Merged So what's next for Trump?

[crazyfingers]

There's an old Hollywood film (Fate Is the Hunter, 1964) where Rod Taylor is piloting a commercial jet that crashes, killing everyone but Suzanne Pleshette. The rest of the film has Glenn Ford solving the mystery of the crash, which resulted from a cup of coffee spilling into a console and short-circuiting the plane's wiring.

I remember that movie. It was on TV when I was a kid. Good movie.

 

[ZiprHead]

Trump blames John McCain for blocking Trump's big beautiful (and non-existent) health care plan.

 

[lpetrich]

Trump RAGES All-Caps Bender After Criminal Immunity Appeal

Former President Donald Trump went on an all-caps posting bender about his claim of “absolute immunity” after he spent the day insisting his appeal went “very well.”

Those posts:

WITHOUT IMMUNITY, IT WOULD BE VERY HARD FOR A PRESIDENT TO ENJOY HIS OR HER “GOLDEN YEARS” OF RETIREMENT. THEY WOULD BE UNDER SIEGE BY RADICAL, OUT OF CONTROL PROSECUTORS, MUCH LIKE I AM, BUT WITHOUT THE RETIREMENT!!!

IF THEY TAKE AWAY MY IMMUNITY, THEY TAKE AWAY CROOKED JOE BIDEN’S IMMUNITY. WITHOUT IMMUNITY, IT WOULD BE VERY HARD FOR A PRESIDENT TO PROPERLY FUNCTION!

IF A PRESIDENT DOES NOT HAVE IMMUNITY, THE COURT WILL BE “OPENING THE FLOODGATES” TO PROSECUTING FORMER PRESIDENTS. AN OPPOSING HOSTILE PARTY WILL BE DOING IT FOR ANY REASON, ALL OF THE TIME!

Does the big baby need his diaper changed?

Why do his fellow Republicans put up with him?

DOJ LAUGHS In Court at Nuts Trump Lawyer Assassination Claim

Jamie Raskin Points Out That Trump Lawyer’s Argument Incentivizes Impeached Presidents to Assassinate Senators

Judge Florence Pan and Trump lawyer John Sauer:

PAN: Could a president order Seal Team Six to assassinate a political rival? That’s an official act, an order to Seal Team Six.

SAUER: He would have to be and would speedily be, you know, uh, impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution–

PAN: But there would be no criminal prosecution, no criminal liability for that?

SAUER: Chief Justice’s opinion in Marbury against Madison and, uh, uh, and our Constitution and the plain language of the impeachment judgment clause all clearly presuppose that what the founders were concerned about was not.

PAN: I asked you a yes, no, yes or no question. Could a president who ordered Seal Team Six to assassinate a political rival, who was not impeached, would he be subject to criminal prosecution?

SAUER: If he were impeached and convicted first.

Rep. Jamie Raskin:

“The presentation in the D.C. Circuit Court of appeals before the three-judge panel was astounding,” Raskin said. “Donald Trump and his lawyers essentially asserted that the president has the right to assassinate people, to kill people without any prospect of prosecution unless they’re first impeached by the House and convicted in the Senate.”

Then he said:

And of course, as a member of Congress, my first thought was, well, then if the president is going to order out for the assassination of his political rivals, and say there’s a narrow margin in the Senate of a two or three vote in the opposition party, what’s to keep him from murdering members of the Senate to make sure that he doesn’t get convicted there in order to deny a two-thirds majority?

He could kill them and then he can’t be impeached or convicted because he’s murdered his opposition and can’t be prosecuted for it because he hasn’t been impeached or convicted. Now, of course, Trump’s argument is utterly ludicrous. Nobody’s ever even attempted such an absurd argument in American history. But it shows you how outlandish and deranged Donald Trump’s worldview is at this point. And it’s very dangerous because all of it revolves around political violence.

 

[lpetrich]

Hot Mic Catches Journos Joking About Trump Assassination

JOURNO 1: You know what the worst part is? Even if he has his window open and he’s hanging out of it, he will be on the other side of the street.

JOURNO 2: I mean, if he’s driving, we’ve got a good shot!

JOURNO 1: Yeah, if he’s driving with the front window open?

JOURNO 2: Yeah, or if it’s a convertible?

JOURNO 1: Yeah. I wasn’t thinking about that.

JOURNO 2: Yeah. Like if he just pulls up–

JOURNO 1: Like JFK?

JOURNO 2: (laughs)

JOURNO 1: Maybe someone, just like they told JFK. You know what you should do? You should take a convertible! It’s so nice out!

 

[ZiprHead]

Trump lawyer quits his legal team ahead of latest E Jean Carroll trial

Joe Tacopina represented the former president in the E Jean Carroll case and the New York fraud case before he withdrew from his team

www.the-independent.com

Joe Tacopina, an attorney for Donald Trump, has withdrawn from the former president’s legal team, according to court documents filed on Monday.

