657 Comments
Jan 27Liked by Robert Reich

7 working class while men, 2 white woman and 1 black man came to this decision. Second jury to find him guilty. If he’s only kept his filthy yap closed he would only be out $5 million. But he had to keep yapping and throwing tantrums in view of the jury. Essentially trump screwed himself. E Jean acted with bravery, honesty and dignity. Well done E Jean.

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Jeanne, you noted the composition of the jury, but what does Trump say (and his supporters believe): "They" are persecuting me, "they" are weaponizing the justice system.

It's always some sinister "they" responsible for Trump's troubles, never the man himself.

Whatever happened to the Law & Order party? Whatever happened to personal responsibility?

This wannabe dictator is willing to destroy faith in America's justice system trying to help himself. It's a disgrace.

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Destroying faith in the judiciary is a prime goal of the would be dictator. Well known to scholars of autocracy.

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really? democrats want to expand and pack the court because they cant stand the justices who are there.

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The Supreme Court was packed with ideologues while Trump was president, with the connivance of Senator McConnell. It makes sense to many respected legal authorities to restore some measure of balance and at the same time provide for better liason with the 13 appellate courts -- by expanding the court. We could hope also for more meaningful standards of ethical behavior.

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First we have to have 60 senators to pass the bill. Otherwise it’ll die in committee

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Caryn, We need only to hold our 49 Senate seats (excluding Manchin and Sinema) flip one Republican-held seat, and hold the White House so the VP can cast the tie-breaking vote for filibuster reform.

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Since Trump appointees are anti Constitutional Biden should Executive Order new judges. The other party keeping power to destroy our democracy and Constitution are enemies. It is our duty to protect and defend our justice system and laws.

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No there are real logistical issues regarding fair justice given the fact that we need to have as speedy a judicial service for the citizens. Considering that the population of citizens ( + Corporation “ persons) has grown to over 300 million since the last expansion of the Supreme Court, it is time to yet again add seats to body as well as a codified Supreme Court Ethical Standards for the Justices with legal consequences for behavior that is self serving & illegal for the general public.

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Neil Gorsuch represents a seat that was stolen: Obama should have had his nominee selected since he still had slightly over a year to go before the end of his turn. Brett Kavanaugh was a drunk who pushed himself on women but the investigation on him was truncated so we would not discover the extent of his misbehavior. as to his 3rd appointment, Coney Barrett, Trump had announced that he would only nominate someone who would repeal Roe.

Another member is Clarence Thomas, whose wife was up to her eyeballs in the insurrection, who has received lavish undeclared 'gifts' and has refused to recuse himself even in cases where there was an obvious conflict of interest.

So yes, we can't stand them, but we have damned good reasons.

No matter how Trumpian you are, you have to admit that we have never had so many scandals around a Supreme Court as we have over this one!

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Jan 28·edited Jan 28

Cecile, do you honestly think Democracy would be better off if Garland has been seated.

Let's take a hard look at Garland.

Obama wanted a win. He wanted so badly to say that he seated a SCOTUS justice, that he turned to the arch Right wing Senator at the time, Orrin Hatch R UT and asked for who he thought could pass muster with the Republicans and Hatch offered up Garland.

Who is Garland, well wikipedia and his web page offers little info, except he worked for the Federalist soiety as a moderator.

Get that he worked for the Federalist society as a moderator.;

Let's examine his track record.

J6 convictions all are foot soldiers, no leaders, especially not those in Congress., and most of the foot solders were tried for misdemeanors and given slaps on the wrist.

Were any of the coup conspirators in congress even investigated? No.l

How long did it take for Garland to even appoint Jack Smith? Almost two years. Hmmm.

What happened to make him appoint a special counsel? Peer pressure from jurists, and lawyers and the public. He had to do something or else his true colors showed, and what is Jack Smith doing? He is dithering and letting the clock run out, both for the statute of limitations and the election.

Has Garland appointed a special counsel to oversee the corruption of Trump and his children, especially Ivanka and Jr? No, but he wasted no time appointing David Weiss, a Trump appointee and an eager volunteer to prosecute Hunter Biden.

Let's move to the documents case. Where did the crime actually occur?

It occurred in DC when Waltine Nauta, moved the boxes from the White House to Trump's airplane.

So why did Garland move the case to Florida? He said that was were the crime occurred. He lied, he obfuscated.

And to which district in Florida did he move the case? To Aileen Cannon's district, a former magistrate judge, that Trump appointed his his last days in office.

She is not the only judge in the district, so why did Garland appoint her>

His excuse he didn't her name came up on the wheel, (named for the wheel of fortune, but not a supposed algorithm.

Aileen has stalled and delayed the trial until after the election in less than 10 months. In effect Garland is an accomplice, covering for Trump, to let him get away with Treason. There is no doubt that Trump committed treason by sharing data and doing the bidding of Putin and the Saudi's.

Consider all of that and consider Garland sitting as an associate Justice of SCOTUS. and that is off the top of my head.

I can't blame Garland alone, no more than one could blame the scorpion for stinging the frog, I do blame Obama and Biden though for nominating him for SCOTUS and appointing him as AG.

Both men are weak, compromising, facilitators when democracy needed a president with back bone.

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More important, to Garland's background, I think, is that the history of the Federalist Society keeps getting white-washed. Look up Paul Weyrich on Wikipedia. Look up the CNP, including Bill Moyers: Shadow Network.

I suspect the whole thing we're going through is a long term plan of the descendants of the Nazis, who started recruiting the southerners (rich and poor, 2 groups), and CRUCIALLY: all psyop-ed by 60 years of Kremlin spies, specifically to break the USA from the inside. Just look at how Pro-putin the disinformation is...

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I agree. Garland should be retired since he dragged his feet for two years over Trump resulting in this nasty fight to get him in jail before the election in 2024. That would be four years for treason and fraud lawsuits. Insurrection to steal an election for himself.

