Merged So what's next for Trump?

[Elixir]

Now he has to hope Ivanka and Jr. don’t sell him out.

HOPE? He never has understood the 5th. It only covers you incriminating you. Eric can't use the 5th because his answers might incriminate Daddy. That's not what it's for.
Ivanka will certainly answer questions that incrimiante Eric. Junior. MAYBE Daddy. Certainly Melania. Possibly Kushner.

So?

“I invoke my 5th amendment right”
“It doesn’t apply here”
“Sez you.”

Then what? Another18 months of delay while the courts wrangle over whether that response is a crime?

 

[Keith&Co.]

Now he has to hope Ivanka and Jr. don’t sell him out.

HOPE? He never has understood the 5th. It only covers you incriminating you. Eric can't use the 5th because his answers might incriminate Daddy. That's not what it's for.
Ivanka will certainly answer questions that incrimiante Eric. Junior. MAYBE Daddy. Certainly Melania. Possibly Kushner.

So?

“I invoke my 5th amendment right”
“It doesn’t apply here”
“Sez you.”

Then what? Another18 months of delay while the courts wrangle over whether that response is a crime?

No. But this was a deposition.
If he tries the same thing in court,
"Mr. Trump, did your father ever say to you, 'Stonewall the AG.'?"
(Defendant looks to agitated waving from his lawyer, pantomiming an exaggerated YES!)
"I'm afraid i have to take the 5th."
(Defense lawyer slumps in his chair, kicks the table.)
(Prosecution turns to the bench)
"Your honor!"
"Mr. Trump, as has been explained to you a number of times, you cannot invoke the 5th to protect other people."
"I still take the 5th, your honor!"
"Okay. That's another count of contempt of court. Counsel, your next question?"
"Fifth!"
"Wait until they ask it, Mr. Trump. Bailiff, one more."
(Bailiff marks the whiteboard with fifteenth count of Contempt)
(Defense lawyer turns completely around, unable to face the proceedings, and sulks)

 

[Elixir]

"Wait until they ask it, Mr. Trump. Bailiff, one more."
(Bailiff marks the whiteboard with fifteenth count of Contempt)

Ooooh. That hurts.
NOT.
Can we skip to that part where the judge says "The witness is remanded into custody"?

 

[Keith&Co.]

I thought that was understood.
Eric will spend every night in jail until he answers all the questions.
HE will think Daddy will love him for not giving Florida Man up.
Meanwhile, Ivanka will offer to testify for immunity, which voids the 5th, which she will understand a LOT quicker than Eric. She will give up everyone, for every crime, whose idea it was, who did the dirty work, who profited most.... And spend every night with her kids.
Eric will just one day be moved from the courthouse jail to actual prison without getting the chance to reconsider his testimony. In the slammer, he'll come to be known as the 'Huh? What?' guy.

 

[Elixir]

. In the slammer, he'll come to be known as the 'Huh? What?' guy.

Might as well go with that, as long as we’re in wishful thinking mode.
Meanwhile, where’s Daddy?

 

[Keith&Co.]

. In the slammer, he'll come to be known as the 'Huh? What?' guy.

Might as well go with that, as long as we’re in wishful thinking mode.
Meanwhile, where’s Daddy?

Daddy's hiding from the Russians. He tried to make a deal to save his own skin by identifying his handlers, but the Feds have already identified them, and the States aren't interested. But Politico listed their names in a 'Trump tries to throw Russians under the bus' article. Right above the article about Trump Junior trying to find a state that doesn't have an extradition agreement with New York.

 

[Elixir]

 

[ZiprHead]

WSJ Gives Republicans A Blunt Reality Check Over '3-Time Loser' Trump

The newspaper also praised former Vice President Mike Pence as "a rare Republican these days willing to stand up to Mr. Trump’s disgraceful behavior."

news.yahoo.com

The Wall Street Journal ripped into Donald Trump and Republicans after the party doubled down in its support of the former president.

The newspaper also praised former Vice President Mike Pence for refusing to cave to Trump’s pressure to overturn the 2020 election results on Jan. 6, 2021.

“Mr. Pence was presiding over the vote counting as President of the Senate, but he refused Mr. Trump’s pressure to disqualify electors from some closely contested states,” the editorial stated. “It was Mr. Pence’s finest hour.”

But that, the newspaper said, wasn’t common in today’s Republican Party.

“Mr. Pence stands out as a rare Republican these days willing to stand up to Mr. Trump’s disgraceful behavior after the election,” the newspaper’s editorial said. “Too many in the GOP seem to have lost their constitutional moorings in thrall to one man.”

