Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Edge-]

https://time.com/6141548/congress-vo...supreme-court/

McCarthy and Republicans lose, the SCOTUS has told them that the Judiciary has zero authority to issue rulings on House rules that are not legislation, and consequently remote voting in the House can continue uninterrupted.

[Xyonai]

Since we're using this as a Republican venting thread, and because this skirts just close enough to forbidden topics that I don't want to nuke a whole new thread with it:

In addition to Florida's Anti-CRT Laws making it impossible for Speakers to talk about the Civil Rights Era, they've just now passed a fonderful new bill colloquially called The Don't Say Gay bill.

A Florida House committee on Thursday passed a bill seeking to ban discussions of sexuality and gender identity in school classrooms, which LGBTQ+ advocates say will effectively “erase” LGBTQ+ history, culture, and students...

...According to the bill, parents may take legal action against their child’s school district and be awarded damages if they believe any of its policies infringe on their “fundamental right to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children.” ...

...Other advocates have criticized the language of one of the Florida bill’s provisions, which would require educators and administrators to effectively “out” known LGBTQ+ students to their parents without their consent.

[Breccia]

The Don't Say Gay bill.

Oh look, another GOP law based on making everyone official vigilantes. Florida and Texas will be chasing down abortion providers and schools that teach their kids that homosexuals exist.

[s_bushido]

In addition to Florida's Anti-CRT Laws making it impossible for Speakers to talk about the Civil Rights Era, they've just now passed a fonderful new bill colloquially called The Don't Say Gay bill.

Honestly, at this point I'm just waiting for a GOP legislative body to repeal the teaching of evolution in school. They're hitting just about everything else, why not go all the way back to the (18)50s...

[DarkTZeratul]

Honestly, at this point I'm just waiting for a GOP legislative body to repeal the teaching of evolution in school. They're hitting just about everything else, why not go all the way back to the (18)50s...

1950s would have been perfectly accurate, I'm sorry to say. Tennessee only repealed the law prohibiting it in 1967.

[PhaelixWW]

1950s would have been perfectly accurate, I'm sorry to say. Tennessee only repealed the law prohibiting it in 1967.

Yeah, the Scopes trial in 1925 gets more press, but it wasn't actually prohibited until 1968, via SCOTUS in Epperson v. Arkansas.

[s_bushido]

SCOTUS in Epperson v. Arkansas.

hmm... It's interesting you mention that, because it seems like a perfectly good ruling to cite to invalidate anti-LGBT education laws. But I'm sure they'd try to get around it by claiming it's not their religion that motivates their denial of these people's existence reality.

[Xyonai]

hmm... It's interesting you mention that, because it seems like a perfectly good ruling to cite to invalidate anti-LGBT education laws. But I'm sure they'd try to get around it by claiming it's not their religion that motivates their denial of these people's existence reality.

Even without wading much deeper into forbidden topic territory: It's just more culture war bullshit. They saw how much hype being anti CRT was and are trying to push that playbook onto any other topic or field that they can claim makes them 'uncomfortable'.

[s_bushido]

Even without wading much deeper into forbidden topic territory: It's just more culture war bullshit. They saw how much hype being anti CRT was and are trying to push that playbook onto any other topic or field that they can claim makes them 'uncomfortable'.

I think that's backwards, tbh. The CRT bullshit was just an outgrowth of this sentiment that's always been there with pearl-clutching conservatives. It probably wouldn't have gained as much traction as it did had the country not been in the middle of a pretty major uproar over race-relations.

[jonnysensible]

Honestly, at this point I'm just waiting for a GOP legislative body to repeal the teaching of evolution in school. They're hitting just about everything else, why not go all the way back to the (18)50s...

the end goal of the CRT stuff is privatizing education and teaching Intelligent design . Christopher Rufo (who really led the CRT stuff) openly said as much. Basically they want ever kid in America to be madison cawthorn.

[ati87]

Since we're using this as a Republican venting thread, and because this skirts just close enough to forbidden topics that I don't want to nuke a whole new thread with it:

In addition to Florida's Anti-CRT Laws making it impossible for Speakers to talk about the Civil Rights Era, they've just now passed a fonderful new bill colloquially called The Don't Say Gay bill.

