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Donald Trump

Would Jim Jordan Rather Be Institutionalized in Congress or Prison?

June 8, 2023
by Peter Feinman
Dorothy, You have changed! (Greg Groesch/The Washington Times)

Play time is over. It was a lot of fun defying Congressional subpoenas, investigating the Biden criminal conspiracy, and appearing on Foxhub to spout nonsense. But now the party is over. The time of adult supervision has arrived. There really is law and people who are dedicated to enforcing it. That means the moment of truth has or will soon arrive for all the people who participated in the in the planning of the insurrection and the attempt to steal the election.

The standard Mafia rules apply. Start with the small fish and work your way up the food chain. That applies not only to the hundreds of people who physically assaulted the Capitol, but to the people who organized the event and who were responsible for Mar-a-Lagogate.

THE SPECIAL COUNSEL

We have been distracted from what has been going on behind the scenes. The civil case in which Trump was held liable and the “small” indictment in New York City that so many people wished hadn’t gone first obscured where the action was. Even the “imminent” case in Georgia which now apparently means August still seemed like a long way off making people wonder if Trump ever would be held accountable for his actions.

For so long we have been hearing about how aggressive Jack Smith was as a prosecutor without any overt sign that anything was happening. Yes, there was witness after witness being subpoenaed and called to testify … apparently more than we knew, but no indictments seemed forthcoming. Meanwhile the presidential election cycle commenced. More and more candidates came forward. Finally even one willing to confront Trump and his criminal family by name declared his candidacy. It was as if everyone else was holding back, waiting for the dam to break, waiting for the moment when Trump became not only a loser but a federally indicted loser as well. Now we are at that moment as well. It is time for people to decide whether they wish to join Trump or does self-preservation come first. Does Jim Jordan really want to go to prison?

THE FORK IN THE ROAD

These past few days have witnessed a flurry of activities. Some of them are witnessed in the present of their occurrence. Some of them are events which happened in the past but are now seeing the light of day.

We know that in Georgia we should not be surprised about the number and names of the people to be indicted.

We know that Georgia judges have been informed to clear their schedules for August.

We know that the Special Counsel has communicated to Trump’s lawyers that he is the target for Mar-a-Lagogate.

We know that former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has testified before the grand jury. We don’t know how cooperative he was. Presumably he was made to realize that there already is enough evidence to convict him so his best deal is not to plead the 5th but to tell the truth. He seems to have pleaded guilty to at least some charges.

We know that Steve Bannon has been subpoenaed. In previous blogs, I have used him as an example of what does he have to gain by going down with the ship. He knows that loyalty is a one-way street with The Donald. He knows that The Donald would have no hesitation to throw him under the bus. So why give him that opportunity?

The same applies to the other members of the inner cabal. I am referring to the people in the so-called War Room. I am referring to the members of the House of Representatives to whom Trump referred in his call to Georgia. At some point these people will realize that this witch hunt is for real. It is time to start thinking about saving their own skin.

THE DAM HAS BURST

We may be witnessing the beginning of a deluge. The number of people willing to fall on their sword for Trump is probably far fewer than expected. Remember how Michael Cohen once pledged eternal loyalty and like some Secret Service agent and would take a bullet for The Donald. We are long past that point now.

It’s amazing how suddenly and abruptly the actions of the Special Consel have changed the dynamic. For so long there seemed to be as little movement as on the lines between Russia and Ukraine. Then in an instant, everything changed. By the time Roger Stone is subpoenaed, he may be begging for a deal. Everyone knows that incumbent elected officials in Washington do not want to give up their perks. How much less to they want to do so to defend the criminal actions of Donald Trump? This week, the damn has broken open. Everyone who was part of the criminal conspiracy has been put on very short notice that the time has come for them to put up or be shut up in prison.

There is always a risk in writing a blog like this because by the time it is posted and then distributed it may be obsolete. The Mar-a-Lago indictment could be any moment now be it in Florida or Washington. The witnesses for the Prosecution will be either Republicans or people who worked for him at Mar-a-Lago. The MAGAs won’t know who to attack first or even who to attack at all. The Donald, of course, will not take the stand to defend himself or any other of the people charged. He will however continue to rant and rave on social media digging himself ever deeper into a whole. The odds are Jim Jordan and the other conspirators are not going to want to jump in with them. Instead they will be more likely to help bury him. The Republican nomination for the presidency in 2024 will become a wide open contest. Everything is different now.

CNN New Hampshire and January 6, 2025

June 1, 2023
by Peter Feinman
Only the technology has changed (Sony tape recorder used to tape conversations in the White House, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives and Records Administration)

CNN has taken a lot of flack for providing free airtime to a person incapable of telling the truth except by accident. The ratings were not spectacular and there is no indication that this will be a repeat of 2016.

In many ways, CNN did the nation a favor. Think back to the trial which had just ended the day before. His own testimony under deposition helped hold him liable. No matter how well prepared his lawyers might have been, no one could have anticipated that he would confuse E. Jean Carroll with his second wife Marla Maples. The lesson to be learned is the more he talks the deeper into a hole he digs himself. CNN provided an opportunity for him to defame Carroll as a wack job whom he did not know. The result has been an increase in the amount of damages sought against him. Good thinking immature child with the emotional maturity of a three-year old, just keep talking.

And now there are tapes.

The same applies to one exchange that has not received the attention it deserves. He was asked if he would accept the results on the 2024 election if he lost. The answer was “No!” In his terms he replied only if he decided the election was honest. Translated in to English, that means if he loses again to Joe Biden (assuming he is the nominee) he will not accept the results.

So what? His Arizona gubernatorial candidate has not accepted the results that she lost and what impact has it had? Unfortunately it does mean a possible Senate candidacy for her. If she should win that then the Senate could have its own counterpart to Marjorie Taylor Greene.

HE’S A LOSER

One should keep in mind that the wannabees will be spending months tarnishing the image of Criminal Loser Liar Trump. They already have begun referring to the losses experienced by the Republican Party due to him. Every time they refer to the Republican Party as a loser party, they are indirectly attacking and rejecting his claims of being a winner.

He did not win the popular vote in 2016.
His party did lose the Congressional elections in 2018.
He did not win the popular vote or electoral vote in 2020.
Election deniers did not win in 2022.

