As expected, Jack Smith is present in the courtroom for Trump’s arraignment. This is the second time they’ve been face-to-face as Trump has been attacking him as “deranged,” a “crackhead” and implying he had something to do with cocaine found at the White House.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 3, 2023
Per the Washington Post, “Assailed by Trump, special counsel Jack Smith lets indictments speak for him” [unpaywalled ‘gift’ link]:
… While Smith has remained taciturn, a picture of the prosecutor has emerged through his work and court filings, which included charges filed against Trump in early June in the documents case and charges filed Tuesday in the 2020 election case. Together, the efforts reveal a prosecutor meticulously assembling two high-stakes cases with scope and speed, according to a review of his work and interviews with legal analysts.
“He’s obviously methodical, he’s obviously thorough, but he’s also just efficient,” said Lauren Ouziel, a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan and Philadelphia who is now a law professor at Temple University. “He’s not dillydallying. He’s taking the time he needs, but no more.”…
Attorney General Merrick Garland, who named Smith special counsel last year to take over the two Trump cases, pointed to the fact that Trump and President Biden were both seeking the presidency again in 2024. Since his appointment, Smith has been the focus of online threats and criticism, and he receives protection from a security detail…
Even though Trump has been charged, key elements of Smith’s work still remain unknown. Prosecutors could have additional evidence beyond what is included in an indictment, for instance.
Smith also mentioned Tuesday that the investigation of other people is ongoing. The indictment unsealed that day mentions six unnamed co-conspirators — most of whom are identifiable through other public information, but none of whom were charged so far, though that could change.
“These are ‘speaking indictments,’” Ouziel, the professor, said. “But in an important sense, the government is not really going to speak. They’re not really going to put their money where their mouth is until it’s time to go to trial and actually present the evidence.”…
Smith’s refusal to engage with Trump’s rhetoric is how prosecutors are supposed to act, legal experts said.
Prosecutors “make their cases in court,” Kay L. Levine, a law professor and associate dean for research at Emory University’s law school, said in an interview before the latest indictment. “They don’t make their cases in the court of public opinion.”
“He seems like he is immune to getting baited into any kind of public debate about the case or what the case is going to be about,” Levine said of Smith. “When he has the evidence, he gets the indictment and goes forward.”…
“He’s speaking through the documents he’s filing in court,” Litt said, “and that’s what a prosecutor’s supposed to do.”
Much more detail at the link!
Special counsel Jack Smith has turned into an online phenomenon, portrayed by a set of liberals as Trump’s worst nightmare in everything from memes to throw pillows. Nightly reports ??https://t.co/41kzhHKP9h
— POLITICO (@politico) August 2, 2023
Tiger Beat on the Potomac isn’t sure whether to be snarky, or jealous:
For years, there has been palpable desperation on the left for Trump to get punished for a crime — any crime.
Now, after special counsel Jack Smith brought four charges against former President Donald Trump on Tuesday stemming from the Jan. 6 attack, liberals who have long been praying for Trump’s downfall have found their hero.
Within hours of the latest indictment, Smith was an online phenomenon, portrayed as the left’s avenging angel and Trump’s worst nightmare.
The legion of Trump haters have been looking to Smith for salvation since Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed him as special counsel in November. On X, the website formerly known as Twitter, the fan account @7Veritas4 — with a display name of “Jack E. Smith” and a header photo of Smith replicated in dark sunglasses — has racked up over 300,000 followers. In recent days, the account has been posting GIFs from the film Inglourious Basterds, with Smith’s head superimposed onto a menacing character known for killing Nazis called the “Bear Jew,” along with Game of Thrones images of dragons descending on cities, ready to wreak havoc. Countless accounts online have display names like “Jack Smith Fan Club President;” take a look at the hashtag “jacksmithisahero” on TikTok and it’s more of the same…
I can’t wait til Jack Smith gets to the members of Congress who tried to help Defendant Trump with his coup 🤞🏼🙏🏼#TrumpArraignment pic.twitter.com/y05nU8KDqH
— PCali68 💙🌊🟧 (@SCRCali68) August 3, 2023
Maxim
That last tweet is where it’s at
Edit: Frist!
