For the past several months I’ve been at the forefront of people urging the Justice Department – and, of course, Merrick Garland – to demonstrate “no one is above the law” as the EVIDENCE of Donald Trump’s CRIMINAL attempt to overthrow the will of the people in the 2020 presidential election has just continued to “drip, drip, drip” into the public domain until the House Select Committee on January 6th began their hearings. Then the EVIDENCE came FLOWING out in a manner which leaves the question of Trump’s CRIMINAL liability almost a moot point.
The question became more of not did Trump commit CRIMES but, how many? And, of course, all of this EVIDENCE was beside the point that Trump allegedly committed OBSTRUCTION of Justice in regard to the Mueller investigation upwards of TEN times – which Robert Mueller “memorialized” for a future prosecutor to investigate once Trump was out of office and no longer protected by the OLC memo stating a “sitting president can not be indicted.” Additionally, Trump seemed to “skate” out of cupibility with the Campaign Finance violations which helped send his former “fixer” to prison – regarding the payoffs of two women just prior to the 2016 election regarding alleged illicit affairs while his wife was pregnant with his last son. (What kind of person employs a “fixer?”)
In regard to the January 6th, 2021 CRIMINAL liability I’ve heard several possible CRIMES which Trump COULD be indicted for. For example, the Judge who oversaw the case in California regarding emails Trump lawyer John Eastman was attempting to hide from the January 6th Committee’s investigation. The Judge suggested both Trump and Eastman “very likely” committed at least two FELONIES in their scheme to overthrow the election. I believe the CRIMES were OBSTRUCTING an official government procedure and committing FRAUD against the United States. Of course, I’m no lawyer and I’m working from a very old memory, but I believe I’ve got that one pretty close to what was actually written.
As the January 6th Committees hearings proceeded it became clear that Trump’s (and a whole bunch of his sycophants) very possibly COULD be charged with is “Seditious Conspiracy.” A quick search on the web defines SEDITION as
- Conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of a state.
- Insurrection; rebellion.
- A factious commotion in a state; the stirring up of such a commotion; incitement of discontent against government and disturbance of public tranquillity, as by inflammatory speeches or writings, or acts or language tending to breach of public order: as, to stir up a sedition; a speech or pamphlet, abounding in sedition.
Sedition is one of the MOST serious of CRIMES someone can commit in any country – most Americans (like me) probably NEVER considered someone elected to the office of the president in the U.S. would ever stoop to this level. But, here we are. And, when you EXAMINE the EVIDENCE it’s hard to conclude something other than Trump committed SEDITION. And, when you look up the definition of CONSPIRACY ( An agreement to perform together an illegal, wrongful, or subversive act) you quickly recognize there are a PLETHORA of Trump surrogates who are potentially part of a Sedition Conspiracy.
This is all REALLY bad. In fact, to me, until Trump came along it was unthinkable – this is the kind of CORRUPT behavior you see in authoritarian regimes around the globe – not in the U.S. And, the Justice Department will have their hands full in prosecuting these CRIMES because there are a bunch of top level republicans who seemed to have participated in the conspiracy. And, this group of co-conspirators clearly includes the wife of one of our right wing Supreme Court Justices along with several members of Congress, a bunch of lowlife republican Trump sycophants – like Mike Flynn, Roger Stone, Alex Jones, etc. etc. PLUS about a hundred republicans in several states who signed fraudulent “elector” documents which were sent to the Senate as part of Eastman and Trump’s scheme. (And, many more!)
I’ve been thinking Garland and the Justice Department MUST be fully investigating this egregious lawbreaking – but, as I’ve been saying since the day Trump came down the escalator in New York and began spewing his racist garbage – there’s ALWAYS more. And, the “more” this time has taken the focus of just about everyone off the reality that our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president tried to overthrow our elected government. How could this be? Well, further cementing the reality we had a pathological CRIMINAL in the “White House,” the “talk of the town” is now focused on the reality Trump STOLE something like 30 boxes of documents which belong to “we the people” and SHOULD have been in the National Archives before Trump left Washington D.C. as the LOSER of the election. For some unknown reason these documents ended up in Trump’s resort/home at Mar a Lago.
