Katherine Faulders, Alexander Mallin, and Mike Levine of ABC News reported today that sources have told them that former president Trump shared information about U.S. nuclear subs with Anthony Pratt, an Australian billionaire who was a member of the Mar-a-Lago club. The sources say Pratt then shared that information with at least 45 others: more than a dozen foreign officials, his own employees, and a few journalists. Trump allegedly shared the exact number of nuclear warheads U.S. submarines carry, and exactly how close they can get to a Russian submarine without being detected.
Read him his rights and take him into custody. What if anyone else was was passing out critical military secrets? Would there be any question?
If a president has absolute impunity, is he or she not an autocrat? That's simply not a president; it's an emperor or dictator. If a president is not accountable to law, can you call it a "republic"? If those who trusted to craft, judge and administrate the law consistently show contempt for the law, why would anyone respect it?
As horrid as all these proceedings are that shine a light on the unqualified candidate that is Trump, the one that bothers me the most is the documents case. How can an entire party elected to - among other things - protect our country turn away from the reality of what 45 did and take a "nothing to see here" stance?
Many thanks, Heather, for your steadfast defense of our democracy.
Michelle Goldberg's article in the Times suggests a way for moderate Republicans acting with courage could save us from the end of Democracy which will occur if Jordan is elected speaker. The idea is that the handful required would work with Democrats to choose a speaker of integrity that would be acceptable to both a majority of Republicans and Democrats. The suggestion was Brian Fitzpatrick of the Problem Solvers Caucus. Adam Kinzinger has suggested former Rep. Fred Upton for that role.
Now that Trump has thrown his support to Jordan we are in a true crisis situation. Jordan will do whatever Trump wants and that is to throw the country into chaos. There is only a narrow path out of the crisis join but that requires courage on the part of people who have not shown a whiff of it so far.
If any judge at any level sides with trump to delay these trials that judge is also committing treason. Trump must face the consequence of his treasonous behavior. Even if he is ultimately found not guilty on any of the charges he must face justice. I cannot imagine any jury (except perhaps in Florida) that would not find him guilty. That he so stupidly shared top secret information endangering our sailors aboard nuclear submarines and endangered the country alone should confine him to prison for the balance of his worthless life. How could any American believe, trust, or vote for him?
I absolutely LOVE that you and Joyce Vance dovetailed each other tonight, whether it was intentional or not. Both of you are on my MUST READ list before going to bed here on the west coast.
So are we screwed? Jim Jordan needs 218 votes and there are 221 Repubs in Congress. Unless several of them start using their brains and vote No, we will have Trumps boy as Speaker. I know what I will be praying for this weekend. This is chaos. Appreciate all you do HCR.
Sharing our nuclear sub secrets, even if it was not for money, is TREASON. Pure and simple. TFG pronounced the punishment for treason. I hold that a firing squad at dawn is my choice.
What worries me that the House GOP is on a united track with the former President to destroy this country and the “memory” of democracy and that no one left in the GOP has the courage to stop it. Trump endorsing Jim Jordan, traitor and predator will make and GOP congressman afraid of political and personal (safety) retribution. This is a beast that has become unmanageable.
Damn, I could have sworn that chump and lawyers have tried all these delaying tactics before. Is it Groundhogs day? Or are we in a time warp where we have to relive chump’s insane actions over and over for eternity. Best definition of hell I’ve ever contemplated….
Lord, it's so classically adolescent; "I'm the cool guy 'cause I know stuff". How can anyone in his or her right mind want an overgrown teenager in the Oval Office dealing with Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping. If that isn't enough, how can anyone who actually reads not be aware of Trump's affinity for authoritarians. It just boggles the mind. There've been some incompetents in the Oval Office, and some only average, many reasonably competent, and a few extraordinary, but at worst, incompetence has been the only real issue, but this man is an extraordinary danger to us. Unfortunately, it's like climate change - by the time enough of us really understand the threat it may well be too late.
