Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Edge-]

https://apnews.com/article/donald-tr...2a660001b633a2

A May 25 letter from one of his lawyers, attached as an exhibit to the search affidavit, advances a broad view of presidential power, asserting that the commander-in-chief has absolute authority to declassify whatever he wants — and also that the “primary” law governing the handling of U.S. classified information simply doesn’t apply to the president himself.

The arguments weren’t persuasive enough to the Justice Department to prevent an FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate this month, and the affidavit in any event makes clear that investigators are focused on more recent activity — long after Trump left the White House and lost the legal authorities that came with it. Even so, the letter suggests that a defense strategy anchored around presidential powers, a strategy employed during special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation when Trump actually was president, may again be in play as the probe proceeds.

Trump's legal team essentially wants to argue that "It's not illegal when the president does it."

Problem is...

“When someone is no longer president, they’re no longer president. That’s the reality of the matter,” said Oona Hathaway, a Yale Law School professor and former lawyer in the Defense Department’s general counsel’s office. “When you’ve left office, you’ve left office. You can’t proclaim yourself to not be subject to the laws that apply to everyone else.”

Because yeah, as ex-president you're basically a regular Average Joe again...just one with a protection USSS protection detail. You can't claim "Presidential Immunity" as an ex-president.

[Breccia]

"As a Trump supporter who never decried Trump for promising to prosecute Clinton, I therefore must support the raid on Mar-a-Lago. Anything else would be to self-identify as a hypocrite and therefore troll."

You don't have to keep saying it. We heard you the first time. It is good to see your continued support.

[Kaleredar]

I've described the context and record well enough in depth for any unbiased reader. I'll leave it at that.

And many people have pointed out that your assessment is anything but unbiased

I think any claims that Trump's actions aren't important for the reason of Democrats on social issues is wish-casting on the part of Democrats is utterly absurd. The FBI raid on Trump is justified or unjustified on its own terms.

...and yet you wont separate it from the FBI's actions against Hillary Clinton.

Instead, I pointed to documented evidence. I'm glad to hear the previously classified Nunes memo is just another "word of Trump" to you. Which other FBI controversy involving several Republicans, FBI agents or higher-ups, are also another "word of Trump?" Are FISA applications "word of Trump." I want to see how far this extends. To remind you, you're already at FISA applications and memorandum summarizing them being just the word of Trump. But maybe by "word" you meant "public documents" and by "Trump" you meant "multiple FBI agents, a congressman, and a judge."

You're conflating unrelated things with the raid on Trump's illegitimately held documents.

First and foremost the Nunes memo was decried as partisan drivel that was bitter that they were digging into Trump's ties to Russia. Upon review, the inspector general in Trump's DOJ found no political motivation for the inquiry, and the subsequent wiretaps were approved by four conservative justices.

But once again, you're moving goalposts. Avoiding talking about Trump. Conflating other things.

Because you don't have a defense for this. You want a reason to believe it isn't true, or, as I've asserted, a reason for you not to care.

I've spoken at their similarities, and dismissing them won't get you out of them.

And multiple people have pointed out why you continuing to claim this is a fundamental misunderstanding.

I'm sure they'll be here to remind you. Again. Maybe try recanting their assertions directly, instead of just pretending like you don't see them.

This is a narrative that needs confirming in antagonistic court hearings. You're still harping on the logic of "The FBI acted appropriately, which is confirmed because the FBI said it acted appropriately."

Let me say, that is a very poor defense to "We don't know enough whether or not the use of a raid was justified."

Let me know when someone other than the guy that got raided claims things weren't done appropriately. And I don't mean feckless congressmen, I mean... people with actual legal, judicial experience. Because while Trump's bloviating has been quite loud, I've yet to hear a peep of dissent from anyone who actually matters.

[Edge-]

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/0...oting-00054089

So remember how DeSantis made a big to-do about the 20 people arrested for "voter fraud" because they didn't realize they were not legally allowed to vote given their prior convictions? And remember how DeSantis tried to basically local election officials?

“Through no fault of your own, records demonstrate that the convicted felons listed in the attached Exhibit A were registered to vote and voted in your county during the 2020 general election,” Antonacci wrote in the letter.

That's Pete Antonacci, who runs the new office overseeing investigations into voter fraud. Why did he write this letter? It might have something to do with this -

Though Antonacci had told local elections officials they did nothing wrong, the governor’s communications office pinned blame on them Friday evening in a statement and in a series of tweets defending the administration’s performance.

