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You are here: Home / Politics / Trump Indictments / The Jack Smith Indictment: Next Level Shade

The Jack Smith Indictment: Next Level Shade

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DOJ and Jack Smith (LIVE) Now 2
I’m here to fuck up MAGA world and chew gum, and I’m all out of gum.

MomSense linked to this in an earlier thread.  I apologize in advance for so many tweets, but I know many of you won’t click over and this is totally worth reading.

I am so grateful for this twitter thread – it’s kind of like how the music in Schindler’s list made it tolerable to watch the horrifying story.

So the information in this thread is horrifying, but it’s told in a way that is hysterically funny.  This has fortified me; *I am off to read the whole thing.

*Okay, I have read the whole thing, and this fellow’s description of events seems pretty much dead on.  I am not a lawyer, but it sure seems like they have Trump dead to rights, six ways to Sunday.

Reader Interactions

89Comments

  2. 2.

    Alison Rose

    So the information in this thread is horrifying, but it’s told in a way that is hysterically funny

    This type of thing is one of the best things about Twitter. As much as I loathe Muskrat, if it ever went the way of all flesh, that would be sad.

  3. 3.

    dmsilev

    I’m getting the impression, somehow, that this Trump guy isn’t completely on the up and up. I dunno,, maybe I’m being unfair or leaping to conclusions.

  5. 5.

    WaterGirl

    The indictment is surprisingly readable.  Written in plain English.

    Surely any attorney that Trump tries to hire at this point will have read the indictment and will be able to see (as if it wasn’t apparently before) in black and white that it would be impossible to represent Trump because he doesn’t just lie – he lies to you!

    At this point, only a fool would agree to represent Trump.

  8. 8.

    WaterGirl

    @Frankensteinbeck: Also, if you read down his twitter feed at all, there’s a video of some black fellow at an airport… who has walked away from his bag for a minute to throw something away in a trash can.

    When he comes back, a cop accuses him of stealing someone else’s suitcase, and it’s only after 2 or 3 minute that some nice white lady intervenes, coming over to say they had been sitting near one another an hour ago and that he did indeed have that suitcase then.

    “Oh, if the white lady says you’re okay… well, I’ll listen to her!”

    I swear to god, if I were black I would spontaneously combust with rage every time this shit happens.  As it is I am angry about how wrong it is, but that can’t possibly be the same as having that shit happen to you.  Over and over and over.

  11. 11.

    WaterGirl

    @Frankensteinbeck: Thank you!  That was my first thought, but when I googled I got something entirely different and I second-guessed my initial understanding.

    I didn’t even mind his ALL CAPS, which usually annoy me.  Righteous disbelief!

  12. 12.

    JWR

    because SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT…..are excerpts from quotes that donald trump gave the press during campaigns and his presidency-

    Tell me about it! A few quotes from page 9:

    a. On August 18, 2016, Trump stated, “In my administration, I’m going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified information. No one will be above the law.”

    b. On September 6, 2016, Trump stated, “we also need to fight this battle by collecting intelligence and then protecting, protecting our classified secrets. … we can’t have someone in the Oval Office who doesn’t understand the meaning of the word confidential or classified.“

  14. 14.

    apocalipstick

    It is my contention that most of those boxes are full of Trump’s back issues of Hustler.

  15. 15.

    WaterGirl

    @JaySinWA: I think you’re getting ahead of yourself. :-)

    There’s Tuesday, which is arraignment day. We should probably name and number them.  I would name this one Jack Smith Indictment I, FL.

    Then there’s the other indictment days – I think there will be one or two more indictments from Jack Smith, with at least one in DC.

    For Jack Smith Arraignment I (FL) I plan to make Southern Cobbler with sour cherries instead of peaches.

    For Jack Smith Indictment 2 (FL or DC), I think a nice cherry galette will be nice.

    If we get a Jack Smith Indictment 3 (DC) for Jan 6, I think the chocolate fudge cake is in order.

