Deposed Donald Trump (DDT) regrets his kind words about independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after polls show that he could take votes from DDT. Friday night, DDT called RFK a “Radical Left Liberal” secretly working to help President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign and focused on RFK’s “NASTY … Environmental moves,” saying he would choose Biden over their opponent because “our Country would last a year or two longer prior to collapse.” DDT called RFK’s anti-vax “Views on Vaccines … FAKE,” which they are, yet DDT’s supporters are more likely to be in agreement with RFK’s false skeptical beliefs about vaccinations. Recently, DDT said he would not “give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate.”
Biden’s lead over DDT grows when third-party candidates factor into the equation. In a Marist College poll, Biden is only three points ahead with just DDT but five percent ahead with the others listed. With only the top two candidates, Biden trailed by two points but rose to two points ahead with third-party candidates. Kennedy takes twice as much of his support from those who picked DDT in the head-to-head survey—15 percent of the voters. Republicans like Kennedy 40 to 25 percent, but Democrats dislike him 53-16 points.
Court is exerting its toll on DDT who usually has almost daily rounds of golf, cheers at Mar-a-Lago when he walks in and out of rooms, and control of everything he does with his staff members. He usually spends his day making phone calls, posting on Truth Social, holding meetings, and wandering among his adoring public. His germophobia causes him to avoid restaurants outside his properties. During the trial, however, he spends long hours without caffeine from Diet Coke and sitting until the judge provides a break. No supporting family or friends are present. The media reports he seems to be shrinking.
On the criminal trial’s second day, one of two teens commented that “the defense attorney was basically annihilated in opening statements” because “he had no evidence.” The other one said that DDT kept “nodding off.”
Many others don’t believe that DDT’s trial is a partisan sham. In a Quinnipiac University survey, 60 percent consider the charges either “very” or “somewhat” serious, and 46 percent think he did something illegal with another 27 percent believing he committed something unethical if not illegal. Only 18 percent think he didn’t do anything wrong. Results of this polling is similar to the recent one from Pew Research, and in a Times/Sienna survey, 46 percent said DDT should be found guilty, compared to 36 percent who believe the opposite.
Congressional members are also not following his directives in how to vote on bills. He said, “KILL FISA,” and GOP passed the new law. The same for aid to Ukraine. Last fall, DDT wanted Jim Jordan (R-OH) for House Speaker; Republicans elected MAGA Mike Johnson (R-LA). He told them to shut down the government and use the debt ceiling to default on U.S. obligations. Republicans did neither. DDT also failed to get Mitch McConnell (R-KY) replaced as Senate minority leader, derail the bipartisan infrastructure package, and kill the reform of the Electoral Count Act. Republicans call him the leader of their party, but they don’t always obey him.
DDT succeeded in replacing Ronna Romney with his daughter-in-law Lara Trump as chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), but McDaniel walked away with $118,769.99, almost half of her pay for last year. She will likely bring in another tidy sum from her lawsuit against NBC for her untimely firing after a week from her two-year contract at an annual $300,000.
Lara Trump has promised to join DDT in a “scorched earth” retribution during his second term with “no holds barred.” DDT plans to pardon “loyalist” violent criminals, enact radical anti-immigration plans, crack down on journalists, hire right-wing lawyers to exact revenge against his political foes, and seize control of government departments and agencies legally independent. And of course, commit crimes with immunity.
The Federal Reserve is one independent agency that DDT plans to control. His allies claim he can oust Chair Jerome Powell, who he appointed in 2017. Biden re-appointed him in 2021, and Powell cannot be fired without cause. Several senators said they will oppose his plan, but his attempts could damage the financial standing of the U.S. and its markets, ending up in court. The Fed is run by a board of governors appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, but the president has no legal power over its decisions.
Presidential pardons aren’t forever, as GOP operative Jesse Benton discovered. DDT pardoned him for trying to buy an endorsement for Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) in his 2016 presidential campaign. After the pardon, a DDT super PAC hired him in 2016, and he was then arrested for moving an illegal Russian donation to DDT’s 2016 campaign. Convicted in 2022, Benton’s appeal to the Washington, D.C. Circuit Court failed.