“Supervisors should not encourage people to commit voter fraud, and you’ll have to check with the supervisors to verify the claims you’re referencing,” Taryn Fenske, the governor’s communications director, said in an email. “If supervisors are telling convicted murderers they can vote, they should be held accountable.”

Fenske did not return requests seeking comment Monday when asked about Antonacci’s letter.

Just a reminder of how dangerous Ron DeSantis and his complete lack of care for the truth or following laws, even the Constitution, is and will be if he ever makes it into higher office.

- - - Updated - - -

So...remember how one of the boxes of materials the FBI took from Trump's "house" included materials on Macron?

https://www.rollingstone.com/politic...aid-1234582465

Specifically, Trump has bragged to some of his closest associates — both during and after his time in the White House — that he knew illicit details about the love life of French President Emmanuel Macron, two people with knowledge of the matter tell Rolling Stone. And the former president even claimed that he learned about some of this dirt through “intelligence” he had seen or been briefed on, these sources say.

It’s not clear whether the Macron-related document the FBI seized during the raid had anything at all to do with the French president’s personal life. Nor is it clear whether the information on Macron seized from Mar-a-Lago is derived from U.S. intelligence collection or even classified.

So...it's very possible he took intelligence that included information on Macron's sex-life. Why would he do that? Who knows, but I don't think Macron liked him very much and we all know how Trump feels about his "enemies".

[Xyonai]

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/0...oting-00054089

So remember how DeSantis made a big to-do about the 20 people arrested for "voter fraud" because they didn't realize they were not legally allowed to vote given their prior convictions? And remember how DeSantis tried to basically local election officials?

That's Pete Antonacci, who runs the new office overseeing investigations into voter fraud. Why did he write this letter? It might have something to do with this -

Just a reminder of how dangerous Ron DeSantis and his complete lack of care for the truth or following laws, even the Constitution, is and will be if he ever makes it into higher office.

So I'm trying to parse this together in my head, but pretty much folks under DeSantis okay'd these folks to vote - despite the laws in place - and then went out to arrest them for voting? Isn't that entrapment or am I crazy?

[Captain N]

So a man named Toby Morton has created a website listing the epic failures of Texas Governor Greg Abbott -- Needless to say Abbott supporters are none to pleased with the domain name that Mr. Morton chose: https://www.governorgregabbott.com/

[Edge-]

So I'm trying to parse this together in my head, but pretty much folks under DeSantis okay'd these folks to vote - despite the laws in place - and then went out to arrest them for voting? Isn't that entrapment or am I crazy?

I need to do more digging but my current understanding is...yes, the state should not have registered them to vote based on their status and is absolutely the primary one at-fault here. Because the whole process of FL granting the right to vote back to former felons after the people voted for that has been the Legislature doing everything possible to make it as difficult as people for former felons to actually fully earn their legal right to vote back.

[Dontrike]

I've described the context and record well enough in depth for any unbiased reader. I'll leave it at that.

You haven't in the least bit, but it's super adorable that you believe you have.

"Did what she was supposed to do" is a really weird way of saying "deleted emails that were the subject of an active subpoena"

The "did what she was supposed to do" was afterwards, but it's no surprise you didn't catch that, where she wasn't trying to hide shit. I love you ignored the investigation into her once again and turns out what she deleted was of no consequence. You keep trying to get that Hillary boogeyman though, one day Trump might notice you.

"Even if you're right about everything you just wrote,

This part is the most hilarious.

I'm going to assume that Trump is selling nuclear secrets to foreign adversaries to make this much worse in my fever dream hypothetical."

Yeah, you're right, he only kept them because they were super declassified and he was keeping them safe. You're smart.

[Kaleredar]

Yeah, you're right, he only kept them because they were super declassified and he was keeping them safe. You're smart.

Like I said, he doesn't care that he kept them.


His current stance is "The FBI is probably making up the whole thing."

[cubby]

I've described the context and record well enough in depth for any unbiased reader. I'll leave it at that.

I think any claims that Trump's actions aren't important for the reason of Democrats on social issues is wish-casting on the part of Democrats is utterly absurd. The FBI raid on Trump is justified or unjustified on its own terms.

