# Delay in prosecution of Trump **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 15, 2021, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708 "2021-09-15T17:47:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/205 "2021-10-12T02:21:05Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > The thing about Trump is that he’s unpredictable. He really is not. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/206 "2021-10-12T02:41:04Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > He really is not. I mean… > **[Trump’s diplomacy is just like him: Unpredictable, vengeful and transactional...](https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/21/politics/donald-trump-denmark-diplomacy/index.html)** > > President Donald Trump’s sudden and barely believable spat with Denmark shows how he has turned American diplomacy into a reflection of his tempestuous, erratic personality. [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/23/us/politics/trump-end-of-presidency.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/23/us/politics/trump-end-of-presidency.html) > **[Why President Trump Values Being Unpredictable](https://time.com/4972396/why-president-trump-values-being-unpredictable/?amp=true)** > > Traditionally, the role of the president has been to calm a country at times of unease, but President Trump is breaking with precedent. At a hastily called photo-op with military leaders Thursday, Trump suggested it was "the calm before the storm"... > **[Donald Trump's doctrine of unpredictability has the world on edge | Michael H...](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/13/donald-trumps-doctrine-unpredictability-world-edge)** > > When it comes to foreign policy, he desires to make America appear as unpredictable as possible. He is succeeding > **[Iran's allies on high alert in Trump's final weeks in office](https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-iran-middle-east-baghdad-7532d20c40b9d1240c77f26f621d2902)** > > BAGHDAD (AP) — Iran has instructed allies across the Middle East to be on high alert and avoid provoking tensions with the U.S. that could give an outgoing Trump administration cause to launch attacks in the U.S. president's final weeks in office,... I guess they’re all wrong though. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/207 "2021-10-12T06:42:35Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > …Trump would help someone if there was an angle in it for him. Other than that, it ain’t happening. But going back to what I posted in post 190, if he helped the other person that would mean Trump would voluntarily go to his death. Surely there wouldn’t be any angle in that for him. He is so self-centered he would never be able to comprehend why someone would do such a thing. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/208 "2021-10-12T12:29:03Z")
Recall his remarks on viewing the graves at Arlington: “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?” He’s incapable of thinking of anyone but himself and the idea that anyone else could do things, even go to their deaths, for the sake of others is incomprehensible to him. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/209 "2021-10-12T12:53:29Z")
I find the headline of the Guardian article objectionable. Referring to Trump’s erratic behavior as ‘doctrine’ implies more forethought and intent than he’s capable of. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/210 "2021-10-12T13:22:15Z")
I try to read that part as sarcasm. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/211 "2021-10-12T13:56:30Z")
Eh, “unpredictable” does not mean “totally random”. To those writers, “unpredictable” means something along the lines of “outside of the bounds of conventional”. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/212 "2021-10-12T14:40:30Z")
He’s unpredictable in that you don’t know if he’s going to shit on the dining table or in the middle of the living room. But he’s entirely predictable that he’s going to shit somewhere that didn’t really need it. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/213 "2021-10-12T14:50:35Z")
Exactly. Whatever he does it will be awful, but you can’t predict how he will be awful. I don’t think anyone could predict that January 6 would go down the way it did. Nobody could have. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that he reacted badly to losing but who would have thought he’d whip a crowd into a frenzy to stop the electoral vote count? And then after telling everyone he’d march with them, instead he slinked away to weakly ask people to “go home in peace”. He’s erratic and that’s why anyone who says they know exactly what he’ll do is full of it. On any given day you don’t know if you’ll get the bombastic, “I don’t care what anyone thinks but I love my own voice” Donny, or the Donny who hides under the table with a Diet Coke to sulk. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/214 "2021-10-12T16:10:41Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > It shouldn’t surprise anyone that he reacted badly to losing but who would have thought he’d whip a crowd into a frenzy to stop the electoral vote count? Well, to be fair, we literally had an entire thread on the coup/insurrection where many speculated on just that: > [@The American Coup: 11.9.2020 -](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1849): > > This is fucking outrageous, way beyond what I even thought possible. Surely there is a crime of some sort being committed by Trump on that call, right? Absolutely chilling. I swear these fuckers are up to something more than meets the eye. I’m not sure what they are going to try to pull on 1/6 but I expect it to be way beyond what any of us expect. It won’t surprise me if people end up being arrested for not doing what Trump wants done, provided he can convince someone to carry out the orde… > [@The American Coup: 11.9.2020 -](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1867): > > The Proud Boys claim they’re going to Washington on Wednesday disguised like Antifa, so their violence can be blamed on them. > [@The American Coup: 11.9.2020 -](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1949): > > This may actually be where I saw this claim - [Proud Boys plan to protest incognito dressed as Antifa](https://www.businessinsider.com/proud-boys-attend-january-6-dc-rally-incognito-all-black-2021-1) The Proud Boys’ chairman, Enrique Tarrio, [revealed on Parler](https://parler.com/profile/NobleLead/posts) that "the Proud Boys will turn out in record numbers on Jan 6th but, this time, with a twist. "The twist, Tarrio said, is that they will forgo their traditional uniform for something inconspicuous. He wrote: “We will not be wearing our traditional Black and Yellow.” The group’s standard uniform is black and yellow Fred Perry polo shi… ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/215 "2021-10-12T16:42:30Z")
