March 24, 2023

Everything must be Trump's fault — even the Manhattan D.A.'s botching of a hare-brained indictment.

I'm trying to read "Trolled by Trump, Again/Thoughts after a week of waiting and waiting for the indictment that the former President promised" by Susan B. Glasser (in The New Yorker).

You’d think that we would know better by now, but here we are, being trolled again by Donald Trump. Whatever else the disgraced, defeated, and possibly soon-to-be-indicted former President is, he is a master when it comes to setting the terms of a media frenzy. Trump knows not only how to get our collective attention but also how to keep it. He flourishes in the absence of hard information to contradict his claims, and he has years of experience using the silence of the legal authorities to focus the debate on their actions rather than his own.

*** 

I tested my headline on Meade before publishing and he raised the question whether you can botch something that's already hare-brained. I mean if it's hare-brained and you've botched it, you've kind of fixed it. In which case, huzzah for the Alvin Bragg!

ADDED: I wrote that before seeing Trump's latest social media posting, reported at "Trump, Turning Up Heat, Raises Specter of Violence if He Is Charged/In an overnight post, the former president escalated his attacks on the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, and warned of 'potential death and destruction' if he is indicted" (NYT).

“What kind of person,” Mr. Trump wrote of Mr. Bragg, “can charge another person, in this case a former president of the United States, who got more votes than any sitting president in history, and leading candidate (by far!) for the Republican Party nomination, with a crime, when it is known by all that NO crime has been committed, & also that potential death & destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our country?”

“Why & who would do such a thing? Only a degenerate psychopath that truely hates the USA!” 

112 comments:

Sofa King said...

Incredible how they assign 100% of the responsibility to Trump and 0% to the mainstream media who claimed via their own anonymous sources that the indictment was imminent.

gilbar said...

The walls are closing in!!
it's deja vu! All Over Again!

Kai Akker said...

---You’d think that we would know better by now

No. It is in your frog's nature. Although your personalities are much more like the scorpion.

gilbar said...

Whatever else the disgraced, defeated, and soon-to-be-reelected former President is, he is a master
fixed it for them

D.D. Driver said...

Look what you made me do!

Christopher B said...

It's really amazing what people who think they are smart can make themselves believe.

It should be considered a warning to other observers.

gilbar said...

Serious Questions:
How has the stock market done, under Jo Biden?
How has the economy done, under Jo Biden?
How has the World done, under Jo Biden?
Do you miss Trump yet?

Dave Begley said...

At least for me, one of the hardest things is knowing when to cut your losses and not fall into the sunk costs fallacy; especially true in litigation.

When does the Manhattan D.A. realize he has a very bad case despite all the time he's sunk into it?

Will he press on and see his case dismissed? Will the booking photo be worth? Is the juice worth the squeeze?

A little cruel neutrality is in order. But I'm not expecting it as libs are driven by their emotions.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Again - I despise what the corrupt fascist left are doing to Trump - but Trump's self-absorbed ego and his lash-out rhetoric will sink him. I guess that too is the point of the left's non-stop harassment. The dick-stepper/ used-car salesman falls for it.
His loyal fan base likes the muddy pit-fight, but legions of quiet normals are tired of Trump's immaturity, ego and drama.

I stand by my theory that the master plan is to weaken Trump to complete joke status, but make sure he wins the nomination. The CNN-MSNBC corporate whores need their viewers back.

RideSpaceMountain said...

Don't worry, the walls are closing in this time...just two more weeks, be patient!

You should wait two weeks this morning
Please wait two weeks tonight
Wait two weeks this afternoon
It'll make you feel alright
We'll wait two weeks in time of peace
And more in times of war
You should wait two weeks before you wait two weeks
And then you'll wait two more

Yancey Ward said...

That damned Trump not laying back and thinking of England.

AlbertAnonymous said...

What is it about Trump that made so many people have psychotic breaks? Truly, love him or hate him or care little about him, but what’s with the cuckoo’s nest reaction from so many people? Don’t get it.

Jersey Fled said...

Good to see The New Yorker and NYT are in good form today.

And poor Susan. This time she was so sure Lucy wasn’t going to pull the football away. This time they really, really had him. She ordered the popcorn and everything.

Yancey Ward said...

The leaks from the grand jury weren't first pointed out by Trump- he was responding to the leaks themselves. That has somehow been turned around to Trump starting a rumor he was about to indicted. These "journalists" are shameless.

Amadeus 48 said...

Like moths to a flame.

Shouting Thomas said...

If I were Trump, I’d expect the FBI/CIA to attempt an assassination.

