Like magic bone spurs that provide a rich kid draft dodger a deferment from military service but “dissolve” as soon as 4-F (medically unfit) status is granted, the Trump family has a case of “magic amnesia.” Things they just by golly can’t remember while on the witness stand are things that once they are excused will come back to them. In fact, their fears of being confronted with them while testifying will become memories that will haunt them for the rest of their lives!
As of today with wannabe Princess Ivanka on the stand in Trump’s NY Civil Fraud trial it’s official. CNN has been posting running commentary and between that and on-air reporting from outside the courthouse we know Ivanka also suffers from “memory lapses.” Did all of them get parked in front of the TV watching Hogan’s Heroes reruns as children and have fun imitating Sgt. Schultz’s “I saw NOTHING!” routine?
“I don’t know”, “I don’t recall” is a phrase that Fredo 1 and Fredo 2 (Don Jr. & Eric) used a lot while on the stand and sure enough Ivanka employed it numerous times during the morning session. I did see some interesting comments from MSNBC’s Lisa Rubin to the effect that Ivanka subtly admitted to the accuracy of the documents (emails, documents and her signature) while being “unable to recall that.” Rubin went on to note that while lacking the drama, and in Trump’s case fireworks she begged to differ with those who didn’t think Ivanka was doing the prosecution any good. For the reason I just cited, and also because it ties her (Ivanka) and her family & the Trump Org. to some damaging documentation. The point though is that like I said wannabe Princess Ivanka has some significant memory gaps. At least for today.
For self-professed smart people the Trump’s sure have crappy memories!
Of course, we all know they are LYING their asses off on the stand. While they might not remember every detail of every transaction they remember a whole lot more than they are admitting. Ivanka for instance was key in the dealings with Deustche Bank and specifically the stipulations that bank (which she/daddy ran to when U.S. lenders wanted way more in interest on loans than they wanted to shell out) to provide loans on terms acceptable to Trump/the Trump Org. She can claim she doesn’t recall all she wants but again, doesn’t deny the documentation that’s now evidence (and with her name/testimony attached to it) are genuine and accurate.
Trump and or his dad came up with some b.s. “bone spur” claim after a batch of deferments and them wanting to be done with the prospect of Donnie BOY having to actually serve his country. They were as you know very special bone spurs. YUGE. The biggest ever. No one had ever seen bone spurs like Trump’s. (Actually, that one is true. No one had ever seen bone spurs like Trump’s because he never had them to begin with) The ruse worked though and that’s all that mattered. Sadly, when a witness on the stand in a trial claims they don’t recall this or that, nothing short of a video of them with their lawyer saying they DO remember “this or that” and being advised that if they say the DON’T remember it they get away with it.
In a criminal trial, as with taking the 5th no negative inference can be drawn from it. However, different standards apply in a civil trial and this is a CIVIL trial. Also, there’s no jury to argue about how credible such claims are. Just the judge, and an experienced judge (as judge Engoron happens to be) is quite capable of assessing the credibility of such “I don’t recall” testimony and, when there is documentation calling bullsh*t on it.
In the end, we have all three of Trump’s evil spawn from trophy wife #1 “magically” suffering memory loss when they enter the witness box. Despite their claims to be smart and capable executives. Still, I hope that someone will add up how many times between the three Trump kids the “magic memory lapse” expressed in “I don’t recall” (or some variation) was given during their testimony. It should make an impressive pile of you know what. In fact, I’ll let a famous movie moment say it for me:
Fredo 1, Fredo 2 and wannabe Princess Ivanka probably think they’ve been soooooo clever, coming up with a variation on their P.O.S. “magic bone spurs” by employing “magic memory loss” – both conditions both imaginary and entirely temporary. Alas, in this case they have left behind a huge pile of smelly waste that the judge can’t and won’t ignore.
To everyone who said Princess Jarvanka was the “smart” one: she’s as “smart” as her idiot brothers. Translated: not so much.
Nothing like some legitimate time spent responding to prosecutors questions, as required of them, in this instance, being their daddy’s court case, to ‘spur’ them into questionable defence.