    I can’t think any further ahead than that.

    edit: Not to mention the indictments of other players – Rudy, Mark Meadows, etc.  So the naming problem needs another layer: Jack Smith Trump Indictment II (DC), Jack Smith Rudy Indictment I, and so on

    edit 2: I might need a spreadsheet. :-)

  17. 17.

    WaterGirl

    @JWR: Those were indeed a thing of beauty!

    Hillary Clinton is a better person than I am.  She appears to have made peace with it; I couldn’t have handled the whole ongoing saga with that much grace.

  18. 18.

    JWR

    @JaySinWA:

    Well, for arraignment day, there s/b an entire thread, in fact, a tbogg level thread, following the helicopter as it follows the black SUV from Marred a Loco to the courthouse. That s/b fun. ;)

  19. 19.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    @Alison Rose: I saw a meme of Bill Cosby braiding drumph’s hair in prison on twitter yesterday. I meant to take a screen shot but didn’t. D’oh! I looked for it again today to no avail.

  23. 23.

    WaterGirl

    Who do you guys most want to be the “Ma’am” in the indictment?

    For me, Ivanka beats out Melania by a mile.  Why?  Because I think they might actually indict Ivanka, but I doubt that they would indict Melania.

    There’s probably a clue in the interaction about “luggage” but it’s hard to park because one is the wife and the other is the daughter-wife – and they both have the same sense of entitlement that you can hear in the exchange.  “Luggage” – which was going to fill the plane – sounds like Melania to me.

  24. 24.

    Jackie

    Thanks for a fresh Indictment post, WaterGirl!

    Two interesting links – one regarding how TIFG’s indictment will influence the GQP Primary timeline:

    https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2023/06/09/how-trumps-indictment-reshapes-the-gop-primary-a-timeline-00101372

    The above Politico link directed me to this opinion that the MAL trial could end BEFORE the end of 2023 – thanks to the Southern District of FL’s “need for speed:”

    “The judges of the SDFL have standard procedures that include an order entered at arraignment establishing a pretrial conference date and hearing at which the parties are required to establish proposed discovery and motion practice deadlines and a trial date. Depending on the complexity of the case the trial date is anywhere from 70 days to 5 months from the arraignment date. Despite what some perceive as a complex case, I believe this indictment is going to stun many in its simplicity and straightforwardness. Jack Smith will make this simple and place the onus on Trump to present evidence to contradict these simple truths and the prosecution will be prepared to rebut all the defense theories which might be presented.”

    Much more here:

    https://info.cooley.edu/blog/cooley-law-professor-jeffrey-swartz-provides-analysis-on-trump-case-and-the-southern-district-of-florida

  26. 26.

    Alison Rose

    @WaterGirl: I assumed Ivanka right away, but I’ve seen many people say that the syntax sounds more like Melania. But…I mean, how long has the bitch known English? As I said in an earlier thread, it’s possible that even though Ivanka might be the smartest one among that family, that’s a bar set so low, you gotta call PG&E before you lay it down.

  27. 27.

    Dangerman

    The valet/aide is going to jail. There are probably some Secret Service folks that need to be at least fired if not go to jail, too.

  28. 28.

    WaterGirl

    @Jackie: What Politico described is much like the Alvin Bragg arraignment – where the just laid out exactly that kind of calendar on Day 1.

    I think this Indictment was crafted specifically to not leave room for anything to slow it down.  No slowdown over venue.  No slowdown for Trump to argue that he declassified anything, etc.

    He kept it really, really simple.  I just don’t see how even a MAGA couldn’t see that they have Trump dead to rights.

  29. 29.

    Geminid

    Trump is scheduled to appear tomorrow at the Georgia Republican convention, in Colunbus, Georgia. It should be a very receptive audience.

  31. 31.

    JaySinWA

    @WaterGirl: We need traditions for these things.

    Let them eat cake days for indictments can be a bit hard since they pop up at random.

    Arraignment days seem to give a bit more notice so more elaborate prep might be in order.

    Conviction (and lack of conviction) days are haphazard and might not deliver, so they need some flexibility.

