Trump 60: Haul Out The Popcorn, It Is Finally Indictment Week!

[GreyhoundFan]

 

[Dandruff]

5 hours ago, 47of74 said:

The Feds have said all the online chatter right now is primarily just wind and bullshit

I still hope they're out there and ready to clamp down fucking hard if fuck nut's Branch Trumpvidian whack jobs try anything stupid.

I wish they could make him pay for the additional security since he's so openly creating the need for it.

[AnywhereButHere]

2 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

I wish they could make him pay for the additional security since he's so openly creating the need for it.

They’d need to get in line behind everyone else (including his own attorneys). I used to hear stories about the Sbarro guy never paying his bills. I think Fucknut is worse… 

[church_of_dog]

Some of my HRC favorites while we wait:

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2023 by church_of_dog

[GreyhoundFan]

The lion looks like he wishes TFG would just go away. 
 

[fraurosena]

 

[Becky]

59 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

 

The investigation into Bragg is exactly what Trump wants, I have no doubt he provoked or arranged it.

[GreyhoundFan]

Turning up the crazy:

 

[GreyhoundFan]

This is awful:

 

[GreyhoundFan]

More:

Spoiler

 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

"Trump warns of ‘potential death & destruction’ if he is charged in hush-money case"

Quote

Former president Donald Trump warned early Friday of “potential death & destruction” if he is charged in Manhattan in a criminal case related to alleged hush-money payments to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels to conceal an affair.

The post-midnight posting on Truth Social, Trump’s social media platform, was his latest — and most explicit — allusion to violence that could follow an indictment stemming from an investigation led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D), whom Trump called a “degenerate psychopath.”

Trump wrote: “What kind of person can charge another person, in this case a former President of the United States, who got more votes than any sitting President in history, and leading candidate (by far!) for the Republican Party nomination, with a Crime, when it is known by all that NO Crime has been committed, & also known that potential death & destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our Country?”

In a separate post Thursday, Trump criticized those who have called for his supporters to remain peaceful. Over the weekend, Trump urged a “PROTEST” over his potential arrest in the case, which he wrongly predicted would happen Tuesday.

The messages have all had echoes of the days leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a violent pro-Trump mob. Trump had urged his followers to assemble in Washington that day, saying “Be there, will be wild!” as he pushed to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s win.

Five people died in the attack or in its aftermath, and 140 police officers were injured in the assault. The House impeached Trump on a charge of inciting an insurrection; the Senate acquitted him.

Trump has been commenting frequently on the hush-money case as a Manhattan grand jury weighs evidence against him. The panel is not scheduled to meet again until at least Monday, according to people familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss proceedings that are secret.

Prosecutors from Bragg’s office have been presenting grand jurors with evidence related to hush-money payments to Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. The payments were aimed at keeping her from airing her claim that she had a sexual relationship with Trump years earlier.

Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, was paid $130,000 by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer. Trump reimbursed him after becoming president, in installments that were designated as legal fees.

In an email to staff this past week, Bragg said the district attorney’s office “will continue to apply the law evenly and fairly, and speak publicly only when appropriate.”

“We do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York,” he wrote.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has slammed Bragg’s investigation, but he said supporters of Trump should not protest if the former president is indicted.

“Nobody should harm one another,” McCarthy said Sunday, following Trump’s call for protests. “We want calmness out there.”

Democrats were critical Friday of Trump’s latest social media post.

“If you still support Donald Trump, you are supporting an individual who has called for chaos and violence, and continues to call for chaos and violence,” Rep. Ted Lieu (Calif.), a member of the House Democratic leadership, said in a tweet.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

"Trump makes suckers of House Republicans. Again."

Quote

Be honest: Who among us has not had an extramarital affair with a porn star?

It is the rare person who can truthfully say he or she has not. And that is why I admonish you: Let he who has not lied about using campaign funds to pay hush money cast the first stone!

In the race by MAGA World to circle the wagons around Donald Trump in the Stormy Daniels case, a special prize must go to those who not only attack those investigating the former president but also defend his behavior with the adult-film actress as totally and completely normal.

“Settlements like this, whatever you think of them, are common both among famous people, celebrities and in corporate America,” one of our winners, Fox News’s Tucker Carlson, misinformed his viewers. “Paying people not to talk about things, hush money, is ordinary in modern America.”

A couple of weeks ago, old text messages came out in which Carlson called Trump “a demonic force, a destroyer” and said “I hate him passionately.” Now he’s back to defending some of Trump’s seediest behavior as utterly routine.

It would never be just Carlson, of course. Elected Republican officials also collectively decided this week that it was in their interest to bring Trump back from the political dead. Once again, Trump used a fabrication to revive his flagging standing. And once again, congressional Republicans fell for it.