The Journal warned the GOP about the cost of sticking to Trump no matter what, given his less-than-stellar track record at the ballot box:

The conventional wisdom now is that Mr. Trump controls the Republican Party and can have the 2024 nomination if he wants it. But someone should remind voters that Mr. Trump ended as a three-time election loser. He mobilized Democrats against him in historic numbers to cost the GOP the House in 2018, then the White House in 2020 and finally the two Georgia Senate seats in 2021.

 

[lpetrich]

National Archives retrieved 15 boxes of Trump White House documents from Mar-a-Lago

• The National Archives and Records Administration retrieved 15 boxes of White House records that had been sent to former President Donald Trump’s resort-home Mar-a-Lago.
• All of those records should have been handed over to the National Archives directly from the White House once Trump left office, as required by the Presidential Records Act, NARA said.
• The documents include a letter to Trump from President Barack Obama, as well as Trump’s self-described “love letters” with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, according to The Washington Post.

Noting
National Archives had to retrieve Trump White House records from Mar-a-Lago - The Washington Post - "The recovery of 15 boxes from Trump’s Florida resort, including letters from Barack Obama and Kim Jong Un, underscores the previous administration’s cavalier handling of presidential records"

 

[blastula]

BUT HER EMAILS!!

 

[lpetrich]

Donald Trump has released his memoirs: a big picture book about his Presidency, with captions written by him. Very unlike most Presidential memoirs, with lots of text and not many pictures, if any.

Trump's $75 coffee table book with captions written by him has raked in $20M in less than two months | Daily Mail Online

• Trump's book filled with pictures and punchy hand-written captions is a stark departure from his predecessors' detailed, reflective post-presidency memoirs
• Our Journey Together was published by Winning Team Publishing, founded by Republican operative Sergio Gor and Donald Trump Jr.
• Gor told CNN people ordering copies now may have to wait until late Feb to get it
• Signed copies that retail for $230 are sold out on the book's web page
• Trump is the only published author for Winning Team so far, but Gor told DailyMail.com that they'll also release a book by Charlie Kirk

These captions look like they were written by the former President.

In pages obtained by DailyMail.com, the president looks back on his foreign policy in his signature blunt phrasing, writing under a picture of China's President Xi Jinping, 'President Xi understood we had to get tough, but we were making true progress. If COVID didn't happen, our nations would have both prospered.

He also took aim at members of his own administration. In an image featuring Germany's last Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump calls National Security Adviser John Bolton 'dumb as a rock.'

Previous include a famous 2018 photo of Trump facing off with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, captioned: 'Attempting to listen to crazy Nancy Pelosi in the Oval Office — such natural disagreement.'

The lines reveal the extent to which the ex-president felt free to rip on his enemies and give his unvarnished opinion.

On another image of Pelosi, Trump scrawled: 'She was screaming and shaking like a leaf, she's f***ing crazy, hence the name 'Crazy Nancy'.'

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg also made it into the book, with Trump claiming he 'would come to the White House and kiss my a**.'

It appears no one who crossed the ex-president was off limits, including late Arizona Republican Senator John McCain.

'Asking for a job for his wife and I am smiling but I didn't like him even a little bit,' Trump captioned the image.

He also hit Biden for the withdrawal from Afghanistan and inflation, which has hit an annual rate of seven percent.

'You look at what's happening from $1.87 a gallon to just see in California, it's now over $7 a gallon, for gasoline for your car,' he said. 'It's so sad to see what's happened to our country.'

He also tore into political enemies like disgraced New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

'Then-Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York who was forced out of office without, surprisingly much of a fight. I gave New York everything it wanted, including hospital ships, rooms, thousands of ventilators, and ultimately vaccines,' reads the caption from a photo of Cuomo in the Oval Office.

The article includes lots of pictures from that book.

The book includes pithy comments on world leaders, giving Trump's opinion of Boris Johnson for example: 'Boris is one of a kind and a fantastic leader of the United Kingdom.'

'"Our Journey Together" is a collection of beautiful photos captured during our successful time in the White House,' Trump said as he announced the launch of the book

Got along well with Chancellor Angela Merkel, but she's for Germany first, aS as she should be. She used John Bolton when necessary because all he wanted to do was go to war with other countries. I didn't, but good for negotiating purposes. He was dumb as a rock. Larry Kudlow - great guy, did a fabulous job.

