New audio from America’s (No Longer Official) Hoarder-in-Chief, as described by Josh Marshall at TPM:
CNN got a copy of the audio recording noted in the Mar-a-Lago indictment in which Trump shows off highly classified military plans for an attack on Iran to some randoms who were putting together a biography of Mark Meadows. I’m not sure which is more shocking: that he was doing this or that someone was writing a Mark Meadows bio. But however that may be, CNN has the recording. It was from 2021 and the recording was made at Trump’s Bedminster golf club.
It’s about as it was described in the indictment. But hearing it does make it come alive in a different way. He’s so guilty as sin it really does beggar belief. He says it’s highly classified; that it would be cool if he could declassify it now but he can’t because he’s no longer President; and he’s showing it to just random people. The recording makes clear that he’s entirely aware of every link in the chain of criminality. You can listen to it here.
I’m certainly not willing to exonerate Trump of eventual plans to share or sell or profit, literally or figuratively for disclosing the contents of these documents to others. I just resist those theories because they’re too literal, too limited. The conversation caught on tape here captures a lot of why he held on to this stuff.
It meant he still had juice, had secrets he could hold over people. He could reward people or punish them…
There are so many people Trump is mad at or wants to get back at I wouldn’t even have remembered that this is one of his grievances. But clearly it is. It’s another chit. Something he’s got over Milley. For Trump it’s all about how he can help you or hurt you. In his mind these documents give him juice. That’s why he wants them. It’s power. And in his mind they’re really his anyway, just like the whole US government was and, he hopes, could be again in less than two years.
I put the tweets with the actual recording at the end of this post, below the fold.
In another place:
Among the many lives Trump has ruined, and he doesn’t care about any of them. https://t.co/ZRV5MqXMgd
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) June 27, 2023
… Brian Mock of Minnesota was arrested in June 2021 and was later indicted on several charges including civil disorder; assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; and theft of government property. His bench trial before Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, where Mock is representing himself pro se, began last week and is set to resume on July 11, when Mock will retake the stand in his own defense.
Mock’s son A.J. Mock was one of several tipsters who turned him into the FBI after the Capitol attack. The younger Mock indicated in his testimony that his father told him that he might not come back after Jan. 6…
“What you guys did today was treason and a homeland security threat … Everyone there should be locked up for the rest of their lives, including you,” A.J. Mock wrote in a message to his dad that was introduced as evidence at trial. “You STORMED THE F—ING CAPITOL.” …
A.J. Mock said that his dad was like a broken record when it came to talking about the 2020 presidential election, which Brian Mock believed was stolen. A.J. Mock said he’d make an effort to avoid discussing the topic with his dad and that he “tried to tune it out” when his father talked about the election…
Video cited by the government shows Mock shoving an officer and appearing to kick an officer. “Get out!” Mock yelled at officers in the videos. “Go!” Video cited by the government then shows Mock shoving another officer, and then picking up multiple riot shields and passing them back into the mob…
Brian Mock said that he’d forgiven his son right away when he learned that A.J. Mock had turned him into the FBI and asked his son whether he would lie on the stand to keep him out of jail.
“No,” A.J. Mock said at trial. “I just want the truth to be heard.”
“You know I’m proud of you, right?” the defendant asked.
“Yes,” his son replied.
“And you know I love you, right?” the defendant asked.
“Yes,” A.J. Mock replied.
The government didn’t object. Outside the courtroom after the testimony, both men shed tears…
But, hey: Fantastic content!
LOOK AT THIS CLASSIFIED THING RIGHT HERE THAT IS TOTALLY CLASSIFIED THAT I AM SHOWING YOU RIGHT HERE https://t.co/PHGYUOCBlk
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) June 27, 2023
Very funny how every time there’s a Trump scandal there’s either a tape/writing of them spelling out the crime in very specific detail. Like in the Russia scandal, literally was an email saying ‘do you want to do collusion w/ the Russian govt?” and Trump Jr was like, “Hell yeah!”
— Centrism Fan Acct ?? (@Wilson__Valdez) June 27, 2023
Tom Nichols, professional pessimist:
Honestly, if Trump is acquitted or gets a hung jury – as probably will happen in Florida – it’s gonna be the national security version of the OJ verdict
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) June 27, 2023
rikyrah
Nichols’ tweet is why Dolt45 should be charged in New Jersey.
