His enablers have learned that something major is about to be revealed, and they recommend that he have a ‘graceful exit’ planned (‘my doctors tell me my only chance is complete bed rest, therefore I am resigning’).
He’s not ailing and not in need of a quick exit excuse—but he’s extremely worried about the way the evidence is piling up in the House inquiry, and about the public opinion polls reflecting declining favorability numbers. So what he needs is a Big Beautiful Distraction. And what could be better than something that will win him major sympathy:
I think you should make an exception here. This is the video of what actually happened. Nothing can be more objective in this case:
Why is this relevant? The first clip in the video is from her prepared opening statement. Thus it is less likely to be an innocent mistake. To me it suggests that wherever she thinks she can get away with it, she will bend the truth, or perhaps lie, to paint Trump in a bad light.
Others have pointed out that “people are not computers” to address the other gateway pundit claim that she lied about an email. I agree!!!
And so would Martha Stewart, Roger Stone, and Michael Flynn. Going into details on these would be tangential, except: I predict future witnesses are going to say something like: “the transcript of the call is deceptive, here’s what I heard them say”. Flynn’s case is relevant here. His lawyer claims to have evidence that the transcripts of his interview were edited to get him in trouble:
Flynn is “not a computer”, and so could be excused for being wrong about one of his past conversations. But the above claim says that he never even said the problem statement: his lawyer says she has evidence that it was transcript manipulation. So we have a precedent of those out to get Trump and his associates manipulating transcripts to get them in trouble. I think this is a good answer to “why did Trump put the transcript of the call flagged by the whistleblower in an extra secure database?”, and I think may be used as a defense when witnesses present alternate versions of what was said in the call in future hearings.
Well, no doubt he’s been studiously ignoring that information for years. Possibly someone at Walter Reed might be so reckless as to try to force him to hear it, but fear not: Donald J. Trump is able to screen out all information that contradicts his own wishes.
I wish people would stop suggesting that Trump will resign. There is zero chance of that. Even of McConnell tells him they are 100% voting to remove him he will sit there until that day and take down as many of them with him as he can. He is not giving up the one and only thing keeping him out of jail.
She served at the pleasure of the President and she can be removed and replaced at any time. OK. So why didn’t Trump announce he was going in another direction and was replacing her with Sondland? No, he has to disparage her, say she was “bad” and “bad news”. This career diplomat who by all accounts did her job and did it well, is fired without notice and without any reason given and then her reputation is besmirched by Trump. Imagine if you heard the CEO and other top officers at your company telling others you were bad and bad news and you were fired without notice or reason, when by all accounts everyone thought you were doing your job well. Trump just can’t keep his mouth shut and now it’s biting him on the ass.
If there were some way to spin his resignation as “winning,” then he might do it. He definitely won’t resign because of health, because anyone who is less than 100% perfectly healthy is a LOSER. But if he could be convinced that resigning makes him a WINNER because it means he did it HIS WAY (cue Sinatra song) and no one else told him what to do. Obama would NEVER have resigned because he was a LOSER and only a WINNER walks away from the table! A WINNER isn’t accountable to anyone else. He is the captain of his own ship and doesn’t take orders from LOSERS. Blahblahblah. Harping on that might get his attention.
Bah… If the asshole resigns, he will say [sub]channeling Smampti[/sub]As the greatest of all great. I give you politics and economy. The most trending ever. As I’ve done politics, I must go and economize. I may run again if you support MAGA and buy my hats. And I must spend more time with Melany and Boron."
It’s not even about winning or losing, it’s power and legal protection. Being president is the only thing between him and the NY AG, and who knows how many other legal problems. He is not quitting.
This. Is everyone forgetting that the only reason he isn’t being prosecuted for multiple crimes right now is “can’t indict a sitting president”. The first sign that Trump is leaving will be dozens of blanket pardons for his family and associates.
I agree he won’t resign, but not quite for that reason.
For one thing, he will self-pardon. While his lawyers will tell him they aren’t sure that will fly, it probably will. As for the New York State legal system, it would be unlikely to prosecute him for actions that are both state and federal crimes because:
a. A GOP Supreme Court might rule that the self-pardon covers state misdeeds, especially if they overlap federal law.
b. Politicians in red states would be threatening that if New York State jails Trump, they’ll go after President Warren/Biden/Sanders/Buttigieg the same way after they leave office.
Plus, if the heat got too warm. DJT could free to one of his luxury golf resorts in the UAE, which does not have an extradition treaty with the U.S.
Trump never wanted to be President, he just wanted to be respectable as a candidate, and he doesn’t want to be President now. I don’t think he is enjoying his life. I disagree that a medical excuse would make him a loser, in his mind. It is the perfect excuse. And he can make pronouncements about how he would have saved the US and the world if only he had not had this condition.
I hope this does not happen. I want him going down either through impeachment or a resounding defeat in the election. A long, slow, excruciating political death. If he goes out with a medical condition, he becomes a martyr for the MAGA-hat-wearing- morons.
But maybe even that is a good thing, they can stay in their delusional corner and oppsose any Republican running for Congress or President, splinter the Republican party. When he was first elected, I predicted that, in the long run, it would be the best thing to happen to Democrats, and Progressives, in years.
Trump won’t resign because, if he does, he goes to jail.
Michael Cohen has put it on the record that Trump was complicit in his campaign finance crimes. Once Trump loses Federal immunity, the FBI shows up with handcuffs.
He has to win 2020 or leave the country. I bet on the latter and I have predicted Turkey.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure you can’t be pardoned for a crime you haven’t been indicted for yet (otherwise that could be any president’s lifetime get-out-of-jail-free card).
a) From what I’ve read recently, this is unlikely
b) If they have evidence of crimes committed by these people, I would fully support that.
Also I doubt that DJT would flee the country. The US would likely freeze his assets. He’s probably hoping that the “second amendment folks” will go after anyone who tries to prosecute him.
Oh, a few countries would like to have him for a puppet, for a little while anyway. The good news is that I doubt that he knows much that could really threaten our security. I’d be surprised if he could tell you his own phone number.
I keep hearing this argument. And I hope it is true, but I’m not sure. So many people on this forum were so sure that when the Mueller report came out that there would be clear evidence of collusion, many predicted Ivanka and Kushner would be indicted. Neither happened. And then in NY state, the Stormy Daniels case would surely bring him down. Nothing happened.
So what is the latest thing that will bring him down? The emmoulents clause? Yes, Trump has benefited by having foreign diplomats stay at his hotels. And the $100 million for raised for the inauguration, I think some of that money went to other purposes. But I just don’t think that there is going to be enough evidence to convict him. You don’t bring charges unless you are sure of getting a conviction.
Maybe he cheated on his taxes. Hell, we know he did by claiming,while President, to be a resident of Florida when he was living in NY state. Maybe there is more but you don’t go to jail for that, you pay the fines.
I think Trump is very good at one thing and one thing only - doing, or getting other people, to do illegal or unethical things with no way to tie them directly to Trump. He has a lot of buffers.
Once he is gone, either by resigning, getting impeached (HA! with the current Republican party) or losing the election, I don’t see any charges being brought. It will be just like Ford after Nixon, “for the good of the country” we’ll just let it go. The FBI is not showing up with handcuffs, as much as I would love to see that.
Saudi Arabia. A Saudi prince will “host” Trump in a series of gilded rooms. For a price, you’ll be able to come and look through the bars at the pet president.
I think there will be an effort to put Trump in jail, but I also suspect that his partisans will claim that it’s political retribution, which would then pave the way for a future republican to do the same.
