I'm reading "Is Donald Trump Scared? At the former President’s indictment in Miami on Tuesday, it was impossible to say whether his fate was more likely to be a return to the White House—or prison" by Eric Lach at The New Yorker.
[T]he judge, the prosecutors, and Trump’s lawyers hashed out a plan wherein Trump agreed not to discuss the facts of the case directly with anyone whom prosecutors put on a list of potential witnesses....
He can still talk, just not directly to those who may be witnesses at trial.
Trump is running for President, after all.
That's a cute way of gesturing at the fact that an overt effort to muzzle the candidate would be too obviously overreaching.
Anyway, you see that question in the article title: "Is Donald Trump scared?" This is just something to guess about, and here's how the article ends:
On Wednesday, Trump will be seventy-seven years old. He might end up President again, or he may face a terminal prison sentence. It remains impossible to say which is more likely.
Once you've made it to 77, you're aware that only a small stretch of living remains for you. If you're going to be fearful, that's already scary enough. But Trump is running for President, he's hurling himself at life. Something will take him down, soon enough. He's 77. Why should he be unduly distracted by his enemies pursuing him, straining, as ever, to topple him? He's in the race and he's running.
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62 comments:
Biden is closer to death.
Biden is at a glorious and confident 32% approval! - he is destined to win.
the corrupt elite mob/ DC greed power machine/ woke trans boobie distraction Antifa-Thug above-the-law-arson machine - will make sure of it.
Maybe they're all-too-familiar with his penchant to insert feet in his mouth, hoping that he'll trip his own case up...
I think the plan for Trump is to keep indicting him multiple times to bleed his support and demoralize his base. Convince them to move over to DeSantis (this is happening) and have DeSantis pardon Trump after he’s elected. Trump poses a threat to the domestic and foreign policy priorities of the people that actually run things in DC, while DeSantis is a ‘good boy’ who knows how things work and will play ball.
I don’t think they actually want to imprison Trump (might be impossible to do anyway), just break him politically in the last cycle he’ll realistically be able to run in. They don’t want Biden again. He’s been an embarrassment and erodes regime legitimacy (such as military recruitment issues currently being seen…), and they think DeSantis will be able to restore the right wing half of the country’s faith in US institutions again (LOL…NOT happening).
What’s interesting is the timing – DeSantis wasn’t supposed to run until after the indictments dropped, and he was supposed to do so reluctantly, but Trump blitzkreig’d them so hard on CNN and right out of the gate that DeSantis had to speed up his timeline. They view a Trump-Biden election as catastrophic, so it’s going to be a hard push between now and primary voting to convince as many R voters as possible that Trump is supposedly unelectable (watch…they’ll release polling data attempting to shape this reality after each indictment drops).
There's a t shirt I've seen advertised that says "the older I get the less life in prison scares me"
Our president emeritus seems to have one chararistic that overrides everthing else: a deep visceral love of America.
At this point, facing a rigged justice system and hundreds of years in prison, he has nothing to lose. What more can they do, take away his birthday? In all seriousness, assassination is about the only thing left.
I'll not be surprised if he decides "Fuck it. I'll do it for America" and goes full scorched earth kamikaze.
The state seems to have pushed him into a corner where those are the only options left.
I can certainly hope he does.
John LGBTQ Henry
Fascism, as defined by its creator Mussolini:
"Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state"
We have to be asking ourselves, does Brandon & Co meet this definition? Are we living under a literally fascist federal govt.
Yes, I know what literally means and I used it on purpose.
John LGB Henry
"But Trump is running for President, he's hurling himself at life. Something will take him down, soon enough."
I don't think people who are still wearing masks and boosting their vaccines can comprehend that kind of approach to life. Or, more precisely, they fear that approach like death itself. Somehow, in the last 80 years, the Democrat Party shifted from "there is nothing to fear, but fear itself" to "fear!" itself.
They want him scared. They want him cowed and sobbing.
Althouse seems very interested in 77 today.
Kissinger just turned 100.