    We also need “feed the anxiety” menus for the waiting periods in between, but that’s a kind of “lack of conviction”

    I think ice cream might work for all of them. OTOH while it theoretically could be available at any time, it is unlikely to be on hand at any given time in this house..

  34. 34.

    Jackie

    @JaySinWA: Arraignment Day is WaterGirl’s birthday, so double celebrations. It’s also the Eve of MY birthday which I plan to enjoy by continuing to celebrate Arraignment Day MUCH more festively than TIFG (who I unfortunately share my BD with) will!😁

  35. 35.

    WaterGirl

    @JaySinWA: You make some good points.

    I would argue, though, that feeding anxiety requires some sort of crunch, and something you can’t finish in 5-15 minutes, like cake or ice cream.  Or adult beverages

    Crunch.  Potato chips, Tortilla chips.  Toasted flour tortillas.  Crunch.

  36. 36.

    frosty

    @WaterGirl: ​ Yes, a spreadsheet is definitely required. I’m not sure you have to go the next step and identify various features, rank them from 1 to 5, weight them correctly, then sum up to determine the best cake for each indictment. Although I wouldn’t dismiss that approach out of hand, either. That’s my method for buying … well, for buying damn near anything now that I think about it,

  37. 37.

    StringOnAStick

    @Geminid: Anyone want to lay odds that tRump tries out directly calling for civil disobedience by his cult members at this GA thing for next Tuesday?  There’s already some bird droppings from a far right Congressman that looks either like it was written by someone with aphasia or they are writing in code to trigger the most committed crazies.

  38. 38.

    bbleh

    @WaterGirl: I agree that it’s at least a coin-flip that we’ll be hearing more from Jack “Sure That’s His Real Name” Smith.  I find it hard to believe they’d take so much time presenting to a GJ in DC without some conception of an indictment there.

    @StringOnAStick: aw, he’ll just make the usual vague allusions to action and violence as he nails himself loudly and repeatedly to the cross.  He almost never directs (“we’re gonna march to the Capitol” being a notable exception); rather, like a good mob boss, he hints and suggests.  And most of it is about the moaning and the victimology anyway.  That audience doesn’t really wanna put their fat White asses at risk; they just wanna wallow in victimhood and imagine themselves gunning down Libruls in the name of Freedom.

  39. 39.

    WaterGirl

    @bbleh: What isn’t 47 pages?  The indictment?  Or the twitter thread?

    Once you get a few items down in Trumps list of 37 charges, you get to the one where it’s clear that it’s so secret that they can’t even tell you what it’s about, even in broad terms.

    I skipped all the rest of the charges after that – that saves you 7 pages!

  40. 40.

    RaflW

    @WaterGirl: “The indictment is surprisingly readable.  Written in plain English.” This is one of the things I think has changed a ton in the era of the internet.

    Pre say, the early naughts, newspapers would have written some fairly long articles detailing the gist of the indictment, but the document itself would probably have been written more in court language and less for lay consumption. Reporters and editors who follow criminal cases would have digested it for us. Likewise a ‘courts’ type reporter would do s stand-up in front of DOJ or the Miami federal building or something.

    But two shifts have occurred in recent decades. A push for plain language legal documents, and the posting for all to see of the full text of investigative reports, indictments, etc.

    Smart folks like Smith write for an eager general-knowledge audience knowing that it will — at least for a chunk of us — short circuit the media role, which too often either sensationalizes, or nitpicks minor items, or just flat out spins things.

    I like it.

  41. 41.

    JWR

    @WaterGirl:

    Those were indeed a thing of beauty!

    Yes, they were! And one more, for emphasis:

    e. On November 3, 2016, Trump stated, “Service members here in North Carolina have risked their lives to acquire classified intelligence to protect our country.”

    So now we now what a liar liar pants on fire he really is. ;)

  45. 45.

    RaflW

    @JWR: OTOH, continuing my thought. If I were a courts reporter for a paper or TV, I might feel slightly insulted that Smith seems to think he has to spoon feed me the relevant hypocrisies (nb: Sadly, he has to spoon feed some of our current press).

