"The most gratifying loss last night was that of a real treasonous creep, Alexander Vindman, to a Radical Left Lunatic, who can’t speak or think properly..."

"... and who will go down to certain defeat at the hands of Ashley Moody, a truly Fantastic Senator, from the Great State Florida. Vindman, if you remember, was the one who lied about my 'Perfect Call' with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, only to find out that the conversation was routinely recorded and proved that I was 100% in the right (Completely Innocent!). It was, indeed, a Perfect Call, and the Dumocrats Fake Impeachment effort massively failed. Vindman should be prosecuted for what he did! President Donald J. TRUMP."

That's Trump, obviously, at Truth Social just now. 

Here's the NYT article about Vindman's defeat: "The Left Notches Another Win With This Secret Weapon: Old-Fashioned Organizing/State Representative Angie Nixon scored a stunning upset on Tuesday in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary. Her victory will test the strength of a democratic socialist in a red state" (gift link)("The flip side to Ms. Nixon’s victory is that it may turn what was widely seen as a long-shot goal for Democrats — defeating a sitting Republican senator in comfortably red Florida — into an even longer shot. The Cook Political Report has consistently rated the race this year as 'solid R'").

"President Donald Trump is expected to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for the creation of a $1.7 billion fund to compensate..."

"... allies who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. The commission overseeing the compensation fund would have the total authority to hand out approximately $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds to settle claims brought by anyone who alleges they were harmed by the Biden administration's 'weaponization' of the legal system, including the nearly 1,600 individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack as well as potentially entities associated with President Trump himself."

ABC News reports.

"Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!"

Writes Trump, at Truth Social.

That's not the way we've been taught to speak of the dead, but it is the way we have learned that Trump speaks.

And yet imagine what Trump's antagonists will say when he dies. Much worse, I predict.

"The total baselessness of these accusations is also supported by the obvious fact that Joe Biden’s department of justice knew about them for four years and did nothing with them..."

"... because they knew President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong."

Said Karoline Leavitt, quoted in "DoJ publishes 'missing' Epstein files including Trump claims/The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described claims from FBI interviews about an alleged assault involving Trump and Epstein as 'baseless’'" (London Times).

The woman claimed to [FBI] agents that Epstein introduced her to Trump, and that she claimed Trump had assaulted her in an encounter when she was 13 in 1983. According to internal FBI notes, she claimed that when they were alone in a “very tall building” — either in New York or New Jersey — Trump allegedly “mentioned something to the effect of: ‘Let me teach you how little girls are supposed to be,’” before attempting to sexually assault her. The woman, from South Carolina, told agents she bit him and that Trump then struck her and had her removed from the room.

"For years, President Trump has complained that his personal and business bank accounts were deliberately closed after the Jan 6., 2021, attack on the Capitol...."

"In a response to a lawsuit filed last month by Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization, JPMorgan, the nation’s largest bank, said for the first time late Friday that it cut off more than 50 Trump accounts in February 2021, shortly after Mr. Trump’s first term ended. The accounts included those for Trump hotels, housing developments and retail shops in Illinois, Florida and New York, as well as Mr. Trump’s personal private banking relationship that handled his inheritance from his father.... In one unsigned note to Mr. Trump, dated Feb. 19, 2021, the bank wrote that he would need to 'find a more suitable institution with which to conduct business.' The letter closed with, 'Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter' — a phrase that Mr. Trump himself is fond of using...."

From "JPMorgan Admits It Shut Trump’s Accounts After Jan. 6 Capitol Attack/Nation’s largest bank, in response to a lawsuit filed by the president, confirmed his longstanding complaint about 'debanking'" (NYT).

"The [Epstein] files appeared to contain at least 4,500 documents that mentioned Mr. Trump."

"One was a summary that officials at the Federal Bureau of Investigation assembled last summer of more than a dozen tips from the public involving Mr. Trump and Mr. Epstein, according to emails released by the Department of Justice on Friday. It is unclear why the investigators put together the summary, which includes accusations of sexual abuse by Mr. Epstein and Mr. Trump. The emails did not include any corroborating evidence, and The New York Times is not describing the details of the unverified claims. Mr. Trump has denied any wrongdoing in connection with Mr. Epstein. In response to a request for comment, the White House referred to a public statement from the Justice Department, which said that Friday’s documents 'may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos.' Many of the other documents were news articles or emails that referenced Mr. Trump."

From "Powerful Men Who Turn Up in the New Batch of Epstein Files/Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Sergey Brin were among those who exchanged messages or visited with Jeffrey Epstein, according to the newly released documents" (NYT)(gift link).

"A judge in Georgia dismissed the last pending criminal prosecution against President Trump on Wednesday..."

"... effectively ending efforts to hold him criminally responsible for attempts to overturn the 2020 election.... A motion seeking to end the prosecution was filed Wednesday morning by Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the state’s nonpartisan prosecutor council. The case was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats to Mr. Trump, because state criminal convictions are not subject to presidential pardons. Mr. Skandalakis... shredded the case originally brought by Fani T. Willis.... He asserted that 'it is not illegal to question or challenge election results.'... He added that the idea of pursuing a case against a sitting president in Georgia was impractical...."

