“Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before,” Donald Trump raged today after FBI agents searched his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida and broke open a safe, apparently looking for documents that Trump illegally took from the White House.
My understanding is that these are the normal rules. When someone absconds with classified documents from the White House, the Justice Department acts. I don't think it has anything to do with his pathology or his fascism or his showmanship. We have law, and the law applies no matter.
Thank you. Gov. DeSantis ignorantly discusses the investigation of Hunter Biden's tax returns in his response to the search but seems to have forgotten that Trump never shared his tax returns as promised countless times. ----HMMMMM
In the end before the 2024 election, Trump will promise to endorse DeSantis in exchange for a promise of a pardon from DeSantis jf he becomes president.
And may God help you all. I think Ron de Sanctimonious is far more dangerous than Donnie Demento ever was. It is very obvious that he is a racially motivated white nationalist. The stunt he pulled with the aircraft in Texas was more than adequate to prove that. The only problem is that charging him is taking a very long time. Will the justice system be, yet again, short-circuited by the politics of a Presidential election campaign? It shouldn't be!
Americans put Trump in the White House. He is adept at manipulating the feelings and emotions. Also, it did not help that Hillary was not a good candidate for the Democrats.
aloha Jack, ...you don't think the recipients of the humongous tac break had anything to do with it? ....and others that would subsequently benefit. Look around.
UPDATE: I just heard on the news ol' Linsey Graham whining that having such an investigation so close to an election is >problematic<! LOL! It's not problematic if they go after email the day before an election, but it is 3 mo out! These Confederates know no shame! LOL!
I almost forgot to mention, the Republi-wankers are intimating their intent to conduct a judicial "Night of the Long Knives" on all parties involved with the investigation when they take over. Stay tuned!
I find there's a satisfying synchronicity between ol' Tweety being raided and this header on the CNN 5 Things newsletter:
"If an automaker finds a minor safety problem with your vehicle, you'll likely receive a recall notice to get it serviced at your convenience. But in some extreme cases, car companies may offer to buy back your vehicle to help reduce the hassle. That option was recently presented to about 260 people who own Toyota's BZ4X electric SUV after the automaker warned that the vehicle's wheels could fall off while driving. . . ." LOL!
Steven, he never will -- it's "doin business". Remember in that phone call to the Georgia Secretary of State? The "thuggery" -- not-so-veiled threat --came through loud and clear. Gosh, if the reverse had happened, the GOP, Fox News, at that time, would've made that conversation a full attack on how far our Democracy has fallen!
Presidential records are property of US. The Presidential Records Act of 1978 established that all presidential records are owned by the public and automatically transfer into the custody of the National Archives as soon as a commander-in-chief leaves office.
Head in noose. In January didn't produce all the records. Referred by Archives to DOJ. Inn March DOJ issued a subpoena. No compliance. Search warrant will have an affidavit that will establish probable cause for a search warrant.
Rule 41 (d) Obtaining a Warrant.
(1) In General. After receiving an affidavit or other information, a magistrate judge—or if authorized by Rule 41 (b), a judge of a state court of record—must issue the warrant if there is probable cause to search for and seize a person or property or to install and use a tracking device.
(2) Requesting a Warrant in the Presence of a Judge.
(A) Warrant on an Affidavit. When a federal law enforcement officer or an attorney for the government presents an affidavit in support of a warrant, the judge may require the affiant to appear personally and may examine under oath the affiant and any witness the affiant produces.
(B) Warrant on Sworn Testimony. The judge may wholly or partially dispense with a written affidavit and base a warrant on sworn testimony if doing so is reasonable under the circumstances.
(C) Recording Testimony. Testimony taken in support of a warrant must be recorded by a court reporter or by a suitable recording device, and the judge must file the transcript or recording with the clerk, along with any affidavit.
(3) Requesting a Warrant by Telephonic or Other Means.
(A) In General. A magistrate judge may issue a warrant based on information communicated by telephone or other reliable electronic means.
(B) Recording Testimony. Upon learning that an applicant is requesting a warrant under Rule 41 (d)(3)(A), a magistrate judge must:
(i) place under oath the applicant and any person on whose testimony the application is based; and
(ii) make a verbatim record of the conversation with a suitable recording device, if available, or by a court reporter, or in writing.
