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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDavid Corn: Don't Fall into the Collusion Trap on Trump and January 6
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/07/dont-fall-into-the-russia-collusion-trap-trump-january-6-capitol-insurrection/July 15, 2022
Dont Fall into the Collusion Trap on Trump and January 6
How to avoid the Russiagate pitfall for the Capitol insurrection.
David Corn
Washington, DC, Bureau ChiefBio | Follow
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So much of Trumps post-election misconduct is now out in the open. His Big Lie crusade and his incitement of the January 6 mob occurred in full public view. And his behind-the-scenes efforts to overturn the election have been revealed: leaning on state Republican legislators; pressuring election officials in Georgia (I just want [you] to find 11,780 votes); scheming to create fake elector slates; pressing the Justice Department to declare the election results corrupt; and muscling Vice President Mike Pence to block the certification of electoral votes. Moreover, the January 6 committee has been revealing evidence showing what was already known about that awful day: While the pro-Trump marauders attacked the Capitol and assaulted law enforcement officers, Trump took no steps to end the riot. The raid proceeded for hours before Trump called on his supporters to leave the Capitol. (The committee has teased that it will provide more testimony regarding what Trump did and did not do on the afternoon of January 6 in a hearing next week.)
Some of Trumps actions may have been illegaland theres much discussion these days as to whether Attorney General Merrick Garlands Justice Department is fully investigating them and whether Trump and his henchmen could be indicted. (The Fulton County district attorney is on the case.) But there is no question that Trump committed serious wrongdoing and that on January 6 he abandoned his duties as president, as he watched the riot and did nothing.
All this ought to be enough to brand Trump a villain and a danger to American democracy. Conspiring with the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys would be merely one more offense on a tall pile. It could expand his legal liability. But its a subplot in a tale already fully established: Trump attempted to subvert the constitutional order to retain power.
Trump has often escaped accountability by committing transgression upon transgression. Each dirty deed distracts from the other. Any one of his plots to steal the 2020 election would be a major scandal in itself. (Pushing the Justice Department to falsely declare the results were fraudulent!) Yet all of his dishonest conniving creates a gigantic blur that can be hard to absorb or follow. The January 6 committee has done a good job of breaking down Trumps myriad skullduggery. This will certainly not convince the Trump cultists and denialists; they cannot be reached. But for the rest of the nation, theres no need for a smoking gunor to get hung up on a particular allegation or possible criminal violation. The question is no longer Trumps guilt but how best to counter the threat he continues to pose to the republic.
malaise
(269,067 posts)RFN!
The question is no longer Trumps guilt but how best to counter the threat he continues to pose to the republic.
msfiddlestix
(7,282 posts)the ONLY question is if he will ever be held accountable beyond finger wagging, harsh OpEd's, easy fines, or wrist slapping?
If so, will we live long enough to see it?
malaise
(269,067 posts)Evolve Dammit
(16,743 posts)calimary
(81,335 posts)You up yet, Mr. Garland? Had a nice nap already? ANYTHING going on at the office???
I dunno. I dont think hes dead, though. I occasionally think I hear snoring
Evolve Dammit
(16,743 posts)Congresspeople supporting the coup have had no formal rebukes. This is insane. Rolled over and playing dead?
calimary
(81,335 posts)Evolve Dammit
(16,743 posts)Joinfortmill
(14,436 posts)calimary
(81,335 posts)A LOT of things we need to see happen, or be implemented, or to be fought, or to be secured, are ALL hanging by that thin little thread.
This is the only way to disempower him and all the clowns who now model themselves on him.
sop
(10,206 posts)destroyed everything he's touched so far. His lies and hate have infected too many. The die has been cast, there's no retreat from Trumpism now. The only way to counter the continuing threat of Trump is prosecution.
FoxNewsSucks
(10,434 posts)it's the MAGAts that follow his every whim and believe every lie. Even more, it's the Bannons, the Flynns, the Millers and who knows how many others doing the actual destruction. They are not stupid, unfortunately, and they use MF45 to distract the media and direct his worshippers.
Septua
(2,256 posts)..and has a Senate majority. Mike Flynn Secretary of Defense, Giuliani Attorney General, Sydney Powell White House Counsel, Mark Meadows or maybe even Tucker Carlson, Secretary of State, Matt Gaetz Homeland Security...
He might create some sort of storm trooper militia filled with Proud Boys and sic them on all his enemies. If republicans controlled both houses, he'd have every Democratic and Rino lawmaker investigated. The House would impeach Joe, Kamala, Fauci and anyone else they wanted to attack.
He would pull the US out of NATO so Putin could take over Europe. He would revoke every regulation possible Democrats installed.
He would assume dictatorship early on.
Handler
(336 posts)He can and will destroy this democracy and the republicans will stand by and watch it burn. Merrick Garlanded is like Joe Manchin in the DOJ.
Farmer-Rick
(10,192 posts)Someone is protecting him.