Trump says the Presidential Records Act gave him the right to take those documents when he left office.
The Presidential Records Act actually says, among many other things, it:
“Establishes that Presidential records automatically transfer into the legal custody of the Archivist as soon as the President leaves office.”
It also says something that may be relevant now that wasn't before and that is it:
"Prevents an individual who has been convicted of a crime related to the review, retention, removal, or destruction of records from being given access to any original records."
Please, if you haven't heard Jim Jordan much then please listen to him on CSpan.
And then imagine him as Speaker.
This is time to test whether there are any moderate Republicans willing to shift the GOP away from Trumpism. By voting for a Republican Speaker who has publicly distanced themselves from Trump, if they can find one. Or for Hakeem Jeffries.
I don't think I am the only one thinking that whomever takes the gavel for the Speaker of the House position with be one that has a prime purpose for vengeance. There are no good choices. Odds are that Jordan will receive the gavel. That being the case, the goalposts for a Biden re-election have been moved.
It will be very telling how Judge Cannon rules for Trump.
Oh boy— this news makes my blood boil. This piece of s—t was our President and it seems to me at this point he’s also one of the most effective criminals the world has ever known. No patriotic convictions at all. Selling our country’s defense secrets? Completely mind blowing stuff. Omg Mr. Smith sic him fast.
Read him his rights and take him into custody. What if anyone else was was passing out critical military secrets? Would there be any question?
If a president has absolute impunity, is he or she not an autocrat? That's simply not a president; it's an emperor or dictator. If a president is not accountable to law, can you call it a "republic"? If those who trusted to craft, judge and administrate the law consistently show contempt for the law, why would anyone respect it?
As horrid as all these proceedings are that shine a light on the unqualified candidate that is Trump, the one that bothers me the most is the documents case. How can an entire party elected to - among other things - protect our country turn away from the reality of what 45 did and take a "nothing to see here" stance?
Many thanks, Heather, for your steadfast defense of our democracy.
Another revelation is that he told Pratt about the subs AFTER HE HAD LEFT OFFICE. So that’s really, really treason isn’t it? By any measure?
Michelle Goldberg's article in the Times suggests a way for moderate Republicans acting with courage could save us from the end of Democracy which will occur if Jordan is elected speaker. The idea is that the handful required would work with Democrats to choose a speaker of integrity that would be acceptable to both a majority of Republicans and Democrats. The suggestion was Brian Fitzpatrick of the Problem Solvers Caucus. Adam Kinzinger has suggested former Rep. Fred Upton for that role.
Now that Trump has thrown his support to Jordan we are in a true crisis situation. Jordan will do whatever Trump wants and that is to throw the country into chaos. There is only a narrow path out of the crisis join but that requires courage on the part of people who have not shown a whiff of it so far.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/05/opinion/columnists/republicans-democrats-house-speaker.html?unlocked_article_code=N3dcKyu2Ovrl38YyoTjDiOrMrXOcXky2EzxCYKp52M3qycK__q57IWX5jwFVLoJvpcVl0DDy-tSDPblhlfdg2sYMfEYwBZairhctAu6hYQgU_1ZVCENfXCSiqtwI6FWVZfZkSwBCt9RmgK7y1X4WWKuBgM3Ol0O7vHaHvPnIsU0E8pdsDPA2ATJzMTKH4FlDEg6PF2L6vGfpTjmLrcjhdkbLNIECpuZDt-77GVth2vnts_bH_WkYQLCZGE2DaL3ApgZtdsmEZu0dX4zWrVy9-fRVzWFDDLct58J6zQnrjpJcGvl2fwsTKCLQfuRL9N94YZk7pDasmDqmfAhiwa5j7WsSEDPT-BAp4I4L8ew7qp8i2J1sgX_8Ng&smid=url-share
https://substack.com/inbox/post/137710101
If any judge at any level sides with trump to delay these trials that judge is also committing treason. Trump must face the consequence of his treasonous behavior. Even if he is ultimately found not guilty on any of the charges he must face justice. I cannot imagine any jury (except perhaps in Florida) that would not find him guilty. That he so stupidly shared top secret information endangering our sailors aboard nuclear submarines and endangered the country alone should confine him to prison for the balance of his worthless life. How could any American believe, trust, or vote for him?