I'm sure any moment now the defenders of confederate statues will rise up in order to protect US history, I'm pretty sure that the history justice warriors are honest actors that will all rise up in protest to ensure that history books are being thought accurately.

[Draco-Onis]

Honestly, at this point I'm just waiting for a GOP legislative body to repeal the teaching of evolution in school. They're hitting just about everything else, why not go all the way back to the (18)50s...

Southern states already teach creationism and have been fighting to ban evolution for decades now, they mostly put evolution as "controversial" in their books. Now that they are putting broad laws not to teach anything "offensive" to whites they could in theory do it.

[Breccia]

Once again, it is not a good day to be named Donald Trump.

1) So remember when knowledgeable informed source Cohen said Trump would throw Don Jr. under the bus before Ivanka?

You may recall that there was the district attorney's case here for Trump SoHo where it was either Don or Ivanka was in very big trouble as a result of lying about the number of units that had been sold.

And Donald said it to me – I mean I wouldn't say it if it wasn't said directly to me – he goes, 'If one or the other has to go to prison, make sure that it's Don because Don would be able to handle it.'

Well, Mary Trump says Ivanka is two things: one, just as much an asshole as Trump, and two, not an idiot. Right now she's deciding if her father will ditch her to save himself, and according to Mary Trump, he would, and Ivanka knows this. I've suggested Ivanka could actually be innocent of the insurrection -- she didn't have any power and her name rarely comes up. Until recently. Now, Ivanka has a decision to make.

MSNBC host Alex Witt asked Mary Trump, "You don't think there's any chance that he [Donald Trump] would step forward and say 'OK, I'm going to take the heat in an effort to shield my kids'? That would never happen?"

"No," Mary Trump responded. "Donald will throw anybody under the bus if he believes it's in his best interest to do so. If he believes that it will help him avoid accountability. That's all he cares about."

"She has information that the American people deserve. She worked for the American people, not for her father," Mary Trump continued. "She owes the committee truthfulness about what happened that day."

Mary Trump also noted that Ivanka Trump is also thinking in her best interest and making a "calculation" similar to her father's that "will help her in the long run."

Of course, it helps that her competition, Donnie Dum-Dum Jr, is posting videos worried that Biden might fart.

No, really.

2) Maybe you heard of the recent interview Hannity gave Trump in which Hannity, trying to hammer in the point that Biden is failing, uses the metaphor "beating your head against a brick wall". At which Trump immediately said, we even covered it on this thread, that he would have had the Wall finished in three weeks.

Sounds embarrassing.

...where's the YouTube of that interview? This site claims FOX News never posted it, because it makes Trump look, well, embarrassingly senile.

3) There is help for those Trump allies subpoena'd by the Jan 6th panel. Kinda. A legal fund has been set up to help with legal bills, but only for those who refuse to cooperate.

4) So Eastman's lawyer revealed, possibly accidentally, that Eastman was working directly for Trump during certain pre-Jan-6th moments. As a result, Chapman University is going to hand over Eastman's emails to the committee. Well, eventually, there's some lawyer-client stuff that needs to happen first.

Yeah, apparently Eastman was working for Chapman University until...Jan 13th, when Chapman University insisted he spend more time with his family. Many universities keep their email in-house because of work-product, student confidentiality, etc etc. Eastman shouldn't have been using it for working with a private client, not just because that's unethical, but because now Chapman University has them.

Whoops.

5) Speaking of murderous insurrectionists, let's talk about Justin McAuliffe.

He's fucked.

This rioter is about to be sentenced and is begging for leniency. His grounds? He's suffered enough. He lost clients, he's been kicked off Lyft and Uber, he's off the TSA pre-checklist, and he can't stay in AirBnb.

Oh, and his wife filed for divorce the day after he was arrested.

"Do any of these hold legal weight?"

No.

6) So the FDA removed emergency authorization for monoclonal antibodies because they've been proven to not work.

Naturally, DeSantis took issue with that, claiming there's no proof they don't work. Which of course is hilarious because he's anti-vax. Also even the makers have admitted they won't hep so he's just making shit up. Big surprise, I know.