  46. 46.

    bbleh

    @WaterGirl: lol no I mean that “47 pages” can scare people off, but reading this ain’t like reading 47 pages of much anything.  What with the double-spacing and the tables and the lists of penalties for the various charges (ooo, delicious!), it’s more like about 15 pages of actual reading.

    And this is for sure Smith’s doing. Just like his presser.  Short, sweet, and to the point.

    (And yes, technically certain classifications are themselves classified, as is clearance for them.)

  47. 47.

    RaflW

    @WaterGirl: What does one bake for a Georgia state indictment? I just ate some fantastic cheesecake with chocolate ganache. Store-bought, but from one of the fancy grocery stores – brought by a guest to a potluck last night on our back deck.

    It was kind of nice to have a large handful of friends over when the news hit (someone’s phone pinged the news at the breaking moment). We took a couple minutes to savor the moment, but then went on with our sociable evening. I said to my partner later that I actually enjoyed not immediately obsessively coming to BJ, Musty’s place, etc.

    I knew there’d be lots of time to pour over all the delicious schaden and freude.

  48. 48.

    scav

    @JaySinWA: There should be some fast cake alternatives I would hope.  Cobblers / Crisps / Crumbles / Slumps / Buckles / . . . ?  Heading into fruit season and they’re all similar enough to work with whatever’s in the pantry.  Besides, I love the names.  Celebrating watching him crumble, or enjoying the slump.  Telling cobblers. Bucking under pressure. Burnt to crisp. . . . .

    Basics

  50. 50.

    Ruckus

    @WaterGirl:

    And if that black person did that, which would be 100000% understandable, the level of shit that would rain down on him would be like a tornado and hurricane all in one. We as white people need to interject like that white lady did. Because while I doubt I will ever see this change in my lifetime, the only way it will change is if we all change it. Demand it, in our elected officials, to also demand it of the people that work for ALL of us.

    I believe that I’ve told this story before but back in early 80s my business was just south east of downtown LA, in the LAPD Newton district and one day about 11am this black girl, I’d say over 18, normally dressed was walking down the street by herself. An unmarked LAPD car drove up, 5 cops got out, all looked over 6’2″ and surrounded her and harassed her for about 15 minutes before they let her leave. I was about 1/2 sure they were going to beat the crap out of her. I said normally dressed because only a few blocks away a friend of mine owned a truck repair shop and I’d seen girls standing on the corner dressed in a manor that could only be described as hooker.

  51. 51.

    WaterGirl

    @bbleh: Yeah, scav and I had an exchange in an earlier thread.  Between the two of us, after our exchange, this is what I landed on for a description of his 3-minute announcement speech.

    Measured, riveting, yet blisteringly fast recitation of the key points.  Sharp man.  The eye of a hurricane.

  52. 52.

    RaflW

    @bbleh: I think the steady drumbeat of J6 insurrectionist convictions, some with real penalties, and some hitting key organizers, may tamp down on things. Beyond moderate gawping and some lame demonstrations, anyway.

    Sure some really dumb MOCs are trying to stir the pot, but I think a lot of MAGAs saw that the right wing didn’t show up with money or lawyers after whipping up the frenzy.

  53. 53.

    bbleh

    @WaterGirl: it’ll all be drunk-guy-on-a-barstool sh!t.  “We gotta take our country back, folks, I tellya, we gotta take our country back. You know what I’m talkin’ about.  We gotta take it back.  And if that means we gotta lock and load, then that’s what we gotta do. We gotta take our country back. Take it to the streets, like they say. Lock and load, take it to the streets. Gotta take our country back…”  The yokels will eat it up and send him tens of thousands of dollars.  And then they’ll all get in their pickups and SUVs and go home to their keyboards and La-Z-Boys.

  54. 54.

    WaterGirl

    @RaflW: Well, for GA I would have to go with the Souther Cobbler, since GA is also in the south.  My recipe comes from my best friend’s mom, who lives in KY.

    I don’t really know any other southern style desserts.

