By Sid Schwab / Herald Columnist
Playing the system like a Kazoo, abetted by a judge feeling a bit too grateful for her lifetime appointment to a plumb job by him, Trump has successfully delayed the most clear-cut case against him.
While calling the timing of all similarly delayed cases “election interference.” It’s the stolen secrets, kept at Mar-a-Lago and elsewhere, illegally, subpoena-ignored and lied-about. The illegality is so undeniable that his only escape is the ridiculous claim that a “president” has absolute immunity to break whatever laws he chooses, whenever and wherever he wants. Or becoming “president” again, and having the prosecutions terminated. Like his Attorney General William Barr did for him previously.
Obligingly, the U.S. Supreme Court is putting off ruling for as long as it can. Presumably, even the Sanctified Six know they’d have to rule against him unless they’re willing to destroy what remains of their credibility.
So, for now, we’re stuck revisiting Trump’s Stormy Daniels election interference scheme. It’s the least interesting of the cases against him and, regarding implications for national security and the taxpayers he’s scammed, the least important. So, while he dozes off during the proceedings (who’s “Sleepy” again?), let’s talk about other things. But not before noting this trial is the opposite of what MAGA Republicans are calling an unfair, two-tiered justice system. In court, Trump is being treated exactly like all indicted criminal defendants.
Now, those other things.
Constantly, viciously, and death-threat invokingly, having attacked all other judges overseeing his prosecutions, Trump whined, a three-fer, that President Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and special prosecutor Jack Smith are calling the aforementioned grateful Judge Aileen Cannon “terrible names, wrongfully threatening her with impeachment, and disrespecting her.”
Neither Biden nor Garland has said a word about her, much less threatening impeachment. And Smith has mostly pled with her to move things along, and appealed, successfully, to higher courts when necessary. Accusing others of what they do and others don’t, expecting their voters to buy it, is typical MAGA Republican strategy.
That, and performative uselessness. Holy Mike Johnson, R-La., Speaker-of-Lies of the House, scarpered to Mar-a-Lago, where its so-far owner and he announced plans to criminalize voting by non-citizens. It’s already illegal. Fox “news,” when carrying the announcement, hilariously ran a sidebar showing the existing law. Even Steve Bannon, as Trumpophilic as it gets, found it meaningless (tinyurl.com/nomeaning4u).
Because illegal voting isn’t a thing. The right-leaning Heritage Foundation found fewer than 100 votes by non-citizens between 2002 and 2022, looking at a BILLION ballots. And the left-leaning Brennan Center found 30 among 23 million votes from 2016. Which confirms what’s really behind the vote-suppression laws rising like swamp gas from red state legislatures: Lies. Rigging to win.
Speaking of gas, Trump made one of his usual “It wouldn’t have happened if I were president” statements after Iran sent hundreds of drones and missiles into Israel. (Nearly all were shot down, helped, in part, by the U.S. military and others – thanks, Biden.) Trump is hoping voters have forgotten that when Iran injured 110 American soldiers by firing missiles into a base in Iraq while he was in office, he did nothing. Except lie about it (AP: tinyurl.com/noharm2u).
Back on the trail after collecting (he says) 50 million bucks from billionaires he promised more tax cuts, he discussed the Battle of Gettysburg, sounding like a grade-school student faking a book report. It’s disturbingly bizarre. Among the fawning faithful, nary a wtf expression. Watch it here: (X: tinyurl.com/Gettysburg4u).
Earlier, on his way to milk a few more billionaires, he’d faked a “spontaneous” photo-op, “surprising” just-regular folks at a Chick-fil-A (AP; tinyurl.com/hefakes4u). Fox “news” was ready with their usual Trumpophansy: (X: tinyurl.com/justfolks4u).
Cataloging the week’s fakery would be incomplete without mentioning the agenda cooked up by House Republicans. Serious legislation to save us from Joe Biden. Because, you know, he’s approaching your driveway right now, with a truckload of illegal immigrants, ready to haul away your appliances. Guns, too, probably, though unmentioned in the current proposals.
No satire, this is their proposed legislation: Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act; Liberty in Laundry Act; Clothes Dryer Reliability Act; Refrigerator Freedom Act; Affordable Air Conditioning Act; and the Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., responded appropriately (tinyurl.com/mosk4u). For once, shaming the shameless worked (New Republic: tinyurl.com/oops2u).
There’s a common thread here: It’s not commie, America-hating, Marxist “thugs,” as Trump likes to call liberals, who are saying MAGA Republicans are stupid. The call is coming from inside the house. From Trump and Moses Mike; from Fox “news;” from Lara Trump’s RNC robocalls amplifying lies about “massive fraud” in the last election. (Daily Beast: tinyurl.com/fromlara2u).
Nor do they merely assume stupidity. To win elections, they count on it. Adopting Joseph Goebbels’ propaganda methods, they’ve learned that repeating lies for long enough turns them true in the manufactured minds of their voters. Unless outvoted, they won’t stop, because polls show they’re not wrong (Washington Post: tinyurl.com/lieswork4u).
Email Sid Schwab at columnsid@gmail.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