There's a t shirt I've seen advertised that says "the older I get the less life in prison scares me"
Our president emeritus seems to have one chararistic that overrides everthing else: a deep visceral love of America.
I can imagine him in an interview with Tucker, being asked, "aren't you afraid of going to prison?" and his response being, "Tucker, I love this country, and if I have to die in a cold prison cell, I will do so gladly rather than give up my fight for this beautiful country and it's beautiful people."
Trump is certainly not acting "scared." Garfinkle is the one looking scared. Why did the case against Trump suddenly change ? Why attack his lawyers ? The next step will be to try for a change of venue to New York or DC where they have control.
Happy Flag day America! And Happy birthday, President Trump!
Why should be scared? Trump is in the right, and the current regime is out of hand. I'm more scared of college educated white suburban women that think this is all ok.
They are the one's allowing our "democracy" to be destroyed. But, that's their right.
"He's in the race and he's running."
Reason enough to persecute him.
Blogger Hunter Biden's tax payer funded Hooker said...
Biden is at a glorious and confident 32% approval! - he is destined to win.
Scott Adams on June 12th, "When a sitting president with low popularity doesn't need to campaign for reelection, that's the reddest of flags."
Installed, corrupt, and unaccountable.
"...it was impossible to say whether his fate was more likely to be a return to the White House—or prison"
"Or"? There's a part of me that wants BOTH of these outcomes to happen. No, not because I think Trump deserves jail time. On the contrary, he's arguably the cleanest, most investigated but ever jailed politician ever, and without question the most persistently and unjustly persecuted human being on Earth. No, what drives me to want both is the delicious prospect of having him become the first U.S. President to serve while in prison, and doing so with measurably better results for America and ordinary Americans than the current kakistocracy has inflicted on us.
Trump has been unbelievably courageous. He ( and I ) truly believes this country is going down the tubes and is willing to risk prison to try and fix it. He’s my guy until the end, Mitch McConnell/Paul Ryan/Rona McDaniel can go **** themselves.
I just wish I were as courageous as he is.
He called the woman who accused him of rape a liar. He might have to pay millions to her. When you're accused of being a rapist or, for that matter, a racist it's important to reply with muted banalities while proclaiming your innocence. You don't want to be too vehement. That's defamation.....If Trump wins his case, perhaps the prosecutor can bring to him trial in NYC for defaming the prosecutor's reputation. By declaring his innocence Trump is, in effect, saying that the prosecutor is a liar. To fair minded people in the media and NYC that has the appearance of defamation....Later on, if not in this case perhaps in future cases, they can prohibit him from talking to his lawyers. Or maybe they can just prosecute his lawyers for conspiring to overthrow the country by agreeing to be his lawyer. Perhaps some combination of all this will work.
Kate
They want him dead.
I have never encountered such trembling, unreasoned, visceral hatred of anything until you say "Trump".
That the Establishment thinks an ex-POTUS, who is now the leading Republican candidate for 2024 should be jailed for having some documents that had no effect on National Security, is truly amazing.
Notice that Mitt Romney is supporting Biden's DOJ prosecution, and almost all the other Republican Senators have remained silent over this abuse of power. They aren't Republicans, they're uniparty. And they only care about keeping and using power for themselves and the Big Donors, and not any principle of any kind.
I don't see any reason to vote for any Republican senator. They don't stop the Democrats from doing anything, they don't care about the Constitution, and they are perfectly happy with Joe Biden as POTUS. They couldn't even filibuster a Gay Rights laws or a Gun Control law. And they signed off on every big spending bill that Biden wants.
Just let the D's have the Senate. It doesn't matter if they do.
It would be interesting to see what happens if they imprison him, and he STILL gets a significant percentage of the votes, as a write-in candidate if necessary (since I suspect TPTB will try to keep his name off of ballots.
That is what I will do, if only to send a message to the UniParty that they are treading on dangerous ground and I reject them, their authority, and their policies.
After all, Vermont elected a Congressman who was imprisoned under the Sedition Act for criticizing the Presidency of John Adams, while he sat in jail.