The Intels guys have tried everything else on Trump. RFK, Jr. seems to believe that LBJ/CIA took out JFK. So, not without precedent.

RideSpaceMountain said...

The last 7 years have taught me something I never would've believed about American politics. Prior to 2016, if someone would've asked what I thought the government of the United States hated the most I would've told you it was unpaid taxes.

I've totally changed my mind. What the government of the United States (deep state) hates most is candidates and electeds that aren't corrupt. It makes complete sense when you look at it. What the unelected bureacrats in DC, Langley, and Quantico want is someone they have leverage over. They need dirt, it's how they do deals, the 'ol "Potomac Two-Step" quid-pro-quo. If they run into anyone they don't have leverage over, they will invent that leverage.

Gahrie said...

My God imagine it. Trump's supporters could end up rioting all summer and attacking federal court houses, burning down buildings, torching police cars and demanding that the government bow down to their demands. We could call it the TLM movement. (Trump's liberty matters)

Charlie said...

I personally can't stand DJT but he is providing a great service to our country, acting as a battering ram against all the nonsense that pervades the culture.

Dogma and Pony Show said...

No civility bullshit tag? Because I'm pretty sure that if a partisan GOP DA indicted Obama on some completely bogus charge, there'd be violent protests in the street for which the author of this piece would NOT find Obama or his supporters particularly blameworthy. So isn't this a case of "no justice, no peace" for me but not for thee?

Gahrie said...

We're constantly warned about Rightwing violence by our political class and MSM, but it's the Left that actually commits all of the violence.

wendybar said...

Yeah, because NOBODY heard the many times that Bragg bragged about how he was going to prosecute Trump when he was running for D.A.

mezzrow said...

As far as I know, Donald Trump wasn't the one who coined the phrase "nothing succeeds like excess." He missed a real opportunity. He'll probably claim it if it works.

alanc709 said...

Is it Trump's fault that the Democrat party and leftwing radicals have gone fascist? That journalism is dead? That the education system is rife with propagandists disguised as teachers and administrators? That college deans are hired for their ability to promote racism? How about the current fad of mutilating young children to deform them into some semblance of another persons' gender, is that Trump's fault also?

Paul said...

Trump does not have to engineer anything... Democrat hate so great it blinds them to what they are doing. So they mess up, just as common criminals mess up their crimes.

They reap what they sow.

Chuck said...

See you in court.

Leland said...

flourishes in the absence of hard information to contradict his claims

A variation of the typical media lie about Trump making a claim “without evidence”. As if the DA didn’t run on prosecuting Trump. As if a Grand Jury wasn’t hearing evidence for an indictment. As if NYU hacks weren’t justifying the legal theory for an indictment.

Wince said...

[Trump] flourishes in the absence of hard information to contradict his claims, and he has years of experience using the silence of the legal authorities to focus the debate on their actions rather than his own.

Who was it that called in the Secret Service and for building a fortress around the court house?

Meade said...

Exactly, Yancey. “Thoughts after a week of waiting and waiting for the indictment that the former President promised.
By Susan B. Glasser”
If Glasser had linked to Trump’s post on TruthSocial, her astute readers would see with their own lying eyes that Trump wasn’t “promising” anything. He was condemning an illegal leak. But she didn’t want to show it, her readers didn’t want to see it and now it’s too late.

Mike of Snoqualmie said...

Assuming the role of Godot in "Waiting for Godot" is The indictment of Donald Trump. DA Bragg is playing the role of Vladimir and Michael Cohen plays the role of Estragon. The audience consists of the MSM and the Democrat Party, but I repeat myself.

Meade said...

Read,as they say, the whole thing:

Page 2: NOW ILLEGAL LEAKS FROM A CORRUPT
& HIGHLY POLITICAL MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE, WHICH HAS ALLOWED NEW RECORDS TO BE SET IN VIOLENT CRIME & WHOSE LEADER IS FUNDED BY GEORGE SOROS, INDICATE THAT, WITH NO CRIME BEING ABLE TO BE PROVEN, & BASED ON AN OLD & FULLY DEBUNKED (BY NUMEROUS OTHER PROSECUTORS!) FAIRY TALE, THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF
NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!

robother said...

"Oft, evil will evil mar."

John henry said...

The walls are closing in for real this time!!

Oops. Never mind.

Poor Inga, poor dick. Disappointed once more. At least they are used to it.

John Henry

Dave Begley said...

Meade:

The Left lies with impunity. And they get away with it as at least half the country believes them because they get their "news" from the Fake News.

Millions of Americans now think that Trump has promised "death and destruction."