Instead, I pointed to documented evidence. I'm glad to hear the previously classified Nunes memo is just another "word of Trump" to you. Which other FBI controversy involving several Republicans, FBI agents or higher-ups, are also another "word of Trump?" Are FISA applications "word of Trump." I want to see how far this extends. To remind you, you're already at FISA applications and memorandum summarizing them being just the word of Trump. But maybe by "word" you meant "public documents" and by "Trump" you meant "multiple FBI agents, a congressman, and a judge."

I've spoken at their similarities, and dismissing them won't get you out of them.

If you're right, why didn't Trump prosecute? Why didn't the 9 Congressional Investigations recommend charges? Why didn't any number of prosecutorial moves get place on Hillary after Trump took office. Four years and not a single move against her?

You are literally trained to miss the forest for the trees, and Team Trump loves you for it.

The entire argument above is more BS and misdirection away from the cold hard facts - Trump was caught with SAP/SAC classified documents in his possession as a private citizen. Nothing else matters. The drivel you're spewing is just one of several iterations of Trump's lying defense - one that continues to change on an almost daily basis.

Trumpers are always missing the most obvious fucking facts and circumstances. You notice they push their talking points like good 'lil soldiers, but fail to see even the most blatant shit. Trump owned the White House and the DoJ and never prosecuted. Wonder why?

[Muzjhath]

I'

Let me say, that is a very poor defense to "We don't know enough whether or not the use of a raid was justified."

So, you'd be fine with the Obamas having a binder of nuclear secrets in their bookshelf then?

[Shadowferal]

Matt Drudge...apparently seeking relevance, has Trump wearing a prison jumpsuit.

[Breccia]

3) CyberTrump 2077 still isn't available for Android.

It's because there's no moderation.

On Aug. 19, we notified Truth Social of several violations of standard policies in their current app submission and reiterated that having effective systems for moderating user-generated content is a condition of our terms of service for any app to go live on Google Play.

Last week Truth Social wrote back acknowledging our feedback and saying that they are working on addressing these issues.

"That's not what Nunes said."

And you believed him?

"So Truth Social is banned, but Parler is okay?"

No, Parler is banned too.

- - - Your call is important to us, please remain on the line - - -

And now, we finally see a competent reaction taken against the FBI's unwarranted actions.

I refer, of course...to Micky Dolenz, the last surviving Monkeys, suing the FBI.

A lawsuit filed by Dolenz, the last surviving member of the band, noted the performer had “exhausted all necessary required administrative remedies” after submitting a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to receive the files from the FBI.

Dolenz’s attorney, Mark Zaid, told Rolling Stone that the 77-year-old entertainer and the last surviving member of the band had originally submitted a FOIA request in June to obtain the full file from the FBI. The lawsuit was brought after the FBI failed to follow through with the FOIA request within 20 working days, as is legally required, Zaid told the music publication.

Shit! No! That's as off-topic as going literal Grammar Nazi by talking about dead Germans in a thread about living American GOP members. I meant Trump hiring a competent lawyer.

Chris Kise, Florida’s former solicitor general who served on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ transition team, inked a contract to represent Donald Trump in the criminal case that resulted in the FBI search of the former president’s home in Mar-a-Lago, according to two sources with knowledge of the discussions.

Kise, who declined to comment, began negotiations with Trump shortly after the FBI’s search of his Palm Beach estate Aug. 8. Numerous other criminal defense attorneys have said they couldn’t represent the former president in the Southern District of Florida, citing the all-consuming job of representing Trump or his reputation as a penny-pinching problematic client with a history of having rival advisers who backstab one another, according to five people with knowledge of the legal effort.

"Wow! His firm must be so happy with him landing such a large client! He's gotta be over 300 pounds!"

Umm...about that...

"Okay 285, final offer."

No no...his law firm removed him from their website as soon as the news broke. The leading rumor is that he's leaving, because nobody in their right fucking mind would want to touch this case.

Trump now has a proven experienced, capable lawyer on his team. Kise has proven experience with SCOTUS and even got DeSantis elected by showing that his opponent was taking bribes. Dude is facing indictment himself right now.

"Wait, so he has experience with political attacks because...he did one himself?"

Yes.

"And nobody's going to mention that Biden's FBI is investigating one of DeSantis' rivals, while DeSantis himself is calling Biden a partisan tyrant?"

I mean, you just did.

