226 Comments
Jul 15Liked by Jay Kuo

Aileen Cannon timed it perfectly.

Expand full comment

Justice Thomas’ questioning of the constitutionality of Jack Smith’s office in Trump’s previous SCOTUS immunity ruling was a little psychic fortune cookie foreshadowing Judge Cannon’s ruling today, so why am I still a little shocked? My continuous failure is that I keep believing these people still have some integrity.

Expand full comment

Doesn't President Biden now have the constitutional authority to retroactively appoint a Special Prosecutor as an "Official Act" of the president? Problem solved!

Expand full comment

This trial should have been a slam dunk, and over years ago. Just unbelievable how it has played out.

Expand full comment

It was a slam dunk, and justice has been slammed and dunked.

Expand full comment

No, the immunity thing is a scam. It's "immunity for me, but not for thee," meaning it will only ever apply to Trump. Biden will never perform an "official act" in his whole presidency, but everything Trump does (right down to breaking dishes and throwing ketchup bottles) will be "official acts."

Democrats will probably never have the votes to impeach these disgraceful Justices, but I hope even Biden can see that the time has come to expand the Court. If we can't be rid of them, at least make them irrelevant.

Expand full comment

If the character of those who govern us and judge us ever mattered, this is the time. We need stronger guardrails to make it impossible for anyone to be a dictator for a New York minute, much less an entire day.

Expand full comment

You're absolutely right! President Biden has restored many of the guardrails, and has respected the separation of powers, even within the executive branch.

Expand full comment

Sure, because isn’t this all just a game to Trump? He treats our democracy like a foible that he can bend or destroy at his will. The Dems have no choice but to play his game. I just hope they’re better players.

Expand full comment

I would think so.

Expand full comment

Yep, and if he does, he'll be accused of "weaponizing" the DOJ. The whole point of Garland's naming a Special Prosecutor was to separate justice from the Executive Branch.

Expand full comment

Absolutely. As soon as he dropped that worm into the water is was a matter of time before Cannon snapped at it.

Expand full comment

I wrote this on July 2nd, “I feel like the American public is on some possessed, out-of-control merry go round being spun into fascist oblivion by the clowns of SCOTUS and their Dear Leader. I’m ready to get off the ride. I’m not feeling so well anymore.”

We’re all still on the ride that we never wanted to be on. I’m holding on tightly, because there are days where that’s all I can do. No News, no Substack days are what keep me sane. And, my foster puppy Rambo. I focus on him and self-care on these days when hope is hard to come by and the light at the end of the tunnel is dim. I have been reading Stephen King’s, The Dark Tower series, too. Surprisingly, this story mirrors many of the problems we are facing in today’s society. Roland of Gilead, Susannah, Eddie, and Jake are fighting the good fight across time and worlds.

I will never stop fighting, just like all of you guys, but I’m no good to anybody if I fall into that deep pit of despair that I feel most of us are hanging on the edge by our toes these days. Taking breaks makes me stronger, helps me gather my courage, and renews my desire to continue to fight the good fight too. Vote Blue 2024!

Expand full comment

I feel that same sense of surreality, like things are just moving along, in a bizarre way, unlike anything we have ever experienced or ever expected, out of our control, the dominos falling in favor of a mad man bent on ruining this country further is just unfathomable. But we must keep hope and keep on, you are absolutely right. The bottom line is that we do not know how the vote will turn out in November. There is no crystal ball. At some point Trump will be gone and I do believe that will change things.

Expand full comment

Yes, surreal, is the right word. Speaking of Trump being gone, I saw a clip of Steve Bannon recently, where he talked about Trump not being conservative enough to lead the MAGA party in the future. He spoke of younger, more right-wing fanatical individuals that will replace Trump in the future. Of course, this is blow-hard Bannon ranting, but still, he managed to terrify me. Will it end when Trump ends? I hope so, because I’m tired.

Expand full comment

Back when I was subscribed to the NY Times, I read David Brook's piece on his interview with Bannon. It was interesting to learn where he and Trump part ways. He has his own thing going on but I don't think he would ever be capable of gathering the diverse groups that Trump is able to. But what do I know?

Expand full comment

No. What the jailbird was talking about was having jd vance as the VP choice. Then, if and when they steal the coming election, they will invoke the 25th Amendment, remove trump, and vance will then become our Putin for the next 40 years. Pure, unadulterated evil is vance, and we'd better get busy to ensure they NEVER regain control.

