Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Nastard]

Hmm, this brings up an interesting point. Hands up, everyone who thinks Trump has asked for forgiveness for cheating on his wives.

It's more likely that Trump has demanded his wives apologize to him when he cheats on them. He wouldn't have had to do it if they were younger, hotter, and less pregnant. He'd also be the kind of person to demand the apology and then reject it when they oblige.

[Endus]

Why do they keep backing the guy who's breaking all the rules of their religion?
It's an article of their faith.

Because the same book also talks of forgiveness, and how only God can judge, and all this shit is interpreted in exactly the way that is most useful to those in power, and the followers are stupid/ignorant/gullible/indoctrinated enough to accept everything they're told without examining it critically in any way whatsoever.

It's the same reason the Southern Baptist Convention (among others, but they're a biggie) has constant sexual abuse scandals they cover up, by pastors in their ranks.
It's the same reason Evangelicals will absolutely refuse to acknowledge clear contradictions in their holy book, but insist that it's 100% infallible and literal anyway.
It's how megapastors squeeze their followers for more tithing so they can buy a second personal jet, while those same devoted followers who eagerly donate are struggling to feed their kids.

This isn't even a bug. It's a feature. It's how thoroughly indoctrinated this populace really is. Shut your brain off, do what you're told, and God will make everything perfect for you later.

The only reason it generally doesn't get labelled as a "cult" is size. Cults that get too big are just "religions", regardless of the extremity of their views.

[Breccia]

In a letter to the judge, Carroll's lawyers said Trump did this as a test run, and was about to do it in front of her jury.

UPDATE: Team Trump has responded. Yes, I know it's Sunday. I was surprised, too.

However, my keen tauren mind (have you seen our heads? they're huge) caught one key word in the filing that makes all the difference.

"Testify".

Trump's lawyers are saying that Carroll saying mean things...sorry, putting restrictions on the lies Trump is allowed to tell...will hurt his ability to testify.

Now, no cheering yet. They used "in the event Trump decides to testify". So, they're upset about what they claim is an unfair restriction, on his testimony, which he might not give. It's like complaining that Grotto's Pizza doesn't have blueberry pancakes when they don't open until 11 and don't have any breakfast at all.

I don't see Trump testifying, I think Carroll's lawyers are right, he's thinking about another closing statement where he can lie without consequence, be shut down by the judge, and claim it's all rigged. Great for the cameras. Until his fat ass hits the stand and he's sworn in, his words mean nothing.

[Gorsameth]

UPDATE: Team Trump has responded. Yes, I know it's Sunday. I was surprised, too.

However, my keen tauren mind (have you seen our heads? they're huge) caught one key word in the filing that makes all the difference.

"Testify".

Trump's lawyers are saying that Carroll saying mean things...sorry, putting restrictions on the lies Trump is allowed to tell...will hurt his ability to testify.

Now, no cheering yet. They used "in the event Trump decides to testify". So, they're upset about what they claim is an unfair restriction, on his testimony, which he might not give. It's like complaining that Grotto's Pizza doesn't have blueberry pancakes when they don't open until 11 and don't have any breakfast at all.

I don't see Trump testifying, I think Carroll's lawyers are right, he's thinking about another closing statement where he can lie without consequence, be shut down by the judge, and claim it's all rigged. Great for the cameras. Until his fat ass hits the stand and he's sworn in, his words mean nothing.

"not being allowed to lie or threaten the court would inhibit my clients ability to testify" sure is a take.

[Poopymonster]

Hmm, this brings up an interesting point. Hands up, everyone who thinks Trump has asked for forgiveness for cheating on his wives.

Bear in mind, he was caught on tape "moving on her like a bitch" and said nothing until, not just the tape was released, but it caused his numbers to drop.

"But Breccia, he only has to ask forgiveness from God and the confessional."

Well, we can't ask them, but I don't think he's done that, either. But Trump does not act Christian in any way. I don't think he prays and I don't think he's gone to confession since his father was alive.

Minor point, but it helps to be exact given the number of variations of the faith: Confessionals is a Catholic thing. Trump was confirmed a Presbyterian, but not claims to be non-denominational.

[Benggaul]

So Trump filed for another extension of the Carroll case. He did so by email, 3:59PM, just before the holiday weekend.

The pressing legal grounds? Attending Melania's mother's funeral, which Trump scheduled for the 18th.

Now...think poorly of me all you want, but yes, I am wiling to say Trump was using his wife's mother's funeral to delay the trial, to the point that I think he scheduled it on a Wednesday on purpose. I think such a callous move fits a narcissistic sociopath.

So, about that...

Trump Has Rally on Day He Sought to Skip Trial for ‘Family’

Donald Trump lied to the judge overseeing his defamation case against writer E. Jean Carroll about his reason for needing to push the trial back a week, according to Carroll’s attorney.

The former president had told Judge Lewis Kaplan he needed the postponement to attend the funeral of his mother-in-law, who passed away earlier this week. His lawyer, Alina Habba, argued in a last-minute letter to the judge Friday that Trump needed to spend next Wednesday and Thursday with his family in Florida.