(C) Certifying Testimony. The magistrate judge must have any recording or court reporter’s notes transcribed, certify the transcription’s accuracy, and file a copy of the record and the transcription with the clerk. Any written verbatim record must be signed by the magistrate judge and filed with the clerk.
(D) Suppression Limited. Absent a finding of bad faith, evidence obtained from a warrant issued under Rule 41 (d)(3)(A) is not subject to suppression on the ground that issuing the warrant in that manner was unreasonable under the circumstances.
18 U.S. Code § 2701 - Unlawful access to stored communications
(a)Offense.—Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section whoever—
(1)intentionally accesses without authorization a facility through which an electronic communication service is provided; or
(2)intentionally exceeds an authorization to access that facility;
and thereby obtains, alters, or prevents authorized access to a wire or electronic communication while it is in electronic storage in such system shall be punished as provided in subsection (b) of this section.
(b)Punishment.—The punishment for an offense under subsection (a) of this section is—
(1)if the offense is committed for purposes of commercial advantage, malicious destruction or damage, or private commercial gain, or in furtherance of any criminal or tortious act in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States or any State—
(A)a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both, in the case of a first offense under this subparagraph; and
(B)a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both, for any subsequent offense under this subparagraph; and
(2)in any other case—
(A)a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 1 year or both, in the case of a first offense under this paragraph; and
(B)a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both, in the case of an offense under this subparagraph that occurs after a conviction of another offense under this section.
(c)Exceptions.—Subsection (a) of this section does not apply with respect to conduct authorized—
(1)by the person or entity providing a wire or electronic communications service;
(2)by a user of that service with respect to a communication of or intended for that user; or
(3)in section 2703, 2704 or 2518 of this title.
(Added Pub. L. 99–508, title II, § 201[(a)], Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1860; amended Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), (U), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147, 2148; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(a)(3), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498; Pub. L. 107–296, title XXII, § 2207(j)(2), formerly title II, § 225(j)(2), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2158, renumbered § 2207(j)(2), Pub. L. 115–278, § 2(g)(2)(I), Nov. 16, 2018, 132 Stat. 4178.)
He will never put it together. Here is one article regarding the influence of Norman Vincent Peale on TFG. He didn't get here on his own. He was taught.
The article was written in 2015....and clearly, Trump's relentless self-confidence was enough to get him elected, thanks to the antiquated Electoral College system.
Unfortunately his "presidency" also showcased his obvious incapability at any kind of leadership or indeed, his inability to do anything other than hold rallies, lie and extort money from his perfervid cult members. Trump has shown us repeatedly that he and all that he touches is all fake glitz and glitter; totally lacking in substance.
He's a barnacle on the a-- of time and WILL be scraped away.I'm so looking forward to know he's serving slop(dried fish sticks on white bread w/ canned carrots and peas)on
the chow line at Leavenworth wearing a sweaty,stinking t-shirt w/ orange flip flops.
I think he knows exactly what he is doing. The viciousness that poured out of CPAC belittling and deriding diversity and gender identity, and giddily putting forth their white Christian Nationalism and all of its exclusions and implications was completely intentional.
Yes, Trump does know what he's doing. I doubt there was anything incriminating left in his house. Why wouldn't he have removed or destroyed it long ago? Trump likes his little jokes: like appointing an actual Handmaid to the Supreme Court.
In my apparently very well organized files, I finally found the Roz Chast cartoon I have been looking for in response to your question, John.
From The New Yorker, January 16, 1995, entitled "Subcontracts with America." (You remember Gingrich's Contract with America). She draws a sedan packed full of happy family members driving past verdant pastures, flowers blooming, singing, "la la la." The caption reads: "The Fairness to Churchgoers Act: From now on, everything connected to churchgoing is deductible, from the clothes you wear, to the car you drive. Of course, it has to be the right kind of church."
In another quadrant entitled, "The Norman Rockwell Act," there is a white, blonde, smiling family of four, a man, a woman, a boy, a girl and of course, their dog, dancing in front of their house surrounded by lots of lawn. The caption reads: "Every family that conforms closely to the traditional family unit gets a big, fat tax break. The rest can go to hell in a hand basket."
A person who is deluded by mental illness can be monitored by the people around him who supposedly care about him and about protecting anyone he might hurt. In this case, his children and all of his henchmen, and most of the republicans go along with whatever viciousness he dreams up, unbridled. Certainly, they are not all narcissists. And tens of millions of Americans go along with the viciousness. Certainly, they are not all mentally ill.
