Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[s_bushido]

Trump can argue this case in the court of public opinion because he just wants to buy time until he can get elected again and use the office of the President as a shield.

I see people say that a lot, and while it’s true, there’s also the fact that he doesn’t have to actually be elected (yet) for his political status to be used as a shield. Because right now the GOP is out there desperately trying to weasel him out of it with the excuse that “he could be president!!!” Along with the rest of the shit they’re flinging at the wall…

[Breccia]

Trump lies all the time about everything, such as the RNC debate:

Some of the answers were sooo bad, with delivery even worse. The numbers were less than half what I had in 2016, not a good way to start the fight against Crooked Joe Biden, and his Lunatic Thugs. We will not let this happen. MAGA!

They were not.

First of all, I already did a full write-up that more people watches the RNC debate than Trump's Carlson interview, or Carlson in general back when he was still on TV.

Second of all, the first 2015 debate (the one with Trump) has 20 million viewers. Higher, yes. More than double, no. Trump lied. He could have simply said "my ratings were higher" and been correct, but he chose to make something up when the truth would have been good enough.

And he either can't, or won't, stop doing it.

The Debate on FoxNews had a hard time with the proverbial RATINGS. It was one of the lowest rated EVER, if not THE LOWEST. It showed that many of those participating are “second tier” and merely ‘pretenders to the throne’

Big surprise, this is false. The 2015 debate viewership spiked but the average is about 12 million. The 2020 DNC debate had lower.

Trump should be concerned that the RNC is doing just fine without him. Instead, he's whining about his popularity on a social media platform with a miniscule market share compared to Twitter.

- - - Updated - - -

While experts continue to point out Team Trump has no defense, two names stand out amongst those experts.

Clark has already lost his first battle in federal court when a judge rejected his attempt to forestall his surrender to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia, and he was booked into jail overnight Friday, and a trio of legal experts published a new column for MSNBC slamming his attempts to move the prosecution out of state court and into federal court.

Link to those three additional experts here.

"Both charges [he faces] stem from a letter Clark drafted and circulated within the Justice Department, which was intended to be sent to Georgia officials asking them to consider appointing a false set of electors in light of fabricated 'significant concerns' about the election," wrote legal experts Norm Eisen, Joshua Kolb and Fred Wertheimer.

"The problem for Clark is that, to remove the case, federal law requires him to prove that writing the letter was part of his official duties enforcing federal law," the authors added. "But all the evidence points to Clark’s actions’ being far outside the scope of his official responsibilities — and instead being part of a political ploy orchestrated by Donald Trump to hang on to power and overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election."

Again, backing up what we've already heard from everyone except Team Trump.

"No wonder Clark was also reprimanded by acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, White House counsel Pat Cipollone and deputy White House counsel Patrick Philbin for violating Justice Department policy by contacting the president without prior approval to advance his bizarre notions," the legal analysts wrote. "White House lawyer Eric Herschmann told Clark that sending the letter he had drafted would be committing a felony.' In other words, Clark’s bosses and colleagues were telling him that he was acting outside the bounds of his job duties."

That's right: The biggest problem for Team Trump, is Team Trump. When Barr and some of his classic conservative allies balked at overthrowing democracy -- fine line to draw, not defending these fuckwits except they're not technically traitors -- they put on the official record that what Team Trump was doing was illegal, or at the very minimum, not something that was part of official WH duties.

Even if Clark improbably managed to persuade a judge that his conduct was official, he must then successfully argue that he's protected under the Constitution's Supremacy Clause, which protects federal officials from state prosecution when their conduct is authorized by federal law.

"Clark’s overall argument on removal is of a similar caliber to the kind of legal reasoning that got him indicted in the first place," the analysts wrote. "He will need to come up with far more persuasive positions for the jury if he hopes to avoid conviction in the trial that most likely lies ahead of him in Fulton County — and not in federal court."

Clark was one of the WH's many assistant AGs. If it wasn't part of his WH job, it wasn't part of anyone else's -- including Trump.

