Trump can’t stand the idea of not being in control. For damned sure he doesn’t want to have to sit in court as damning evidence of his crimes is presented, and some judge allowing for an orderly and dignified process. He wants to make a scene. To turn it into at best a circus and preferably a full-on shiite-show. In fact, according to Rolling Stone that’s exactly what Trump and his lawyers are cooking up for his Jan. 6 trial. It’s like Trump wants to to tap into the sewer line and have a fire hose he can spray the courtroom with. In other words he wants to turn his DC trial into a MAGA rally. (Hence the title picture) As Rolling Stone reports, Trump has quite the show planned:
ATTEMPTS TO DRAG Nancy Pelosi into court to berate her on the stand and, hopefully, on live TV. Claims that the Jan. 6 Capitol attack was an FBI frame job, with an assist from Antifa. Conspiracy theories that the 2020 election was indeed “stolen,” supposedly backed up by still-classified documents. Unhinged assertions that President Joe Biden is now secretly, personally orchestrating an unprecedented act of political persecution. Calls to publicly unmask the federal officials and lawyers investigating the former (and perhaps future) president of the United States. Efforts to blame any illegality on some of the ex-president’s closest confidants and former legal allies. Insinuations of election meddling by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
All that? Apparently there’s even more! Now, I’m not a lawyer (nor do I play one on TV) but I can see why Trump’s lawyers might file motions trying to allow such crap into what they call evidence. I can also see why Smith’s team will object and from what I can tell during pre-trial motions judge Chutkan will have to rule on what Trump is allowed to put forth in court and what won’t be allowed. From the defense point of view, any denial or even limitation is something they can use during the inevitable appeal. But Trump? Will he be able to contain himself? Will he allow his lawyers to if only grudgingly go along with how judge Chutkan runs the trial. Or as is more likely will he DEMAND they go for broke? Maybe, with a “wink and nod” from his lawyers he intends to do that to try and create a mistrial.
We all know Trump’s long history of milking the legal system to delay any proceedings against him. He’s gotten away with it so often and for so long he considers delay as a means of avoiding having to pay for his sins his birthright. However, since some fifty years ago when early in his career he, along with his P.O.S. father settled a case with DOJ with a consent decree he’s not faced criminal charges in court. However, Trump knows the same delay crap he’s proven so good at are standard practice for criminal defendants so he’s trying to do what he’s always done. In his mind, he’ll be elected President again and can use the powers of the Office to make all his legal problems go away.
What terrifies Trump is actually having to go on trial. To have journalists covering all the evidence presented against him day after day after day and his own lawyers inability to poke holes in it. Trump may be hoping SCOTUS will bail him out and create a form of Presidential Immunity out of nothing but it seems his lawyers have prepared him for the worst. And told him how unlikely it is that will happen. At this point his next best hope is to drag out his appeal long enough his DC trial gets pushed. How far and how his trial scheduled in May with his pet judge in Florida (she has no intention of that trial taking place but will delay pushing it as long as she can) might (or might not) affect his going on trial in DC. That’s a lengthy topic that I won’t go in to here.
The point is that Team Trump with Donald himself taking the lead role is preparing for trial in DC. If only “just in case” and he wants it to be a MAGA rally affair. Preferably with cameras showing it all live. That’s not going to happen (probably) but what we’ve seen from his brief appearances up in New York City during his fraud trial is a preview. We can can count on courthouse steps rantings to a boatload of reporters. Which Trump will go on Truth Social and on weekends at actual rallies and claim are “thousands” of fellow MAGA supporters. Mark my words.
Judge Chutkan is a no-nonsense judge and won’t put up with a lot of antics from Trump any more than she would from any other defendant. Trump however simply won’t be able to contain himself. Or allow his lawyers to do so. Right now the very thought of some woman, and a BLACK woman sitting up there elevated above him presiding over things is driving him bonkers. Bat-sh*t crazy. Oh, he’ll lash out in open court. On that we can be sure. He will also probably be allowed to in part make the “case” for some of the things I blocked up above.
