On Sunday, Trump’s latest attorney John Lauro pulled a “full Ginsburg.” Meaning, just as Monica Lewinsky’s attorney William Ginsburg did back in 1998, Lauro appeared in a single day on all five major Sunday morning talk shows: This Week on ABC, Fox News Sunday
I read this on NPR's site: "What Trump is doing is, he's asking for personal loyalty to him to outweigh the rule of law," said Jason Stanley, professor of philosophy at Yale University. "We see this in any authoritarian takeover of a system. We see the authoritarian say, 'Devotion to me is more important than the rule of law.' " He goes on to say: "What jumped out to me is that we finally have a structural understanding of the way lies can undermine democracy, of the way trust is central for our democracy. Democracy relies on faith in its institutions and laws. Otherwise, there's no stability."
“Devotion” is his modus operandi--right down to the BS Trump spouts of “being indicted [for his followers].” The Justice System has been WAY TOO LENIENT on this traitor who continues to inflame crowds and subvert the Justice System and its Rule of Law. LOCK HIM UP.
"Deranged Jack Smith is going before his number one draft pick, the Judge of his ‘dreams’ (WHO MUST BE RECUSED!), in an attempt to take away my FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS - This, despite the fact that he, the DOJ, and his many Thug prosecutors, are illegally leaking, everything and anything, to the Fake News Media!!!”
Now, can anyone argue that this is NOT a product of a mind losing its fragile purchase on sanity? Just more examples that SC Smith will take to the protective order hearing before Judge Shutkan, and should provide some interesting commentary from the bench.
True, but I don’t think he was using the term “aspirational” in that context. It was more like “he hoped that this might be a legal avenue, even if it wasn’t”. I don’t want people to get carried away. This will not be a slam dunk trial.
While tRump's putative lead lawyer was doing an all-Sunday, all-in media blitz, on Saturday he had the gall to ask for a "three-day extension" on the governments discovery motion, because - no, really - they needed "more time to study the motion", all the while knowing that Lauro was booked out the next day on teevee. Needless to say, Judge Shutkan shot that request down and told the tRump team to get their shit together and have a response by 5pm today....delay-delay-delay, but they need a co-operating judge for that, but it ain't Judge Shutkan!
They keep coming back to the same argument they used in his impeachment trials. There was no statute violated therefore no crime was comitted. But as Jay pointed out, he isn't being charged with violating the Constitution but conspiracy to defraud the US by trying to circumvent the Constitution. His lawyers really need to pay closer attention. Hopefully the jury doesn't buy any of these theatrics and misdirects.
What happened in the fall of 2020 through now has been such a sad chapter in our history. Perpetrated by one of the clowniest bozos to ever grace our collective consciousness. If Trump ever had the opportunity to run against Nixon (who lost to Kennedy for being the clownier Bozo) he would have lost hands down. It's sad that in the tail end of our first black president and on the precipice of our first female president the Bozo had to come along, with some social media manipulation from interested third parties, that helped propel said Bozo into our history books along with all thr baggage, and plundering and side dealing that came with him.
I personally would have taken every fault of Hilary clintons over one positive aspect of Trump's.
I can't give him credit for that - it was a no brainer. It wasn't some lightning bolt of insight. And I mean, did anyone voice any opposition? Would ANY other President in that situation have chosen to slow walk the process.
Humph...glued together with their yt supremacist beliefs, their homophobia, their fear of change and disdain of education and their cult-like devotion to conspiracy theories...some coalition.
Oh yes, I understood that part...I'm getting the feeling that there are many Repubbies who fear the base's loud voice and insane passion even though that same base is a minority of voters. The 'Pubbies certainly spend a lot of energy on appeasement and throwing out red meat for them to slaver and chew on. One would think the GQP might learn from many prior examples that appeasement doesn't work...
I had never been a big Hilary fan, but she was far and away more qualified than ANYBODY else in the field of candidates and she was exactly right about Trump--and personally, I wish she had decked him one when he started lurking behind her in that debate.
Trump (and Lauro et al.) are not pursuing a legal strategy. They are pursuing a PR strategy. Threating to put Pence on the stand is great PR as much as it is terrible legally. etc.
Looks more like Trumpy is trying to have this tried in the court of public opinion where he can lie and twist the facts to suit his narrative--in as much as he has one, that is.
That's why I keep reading that as much as we all will love to see Trump put away..we cannot depend on a successful outcome of the trial to save us. Jack Smith, much as we love what he's doing, cannot save us. Only we voters can "save" us (U.S.). We have much work to do to coalesce and successfully project the Dem message and motivate the millennials and Gen Z to VOTE!
