[709]

Originally Posted by kieran The most baffling (not really) response came from the House Judiciary GOP Twitter account

Pretty sure that account is run by Gym Jordan, so no surprise there that it would look anywhere and highlight anything else besides crimes.


The craziest thing of all is that Republicans could've totally ditched this guy after he lost the election with just 10 more votes to impeach. Tossed his ass and disqualified him from holding office ever again. But nope, the party is tied to him forever now, and you'll never look at a (R) next to a candidate's name without thinking what it now represents.

[turtle]

I don't think that is as true as you think. I'm very conservative but don't identify Trump as my leader. I know I'm not the only one either. Many other forums/networks I'm in also feel the same way. Actually, many don't see him as an actual Republican, just on the ticket.

I see him as a Republican, but like every other politician he was better (IMO) than any other Democrat running. I still feel that way actually. However, if he is guilty of a crime then he should be handled as such.

For the documents that are shown, just because they have cover letters and such doesn't mean they are still classified. He has stated anything he had was declassified so I have to go with innocent until proven guilty. I'm seen various levels of classification stickers on things that are no longer classified. The stickers/cover letters were just never removed and the documents not properly marked. It happens.

That being said, that is a lot of "not properly managed" documents on the floor that look REALLY damning to his case.

[kieran]

I completely understand people who are conservative/traditional Republicans. I even find myself on board with some of the traditional conservative positions, however, the Republican Party as a whole has taken on a massive transformation in the last few years.

One of the biggest things I see is getting away from the small government mindset. Look at Florida for example. DeSantis is putting his fingers into so many tings and people are cheering him on for it.

The other thing that has come up, specifically regarding Trump, is defunding the FBI, which goes agains the whole "Back the Blue" line that republicans have taken on lately.

I just feel like Republicans let Trump push the party too far to the right and have gotten away from appealing themselves to the more moderate and centrist part of the voting base. In nearly every poll I've ever seen, the more people that vote, the less chance Republicans have at winning. That's because the most effective current Republican strategy is limiting the number of voters and gerrymandering the districts, which Democrats have also done in the last few years.

There are just so many things wrong with American politics.

[Anonymous Coward]

Having managed military classified documents before, it really does not matter whether or not the material has been declassified. Even the cover pages/binders are supposed to be treated the same as their original classification until appropriately defaced/shredded/burned.

Although former President Trump has been registered a Republican the longest, in the 2000s he was registered otherwise, including Democrat, so I believe that he being tied with the Republicans is stereotyping to energize the party line voters, mostly against but also for.

Assuming former President Trump ever had the time or background to digest the government/military documents in his possession of any classification, and is somehow able to avoid prosecution and sentencing, my naive political opinion is this:

Former President Trump should absolutely run for office again, but as a third party candidate. He can take his loyal followers of any affiliation with him. Of course, that should guarantee Democratic dominance in the next election, but is necessary to more clearly identify his support base and allow whatever is left of "Republican" to clarify their beliefs. I don't expect that will actually work, since apparently most voters are strict party line people and that would upset their sense of order.

[PB PM]

Keep digging Trump, at this rate you’ll reach China before the lock you up.

Never going to jail though, too rich and powerful for that to ever happen.

[709]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Coward Former President Trump should absolutely run for office again, but as a third party candidate. He can take his loyal followers of any affiliation with him. Of course, that should guarantee Democratic dominance in the next election, but is necessary to more clearly identify his support base and allow whatever is left of "Republican" to clarify their beliefs. I don't expect that will actually work, since apparently most voters are strict party line people and that would upset their sense of order.

There was some reporting a while ago that after the last election Trump threatened to start his own party since he thought the GOP didn't 'fight for him hard enough'. The Republican National Committee told him that if he did, they wouldn't pay for any of his legal bills, so he backed off (we know how adverse Trump is to spending his own money). Now just yesterday we're hearing that the RNC has said they're not paying for any of his legal bills related to the stolen documents, so there may be some movement away from Trump and his myriad troubles. The midterms are just a couple of months away and the last thing Republicans want to be talking about is Trump's criminality.

[drewprops]

Special Master not so special note that he's telling the former President's legal team "That's not how any of this works"


...

[709]

And Judge Aileen Cannon, this woefully unqualified Federalist Society hack that Trump installed before leaving office, is more in the bag for him than any other I've seen up to this point. Not even trying to fake being impartial, and her judgements have been roasted as laughable by all sides. But hey, lifetime appointment!

[Bryson]

$250m Lawsuit added to Mr Trump's plate: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62986812

[709]

And, thanks to the Adult Survivors Act that NY passed earlier this year giving survivors the chance to file a civil suit even if the statute of limitations has run out, a new lawsuit against Trump alleging rape.

[kieran]

Pretty awful day for Trump overall, but yet again, it's hard to get any sort of hope that he's going to face charges given that he's wiggle his way out of everything thrown at him so far.

[drewprops]

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale famously wrote the book The Power of Positive Thinking which had a profound effect on the Baby Boom generation, to whit:

Trump: I could declassify documents by thinking about it

...

[turtle]

I read that book.... but I'm not sure it ACTUALLY applies here.

“There doesn’t have to be a process, as I understand it,” Trump said. “You’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified, even by thinking about it.”

