There are details online, it seems to be, at this stage, he was heavily into some conspiracy stuff from the flyers and a post he made online.

It wasn’t anything to do with Trump as such.

Terribly bloody sad.

Florida man……….just saying……

More information here – I know Newsweek isn’t the best source, but it’s mainly just extracts from his substack site.

Lots of talk of ponzi schemes, and the blue/red divide being a fabrication

Trail starts Monday with opening statements! Trump’s lawyers complained that they haven’t been given a witness list, and wanted a delay, and the Judge more or less told them to STFU and stop complaining. As he finally got round to closing the court room, Trumps stands to leave and Judge tells him “Sit back down Sir, we’re not done yet” hahahahaha…Defence attorney says “We’ll give you the name of the first witness, if that name appears in social media anywhere beforehand, that’s the last time we’re giving you that courtesy…I wonder if Trump can last that long…

Meantime, in another court not that far away… The £175M bond offer has finally been rejected, and Trumps got 7 days to come with an alternative. Hearing’s on Monday.

Meantime…At least 3 Republicans have said they’ll resign if MTG tries the vacate the speaker chair again.

Trump’s not going to have a great weekend, I reckon.

A couple of nuances I heard yesterday about the whole Truth Social shares thing.

One is the valuation v the revenue of the business. For all the fanfare of going public and launching on the stock exchange – the annual revenue of Truth Social  ($4m) and number of people it employs (36) makes it a business comparable in scale to single MacDonalds franchise 🙂

The other is – although the majority share holder – Trump has never put a penny into the business. Share prices are free falling but he’s not losing anything (other than the fictional value they had) but all the other small -time shareholders are losing their own real money.

In other ‘getting everyone else to pay for stuff’ news. The RNC recently pledged that all their campaign funds (which they haven’t been terribly successful in raising compared to Biden) would be committed to the Donald’s campaign, at the expense of every other republican candidate in every other election. Come election day there are dozens of positions to vote on (in some states as many as 60) , not just the President and all those candidate’s ambitions have been sacrificed to the Don.  Now the RNC has demanded that any funds that candidates raise themselves (for any local, state  or national election) they have to pass over a percentage to the RNC to give to Donald. It remarkable how they keep feeding the cuckoo in the nest.

The guy has died now 😕

The guy has died now 😕

For clarity, that’s the guy who set himself alight yesterday outside the court, not the Orange Shitgibbon.

Yeh, sorry, I don’t think the world could be that lucky.

I don’t think the world could be that lucky.

No, I keep hoping Dementia Don will fall into a narcoleptic coma and get carted off to a care home for someone else to change his diapers.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-trial-mad-haberman-sketch-artist-1235007794/

So interestingly, there’s been some gossip on the US news channels about some of the unchallenged prosecution evidence – before these sorts of criminal trails there’s always some to and fro between the lawyers about what they’ll accept as true without challenging it in court and so speed things along.

In Cohen’s trail the evidence was that the meeting arranged to finalise the  agreement to “catch and kill” stories about Trump’s affairs with ‘glamour’ models and porn-stars was between Cohen and Pecker (the news media executive who was going to do the catch and kill work ) and a “Third senior Trump campaign officer” . It’s now being suggested that the defence aren’t going to challenge the fact that that 3rd member of the meeting was in fact Trump.

Putting him at the meeting that agreed the payments to bury these stories, and so presumably the fact that they were coming from Cohen, and that Cohen would be reimbursed.

Apologies it’s not specifically Trump related, but does mention MAGA, and I couldn’t resist…

Attention MAGA Peeps…

The Biden Government is using fake hornets nests to hide face recognition cameras. Whenever you see a hornets nest, hit it with a stick to destroy the camera. pic.twitter.com/8gT3CV72Iy

— Harris (@GrandpaHarris65) April 22, 2024

Some first class trolling from Bennie Thompson.