The entire tape is enraging, but, one of those sycophants bringing up Hillary really pissed me off!
Scout211
I read the news story about the Mock family. It’s a sad story of a love/hate relationship between a father and son. The DOJ got the tip from the son but didn’t call him as a prosecution witness. So the dad called him as a witness for the defense and put his son through what seemed to me like an abusive and manipulative testimony.
I hope the jury sees this man like I do.*
*An abusive father and a narcissistic assh*le.
Betty Cracker
When CNN was crowing about EXCLUSIVELY having the recording yesterday, I wondered what the big deal was since the indictment describes it in detail. But having listened to it, I get it now. There’s something about hearing it in Trump’s by turns whiny, aggrieved and braggadocious voice that makes it real, you know?
Related: after the indictments dropped, I read a story in WSJ that claims prosecutors were very much up in the air about bringing charges in the documents case until they heard this same recording, which sealed the deal. Great job, Trump! Way to let your big fat mouth vaporize whatever unearned impunity you accrued!
Old School
Do you really trust your lying eyes/ears?
narya
@rikyrah: I have a theory that he WILL be charged in NJ, for disseminating documents/NDI. AND I think he’ll be charged for the grift/fake electors, I just don’t have a good guess whether that one will be part of a J6 charge (which could include conspiracy or RICO [don’t tell Popehat I mentioned RICO]) or separate from it. There; I said it.
Alison Rose
@rikyrah: I imagine that when Hillary heard it, she rolled her eyes so hard she saw her own brain.
Why you so obsessed with me, boy I wanna know…
Baud
The woman laughing on the tape is super annoying.
Scout211
@Betty Cracker: Also, the CNN audiotape has a few portions not on the DOJ version.
And as discussed in the overnight thread, the giggling (flirting?) women in the background. 🤮
Baud
@narya:
I hope he gets charged for J6, but I’d imagine coming by the evidence will be hard, unless Meadows has the goods or Trump made another dumb recording like this one.
ETtheLibrarian
A man his age should have learned to keep his yap shut.
But this is what happens when one has never had to face a consequence for running his mouth, he can’t learn. Then there is the fact that he is to stupid and arrogant to listen to his lawyers – even the C-level ones he has now (and he has had enough experience with those to have definitely learned to listen to the people he is paying to keep him out of hot water).
@Scout211: sad that Justice seem to care more about the father/son relationship than the father did.
Baud
More fun reading not to be taken too seriously.
Alison Rose
@Baud: I KNOW. Imagine trying to play up to this man like that.
brantl
It’s kind of sad that we let a person too stupid to run a 7/11 run our country.
Scout211
@Baud: The interviewers for the Meadows book likely have lots of audiotapes. And I would guess that all the tapes of Trump talking are in evidence now.
My hope is that there are more audiotapes of Trump implicating himself because that tape was short. And that interview was done by a female. He likely bragged all the way through it to impress her.
CaseyL
His lawyers may go for a type of insanity defense: Trump is too sociopathic/narcissistic to have a mens rea; i.e., he didn’t believe he was doing anything wrong.
(Though hiding the documents from the FBI agents coming to get them might argue against that.)
Or maybe they’ll just hope to get a Trumpy on the jury who will refuse to convict.
Teri Kanefield, BTW, argues that Cannon did not step in it when she (Cannon) denied without prejudice the Government’s motion to keep the witness lists hidden from view. Kanefield says this gives the Government an opportunity to file in support of its motion by specifying, in court documents, all the instances of Trump & Co. tampering with witnesses in this and other cases. Making it an official part of the court record, rather than something “everyone knows.”
p.a.
Apologies if previously noted and going off-topic (well it is Rethug Venality) but a biggie via TPM:
The Supreme Court rejected the independent state legislature theory in a bombshell decision Tuesday, turning back a right-wing attempt to vest the sole power in administering federal elections with state legislatures.
“The Elections Clause does not vest exclusive and independent authority in state legislatures to set the rules regarding federal elections,” Chief Justice John Roberts writes for the majority.
