspect his attorneys are bein bullied into these filings by an increasingly desperate elderly chid. But hey, at least the RNC has some money to pay them.
If you are being bullied by your client, you have a moral if not legal responsibility to resign! BTW the more you represent him the more you sully your legal reputation plus the more you lose his cases
These lawyers want the money. It's very simple. And they are servants doing Trump's bidding.
Ira Actually, we don’t know if Trump personally has paid any of the $100+ million that has been spent on his ‘obstruct and delay,’ lawyers.
I would suspect that they insist on payment up front because they all know his reputation and don’t want to risk weeks of hard work making bad arguments into at least plausible ones!
Ira Agreed, but who actually pays? Trump has stiffed so many contractors and lawyers that the idea that he would use his own funds to pay lawyers I find almost humorous.
I wish everyone knew and understood his strategy.
Re: "The DA also opposes Trump’s motion to delay the case because of pre-trial publicity, arguing that Trump shouldn’t be rewarded with more delay when he’s been the one ginning up the media attention on the case, that he’s now complaining about."
This has become the RShit strategy for everything: seed lies in their echo chamber and then use that noise (Benghazi, Hunter's laptop, war on Easter, etc) to have talking points, hearings, press releases, speeches, rallies, legal filings, etc, etc, et cetera!
Wish I knew how to stop this echo chamber. The Fox $787.7 million judgement barely slowed it down.
Media, especially the NYT, has to stop playing along. Democracy is at stake.
Hi Jason, Re your statement that you 'wish you knew how to stop the echo chamber': Ira Lechner on this substack has a group of Harvard students who are registering community college young folks to vote. They are nonpartisan (I think). I believe our answer is the Gen Z, Millennials this go-round. They are not happy with Democrats either - but they will vote against Trump if we can explain to them that their vote is important - and then they can go form their own party afterward - or work within the Democrats.
Valere, I am excited by all the efforts taking place across the country, they will make a difference. The best distillation of this entire situation occurred on The Last Word on Wednesday when Ali Velshi spoke with Professor Timothy Snyder (TS). Here's the YouTube MSNBC highlights link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3YAqMBFM64
The TS segment starts at 11:58; but, you might want to watch the entire piece to see Neal Katyal and Joyce discuss Jack Smith v Judge Cannon prior to today's (Thursday's) breaking news.
TS says this about what we can do (times indexed to the video):
15:26
something good some little thing letter
15:28
to the Ed of the newspaper conversation
15:30
with somebody at a bar phone banking
15:32
calling your Congressman about
15:33
legislation any little thing that you do
15:36
campaigning for candidates that you care
15:38
about giving donating money to people
15:40
especially down ballot any little thing
15:42
that you do then makes you feel better
15:44
especially if you do it with other
15:45
people and then you get a positive cycle
15:47
going where you're doing something good
15:49
and you're feeling better about doing
15:51
something good and then at the end you
15:53
win but also you know that there are
15:55
lots of people around you who are also
15:56
trying to do good things and so you you
15:59
end up on the right side but then you're
16:00
not demoralized you're actually you're
16:02
happy at the end of it something like
16:03
that
Basically DELAY, DELAY…………‼️
Trump is entitled to a fair and speedy trial, and a much deserved conviction!
And what do you make of the lawyers who are playing his game?
Hi John, I posted this earlier, but I'll take a stab at your question. One of the attorneys on this case received a $3 Million retainer in advance. So far as today's posting, this is what I wrote: "It is clear that Alina Habba is incompetent. And she has said in an interview that can be found on YouTube that 'I would rather be pretty than smart, because I can fake being smart.' Everyone is entitled to their own bad taste. I'm not sure she achieves pretty, and she definitely achieves dumb. As Albert in The Bird Cage said to the dancer who said blowing bubbles with his bubble gum helped him to think: "Sweetie, you're wasting your gum." So I say: "Sweetie, you're wasting your mascara." She is not bright by any measure; but with those kinds of statements, Trump can say he didn't have competent attorney representation, and Alina Habba could lose her law license. How smart is that?" So I guess what I think is that Alina Habba is not very pretty, unless one likes pancake makeup, and $25.00 worth of mascara. She is not smart. The other attorneys are flailing around, trying to show Trump that they are doing something: but to try to ask the Judge to rule in their favor to not admit written messages from Trump because he is stupid is silly. But Trump's attorneys are trying to show him that they are 'doing something.' They are 'in it for the money' because they know who Trump is. But $3 Million only goes so far when you cannot pass the mirror test and your children stop speaking to you. Look for them to try to bail from the case.