From "Judge Dismisses Georgia Election Interference Case Against Trump/The president has now seen three criminal cases against him dissolve since he was re-elected last year" (NYT).

This was the case that produced the magnificent mugshot that Trump has from the start used to his advantage.

"America is being sued for attempted karma."

"Many Democrats still cannot see how their legal aggression against Trump during his four years out of power set the stage for the dangerous revenge tour on which he is now embarked."

Writes the Editorial Board of The Washington Post, in "Jack Smith’s lawfare and James Comey’s arraignment on pathetically weak charges/Good people will be deterred from public service if they see a meaningful risk of winding up in jail afterward" (free-access link).

"Some Trump allies rationalize what’s happening by saying that they can escalate to deescalate — that is, respond to the legal attacks on Trump with wilder legal attacks on his enemies, thus deterring conflict in the future... Republicans are naïve if they’re confident they can deliver the final blow or that Trump can stop the cycle with blanket preemptive pardons come January 2029...."

"Divided Court Eliminates Trump’s Half-Billion-Dollar Fine in Fraud Case/New York appeals judges said that the judgment was excessive, but agreed to uphold the case so the appeal could continue."

The NYT reports (gift link).

“While harm certainly occurred, it was not the cataclysmic harm that can justify a nearly half billion-dollar award to the state,” wrote Peter Moulton, one of the appeals judges whose lengthy and convoluted ruling reflected significant disagreement among the five-judge panel.

This is the intermediate appellate court. 

The president’s appeal will now most likely move to New York’s highest court, providing him another opportunity to challenge the finding that he was a fraudster....

The finding that he was a fraudster! They only write like that for Trump. For anyone else, I suspect, they'd name the crime — "that he committed fraud" — and not portray the verdict as labeling the person as a member of category of people who commit this sort of crime. Especially with the jocose "-ster" ending — "fraudster." 

"Can you imagine what would happen if politicians started paying for people to endorse them. All hell would break out."

Said Donald Trump, quoted in "Trump demands Kamala Harris, Beyoncé, Oprah be prosecuted over 2024 campaign payouts: 'Totally illegal'" (NY Post).

What about paying them to not denounce you? Wasn't Trump prosecuted for that?

"When asked why he removed classified material on Afghanistan, Biden admitted 'I guess I wanted to hang on to it for posterity’s sake.' That is precisely..."

"... what critics on CNN and MSNBC accused Trump of doing: removing material as types of keepsakes or trophies. One president was indicted for that and one was sent along his way to a second term in office. The real indictment that comes out of these tapes is a type of political racketeering enterprise by the Washington establishment. It took a total team effort from Democratic politicians to the White House staff to the media to hide the fact that the President of the United States was mentally diminished. If there were a political RICO crime, half of Washington would be frog-marched to the nearest federal courthouse...."

Writes Jonathan Turley, in "'For Posterity’s Sake': Why the Biden-Hur Tapes is a Virtual Racketeering Indictment."

But there is no "political RICO crime," Turley assures us. It's a conspiracy to do politics. In short, politics. Do you agree?

"Are you admitting that the case against Trump in New York was part of the organized Democratic Party resistance?"

I can't believe it. They finally admitted it on live TV:

The prosecution of President Trump was an organized effort by the Democratic Party "resistance."

Lawfare is real. The justice system was weaponized against President Trump. pic.twitter.com/uvMKTHcA53

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) May 15, 2025

Trump has his framed mug-shot on the wall next to the door to the Oval Office.

Everyone who walks into the Oval office has to see Trump’s epic mugshot.

It’s a reminder of what they did to him and why he won. pic.twitter.com/22qJKDSgqC

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 14, 2025

"A lawyer from one of Manhattan’s most prominent law firms will lead the appeal of President Trump’s criminal conviction...."

"The participation of the lawyer, Robert Giuffra Jr., a co-chair of Sullivan & Cromwell and one of New York’s better-known appellate lawyers.... underscores how New York’s legal power players have warmed to the president. Mr. Trump was spurned by lawyers from major firms when he left office four years ago, but his second victory has brought about a sea change.... 'President Donald J. Trump’s appeal is important for the rule of law, New York’s reputation as a global business, financial and legal center, as well as for the presidency and all public officials,' Mr. Giuffra said in a statement. 'The misuse of the criminal law by the Manhattan D.A. to target President Trump sets a dangerous precedent.'"

From "As Establishment Warms to Trump, Elite Law Firm Takes On His Appeal/The involvement of Sullivan & Cromwell in the appeal of President Trump’s criminal conviction underscored how New York’s legal power players have moved toward Mr. Trump" (NYT). Side note: I worked there, long ago.

Meanwhile: "Justice Dept. Is Said to Discuss Dropping Case Against Eric Adams/Senior officials under President Trump have talked with prosecutors in Manhattan about the possibility of abandoning the corruption case against New York City’s mayor" (NYT).