Meade said...

The “threats of violence” are coming from inside the deep state/ media.

Cappy said...

Celebrity Drama Queen Grudge Match! Only on ESPN 8 - The Ocho!

robother said...

Trump's extraordinary gift is that, unlike any other Republican president or candidate in my lifetime, he doesn't freeze like a deer in the headlights in the face of these leaks. He leans in, refuses to be the passive victim, turns the spotlight back on the interrogators. And they can't take it, can't believe they are the ones whose actions can't stand scrutiny.

Nixon couldn't do that, even Reagan couldn't do it (Iran-Contra). Both Bushes and Romney: classic deer in the headlights. Much as I yearn for DeSantis to relieve us of the sturm und drang of another Trump presidency, I have to admit that we don't know if DeSantis is another deer in the headlights Republican.

Achilles said...

We have been peaceful up to now.

BLM and Antifa and the FBI and the DOJ Regime pawns have been violent, censorious, racist, and evil.

The Democrats and their GOPe allies are using the tactics of the Soviets, Maoists, and Nazi's. Everyone sees what they are doing. Everyone knows what type of country they are trying to create.

To not oppose these people is cowardice. To support them in any way is evil.

You do not deserve to live in a free country if you do not fight the Biden Regime.

Bragg is part of this regime. Steinbach is part of this regime. Hunter Biden is part of this regime. Robert Vos is part of this regime. McConnell, Schumer, Thune, Pelosi, Google, Facebook et al.

Our political class has had the mask removed. It is time for justice.

Meade said...

Chuck said...
“See you in court.“

Trolled by hare-brained Chuck again.

Sebastian said...

"Trump knows not only how to get our collective attention but also how to keep it"

He gets attention because not just Trumpists but the MSM eagerly give it to him. It's part of their business model, of course, as are the complaints about the attention. Like all prog maneuvers, it is done strictly in bad faith. The greater the focus on Trump, the more their own base rallies and nice people in the middle get turned off. Trump is their favorite tool. They use it because it works.

Big Mike said...

Trump put out a finger and pushed very lightly on Alvin Bragg’s house of cards, and — amazingly! — it collapsed. In Glasser’s world he’s supposed to meekly submit to his beat down. Trump doesn’t do meek.

As I pointed out in another comment responding to a different post, if Trump was playing hardball he would be publishing the names and addresses of Bragg’s entire team, also pictures of their children and where they go to school. He hasn’t. About time Democrats stopped playing stupid games for stupid reasons.

Drago said...

Flip-side Inga (HBTPFH): "Again - I despise what the corrupt fascist left are doing to Trump - but....."

LOL

HBTPFH just cant help herself. It always has to be Trump's fault. Some how. Some way.

Kate said...

Pepper needs new shorts!

Drago said...

Dave Begley: "When does the Manhattan D.A. realize he has a very bad case despite all the time he's sunk into it?"

There is no such thing as s "bad case" in a leftist jurisdiction where the target is a non-leftist.

The corrupt democratical prosecutors will work hand in glove with the corrupt democratical judges to get the corrupted democratical juries to deliver any verdict they want for any reason they like.

Achilles said...

Hunter Biden's tax payer funded Hooker said...
Again - I despise what the corrupt fascist left are doing to Trump - but Trump's self-absorbed ego and his lash-out rhetoric will sink him. I guess that too is the point of the left's non-stop harassment. The dick-stepper/ used-car salesman falls for it.

Trump has sacrificed more than you ever would.

If you look in the mirror you will notice you have a bigger ego than Trump does. All you never trumpers look down your nose at him as if he is doing less than you could.

He is smarter than you. He is less self centered than you. He is clearly less self centered than your hero Desantis. Desantis is lying to the people of Florida and lied to everyone when he said he would support Trump in 2024.

Desantis is done. Desantis took the Scott Walker path and he has already failed. We are just going to see how long it takes his campaign to die and how much damage he can do to Trump before he quits. He is playing stupid politician games and nobody wants stupid politician bullshit.

You need to go back and start reading your own posts. Your shit stinks just like all of us. Pissing and moaning about someone who is fighting for you is just bullshit.

Mr Wibble said...

What is it about Trump that made so many people have psychotic breaks? Truly, love him or hate him or care little about him, but what’s with the cuckoo’s nest reaction from so many people? Don’t get it.

The political class, and much of the upper middle class in general, consists of people who are over-credentialed, but lack concrete achievements. They're at best middle-management. They despise Trump because a) he reminds them of the bosses whom they envy for his ability to take risks and his success, and b) he humiliated Hillary Clinton, who is the epitome of the credentialed class, and hence he humiliated them.

