347 Comments
Aug 9, 2022Liked by Robert Reich

He never puts it together, does he, the unprecedented investigations with the unprecedented abuses of power.

Expand full comment
Aug 9, 2022Liked by Robert Reich

Trump and his brown shirts were criminal thugs during his presidency.

I hope this FBI raid is just the beginning of his troubles.

And true to form, he's fundraising off the raid.

Trump acted like a thug and he should be treated like one.

Expand full comment

Ok so at 62 I have seen a lot of horrible things happen in this country. My mother was a person who blatantly attested she was in alignment with the GOP we have now. She made my life while at home horrifying. I have been inspired by what Biden and allies have been able to accomplish in the last 2mos. But frankly, after what I have endured and watched other marginalized pp endure, what I really want is for arrests to be made!

Expand full comment
Aug 9, 2022Liked by Robert Reich

For the past seven years, Trump has brazenly engaged in illegal, unconstitutional and unethical behavior. He has openly dared legal authorities to slap him down and, finally, it appears he’s getting what he asked for.

Expand full comment
Aug 9, 2022Liked by Robert Reich

I was caught off guard, but pleasantly surprised. As a private citizen, he should have turned over any paperwork/boxes illegally stored at Mar-a-Lago. The fact that he’s still promoting that the presidential election was stolen at cpac and elsewhere, makes me wonder if he’s trying to beat the clock against The Department of Justice findings. Both newsmax and fox talking heads are on the defense, claiming also that this has never happened to a president (don’t remember if they added former). Waiting to hear what the FBI provides to DOJ. Slowly regaining faith that the DOJ/Georgia and NYS investigations yield what most of us already knew existed.

Expand full comment
Aug 9, 2022Liked by Robert Reich

Since someone can only win the presidency twice, Trump will have to admit he lost in 2020 before he can run in 2024.

Expand full comment
Aug 9, 2022Liked by Robert Reich

Trump has done everything he can to turn this into a third-world country, and most of us don’t want that. Today’s action was approved by a Trump-appointed judge. Guess the judge thought a search was warranted.

Expand full comment

Rumor has it that this was about the official documents and records he made off with. If he gets nailed just for this it could keep him from public office- "18 USC §2071. Concealment, removal, or mutilation generally:

(a) Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

(b) Whoever, having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States. As used in this subsection, the term "office" does not include the office held by any person as a retired officer of the Armed Forces of the United States."

Let's hope at the very least.....

Expand full comment
founding

I'm very proud of my country today! In spite of the nerve-wracking, ponderous pace of the Justice Department there is every indication that the rule of law will apply to the former president, as it should!

Expand full comment
Aug 9, 2022Liked by Robert Reich

Thank you, Robert Reich for your reflections on a truly delicious development for those of us who believe in democracy.

Expand full comment

I'm holding my breath again. But soooo hopeful!

Expand full comment
Aug 9, 2022Liked by Robert Reich

What initially struck me upon hearing the news of the FBI’s search of Trump’s Florida’s residence was that August 8th was the date nearly 50 years ago when President Richard Nixon was forced to resign the office of the Presidency because of the evidence of crimes that had been discovered by investigators.

Throughout the evening, I particularly was struck, contrary to today, that back in 1974 the Republican Party did not rise to protect President Nixon when evidence of crimes was revealed. Fast-forward to today’s political world, wherein the top Republican in the House of Representatives threatened AG Garland, intimating, when Republicans re-take the House, that House subpoenas would be coming his way.

Could we possibly need further convincing that this fall, aside from running on their accomplishments, Democrats, up and down the ballot, need to amplify the opposing Party’s lack of regard for the rule of law, for the balance of powers, and, last but not least, for truth itself?

Expand full comment

Halla damn lulia! That headline was music to my old eyes. Just holding my breath now waiting to find out exactly what the FBI was searching for.

Expand full comment

Apparently the Justice Department had sufficient probable cause that documents had been withheld and were at Maralago, sufficient, that is, to convince a federal judge to grant the FBI a search warrant.

Trump already spirited many boxes of high-level documents to Maralago that were retrieved. Apparently the Justice Department believes there are more. I know if I were an investigator and knew that the President had on occasion plugged toilets with docs he was trying to get rid of (have you seen those photos in today's paper?) and that he burned docs in the fireplace in the White House and possibly at Maralago as well, that I'd be intensely curious to know what this guy has been trying to hide.

Justice and the FBI did this by the book. All was cleared by the court, the Secret Service was notified as were Trump's lawyers and all cooperated. Stay tuned to find out Trump's secrets. This is going to be a great story. And don't let the yelling and screaming of the radical rightwing GQP distract you; this is hot!

Expand full comment
Aug 9, 2022·edited Aug 9, 2022

TRUMP SMELLS.

HE SMELLS  BAD.

HE LEAVES A

PUTRID STINK

AND A

FOUL DISGUSTING ODOR

IN THE MINDS OF

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE

WHEREVER HE GOES...

Expand full comment

Hats off to the Screaming Baby Chorus complaining that whatever happened, it was political and a witch hunt and Hillary! Ben Ghazi!

Expand full comment