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Yay!! i am all for packing the court to overrule the Fascist creeps that are the judges now. Maybe we could get ethical behavior back to the Extreme Court. Get back under your bridge.

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I support it as it could help deal with the climate crisis. Not to mention all the other issues where the court is the great defender of the wealthy and pisses on our freedoms.

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Robert, that's an absurdly wide-sweeping generality: "democrats want to expand and pack the court" - which democrats? Biden? the DNC? Me? you talk as if the 10s of millions of democrats all think as one and act as one, and you, Robert Brusca, know what they're all thinking.

Maybe some do, maybe someone said that somewhere, but you can't take 1 or 2 examples and stereotype half the country. That's like saying all MAGAs are stupid. Some are, some aren't.

If you're going to make statements of a political party, try to recognize that there are multiple opinions and desires inside any party. Your generalizations are useless, and make you sound like a simpleton.

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All Mega are self serving grifters.

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That has nothing to do with the comment you’re replying to

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There is a certain absolutist and ignorant tone (and usually a lack of spelling/grammar) from people who are just spouting what they read/watched on some 3rd rate site, the kind operated by russians/far-right and pretending to be a real news site. (Like youtu.be, instead of youtube.com)

Or they ARE the actual Trolls on those sites, getting more practice, here.

This post has those traits. I urge people to become educated and inoculated against language like this.

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deletedJan 28
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McConnell should be held accountable for this actions with the Scalia vacancy! Then, to push though Barrett in just days before an election is even worse! Yet, he got away with it. "Legal" I guess!!

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They are enemies of democracy. Hostile as the day is long. Is this what they were taught or is it more of a personal problem ? I'm going with personal latent dislike of democratic governance but their education permeated by coporate bias and boosterism was no help either.

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and Clarence Thomas is the poster boy for corruption at the highest level.

SCOTUS was supposed to be one of the checks & balances on executive power; instead, it's reward for party loyalists.

ps, also note Trump's luck: 3 SCOTUS picks in 1 term. probably unprecedented.

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Like RW Netanyahu of Israeli Zionism. He wants to destroy the justice system to keep him out of jail.

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A rich white man being victimized..... Really? He only needs to look in the mirror to see who "they" are. He is a victim of his own laziness and carelessness. He has money and status and he has not used them well.

His SAT scores show that he did not work hard in high school and there are witnessess to his poor work ethic in college. Even as an adult, he spends hours looking at women instread of learning real world information about economics or social relationships. His only answer is to use others for his own gain. Anyone with sense would stand away from him and save their money, soul and privacy.

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agreed, "Anyone with sense would stand away from him and save their money, soul and privacy."

And yet millions (tens of millions) of Americans inexplicably believe his lies, and send him money to help him fight the "Deep State" that's out to get him.

We know what Trump is, but who are these delusional people who let themselves be conned? It almost seems they WANT to be conned.

We're living in an Age of Delusion, and it'll take a huge Blue Tsunami in Nov. to flush Trumpism down the toilet. Let's hope the Biden naysayers get on board for Job Number One: Dump Trump

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I wonder if even dumping him will do it, though we should definitely do so! He is determined to interject himself into our national conversation to get what he wants. I hate to think what he will do if he wins...and if he loses. We should never have given him the keys to the kingdom back in 2016. There seems to be no way to put him back in the box at this point. And what he has unleashed on this country is so, so ugly!

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We didn’t give him the keys. He lost the popular vote. The obsolete and unrepresentative Electoral College handed him the keys after a 30-year Republican smear campaign against Hillary, Putin’s election interference, and Comey revealing that he was reopening an investigation into Hillary’s campaign while failing to disclose that there was an ongoing investigation of Trump gave Trump just enough votes to win the Electoral College. The majority of voters chose Hillary.

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Those uglies supporting Trump have always been around under different circumstances. Trump just empowered them and enabled violence as a tool.

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We're all a bit unique, crazy, you might say. I believe about 30% of the population has always been diagnosable. The Orange Jesus has focused their attention...

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Susan, your description of those ''uglies'' supporting TUMP is an excellent description of those delusional and ignorant supporters of his. I am literally surrounded by uglies in my neighborhood.

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I am afraid if he loses this next election that he will run again. And he will be a slobbering mindless idiot that his base will still get behind

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That’s actually the least of my worries. What happens when he loses this time? Will there be another coup attempt? Or if by some ultimate dirty trick he manages to win? That’s the stuff of nightmares. I think his narcissism and criminal acts have siphoned off enough support that he doesn’t stand a chance. My bellwether is that my very Republican siblings (how did I wind up in this family?), who probably all voted for Trump the first time are not planning to vote for him again. I have respectfully not rubbed their faces in it.

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He would be no where without the unending visibility provided by the media. Trump has brought the antics of fake wrestling to the ring of politics and too many profit from his shit show. And the public left and right are too willing to be held hostage and spellbound.

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The woman molester represents government sanctioned bigotry for the Archie Bunkers and tax breaks for the rich . The bigots are largely losers looking for the reason they are miserable . It is the immigrants ,the Jews ,the Blacks ,the Gays etc. The wealthy don't care about the social issues. If their child is Gay so what ? If they need an abortion so what ? They just want more tax breaks ,less unions , no regulation and don't care if they destroy what is left of this democracy . Look at history Fascism comes from within ,and is supported by the wealthy .

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He works on people where they feel bad,like some issue or area of their life .

It's a mind cult,he manipulates their moods from sympathy for him,to anger about how they've been left out , to a 'we' togetherness type vibe.He gives them a false hope that he'll take care of their troubles,if they only knew how full of crap he is,they'd be horrified.Like George Conway says'he walks them so far over the horizen,they can't find their way back.I've heard that even some men mentioned they were 'addicted' to him.G.C. also says,it's tough to admit they made a mistake.Imagine how many shallow folks we have in our country for them to be stuck on a criminal maniac.