It would be a travesty and embarrassment. It would prove that our entire system has been a joke. I don’t think many would have any shred of respect left for it.
Just an aside here but who is the SS actually working for?? Reminicent of the Nazi group who were expected the swear fealty to Hitler himself? Weren't Trump"s oringinal "secret service his own private security service? Inquiring mind always ask WHY???
I didn’t know that djt was allowed to use his own private security service! Right there’s a travesty of justice! What wimps allowed that? It’s no wonder that he got away with so much under watch of the Secret Service! They were his own men on his payroll! 🤬
Whoever said it, "There's a sucker born every minute." It was Ben Franklin who said that "a fool and his money are soon parted"; Trump sure hopes there are a lot of fools out there. and he's laughing every step to the bank.
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!
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.
Right u are about openly showing his disdain for any legal pushback from DOJ OR FBI! He never listened to anyone while in office, generals or aides, & refused any advice bec “he alone can do it” or his claim to be a “stable genius” always prevailed!
I always loved his stable genius claim. I associate stable with horses, who are not known in the 4 legged world as being particularly brilliant, in fact most of them are so dumb they will literally eat themselves to death [I love horses and have owned several, they are beautiful animals, but my goats outsmarted them every time] So I thought it very appropriate that the trumpster compared his intellect to that of a horse, even though he lacked horse sense.
Yeah, the bozo who never studied medicine knew better than our public health experts, the idiot who knows nothing about history or foreign relations decided we should wriggle out of our treaties, and the jerk who knows nothing about science or education decided we should do away with the EPA and the Department of Education. A real stable genius indeed.
According to CBS this morning, ol' Tweety has 84% support of the radical evangelical Christian nationalists, whose epicenter seems to be in Tennessee - the state of ol' Tweety's favorite former president Andrew Jackson. CBS also said that although many of those evangelicals hold their nose to vote for him, they mostly approve of his bully-boy tactics. They also believe in enforcing a Christian, sharia-style government.
I'd reserve my opinion on the low IQ bit. Brainwash is most devastating in folks who ought to know better. Just sayin' - don't underestimate them. 2016 is a perfect example of the peril you face in underestimating the opponent.
I don’t underestimate the masses of brainwashed in this country. And they are low IQ. Intelligent people see through Trump and have for decades. Those that do not are lacking in intelligence. Period.
Indeed. Seeing 3 openings on the SCOTUS while he was in office was that kind of bad luck that the bible-pounders will undoubtedly interpret as divine providence, too.
There's been an antichrist du jour since Ronald McReagan. I'm a little inured to it. Don't be horrified with anything other than how off-the-rails with religion it's all become. Think Middle East!
I was going back to 2015 from the time he announced he was running for President. Before that, he was nothing more than a small-time mobster and publicity hound.
A failed casino operator,a real genuine sheister.I can just imagine how many times he 'worked' things so the house would win and he could cheat his players.No wonder the stinken place failed!
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.
I agree, we "knew" what existed, but what we instinctively know existed is not (thank goodness)t legally admissible in court, that is what the FBI, DOJ, and AG Merrick Garland are seeking, legally admissible evidence. I feel quite confident they will find it.
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.
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."
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!
Good for you, Janet for recognizing that while real justice may be agonizingly slow it triumphs in the end. Better to have all the ducks aligned than go into court and lose. I don't care if it takes until 2023 for Justice to prevail. The only problem I perceive is the Supreme Court ruling in favor of the trumpster, just because they can. There are 5 obscenely unconstitutional ones, Alito Barrett, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Thomas. Unfortunately, that makes a 5 to 4 win.
I’m also wondering if this search could end up being the thing that sinks him, like tax evasion was for Al Capone. It might be difficult to convict in some of the other things but this one could be incontrovertible. Maybe.
Kathryn, I understand your dilemma. I feel breathless from shallow-breathing and the intermittent holding of my breath entirely for nearly 7 years! The stress and worry over the orange monster and his brazen crimes is just too much! And now he bellows and whines into microphones and invites authoritarians from abroad to speak to his cult on behalf of the wonders of autocracy!! What occupies this monster's cranium?? Surely there is no normal brain in there. Ye gods .... enough of this moron!!
