Merged So what's next for Trump?

[Elixir]

what will these “loyalists” actually do?

Whatever Dear Leader tells them to do. You listed a few things … Who would stop them? An angry mob of leftists? I can see the Chinese laughing when the US re-plays the Tiananmen Square massacre.

 

[bilby]

So when will Republicans propose laws to do away with elections?

They don't need no steenkin' laws. They have guns.

What would be the new way to get government representatives?

Inheritance is always good... and everyone else can be appointed by the Leader. Just like China and NK. The only question is, would Junior or Ivanka make the better dictator?

It’s a serious question. The left keeps crying that democracy is over but I suspect we will continue to have elections. I am just curious what they think Republicans will do that will effective end democracy. Do you try ink that the majority of Americans would agree with not having elections at all? Or just more and more restrictive laws on the ways that elections are held that benefit demographically Republican voters? Or maybe we will see election counts that always turn up Republican winners without transparency about how the votes are counted? Do away with bi-partisan vote watching?

The Soviet Union held elections fairly frequently. As I believe Joseph Stalin remarked, it doesn't matter what the people who vote want, what matters is the opinions of the people who count the votes.

That the US frequently has vote counting and reporting be the responsibility of elected officials is a very significant weakness in your system. I can't think of any other western nation where the election officials are openly members of political parties, and are themselves elected to their authority in partisan polls.

 

[ZiprHead]

A top national security prosecutor has joined the team investigating Trump's Mar-a-Lago documents, indicating the probe is heating up, WaPo reports

Veteran prosecutor David Raskin recently oversaw the case of an FBI analyst who pleaded guilty to keeping classified documents in her home.

ca.sports.yahoo.com

Veteran prosecutor David Raskin, who recently oversaw the case of an FBI analyst who pleaded guilty to keeping classified materials at home, has joined the team investigating the documents found at former president Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, The Washington Post reported.

Raskin previously served as a senior federal prosecutor in New York, known for his work on the case of a co-conspirator in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as well as the 1998 bombings of US embassies in East Africa. More recently, Raskin served as a prosecutor in Missouri, where he investigated the case of FBI analyst Kendra Kingsbury, who on October 13 pleaded guilty to keeping national defense documents in her home. Kingsbury faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

His work on such high profile cases has earned Raskin the reputation of being one of the nation's most successful terrorism prosecutors, the Post reported. Sources familiar with the Mar-A-Lago investigation told the outlet Raskin has been assisting with the investigation after originally having been called upon by the Department of Justice to consult on the criminal investigation resulting from the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

 

[Shadowy Man]

what will these “loyalists” actually do?

Whatever Dear Leader tells them to do. You listed a few things … Who would stop them? An angry mob of leftists? I can see the Chinese laughing when the US re-plays the Tiananmen Square massacre.

So, in a large city like Philadelphia, a Republican loyalist will alter the vote count and report false results to whomever is compiling results at the State level? Or is the state level that will simply falsely report the results?

Or will they just claim they are fraudulent and exclude them from the total count? I’m just curious what people think the actual mechanisms for undermining the election will be. “Whatever dear leader tells them to do” is not a constructive answer to my question.

 

[Patooka]

If the Government can compel a woman to endure pregnancy and give birth... why the fuck is the Government unable to get Trump's records?!

Women can't be trusted to make decisions about their own bodies and elected public officials who are task with governing the country can't be trusted with financial records. The only person who can be trusted is Trump. So, pretty consistent from SCOTUS unfortunately.

 

[ZiprHead]

OMG!!!

 

[Patooka]

Imagine if it was true to the lore, and was naked.

Sleep well tonight everyone.

 

[Elixir]

So, in a large city like Philadelphia, a Republican loyalist will alter the vote count and report false results to whomever is compiling results at the State level? Or is the state level that will simply falsely report the results?

All of the above. It just depends on installing the “right” people.

Or will they just claim they are fraudulent and exclude them from the total count? I’m just curious what people think the actual mechanisms for undermining the election will be.

If you have installed the “right” people, your options are myriad. You touched on some of them.

“Whatever dear leader tells them to do” is not a constructive answer to my question.

I was not trying to be flippant. I suspect that in the short term we will see this play out at the State level, and in a fairly muted way until the Republicans get control of the Executive Branch again. In the end, the object is to keep power, not just to mess with elections. Everything you mentioned is on the table, much of it overtly and right now.