Expand full comment

Now that Donald Trump is already a martyr, and Justice Merchan is the only representative of the DOJ with any authority to act, it would be no less than justice as well as exceedingly gratifying for him to sentence Trump to five years in prison. Trump will of course appeal it, but he can do that from inside a low security prison alongside Steve Bannon.

Expand full comment

I hoping New York State Judge Merchan is watching and listening closely to everything CFDT does between Saturday and the September 18 rescheduled sentencing hearing. It’s reported Merchan already has a factual, truthful and unflattering psychological assessment from four New York parole board psychologists (or some type of state licensed professionals), plus reports of CFDT’s demeanor during the Zoom post-verdict hearing. Add to that CFDT’s behavior since the Zoom hearing and the hand gun he has in Florida (violation of federal law and bail conditions) that hasn’t been turned in to Florida authorities.

Any normal rational person would be on their best behavior through a court trail and pre-sentencing hearing, but CFDT is neither rational or normal (although he does exhibit the normal to expect psychological behavior for a diagnosed person with his mental condition). That said, I actually think he thinks he will beat the NY case and have it thrown out, so being on good behavior is the last thing on his mind.

Expand full comment

Thomas and Cannon have been coordinating since the beginning.

Expand full comment

I think we are all still in shock at how this country has changed in just for years of Trump in office and the subsequent chaos caused by those he seeded into the system.

Expand full comment

Yes, and when I mention what you said above to my Trump loving friends and family, they blame COVID for the chaos. In one respect, they’re right, because Trump is just as insidious and deadly as any COVID virus.

Expand full comment
deletedJul 15
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

It’s absolutely stunning and heartbreaking to watch people you’ve known and loved for most of your life fall into the cult of Trump. It has made me face some hard truths about them and who they really are down deep. No one wants to admit that the people that you have loved and admired, are homophobic, xenophobic, misogynistic Christian nationalists. I have made so many excuses for them, but that is ultimately who they are and my heart has shattered into a thousand pieces. I have watched so many families and relationships be destroyed by the cult of Trump. He ripped apart our nation from the inside out.

Expand full comment

I will never understand this phenomenon. I have it in my own family.

Expand full comment

EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED. AND THE WEARSOME IMPACT of rhe same games over and over, desensitizing us to how dreadful these people are.

Expand full comment

Was it a psychic fortune cookie or a recommendation?

Expand full comment

A fortune cookie for the public and a recommendation for Judge Cannon.

Expand full comment

Or permission for Cannon?

Expand full comment

I believe Judge Thomas has been feeding back channel assistance to Fan Girl Cannon almost from Day One. She’s only tried three or four previous cases and is truly over her head.

Expand full comment

Thats the thing. Me too. I keep forgetting who these people are and how deeply embedded they are in our system of government.

Expand full comment

Give that up

Expand full comment

And more good news for tRump, as his favorite Judge, Aileen Cannon, has taken up Clarence Thomas' remarks in the "immunity" decision questioning the "constitutionality" of the Special Prosecutor appointment, and has tossed the entirety of the SC Smith's case!

Sure, Smith will appeal, and to be sure, the tRump team will now present Judge Chutkan with a MTD based upon Cannon's and Thomas' "logic".

We were warned that the Thomas comment on Speciall Prosecutors/Counsels may be used by *Judge* Cannon, and she didn't waste any time letting tRump off.

The thieving insurrectionist and rapist skates again!

Expand full comment

Total BS. Still don't understand how one man has weilded so much power in this country. It's f-ing insane

Expand full comment

He had help. And we know who helped him. We just didn’t understand the threat was real. Now, we do.

Expand full comment

The timing seems too coincidental to me. After the failed assassination attempt, she saw Trump as ascendant and likely to win the election. She has just sent in her resumé for a SCOTUS appointment, or something big like AG.

Expand full comment

Oh, you remember Mickey Rooney at the hospital window, too.

Expand full comment

I disagree - I think this was awful timing for him. It cuts into the news cycle about the shooting and induced Trump to write an unhinged response that undermined his supposed role as a uniter.

Expand full comment
author

Interesting

Expand full comment

A big thing now, move for all the cases to be dismissed. Some Congressman (OH?) said that too recently because the Dems owe it to Trump after they caused the shooting (more or less).

Expand full comment
Jul 15·edited Jul 15

They didn't, and everyone knows they didn't, so this is just as Jay predicted (maybe sooner than he expected): the GOP has overplayed this hand. Also, this ruling will be overturned by the 11th Circuit, then perhaps appealed to the Supreme Court, which, if it rules for Trump, will simply create another political problem for him like it did with the immunity ruling.

