Trump

[canta_brian]

He's a flat track bully. And like all bullies he pisses his pants the moment anyone stands up to him.

I can't believe he hasn't been laughed out of office over that retraction. It's no wonder he couldn't sort his would from his wouldn't what with having Putin's balls in his mouth.

[Which Tyler]

http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2018/07/17/t ... or-review/



Donald Trump has only given the UK one star on his Trip Advisor review of his recent visit.


He criticised many aspects of this trip, including the food. “When I booked I had expected bed and Brexit,” Trump wrote. “I had wanted a Full English Brexit, but was disappointed to find that the landlady had gone for a more Continental offering”


The weather also faced his online ire. “The Sun put me in a tricky situation,” he said. “They really turned the heat up on me and made things awkward with Landlady May.”

...

[Digby]

Is it intentional that Trump's latest abbreviation for deranged syndrome is tedious?

[WaspInWales]

Trump has just endorsed Brian Kemp in Tuesday's primary for Georgia Governor...

Or has he?

[Digby]

The EU is the enemy of America for imposing a fine on a great American company, and by great I assume he means tax dodger, something the US would obviously never do

[morepork]

As if anyone takes that molluscs word seriously any more. What a pitiful creature he is.

[Which Tyler]

[Digby]

I guess the question is just how many tapes does Cohen have? And will Drumpf attempt to deflect them all by attacking people kneeling in legitimate protest?

[morepork]

Looks like Benny Nettybaw's turn to pull the strings on the fat orange walking talking special Olympics this week.

[Which Tyler]

Looks like Benny Nettybaw's turn to pull the strings on the fat orange walking talking special Olympics this week.

That or he wants everyone to stop talking about him shagging porn stars - or possibly him blowing Putin's trumpet...

Same goes for the security clearance removals, including people who didn't have a security clearance to revoke.

[morepork]

Like his eunuch son in law you mean?

[Which Tyler]

I think I ever lost track of what I'm supposed to be distracted from, there's just so much!

With any other president, we'd still be talking about, and analysing the Singapore summit with Kim

[Digby]

We can all surely get behind trump and the epa going after the californian exemption from the clean air act. Those west coast whack jobs have been taking their freedom and using it to far exceed minimum federal standards, this clearly runs contrary to clean coal thinking

[canta_brian]

I think I ever lost track of what I'm supposed to be distracted from, there's just so much!

With any other president, we'd still be talking about, and analysing the Singapore summit with Kim

Kim and Singapore. Remember the calls for him to release his tax records?

[Sandydragon]

I think I ever lost track of what I'm supposed to be distracted from, there's just so much!

With any other president, we'd still be talking about, and analysing the Singapore summit with Kim

Fair play, its a great tactic. Them dead cats are piling up though.

[kk67]

...and it's sausage for Lunch.

The best placard I've seen recently was at one of the US protests about the gun lobby. It claimed a simple truth:

'Guns have more rights than my vagina'. Quality work there, Sister.

[Mellsblue]

'Guns have more rights than my vagina'. Quality work there, Sister.

Ha. That is good work.

[kk67]

'Guns have more rights than my vagina'. Quality work there, Sister.

Ha. That is good work.

Pleased it wasn't just me.

[Digby]

The Manafort trial commences this week with the man himself now having dropped his civil action against Mueller, Iran doesn't perhaps want talks without preconditions having observed Trump's declarations of a win in previous talks, North Korea is perhaps getting back into the nuclear programme, Trump has a plan to save the elites billions in tax that circumvents congress, the good fight is still being taken to sports and the environment, the media are breaking confidences on private conversations where Trump has already gone public with a selective interpretation of reality, there's a possible government shutdown in the offing over funding of the wall, there's plenty more but don't worry because Jared is all over peace in the middle east and the opioid crisis, and somehow it's a normal week in Washington

[morepork]

What a serial bullshit artist. It's just fucking embarrassing.

[Puja]

It's Manafort that baffles me. He is absolutely dead to rights on tax evasion and will spend the rest of his life in jail unless he makes a deal with Mueller and yet he's determined to go to trial. And why? Out of loyalty to Trump? Surely if the last two years has shown anything, it's that Trump's only loyalty is to himself and he cares nothing for anyone who doesn't directly benefit him.

Can Trump outright pardon him, despite him being clearly and definitively guilty?

Puja

[Digby]

Trump can pardon any federal crime he wants. though whether such executive privilege sits alongside any notion of draining the swamp is more than open to question

Mind given he's busy undermining the mmc and staffing it with friends and supporters to the cost of US taxpayers whilst undermining the quality of projects might draw some to conclude he's full of McDonald's, which is to say shit

[Which Tyler]

Trump can pardon any federal crime he wants. though whether such executive privilege sits alongside any notion of draining the swamp is more than open to question

My understanding* is that pardoning himself (or anyone else) for a federal crime not only still leaves him (or whoever) open to prosecution at the state level; whilst also removing the right to take the 5th - a right that no mobster gives up willingly.
Of course, double jeopardy laws may apply, but the separation between federal and state law should see to that; but tinkering with wording almost certainly will.
If he pardons himself, the New York DA will be sniffing blood.


* NB, I have no expertise here - but I do chat to people who seem to know what they're talking about, and can reference their opinions extensively

[Digby]

It also depends what the pardon is for
Trump in my view is much more likely to issue very specific pardons he thinks he can get away with and not a blanket pardon to all possible criminal acts, say for unpaid tax which he can probably sell, especially if he was able to claim some tax would be repaid. If that did happen you could of course still take the 5th on issues pertaining to non tax matters

What I don’t know is suppose you're asked in a federal court about a matter you've received a pardon for can you really lose 5th amendment protection if you may face non federal charges? That seems unlikely but the law often surprises

[Which Tyler]

Again, the following is my understanding from listening to people who (seem to) know what they're talking about...

Accepting a pardon is seen as an admission of guilt; and if you've been pardoned, then you cannot incriminate yourself, as that's already happened - so you'd lose the 5th for matters pertaining to that pardon.
And somewhere in there, is enough wriggle-room to keep a lot of lawyers busy and paid for a long time.