It would be interesting to see what happens if they imprison him, and he STILL gets a significant percentage of the votes, as a write-in candidate if necessary (since I suspect TPTB will try to keep his name off of ballots.
That is what I will do, if only to send a message to the UniParty that they are treading on dangerous ground and I reject them, their authority, and their policies.
After all, Vermont elected a Congressman who was imprisoned under the Sedition Act for criticizing the Presidency of John Adams, while he sat in jail.
"Blogger RideSpaceMountain said...
I don’t think they actually want to imprison Trump (might be impossible to do anyway), just break him politically in the last cycle he’ll realistically be able to run in."
I could not disagree with you more, you don't throw 6 years of criminal charges at someone without wanting them either dead or in prison. To give what is going on some veneer of normality is accepting the banana republic we have become.
And the note by Scott Adams is so spot on that it is scary.
"Scott Adams on June 12th, "When a sitting president with low popularity doesn't need to campaign for reelection, that's the reddest of flags."
Whoa. I hope when I am 77 years old I will either be running for president or facing a life sentence in prison. Now, that my friends, would be a cool legacy.
jvb
Blogger rcocean said...
I don't see any reason to vote for any Republican senator. They don't stop the Democrats from doing anything, they don't care about the Constitution, and they are perfectly happy with Joe Biden as POTUS. They couldn't even filibuster a Gay Rights laws or a Gun Control law. And they signed off on every big spending bill that Biden wants.
Just let the D's have the Senate. It doesn't matter if they do."
And that is exactly the plan. But it is very,very difficult to fight the psychological warfare that is going on. We all need to be more like our Courageous President Trump.
He's a better man than any of the hyenas nipping at his heels.
He turns 77 on Flag Day (no doubt a reason for demoncRATs to downgrade the holiday), the same day I turn 68. I'm not looking at slowing down.
Based on what we see- Trump is physically and mentally fit to be POTUS again. More fit then many younger then him. But the age question will be raised constantly. Trust me- people are looking for signs of disability in any way for Trump. They haven't been found- else they would be part and parcel of every single news article about Trump.
Brain addled Biden OTOH is a walking, excuse, stumbling collection of old age infirmities. Carefully not mentioned in the MSM though we can all witness it. Isn't allowed to talk unscripted. Isn't allowed to answer questions off the cuff. And his falls are becoming more frequent and in public places where they cannot be hidden. But can be not talked about in the media. Well, the major media.
Trump's "crime" was basically manufactured by the DoJ in conjunction with NARA doing their best to frame Trump. They had to search and struggle to create the 'crime". Meanwhile Brain addled Biden's crimes, Hillary's crimes, Comey's crimes, are all out in the open. And yet- the DoJ cannot see them. And they remain uncharged as no reasonable prosecutor would ever charge a politician who received a five million dollar bribe... with evidence thoughtfully provided by his unregistered foreign agent son...
I'll vote for DeSantis in the primary and when Trump secures the Republican nomination Trump in the general, just as 2016 when I voted Cruz in the primary and Trump in the general.
The bigger question is slowly coming to the surface. Who will the DemoncRAT nominee be? Will this be a Trump-Brain Addled Biden rerun? Or Trump-Harris? Trump-Kennedy? Trump-Obama?
Or DeSantis-Somebody Else?
I wonder if they are actually successful of convicting Trump on these friviolous charges and putting him in jail, how long will it take for the US to start unraveling...2 years, 2 months, 2 decades, 2 days....
I wonder if our progressive friends have thought through how it's going work when you have 50% of the country openly hostile even when you control all levers of power. And, the most armed nation that has ever existed -- guess they will then work on disarming.
I simply cant see any positive resolution and fear for the existence my children will be inheriting. We sure have fucked up the greatest country in the shortest amount of time.
Trump still has a life expectancy of 9-10 years. Back in pre-industrial days did men of, say, 35, think they had only a small stretch of living left?
RideSpaceMountain: "I don’t think they actually want to imprison Trump (might be impossible to do anyway), just break him politically in the last cycle he’ll realistically be able to run in."