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Yup, AGAIN, IF the 'protest voters', and protest non-voters somehow think that Biden is evil/wrong on his stance on Israel, do they really think that Gaza has ANY chance AT ALL of surviving, PERIOD, FULL STOP, if their actions insure that the evil SHITler & his NAZI regime is installed back into power for life?!?

SCUMp would send OUR troops in there to 'sand lot' the place!

The same goes 100 fold for reproductive rights.

They have NO RIGHT to be pissed off about Dobbs when THEY themselves pulled the Jilly/3rd party, 'anti-corporatist' lever in 2016, putting the putrid orange sack of crap into power, KNOWING that he was going to appoint his 'guaranteed' Roe v Wade KILLERS on the (not so) Supreme Court.

Hindsight bemoaning does NO GOOD AT ALL!

THINK people!!!

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With all due respect, when someone writes, “THINK people!!” or “WAKE UP, PEOPLE!” in a post, do you know what I do? Move on to the next post. You do know that you’re preaching to the well-educated and involved choir here, don’t you?

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In was NOT 'preaching' to the (mostly?) 'devout' on here, but saying that to everyone else out there.

YES, of course they will not hear it since they would never ever be on this substack.

But, there are some (many?) on here who still do express their full, vociferous and vehement support for said third/fourth partiers due to abject disdain for Biden, and do not seem to care one iota if that results in the SHITler getting back into power FOR LIFE THIS TIME (yes, THINK about THAT!! ;) ) to hurt/destroy ALL of US!

I will admit that I personally am NOT in love with Joe, nor his campaign, but will help them out every and any way I can in order to prevent a fascist, genocidal NAZI-esque dictatorship in this land.

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When you look at a bunch of MAGA men do you ever wonder how many of them have assaulted women? He is their hero.

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it's also revolting how this lying cheating misogynist creep is the Hero of so many "Christians" and religious leaders.

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But religiosity brings with it a cult mentality. Easier to con.

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Con men and grifters are silver tongued. They know exactly what to say to lure people into their trap. His use of 'they' to tell his followers who is persecuting him is a tell tale sign. When asked who 'they' is, his response is to let him worry about that or you don't need to worry about who it is just know 'they' are persecuting you through me.

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someone once asked Hitler to specify who "they" were: he said no, leave it open, let people project anyone they hated onto it. "They" are the bad guys, "we" are the good guys.

It's been noted several times that the only book anyone ever saw Trump reading was "Hitler's Speeches". America's Hitler knows what he's doing when he says "they" want to take away your guns and your freedom, "they" did this or that, "they" are your enemy. Trump knows what he's doing when he uses "they" 20 or 30 times in every speech.

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Well said!!

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You do have to take into account that everyone in the right wing world is lying to them, and the media is on by the right wing and the Democrats don’t seem to speak up clearly and succinctly. Still they should be able to see through the lies but the context of any oddity has been supplied to them. They really seem to believe like Nikki Haley’s political as that they are both “ consumed by, negativity and grievances from the past”. She wouldn’t have said it unless there’s a good chance they already believed it. A few times I’ve seen or heard the words from the radical right I was amazed at how overwhelming and interconnected it all was.

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It just may be the “Deep State” helping Trump.

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what's helping Trump is the "myth" of the Deep State, just like the myth of a communist conspiracy helped Sen Joe McCarthy.

fascism is all about stirring people up and giving them something to fear and someone to hate. The scariest part for me isn't Trump, but all those millions who fall for his Big Lies and buy into his fear-mongering.

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I’m betting 90% of his supporters don’t even know who Joe McCarthy was.

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That's been fox noise and repugs message for at least 40 years. "Tune in and we'll tell you who to hate and what to fear" gross and pitiful they are.

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He really probably killed her 2 small children as part of a cult ritual. Do you really believe Bergdorf Goodman and his sexual advances in the dressing room is the 5 million and 83 million dollar award for her suffering???

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deletedJan 28
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yes, that's it, "he gave them permission." He actually encourages it.

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Thanks, Caroline. That is a description we do not hear often enough: the man is LAZY.

He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has done nothing on his own or without "OPM". (Other People's Money)

He would not even read his daily briefings and he was gone every weekend golfing. all of the things he failed to accomplish, he owes to his arrogance and laziness.

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And he slammed Obama for years for taking a few golfing vacations during the Obama presidency. Hypocrite much?

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SCUMp quote about Obama; "GOLF GOLF GOLF GOLF GOLF and more GOLF!"

Like his MAGAt brown shirt 'army', and sycophantic, acquiescently prostrating themselves before their lord and king RepugnaF**K pols, they are PROUD of their hypocrisy (and projection, of course!)!!

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I think Dumpy is dyslexic, and that's had an effect on every aspect of his life. His father, who taught him that winning is everything, probably either mocked or punished him for his reading difficulties, or didn't know about them because Dumpy hid them from him, knowing the consequences of being anything less than a perfect winner. I don't think that's the only problem Dumpy has, but I'll bet it's one of them. No, I'm not sympathetic towards him because of it. He's a dirtbag.

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He was born with a silver spoon somewhere…

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Caveat: 'with any sense'.

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tfg suffers from, or rather we all suffer from, his narcissistic personality disorder. That means that to acknowledge his own responsibility for his situation would be too big a narcissistic wound for him to bear. The shame would overwhelm him. So he is compelled to blame anybody and everybody else for his situation. He has what is called an external locus of control, that is he can only blame others for what befalls him if its negative. That said, he functions like a toddler and that so many Americans still think a toddler should be president is what is most disturbing.

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A SPOILED, entitled toddler at that!

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Actually, although most of us don't have much empathy for him, his behavior reflects having been badly traumatized as a child. His father was an ogre and may have repeatedly humiliated him as a small boy. This is what you get when you mistreat children.