First sign that a lawyer is wrong and he knows it: Not letting anyone get a word in edgewise and talking over them incessantly. "Maybe if I don't stop talking, they won't be able to beat me...."
Completely agree - I saw him on Kaitlan Collins show last week for the first time and he simply wouldn’t shut up. Can’t begin to say how much I love my mute button!
This last bit is flat out Platinum truth- "To Lauro, I’d say this. If your client doesn’t want to be tried in D.C., then tell him not to commit crimes in D.C."
Considering the tantrum he threw over being called "Mr. Trump" rather than "President Trump" or "Mr. President," I wish that, from now on, anyone other than the prosecution or the judge would address him as "Boy." Wouldn't that be fun to watch?
Did everyone notice that all Sunday morning Laurio would refer to tfg as “Mr. tRump”, then IMMEDIATELY correct himself and say “President tRump??” This was deliberate; he was telegraphing to everyone that tfg is not “Mr”, but “President”. I lost count how many times he did this.
Mr. Bennett...I think they ALL should call him either Defendant Trump or Mr. Trump. Maybe he will finally blow a gasket (and while this may not be PC, I don't much care whether his gasket-blowing is an MI or a CVA just as long as it shuts him up and he is unable to work his fingers and thumbs)
And there goes another bit of the good karma I’ve built up over a lifetime. Since 2016, the Cheeto years have chipped away at the good karma. At this point I will likely return as a cockroach.
Same here....all the good karma I've acquired by doing random kindnesses and being courteous (in the face of irrational rage from others) on the roadways, etc.......all gone. Used up by my own rage at the abuses and arrogance being heaped on this country and her people by one mentally sick & twisted SOB.
Trump said on Truth Social “We will be immediately asking for recusal of this judge on very powerful grounds,....” Has he or any of his lawyers explained what those ”very powerful grounds” are? Coffee grounds?
This is more pure bull shit. This amounts to "its infrastructure week," that republicans have a health insurance plan after they repeal the ACA or that they have any plan other than to turn this county into christian caliphate that functions as an autocratic hitlarian style kleptocracy.
The more a lie is repeated, the more confused people get and the more likely they are to believe it. Putting this lawyer on is completely irresponsible on the part of every media company who did it. Do not amplify authoritarians. Do not give them platforms. To support my position, here's the inimitable Rebecca Solnit: https://lithub.com/rebecca-solnit-on-not-meeting-nazis-halfway/
I kept changing the channel so I didn’t have to listen to Lauro’s BS . I will not reward these “ news channels “ with an audience when these “lawyers” try to push this propaganda.
Like those media companies care about the country or whether they amplify the authoritarians or not--it's all about the bottom line, Mr. Doub. Having Trumpy's lawyer on nets them more money and that's all they care about.
True, T L Mills. But we should never accept and be quiet about the harms committed by greedy actors and entities.
Rather, because for most media companies it's now not just Profits Over People but Profits Over Democracy, we should channel our awareness and outrage into supporting antitrust policies and independent media like Meidas Touch, Brian Tyler Cohen, and of course Kuo; Hopium Chronicles; HCR; Joyce Vance; Roberts Reich and Hubbell; and Michael Moore.
I already subscribe to all of the above except for Mr. Moore and I like him too, but I live on a small pension plus a meagre SS and discretionary funds only stretch so far. I seldom watch any but local news and weather and PBS. PBS has been ticking me off of late: they have maybe two experienced people who are also actual journalists, but the rest of the interviewers let their rightwing guests gabble on, often pushing untruths or cherry-picked facts without context, with nary a hint of push-back...so I haven't been watching them quite as much.
Nailed it again, Jay...the "change in venue" business is so transparently racist, I can't believe these eejits actually said that in public...all-white jury in front of a tRump-appointed white male judge and he'll be content with his "fair trial". By the way, what exactly are his "powerful grounds" for removing the judge and moving everything to WV? Oh, right, Black Obama appointed judge and a jury pool that contains Black people, that's all I heard.
Agreeing with one, and only one, Dolt talking point 'Mike Pence didn't do the right thing'. IMO, Mike Pence should have invoked
25th Amendment Section 4 by J7. That would have been something he could campaign on, experience on the job and upholding the Constitution, but he didn't. Pence did the bare minimum and then dragged his privileged feet in testifying to the Special Prosecutor and refused to testify at all to the J6 Committee. Knowing about a felony in advance and not reporting it is also a crime. Judge Carter indicated that he believed, in reviewing John Eastman emails, that there was a crime in advance of J6 and seems to me Mike Pence knew that too.
