I wonder if Trump's thinking is that he can get away with anything?

[Stuart G]

.If so, then Mr. Trump is totally wrong. My opinion is that he has made enemies in many of his departments and people who would normally be totally loyal. And he looks around and sees his former lawyer in jail, some former leaders of his campaigns in jail, or about to be tried, and he is still free and unharmed. The very last group you want to battle with is the Intelligence Community. But he has done so. It was reported today, that he wants to tighten up the ship, and allow less people to know what he is saying to those he communicates with..
...I don't think this will work, because that is not the problem. The problem is Mr. Trump.

[Sneederbunk]

1. Has worked so far.

[triron]

33. Sure has. Very positive reinforcement. Why not just continue.

[kentuck]

2. He believes he can get away with whatever he can get away with...

...until someone shows him that he has to stop.

[Stuart G]

4. Maybe that "someone" will be congress or a judge or someone else.

Who knows? Maybe some foreign leader? ..No one knows the future. If Trump thinks he is immune to punishment for his "activities", I think he is totally wrong. Mr. Trump has hurt too many people and groups in too many ways. He will get his, it is not "if" in my opinion, it is "when."
...And, I think that when is soon.

[dem4decades]

3. Why wouldn't he? He had Barr, he's packing the lower courts and he already had the SC.

[Poiuyt]

17. Getting Barr to be his AG was his best hire yet

My guess is that many of the senators who voted for him are surprised at how much he is protecting trump. He is truly the mob lawyer that trump always wanted.

[brutus smith]

27. Exactly!

[Wounded Bear]

5. I don't wonder at all. His every behavior supports that thesis...

[tanyev]

6. Of course. He thought that long before he became President.

“I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab 'em by the pussy. You can do anything.”

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. So far he has, and he will continue to do as he pleases.

He's unstoppable, except in the voting booth.

[Faux pas]

8. Why not?

he has his whole worthless life

[Paladin]

9. I'll believe it if it ever happens.

Right now, it seems he can do whatever the fuck he wants.

[doc03]

10. It appears to working so far. nt

[Joe941]

22. Right he doesnt just think it. He knows it!

[Karadeniz]

11. It's worked so far because, having always used and abused the legal system and aligning

Himself with thugs, he didn't trigger major scrutiny. The stupidest thing he ever did was run for president....and win. Now the media doesn't treat him like a joke. Now he has hundreds of eyes watching him. His days of lack of accountability are over.

[GulfCoast66]

12. Of course. But there is only one thing that can stop him.

A Democratic Victory in 2020.

Nothing else matters. Impeachment will do nothing as there will be no conviction and he will still be there. With a big win to boot.

If we do not start understanding that all of our effort must be on 2020 we are in trouble.

[Stuart G]

13. Thank You for your opinion and insight...2020 the answer.

If the Senate does not convict him he walks away free. It must convict and throw him out. Then when he refuses to leave, in comes the police to throw him out. I don't know, but that one would be a good one to watch on live TV coast to coast....
..But you never know, there might be some other way..?? Anything can happen and often does. The very last thing that I ever expected was ...President Donald Trump.....!!

[GulfCoast66]

16. The senate will never convict. Right now there are not the votes in the House to Impeach!

Because Representatives in swing districts know it will cost them their seats!

Since 2016 a good bit of DU has had some type of Fever Dream that we can get rid of him by means other than voting him out in 2020. Likely the shock to their system 2016 delivered. As it did all of us. But even after our resounding victory in 18 many are hoping it won’t come down to winning in 2020. But that has always been the paradigm.

Yeah, continue the hearings to keep people happy. But they will do little.

It’s all about winning in 2020.

[brutus smith]

30. Winning involves charging your base.

Charging your base involves preserving the Constitution. And I'm so tired of hearing about the representatives who come from swing districts losing their seats if they support impeachment. They got those seats because people in those districts wanted someone to reign trump in. Otherwise they would have kept the repubs in. To think otherwise is not facing reality.

[GulfCoast66]

35. That just incorrect.

We did not win 18 on Trump. We switched those swing districts based on bread and butter issues. Mainly healthcare.

And keeping the base fired up? Yeah, it Important. Can you think of anything that would demoralize the base more than either the house to vote down impeachment or the senate refusing to convict? Right now we have the votes to do neither.

What would your reaction be if the house voted down an article of impeachment?