Maybe scientists will be dissecting it someday.For the last year or so I've been reflecting on 'these men' and all the misery they cause.Lo and behold Ruth ben Ghiat wrote a book cld.'Strongmen',can't wait to read it.
Having just watched "Young Frankenstein" for umpteenth time...I think he was given an "Abby Normal" model. Unfortunately, Drumpf isn't nearly as personable or intelligent as the 'monster'.
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?
Jamie, While the activities of the J6 command structure up to and including Trump meet the criteria for the FBI’s definition of “domestic terrorism,” politically speaking, I would advise Democrats to focus on behaviors and leave the labeling to law enforcement.
Fay, I appreciate your note and simply would add, because Republicans ruthlessly are organizing to fill state and local positions with their own people—people who don’t believe in free and fair elections, we’ll have to out-organize them by picking up seats in state legislatures as well as governorships, Secretaries of State, State A.Gs. and so forth.
@RedElisa, I don’t imagine even if McCarthy or Jordan were compelled to appear that either one would. I expect they would stall for as long as possible, anticipating that Republicans will retake the House and disband the Committee.
OK,I'm thinking that if they don't,they will be subpoenaed,won't comply,then be held in contempt.That could happen.Here's the thing,how long can you stall on a subpoena?
@RedElisa, If they refused to comply with the subpoena, the Committee could refer them to DOJ for criminal contempt. Were DOJ promptly to decide to indict, a trial date would be scheduled and the two could be held accountable. However, there are several “coulds” and “ifs” here.
@RedElisa, When I last wrote, I neglected to mention, because one can stonewall a Congressional committee far more easily than a grand jury, that we can hope that DOJ compels McCarthy’s and Jordan’s testimony.
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!
Yep. After he gets out of prison, we can just call him "Fat Donnie" to commemorate his NY mafia days. This guy has a track record -- no wonder he's despised there.
He never puts it together, does he, the unprecedented investigations with the unprecedented abuses of power.
AND the fact that he was never a REAL President -- only an Imposter and Con Artist. Normal rules do not apply!
My understanding is that these are the normal rules. When someone absconds with classified documents from the White House, the Justice Department acts. I don't think it has anything to do with his pathology or his fascism or his showmanship. We have law, and the law applies no matter.
but who put him there,thats the big question
Where are the promised tax returns? His lack of transparency is just SO obvious!
Thank you. Gov. DeSantis ignorantly discusses the investigation of Hunter Biden's tax returns in his response to the search but seems to have forgotten that Trump never shared his tax returns as promised countless times. ----HMMMMM
In the end before the 2024 election, Trump will promise to endorse DeSantis in exchange for a promise of a pardon from DeSantis jf he becomes president.
Is sedition even pardonable?
And may God help you all. I think Ron de Sanctimonious is far more dangerous than Donnie Demento ever was. It is very obvious that he is a racially motivated white nationalist. The stunt he pulled with the aircraft in Texas was more than adequate to prove that. The only problem is that charging him is taking a very long time. Will the justice system be, yet again, short-circuited by the politics of a Presidential election campaign? It shouldn't be!
Americans put Trump in the White House. He is adept at manipulating the feelings and emotions. Also, it did not help that Hillary was not a good candidate for the Democrats.
aloha Jack, ...you don't think the recipients of the humongous tac break had anything to do with it? ....and others that would subsequently benefit. Look around.
Steven, that is a magnificent synopsis of the problem.
UPDATE: I just heard on the news ol' Linsey Graham whining that having such an investigation so close to an election is >problematic<! LOL! It's not problematic if they go after email the day before an election, but it is 3 mo out! These Confederates know no shame! LOL!
I almost forgot to mention, the Republi-wankers are intimating their intent to conduct a judicial "Night of the Long Knives" on all parties involved with the investigation when they take over. Stay tuned!
You used exactly the right word, D: whining. That’s all those worthless wastes if space know how to do.
You'll >love< this: https://youtu.be/FbJvrg2TAGQ
Just saw a clip of Graham on the news whining some more. This time he was visibly ill at ease.
