Just before Donald Trump stepped into a New York courtroom Thursday, he stopped and spoke with reporters. He ranted. He raved. He didn’t make much sense. He called all the court actions taken against him “election interference run by Joe Biden.” He then said it is a terrible time for our country, “a real dark period,” to which a reporter remarked on a live-mic “Jesus Christ.”
Jesus has nothing to do with Donald Trump, still, Trump thinks he is being crucified. Meanwhile, Manhattan came to a standstill as Trump’s motorcade brought him to court. Dean Obeidallah, a SiriusXM host noted, “The NYPD is closing roads by me in NYC during rush hour to allow Trump to get to the courthouse in lower Manhattan.” The networks covered it as if it were a coronation, and Trump soaked up the attention.
At about the same time, Tucker Carlson, still on the Putin bandwagon, told us Russians have it much better than Americans (after shopping in a Moscow grocery store). And if that wasn’t circus enough for you, Fulton County District Attorney Fanni Willis jumped into the Trump-related drama by running into court and defending herself against charges that she abused her power and shouldn’t be allowed to prosecute Trump on some very serious state criminal charges in Georgia. She was seen on Thursday talking about cruises, trips to Aruba and who paid for what dinner while she dodged haters, moved out of her house, took care of her father, used private security and dated lead prosecutor Nathan Wade who is overseeing the Donald Trump case in Fulton County, Georgia.
What does all of this testimony have to do with Donald Trump? Absolutely nothing. But Trump and a co-defendant in Georgia want to delay the start of the only trial Trump can’t control should he be re-elected. Or, he wants to try and kill the charges outright because of the alleged inappropriate use of public funds. The allegation is Wade used money he got paid as a prosecutor to go on a cruise and some road trips with Willis. Even a few members of the Trump team that still talk with me have said, “who gives a shit?” Though they also like that it muddies the water “for the boss.” And they cackled with glee watching the drama in Georgia.
“Don’t get cute with me,” Willis said at one point under direction questioning. My grandfather and uncle, who were both circuit court judges often said, “Lawyers make the worst witnesses. They don’t know when to shut up.” Willis tried to guess what the line of questioning was about, cut it off, and spit it back at her accusers while the judge sat by trying to guide her into calmer waters.
"I'm not on trial no matter how much want to put me on trial," Willis stated defiantly.
And, if that’s not drama enough for the day, in speaking with several members of the Republican Party, many of them said they are embarrassed by Donald Trump, “though most (of the GOP) are loyal to him,” but some are seeing Trump’s drama coming to an end in court soon and want to find a seat before the music stops. It is worth saying that the number of people doing this is very low.
Yes, we’ve all heard this before. Donald Trump is trouble. Donald Trump is going down and who will be left to pick up the pieces? Trump found out today that his first test in criminal court will be in Manhattan in what many believe is the weakest case he faces; the payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels. Michael Cohen, his former fixer, and David Pecker (no pun intended) the former CEO of American Media figure prominently in the case. Cohen, Trump tells us, is a liar, a cheat and a bum. What Cohen routinely calls Trump can’t be said in front of small children. But, despite Trump’s insults at Cohen’s expense, Cohen has, so far, proved to be the spear in Trump’s side he cannot ignore. He might just be the witness that helps put Trump in prison. “He deserves it,” Cohen said.
Will that make a difference to what remains of the Republican Party? Probably not. One GOP stalwart told me, “We may have to find another candidate, but we probably won’t even if Trump goes to prison – which a lot of us think won’t ever happen. But come on, you have to admit that Trump beating Biden while in prison would be delicious irony.” I would call it something else, but there is no denying that some in Trump’s camp would secretly relish that outcome – though others openly admit it could destroy what’s left of the “United” in the “United States.”
Many Trump supporters have also told me that this year’s Super Bowl already accomplished that goal. One Q-Anon (remember Q-Anon? Turns out this is a story about Q-Anon) supporter proudly believes the Deep State engineered the Kansas City victory in the Super Bowl to promote LGBTQ “weirdoes who want men to play women’s basketball.” I can’t make this stuff up and wouldn’t try.
This source was happy about Willis’s testimony in Georgia. “She was great for us,” he said. “You couldn’t ask for a better outcome.” According to Trump supporters, Willis showed her backside and tainted the case against Trump. “They’ll have to throw it out.” And Cohen, “A known liar” according to the same source said, “won’t be able to lay gloves on Trump.”