Apparently Trump really does though.

[kieran]

It's striking that he's saying he declassified everything. His lawyers are saying in public that he declassified them. His lawyers hint that he may have declassified them in court filings.

But yet, they won't file in court documents that they were actually declassified and the process in which that happened.

Of course, we all know why. These papers were never declassified. he took them because he wanted them to show off to other people and to potentially sell off secrets.

I really hope this does him in.

[Matsu]

If there's any justice, he will spend his golden years in a cell watching his thieving gold-plated empire dismantled in repayment of its many misdeeds.

[709]

If he's held accountable at this scale I predict that his sociopathic narcissism will cause him to stroke out before he sees a day behind bars.

OR he flees the country. What autocratic shithole would have him, I don't know.

[Matsu]

I haven't followed the entirety of the legal circus that surrounds Trump Inc, but in the times I have tuned in, a few of his private entanglements seem more problematic than others. They fall broadly into the category of routinely manipulating real estate valuations in order to secure investment/investors and lying about project financing. In a just society this would send people to jail, but in ours it exists on a continuum where in practice it's all a bit relative. Big money shapes regulation in its own interest, and rides a nuanced line. When they inevitably step over the lines they've drawn themselves... well, they redraw... they bury the little guys in bullshit and paperwork... they only settle with those who can compete in the market for billable hours. Trump is right when he suggests that he's not alone in his abuses, but those other guys didn't run for president. He did. And since then, I'd argue he's been annoyed at the spotlight it's put on him and his past. I'm sure he fully expected it to all go away - in the past it always had - but now he's practically daring lawmakers to enforce those laws he could easily flaunt as a private citizen. In his view the presidency was supposed to make it easier to avoid prosecution, and for a time it did...

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by Matsu If there's any justice…

Justice doesn’t exist for the wealthy, most of the time, history has shown us that.

Originally Posted by 709 OR he flees the country. What autocratic shithole would have him, I don't know.

Putin?

[709]

Doubtful. He's kinda got his hands full at the moment and I don't expect he's long for this earth, if you know what I mean.

Shoulda invaded Ukraine while Trump was in charge, Vlad. He would've helped you.

[Matsu]

Putin is a rather interesting study. These figures emerge historically when there's a sort of perfect timing of ambition, capacity and opportunity. Young KGB officer, enters his prime years at the fall of the Soviet Union... he's well placed to know where the bodies are buried so to speak, he can make a lot of people rich, and they can, in turn, make him powerful. But this oligarchy is all a bit Game of Thrones, the stakes in post communist Russia don't change much from the communist era, the players don't simply win or lose, people get "disappeared." Getting and holding power and wealth remains a dangerous dance, and because it takes some talent to get to the top and stay there, it's hard to dismiss him as simply "mad"

It's cliche perhaps, but these are cliches for a reason.

[709]

"Hopefully TODAY will turn out to be one of the most important days in the history of our Country!"

Stay tuned for a 'major announcement' tonight at 9PM EST. 2024 Presidential run? Splitting the GOP and creating a new MAGA political party? Annexation of Florida with a stroke of his mighty Sharpie? Only he knows! Exciting times!!!

[drewprops]

Retirement to a nice quiet farm, surrounded by family and friends? A man can dream.


...

[turtle]

Given Trump's lashing out at people in the Republican Party I have a hard time thinking he will actually be nominated. Of course, if he runs under a third party to stroke his ego the Dems will walk to the finish line with 2024.

Going away quietly though, not gonna happen.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by 709 Stay tuned for a 'major announcement' tonight at 9PM EST. 2024 Presidential run? Splitting the GOP and creating a new MAGA political party? Annexation of Florida with a stroke of his mighty Sharpie? Only he knows! Exciting times!!!

Source?

[709]

The quote above is from his dollar store twitter, here. Date and time are from an invite he sent out last week: “President Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America, will hold a special announcement at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, at 9:00 PM EST” FoxLink

[Frank777]

It's a presidential run as a Republican.

If Trump went third-party and handed an easy win to the Democrats,
he knows that would make him a wanted man for decades.

It's one thing to be hated by Democrats, entirely different to turn on Red State America.

This isn't a Ross Perot kind of thing. Can't see that happening in this electorate.

[turtle]

We all assume it will be a Republican ticket. Thing is, if he goes to the primaries, which he would, then the question comes would he clear the primaries? It really depends on who is on the ticket against him.

Most people will vote for the color that best suits them regardless of who the persona actually is. The stroke victim in PA is proof of that. Never mind the two dead candidates that won the election, as dead people.

[Frank777]

Originally Posted by turtle We all assume it will be a Republican ticket. Thing is, if he goes to the primaries, which he would, then the question comes would he clear the primaries? It really depends on who is on the ticket against him.

709's post referenced the possibility of a separate MAGA party.

[turtle]

Oh, I know. I've heard rumblings of that too. Given he has openly been bashing some Republicans there is "merit" to that concept.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by 709 The quote above is from his dollar store twitter, here.

Yikes. I've never actually looked at his Truth Social feed before today, and after a minute of gob-smacked, can't-look-away-from-the-train-wreck scrolling, I think I need to wash my eyes out with bleach.