Just a week ago, leading Republicans were daring to hope that Trump’s sway was ebbing, as Ron DeSantis and Mike Pence took him on directly. Then Trump changed all that with just one post on his social media site Saturday morning. He announced his expectation that he “WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY.” He wrote: “PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!”

In reality, he wasn’t arrested Tuesday. Or Wednesday. Or the rest of the week. Maybe he’ll yet be indicted in New York, Georgia or Washington. Maybe he won’t. Regardless, he already notched a significant victory. House Republicans didn’t wait to see whether Trump was speaking the truth about his imminent arrest. They did as he commanded, leaping to his defense — and, in the process, returning him to his previous place of dominance atop the Republican Party. It’s all about Donald Trump — again.

Within just a few hours of Trump’s claim that he was about to be arrested, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced that House Republicans were launching investigations into the “outrageous abuse of power” by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his attempt “to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions.”

On Monday, three House committee chairmen fired off a letter to Bragg summoning him to testify before Congress and demanding that he produce six years’ worth of documents — all because he was “reportedly about to engage” in “the indictment of a former president.” Never mind that Bragg hadn’t (yet) done so.

Things only deteriorated from there.

By the dozen, House lawmakers and their Fox News allies denounced Bragg by calling him “a hired hit man by George Soros” (Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo.) or by saying Bragg, who is Black, is “listening to his master, George Soros” (Fox host Rachel Campos-Duffy).

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) called on DeSantis to “stop any sort of extradition of President Trump from the state of Florida.”

Mark Green (R-Tenn.), chairman of the House Homeland Security committee, apparently mistook Bragg’s criminal investigation of state law for a federal case. “Daniel Ortega arrested his opposition in Nicaragua and we called that a horrible thing,” he said. “Mr. Biden, Mr. President, think about that.”

Marc A. Thiessen: An indictment would help Trump. Maybe that’s what Democrats want.

House GOP conference chief Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) likewise called the investigation by a county D.A. “the epitome of the weaponizing of the federal government.”

Inevitably, Republicans found themselves not only denouncing the prosecutor but also defending Trump’s behavior. McCarthy vouched for Trump by saying that the hush money paid to Daniels “was personal money” and that Trump “wasn’t trying to hide” it — claims that are challenged by the available facts. (Fox News host Jesse Watters did McCarthy one better in Trump’s defense, telling viewers: “There’s no proof Trump slept with Stormy. There’s no baby.”)

Even Senate Republicans voiced public concern that their House counterparts had gone too far in their prosecutorial meddling. “I would hope they would stick to the agenda they ran on,” said Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.). He might offer the same advice to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who called for Bragg to “be put in jail” for unspecified offenses.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) put it best when she told Punchbowl News: “The House is gonna do what the House is gonna do.”

And what it did this week was to put Trump back in unquestioned command of the Republican Party.

Speaker McCarthy defaults — on his promises

The IOUs Kevin McCarthy gave out to win the speakership are now coming due — and it appears the poor guy is going to default.

The California Republican promised right-wing holdouts that he would deliver a budget that balances within 10 years. But he also promised not to touch Social Security and Medicare. Republicans are likewise committed not to allow cuts to defense spending and veterans’ pensions, nor to allow the Trump tax cuts to lapse.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office ran the numbers on those promises at Democrats’ request, and the results are in. To keep all those pledges, Republicans would literally have to eliminate everything — everything — else the government does. No more Homeland Security, no more Border Patrol or FBI, no more Coast Guard, air traffic control or federal funds for education or highways, no agricultural programs, no housing, food or disaster assistance, no cancer research or veterans’ health care, no diplomacy or space exploration, no courts — and no Congress.

Defund the police? This is defund America. Even then, Republicans would still be in the red after 10 years.

Unsurprisingly, McCarthy’s lieutenants are attempting some rapid backtracking. House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Tex.) said this week that the 10-year balanced budget is now merely an “aspirational” target — much like my diet. He’s instead touting a separate House GOP proposal to set 2024 spending at 2022 levels, which would require smaller (though still severe) cuts but wouldn’t come close to balancing the budget.

Apparently, the 20 holdouts who almost denied McCarthy the speakership didn’t get the memo, for several of them assembled before the cameras Wednesday and declared they weren’t budging. “We’re going to present a budget that actually balances in the 10-year time frame,” proclaimed Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). He has said McCarthy’s promise of a 10-year balanced budget was “the whole thing” that led him to drop his opposition to McCarthy’s speakership in January.