But without the ability to dispense them, DeSantis closed the Florida antibody sites. They might re-open later when other monoclonal treatments get authorization because they actually work. Or, if DeSantis is willing to have Florida pay for nonfederal treatments...which he hasn't been. Florida's increasingly COVID-stricken populace might need to take other steps to be careful since what they thought was their way out was just closed.

[Edge-]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/25/polit...ent/index.html

Deputy AG Lisa Monaco has confirmed that the DOJ has received referrals about the fake Electoral College certifications and that federal prosecutors are reviewing them.

But she is unable to comment about ongoing investigations.

[PhaelixWW]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/25/polit...ent/index.html

Deputy AG Lisa Monaco has confirmed that the DOJ has received referrals about the fake Electoral College certifications and that federal prosecutors are reviewing them.

But she is unable to comment about ongoing investigations.

My reaction right now:

[Breccia]

Deputy AG Lisa Monaco has confirmed that the DOJ has received referrals about the fake Electoral College certifications and that federal prosecutors are reviewing them.

No surprise there, the fake electors were in multiple states and organized. This is a federal offense. Oh, it might also be a legal issue in Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada and New Mexico. Probably is. Should be. CBA to check.

- - - Updated - - -

Oath Keepers plead not guilty by reason of "No crime was committed".

The bald-faced myth that anyone wanted to stop the certification is inexcusable. The claims in the detention motion of Stewart Rhodes -- which apply to other Oath Keepers as well like Kelly Meggs -- are fiction. We know that the prosecutors know that what they claim is totally false. We have the documents. We have the videos. The prosecutors know that we know that they know that their narrative is a John Grisham novel, totally false.

That's right, the Oath Keepers planned a heavily-armed attack on the Capitol building, an action with proven planning and cooperation withother groups, on the day and in fact the hour of certification...but not to stop the certification.

[Endus]

That's right, the Oath Keepers planned a heavily-armed attack on the Capitol building, an action with proven planning and cooperation withother groups, on the day and in fact the hour of certification...but not to stop the certification.

What the fuck are they arguing "Stop the Steal" meant?

[Edge-]

The prosecutors know that we know that they know that their narrative is a John Grisham novel, totally false.

Do they know that we know that they know we know they know we know?

- - - Updated - - -

What the fuck are they arguing "Stop the Steal" meant?

You can't take it literally, obviously! We're all just stupid.

But "Defund the Police"? 100% literal, there's no other way to take it.

[Breccia]

What the fuck are they arguing "Stop the Steal" meant?

Well for one, I think it's fairly clear they're lying.

Overall, while I admit there were probably people who thought the vote was legit stolen -- because they believed Trump's lies and were therefore morons -- and were asking for change to be made peacefully, none of them were in the crowd that breached the perimeter. Simply put, once you beat a cop's face in, you are no longer a peaceful protestor. "Stop the Steal" is what these, well, traitors are trying to hide behind as the overall movement wasn't violent, just them.

...and yes, they still claim things about Muslims and Antifa. They're not great with facts, logic, common sense or being peaceful law-abiding citizens.

[Endus]

Well for one, I think it's fairly clear they're lying.

That's why I questioned what they're arguing, not what they believe. Because I don't for one second think they believe it.

Overall, while I admit there were probably people who thought the vote was legit stolen -- because they believed Trump's lies and were therefore morons -- and were asking for change to be made peacefully, none of them were in the crowd that breached the perimeter. Simply put, once you beat a cop's face in, you are no longer a peaceful protestor. "Stop the Steal" is what these, well, traitors are trying to hide behind as the overall movement wasn't violent, just them.

If we're talking about anyone who entered the Capitol as part of that crowd on Jan 6, then my stance is a simple "cool motive, still sedition and insurrection against the United States of America, along with conspiracy to commit mass murder". For starters.

I'm still holding out faint hope that there's a plan to apply insurrection charges to every single person they can identify who entered the Capitol as part of this. Any extant plea deals wouldn't protect anyone; they would cover only the charges that were made at the time, and as "insurrection" is a separate crime, it isn't a double jeopardy issue either. I don't even want them to be sent to prison over it (many should for related crimes, obviously), just that this particular charge be used for the "can't ever hold any federal office or position ever again for life" penalty clause. Won't matter to most of them, but it sends a solid message.