This is why

The Court principally held that Mr. Clark had not established that the federal officer removal statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1442, provides jurisdiction to remove the Board’s disciplinary proceeding, or the Board’s action to enforce a subpoena issued pursuant to that proceeding, to federal court,

More specifically, the Court found that the Board’s disciplinary proceeding was neither a 'civil action' nor a 'criminal prosecution' as those terms are used in the removal statutes, and therefore that federal jurisdiction did not lie over its removal.

not only did the GA DA deny his request to have the trial moved, and a judge agreed, but his disbarrment postponement was also rejected. Apparently, Clark tried to get a temporary stay, a "discretionary" stay pending appeal (aka "judge please let me put off the consequences of my actions") and a permanent stay, and had a Trump-like batting average of 0.

Clark is a lawyer and not everyone indicted was, so his multitude of troubles may not be an accurate reflection of the rest of Team Trump, but he should be viewed as a canary in a coal mine. As a lawyer directly connected to many parts of the conspiracy to overthrow democracy, any possible problem to Team Trump's defense will go through him first.

So let's talk about Jeffrey Clark.

He wasn't working as a federal official, and he's fucked.

[Lenonis]

I find Trump's mugshot terrifying.

Honest question - given how often you have expressed that things going on in the world either terrify you or send you into a murderous rage....

How do you function? You sound like someone who is not capable of processing information and current events in a rational manner.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - you really should talk to a professional about your extreme emotions and reactions to things.

[Breccia]

Harrison Floyd denied bond.

Now, there's a...risky way this could go, so instead, I'll point out that
a) Floyd said he could not put his family in that much debt, and cited the $40k-$100k he needs to pay lawyers. Hmm. Another co-conspirator Trump isn't funding. Sadly, it's too late to learn that lesson. Still, this is hardly the only Trump co-conspirator pleading for mercy on the grounds they can't afford to pay a lawyer for all that treason they committed. I'll ask Hank Pym how the multiverse's smallest violin is coming.
b) Floyd was also accused of harassing poll workers on the grounds of "he said Trump won".
c) When Smith's men served a lawful subpoena, Floyd took a swing at one of them, and
d) The judge identified him as a flight risk.

Now Floyd might get bail. That's up to the judge holding the actual trial, not the one overseeing his booking.

While Floyd isn't the only Trump co-conspirator claiming he's broke, and again, should've thought of that before committing treason, I do believe him the most. Willie Lewis Floyd III...yes, apparently, that's his name, I don't get it either...is/was the director of Black Votes for Trump, which can't possibly have paid well, there's only like five of them. I can't find a salary for that job. But as one of the people looked at by both Georgia and Smith, as well as the only one to commit a violent act (well, not counting Jan 6th of course), Floyd being surrounded and broke is not going to be his best asset. He might not be the first to turn on Trump -- I think that ship is sailed and coming back for its second cruise -- but he seems to have the best motive to do so.

- - - Updated - - -

Eastman attempted to delay his disbarrment.

His motion was denied.

Amongst other things, the California Bar took issue with

Prior to this court ruling on the motion to abate, Respondent was indicted in Fulton County, Georgia on August 14, 2023. Thus, on August 15, 2023, OCTC filed a supplement in opposition to Respondent’s August 4, 2023 motion to abate asserting that although Respondent has now been indicted, the prejudice to OCTC and public protection strongly weigh in favor of completing the trial. OCTC also reiterates its contention that Respondent has waived his Fifth Amendment right to self-incrimination on certain topics.

On August 16, 2023, Respondent filed a supplemental brief in support of his motion for abatement. Respondent argues that OCTC’s principal argument that Respondent’s criminal exposure was speculative is no longer applicable as Respondent has now been indicted.

It is firmly established that a witness cannot choose to testify willingly about a topic during a single legal proceeding and then later claim the right to remain silent under self-incrimination privilege when asked about specific subjects.

In other words, it's either on the record for both, or on the record for neither. Pick a lane, we're at war. Disbarrments are on the record. Why would anyone even ask for this? It's just stupid. Or, desperate.

