How did Trump manage to get away with his brazen criminal acts for so long?

The politicians in New York must have known what he was doing? But, did they really care? He was giving them huge donations, Democrats and Republicans, in exchange for special tax breaks and special treatment.

They must have questioned where he was getting all his money? They must have thought that he was laundering money or something? But nobody challenged him. Nobody charged him. Nobody indicted him. He was untouchable in the state of New York.

It went on for decades. There were no guardrails and no binding rules. His only restraint was his imagination. Everything was about making money, fraudulently or otherwise. He usually chose to do it fraudulently. Don't pay taxes. Tell the authorities his properties were worth five or ten times their actual value, especially when attempting to put them up as collateral for a loan, so he could buy a golf course or a mansion down in Florida. Create a charitable foundation and use the money as an expense account. There were no rules for Donald Trump. He never hesitated to cheat. In fact, he preferred it.

He loved to brag about how easy he could accumulate wealth. He never said it was largely due to fraud. Tax fraud, bank fraud, insurance fraud, whatever it took.

So it was no big surprise that he would continue his criminal ways once he made it to the White House. Although not yet proven, he may have acted criminally to get to the White House, with the assistance of his Russian friends? He saw it as an opportunity to make his deals all around the world. He could be the King of the World.

But then, he lost an election he was not supposed to lose. He hated leaving the White House more than anything in his life. He relished the power of being the President of the United States. It massaged his ego better than anything ever.

He refused to let go of the power he had accumulated over the four years in the White House. He created the "Big Lie". And he persuaded his followers to echo his grievances. He was willing to tear the country apart to maintain control of his power. He incited a mob to attack the US Capitol and attempted to overthrow the previous election and to declare himself the true winner. Many people bought into his "Big Lie".

However, before he would leave quietly and with dignity, he chose to steal national security secrets and take them to Mar-a-Lago with him. That brazen act led the FBI to go into his mansion and seize the documents he had stolen. He was caught red-handed.

Then the AG of New York sued him for $250 million dollars for the many crimes and fraudulent acts he had committed over the years. She had the receipts.

Finally, it looks like the law has finally caught up with Donald Trump? Will he be able to buy his way out? Will he be able to threaten and extort to get his way? Or will he finally be held accountable?

Will the Judicial "wall" hold?

Because democracy cannot survive without a working judiciary.

It is being challenged to the max. Will the courts follow the rule of law? Or will they follow a scofflaw?

The 11th Circuit in Florida gives us hope.

We hope they have not become part of the cult. We hope they remain vigilant to protect our Constitution.

This is a stress test for our democracy, in my opinion.

If the judicial wall holds, then our democracy is more likely to survive and thrive.

Trump's strategy going forward, in my opinion, is to increase the propaganda noise on shows like Sean Hannity and others. He hopes to create division within our country, because that is what Putin wants.

The former guy will attempt to create a civil war amongst the different political tribes. Democrats would be wise not to fall for it. Don't fall for the anger and the hatred and the name-calling and the division.

Stay cool but stay vigilant.

My Crime (Canned Heat)

If Trump had only taken the 11,000 clippings and personal memos, it would have been no big deal?

The FBI would not have raided Mar-a-Lago for boxes of his personal stuff that he did not return to the National Archives. Even though, those are the property of the government and not of the former president.

But when Trump returned 15 boxes to the National Archives early last year, and some contained classified information, that was the beginning of the investigation.

The Archives requested a subpoena from the DOJ to get the remainder of boxes they believed were at Trump's mansion. The FBI went to Mar-a-Lago to check it out. They were told by Trump's lawyers that there were no more classified documents. But evidently, an informer told them otherwise?

That is when the FBI went in with a court-approved search warrant to seize any classified documents that were still on the premises. They discovered more than 100 documents, some with the highest classification. The stuff of spy stories.

It was the classified documents that created a problem for Trump. If he had only the 11,000 personal clippings and photos in his possession, it would have been against the law but not enough for the FBI to raid his place. Trump was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The best excuse that he could come up with was that he "de-classified" all of them, meaning he wanted people to think they were all the same value as the 11,000 personal items he had taken.

Because the discovery of Top Secret documents, some defense and national security-related, meant he had violated the Espionage Act of the US Government. He knew it was bad. He had no other lie to stand behind other than that he had "de-classified" them. What else could he say?