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the sins of the father..............

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YES,

Also;

Supposedly, (S)Hitler 1.0 was shunned and criticized by many Jewish art critics and dealers when he went to try and have his paintings shown/sold at their galleries in Austria, before he had full-on despot over the world, psychotically delusional fantasies.

So THAT was his excuse (and influence to pick us tribal members as his chosen, but well worn, popular/'go to' throughout history, scapegoat) to murder ALL of my relatives and forebears over there, and around the world, if he had his unfettered way.

Just like the scummy, putrid orange SHITler 2.0 wants HIS very own "retriBOOshun" against his perceived enemies and detractors.

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Actually, Hitler's trauma also began in childhood. Apparently, his mother was a servant in a Jewish family, and the rumor was that the man of the house impregnated her, thus making him half Jewish. He was also mistreated as a child, probably because of his mother's "crime". Most of these guys who end up being sadistic toward others, have probably been mistreated pretty severely in childhood. So, once again. It's the price we all pay for the widespread child abuse that continues to this day.

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agreed. So how did this "entitled toddler" (to use David Hinkes' phrase) make it all the way into the White House. What does that say about America? Is there some kind of American dream that he's modelling? To lie and cheat your way to success?

To me he's a walking definition of narcissistic psychopath. And he's rewarded for it!

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Actually, I think he reflects the kind of man many people have in their lives and he epitomizes toxic masculinity. People who support him often can't see his disturbed personality because either they are like him, or he is like their fathers, sons, brothers, etc. To see how disturbed he is means a person would have to acknowledge how disturbed they themselves are or how damaged the men around them are. On top of that, he has given permission to many people to openly express their basest selves, which was hidden beneath a thin veneer. Our culture also celebrates this kind of childish, boorish behavior in men. We often give these kind of man a pass.

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very insightful, J.

I have been writing a series of posts that try to explain how and why so many Americans have fallen into the Trump Trance. There isn't just one MAGA voter; there are several subsets, and I think you've raised an important point of psychological identification with Trump's "toxic masculinity." You reminded me of his series of NFTs (?) with all his Macho Man costumes and poses.

I think I'll write a post along these lines too. Wondering if you've got some good sources: books, sites, etc? I like to put some research behind my writing. thanks again for your insight.

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I was a psychotherapist in my work life- now retired. So I studied many psychological and social theories, as well as working with people who struggled with this kind of presentation and teaching clinical theory, so my analysis is the result of a compilation of all of that. There are feminists who've written about male psychological development, like Nancy Chodorow. Robert Jenson http://robertwjensen.org/ is a retired professor who writes about feminism and how men have been hurt by our sexist system. I work from a theory of psychotherapy called Control Mastery Theory offered by the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group sfprg.org a theory supported by 60 years of research that explains how kids identify with their abusive parents and why they behave in adulthood like those parents. It also helps explain why so many people continue the abusive behavior toward others, as well as not allowing themselves to see that what they experienced in childhood was abuse. It helps explain also why so many MAGAs don't or can't see the disturbed behavior for what it is.

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Since Trump announced his candidacy for the presidency in 2015, I have been trying to understand how and why America (at least a large swath of America) made the choice to elect him to the highest office in the land. I have read many, many books in an attempt to understand what has happened to the country, starting with "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man" by Mary Trump, as well as "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump," edited by Bandy X. Lee, "American Psychosis" (excellent) by David Korn, "Strongmen" by Ruth Ben-Ghiat (also excellent), "Prequel" (outstanding!) by Rachel Maddow in addition to countless other titles. Perhaps one of the most illuminating moments was an interview with Trump supporters prior to the Iowa caucus who basically stated that following Trump was akin to being a member of a religion. Quite frankly, that made my blood run cold. I can only come to the conclusion that people have many reasons for their infatuation with Trump but most are based on a steady diet of disinformation - heartbreaking!

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I think it says that for the past 50 years elected leaders in Congress have mistreated Americans.

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"The shame would overwhelm him" - correction: he can't feel shame. But being a loser cuts deep.

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He has no responsibility or accountability and never will. He's already played the blame game and victim long enough and the many years of free passes with a two- tier justice system, has made him only worse. The revenge- seeking, felonious madman with a toddler mindset will eventually fall on his phony makeup covered face and it can't happen soon enough.

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sooner better than later, because if he gets in in November, well, we can't let it happen.

Tim Snyder (in On Tyranny) said that any election can be the last.

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It is not surprising to me that throughout his life entire life Trump has never taken full responsibility for any of his actions, words or deeds. In short like a dictator he is a delusional self-servicing egomaniac who believes that he can do no wrong. He will stop at nothing to get his way which makes him an ongoing threat and danger to our democracy.

Catherine K.

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His niece Mary Trump (who grew up in Trump-world) calls it "lying and cheating as a way of life." And it got him into the White House, so I don't see him stopping now. Only a huge Blue Tsunami in November can shut down this man-baby psychopath.

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Good read. Well recommended !!

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Jan 27·edited Jan 27

"Personal responsibility" ONLY 'counts' when the defendant is a POC, or any 'other', according to the SHITler worshiping MAGAts and ChristoFASCISTS.

It is summarily suspended, never mentioned, or not even considered by the NAZI scum when it is a (supposedly) wealthy, lily white supremacist/pure Aryan, CIS, misogynistic, racist, fascist. bullying male. ;)

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Trumps base is far too small for him to win with. They will not admit their big mistake and cannot be moved, but the base will not expand as the headlines now are about his guilt, complaining, tearing down the judiciary and mocking a jury of regular people. He is bleeding money, credibility, and sanity. Show the GOP congresspeople that they will go down with him. When the enemy is bleeding, we need to act like sharks, circle around him, churn the water, and keep attacking at the wound.