That’s why I found the comments from former lawyer Tim Parlatore so striking. Parlatore continued to go on TV and calmly make the case for Trump on the Florida case, sounding oh so reasonable with talk of the Presidential Records Act and and whatnot while lying through his teeth. He’s a good enough lawyer he’d never say some of that crap on the record in actual court. However, my point is that Parlatore thinks Trump’s planned strategy is a bad idea. Raw Story has also written about this and stated Parlatore thinks it will blow up in Trump’s face:
“From what I can tell — as an outside observer and former member of Donald Trump’s legal team — about how the trial strategy is taking shape, all I can say is: It is a terrible idea to try to use a criminal trial to stage a political campaign ad,” he told the publication. “That would be incredibly detrimental to the client… It is also a surefire way for you to quickly alienate jurors, particularly when you’re dealing with a jury pool like Washington, D.C.’s.”
Again, this is a lawyer who worked for Trump and it’s sure seemed they parted on good terms. He’s as plugged in with Team Trump as anyone not currently on Trump’s legal team(s) can be. When HE’s saying what he’s saying I for one think it’s worth paying attention to. I also think that for all Trump’s hopes that he won’t go on trial in DC the odds of him avoiding it aren’t in his favor.
So Trump plans to make things as ugly as possible. I can’t say I’m surprised. I’m already thinking about (and want to learn more I hope before writing about it) how judge Chutkan will deal with all this. For now I think the important things to know are:
- Trump has real concerns he won’t be able to delay his DC trial, and
- If he has to suffer through a trial Trump intends to make EVERYONE suffer as much as possible.
- Trump’s way of making everyone suffer will be to turn the DC courtroom and the steps outside into a MAGA rally, and prompt people to react like you see in the title picture.
It’s going to be on hell of a year.
NY may get the first bite of the apple.
Bragg would soil himself. He doesn’t want to put Trump on trial any more than Trump wants to be on trial. He campaigned promising to do it since his predecessor had built a case and promptly chickened out. The outcry scared the shit out of Bragg and he knew he’d cost himself re-election. He only began trying to make his own case against Trump in the hopes that he could salvage his career, both political and professional. But he doesn’t want to actually have to go through with it. Hell, he not only made it clear privately to the other jurisdictions but went public saying he was fine with going last! I figure he’s hoping that Trump will get convicted in a couple of other places, then he can mealy-mouth to his constituents about how Trump has been held to account already, the time and money it would cost to go ahead and try him in NYC etc. and how all that would be a waste. And hope he’d be off the hook for attacks from Trump on social media.
I think some of the civil charges in NY will and SHOULD become criminal charges. Trump will, if a Big Mac doesn’t take him out, will reach the magic 100 felony charges.
he really ought to be up on tax fraud to mirror his bank fraud. We know he worked both ends of that game.
He is indicted on bank fraud. James can bring criminal.charges,for taxes,,and the I.R.S. can turn it over to DoJ for tax fraud.
Hey judge, the DOJ, and the local PD…follow the law, arrest ANYONE who breaks the law inside or OUTSIDE the courtroom. Easy solution to stupid bullshit. It’s also a good way to get the extremists out in the open. Average folks aren’t willing to sit in county or city jail.
“So Trump plans to make things as ugly as possible.” That’s his stock and trade. EVERYTHING he touches dies, everything he does is ugly.
Doofus wants to bring in thousands to his D.C. trial? Does he even bring in thousands to his circus events, I mean campaign rallies, anymore? Still, even if he could it is not necessarily a bad thing. Get all the bad apples in one place and pop their idiot asses into the pokey. I’m only seeing wins here.
He is likely trying the same horse turds with Tank Willis, but the governor has refused to replace her. And quite a few of his comrades in arms have turned on him. If Mark.Meadows gets on the stand and takes the 5th, it won’t look.good, not after a ton of witnesses explain in gory detail what they saw,and heard. Fulton County has,a lot of PoC and I suspect they will be willing to sit until the Last Trumpet to lock Trump away.