Drago said...

Yancey Ward: "The leaks from the grand jury weren't first pointed out by Trump- he was responding to the leaks themselves."

Try convincing morons like lonejustice that is the case. Just yesterday (the day before?) lonejustice was declaring Trump a "huckster" for supposedly starting the indictment rumor (Trump did no such thing) and then fundraising off that (as if Trump invented fundraising off the events of the day).

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The DA hoped to use the Trump indictment to catapult his career into national prominence. What donor could resist backing the guy that put Trump in jail?

That’s the bottom line to all of the attempts to indict Trump. Even if they fail, they get their name out there.

Mr Wibble said...

Drago,

Trump shouldn't have been wearing such a short skirt, or walking home alone at night.

pacwest said...

What is it about Trump that made so many people have psychotic breaks? Truly, love him or hate him or care little about him, but what’s with the cuckoo’s nest reaction from so many people? Don’t get it.

Trump threatens to upset too many ricebowls. DC had a way of doing business in place that worked for them and Trump threatens the status quo of the way government is run.

There's a scene in Moneyball where the owner of the Red Sox is trying to hire Brad Pitt. "You're not just threatening them, but the way they are doing business.
And whenever that happens the people in power, whether it is a business, religion, or government, they go batshit crazy. The first one through the wall always gets bloody. Always." I'm always reminded of Trump when I see that scene.

cassandra lite said...

Sigh.

mezzrow said...

Assuming the role of Godot in "Waiting for Godot" is The indictment of Donald Trump. DA Bragg is playing the role of Vladimir and Michael Cohen plays the role of Estragon. The audience consists of the MSM and the Democrat Party, but I repeat myself.

Yes, but who plays Pozzo? Who plays Lucky? Who plays the leash?

Stay tuned. Time is only a construct.

Drago said...

LLR-democratical Chuck: "See you in court."

Why?

Were you caught acting out one of your violent homosexual rape fantasies like the ones you shared at Althouse blog?

In which jurisdiction were you apprehended?

Aggie said...

"You’d think that we would know better by now, but here we are, being trolled again by Donald Trump"

At least she had the grace to say 'we'. It's a good sign that they are starting to recover a little bit of their critical thinking, but there's going to be a lot of backsliding when the Tweets start again.

Joe Smith said...

If you can't indict Trump in Manhattan, then you're either incompetent, an affirmative action graduate of law school, or both...

Temujin said...

Trump keeps beating them. Even after they've removed their cover and come at him from all angles using every lever of government, media, and Big Tech to corral, rope, and bring him down. They insist they are all the smartest people in any given room, yet they keep performing like Cosmo Kramer stumbling over a chair on his way out the door.

One would think they'd just stop at this point and allow things to play out. You know, like a nation with a corruption-free government might do? Just a thought.

Smilin' Jack said...

“I mean if it's hare-brained and you've botched it, you've kind of fixed it.”

You can always go from bad to worse.

Achilles said...

". . . An extra 50 people were killed in Manhattan on Bragg’s watch. How many of those people really had to die?

An extra 159 women were raped.

An extra 3,524 people were robbed.

An extra 4,197 people were assaulted."


Those people all suffered in service to the Regime's lust for power.

Joe Smith said...

'Hunter Biden's tax payer funded Hooker said...'

@8:41am

Winner...

Achilles said...

robother said...
Trump's extraordinary gift is that, unlike any other Republican president or candidate in my lifetime, he doesn't freeze like a deer in the headlights in the face of these leaks. He leans in, refuses to be the passive victim, turns the spotlight back on the interrogators. And they can't take it, can't believe they are the ones whose actions can't stand scrutiny.

In the Army when you are taught that if you are ambushed you immediately turn, fire and charge.

This is really the most effective strategy in any situation. It applies to many things. Your ability to act and think on the move while acting determines your effectiveness.

Trump understands this. The rest of the GOPe understands this too, but they are trying to lose.


Nixon couldn't do that, even Reagan couldn't do it (Iran-Contra). Both Bushes and Romney: classic deer in the headlights. Much as I yearn for DeSantis to relieve us of the sturm und drang of another Trump presidency, I have to admit that we don't know if DeSantis is another deer in the headlights Republican.

Desantis does not react out of core principle. He waits, runs focus groups, and comes out with scripted statements. He made this obvious since he hired Scott Walker's consultant team.

Desantis made a statement on Ukraine. Walked it back. Desantis stayed silent on the Maralago raid. Gibbered a little. Said it wasn't his problem.

