The odds of an indictment of ex-president Trump on charges of espionage, illegal removal of government documents and obstruction of justice just shot up.
He has been so sure of his ability to fleece people his whole life, it is not at all surprising he eventually made a mistake. Gads, it is like paying your hired killer with a personal check.
“You’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified, even by thinking about it.” He is, in his warped mind, equating "President" with "King". He never had a grasp of what being "President" actually meant.
I agree, Deborah. Trump is a densely stupid man, quite ignorant, impervious to new information, amoral, and as self-serving as a lizard seeking the sun to keep his blood warm and his body alive.
It seems equally possible that DJT's intent was the monetary value of the various classified docs he retained as noted in these 2 quotes:
"As former Senior Foreign Service member Luis Moreno tweeted: “You can bet that if the TS/SCI dox involved military action against Iran, there would be a couple of countries willing to pay a king’s ransom for it.”" Helen Cox Richardson
and "hey, remember when out of the clear blue sky Bone Saw Arabia handed two billion dollars to Donny’s overleveraged and underqualified slumlord son-in-law Jared? what could be worth two billion dollars to Bone Saw Arabia? stolen plans for an attack on Iran, maybe?" Jeff Tiedrich
I've been trying to figure out what TFG had that was worth 2 billion to the Saudis. I had heard something about nuclear docs but that's speculation I heard somewhere. Things will hopefully become more clear soon
Kushner and Ivanka should certainly be called to answer questions under oath to the grand jury working on the documents case. I do not understand why they have not yet been called. Surely the Saudi's got something in return for the $2 billion, like information on the Milley report about attacking Iran. And where did the $2 billion go? I have my opinions on that "investment" also. There should be an audit/investigation on this subject also.
If Javanka were subpoenaed, there’s a good possibility they would be given immunity. I would prefer they get indicted for their crimes vs getting immunity.
Yeah, so would I - BUT: he who rolls over first gets the deal. If they provide evidence that materially aids a conviction, then they get the deal. They're basically crooks anyway, and so they will probably get busted for something or other eventually.
if I'm not mistaken there are a number of money dealings that are being looked into. There is this one and one where the Kushner family got a lot of money for some apartments. I don't remember the specifics without looking it all up. But I do remember reading that all this stuff is under scrutiny right now
Another possible explanation for Milley drawing up the plan was to try to make Trump understand the massive loss of American lives that would be involved.
Of course, there's no guarantee that would have swayed Trump, but at least he would have it in writing in his own defense of his actions.
In fairness, so did many of us. We thought we were dealing with somebody with the mentality of an eight year old, and it turned out it was the mentality of a five year old.
"Such a document would tend to refute the media narrative that Milley was doing everything to stop a crazy Trump from going to war with Iran."
No, it really wouldn't. Plans like that are likely drawn up for any country in the world as a routine matter. It's not about actually intending to go to war, but about being ready if things suddenly take a turn for the worse. Entirely plausible for Milley to draw up such a plan as part of his normal job, and at the same time say "never act on this plan".
It's not about that - it is about Trump having the 'see I told you so' receipts in his own mind. This is juvenile, and a normal person doesn't make personalized, petty things out of defense secrets, but Trump is not normal.
Probe deeper, Milley's relationship with Likud, and Bibi's obsession with (fake) war against IRI is obviously part of it. Ironically, MbS has warmed up diplomatically in a big way with Shia since Trump left office.
Trump is notorious for not keeping paper records for things. However, he clearly doesn't know when not to open his damn mouth when there is a recording device of some sort present. Does he think that, if it's not on paper, then it's not a real record? That non-paper records are, somehow, magically, not admissible in the court of law? Of course... what can we expect from someone who said he could declassify documents with his mind....
Slow methodical case building wins cases. I hope they make the best use of this possible. Admitting your own criminal acts on tape is never a good idea.
Is must be dotted and Ts crossed. The case(s) must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. "When you come at the king, best not miss." Federal prosecutors will wait, no matter how long it takes, until they are as certain of a conviction as it is possible to be before they move. Local prosecutors often have local political considerations for speedy indictments; not so the feds - politics are done by politicians - above their pay grades. Especially "Special Prosecutors" - you do not indict until you are sure you will win.