Obviously, Trump doesn’t believe the LAWS apply to him, so he simply packed up these boxes – containing extremely sensitive national security information of the TOP SECRET variety – and carted them off to Mar a Lago – and who knows where else. The Justice Department had to carry out a search of Trump’s resort because he refused to return the material when given the opportunity (over and over) – and, of course, he LIED via his attorneys to the Justice Department officials who came calling to get the boxes returned to the Archives and, naturally – as he seems to believe he can – he simply refused to comply with a subpoena directing him to return the documents. There are reports suggesting his refusal was based on him saying “They’re mine, not theirs.” (More behavior which reminds me of my oppositional sixth graders)
It was public knowledge, earlier in the year, that around 15 boxes of documents had been returned. What “we the people” (who are paying attention to all this) didn’t understand at the time was the level of classified material which was in those boxes – mixed together with all kinds of other stuff – suggesting the real possibility these TOP SECRET documents had been viewed by who knows how many people who frequent Mar a Lago. Possibly endangering the LIVES of people who are part of America’s intelligence community around the world.
The Archives KNEW there was MORE and along with the Justice Department gave Trump every opportunity to simply return the “stuff” and that would have been the end of it. But, Trump simply doesn’t/can’t work that way. He really does remind me of the students I had when I was still teaching who had oppositional defiance disorder. Often times those students would exhibit the characteristics of narcissism – although I’ve NEVER seen anyone as narcissistic as Trump. And, of course, once the Justice department was forced to use a search warrant to get these documents back – Trump instantly began searching for ways to portray himself as the vicitm. Including the threat of violence coming from his “MAGA” supporters.
So, the focus has been directed completely away from Trum0’s SEDITIOUS behavior in regard to the INSURRECTION of January 6th, 2021 to the real possibility he compromised some of the most sensitive TOP SECRET information in our government – documents which SHOULD have NEVER left the secure location where they were when he confiscated them. Why on earth would someone do something so STUPID and clearly against the law – and, then attempt to OBSTRUCT the Justice Department’s attempt to get them back. As I’ve said many times, Trump violated so many laws/norms in the past 6 years that it’s been like chasing your tail trying to keep up. If it is determined Trump shared some of this material with others – especially others from foreign governments – I believe his LEGAL liability will become TREASON. (A step up from SEDITION)
This past weekend Lindsey Graham – to me a real lowlife with no conscience who is concerned ONLY in his own re-election – suggested if Trump is indicted there will be riots in the streets. I have no idea what his motivation was – apparently, telling the Justice Department he believes Trump should be “above the law?” Of course, I’ve written for years my frustration that the “high ups” in previous administrations (it always seems to be republicans) are “let off the hook” for clear ILLEGAL behavior. Reagan and HW Bush in Iran Contra – no accoutability. GW Bush, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, and others regarding the authorization of TORTURE after their ILLEGAL invasion of Iraq, and now Trump. Here’s the reality – every time a president gets away with breaking the law – the next time it happens it gets worse.