In short, everything he touches dies. At some point, people in the Republican Party are going to place winning over fealty to The Donald. Survival trumps obedience. The story will not be the same everywhere. But the more Republicans face the threat of losing in a state despite all their efforts to suppress the vote – or because they have a conscience – the more resistant to blindly following the Criminal Loser Liar will. Certainly with all the presidential candidates, some will hammer home the message that The Donald is a loser. Especially if one wants to stand out on a crowded debate stage, the greater the likelihood of confronting the Criminal Loser Liar head on. Given the winner-take-all format of Republican primaries, such attacks may not be sufficient to prevent him from wining a plurality even if he is under multiple indictments. What it does mean it that Democrats don’t need to spend much effort attacking him until after the Republican convention, the Republicans will be doing it for them.

JANUARY 6, 2025    

Despite all the legal threats and attacks from Republican presidential candidates, he still could be the nominee. What are the options then if he loses again to Joe Biden? They would seem to be quite limited.

Will he unleash Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell on the state legislatures again? Unlikely since they are likely to be on trial for their efforts last time around.

Will he seize voting machines as he failed to do last time? No, he would have no power to do so?

Will he create alternate electors to stealthily cast votes on his behalf? No, the fake electors from last time will be on trial or have sought immunity deals for themselves for their actions. It seems unlikely that anyone would try that route again.

Will state legislatures with Republican super-majorities openly declare alternate electors if necessary? Meaning if they calculate the electoral votes needed and coordinate their actions with other states with Republican super-majorities sufficient to close the gap? Unlikely although it remains a possibility depending on how the Supreme Court rules. Even if it rules in their favor it would be such a brazen step to steal the election, I question whether such a maneuver would even work. Even as I write this the current Texas Attorney General who might be expected to lead the charge may find himself removed from office.

Will he call upon his patriotic tourists to assemble at the Capitol with the cry that “it will be wild”? Unlikely. This time the Capitol will be fully prepared for the arrival of his tourists, his good people whom he loves. Those people will have seen what happened last time. They have seen the arrests. They have seen the convictions. They have seen the sentencing. All this talk about pardoning the tourists from 2020 are a constant reminder of the consequences of their attempt to steal the election. Consider the outcry over his first indictment in New York. It was a big nothingburger.

As one examines the various options available to the two-time loser, one sees that they are quite limited. They are more in the style of Kari Lake. She can huff and puff all she wants but she cannot undo the election results. By this point, even his own followers expect him to be indicted.

In short, it is good to have on record on his unwillingness to accept the results in 2024 unless he wins. It is something his fellow Republican candidates can criticize the big baby for in their own campaigns. So the bottom line is if he calls for a national effort to steal the election in 2024 so he can win, nothing much will happen. He would just be a laughingstock as he continues to defend himself in court(s) from the last time he tried to steal the election.

At least this time he telegraphed his punches and CNN should be thanked for giving him that opportunity to expose himself.

Of course, it is also possible that he will win the election.

Jim Brown, Dianne Feinstein, and Donald Trump: Knowing When to Leave the Stage

May 22, 2023
by Peter Feinman
Jim Brown and Donald Trump

When do you leave the stage? Do you have to die first? I thought about this because of three people who were in the NYT on May 20, 2023, print.

Hall of Famer Jim Brown who had died (front page)
Senator Dianne Feinstein who is deteriorating before our very eyes (front page)
Former President Donald Trump.

As I was reading the various articles, I realized there was a connection whether by chance, coincidence, or design or some combination.

ATHLETES

When should an athlete hang up his/her cleats? Oftentimes the decision is not up to the athlete. Sometimes a person does not make the team or no longer can make the team. People may find at age 25 that their sports career is over. What do they do next? Suppose they have no high school degree? Or no college degree except maybe showing up for class. What are they going to do for the rest of their life?

Jim Brown went out on top. He was still capable of years of high level performance as a running back in the NFL. Yet he chose to leave that career and pursue other actions such as movies.

Sandy Koufax was another athlete who retired at the top of his game. In his case, it was for medical reasons. He simply could not do what he had been doing without destroying himself.

Lately tennis has provided multiple examples of people leaving the sport. They seem to do so not while they at the top of the game but while they have faded and no longer are a relevant force at the championship tournaments. Roger Federer, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams all played past their prime. They play on when injuries and surgeries had replaced winning as their reason for being in the news. Now Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the French Open, his tournament so clearly his end is in sight. It is time for him for retire or take a farewell tour.

Sometimes people retire because they have nothing left to prove and a lot to lose if they continue to play – see John Elway and Peyton Manning.

And then there are Tiger Woods and Tom Brady.

But eventually time catches up with all athletes. That does not mean they know when to leave the stage; sometimes they need to be pushed.

POLITICIANS

Politicians don’t come with expiry dates. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein both became Senators from California in 1992, the Year of the Woman. Boxer stepped down last cycle and sometimes can be seen as a talking head on cable news. By contrast, not only did Feinstein run one cycle ago when she could have stepped down after a long and successful career; she ran again. She pledged to step down next time and not run in 2024. Already candidates are stepping up to run in that election.

Feinstein also is gambling that she will make it until then. Her deterioration has become quite noticeable. Her most recent public appearances have been shocking. Her physical appearance was of someone in a senior living home close to hospice. She clearly is not capable of doing her job right now yet alone continuing for another year and half. She would be the winner of the Strom Thurmond Award for the most physically and mentally diminished Senator of the year. Even 89-year-old Chuck Grassley is robust by comparison.

We are at the stage now where the kids have to tell mom and/or dad that is it time to stop driving before they hurt themselves or someone else or both. Unfortunately there is no one to do so in the Senate. To be fair, it is possible that situation will change at any moment. Just because she says she wants to remain in office until the end of her term does not mean will do so.

As a result, the Governor of California never knows from day to day if he will have to a momentous decision.

As a result, the Senate Majority leader never knows from day to day what the status of having a working majority will be.

As a result, the Vice President never knows when she will have to be on standby for a critical vote in the Senate.

Clearly Feinstein is no Jim Brown, Sandy Koufax, or even Tom Brady.

DONALD TRUMP

Determining when the immature child with the emotional maturity of a three year old will leave the stage is much more problematical. He needs to be at the center of the stage. He needs for the attention to be on him. He needs to be packing in audiences and filling arenas so he can brag about how he is still the one around whom all the wannabees circle. So far nothing has happened to thrust him off the island. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen prior to the Republican convention. That doesn’t mean on a Republican debate stage the other candidates won’t gang up on him with the cry, “You are a loser. You’re fired.”

Now people are waiting with baited breath for the big indictments to follow. When will the Fulton Georgia District Attorney invite him and a slew of people to make themselves available? Apparently the beginning of August. Although everyone knows it is coming, it will still be shock when all the names are read, the charges are made public, and the people scramble to show up. The experience will cement his image as a loser, and a whiny loser at that.