[brutus smith]

36. My reaction would be maybe that the ones voting no need to be primaried.

[GulfCoast66]

37. Ah, but then the reality of a 50 state strategy bites us in the ass. I support that strategy,

But I realize what it means. If we primarily most if not all of the newly elected Democratic representatives from swing districts who don’t support impeachment with more liberal members then we lose the house and are totally screwed. Impeachment is really not the most important thing winning the house was about. Had republicans won it they would have finally got their shit together and finished off the wrecking of the social liberal state and policies they started doing.

That is the irony of a 50 state strategy that was touted here for so long. It means we can win and hold the house. But it will be a house more moderate than the general DU membership. But not, and this is the important part, not more moderate than the average Democratic voter who are on average not as progressive as DU members.

[smirkymonkey]

14. Whenever I despair, I remember one thing...

He is mortal.

[Stuart G]

15. Thank You..a thought to keep us going.

[GulfCoast66]

18. And can and will be defeated in 2020!

I truly think many on DU keep holding out the crazy hope of impeachment because they are scared they can’t win in 20. Well, we wiped the table in 18 in a midterm that we usually don’t get out the vote!

Unless we lose our focus we will win in 2020. Keep up the message of what we will do to help Americans. That won it for us last year and will in 2020 unless we go down the impeachment rabbit hole and make it about personalities.

[Stuart G]

19. Yes...Trump has done damage to himself and his party. How?..He lies all the time.

.....Most families tell their children not to lie..or only when you have to..or whatever..
.Trump is a habitual liar and con artist. And Trump is a bully too. No one likes a bully...

We must keep an eye on the prize...2020..that is it, and that is what we must do.

[MasonDreams]

20. He must be checkmated handcuffed and jailed.

He will fight, the next escalation and the one after that is already planned. The Reichstag fire and the night of the long knives can be avoided. Slow doesn't seem to be working, lets try Impeach fast. If we need to get the AG first then get someone working on that.

Most multi-million are congresspersons will not go along so we need to get them on record soon, so we can vote them out. Tic tock tick tock A peaceful transition of power's maximum probability will be achieved by Max action w/o delay.

[Joe941]

21. You wonder? Did he not say he could shoot someone on 5th?

[Aussie105]

24. He would.

If his bigly brain thought it was a good idea.
He would not hesitate.
But he would be surprised and complain about any negative reaction. He thought it was a good idea, that is all. Why are people complaining?

[Aussie105]

23. Trump's thinking

isn't along the lines of what he can get away with.

It's simply he doesn't know the rules of being a POTUS or Commander in Chief. Not interested, he will make up stuff as he goes along. Laws, the Constitution, history, intelligent advisors - all optional extras to be ignored at his convenience.

He thinks that if he can come up with an idea, it must be good - bigly brain and all that - and people should support him because he is POTUS, etc.
People who don't support him are unpatriotic, and need to go. Media who don't support him are Fake News.

It's so easy being POTUS Trump. Reality does not get a look in.

[Stuart G]

28. If we all know this about what Trump thinks,.. than the world knows.

.....Yes. here it is: It's so easy being POTUS Trump

It is only "easy" if one fakes the job. Now, Trump "fakes the job" and believes it works. Most know he fakes the job. He has exposed his "fake job"...How did he "expose" the way he fakes his job?

....It is so simple...Standing in front of a crowd, and he throws a large roll of paper towels at someone..What does that say?.."You clean up the mess yourself"...There it is.. Trump's thinking is out there for all to see. watch..32 seconds, here it is:

[PasadenaTrudy]

25. Of course it is

Seems obvious so far.

[Newest Reality]

26. His Spectacle will only go...

His part in the Spectacle will only go as far as the Military Industrial Complex will allow. Right now, the leash is longer than usual and that's pragmatic. The purpose is being served.

[dchill]

29. It's got him this far.

[brutus smith]

31. If we don't impeach, trump will have won

[onecaliberal]

32. He has gotten away with EVERYTHING.

[Stuart G]

34. That is Trump's thinking, not reality.. Proof?..Well, a particular lawyer for Trump is in prison.

That lawyer did work for Trump, I suppose under Trump's orders. Now I did not make this up. Trump's personal lawyer...Michael Cohen was tried and convicted and is now serving a sentence in prison for lying and whatever..Cohen is a convicted felon

Trump thinks he has gotten away with, EVERYTHING

But this movie is in the 3rd Act going into the 4th. The 4th and last act of this movie is where the good guys win the battle and put the bad guys in prison. Hard to imagine that? I watched the Giuliani tape with Cuomo. It is here somewhere on Democratic Underground..

Rudy was not that good on that tape. He looked a little (or a lot) unstable and not together. Time will tell.

[ehrnst]

38. With the aid of McConnell. Balance of powers. (nt)