Trump on Trial

NoCoPilot wrote:

This won't turn out well.

House Republicans are predictably going apoplectic over Biden's documents.

But they will have to be careful.... if they make the claim that a president (a SITTING president) can't have access to classified documents, it'll strengthen the case against the ORC.

I doubt, though, that anybody there is thinking that far ahead.

Mike Pence has been subpoenaed to testify against his boss in the Jan 6 investigation.  He plans to resist. There is no good outcome on this for him.  If he testifies to what he knows, he'll be attacked as the insider who turned on the Mob Boss and became disloyal, and his political career is over.  If he refuses to testify, it'll go all the way to the Supreme Court, and if they agree with him, Jack Smith will include Pence in his obstruction charges.  If SCOTUS turns him down and he's forced to testify, he'll hide behind the 5th and go down in history as an enabler.  And probably STILL get charged.

There is no path to sunshine here.

By aligning himself for so long with the orange wrecking ball, he has eliminated any pathway to redemption.

Donald Trump will use any opportunity to incite more violence once he's indicted

That's why they need to pick him up in an unmarked van, and hold him in protective custody (with no social media) until the trial. He is a flight risk, a danger to society, and a clear and present danger.

Maybe... just maybe all this delay in indictments means the prosecutors will pull out the Big Guns and indict him for laundering Russian drug money?

Nah, I didn't really think so either.

Drumpf has apparently been notified he'll be "arrested" (or indicted?) next Tuesday, and has called on his supporters to "take back the country."

The Manhattan DA undoubtedly wanted to keep the whole thing quiet, to avoid any incitement to violence, but true to form Drumpf blabs everything.  One hopes either they pick him up today (to shut him the hell up) or mobilize enough forces on Tuesday to put down nationwide armed protests by MAGA loyalists.

What a fucking mess.

Trump sounds like he’s only too happy to make his arraignment into a circus. DA Bragg should not let him. It only helps him fundraise and riled up his supporters. Instead the Orange MAGAt should be picked up in Florida in an unmarked white van, booked with no publicity, and then remanded into custody, pending trial.

If they DO release him on his own recognizance it must be on the condition that he make no public statement. He won’t be able to resist of course and that gives Bragg remit to slam Trump in jail, to be held incommunicado.

The MSM should do itself, and the public, a favor and stop reporting everything senile grandpa says. It's not news.

34 felony counts. I wasn't expecting that.

Case won't have a second convening until December.  Won't go to trial before the 2024 election.  Trump was released back into the wild, with only a vague warning about making "inciteful comments."

Fucking disappointed, I am.

E. Jean Carroll wins a $5 million settlement.

She'll never see a dime.

Marco Rubio wrote:

That jury’s a joke. The whole case is a joke.

Tommy Tuberville wrote:

It makes me want to vote for him twice.

Lindsey Graham wrote:

When it comes to Donald Trump, the New York legal system is off the rails.

Why would any woman vote Republican ever again?

E. Jean Carroll is thinking of suing Trump again after he again defamed her on his CNN special.

And she'd win.

Turns out she doesn't have to sue him again.  She's simply asking the original judge and jury to double or triple the damages award to get him to shut the fuck up.

Novel approach.  We'll see if it gets any traction.

Ty Cobb thinks Trump will go to jail, win the presidency in 2024, and then pardon himself.

It's a nutso scenario... isn't it? Or is it?

Seven count federal felony indictment!!!!

These are truly "interesting times"

Front page news on all the international news feeds I follow

My only hope is that the Second Amendment extremists don't take this as an excuse to shoot up a bunch of people

I guess the hunt finally found a "witch"?

Meanwhile, over on Fox Entertainment:

• Hunter Biden!
  
• Hunter Biden!
  
• Hunter Biden!
  
• laptop!
  
• laptop!
  
• laptop!
  
• Hillary's 33,000 emails!
  
• Hillary's 33,000 emails!
  
• Hillary's 33,000 emails!

Unprecedented times. Secret Service has to accompany Trump to court, but what about after that? Will he be placed in protective custody, and his detail dismissed? Will he be found Wednesday morning hanging from one of his oversized neckties?

Will he be released, but have to wear an ankle bracelet?