Barack and Michelle Obama get ready to depart Washington. Goodbye!

Then-Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York who was forced out of office without, surprisingly, much of a fight. I gave New York everything it wanted, including hospital ships, rooms, thousands of ventilators, and ultimately, vaccines.

We celebrated American Greatness when I was in the White House! God Bless America!

 

[ZiprHead]

 

[Elixir]

National Archives retrieved 15 boxes of Trump White House documents from Mar-a-Lago

• The National Archives and Records Administration retrieved 15 boxes of White House records that had been sent to former President Donald Trump’s resort-home Mar-a-Lago.
• All of those records should have been handed over to the National Archives directly from the White House once Trump left office, as required by the Presidential Records Act, NARA said.
• The documents include a letter to Trump from President Barack Obama, as well as Trump’s self-described “love letters” with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, according to The Washington Post.

Noting
National Archives had to retrieve Trump White House records from Mar-a-Lago - The Washington Post - "The recovery of 15 boxes from Trump’s Florida resort, including letters from Barack Obama and Kim Jong Un, underscores the previous administration’s cavalier handling of presidential records"

...and those are just the records he didn't rip up or burn.

 

[ZiprHead]

National Archives retrieved 15 boxes of Trump White House documents from Mar-a-Lago

• The National Archives and Records Administration retrieved 15 boxes of White House records that had been sent to former President Donald Trump’s resort-home Mar-a-Lago.
• All of those records should have been handed over to the National Archives directly from the White House once Trump left office, as required by the Presidential Records Act, NARA said.
• The documents include a letter to Trump from President Barack Obama, as well as Trump’s self-described “love letters” with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, according to The Washington Post.

Noting
National Archives had to retrieve Trump White House records from Mar-a-Lago - The Washington Post - "The recovery of 15 boxes from Trump’s Florida resort, including letters from Barack Obama and Kim Jong Un, underscores the previous administration’s cavalier handling of presidential records"

...and those are just the records he didn't rip up or burn.

As I understand it, being convicted of violating the records act precludes the violator from running for office again.

 

[Elixir]

being convicted of violating the records act precludes the violator from running for office again.

That’s not going to happen, or it would be happening already. DOJ probably has more serious charges in the works that could be jeopardized if they try to nail Cheato on failure to maintain records.

 

[crazyfingers]

Donald Trump has released his memoirs: a big picture book about his Presidency, with captions written by him. Very unlike most Presidential memoirs, with lots of text and not many pictures, if any.

Trump's $75 coffee table book with captions written by him has raked in $20M in less than two months | Daily Mail Online

• Trump's book filled with pictures and punchy hand-written captions is a stark departure from his predecessors' detailed, reflective post-presidency memoirs
• Our Journey Together was published by Winning Team Publishing, founded by Republican operative Sergio Gor and Donald Trump Jr.
• Gor told CNN people ordering copies now may have to wait until late Feb to get it
• Signed copies that retail for $230 are sold out on the book's web page
• Trump is the only published author for Winning Team so far, but Gor told DailyMail.com that they'll also release a book by Charlie Kirk

These captions look like they were written by the former President.

In pages obtained by DailyMail.com, the president looks back on his foreign policy in his signature blunt phrasing, writing under a picture of China's President Xi Jinping, 'President Xi understood we had to get tough, but we were making true progress. If COVID didn't happen, our nations would have both prospered.

He also took aim at members of his own administration. In an image featuring Germany's last Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump calls National Security Adviser John Bolton 'dumb as a rock.'

Previous include a famous 2018 photo of Trump facing off with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, captioned: 'Attempting to listen to crazy Nancy Pelosi in the Oval Office — such natural disagreement.'

The lines reveal the extent to which the ex-president felt free to rip on his enemies and give his unvarnished opinion.

On another image of Pelosi, Trump scrawled: 'She was screaming and shaking like a leaf, she's f***ing crazy, hence the name 'Crazy Nancy'.'

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg also made it into the book, with Trump claiming he 'would come to the White House and kiss my a**.'

It appears no one who crossed the ex-president was off limits, including late Arizona Republican Senator John McCain.

'Asking for a job for his wife and I am smiling but I didn't like him even a little bit,' Trump captioned the image.

He also hit Biden for the withdrawal from Afghanistan and inflation, which has hit an annual rate of seven percent.

'You look at what's happening from $1.87 a gallon to just see in California, it's now over $7 a gallon, for gasoline for your car,' he said. 'It's so sad to see what's happened to our country.'