Valere, thanks for this response. Last night I participated in the BigTent USA Zoom call with Senator Chris Murphy & Lis Smith (she was a political advisor to Tom Suozzi. The discussion was about how important border security is and the way Dems need to address it. It was quite eye opening for me. Just another example of how many moving parts there are to this election. Suozzi won by 7 points by being smart and confronting the reality of the issue, flipping it to point out that he recognized the issue and that the Republicans are stalling it for the 2024 election. This is not related to your observations about the attorney but it sure caught my attention. Thanks for responding to my question. As Joyce Vance states, “We are in this together.”
Alina Habba is what I call a Trump Girl. Look first at Melania, then look at almost every young woman who has spent time in his inner circle. They never wear pants, they all have long, flowing hair and stiletto heels.
🎯 ... and narrow jaw lines?
Bryan, you said it out loud - Alina has had some ‘work’ done. I certainly don’t mind what anyone does with their time, money, and appearance, but I was offended for all women - attorneys and professionals, because we can be pretty without faking being smart. And ‘pretty’ is all relative anyway: beauty is skin deep, but ugly is clear to the bone. She certainly failed the ‘faking smart’ test with her statement: it’s one of the most bonehead things she could have said because she might lose her law license for admitting she’s not competent and that she’s faking being smart enough to represent ex-president Trump in court as his corporate counsel. The question is, did he hire her for being ‘pretty’? or did he expect some degree of intelligence? He’ll throw her under the bus when he’s done with her and say “I thought she was smart and here she is admitting she’s not, and I’m losing my cases because of her.”
It’s Trump’s nature to get rid of people, and she is no exception. He’s not getting rid of Melania because she’s a Russian connection and she has protection. Indeed, there was a picture of Alina outside the courtroom during the second E. Jean Carroll trial where she looked like a copy of Melania: clothes, hair, makeup.
Thank you, Valere, I wondered if it was just me. Alina Habba's past legal experience was in traffic court.
Melania is the mother of Trump's youngest son, whom it appears Trump has little interest in, which is why he spends his time with his mother. It seems Trump can't be bothered with young Barron.
Note that I didn't mention the unnatural proportions of Melania's and Ivanka's breasts.
Meanwhile Valere ... Jurors in their court seats continue to heart evidence & reach Felony Verdicts actually 3 Felonies in the case of TAYLOR JAMES JOHNATAKIS who was sentenced today to over 7 years in Jail.
Actually it was a very easy case for the Jury as Johnatakis was quite specific about his felonious intent under #stopthesteal i.e. disrupt J6 Congressional election certification.
The "Capitol Breach" cases keep coming into my inbox. CBS News reports over 500 plus documented police assaults on J6 & over 120 with deadly or dangerous weapons.
Thank you Bryan, I did not know about Johnatakis’ sentencing. Judge Lamberth (republican appointee) is one of the judges who have been speaking publicly about the threat Trump’s rhetoric is to our court system (first in January when he talked about distortion seeping into the public consciousness). I just looked at WaPo, and I’m glad that they are quoting him in this sentencing case Judge Walton was most recent. Judge Hogan has called out Trump‘s calling these criminals patriots and tourist destructive rhetoric. I am glad credible judges are speaking up. And they’re not doing it because they’re in danger and they’re doing it despite being in danger. Every single one of them has been threatened. Thank you for always keeping me/us informed on the latest news because I don’t have television and I have sparse spare time lately:) I did read that Johnatakis defended himself in the trial. The one I’m waiting for is Steve Bannon. He is one of the greatest dangers to our democracy because he has taken his psychological operations training from the military and used it with Cambridge Analytica to wrongly gain Facebook accounts to help Trump with data in 2016, and worked with Russian scientist on that. He originally worked with Ted Cruz, but then gave the data to Trump when Ted Cruz bowed out. I know Steve Bannon is on trial for his border Weil scam, but I’m just mentioning that he is much worse than that. He now is running his podcast The War Room’ six days a week with the Republican mega as his entranced audience. This is how he helps Trump reinforce his cult power over. He set up his podcast. War Room nearly immediately after Trump pardoned him for the DOJ indictment on his last day in office, January 21 and he’s been spewing right up until today that ‘Trump won.’ I’ve never listened to him, but I have read the online articles by CNN, Atlantic and others. So if he is sentenced, he will be off the air. He also is appealing his conviction on ignoring a subpoena from Congress. He’s playing the waiting game to try to get Trump back into office to pardon him again. What little time I have is spent defeating Trump. I am constantly speaking with my ‘red’ people, friends and family whom I will not give up on. I think they may come back to reality in the future… at least they’re still speaking to me:)
Disbarment! That’s better than my first choice! 🔥
Still these delays are eating away at my liver like bad whiskey.