Also:

While the evidence from the Fulton County case may assist in determining the outcome of this proceeding, the Respondent and other witnesses have already provided extensive testimony on many subjects relevant to the Fulton County criminal counts against Respondent. If this case is put on hold for an extended period, there is a risk that evidence might become unavailable due to fading memories of witnesses, causing potential harm to both Respondent and OCTC

I hadn't seen this one used yet, but it's worth pointing out. "Hide until it goes away" is great for pats in Mythics if you're not worried about the timer. The California Bar wants to two-chest this fucker.

There were other callouts, like

The factors outlined in rule 5.50 of the Rules of Procedure of the State Bar do not weigh in Respondent’s favor.

But I'm not digging into California-specific law codes. Only that I assume the CBA knows and I CBA to double-check.

I don't think Eastman is representing himself, but pretty soon, it won't be a choice, it'll be a requirement.

[Drutt]

Names of the grand jurors in Georgia who indicted Trump have been posted online. And surprise surprise, QAnoners and 4channers, among others, are engaging in harassment and worse.

https://www.salon.com/2023/08/26/hit...-qanon-forums/

One user referred to the grand jurors' names as a "hit list," prompting another user to reply with, "Based. Godspeed anons, you have all the long range rifles in the world."

Really is past time these wannabe terrorists were treated as such.

[Breccia]

Really is past time these wannabe terrorists were treated as such.

It's all fun and games until you get arrested for being a terrorist.

[Nastard]

Especially against Barron. I mean, I don't know shit about the kid... but it seems like he's being targetted just because Trump's his dad. That's superduper uncool. It would still be uncool if she was just targetting Trump and his adult sons...just not as superduper uncool.

Kid is already facing an uphill battle by having shitty parents. He doesn't need death threats on top of everything else. I mean, this is how you create a new Donald Trump to replacement the old one once he croaks on the toilet eating hot pockets.

[Egomaniac]

Kid is already facing an uphill battle by having shitty parents. He doesn't need death threats on top of everything else. I mean, this is how you create a new Donald Trump to replacement the old one once he croaks on the toilet eating hot pockets.

Yeah, right now the kid is, as far as I know, "innocent". When he turns 18 he might want to consider cutting ties with daddy dearest and staying with his cousin Mary.

[Breccia]

Yeah, right now the kid is, as far as I know, "innocent". When he turns 18 he might want to consider cutting ties with daddy dearest and staying with his cousin Mary.

We keep hearing...well I do and I keep posting about it...rumors that Melania is extorting Trump, demanding he hand over more money and more power to their son or she walks. She files for divorce, his 2024 hopes drop to 0.

This was posted four days ago and I never got around to it.

In a screenshot obtained by <who cares>, it shows Donald posted a photoshopped pic of his youngest child Barron Trump, whom he shared with Melania. In the social media post, we see Barron photoshopped as a president, saying: “In an effort to level the playing field, Barron Trump will debate Joe Biden!"

I've seen Trump supporters spread this.

Not only did this shock a lot of his followers, but insiders say Melania is beyond angry for breaking a major promise about keeping Barron out of the public eye as much as possible.

“Melania has been incredibly protective of Barron and has told Donald she would not stand for him to be exploited by anyone, even his father!” an insider said to RadarOnline. “He made a promise to protect their son — and he broke it. There’s a good chance she won’t forgive him, and the next time we see them together may be in divorce court.”

“Despite Donald’s denials, Melania has already had to endure an indictment in New York that suggests he had an affair with a porn star while she was pregnant with Barron,” a source added to the same outlet. “Now, she’s livid after he’s broken his promise of keeping their son out of the spotlight.”

She's a gold digger, adulterer, she helped Trump into the WH the first time when the proof of his infidelity should have ended it, and horrifying interior decorator, especially around the hoildays. But if she actually snaps and leaves, which I don't think she has the courage to do, she'll at least be the Operation: Valkyrie to Trump's Rise of the Thrid Right.

[Egomaniac]

We keep hearing...well I do and I keep posting about it...rumors that Melania is extorting Trump, demanding he hand over more money and more power to their son or she walks. She files for divorce, his 2024 hopes drop to 0.

I don't see how her leaving him lowers his chances at all. It's not like it would be the first time a wife divorced him.