But in a letter addressed to Judge Kaplan on Saturday, Carroll's attorney Roberta Kaplan (no relation) said “a campaign event featuring Mr. Trump has been scheduled” in New Hampshire on Wednesday, one of the days he claimed to need to be with family. The letter also noted that “there was no mention made of any scheduling conflict in connection with Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign” in his postponement request to the judge.

[Gorsameth]

Oh yeah, lying to a judge. that is sure to be helpful...

[Kathranis]

I will never understand why anyone would think Trump speaks for God or anything like that when he's cheated on multiple wives and probably had even more affairs than those.

Trump is quite literally a living and breathing incarnation of the seven deadly sins. Each and every one, brazenly on display. If anyone were to be the antichrist, it would be him. And yet they somehow are able to ignore or excuse all of it. It's really quite incredible, psychologically speaking.

Granted, their delusions even reach the level of imagining Trump to be attractive and muscular, so I guess all things are possible through the power of god cognitive impairment.

[Breccia]

So, about that...

Oh yeah, lying to a judge. that is sure to be helpful...

(sighs)

While we all knew Trump would ditch court to hold rallies, since he has no legal defense to anything anyhow, this feels offensive, even by his standards.





Screenshotted from his campaign website, in case he takes it down. I'm not linking it, I even went there using, well, let's just say "one of my the voices in my head".

Funny story: I went to the Trump site last, after looking with a more generic search. Um...nobody's covering this. Good on Carroll's lawyers for pointing this out. As shown, the event starts at 7, meaning Trump is likely taking all of that day to travel to, be in, speak at, and then leave, New Hampshire, what with his slow travel time due to security concerns and weighing a metric fuckton.

Trump got his lawyers to lie for him, again. I hope Goresameth is right, I hope the judge takes one casual look at this and says "well, I have nearly unfettered discretion when it comes to punative damages".

- - - Updated - - -

GA DA responds to the allegations that she's fucking the special prosecutor by not dignifying them with a response, but mocking them in a way so subtle that Trump supporters didn't notice.

The best part was when she pointed out there were three special prosecutors, and they were all being paid the same. I think the implication was "am I fucking all three or none?"

She took one hell of a swipe at GOP hypocrisy,

Dear God, I do not want to be like those that attacked me. I never want to be a Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has never met me but has allowed her spirit to be filled with hate. How does this woman, who has the honor of being a leader in my state, how is it that she has not reached out to me?

She can tell me, ‘I don’t agree with anything you’re doing, but I do not agree with people threatening your life or the life of your family. How did such a woman come to think that it was normal and normalized that another woman was worthy of such cruelty? I would never wish for her to have the experiences or the threats that I receive, the derogatory name calling, the being doxed multiple times.

[Edge-]

“You can’t sit home. If you’re sick as a dog, you say, ‘Darling, I gotta make it,’” Trump said at an Indianola rally on Sunday. “Even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it, remember.”

"Die for me," Dear Leader commanded.

Curious if anyone is foolish enough to actually be willing to die for this orange turd.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

"Die for me," Dear Leader commanded.

Curious if anyone is foolish enough to actually be willing to die for this orange turd.

Ask Ashli Babbit.

[Captain N]

Ask Ashli Babbit.

I admit I get the giggles whenever I see diehard Conservatives try to hail her as some kind of hero. But these are the idiots who worship Confederate statues so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

I admit I get the giggles whenever I see diehard Conservatives try to hail her as some kind of hero. But these are the idiots who worship Confederate statues so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.

Yeah everytime I hear about how she was "murdered" I'm always like "WhY diDN't sHe juSt CoMpLy?!"

[Breccia]

Trump demands recusal of Maine secretary of state in 14th Amendment determination

LATE UPDATE: The attempt failed. House votes 80-60 against, along party lines. If it had gotten past them, it would have gone to the 35-member Maine Senate, which is also blue.

Another Trump failure. Are we tired of winning yet?

- - - Updated - - -

So, about that...

UPDATE: The judge didn't buy the excuse, but did something else instead.

He ruled that Trump could testify, after closing arguments.

Which makes no sense. But it's not a gift. Trump will testify, not close. He's not allowed to lie, that'll be perjury.

In addition, as the NYTimes pointed out hey wait come back I'm not quoting the whole thing!

Mr. Trump is precluded from offering any testimony, evidence or argument suggesting or implying that he did not sexually assault Ms. Carroll, that she fabricated her account of the assault or that she had any motive to do so.

“This trial will not be a ‘do over’ of the previous trial.

-- the judge, Jan 9

"So, what is he going to say, exactly?"

That he did not sexually assault Ms. Carroll.

"But...you just said--"

I know what I just said. Trump will do it anyway, the judge will cut him off, there will be no consequences to Trump directly, but the judge -- who is done with this bullshit -- will then turn to the jury and say "You are directed to ignore that bullshit, Trump was found to have sexually assaulted Ms. Carroll and any testimony to the contrary may not be part of your deliberations." The judge will have that very scathing last words, and that's the end of that.