Mr Tacopina was representing Mr Trump in two major cases before his resignation. He filed his withdrawal in each case on Monday. His resignations come just one day before a trial begins to determine the damages Mr Trump owes E Jean Carroll for defaming her in 2019.


Mr Tacopina told The Independent he is not commenting on the reasons for his withdrawal at this time.


The New York attorney led Mr Trump’s legal team in the civil rape case brought by Ms Carroll, in which a jury found Mr Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding her $5m last year.

 

[Ford]

"Hello children. Today's lesson is a little thing we like to call reducing your exposure to liability. Please open your textbooks to chapter 2, Representing an Unrepentant Criminal."

 

[laughing dog]

Holy fuck. What the hell is wrong with him?

Too bad dropping him in water doesn’t make the end of him.
Oh wait, maybe that explains his odor issue.

 

[Worldtraveller]

Well, we clearly know he's never owned or taken care of an aquarium. IYKYK.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

"Hello children. Today's lesson is a little thing we like to call reducing your exposure to liability. Please open your textbooks to chapter 2, Representing an Unrepentant Criminal."

And let's not forget that for some odd reason lawyers actually like to get paid for their work. Old Joe may just be tired of begging for the money owed him and has decided to cut his losses.

 

[Elixir]

And let's not forget that for some odd reason lawyers actually like to get paid for their work.

That is an oddity. Any lawyer in the world should be willing to pay, to represent the Greatest American President in the History of the Universe. It’s the Holy Grail of the legal profession!

 

[ZiprHead]

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

I do think Taco Joe got out because he realized that if he didn't he was going to get into legal trouble like other Trumpo lawyers. But he probably didn't get paid either, at least not everything he was owed. Clearly Joe abandoning Diaper Donnie for reasons of self preservation. Smart man.

 

[Ford]

I do think Taco Joe got out because he realized that if he didn't he was going to get into legal trouble like other Trumpo lawyers. But he probably didn't get paid either, at least not everything he was owed. Clearly Joe abandoning Diaper Donnie for reasons of self preservation. Smart man.

This is like the video version of a post on LinkedIn where someone says "after much personal soul-searching, I have chosen to part ways with (insert employer here)" and then goes on to praise the "mission" of their former company, talk up the "team" they leave behind, and say something like "I will always cherish my time at (insert employer here)."

Then a couple weeks later it's "I'm excited to announce I've accepted a position with (insert new employer)."

And I'm guessing Taco Joe had to sign a non-disparagement agreement before he left. So of course he's not going to say anything bad on MSNBC, and I'm reasonably sure that the lawyers who drew up that agreement watched every second of this interview looking for something that stepped over the line.

 

[ZiprHead]

Defamation trial resumes tomorrow.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Defamation trial resumes tomorrow.

Next one is penciled in for early 2025.

 

[lpetrich]

Defamation trial resumes tomorrow.

Next one is penciled in for early 2025.

Which trial?

Master Calendar of Trump Court Dates: Criminal and Civil Cases
As of January 22:

Jan 22, 23, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, Feb 2, 5, 6, 8, 12-13, 15, 22, 24, 27, Mar 1, 4, 5, 20, 25, Apr 18, May 20, (Jul 15-18), Aug 5

The July dates are for the Republican National Convention.

Another thread: Today's trial regarding whether a former president can be charged with a crime | Internet Infidels Discussion Board

 

[TomC]

Which trial?

This is a huge part of the problem. It's difficult to keep track of Trump's legal issues, lies, or which lawyers are on the case.

Somebody, Tacopina I think, just dumped Trump as a client. No explanation for why, he just did. I don't know which case he was working on, there are so many. And various.

Maybe he can form a club with Giuliani, Powell, et. al. and start talking about why they aren't repesenting Xpresident Trump any longer.
Tom

 

[lpetrich]

Trump posts appeal for 'full immunity' for presidents. I wonder why?

Noting
Truth Details | Truth Social

A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES MUST HAVE FULL IMMUNITY, WITHOUT WHICH IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM/HER TO PROPERLY FUNCTION. ANY MISTAKE, EVEN IF WELL INTENDED, WOULD BE MET WITH ALMOST CERTAIN INDICTMENT BY THE OPPOSING PARTY AT TERM END. EVEN EVENTS THAT “CROSS THE LINE” MUST FALL UNDER TOTAL IMMUNITY, OR IT WILL BE YEARS OF TRAUMA TRYING TO DETERMINE GOOD FROM BAD. THERE MUST BE CERTAINTY. EXAMPLE: YOU CAN’T STOP POLICE FROM DOING THE JOB OF STRONG & EFFECTIVE CRIME PREVENTION BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GUARD AGAINST THE OCCASIONAL “ROGUE COP” OR “BAD APPLE.” SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH “GREAT BUT SLIGHTLY IMPERFECT.” ALL PRESIDENTS MUST HAVE COMPLETE & TOTAL PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY, OR THE AUTHORITY & DECISIVENESS OF A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WILL BE STRIPPED & GONE FOREVER. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE AN EASY DECISION. GOD BLESS THE SUPREME COURT!

