104 Comments
Nov 14, 2023Liked by Jay Kuo

This was all over cable news this morning. None of it surprised me, and as Jay wonders, who leaked the tapes? Probably the defense attorneys because they knew it was going to come out sooner or later. Better sooner, of course, as when it's a surprise it's worse. That said, I was thinking about that period between Election Day and Inauguration Day...I actually asked some of my attorney friends, seriously, what if Trump decides not to leave the WH? Physically. Who comes to get him? The Secret Service, a detail from the U.S. Marine Corps? A special Congressional escort? Whoa! Nobody was able to give me a conclusive answer. Did anybody else have this nightmare?

Expand full comment
author

I think it might begin with the GSA changing the locks but not sure!

Expand full comment

Just wondering - Does the White House even have locks (and if so, why? It's kinda like IHOP - always open, or at least never completely empty . . .)?

Expand full comment

I had wondered the same thing, but in the end, it was likely not possible in the first place. If he wanted to stay and have any veneer of "legitimacy" he would have had to hold some kind of re-inauguration in public, outside the WH.

But just assuming that he *had* tried, my guess is that Biden's Secret Service detail would have physically dragged him out, just like an evicted tenant.

Expand full comment

I was kind of wanting to see that. I figured someone would be dragging him out, I didn't care who

Expand full comment

I was actually hoping for that scenario. Nothing would have made me happier than to see him being dragged kicking and screaming down the steps of the White House. It would have been a joy to behold and a memory to cherish.

Expand full comment

That would be a "Pay-per-view" event that could put a dent in the massive hole Cheetolini and the GQP blew in the national budget . . .

Expand full comment

I did wonder this same thing: if Trump had refused to leave, who would force him to, and how would it work?

Expand full comment

Day in and day out.

Expand full comment

When this is all over, Jenna MIGHT be fit to waitress at a Cracker Barrel. 🙄 But the lack of integrity is breathtaking... thanks for the clear explanation. (Still makes me wonder what it is about Trump that makes these folks find the worst in themselves and act on it)

Expand full comment

That's not being fair to all professional Cracker Barrel waitresses everywhere! Seriously.

Expand full comment

True. They WORK for their money.

Expand full comment

I know, it's mind boggling. How all these people went a long with a scheme they knew was illegal. Does he put drugs in the diet cokes? Is it in the hamburgers?

Expand full comment

It is estimated that 1% to 6% of the population are sociopaths. Sociopathy is more common in men than women. But maybe Jenna is pushing the ratio a tiny bit closer toward women.

Expand full comment

What's more, the percentage in the top echelons of society, politicians, corporate C-suites etc., is said to be (and appears to be) dramatically higher. That's the main reason we need the system of checks and balances in the first place.

Expand full comment

Benning, S. D., Patrick, C. J., Hicks, B. M., Blonigen, D. M., & Krueger, R. F. (2003). Factor structure of the psychopathic personality inventory: Validity and implications for clinical assessment. Psychological Assessment, 15(3), 340-350.

Boddy, C. R. (2014). Corporate Psychopaths, Conflict, Employee Affective Well-Being and Counterproductive Work Behaviour. Journal of Business Ethics, 121(1), 107-121.

Boddy, C. R. (2017). Psychopathic Leadership. A Case Study of a Corporate Psychopath CEO. Journal of Business Ethics, 145(1), 141-156.

Landay, K., Harms, P. D., & Crede, M. (2019). Shall We Serve the Dark Lords? A Meta-Analytic Review of Psychopathy and Leadership. Journal of Applied Psychology, 104(1), 183-196.

Lilienfeld, S. O., Latzman, R. D., Watts, A. L., Smith, S. F., & Dutton, K. (2014). Correlates of psychopathic personality traits in everyday life: results from a large community survey. Frontiers in Psychology, 5.

Muscatello, M. R. A., Bruno, A., Genovese, G., Gallo, G., Zoccali, R. A., & Battaglia, F. (2017). Personality Traits Predict a Medical Student Preference to Pursue a Career in Surgery. Education for Health, 30(3), 211-214.

Neumann, C. S., Schmitt, D. S., Carter, R., Embley, I., & Hare, R. D. (2012). Psychopathic Traits in Females and Males across the Globe. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 30(5), 557-574.