  55. 55.

    different-church-lady

    @frosty: See, now this is the kind of thing AI would be really good at. But nooooo, everyone wants to use it to cheat a college.

  57. 57.

    Scout211

    I dunno, but shouldn’t Trump’s new lawyer be telling the idiot to STFU?

    Trump’s TruthSocial page, a few choice selections of first class crazy:

    Biden pressed Jack Smith to do this in order to take the pressure off the fact that they caught him stealing $5 Million.

     

    This Case has nothing to do with the Espionage Act, it only has to do with the Presidential Records Act, and also the Clinton Socks Case. It is a SCAM!

     

    The News Conference just given by Deranged Special Prosecutor (and Trump Hater) Jack Smith was one of the weakest ever. After putting our Country through Hell, with fake charges about a “No Crime” under the Presidential Records Act, the Clinton Socks Case, and more, he sheepishly spoke for three minutes, said nothing, and walked off the stage. He is a Coward and a Thug!

  60. 60.

    bbleh

    @Scout211: shouldn’t Trump’s new lawyer be telling the idiot to STFU?

    Absolutely yes, the problem being that, judging from from all available evidence, that has not worked so well in the past.

  61. 61.

    RaflW

    @JaySinWA: Oh, I agree. It’s not fluff. But it is interesting that as these documents have moved to more plain english, I think there is more incentive to build these items into the charging documents and not just introduce them at trial. But I’m very, very armchair and could be overthinking it.

  62. 62.

    WaterGirl

    @Ruckus: Yeah, I tried to intervene in Union Station in Chicago.

    Waiting in line with a nice young man, who was in the military and coming home for Christmas.  Black, of course.

    There was a special area for business class and military, both of whom get seated on the train early.  So I’ve been chatting with this fellow in line for awhile so I know where he’s serving and I know what town he’s headed to, etc.

    And some Amtrak security person in uniform doesn’t want to let this guy be in the special line to be allowed to go to the train earlier.  They demanded to see his first class ticket (though didn’t demand to see mine) and when he didn’t have that they tried to boot him out.

    I stepped in and spoke up and the fucking authoritarian security guy threatened me with arrest if I didn’t stay out of it.  I have to say that shut me up, which is surely shameful.

    I saw Bella Abzug speek in person at my university and I will never forget what she said:  “I have always had a strong sent of outrage.”

    That’s me to a T.

  63. 63.

    RaflW

    @WaterGirl: If I still liked Lemon Chess pie, I could suggest that.

    My dad’s partner made really good pecan pie (she swears it’s just the recipe from the Karo bottle, but hers never seemed as cloying as restaurant or grocery pecan pie. If I had to guess, she had a heavy hand with the actual pecans. That’s the good part anyway, innit?).

  65. 65.

    RaflW

    @Scout211: The Clinton “Socks Case”. Ohhhkaaaay. I won’t click on a Washington (Moonie) Times link, but apparently this loony theory isn’t related to Socks the cat.

  67. 67.

    geg6

    @bbleh:

    Yep.  And I must say I’m here for it.  Amazing, devastating, succinct writing.  My admiration knows few bounds.

  68. 68.

    JaySinWA

    @RaflW: I think we are seeing more of the speaking indictments as gag orders are fewer and less effective. It is one area where the prosecution can make their case publicly without looking like mugging for the press. It seems that most Federal prosecutors have speech restrictions that defense attorneys don’t.

  69. 69.

    Ken

    @Scout211: It’s possible that the lawyer is going for a mental incompetency defense. And I can think of no better way to establish that than letting Trump be Trump.

  70. 70.

    Ruckus

    @WaterGirl:

    I’ve been in Chicago Union Station and that was not exactly a place I’d want to raise a ruckus with the official assholes. I did see one drunk asshole on elevated there get played, and very well by a guy who never even put his paper down. Train makes a stop, a drunk with a half gallon wine bottle about 1/2 full gets on. He starts harassing the woman sitting next to me and 3 or 4 of us are about ready to physically throw this guy off at the next stop. But the newspaper guy, when the train stopped said “Hey isn’t this your stop?” and the guy bolted for the door, which shut behind him and the train took off. That guy got a well deserved ovation.