Many are suggestingt Trump shouldn’t be indicted BECAUSE he’s a former president – even though he was TWICE IMPEACHED. They worry about exactly what Senator Graham is predicting – that Trump’s followers will react in a violent manner. I say “fooey” to that notion. At some point “we the people” need to demand this lawbreaking be STOPPED! And, the way to do it is to hold Trump accountable to the LAWS he has clearly broken. He continues to believe Garland doesn’t have the stomach for what would come next. I say, if Trump is NOT indicted what will come next will be far worse than what we’re talking about now – and, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Trump or one of his wannabees (yep, that’s you DeSantis) could somehow regain the “White House” and our Justice Department will be virtually eliminated – except to carry out the REVENGE these republican are alread imagining should they retake control of our government. (The FIRST thing out of Kevin McCarthy’s mouth after the FBI exercized the warrant to search Mar a Lago was a threat aimed at AG Garland – that’s how they work)
Are “we the people” sophisticated enough to recognize the threat which America is facing as we get closer to November? Will democrats, independents, and disaffected republicans be capable of coming together to put a halt to this “slow moving coup d’etat” which republicans are planning via the November elections? (Some which may already be “fixed”) I keep saying “the next election is the most important in my lifetime” – but, once again, here we are. And, until we vote enough of these republicans out of office, EVERY election going forward will be the same. Clearly, Trump has managed to create a CULT following of people who are susceptible to manipulation and conspiracy theories. When I see someone with a Q on the front of their shirt I can only shake my head. How does someone become so STUPID as to believe that nonsense? I have no idea, but the reality is many Americans are susceptible to his kind of propaganda. Lord, help us!
Final Thought: The sooner AG Garland acts to STOP Trump and his lawbreaking via an indictment the better we all will be in this nation – regardles of the reaction coming from Trump’s white nationalist “militia” base. And, I kind of agree with Graham that Trump shouldn’t be prosecuted for STEALING thousands of pages of CLASSIFIED documents unless it can be proven he allowed others to see what was in the boxes he was hoarding at Mar a Lago. I would like to see AG Garland indict Trump for his SEDITIOUS attempt to overthrow a free and fair election in this country – an unbelievably egregious CRIME! (Well, with what we now KNOW – it really is believable) If he must be charged in regard to STEALING classified documents and endangering national security related documents, then I would hope he could do it in conjunction with the CRIMES committed against “we the people” via the INSURRECTION. Stay tuned…………………….
Some republicans (like Graham) are comparing Trump STEALING these documents to Hillary Clinton using an email server in her home for official business. On its face – the comparison is LUDICROUS. For starters, Mrs. Clinton was criticized for being “careless” in regard to email messages which contained “classified” information – some messages which were determined to be “classified” after the fact. In the investigation Mrs. Clinton CO-OPERATED – she NEVER attempted to shirk her responsibility or blame the media or blame ????? – including voluntarily accepting the “invitation” to sit for an FBI interview. I read a book written by Peter Sztrok, one of the leaders of the investigation where he suggested it was almost a waste of investigative time. In CONTRAST, Trump has been uncooperative from the outset, he’s clearly LIED about what was in his possession, and he CERTAINLY won’t agree to sit for any FBI interview regarding whether or not he broke the law by STEALING all these boxes of ducuments. (Many with Top Secret labels) Lots of people would like to see Trump sit for an FBI interview – where they could ask him “Why did you do this?”
I have to add: Trump is so DESPERATE for people to “love” him that it’s been reported he’s now posting QAnon stuff on his FAILING app “Truth Social” because he’s portrayed as somewhat a “deity” on that platform. I don’t belong to any of these social media outlets, but the danger they present is real. People need to understand how wacked out Trump is becoming in his narcissistic desperation. Michael Flynn is another in Trump’s “orbit” who has been reported to be part of the “Q” orbit. What on earth is going on? These people need to be sent back under the “rocks” where they were hidden when Barrack Obama was elected and democrats need to be aggressive in FIGHTING against this NONSENSE going forward. As Joe Biden likes to say, “We’re better than this.” It’s incumbent on “we the people” to send a clear message to republicans this November! Will voters show up and send a message to these wacked out republicans? (Some of them – republicans who support fascism – very well might “win”)
OK, I kept forgetting to write this: I’ll try to make it simple and feel free to comment if you’re not a bot. Do you really believe Trump has turned over ALL of the documents he STOLE from us – meaning “we the people” – some might refer to “us” as the “American people.” Those documents – and any other official documents from when Trump was still in office BELONG to the National Archives – via the Presidential Records Act of 1978 (All you republicans can thank Richard Nixon for that one)