If the Special Counsel actually is somehow banned, a second Biden Administration could simply bring the charges again from the local US Attorney (probably drawing a different judge) and a Trump Administration would be unable to use the position as a non-partisan disguise as they persecute their enemies. Same as how they probably couldn't charge Biden with anything thanks to the immunity ruling.

In terms of practical impact, this is Sideshow Bob stepping on rakes.

Expand full comment

One article I read earlier today (Robert Hubbell's Substack post?) mentioned that SP Smith may, in the interest of time, skip the 11th Circuit and appeal directly to SCOTUS, which will probably (but not certainly, given the court's obvious far-right bias) overturn Cannon. That notion comes from the record showing that only Thomas is willing to fly in the face of longstanding precedent and support the idea that a non-Senate-approved special prosecutor would be unconstitutional.

After SCOTUS's overturning of Cannon, if that happens, Smith would then go to the 11th Circuit and ask that Cannon be removed from the case and another judge assigned to it. That request would likely be received attentively, the 11th Circuit having already sharply rebuked Cannon once and undoubtedly being well aware of her foot-dragging and bizarre rulings over the last year or so.

I don't know how much time that all would really save, SCOTUS having just finished its term, but it is a path forward for Smith.

Expand full comment

What utterly insane bullshit.

Expand full comment

This piece is about MAGA gaslighting the American people, not the Florida documents case ruling. I have one observation. Of the people Jay quotes, all are cynically posturing to capitalize on the shooting but one...Steve Scalise. When he says there has been violence from the misguided Left, not only the Right, he has the scars to prove it. Is the threat symmetrical? Not at all, and neither is the claim that Trumpism threatens to end our democracy false.

Expand full comment

I’m not sure I agree. An hour after her decision came down, I tuned into MSNBC, hoping to find some analysis, explanation, what-comes-next sort of discussion. It was all about the shooting before they switched to covering the RNC.

Expand full comment

Do you have a link to that?

Expand full comment

Thanks.

Malignant Narcissist: Give me my way because *unity*. JHC!

Expand full comment

He actually undermines basically everything the GOP is trying to do here. By going after literally every attack on his character (Biden flat out said "he r*** her" on Friday, quoting the judge in that case), he broadens the scope of the argument from "it's unacceptable to say I'm a fascist trying to end democracy" to "its unacceptable to criticize me at all". I don't think the public was there for the first argument, but it definitely won't be there for the second.

Expand full comment

Seconded.

Expand full comment

Preparing us for his autocracy.

Expand full comment

Haha...and "UNITE, vote for ME!"

Expand full comment

Wow. Batsh*t crazy even for Cheetolini.

Expand full comment

And whaddaya know, between Cannon's ruling and JD Vance, somehow an assassination attempt against Trump less than 48 hours ago is off the front pages. Plus, by picking a Project 2025 cheerleader like Vance, Trump has given Democrats a punching bag that isn't him, negating the argument that they can't attack him out of sympathy. Brilliant!

Expand full comment

Bad for Trump, but good for Cannon.

Expand full comment

She ought to be disbarred.I also want to know how much $$$ tfg was slipping to her.

Expand full comment

IMO, all of this crap is carefully planned out and carefully timed.

The J6 coup attempt never stopped. It just changed course.

Expand full comment

Our next Chief Justice....SMH.

Expand full comment

Just in...Hillbilly Vance tRump's appointed attack dog/VP mate...the Orange Felon takes the not-so "high road" - LOL! - while Vance goes low - really low, as his VP audition comments have shown.

But, loads of vids and written opinions from Hillbilly in 2016 absolutely crucifying POS tRump are freely available online, and hopefully the Biden campaign gets some smarts and uses them.

Expand full comment

I think she probably planned on doing it today so the news would be focused on the Republican convention. The assassination attempt just gave her an even better opportunity to slip it past the headlines. I assume the Justice Department will appeal.

Expand full comment

The party who says there’ll be a “bloodbath” if their candidate loses in November wants us to cool it with the rhetoric, you guys.

Expand full comment

Aren’t they also the ones constantly begging for a civil war? But we’re the problem!

Expand full comment
Jul 15Liked by Jay Kuo

The cycle of violence is real, and T trying to position himself as the abusive boyfriend/partner who has changed is dangerous because many may be fooled and think God is giving him a second chance. Yuck 🤮

Expand full comment

He may be trying, but I really don’t think most sane Americans, especially all those millions of us who voted for Joe Biden before, are going to be fooled by this. Also, he will never be able to pull it off. In no time, he’ll be inciting violence again because he cannot help himself.