I am sorely put out that Chump has not been charged with something yet. Anything. And his rumblings, which are growing ominously like a volcano about to burst forth, are worrying me. If he ends up getting elected again, then I say to hell with America. You truly do deserve him. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/216 "2021-10-12T16:48:04Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Well, to be fair, we literally had an entire thread on the coup/insurrection where many speculated on just that: Not quite though. As you pointed out, the _Proud Boys_ announced that they would be up to no good. But nobody said Trump is going to stand in front of a group of people and tell them that they need to go to the capitol together and fight because the election was stolen and everyone there are cowards (including many Republicans). That’s unprecedented. That the crazy crap he pulls that nobody sees coming because no sane person would do that. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/217 "2021-10-12T17:06:13Z")
Well, yes, the _details_ of the Insurrection were only known to those planning it beforehand, that goes without saying. But when it came, it didn’t arrive unexpectedly, not by any measure. At least, not here at the SDMB: @Fiveyearlurker on January 3rd: > [@The American Coup: 11.9.2020 -](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1828): > > The president is currently really pushing this January 6th rally in DC this morning. He clearly wants violence. I left the Republican party awhile back, but I never imagined they would get this bad. @Ann_Hedonia on December 20th: > [@The American Coup: 11.9.2020 -](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1389): > > I wasn’t disputing ( or agreeing with, for that matter ) your numbers - I was just flagging the math. But I think to get to 600 groups you have to include some small groups, groups that would only be able to muster a handful of …patriots?..traitors?.. From what I can tell most of these guys aren’t much into fighting, they like to brandish, but if you as much as threaten to slap them, they’ll turn tail and run away, crying about antifa meanies. Trump has asked all his supporters to amass in … > [@The American Coup: 11.9.2020 -](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1392): > > Here’s a cite for that: If that’s paywalled, the story is on Yahoo too: Trump’s tweet: [[image] ](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/12/19/23/37053042-9071403-image-a-3_1608420844874.jpg) From @Senegoid’s post, above: [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51581371946_7281366086_z.jpg "37053042-9071403-image-a-3\_1608420844874") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/68782016@N08/51581371946/) I, myself, took off work to see what would happen, because _something_ was clearly happening that day. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/218 "2021-10-12T17:12:54Z")
> [@The American Coup: 11.9.2020 -](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1759): > > That’s kind of been my take all along, and watching Republicans try to spin this shit as normal is just freaking hysterical. I haven’t seen it, but Trump is apparently running national advertising spots alleging massive voter fraud and urging his supporters to help overturn the election, or something…I haven’t seen them yet but my family members have and they said they’re pretty horrifying My predictions may have been wrong in some ways, because I think I may have underestimated the spineless… It’s the next to last paragraph I want to flag, unfortunately I can’t quote it to copy it. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/219 "2021-10-12T19:09:19Z")
This one? > I think the real craziness will start on January 6th. But my miscalculation was that a few months ago I thought the Republicans might draw a line somewhere. But it’s going to escalate of “Trump didn’t mean for anyone to get killed when he tweeted that”. “He was just joking when he called for those executions and he can’t help it if crazy people took him seriously”. Why do you pick on Trump and criticize everything he does? ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/220 "2021-10-12T19:33:12Z")
Yes, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/221 "2021-10-13T20:09:33Z")
Not as though this will lead to a prosecution of Trump specifically, but truth is truth and informing the public is better that keeping them in the dark. “Just when you thought you had heard everything about Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election, there may be more. A case working its way through the federal appellate court in Washington centers on portions of the report which were “redacted,” or blacked out from public view. Chicago attorney Matthew Topic argued to the court Wednesday that the public has a right to much of that information in order to understand why some individuals were examined by Mueller’s investigators but never charged. At issue is whether Mueller’s team may have given favorable treatment to some individuals close to the president, including Donald Trump Jr. And the judges hearing the arguments seemed to indicate they also believe some of that information should be made public.” [https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-attorney-seeks-secret-mueller-report-materials/2635867/](https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-attorney-seeks-secret-mueller-report-materials/2635867/) ---
**Author:** ![Turki-lurki](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turki-lurki/32/7168_2.png) [@Turki-lurki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turki-lurki)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2021, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/222 "2021-10-20T16:21:39Z")
All through the previous administration there were assertions that Trumpists were acting illegally . Well, they are out of office. We now (presumably) have a competent, ethical Department of Justice. Why no high level indictments? The Mueller Report clearly suggested these were in order. Violations of the Hatch act and assertions of officials profiteering on their offices were legion. Why no charges? Can we take a lesson from Brazil and charge Trump with crimes against humanity for his performance on Covid? Damn it! When do we get retribution?!?? \rant mode off Should we ever expect to see better performance by the Administration and DOJ? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2021, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/223 "2021-10-20T16:42:47Z")
> [@Turki-lurki](#): > > Should we ever expect to see better performance by the Administration and DOJ? Here is my WAG: Prosecuting Trump for his actions while in office doesn’t seem to be high on the priority list for the Biden administration, or the current DOJ leadership, for two reasons: - Biden is trying to focus on his policy priorities (COVID recovery, infrastructure, etc.), and a strong, public push for punishing Trump will suck the oxygen out of the room, and could consume much of the administration’s attention. - Trump loves playing the martyr card, and few things seem to rile up both him, and his adherents, as much as “we are being treated so unfairly!” A full-court push for “retribution” would play into his hand, politically speaking. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2021, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708/224 "2021-10-20T16:46:09Z")
All this stuff takes time. Let’s give them at least another few months before we start worrying they’re not taking lawbreaking seriously. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delay-in-prosecution-of-trump/950708.md?page=12)