Roberts was joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Kavanaugh also wrote in concurrence. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, joined by Justices Neil Gorsuch in full and Samuel Alito in part.
Andrew Abshier
I am hoping that the prosecution will do some righteous screening of the jury pool before a jury is seated. At least in my experience on jury duty, most people take the responsibility seriously. I’m hoping the sheer weight of evidence will lead to a conviction on at least some of the counts.
oatler
Someone’s disinformation campaign is paying off when the GOP reply to everything is “it was all Deepfake from the bottom up”.
rikyrah
David Darmofal (@david_darmofal) tweeted at 6:59 AM on Tue, Jun 27, 2023:
A big problem Republicans have is that, contrary to the media’s claims, they actually have a very weak bench. When your next generation of leaders is Jordan & MTG, you have no one who can go up against Trump in this race once you realize DeSantis doesn’t have it.
(https://twitter.com/david_darmofal/status/1673662449000628224?t=GgrH0BqIZHVopaKqdEWwDg&s=03)
Jerzy Russian
@Scout211: Yes, that is what I was thinking: The elder Mock has a 6th degree black belt in assholery.
Delk
And then there was a bunch of slapping sounds and Bill Clinton can be heard saying,”Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!”
Hillary sure lives rent free in these deplorable heads.
Jerzy Russian
@Scout211:
Yes, in my experience bragging about law breaking is the perfect way to attract females. It is certainly less painful than butting heads like those bighorn sheep do.
Ken
Negging works better. Except when it doesn’t.
Carlo Graziani
On the subject of a potential hung jury, or an outright acquittal: How much discretion do Federal prosecutors have in shaping a jury by peremptory dismissals nowadays? For example, would it be possible to exclude a jury candidate who admitted to entertaining doubts concerning the legitimacy of Biden’s election, or who ranted about “Stop The Steal” on social media? Or would those be exclusion criteria that might apply to the J6 trial but not to the MAL trial?
Jerzy Russian
Also too: I laughed at the part about Marshall being dumbfounded that someone was working on a biography of Mark Meadows. On the one hand, I have to feel sorry for Meadows, but on the other hand, fuck him.
zhena gogolia
@rikyrah: Yeah!
And like, it’s so conclusive. Yeah, Milley just draws up plans for his own amusement, NOT BECAUSE THE POTUS ASKED HIM TO
zhena gogolia
@Baud: She’s no Cassidy Hutchison.
Jeffro
David’s clearly forgetting Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and of course, Kevin McCarthy. //
When they complain about the Dems not having a deep bench, GOP = Gobs Of Projection
The Moar You Know
OT but not:
Independent State Legislature bullshit REJECTED by Supreme Court.
Grateful. That could have gone very badly
Gorsuch, Alito and Thomas were in favor. Of course. Those three have to go.
narya
@Baud: I’m wondering what the feds will get/have gotten from Shroyer. They got access to all his media, and he was a member of the friends of Stone group [spit] and things like that. What I’m suspecting is that the case is going to be something like, here were all the prongs (false electors in multiple states; continuing to claim fraud even when two different groups he hired said “no fraud”; fundraising that claimed fraud; encouraging groups to come to the capital; the call to Raffensberger)–essentially, multiple things thrown against the wall, with the intent of delaying certification until he could declare martial law and take over. Big and complex, though.
Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg
@rikyrah:
I hadn’t thought about that – MAGA has really hollowed out the GOP bench.
I’m pretty certain that I’d deplore about 80% of whatever policies someone like Chris Christie would espouse, but compared to, well, ALL of the rest of their candidates, he seems like a somber and serious statesmen who wouldn’t do nearly as much damage to people’s lives. Unfortunately, this quality makes it impossible for him to win a GOP primary.
Jeffro
J-Rubs is on point here: follow the money, No Labels can’t hide its right-wing ties
Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg
@Carlo Graziani:
Given Trump’s prominence, challenges for cause will be numerous and unlimited; there will be dozens of peremptories allowed.
The real risk is that some of them will be too cute by far and will lie to try to get onto the jury.
Geminid
@Jeffro: Politico had a story today about the Republican presidential race. I didn’t read it, but I sure liked the title:
schrodingers_cat
@CaseyL: David Brooks has already tried that on the Snooze Hour.