Yesterday Pence, on CNN, strongly criticized Pelosi for pushing for invocation of the 25th amendment and the Democrats for impeaching Trump after he was out of office. It would be a big mistake to totally rely on Pence being sympathetic to the rule of law. He may very well be a weasel in sheep’s clothing.
I'm wondering if his saying that he 'doesn't know if what tRump did was illegal' is setting up his own defense exit ramp. I have zero faith in anyone from the previous administration.
Was watching Lauro on "Meet the Press" and he said he was not political, just legal, then he mentioned there was no way Biden could have gotten 15+million more votes when he had just stayed in his "basement" and not campaigned. I think spouting MAGA gaslighting is political....
Robert - no he was talking about how many more votes Biden got...not dollars, but votes, which he was suggesting since Biden was in his basement and not campaigning how did he get those vote. I just remember how the GQP/MAGA's would post/say Biden was hiding in his basement....and they apparently still are saying it.
I read this on NPR's site: "What Trump is doing is, he's asking for personal loyalty to him to outweigh the rule of law," said Jason Stanley, professor of philosophy at Yale University. "We see this in any authoritarian takeover of a system. We see the authoritarian say, 'Devotion to me is more important than the rule of law.' " He goes on to say: "What jumped out to me is that we finally have a structural understanding of the way lies can undermine democracy, of the way trust is central for our democracy. Democracy relies on faith in its institutions and laws. Otherwise, there's no stability."
“Devotion” is his modus operandi--right down to the BS Trump spouts of “being indicted [for his followers].” The Justice System has been WAY TOO LENIENT on this traitor who continues to inflame crowds and subvert the Justice System and its Rule of Law. LOCK HIM UP.
My Appalachian grandmother, Mattie, had a saying, “The more you stir a turd, the worse it smells.” Lauro needs to talk less. (Fat chance)
Like trying to get the former guy to stop posting on social media or keeping his unhinged mouth from spouting nonsense.
Herding cats - with regard to Trump, herding cats may be easier.
No offense intended to cats I am sure.
Today's SM hit from tRump:
"Deranged Jack Smith is going before his number one draft pick, the Judge of his ‘dreams’ (WHO MUST BE RECUSED!), in an attempt to take away my FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS - This, despite the fact that he, the DOJ, and his many Thug prosecutors, are illegally leaking, everything and anything, to the Fake News Media!!!”
Now, can anyone argue that this is NOT a product of a mind losing its fragile purchase on sanity? Just more examples that SC Smith will take to the protective order hearing before Judge Shutkan, and should provide some interesting commentary from the bench.
Honestly, their best defense would be the insanity defense. THAT is something we can definitely all believe.
My Vermont self says "A good pastry chef can frost a meadow muffin to look like a cupcake, but I'm not swallowing that either"
Lauro apparently also has the inability to stop blubbering just like his client.
He did exactly what his client wanted him to do.
Isn't it the very nature of a conspiracy that it is "aspirational?"
Yup!
True, but I don’t think he was using the term “aspirational” in that context. It was more like “he hoped that this might be a legal avenue, even if it wasn’t”. I don’t want people to get carried away. This will not be a slam dunk trial.
While tRump's putative lead lawyer was doing an all-Sunday, all-in media blitz, on Saturday he had the gall to ask for a "three-day extension" on the governments discovery motion, because - no, really - they needed "more time to study the motion", all the while knowing that Lauro was booked out the next day on teevee. Needless to say, Judge Shutkan shot that request down and told the tRump team to get their shit together and have a response by 5pm today....delay-delay-delay, but they need a co-operating judge for that, but it ain't Judge Shutkan!
Actually, today's hearing is about the protective order, discovery follows next...so much going on one gets confused!
They keep coming back to the same argument they used in his impeachment trials. There was no statute violated therefore no crime was comitted. But as Jay pointed out, he isn't being charged with violating the Constitution but conspiracy to defraud the US by trying to circumvent the Constitution. His lawyers really need to pay closer attention. Hopefully the jury doesn't buy any of these theatrics and misdirects.
What happened in the fall of 2020 through now has been such a sad chapter in our history. Perpetrated by one of the clowniest bozos to ever grace our collective consciousness. If Trump ever had the opportunity to run against Nixon (who lost to Kennedy for being the clownier Bozo) he would have lost hands down. It's sad that in the tail end of our first black president and on the precipice of our first female president the Bozo had to come along, with some social media manipulation from interested third parties, that helped propel said Bozo into our history books along with all thr baggage, and plundering and side dealing that came with him.
