Light at the End of the Tunnel

As I type this, the prosecution is giving its closing argument in the prosecution of Donald J. Trump, the defense having already given its closing argument, and the jury will soon deliberate over whether Trump is guilty of election interference in the hush-money indictment.

All of the evidence shows that Trump is guilty as sin - and Robert Costello's testimony should have put the nail in the coffin of Trump's acquittal hopes.  But it is possible fro one jutor ro have enough doubt to produce a mistrial or a hung jury.  If that happens, Trump will declare victory and go on to win the White House - and the jury won't be the only ones hung.

Of course, if he's convicted, he won't go to jail right away - he'll appeal the verdict - but he will be considered a convicted felon, which should allow him to lose enough votes t help President Biden.  Whatever the outcome, President Biden is expected to address the nation once the verdict is handed down.

Yes, there's light at the ne d og the tunnel.  Let's hope it's not an oncoming train.

Truck Fump

I've heard all of the explanations for how Trump didn't really get away with paying a lower amount on his bond to the state of New York and how, should he lose his appeal, he may end up still having to pay $454 million, and he may still lose some of his properties, but the fact is, he got away with getting off with a 68 percent discount on his bond payment and he's already coming up with creative ways  to pay it by the deadline a week from today.

You can spin it all you want to explain how Trump is still on the hook for nearly half a billion smackers, but the fact is, he got away with it, so don't go trying to put lipstick on a pig and calling it Belinda!

Ahh, well, at least Trump is still going to trial for the election-interference hush money case.

Trump Was The Week That Was

If Joe Biden wins the presidential election in November, history will record that is his comeback began this past week, when Donald Trump seemed to stumble from one disaster to the next.

At a campaign rally about a week ago in Conway, South Carolina, Trump said that he "saved" the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) by getting more countries to pay their fair share on defense, telling an obviously false story of how the leader of a "big country,"  at a NATO conference during Trump's occupation of the White House, asked Trump if the United States will still come to the aid of a NATO country that was invaded by an enemy nation if said NATO member hadn't spent 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense - which Trump conflated with paying dues.  Not only would Trump refuse t help, he said, he'd encourage the enemy nation to "do whatever the hell they want" with the invaded country, giving Vladimir Putin license to go after the Baltic States (or, as Michael Moore once called them, "Nazi collaborators"). 

On Thursday and Friday, Trump advisor Michael Roman's effort to aid Trump (and, coincidentally, himself) by trying to get Fani Willis off the Georgia election interference and racketeering case (in which both he and Trump were indicted) backfired when Willis herself took the stand at the hearing for her own conduct review.  Willis had been accused of dating her assistant prosecutor, Nathan Wade, since before the 2020 election and favoring him by giving him a plum assignment on the investigation in the election case.  None of those who testified against Willis were able to pin a relationship in progress at the time the investigation began, indicating that they had begun a relationship after the investigation started, and Willis' preference for paying for goods and services in cash had been a lifelong practice due to subtle racism against blacks who try to purchase anything on credit.  Her father, also known for carrying cash, backed her up.  Roman's case suddenly looked less likely to torpedo Willis and the prosecution of her case against Trump than it did before the hearing started.   

With the start date of the January 6 election interference trial in Washington still uncertain, the election interference case involving the payment of hush money to a porn star Trump had an affair with was set for March 25 - on time, and no schedule.  Trump accounted for the hush money by, allegedly, falsifying his company's records, which is a criminal offense.  Trump's attorneys sought to delay the trial to allow their client more time for . . . the presidential campaign.  

Finally, Trump was fined over $453 million (including interest) for committing fraud by inflating the values of his properties and then enriching himself by applying for loans based on the inflated values of said properties, adding to the $83 million he already has to pay to Elizabeth Jean Carroll for defaming her.  Trump can't do business in New York for three years, which is likely to influence voters wondering whether or not to let him run the country for four years. 

Also, Donald Trump, Jr. and his brother Eric cannot run any business in New York for two years.  Judge Arthur Engoron didn't have much nice to say about their sister Ivanka, either: "She consistently denied recalling the contents of documentary evidence that confirmed that she actively participated in events, even after she was confronted with the evidence," he declared. "The Court found her inconsistent recall, depending on whether she was questioned by [New York State Attorney General Letitia James's office]  or the defense, suspect. In any event, what Ms. Trump cannot recall is memorialized in contemporaneous emails and documents; in the absence of her memory, the documents speak for themselves."

But Ivanka obviously doesn't care abut that, as the truth can be whatever other people think it is.

Truth isn't truth.

"So, Steve," you're saying, "which of these developments convinced you the most that Biden will win the presidential election in November?"

No, no . . . remember, I said, "If!" 

And anyone who can sell out gold-plated shoes for $400 like Trump did this past weekend knows how to win elections.

Oh, dem golden sneakers! 😮