"...surely Trump's lawyers know this is a valid risk and will take steps."

And Trump listens to them when, exactly? It's a long-term serious fucking issue with that fat sociopathic narcissist. Remember Joeseph Tapioca?

In an interview Tuesday on MSNBC, Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said his client was following the advice of his then-lawyer Michael Cohen when he signed off on the payments that are being scrutinized by the Manhattan district attorney's office.

Cohen "was his lawyer at the time and advised him that this was the proper way to do this to protect himself and his family from embarrassment. It’s as simple as that," Tacopina said. "That is not a crime. It's not a crime."

Tapioca just quit.

Joseph Tacopina, the trial lawyer on Donald J. Trump’s legal team with the most successes defending high-profile clients, will no longer represent the former president in his criminal trial in Manhattan, according to a notice sent to the court on Monday.

Mr. Tacopina also withdrew on Monday from another case in which he was still legally representing Mr. Trump: an appeal of the verdict in a lawsuit brought by the writer E. Jean Carroll. Mr. Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation last year and was ordered to pay Ms. Carroll $5 million.

It was not clear why Mr. Tacopina decided to withdraw, and he declined to comment.

Bolded for sarcasm, probably. This was not a departure due to problems with Trump as a person. Tapioca represented Hannity and A-Rod. This is about Trump as a client.

Mr. Trump recently told The New York Times that he wanted to testify in the new trial, and that Mr. Tacopina had advised him against doing so in the first one — a decision Trump said he regretted.

Yeah, I think Tapioca is tired of winning and just noped the fuck out. And, well, I think he knows he's going to lose and doesn't expect to be paid.

Let us all remember fondly our time with Tapioca, such as the time he asked for one of Trump's cases to be delayed because of another case. Obviously his choice of willfully representing Team Trump for money in public means he is an awful human being, but stepping away from a client who is objectively guilty and then ruins his own chances, at least he's a horrible person with some ethical lines he won't cross.

---

ADDENDUM: Tapioca took his partners, Chad Seigel and Matthew DeOreo, with him when he left. I mean, this does make sense, I could see the junior members being left behind in some cases, but this is Trump, a big case. You don't leave your lackeys to handle a weak case on the national stage. You win, or you go home.

[postman1782]

https://www.the-independent.com/news...-b2479083.html

Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina in Carroll and fraud trial quits. He said he is not commenting on his reasons why he quit, but I can guarantee he wasn't being paid.

[Paranoid Android]

Umm, posting here I guess.

Another notable breakdown from the NBCNews Iowa entrance poll

Do you believe Biden legitimately won the presidency in 2020?

Yes:

Haley voters: 79%
DeSantis voters: 40%
Trump voters: 6%

No:

Haley voters: 19%
DeSantis voters: 54%
Trump voters: 90%

https://twitter.com/akarl_smith/stat...ocXo9eS9w&s=19

CNN has polk that just does a general 68% believe Biden didn't win the election legitimately.

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1...dbhFo6bVQ&s=19

The base is the base. The Trump base which is the majority is fanatical. The Haley, DeSantis will join with Trump and may not be at the tip of the spear of Trump fascism, but will support it wherever it goes.

[Breccia]

The DeSantis campaign accuses media outlets of 'election interference' for calling the Iowa caucuses for Trump early in the night

I believe I have a quote here:

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Waaaaaaaaaah! Waaaaaaaah! Everything I don't like is election interference! Waaaaaaaaaah! Waaaaaaaah!

And now, and honest quote.

Absolutely outrageous that the media would participate in election interference by calling the race before tens of thousands of Iowans even had a chance to vote. The media is in the tank for Trump and this is the most egregious example yet.

I don't even need to comment further. Everyone here already knows this is bullshit, being spouted by one of the leading candidates of the Republican Party. A party I can increasingly say "is filled with whiny loser crybaby bitches" without fear of retribution.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

I don't even need to comment further. Everyone here already knows this is bullshit, being spouted by one of the leading candidates of the Republican Party. A party I can increasingly say "is filled with whiny loser crybaby bitches" without fear of retribution.

I don't think i'd go so far to call it election interference... but I do have to say calling it before the polls even close is...muddy.

I mean, sure there was no way DeSantis was going to win... but calling it that early may have discouraged people from casting their ballots at all. It may create an incomplete picture for how the votes would have broken down. This is the kind of information candidates rely on to decide if they should even stay in the race.

[Rustedsaint]

Well not that I ain’t surprised trump is the president hopeful, slightly disappointed mind you but really was there anyone who wasn’t completely horrible in the nomination anyway.

[Breccia]

I don't think i'd go so far to call it election interference

You could go even further, I don't think I'd go so far as to call the Iowa caucus an election. The winner doesn't get anything. It's a survey.

P.S. That Ramasawary guy just dropped out. Lasted two, maybe three whole seconds after Trump turned on him.