 

[Shadowy Man]

I guess I’m curious about how exactly it will happen. How hard they can push without effective push back. I guess we will just wait and see. Only a week to go to see the start of it.

 

[ZiprHead]

Trump Org jury sees 1st evidence linking Donald Trump's Sharpie to alleged tax-dodge scheme

In a prosecution breakthrough, the jury in the tax-fraud trial of Donald Trump's business empire has seen the first evidence bearing his signatures.

news.yahoo.com

Jurors in the Trump Organization criminal tax-fraud trial have seen the first evidence directly linking Donald Trump to the case, including key documents bearing the former president's distinctive Sharpie-scrawled signatures and initials.

Jurors were shown what the prosecution said and what a witness confirmed were Trump's signatures on some half-dozen important letters and payroll documents. It's evidence meant to soundly refute defense claims that the tax-dodge scheme stopped one rung down from the very top of the company, meaning just short of involving anyone named Trump.

The documents were introduced through the trial's first witness, Jeffrey McConney, who as Trump Organization's controller is responsible for its payroll and tax reporting.

But during his morning on the stand on Tuesday — and in between bouts of coughing — McConney managed to do some damage to the defense by saying "Donald Trump," "Mr. Trump" and "President Trump" repeatedly as he was asked to identify the signatures being shown on courtroom screens.

"Who's signature is that?" Joshua Steinglass, one of the two lead prosecutors, asked McConney as jurors looked at an overhead projection of a May 1, 2005 letter.

"President Trump," McConney said of the signature, identifying the now widely-recognized, mini mountain range of Sharpie ink at the bottom of the letter.

"And is that his full signature?"

"Yes," McConney answered.

 

[Elixir]

I’m curious about how exactly it will happen. How hard they can push without effective push back.

Barring something totally unforeseen and incredibly disruptive, we will find out. The anti-democracy movement has been pushing harder and harder to take control of elections under the pretext that there was magic phantom fraud in 2020. By Thanksgiving we should know who won, who lost, who is contesting their loss and/or threatening violence... with any luck we will have a glimmer by then of what the next Congress will look like, as well as an idea of which States will likely contest the 2024 Presidential results if their ruling Party loses.
Regardless though, Dems' "pushback" can rarely if ever be described as effective. The electorate at large can push back by electing people who will make cheating more difficult, but it's an asymmetric battlefield for Democrats who aren't willing to be just as coercive, violent, threatening, uncivil and creepy as Republicans. (Because they're elitists, of course)

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I guess I’m curious about how exactly it will happen. How hard they can push without effective push back. I guess we will just wait and see. Only a week to go to see the start of it.

You are under the presumption that they haven't already won the long game. We lost. It is just how long we can hold it back. It might not be very long. If Dobbs doesn't do it, nothing will. Fetterman is recovering from a stroke and is exhibiting behaviors that people RECOVERING from strokes exhibit... and people are questioning his validity to become Senator. Meanwhile Herschel Walker... fuck!

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

Today is the 3rd. Voting day is a week away. But some races may not be fully counted and settled for some time afterwards. It could be that control of the House may not be known for weeks. It is going to be chaotic. This will all be down to turnout now.

 

[Shadowy Man]

I guess I’m curious about how exactly it will happen. How hard they can push without effective push back. I guess we will just wait and see. Only a week to go to see the start of it.

You are under the presumption that they haven't already won the long game. We lost. It is just how long we can hold it back. It might not be very long. If Dobbs doesn't do it, nothing will. Fetterman is recovering from a stroke and is exhibiting behaviors that people RECOVERING from strokes exhibit... and people are questioning his validity to become Senator. Meanwhile Herschel Walker... fuck!

They may have indeed already won. I’m not presuming anything yet. But I’m just curious about how exactly it will play out.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I guess I’m curious about how exactly it will happen. How hard they can push without effective push back. I guess we will just wait and see. Only a week to go to see the start of it.

You are under the presumption that they haven't already won the long game. We lost. It is just how long we can hold it back. It might not be very long. If Dobbs doesn't do it, nothing will. Fetterman is recovering from a stroke and is exhibiting behaviors that people RECOVERING from strokes exhibit... and people are questioning his validity to become Senator. Meanwhile Herschel Walker... fuck!

