Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Gorsameth]

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brief...-probe-report/



Emphasis mine.

/popcorn

Didn't we already hear about this back when the raid happened? I believe at the time the theory was that it might have been a member of his security detail that tipped of the DoJ that the files they were looking for were in a storeroom.

[Muzjhath]

So, Trump ran away to Scotland, which naturally means he had to give an interview with one of our more prominent bellends.

Donald Trump Sounds Off On Meghan Markle, Ukraine War & Biden Missing King’s Coronation In GB News Interview

On Biden not being there on the Coronation. It's almost like Heads of States don't show up. Same as no crowned monarchs show up.

Such as there won't be anyone outranking the new monarch.

[Breccia]

Trump was only the second President who didn't have pets (the first was James K. Polk, who was president in 1845).

To be fair, we know the Trump family loves animals.







Okay, that one hits a little close to home.

Trophy hunting event to auction 'dream hunt' with Donald Trump Jr

The four-day event organized by Safari Club International (SCI) and advertised as a “hunters’ heaven”, will culminate on Saturday with an auction for a week-long Sitka black-tailed deer hunt in Alaska with Trump Jr, his son and a guide. At the time of writing, bidding for the yacht-based expedition stands at $10,000 (£7,685).

That was from Feb 4, 2020. Um...I don't think it happened. Hold on.

(checks news)

It was sold for $150,000 but there's no information about who won that I could find. Maybe they were ashamed of themselves? Oddly enough, a few weeks later, Trump pulled a SCI lawyer for a federal post. I'm sure that's just a coincidence.

Anyhow, it's possible the winner of the auction did in fact go with Don Jr. and there's just no record I found. People who kill animals for pleasure know that's often frowned upon and I can understand why it wouldn't exactly be bigly yuge news. But based on the scarcity of info, and the timeline of spring 2020, I'm just going to assume the trip never happened. Yeah, assuming a Trump wouldn't honor a contract isn't exactly a stretch, either.

[The Stormbringer]

To be fair, we know the Trump family loves animals.

[IMG]https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/03/12/article-2114122-12235415000005DC-616_634x652.jpg

[IMG]https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/03/13/article-2114122-1224A53F000005DC-522_634x736.jpg

[IMG]https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/03/12/article-2114122-12235411000005DC-917_634x327.jpg

Okay, that one hits a little close to home.

Trophy hunting event to auction 'dream hunt' with Donald Trump Jr



That was from Feb 4, 2020. Um...I don't think it happened. Hold on.

(checks news)

It was sold for $150,000 but there's no information about who won that I could find. Maybe they were ashamed of themselves? Oddly enough, a few weeks later, Trump pulled a SCI lawyer for a federal post. I'm sure that's just a coincidence.

Anyhow, it's possible the winner of the auction did in fact go with Don Jr. and there's just no record I found. People who kill animals for pleasure know that's often frowned upon and I can understand why it wouldn't exactly be bigly yuge news. But based on the scarcity of info, and the timeline of spring 2020, I'm just going to assume the trip never happened. Yeah, assuming a Trump wouldn't honor a contract isn't exactly a stretch, either.

Trophy hunting is fucking disgusting. I have absolutely nothing against conservationists who go out to help cull populations and keep things safe and healthy, or people going out to hunt for meat that they themselves or people they know wind up eating to help get by, but trophy hunting is abhorrent and needs to go the way of the dinosaurs.

[Breccia]

Person, man, woman, camera, TV.

Speaking of men and women on camera:

Special counsel probing Trump Organization’s handling of Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage is a CNN exclusive, so I'm glad the Dominion issue left me flush with points to spend.

Prosecutors for special counsel Jack Smith have been asking questions in recent weeks about the handling of surveillance footage from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort after the Trump Organization received a subpoena last summer for the footage, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation.

The handling of the footage, and how employees within the Trump Organization responded to the Justice Department’s demand for it, have prompted a new round of grand jury subpoenas to top Trump employees in the last few weeks, the sources told CNN.

Longtime Trump Organization executives Matthew Calamari Sr. and his son Matthew Calamari Jr. are expected to appear Thursday before the grand jury investigating possible mishandling of classified documents brought to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, sources said. Prosecutors are expected to ask them about the handling of the surveillance footage and Trump employees’ conversations following the subpoena, according to the sources.

