Sort of Looking Bad

 I have a lawsuit that was doing very well, and when I became President I said, "I'm sort of suing myself. ." I don't know, how do you settle the lawsuit, I'll say give me X dollars, and I don't know what to do with the lawsuit. It sort of looks bad, I'm suing myself, right?

Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America speaking about punitive compensation he is currently seeking from the federal government--the same federal government he is chief executive of. 

Sort of looks bad? One supposes the single most openly corrupt act ever attempted by an American President could be interpreted as, sort of looking bad, although many might consider the observation an understatement of epic proportions. You know, rather like Clyde Barrow saying that knocking over all those banks, sort of looked bad.  

Of course, $230 million, which is the settlement figure being bandied about in the media, is a score bigger than anything ol' Clyde could have ever dreamed of. However, no one has ever accused Donald Trump of thinking small when it comes to scams, or in this case an outright heist. It is what differentiates him from the small time grifters and punks.

This all stems form investigations into Trump's 2016 election campaign, the attempted overturn of the 2020 election, and those classified documents he valued so highly they were stowed away in a spare bathroom. Mr. Trump claims the investigations were malicious political prosecutions directed by the either Joe Biden himself, or dark forces within his administration. (Depending on Trump's mood, on any given day Mr. Biden is either a master criminal--a combination of Vito Corleone and Professor Moriarty, or a senile old man completely controlled by those around him.) He will never acknowledge the Trumpian brand of politics and sense of morality makes Richard Nixon seem like some two-bit teenage vandal. 

The President's lies are so common hardly anyone notices them anymore. Even his, "I'm sort of suing myself," statement is misleading. He isn't suing himself at all. He, as President won't have to pay out anything to himself. That $230 million is coming directly from the American taxpayers. All that needs to happen for the payoff to be successful is either, Deputy Attorney General Todd Bianche, or Associate Attorney General Sam Woodward to give their okay. For those with short memories, Bianche represented Mr. Trump during the investigation of the January 6th insurrection and the documents case. Woodward defended Trump's loyal valet and co-defendant, Walt Nauta in the documents prosecution. 

Some might call such a happy coincidence a conflict of interest. However, no matter how anyone describes it, we all have to agree, the fix is in.

 In order to distract attention away from Trump's broad day light shakedown republicans have begun howling about Biden weaponizing the justice department after taking office. The allegation is the DOJ looked into January 2021 phone records of some GOP senators. This is proof, they say--well, at least Sean Hannity and Ted Cruz say--Biden was attempting to persecute political opposition.

What Hannity and Cruz didn't say, and they want everyone to forget, is that the attempted takeover of the capitol building was the last desperate act to alter the results of the 2020 election. In the months leading up to it all kinds of behind-the-scenes chicanery was taking place. Indeed, it's easy to remember the Proud Boys and others jammed into the hallways chanting things like "Nancy, come out and play," and "Hang Mike Pence." Many forget that prior to the violence, republicans were gathering in back rooms nationwide, naming, "alternate, " electors while lobbying senators to postpone the certification of the national election. Some of those senators were so dedicated to delaying the constitutional process they continued to argue the certification should be put off even after they had run for their lives just hours before. 

After January 6th, taking a look at who certain senators talked to during those chaotic weeks seems pretty reasonable. 

It's the old, yeah, yeah, you did that, so don't bitch about us doing this gambit. That is straight out of Joe Goebbels playbook. But, hey, you've got to say something though, right? After all it's tough to justify your guy looting $230 million from the treasury for personal gain even during the best of times. Right now, it's damn near impossible since his legislation is jacking up the cost of health care and causing a government shut down--one that is about to cut off food assistance to school kids and families in need. It is pretty much the 21st century equivalent of, "Let them eat cake."

Donald Trump told members of the media, "I'm not looking for money. I'd give it to charity or something." 

"Or something," being the key phrase in that statement. Remember this is the same man who at the beginning of the 2016 Presidential campaign told us, "I'm so rich I probably won't even ask for donations." 

Donald Trump lied then. He is lying now. He will lie tomorrow. It is the nature of this peculiar beast. And unlike anything he says, that's the truth.

10-24-25