I actually wrote about this in my Substack essay yesterday, that Trump’s “orders” to his troops will get someone killed, perhaps a lot of people killed. Indeed, a large part of Trump’s legal defense is the attempt to intimidate prosecutors to the point that they don’t want to bother indicting him and bringing all the unwanted attention and unwanted danger. It is not going to stop Jack Smith. It might stop Alvin Bragg and Fanni Willis. We can’t tell. They have fewer resources to go through what would have to be an incredibly difficult process.
Trump can “order” action by saying “Protest, Protest, Protest,” without saying peacefully.
That intimidation was on Chuck Todd’s mind this morning when he had Trump’s attorney, Joseph Tacopina. Todd first asked about the horrid post with Trump holding a baseball bat, appearing to be directed at Alvin Bragg’s head. Unrelated to the post, Alvin Bragg got his first death threat that day. In a way, it’s unfair to ask the attorney about a social media post. But then again, Tacopina was there to speak on Trump’s behalf. It didn’t go well. Tacopina implied that Trump didn’t put the post up:
“That was an ill-advised post that one of his social media people put up, and he quickly took it down when he realized the rhetoric and the photo that was attached to it.
Todd wasn’t buying it:
“He didn’t take down the other rhetoric. Wait a minute; wait a minute; wait a minute. You’re referring to the baseball bat thing, which of course, was featured in the New York Post.”
Todd reminded Tacopina who he was dealing with:
He went to January 6, so it’s it’s not like a possibility that Trump’s rhetoric creates violence; it’s already happened once. Are you not concerned this could happen?”
Ridiculously, Tacopina argued the point:
“I’m not accepting that proposition that his rhetoric created violence. I think violence was on the way on that day, but I’m not here to discuss that, Chuck; I’m not going to defend or condemn anything regarding social media. That’s not what I do. I’m not a Trump P.R. person. I’m a litigator and a lawyer.”
Yeah, except you DID just go out of lawyer mode to say that Trump wasn’t responsible for the violence that was “was on the way on that day.” Then he complains that he’s a lawyer and won’t speak to it after just doing so.
Hilariously, Tacopina then said Trump used personal funds to pay off Stormy. Todd – who must have been pretty prepared, noted that the funds came from the Trump Organization, which showed two things: One, it was an attempt to hide the money because Cohen had been an employee at the time (It was listed as “legal work,” except Cohen hadn’t done any legal work for Trump), and Two: Corporate money to cover a “campaign cost” that went unreported by the Trump Organization, which is an unreported campaign contribution.
WATCH: Trump lawyer @JosephTacopina says the former president's Truth Social posts attacking Manhattan DA Bragg were "ill advised."
Tacopina: "He quickly took [it] down." @chucktodd: "You're only referring to the baseball bat. He didn't take down the other rhetoric." pic.twitter.com/PmXGV6GjDn
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 26, 2023
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[email protected], @JasonMiciak, SUBSTACK: PEOPLE WILL DIE: TRUMP ORDERS ACTION AGAINST INDICTMENTS
After watching that slimeball I need a shower. Eck!
Of course he’s a slimeball. He’s an attorney and he works for trumpleforeskin. He’s damned either way you cut it.
This is what makes Todd so infuriating. He CAN be a real journalist, prepared and willing to challenge bullshit from someone trying to sell it. When he wants to, which isn’t nearly often enough. Still, you have to take what you can get and it’s nice that with Trump under pressure he/his team didn’t get relief on a non-Fox outlet. (Which Todd has so often granted!)
Thanks again Chuck for showing up to the after party,which party, who’s party? (Chuck: “you tell me…”) Late before it started. Walter Conkrite repels you!