If he were charged and convicted the GOP would be stupid to keep him as a candidate even if he were still eligible... but we are talking about the GOP here so what am I thinking? I just wonder how many times they think they can sell "wrongly accused" or "wrongly convicted" to the American public.
While I wholeheartedly agree, Jay will have to weigh in. I do know if he were to be convicted of treason (a different scenario that involves aiding and abetting a foreign government), he would be ineligible. But I've not seen anything about the Espionage Act disqualifying someone.
Interesting considering the Founders had to deal with Benedict Arnold and his ilk. OTOH, you know how tfg is always calling for executions, occasionally public ones? It seems to me that his poor vermin infested brain is running circles around itself at the mere mention of espionage.
Raise your hands if you are surprised by Trump screwing himself over because of his ego and stupidity.
*looks around* Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Didn't think so
He has been so sure of his ability to fleece people his whole life, it is not at all surprising he eventually made a mistake. Gads, it is like paying your hired killer with a personal check.
And inability to shut his big, lying mouth.
He can't help himself...such is the life of an egotistical narcissist.
I hope this is also a Mark Meadows takedown
I think the tape may have leaked from, if not Meadows, his aides.
Doing everything he can think of to stay outta jail himself. Depending on what he told the Grand Jury, it might even work.
He wasn’t in the room at the time, it appears.
How do you know? We’re you there?
Right? I’d call him a slime ball but that would be an insult to slime...and balls.
For some reason that sounds gross
Lol. As it should.
And WTF is Mark? He in hiding somewhere?
“There’s always a tape.” (I swear Republicans, since the time of Nixon, still don’t get the concept of recording. Audio or video.)
Recorded at HIS instruction! I swear... thank god for dumb criminals.
I was about to say this whole thing is giving me deja vu of Watergate and the "missing 18 minutes."
“You’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified, even by thinking about it.” He is, in his warped mind, equating "President" with "King". He never had a grasp of what being "President" actually meant.
I agree, Deborah. Trump is a densely stupid man, quite ignorant, impervious to new information, amoral, and as self-serving as a lizard seeking the sun to keep his blood warm and his body alive.
It seems equally possible that DJT's intent was the monetary value of the various classified docs he retained as noted in these 2 quotes:
"As former Senior Foreign Service member Luis Moreno tweeted: “You can bet that if the TS/SCI dox involved military action against Iran, there would be a couple of countries willing to pay a king’s ransom for it.”" Helen Cox Richardson
and "hey, remember when out of the clear blue sky Bone Saw Arabia handed two billion dollars to Donny’s overleveraged and underqualified slumlord son-in-law Jared? what could be worth two billion dollars to Bone Saw Arabia? stolen plans for an attack on Iran, maybe?" Jeff Tiedrich
I've been trying to figure out what TFG had that was worth 2 billion to the Saudis. I had heard something about nuclear docs but that's speculation I heard somewhere. Things will hopefully become more clear soon
Kushner and Ivanka should certainly be called to answer questions under oath to the grand jury working on the documents case. I do not understand why they have not yet been called. Surely the Saudi's got something in return for the $2 billion, like information on the Milley report about attacking Iran. And where did the $2 billion go? I have my opinions on that "investment" also. There should be an audit/investigation on this subject also.
If Javanka were subpoenaed, there’s a good possibility they would be given immunity. I would prefer they get indicted for their crimes vs getting immunity.
Yeah, so would I - BUT: he who rolls over first gets the deal. If they provide evidence that materially aids a conviction, then they get the deal. They're basically crooks anyway, and so they will probably get busted for something or other eventually.
if I'm not mistaken there are a number of money dealings that are being looked into. There is this one and one where the Kushner family got a lot of money for some apartments. I don't remember the specifics without looking it all up. But I do remember reading that all this stuff is under scrutiny right now
But, but,.... HUNTER BIDEN’S LAPTOP! That’s the only argument the MAGA’s have to anything.