Then comes the heavy artillery at the federal level. Mar-a-largogate is likely to be another blow to the head. Even his own lawyers are abandoning ship.Everytime their client opens his mouth he digs himself deeper in to a hole and undercuts the work of his lawyers. It is not as if the indictment in August will of one individual only. It is not as if the indictment will be for one charge only. The rooster of people who have received immunity also will be a shock. And all the witnesses arrayed against him will be Republicans including people who had worked for him.

But wait! There is more.

There is the federal indictment for seeking to influence the election at the state legislators.
There is the federal indictment for the fake electors.
There is the federal indictment for January 6.

Meanwhile, Rudy Giuliani will be accumulating indictments of his own.

In short, the pressure for him to leave the stage will mount. I have no idea what will happen then. I do not know how the indictments will change the political landscape. I suspect these indictments will take their toll and provide real Republicans the cover they need to push him aside. Real Republicans are even reluctant to run if there will be a MAGA RINO at the top of the ticket or running in a primary against them. It is quite possible that it will be the Republicans themselves who finally push him offstage as the indictments pile up and he rants and raves in response.

And he is being sued again now for $3 million. He can’t keep his mouth shut. I do not know how the indictments will impact him physically and mentally. I do not know what will happen if the immature child with the emotionally maturity of a three-year-old erupts on his media outlet, is shut down by multiple judges, and defies them. We will have to wait and see.

One thing we can be sure of, he won’t leave at the top of his game.

Will Tucker Carlson Become Michael Cohen?

April 25, 2023
by Peter Feinman
Michael Cohen Testifying (Source: Diego M. Radzinschi) and Tucker Carlson receiving a subpoena for January 6 (Getty Images)

Will Tucker Carlson become Michael Cohen? Right now commentators comment on the options Carlson has for his future. Some of the suggestions may be taken as tongue in cheek: no, he will not work for RT … although he could become a reporter for them! The problem then would not be disseminating his message in Russia but in the United States. If he does not care about his American audience then playing the Russian card seems legitimate. But Carlson is a young male by Don Lemon standards still in his prime so he may prefer something larger. As the great Yogi said, “when you come to the fork in the road, take it.” Carlson is now at that proverbial fork in the road.

ANOTHER NETWORK

Yes, there are other networks. Whether or not they can afford Carlson is another matter. Furthermore, another network will not give him the outsize presence in the American political arena he had with Foxhub. Does the name Chris Cuomo ring a bell? How about Bill O’Reilly? Or Glen Beck? At some point, Carlson’s slot will be filled. That person will be different in style and personality but probably not too much in politics and social values … at least those expressed on the air.

It is not as if the audience Carlson cared about in the texts revealed in the lawsuit will automatically follow him to wherever he goes. After all that audience already knows that Carlson cannot be trusted to tell them the truth or to respect their intelligence. It is hard to see how another network or even creating his own podcast will keep him in the limelight. Anyone who accepts his invitation to appear on Carlson’s show would be jeopardizing their chances to appear on Foxhub.

WORK FOR TRUMP

Another possibility is to work for Trump in some capacity during the campaign and then during the Trump administration. This option poses its own problems. Carlson is used to operating independently and not being supervised by anyone. While it is perfectly permissible for Trump himself to go off the deep rails secure in the knowledge that his flunkies will support him, the same cannot be said in reverse. Apparently some of Carlson’s shows surprised and angered the higher ups in the Fox business organization. If that happened in a Trump bureaucracy, then Carlson would not last long. How long could Carlson survive if kept on a tight leash? Imagining him as a Press Secretary brings shudders to everyone and his survival time would be limited.

BECOME A NEW TUCKER CARLSON

For now Carlson is facing his own lawsuit and who knows if there are more to come. If the charges prove true, then it is a whole new ball game. Then he has to become concerned not only with spreading disinformation, but with the consequences of his having created a toxic work environment that could lead to more lawsuits down the road wherever he is hired.

Strangely enough despite the rape trial and revival of the Access Hollywood tapes, there have been no additional charges for anything Trump has done in the last 15 years. It is probably the longest he has gone without any sexual and/or harassment charges being levied against him. Since he still is a person of no morals, the change is not because Trump saw the light. Perhaps his current wife lay down the law about what would happen if he is caught again. On the other hand, given his age, it is possible he just lost his mojo. Either way, the change in behavior is rather remarkable. So maybe Carlson’s next work environment won’t be as toxic. He could change.

BECOME THE NEW MICHAEL COHEN

One final consideration is to go straight and tell the truth. What does he have to gain by not telling the truth? Everybody knows now what he really thought about January 6 in contrast to his “documentary.” We have heard what he has had to say/tweet about the cast of characters and their “evidence” to overturn the results of the 2020 election. We know what he thinks about calling the election in Arizona. We certainly know what he has said/tweeted about the person who actually was trying to steal the election. So when Carlson is deposed to appear in the Federal investigation into the events surrounding January 6, what reason does he have to lie or to take the Fifth?  Think of how much he knows about the goings on inside the White House and inside the head of the President.

If Carlson should decide to tell the truth, then the floodgates maybe opened. There are so many topics Carlson potentially could tell the truth about with even more coverage that Michael Cohen. Ukraine, COVID, COVID vaccines in addition to January 6. These are not areas where Carlson would be asked to violate his values. Instead all he would be asked to do is to tell the truth.

Carlson would then have the opportunity to explain the Dominion tweets which so rocked the non-Trump world. Michael Cohen does not hesitate for a moment to delve into the psyche and emotional immaturity of the person he calls DONALD. We already know what Carlson really thinks about Trump the person. One can imagine Carlson having counted the weeks, the days, the hours, and the minutes before he was rid of the demonic destroyer he passionately despises. Now here we are almost two years later with Carlson out of a job and Trump on the path to Presidential Election Round II. So why not tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? He has no audience to lose and a place in history to gain.

At this point, no one knows for sure what Tucker Carlson will do. Even he might not know. His mind may be a swirl of emotions and roads to take. It may take time for it to settle down. In the meantime there will be more Trump indictments and possible subpoenas. Carlson had moments in his past when he wondered about his journey when things were not going well in his career. Now he is at the biggest moment of his life with the biggest fork in the road staring him in the face. Will Tucker Carlson become a profile in courage or will he continue to be the toxic person spewing disinformation wherever he goes for the rest of his life?