They most certainly do desperately want to imprison him, have him beaten and more and shorten life...and to destroy his businesses and go after his children next.
They would salt the earth beneath him if they could.
You need to internalize that or you are not yet at the level of understanding necessary for what's to come with these maoists.
If at first, second, third times you project, try, try, again. Let us bray (sic) that the democratic/dictatorial duality can sustains the transition from the Weimar... American democracy to its dictatorial consensus.
The dullest thing about this indictment is we'll get the same ol' Trump-haters coming out of the woodwork, saying the same Goddamn things they've been saying since 2016.
We've heard it all before:
"The walls are closing in"
"Trump is a menace to Democracy"
"Trump is scared"
"Trump's cracking under the pressure, he's having a breakdown"
"Trump sure shot himself in the foot"
"Trump refused to listen to his advisors that's why he's in trouble"
"The investigation/trial will have to play out, but he's finished"
"Trump shouldn't attack his accusers, they're honorable men"
"These charges are serious, he a traitor"
"Melania is going to leave him"
"X in his inner circle, will turn on him. Trump's a gonner"
"DoJ/FBI/MSM doesn't make accusation lightly. Trump is guilty"
"Republicans shouldn't be nominating a man who's a [insert supposed offense]"
"We'll just wait to see how the process plays out"
The last is the favorite of Mitch and his gang. Subtext: Go destroy Trump - FBI/DOJ/Democrats, we'll silently cheer you on.
Prosecution by the government carries a few things some people fear. Obviously, the risk of being consigned to the hands of often malevolent prison officials and staff. But also the "shame" and impact on your social standing. And there is the process cost which, when not a poor person, is the government prosecutors' real goal, impoverish you by the process.
Well, Trump isn't going to suffer "shame" at being targeted by malevolent hired-help Democrat party aligned prosecutors. And while a hit on his wealth, he can weather it.
So all they got putting him in a cell, turning the cameras off and let the Jeffrey Epstein process play out. But, Trump is a former US president. He should have Secret Service protection, even in prison. After all, US federal prisons and detention facilities are not know for being safe.
He can still talk, just not directly to those who may be witnesses at trial.
==========
so he can directly address potential jurors even before trial begins?
"I'm reading "Is Donald Trump Scared? At the former President’s indictment in Miami on Tuesday, it was impossible to say whether his fate was more likely to be a return to the White House—or prison" by Eric Lach at The New Yorker."
I used to read The New Yorker every month. For years. This was back in the 1980s and 1990s. It was great back then. Now? most of the writers have dreams of being Shakespeare.
I've lived with a Trump administration and a Biden administration. As long as the latter is and wants to continue as president, then I'm supporting Trump.
Garland's indictment has done a very nice job of putting the other republican candidates other than Vivek in the crosshairs. Unless they fall into line, loudly, against the DOJ, they reveal themselves just to be another arm of the TDS crowd. Off with their heads, too.
Mr Wibble..
"and his response being, "Tucker, I love this country, and if I have to die in a cold prison cell, I will do so gladly rather than give up my fight for this beautiful country and it's beautiful people."
That's not Trump. He would never agree that he would lose. That's defense.
Trump plays offense 100% of the time, and sets the story.
It's more likely he would say that those coming after him need to get good lawyers, because when he wins he's going to apply the same standards to them that they applied to him.
“Over the last week, we’ve seen the weaponization of the Department of ‘Justice’ in its ugliest form. It’s breathtaking to see the lengths the Biden administration will go to in order to stop his enemies. And make no mistake: You are his enemy.” - Stephen Green on Instapundit.
When is he going to realize that these are the same people who are starting these wars he loves so much?
Gusty Winds said...
"Why should be scared? Trump is in the right, and the current regime is out of hand."
https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/4020bd99b0f7866b74a043017f7420442b21c071/0_133_2100_1261/master/2100.jpg?width=620&quality=45&dpr=2&s=none
The Democrats have settled on Trump as the Schwerpunkt of the resistance to the Uniparty (and 20 so-called Republicans broke ranks and voted NOT to censure Adam Schiff D-Liar).