 

[Xan]

I had wondered why Trump was wasting his time right now attacking DeSantis.  After all, might it not be better to try to stay on moderately friendly terms in case he needs DeSantis to intervene?  And isn't this a waste of his time when he could always attack him later?

It came to me that Trump needs to prove that he is the frontrunner and, indeed, the only viable candidate for the Republicans.  He needs them to fall in line behind him.  He can't get the RNC to help him fight battles if there are others.  (Pence and Haley don't have a chance.)  He needs all of his congresscritters to attack the various attorneys general and the Special Counsel.  As long as they're willing to subpoena people and hold hearings, Donny's got a chance of pushing this down the road.  He can't have DeSantis muddying the waters.

[GreyhoundFan]

[fraurosena]

1 hour ago, Xan said:

I had wondered why Trump was wasting his time right now attacking DeSantis.  After all, might it not be better to try to stay on moderately friendly terms in case he needs DeSantis to intervene?  And isn't this a waste of his time when he could always attack him later?

It came to me that Trump needs to prove that he is the frontrunner and, indeed, the only viable candidate for the Republicans.  He needs them to fall in line behind him.  He can't get the RNC to help him fight battles if there are others.  (Pence and Haley don't have a chance.)  He needs all of his congresscritters to attack the various attorneys general and the Special Counsel.  As long as they're willing to subpoena people and hold hearings, Donny's got a chance of pushing this down the road.  He can't have DeSantis muddying the waters.

Trump has only one way of dealing with things that threaten him: ATTACK! I don't think it's any more complicated than that.
This is what he always does, especially when he feels cornered or vulnerable. DeSantis is his rival for the candidacy, therefore, he attacks. Bragg's investigation is closing in on him and an indictment is imminent, therefore, he attacks. Same goes for Jack Smith and Fani Willis, he's scared of their investigations, therefore he attacks. He is afraid of the testimony that Michael Cohen gave to the grand jury, therefore, he attacks. And the more frightened he is, the louder (ALL CAPS!!!) and more egregious and crazy his attacks become. And now he's becoming absolutely terrified, so he's resorting to threats of physical violence and inciting his base to attack. 

 

[Dandruff]

16 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

And now he's becoming absolutely terrified, so he's resorting to threats of physical violence and inciting his base to attack.

They might have:

Threatening Letter With NonHazardous White Powder Found at Manhattan DA's Office

[GreyhoundFan]

It has to be bad if Mo Brooks thinks it’s unethical and corrupt.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

He’s nuttier than a fruitcake:

 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

 

[Jana814]

Man he really is insane that he believes this. 

[formergothardite]

He is becoming unwound quickly. Having his lawyer who distrusted him so much they kept transcripts of all conversations turn over those documents and testify against him has to be terrifying. Trump probably doesn't even remember all the things he told the lawyer. He seems to be expecting someone to come save him, but nobody can. 

[Botkinetti]

Trump really still seems to believe that everyone else will sacrifice themselves for him. When they refuse to and he realizes tweets won’t save him and the noose is tightening he will become even more deranged.

[Xan]

Trump posted an old McNaughton piece.  I guess he liked the way he was portrayed.  It's one of Jon's more stupid "paintings" -- and that's saying something.  Donny is standing on a black snake, a very large boy is planting a flower but the dirt around the flower is packed down and barely disturbed.  There's a Marine saluting -- I don't know what -- the flower?

Spoiler

 

58 minutes ago, Botkinetti said:

Trump really still seems to believe that everyone else will sacrifice themselves for him. When they refuse to and he realizes tweets won’t save him and the noose is tightening he will become even more deranged.

Yes, he believes that the MAGA mobs will stand between him and the law.  It's a special kind of evil to expect people to die for you.

[formergothardite]

His entire life he has has people who will take the fall for him, but the crimes he has committed this time are just too bad. Plus the last angry mob he riled up ended with bunches of folks becoming felons, losing their jobs, friends and beloved guns and many are still in jail or paranoid they are about to be arrested. Trump didn't lift a finger to help them. He doesn't seem to grasp that his supporters may worship him, but they probably won't gather in the thousands to attack New York. 

[47of74]

1 hour ago, formergothardite said:

His entire life he has has people who will take the fall for him, but the crimes he has committed this time are just too bad. Plus the last angry mob he riled up ended with bunches of folks becoming felons, losing their jobs, friends and beloved guns and many are still in jail or paranoid they are about to be arrested. Trump didn't lift a finger to help them. He doesn't seem to grasp that his supporters may worship him, but they probably won't gather in the thousands to attack New York. 

As I said earlier, the Branch Trumpvidians probably realized that Manhattan is not friendly territory for them.  People really don't like the Orange Fornicate in Manhattan.