What you write is absolutely true as a general rule, but I’m not sure if it’s true of Trump. Because his connection with truth and reality in general are so tenuous that it’s perfectly conceivable that he could believe he’s never committed a single crime in his life.
[As discussed repeatedly in this and other threads, I don’t think he colluded with the Russians to hack the election. But I do think he has undoubtedly “committed many crimes” over the course of his career, and the above applies to those.]
Remember his comments on the Trump Tower meeting with the Russkis: “Any politician would sit down with someone who says they have dirt on his opponent.”
I find it telling that it is now being reported than one of Manafort’s conditions for flipping was federal protection for his family. Shows the kind of people trump has been dealing with, as if we needed further evidence.
Sometime around 3 or 4 in the morning, given his insomnia, I except there to be about a dozen or so rage tweets sent while his aging prostate sends him to the bathroom.
I’ve heard several accounts that say it’s unusual for an attorney to mention the safety of the client’s family as having been part of the decision-making process:
So, yes. I would guess that Manafort may fear for his own safety in prison, but fears for the lives of his family were what propelled him to make a deal with the feds. Presumably some sort of protection package was offered.
Most people want to think of themselves as being protective of their families; Manafort may have reached the conclusion that his self-respect required making a deal.
I am also assuming that the deal does not leave the Manafort family destitute. Certainly in reduced circumstances (and maybe at a level that the majority of American’s would envy) and some kind of dwelling for when Manafort finally gets out of jail.
Just guessing but yes. Without a deal, Manafort knows he will die in prison, his family destitute and targets. You want him to roll over on the President of the United States? Cut a deal that is going to be painful but gives him some upside. 10 years? He’ll be 77.
Manafort is not noble or stand up, he’s a greedy fucking bastard that got away with it his whole life. So, what should he do? What he’s always done, and that is look out for number one and make a deal in his best interest. Hmmm, that reminds me of someone else in his circle, maybe someone he used to work for…
What if he never gets out? What if he got enough bennies that he is willing to be the fall guy, take the rap to grant immunity to younger criminals. Family, friends… not Trump.
What’s nuts is how fucking brazen one has to be in order to get caught. I mean, if this guy hadn’t been the campaign manager of a fellow criminal who pulled off an unlikely electoral win who was too stupid to avoid a special counsel investigation, he would still be doing this shit. Which means there are a lot of people out there doing this shit with absolute impunity.
I think he’s just too arrogant, and far far too used to getting away with everything. Lying, bullying, threatening have always worked for him. But before, he was able to sort of hide it. And now there are some people that will NOT back down or be cowed.