Expand full comment

Yep. It is who he is to his core.

Expand full comment

The majority of those who voted for Biden aren’t my concern. It’s the undecided independents!!

Expand full comment

The undecided independents will continue to see a man who incites violence, behaves like a jerk, and rambles on speaking nonsense. He just also chose one of the most unlikable VP candidates. We can only hope all of this persuades them to vote for Biden.

Expand full comment

No one is fooled.

Expand full comment

Don't mind taking a moment. Not fooled. 🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

Expand full comment

Correction; not everyone is fooled. His base as evinced by MTG clearly believes everything he says.

Expand full comment

she just likes the sound of her own voice

Expand full comment

For sure no one else does,it's like scraping nails down a blackboard.She's a classic politician,talks endlessly but doesn't say squat.

Expand full comment

She's a female trump, only wants to spew hate and be contraversial

Expand full comment

I'm not sure she really believes. I think she wants to appear to believe. It suits her agenda.

Expand full comment

Trump will not be able to sustain a "saintly forbearance" for very long. He's always been one who, when he feels as though he's been hit, will hit back harder. He's his own worst enemy and as TCinLA wrote yesterday, "he's bound to step on his....(expectant pause)...red tie sooner or later."

Expand full comment

Once you know the domestic abuser’s playbook, Donald Trump is extremely easy to figure out.

Expand full comment

Look up the definition of malignant narcissism and the collateral damage is not small. I don’t think it is a stretch to be concerned about what DJT will do, whether he wins or he loses.

Expand full comment

Not to mention Trump’s comment in 2016 that the 2nd Amendment people would know what to do about Hillary Clinton. That was one of his worst, and no one ever mentions it.

Expand full comment

I have seen it mentioned by at least five other Substack writers.

Expand full comment

That’s good — I’ve somehow missed it.

Expand full comment

It is good, but it would be better to see it mentioned in the major media coverage.

Expand full comment

Just posted that too!!! We need to keep all that front and center…

Expand full comment

And they will strip all of their guns...step one for fascist: no competition.

Expand full comment

Also noting his meetings with Orban and his affection for Putin. Is he suddenly going to “unfriend” them? Project 2025 HAS to stay in the dialog.

Expand full comment

Yes, about Project 2025 ! 📣

Here’s what Project 2025 calls “violence.”

Juxtaposed against this increase in violent crime are things like Attorney General Merrick Garland’s October 4, 2021, memorandum directing the commitment of significant resources and energies to combating imaginary, politically convenient threats of violence toward members of school boards and their staffs during the heat of the Virginia gubernatorial race.

Project 2025, page 552

The authors of Project 2025 call their base terrorizing school board members, election workers, and other public figures imaginary threats. At every turn, they dismiss the violence they rabidly commit and project it onto their opponents. This is a tactic of authoritarians and fascists.

https://open.substack.com/pub/project2025istheocracy/p/why-project-2025-matters-now-more?r=fqsxl&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Expand full comment
Jul 15Liked by Jay Kuo

I laughed out loud at TFG claiming he's feeling "spiritual". I probably shouldn't have, but I did. Ah yes, he's a changed man. Sure, I buy that. That's why he raised his fist and yelled, "fight, fight, fight", right? Doesn't everyone who has a spiritual experience do that?

Expand full comment

I actually hope DT has some moments of reflection. Don't hold my breath.

Expand full comment

It’s impossible for that to happen because he is a sociopath. He’s too far gone…

Expand full comment

Not capable of it.

Expand full comment

He’s only as “spiritual” as needed to keep the evangelical vote.

Expand full comment
Jul 15Liked by Jay Kuo

“…President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” wrote Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), who is also up for VP.

Expand full comment
author

What a coward. What a snake.

Expand full comment

I heard a prominent Democratic senator say this morning that we need to respect our opponents. Respect for liars, cheaters, fraudsters and traitors? Because Trump had a close call? Ridiculous! No respect before and none now.

Expand full comment
author

Ah, Classic fecklessness masquerading as civility.

Expand full comment

Respect has more than one definition. We also honor the threat.

Expand full comment

I couldn't agree with you more.

What I can't help but wonder is why none of the republican right has commented on the innocent bystander that DIED during that attempt. Not even the toss-off "thoughts and prayers". That man was a first responder and a firefighter. He did not deserve to be gunned down by a kid with an assault style rifle... Where is the outrage on his behalf? As the daughter of a first responder that is what I would love to see from even one of todays republicans.

Well I won't be holding my breath.

I do not love, like or even tolerate Americas gun culture. It is and for years has been an ongoing series of atrocities.