He had stolen national security secrets and had his lawyers lie about it when the FBI inquired about them. It is not a minor "storage" problem. The documents did not belong to him. No one else put them in his desk. He is facing a very serious criminal charge.

I read that there had to be an affidavit or record of every document removed from White House?

Did that happen with all the documents that Trump removed? Did anyone keep a record? How many people knew he was stealing the documents? How did they rationalize it?

Did he "de-classify" all the documents before he lifted them from the White House? That would have been the appropriate time to do it if he was so inclined. But, my gut tells me that he did not "de-classify" anything.

He understands the meaning of espionage. If there were no secret documents related to national security or defense-related, and only the 11,000 clippings, photos, etc, then there would be no charge of espionage. So he had to make up an excuse for why he had possession of Top Secret documents relating to national security. Those documents change the equation entirely. That is why he says he "de-classified" them. It is classified documents that can put his butt in jail.

Who has watched all 3 episodes of the documentary, "The US and the Holocaust"?

The latest work by Ken Burns is terribly difficult to watch. To be reminded of how horrible and cruel people can be under the circumstances that Germany found itself in the 1930's.

They were led by a charismatic, psychopathic, cult-like leader named Adolf Hitler, who rallied the German people with his speeches about victimization, and the "others", who were to blame for all of Germany's problems. By and large, the German people bought into it, or simply ignored it with their silence. Two-thirds of the entire population of Jews in Europe were decimated in the mass genocide. The Jewish population still has not gotten back to where it was before the Holocaust.

While watching the documentary, I could not help but think of the parallels in America. But, if it happened here, there would be more than 6 million murdered, in my opinion.

The tragedy of it all was that so many people did not have to die. People believed the lies and propaganda of the German leaders. Only after the Allies had invaded Italy and began to discover what was going on with the concentration camps, etc, did they realize the unspeakable horror of what happened.

The US immigration policy at that time, and the attitudes around immigration, were very similar to those of today. Nobody wanted to take in large numbers of immigrants, especially Jews, and they found themselves with nowhere to go. It was not something that America would put in the history books. (It would go in the other book)

It was an important historical perspective, in my opinion.

Trump lawyers encounter "Rudy" problem.

The co-leader of Liars Anonymous, Rudy Giuliani, was perhaps the strongest proponent of the "Big Lie", after Trump, the Leader of the club, lost the election. He lied his ass off. Until he got in a courtroom in front of a judge. Then he had to tell the truth. That is why he lost all 60 cases. His BS and "Big Lie" did not sell in front of a judge, where one could be charged with perjury.

Rudy's buddy, Donald, has been making the rounds, spouting Rudy-style lies. He went on the Hugh Hewitt radio show and told everyone that he had "de-classified" all the documents. Not only Kash Patel, but others, could vouch for him.

But then, his lawyers had to go in front of the Judge, and they refused to say that Trump "de-classified" all the documents. They knew it was a lie, and did not want to be charged with false testimony before the Court. The Trump lie worked well on right-wing radio and at his rallies, but not so well in a court of law.

Now, they stand in front of the court without a defense. They have been hoisted on their own petard, so to speak. There is nothing they can say or do to defend the creator of the Big Lie and the former president of this country.

The verdict is inevitable. All that Trump has left are lies, extortion, blackmail, political division, flattery, and more lies. That is simply not enough to clear him of charges of espionage and obstruction. Unless he has bought the entire judiciary, his lies are on their last leg.

An old Bluegrass classic...

Will Judge Cannon block Judge Dearie's decision...?

...if he rules that the classified documents should be released to the DOJ to further their investigation?

After all, she is all in with Trump. Why should she stop now?

If that happens, what does the 11th Circuit do? Do they over-rule Judge Cannon?

Does it then go to the Supreme Court?

They are doing their best to delay the process.

Trump's lawyers, before the Judge today....

...kept referring to their client as "the President". Obviously an attempt to give him some sort of legitimacy he doesn't deserve.

But, it fits into their defense of trying to say he has some sort of "executive privilege" and that any Top Secret document that he may have written upon, gives him some sort of claim to possession of the document? It takes a real skill to portray such absurdity as something "normal".

Andrew Weismann gave a good summary on the Nicolle Wallace Show, since he was in the room today as the machinations were going on. It did not appear to go well for the Trump team.