Smith, S. F., & Lilienfeld, S. O. (2013). Psychopathy in the workplace: The knowns and unknowns. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 18(2), 204-218.

Expand full comment

Exactly Kevin. Thank you for posting that!

Expand full comment

Agreed.

Expand full comment

Just remember that Trump, Bannon, and Stephen Miller want to fill the military with like-minded... ummm, how to say this? Oh, the hell with it. Sociopaths.

Expand full comment

THAT is an interesting stat. They cant see right from wrong? They cant evaluate another persons words and deeds to determine their trustworthiness or value? I mean, Trump has been a supreme asshole his entire life. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Definitely a psychological condition.

Expand full comment

It isn’t any of those things, Susan, it’s that they don’t care. Sociopaths, ONLY care about themselves and what they want. They don’t care about anyone else, they are not in the slightest bit sympathetic or empathetic. All they care about is meeting their own wants, not even needs and they don’t care how they do that or who they hurt.

Expand full comment

Right. Dangerous to have these people in our government. :(

Expand full comment

Hamberders and covfefe.

Expand full comment

maybe is was in the ketchup if tfg was willing to share his!

Expand full comment

He’s a hate virus.

Expand full comment

I really truly hope she loses her law license. And then can't even get a job as a paralegal, legal secretary, nighttime transcriptionist, or receptionist.

I'm not being vindictive, just looking for some justice. The woman doesn't have the brain cells to rub together to advise anyone or be in any position of authority or expertise.

Expand full comment

Couldn’t agree more. 👍🏻

Expand full comment

Fascinating. And up until her indictment,

Jenna was still spewing the BIG LIE. It’s interesting to see how deeply dug in she was.

Expand full comment

I believer she was STILL spewing the Big Lie on her FB page AFTER the indictment...

Expand full comment

Guessing she suddenly acquired a competent attorney, who proceeded to make her see that there would actually be consequences for her nonsense - as in the aforementioned 5 years in a Georgia state pen.

Expand full comment

And a state conviction can't be given a presidential pardon.

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2023Liked by Jay Kuo

"Respecting the law and the process is part of what is required in our system, even if you’re the president." ESPECIALLY if you're the president.

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2023·edited Nov 14, 2023

Janet, you read my mind. I thought exactly the same thing!!!

Expand full comment

Yeah - I mean it's the actual Oath of Office...

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2023·edited Nov 14, 2023Liked by Jay Kuo

Trump is always a victim. There is always distraction, whataboutism, denial, attacks and undisguised provocation in everything he says. Why is anyone, most particularly the press, still able to get away with pretending to be surprised about anything he does or says?? 'Never leaving, no matter what' is normal for him.

Expand full comment

His playbook contains four words: Deny, Deflect, Stall, Lie

Expand full comment

You forgot 'complain'....

Expand full comment

Whine?

Expand full comment

Recently added your Stack to my must-read list. Thank you for adding to my understanding. Much legal wrangling for sure, but I’m holding out hope with so many brilliant minds on the side of preserving democracy.

Expand full comment

Be sure to subscribe! Well worth it..especially on Saturdays!

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2023Liked by Jay Kuo

I’m still in disbelief that anyone supports these idiots. What the heck has happened to our country???

Expand full comment

Yeah, but tax cuts!

Expand full comment

Which were temporary and puny for regular Americans to be followed by a large tax hike. While Billionaires got a permanent huge gift.

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2023·edited Nov 14, 2023Liked by Jay Kuo

Meadows voiced same intent, to not leave WH, so I believe this settles as corroborated;

https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-wh-aide-meadows-said-trump-wasnt-leaving-2020-loss-2022-7

Expand full comment

Thanks for the link, Shire. It is a good reminder of how long we have been tortured with this diabolical slow-rolling coup -- July 2022 article reflecting on December 2020 conversation. Yikes and sigh, all at once.

Expand full comment

Yes, tortured is correct, we should be able to sue tfg for punitive damages. 💙

Expand full comment

The ultimate class action suit!!

Expand full comment

I'm in!

Expand full comment

Sounds good!! 👍

Expand full comment

The timeline certainly lines up. Wow! Great reveal! No wonder tRump went off the rails the day before at his "vermin" rally.