NEW

Rep. Bennie Thompson has introduced legislation that would terminate Secret Service protection for anyone sentenced to a year or more in jail.

If passed, it would save the country millions every year. pic.twitter.com/XsnKS4yGaT

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) April 19, 2024

First day proper of trump’s election interference case is over; nothing contentious – in the court room.

Judge Merchan will be hearing prosecution allegations, first thing tomorrow, that trump has repeatedly breached gag order.

So what does the odious orange one do while still in the court house? Goes on an extended rant about…unfair charges, weaponisation of DoJ against him, judge in current case being conflicted, Judge Engoron in the fraud case not understanding the applicable law, the fraud case should have been heard in commercial court – and on and on he went.

I can’t imagine that Judge Merchan hasn’t watched that repeatedly; trump could be in for a slapping.

My guess would be…fine for each gag breach; repetition will bring more serious consequences leading to…you’re not listening to the instructions of this court mr trump so have you brought your toothbrush for your overnight stay behind bars?

^^ There had to be a point where the judge will have no other option as fines are obviously not much of a deterrent.

Thing is, I wonder if that’s what trump wants? To be a martyr, “standing up for freedom of speech”. You can just hear in your head how he will spin it.

He’s been playing the victim for years now, it still stuns me that the MAGA types still see him as a hero that cares about them. Defies belief.

Will the judge be bothered about how Trump supporters perceive any punishment? Or will they simply follow court procedures out of fair application of process?

In the UK it is OK to take public interest aspects into account when sentencing, the guidelines have wriggle room for that.

It is not just about procedure, there comes a stage in any procedure when a judgment based on numerous factors has to be made.

Trump is exiting courtroom with a scowl.

— erica orden (@eorden) April 23, 2024

Not surprised. Judge just told his defence attorney that he’s “losing all credibility with the court” in his arguments about Trump potentially violating a gag order.

It’s worth noting that Trump’s attorney is normally a prosecutor not a defence lawyer

It’s worth noting that Trump’s attorney is normally a prosecutor not a defence lawyer

What level prosecutor though? Local court prosecuting dime bag drug dealers or federal court prosecuting Russian money laundering? My assumption is that any decent lawyer would be able to switch between prosecuting or defending, depending on who pays more. Problem seems to be that Trump’s lawyer has annoyed the judge, seems like an dumb mistake to me.

Blanche angers the judge with this question:

"Your honor says the timing matters. Why?"

Merchan snaps: "I'm asking the questions," telling Blanche he shouldn't "turn it around."

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) April 23, 2024

Each of trump’s attorneys in this case – Blanche, Bove and Necheles  – have significant high level prosecutorial experience with a spread of private and public and private experience.

Habba may be present – is she? – but is nothing other than trump’s mouthpiece so I’m discounting her.

What level prosecutor though? Local court prosecuting dime bag drug dealers or federal court prosecuting Russian money laundering? My assumption is that any decent lawyer would be able to switch between prosecuting or defending, depending on who pays more. Problem seems to be that Trump’s lawyer has annoyed the judge, seems like an dumb mistake to me.

My thoughts exactly, a hot-shot, high flying prosecutor I’d expect could also turn thier hand to being a good defence lawyer as you’d have to be well versed in both sides, to be effective at either at a high level?

MASSIVE TURNOUT for Donald Trump today in New York. pic.twitter.com/uElbybSz4V

— The Good Liars (@TheGoodLiars) April 23, 2024

I really, really hope the stress of it all kills him. I know a few on here get all hand wringing and virtuoso about such things but, there are some people whose death would genuinely make the world a better and safer place. Donald and Vlad are up there.

That’s a horrible thing to wish for ,no swift exit.

I would rather he had something that left him mute,and spent his last years in absolute misery.

I really, really hope the stress of it all kills him.

I think the problem is, with people like trump, they don’t get stressed in the way most people do, I dunno whether it’s extreme narcissim, or psychopathy or whatever, but there’s no way a ‘normal’ 77 year old could cope with the stress, unless they were “neurodivergent” in some way, to put it politley!

