Defiant Trump

Defying the Law is not Heroic.

Dear Republicans, please understand that defying the rule of law is an attack on the foundation of our Democratic republic. The actions by former President Trump and you in his defense are an assault on Justice.

He and you are guilty of attempting the illegal overthrow of elections and promoting insurrection, both felonies and high crimes.

The more extended Trump patrons hang on to him, the greater chance of you being entrapped in his illegal web.

There will be a day for legal retribution for attacking our democracy.

The New Yorker

Verbal Attacks on the Prosecutor and Judge

Trump's attacking the prosecutor, his family and the judge is despicable, though the judge will tolerate it up to a limit. If Trump's tirades affect seating a jury or otherwise promote violence, that makes him vulnerable to punishment.

The National Judicial College reports:

"We asked judges if they see an increase in verbal attacks on them in the courtroom, and a clear majority (65 percent) of the 571 NJC alumni who responded said they are not.

Judges are also showing abundant restraint when they do receive such attacks. Only 3 percent said they immediately hold such offenders in contempt.

Those results come from the NJC's Question of the Month for November, which was two questions: Are you seeing increased verbal attacks, insulting remarks, or hate speech made toward you in the courtroom? And what is your typical response? The choices for response were: hold in contempt, warn the person that they are risking being held in contempt, ignore it, or "Other."

"If the offending conduct persisted, then I would warn the individual that they are at risk of being held in contempt," wrote Judge Deborah A. Dowling of the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division.

Of the 463 judges who disclosed how they typically respond to verbal attacks, the top choice was "Other," followed by a warning of potential contempt (37 percent) and ignoring the remark (11 percent). However, most "Other" voters explained that their typical response is akin to a warning."

https://www.judges.org/news-and-info/judges-say-verbal-attacks-on-them-in-court-arent-up-but-something-else-is/

MSNBC

Possible Scenario

Donald Trump, the twice impeached former president, and failed gameshow host, arrives for his arraignment following days of public attacks against the prosecutor, the judge, and the legal system.

He is processed and surely will get a mugshot. Next, he appears before the judge and prosecutor, is confronted with the charges, and is asked how he pleads.

Though his defense attorney has advised him to say little and plead not guilty, Trump will be overwhelmed with emotion and humiliation and launch into a tirade.

The judge will warn him that he will be held in contempt if he persists. As the charges are read, and he is asked to respond, he will lose it again and disparage the prosecutor. 

The judge will order him restrained by handcuffs and charges him with contempt. 

Trump bellows and the judge orders him to be held in a cell to cool off.

The judge will summon Trump's defense attorney to the bench, where the attorney is warned that his client may be detained indefinitely. 

CBS News

Scoring Asa Hutchinson

Begin by reviewing and vetting the candidate's resume.

 

Asa Hutchinson Resume

 

46th Governor of Arkansas

In office January 13, 2015 – January 10, 2023

 

Chair of the National Governors Association

In office July 8, 2021 – July 15, 2022

 

Vice Chair of the National Governors Association

In office August 5, 2020 – July 8, 2021

 

Under Secretary of Homeland Security for

Border and Transportation Security

In office January 23, 2003 – March 1, 2005

 

8th Administrator

of the Drug Enforcement Administration

In office August 8, 2001 – January 23, 2003

 

Member of the U.S.

House of Representatives from Arkansas's 3rd district

In office January 3, 1997 – August 6, 2001

 

Chair

of the Arkansas Republican Party

In office January 1, 1990 – January 1, 1995

 

United States Attorney for the Western

District of Arkansas

In office September 1, 1982 – January 20, 1985

 

Personal details

Born William Asa Hutchinson II

December 3, 1950 (age 72)

Bentonville, Arkansas, U.S.

 

Political party republican

Spouse Susan Burrell

(m.1973)

Children 4

 

Education

Bob Jones University (BA) Noted: Refused to admit Black students until 1971. The university president announced the death of Pope Paul VI by calling him “archpriest of Satan, a deceiver, and he has, like Judas, gone to his own place.” Banned students from watching movies until 1971.

 

University of Arkansas (JD) Ranking matters: 

The University of Arkansas is ranked #176 out of 443 National Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Read more about how we rank schools.

Apply the Scoring Worksheet and Method prescribed in How to Select an American President.

I scored Asa Hutchinson with 65 points, ten more than Nikki Haley. How did you score him? Let me know in the comments. Asa's score is higher than the original for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton who were tied at 35 points and a poor score.

Kick Me

Who are the "Republican Leaders" who will go down in history as Trump's accomplices in crimes against the nation?

Many Republicans will face investigations and possible prosecution following the indictments of Trump and trials to come in which they will appear as co-conspirators, I THINK.

Republicans are lining up while "Kick Me" stickers are on their backs.

Cruz, a former Supreme Court clerk and litigator, knows the burden of proof in criminal cases. And despite Trump having nastily attacked Cruz and his family in the past, the senator nonetheless defended his party's de facto leader.

Rand Paul warns Trump indictment would be a 'disgusting abuse of power,' says DA 'should be put in jail.'

Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Bragg had "irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our presidential election."

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, took the extraordinary step last week to involve Congress in an open investigation by sending a letter, along with two other House Republican chairs, demanding that Bragg provide communications, documents, and testimony about his investigation.

Sen. Lindsey Graham joked that Trump should "punch a cop" on his way to being booked in Manhattan.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia pledged to travel to New York on Tuesday in protest.

"Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, widely viewed as Trump's leading potential presidential primary rival, rushed to condemn the prosecutor who brought the Manhattan case that led to the historic indictment of the former president Thursday."

