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The corrupt, criminal former president no longer has the protection of the political office he never deserved or earned.
By DOUG THOMPSON August 24, 2022
Increasingly, those who use their brains to examine and discuss the truth instead of Donal Trump-fed fantasies feel like the Mar-a-Lago classified document scandal may finally be the thing that will bring him down.
Of course, we had heard such predictions before as he evaded deserved punishment for his crimes through two impeachments and endless investigations, but his questionable and treasonous handling of top-secret material, and his ever-changing litany of lies trying to explain it all away, is finally eating away at his cult-like base. The plodding but determined Attorney General Merrick Garland is, we are told, not one to be trifled with.
Heather Digby Parton writes in Salon:
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One of the most impressive aspects of the January 6 committee hearings earlier this summer was the use of Republican members of Trump’s inner circle to tell the story of his attempts to overturn the election and obstruct the peaceful transfer of power. To Trump’s adversaries and opponents, these people were a mixed bag that included former Trump loyalists who were compelled to tell the truth about the corrupt boss they had loyally served. And I think it was assumed that for some Trump supporters these people might be seen as trusted voices because of their previous devotion to the Dear Leader. There were staffers and former Cabinet members, some of whom were quite well known as faithful Trump agents, such as former Attorney General William Barr, who could not be portrayed as Democratic dupes, giving evidence that Trump simply refused to accept the truth and went to bizarre lengths to deny it. Surely, people would have to realize that this steadfast coterie must be telling the truth. But they don’t. They believe that every last one of them is a liar. No amount of previous fidelity to the party or the cause counts for anything.
Sure, he’s gleefully collecting money from the small donors who love to give the billionaire their hard-earned cash. And he’s pursuing his usual strategy of flooding the zone with nonsense and staying in the news which he believes is a key to his success. But Trump knows what he has done and he knows that his closest associates from the White House and now at Mar-a-Lago are cooperating with both his political adversaries and the law. In the latter case, he has no idea who they are so everyone must be a suspect, even his own family. The only voice he can trust is the one in his head telling him to keep dancing as fast as he can. It must be exhausting.
Trump’s fundraising has brought increased scrutiny. He claims the money will be used to help MAGA candidates and, possibly, his run for the presidency in 2024, but examinations of the reports show most of the money raised is going to cover his legal expenses and his lavish lifestyle.
Notes National Public Radio:
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Trump doesn’t exactly have a history of following FEC guidelines, and there hasn’t been much enforcement despite dozens of campaign finance complaints.
Since 2016, there have been upward of 40 complaints against the former president — the FEC hasn’t acted on any of them, including the case of Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen paying off Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. It’s bringing up questions on whether Trump could be held accountable for any potential violations in the future.
Audits by the General Accounting Office found that Trump looted the U.S. Treasuery during his presidency, charging hiked-up prices for rooms at his expensive Washington hotel for Secret Service Agents, using Air Force One for personal trips for himself and his family and ignoring federal laws that prohibit him from profiting from the millions he charged for use of his hotel during his inauguration.
He also routinely cheats his donors. CNN reports he used $650,000 in contributed funds to underwrite portraits of him and First Lady Melania Trump, a former nude model, for the Smithsonian.
This is the traitor and criminal that the hardcore, right-wing extremists who have taken over the Republican Party continue to support and idolize.
Trump only got away with things because he surrounded himself with Republican loyalists like Bill Barr who lied to the public when he knowingly (mis)interpreted the Mueller Report. Turns out, Barr was covering for Roger Stone’s Russian efforts in the 2016 elections - which is why Roger’s pardon paperwork that wasn’t used was confiscated during the MAL document fetch, as Mueller recommended Stone be further investigated for his role in the Russian election interference.
Keep in mind that a Republican Senate failed to convict the twice-impeached POTUS as well. Guess Susan Collins was wrong thinking that Trump "learned his lesson" from his first impeachment.
This video lays the case for how the National Archives came to conclude that Trump took documents - it all started with missing "love letters." (Start 07:49)
Now that the redacted warrant request is out, turns out that Trump spied on his own country.
Remember when Trump screamed and hollered that Obama was spying on him. This is another case of projection - where Donald Trump assigns his own actions onto other people.
Trump is a walking case study into a dysfunctional, emotionally disturbed human being - he's a total Psychology graduate student's dream subject.
He is also a criminal, and has been for a very long time. He has also proven he is quite capable of throwing anybody under the bus and has little or no honor or loyalty.
Up to this point he has skated. Hopefully that's not going to happen anymore. As far as I can tell from the TV talking heads, Trump has broken several known laws. Hopefully he will be charged with every one of them. If that is true I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't take a trip to Russia or North Korea. The only thing that might stop him is that he actually believes he is invulnerable.
I should add that I have an incredible skill when it comes to wishful thinking and am wrong more often than not.
Too bad common sense objectivity will not work on the MAGA cult ... but what is most disturbing is the elected Republican officials who have been extorted by the Trump Base to support and defend Trump's probable criminality in order to remain in power.
Yikes ... are Rep's Cheney and Kinzinger the last and only Republicans with any sense or modicum of integrity left???
Almost 100% of people I routinely deal with on a daily basis are Trump supporters. What I tell them is, if Pres's Biden or Washington or Lincoln had done what Trump did, I would be first in line to call for impeachment or indictment. They are the People's employee. They are accountable to Us. If they break that bond, they should be held accountable.
ignorance is the enemy without equality there is no liberty America can survive bad policy, but not destruction of our Democratic institutions
Per Seattle Times 08/26/22. Items confiscated from Trump since he left office:
184 documents marked as classified designated HCS - Human Intelligence Control System (Such documents have material that could possibly identify CIA informants)
Documents marked FISA, indicating information collected under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
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Last year, a top-secret memo sent to every CIA station around the world warned about troubling numbers of informants being captured or killed, a stark reminder of how important human source networks are to the basic functions of the spy agency.
Apparently the doj has been investigating this stuff since May. I think I also read that its using much of the capacity of the doj to do this which makes me suspect that they just might be further along that folks think. I also believe that the guy in charge of the doj is serious and making sure that if he charges he wins. Now add in that guy also has reasons to really have at it.
I believe, if I am right, that things are actually moving on with vigor and a will.
Another "in the fullness of time things ...." Seems to be the standard these days.
Donald Trump will be the first indicted president. It’s just a matter of how many indictments there will ultimately be from the Big Three investigations.
While I’ll be glad when Trump is indicted and convicted, I’ll be sad for our country that a man like Trump with Trump’s code of ethics was even voted in as POTUS and sat in the sacred Oval Office.
![[Linked Image from capitolhillblue.com]](https://capitolhillblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/082422trump-scared.jpg)