Buy better whiskey.
Hi Jen, we had the same thought:)) I just posted the same thing to Jeffrey before I read your comment below. So that makes two of us: we need to get him a bottle of Crown:) I don’t drink, and I’ve only tasted whiskey once… But I do pay my workers with a bottle sometimes. You have to meet them where they are and they love Crown more than money I think💙
Ok Jeffrey, you need better whiskey:) 💙
Thank you for what you do.
Also, I want to come back as one of your chickens.
I, as well, would choose to be a chicken in the Vance coop and getting to eat popcorn with the family.
Yes,thank you for all you do but I don't want to come back as a chicken. Maybe a Carolina Wren. I have bunches of them.
Carolina Wrens are among my favorites, for a bird hardly bigger than a large egg they have a voice that carries remarkably far, and they don’t mind being around people, I have their nests all around my house 🏡
Cate: I love this. Indeed, the chickens, Tofu and Bella have earned some good karma to have come to Joyce and her family this time around. And Joyce is doing her sweet dharma and as well with us💙
I would like to come back as a chicken, cat, or dog—heck, even as myself—to provide a couple of working hands to do whatever needs to be done. I can't go so far as to say a fly on the wall, as that is a very short life.
This is one of those messages that I'm never quite sure how to take. It seems like some judges are finally standing up to Trump's BS, and that makes me feel a tiny bit hopeful. But tomorrow will bring some other set-back, and hope will once again be difficult to attain. I don't know how all sane Americans are handling this as we enter what, Year #9 of Trumps derangement! For tonight, I'm gonna have a little hope! Anyone else?
We are all losing a lot of sleep together. I have grown mightily sick of the NYT, but thank goodness for their puzzles at 3 am...
I cancelled the NYTimes. I just got sick and tired of paying them to report as if lies were equal to the truth. It was just too much!
I'm on the way out too. Their despicable Top of the fold attacks against Biden vs. 23'rd page 1" allowances for tRump is at my wits end too.
I can only conclude its the money he shells out through cutouts or other means. Nothing makes much newspaper integrity sense right now.
I cancelled my subscription to the New York Times news, but I keep the recipe subscription. I got tired of reading annoying upside down stories.
I didn't know I could do that! I do love my recipe box!
Ditto Kathryn - I like the vegan recipes - didn't know I could cancel the other. I did cancel the WSJ after 30 years. Their transparent bias for Trump is quite odd given that he is a fraudulent business man, convicted in their very city - and he is not even a good business guy: he has been bankrupt, he has no ethics, no core. Are those the attributes the board wants? Oh wait, wait: I just googled: Rupert Murdoch owns WSJ. And water runs downhill. Answered my own question.
I just replied to Ira… actually, yes, I feel it when Jack Smith steps up. I want to see him slap her down, she is not qualified for this case. From the very beginning when she came in the picture and Jack went to the 11th ct. of appeals. This is not a normal trial, we have never had a President like this one (even hard for me to say he was a Prez, cause he wasn’t) he is a trouble maker through and through. 😴
I even have a hard time believing Trump was born and raised in the USA.
Hang in there, brother. You are not alone, and the 11th Circuit has been (unexpectedly) receptive to Smith's pleas
This is why I love this community so much. Thank you, and right back atcha!!
Sometimes it helps to join like-minded groups. I recommend working with Ira Lechner on this Substack and his Harvard students who are registering community college students. The Harvard students are non-partisan and are working with the community college population because they are the most unregistered numbers in the US. Also writing postcards. All of this connection helps one to realize there are more of us than ‘them.’
