So, we have now learned that if Trump shot someone on Fifth Avenue and none of his most loyal supporters cared, it turns out that the Manhattan D.A. does. Perhaps Trump should have picked a different city. New York, New York. If you can get indicted there, you can get indicted anywhere. It’s important to note that we don’t have any idea yet on what felony charges Trump has been indicted on, and that the D.A. still has to convince a jury to convict Trump. And that’s a point that makes the Trump World “outrage” so deeply off-base. Because it’s just an indictment. That’s no small thing, especially for being the first time ever with a former president, but Trump is still presumed innocent in court. So, if the prosecutor’s office is unable to convince a jury of Trump’s guilt, he will be found not guilty. And make no mistake, it is likely to be a challenge to get an impartial jury to convict a former president. On the other hand, if the evidence is convincing enough for an objective jury to agree with the charges, then Trump will be convicted. Because that’s how the legal system works. One would think that people who believe in the rule of law grasp this concept and support it. If the case can’t be proven against Trump -- and there are a great many cases of politicians being indicted and then found "not guilty" (like when former Democratic VP nominee John Edwards was indicted for election finance violations, and Republicans celebrated that. As did most Democrats, not weeping in his defense, but disappointed at learning of Edwards cheating) -- he’ll get off. And if the evidence of his guilt is incontrovertible, he’ll be found guilty. It's that basic. Why anyone -- Trump’s base, GOP elected officials, anybody -- would want the legal process to be otherwise is hard to imagine. (Okay, in fairness, no, it’s not hard to imagine. Given that the Republican Party today has become fascist, I do understand why they don’t believe in democracy and the rule of law.) By the way, one would also think that people who believe in the rule of law -- indeed the improperly-named, so-called "Party of Law and Order" (sic) -- would grasp the fact amid their faux-outrage crying out with exploding heads that this is nothing more than just a campaign finance matter (never mind that, to repeat, they they have absolutely zero idea what the specific charges are) that someone has already been convicted and spent time in prison for that supposedly "nothing" matter. And further, that "someone" was Trump's own lawyer. Who was charged, tried and convicted by the U.S. Justice Department when Trump was in office and under Trump's official authority!! If you haven’t read Trump’s response yet, as I haven’t either, let me save you time and let you know what it is – “This is a WITCH HUNT by a black political THUG paid for by the Jewish George Soros to hurt your favorite white president. ME! If they can indict ME!, then that means they’re coming after you next, even though you will never ever be in a position to do the things I’m charged with. WITCH HUNT, WITCH HUNT, WITCH HUNT. GET YOUR GUNS AND BASEBALL BATS AND TORCHES AND DEFEND YOURSELF WITH DEATH AND DESTRUCTION!!! AMERICA IS DOOMED. YOU AND YOU ALONE MUST SAVE ME. Send your donations to 'Trump for President c/o Mar-a-Lago.' Cofefe.” Okay, so now you’re up to speed. Sort of. It actually will be much, much longer (I'm sure) and use many more CAPS, but I feel confident that that's the basic core. In fact, I did see Lindsey Graham (R-SC) -- who himself is at risk of being indicted for election fraud violations in Georgia -- on Fox "News" (which itself is at risk of losing a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit for knowingly lying about the election results) weeping his head off and making heart-rending, begging pleas to donate money to Trump! Complaining about all the money Trump has had to spend defending himself in all the many investigations -- step back a moment and consider that point as a defense of innocence... -- ignoring the fact that Trump probably hasn't spent a nickel, because he's fundraised it all from GOP suckers. And in fact, there too was Ron DeSantis (R-FL) putting out a statement filled with multiple dog-whistle references to the Jewish George Soros. What DeSantis chimed in with his George Soros-laced tweet was to say he would not extradite Trump. But looking under the hood, you realize that that is just empty, self-serving political theatrics. For one thing, it sounds good to the Republican base who DeSantis can't afford to offend. For another, Trump has already said he'd turn himself in. But far more to the point, if Trump takes up the DeSantis offer and, as a result, can't leave Florida, then that means he really can't seriously run for president. Which leaves the door wide open for Ron DeSantis. But of course Trump won't ever accept it the offer. Not because it would mean being beholden to Ron DeSantis (which would all him to no end, and be good enough reason for him to turn it down) -- but because I'm sure the very last thing Trump wants is to have to live the rest of his life in Florida... Of all the GOP cries of support, what I perhaps most-loved was the statement that “House Speaker” Kevin McCarthy put out after the news was released that there was an indictment. Just to clarify, in case you can’t place the name, this is the same Kevin McCarthy who both publicly and privately blamed Trump for the January 6 Insurrection to overthrow the government. He wrote -- “Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election. As he routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump. The American people will not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account.” And just wow, this sure sounds damning. One slight thing missing in McCarthy’s attempt at a diatribe to placate the extreme right Congressional support that allowed him to become “Speaker,” is what are the actual charges against Trump are that he finds damaging and abusive? I myself am unable to find them, so perhaps McCarthy can help. After all, he must know what the exact charges are, right??, since he calls them an abuse of power and damaging to the country. What also isn’t clear is why McCarthy is only faux-outraged at D.A. Alvin Bragg, when he doesn’t express a word of “outrage” at the Grand Jury which is who actually indicted Trump – without which there would be nothing damaging and abusive done. To repeat: it's the Grand Jury who voted to indict Trump. (Because they new the charges -- and the evidence.) And not a single word of "outrage" by McCarthy -- or Graham or DeSantis or any elected Republican official anywhere I've seen complaining about them. The ones who actually voted to indict Trump. Just the Oh, and by the way, it would also be cool if McCarthy could please define "American people" when he says “The American people” will not tolerate what he calls an "injustice" (despite McCarthy not having the slightest idea what the unjust charges are). I only ask because my own observation is that most of “The American people" will not only, in fact, easily tolerate it, but will celebrate joyously that the U.S. justice system was working. Unclear, too, is why Kevin McCarthy doesn’t support the U.S. justice system. Which is based on getting an indictment based on evidence, having an adversarial trial in which the accused is represented in court, and a jury of the defendant’s peers deciding on “guilty” or “not guilty” based on if the evidence being presented can prove the case. But then, that’s today’s Republican Party. And now, it's up to you, New York, New York...
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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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