I’m very amused by Cohen referring to trump as ‘MrVonShitzinPants’.

Putting the puerile humour to one side, it would be helpful to the prosecution if they told ALL of their witnesses – definites and possibles – to say nothing in public until the case is over.

Don’t want to give the defence any opening.

I really, really hope the stress of it all kills him.

For me, I hope he just has a long life in utter obscurity, forgotten by the world.

I hope he just has a long life in utter obscurity, forgotten by the world.

That would be a punishment worse than death for someone like him, I approve.

Trump claims ‘thousands of people’ were stopped from protesting his trial…
…that’s not what reporters on the scene saw.

Thousands of people were turned away from the Courthouse in Lower Manhattan by steel stanchions and police, literally blocks from the tiny side door from where I enter and leave. It is an armed camp to keep people away. Maggot Hagerman of The Failing New York Times, falsely reported that I was disappointed with the crowds. No, I’m disappointed with Maggot, and her lack of writing skill, and that some of these many police aren’t being sent to Columbia and NYU to keep the schools open and the students safe. The Legal Scholars call the case a Scam that should never have been brought. I call it Election Interference and a personal hit job by a conflicted and corrupt Judge who shouldn’t be allowed to preside over this Political Hoax. New York Justice is being reduced to ashes, and the World is breathlessly watching. Hopefully, Appellate Courts can save it, and all of the companies that are fleeing to other jurisdictions. They can no longer take a chance on New York Justice!

If nothing else, you have to laugh at his transparent abuse of capital letters in an attempt to make his words appear in a certain way.

He clearly got his degree from the Trump school of wordiology.

I think the capital letters are genius – they enable me to read it in his voice, placing emphasis on certain words.

“The Legal Scholars call the case a Scam that should never have been brought. I call it Election Interference and a personal hit job by a conflicted and corrupt Judge who shouldn’t be allowed to preside over this Political Hoax.”

I can just hear his Voice as I Read it.

I thought it was going to be one of those where the capital letters are Picked with the specific Reason and Intent that when Collected together by someone in the Know they spell out a message.

Trump just claimed that the police have shut down the streets around the courthouse for blocks & that his protesters can’t be here.

Just…not true. There is one pro-Trump person here & the main street along the courthouse is open to traffic. pic.twitter.com/JyrH3ZkNrX

— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) April 23, 2024

Erm – isn’t he under a gag order??

My assumption is that any decent lawyer would be able to switch between prosecuting or defending, depending on who pays more.

In the US system, prosecutors are publicly elected to the state, and rarely do any actually court work, hiring others to do that for them. Bragg isn’t in the court room for instance. Blanche (Trumps lawyer) was a prosecutor working with Bragg, then joined a Wall St firm (natch) and then essentially moved to Florida to take on Trump as his client.

He’s done this work – defence lawyer in an actual court case, just the once before

@theotherjonv – I saw what you did there…

Everything he touches…

The company you keep … pic.twitter.com/kQ6YtzNpEq

— The Editorial Board (@johnastoehr) April 25, 2024

Supreme Court immunity from prosecution hearing https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-weighs-trumps-bid-immunity-prosecution-2024-04-25/

Rudy Giuliani, and 17 others, charged in Arizona. Donald Trump named as an unindicted co-conspirator https://www.reuters.com/world/us/grand-jury-indicts-18-alleged-arizona-fake-elector-scheme-re-elect-trump-2024-04-24/

What’s the probability that SCOTUS will decide (with some flowery words about the responsibility of Presidents) that generally speaking POTUS isn’t above the law, but in this very specific case, this very specific Ex-pres somehow will be?

I don’t think that even this scotus would be that idiotic.
All they are going to do is delay the trials so that if trump wins they will go away, and if he loses the election it won’t matter as he will likely be dead by the time of the next one