But the biggest obvious mistake Desantis made recently is he thought this failed indictment would be a good chance to attack Trump.

That was unforgivably stupid. I don't really care about the attack on Trump. I care that Desantis blundered massively and was utterly incompetent.

Desantis is clearly overrated. He is a dear in the headlights republican at best. His campaign is over at this point. He just does not have the intelligence or instincts to lead this kind of fight.

wildswan said...

"Assuming the role of Godot in 'Waiting for Godot' is The indictment of Donald Trump."

Does indictment assure guilt, or at least a guilty verdict - and yet indictment might not happen because the arrangements for Godot's trip to Kailasa were botched? Honest corruption meets the Matrix? Is this all really Someone's VR?

Waiting for Schrodinger's Cat

Big Mike said...

I’ll say again, Stephanie Gregory Clifford (aka Stormy Daniels) extorted $130,000 from Donald Trump. When does she get indicted?

wildswan said...

"Assuming the role of Godot in 'Waiting for Godot' is The indictment of Donald Trump."

Does indictment assure guilt, or at least a guilty verdict - and yet indictment might not happen because the arrangements for Godot's trip to Kailasa were botched? Honest corruption meets the Matrix? Is this all really Someone's VR?

Waiting for Schrodinger's Cat

Witness said...

i would simply not cheat on my third wife with a hooker and then pay her again not to talk about it

Narayanan said...

The dick-stepper
=========
what if it is new-improved technique for auto-erotic

rehajm said...

No reasonable prosecutor…

RNB said...

Trump pounces!

Narayanan said...

since Trump is MasterTroll >> what if keeping this 'scandal accusation' alive is his way of epic love poem to Melania?

is she in on it?

DONALD TRUMP
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
MELANIA TRUMP
Melania Trump Reveals Why She Wore 'I Really Don't Care' Jacket
In an ABC News interview, the first lady said she intentionally wore the jacket on her way to visit immigrant children.
Carla Herreria Russo
By
Carla Herreria Russo
Oct 13, 2018, 01:14 AM EDT
Melania Trump finally admitted that she intentionally wore a designer jacket with the words “I Really Don’t Care, Do You?” while en route to visit detained immigrant children who were separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border in June.

During an interview with ABC News’ Tom Llamas, which debuted Friday, the first lady said the jacket was a deliberate choice directed at “the people and for the left-wing media who are criticizing me.”

Darkisland said...

Blogger Witness said...

i would simply not cheat on my third wife with a hooker

Neither would Donald Trump. Even Stormy Daniels herself denies she had sex with him.

https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Screen-Shot-2018-01-12-at-3.23.59-PM-620x516.png

So why do you, apparently, think he did? Any evidence you can point to?

John Henry

Achilles said...

Witness said...
i would simply not cheat on my third wife with a hooker and then pay her again not to talk about it

This is the idiots response to the DOJ and the Regime weaponizing the law and legal system against their opponents.

You have to be fucking stupid to think this is the right answer to this situation.

Drago said...

Mr Wibble: "Drago,

Trump shouldn't have been wearing such a short skirt, or walking home alone at night."

True, but in Trump's defense, I believe it was a kilt.

Darkisland said...

There is a saying that I've been hearing for 50-60 years: "A DA can indict a ham sandwich."

It has always seemed to be true to me.

Bragg seems to be showing that he is the exception to prove the rule.

John Henry

hombre said...

The "death and destruction" bit is truly bad form that is an affront to the sane people who support him and will also alienate fence sitters.

Drago said...

Witness: "i would simply not cheat on my third wife with a hooker and then pay her again not to talk about it"

Yep. You sound like an Alvin Bragg's idea of a "witness" alright.

hombre said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gahrie said...

i would simply not cheat on my third wife with a hooker and then pay her again not to talk about it

Good for you. But half of Congress, and plenty of former presidents, would.

Darkisland said...

When you have lost the support of Mexico's president for a persecution, you might want to step back and think whether you have take it a step too far.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Tuesday defended Donald Trump, saying a potential indictment of the former president could be a move to prevent him from seeking reelection.

I've not seen anything about this but Mexican Billionaire Carlos Slim owns a huge block of the NY Times. About 17% currently. Almost as much as the Sulzberger family (20%) though they control voting stock.

So what happens if Mexico and/or Slim decide they have had enough of Biden's silliness? Slim doesn't have any vote but a person owning that much surely has some influence should they decided to exercise it.