Oh no! Those two Calamaris are brought into the arena to fight for their survival! That's a Squid Game I might actually watch.

The footage has been a part of the Justice Department’s investigation into possible mishandling of classified records at the Florida beach club after Trump left the presidency and possible obstruction of justice. No charges have been brought in the case, and Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

CNN has previously reported the footage captured Walt Nauta, an aide close to the ex-president, Nauta and another Mar-a-Lago employee moving boxes containing documents out of a storage closet.

The Calamaris are among several witnesses expected to testify in Smith’s investigation on Thursday, sources said. Prosecutors have previously brought in lower-level Trump employees for questioning about the surveillance footage, including how it may have been handled in response to the subpoena for it and if it could have been tampered with, two sources told CNN this week.

Investigators also have previously asked about a text message from Nauta to Calamari Sr. and subsequent conversations about the surveillance footage, according to two of the sources. The Justice Department questioned Nauta months ago about the handling of the boxes, and he told the FBI about being directed by Trump, CNN previously reported.

So, I'm just going to take a shot at this: I think Agent Smith knows the video footage is incomplete and I think he knows why. I think the issue of obstruction of justice has long since come into play, and I think Trump Org/Mar-a-Lago employees acting on Trump's behalf to obstruct justice are about to re-evaluate their life choices.

[Edge-]

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/0...-donald-trump/

A golfweek link? Yeah, bear with me.

According to a New York Times report, amid the larger investigation the DOJ has subpoenaed the Trump Organization for records regarding LIV Golf and President Trump’s ties to the upstart circuit financially backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

In LIV Golf’s inaugural season last year, Trump National Bedminster and Trump National Doral both hosted events. The pair of properties will do so again in 2023, as will his resort in Potomac Falls, Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C.

From the report:

It is unclear what bearing Mr. Trump’s relationship with LIV Golf has on the broader investigation, but it suggests that the prosecutors are examining certain elements of Mr. Trump’s family business.

Last year the former president was heavily criticized for hosting LIV Golf just miles from New York City by a group of families of 9/11 victims and survivors.

“I’ve known these people for a long time in Saudi Arabia, they’ve been friends of mine for a long time,” explained Trump ahead of last year’s event at Trump National Bedminster. “They’ve invested in many American companies, they own big percentages of many, many American companies, and frankly what they’re doing for golf is so great.”

A New York City native, Trump’s comments came just days after families of 9/11 victims and survivors sent a letter to condemn the former president for hosting the Saudi-funded series. The letter expressed their “extreme pain, frustration and anger” and even included a quote from Trump’s 2016 comments on the 9/11 terrorist attacks from a segment on Fox & Friends:

“ … Who blew up the World Trade Center? It wasn’t the Iraqis – it was Saudi. Take a look at Saudi Arabia. Open the documents. We ought to get Bush or somebody to have the documents opened because frankly, if you open the documents, I think you are going to see it was Saudi Arabia …”

“The former President correctly speculated in 2016 that Saudi Arabia knocked down the towers and now the FBI has released the documents to prove him right,” Brett Eagleson, an advocate for the 9/11 Justice group, told CNN at the time, “yet he is choosing money over America. So much for America First. A sad day.”

LIV Golf has long been criticized as a way for the Kingdom to “sportswash” its human rights record. Saudi Arabia has been accused of wide-ranging human rights abuses, including politically motivated killings, torture, forced disappearances and inhumane treatment of prisoners. And members of the royal family and Saudi government were accused of involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist.

The DOJ is also reportedly investigating the PGA Tour for potential antitrust violations against LIV Golf.

Trump National Washington D.C. will host LIV Golf later this month, May 26-28. LIV will then head to Trump National Bedminster, Aug. 11-13, and return to Trump National Doral, Oct. 20-22. The LIV Golf season ends in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 3-5.

I feel like many of us noted the curious coincidence of the Saudi's backing a golf circuit with Trump's involvement. Something fishy may indeed actually be happening there as theorized.

[Paranoid Android]

Trump defends his comments from the “Access Hollywood” tape in his taped deposition:

Trump: “Historically, that’s true with stars…If you look over the last million years, I guess that’s been largely true. Not always, but largely true. Unfortunately or fortunately.”

Vid embedded.

If you watch vid I get 2 vibes from him. 1) he is nonchalant about the deposition and I guess a strategy or 2) he really sounds entitled that yes, he should be able to assault women.

