Traitor Watch - The 45 Thread

[Pocket]

That, and the political momentum from years of being one of Obama's outspoken critics. Everyone else in the Republican primary that year was a nobody to 90% of the country. Trump stepping into the ring was tantamount to having a Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert ticket on the ballot in 2008 (remember when people were trying to make that happen?)

 

[Pale Rider]

I don't know how old you guys are, but Trump spent the 80s building his mystique as some brilliant, rakish real estate tycoon. Elon Musk and his simps may think he's the real life Tony Stark, but Donald Trump did it before him.

His star dimmed a bit after his tabloid-fodder lifestyle lost a lot of its appeal, but then he rebuilt it with The Apprentice and we all know how much stupid people love reality shows.

Don Jr has none of that.

 

[DefaultOption]

I'm still a bit surprised they didn't try to build out the family brand by having Uday or Qusay run for Congress somewhere with a shoo-in GOP seat in 2018.

Then again, that probably would have required a lot more work than just riding daddy's social media coattails.

 

[Spin-Out]

You know how Trump usually has meltdowns on Truth Social before he's indicted for shit? Well, he just had a meltdown over the Insurrection Act. Meaning, chances are, he's about to be indicted for insurrection.

Fun fact: If you're charged with insurrection - not convicted, just charged - you are legally barred from holding public office for the rest of your life.

 

[Paladin]

"surely THIS TIME Lucy will let Charlie Brown kick the football!"

 

[wonko the sane?]

You know how Trump usually has meltdowns on Truth Social before he's indicted for shit? Well, he just had a meltdown over the Insurrection Act. Meaning, chances are, he's about to be indicted for insurrection.

Fun fact: If you're charged with insurrection - not convicted, just charged - you are legally barred from holding public office for the rest of your life.

Here's even more beauty for the comment: trumps closest primary rival is polling at less than half of his current popularity. They couldn't legitimately win an election with trump, and none of the cult will vote for anyone else.

 

[Ungnome]

Would actually be funny if his supporters just gave him write-in-votes even IF he was barred from holding public office due to insurrection charges. Granted I'm not looking forward to 4 more years of Biden, but it sure beats having 4 to 8 years of whatever comes out of the Republican clown car next year.

 

[DefaultOption]

Fun fact: If you're charged with insurrection - not convicted, just charged - you are legally barred from holding public office for the rest of your life.

I wouldn't get too excited about this, because it's never had its Constitutionality challenged, and Lord knows that this SCOTUS would go out of their way to make a partisan judgement given half a chance.

 

[Spin-Out]

Enh, generally this SCOTUS, and the courts in general, have a "**** you, I got mine" attitude towards Trump. Back when he was trying to contest the election he got fucked over by his own nominees, lol

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

Most of SCOTUS has long since gone rogue, so it'll depend if today is a "screw Trump" or "screw Dems" day.

 

[abates]

I wouldn't get too excited about this, because it's never had its Constitutionality challenged, and Lord knows that this SCOTUS would go out of their way to make a partisan judgement given half a chance.

I feel like that should be constitutionally challenged. It goes counter to innocent until proven guilty.

 

[wonko the sane?]

I feel like that should be constitutionally challenged. It goes counter to innocent until proven guilty.

Agreed in principle... but charges under the espionage act are so infrequent and only used on... events of significant seriousness. Honestly I don't have a problem with the charges alone coming with a penalty like this because whatever the hell you were doing that even LOOKS like espionage is probably going to come with sound kind of criminal penalty anyway.

But it also should be challenged, and it needs to hit the supreme court, and it needs to pass if only to set the benchmarks of "applies literally everyone" and "our justice system is not a farce".

 

[DefaultOption]

I feel like that should be constitutionally challenged. It goes counter to innocent until proven guilty.

The analysis I was reading was actually arguing that because the requirements for holding the office of the Presidency are specified in the Constitution, it would take a Constitutional Amendment to alter those requirements, a simple statute wouldn't have enough force of law to do it.

 

[G.B.Blackrock]

I'm assuming that, even if a charge for insurrection bars one from running for (let alone holding) an office, an acquittal would restore that privilege.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

The analysis I was reading was actually arguing that because the requirements for holding the office of the Presidency are specified in the Constitution, it would take a Constitutional Amendment to alter those requirements, a simple statute wouldn't have enough force of law to do it.

This is probably how the Supreme Court would rule on it. It's one of the few things the Constitution bothers to be specific about.

 

[wonko the sane?]

I'm assuming that, even if a charge for insurrection bars one from running for (let alone holding) an office, an acquittal would restore that privilege.

I have no idea, but given north americas penchant for "trial by media" even if the individual is acquitted I doubt they could over come the social cost of being accused of being a spy and traitor.

*Sigh* Unless you're trump and his cult ******* celebrates it.

 

[G.B.Blackrock]

I have no idea, but given north americas penchant for "trial by media" even if the individual is acquitted I doubt they could over come the social cost of being accused of being a spy and traitor.

*Sigh* Unless you're trump and his cult ******* celebrates it.

All that scenario demonstrates is that a (non-Trump) person, once charged with insurrection, would have trouble winning an election, even if acquitted. It doesn't prevent them from running.

 

[Bainreese]

Hearing of the target letter was like Christmas in July today.

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

At this point, I refuse to get hyped over anything less than actually throwing him behind bars. We get a new "smoking gun" at least once a week and he's still free.

 

[wonko the sane?]

Pretty much. There's looming indictments in both DC and Georgia, his current total (without those two mentioned before.) accused crimes number 71, and not one judge has turned around and stated "given the history of the defendant: he should be held until trial if only to curb his habit of breaking the law.".