The Walls Are Closing In On Trump
And his defenders are tripling down, likely to save their own skins...
There is so much news in the past 48 hours, it’s difficult to pare it down to just a few articles. Here are the one’s that I think best provide the big picture…
What we know — and don't know — about Trump and the FBI
As Axios reports, we don’t yet know a lot about the FBI’s move on Trump’s Florida place on Monday, but what we do know is that it wasn’t a haphazard action fishing for evidence. It wasn’t a “raid,” in the sense that no doors were kicked in in the middle of the night. It was a federal search warrant, which can only be obtained by convincing a judge or grand jury that the materials being pursued would be at risk of being destroyed if they were simply sought by subpoena. We also know that Trump’s defenders are making a risky move by immediately rushing to Trump’s defense, not knowing what the FBI may now have in its possession. The immediate response from the far-right has been to declare the entire operation “political persecution” against Trump. House minority Speaker Kevin McCarthy has already threaten Attorney General Merrick Garland (and pretty much every non-MAGA person involved) with “payback” if the Authoritarians (formerly the Republican Party) take back the house in November. Better get out there and vote. This is the showdown between the insurrectionists aiming to take down democracy in America and the Rule of Law.
https://www.axios.com/2022/08/09/trump-raid-mar-a-lago-fbi
Trump “Pleads the 5th” Against Self-Incrimination
Back in 2017, Trump himself stated “The mob takes the Fifth Amendment,” deriding those who assert their right against self-incrimination. “If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?” Apparently, that statement doesn’t apply to him or his family members, who he and the GOP apparently believe are “above the law.” Today, on August 10th, in a deposition under oath, related to allegations that the Trump Organization “exaggerated the value of its holdings to impress lenders or misstated what land was worth to slash its tax burden,” brought against him and his organization by NY State Attorney General Letitia James, Trump opted to not answer any questions, invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination. His son Eric Trump had previously invoked his 5th Amendment right 500 times in his sworn deposition. Here’s a great rundown of what this case is about (unrelated, as far as we know) to the FBI’s search warrant at Mar-A-Lago on Tuesday 8/9…
https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ny-investigation-testimony-a4e6264d44b194d24dfb916ffc7f51ca
MAGA World Wants ‘War’ After FBI Raid On Trump’s Mar-A-Lago
Trump is using the FBI’s retrieval of highly classified documents (lawfully belonging to the people of the United States, not Trump), to create a dangerous flash-point for all of his supporters, from right wing media, to violent extremists and militia groups across the country, as well as to pretty much all members of the Authoritarian Party (formerly the Republican Party). This works in Trump’s favor for the time being, but it may also be his last resort, as anti-democracy forces rally behind their Dictator in waiting. The crazies on the street having been itching for “civil war,” and are constantly egged on by the likes of Fox News and in particular Tucker Carlson, along with the usual stable of miscreants that make up Trump’s public supporters in the. media and in Congress. However, it’s highly likely the the DOJ did not fully consider the likely reaction from MAGA world, and has therefore made preparations. Chilling as this report is, keep in mind that this is a relatively tiny group, with almost no voting power, and only its threats of violence to make them seem formidable. It’s those who know better (especially those in the GOP who are fueling this dangerous wave) who will need to be held accountable…
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/civil-war-fbi-raid-mar-a-lago-trump_n_62f2ac63e4b0f9d8c0213dbf
Alex Jones Sent 'Intimate Photo' Of His Wife To Roger Stone, Lawyer Says
This is probably the least important aspect of the story, but somewhat hilarious at the same time. Jones, who was just ordered to pay approx $49 Million in damages to the parents of a 6-year old Sandy Hook shooting victim, that Jones claimed was part of a hoax, also saw an unexpected development that could have significance in the January 6th investigation. Jones’s own lawyer accidentally forwarded 2 years’ worth of every text message sent and received on Jones’ cell phone to the other side. Those texts have now been forwarded to the January 6th Committee. They likely contain messages between Jones, Roger Stone, and others (possibly including Donald Trump) on January 5th and 6th, and days surrounding. Expect to hear more about this in the coming days…
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alex-jones-naked-photo-wife-roger-stone_n_62f24453e4b0133dd5b2cf9d
A Great Overview of The Mar-A-Lago FBI Search, And Then Some
From Heather Cox Richardson
HC Richardson is a great columnist, and this piece is no exception…