This one he goes off the rails just a little bit by calling the attorney asking questions a 'Political Operative'. Amazing how everything against him is politics.

[gondrin]

Trump defends his comments from the “Access Hollywood” tape in his taped deposition:

Trump: “Historically, that’s true with stars…If you look over the last million years, I guess that’s been largely true. Not always, but largely true. Unfortunately or fortunately.”

Vid embedded.

If you watch vid I get 2 vibes from him. 1) he is nonchalant about the deposition and I guess a strategy or 2) he really sounds entitled that yes, he should be able to assault women.

This one he goes off the rails just a little bit by calling the attorney asking questions a 'Political Operative'. Amazing how everything against him is politics.

I'm going to say it is more number 2 than anything else. He has been, for the most part, "famous" nearly his whole adult life along with rich and in the time he grew up, rich and famous men were notorious at assaulting women. So for him, he sees it is something he is entitled to because he is rich and famous. You see this with a LOT of older men.

Still no excuse for the behavior and should 100% absolutely change.

[Xyonai]

Trump defends his comments from the “Access Hollywood” tape in his taped deposition:

Trump: “Historically, that’s true with stars…If you look over the last million years, I guess that’s been largely true. Not always, but largely true. Unfortunately or fortunately.”

Vid embedded.

If you watch vid I get 2 vibes from him. 1) he is nonchalant about the deposition and I guess a strategy or 2) he really sounds entitled that yes, he should be able to assault women.

This one he goes off the rails just a little bit by calling the attorney asking questions a 'Political Operative'. Amazing how everything against him is politics.

There's a reason none of Trump's lawyers and/or toadies ever wanted him on the stand. The dude cannot help but either incriminate himself, make himself look like an evil moron, or both.

[beanman12345]

So, I'm just going to take a shot at this: I think Agent Smith knows the video footage is incomplete and I think he knows why. I think the issue of obstruction of justice has long since come into play, and I think Trump Org/Mar-a-Lago employees acting on Trump's behalf to obstruct justice are about to re-evaluate their life choices.

There was an interview of a proud boys juror who said it was them covering up their crime by deleting texts that convinced him they were guilty. And I started lamenting Trump always brags about and never hides his crimes(even though that's not true) to explain his lack of indictment, but it is like watergate, it's always the coverup that get's em.

[postman1782]

Surprised no one posted this yet, but 8 of the 16 fake electors in Georgia have flipped and taken immunity deals from Fani Willis.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...tors-immunity/
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/05/polit...ity/index.html
https://thehill.com/regulation/court...-probe-report/

[DarkTZeratul]

If anyone's curious how Smartmantic's lawsuit against Fox is going, the judge just ordered a broadening of discovery as a direct response to Domion's lawsuit.

While JHO Marin appropriately and thoroughly analyzed the issues before him in November and December 2022, recent disclosures in Dominion Voting Systems, Inc.'s action against Fox News Network, LLC and Fox Corporation, filed in Delware Superior Court, warrant the broadening of discovery, as discussed further below.

JHO Marin's order is therefore modified to the extent of directing Fox defendants to provide any documents related to the credability of the sources on which they relied and/or considered in publishing statements about the plaintiffs.

Source: https://twitter.com/emoltzen/status/1654603058385436672

[Breccia]

Surprised no one posted this yet, but 8 of the 16 fake electors in Georgia have flipped and taken immunity deals from Fani Willis.

I wonder if they're testifying against the other eight, or someone higher up.

In any event, good catch.

[gondrin]

So who threw DJT under the bus recently? His own lawyer, Joe Tacopina.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...5c6ec82d&ei=10

Trump Lawyer Joe Tacopina Throws Own Client Under the Bus to Judge: ‘You Understand What I’m Dealing With Here’

Joe Tacopina appeared to throw his client, former President Donald Trump, under the bus in a reported sidebar with Judge Lewis Kaplan during the ongoing E. Jean Carroll trial.

At issue are comments made by a vexed Trump who told assembled reporters on Thursday that he had to leave Ireland and Scotland early to return to New York to “confront” Carroll, who he called a “disgrace,” and Judge Kaplan, who he called “extremely hostile.”

When asked by a reporter if he planned to attend the trial, Trump affirmed and said, “I have to go back for a woman that made a false accusation about me, and I have a judge who is extremely hostile and I’m going to go back, and I’m going to confront this. But this woman is a disgrace, and it shouldn’t be allowed to happen in our country.” Tacopina repeatedly denied on Thursday that Trump would testify in the case.

