Once again Deposed Donald Trump (DDT) received special treatment, the “two-tiered justice” that MAGAites complain about, as an appellate court gave him a $300 million break. He needs to post bond for only $175 million of the $464 million, under 38 percent of what he owes for business fraud, with another ten days waiting period. The filing to keep DDT from posting a bond stated that DDT had no money, but last Friday, he bragged about having $500 million. Now he claims he will pay cash for the bond.
Even with this advantage, DDT is furious about the trial in the Stormy Daniels case being set for April 15—the day that IRS taxes are due. Several times in the hearing, Judge Juan Merchan reprimanded his lawyers for not being prepared and said that prosecutors’ providing documents to DDT “went so far above and beyond what they were required to do that it’s odd that we’re even here.” Prosecutors argued that his team had no control over documents released last year by federal prosecutors.
During the hearing, DDT praised a post on Truth Social, including quotes from Psalm 109:3-8:
“It’s ironic that Christ walked through His greatest persecution the very week they are trying to steal your property from you. But have you seen this verse…?”
“They have also surrounded me with words of hatred…
“And fought against me without a cause….
“But I give myself to prayer.”
Concerned that the information would damage his reputation, DDT allegedly falsified business records to hide his reimbursement to former lawyer/fixer Michael Cohen for a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. DDT falsely blames President Joe Biden for his 88 charges in four indictments; Biden’s campaign responded by described DDT as “weak and desperate both as a man and a candidate for President.” The statement continued:
“[DDT] spent the weekend golfing, the morning comparing himself to Jesus, and the afternoon lying about having money he definitely doesn’t have.”
The first former president to face a criminal trial, DDT may also be the first one looking for charity in a GoFundMe site, thus far collecting over $2 million, supposedly for the judgment from his New York civil lawsuit. Elena Cordone, a Florida billionaire realtor married to a multi-millionaire created the site.
Facing two major threats today—loss of money and a criminal trial—DDT has a third major fear, dementia. His speech and numerous gaffes indicate cognitive problems, and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Zoffman at the University of British Columbia named another concern—his gait. “His walk appears wide-based,” said Zoffman. “He has developed a swing of his right leg.” She recommends he be evaluated by neurologists who specialize in “Behavioral Variable Fronto-Temporal Dementia (FTD)” including an MRI brain scan. She also listed his “changes in judgment and impulse control” and “in speech patterns with many fewer and simpler words” plus “difficulty pronouncing words” and “frequent repetition of words and phrases as if his mind is stuck in a loop.” She added, “As frontal lobe deterioration progresses the capacity for self-awareness diminishes.” More details here.
Three days after an attack on Moscow’s Circus City Hall during a concert, Russian President Vladimir Putin finally admitted “radical Islamists” were behind the attack but still blames involvement by Ukraine. Putin didn’t mention the affiliate of ISIL (ISIS) that several times claimed responsibility.
Russia’s state NTV television channel aired a false deepfake video combining audio from recent interviews appearing to show Ukraine’s top security official saying, “Is it fun in Moscow today?” Putin claimed 11 suspects were detained including four gunmen he accused of carrying out the attack. All four from Tajikistan, predominantly Muslim and bordering Afghanistan, they confessed after being tortured with videos of their torture on social media and in this gruesome description.
Jonathan Last wrote about the U.S. foreign policy, “duty to warn” about any terrorist threats against another country, even to hostile countries. Putin, however, ridiculed sharing of intelligence and claimed that the U.S. was trying to “intimidate and destabilize” the motherland and her glorious workers’ revolution. He called it “blackmail.” Later, he said that the U.S. had never given him any information about possible attacks.
An Israel contingent including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled their trip to Washington, D.C. after the U.S. abstained from voting on a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution passed unanimously by 14-0. After voting against three UN resolutions for a ceasefire, the U.S. proposed another one that failed when Russia and China vetoed it. Put forward by the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council, the successful resolution demanded an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan, immediate and unconditional release of hostages, and “the urgent need to expand the flow” of aid into Gaza that Israel has blocked. This year, Ramadan is between March 10 and April 9.