"David McIntosh, president of the Club for Growth, a conservative anti-tax group seeking a replacement for Trump as the face of the Republican Party, said the indictment had already generated sympathy for the former president."

"I believe this will help President Trump politically — but it's horrible for our country and the judicial system," Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, and Trump ally, said in an interview. "This is the ultimate weaponization of our judicial system and a despicable political maneuver."

During an interview with Newsmax, Alan Dershowitz, an emeritus Harvard law professor, said a mug shot of Trump could serve as a poster for the former president's campaign.

Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist — a former Trump administration official Sebastian Gorka called for supporters to "peacefully protest" the indictment.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., a top supporter of Trump's and a member of the House Republican leadership, called for people to "peacefully organize," a notable statement after Trump urged his supporters to protest before an indictment. 

Daryl Cagle courtesy of politicalcartoons.com

Republicans Rail About Weaponized Justice

I am not sure that the current crop of Republicans will ever come to grips with what THEY have done and are DOING. They are the ones in Congress using committees to investigate Biden without facts. That is weaponizing congressional power.

Republicans declared the Mueller Probe and January 6 Probe were weaponizing Justice. What precipitated those investigations? An audit trail of factual information triggered them, and it continues today as Justice pursues the prosecution of Donald J. Trump. As my example shows, the probes did not come from thin air. It is the tip of the iceberg.  

"President Donald Trump repeatedly has called for the Justice Department to launch investigations into "corruption" at the FBI, "illegal surveillance" of his presidential campaign, and the "phony" and "corrupt dossier," which he still insists started the federal probe of contacts between Russian operatives and his associates." -- ABC News, July 23, 2019

Fact: DECEMBER 2015: Michael Flynn, the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, attends a gala in Moscow celebrating the Kremlin-backed television network RT, which paid Flynn more than $45,000 to attend. Flynn, who does not join the Trump campaign as an adviser for another few months, is captured on camera sitting next to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

EARLY MARCH 2016: George Papadopoulos becomes a foreign policy adviser to Trump's campaign.

MARCH 14, 2016: While traveling in Italy, Papadopoulos meets a London-based professor who claims to have connections with the Russian government.

AROUND MARCH 24, 2016: While in London, Papadopoulos sends an email to Carter Page and other campaign members, telling them the professor he met in Italy two weeks earlier has introduced him to the Russian ambassador to England and a Russian woman who is supposedly Putin's niece. Papadopoulos says in the email that the two Russians might be able to help set up a meeting between Trump and Putin.

MARCH 2016: The FBI interviews Carter Page about his contacts in Russia.

MARCH 2016: Russian hackers launch an operation to break into computer systems associated with the DNC and email accounts of Clinton campaign staff, including campaign chairman John Podesta.

APRIL 2016: Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-California, meets in Moscow with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. In the summer of 2016, Rohrabacher also met with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, months before the site released hacked Democratic emails received from Russian hackers.

MAY 2016: The DNC realizes it has been hacked and quietly hires a security company to investigate.

MAY 19, 2016: Paul Manafort, who initially joined the Trump campaign in March as a "campaign convention manager" becomes the campaign manager.

LATE MAY 2016: Acting on behalf of the DNC, the law firm Perkins Coie hires Fusion GPS to conduct research on Trump. Having known Steele for nearly seven years, Fusion GPS contracts with Steele to conduct the research.

LATE MAY 2016: Papadopoulos tells the Greek Foreign Minister that the Russians have "dirt" on Hillary Clinton.

 

JUNE 3, 2016: British publicist and Trump associate Rob Goldstone, who came into the Trump orbit when he helped promote and state manage the Miss Universe pageant, emails Donald Trump Jr., saying prominent Russians "offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary." Goldstone says it is "very high level" and "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump." 

JUNE 7, 2016: Goldstone emails Trump Jr. again, looking to set up a meeting between Trump Jr. and a "Russian government attorney." Two days later, Trump Jr. and the attorney meet in Trump Tower, along with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort. 

JUNE 14, 2016: News outlets widely report that Russian hackers working on behalf of Russian intelligence services have infiltrated the DNC and accessed a trove of emails.

Trump's 'zombie' case lurches ahead of the pack 

BY REBECCA BEITSCH AND ZACH SCHONFELD

Some prosecutors called it a "zombie;" other legal observers said it was a "sleeper case." But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's (D) probe into Donald Trump is the first to initiate history-making criminal charges against a former president. 

 

Among the dizzying array of ongoing criminal probes into former President Trump, he faces investigations by both federal and Georgia authorities over his role in seeking to block the transfer of power after the 2020 election. The Justice Department is also investigating the mishandling of classified records at his Florida home.

Image: CNN

Rough Way Ahead

Donald Trump, still being backed by the Republican Party, exposes a grave weakness in the American moral character. 25-35% of Americans support a candidate who is a twice-impeached former president, a failed gameshow host, a constant liar, a misogynist, and a fraudulent business executive is appalling. It staggers common sense.

Now, facing one of many anticipated indictments, Trump will continue to drag his following through his dirt, undermining the rule of law. He is a disgrace to the American democratic republic.

What is to be done about the universe of deplorable voters who Trump and the Republican Party duped? 

Ignorance is intolerable, as are bigotry and hate. Can confidence in the media be restored after the Fox News Channel and its owners blatantly lied and became a propaganda machine for Republicans?

The nation faces a time when political parties need guardrails, laws, and regulations that hold them accountable for platforms and vetting candidates bearing their brand.