Dennis, in addition to the judges, facing Trump in court, we have federal judges like Reggie Walton (a Republican Point, who recently publicly, spoke out about the danger of this kind of rhetoric by Yrump to our democracy and Royce Lamberth (he has been speaking publicly since January. He’s another Republican appointed judge who has sat on many January 6 cases. He sentenced Taylor James Johnatakis to 7 years in prison) and district judge Thomas Hogan spoke to Georgetown law, school students in January about Trump‘s fraudulent story. so far as hope, we also have the reality that the majority of Americans have a strong core. We align more with. E. Jean Carroll, an 80-year-old woman who decimated Trump. He’s done. It’s not hopeful thinking, and we do have to work very hard to get our young people to register. One thing you could do that is really constructive is join Ira Lechner here on this Substack with his Harvard student voter registration group. They are working with community college students to register them because that is what we know as the least voter registered group. or write postcards. The dominoes are falling in so many ways as one by one Trump‘s cronies are sent to jail prison. We have Steve Bannon coming to trial on May 28, and that will be a significant win if he is convicted for the fraud scheme to build the wall. He was trained in psychological operations by the US military. He pays back Trump for pardoning him from his DOJ indictment for the border scheme by starting up his War Room with a daily rant about how Trump really won. His audiences Republican and they soak it up because they know it align them with Trump. Most of Bannon audience are MAGA minions, cultists. Bannon is smart, unlike Trump, who is intellectually deficient, but gifted in scamming, and he can have some interpersonal relationship skills no matter how superficial he is. Sometimes to have hope when needs to take some positive constructive action, so that’s why I’m suggesting postcards and joining Ira Lechner’s group - more contact with ‘like minds.’
💙
I've seen that mentioned before so yes, I will check it out. Thanks!!
Thank you Vickie for recommending that Substack. I will definitely check it out also!
@Vickie & Robert.
1. Simon was interviewed in the NYT yesterday. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/03/us/politics/simon-rosenberg-trump-biden.html
2. NYT refused to publish my comment: Fire the pollsters and hire him as an op ed columnist.
Sent to editorial@nytimes.com
3. We are heartened that Florida is now in play. To protect American democracy, reach out to millions of unregistered likely Democrats using a dedicated database using every outreach method possible (phone and text, postcard, email and targeted ad, and in-person too), where new Democratic voters will make the most impact – in the most flippable states and districts.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/actions
Checking out FT6 now. Thanks!
I don’t know how you keep on keeping on, Joyce. God bless you.
What Robert said. Very grateful for all you do, Joyce!
Let us hope that these clever judges can outsmart Treacherous-treasonous-tantruming-traitor-Trump.
Truth!
Linda. Your comment captures Trump to a T!
April 15th, no ifs, ands or buts. This is going to happen!
There HAS to be ONE case that goes to trial before the November election.
It is my birthday, and I never ask for a present or a celebration, but this year...
Happy Birthday and may all your wishes come true!
Happy Birthday, Kathryn!
Ask away...!
Happy Birthday! 🌺🌸🌺
Happy Birthday and I am hopeful ...
KATHRYN -- ask away, Kathryn. We'll all hope your wish comes true !
Happy Birthday, Kathryn! May we all get the justice we deserve. Hope that was on your wishlist!🎂🎉🤡
April 15 is your birthday? You will receive your wish - I predict! And happy birthday:))💙
I hope so too!
Thanks for the detailed update, Joyce. You have been able to predict almost everything that TFG has tried and failed to do up to this point.
I’m so glad you and your family survived the nasty weather last night. The latest baby chick pic was a welcome sight😎
He's running us around in circles...What a tangled web he's got us in!. If we try to understand and keep track of this, we are submerged by it. Trump rides, skims the waves avoiding the undertow... his lawyers keeping him on top afloat, for now. Trump is trying to bring down the country, this very system that is holding him up by people abiding by its laws, rules and norms, and whose patience does not seem to run out. He's out on a ledge... or gangplank. I would rather that somehow we would know and it could be ajudicated that Trump is mentally unfit and he should never get near the office of president of the US again.
Potter, my brain constantly goes to: how can anyone (tfg) do/and continue to tell us what he is going to do, not get arrested for such blatant hate towards “We The People” walk around without any consequences. Waiting for the SC to weigh in regarding “Immunity” is eating at me, let alone all of us. That, to me is so unacceptable. 🤔
I think everyone is afraid of him. He does have freedom of speech but he constantly confesses his crimes albeit obliviously and obliquely. He’s got the media and consequently us wrapped around him. It’s sick and sickening. I believe he has a mental disorder that is serious and he should be kept from the highest office without a doubt. It does not need a diagnosis. It’s obvious. He’s asking to be punished.