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I agree DK, for the first time in a long time, Trump is becoming vulnerable (and visibly declining) so it's time to attack.

I remember Michelle Obama's line about "when they go low, we go high" - but maybe now we need to meet them on their own field - maybe not fight dirty, but it's time to pull out every tool in the chest and attack, attack, attack.

All hands on deck.

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Use a whinny voice and say , “They’re persecuting me” “they’re weaponizing the justice system” and end with mommy and you have the emotional IQ of DT.

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"They" (the law) should have put Trump in jail for treason and fraud on Jan. 7th waiting trial. The three years and still going cases are not justice for the people but coddling Trump.

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he got away with lying and cheating all his life, but Karma will eventually catch up to him. unless he kicks the bucket first, which is fine either way.

Old saying: the mills of God grind exceeding slow, but they grind exceeding small.

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tRump doesn't have any.

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And this is a perfect example of delusions of persecution.

https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/delusions-persecution

It is difficult to read the article and not recognize Trump:

If you have a rare mental illness called delusional disorder, no amount of facts and reason can shake your thinking."

(Even after 61 different judgements told him that yes, he had lost the election, he still says that he won... All his entourage told him that he lost, but he still refuses to believe it)

"The most common is delusions of persecution. It’s when you’re convinced that someone is mistreating, conspiring against, or planning to harm you".

("Stop the Steal" and the Jan 6 insurrection. He sees every loss in a court of law as unfair, every jury or election is "rigged" against him.)

"Another type is grandiose delusions, where you have an unrealistically inflated sense of yourself or your achievements."

(I alone can fix it... I know better than my Generals... I would finish the war in Ukraine in 24 hours).

"Someone with persecutory delusions might seem normal. But if their delusions are severe enough, they might become obsessed to the point that it disrupts their everyday life". Trump is so obsessed by the various trials that he spends many a night tweeting. He seems incapable of thinking about a platform to govern from, like rules or laws to pass that might be useful. He seems consumed with convincing people that he has been wronged and little else. Pushing Republicans to scuttle a deal on the border so that it might hurt Biden is a variation on that theme. Hoping that the country hits a recession [but before his reelection] is too, and is particularly malevolent. His vindictiveness is IMHO another symptom that he really believes the nonsense he spouts.

"The state of your mind can also play a part in triggering delusions of persecution. It’s more likely to happen if you are overly sensitive to criticism or tend to misinterpret other people’s comments or gestures", "have trouble sleeping". (Melania stated: If you attack him, he will punch twice as hard. Also, anyone criticizing him is instantly criticized, or fired.)

"They also tend to lack strong personal relationships and are often physically unwell".

(A lot of ink has been spilled over Trumps relationships being only "transactional", and his aides being thrown under the bus as soon as they do not serve his purpose any more.)

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Delusions of persecution: check

Narcissist: check

To me it goes beyond that: he's a textbook psychopath.

But I'll let the readers here decide for themselves:

here are 7 characteristics of a psychopath: is Trump a Psychopath?

https://neofascism.substack.com/p/is-donald-trump-a-psychopath

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In America we never used to persecute deposed political leaders even those who could run again. I get that Trump is a jerk and a narcissist. and if the Democrats had a reasonable candidate they would kick his a$$. but...they have Joe Biden. and i would pick Trump over him 8 days out of seven.

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RemovedJan 27
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Next up. NY trial that could really put the screws to him financially 😉

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I forecast he will not pay one cent of these damages. He crawled away from Atlantic City without a look back so he has form !!

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Oh, I hear you. But he is overdue for karma in some form. I chose to remain optimistic that he will get his due, either financially or legally.

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"overdue for karma"

yes, and hopefully before November

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That may be true. But he crawls away covered in toxic sludge.

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Jan 27·edited Jan 27

The only significance I see is that it's a good time to move on and consider >important critical issues.< How is Tovarich МАГАт's sanction in a personal injury lawsuit worth discussion as a TX МАГАт governor is thumbing his nose at the SCOTUS, Tovarich МАГАт recommending МАГАт-run states deploy their National Guards to TX to assist in resisting federal intervention, the Tovarich МАГАт run House is vowing to block legislation addressing the southern border and blame the Democrats for doing nothing on the issue, while their greatest ally, Tovarich Putin, has announced he has his eye on Alaska ‽ BTW: AND WHAT THE HELL OF UKRAINE ‽‽‽ OK. It was a satisfying outcome in the Carroll case. Glad he's been wholloped. What more is there to say? Move on from the schadenfreude. There are far greater issues developing at this very moment as others fester.

UPDATE - STRANGE BEDFELLOWS! :

I just saw an MSNBC clip of Nikki Haley where it almost sounds like I wrote her response on this issue for her! I'm >certain< it's not the other way around!

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Question--

Donald Hodgins <silencenotbad@gmail.com>

3:00 PM (0 minutes ago)

Should Trump's name be allowed to appear on the ballot--At first I considered it as a fitting move by whoever was in charge at the time, but I'm having second thoughts. For one thing, it would piss off his voters and that's not a good thing. It wouldn't really make a difference in the vote totals, because his followers would simply write in his name. Now here is where I see a change of heart. Trump will get his votes whether he is on the ballot or not, but counting those ballots because they will all be write-ins, is a different story. They will all have to be counted by hand. Do you know how long it would take to count 70,000,000 votes, all by hand? The very process would open huge doors all leading to voter fraud and election tampering. I really don't want him even in the race but to make things easier all the way around, don't give the MAGA goons anything to rally around. Let his name appear on the ballots.

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But even if they vote for him he can’t hold office. The 14th Amendment says so.

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Paula--SCOTUS will no doubt have something to say about that.