Urza
Pretty please at least indict and preferably jail every last congresscritter that was involved. Likely get even stupid/worse in a special election but it would at least send a message.
West of the Rockies
Was there another staredown by Smith as Trump went galumphing out of the courtroom?
schrodingers_cat
Have the 6 co-conspirators been named?
NotMax
And Sunshine Stupidman goes on.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@NotMax:
It’s interesting that the College Board is now refusing to go along with Florida’s demands. I wonder what changed?
piratedan
so… at the time, 29 members of the House and 6 Senators were in contact with the WH Chief of Staff during the events of Jan 6th.
Any bets on what they were talking about?
Old School
Ummm…. who doesn’t think there is more evidence beyond what’s in the indictment?
Formerly disgruntled in Oregon
🎶
I’d like to watch that orange jumpsuit
Perp-walked out by Dick Gumshoe
I’d raise a glass with SC Jack Smith
”We swear we take no joy in this”
🎶
H.E.Wolf
@schrodingers_cat: The 6 co-conspirators haven’t been named by Jack Smith (yet; as far as I know); but Google and Wikipedia made it pretty easy to identify the first 5.
1. Rudy Giuliani
2. John Eastman
3. Sidney Powell (the only woman of these 5)
4. Jeffrey Clark
5. Kenneth Chesebro
6. [still unidentified, I think]
H.E.Wolf
@H.E.Wolf:
Also, some clever person [not me] made an annotated version of the indictment, with Co-Conspirators 1 through 5 identified.
https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/just-security-united-states-v-donald-trump-2020-election-interference-january-6th-with-names.pdf
Yarrow
@schrodingers_cat: I don’t think they’ve been officially named but they’ve mostly been figured out. I think Giuliani’s lawyer said he’s co-conspirator 1.
Yarrow
@H.E.Wolf: I think 6 is Boris Epshteyn but not sure. Apparently he matches some emails or letters sent or something.
H.E.Wolf
“The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.”
Formerly disgruntled in Oregon
Oh GFY, Politico – we’ve all been watching TFG blatantly commit crimes out in the open, and gratuitously lie about it. We want accountability for THOSE crimes. Not just “any crime”.
We’re not just throwing accusations against the wall to see what sticks. That’s what the Republicans are doing. It’s not a “both sides” thing.
H.E.Wolf
@Yarrow:”I think 6 is Boris Epshteyn but not sure.”
Whoever it is, will richly deserve the notoriety. (And the prison term, one hopes.)
Good to see your ‘nym around again. :)
Dan B
@NotMax: What could be more foundational to psychology than gender identity and sexual orientation, at least in the puritanical and Calvinist USA? Well, maybe there are other areas but they’re near the top. The GOP sees LGBTQ+ people as SEX!!! Methinks they should check their religious leaders.
smith
@Urza: IANAL, but I understand that the Speech and Debate clause probably protects most of them. In other words, they could have made false statements that furthered the conspiracy, and cast votes for crackpot actions that furthered the conspiracy, but as long as those were arguably related to their roles in Congress — and certainly certifying the electoral vote was related — they are not legally liable.
If they did anything that was arguably outside their roles as Congress members, then maybe there’s a case, but I’m having a hard time putting a finger on what that might be. Maybe if it could be shown that they helped in the planning for violence at the Capitol?
Yarrow
@H.E.Wolf: Thank you.
Eolirin
@piratedan: It would be a huge gift to us if Ron Johnson got wrapped up in this somehow and we got his seat back in Dem hands.
Alison Rose
Was it Charles Pierce who came up with “Tiger Beat on the Potomac”? Makes me laugh every time I see it.
Nukular Biskits
So much winning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
@Nukular Biskits: But aren’t you tired of it yet?