Read Bandy Lee, MD, a psychiatrist and 37 of her colleagues (psychiatrists) who indeed have deemed him unfit and a sociopath. The President of the AMA made the first group (27 psychiatrists) withdraw their paper from publication because of the 'Goldwater Rule.' That ruling (in 2017 by the AMA president) was political - and scholarly brinkmanship). So the group's response was to add ten additional prestigious colleagues and publish their findings in an updated version of the book: 'The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, 2019'
You can find it on Dr. Lee's website www.bandylee.com
All prior 27 and those added to the second group said they were writing from a sense of duty to America. And they said they didn't need to sit personally with them because they had 1,000s of yours of videos to observe: and they said 'such a client would lie in a face to face meeting, but was not lying in the videos, so far as behaviors.' Of course he is a liar, liar pants on fire and that indeed was an element of their diagnoses.
I am glad you brought that up. I have been listening to her, the Moyers interview; someone on one of the substacks recommended her. Maybe it was you. Bandy Lee also mentions Robert Jay Lifton and Judith Hermann both of whose work I am familiar with for years. Thank you.
Indeed our collective pants should be on fire!!
Instead I hear the commentariat surmises what will be when Trump gets back in the WH. What is the matter with us?
Hi Potter, I always confront that. I say “we don’t have ‘if’ on this Substack. We are going to react Biden.” trump’s game plan is to disrupt. He’s simply a disruptor and he gets a lot of energy when we push back at that. we need to push back at it. but we just need to recognize it for what it is his disruption because he knows he’s going to lose. He’s terrified and the only game plan he has is to cause chaos. he’s going to jail.
Why can’t something be done about him. He should be taken off the ballot and put away for starters. And the people that follow him and protect him are just as dangerous as he is.
He’s going to jail, and he knows it. his only defense at the moment is to disrupt, and he does that as much as he can.
I think we should keep saying this and similay. Never again. Trump, no way.
I would like to see us put him in jail. Surely he belongs there. That will make a breakthrough to his psyche, get beyond the act which is his weapon as well. That would signal our recovery from fear of him. The others will, I believe, repress their inner demons, as we all must do. They have been given permission by Trump.
But we, i mean those with the duty and the power, have been very hesitant and cautious because he’s got this following of potentially very dangerous people that he is threatening with and the cheerleading crowds. And we have to follow the law. The law cannot do it for us ( as we see SCOTUS will not). So it’s the voters job.
He lives in FL, too bad someone couldn’t Baker Act him. He’s definitely not mentally stable.
See Bandy Lee, MD (psychiatrist) www.bandylee.com
37 psychiatrists agree with you. They detail how he is unstable, sociopathic, and unfit.
I love the image of Trump walking the plank, making a ginormous splash as he falls into the ocean, flailing around and finally going under (glub, glub).
Old form of justice.. ..no delay
🎶 When people run in circles,
It's a very, very,
Mad World
Mad World 🎶
I want to see him and Biden debate. 2020 was sickening, with a covid- infected Drumpf hoping he'd give it to Biden..
Biden shouldn't, but it would be clear who is suffering from cognitive decline if he had to speak extemporaneously.
One cannot debate with this unreasoned oppositional disrespectful kind of mental illness. That said It would be like an elderly gladiator match with Trump getting his zingers in and each side cheering for gotchas. Biden would be at a disadvantage. I am sure Biden's sanity would prevail in this "show" to those looking for sanity, decency and even self composure. But those who refuse to see or hear will still refuse to see or hear at this point, those who unbelievably are still undecided or those who want their guy to "win". Then if you have RFK Jr added to the mix and others, it would be farcical, a melee. A network would love it because they are into entertainment. A very strong manager of this "discussion" would be required. I don't know of anyone that exists who could handle Trump. Trump perhaps would have to be in a booth ( remembering what he did threatening, looming behind Clinton) and that would mean Biden would have to be in a booth too. Bulletproof. But would Trump expose himself to a crowd that is not his costumed yahoos?
I think we, in this country, on the whole, do not know how to recognize mental illness of this sort. Trump's issues is not decline mainly, though I think it is decline and worse than ever in this decline. It's life long. He's "perfected it" his act, the one that has gotten him so far. He's gotten away with so much for so long that he's unmanageable. The justice department, judges, prosecutors have their hands full. He tries every trick, every opening he can. He rules by fear of what he can unleash. This is a truly serious challenge the likes of which" we have never had before" (to use Trump's superlative language). I don't think Hitler is an inappropriate comparison. We are so vulnerable. People who have the power to counter him had better stop fearing Trump more than the fear of his and his supporters attacks, of being called names, unfair or partisan.