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Jan 27·edited Jan 27

The Supreme court cannot change the Constitution. They can make a very bad call ; as they did with the reversal of Roe. Even though there is no penalty for them on the books, they will live in infamy forever. Women are dying as a direct result of it. If they give us a dictator, there will be blood ; lots of it, on their hands. Many of US still hate their previous decisions ; giving US G. W. Bush, and Citizens United, for example.

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Laurie--I could never fear the constitution, but caution must be given to avoid bad calls.

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I shudder to think, Donald.

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Paula--It does give one something to think about.

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I say he should not be on it. It would make a mockery out of the Presidency, Constitution, and rule of law. Justice Matters as Glenn Kirschner says.

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I think it could potentially lead to a different МАГАт winning the election. Biden would need to redouble his effort in proving he's physically and mentally sound enough to remain in office - and of course, he has >nothing< to do with Tovarich МАГАт being the victim of his own criminality. The Levant question may cause him serious public perception difficulties. He's having a hard enough time to get support for his border policy from МАГАт - at the behest of Tovarich МАГАт - wanting to ensure his hands are tied, then using the lack of action against him in the election. Hell! Even Moscow Mitch seems to have flipped on him.

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Moscow Mitch can’t be trusted. Ever.

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Jan 27·edited Jan 27

One thing seems to have changed about him. In all the recent stills I've seen of him - since his "accident" - he looks alarmed. I could suspect someone has hold of a soft body part and threatening to twist - or sustain accidental injury!

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Dawn--I can't argue with you because in a way I agree with you. The handwritten ballots are problematic at best.

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Jan 27·edited Jan 27

If you recall, I asked a couple of weeks ago, when Colorado dumped him from the ballot, what happens then? The question now awaits a SCOTUS ruling.

My guess remains that the SCOTUS will behave consistently conservative and kick the question back to the states, not only because it's a 10th Amendment issue, but more importantly because the text of the Constitution specifies that each state has the authority to run its own elections - not the federal government.

Having said that, if states run their own elections, there's nothing that prevents the states from opting not to offer a write in option, or otherwise honor unapproved write in candidates in general elections. (NH was a primary election under party rules - not state rules, per se. Keep that in mind.)

Your observation that write-ins could lead to a goddam mess is an issue I doubt that states >excluding< Tovarich МАГАт would fail to notice and move to prevent. States' rules, remember.

However, you asked if I think states >should< exclude Tovarich МАГАт from the ballot, and I wonder if it would lead to electing a МАГАт that is >not< Tovarich МАГАт, given that - at this juncture - Tovarich МАГАт >may< be the only opponent Biden could possibly beat. Run someone against Biden voters would be comfortable electing and it may be the end of Biden. Removing Tovarich МАГАт could possibly be an empty exercise in schadenfreude, for which the voters could end up literally getting >exactly< what they deserve.

I'm still of two minds on the >should< question, but that's what I think at this moment about write-in votes for Tovarich МАГАт.

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DZK--I had no idea states could remove the option of a write-in candidate on a Presidential ballot.

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Jan 27·edited Jan 27

As a further thought, I've been an OH election official for some 10 years and have >never< seen a write-in option for anything but primary elections.

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DZK--I'm old but never too old to learn.

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Jan 27·edited Jan 27

States have the authority to set the rules of their own elections as established by SCOTUS precedent:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/article-1/section-4/clause-1/states-and-the-elections-clause

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I have to amend my above thought, I've been informed, and kindly, that write-in option doesn't appear on the general election ballot. So, the issue will never present itself.

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I'm quite sure it is an option, at least in my state,& I believe I've used it.

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Jaime--I didn't know for sure so for the moment, I let my learned friend have the last word.

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With the chance that he'll have late nite rage fits & defame her again. I'm sure she has people watching...

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He's screwed everyone else he's touched (sometimes literally). It's about time he gets a little - or a lot - of his own toxic elixir.

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$83mln??? what do you give someone is really injured? This woman has no respect to be damaged. She entered a changing room to try on underwear with the Donald!! ow anyone could give her any money in the face of that poor decision on her part is beyond me. Then to top it off not with a cherry on top but with a whole ice cream store ( or franchise). How does the violation get worth $5mn the aftermath worth $83mln?? Only in the mind of a Democrat. THIS MAKES NO SENSE- I don't care how much you hate Trump NO SENSE.

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Apparently you’ve never been raped! The $ amount is to send a message to rapists that think they are above the law.

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Misogyny much? And big Dunning Kruger effect

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maybe if He Touches It Dies . . keeps playing with his Alright Down There . . he'll self Conk . .before his next Right To Grab His Type conquest . .. #the space takes . ..

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Jan 27Liked by Robert Reich, Heather Lofthouse

Why is it that the only person to hold Trump accountable and force him to pay the consequences for his behavior is an eighty-year old woman?

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Tish James forced Trump to close the Trump Foundation and Trump University in 2 different fraud suits, and we're waiting for the NY judge to determine damages in the Trump Org fraud lawsuit.

The question remains whether the criminal justice system is irretrievably broken.

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Enter Bragg,

It looks like the March 25 criminal case will be the vehicle to break him. 34 felony counts. No immunity issue. Can't force him to testify, but he'll have to sit through it. He's lied many times on video in other venues that probably are admissions that will be admissible.

"During the 2016 election, TRUMP and others employed a “catch and kill” scheme to identify, purchase, and bury negative information about him and boost his electoral prospects. TRUMP then went to great lengths to hide this conduct, causing dozens of false entries in business records to conceal criminal activity, including attempts to violate state and federal election laws."

https://manhattanda.org/district-attorney-bragg-announces-34-count-felony-indictment-of-former-president-donald-j-trump/

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It's a problematic case. The evidence is indisputable, but the legal theory to support felony charges is novel.

The Jack Smith case is crucial. It's inconceivable (and highly corrosive) that there isn't a decision from the Circuit Court on the immunity issue.

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Keyword there being “irretrievably“. Because it is broken.