  72. 72.

    jonas

    @Ken: ​
      That would seem to be the only conceivable out, but the problem is there’s too much in the indictment proving mens rea. He’s clearly and deliberately plotting to conceal his theft of the documents, both with his lawyers and with his valet. He sounds fucking bugnuts in his truth social posts, but he’s clearly a lucid, scheming motherfucker in the tapes and depositions DOJ has.

  74. 74.

    jonas

    @Scout211: ​
     

    shouldn’t Trump’s new lawyer be telling the idiot to STFU?

    Yes. Yes he should. And that’s the reason my money’s on this Blanche guy lasting a couple of weeks at the most.

  79. 79.

    Barry

    @WaterGirl: “Well, for GA I would have to go with the Souther Cobbler, since GA is also in the south.  My recipe comes from my best friend’s mom, who lives in KY.”

     

    The correct answer is, of course, peach cobbler or peach pie.

  81. 81.

    Betty

    This is way late, but I would like to note that based on her avatar, Fooler Initiative is female.

  83. 83.

    AM in NC

    Truly, the shade is magnificent.

    The indictment basically writes the Dems’ (or other GOP candidates’) commercials for them – simply alternate the footage in the pull quotes from Trump where he talks about how anyone who mishandles classified info should be barred from being Prez. again, thrown in jail, executed, etc. with sections of the indictment that describe the horrific lawbreaking (over photos of the boxes spilling out, on a ballroom stage, in a bathroom, etc).

    And end with the most devastating own-goal quote directly from Trump’s mouth with a screen showing: A grand jury of American citizens in Florida determined that Donald J. Trump should be arrested and charged with 37 felonies for endangering our national security and undermining the safety of our armed forces.

  84. 84.

    AM in NC

    @WaterGirl:  After reading it a couple times, I think the quote is from Melania. Both from the language strangeness and the absolutely wifely entitlement over the luggage.  All of these people are entitled, disgusting, assholes.   Melania very much included.

    If she knew what was going on with the boxes, lock her ass up too – she aided and abetted this guy’s criming the entire time, while letting him attack immigrants who did EXACTLY what she and her grifting family did to get into the USA.

  85. 85.

    Bill Arnold

    Some nearby neighbor has fired at least 100 rounds in the last 10 minutes. If they keep it up, they will match the last time they did that, which was right after Trump was declared the loser in the 2020 election.
    Betcha they’re taking the calls to (prep for) civil war seriously.
    Another 35 rounds as I type this.
    Hmm.

  87. 87.

    mwing

    Hi- Did the DoJ ever do a search warrant/ voluntary search of Bedminster? If not do we know why not?

    I remember even last August when they did the search of Mar-a-Lago, even back then there was plenty of reporting that Trump may have moved papers belonging to the federal government from MaL to Bedminster- it was all over the place.
    Now we know from the indictment he not only did so but was waving stuff around to visitors….really, did they search Bedminster, if not why on earth not?

  88. 88.

    Another Scott

    @mwing: An earlier comment from one of our esteemed lawyers said that a search warrant has to be for a specific thing at a specific place.  They can’t just turn the whole place upside down, and they have to tell the judge exactly what they’re searching for and why.

    Sounds legit.

    As to why?  Dunno.  Maybe they know he took the boxes back to MaL and they already have whatever it was.  Maybe something else.  Whatever the reason, I trust them to know what they’re doing and have a reason for not turning Bedminster and Trump Tower and all the rest upside down.

    IANAL.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  89. 89.

    mwing

    @Another Scott:  Thanks, I think I get it now. So like from a normal-person, non-lawyer point of view, the fact he had stuff in location A means it’s likely he had stuff in location B as well, and well, why wouldn’t you look?
    But as you say, DoJ for a search warrant can’t operate that way, they have to go by specific info about a specific location, which at the time I guess they did not have for Bedminster.
    And i get that this is, frustrating, but ..probably  right?

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