Hypothetically, What would happen if Garland did not indict Trump for anything?

[fightforfreedom]

Can anyone here explain to me how that would work, because I cannot figure it out.

Everyone witnessed the crimes. The J6 committee showed all of us much of the evidence. If Garland did not indict Trump the only possibly explanation he could give was there was not enough evidence to proceed. That would not work. It would set off a political fire storm. The news media would go nuts. There would incredible pressure put on Garland to resign and Biden's base would demand he fire Garland.

Biden would come under fire from his base. It could damage Biden's chances of winning the 2024 election. Imagine how Trump and the Republicans would respond if Trump is not indicted for anything. Holy Shit!

What would come of the precedent that is set. Planning and executing an attack on our election would be acceptable? How could we survive that?

What would happen to our national security when it comes to the handling of top secret documents. Would all future presidents be able to take home any secrets they want. place them where they are insecure. What would stop them from doing this?

Lying, refusing to answer a grand jury subpoena would be allowed in the future. How would that work out?

I admit, I cannot grasp how any of this can be allowed to happen. It would be catastrophic for our country, our lives.

This is why I have always believed Garland would indict Trump. The only other option is what I described above.

[yellowdogintexas]

1. every president from now on would think he/she can get away with anything

which is terrifying

[sarisataka]

2. Here's how it would work

He would say no indictment will be issued. There will then be many arguments that it is the right or wrong decision.

This is different than if he issues an indictment. In that case there will then be many arguments that it is the right or wrong decision.

[FoxNewsSucks]

3. The only thing there I disagree with is thinking the media would go nuts

They've been biased toward republicons long before MF45, and continue to be. It's gotten worse.

Look at the way Benghazi was covered. That's "going nuts". Now compare to the coverage actual crime is getting. Sure, they talk about it, but not even close to the way it should be covered.

If MF45 is left free, corporate media will also downplay that in any way it might harm republicons and emphasize anything that hurts Democrats. As they've always done.

[raging moderate]

7. Yes, they LOVE the Trump clan because of their narcissistic glamor.

Last edited Fri Nov 25, 2022, 09:57 AM - Edit history (1)

The Trump clan obviously spend hours every day to achieve exaggerated perfection in surroundings, clothing, hairdo, and makeup. They always look like actors in a Hollywood TV extravaganza show.

[FBaggins]

4. "Not enough evidence" is far from the only reason not to prosecute

Nor does a decision not to prosecute have to be announced on any particular timetable

[getagrip_already]

6. or indeed, announced at all....

The doj said early on in the new administration that it would no longer issue declination decisions since those could unduly harm a person when no prosecution was warranted.

Think of what comey did to hillary with his declination press conference. Essentially he declared her guilty but said there wasn't evidence to convict her.

The doj said they wouldn't do that any longer. The only way we will know of a decision is if there is a court filing or a report issued and made public by a special master (and those reports don't need to be made public).

[gab13by13]

13. Merrick Garland took an oath when he was sworn in.

If he decides not to prosecute Trump and others, he absolutely owes it to the American people as to his reasoning. He should resign in shame if he does not.

[fightforfreedom]

22. I completely agree.

We are talking about sedition. We are talking about our nations biggest secrets being stolen. Nothing in our history compares to these investigations. Not indicting, not giving a reason why is unthinkable.

[fightforfreedom]

24. Such as?

[FBaggins]

27. Prosecutorial discretion

See getagrip's post above. Comey determined that Hillary did violate the law, but didn't believe that he could convict her of it or that she had criminal intent.

I'm not saying that's the right decision... just that a prosecutor electing not to indict does not have to mean that he doesn't think there's enough evidence.

[fightforfreedom]

32. I never heard Comey say Clinton violated the law.

I believe he said something like Clinton did something that was stupid but not illegal.

Prosecutorial discretion is pretty much sayin I don't have enough evidence.

[lark]

5. Yes, it would be totally catastropic and the death knell for real democracy.

I hope Jack Smith and Merrick Garland truly care more about Democracy than they do their futures or we are all so fucked. The easy thing to do is to say "insufficient proven evidence", it's much harder to catalog all the many hidden treasons of drumpf, much harder having 40% of the country ready to kill you personally for indicting orange traitor tot. If they aren't cowards, indictment is obvious.