Jeffro
It has.
I’m glad that Brian Kemp (GA) is in poor standing with the MAGA crowd; I wish Glenn Youngkin (VA) was in worse standing with them.
Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg
@Jeffro:
Weirdly, J-Rubs was a conservative I always enjoyed reading back when she was on the dark side, because I liked her questioning and prose. Her turn to the good is very welcome.
Brachiator
Trump keeps incriminating himself as he becomes more of a creepy child desperate to show people how important he is. This is more important to him than selling the classified documents for a profit.
The crazy thing is that Trump also tears down the Republican Party as they continue to rally to his defense.
He also subverts the efforts of most of the other GOP presidential contenders who, except for Christie, also insist that Trump did nothing wrong. It is not surprising that Trump’s poll numbers keep rising with his base. If the other contenders publicly support Trump, they undermine their own campaigns. If he has done nothing wrong, why are they running.
Meanwhile, Trump is trapped. If he had a brain, he would seek a plea bargain. But he can’t let go of those papers. His only hope may be a jury that refuses to convict him, or a presidential pardon “for the good of the nation.”
FelonyGovt
For me, the striking thing about that audio clip was how matter-of-fact he is about possessing and showing off this classified document in order to prove a point he wanted to make.
ETA or what Brachiator just said.
Jeffro
@Geminid: That’s an interesting story.
They cite a Real Clear Politics poll and note that it has “everyone but trump and DeSantis below 10%” but it’s actually much worse than that for all the also-rans: only Pence is even above 5%
sdhays
@Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg: I know, right?
The guy who was so petty and vindictive that he not only rejected billions of dollars in desperately needed infrastructure funds for his state and then caused a catastrophic traffic jam on a major bridge just to punish a mayor from the other party who didn’t endorse him for reelection has the best governing record on their list of candidates.
They’ve checked out on governing.
Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg
Fantastic point.
kalakal
@zhena gogolia:
The really dumb thing is that Milley, or rather some of his minions, draw up plans all the time. It’s their job. The DOD has contingency plans for everything. They’ve probably got a plan for what to do if
Grand FenwickAndorra invades Nebraska.TFG really doesn’t have a clue
Betty Cracker
@Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg: Of all the Never Trumpers, J-Rub’s conversion strikes me as most sincere. Maybe Nicolle Wallace too.
Roger Moore
@CaseyL:
The tape counters that argument. He says he isn’t supposed to show the documents to anyone who doesn’t have clearance, then does it anyway. It’s really hard to argue he didn’t know it was wrong when they have his own words saying he knew he wasn’t supposed to. He clearly understood the law and chose to ignore it.
Ruckus
@ETtheLibrarian:
trump’s shit doesn’t stink and his brain is perfect.
Just ask him.
The reason he never had to face anything before was he was “wealthy,” and he didn’t actually do anything but be himself. But now he’s an ex president who stole documents, and “knows” he’s the greatest human to ever live.
Just ask him.
Oh wait, you don’t have to ask, it rolls out of his mouth like, like, I can’t type that, even if this isn’t a family blog….
Omnes Omnibus
@CaseyL: That’s not how mens rea works. It’s if he had an intent to do the act, whether he knew or did not know it was wrong is immaterial.
Roger Moore
@Geminid:
They left out grift, grift, and grift.
Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony
@p.a.:
This doesn’t surprise me. While we know Alito and Thomas are mainly interested in pleasing their paymasters, most would not want to water down judicial power. Granted, this is about state judicial power, rather than federal, but I don’t think that matters that much. If they didn’t believe justices should be a powerful part of government, they wouldn’t be where they are. Plus, I’m sure they are aware just how badly this could rebound against the GOP if we don’t end up being converted to a Trumpy fascist government.
Roger Moore
@Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg:
Because he’s done something wrong politically: show he can’t beat Joe Biden.
eclare
@Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg:
I remember when he defended a Muslim that as governor he had nominated as a judge. But then he went all in for TFG. What happened?
https://www.politico.com/story/2011/07/christie-thumps-crazy-slams-on-muslim-appointee-060054
sdhays
@Roger Moore: I’m not shocked because I’ve been paying attention and know the Republican Party is a lot more “cult” than “political party” nowadays, but I do find it interesting that no one on that side, other than Christy, has the personal ambition to be angry enough about Trump losing to really take it to him.