Indictment Water Torture: Drip (1), Drip (2), Drip (3), Drip (4) …

April 2, 2023
by Peter Feinman
The constant drip of indictments (Individual image from WABC)

Donald Trump has now entered a new phase of his life. From this point in life until the day he dies, his life will revolve around criminal charges. Whereas for decades he has succeeded in avoiding having criminal charges filed against him, in this new phase, everything will be about his criminality – his indictments, his trials, his penalties including possible imprisonment.

All the while as this first indictment of the Wicked Witch of the West Wing unfolds, he will watch a parade of his nearest and dearest Flying Monkeys being forced to testify against him. And he has to live with the possibility that one or more of them could go “Michael Cohen.” After all, what does Steve Bannon have to gain by falling on his sword for him and going to prison for him?

A key area not being fully discussed is the logistics of the indictments. I am not referring to what may or may not happen on Tuesday when he supposedly peacefully surrender. Instead I am referring to what happens when the next indictment occurs which should be imminent. That one will be “massive” and include a host of characters in a possible RICO charge.

All the fuss about the weakness of the New York indictment and whether it should have been first or not misses the point. For now it occupies center stage. The trial won’t even begin for months. But in a few short days that indictment will share the stage with the next indictment. Stop focusing on the minutia of what will happen Tuesday and start thinking about what will happen after the next indictment and the ones to come.

THE DEFENDANT 

Obviously one person cannot be in two places at the same time. The challenge the judges will have is in the scheduling of the two cases. They will have to coordinate their decisions. Will the two cases be tried sequentially? If so, which one comes first?

To some extent the scheduling may depend on what appeals are filed. By now all judges are wise to the ways of delay practiced by the defendant and his expensive lawyers who demand to be paid. At this point, regardless of what indictment came first, that does not mean which case will be tried first.

Where will the defendant stay at night for the Fulton County indictment? To the best of my knowledge he does not have a home there. Will he say at the home of a MAGA supporter who subsequently will turn the room into a tourist site? Will he stay in jail (which is free!)? How about Motel 6? Whatever the answer is, the point is the defendant will have to make lodging decisions about where he will stay during the trial of each indictment. Those decisions will be dependent on the decisions of others, that is, the judges. Other people will now have control of his schedule.

JURORS  

There are limits as to how much the judges can disrupt the lives of the jurors during these trials. They are, after all, regular Americans with lives to lead. If the judges seek to alternate the conducting of the trials if they are not sequential, then how would that work? If there are too many gaps leading to too long a trial, then that would not be fair to either the defendant or the jurors. The scheduling of the two trials given multiple indictments is not a topic that I have heard discussed so far.

In addition, jurors will be aware of the jurors from the other cases. They will see how these jurors are treated in the media and by MAGAs. Even if they are precluded from discussing their own case, they will be talking about the other cases.

DEFENDANTS

The probable additional defendants in the Fulton County case adds another complicating wrinkle to the scheduling efforts.

Suppose the Fulton County case defendants includes elected officials. All the attention so far has been on what the New York indictment means for the presidential campaign of one individual. But what if you are a sitting Senator or Georgia State representative, then what? How will your appearances in Court as a defendant during the trial coincide with when your legislative chamber is in session? The effort to reconcile these competing scheduling requirement may well tax the judicial offices. Where is the AI program to weigh all these variables?

GAG ORDER

Time and time again, people advise the best advice for a client like Donald Trump is to keep your mouth shut. Time and time again such advice falls on deaf ears. His recent threatening of death and destruction and inciting MAGAs to take the law into their own hands are examples of this. It only leads to additional charges. Racism and anti-Semitism already have been unleashed. There will be more to come.

Can he take the advice of counsel this time? Presumably, whatever the schedule is for the two trials, he will have weekends off to campaign. Is it possible for him to appear at professional political wrestling rally and not talk about the trials? Exactly what else will he want to talk about for 1-2 hours? Even if he is given a script, past experience shows that he will not stick to it. How will he respond to shouts from the audience about the indictments?  And what about his use of social media?

At first he may try self-constraint. For an immature child with the emotional maturity of a three-year old, there is a very short window in which he can behave. Are his handlers going to take away his devices? Are his campaign appearances going to cease because his lawyers, and not the judges, seek to muzzle him? The discussion about the impact of the indictments on his presidential campaign miss the point since it focuses on the reactions of the MAGAs. The true challenge to him will be to curtail speech that would get him in legal trouble. Such self-censorship cannot last for long hence the gag orders. Now we would have a presidential candidate forbidden to communicate until such communications are screened by the judge. In legal terms the logistics of two cases may drive him bonkers.

FEDERAL INDICTMENTS  

The pending federal indictments only complicate the matters more. Besides the scheduling, inconveniencing of the jurors, and gag order on a presidential candidate, there are political considerations.

The federal indictments can be divided into four cases:

1. Mar-a-Lagogate – the easy one. It could follow soon after the Fulton County case. This one is fairly straightforward and caries some serious penalties. By this time, Americans will have become used to seeing him arraigned. Maybe some elected MAGA officials will have grown tired of defending him by this point. Maybe they will have seen that contrary to everything Lindsay Graham has said there will not have been any violent uprisings to take the country back from George Soros operatives.

The real political disruption will occur in the next three indictments

2. Obstruction at the state legislatures

3. Alternate electors

4. January 6.

These indictments involve Republican Congressmen referred to in the Georgia phone call. Forget about Mark Meadows and all the other Flying Monkeys for a moment. Focus on the complicit Republican Congressmen. Republicans have a very narrow majority at present. Lindsay Graham’s absence from the Senate because he is on trial does not change the dynamics of the Senate. Five MAGA Representatives on trial does change the dynamics of the House. It changes who will have the majority on the floor of the House for any vote even before 2024. It changes who are running the retribution committees. It changes who may run in 2024.

 

To wrap up, the New York criminal indictment, separate from the civil indictment with an October trial set, is just the beginning of the rest of the life of Donald Trump. It will have immediate effects simply in scheduling and conducting the trials. It will have medium term political effects when he is gagged by either his lawyers or the judge and in maintaining a working Republican majority in the House. And it will have long term effects as people decide to get off the Trump bus and instead throw him under it. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

 

The Meltdown of the Immature Child and the 2024 Elections

March 26, 2023
by Peter Feinman
Sean Hannity: Trump is a bats--- crazy person

We are witnessing the meltdown of the immature-child loser former president right before our very eyes. People who listened to Mary Trump about her uncle with the emotional maturity of a three year old should not be surprised. People who think of him as an adult may be surprised.

Hard to believe but I first starting blogging about our immature child president over five years ago.