I personally would have taken every fault of Hilary clintons over one positive aspect of Trump's.
Remind me of what those "positive aspects" of Trump are.
I think he got Project Warp Speed right, despite all of his stupid COVID-related statements.
I can't give him credit for that - it was a no brainer. It wasn't some lightning bolt of insight. And I mean, did anyone voice any opposition? Would ANY other President in that situation have chosen to slow walk the process.
Yeah, that’s pretty much how I view it too, but given how he pretty much effs everything else up...
There isn't many... but he has succeeded in forming a very strong coalition (regardless of the underlying motivation of why that coalition is strong)
Humph...glued together with their yt supremacist beliefs, their homophobia, their fear of change and disdain of education and their cult-like devotion to conspiracy theories...some coalition.
And yet it's real and the gop both values it and fears it. Take note of the words I used above "regardless of the underlying motivation..."
Oh yes, I understood that part...I'm getting the feeling that there are many Repubbies who fear the base's loud voice and insane passion even though that same base is a minority of voters. The 'Pubbies certainly spend a lot of energy on appeasement and throwing out red meat for them to slaver and chew on. One would think the GQP might learn from many prior examples that appeasement doesn't work...
He cancelled that trade treaty that would have let corporations sue countries over loss of income due to new laws.
I had never been a big Hilary fan, but she was far and away more qualified than ANYBODY else in the field of candidates and she was exactly right about Trump--and personally, I wish she had decked him one when he started lurking behind her in that debate.
So, YES, Mr. George 1000% agreement here!!!
yep, so did I
Trump (and Lauro et al.) are not pursuing a legal strategy. They are pursuing a PR strategy. Threating to put Pence on the stand is great PR as much as it is terrible legally. etc.
And, Mr Trump's post about you come after me I'm coming after you seems a threat to Pence.
It would appear to be a threat to any and all witnesses and the prosecutor (well, especially the prosecutor) and even the judge.
Yes. They are living in a TV reality show. The landing will be quite hard, once the spots have shut down. Pew!
Unfortunately, I think you are right, and the TV reality show devotees are eating it all up. Thank you so very much, Jerry Springer.
and Mark Burnett!
Looks more like Trumpy is trying to have this tried in the court of public opinion where he can lie and twist the facts to suit his narrative--in as much as he has one, that is.
yes, that is exactly the point. He knows full well his only hope is to get elected. Legal strategies are irrelevant for him.
That's why I keep reading that as much as we all will love to see Trump put away..we cannot depend on a successful outcome of the trial to save us. Jack Smith, much as we love what he's doing, cannot save us. Only we voters can "save" us (U.S.). We have much work to do to coalesce and successfully project the Dem message and motivate the millennials and Gen Z to VOTE!
As a lawyer, I think your take is 100% correct. Lauro was speaking to the prospective jury pool and he will continue to do so.
First sign that a lawyer is wrong and he knows it: Not letting anyone get a word in edgewise and talking over them incessantly. "Maybe if I don't stop talking, they won't be able to beat me...."
"If you don't have the law, pound the facts.
If you don't have the facts, pound the law.
If you have neither, pound the table!"
Completely agree - I saw him on Kaitlan Collins show last week for the first time and he simply wouldn’t shut up. Can’t begin to say how much I love my mute button!
This last bit is flat out Platinum truth- "To Lauro, I’d say this. If your client doesn’t want to be tried in D.C., then tell him not to commit crimes in D.C."
It's funny cause it's true 😋
“A technical violation of the Constitution is not a violation of criminal law.”
Like “technically” pregnant isn’t pregnant.
Considering the tantrum he threw over being called "Mr. Trump" rather than "President Trump" or "Mr. President," I wish that, from now on, anyone other than the prosecution or the judge would address him as "Boy." Wouldn't that be fun to watch?
Should we call him "Liddle Donny?"
This^^^^^
Did everyone notice that all Sunday morning Laurio would refer to tfg as “Mr. tRump”, then IMMEDIATELY correct himself and say “President tRump??” This was deliberate; he was telegraphing to everyone that tfg is not “Mr”, but “President”. I lost count how many times he did this.
I guess he wants to make sure he gets paid............
Mr. Bennett...I think they ALL should call him either Defendant Trump or Mr. Trump. Maybe he will finally blow a gasket (and while this may not be PC, I don't much care whether his gasket-blowing is an MI or a CVA just as long as it shuts him up and he is unable to work his fingers and thumbs)
Right there with you about the MI or CVA.