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Eolirin:
Would be a nice late birthday present to Wisconsite Omnes
laura
@Maxim: Total agreement regarding the conspirators inside the Capitol- investigate, indict, try, convict and enforce an appropriate penalty including fines, prison, probation and baring from holding office. And let’s not stop there- get the money people and those they conspired with to move the MAGA to DC from across the US. Every last one.
laura
@smith: Way to harsh my mellow.
LAO
Ridiculously, I have a Jack Smith story from back in the day when he was an AUSA in the EDNY — it was told to me by another defense attorney BUT when I writing an appeal for a defendant he had successfully prosecuted (which required several conversations- he was a pleasure to deal with) I asked him directly if the story was true. After hemming and hawing, he confirmed it.
It goes as follows: after a significant investigation, the FBI arrested a group of people on narcotics charges. The defendants were mostly represented by CJA lawyers (court appointed, court paid private lawyers). One of those lawyers (as was typical at the time) turned over the case to his newly minted associate, we shall call her A.
A was a very new lawyer. She went to visit her client in custody shortly after the arraignment and the client adamantly swore that he was innocent and he had no idea why he was arrested.
Jack, reached out to A to offer a queen for the day proffer session, in an effort to convince her client to cooperate. She spoke to the client; he again said no and professed his innocence.
A turned down the proffer and told Jack that her client was innocent and he had nothing to offer.
Less than 48 hours later, Jack called A told her to get to the courthouse, they were releasing her client – turns out the feds picked up the wrong guy and he was innocent.
Now, when I asked him about it, he told me that (1) he thought A was naive and over her head (2) he called the agent asking him for all the evidence against her client so that he could offer a reverse proffer (where the government lays out all the evidence against a defendant to coerce cooperation) (3) he was shocked when he and the agent realized their mistake.
tl/dr: Jack Smith is a mensch.
Geoduck
@piratedan: Some probably cheering it all on, some probably begging for the troops to be sent in.
Baud
@LAO:
Wow.
Old School
@Eolirin:
Johnson is in the indictment as the senator who tried to deliver the fake electoral votes to Pence. However, it’s probably unlikely that he’d lose his seat over it.
Origuy
Florida will ban AP Calculus next, because integration is fundamental to it.
smith
@Geoduck: Some taking orders as to what to do next. Wasn’t there a story that Boebert tried to tip the protesters as to Pelosi’s whereabouts?
dmsilev
@Origuy: But differentiation is still ok? Maybe the students can just take the first half of the test.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@smith:
I’m not sure that Sen. Ron “I’m a” Johnson trying to hand off the fake electors to Pence isn’t protected by the Screech and Berate Clause that protects Republican politicians from accountability. The Repub PA Sen is so exposed too, I think.
Sure Lurkalot
“Desperation on the left.” “Liberals…have found their hero.” “The left’s avenging angel.”
Fuck Politico. Apparently they’re shitty owner, editors and writers don’t give a rat’s ass about democracy, the rule of law or due process.
LAO
@Baud: Crazy right. My brother (an agent) once had a similar situation and it took over a week to get the defendant released from custody- Jack really had to move heaven and earth to get the defendant released so quickly. And, he was like I’m no hero, I was just trying to get the defendant to cooperate.
Dan B
@LAO: Quite the story. Accepting you were wrong. Mensch, absolutely!
dmsilev
So, we should be hearing from the fine folks in Georgia next week?
More indictments. MORE!
Baud
@LAO:
He’s a hero now. 🦸
smith
@Odie Hugh Manatee: I certainly hope that there are aspects of their participation that make them vulnerable. It’s a distressing thought that a member of Congress could participate in a conspiracy to achieve an illegal end, but be protected if it’s carried out via Congressional duties.
HumboldtBlue
Guys, guys, umm… guys? The guy who was the driving funding force behind the Jim Caviezel Qanon Sound of Freedom movie, and who regularly hosted Sugar Daddy/Sugar Baby parties, has been arrested. Can you guess on what charges?
Guys? Can you guess the charges?
That’s right, child kidnapping!