Trump had already created his legacy.
Why be the President. The abuse he has endured, and let's admit, almost every other human would have resigned, rather than fight, this fight. When He wins, and Dems get the House back, he will be impeached 2 more times
The answer, Trump us genuine in his love of Country. His first four years were full of peace and prosperity. The man can govern, and if the Republicans would stop fighting him, and start fighting the opposition, 4 more years will be amazing.
The prosecutors seemed to go out of their way
When it comes to Biden, the prosecutors get in the way by hiding complaints or writing opinions that solid evidence is Russian disinformation. In fact, much of the current indictment and arraignment of Trump is to get in the way of any news about Biden allegedly receiving $5 million from a Russian intelligence officer and being taped doing so for black mail.
rcocean: "The last is the favorite of Mitch and his gang. Subtext: Go destroy Trump - FBI/DOJ/Democrats, we'll silently cheer you on."
Some of the GOPe-ers are happy to publicly cheer them on...since the jig is truly up for them as Trump's 2016 victory led to them being completely exposed.
And to think they talking DeSantis into running with the promise of Trump being removed well in time for a comfortable "DeSantis Saves The Day Entrance". With a little $10M book advance thrown in to sweeten the pot for Ron.
Ron is many things, but he's no idiot. And if you want to know why he looks so sour on the trail these days its because of what the GOPe-er consultant class convinced him to do and now he's stuck.
Gordon Pasha: "The Democrats have settled on Trump as the Schwerpunkt of the resistance to the Uniparty"
Solid reference.
”Trump is running for President, after all.”
That's a cute way of gesturing at the fact that an overt effort to muzzle the candidate would be too obviously overreaching.
Lol. I’m pretty sure it’s actually a cute way of pointing out that Drumpf has no other sense of identity than the megalomaniacal one he projects into the presidency. It illustrates his inability to control himself, and how he sees himself as way more important than just some ordinary, law-abiding citizen.
Trump doesn’t think laws apply to him and neither do his followers. When they say Make America Great - they think America IS Trump and that Great means invincible and unaccountable.
iowan2 said...
"His first four years were full of peace and prosperity. "
Except for those two years when no one could leave their homes and he told us to inject bleech.
There's a t shirt I've seen advertised that says "the older I get the less life in prison scares me"
Our president emeritus seems to have one chararistic that overrides everthing else: a deep visceral love of America.
Delusionally hilarious. Translation: Trump loves America so much that he doesn’t care about its laws or its national security.
Republicans aspire to be as delusional as he is.
If anyone needs to be scares it’s Hillary and FJB. Now that the precedent has been broken
They are vulnerable.
If anyone needs to be scares it’s Hillary and FJB. Now that the precedent has been broken
They are vulnerable.
You want to wonder WHY I won't be voting for anybody who isn't MAGA??? THIS. They screw us every time.
Monica Crowley
@MonicaCrowley
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Democrats are indicting Trump and jailing their political opponents
and Republicans won't even censure the pathological liar & Russian Hoaxer Adam Schiff.
We need wholesale change in the GOP. Now.
Trump going to prison. The rectal exam and all. That would be one fucking happy day. Perhaps the happiest day in my life. Certainly in the top five
“ Trump still has a life expectancy of 9-10 years. Back in pre-industrial days did men of, say, 35, think they had only a small stretch of living left?”
10 years is a short stretch.
He’s only 5 years older than I am.
“ I used to read The New Yorker every month. For years. ”
Really? And you don’t know it’s a weekly?
“ I used to read The New Yorker every month. For years. ”
Really? And you don’t know it’s a weekly?"
Are most people reading the New Yorker week-by-week, cover-to-cover?
For fans who can't miss an issue--maybe, but for casual readers, I think it's more typical to find a free day, gather a stack of a couple months' worth of weekly issues, and skim through.
Mutaman said...
iowan2 said...