He freaking wanted to personally profit from other nations nuke secrets - there can be no worse person in the world. He lied in writing to try to keep them, that's how much he wanted to profit and maybe has already profited from them. $2 billion from SA???

[Chainfire]

8. Another option is neither indictment or no indictment, but infinite delays.

[gab13by13]

11. Yes, this is what people do not understand.

E. Jean Carroll sued Trump, it is over 3 years, no trial yet, maybe October if the appeals are denied.

Letitia James, 3 years and no trial.

So if Garland subpoenaed Trump to a grand jury next week, we are looking at a Trump trial no sooner than 2026.

People just do not understand the importance of time.

Trump knows he is guilty, his strategy is to delay.

[gab13by13]

9. I would write a thread here that would get me banned for life, maybe.

[Irish_Dem]

10. Most likely nothing would happen.

[fightforfreedom]

23. Please explain.

[Irish_Dem]

25. Look at the facts:

Americans are an accepting and complacent people when it comes to tragedy and bad news.
They have become desensitized to GOP wrong doing and dire results.

GOP caused one million Covid deaths. Thousand of gun violence deaths.
How many killed because of absurd drug and health care costs?
Groups of Americans are targeted and demonized. Treated as mortal enemies.

These are just a few examples, of course there are many more.

The GOP is not a political party, it is a crime syndicate.
Their crimes are too many to list here.

Yet half of the US votes for them anyway.

The fact is that there have been many investigations regarding Trump crimes.
They all fizzle. The American people are habituated to it now.

If Trump gets off the hook once again, there will be some complaining.
But it will die down because there is nothing that can be done about it.

The GOP will continue with their crime spree.
Voters will still vote for them.

The fight between good and evil will continue.

We will still fight the good fight.

So nothing changes.

[fightforfreedom]

29. I think this situation is much different.

We are talking sedition, traitors, an attack on our Capital that everybody watched. I believe there would be a giant backlash. DU would explode. Legal scholars, Democrats in Congress, former prosecutors, judges, historians, would be all over the news. It would get ugly.

Garland would lose his job in my opinion and Biden would come under fire from his own base and Democrats in Congress.

I don't think everyone would just say OK, no charges against Trump. No big deal.

I believe it would set off a political fire storm that would rock the foundation of our democracy.

[Irish_Dem]

33. We always believe the latest atrocity is the most egregious.

Until the next one happens.

[liberalmediaaddict]

46. You absolutely nailed it

Trump and Republicans have learned they can do and say anything and not lose their base. Despite their incompetence, corruption and cruelty they keep winning elections. So they have no incentive to change.

[CrispyQ]

12. Rule of law is on life support now.

If Trump walks, which I believe he will, then rule of law is dead. There's an old saying, strike while the iron is hot. We let it cool to the point where people are excited to have him run again, even over DeSantis. Squandered time will cost us the country. We needed a bulldog not a lapdog. I am more worried today that he will be reelected.

[SoCalDavidS]

14. Yes, This Is Where I'm At nt

[Paladin]

18. I hate that I agree with your assessment. (nt)

[sakabatou]

45. Same.

[Prairie_Seagull]

15. 1 dark and hyptherical answer.

1. Trump gets away with everything.
2. All high level minions get away with it as well.
3. Rule of law appears meaningless to those of us without real wealth.
4. Citizen driven Chaos ensues.
5. Many relocate around the world. (Oh Canada)
6. Vote is seriously depressed.
7. Something like fascism takes power.
8. "Rollerball".

Interesting thought experiment. Trump needs to be indicted and convicted. 50/50 if just minions take the fall. Hypothetically.

[Hotler]

35. Rollerball, nice touch. We should add The Purge also.

[Prairie_Seagull]

36. Havn't seen em, will start tonight. Thanks n/t

[Buckeyeblue]

16. Trump would be on a victory tour the rest of his life

He would say that his presidency was so squeaky clean that not even the most corrupt Democrats could find anything to indict him.