Redshift
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
I’m guessing it’s the blowback they got from other states when it turned out they lied about Florida officials not being involved in their “revisions” to the African American History course.
different-church-lady
Apparently I’m not allowed to be a fan of justice and democracy. No, I must be a “Trump Hater” in order to view Jack Smith in a positive light.
different-church-lady
@Nukular Biskits:
LAO
@HumboldtBlue: that is just so perfect (except, of course, for the exploited children).
Dan B
@HumboldtBlue: Must be a drag queen, rrrright!?
Probly a minister…..
dmsilev
@HumboldtBlue: Sigh. I can’t wait for the writers’ strike to be resolved; the bunch of scabs they have working now have no imagination whatsoever.
MagdaInBlack
@HumboldtBlue: Of course.
NotMax
@different-church-lady
¿Por qué no los dos?
;)
Jackie
@smith: The congress critters wanted Pardons, for “some” reason 🤔
Redshift
The only reason Smith is “the left’s” avenging angel is because support for democracy has become a partisan issue. If there were any conservatives with any principles, he would be their avenging angel too.
Dan B
@LAO: Joe My God blog post about a minister almost every day charged with child sex abuse. How many more don’t get caught?
piratedan
@smith: just spitballing here…. but say said MOC was involved in previous texts and planning of said event and part of the plan, involved them doing Congressional Representative stuff, that in and of itself, wasn’t illegal per se, but knowingly did so to achieve multiple ends….. 1) present bogus electors and 2) delay proceedings to allow Trumps terrorists to infest the Capitol, I think a judge may look at that and say….. E-I-E-I don’t think so… but then again, I’ve only stayed at a Holiday Inn Express and am only expressing my opinion.
Roger Moore
@smith:
I don’t think that’s quite right. Members of Congress certainly can’t be tried for any of their votes or for any thing they say during a Congressional proceeding. But the Speech or Debate clause is fairly limited:
That seems pretty clear to me that it would not cover text messages, phone calls, or pretty much any private communication. It’s there to allow them to be candid in their official capacity, not to allow them to engage in criminal conspiracies outside of Congress.
lowtechcyclist
@Origuy:
Definitely. There seems to be no limit to what they’ll do next.
Cameron
@different-church-lady: I dunno – you might not be a Trump Hater; you might be COVERING UP FOR THE BIDEN CRIME FAMILY!!!
Dan B
OT John Eastman’s attorney says he won’t cooperate with the DOJ. I would guess that Jack Smith had monsters at the International Criminal Court that tried the same gambit.
NotMax
@different-church-lady
When does a new Dolt 45 barrister* file suit against the Discovery channel?
*collect the entire set (then dispose of properly).
//
smith
@piratedan: Well, maybe we’ll get to see it tested in court. However, Jack Smith so far has been careful to charge only for offenses for which he’s sure conviction will be nearly a slam-dunk, and I don’t know how far out on a limb he’ll want to go with something like this.
JaySinWA
@smith: I’m sure some of the congress people and some of their aids conspired to get the phony elector’s forged documents into the house and/or senate. Some of that was done off the floor and outside of travel to and from congress.
Jackie
@Odie Hugh Manatee: PA House-member Scott Perry, I believe. His phone was confiscated by DOJ.
smith
@Roger Moore: I hope you’re right.
Dan B
@Roger Moore: Or criminal conspiracies favoring the executive branch. I don’t believe the President is considered to be a part of congress.
NotMax
@Cameron
Thing I am grateful for: Hunter Biden did not attend the doings in D.C. today.
Rebel’s Dad
Is it too soon to start fangirling/fanboying about SCOTUS Justice Jack Smith?
LAO
@Dan B: I don’t mean to be cynical but I doubt the DOJ wants Eastman’s cooperation. He’d never be offered a nonpros, so he’d face significant jail time and loss of his license, on any cooperation deal.
WaterGirl
@piratedan: The weather?
WaterGirl
@H.E.Wolf: Someone today found original source material online that matched the description of #6. So they are sure it’s Boris Epshteyn.