Expand full comment

I also looked for comments about the victims. Some statements did come out, not quickly. Slow reporting or slow to make statements??? DTs statements was too well written for me to assume he wrote it himself. However, Presidents have always had writters.

Expand full comment
Jul 15Liked by Jay Kuo

Do all these Democrat blaming people not know he was a REGISTERED REPUBLICAN?? So how is it a Democrat problem??

We all know that djt is capitalizing on the situation and has not intention of changing his strategy!

Expand full comment

If they’ve heard it, no doubt they consider it “fake news”.

Expand full comment

Just talked to someone who turned the shooter is a registered Republican into the shooter is a Democrat who just registered as Republican to vote against Trump and he is also a member of antifa. Truth just can't win.

Expand full comment

The failure of the press is as much to blame as tRmp and his psycho opportunist Christo-fascist cabal.

And why? MONEY. Many of the major media outlets donate to tRmp.

President BIDEN is a THREAT to the billionaires.

All the more reason to support him. FERVENTLY.

BIDEN/HARRIS 2024 for democracy 🇺🇸✨

(Jay Kuo could you report more on the press and propaganda?! Who’s supports tRmp and why? How they SPIN tRmp and Biden and fail to report on Biden policy and administration etc?)

Expand full comment

Wait until Premier Trump goes after the press, as every authoritarian does. It will then be too late for them to write about the danger Trump posed to democracy.

Expand full comment

They'll just become official mouthpieces, instead of the current unofficial status. They'll fire any dissenting journalists and carry on pocketing the big money. It's the small independents like Jay that will be silenced.

Expand full comment
Jul 15·edited Jul 15

Trump said it himself--coverage of him sells newspapers for them.

Expand full comment

Trump is still the little bully who runs to his mama crying he was unfairly treated. Now he's got his followers doing it for him. Jay is right to point out ALL the times Trump incited violence. Who wants sympathy more than the bully Trump? What could provide a groundswell of sympathy? The BIG question the elephant in the room is asking — was it staged?

Expand full comment

Yes DT has said way too many foul things. However, I ready left leaning news, and the sentiments listed by Kuo were definitely common.

Expand full comment

To follow up, here is a very good post by Dylan Reeve: https://number8haywire.substack.com/p/but-maybe-this-one-is-a-false-flag

Expand full comment

Your readers might also like this -

Political Rally Shooting: Keeping Cool Heads and Warm Hearts | Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-pacific-heart/202407/political-rally-shooting-keeping-cool-heads-and-warm-hearts

and I was just interviewed by Steven Hassan on the Trump cult phenomenon -

Dr. Steven Hassan talks with Dr. Ravi Chandra: Compassion in the Time of Social Media

https://youtu.be/MVAGopz5jX8?si=Yt_eQHQm7wSe9WFT via @YouTube

Expand full comment

Thank you for the links.

Expand full comment

Nope!

“Do your best not to blame one party or another for the hostility and violence.”

Hard pass on the Psychology Today article. It’s just another article that gaslights the harm the GQP has done to our country and the normalization of right-wing violence and fascism. Ugh!

Expand full comment

Also the editor places limits on what I can post at Psychology Today. For example this article was rejected but I posted elsewhere. Hope you like it.

MOSF 19.5: Dangerous Charisma: Unpacking Trump’s Leadership and His Followers’ Mentality https://eastwindezine.com/mosf-19-5-dangerous-charisma-unpacking-trumps-leadership-and-his-followers-mentality/

Expand full comment

Sorry you think that.

Expand full comment

Dr. Ravi Chandra - thank you for the YouTube link to your and Dr. Hassan's discussion. Very insightful.

Expand full comment

Thanks for watching, and for your kind words!

Expand full comment

Perfectly wrought expose of MAGA lying bullshittery. Rumor has it that at the RNC they’re rebranding as Sycophants R US

Expand full comment
author

Good one!

Expand full comment

Quite well said. 😁😁 for both Bullshittery and Sycophants R Us. 👍

Expand full comment

Thank you Jay.

“What’s bred in the bone will come back in the flesh” and that’s especially true for the convicted felon.

He is a pathological liar who thinks he is some kind of new Messiah. He and his minions in congress, the senate and now the Supreme Court are absolutely NOT to be trusted.

And they need to be called out every single time.

Expand full comment

He will not be able to hold this pose of the good guy, spiritual guy. He will break down and become the old snarling guy at the RNC.

Expand full comment
author

We’ll see, but the old Trump will out eventually.

Expand full comment

Yep. Eventually for sure.

Expand full comment