Your Move, America

The Trump legal circus is back in town.

In a story headlined, Trump and Allies Forge Plans to Increase Presidential Power in 2025, the New York Times reports how a second Trump administration would dismantle Civil Service employment protections and fire anyone who fails his loyalty test. Our historically independent executive-branch agencies are also on the line (think DOJ, DOD, FAA, FCC, FTC, et. al.).

According to Michael Beschloss, if you liked Mussolini, you’ll love Trump II. The renowned presidential historian added, “This is un-American.”

Trump, at a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Missouri: "Just remember, what you are seeing and what you are reading is not what’s happening. Just stick with us." It’s a version of the ever-popular, “Who are going to believe, me, or your lying eyes?” It remains of critical importance to The Donald that we do not believe our own senses, and instead, trust him to tell us what’s really happening. That wouldn’t be a good plan no matter what, but in this case, considering his extremely tenuous relationship with the truth, it’s a particularly terrible idea.

You can’t really blame him. He lost the civil sexual assault case to E. Jean Carroll, then couldn’t help himself and disparaged her further, which will cost him even more money in the other action she has pending against him. And of course there’s the first indictment by the Feds, the one for concealing secret documents and then lying to the FBI about it, and now the same Special Counsel, Republican Jack Smith (who, in Trump’s telling, is a “lunatic”), has sent the Trump camp another “target” letter, informing them to prepare because another federal indictment, this one regarding attempts to overturn the 2020 election, is coming.

It’s no wonder he keeps saying, “These are not the drones you’re looking for,” but will a Jedi mind trick work this time? After all, he’s managed to skate his whole life. Betting against him now feels like betting for The Washington Generals over The Harlem Globetrotters. Nonetheless, if he can’t be convicted when the preponderance of physical evidence is so damning, then there’s more wrong with us than there is with him.

And as if all that’s not enough, Yahoo! News is reporting that he also took some antiquities that were on temporary loan from Israel, and squirreled them away at Mar-a-Lago, because…Donald Trump.

That’s all fun and games compared to his spoken promise to become America’s Mussolini. He does love dictators, and clearly would like to be one himself. After all, a fresh term in The White House would allow him to halt all federal investigations and prosecutions (but, importantly, not state, and both New York and Georgia are eyeing him like the last hot dog at the cookout). That’s why he tried to get the documents trial moved to after the election next year. He’d like to pardon himself, his cronies, and the January 6th rioters. As usual, he’s actually said these things. He can’t help saying the quiet things out loud. It’s doubtful that he would be in legal jeopardy anywhere if he’d just kept his trap shut, but he can’t help himself.

So, his troubles are of his own making, but it is fascinating to watch his party cohorts spin like tops. They remind me of the kid who murders his parents, only to throw himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan.

The ripples extend to Michigan where 16 state Republican Party officials have been indicted on felony charges of forgery and conspiracy for swearing in writing that they were duly appointed electors. They were not; they were trying to change the electoral outcome of the state of Michigan in favor of Mr. Trump.

One of the Republican defenders in the state accused the Attorney General of “a personal vendetta.” Another said  that, “This is part of a national coordinated” effort to stop Mr. Trump, a statement, which when turned on its head, says there’s a national coordinated effort to enforce the laws of the land. Somehow, it’s hard for me to be outraged by such an effort. I thought that’s exactly what we do here.

Finally, one of the great imponderables is why Republican challengers for the nomination are rolling over instead of rolling on the ex-president. If they ever hope to get leg up, calling him out for his lack of fitness for the biggest job in the world is as easy as falling off a log. Why is it that only Asa Hutchinson, the former Arkansas governor, and Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor, are the only ones willing to say the emperor has no clothes?

I see yard signs saying “Enough is enough,” and I agree, although I don’t think we’re talking about the same thing.

©2023 Jon Sinton