Dan B
@LAO: The lawyer expenses for Eastman could be huge if he insists on going to trial and appeal. Where would the money come from? He’s not a sympathetic character and TIFG is hoovering up all the moolah.
trollhattan
God, that Politico excerpt is garbage. Who the fuck wastes column inches on some fancied group of a thousand lefties who want Trump “punished for a crime — any crime” and not the actual story: 81,283,501 Biden voters want Trump convicted for his many, many crimes, most notably those committed in the effort to erase those 81,283,501 votes?
Trash.
trollhattan
@NotMax:
Does he have an actual public presence/persona? I barely know what the dude looks like; compare and contrast with Don Jr. who is in our damned faces daily, generally high as a kite.
Omnes Omnibus
@Rebel’s Dad: Yes.
zhena gogolia
@HumboldtBlue: That’s incredible. But highly credible.
Wapiti
@smith: If they made a call to their state’s false electors. I’d think that would be out of bounds.
zhena gogolia
@different-church-lady: Yeah, I can’t even read that thing.
HumboldtBlue
@Dan B:
Nailed it!
zhena gogolia
@Redshift: Lincoln Project.
Miss Bianca
@HumboldtBlue: Holy crap. Could this be true? Seems almost too on the nose, but at the same time, I can easily believe it.
My theater has gotten a lot of requests to show this movie. When I said, on our own FB page (because these people were bombing threads about other movies about it) that we weren’t going to be showing it, the next thing I know is that we are being accused on a community FB page of “supporting pedophilia” because we weren’t showing it. Crazy shit. I remember thinking at the time that judging from the way it was getting the fundies stirred up, this piece of shit movie had to be classed with something like Triumph of the Will or Birth of a Nation. I also remember thinking, “every accusation a confession…”
patrick II
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
Maybe they gave an inch and found out it was going to be a mile. Lesson learned.
Redshift
From Lindsey Graham’s attempt to use Speech or Debate to avoid testifying in Georgia, as explained by SCOTUSblog:
The Supreme Court declined to take up an appeal.
H.E.Wolf
@WaterGirl:”
WaterGirl
August 3, 2023 at 7:56 pm
@H.E.Wolf: Someone today found original source material online that matched the description of #6. So they are sure it’s Boris Epshteyn.
”
Oh, him. A shanda fur die goyim.
Thanks to you and Yarrow for the news!
Geminid
@Jackie: From the little I’ve read, Rep. Perry may be in the deepest. But I’m not sure any members of Congress will get indicted unless their assistance to the insurrectionists can be shown. I expect they were pretty careful though.
Staffers may be a different story. A lot of them came out of the Alt-Right, and I won’t be surprised if some of them endel up in hot water..
smith
@H.E.Wolf: That was FTFNYT.
Nukular Biskits
@The Kropenhagen Interpretation:
Not yet. I need to see more winning!
Nukular Biskits
@different-church-lady:
LOL! Excellent!
craigie
@Origuy:
Zing!
geg6
@smith:
I would venture to say those who were involved in the fake electors schemes?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Chris Hayes and his panel– Jen Psaki and Michael Beschloss– hammering the fact that trump had no family with him in court today. I wonder if Melanie will be ostentatiously flipping through a Harry Winston catalogue if he walks by her room tonight, or if he tells Walt Nauta to try and find a number for notIvanka. Eric and Junior will see tweets about it and spend days waiting for the phone to ring, and when it don’t they’ll know it’s Daddy.
bbleh
@lowtechcyclist: Definitely. There seems to be no limit to what they’ll do next.
ISWYDT
Mike in NC
Hell, I’d love to buy a Jack Smith t-shirt.
p.a.
Politico et al should be reminded that if the civics book* version of American society were true, Politico, FTFNYT etc could be heroes of democracy too.
*well… maybe not Florida’s civics text…
smith
@Mike in NC: Etsy has a whole bunch of them
ETA: My favorite says, “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack indicted a big orange prick”
CaseyL
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
“notIvanka” – assuming you mean Tiffany – she married a moneybags and doesn’t need to pretend to be nice to Daddy anymore.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@Dan B:
Type “youth pastor arrested” into any search engine and whoa!
Reverse tool order
So, we’re well past the ironic meaning of the proverbial “two more chains” but not quite at the unironic meaning.
