Poor Donald....

[Joe Guy]

He's a victim. Indicted by a corrupt justice system in New York.

I hope the corrupt Georgia justice system indicts him next.

And maybe the corrupt Feds will get him for his part in the insurrection.

Of course Trump says they're after us. He's just standing in their way.

I think he should get out of the way. I can't see who "they" are.

[Scooter]

I can only imagine how much ketchup has been splattered on the walls at Mar-a-Lago.

[BoSoxGal]

I tuned out the news a couple of weeks ago but I am watching tonight - it’s great news.

We should have prosecuted that prick Nixon, too - but now we have removed the stupid stigma against indicting former presidents. All the grown up countries do it without making it into banana republic BS. Heck in Israel they’ve just re-elected one who is under indictment so I’m sure poor Donald can still get re-elected here, too - it might be just what he needed to reinvigorate his insane base.

Score one for the rule of law!

[Burning Petard]

I recall the adage that 'a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich' This is a big deal only because it is the first, and IMNSHO, the least meaningful, Mr. Trumps immoral activities under grandjury investigation. What's important is can we get a felony conviction?

snailgate

[Joe Guy]

You're right. A felony conviction is needed. But at least we now have an actual example of a grand jury indicting a ham.

[Scooter]

[Bicycle Bill]

I heard about this, and then read Trump's misspelled tweet (he stated, in all caps, that he had been 'INDICATED' as opposed to 'indicted') — and all I could think about was how Shakespeare anticipated Trump over 400 years ago when he wrote 'Macbeth':

...a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more.  It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
.... Act 5, scene 5, lines 23–27

-"BB"-

[ex-khobar Andy]

I just watched Wolf Blitzer interviewing Mike Pence. Pence of course (despite his recent canonization as a hero of Jan 6 because he did his fucking job) thinks that this is a political stitch-up and unprecedented. Blitzer changed the subject to Jan 6 and of course those guys - who wanted to hang him - have to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The question I wanted Blitzer to ask is this: "Of course you think this is a politically charged indictment - and you may be right. But if the NYDA has evidence that Trump did in fact mislabel hush money as 'legal expenses' should he be prosecuted or should he be given a free pass?"

[BoSoxGal]

[Bicycle Bill]

Too bad I can't hack computers.   But if I could, I'd hack into DJT's and make this his wallpaper...



-"BB"-

[Econoline]

[Burning Petard]

Poor American people. More circuses. Rachel Maddow on MSNBC last nite reminded us that the Donald's business was indicted for felony tax evasion.
It took a year from that tv spectacle to get to forming a jury. Few noticed. The company was guilty, paid a fine and the DFO went to jail. Who noticed?
Nothing changed.

"It's Just Politics" Huh? 90+% of all republicans believe this indictment is political, not legal. And a majority of all Americans agree. What doe 'political' mean? Do laws about elections just apply to 'ordinary citizens' real politicians (it's just political) get a Get Out Of Jail Free card?

What will this mean when people go into the voting booth in about 15 months? Will this be way down on the bottom of their decision tree, next to Carbon Budgets?

Snailgate.

[Big RR]

Watch--the politicians are closing ranks, mainly because they do not want this to happen to them; even the democrats will join in. I'd be surprised if it ever goes to trial--but I can almost guarantee we'll never see him in jail (or any ex-president or highly placed politician for that matter). It's not going to happen, much as I wish it would. Everyone is not equal under the law.

[Sue U]

Watch--the politicians are closing ranks, mainly because they do not want this to happen to them; even the democrats will join in. I'd be surprised if it ever goes to trial--but I can almost guarantee we'll never see him in jail (or any ex-president or highly placed politician for that matter). It's not going to happen, much as I wish it would. Everyone is not equal under the law.

Republican politicians are rallying around Trump because the Trumpist "base" is the Republican party now and 1) they are either Trumpists themselves or terrified of the Trump mob; and 2) either way, there is no political advantage to taking an anti-Trump position (see #1) and plenty of political upside to railing against the Jew-backed nigger and his communist witch hunt. (Sorry, I'm just not gonna be polite when the dog-whistles are fucking deafening.)

ETA:

And not for nothing, but Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years for doing the thing on behalf of Trump that Trump is now (apparently) being charged in connection with. Trump tried to cover up his role in orchestrating the felony that Cohen pleaded guilty to (doesn't anyone remember "Individual 1"?).

[BoSoxGal]

Big RR, what on earth are you talking about?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of ... _of_crimes

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of ... _of_crimes

I haven’t checked the above links for accuracy, I’m sure they missed a few - politicians are, I think, a slimier bunch than most. Hence the jokes and distrust. We have been prosecuting them on the regular for centuries.

What happened yesterday is that a massive wrong was righted; like most other grown up countries USA joins the ranks as one that holds even the highest leaders to account for violations of the law. It was wrong for Ford to pardon Nixon, it was right for a grand jury of American citizens to indict Trump. The net effect of this, I believe, will be a greater confidence in the American justice system - a boost of legitimacy she sorely needs in an age of exonerations.

I watched a little news last night, going to shut it off again because I’m sure someone will let me know if this country suddenly becomes sane. Otherwise the show launched by the Trump family circus in 2015 must go on I suppose, and he will keep working his evil ways and destroying whatever last vestiges of integrity exist in the GOP whilst stoking hatred and division and also via his many mouthpieces - FOX has jumped right back in the sack with him.

I cannot sustain my mental health if I watch this horror show too closely, i.e., maintain the anxiety level desired by news outlets and pundits.

[Econoline]

[Burning Petard]

Nice thought, but the house has not fallen and the wicked Donald is still cheered by is minions. Although I'm waiting for Governor Huckabee II to explain again how climate warming is a hoax by the Eastern Elites.

snailgate

[Big RR]

BSG--give them time; sure some lower level politicians are prosecuted--even a few national politicians to try and make it seems that we are all equal under the law--but then it changes as it gets higher. Was Nixon prosecuted? Reagan for Iran contra? W (for a lot of things)? or go back in history, any president or VP? Sure, the dems are cheering now--but where are the federal charges? How come it takes a NY proecutor to being charges when the DOJ should? I pretty much guarantee this is going nowhere and Trump won't see a day in jail.

And Sue, sure, loyal minions are always used as substitutes (we saw it with Christie as well), but damn few principals. I still maintain that politicians almost always close ranks and protect each other--because they are protecting themselves.

I hope I am wrong, but I sincerely doubt it.

[ex-khobar Andy]

I see he has hired a new lawyer, Todd Blanche. According to CNN:

Blanche previously represented Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman. Manafort was charged as part of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation in 2019, and pleaded guilty to foreign lobbying and witness tampering, as well as tax fraud and conspiracy.

Manafort would still be in jail if he hadn't been pardoned by a friendly president. So there's that . . .

[Big RR]

FWIW,I did some checking and it appears one VPs were subject to legal actions during or after their tenure as VP--Spiro Agnew and Aaron Burr. Agnew was facing prosecution for receiving bribes (before he was VP) and got what appears to be a brokered deal--pleading no contest to a tax charge conditioned on his resignation--he also paid a fine but received no jail time (and the bribery charges were dismissed. Burr was charged with treason for actions he took after he was VP and was acquitted. The only other thing I found is that two presidents, Nixon and Clinton, lost their license to practice law for actions committed while in office. Not a great track record.