[Beastly Boy]

17. By Garland, do you mean DOJ, various federal district AGs,

various state AGs, and the Special Council all put together, unanimously finding no sufficient grounds to indict Trump?

In this case, hypothetically speaking, I expect Garland to be made a scapegoat and blamed for single-handedly failing to indict Trump.

[Samrob]

19. Trump will eventually die like the rest of us. nt

[Girard442]

20. If Garland refuses to indict, there won't be a high-profile announcement.

He'll just keep kicking the can down the road until everyone loses interest or some other thing pushes it out of the headlines.

Or he gets fired by Trump himself.

[slightlv]

21. Can you imagine the chaos at the government employee level?

Right now, respect for the rule of law is what governs. We know we automatically lose our jobs, and most likely end up in jail if we mishandle documents. God forbid we release any into the wild. Just look at Reality Winner! If I were her right now, I'd be finding someway to sue!!!!

Every person brought up on charges of mishandling secret, etc., documents would sue using Trump as a defense. There would no longer be "rule of law" as far as I'm concerned. They might as well open the vaults. The truth for all America would be out there for all to see...

There is no Rule of Law in America. Like the "American Dream" it's all fake. And at that point, America falls apart.

[patricia92243]

26. The end result would be that Trump is elected President. Then and only then,

all hell would break loose and an extremely good chance of losing our democracy would happen..

The other stuff is just colleterial damage.

[moniss]

28. Richard Milhouse Nixon

We all thought the same things about him. But still he walked away with no indictments and was given a preemptive pardon by his hand-picked successor for any and all crimes which might ever be charged. We couldn't grasp it then either but yet it happened. That's largely how we got to this point. If DOJ had done the right thing and Ford not have been as crooked as he was we would have seen Nixon behind bars for at least a short stretch if not longer. His crimes went way beyond Watergate and the cover-up.

Subsequently despite screaming high inflation, the anger over the pardon and a debacle of an administration Ford lost his election by only a narrow margin to Jimmy Carter. But the die was cast for Presidents to escape without charges for criminal wrongdoing. The playbook is to attack, deny, obstruct, delay, destroy evidence, have underlings take a fall and eventually the whole thing drags on so long that the public grows weary and just wants to move on. Of course the pardons are always there for when a GQP nutball regains the Presidency. The case of the classified documents is admittedly different and unprecedented and so it may perhaps break the "mold" so to speak. Given the fact that upon leaving office the smarmy son-in-law got a 2 billion dollar payment for "helping the Saudis to invest" and now the Orange Ruski has just inked a 4 billion dollar real estate deal with the Saudis I would think we can have a pretty sure conclusion of at least one country that got some info.

[fightforfreedom]

30. Nixon was forced from office for lesser crimes. Ford pardoned him or he may have been indicted.

I think it is a mistake to compare the crimes Trump has committed to anything in the past. This is unprecedented.

[moniss]

43. You need to read

my entire comment.

[melm00se]

31. A college classmate who is a district attorney

will remind folks:

There are things that you know.
There are things that you can prove.

They are not the same thing.

[Demsrule86]

38. That is it. We all know he is guilty as fuck but like a mob boss, he was always pretty careful.

Georgia maybe...the phone call. And let's hope the IRS helps out, I would bet he has evaded taxes for decades.

[newdayneeded]

34. I'm thinking we're a year away

from finding that very thing out.

[Demsrule86]

37. People need to consider how difficult it is going to be to convict Trump of anything...

so he may very well not end up in jail no matter what. I have my doubts about whether he will ever be convicted for January 6th although he should. It will be hard to prove...I think our best chances are Georgia, New York, and the Documents. I don't care what happens as long as he is no longer president and hopefully at some point gone...ashes to ashes.

[lees1975]

41. I disagree.

It's already proven according to the law. Easiest case for a sharp attorney.

[Demsrule86]

44. And what about juries? You think there won't be one Trumper in any jury?

[Javaman]

39. it would only confirm what I believe...

we have turned into a cartoon version of a democracy.

[lees1975]

40. It would cost Democrats dearly at the polls.

No more rule of law claims.

[jalan48]

42. Historically it may mean a lot. Right now, half the country seems fine with one party rule.