Kise seems too good at this shit to accept anything other than a large pile of cash up-front from Trump. Whether he is a cultist or just wants fame and fortune, there's "I have faith in the process" and there's "I just got fired for taking on an objectively guilty client".

[Edge-]

https://www.businessinsider.com/trum...lection-2022-8

Two Florida residents pleaded guilty to stealing Ashley Biden's diary and selling it to the conservative group Project Veritas for $40,000, the Justice Department announced on Thursday.

Aimee Harris discovered the diary while staying at a friend's place in Delray Beach, Florida, in 2020 after Ashley Biden had spent some time staying there, prosecutors said. Harris later texted Robert Kurlander to tell him about the discovery and say they could make a lot of money by selling it, among other items of Biden's that were discovered.

So the pair that stole Ashley Biden's journal got caught finally.

Why am I posting this here? Because there's a twist to this news -

Prosecutors said the pair attended a fundraiser in September 2020 and tried to sell the diary to the campaign of President Donald Trump, who at the time was in a bitter reelection fight against Joe Biden. But a representative for the Trump campaign turned down the offer and told them to turn the diary over to the FBI, court documents filed as part of the guilty plea said.

Kurlander texted Harris saying the Trump campaign couldn't use it, according to the court filing, adding: "They want it to go to the FBI. There is NO WAY [Trump] can use this. It has to be done a different way."

I'm...positively shocked that anyone within the Trump campaign would have the wherewithal and ethics to turn down the diary and tell them to turn it in to the FBI. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if they thought this was a sting/bait or that the price asked was too high, but all the same it's a surprise that they essentially did the right thing.

[Kaleredar]

https://www.businessinsider.com/trum...lection-2022-8



So the pair that stole Ashley Biden's journal got caught finally.

Why am I posting this here? Because there's a twist to this news -



I'm...positively shocked that anyone within the Trump campaign would have the wherewithal and ethics to turn down the diary and tell them to turn it in to the FBI. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if they thought this was a sting/bait or that the price asked was too high, but all the same it's a surprise that they essentially did the right thing.

I mean, I think it's pretty likely that 1) this journal contained nothing of note and 2) the "chain of custody" so to speak would be a rather direct line to Trump's campaign buying stolen property.

[Edge-]

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/p...igation-report

Apparently the RNC finally found Trump-related lawsuits that they actually don't want to pay for.

A source told Politico Tuesday that Trump would have to front the legal bill after he hired Florida’s former solicitor general Chris Kise to represent him in the Justice Department's criminal investigation related to the FBI raid of his Mar-a-Lago estate earlier this month. The reasoning behind the RNC's decision is unclear.

The RNC has paid almost $2 million in legal fees to law firms representing Trump between October 2021 and July of this year, according to Federal Election Commission records.

For example, officials at the RNC agreed last December to pay up to $1.6 million for Trump's attorney bills, one of which involves an investigation by New York's attorney general into his private business handling.

FEC reports also showed an additional $50,000 payment was made in June regarding Trump's legal fees.

Guess Trump's gonna have to have Donnie Jr. send out another fundraising email to EPIC people asking them to send in money to fund Trump's latest lawsuits.

[Breccia]

"The reasoning behind the RNC's decision is unclear."

No it isn't, Washington Examiner. It's because Trump's not running for office. Duh.

[Edge-]

No it isn't, Washington Examiner. It's because Trump's not running for office. Duh.

No, because they're still funding other lawsuits. It seems to be that they finally found a Trump-related lawsuit that they're even not comfortable with.

[Breccia]

No, because they're still funding other lawsuits

Yes, but when did those start?

- - - Updated - - -

Well, fuck, FOX News reported Trump will lose RNC funding for legal bills if he announces 2024 candidacy. So the mystery deepens.

[Fugus]

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/p...igation-report

Apparently the RNC finally found Trump-related lawsuits that they actually don't want to pay for.



Guess Trump's gonna have to have Donnie Jr. send out another fundraising email to EPIC people asking them to send in money to fund Trump's latest lawsuits.

Heard before, and I can believe it, that the GOP paying for his stuff was probably what was keeping him in line with them this long as he was originally talking about leaving the party when he left office and them afraid he would destroy the party in the process. Them refusing to cover THIS one might be enough for him to actually go off.

Getting mad that he couldn't overthrow the nation alone was huge, but the one where they march in your house and take stuff from it against your wishes is the one you typically take personally.