The U.S. had demanded an explanation of how Israel will protect the 1.4 million Palestinians sheltered in Rafah, a town with a usual population of 75,0000, because Israel plans a huge military operation. Since October 7, Israel has killed or injured over 100,000 people in Gaza while displacing another 2 million of the 2.2 million population. White House officials said Netanyahu’s cancelation was “very disappointing.”
A draft report from the UN Human Rights Council finds “reasonable grounds to believe” that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Israel’s assault is “an intent to physically destroy Palestinians as a group” making “no Palestinian … safe by definition.” Recommended measures include “an arms embargo on Israel” and “immediate referral of the situation in Palestine to the International Criminal Court in support of its ongoing investigation.”
TV media has been consumed by the hiring of former RNC chair Ronna Romney McDaniel on NBC and MSNBC as a political analyst. On Meet the Press, her first NBC appearance drew massive criticism, initiated by former host Chuck Todd. Suddenly, she no longer denied President Joe Biden’s election, attacked the media, and called January 6 insurrection “legitimate political discourse,” leaving questions about her credibility. McDaniel said that she could now be her “own person” instead of talking for the “team;” Todd suggested her reversals were “because she didn’t want to mess up her contract.” Team, to McDaniel, apparently meant MAGAites instead of her country. Boston Globe columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr, who almost withdrew from the show’s panel with McDaniel after she heard McDaniel would be another member, said:
“She habitually lied. She habitually joined Trump in attacking the press, members of the press, including this network, in a way that put journalists at risk, in danger.”
Other criticism of McDaniel:
“She will compromise [the credibility business] every time she appears on air. She cannot be trusted.” – David Rothkopf, journalist and member of the Council on Foreign Relations
“Ronna McDaniel … played a key role in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, according to NBC News.” – Media Matters
“McDaniel lied about the 2020 election result, was involved in a pressure campaign to get Michigan officials not to certify the vote, and has accused MSNBC of ‘spreading lies’ and employing ‘primetime propagandists.’” – MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan
“Ronna McDaniel was balls deep in the [2020] coup plot. She flew to swing states to encourage Republican state legislators and Republican election officials to submit fraudulent electors to steal the election from Joe Biden. If I was an @NBCNews employee I’d be pissed.” – Rachel Bitecofer, political strategist
“A MAGA dictatorship would crush legitimate news organizations and embrace propaganda outfits. By hiring fascist liar Ronna McDaniel, NBC has shown which one it wants to be…. This is what media complicity with fascism looks like. NBC is paying a co-conspirator in the Jan. 6 insurrection to keep deceiving the American people.” – Mark Jacob, former Chicago Tribune editor
“As RNC Chairwoman, McDaniel was quite literally on a phone call with former President Trump when he pressured two local Michigan officials not to sign the certification of the 2020 presidential election…. She also called for an erroneous investigation into another Michigan county’s voting procedures which was so riddled with false claims, the Michigan Department of State issued a statement saying her claims had ‘no merit.’” – Marisa Kabas, MSNBC columnist
“It is unusual and widely considered unethical for a news organization to put an election denier on its payroll, never mind someone who for years has smeared the credibility of the organization and its journalists.” – CNN
Attorney and MediasTouch.com editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski posted video of McDaniel “saying she hopes the US defaults on its debt because that will help Republicans.”
NBC administration wooed McDaniel last year to broadcast a GOP presidential debate. They are paying her a $300,000 salary at the same time they are eliminating contributors, and no one was notified about their new hire. Conservatives praised NBC for bringing McDaniel’s voice, but she brings repeated false statements about problems with the 2020 election and the integrity of the media. McDaniel also has no connections with either the DDT or anti-DDT segments of the GOP.
On Monday night, Rachel Maddow began her show with a powerful piece urging NBC to cut its ties with McDaniel. She followed negative commentaries from other MSNBC hosts such as Joe Scarborough, Nicole Wallace, and Joy Reid. Rashida Jones, MSNBC president, said that “the cable network has no plans to have McDaniel on the channel,” according to a Wall Street Journal article. The question is how McDaniel will earn her $300,000—or how long she will last as a paid “analyst.”
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