Tom Hanks versus Our Immature Child-President August 8, 2017

Tom Hanks and Donald Trump, Round II March 16, 2020

My conclusion was fairly simple. Through no fault of his own, he is locked into same age Tom Hanks was before he became Big but without the maturity. No surgery, no drug treatment, no therapy can alter that fact. He has been an immature child since the day his father put him in military school in the vain hope that he would grow up. He is an immature child now. He will be an immature child on the day he dies.

I am hardly the only person who recognized that he was an immature child.

“PRESIDENT IS STILL A CHILD…” (Headline NYT July 8, 2020): YES! YES! YES!  July 9, 2020

“He is and always will be a terrified little boy,” according to Mary Trump. Exactly. Every decision he makes should be understood through this prism. And it’s only going to get worse for him. The real world is closing in on him in every judicial decision, every poll, and every coronavirus death. Imagine the shock the terrified little boy will experience that first time the jail doors slam on him at Rikers.

Now nearly three years later, he can hear the prison doors as one indictment will follow after another.

For example, Maggie Haberman wrote and spoke about Trump as an immature child. She wrote that some saw nefarious ends in Trump’s behavior, while others “believed he was operating with the emotional development of a 12-year-old, using the intelligence data to get attention for himself.” In an online interview on January 22, 2023, for new book Confidence Man, I asked her:

“Mary Trump says her uncle is an immature child with emotional maturity of a three-year old. Paul Krugman calls him a 14-year old. How do you prepare for an interview with and report on such a person who craves attention more than anyone you have ever covered?”

The last phrase was built on Haberman’s own comment earlier in the interview (not by me) that he craves attention more than anyone she has ever covered. In her reply, she said “Excellent question” and suggested ways of making the conversation about his early days in New York City to create a mood and setting before turning to today and politics.

How often have you heard the phrase “adults in the room” applied to the situation in his White House? We the People could rest easy secure in the knowledge that there were adults in the room who would prevent him from going off the rails. Then one by one Team Normal disappeared to be replaced by a series of whack-a-doodles like Séance Sydney and Ridiculous Rudy and even more dangerous threats to democracy in America like Steve Bannon.

But now those people are facing their own legal jeopardy. Executive privilege no longer applies assuming it ever did. Remember the mantra: everyone who defied a subpoena will be called to testify.

In this new legal world for Trump, what does he have to look forward to?

What Do Putin and Trump Have to Look Forward to? November 13, 2022

2023: The Year of Indictments December 22, 2022

We need to keep in mind that the Congressional referrals [by the House Select Committee] were hardly a surprise. People were just waiting for them to happen. There is a lesson here for Jack Smith: no surprise actions. Keep the people informed. Give us time for your actions to percolate in our brains so when the moment comes any anger will have been diffused.

 Trump has nothing to look forward to for the rest on this year and in 2023, the Year of Indictments. And there is more to come.

 Finally the real world is catching up with the alternate reality in Donald Trump lives.

Alternate Realities: Science Fiction and the 2020 Election November 11, 2020

A Star Trek episode, The Squire of Gothos (Trelane), predicted January 20, 2021 back in 1967. In that episode the adult alien squire figure really is an immature child in the body of an adult. Here are some lines from an earlier blog (May 24, 2019) that still resonate today….

 [T]he pivotal moment comes when Trelane’s parents show up and put a stop to all of his “games”… Immediately, Trelane’s speech patterns change, going from superior and jovial scoundrel to a cranky little boy whose mommy and daddy are telling him it’s time to put his toys away and take a nap. Despite all of his blusterings and exhilaration of the hunt, Trelane protests that he’s just playing around, makes excuses, and even whines that he never gets to have any fun….[T]his call[s] to mind images of a young child being told it’s bedtime right in the middle of playing with its toys.

 Exactly our present situation. Now the adults have shown up.

Mr. Spock: For the record, Captain, how do we describe him? Pure mentality? A force of intellect? Embodied energy? Super-being? He must be classified, sir.

 Captain James T. Kirk: Then a small boy. And a very naughty one at that.

 Mr. Spock: It WILL make a strange entry in the library banks.

 Captain James T. Kirk: But then he was a very strange small boy.

All the talk about whether the hush-money case is too small to be the first indictment and one where the Manhattan District Attorney could lose miss the point. Simply with the threat of a criminal indictment looming over him we have seen a rapid degeneration in his language, both verbal and body. There is no more talk about how he would enjoy the perp walk where he would be the center of attention. Quite the contrary, the reality of a criminal indictment of him as an individual is starting to sink in. He can see his lawyer who helped him commit the crime of Margo-a-Largo being forced to testify… to be followed by a criminal indictment. He can see that the Fulton County massive criminal indictment is imminent. He can see that people close to him in the White House from his Vice President to his Chief of Staff are going to be forced to testify. He probably can see that his Congressional co-conspirators, Steve Bannon, and others will be forced to testify as well. Do you think any of them will take a bullet for him? Do you think any of them will be pushed under the bus by him?

Every day will squeeze him more. And if he lashes out in Waco or elsewhere as he did in threatening the Manhattan District Attorney, that simply means more charges added to the obstruction.

Bone-spur Boy is not a brave person. He lacks the right stuff to go into the arena unless it is a rigged professional wrestling arena, rigged professional political wrestling arena (Waco), or a cleared-out Lafayette Square. There will be no Howard Baker moment. Instead the legal Dorothys will throw buckets of water on the wicked witch of the White House West Wing as his Flying Monkeys are picked off one-by-one until there is no one left to defend him and he is all alone. If you think he is unhinged now, then there is more to come.

Biden Boldly Goes Where No President Has Gone Before

February 22, 2023
by Peter Feinman
Kirk never took a ten hour train ride. Beam me up, Scotty.

Joe Biden has boldly gone where no American President has gone before. His journey into a war zone where there are no American troops will be remembered with alongside previous American Presidential combat trips. Who can forget John Kennedy’s proclamation that he was a Berliner at the Berlin Wall or Ronald Reagan’s call to tear down that very wall in Berlin or Donald Trump’s clearing of Lafayette Square for a photo op. These are the defining moments of a presidency producing images that endure throughout history.

As one hears about the intricacies of the trip Biden undertook, one can almost hear the theme from Mission Impossible playing in the background. But now that the journey is complete, one has to ask what did it accomplish, what difference did it make?

This blog will be a bifurcated one because the significance on the global stage does not correlate with that in the domestic arena.

LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD

With this trip, Biden asserted his position as leader of the free world. He is not the leader of the unfree world. However those countries have been put on notice that he is the leader of the free world. In particular, this applies to NATO. That organization has been reinvigorated, unified, and is set to expand. None of these developments are what Putin sought when he launched his special military operation which ended up being war. The Donald Trump era of America alone and thrashing NATO is over … at least until the 2024 presidential election.

As the leader of the free world, Biden has drawn a line in sand in Ukraine. He can no longer allow Ukraine to lose. North Korea/South Korea and North Vietnam/South Vietnam divisions of Ukraine are unacceptable. There are no negotiations possible since only victory is acceptable.

PETER THE GREAT

With this trip, Biden has put Putin on notice that his dreams of Peter the Great will not be fulfilled … at least as long as Biden is President. Biden’s visit serves as a declaration that he will not allow Ukraine to fall on his watch. That means however Putin ratchets up the intensity of the Russian effort, it will be matched by Biden. There is no victory in sight for Putin.

Way back on February 6, I asked Is Putin Winning?: Joe Biden’s Moment of Truth. I wondered what Biden would do. I wrote:

The United States has expended a great deal of military equipment and moral leadership on behalf of Ukraine. Can the United States afford to just walk away from that because we fear Putin?

If we do walk away, it not only means Russia has triumphed over America, it means that China, Iran, and MAGAs have too. Far from being an isolated event, Putin’s war against Ukraine has become a world war. Think of the fuss raised over the Chinese spy balloon. Now imagine what it would be if America fails in Ukraine.

In some ways, Putin’s war against Ukraine has become Biden’s Cuban Missile Crisis.

I was not expecting an answer so quickly. One might think that Putin has received and understands the message. Now he is relegated to waiting for Western unity to crack or his lackey to return to the White House in 2025. Only then if Biden is re-elected may we learn that Putin is willing to live in the real world. Whether or not the Russian/elites military are willing to wait that long is another matter. We need to convince them that Russia is not our enemy, Putin is, and that we have a common enemy in China.

AMERICAN LEADERSHIP: DEMOCRATS

For someone with one foot in the grave – assuming he was not already dead – Biden has had a remarkably active and robust first two+ years that would make a younger President proud. Given his domestic legislation triumphs and his world leadership role against Russia and its authoritarian allies, it is hard to imagine any Democrat challenging him. So far none has. No Democratic office holder has undertaken any actions that would signify a move towards becoming a candidate.

But one needs to keep in mind that the 2024 election is a long way off. Joe Biden easily could step down on the grounds that he has achieved what he sought to achieve and then some; now it is time to turn the ship of state over to someone else. The sticking point including for those who say they don’t want Biden to run again is who that someone else should be? At this point there is no obvious successor despite the longstanding tradition broken by Obama of choosing one’s Vice President to be the successor. On the other hand, there is the example of John Fetterman. At lot can happen in a couple of years. Great athletes tend not to retire at the top of their game; they tend to wait until they have started to decline excluding any career-ending injury.

One should keep in mind that Biden does not get any credit for his achievements. He has every right to be proud of what he has accomplished. Yet somehow that has not translated into any boost in his popularity. People still say with a straight face and in all sincerity that he has not done anything. One wonders what if anything can break through that mindset.

AMERICAN LEADERSHIP: MAGA

“The President of the United States chose Ukraine over America, while forcing the American people to pay for Ukraine’s government and war,” tweeted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) “I cannot express how much Americans hate Joe Biden.”

“Breathtaking that President Biden can show up in Ukraine to ensure their border is secure, but can’t do the same for America,” January 6 co-conspirator Rep. Scott Perry tweeted.

Rep. Matt Gaetz Gaetz and Greene are co-sponsors of the Ukraine Fatigue Act that aims to undermine support for Kyiv as the Russian invasion of its European neighbor moves into its second year. Greene wrote. “We must impeach this America Last fool before it’s too late.”

So far the Republicans have the upperhand over the MAGAs in Congress. How long that will last remains unknown. MAGA’s think differently. They have no interest in the President of the United States being the leader of the Free World. They prefer Putin to Biden. So while the call for premature withdrawal has no traction now, the situation could change.

For the moment at least, Biden has created a historically defining moment with his visit to Ukraine and speech in Poland. In the future Railroad One may become a tourist trip. If the Democrats are smart they will contrast Trump’s submissiveness to Putin at Helsinki with Biden’s defiance at Kyiv. They will contrast Trump’s “perfect phone call” to undermine Ukraine in his first impeachment with Biden’s “One year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you.” One year ago today, Trump praised Putin for his genius, the savvy leader who had a strong army for peace. Putin expected to be in Kyiv shortly afterwards. Instead the war has not only been Zelenskyy’s moment of glory, it has become Biden’s too. Will the American people realize that?

Dorothy’s Hunt for the Wicked Witch of the West Wing: An Update

February 16, 2023
by Peter Feinman
Will the wings of Trump's minions be clipped?

Dorothy’s hunt for the Wicked Witch of the West Wing continues. Today was not a decisive day one way or another that many anticipated or hoped for. No knockout punch was delivered. No knock downs occurred. The bucket of water has not been thrown. The time for singing “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead” has not arrived. The waiting continues.

Regardless of any legal principles involved, there is great skepticism that a wealthy white male can ever can be brought to justice anyway. In this particular case, there also is great skepticism about this individual ever even being charged with a crime given the numerous times before there has been a feeding frenzy about his imminent indictment that never seems to happen.

What can be said given the events of the last few days?

GEORGIA ON MY MIND

Although no names were mentioned in the report released today, it is still several conclusions still can be reached.

1. There are named people in the portions not released.
2. Some if not all of them are going to be indicted.
3. The release of that report and the indicting of those individuals seems imminent, as in days and not weeks or months.
4. Besides the indictments directly related to the attempt to steal the election, there also will be charges of perjury. Apparently the equivalent of a jury in numbers and as a cross-section of the community already determined that one or more people lied under oath. This development adds a new wrinkle to the proceedings. It puts witnesses on notice that no matter how clever they and their lawyers are in crafting dishonest answers, a jury is quite capable of discerning that dishonesty. That means regardless of the charges announced at the beginning of the trial, additional charges may be generated during the course of the trial. Perjury charges put witnesses on notice that when they think they are being crafty they may in fact be digging themselves deeper into a financial and legal hole. That may encourage more people to plead the 5th or to not even testify in their own defense.

We are getting closer to the first moment of truth. There is a lot to be said for not indicting the Wicked Witch of the West Wing in the initial indictments. That minimizes his ability to slow things down with frivolous lawsuits that courts are weary of since he has not been indicted. It also allows time for the people charged for a crime initiated at the hand of the Wicked Witch of the West Wing to re-assess their willingness to pay the price for the crime while he escapes scot free. The saga continues.