He will of course he prevented from discussing or fundraising off the charges. What will he say on Truth[sic]Social? Will he get his lawyer or Lindsay Graham to tweet in his place? He'll have to be VERY careful to avoid contempt charges.

The Donald has never faced consequences this serious before. How long until he understands he can't buy or BS his way out this time?

Will his campaign appearances come to a screeching halt?

Will the judge ban him from Fox Entertainment?

Whoa, I can't wait.

NoCoPilot wrote:

He will of course he prevented from discussing or fundraising off the charges.  What will he say on Truth[sic]Social? Will he get his lawyer or Lindsay Graham to tweet in his place?  He'll have to be VERY careful to avoid contempt charges.

Republicans are fund-raising like crazy off the charges already, including Trump. Current opinion is that the indictment will give Trump a serious boost, in the short-term.

Wow.  The 49-page 37-count indictment is not just allegations, it's specific dates and details and times the obstructive crimes were committed. Government has the goods.

All the subpoenaed surveillance footage from Mar-A-Lago is time stamped.

I doubt even Aileen Cannon can scotch this indictment.  At least, not for long.

The indictment charges Trump with retention of documents he was not authorized to have, then concealing their existence from his attorney, the FBI and NARA (National Archives).  These are the 37 counts of the indictment.

What's interesting is that there's no mention of why he wanted them, or what he did with them.  Who he showed them to.  Who he sold others to.  What he thought he needed them for, since he obviously doesn't read this kind of stuff.

I hope that comes out in trial.  It's 100x more serious than merely retaining documents.

And it's absolutely jaw-dropping what he kept.  These weren't minor "classified automatically" diplomatic cables or anything.  These were nuclear secrets and war plans.

The. Man. Should. Never. Have. Been. Allowed. Anywhere. NEAR. The White House.

Trump of course comes out and calls the whole thing a politically motivated witch hunt.  Biden trying to sidetrack his likely opponent. That is exactly why Trump announced so early, of course.

His MAGAt supporters parrot his words.

But at SOME point, one hopes, the weight of evidence will tip the scales.  The Stormy Daniels indictment, the classified docs indictment, the upcoming election interference indictment in Georgia, the upcoming January 6 indictment in DC....

Plus the charges against his company.  They really need to force him to dissolve Trump Org.

It can't ALL be a witch hunt.  Where there's smoke...

Jack Smith wants a quick trial, like three weeks.  Well before the primaries.  Successful prosecution -- and the legal experts are all saying this is a slam dunk case -- that's gotta erode his base, doesn't it?  Doesn't it?

NoCoPilot wrote:

It's 100x more serious than merely retaining documents.

Maybe once it comes out that he wasn't just retaining documents, but actively marketing the nation's secrets, maybe THAT will sway Lindsay Graham and Knut Gingrich.

Matt Gaetz, MTG, Paul Gosar & Lauren Bohbert aren't smart enough (between them) to understand the danger, so fuck them.

Judge Aileen Cannon apparently has the power to delay the case until after the 2024 elections, to reduce the charges, throw out specific charges, or even dismiss the indictment altogether.

It would be foolish to do so, but she has proven herself in the past to be a most foolish and unqualified and partisan judge, with little knowledge of and even less respect for the law (AND a lifetime appointment!)  She might just do it.

Which is why Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman, who will be taking Donald's plea tomorrow, should remand him to custody pending trial.

He won't, of course, but he should -- to prevent further rabble rousing, further fund-raising, further incitement, further propagation of dangerous lies. Everyone acknowledges his rabid followers are harassing Garland (and his family) and Smith (and his family) so what do we have to wait for, somebody to get killed?

And it would help Trump used to the idea that he will be spending the rest of his life in jail.

The arraignment was a nothing burger.

Trump went into the courthouse out of public sight, pled not guilty to all 37 counts, and left the courthouse out of public sight.  Judge imposed no restrictions, other than Trump cannot talk to any of the witnesses (including his co-defendant Walt Nauta).

Missed opportunity x 1000.

The nation will pay the price. Who will be the first murder?

Speculation is, Nauta might "flip" on Trump but really, he doesn't need to. Trump's evidence is all on videotape. There is no uncertainty.