I think you can look at the American Filthy Rich oligarchy, maybe Koch Bros, Walton's, Gates (he met with Trump weekly), Zuckerberg, the incest loving Musk and peto Putin. We got to consider Putin an American oligarch now cause he sure is good at getting his puppets into the US government and passing out campaign contributions. He's not dead yet.
malaise
(269,067 posts)but the end is nigh
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)Case in point... The USSS
Eyeball_Kid
(7,432 posts)Trump may have been an informant when in New York real estate. If so, that's a possible reason for Trump being treated like a jaywalker.
mrsadm
(1,198 posts)Or to whom Gates do you refer?
agingdem
(7,850 posts)making the remainder of his life a living hell...it's seizing his wealth, confiscating his properties sans one, his Florida golf club and exiling him to his one remaining property..hotel and golf course closed down, isolating him..no visitors, no media...an ankle monitor..sentence him to irrelevance..
jaxexpat
(6,837 posts)public execution on 5th Avenue. It's the best practical and soon-to-be-most-popular solution. Martyrdom is really not a problem because he's so universally obnoxious that most will be see as the ultimate Kharma, their own sins washed away by a mile. There will be dancing in the streets. Crime will fall off for a while as well or at least the cops will be, perhaps, a bit more judicious in their derelictions. Taxes on the uber-wealthy will rise to appropriate levels and they'll welcome it, happily paying, humbly even. Can you say balanced budget? strong dollar? Universal single payer healthcare, childcare for all, total public education for ALL, the end of charter schools and all other taxpayer funded "private" enterprises. All this and more are yours if you'll only do the deed and kill that turkey.
That's probably not the most popular solution with liberal types and I'm pretty sure progressives will reject it out of hand and that's, maybe, a good thing. But don't you just crave it? It would maybe even suffice for justice, an aspect of American culture missing since the late eighteenth century.
stopdiggin
(11,320 posts)But just in case ... NO!
agingdem
(7,850 posts)I'm Jewish, my god is not a forgiving god so wishing/praying Trump dead by 1,000,000 cut (one for each covid deaths) will not cause me divine retribution...allow me to add to your inspired public execution on 5th Avenue...prior to the great event might I suggest a caged Trump on display in the middle of 5th Avenue..again, payback for the terrified babies caged in detention centers..and because we are somewhat humane, a cheap mylar blanket for cover..
jaxexpat
(6,837 posts)Backseat Driver
(4,393 posts)books; at least two coming out September 13, 2022. Bet both end with "outcome to be continued..." Neither say anything about a blue-ray disc gavel-to-gavel.
ShazzieB
(16,432 posts)I've had my order in since May 17, according to Amazon. 😁
stopdiggin
(11,320 posts)This man tried - by several different means and methods - to subvert and overturn a free and fair election (and the will of the American people).
You don't need any more detail - or explanation - (or 'punishment' meted out) - than that.
We installed a man in the WH - that had complete contempt for democracy. Full stop.
Stuart G
(38,436 posts)anything. Trump may have 25 to 30 percent behind his bulls**t, but that doesn't mean he wins anything.
stopdiggin
(11,320 posts)Unfortunately - that leaves out the fact of him dragging so much of the GOP (whether they believe in Trump or not) well over into anti-democratic territory. This is not your father's Oldsmobile ...
FakeNoose
(32,656 posts)Go for the low-hanging fruit and convict Chump on the easy stuff that will put him away for the rest of his life. His collusion with Russia will be a smoke-and-mirrors thing because you can bet that no Russians will ever admit to anything. Why even go down that rabbit hole when there's so much else that Chump is already plainly guilty of?
Chump must be convicted and locked away quickly because he's still a threat as long as he's allowed to roam free.
Lock. Him. Up!
live love laugh
(13,119 posts)Hermit-The-Prog
(33,356 posts)SWBTATTReg
(22,144 posts)really, a national security threat. Just how many US secrets did he give to the Russians (remember, he was acting like a lap dog w/ Russian personnel when he won, so he's probably eager to please his task masters).
Traitor.
anotherOKIE
(90 posts)How in God's name can he be allowed to run again? I don't understand the media completely ignoring the fact that he is not qualified to run for president again let alone be president. He is without question unfit for the office.
FuzzyRabbit
(1,967 posts)He just had his plane, a 757, repaired and repainted. This is the airplane he used in his 2016 campaign. Why else would he fix up this old airplane if he wasn't planning on using it to fly around the country campaigning?
Pyryck
(99 posts)Without the enablers, he wouldn't have got away with near as much.
Hang the sign on the Republican Party and around every single enablers neck otherwise all of the crap WILL happen again.
Make it so Republicans HAVE to distance themselves from tfg and his followers. Let them turn on each other for a change.
elleng
(130,983 posts)Conspiring with the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys would be merely one more offense on a tall pile. It could expand his legal liability. But its a subplot in a tale already fully established: Trump attempted to subvert the constitutional order to retain power.'
Septua
(2,256 posts)High 50s think he's guilty. But the mid to low 40s thinking he ain't is disconcerting.
https://www.google.com/search?q=what+percentage+of+the+public+think+trump+should+be+indicted+for+jan+6&oq=what+percentage+of+the+public+think+trump+should+be+indicted+for+jan+6&aqs=chrome..69i57.28331j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#ip=1
onenote
(42,715 posts)"Some of Trumps actions may have been illegal..."
Septua
(2,256 posts)captain queeg
(10,209 posts)Id figured TFG was just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what might stick (well there is an element of that) but it was much more organized and coordinated than I thought. I think soon some big fish will come in and really blow the lid off. That might not happen till the DOJ starts sending out subpoenas though.
867-5309.
(1,189 posts)Forget TFG being prosecuted, we know he's a bad guy and that's it.