I can see it now, next month's headline:

"WE WERE WRONG. WE APOLOGIZE FOR SUPPORTING BIDEN ET AL AND ENCOURAGE ALL OUR READERS TO SUPPORT PRESIDENT EMERITUS TRUMP"

Also on page 1 "Let's admit it. Widespread voting fraud occurred in 2020. Time to do something about it."

John Henry

Darkisland said...

If you had the chance to see either The Rolling Stones or a Rolling Stones tribute band, which would you choose?

Trump is Trump. DeSantis is the tribute band."


-Scott Adams

cf said...

Classic @NPR Nooz & @NYTimes Kabuki Klickbait for their Heifers to chew, always a nothingburger.

I sure would love our favorite Law Professor's take on the under-reported court drama that Julie Kelly is showing us, surely her coverage is a winner this week for the tags, "criminalization of politics, law, prosecutorial ethics".

The shenanigans of these prosecutors are terrifying, among other things, working to hide just how many feds there were seeding the patriot civilians actions. Our "system of laws" seems overrun with lawlessness.

https://amgreatness.com/2023/03/23/informants-everywhere/

Darkisland said...

If you had the chance to see The Rolling Stones or a Rolling Stones Tribute band, which would you choose?

Trump is the Rolling Stones. DeSantis is the tribute band.


Scott Adams (Quote from memory)

John Henry

gadfly said...

Gosh, Althouse and Meade missed the part about who started this media frenzy. Would you believe that it was the same guy who dreamed up the January 6 attack on the Capitol? What is he doing? How about attempting to incite yet another insurrection.

And then there is the part about the SDNY conviction of Michael Cohen and an unnamed co-conspirator (and also a candidate for federal office) for delivering payment of a $130K bribe to stripper Stormy Daniels in an attempt to keep her from blabbing to the world about earlier sexual encounters with Trump timed to coincide with the 2016 elections. No way that this act was a mere misdemeanor - especially since TFG has already admitted to paying all costs and fees to the fixer.

Trump's main DOJ under Billy Barr couldn't do the right thing so local authorities were left with the task of charging TFG. Trump wants to be arrested and placed in shackles and I would add: "as soon as possible."

Bruce Hayden said...

“Nixon couldn't do that, even Reagan couldn't do it (Iran-Contra). Both Bushes and Romney: classic deer in the headlights. Much as I yearn for DeSantis to relieve us of the sturm und drang of another Trump presidency, I have to admit that we don't know if DeSantis is another deer in the headlights Republican.”

And with DeSantis, I was so hoping for smarter Trump who not only recognized what the Dems were doing, and could and would thwart it. As Achilles suggested, he is the big loser here, with his poll numbers dropping, as Trump’s increase. He had one, and only one job here, if he wants to win the nomination, and that was to support Trump to the hilt, and use this example to attack the Democrats. He failed. His best move right now would be to back off from running for the nomination, and announce that running Florida is too important right now, then take an offer from Trump to, for example clean up the DOJ, FBI, ATF, etc as his AG.

narciso said...

he ate the ham sandwich before the indictment (posobiec)

Lloyd W. Robertson said...

Trump's latest makes me more anti-Trump. I don't think he ever said, in connection with J6, that if he didn't get what he wanted, his loyal supporters would burn the place down. Reckless.

Chuck said...

Big Mike said...
I’ll say again, Stephanie Gregory Clifford (aka Stormy Daniels) extorted $130,000 from Donald Trump. When does she get indicted?


I wonder, what is the number of exurban bars, and country club grill rooms, and union lunch rooms, and crew-cab pickup trucks, where that line of discussion is being entertained?

And I also wonder how few of those places have someone like me who would ask the good ole boys sharing their legal wisdom, just what they are talking about.

Years after Stormy Daniels had her 3 minutes of sex with Trump, and after Trump had made noises about running for President in 2011, Stormy Daniels went to InTouch magazine to sell her story. She had no NDA with Trump then, and she did not go to Trump demanding money to keep quiet about something that was true. She took and passed a polygraph test about her story. Then, InTouch got "in touch" with Michael Cohen as Trump's attorney requesting comment for the story; and Cohen promptly threatened to sue the magazine. The magazine dropped the story. Trump never moved forward with a 2012 presidential campaign.

Then in 2016, with Trump really running, Karen McDougal makes a deal with the National Enquirer to keep her story a secret. The Enquirer offers her cash, a Men's Journal cover shoot, and an offer of a regular column writing job. McDougal takes it. After that, and after the "Access Hollywood" audiotape scandal hit Trump, Daniels' agent reapproaches media including the National Enquirer to sell her story. The National Enquirer (and remember David Pecker, McDougal, Cohen and all of the other principals an relevant agents, attorneys, etc., have testified cooperatively with state and federal investigators) then went to work with Michael Cohen to arrange a deal to keep Stormy Daniels quiet.

