The Feds dropped the second shoe last week when it hit Donald John Trump with another Indictment, this one for attempting to overthrow an otherwise valid Presidential election that, as it happened, did not turn out well for him. I do not have the actual charging document in front of me. But if memory serves it weighs in at @ 40 counts over 60 pages. This means @70 counts in 2 Federal Judicial districts. And the State of Georgia has yet to weigh in on its problem with him.
Before we go a further, let me restate something that I wrote a month or so ago after the first go-around in Fort Pierce. As little use as I have for Donald Trump, and my disdain for him is as wide as Mir a Lago’s coastal shelf, I cannot summon forth enough schadenfreude to fill a shot glass.
Because while I view Trump’s behavior that is lined out in the charging documents to be worthy of prosecution, let me reiterate that I dread the prospect of the actual trial of these matters. Mainly, because he cannot be controlled by any of his lawyers, any of the 72 or so he has on retainer, and I’m not so sure about the courts either.
Consider this. At plea and arraignment last Thursday the United States Magistrate Judge, as part of the normal recitation of conditions for release added that Defendant Trump is not to commit any crimes in any jurisdiction this side of the Papal Courts while he is ROR’d. But she also told him that he is not to contact any witnesses without counsel being present. And she ordered him not to contact any of the eventual jurors.
Defendant Trump is a former President of the United States. He swore upon his oath to faithfully execute the laws of the United States. Now this. I think your average mob boss gets more deference than DT was afforded Thursday.
This is remarkable.
But most criminal defendants, especially those that are fairly notorious for whatever reason, are told to lay low. Running for office while under indictment is the polar antithesis of “laying low.” And Trump is not only basing his re-election bid on the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen from both him and his acolytes, but that he is being persecuted by a “weaponized” Justice Department acting by and through Joe Biden.
Never mind that the indictments were brought in the name of the United States of America. Never mind that they were handed up by Grand Juries consisting of his fellow citizens. Never mind that they are both extremely fact intensive. Never mind the fact that the Government is undoubtedly loaded for bear or these cases wouldn’t have gotten this far.
And so far, Trump has made it a match between good and evil. Trump has actually gone so far as to have stated that he is being indicted for his base.
That’s a good one. Donald Trump. Christ-figure of the Republican Primary.
And what if he pops off on social media while the trial is underway? I can very easily see him complain about any rulings that go against him. That puts a lot of pressure on a judge who at that point might be forced to consider whether to issue a gag order against a candidate for President.
But societal norms or a sense of shame or human dignity have never much mattered to Donald Trump. Neither has consistency of thought. Even at this late dates it sounds like he is still willing to say the first thing that pops into his head. And then deny that he ever said it. (As an aside, this was written on Friday afternoon. As I wrote this, Trump was popping off on social media about going after his persecutors. DOJ has brought this to the Court’s attention. The Judge wants a response from his attorneys by Monday. Here we go.)
And this is the man that, most likely, will be the GOP standard bearer in the general election.
The GOP. The party that once stood for law and order.
God help us.
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