MAGA isn’t going to like it, but Trump lost because he’s a loser who loses. If they cared about winning, that would be a compelling argument, but they’ve gone off the deep end in believing that they can have their freak cake and eat it too. They don’t need to balance tradeoffs when picking a candidate anymore.
Mr. Bemused Senior
@Roger Moore:
It goes without saying.
Geminid
@sdhays: I expect Christie to take it to DeSantis as well, and I approve of this message in advance.
NotMax
@Brachiator
Asa Hutchinson has been making anti-Dolt 45 noises.
But then again, as a presidential candidate he has about as much traction as a drop of mercury on a crystal ball.
Roger Moore
@Mr. Bemused Senior:
Maybe it does, but it shouldn’t. I know this was meant somewhat facetiously, but I’m dead serious about this. The media should never feel something political like this is so obvious it doesn’t need saying. Maybe it’s too obvious for people who live and breath politics, but by their nature articles like this are pitched to a more general audience. Normies need to be told that plenty of Republican candidates are unserious and are only in it for the money.
Brachiator
@Roger Moore:
RE: If he has done nothing wrong, why are they running?
This ain’t working for them. Trump keeps rising in GOP polling. His presidential opponents implicitly endorse the stupid argument that Trump really won the election.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
Rachel Maddow characterized this to a bank robber recording a narration of the entire process. “OK I’m putting my mask on. Now I’m walking into the bank. I’m showing the note to the teller and pointing a gun at her. Yes, that’s right, Ma’am, please put all the money in this bag. Now I’m walking through the lobby…”
He literally covers every element of the crime in that recording.
Mr. Bemused Senior
@Roger Moore: I take your point. [and yes I was being a bit facetious]
Betty Cracker
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: LOL, good analogy. It really is almost that bad.
Jackie
@Betty Cracker: The Never Trumpers make great allies; beyond abhorring TIFG himself and J6, the Dobbs decision coupled with the GQP’s rabid attacks on LGBTQ rights AND Red states book bannings have moved a lot of former moderates to the Left.
You can literally see the transformation in real time. I welcome them and appreciate their candid confessions of what their personal red line(s) were.
Roger Moore
@Betty Cracker:
I’ve been reasonably impressed by Max Boot, who seems a lot more self-aware than most of the never Trump crew. He was unusually willing to admit his own culpability in helping to build the modern GOP. He also had a pretty good explanation of why he was on board even though he had reservations about some of the Republicans’ policies. Those things convince me he’s not going to go running back to the GOP if they manage to get rid of Trump. He’s still way too conservative for my tastes, but he seems like someone I can have an honest difference of opinion with.
karen marie
I’m sorry but how was Mock convicted if he’s now the FBI?
My current pet peeve – professional writers who don’t understand the difference between “in to” and “into.”
Brachiator
@Ceci n est pas mon nym:
Also, when he is caught, he says, “You can’t prosecute me. The law says I can take as much money as I want and keep all of it just by saying, or even just thinking, ‘Mine, mine, mine!’ “
Jeffro
@Mr. Bemused Senior:
They did note it later in the piece (sort of
Chief Oshkosh
@Baud: Nervous laughter? Like maybe she was the one surreptitiously doing the recording? ;)
Roger Moore
@Jeffro:
I see they can’t help themselves but bothsides the grift.
Chris T.
Regarding that last Nichols tweet: I’m still convinced that the reason the jury didn’t convict OJ was because there was such strong evidence that the LA cops had framed the guilty, that they had to distrust the remaining clear evidence. That won’t be the case here: the evidence shows that the “cops” bent over backwards to protect Trump, not frame him. The one saying “this guy is guilty, guilty, guilty” is not a cop, it’s Trump himself!
hitchhiker
@Chief Oshkosh: The recording wasn’t surreptitious. Trump knew the recorder was on the whole time, and agreed to it.
Gravenstone
@hitchhiker: I’ve seen it stated that Trump regularly recorded such interviews because he didn’t trust the reporters to quote him correctly. It’s the important things in life!