Now it may be, in the indecipherable jumble that is Trump's criminal defense, Trump lawyers might just claim that Stormy Daniels tried to "extort" money from Trump. (That's a terrible stretch, since she never approached Trump; she just wanted to sell her story to the press.) But moreover, it's a confession by Trump to what will be alleged as Trump's crime. Former DoJ lawyer, former Mueller Team leader, Andrew Weissmann lays it out plainly: "Trump NY defense: I was extorted. That is an admission he paid $ (which he had been denying) and the $ was not for legal fees (the cover story). Because the NY criminal case reportedly focuses on the crime of making false business records -- his 'defense' is an confession."

Weissmann.

Timeline, as laid out by the NYPost.

gadfly said...

Darkisland said...
Blogger Witness said...

i would simply not cheat on my third wife with a hooker

Neither would Donald Trump. Even Stormy Daniels herself denies she had sex with him.

So why do you, apparently, think he did? Any evidence you can point to?


The supposed, and as yet unverified, Stormy Daniel's letter (just now "conveniently" released by DJT) was not in evidence as part of Michael Cohen's conviction - else the "unnamed co-conspirator" phrase would not have been included in the court ruling. My guess is that the letter was a requirement in order for Daniels to receive $130,000.

Chuck said...

Darkisland said...
If you had the chance to see either The Rolling Stones or a Rolling Stones tribute band, which would you choose?

"Trump is Trump. DeSantis is the tribute band."

-Scott Adams


Thank you, Scott Adams. The perfect general-election damnation of DeSantis. I could hardly have said it better myself. No, wait; I will happily take a shot at saying it better than Scott Adams (a low bar if ever there was one). Here we go:

Ron DeSantis is the Delta variant of Trump.

Rabel said...

"The waiting game started this past Saturday [March 18], at 7:26 A.M., when the former President..."

That's simply not true. The "game" started on the 17th when multiple news sources, including the Times, reported that Trump would be probably be indicted based on a leak from "a court source."

As far as DeSantis goes, he told Piers Morgan that the potential indictment and arrest was not his problem and made disparaging but vague comments on Trump's social life.

This is every American's problem, Governor. DeSanctimonious indeed.

narciso said...

that was the battle plan, introduced by a bureau informant, try again, meanwhile the dead, the maimed the raped don't count for fat alvin,

JK Brown said...

How many times can their hopes be dashed before they do the right thing an dash their heads against the rocks?

Michael K said...

As Achilles suggested, he is the big loser here, with his poll numbers dropping, as Trump’s increase. He had one, and only one job here, if he wants to win the nomination, and that was to support Trump to the hilt, and use this example to attack the Democrats.

Yes and he may have blown it. My worry about DeSantis is twofold. He is too wrapped up in the culture war, which works great in local race like VA, and his first step into foreign policy (Ukraine) ended up on his dick.

Drago said...

The Poor Man's LLR-democratical Chuck, gadfly: "Gosh, Althouse and Meade missed the part about who started this media frenzy."

Alvin Bragg literally ran his campaign on the promise of indicting Trump. Alvin Bragg's wife bragged on Twitter about how Alvin was going to indict Trump and there were leaks galore from the lefty arrest-pornos like yourself that indictment was imminent causing much celebration and joy by you and your Team Dem pals.

Trump was simply responding to the many leaks by your far left marxist allies.

There is a reason gadfly will forever be The Poor Man's LLR-democratical Chuck.

Drago said...

Lloyd W. Robertson: "Trump's latest makes me more anti-Trump."

Searching for any previous comment by L Robertson where dems "latest" or GOPe "latest" made him more anti-dem or anti-GOPe.

Nope, can't find any.

Inga said...

American carnage, wasn’t that his theme? It should be what he goes down in history for. The worst president in US history.

n.n said...

braggadocious (sic)

Jim at said...

Millions of Americans now think that Trump has promised "death and destruction."

Good. Let them think that. Maybe it'll give them pause.

Achilles said...

Bruce Hayden said...

His best move right now would be to back off from running for the nomination, and announce that running Florida is too important right now, then take an offer from Trump to, for example clean up the DOJ, FBI, ATF, etc as his AG.

One of the best predictors of success is the ability to defer gratification.

Another is your level of self awareness and self honesty.

Ron desantis came in second place at best. The question is how long it takes him to figure it out.