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The best part of the so called appeal is that Trump has to put up money,which he does not have. This what happens when you hire a lawyer from one of the worst law schools in the country. I am not a Biden fan,progressive policies poll so well and we are stuck with a Republican. His biggest mistake was the hiring of the weakling Merrick Garland, these trials should have been finished years ago as they would of been with a pit bull prosecutor.

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Even Watergate took a long time and that crook Nixon didn’t have Billions of dollars to defend himself. He didn’t have oligarchs defending him.

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I'm confused. You're saying Biden is a Republican now?

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I think in Nilan's mind, Biden is acting like a Republican. Frankly he's a lot like Eisenhower in many ways, but Republicans (& Democrats) act a lot differently now than then. It's been a very long time, if ever, since we've chosen a true progressive for President.

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In Eisenhower’s day it was southern Democrats most strongly opposed to the Civil Rights movement. Now it’s Republicans who talk openly of oppressing minorities and locking them in concentration camps. So, yeah, things change over 65 years.

Calling Biden a Republican is nonsensical. It’s like saying a guide dog is the same as a rabid hyena. One’s constantly helping you and the other is literally trying to rip your throat out.

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What are you doing to strengthen the judicial system? Are you going to be part of the problem or the solution?

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Perhaps my view of the legal systems comes from my being involved in trying to improve it every day. Why jump to being challenging? Why jump to assuming things you have no basis to assume?

Wouldn't it just as easy to actually post something that contributes to the conversation? For example, listing what YOU'RE doing to improve things before just blindly implying I'm not (or have some duty to).

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Things like that need to be spoken of MORE OFTEN, as clearly some here probably “know” these things, but don’t have them on their viewscreen…

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With the exception of a few men who testified at the first impeachment trial, and Adam Kinzinger, it is primarily women who have had what it takes to stand up to Trump, to his bully and his idiot behavior. Anyone with the standing and temerity to stand up to this poor excuse for a Human Being has my never-ending support and gratitude.

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Perhaps it is because women have more experience with sociopathic bullies. I know my ex-husband was one, and eventually "YOU CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!"

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Women rise when trampled upon!

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You know what I'm talking about! Sisterhood is powerful!

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The rest are just waiting for their turn... ladies first.. patience

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I see your point but I think the real question is one of timing. Garland has been incredibly slow but at least he’s finally moving. E. Jean just got there first.

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Georgellen, you have likely heard the adage: the strongest force on earth is post menopausal woman. I think this holds true in the case of Carroll sticking to her story and pursuing TFG

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"The most significant aspect of the jury’s decision in the E. Jean Carroll case is:" - the jury consisted of 7 men and 2 women.

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Also he can not blame Biden but he will try to. It shows the jury did not believe him. This seems to show that many people do not like him and will stand up to him. Hopefully mean that people will show up to the polls to vote him down again.

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Sorry this isn't Trump story related. Would like to know when you will start bringing attention to the right wing think tanks, Project 2025. Their plan to change the Presidency and the way we govern in this country if they gain control of the Presidency in 2025.

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Jan 27Liked by Robert Reich

Project 2025 terrifies me.

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It appears the Freedom Foundation would take over administration and government rule while Trump continues to rant and rage as a distraction.

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I would also like to know if there is a link somewhere to the full 900 page text of the project 2025 report.

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Just Google Project 2025 and you'll find many resources.

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Will try. I think a group could split up the document and report to each other. Good project for local committee?

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Jan 28·edited Jan 28

Has Robert done an expose on Project 2025, yet?

We could all be talking about it more...

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I want to see it paid; and then, it would be nice if we were to see some appropriate, more meaningful response: jail time followed by meaningful probation: any similar responses to future transgressions are met immediately by penalties of increasing severity. It's time he meets with punishments that "the rest of us" receive.

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Jan 27·edited Jan 27

I think he’s required to put it into an escrow account during appeal. The first $5M is already in an account awaiting distribution.

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Trump is not a government official, so why is he allowed to direct government policy (on immigration)? House Republicans refuse to consider the immigration reform/Ukraine funding bill now being negotiated in the Senate in order to help Trump's campaign by giving him that issue to run on. My suggestion: Congressman Khanna or another House member file a motion to censure Mike Johnson for unlawfully using taxpayer resources to help Trump's personal political campaign.

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My thinking >exactly!<

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Why Trump is "allowed to direct government"??

Surely by now you are learning that money and threats are the power that runs the decision making in the halls of congress.

(and we're pretty sure Trump has plenty of kompromat, promises, & threats to keep them all in line [for now...])

But sure, try to censure or otherwise embarrass the GOP leaders...

That doesn't seem to work anymore.

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$83.3 million less in Trump's campaign war chest - that's a pretty penny!

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nah, he'll just grift the $$ from his followers - send me money, help me save America.

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If he actually pays anything. He likely do you think that is?

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If he wants to appeal - he has to get a bond for the 83 million so he can’t scadoodle w/o paying

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Maybe he can lean on his friend Rudy for a loan.....LOL

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or his bff putin.

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More like puppetmaster Putin

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True dat!

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🤣🤣

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Maybe the GQP will pay it for him

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Can they? Is that legal?

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Is that really a consideration in tRump-land?

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No, of course not. But we still have a sort of functioning government. It seems that they could do something about it.

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Maybe he'll try to make it up with a Wack Job mug or T shirt . . #at FREE with donation MagaMerch .

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5,333,000 at 20$ a cup (3$ shipping and handling and 2$ a cup)

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It appears to have shut him up with regard to defaming her! Way to go EJ!👏👏

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Jan 27·edited Jan 27Liked by Robert Reich

I am pleased to hear accurate and substantive discussion of Trump’s problems with attracting votes, rather than wide-eyed but misleading talk of his “strength” at the ballot box.