You took me seriously, and you are right.
Most insightful is that we don't have the ability to understand what we see. I know this is true of myself, and this vulnerability is dangerous to survival.
What an absolute mess.
It is easier to fool people than convince them they've been fooled - Mark Twain
thank you!
Potter -- I wondered why his children didn't do something to stop him from making such an ass of himself and destroying our democracy. Then I thought-- they could be named his guardians and they would be stuck with all his debts ! The only answer is to defeat him on Nov. 5th, though he insists that would mean a "bloodbath". He's already primed, like he was in 2020 when he said a year before the election "If I lose, the election is rigged".
Trump is an inveterate bully. Just imagine the motives of the lawyers who agree to work for him!!! Do they feel any shame? Or was that not taught in Law School?
$$$$$
Paid by the RNC.
This makes me smile...
Swbv, follow the money: one of those working on the hush money case received a $3 Million retainer. Yes. A course on ethic is taught in law schools and an attorney on this substack has written about using Trump as his example of what not to do when he taught about ethics in business law (when Trump was a much younger shyster).
Not that it's in any way earthshaking, but certainly illustrative: the NY Supreme Court has sent back Trump's $175MM appeal bond paperwork for a re-do. Conveniently forgot (among other things) to include the required financial statement. Probably still making that up at the time. Wonder how many billable hours went into the incorrect submission ?
I have not seen coverage of that! So, in other words, he is being thralled by his millionaire high-interest-loan billionaire buddy and still hasn't ponied up anything himself.
It's unclear. The paperwork was sent back as being incomplete. A link to an article on the matter from Newsweek.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-forced-reveal-his-finances-save-his-properties-1886609
Thanks. So if I understand his cadre of attys couldn't file the proper docs? Um, really? More subterfuge.
Thanks for the link. Another skate...
Dale -- Thanks for letting us know. I'm doing taxes and need the TV turned off, so I'm missing my beloved evening news.
The DA cites the Ethics Advisory Committee’s opinion, "A relative's independent political activities do not provide a reasonable basis to question the judge's impartiality." Hmm. I can see the Thomases using this.
I'm not a legal scholar and going to guess that the key words are "independent political activities." What.Justice Thomas's wife did was not independent of issues before the Supreme Court.
She participated in the January 6 event.
I understand your point Katherine but, sedition and being a unnamed J6 co-conspirator is not independent political activity.
Hi Bryan, did you mean to reply to Ann above - not Katherine? Is Ginny an unnamed J6 co-conspirator? I was not aware of that. But yahoo if that is the case! V
She helped PLAN the event, and was at the rally beforehand. She has admitted her part publicly. She is in touch with many no-gooders who want Trump to succeed. I remember thinking during Clarence's hearing for his job that "That lady is trouble" and Ya' Howdy! I was surely correct !
It doesn't seem to matter what the facts are, with these folks. She definitely wasn't, but that likely would not keep them from trying it as a defense, if it ever comes to that.
Hi Ann, Did you happen to read the letter written by attorneys that a substack member posted the link to last night? It clearly spelled out how impossible it will be for Clarence to claim he did not know about Ginny's activities on January 6. And they called for Clarence to recuse himself from Trump's cases. I signed it, as did others here - excellently written.
I thought the same.
The three rules that Trump's then-lawyer, mentor and onetime best friend, Roy Cohn (yes, that Roy Cohn), drilled into the Orange Malignancy:
1. Never settle, never surrender.
2. Counter-attack, counter-sue immediately.
3. No matter what happens, no matter how deeply into the muck you get, claim victory and never admit defeat.
Trump's 4,000+ court cases have been built around those three rules. Mostly to no avail.
He settled many of the cases!
I’m starting to feel doubtful that we will ever see justice. He needs to be behind bars.
I don’t want to come back as a chicken myself but I can see others for good reason. It is nice to see, hear and read public officials not putting up with the nonsense that Trump throws at the court system. I hope the Supreme Court takes notice that having a spine is an advantage to holding up the rule of law and the constitution. Thanks Joyce and glad the “family” is in safe harbor.
Once again Thanks Miss Joyce, for Your intensive detailing of the day's legal barbed wire, and for showing Us what's truly important...
Baby Chicks came down the ramp this am !!
Thanks for the life's balance.
Alan South of Boston
I wish we had a video of the chicks coming down the ramp!