A Case of Probable Cause?
Said TFG to Hannity on national(ist) TV:
“If you’re the President of the United States you can declassify just by saying ‘it’s declassified’ even by thinking about it because you’re sending it to Mar-a-Lago or to whoever you’re sending it and there doesn’t have to be a process.”
Do you see what he did there? Everywhere else (except on nationalist TV) the buzz is that in this moment TFG admitted to sending government documents to Mar-a-Lago, which were not-so-coincidently discovered right there in Mar-a-Lago by an FBI search last month.
Nowadays the question has become is Mar-a-Lago the only place he has government documents?
We would need another FBI search of, say, Bedminster, to find out. But to do that, they would need probable cause which is what they laid out in their Mar-a-Lago affidavit. Strong evidence of a crime, not just probable cause.
I’ll make a probable cause case. It’s thin, but he undeniably said on video “…because you’re sending it to Mar-a-Lago or to whoever you’re sending it”.
“…or to whoever you’re sending it.” What did he mean by that? Did he realize when he said “Mar-a-Lago” that he had spilled the beans and tried to cover himself essentially by saying “or anywhere else”? That was an awkward addition marked by an odd pronunciation of “whoever”.
Or did he keep informing on himself and that there could be government documents anywhere under his control?
As I said, thin.
I don’t think it’s thin, I think it’s highly likely. Why would he take classified documents in the first place? Because they’re potentially valuable. That’s his MO. He probably didn’t even know what they said but he has handlers to sort that out. He basically gave up that there are more “anywhere” and in the hands of “whoever.”
1And when he says “or to whoever you’re sending it” he means Vladimir Putin.
2The Lump Ol` Lard says/does anything to stay in the spotlight .
3OT WX FYI: Tropical Depression Nine has developed in the Caribbean and is currently progged to become a major hurricane by Monday, and landfall at Tampa Bay/St Pete early Wednesday [current forecast subject to change but usually quite accurate].
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/090354.shtml?cone#contents
4https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc&fdays=5
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
I would like to think this is a thin case, but like man, I think secrets have gone far and wide. I’m ready to see him, under oath, have a meltdown like Alex Jones did yesterday.
5So, TFG thinks he’s a Jedi Master or a wizard?
6It does not surprise me he said Mar-a-lago…and it did look to me like he realized a mistake and then fumbled for “and elsewhere.” But I can easily believe that he has farmed these secrets out to any number of foreign contacts–like around the LIV golf tournament.
The man is a colossal idiot and yet a cunning bastard. But really, as president you just have to think it to make something declassified. “What a maroon” as Bugs would say.
7I saw some highly suspicious video of staff loading boxes (just like the ones found at MAL) on a private plane as TFFG was leaving for Bedminster, NJ. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if there were classified documents in NJ too. This took place in May, two days after the FBI notified him they were seeking the return of documents.
8Considering that Ivana was cremated, what else is in that huge coffin that he buried on the golf course.
9Sorry for getting slightly off-topic; this is related to the other dumpster fire in Trumpland. I’ve heard claims like
“Trump has already obliterated any defense he could bring against the NY AG case; by pleading the Fifth, he effectively admitted liability on all 440 questions the AG’s office asked when they deposed Trump last month.”
To the legal minds here, how does this work? It seems unfair to have the right to take the fifth, but then have it essentially entering a no-defense plea in the civil case. [Not that I’m defending the creep; he deserves to be treated as fairly as, e.g., asylum-seeking families split up by his policies.] On the other hand, allowing his criminal defense attorney to seek postponement of the civil case would just be throwing more slops to the hog. That extra time could be used to shift funds, declare bankruptcy, suborn or threaten witnesses, etc.
So it’s not clear to me just what is going on. Clearly he overused the fifth, and possibly the idea is that he screwed his own civil case by not seriously considering answering any of the questions including ones that do not involve potential criminal law violations.
Any not-a-lawyers-but-willing-to-explain folks here? Don’t worrry, I won’t use any answers to address my own overlapping civil and criminal violations. Mostly because I don’t have any. Ethics violations maybe; fashion faux pas and the telling of stupid jokes, definitely. But I’ve so far avoided criminal cases beyond a speeding ticket I got 30 years ago.
10“..or to whoever you’re sending it…” That, right there, says it all.
11What I read the other day is that pleading the fifth cannot be taken into consideration by a jury in a criminal trial. This is a civil trial, however, so it can be considered as an admission of guilt. Don’t ask me why there’s that difference, but if it works to take TFG down, I’m all for it.
12I’m I the only guy out there who thinks there should be clips from Music Man, and Robert Preston advocating the merits of the think system?!?!?
13And remember what the Minuet in G sounded like, factoring in the sound of Beethoven rolling in his grave!
14The Maga Man would have us believe that’s the kind of president we deserve, with George Washington similarly occupied.
My husband and I had a real good laugh when we heard him say that …as president you just have to think of it and the papers/ documents are declassified…. I think I was laughing to hard to hear his hiccup about where they were sent. It seemed to me that he should have the Lucky Charm mascot singing behind him, they’re magically….declassified. It’s gonna magically disappear..WHY does anyone at all trust and believe TFG?
15I am pretty sure he has already shared classified info with all his best dictator buddies in Russia, the Saudis, North Korea, etc. I also think there ought to be some kind of covert watch over Ivana’s grave in case of wee hours of the morning digging there …
16Putin may still be blackmailing or bribing someone, a possibility.
17Is it possible that someone stashed something there, not impossible or unlikely.
18Treason probably has no meaning to morons or right or wrong also! Therefore the Trumpster or ‘whatever’, seemly has no regrets’ or regard for protecting the “noble experiment” for which our “founding fathers” fought and for which too many died!
He is not a military veteran; and instead avoid military service by claiming the condition of ‘bone spurs’!
He was elected ONCE because his opponent had and disgustingly and unjustly smeared by members both political parties.
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