He also tore into political enemies like disgraced New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

'Then-Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York who was forced out of office without, surprisingly much of a fight. I gave New York everything it wanted, including hospital ships, rooms, thousands of ventilators, and ultimately vaccines,' reads the caption from a photo of Cuomo in the Oval Office.

The article includes lots of pictures from that book.

The book includes pithy comments on world leaders, giving Trump's opinion of Boris Johnson for example: 'Boris is one of a kind and a fantastic leader of the United Kingdom.'

'"Our Journey Together" is a collection of beautiful photos captured during our successful time in the White House,' Trump said as he announced the launch of the book

Got along well with Chancellor Angela Merkel, but she's for Germany first, aS as she should be. She used John Bolton when necessary because all he wanted to do was go to war with other countries. I didn't, but good for negotiating purposes. He was dumb as a rock. Larry Kudlow - great guy, did a fabulous job.

Barack and Michelle Obama get ready to depart Washington. Goodbye!

Then-Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York who was forced out of office without, surprisingly, much of a fight. I gave New York everything it wanted, including hospital ships, rooms, thousands of ventilators, and ultimately, vaccines.

We celebrated American Greatness when I was in the White House! God Bless America!

Reads like something done by an 8 year old.

 

[ZiprHead]

National Archives asks Justice Dept. to investigate Trump’s handling of White House records

The National Archives and Records Administration has asked the Justice Department to examine Donald Trump’s handling of White House records, sparking discussions among federal law enforcement officials about whether they should investigate the former president for a possible crime, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The referral from the National Archives came amid recent revelations that officials recovered 15 boxes of materials from the former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida that were not handed back in to the government as they should have been, and that Trump had turned over other White House records that had been torn up. Archives officials suspected Trump had possibly violated laws concerning the handling of government documents — including those that might be considered classified — and reached out to the Justice Department, the people familiar with the matter said.
The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a politically sensitive request. The two people said the discussions about the matter remained preliminary, and it was not yet clear whether the Justice Department would investigate. The department also might be interested in merely reclaiming classified materials. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.
‘He never stopped ripping things up’: Inside Trump’s relentless document destruction habits
Trump’s years-long defiance of the Presidential Records Act, which requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president’s official duties, has long raised concerns among historians and legal observers. His penchant for ripping up official documents was first reported by Politico in 2018, but it has drawn new scrutiny in recent weeks because of a House select committee’s investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

 

[lpetrich]

(Donald Trump's picture book)

Reads like something done by an 8 year old.

 List of autobiographies by presidents of the United States and non-presidential  List of American political memoirs

No mention of Trump's picture book, at least not yet.

The Best and Worst Autobiographies by US Presidents
The author's assessments:

Best: "Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant" by Ulysses S. Grant
Best: “The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama
Best: "Mandate for Change," by Dwight Eisenhower
Best: "The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson" by Thomas Jefferson
Best: "A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety" by Jimmy Carter

Worst: "A Time to Heal" by Gerald Ford
Worst: "The Memoirs of Richard Nixon" by Richard Nixon
Worst: "An American Life" by Ronald Reagan
Worst: "The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover: The Great Depression" by Herbert Hoover
Worst: "The Autobiography of Martin Van Buren" by Martin Van Buren

 

[ZiprHead]

National Archives asks Justice Dept. to investigate Trump’s handling of White House records

The National Archives and Records Administration has asked the Justice Department to examine Donald Trump’s handling of White House records, sparking discussions among federal law enforcement officials about whether they should investigate the former president for a possible crime, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The referral from the National Archives came amid recent revelations that officials recovered 15 boxes of materials from the former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida that were not handed back in to the government as they should have been, and that Trump had turned over other White House records that had been torn up. Archives officials suspected Trump had possibly violated laws concerning the handling of government documents — including those that might be considered classified — and reached out to the Justice Department, the people familiar with the matter said.
The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a politically sensitive request. The two people said the discussions about the matter remained preliminary, and it was not yet clear whether the Justice Department would investigate. The department also might be interested in merely reclaiming classified materials. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.
‘He never stopped ripping things up’: Inside Trump’s relentless document destruction habits
Trump’s years-long defiance of the Presidential Records Act, which requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president’s official duties, has long raised concerns among historians and legal observers. His penchant for ripping up official documents was first reported by Politico in 2018, but it has drawn new scrutiny in recent weeks because of a House select committee’s investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

So now we find out those boxes of documents included classified materials. People have been jailed for that sort of thing.

 

[ZiprHead]