Heather Cox Richardson but your quotes are both correct.
Banner day!! Now bring on the indictments!!
Another possible explanation for Milley drawing up the plan was to try to make Trump understand the massive loss of American lives that would be involved.
Of course, there's no guarantee that would have swayed Trump, but at least he would have it in writing in his own defense of his actions.
If Milley intended it as a reality check, he gave his boss far too much credit for being able to imagine consequences.
In fairness, so did many of us. We thought we were dealing with somebody with the mentality of an eight year old, and it turned out it was the mentality of a five year old.
Yes, Trump was proud of being a master student of blackmail techniques with Roy Cohn as a mentor and teacher.
Keeping a document as a "gotcha" fits his profile.
"Such a document would tend to refute the media narrative that Milley was doing everything to stop a crazy Trump from going to war with Iran."
No, it really wouldn't. Plans like that are likely drawn up for any country in the world as a routine matter. It's not about actually intending to go to war, but about being ready if things suddenly take a turn for the worse. Entirely plausible for Milley to draw up such a plan as part of his normal job, and at the same time say "never act on this plan".
I think Trump would use it to refute the narrative if given the opportunity, and it would tend to work.
It's not about that - it is about Trump having the 'see I told you so' receipts in his own mind. This is juvenile, and a normal person doesn't make personalized, petty things out of defense secrets, but Trump is not normal.
Probe deeper, Milley's relationship with Likud, and Bibi's obsession with (fake) war against IRI is obviously part of it. Ironically, MbS has warmed up diplomatically in a big way with Shia since Trump left office.
Trump is notorious for not keeping paper records for things. However, he clearly doesn't know when not to open his damn mouth when there is a recording device of some sort present. Does he think that, if it's not on paper, then it's not a real record? That non-paper records are, somehow, magically, not admissible in the court of law? Of course... what can we expect from someone who said he could declassify documents with his mind....
And the hits keep coming - thanks Jay for keeping me up to date! You my friend along with a few others are keeping me sane. <3
Slow methodical case building wins cases. I hope they make the best use of this possible. Admitting your own criminal acts on tape is never a good idea.
The term “state of mind,” when referring to that guy, triggers in me horror, disgust, and rage.
(I do realize it is a legal term.)
Knives out
Why THE FÜÇK is Dolt45 still wandering around!?!??
You know DÅMŃËD WĘLL if this was ANYONE ELSE they’d be in leg irons the second this was discovered, much less published.
As a Squidwife, my Chief husband would have never seen the light of day again had he done 1/100th of what Dolt45 has🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
Is must be dotted and Ts crossed. The case(s) must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. "When you come at the king, best not miss." Federal prosecutors will wait, no matter how long it takes, until they are as certain of a conviction as it is possible to be before they move. Local prosecutors often have local political considerations for speedy indictments; not so the feds - politics are done by politicians - above their pay grades. Especially "Special Prosecutors" - you do not indict until you are sure you will win.
If Trump is charged with espionage, can he still run for President? It would seem like a huge conflict of interest.
Yes, being charged doesn’t change your eligibility to run. Even being convicted wouldn’t, under current law.
If he were charged and convicted the GOP would be stupid to keep him as a candidate even if he were still eligible... but we are talking about the GOP here so what am I thinking? I just wonder how many times they think they can sell "wrongly accused" or "wrongly convicted" to the American public.
So Trump would have to be found guilty of espionage in order to be ineligible?
Since when did a conflict of interest ever give that man so much as a pause?
Not him...there has to be some kind of law that you can't be tried for espionage and then still be trusted with the nation's secrets.
While I wholeheartedly agree, Jay will have to weigh in. I do know if he were to be convicted of treason (a different scenario that involves aiding and abetting a foreign government), he would be ineligible. But I've not seen anything about the Espionage Act disqualifying someone.
Interesting considering the Founders had to deal with Benedict Arnold and his ilk. OTOH, you know how tfg is always calling for executions, occasionally public ones? It seems to me that his poor vermin infested brain is running circles around itself at the mere mention of espionage.