[Breccia]

I don't see how her leaving him lowers his chances at all. It's not like it would be the first time a wife divorced him.

No, but it would be the first time a candidate's wife left them mid-campaign. Already the Party of Family Values is looking for an excuse. Imagine when their leading candidate shows how much of a sociopath when his wife walks, and he doesn't care.

She leaves, the Republican Party finally has their exit ramp.

[Egomaniac]

No, but it would be the first time a candidate's wife left them mid-campaign. Already the Party of Family Values is looking for an excuse. Imagine when their leading candidate shows how much of a sociopath when his wife walks, and he doesn't care.

She leaves, the Republican Party finally has their exit ramp.

Yeah, they won't care anymore about her leaving him then they cared about him banging a porn star when she was pregnant. Or "grabbing them by the pussy". Or walking into teenage girls locker rooms. Or causing an insurrection. Or getting indicted for causing said insurrection. Etc etc etc.

You can lead the GOP to an exit ramp...but you cant make them take it.

Trump's history has no shortage of "first time a candidate..."

[Breccia]

You can lead the GOP to an offramp...but you cant make them take it.

Fair enough point, let's just say I hope to see the conditions rise where we find out who is right

[gondrin]

"But Biden", Trump exclaims....

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...78f0f339&ei=26

Trump contradicts Biden on president's docs probe: 'They can’t even set up a meeting'

Donald Trump on Saturday claimed President Joe Biden isn't fully cooperating the the special counsel investigating documents found at the president's residence and other locations.

Trump specifically said that the special counsel "can’t even set up a meeting" with Biden, but Biden has recently denied reports that there was such a request --- or even interest in it. Trump, who earlier in the day targeted a conservative Wall Street Journal reporter, took to Truth Social to rail against Biden.

"Remember all of the Fake News reporting that was done saying that Crooked Joe Biden was fully cooperating with the Robert Hur, the Special Council, concerning the thousands of boxes of Documents that Joe took out of the White House," Trump wrote Saturday. "Well, that turned out to be a big lie."

He then added:

"They can’t even set up a meeting, 'BIDEN IS BEING IMPOSSIBLE.' But I’m not, I even gave them, openly and freely, Security Tapes , and I come under the Presidential Records Act, Joe Doesn’t. It’s all about Election Interference!"

Trump did not provide a source for the claims that he was spreading.

[Twdft]

She files for divorce, his 2024 hopes drop to 0.

"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?"

Which I believe is absolutely true. We all laughed when he said it, but it's true. A divorce means nothing.

[Zaydin]

Yeah, right now the kid is, as far as I know, "innocent". When he turns 18 he might want to consider cutting ties with daddy dearest and staying with his cousin Mary.

Yeah, I've always advocated to people on the left to leave Barron alone. He's a minor right now and should be left alone. If he chooses to get involved in politics once he turns eighteen then he's fair game but for now leave him alone.

Don Jr, Eric and Ivanka are all fair game due to being adults willingly helping their fathers campaigns and Residency but Barron is still a minor.

- - - Updated - - -

"But Biden", Trump exclaims....

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...78f0f339&ei=26

Trumps source is that he pulled it out of his generous orange ass.

[Egomaniac]

Fair enough point, let's just say I hope to see the conditions rise where we find out who is right

I mean, he was found liable for Sexual Assault...and his polling went up.

If Melania leaves the narrative becomes that shes the money grubbing whore that left him when he needed her the most.

[Breccia]

I mean, he was found liable for Sexual Assault...and his polling went up.

There is polling, and there is electability...but yes, perhaps my opinion on the Republican Party actually valuing families is a touch outdated. It's hard to back up a party that had Newt Gingrich, a triple adulterer, backing Trump, a triple adulterer. I still would like to see that theory stress-tested, who knows.

In other news, Trump is now claiming Biden took thousands of boxes out of the White House and you wouldn't expect someone to say that after claiming it was okay to do that. I think Trump might feel the walls closing in on him, and not just because he's very fat.

Maybe I should let Cohen explain. It's safe to assume he's an expert on such things.

