Traitor Watch - The 45 & 47 Thread

[Pocket]

There are two reasons I can think of for why he might have intended to purposely hand those documents over to enemy states—particularly those he doesn't even like. One is that he planned it to be a "set the place on fire on his way out" kind of move after running out of options for staying in office. You know, travel to an enemy state, hand them the secret to destroying us in exchange for letting him live there in luxury for the rest of his life, then sit back and watch the fireworks. If that is what he was up to, then clearly he failed in his mission or those fireworks would have happened by now. I'm just picturing him going around from country to country, pitching his scheme to one leader after another, only to get repeatedly turned down and walking away frustrated.

The other possibility is that he's holding onto it with plans to do that later. Either as a form of blackmail—"Make me President again or I will send this information to our enemies"—or a revenge plan for after his next campaign fails.

...Good lord, it just hit me that we're discussing a former US President like we're analyzing the motivations of a comic-book villain.

 

[Wheelimus]

Say what you will about Dubbaya, and God knows I said a bunch, but he's content to just paint away his days in peace. Trump should give it a try. Something new to grift.

 

[Rust]

Dubya has to paint to try and get all those gallons of innocent blood off his hands.

 

[wonko the sane?]

No amount of paint thinner will clean his hands or his conscience...

Well, maybe if he drank it.

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

The best thing we can really say about him is at least he went away when we left office.

 

[Rust]

A criminal who understood the best way to get away with crime and corruption was to keep your flipping head down after you were out from under the blanket protection of the office and not make any waves.

 

[Rust]

Okay, I have to ask. I'm hearing reports Trump's lawyers are requesting the FBI make copies of all the files it took and turn it over to Trump. Any way to verify this?

 

[abates]

Closest I can find is this story:

Trump lawyers again push for special master to review documents in FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago

Lawyers for ex-President Donald Trump asked a federal judge to appoint a "special master" to review documents seized from Mar-a-Lago by the FBI.

www.cnbc.com

They want a "special master" appointed to review the seized documents to make sure they are what the DOJ says they are.

 

[wonko the sane?]

Have not heard a thing like that rust, but frankly: I wouldn't be surprised if they did. They are... laughably bad lawyers. To the point where I wonder if they actually are this incompetent, or are simply sacrificing themselves to sabotage trump.

 

[Ungnome]

There is a third option... Trump could be SUCH a bad client that he won't listen so they gave up and are doing exactly what he is telling them to do.

 

[Pocket]

I mean, they let Trump hire them even though everyone else knows by now that he won't actually pay them. That means either they're extremely dumb, or they have connections with the kind of goons who can make his death at their hands look like an accident even though he's a major public figure.

And frankly, death by mob goon is an embarrassing enough end that I'll accept it in lieu of execution for treason.

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

Trump alienated all of the good lawyers.

Then he alienated all of the half-decent lawyers.

Then he alienated braindead dipshits like Rudy.

He's gone so far below the bottom of the barrel that he's scratching at the bedrock.

 

[wonko the sane?]

I mean, they let Trump hire them even though everyone else knows by now that he won't actually pay them. That means either they're extremely dumb, or they have connections with the kind of goons who can make his death at their hands look like an accident even though he's a major public figure.

And frankly, death by mob goon is an embarrassing enough end that I'll accept it in lieu of execution for treason.

Third option: they are so bad at their jobs that even failing a high priority client like trump will still look good for them.

I mean, they are lawyers: they're just going to lie about it anyway.

 

[Dekafox]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1565709167964340227

 

[Wheelimus]

Oh God, those empty folders sent a chill down my spine. Where are the files? Did Vlad already get them?

 

[wonko the sane?]

Depending on what was in those files: he might very well have compromised the intelligence and national security agents of literally everyone of the US's intelligence allies. Canada, the UK, australia... countries I wouldn't even think to participate in such stuff.

Trump not only needs to face trial and punishment in the US, he then needs to go on to face trials for high crimes in every other nation he compromised.

 

[Wheelimus]

Like our best case scenario is that the meglomaniac just thought it would be really cool to have a bunch of empty classified folders to show off and never took the actual files. Which must have been a pain in the ass to clean up for the government. But wouldn't be the end of the world.

The more likely scenario where all those secrets are in the wind is absolutely terrifying.

 

[Ironbite4]

Remember that last year, CIA sent a cable to it's offices warning them of informants disappearing. If Trump had anything to do with that....

 

[Xaaron]

Man, it's almost like insisting the DOJ speak louder and longer about his crimes is backfiring somehow.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Whatever was in those folders, if anything, could be out in the wild or could still be in his possession. It's kinda odd that they only searched one of his properties.