Trump: The Criminal

Many people fear that Donald Trump could pull a Grover Cleveland and get re-elected to a second nonconsecutive presidential term in 2024, thanks to voter suppression and electoral rigging, but his path back to the White House just got a wee bit more complicated.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James (above) is now conducting a criminal investigation parallel to the criminal investigation led by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. into "potential financial crimes" at Trump's business, including tax fraud and banking fraud. Vance's office is looking into charges as to whether the Trump Organization inflated the value of his properties to get good loans but then artificially lowered said property values to evade taxes. Vance has Trump's tax returns for the past eight years and is now connecting the dots to see whether all that in fact is the case, but he will be leaving office soon.  Ms. James' announcement means that prosecutors are going to go full tilt boogie to push this investigation to the end.  It could not only being down Trump but also his family. 

MSNBC's Zerlina Maxwell has suggested on occasion that it's ultimately up to black women to save America from itself.  Letitia James seems to be proof positive of that. 

Show Trial

When Trump finally left the White House, I thought Republicans would react to Trump's departure the way the Wicked Witch of the West's soldiers in The Wizard of Oz reacted when the Wicked Witch melted after Dorothy accidentally spilled water on her while trying to put out a fire.  When they told Dorothy she killed her, Dorothy grew very sacred . . . until the witch's soldiers started cheering and celebrating, knowing they didn't have to deal with the mean old broom-rider anymore.

Nothing could have prepared me for how loyal the GOP has remained to Trump since President Biden began his term last week.  With the article of impeachment against Trump for inciting an insurrection having been delivered to the Senate, only five Senate Republicans voted to accept and allow the trial to go forward.  Mitch McConnell, who has made no secret of wanting to find a way to get rid of Trump for good, was not one of them.  The 45 Republican Senators who voted against having a trial said that a trial was unnecessary because Trump is no longer in the White House (not true!), and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) even called the trial a "stupid" idea.

Trump still scares Republicans who fear a possible Trump comeback in 2024 or, if they vote to convict Trump and then allow a vote to bar him from holding office again, fear being primaried by QAnon/Trumpist candidates in Congress in 2022.  Trump doesn't have access to Twitter any more, but all he has to do is stick his thumb up or down like Nero to send a signal to have his base go after those who cross him.  Even if all of the Republicans in the Senate vote against barring Trump from holding public office again after he's been convicted and let the ban be passed by Democratic votes only, the fact they let it get that far in the first place by enough of them voting to convict would destroy them.  Someone had better figure out how to destroy Trump, or he'll destroy the country.

So the U.S. Senate chamber (below) is going to be the scene of a show trial - nay, a mock trial - that will be all sound and fury but will result in nothing.  Root for the success of New York State Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. in their efforts to prosecute Trump in court.    

One day, someone will pull the curtain back on Senate Republicans and realize there's nothing there.