“If any one of them ends up turning, it’s destruction for the rest,” Cohen said in an MSNBC interview Saturday.

The former attorney

You're going to have to narrow that down.

had a message for the co-defendants — especially Trump’s attorneys Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, and his former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.

“Donald doesn’t care about you. He doesn’t care about you one bit,” he argued. “He will use you as the scapegoat and the system will use you as the scapegoat in order to get somebody.”

“[Prosecutors] will get them to turn, because these three could easily end up in the same situation that I ended up,” Cohen said. “And I can promise you something, it’s not fun.

“Exactly what happened to me is going to happen to all 18 of the co-indicted defendants,” he added.

Cohen has also repeatedly criticized Trump for opting not to pay his co-defendants legal bills, saying it encourages them to flip. Giuliani has reportedly asked Trump several times to pay his bills, and former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis, also a co-defendant, has done so publicly.

“Donald’s an idiot,” Cohen said in a CNN interview Monday. “Let me just be very clear: When it comes to paying money, he is truly an idiot.”

“He has not learned yet that … three people you don’t want to throw under the bus like that: your lawyer, your doctor and your mechanic,” he continued. “Because one way or the other, you’re going to go down the hill and there’ll be no brakes.”

Granted, Trump is now hosting a bbq for Giuliani and claiming Giuliani will get a cut of the ticket sales. But that's it. 17 other co-defendants have had no such luck, and I personally cited one hosting a GoFundYourself and another who just gave up and said "just throw me in jail, I can't pay".

As a reminder, two of the 18 non-Trump co-conspirators have asked to move their trials sooner. I admit it's possible they're testing a Team Trump defense, taking one for the team, and if it works the others will follow and if not the rest will swap tactics. Like the Lemmings games. I find it highly unlikely a band of unethical traitors led by a narcisistic sociopath possess the skills to do this. I also don't think either of these people were bluffing. You don't bluff when your opponent is showing four aces, they're not going to fold. Earlier, I suggested they might have tried the approach of asking for a speedy trial, hoping that the GA DA wouldn't be ready on time, which sounds a lot like bluffing in retrospect, but also like sprinting for your car before the bear catches you, in the "I have no other options and my underwear is soaked in honey" way. But, I think it is more possible that they're hoping to be the first ones offered plea deals.

I've mentioned before one of them is I'm Not Your Chese, Bro. The other is Sidney Powell for some reason. Given everything we know about her, using a good legal strategy is dramatically out of character. I don't know what Powell thinks Trump owes her, but her life is basically already ruined for actions she did on Trump's behalf, and I'm not convinced she was ever paid for any of it.

Forbes reports that not only has Trump tried to block Chesebro's legal motion -- and I have no idea if he has legal grounds for that, it's Team Trump, "I have legal grounds to do this" isn't in their vocabulary -- but also, filed to separate their cases, which would make them have even less legal grounds. I don't understand how you file to have your cases separated when you're both accused of a RICO conspiracy together. It's not like they have the same lawyer.

...do they? If Trump wants to split lawyers, that's pretty much proof Chesebro is turning on him.

I will also point out that Powell will not be able to move this to federal court. She was not a federal employee or acting for the federal government in any way. Meadows tried and failed, but she can't even try.

I have seen no actions on Trump's part about the Powell filing, but he may not have had the chance to.

I think Cohen's argument has evidence backing it, for example Cohen himself, but mostly the unindicted co-conspirators. Whoever knows they've been sold out has a very short timespan to sell Trump out. Once their trial starts, I don't think the GA DA will accept anything other than full public on-camera testimony that Donald Trump specifically and directly ordered them to commit a crime.

[Egomaniac]

There is polling, and there is electability...but yes, perhaps my opinion on the Republican Party actually valuing families is a touch outdated. It's hard to back up a party that had Newt Gingrich, a triple adulterer, backing Trump, a triple adulterer. I still would like to see that theory stress-tested, who knows.

That's the thing...it has been stress-tested. You listed just one example...but there's many.

Grab 'em by the pussy is just locker room talk after all

[Corvus]

Melaina might have proof Trump made her get an abortion and I'm not sure even that would make any difference to the cult anymore.