THE BELTWAY HIGH SPEED CHASE

Meanwhile in Washington, the investigation of the Wicked Witch of the West Wing appears to be barreling along. Like the January 6 House Select Committee, it too, has a deadline. The campaign for 2024 already is underway. Speaking now as a civilian, I would say Smith has until this summer to put up or shut up – at least for Mar-a-Largogate.

Still, things seem to be happening even if we don’t know all the details. Subpoenas have been issued for the former Vice President and Chief of Staff. That means in typical Mafioso case fashion, the prosecution has worked his way up the chain of command until he has now reached the inner circle. The Flying Monkeys are having their wings clipped. Soon they will be sitting ducks. It will be like shooting fish in a barrel if I may mix my metaphors.

One might suspect that some of the secret cases now before the judges may involve people we have not heard much about lately. People like Steve Bannon. People like Scott Perry. People like John Eastman. People like Jeffrey Clark. Some of them may be snagged in the Georgia case.

Here is where there will be a lot of doubt about whether a wealthy white man can be held to justice even if he is not the President.

BARR AND DURHAM MADE A MOCKERY OF THE RULES I WROTE

So wrote Neal Katyal in an op-ed piece in The New York Times today. He seems irked to say the least about how the rules for the Special Counsel have been trashed by these two individuals. With Barr, the politicization of the Department of Justice by the President has been well-known since even before the Mueller report was issued. That in itself raises three immediate questions:

1. Will the House Republicans who claim to be interested in the corruption of the politicization of the Department of Justice even investigate these people? – Unlikely no matter how much the Democrats push for it. On the other hand, the Inspector General seems like a better path to investigation.

2. Will the current Attorney General act against John Durham following the guidelines presented by Neal Katyal in his op-ed piece? – This is quite possible. Durham is obligated to produce a final report anyway. At this point, Durham may realize that he has sacrificed a lifetime of credibility and reputation as a reputable investigator and now has only one chance to salvage his tattered legacy.

3. What will happen to the ten obstruction charges identified by Mueller and obscured by Barr? There is no problem about indicting a sitting President any more. As in the previous item, Merrick Garland has a decision to make.

Despite the hullabaloo about the events today over the Georgia case and the revelation of new subpoenas for people very high up in the criminal conspiracy and for the secret cases, there still is a great deal of uncertainty about what will happen. In the meantime, the clock keeps ticking; and there are limits to human patience. If these investigations turn into Ph.D. theses that take forever to complete, then by the time they are done, the country will have moved on.

2023: The Year of Indictments

December 22, 2022
by Peter Feinman
House Select Committee (Jabin Botsford/Pool/Reuter)

What a week and it is not even over. Three historic stories broke this week and not in separate and discrete packages. They overlapped and challenged talk show hosts to keep up. The challenge was even greater for writers of op-ed pieces and blogs.

So let me start here with some observations about the still unfolding story of the January 6 House Select Committee.

1.  Contrary to ace prognosticator Lindsay Graham, there were no riots in the street when the Committee announced it was referring Donald J. Trump to the Department of Justice on charges of criminal behavior. Although the exact number of charges may have been a surprise, the fact that he was referred was not. So what is the reason for the lack of riots or even any action:

  • Because MAGAs do not know it happened
  • Because MAGAs are legally savvy and know a Congressional referral has no legal standing
  • Because MAGAs think their Lord and Savior, the Chosen One, Blessed Be his Name will be returned to the White House and all DOJ work against him will cease
  • Because MAGAs do not really care one way or another.

 

We need to keep in mind that the Congressional referrals were hardly a surprise. People were just waiting for them to happen. There is a lesson here for Jack Smith: no surprise actions. Keep the people informed. Give us time for your actions to percolate in our brains so when the moment comes any anger will have been diffused.

2. Mar-a-Lagogate which is not even part of the House Select Committee’s report should be the first charge against a former President. He admitted state the items were his and that he did it. It is a slam dunk case. There is no MAGA issue. And now there is a simply visual and question to support the charge:

WHEN JOE BIDEN LEAVES THE WHITE HOUSE SHOULD HE ABLE TO TAKE THE UKRAINIAN FLAG AS A SOUVENIR?

The answer obviously is “No.”  I predict that this charge will not rile up the base beyond the usual denunciations on Foxhub and in Congress.

3. The alternate electors should be the next indictments. All the people who took the Fifth or who did not testify at all will be charged as well. This indictment will include the usual cast of characters known to the American people nationally or in their home state. There will be continual reminders about the MAFIOSO take the Fifth as has started already. Again by the time the indictment are made, they will be no surprise. People are not going to be up in arms over John Eastman, Rudy Giuliani, or Scott Perry (except maybe in his Congressional district). These indictments will be more of “everyone knows they are coming so it’s no big deal when it finally happens.”

There are three spinoffs to these indictments.

First, they mean constant media coverage in the states of the alternate electors about the legal actions directed against them. These alternate electors are from the seven battleground states, the states that are critical to who wins or loses presidential elections. That means continual bad press coverage for the leading Republicans in the state who either directly participated in the fraud or who aided and abetted it there. This constant bad coverage against the local Republicans who did try to steal the elections carrying over into 2024 election cycle will be to the detriment of MAGA Republicans and to the advantage of the Democrats.

Second, the indictments mean all the voter suppression laws passed by the Republicans in response to the fraudulent Stop the Steal claims are bogus and should be reversed. If the Republicans are still in the majority at the state level and take no action  – let the in our gerrymandered suppressed voters decide – then the Democrats will have an excellent rally cry against the Republican criminal liars who perpetrated the actual attempt to steal the election.

Third, the indictments/convictions against the leading MAGAs in the state will provide an opportunity for Real Republicans to take back their Party given all the openings in the Party structure.

4. Witness tampering is hard to prove so let us wait and see what else is in the transcripts or what the DOJ uncovers.

5. Follow the money should be an easier case to make, but let us be real. The victimized people are MAGAs so how much sympathy does anyone have for them? Even they have not complained.

6. The big one will be the violent insurrection on January 6 itself. Here is where there are many more people to interview including all those who took the Fifth, who defied the Congressional subpoena, or who simply ignored it. This group includes members of the House of Representatives including most likely the Speaker. This investigation will take longer. Some of the people knew exactly what the plan was in the War Room (Bannon, Giuliani, Stone, Meadows, Jordan, and Trump among others). Putting together the pieces will take time.