Reporting for Law & Crime, Adam Kasfeld reported on a sidebar conversation between Tacopina and Kaplan:

“I know you understand what I am dealing with,” Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina told Senior U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan during a sidebar conference on Thursday.

Trump’s remarks roiled his ongoing trial in a civil rape and defamation lawsuit brought by Carroll. The “Ask E. Jean” columnist claims that Trump sexually assaulted her inside a dressing room of the Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s, then lied about it.

Tacopina, who also represents the former president in his Manhattan criminal case, repeatedly denied that Trump would testify. The conversation took place outside the earshot of the press and jury, but a courtroom stenographer was still typing away.

Just before Tacopina’s remark, Judge Kaplan made clear that he didn’t believe Tacopina was misleading him over his client’s decision.

“I’m not implying dishonesty on your part,” Kaplan told Tacopina, according to the transcript.

In the days before the trial started, Trump posted insults on social media that did not amuse Judge Lewis Kaplan, to say the least. Tacopina told the court he would “try to address” the public postings about the case “with my client.”

“Well, I hope you’re more successful,” Judge Kaplan responded. He continued that Trump “may or may not be tampering with a new source of potential liability. … And I think you know what I mean.”

[Breccia]

Trump seeks to move hush-money case to federal court because he was president during alleged crime

Before I begin, let me just say that I know practicing law is a difficult, well, science. I know people like "Doctor @cubby " have to spend years learning the various rules and how they interact, and that there's details and minutia and fine print in everything.

So, yes, I admit, there's probably some backing for this move.

With this out of the way: this is fucking retarded.

Trump is charged with breaking NY laws. The fact that, and yes his lawyer said so, he also broke federal laws while doing so is irrelevant. The DOJ can charge too, not instead.

The fact that

This case is unprecedented in our nation's history

is not the prosectution's fault. Trump broke the law. If this case is unPresidented, that's on Trump for breaking the law. Not for prosecutors charging him. Prosecutors charge people for breaking the law all the time.

Trump has repeatedly claimed, in public of course where it means nothing, that he committed no crime. If that's true, that should be the defense. Not "I want to swap to other crimes my client committed but wasn't charged with, instead of these".

This came up recently and Bragg, blindsided -- who wouldn't be, this is beyond stupid -- hasn't made an official response yet.

Incidentally, Trump won't be showing up for this case, either. The judge has already agreed that the effective gag order for the likely Feb/March 2024 case will be read to him over a Zoom meeting. Oh, and I said "effective" because the judge also admitted that, because Trump is running again, he's very likely going to discuss the case. He's being given a lot of leeway he hasn't earned.

But this motion needs to fail. As we're all fully aware, there is a big difference between state and federal charges. Trump must not be allowed to be pardoned. If the DOJ does also bring these charges, fine, but that shouldn't remove the existing ones.

- - - Updated - - -

“I’m not implying dishonesty on your part,”

And of course, Trump did not, in fact, come to the courtroom. I don't even know if he's back in the country. I looked, but saw nothing.

I think he might be able to sneak in Monday before the defense is officially closed. At which point, like I said before, Trump supporters who have not spoken up will by their silence admit Trump lied and that they knew Trump lied.

[Poopymonster]

And of course, Trump did not, in fact, come to the courtroom. I don't even know if he's back in the country. I looked, but saw nothing.

I think he might be able to sneak in Monday before the defense is officially closed. At which point, like I said before, Trump supporters who have not spoken up will by their silence admit Trump lied and that they knew Trump lied.

Monday Morning

I got back at fast as I could, bigly business, yuge deals. Trump. Biased judge, sad won't let YOUR FAVORITEST PRESIDENT testify against an ugly old hag who claims, and I never would touch her even when she was younger, YOUR FAVORITEST PRESIDENT raped her."

Which should be followed by:

Did you grab her pussy?

[Breccia]

Monday Morning

I'm predicting that, too. It would fit the theme no question.

Simply put, if you say one thing in public and tell your lawyer to say something else on the stand, then what you said in public is a lie. Trump had years, literally years plural, to agree to testify.

Which is why I plan to "quote" our local Trump supporters when he doesn't arrive. They know he's lying. They support him anyway.

