Today is March 25, 2024. The media has led us to believe that this date for Donald J. Trump is Judgement Day, an Apocalypse that sweeps the Trump Organization off the face of the financial world. Indeed, today is the moment of the former President's, Reckoning.
Even Trump himself fed the frenzy. As late as last night Orange Jesus, went into yet another post-midnight manic rage, posting on social media, "Why should a Crooked, highly political New York Judge, Arthur Engoron, in concert and coordination with an even more Corrupt Attorney General, Lettica 'Peekaboo,' James, his Puppet Master, and the White House be allowed to take away and sell off, very successful properties and assets that took me years to zone and nurture into some of the best of their kind in the World--WHEN I HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG! These Radical Left Lunatics and Communists ask me to pay a ridiculous and completely unheard of fine of over $450,000,000 only because they saw a similar amount in my bank account. I had intended to use much of that hard earned money on running for President. They don't want me to do that--ELECTION INTERFERENCE!"
If we've learned anything about Trump since 2016 it is that when it comes to financing political campaigns he is loathe to use his own cash, both hard earned and ill gotten. He would much prefer those crazed starch fed, rubes attending his rallies pay the political tab $20 and $50 bucks at a time. When they do it proves to him and them, he is a true man of the people. Not to mention, when the investment is high risk it's always best to use someone else's money.
Now, even as these words are being typed, media outlets have said the New York State Appellate Court has lowered his fraud case bond from the $450 plus million to $175 million and given Trump another 10 days to come up with the cash.
Yes, the oily fucker just slipped the noose once again--at least for now. Shortly after the decision became known Trump announced he would post the bond within the allotted 10 days.
Fortunately, for those of us who still believe in the rule of law, there was another breaking story. Today wasn't all peaches an cream for Big Don. When the bond news aired Trump was otherwise occupied in another New York courtroom. He was attending what turned out to be the final pre-trial hearing in what is known as the Stormy Daniels hush money case.
The criminal charges faced by Trump allege that during the 2016 Presidential campaign he paid off a porn star/dancer/high end hooker, who goes by the name of Stormy Daniels for her silence about a one night stand she had with while his wife was home caring for their newborn son, Barron. Actually the hush money payment itself isn't illegal in New York. However, covering it up as payments to your lawyer and as campaign expenditures is--which is what Trump is accused of doing.
Judge Juan Merchan had already delayed the start of the trial once. Today Trump's lawyers, with him looking on, argued the trial should be delayed again. According to them the feds and the state colluded to delay the discovery process by intentionally withholding evidence regarding Michael Cohen who is expected to be the state's key witness in the case. Cohen was Trump's former lawyer and damage control officer. He is the alleged conduit who got the cash from either Trump, or the campaign to buy Daniels' silence.
Merchan wasn't buying any of the collusion nonsense. He told the Trump team they hadn't proven any of it, which must have come as a shock to the defendant, because in Trumpworld, if Donnie says it, it becomes the truth.
Jury selection is now set to begin on April 15th. If it does, for the first time in American history a former President will be tried on criminal charges. Whether the Trump legal team can appeal their way out of that date remains to be seen.
However, as we know all too well, Donald Trump is the greatest escape artist since Harry Houdini. He has proven time and time again, with very few exceptions, he can get out of anything.
It is, to paraphrase a lyric, the nature of his game.
3-25-24
I think . . . the Trump era will come to a head and some sort of conclusion between now and the 2028 election. Many will like it and many won't. Whatever happens, our country is forever changed.
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