The response by local Republican “leaders” to the first federal indictment of a former President is both expected and laughable.
A generation ago, any hint of impropriety on the part of a presidential candidate immediately doomed his campaign. In 1988 Sen. Gary Hart dropped out when pictures of a lady on his lap surfaced. In 1972 Tom Eagleton withdrew as George McGovern’s running mate when allegations of treatment for depression surfaced.
Yet the local Republican cult simply dismisses the allegations brought forth in two impeachment trials against their wannabe dictator because they wanted this seriously unbalanced sociopath to remain in power.
A 34-count NY state indictment and a 37-count federal espionage indictment gets a shocking “ho-hum” response from his followers. Our country has not had “unjust” political persecution since the days of US Atty. Gen. Palmer (1920) who ordered anti-war protesters jailed en masse. The DOJ rounded up hundreds of suspected communists and socialists and deported them without trial.
During war time our sacred Bill of Rights have been ignored as in the detention of over 100,000 Japanese Americans during WWII because of their ethnicity. The Supreme Court normally corrects such atrocities, and no State or Federal prosecutor would dare bring false or fabricated charges against a perceived political enemy for obvious reasons.
The free press, which your idol famously derided as “the enemy of the people” could easily ferret out obvious trumped-up charges without evidence to present to a grand jury. There is no law for Democrats and another one for Republicans.
What is horrifying is the number of Republicans in positions of power who are attacking the Rule of Law and threaten to defund the DOJ, FBI, and the special counsel’s budget because they don’t want their cult leader prosecuted for crimes he gleefully admits on TV every night. Every crime the former president is accused of was a direct result of his own actions or inactions. He is accused in NY of paying off an adult film star to buy her silence to get himself elected in 2016. His federal charges were a result of hoarding hundreds of highly sensitive government classified documents claiming he had declassified them “in his mind.” Had he immediately returned all of them when asked by the National Archives and not transferred them to his golf resort in NJ or stored them in his Mar-A-Lago bathrooms or ballroom stage, he would probably not be facing these charges.
Yet, two local supporters of this deeply disturbed “Apprentice” star claim with a straight face that the Left is behind his legal woes. Everyone expressing their disgust with the federal charges admits they have not bothered to read the 49-page indictment.
In all my years as a federal prosecutor and federal defense attorney, I have never seen an indictment more compelling and more damning in its allegations as this one charging the ex-President. It is my duty to remind his supporters that federal prosecutors have a 95-99% conviction rate against any defendant that requests a jury trial. I would love to see the former president take the stand in his own defense. Criminal defendant Trump immediately attacked the prosecutor and his wife and family for hating him. The only one he has not attacked is his personally nominated federal judge A. Cannon, who tripped over herself last year defending him and granting him all that his lawyers requested. The 11th Circuit judges severely rebuked her and told her she can not treat an ex- President differently than any other citizen. She obviously needs to recuse herself immediately.
The only one who has gone “rogue” to the rule of law is the Republicans deranged idol, who feels he is above the law. As a federal court practitioner for four decades, I was extremely disappointed at the deference shown to this charlatan. Anyone other than this person facing such charges would have been arrested immediately at his house after the indictment was unsealed. He would have been treated like hundreds of federal defendants are daily with such extremely serious charges. He would’ve been detained for days until his arraignment date. In court a federal magistrate would’ve held him for the required three days for a detention hearing. His passport would’ve been immediately seized. The government should have requested an ankle monitor and he would be restricted in his travel without the permission of a pretrial officer and the Court. Most of these cases are denied bail. If bail were granted it would be in the millions. They would’ve also requested several co-sureties who would guarantee his appearances at all court hearings. Instead, this poor “persecuted” defendant flew in in his multimillion-dollar jet to Miami, was driven in a motorcade and motorcycle cops where he could wave to his few dozen supporters. He was immediately released on an unknown bond, did not have his mugshot taken, as is done to every federal defendant by the US Marshals. It is unknown if a DNA sample was taken from him as per federal law. A few dozen women all around the country would love to have the DNA results for future trials. I am certain that Congressman Cuellar has read all the indictment by now and can give us his opinion as a distinguished lawyer and Democratic congressman. Local fans still want him back in office in spite of the NY civil case where he was found liable and fined millions for sexual assault and defamation. They always deflect as to the rumored transgressions of Hunter Biden and Hillary. If credible evidence is found against any of these non ex-Presidents, I welcome them to present them to a grand jury and if indicted, try them for their alleged crimes. Until then continue to support this egomaniac for any imaginary reasons.
After the fall of Berlin in 1945, dazed Germans walking through the rubble of their once magnificent city were allegedly heard muttering “Hitler was right.”
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