[ringpriest]

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/0...-donald-trump/

A golfweek link? Yeah, bear with me.



I feel like many of us noted the curious coincidence of the Saudi's backing a golf circuit with Trump's involvement. Something fishy may indeed actually be happening there as theorized.

CIA complained US was blindsided by Saudi outreach to Syria and Iran: Report (April 6, 2023)

Burns travelled to Saudi Arabia at an undisclosed time this week to discuss intelligence cooperation with the Saudi Arabians. During the meeting, he expressed Washington’s frustration at being left out of regional developments, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The visit, first reported by the Washington Post, follows a series of surprise diplomatic breakthroughs by Riyadh that have left the US on the sidelines, fanning talk of the US's waning influence in the region.

Last month, Saudi Arabia agreed to re-establish ties with Iran, in a deal brokered by Washington’s arch-rival, China.

If Trump revealed US sources and method's to MBS's oppressive regime, either during or after his time in office, that would be an explanation for how the US got blindsided. So could rank incompetence across the board, of course.

[Fugus]

@Breccia

I am guessing he is trying to move it to federal court for a few reasons.

1) He knows he has burned his bridges with this judge and is trying to run from them at this point.

2) If he can get it moved to federal court he will once again try arguing that he was president at the time and the government should be the defendant and not him.

3) He would then try and appeal to the Supreme Court if he can.

4) If he can get the venue changed he can drag it out much longer and delay it hoping to either retake the presidency or die before then.

[Breccia]

These are all excellent points, but this one:

2) If he can get it moved to federal court he will once again try arguing that he was president at the time and the government should be the defendant and not him.

Yeah, no, he can't do that. The issue involves him filing false paperwork from his business. That's not something he can claim from a WH post. And Cohen can, will, and has testfiied that this all started pre-election.

Simply put, maybe he will try to say this, but it should get his lawyers sanctioned for trying. It's up there with pleading for mercy, because you're an orphan, when charged with killing your parents.

- - - Updated - - -

Who better to defend Trump on his 2024 run than some of his top appointees!

"I don't like where this is going."

Why not?

"Because he fired so many people for refusing to commit crimes on his behalf, and the rest got arrested for committing crimes on his behalf."

Speaking of which, Trump's Attorney General William Barr.

Former Attorney General Bill Barr said Friday that Trump will deliver “chaos” and a “horror show” if he returned to the White House in 2024.

"Of course."

Cohen, Barr, Christie, it seems that every lawyer that Trump attracts points out how much damage Trump causes.

"That's not true, what about Giuliani and Powell and...Tapioca...and....oh shit."

Yeah. The ones that are left are being sanctioned left and right. Lawyers are required to have eithics, and there seems to be a sliding scale on Team Trump. But he has no lawyers left that are successfully defending him.

“If you believe in his policies, what he’s advertising as his policies, he’s the last person who could actually execute them and achieve them,” Barr said of Trump at an event in Cleveland. “He does not have the discipline.”

When pressed further, Barr claimed his former boss doesn’t have “the ability for strategic thinking” or “setting priorities.”

“It is a horror show when he’s left to his own devices,” Barr said. “And so, you may want his policies, but Trump will not deliver Trump policies.”

“He will deliver chaos and, if anything, lead to a backlash that will set his policies much further back than they otherwise would be,” he added.

Bolded for emphasis.

"You bolded the whole thing."

Exactly.

This is someone Trump hired on purpose, who wanted to work for Trump on purpose. He even backed Trump after Trump blackmailed Ukraine. Jan 6th was too far, but if you'll read what he said, he didn't say "Trump is a traitor". He's talking about Trump's character as a person and quality as a candidate.

In the worst possible terms.

"Surely this is just a bitter ex employee spouting off."

And how many people can you say that about, before you realize the common thread is "they are all talking about Trump"?

Barr is the latest to publish a book "I was the only sane person in the White House" (official title “One Damn Thing After Another: Memoirs of an Attorney General" but we know what it's about).

This is, again, where I want to ask Trump supporters "Why shouldn't we take Barr at his word?" But they would refuse to answer, because they're cowards.

So instead, I'm going to prove a point.

I am now asking all non-Trump supporters, especially those of you who have said negative things about Barr in the past, @Edge- and @Endus for example, to give a reason why we shouldn't take Barr at his word. Or, why we should. You pick.