Expand full comment

Could the video be admitted as evidence to the 14th amendment lawsuits here in Colorado and other states?

Expand full comment
author

No, there WOULD be a hearsay problem if Ellis did not herself testify I think.

Expand full comment

Can trump question Ellis how do you no there telling the truth

Obviously they could be bribed.

Expand full comment

Thank you once again for putting the ducks in a row clarifying so many issues.

Expand full comment

Thank you once again for filling in the legal niceties of a BIG piece of news.

If Trump planned to simply "not leave," how did it play out that he was compelled to do so? I am beginning better to understand his refusal to assist the transition of power in any manner whatsoever. He didn't believe that there would actually be one.

At what point do his "beliefs" in demonstrably untrue things (like a stolen election that wasn't, that he could be "reinstated" when he can't, and that Barack Obama is either the sitting president or is "controlling" Joe Biden), become compelling evidence of his mental incompetence certifiable in a court of law? He needs to be confined for his own protection and for ours as well.

Expand full comment

I truly feel he never really "believed" he won the election, I think he was told enough times that it isn't actually something he thought was true. But being the narcissist that he is he couldn't let his followers believe he lost. It's his MO- repeat lies so often that those true followers will believe whatever you say. I mean come on, 3 years later and he's still yapping about it. Keep it out there in the universe, keep those people thinking that the "Real evidence" will be released in 2 weeks. He can't quit now, his personality doesn't let him admit defeat.

Expand full comment
Nov 14, 2023·edited Nov 14, 2023

I don't think the absence of certifiable mental incompetence is listed in the Constitution as a qualification for President. And that's a good thing. We wouldn't legally ban somebody from the Presidency because he has the flu or is in a wheelchair (it's bad enough that this would make excellent candidates not telegenic enough to get enough votes!). Most mental disorders are similar; very few involve the kind of full-blown detachment from reality that you see in the movies.

Expand full comment

If you hit your late 70s and go into the hospital with a high degree of confusion about what is true and what is not, you are very likely to be placed in a ward from which you cannot voluntarily depart. It happens all the time.

Expand full comment

You are making my point. That's what you see in the movies, not the reality of mental disorders. And, no, it does not look to me like Trump, even as an ordinary citizen, could be legally committed to a psych ward.

Reagan also displayed a high degree of confusion (as we now know, probably due to the early stages of Alzheimer's) At some point, such a condition can become a matter for the 25th Amendment. But not usually for a psych ward.

Expand full comment

someone just needs to get him to that hospital

Expand full comment

I don't think ballot harvesting is either.

Expand full comment

And yet there are STILL people who should know better who think "Why should I leave IF THEY STOLE IT FROM ME?" is some kind of an excuse or an out.

Dictators don't call themselves dictators. Dictators don't say "I know I lost the election but F it I'm staying in office anyway." In the countries Trump openly, explicitly prefers to this one, that's not how it happens. This is how it happens.

Expand full comment

Here's hoping the video copies handed over to the defense were watermarked.

Expand full comment

Will there be an investigation of the leak? Or is the absence of a specific order enough so that no laws were broken?

Thanks for another clear article.

Expand full comment
author

The DA has moved for an emergency protective order to stop leaks of discovered evidence.

Expand full comment

Do you know why they didn't do this before? It seems that, with someone like Trump, his legal team leaking info is highly likely, and that prosecutors would have expected they would do it, if allowed.

Expand full comment

Is it wrong to think that trump trying to not leave might have been a good thing? Because at that point he moves from "Mob boss talk" to "Dictator actions." There were enough loyal leaders, Gen. Milley for example, who would have taken orders only from Biden as soon as he was sworn in (I don't see Justice Roberts going along with a coup). The secret service might have been problematic, but a shoot out between agents would have been over quickly. Would it have been a huge mess? Sure, but trump would be in jail at the end of it.

Expand full comment

The Supreme Court went along with the Bush Coup in 2000. I wouldn't trust them, including Roberts who has his own shifty business with his wife's vetting of lawyers. Now they have a ethics code which they don't have to follow, big deal.

Expand full comment

THE BOSS! Bruce Springsteen should sue him for IP infringement.

Expand full comment