In fire lingo, those are ‘nowhere near being close’ vs ‘no, really, we’re close.’ Literally, 2 x 22 yards or 40 meters. Jack Smith has the saw dogged in and throwing chips. This punky, flaming Trunk is finally coming down. Looking to see the brush grubbed out clean down to mineral earth too. Keeping this side green while firing that side to ash.
Trump trials seemed not distinguishable from mere speculation a couple years ago, at least to not-a-lawyer me. No more.
Another Scott
Smith is good. I’m sure there are many like him, in the trenches, doing the work every day for all of us. We cannot forget that.
Meanwhile, … NotebookCheck.net:
What’s that old joke? If Microsoft built cars. I guess Melon is too busy being Edgy to worry about such mundane things…
Cheers,
Scott.
Jackie
@smith: Ooooh… I ❤️that one!
HinTN
@dmsilev: Sorry, but there’s multi-variable calculus, too. Maybe that’s outweighed by differential equations…
Geminid
@H.E.Wolf: I thought you might like this headline from the news site RFD TV:
The current Farm Bill expires Sept. 30. Among others, Water Girl’s new Representative Nikki Budzinski is working hard on it.
cintibud
Is it possible that MOC could be identified as “unindicted co-conspirators due to the speech and debate clause”?
mrmoshpotato
@Maxim:
Smash two turntables over their heads then bitchslap them all with a microphone.
Jackie
OT re earlier discussion today.
Neal Katyal wrote an opinion piece for the WaPo on why the J6 trial should be televised:
“There are at least two pathways toward televising the Trump trial. One is for the Judicial Conference, run by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., to vote for an amendment to Rule 53. Indeed, the conference has considered the idea of allowing cameras for more than 30 years and in 1994, it considered and rejected a proposal to televise criminal trials. But there is no need for the conference to resuscitate that proposal — it need only authorize broadcast of this unique case.”
“The other mechanism is for Congress to pass a law — a possibility contemplated in Rule 53. While Congress finds itself incapable of much action these days, Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) notably introduced a bill this year that provides a framework for presiding federal judges to permit television coverage of their trials. That legislation could be a model for a specific bill in the Trump case. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. (Grassley’s bill was co-sponsored by four Democratic senators.) Democrats might expect the broadcast to demonstrate to skeptics the definitive clarity of the prosecution’s case against Trump; Republicans might count on the audience seeing the trial as a tedious, technicality-laden political stunt.”
WaPo gift link https://wapo.st/3Qkr7Xr
Geminid
@Geminid: That is,”…working hard on [the new Farm Bill]. It will be a five-year bill.
Alison Rose
@CaseyL: Well, Ivanka doesn’t need to be either, in a financial sense. I get the feeling Tiffany has never give much of a shit about her father, since he clearly doesn’t give a shit about her. She’s rarely been present at any of his political events or other stuff.
Jackie
@cintibud: Who is MOC?
BC in Illinois
Trump, having been told by the judge (and, one assumes, his lawyers) not to mess with other witnesses or the jury, decides to take his wrath out on the city:
Now, I didn’t watch his motorcade in slow motion so I’m not sure what route he took, but Google Maps shows that, to come from National Airport to the Prettyman Courthouse, he would travel most of the way on I-395, then pass the Botanical Gardens, the Capitol, the Labor Department, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
That’s it.
Not really a bad part of town.
Jackie
@BC in Illinois: If TIFG drove past the Federal Bureau of Prisons he probably shat his depends!
satby
@Jackie: Members Of Congress
Mike in NC
@smith: Sold! Thank you.
a thousand flouncing lurkers (was fidelio)
@mrmoshpotato: ISWYDT.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@Jackie:
Yup, that’s the criminal… I mean, Republican politician. Thanks for the correction!
Kathleen
@Formerly disgruntled in Oregon: Leave it to Pols**tico to reduce a prosecution of plot to destroy democracy to “Libruls want revenge”. I so loathe, detest and despise these soulless ghouls.
lowtechcyclist
@mrmoshpotato:
Guess I know what my earworm is going to be for the rest of the evening.