They may have indeed already won. I’m not presuming anything yet. But I’m just curious about how exactly it will play out.

Gerrymander the Liberals into as few seats possible. They've done that in the states and US House already everywhere they can. So a state like Ohio has a legislature of a deep red state, despite being purple.

Then they start filling positions everywhere to control access to voting in the remaining purple areas. That should be enough. With SCOTUS set for a couple decades short of the grace of Cthulu, there is little else that needs to be done.

 

[Elixir]

there is little else that needs to be done.

There will remain the little matter of having to repeat the expensive ritual of reinstalling your dictator every four years... but that can be remedied with a little legal manipulation of the rules and the consent of the Thomas Court.

This will all be down to turnout now.

Hopefully it doesn't come down a turnout of armed thugs at counting centers while these intentionally (by Republicans) delayed counts keep the trumpsuckers' adrenaline up.

 

[Shadowy Man]

I guess I’m curious about how exactly it will happen. How hard they can push without effective push back. I guess we will just wait and see. Only a week to go to see the start of it.

You are under the presumption that they haven't already won the long game. We lost. It is just how long we can hold it back. It might not be very long. If Dobbs doesn't do it, nothing will. Fetterman is recovering from a stroke and is exhibiting behaviors that people RECOVERING from strokes exhibit... and people are questioning his validity to become Senator. Meanwhile Herschel Walker... fuck!

They may have indeed already won. I’m not presuming anything yet. But I’m just curious about how exactly it will play out.

Gerrymander the Liberals into as few seats possible. They've done that in the states and US House already everywhere they can. So a state like Ohio has a legislature of a deep red state, despite being purple.

Then they start filling positions everywhere to control access to voting in the remaining purple areas. That should be enough. With SCOTUS set for a couple decades short of the grace of Cthulu, there is little else that needs to be done.

So by “control access” we should start seeing more laws that limit drop boxes, limit early voting, Vote by mail, same day registration, etc. many of these already exist but they’ll just do more? Probably true.

But Will there be more explicit cheating? Like full out denial of results. Legislatures sending slates of electors that differ from those the actual vote counts specify? Refusal to certify results?

 

[ZiprHead]

Trump Hastily Settles Assault Suit That Led to Revelation He’s Afraid He Might Be Killed by a Piece of Fruit

“A tomato, a pineapple…. It’s dangerous stuff.”

www.vanityfair.com

In 2022, it’s a full-time job keeping track of all the criminal investigations and civil suits facing Donald Trump. Luckily, today, we can cross one of them off the list: the 2015 lawsuit filed by a group of protesters who alleged they were assaulted by Trump’s security guards outside of Trump Tower. Y’know, the one that led to the revelation that the ex-president thinks it’s highly possible he could be killed by a piece of fruit. But more on the fruit later.

On Wednesday, Trump reached a settlement agreement with the plaintiffs, just days after the case had gone to trial. The suit revolved around a September 2015 incident, in which a group of activists protesting the comments Trump had made about Mexican immigrants while campaigning for president were allegedly assaulted outside of Trump Tower by his security guards. According to the plaintiffs, Trump’s head of security allegedly punched one of the protesters in the head while trying to rip away a sign that read “Make America racist again.”

 

[blastula]

Trump's company to get a court monitor, judge rules

Former president’s lawyers fight bid for restraints on Trump’s business empire

www.politico.com

Sad.

Meanwhile, Trump Files a Suit Against N.Y.’s Attorney General, and Against Advice - nytimes.

A tirade of a lawsuit that Donald J. Trump filed on Wednesday against one of his chief antagonists, the New York attorney general, was hotly opposed by several of his longstanding legal advisers, who attempted an intervention hours before it was submitted to a court.

Those opposed to the suit told the Florida attorneys who drafted it that it was frivolous and would fail, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The loudest objection came from the general counsel of Mr. Trump’s real estate business, who warned that the Floridians might be committing malpractice.

Nonetheless, the suit was filed. It accuses Attorney General Letitia James of trespassing on Mr. Trump’s right to privacy in Florida, where he lives, and seeks to halt her own civil case in New York against the former president and his company.

Dude loves paying lawyers for nothing, if he even pays them.

 

[ZiprHead]

Dammit. Ninja'd by Blastula.