I absolutely LOVE that you and Joyce Vance dovetailed each other tonight, whether it was intentional or not. Both of you are on my MUST READ list before going to bed here on the west coast.
So are we screwed? Jim Jordan needs 218 votes and there are 221 Repubs in Congress. Unless several of them start using their brains and vote No, we will have Trumps boy as Speaker. I know what I will be praying for this weekend. This is chaos. Appreciate all you do HCR.
Sharing our nuclear sub secrets, even if it was not for money, is TREASON. Pure and simple. TFG pronounced the punishment for treason. I hold that a firing squad at dawn is my choice.
What worries me that the House GOP is on a united track with the former President to destroy this country and the “memory” of democracy and that no one left in the GOP has the courage to stop it. Trump endorsing Jim Jordan, traitor and predator will make and GOP congressman afraid of political and personal (safety) retribution. This is a beast that has become unmanageable.
Damn, I could have sworn that chump and lawyers have tried all these delaying tactics before. Is it Groundhogs day? Or are we in a time warp where we have to relive chump’s insane actions over and over for eternity. Best definition of hell I’ve ever contemplated….
Lord, it's so classically adolescent; "I'm the cool guy 'cause I know stuff". How can anyone in his or her right mind want an overgrown teenager in the Oval Office dealing with Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping. If that isn't enough, how can anyone who actually reads not be aware of Trump's affinity for authoritarians. It just boggles the mind. There've been some incompetents in the Oval Office, and some only average, many reasonably competent, and a few extraordinary, but at worst, incompetence has been the only real issue, but this man is an extraordinary danger to us. Unfortunately, it's like climate change - by the time enough of us really understand the threat it may well be too late.
Trump says the Presidential Records Act gave him the right to take those documents when he left office.
The Presidential Records Act actually says, among many other things, it:
“Establishes that Presidential records automatically transfer into the legal custody of the Archivist as soon as the President leaves office.”
It also says something that may be relevant now that wasn't before and that is it:
"Prevents an individual who has been convicted of a crime related to the review, retention, removal, or destruction of records from being given access to any original records."
Please, if you haven't heard Jim Jordan much then please listen to him on CSpan.
And then imagine him as Speaker.
This is time to test whether there are any moderate Republicans willing to shift the GOP away from Trumpism. By voting for a Republican Speaker who has publicly distanced themselves from Trump, if they can find one. Or for Hakeem Jeffries.
Jim Jordan 'Givi'n Liz the Biz' at CPAC
https://www.c-span.org/video/?522151-109/conservative-political-action-conference-rep-jim-jordan
At Justice Department Oversight hearing
https://www.c-span.org/person/?1022879/JimJordan
At Biden impeachment hearing
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5085986/rep-jordan-rebuts-professor-gerhardt
Thank you Heather.
I don't think I am the only one thinking that whomever takes the gavel for the Speaker of the House position with be one that has a prime purpose for vengeance. There are no good choices. Odds are that Jordan will receive the gavel. That being the case, the goalposts for a Biden re-election have been moved.
It will be very telling how Judge Cannon rules for Trump.
I have an uneasy feeling
Be safe. Be well.
Jim Jordan second in line to be president. And I used to think Halloween was scary! It explains why some people have fear of clowns.
Oh boy— this news makes my blood boil. This piece of s—t was our President and it seems to me at this point he’s also one of the most effective criminals the world has ever known. No patriotic convictions at all. Selling our country’s defense secrets? Completely mind blowing stuff. Omg Mr. Smith sic him fast.