Author Rex Huppke then satirized his style: "IT IS TOTALLY UNFAIR, AND VERY DANGEROUS, TO ATTEMPT TO HOLD A PRESIDENT LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR “CRIMES” HE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE DONE WHILE BEING THE BEST PRESIDENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY." etc.

 

[lpetrich]

Busted: Trump repeatedly called for jailing presidents before saying he had immunity - Raw Story
noting
Trump lawyer says he could order the assassination of his rival and get away with it - Raw Story

A lawyer representing former President Donald Trump argued on Tuesday that a president cannot be prosecuted for ordering the assassination of his political rival unless he is convicted of committing an impeachable offense by the United States Senate.

Also
Trump now thinks former presidents should be immune from prosecution. He spent years saying otherwise. - CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

In late 2018, Trump retweeted an image, later deleted, that showed former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama behind bars, with the caption that suggested they should be tried for treason.

Trump was referring to the unfounded claims that his 2016 campaign was spied on by the Obama administration as part of a larger “deep state” initiative to undermine his presidential bid. It bears emphasizing that there is no evidence for what Trump was claiming, and even if it were true, it would not rise to the level of treason, which is a capital crime.

...
In the lead-up to the 2020 election, Trump said that Biden should not be allowed to run for president, citing the same “treasonous plot.”

...
On October 7, 2020, he tweeted, “Wow!!! NOW DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, THE BIGGEST OF ALL POLITICAL SCANDALS (IN HISTORY)!!! BIDEN, OBAMA AND CROOKED HILLARY LED THIS TREASONOUS PLOT!!! BIDEN SHOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO RUN – GOT CAUGHT!!!”

Later that same day, Trump tweeted, “Obama, Biden, Crooked Hillary and many others got caught in a Treasonous Act of Spying and Government Overthrow, a Criminal Act. How is Biden now allowed to run for President?” The following day, Trump went on Fox Business and made his clearest statement to date, explicitly calling for both Obama and Biden to be indicted: ... Less than a week later, just twenty days before the election, Trump said at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, “Now we can see clearly that Biden is a corrupt politician, who shouldn’t even be allowed to run for the Presidency.”

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Defamation trial resumes tomorrow.

Next one is penciled in for early 2025.

Which trial?

The third defamation one.

I'm only half kidding.

Trump posts appeal for 'full immunity' for presidents. I wonder why?

Noting
Truth Details | Truth Social

A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES MUST HAVE FULL IMMUNITY, WITHOUT WHICH IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM/HER TO PROPERLY FUNCTION. ANY MISTAKE, EVEN IF WELL INTENDED, WOULD BE MET WITH ALMOST CERTAIN INDICTMENT BY THE OPPOSING PARTY AT TERM END. EVEN EVENTS THAT “CROSS THE LINE” MUST FALL UNDER TOTAL IMMUNITY, OR IT WILL BE YEARS OF TRAUMA TRYING TO DETERMINE GOOD FROM BAD. THERE MUST BE CERTAINTY. EXAMPLE: YOU CAN’T STOP POLICE FROM DOING THE JOB OF STRONG & EFFECTIVE CRIME PREVENTION BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GUARD AGAINST THE OCCASIONAL “ROGUE COP” OR “BAD APPLE.” SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH “GREAT BUT SLIGHTLY IMPERFECT.” ALL PRESIDENTS MUST HAVE COMPLETE & TOTAL PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY, OR THE AUTHORITY & DECISIVENESS OF A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WILL BE STRIPPED & GONE FOREVER. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE AN EASY DECISION. GOD BLESS THE SUPREME COURT!

Author Rex Huppke then satirized his style: "IT IS TOTALLY UNFAIR, AND VERY DANGEROUS, TO ATTEMPT TO HOLD A PRESIDENT LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR “CRIMES” HE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE DONE WHILE BEING THE BEST PRESIDENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY." etc.

The funny thing is, the President does have this immunity. What they don't have immunity over are actions that are outside the scope of their Presidency.

If I was a judge, I'd ask simply "So you are actually arguing that President Biden can have you snuffed out, and there is nothing the courts could do about it, as long as Congress doesn't impeach? That such an outcome would be only 'slightly imperfect'?"