A couple of days ago, MSNBC ran a montage they had put together of Republican politicians and Fox “News” hosts crying out for the Trump search warrant to be released. Clearly none of them suspected that when they lobbed the ball over the net, regardless of how “outraged” they made their voice sound, that the Attorney General would thwack it back.
Trump is now standing on the baseline with the ball in his court – and no racquet. While I’m sure that Mr. Garland’s, “You want to see the search warrant and everything we gathered, okay, fine by me” won’t quiet all of the handwringing Republicans, though I do suspect it most of them will back off on the weeping to see the search warrant, since they know that that can only reflect on Trump, and badly. A few will continue crying out that the reason Trump doesn’t want anything released is because it could prejudice future juries or some sort of yada yada like that. The problem is that whenever you use the word “future juries” in any context, that is never A Good Thing. Furthermore, as much as they might try to blather about planting documents, the problem is that Trump’s lawyer won on site as an observer. Additionally, one hopes that most of these demagogic Republican voice trying to slam the FBI and cry about “defunding” them (and, man, what an ironic turnaround is that??!!) will now recognize how much they lucked out that no FBI agent was killed when a January 6 Insurrectionist showed up at one of their offices wearing body armor and with an semi-automatic weapon. Mind you, I’m sure that there will be plenty of leading GOP voices who still feel there is more to be gained by fomenting violence against the FBI than any tragic, fascist downside. And now, Trump has taken a swing at the ball with his empty hand and says he won't oppose releasing the documents. Because, no doubt, Trump believes -- as he does about all things -- that he is in the right and cannot do wrong. (Though, being Trump, we'll have to see if his actions match his public statements, something that has a habit of not regularly being the case.) Never mind, too, of course, that Trump doesn't have to "not oppose" releasing the documents, since he has the right to release them on their own. The problem for Trump is that reality doesn't tend to often mesh with what he believes. And of course the FBI was looking for nuclear documents. You don't subpoena material from a former president and then get a search warrant when its not complied with if you're just looking for some low-level papers and family photos. And of course the FBI found them, or AG Garland would not ever have filed the motion to release everything, since otherwise that would have told the world there are unguarded documents on nuclear material out there, and we don't know where they are. And this doesn't even include that the the Washington Post reported that "signals intelligence" regarding Saudi Arabia was recovered by the FBI during the search of Trump's home. This is basically electronic intercepts, material that former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal describes as "some of the most sensitive and secretive material in the US." Note to Republicans: THIS is what "He put us all at risk" and "Lock him up" actually means. But for all that, and for all the obvious attention on Trump most of all, my mind returned to GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, not the crispest Saltine in the box. Seeing him “warn” Merrick Garland after the search of Mar-a-Lago that the Attorney General to save his documents was hilarious at the time a) given who we know the A.G. is, b) considering that earlier that same day we saw photos of Trump's toilet with shredded documents in it and c) that whole point of the search was because of the probable cause that Trump took documents! Sorry, I mean “classified documents.” Moreover, the "threat" by McCarthy to investigate the DOJ was additionally ludicrous since the very last thing I am sure Republicans want is the public release all the material the Justice Department has collected on Trump and Republicans he was conspiring with that's damning and likely criminal, even if it’s not worth charging as a crime yet. I know that McCarthy is not known for his brilliance (his gaffe not putting any of his Republicans on the Select Committee is now legendary), he was just trying to parrot Trump to be a tough bully -- but it was so stupid to threaten the honest, honorable, decent, remarkably talented Attorney General of the U.S. who not only is investigating many in your caucus but perhaps is even investigating you and has tons of information, indeed evidence. So, there was Merrick Garland – pushing his chess piece across the board and saying to Kevin McCarthy, “Your move.” And all McCarthy can likely do is stare at the board, then stare at AG Garland, look around him at his team, blink, turn back to the board and say, “We’re playing chess?” And then perhaps add, “I thought we were playing marbles.” But the problem with even that is that it’s a bluff, as well. Because that’s Kevin McCarthy. He’s an empty suit trying to bully without having brought anything to back it up. And so, all he can do is open his empty pockets, wistfully shrug, and beg off by explaining he can’t even play at that, because, you see, sorry, he’s lost his marbles.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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