I find there's a satisfying synchronicity between ol' Tweety being raided and this header on the CNN 5 Things newsletter:
"If an automaker finds a minor safety problem with your vehicle, you'll likely receive a recall notice to get it serviced at your convenience. But in some extreme cases, car companies may offer to buy back your vehicle to help reduce the hassle. That option was recently presented to about 260 people who own Toyota's BZ4X electric SUV after the automaker warned that the vehicle's wheels could fall off while driving. . . ." LOL!
Steven, he never will -- it's "doin business". Remember in that phone call to the Georgia Secretary of State? The "thuggery" -- not-so-veiled threat --came through loud and clear. Gosh, if the reverse had happened, the GOP, Fox News, at that time, would've made that conversation a full attack on how far our Democracy has fallen!
He puts it together in the form of "woe is me. poor me, you must send money!"
Presidential records are property of US. The Presidential Records Act of 1978 established that all presidential records are owned by the public and automatically transfer into the custody of the National Archives as soon as a commander-in-chief leaves office.
Head in noose. In January didn't produce all the records. Referred by Archives to DOJ. Inn March DOJ issued a subpoena. No compliance. Search warrant will have an affidavit that will establish probable cause for a search warrant.
Rule 41 (d) Obtaining a Warrant.
(1) In General. After receiving an affidavit or other information, a magistrate judge—or if authorized by Rule 41 (b), a judge of a state court of record—must issue the warrant if there is probable cause to search for and seize a person or property or to install and use a tracking device.
(2) Requesting a Warrant in the Presence of a Judge.
(A) Warrant on an Affidavit. When a federal law enforcement officer or an attorney for the government presents an affidavit in support of a warrant, the judge may require the affiant to appear personally and may examine under oath the affiant and any witness the affiant produces.
(B) Warrant on Sworn Testimony. The judge may wholly or partially dispense with a written affidavit and base a warrant on sworn testimony if doing so is reasonable under the circumstances.
(C) Recording Testimony. Testimony taken in support of a warrant must be recorded by a court reporter or by a suitable recording device, and the judge must file the transcript or recording with the clerk, along with any affidavit.
(3) Requesting a Warrant by Telephonic or Other Means.
(A) In General. A magistrate judge may issue a warrant based on information communicated by telephone or other reliable electronic means.
(B) Recording Testimony. Upon learning that an applicant is requesting a warrant under Rule 41 (d)(3)(A), a magistrate judge must:
(i) place under oath the applicant and any person on whose testimony the application is based; and
(ii) make a verbatim record of the conversation with a suitable recording device, if available, or by a court reporter, or in writing.
(C) Certifying Testimony. The magistrate judge must have any recording or court reporter’s notes transcribed, certify the transcription’s accuracy, and file a copy of the record and the transcription with the clerk. Any written verbatim record must be signed by the magistrate judge and filed with the clerk.
(D) Suppression Limited. Absent a finding of bad faith, evidence obtained from a warrant issued under Rule 41 (d)(3)(A) is not subject to suppression on the ground that issuing the warrant in that manner was unreasonable under the circumstances.
18 U.S. Code § 2701 - Unlawful access to stored communications
(a)Offense.—Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section whoever—
(1)intentionally accesses without authorization a facility through which an electronic communication service is provided; or
(2)intentionally exceeds an authorization to access that facility;
and thereby obtains, alters, or prevents authorized access to a wire or electronic communication while it is in electronic storage in such system shall be punished as provided in subsection (b) of this section.
(b)Punishment.—The punishment for an offense under subsection (a) of this section is—
(1)if the offense is committed for purposes of commercial advantage, malicious destruction or damage, or private commercial gain, or in furtherance of any criminal or tortious act in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States or any State—
(A)a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both, in the case of a first offense under this subparagraph; and
(B)a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both, for any subsequent offense under this subparagraph; and
(2)in any other case—
(A)a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 1 year or both, in the case of a first offense under this paragraph; and
(B)a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both, in the case of an offense under this subparagraph that occurs after a conviction of another offense under this section.
(c)Exceptions.—Subsection (a) of this section does not apply with respect to conduct authorized—
(1)by the person or entity providing a wire or electronic communications service;
(2)by a user of that service with respect to a communication of or intended for that user; or
(3)in section 2703, 2704 or 2518 of this title.
(Added Pub. L. 99–508, title II, § 201[(a)], Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1860; amended Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), (U), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147, 2148; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(a)(3), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498; Pub. L. 107–296, title XXII, § 2207(j)(2), formerly title II, § 225(j)(2), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2158, renumbered § 2207(j)(2), Pub. L. 115–278, § 2(g)(2)(I), Nov. 16, 2018, 132 Stat. 4178.)