(Well played!)
Ella in New Mexico
@NotMax: I see all of this garbage DeSan-shit is doing in Florida as a long-game effort to destroy the public school system. Between fleeing teachers, fleeing caring parents soon they all will be wanting private school educations that the state can’t interfere with…for now.
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): They woke the fuck up that they were shitting on their brand
marklar
@NotMax: I think it’s time for the College Board to tell the State of Florida that unless they reinstate both African American History and Psychology, all other AP tests will no longer be offered to students in Florida. Let the Florida State Legislature then deal with the howls coming from parents that such a move will result in their children being disadvantaged relative to students in the 49 other states.
Ella in New Mexico
@H.E.Wolf: so does one of his former lawyers on Alex Wagner Tonight
Jackie
@satby: Oh! That makes sense! Thank you 😊
BeautifulPlumage
@Alison Rose: I thought that referred to whichever Ivanka look-alike he’s growing mushrooms for these days.
Jeffro
Did anyone else catch (or already comment) on DeSantis’ calling for “slitting throats” of federal workers today???
What in the ACTUAL
Fuck it – take him into custody, make him hire lawyers. This is absolutely out of hand.
BeautifulPlumage
@Jeffro: don’t remember if it has been discussed here, but WTF! Starting to think he is a Dem plant //s
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Ella in New Mexico: I came in at the end and was quite surprised to hear that very reasonable sounding attorney was Tim Parlatore
NotMax
FYI, mixology-wise.
;)
NotMax
@Jeffro
Been much discussed over the past few days in between the other major news o’ the week..
cain
@lowtechcyclist: Also it’s Al-Gebra – and I don’t mean Al Bundy.
We should try to push them to make it as absurd as possible. Start talking about how math is woke because it is all equitable – to be true both sides of the equal sign has to be the same! WOKE!
Redshift
@BC in Illinois: Yeah, it was an idiotic slam, probably intended to appeal to his mouth-breathing “librul cities are all crime-ridden and burnt to the ground” followers. DC is less “dirty and falling apart” than when he was last there, if you consider that the damage to the Capitol has been repaired.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Lawrence O’Donnell (not a lawyer) is giving himself quite a case of the fantods over trump’s defense lawyer going on Fox tonight and, per O’Donnell, basically saying trump is guilty as charged. He’s got a stable of former-federal-prosecutors on to comment. I’ll hold my excitement until the judge brings her gavel down.
(I think Andrew Weissman just said that anything Lauro says on TV will be admissible in court?)
Jackie
EXCELLENT NEWS!
“The two young, Black Tennessee state House Democrats whose expulsion sparked a nationwide controversy in April, will win reelection on Thursday, CNN projects.”
YAY for Justin Jones and Justin Pearson!!!
Rob in CT
@HumboldtBlue:
Driving force seems a bit much. But I am VERY skeptical about that film.
Danielx
@NotMax:
An entity that refuses to recognize the awesomeness of Ron DeSantis? Say it ain’t so!
More of this, please. Fuck that guy.
Glidwrith
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Fantods? Translation please?
cain
@marklar:
Florida will likely sue but not sure they can win the case since they are the only outlier nobody else raising a fuss.
Kay
The Ohio Issue 1 early vote was 55% women, now it’s up to 57
60% of those who did not vote in 2022 but have now early voted are women
I think this is better than if it were 57% men, but other than that I don’t know what it means.
Alison Rose
@BC in Illinois: Someone should ask him if it’s such a horrible shitty place, why is he so desperate to go back there for four more years?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Glidwrith: sorry, a Molly Ivinsism, he is in a state of great excitement
Here is a twitter link to Lauro on the Ingram show
JaySinWA
@Alison Rose: He sees it as a fixer-upper that he can flip
Jim, Foolish Literalist
also, this may have been mentioned, but the magistrate hurt trump’s feelings today
it will gnaw at his insecurities tonight when he’s alone with his phone….