Trump attracts a lot of attention, but the attention people pay him is way OUT of proportion to the number of votes he gets — He hasn’t won a national election on votes AT ALL, having come in far behind Hillary in 2016, and he helped his party lose ground in every election since then …. And he outright LOST to Biden in every way possible …

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I like the fact that Haley is in position to do it, as a Republican, a Trump appointee, she has better authority with MAGAT voters than we do.

#trumpstinks

Want a second opinion?

#trumploser

Henny Youngman would have said he's ugly, too!

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I don’t see Haley opposing the Heritage Foundation agenda, and that tells me she cannot be trusted in the White House.

Unfortunately, as long as Biden is not worse than he’s been, he’s the only game in town … {Don’t get me wrong — I actually LIKE some of the things he’s done, but not everything …}

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She's a loser, too.

The point is that she has better credulity with MAGATs than we have.

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Yeahhhhh, I know ….

But everyone BUT MAGAts needs to avoid Republicans this year. Republicans in the shadows {and not so much even in the shadows — sometimes right out in the open} have been trying to normalize the idea of a “unitary president” since Dubya, at least. They knocked it off during Obama {he’s the wrong political color, and the wrong party …}. They had trump signing presidential decrees from morning to night, and in his sleep, I think. For some reason, Biden doesn’t seem interested in decreeing things. But the Heritage Society has advertised its intention to ramp up its unitary presidency concept again, expecting to do it with a Republican president next year. And it’s not the only change they wanna make …

They already skewed the SCOTUS and tons of appellate courts. They want to change the way we read and apply our constitution.

I think we have to not only keep Republicans out of office this next time around, but we have to take a hard look at how to stop this Project 2025 in it’s tracks, so it doesn’t become Project 2029 or Project 2033, or on ad infinitum….

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Not a whole bunch better. They're pressuring her hard to get out of the race, including threatening her.

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Take she Only Pretended to My Type . .. .(wut a wack job) . . Please . ..

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"When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything." Yeah right. Anything that makes trump lose in court is good. Anything that makes trump truly mad is good. Anything that makes trump shut up is good. Anything that makes trump pay through the nose is good. This court loss is just the very beginning of trump's impending accountability, at long last. These losses will continue well into 2025 and they will be catastrophic for him, for his disciples, and for the Republican party. They will need to man up. If possible.

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I'm looking forward to the criminal trials,a whole different ball game.Also waiting for a judge to say'bailiff remove him from the courtroom!'

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hopefully, but this snake-oil salesman just keeps on conning his gullible followers.

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I love your optimism. That's obviously what should happen, & finally seems to be beginning to happen.

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A finding that he acted maliciously cements the diagnosis that he is a psychopath. Suggest viewing the documentary “#unfit” now playing on Amazon prime.

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Thanks for your notification about #unfit playing on Amazon Prime, I will look for it.

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Amen

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It's also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecJ02Rg5qaE

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Thank you! That’s free, right?

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They're all significant to us but not to Trump. He seems to keep rolling along in the polls by playing the martyr. Even with another several hundred million in judgments against him in NYS, he seems to keep finding legal means to stall them. Then in Georgia which to me seems the strongest case with so many co-conspirators pleading guilty, he's stonewalling it or at least mitigating it by suggesting impropriety in the personal life of the AG. Whatever he does, seems not to make any difference to his base or the cowardly Republican Party, so long as they return to power. In any case, what is happening shows there are weaknesses in our system of government that need to be fixed to protect our democracy. To me the biggest and first problem that needs to be fixed is money in politics. Laws need to be passed to override SCOTUS decisions like Citizens United and others that give full freedom to private donations to political campaigns. Not only that, something needs to be done to overhaul the lobby system -- I'm not sure what but it certainly is related to the campaign funding system.

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Tom wrote: "Whatever he does, seems not to make any difference to his base or the cowardly Republican Party, so long as they return to power."

Right. In Madeleine Albright's book (Fascism: A Warning) she says fascism “is not an ideology; it’s a process for taking and holding power.” Fascists “don’t provide solutions; rather, they exacerbate problems and deepen divisions as a means to gain power.”

We're sure seeing that play out under Trump and his neo-fascist program.

Here's a short review of that excellent (and prophetic book):

https://neofascism.substack.com/p/fascism-a-warning-by-madeleine-albright

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I must remember that definition of fascism. That is exactly what it is & what Mango Mussolini & the republofascists are doing.

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In Iowa, he drew only 57K votes in a state of 3 million

In NH, he drew nearly 100K votes in a state of 1.3 million.

That is not enough to win an election; only enough to win a poor turnout primary.

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And a man who wasn't even on the ballot in a primary hardly anyone paid attention to did better than Trump.

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Remember, the polls were long ago corrupted. A Report came out in 2014 by an OK university, which found GOP cheating in 2008,-10 and -12, when their researchers recounted the votes and discovered vote flipping.

They gave a half-dozen clues to a flipped race, one of which was:

- it didn't match the polling OR the exit polling.

Right after that expose, we started to see polling swing Right, even when voting and public words didn't support that. All part of the Russian/Paul Weyrich/Koch plot to overthrow the US from the inside. (Look up Weyrich and the CNP on Wiki, for example.)

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Trump is a bully and for once - he is being held accountable and his bullying cost him. I hope the case being brought by Letitia James comes out the same.

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Jan 27Liked by Robert Reich

Terrific klatch... Watched it via YouTube hours ago -- when the coffee was on.

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When he has to admit he’s not really a billionaire, the true measure of being outed as broke, humiliated by a woman will be one of his worst narcissistic injuries. His public behavior will deteriorate farther over the course of his next (fraud) trial.

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when he needs to show off, he's a billionaire; when he needs to pay workers or fines, he's broke.

His niece Mary Trump called it "lying and cheating as a way of life."

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"The Most Dangerous Man in The World" . .. a k a Everything He Touches Dies . ..

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