He will never put it together. Here is one article regarding the influence of Norman Vincent Peale on TFG. He didn't get here on his own. He was taught.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/10/donald-trump-2016-norman-vincent-peale-213220/
The article was written in 2015....and clearly, Trump's relentless self-confidence was enough to get him elected, thanks to the antiquated Electoral College system.
Unfortunately his "presidency" also showcased his obvious incapability at any kind of leadership or indeed, his inability to do anything other than hold rallies, lie and extort money from his perfervid cult members. Trump has shown us repeatedly that he and all that he touches is all fake glitz and glitter; totally lacking in substance.
He's a barnacle on the a-- of time and WILL be scraped away.I'm so looking forward to know he's serving slop(dried fish sticks on white bread w/ canned carrots and peas)on
the chow line at Leavenworth wearing a sweaty,stinking t-shirt w/ orange flip flops.
I think he knows exactly what he is doing. The viciousness that poured out of CPAC belittling and deriding diversity and gender identity, and giddily putting forth their white Christian Nationalism and all of its exclusions and implications was completely intentional.
Yes, Trump does know what he's doing. I doubt there was anything incriminating left in his house. Why wouldn't he have removed or destroyed it long ago? Trump likes his little jokes: like appointing an actual Handmaid to the Supreme Court.
CPAC all in public. Very confident group!
What do white supremacists mean by "Christian Nationalism"? Even Christ wasn't a Christian Nationalist.
In my apparently very well organized files, I finally found the Roz Chast cartoon I have been looking for in response to your question, John.
From The New Yorker, January 16, 1995, entitled "Subcontracts with America." (You remember Gingrich's Contract with America). She draws a sedan packed full of happy family members driving past verdant pastures, flowers blooming, singing, "la la la." The caption reads: "The Fairness to Churchgoers Act: From now on, everything connected to churchgoing is deductible, from the clothes you wear, to the car you drive. Of course, it has to be the right kind of church."
In another quadrant entitled, "The Norman Rockwell Act," there is a white, blonde, smiling family of four, a man, a woman, a boy, a girl and of course, their dog, dancing in front of their house surrounded by lots of lawn. The caption reads: "Every family that conforms closely to the traditional family unit gets a big, fat tax break. The rest can go to hell in a hand basket."
I believe this is what they mean.
You sound like me — you have a decades-old analog file system (AFS). (You have it somewhere ... probably.)
Today, by the way, I saw a cartoon at newyorker.com. A couple look at a TV. Trump is "pleading the 5th." Caption: "NOW he shuts up."
———————
"The last Christian died on the cross." NIETZSCHE
Hahaha! Thank you, John, for a good laugh, the most welcome coping mechanism in these airtight times.
And yes, my files do have treasures from times past, in (mostly) predictably labeled folders.
A person who is deluded by mental illness can be monitored by the people around him who supposedly care about him and about protecting anyone he might hurt. In this case, his children and all of his henchmen, and most of the republicans go along with whatever viciousness he dreams up, unbridled. Certainly, they are not all narcissists. And tens of millions of Americans go along with the viciousness. Certainly, they are not all mentally ill.
Sure about that? Living in a fantasy world?
It would be a travesty and embarrassment. It would prove that our entire system has been a joke. I don’t think many would have any shred of respect left for it.
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.
Just an aside here but who is the SS actually working for?? Reminicent of the Nazi group who were expected the swear fealty to Hitler himself? Weren't Trump"s oringinal "secret service his own private security service? Inquiring mind always ask WHY???
I didn’t know that djt was allowed to use his own private security service! Right there’s a travesty of justice! What wimps allowed that? It’s no wonder that he got away with so much under watch of the Secret Service! They were his own men on his payroll! 🤬
Last evening’s news of the FBI raid cheered me up a lot.
Me too.
Fundraising is the least of what he can benefit from this raid.
Whoever said it, "There's a sucker born every minute." It was Ben Franklin who said that "a fool and his money are soon parted"; Trump sure hopes there are a lot of fools out there. and he's laughing every step to the bank.
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!
We all want that, Sabrina. Fingers crossed.
And huge pleas to the Almighty!