And there goes another bit of the good karma I’ve built up over a lifetime. Since 2016, the Cheeto years have chipped away at the good karma. At this point I will likely return as a cockroach.
Same here....all the good karma I've acquired by doing random kindnesses and being courteous (in the face of irrational rage from others) on the roadways, etc.......all gone. Used up by my own rage at the abuses and arrogance being heaped on this country and her people by one mentally sick & twisted SOB.
We should start a self-help/support group!
Excellent piece, Jay! Thank you!
Trump said on Truth Social “We will be immediately asking for recusal of this judge on very powerful grounds,....” Has he or any of his lawyers explained what those ”very powerful grounds” are? Coffee grounds?
This is more pure bull shit. This amounts to "its infrastructure week," that republicans have a health insurance plan after they repeal the ACA or that they have any plan other than to turn this county into christian caliphate that functions as an autocratic hitlarian style kleptocracy.
The more a lie is repeated, the more confused people get and the more likely they are to believe it. Putting this lawyer on is completely irresponsible on the part of every media company who did it. Do not amplify authoritarians. Do not give them platforms. To support my position, here's the inimitable Rebecca Solnit: https://lithub.com/rebecca-solnit-on-not-meeting-nazis-halfway/
I kept changing the channel so I didn’t have to listen to Lauro’s BS . I will not reward these “ news channels “ with an audience when these “lawyers” try to push this propaganda.
From 2020, right after the election, and still relevant. Worth reading, and I shared it!
When are we going to realize that the media companies are looking to present the juiciest and most controversial matters and interviewees?
Some of us have, which is why we are here in Status Kuo country, looking for facts and insight.
Like those media companies care about the country or whether they amplify the authoritarians or not--it's all about the bottom line, Mr. Doub. Having Trumpy's lawyer on nets them more money and that's all they care about.
True, T L Mills. But we should never accept and be quiet about the harms committed by greedy actors and entities.
Rather, because for most media companies it's now not just Profits Over People but Profits Over Democracy, we should channel our awareness and outrage into supporting antitrust policies and independent media like Meidas Touch, Brian Tyler Cohen, and of course Kuo; Hopium Chronicles; HCR; Joyce Vance; Roberts Reich and Hubbell; and Michael Moore.
I already subscribe to all of the above except for Mr. Moore and I like him too, but I live on a small pension plus a meagre SS and discretionary funds only stretch so far. I seldom watch any but local news and weather and PBS. PBS has been ticking me off of late: they have maybe two experienced people who are also actual journalists, but the rest of the interviewers let their rightwing guests gabble on, often pushing untruths or cherry-picked facts without context, with nary a hint of push-back...so I haven't been watching them quite as much.
Nailed it again, Jay...the "change in venue" business is so transparently racist, I can't believe these eejits actually said that in public...all-white jury in front of a tRump-appointed white male judge and he'll be content with his "fair trial". By the way, what exactly are his "powerful grounds" for removing the judge and moving everything to WV? Oh, right, Black Obama appointed judge and a jury pool that contains Black people, that's all I heard.
Agreeing with one, and only one, Dolt talking point 'Mike Pence didn't do the right thing'. IMO, Mike Pence should have invoked
25th Amendment Section 4 by J7. That would have been something he could campaign on, experience on the job and upholding the Constitution, but he didn't. Pence did the bare minimum and then dragged his privileged feet in testifying to the Special Prosecutor and refused to testify at all to the J6 Committee. Knowing about a felony in advance and not reporting it is also a crime. Judge Carter indicated that he believed, in reviewing John Eastman emails, that there was a crime in advance of J6 and seems to me Mike Pence knew that too.
Yesterday Pence, on CNN, strongly criticized Pelosi for pushing for invocation of the 25th amendment and the Democrats for impeaching Trump after he was out of office. It would be a big mistake to totally rely on Pence being sympathetic to the rule of law. He may very well be a weasel in sheep’s clothing.
I'm wondering if his saying that he 'doesn't know if what tRump did was illegal' is setting up his own defense exit ramp. I have zero faith in anyone from the previous administration.
Was watching Lauro on "Meet the Press" and he said he was not political, just legal, then he mentioned there was no way Biden could have gotten 15+million more votes when he had just stayed in his "basement" and not campaigned. I think spouting MAGA gaslighting is political....
Did he say $15 million? 😅
Robert - no he was talking about how many more votes Biden got...not dollars, but votes, which he was suggesting since Biden was in his basement and not campaigning how did he get those vote. I just remember how the GQP/MAGA's would post/say Biden was hiding in his basement....and they apparently still are saying it.