To be honest in my opinion Desantis was clearly way overrated. He made every mistake Scott Walker made in exactly the same way. It is really quite sad. He is never going to be President.

He is a smarter version of Kamala Harris. He just won’t cut it at the national level. Instead of sucking dick it appears desantis teamed up with Florida money men.

The Powerline/Instapundit male lawyer tribe projected an opinion of competence on Desantis that was never really earned. Just like Ann projected good intentions on Steinbach as a member of the upper middle class HR administrator tribe. Lawyers always think they are smart because they are lawyers. Lawyers are good at memorizing and polemics. Actual problem solving not so much.

BillieBob Thorton said...

If they can do this to former President Trump just think about what they (they being corrupt leftist DA's and the corrupt DOJ, FBI and the rest of the alphabet agencies) can do to you.

Drago said...

Russia Collusion Truther and Hillary/FBI Hoax Dossier Dead Ender Inga: "American carnage, wasn’t that his theme?"

The only carnage an objective observer sees is the burning wreckage of your 7 year long run of exposed and debunked lies and hoaxes, and don't even get us started on what has now been demonstrated to be your Earthly God Fauci's funding of the very gain of function activities that delivered the COVID virus to us all, courtesy of your ChiCom allies.

Oh yes, there is carnage afoot alright....and pay close attention because Janet Yellen just went into closed door discussions today with her global financial pals to try and figure out how to avoid another 2008 meltdown...which will fail.

I wonder if Ashley Biden's life is "carnage" because Pedophile Joe repeatedly showered with her up to at least age 11 which she claims sexualized her....and which you, Inga, called "perfectly normal".

Carnage indeed.

Drago said...

So strange. An American killed and 6 more Americans wounded in Iraq by Iranian proxies and Russia Collusion Hoaxer Inga, who wailed and wailed over the death of Soleimani, hasn't even deigned to say a word.

Putting the final nail into the coffin of her crocodile tears act from Jan of 2017 to Jan of 2021 over lost servicemembers.

Drago said...

LLR-democratical and Violent Homosexual Rape Fantasist Chuck: "And I also wonder how few of those places have someone like me who would ask the good ole boys sharing their legal wisdom, just what they are talking about."

Oh, I imagine the last thing you are talking about in places like that are legal theories...if you know what I mean.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

steve uhr said...

"...who got more votes than any sitting president in history ..." An admission that he got fewer votes than Biden?

Drago said...

Babylon Bee, as usual, captures the essence of the matter: "Trump Exploits Little-Known Legal Loophole Where You Avoid Indictment By Not Committing A Crime"

Butkus51 said...

Kennedy is the worst president in US history. The family is the worst family in US History.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Clearly exposing which position on the bell curve lefties hold. Trump again does public service free of charge.

BUMBLE BEE said...

uhr is still on the pipe, I see.

Gahrie said...

Kennedy is the worst president in US history.

Not even close. Buchanan was by far the worst. Rounding out the top five would be Carter, Biden, Tyler, and Andrew Johnson.

The family is the worst family in US History.

You have a much better argument here...

Bunkypotatohead said...

The death and destruction he's referring to would come at the hands of gov't agents, imposed on anyone who protests this injustice.
The black Capitol police officer who killed Ashley Babbit was given an award for his "service".

Lurker21 said...

Not even close. Buchanan was by far the worst. Rounding out the top five would be Carter, Biden, Tyler, and Andrew Johnson.

I'd actually agree with that, though I'd work Franklin Pierce in there as well.

I can see the case against Andrew Johnson, but Kennedy/Sorenson's emotional chapter about the impeachment really got to me all those years ago.

So far, Biden is worse than Carter.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Trump and his sons are dead to me.

What DeSantis said was spot on.

Trump is an old, fat, dick stepping, inarticulate, immature, desperate, ego-driven, Fauci- excusing, word Salad, Democrat party asset.

Here is the entirety of DeSantis' remarks.
Trump must be incredibly jealous that DeSantis is so articulate and smooth.
Trump cannot string words together without sounding like a ridiculous used car salesman. "Like never before!"
So fucking tired.

Trump loyalism is a mystery to me.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

If Trump is the nominee - as CNN/MSNBC would want - we get more Biden.

Wake up.

BTW _ i'll vote 3rd party before I'd vote for Trump again. He got me to vote for him twice. Never again. Fat old fat fat fat fucking stripper fucking loser. What an asshole.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

All you Trump Humpers should rejoice. If the deep state, the corrupt press, and the mob want Trump to win the R nomination - he will win.
The corrupt left are terrified of any candidate who won Miami Dade's D stronghold.