So, some Trump supporters are happy Trump could go to prison and defeat the Democrats while at the same time believe he never will because he’s smarter than the so-called Deep State.
That only leaves the Mar-A-Lago classified documents case to consider. Trump supporters say it “will never be heard. It will be delayed until after the election that Trump will win.” These same supporters say, “Trump only got one good judge and it was in Florida.” And in the D.C. federal case, many of Trump’s cronies believe the Supreme Court, three members of which were handpicked by Trump, will “make sure justice is done and Trump will be granted unlimited immunity.”
I suppose if that’s the case it will just be a matter of time before either Trump or Biden use Seal Team 6 to take out their rivals. “I’m betting on Trump. The military loves him and so do the leaders of all the other countries. Even Putin,” I was told.
Well, especially Putin. Different story.
Meanwhile, Lara Trump is being considered as a co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and recently vowed that every cent raised by the RNC will be spent on Donald Trump. Mind you, that still probably wouldn’t pay off Trump’s massive legal bills. Technically those funds should not be used for that purpose, but we are talking about Trump who makes his own rules. Using “every cent” for Trump could bankrupt the Republican Party, and would be problematic for down ballot Republican candidates – who usually count on RNC funding to mount a competitive race in purple states. Not helping out other MAGA candidates (okay I’ve given up calling them Republicans, because they aren’t) is inspired lunacy. Since Lara Trump said this, some of Trump’s other folks have walked it back a bit and said that the RNC will spend money on voter “integrity,” which to the Democrats sounds like voter suppression. That is also a different story.
Michael Cohen said months ago he thought Lara Trump was an idiot, and folks, he ain’t wrong. Left to her devices, she would commit political suicide for the entire MAGA party.
Democrats are cheering. They believe they are watching the demise of a national party in real time, and while MAGA supporters don’t see it, the fact that they have painted themselves into a corner with Trump is confirmation enough for outsiders to agree with that sentiment.
If Donald Trump is whacked with a large fine in the New York civil business case, and if he should face prison time, MAGA supporters say they’ll back him no matter what. They’ve already ex-communicated everyone in the former Republican Party who has opposed Trump. Sen. Lindsey Graham once famously said that if the GOP embraced Trump it would be the demise of the party, and he has proven himself correct, though he never took his own advice.
Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney are the two most infamous ex-Republicans. There are many others, and while former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele said he would be like “Motel 6” and keep the light on for legitimate conservatives and not the MAGA cult, he has been unsuccessful in stemming the tide of racism and corruption that has swept the MAGA cult into power.
The stench is so overpowering, the wailing of the Trump banshees so loud, the rending of hair and gnashing of teeth so complete that Thursday afternoon the White House briefing room was an afterthought in the news cycle – even though Biden and his administration are dealing with a potential threat of nuclear weapons launched from space-based Russian satellites.
If it all sounds like theater, and in Donald’s case it always is. The question remains, who – if anyone – can pick up the pieces if Donald isn’t around?
Trump staffers see their glorious leader riding high and reclaiming the promised land of the presidency this fall so he can then cage migrants, become a dictator for a day and, as Rep. Jamie Raskin so aptly put it, “rule over the ruin and rubble.”
Still, the same Trump staffers who privately said Trump is vulnerable also think that Nikki Haley could, indeed, be the nominee if something were to happen to Trump. “The beauty of that,” I was told, “is that it would kill the Democrats. If the Republicans (his word not mine) elected the first female president – and a minority at that – it would destroy the Democrats and then I wouldn’t be happier.”
With the MAGA party, it is always about victory at all costs. Democrats and most Republicans think Haley could never get the nomination because she defied Trump and continues to attack him, and stubbornly stays in the presidential race. She’s a woman and that doesn’t sit well with the aging white rednecks of MAGA.
But, they love to win – and they’ll probably close their eyes and hold their noses as the vote for Haley if they must – after all they’ve already swallowed Donald Trump. They’ve proven they’ll swallow anything.
Then, after the loss, they’ll scream that the fix was in – like Donald did before, and continue ranting and raving like the lunatics that they are.
Get ready for a fun Spring, Summer and Fall.