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.
Right u are about openly showing his disdain for any legal pushback from DOJ OR FBI! He never listened to anyone while in office, generals or aides, & refused any advice bec “he alone can do it” or his claim to be a “stable genius” always prevailed!
I always loved his stable genius claim. I associate stable with horses, who are not known in the 4 legged world as being particularly brilliant, in fact most of them are so dumb they will literally eat themselves to death [I love horses and have owned several, they are beautiful animals, but my goats outsmarted them every time] So I thought it very appropriate that the trumpster compared his intellect to that of a horse, even though he lacked horse sense.
Trump had better watch comparing himself to ANY part of a horse. And his term "stable genius" always makes me think of a Gilbert & Sullivan character.
You're not the only one he reminds of Gilbert & Sullivan: https://youtu.be/k-LTRwZb35A
He wishes he was as smart as a horse!
Horses are not dumb. Far from it.
Yeah, the bozo who never studied medicine knew better than our public health experts, the idiot who knows nothing about history or foreign relations decided we should wriggle out of our treaties, and the jerk who knows nothing about science or education decided we should do away with the EPA and the Department of Education. A real stable genius indeed.
I like the 'stable genius' ref. So, what barn WAS he born in and does he really have a
J.C. / God complex ?
According to CBS this morning, ol' Tweety has 84% support of the radical evangelical Christian nationalists, whose epicenter seems to be in Tennessee - the state of ol' Tweety's favorite former president Andrew Jackson. CBS also said that although many of those evangelicals hold their nose to vote for him, they mostly approve of his bully-boy tactics. They also believe in enforcing a Christian, sharia-style government.
Those people are anti-American. Brainwashed low IQ freaks.
I'd reserve my opinion on the low IQ bit. Brainwash is most devastating in folks who ought to know better. Just sayin' - don't underestimate them. 2016 is a perfect example of the peril you face in underestimating the opponent.
I don’t underestimate the masses of brainwashed in this country. And they are low IQ. Intelligent people see through Trump and have for decades. Those that do not are lacking in intelligence. Period.
Their brains may have been semi-infected before he got to them.If I remember correctly,he promised them the end of Roe for their vote.
Indeed. Seeing 3 openings on the SCOTUS while he was in office was that kind of bad luck that the bible-pounders will undoubtedly interpret as divine providence, too.
I heard him compared to the Anti-Christ. That was worse than horrifying!!!
There's been an antichrist du jour since Ronald McReagan. I'm a little inured to it. Don't be horrified with anything other than how off-the-rails with religion it's all become. Think Middle East!
Our self proclaimed " Chosen One?"
What could possibly go wrong?
Not just the past seven years.
I was going back to 2015 from the time he announced he was running for President. Before that, he was nothing more than a small-time mobster and publicity hound.
A failed casino operator,a real genuine sheister.I can just imagine how many times he 'worked' things so the house would win and he could cheat his players.No wonder the stinken place failed!
Mmm... but that's on Deutsche Bank. And maybe the Democratic Party from the 1980's.
Yeah. I mean why put any blame on the criminal when you can deflect to those who assisted?
No one gets addicted to success in a vacuum (case in point: opioid epidemic).
I really want him to be tried, convicted, and imprisoned for all his criminal activities at the expense of the US.
And we want to see him,cuffed,stuffed and crying all the way to where he belongs.YEA!!!
Will there ever be an end of the collection of data? Put the terrorist inciter in prison to await trial!
In the dungeon
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.
I agree, we "knew" what existed, but what we instinctively know existed is not (thank goodness)t legally admissible in court, that is what the FBI, DOJ, and AG Merrick Garland are seeking, legally admissible evidence. I feel quite confident they will find it.
A super fun one is the wire fraud,still going on.
Remember what Prof. Reich mentioned,'we never had a Trump before'
Since someone can only win the presidency twice, Trump will have to admit he lost in 2020 before he can run in 2024.
Should he ever get back in power, Trump will remain in power till his death. He will disregard any elections.
I know! I’ve been saying that for some time.
Ergo, he was telling the truth in 2016: the election (in 2000) is rigged.
Thanks Charles! That’s a great point!
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.
A third-world, autocratic country at that. I won't add corrupt, as it's been that since before trump.
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.....
I don't think it's that simple.
Not only that, but he disregards any and all laws!