Yarrow
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Good. I’m glad she’s calling him that instead of President. He’s NOT the president. I’m against all former presidents retaining the title.
I read something awhile ago that some governmental code stipulates that a small number of positions retain titles after they leave the office. But the custom of calling people by their last or highest title after they’ve left office is not correct. It’s nothing but ego stroking and title inflation. It’s wrong and it needs to stop.
Jackie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I saw that! Here’s hoping Lauro’s words can be admitted in court!
I thought he was the latest new hire to save TIFG’s ass 😂
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Yarrow: judges, general/flag officers and ambassadors, as I recall
Jackie
@Yarrow: She could have called him Ex-president Trump!
I wonder which would gall him more? Mr or Ex.
prostratedragon
@Jackie: Yaaaay!!
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Whoops, he did it again — Newsmax. Apparently they’re going with the Jessup defense.
Yarrow
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I don’t know why those and not others but the fewer people who retain titles after leaving office the better.
Today I heard someone on TV talking about “The President” doing something or other. They were talking about TFG not Biden. It creates confusion and I wish the custom would stop.
Someone who has one of the overused former titles should say, “No, It’s wrong to continue to use the title now that I’m out of office.” and set a good example.
Danielx
@Jeffro:
To whom is he referring? Air traffic controllers? FDA inspectors? NIH scientists? And with a serrated or straight edge?
Come on Ron, we want specifics.
It’s like he took a reverse Dale Carnegie course: how to be an utter prick and make enemies.
Yarrow
@Jackie: “Mr” would bug him more. It ignores completely the title to which he thinks he’s, well, entitled.
Nettoyeur
Matt McIrvin
@cain: Math education has been a culture war target many times in the past (New Math, Common Core). That the math curriculum was being ruined by whatever they called “woke” in that era was a central claim. It keeps going.
There are homeschooling curricula aimed at religious fundamentalists that still proudly advertise that they do not cover set theory, and I think it’s because that was a big deal in the 1960s New Math–it’s a 60-year-old culture war shibboleth.
smith
The judge also told him not to do any more criming while out on bond. This is apparently is a quite unusual warning in these circumstances, devised especially for him.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Yarrow: I believe judges and generals– at least in theory or by tradition or ceremony (?)— can/could always be recalled, or invited, back to serve. Not sure about ambassadors.
HumboldtBlue
@Yarrow:
“I’m learning tonight that Trump left here in a sour and dejected mood,” said CNN host Kaitlan Collins on Thursday after Trump pleaded not guilty to four charges to Judge Moxila Upadhyaya in a Washington, D.C. courthouse. “He was, quote, ‘pissed off,’ according to someone who spoke to him.”
Steeplejack
@lowtechcyclist:
That put me on the hunt for my personal favorite.
Steeplejack
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
“The fantods” more accurately denotes upset or uneasiness and has been around at least since Mark Twain.
Lyrebird
@BC in Illinois: @Redshift:
Not surprising, just pitiful. I don’t know about Orangemandias, but for many conservatives, slamming DC is their way of showing they can be as racist as possible without getting censored. Since a big portion of the population and many of the government officials in DC are Black, it makes a shameful but convenient dog whistle.
Jackie
@HumboldtBlue: Let me play my tiny 🎻
Ishiyama
“That is the way to write! Peppery and to the point. Mush and milk journalism gives me the fantods”, from Journalism in Tennessee.
Burnspbesq
@Roger Moore:
Both sides have solid arguments about the scope of Speech and Debate Clause. It would be a crapshoot, and the DOJ Manual counsels against engaging in crapshoots.
Burnspbesq
@Dan B:
Fine. He can be a defendant, too.
AM in NC
@smith: I need to understand the timeline around all of this. If the USSC had refused the last of Trump’s challenges (thus legally determining that Biden was, in fact, elected President) then is anything these Congressional Reps did after that to install Trump was, de facto, an illegal act, going against the USSC ruling?
Even if they claim it was part of their duties, if they are going against the USSC ruling in order to install a non-elected person as President, that would seem to be illegal to me.
Lawyers, what say you?