"Deranged Jack Smith was unable to successfully prosecute the Political Opponent of his 'boss,' Crooked Joe Biden, so he ends up writing yet another 'Report'..."

"... based on information that the Unselect Committee of Political Hacks and Thugs ILLEGALLY DESTROYED AND DELETED, because it showed how totally innocent I was, and how completely guilty Nancy Pelosi, and others, were. Jack is a lamebrain prosecutor who was unable to get his case tried before the Election, which I won in a landslide. THE VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN!!!

Writes Donald Trump at Truth Social. And then: "To show you how desperate Deranged Jack Smith is, he released his Fake findings at 1:00 A.M. in the morning. Did he say that the Unselect Committee illegally destroyed and deleted all of the evidence."

Here's the corresponding story in the NYT:

The Trump sentencing is in progress, with Trump participating remotely.

Here's a free-access link to the NYT live-blog of the sentencing.

Trump is alternating staring at the camera and glancing down as [the prosecutor Josh] Steinglass... says that the American public has the right to a presidency unencumbered by the continuing demands of any alternative sentence. But, Steinglass says, it’s important that Trump’s status as a felon be formalized, to pay due respect to the jury’s verdict....

Todd Blanche, Trump's lawyer... blasts the very legitimacy of the case. He says that it was “started for what amounted to a third time” after Trump announced his intention to run for re-election, repeating Trump’s frequent accusations of election interference....

Trump begins speaking. “This has been a very terrible experience. I think it’s been a tremendous setback” for New York and its court system, he says.... Trump says that people in the country got to see the case “first-hand” and then he won [the election].... Trump again complains about the gag order that he’s been under. “I assume I’m still under a gag order,” Trump says. Then he adds, “But the fact is, I’m totally innocent.”...

“I was treated very, very unfairly, and I thank you very much,” Trump concludes.

UPDATE: "Justice Merchan, as expected, sentences Trump to an unconditional discharge. He wishes Trump 'Godspeed' as he prepares to assume his second term in office. The judge leaves the bench."

"The Supreme Court’s rejection... of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s request to be spared from being sentenced... was just a few lines long, and it made modest and practical points...."

Writes Adam Liptak, in "A Rebuke to Trump Provides a Telling Portrait of a Divided Supreme Court/Two Republican appointees, Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Barrett, joined the court’s three liberals in ordering the president-elect to face sentencing on Friday" (NYT).

If the votes of the three liberal justices were predictable, those of the two conservative members of the court who voted with them on Thursday — Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Amy Coney Barrett — were more surprising.

The chief justice was the author of not only the immunity decision but also of majority opinions in two other victories for Mr. Trump last term, one casting doubt on some of the federal charges against him and the other allowing him to seek another term despite
a constitutional provision barring insurrectionists from holding office.

His vote on Thursday was of a piece with the old Chief Justice Roberts.... 

Mr. Trump, for his part, has been a longtime critic of the chief justice. After the Affordable Care Act ruling, Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter that “I guess @JusticeRoberts wanted to be a part of Georgetown society more than anyone knew,” citing a fake handle. During his first presidential campaign, Mr. Trump called the chief justice “an absolute disaster.”...

“I’m not happy with the Supreme Court,” he said on Jan. 6, 2021, during his speech near the White House. “They love to rule against me.”...

And Trump loves to win. He fights for every win — fight, fight, fight — even when the arguments are weak. But he's better off losing some of the time. It shows that the Supreme Court acts independently of him and undercuts those who'd like to say the Court is in his pocket. So this is one of his losses. He can handle losses. He's quite good at doing that. It leveraged his re-election.

"If the Supreme Court grants a stay of Mr. Trump’s sentencing, it might effectively scuttle the proceeding for good."

"The window to sentence Mr. Trump is rapidly closing — once he returns to the White House, Mr. Trump cannot face criminal prosecution — and he would be 82 after his second term concludes. It is unclear whether the judge overseeing the case, Justice Juan M. Merchan, would still seek to impose Mr. Trump’s sentence four years later. For now, Mr. Trump’s odds of success at the Supreme Court are unclear. It takes five justices to grant a stay. While some legal experts doubted the merits of his petition, the justices have come to his rescue before. The Supreme Court’s immunity ruling last year effectively thwarted a federal criminal case against Mr. Trump for his effort to subvert the 2020 election results...."

From "Trump Asks Supreme Court to Halt His Sentencing in N.Y. Criminal Case Prosecutors have been ordered to respond to the president-elect’s request by Thursday morning, suggesting the court could rule before Friday’s scheduled sentencing" (NYT).

Judge Merchan and Judge Cannon respond to Trump requests.

Merchan says no: "N.Y. judge denies Trump effort to block sentencing in hush money case/Lawyers for Donald Trump asked a New York judge to stop Trump’s sentencing scheduled for Friday on his convictions for falsifying business documents" (WaPo).

Cannon says yes: "Cannon temporarily blocks report on Trump classified-documents probe/Two Trump employees charged alongside him in the classified documents case separately asked Judge Aileen Cannon to block the release" (WaPo).