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!
Good for you, Janet for recognizing that while real justice may be agonizingly slow it triumphs in the end. Better to have all the ducks aligned than go into court and lose. I don't care if it takes until 2023 for Justice to prevail. The only problem I perceive is the Supreme Court ruling in favor of the trumpster, just because they can. There are 5 obscenely unconstitutional ones, Alito Barrett, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Thomas. Unfortunately, that makes a 5 to 4 win.
Frankly, Fay, if the Court let him off the George Floyd protests would look like a minor incident compared to what will happen.
Light always conquers dark!!!
I certainly hope so, and I hope I live long enough to see it happen.
I’m also wondering if this search could end up being the thing that sinks him, like tax evasion was for Al Capone. It might be difficult to convict in some of the other things but this one could be incontrovertible. Maybe.
Also we got John Gotti.
👍
Can you imagine the Super Charged Caniption he threw when he became aware of this latest thing.I wondered what got thrown on the wall!
Thank you, Robert Reich for your reflections on a truly delicious development for those of us who believe in democracy.
I'm holding my breath again. But soooo hopeful!
Kathryn, I understand your dilemma. I feel breathless from shallow-breathing and the intermittent holding of my breath entirely for nearly 7 years! The stress and worry over the orange monster and his brazen crimes is just too much! And now he bellows and whines into microphones and invites authoritarians from abroad to speak to his cult on behalf of the wonders of autocracy!! What occupies this monster's cranium?? Surely there is no normal brain in there. Ye gods .... enough of this moron!!
Yes, WHEN WILL enough really be enough!
Not soon enough!
Maybe scientists will be dissecting it someday.For the last year or so I've been reflecting on 'these men' and all the misery they cause.Lo and behold Ruth ben Ghiat wrote a book cld.'Strongmen',can't wait to read it.
Having just watched "Young Frankenstein" for umpteenth time...I think he was given an "Abby Normal" model. Unfortunately, Drumpf isn't nearly as personable or intelligent as the 'monster'.
We love our nation and want Justice done
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?
The Republican Party has proven itself to be a terrorist organization & should be so designated.
Jamie, While the activities of the J6 command structure up to and including Trump meet the criteria for the FBI’s definition of “domestic terrorism,” politically speaking, I would advise Democrats to focus on behaviors and leave the labeling to law enforcement.
Good for you Barbara, we cannot for the Country's sake lose a single seat this fall, and we need to gain two in the Senate.
Fay, I appreciate your note and simply would add, because Republicans ruthlessly are organizing to fill state and local positions with their own people—people who don’t believe in free and fair elections, we’ll have to out-organize them by picking up seats in state legislatures as well as governorships, Secretaries of State, State A.Gs. and so forth.
I'm waiting for the Select Committee to speak to McCarthy & Jim Jordan,they're not 'nice guys'.
I sincerely hope they will.
@RedElisa, I don’t imagine even if McCarthy or Jordan were compelled to appear that either one would. I expect they would stall for as long as possible, anticipating that Republicans will retake the House and disband the Committee.
OK,I'm thinking that if they don't,they will be subpoenaed,won't comply,then be held in contempt.That could happen.Here's the thing,how long can you stall on a subpoena?
@RedElisa, If they refused to comply with the subpoena, the Committee could refer them to DOJ for criminal contempt. Were DOJ promptly to decide to indict, a trial date would be scheduled and the two could be held accountable. However, there are several “coulds” and “ifs” here.
@RedElisa, When I last wrote, I neglected to mention, because one can stonewall a Congressional committee far more easily than a grand jury, that we can hope that DOJ compels McCarthy’s and Jordan’s testimony.
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.
Waiting for all the juicy tidbits.
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!
Yep. After he gets out of prison, we can just call him "Fat Donnie" to commemorate his NY mafia days. This guy has a track record -- no wonder he's despised there.
What do you mean “gets out”? There’s enough here to keep him locked up for several lifetimes.
Remember the Commodore Hotel fiasco and the news clip of "donnie" standing next to Gotti and the NYC govt of the day??
Absolutely and what crossed my mind was the footsy playing w/ Putin,that's a serious concern.
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...
You can say that again.
Hats off to the Screaming Baby Chorus complaining that whatever happened, it was political and a witch hunt and Hillary! Ben Ghazi!