Benton’s re-arrest isn’t unique: of the 238 people he pardoned or had their sentences commuted, at least nine others are under investigation, charged with a crime, or convicted. DDT’s pardons included dozens of friends and political allies as well as celebrities, lawmakers, and former aides convicted of crimes from fraud to murder. Only 25 went through the appropriate process with the Office of the Pardon Attorney to examine pardons’ merits, an “historic low.” DDT pardoned his aide Steve Bannon, friend Roger Stone, and former national security director for 22 days Michael Flynn who believed they are above the law.
DDT said the 2017 deadly neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville (VA) was a “peanut” compared to the protests against Israeli’ destruction of Gaza that killed over 33,000 people. According to DDT, the 2017 protesters, who killed one woman and injured dozens of people while terrifying hundreds, didn’t exhibit the hate as the non-violent actions against the Israel war. At Charlottesville, white supremacists chanted “Jews will not replace us” while marching with torches.
DDT spews his lies in trying to get protesters out on the streets to “rally behind MAGA” and “go out and peacefully protest” at courthouses across the country but bemoans protections and security at the New York courthouse where the trial is located. He falsely said that “Palestinian protesters, and even rioters [are] threatening Supreme Court Justices right in front of their homes.” DDT posted that “people who truly LOVE our Country, and want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, are not allowed to ‘Peacefully Protest,’ and are rudely and systematically shut down and ushered off to far away ‘holding areas,’ essentially denying them their Constitutional Rights.”
On Sunday morning, DDT privately met with Floria Gov. Ron DeSantis in Miami several hours, hoping that DeSantis will fundraise for him. DeSantis supposedly agreed to help DDT who said he has “officially retired” his nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious.” DeSantis allies say he is interested in running for president in 2028.
Legal Issues:
In another DDT mystery, five of his political committees show an $8 million payment to an unknown firm or firms during the past 15 months through the firm handling political accounting, Red Curve Solutions, money possibly violating reporting requirements of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and its contribution limits and prohibitions. The company is the biggest single recipient of DDT’s “reimbursement for legal” costs or expenses since he left the White House, but the compliance firm Red Curve doesn’t provide legal services. It is run by Bradley Crate, treasurer for the five committees making the payment. The use of Red Curve appears to be hiding the true recipients of the money, a criminal act.
E. Jean Carroll – Sexual Assault/Defamation:
Judge Lewis Kaplan rejected DDT’s motion for a new defamation trial and dropping the $83.3 million judgment against him. He claimed that the judge had restricted his testimony and claims that he is innocent. Kaplan’s limitations on DDT came after his defamatory comments following Carroll’s win in her first civil trial against DDT. DDT’s lawyers stated Kaplan blocked DDT from describing his mental state in relation to Carroll.
New York – Civil Business Fraud Costs:
Earlier this week, Judge Arthur Engoron accepted DDT’s $175 million bond for the civil trial conviction with additional requirements guaranteeing that the bond is secure by remaining as cash and not traded for securities. The bond holder will not withdraw funds and provide monthly statements.
New York – Criminal Business Fraud/Hush Money to Stormy Daniels to Interfere with 2016 Election:
Under a grant of immunity, David Pecker testified that he rigged stories in the National Inquirer to influence the 2016 election in DDT’s favor and believed he and his company violated election law for DDT. A detailed accounting of trial events is in the past week’s posts. Transcripts of the trial.
Florida – DDT’s Taking Classified Documents:
DDT had promised to pardon one of his co-defendants if charges were filed, according to new court documents. The information refutes DDT’s argument (lie?) that he had a standard order to declassify anything he had. According to a witness who urged DDT to return records to the National Archives, Walt Nauta had been told the case was politically motivated. Prosecutors had released documents in response to DDT’s claims that he needs Smith’s communications because he faces political persecution.
MAGA Gateway Pundit, now in bankruptcy, lied about “smoking gun” evidence about Biden’s administration pushing the National Archives to demand classified documents. Unredacted materials don’t support Gateway’s claims.
Supreme Court:
Even if the Supreme Court rules immunity for DDT’s “official acts,” special counsel Jack Smith could continue other trials on his private acts to avoid further delay.
While DDT faces a jury, his allies have been indicted in five swing states—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin.
Nel's New Day 