"His first four years were full of peace and prosperity. "
Except for those two years when no one could leave their homes and he told us to inject bleech.
--
Mutaman, you ignorant shit.
He never said that, but your crowd pushed mandates and shaming regarding an experimental jab.
Shut your fucking trap.
jim5301: "Trump going to prison. The rectal exam and all. That would be one fucking happy day. Perhaps the happiest day in my life."
Totally, completely, believable.
And how pathetic is that?
"Once you've made it to 77, you're aware that only a small stretch of living remains for you. If you're going to be fearful, that's already scary enough. But Trump is running for President, he's hurling himself at life. Something will take him down, soon enough. He's 77. Why should he be unduly distracted by his enemies pursuing him, straining, as ever, to topple him? He's in the race and he's running."
Sad commentary, my lady. You discuss Trump as if he is normal and he never was. Grifting has always been his game and he lifted classified records on the way out of DC because they had monetary value as shown by miraculous post-presidency inflows reaching billions of dollars that he received from the Saudis and United Arab Emirates. He may yet be laundering money for Russian oligarchs.
And of course, he is running for president believing that that will keep him from jail and allow him to rip off his MAGAts for legal fees and campaign funds. But most people know the money goes into TFG's pocket, which must be OK with the donors. And his rallies are great for his ego.
Jim5301
What a sad life you must have had
jim5301 said...
Trump going to prison. The rectal exam and all. That would be one fucking happy day. Perhaps the happiest day in my life. Certainly in the top five
6/14/23, 6:49 PM
Pretty sad life you have, when your happiness relies on the lies of the Progressive party in targeting and destroying a mans life.
Gadfly is 100% OK with Biden family corruption.
9:25 - Gusty-
Indeed.
That's a cute way of gesturing at the fact that an overt effort to muzzle the candidate would be too obviously overreaching.
Is that the reason? I'm not sure. I wish I had a transcript of the court hearing. I was listening to CNN at the time and one of the commentators mentioned that the prosecution hadn't recommended not talking to witnesses, but rather it was initiated by the judge. That struck me. It's echoed in the following CNN article:
That prohibition was not initially recommended in the bond proposal made by special counsel Jack Smith’s team. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman raised the concern himself.
Why isn't it in the proposal? These are not overworked prosecutors doing night court in NYC, these are federal prosecutors. Did the judge find that strange and so he raised it himself in a way to make sure all the bases were covered? The impression I got from CNN and
Maybe they're all-too-familiar with his penchant to insert feet in his mouth, hoping that he'll trip his own case up...
And that's my theory. They didn't raise it in the bond proposal because they hoped to indict Trump on 18 US 1512 charges (tampering with a witness). The judge either deliberately or accidentally sidestepped that process by making both sides agree on a witness list.
That has the added benefit of not having to prove the documents charge. 1512 just requires that you be indicted of a felony. It doesn't require that they prove that felony. If you intimidate a witness in a felony case you immediately become guilty of a felony yourself. My theory is that the Special Counsel was going to make any conversation with a witness as a witness tampering charge.
The prosecution is going to have a real hard time with the original case. It's a documents case. At some point they have to produce the documents in question. If they are not the "nuclear codes" documents they allude to in the media the case falls apart. If they don't produce the documents there's a good chance of a dismissal. It's the same as the Mueller report, the Steele Dossier, etc. The documents sound scary until you actually read them and debunk them.
A 1512 case solves their problems. It changes the narrative to "the coverup is worse than the crime". It allows the media to put John Dean and Carl Bernstein on TV and compare Trump to Nixon one more time. And it avoids the "Me Too" issue of Pence and Biden having kept classified documents.
The judge may have unwittingly saved Trump from further charges.
"Trump going to prison. The rectal exam and all. That would be one fucking happy day."
I can believe there are Trump haters who would celebrate by getting rectal exams.
.
Blogger walter said...
"Mutaman, you ignorant shit.
He never said that, but your crowd pushed mandates and shaming regarding an experimental jab.
Shut your fucking trap."
Walter needs to get laid.
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