We are seeing a case study in real time here how the right wing media disinformation machine washes a brain. They aim a firehose of utter nonsense at their outlets and eventually some fable sticks with their great unwashed masses.
What is sad is that this follows the right wing media. And the GOP Reps and Senators who attacked the FBI just went dark; they didn’t say they were wrong or apologize. Because they can’t. This will not dent the majority of their voters and they know they will lose if they come after Trump even on this. This is a prime example of how demagogues gain power. It comes from the people who put up with this.
You need to learn how to read? It doesn’t say it was the same agents. And this was 5 years ago. Struk is gone. Would you prefer an FBI without a counterintelligence agency? Btw: Durham won’t be issuing a report on this but it has been 6 years since the 2016 investigation. There isn’t going to be anything. But let’s stick to the subject. Which is what we know was found and what public sourcing tells us. Perhaps you can examine why SCI documents were downloaded or removed from their secure facility and ended up in boxes at Trump’s resort? And why?
How long before Rick throws in the towel on “he declassified them!” and pivots to “they were planted!”? I give it 48 hours tops.
@Gatorrick22, Biden re-classified all of the stuff trump declassified the day he took office. Therefore trump had classified docs improperly stored and refused to return them three times when asked. I think that's a clear violation of 793 by trump, don't you? Open and shut case! Edit: I have no knowledge that Biden re-classified stuff. This was bait that Rick wisely did not take. I think it's silly to rely on wide sweeping, contemporaneously undocumented events as the basis for a position.
If you truly believe this, you have missed the entire point of the country you claim to love so much.
This thread is like watching a group of people trying to convince someone who is color blind that grass is green, the ocean is blue and clouds are white. . It. Ain’t. Gonna. Happen. They just don’t see ordinary colors the way you do. May as well just save your energy for the recruiting forum.
And if he is ever tried that defense the chances of a judge or jury buying that rationalization are extremely slim considering that Trump had access to and should have relied on advice from very competent attorneys.
I've said it numerous times over the last few years. I won't even waste my time reading it, let alone responding to it. Some of ya'll need to value your energy more.
When I was young I asked my dad once (who was a judge) what would happen if I murdered someone and then claimed I didn't know it was wrong to murder someone. "Ignorance of the law is no excuse."
While Trump had the authority to declassify documents, in order to declassify the documents he would had to follow a specific formal procedure. Executive order would not have been sufficient even if he issued them.
Good typically detailed analysis from Marcy, including the claim that Trump had declassified documents informally, and absurd claim in this context (declassifying Top Secret material), but reminds me of the Catholic concept of the Pope secretly naming Cardinals “in pectore”. From wiki In pectore (Latin for "in the breast/heart") is a term used in the Catholic Church for an action, decision, or document which is meant to be kept secret. It is most often used when there is a papal appointment to the College of Cardinals without a public announcement of the name of that cardinal. The pope reserves that name to himself.
“I declassified them” is Trump’s 4th level excuse after “I was cooperating”, “there was nothing there” and “the FBI planted them”. Even Fox is starting to figure it out: And for good measure, the causes of action in the statutes referenced in the warrant don’t require classification as an element:
Once again, a finding of probable cause to obtain a search warrant requires evidence provided by the requesting authority through an affidavit that a crime had been committed and that there is a link between the material requested in the warrant and said crime. Using the fishing expedition metaphor, probable cause is a fishing expedition only if the fisherman knows that there are many fish in the water and they will likely take the bait.
I think what we’re also seeing is about 30% of our population could be told the tooth fairy, who is LGBTQ in their opinion, planted those documents at Mar A Lago, then informed the Justice Department, and they’d believe it.
When I read some of the right wing Trump base rhetoric, I'm reminded of my days a a court appointed defense attorney, handed cases with overwhelming evidence of guilt. (i.e. client on CCV shooting the victim in the head at a 7-11) As I came up with my closing argument my hope was that the jury wouldn't break out loud with laughter. Seeing the response to the "Mar a Lago Raid) by Trump's social and national media outlets I finally have my chance to laugh.
So what’s next? No question trump possessed classified documents and very likely did so illegally. If so, then a crime has been committed. How deep does it go? Are others involved? Will it ever be unraveled?What happens next? Will trump be prosecuted? Will he seek a pardon? Will he be pardoned? I would be happy if trump gave a full and truthful emoji_astonished confession of these crimes and told everything in exchange for some minor charge that would prevent him from ever holding a position of trust ever again. However, if his crime resulted in some adversary obtaining the info and technology from the documents then he needs to be vigorously prosecuted and, if convicted, receive a sentence commensurate with the crime and what anyone else would get.