While there will not be public presentation as with the House Select Committee, there probably will be enough in the news to keep the public informed. Plus there is always the possibility of someone having a “Come to Jesus” moment. How much of their life (and money) do they want to spend on Digital Donny especially if they think he will not be the nominee in 2024 yet alone the victor? They still have lives to live. They know he would throw them under the bus without hesitation. Loyalty is a one way street for him. Over time, some of these people would rather not suffer the consequences of Michael Cohen but even more so. The indictments for January 6 where many people have the opportunity to stew about the consequences to them will be the most complex. They will be ridiculed constantly with video displays of having taken the Fifth.

With the transfer of action from the House Select Committee to the DOJ led by Jack Smith the venue changes. Once the holiday season is over the serious wok of legal indictments accelerates. Collectively this will make 2023 the year of indictments at the Federal level plus at the state, county, and city level in Georgia, New York State, New York City, Westchester County, the District of Columbia and who knows where else. Trump has nothing to look forward to for the rest on this year and in 2023, the Year of Indictments. And there is more to come.

 

Digital Donny Rorschach Test: Prelude to Criminal Referrals

December 18, 2022
by Peter Feinman
Rorschach test for an immature child

What was he thinking? What was he thinking on January 6?  What was he thinking with his latest con? The question of intent has and is an important one in the ongoing investigations of his criminal activities during the last days of his presidency. Fortunately, we now have expert testimony on the state of mind of the Loser.

Chuck Schumer:

…for her first 35 to 40 years of life she (Nancy Pelosi) raised five children so she knew how to deal with children. And that’s what helped her deal with Trump because he ultimately was a child (CNN interview)

Nancy Pelosi:

I think there is a need for an intervention of something, you know, by his family (CNN interview).

Sorry Nancy, there can be no intervention with an immature child. You correctly diagnose him but then seek to apply an adult solution.

Tom Nichols

Musk’s petty outbursts make you wonder how dangerous it would be if a narcissistic, self-interested, vindictive adolescent ever gained a major political office such as, say, the White House. But I digress. (The Atlantic).

Paul Krugman:

Trump, however, comes across as 76 going on a very bratty 14 (NYT 11/15/22 print).

Alex Wagner:

Trump photo shopped into the scenarios of a 10-year-old boy (MSNBC 12/16/22).

For years, for years and years, I have been referring to Little Donny Waney as an immature child with the emotional maturity of a three-year old per his niece, Mary Trump. It is nice to see more and more people getting on the bandwagon (not that I deserve any credit for it).

He was an immature child when his father put the thirteen-year old in military school in the vain hope that he would man up. He remains an immature child today. He will be one the day he dies. There’s nothing anyone can do about it. He never acts childish, he is a child.

These insights should be brought to mind when seeking to go inside the mind of the Insurrectionist in-chief. It is silly to compare him to adult authoritarian leaders in Russia, China, Turkey and so on. Instead think seventh grade smart-aleck-dumb-aleck seeking to play the game of President and then being told he can’t play anymore.

Let’s examine four famous incidents exposing his immature mind at work.

Professional Wrestling Arena

 

Back in 2007 before 80,000 screaming professional wrestling fans, THE DONALD against all odds took down WWE’s Vince McMahon. After this battle for the ages, THE DONALD then shaved the head of his vanquished foe. So in-between grabbing women, THE DONALD demonstrated his prowess as a warrior in this battle of the “billionaire” executives.

Lafayette Square War Hero Mocks Losers Spartacus and 300 Spartans (September 6, 2020 blog)

Bonespur Boy is the greatest warrior President in American history. Who can forget his triumphalist victory at the Battle of Lafayette Square? There he stood alone amidst thousands of heavily armed terrorists, anarchists, and criminals here illegally. Despite his precarious situation he remained resolute bolstered by his faith in God and in the sanctity of his mission. At last after a long and brutal struggle, he emerged from this predicament triumphant. He then thrust his powerful arms towards the heavens brandishing an upside-down Bible, the fiercest weapon in his arsenal. Another square had been secured in the fight against demonic chaos that threatened the land.

The alpha-male-wannabee was not done. He knew there were more battles to be fought throughout America. He admonished his governors to dominate their cities, not to be weak. He warned them if that if they lacked the requisite strength to dominate, that he would unleash the fearsome forces at his disposal to do what they could not. He would prevail. Victory would be attained. The forces of evil would be defeated.

Maskless Macho Macho Boy

The most heroic action by an American President ever

Perhaps the single most weeny act by the Loser President occurred when he returned from the hospital. The standing before an adoring crowd of worshippers, Little Donny Wanney unveiled himself. When statues are erected to commemorate his weeniest action as President, it well may be this heroic action of ripping of his covid mask. The palpitations in the crowd were intense. I think there were even images of Rambo Trump being carried by people. Truly this was his Iwo Jima moment where instead of raising the flag, he was removing his mask. I still shudder just thinking about this vision of masculinity on display at the White House.

Putting aside his great love for playing with his action toys – my generals – putting aside his crack about not admiring John McCain because he had been caught, a deep-seated lifelong pattern emerges. Yes he is a child but he is a child with a desperate need to be taken seriously as an adult.

Seen in this perspective, Digital Donny makes sense. He needs to project an image not of his submissiveness to Putin but as a figure of towering strength. The Digital Donny cards express his inner self. It is not necessary to ask the child what he feels. He has created multiple avatars to do that for him.

But once again the law of unintended consequences occurred. He did not expect to become a laughing stock. He did not expect to become a laughing stock to people who had remained silent, defied subpoenas, and risked jail for him. Think of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Time Magazine’s Person of the Year day in and day out fighting on behalf of his people against Putin and contrast those images with those of the immature child faking being an adult leader. The Ukrainian people have rallied behind their leader who they know is in the trenches with them. Zelensky may be the comedian but it is Trump who is the joke. Do you want to put your life on the line on behalf of Digital Donny? Do you want to risk real prison-time and large legal bills of behalf of Digital Donny?

These images of Digital Donny probably will become weapons against him should he seriously pursue the nomination in 2024. They also will make it easier to indict him. Before, there always was the image and aura of the Presidency behind hm. It enveloped him providing a protective shield even as a former President. How could you indict a person with the prestige and status of the Presidency? Now the person who said that he did it on Mar-a-Lago documents and terminate the Constitution on behalf of a President greater than Washington, greater than Lincoln, indicting him has become easier. Digital Donny is not only a joke to comedians, talk show hosts, pundits, and politicians, he is a joke to jurors as well.