@journeywithme2 Yes, that is a horrifying (if not surprising) article. I can't believe anyone would be surprised he feels that way after the things he said about McCain and Khan. Khan's father said it way back in 2016: "he has no idea what service and sacrifice is." How did this country ever elect him after that, it Breaks my heart.
Reading that article led me to this interview between an Atlantic reporter and Peter Strozk, which corroborates much of what @jeannemayell and others have been saying about Trump's connections to Russia. It also sheds some light on the limitations of our intelligence organizations - and the Mueller investigation - when it came to investigating unofficial connections, like Trump's connections to Russian oligarchs as opposed to Russian government officials. It highlights how Russia's tactics have matured and we have not caught up to them. It is slightly terrifying but sounds so much like what jeanne and others have been saying all along about Trump being compromised.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/09/anne-applebaum-interviews-peter-strzok/616003/
He is despicable. I'm not someone who needs tons of reassurance about things, but someone please tell me again that he will be gone. I've said it before but there is just no bottom, no disgusting depth he won't sink to.
I think we all pray every day that he will go away. While none of us believe that all the country's problems will be solved once he leaves, I think I speak for everyone that his departure would help limit the damage and allow light workers to start the slow road to recovery.
I notice with amusement that Trump was planning to shut down the military newspaper "Stars and Stripes" today, but has since reversed himself. This could be one of two things:
(1) Trump is trying to distract from the Atlantic story about how he called WWI soldiers who dies "losers" and "suckers." He hopes that by causing a threat to the "Stars and Stripes" via his administration, and then coming in alone to save it, he can use the story to say "see, I love the military! I saved their paper!"
If this is the case, no one is going to fall for it.
(2) As I mentioned before, Trump is a bully, and bullies are essentially cowards at heart. If faced with massive backlash, they cave. When word about the "Stars and Stripes" hit the media, the outrage was so great that Trump came up with this "I would never plan to shut down a military newspaper!" story in hopes we believe him.
It is my belief that if Trump is faced with just enough backlash, then he may actually resign before the election. He won't resign over this, of course. But if (as I suspect) Trump's enemies start releasing damaging information throughout the month of October and Trump sees that he will lose, then he may resign before the election takes place.
Why would he do this? Simple. If he runs and loses, he will eventually be kicked out at the very latest by January 20, 2021 (provided Biden doesn't concede and the election is still in doubt, of course.) If this happens, Pelosi becomes President, and he is in big trouble, as she can order for him to be thrown out of the White House pending a new election or, at the very worst, put him under house arrest for treason.
Now, if Trump feels that he is going to lose in October, he will balk like the coward he is and resign before the election. He will do this for the following reasons:
1. If he runs and loses, then he is a "loser," and no matter what excuses he comes up with, he will be a loser for all time. I don't think he can handle that. It would be far easier for him to resign and then play the "victim" while nursing his ego that "if he had stayed on the ticket, the Republican party wouldn't have lost so badly! People only came to vote for me! If I had stayed, the Republican party would have stayed in control!" Basically, anything that will keep him from facing the public's opinion of his actions.
2. If he resigns and leaves office, he can appoint Pence to take over. Pence can then pardon Trump and his family. Remember, while a Vice President who takes over for a President can technically pardon him (Ford did this for Nixon), there is a lot of doubt that Trump can pardon himself, and I am willing to bet that Gorsurch and Roberts will find that a sitting President cannot pardon himself, seeing as to how they want to follow the Constitution, even at the expense of "conservative" positions. But the only sure way that Trump can do this is if he does it before the election. Even if he loses and then resigns to allow Pence to finish his term, there is still doubt as to whether Pence will have that power to pardon at that point in that he would be acting as a proxy for Trump. So the only certain way Trump can save his family and himself from future federal charges is by having Pence pardon him if he resigns before November 3, 2020. Otherwise, the pardon would almost certainly be challenged and even brought before the Supreme Court with a good chance of being declared invalid.
I sincerely hope my instinct is correct and that Trump's enemies are waiting in the wings with damaging information ready to release at the right time to where Trump can be worn down to where resignation is the only way he can save face and get a slight victory out of it. Knowing him, he will probably fake a heart attack or something, and then blame the media and Democrats for "harassing him and treating him so bad" that the stress led to a heart attack. I don't have the gift of foresight, so I guess we will see.
@allyn from your lips to God's ears.. and may he not be pardoned... may all of them ..be held accountable!!!!
Allyn,
I agree almost completely, although I think you think his resignation is more of a possibility than I do. I certainly hope your hunch is correct about more damaging information to come. I think there are pros and cons to his resignation at this point in time.
Now people are mad as hell about this, as well they should be, but what is it going to take to get everyone to realize he is a TRAITOR. The report about Russian bounties on the heads of our soldiers wasn't enough? Or how he's been insulting military members and their families since before the election? Or his hundreds and hundreds of Russian connections?
The argument has been made that people have reasons like their upbringing, their life experiences, ect, for having and holding the beliefs they do, and that is true, of course, BUT-there comes a point where you have to put right and wrong above what you believe, and no matter how you think about any given topic, almost everyone knows the difference.
Take abortion. It's a hot-button issue, but if, and I believe, when, it comes out that T. has paid for abortions for his mistresses, will his supporters turn on him? Nope. They'll fall to their knees, sobbing, and declare it God's will, that those children weren't meant to be born. I just can't stomach the hypocrisy.
I won't write what I want to say about T. supporters because I know people here have them in their lives, but for me personally, my disgust is complete.
What I like about that Alantic story is that the Atlantic is not considered a leftist publication. It's somewhat middle of the road. Of course the Right thinks it's left but it is more center.
Actually I think resignation is even more likely now than ever. The military "losers and suckers" shows how much disdain he has for losing or sacrificing of any kind. He wont handle losing an election and by pissing off the military like he has, it will bring him that much closer to certain defeat.
I see no legal challenges to Pence pardoning Trump and his family, as Ford set the precedent. There will be blowback from the left, of course, but I feel its best for the country for him not to be prosecuted(I know thats going to ruffle feathers here but hear me out). Going after Trump criminally will just further his martyrdom and keep his psychotic base fueled even longer and more apt to shed innocent blood. We just need to move past this entirely and keep it firmly in our rearview to heal and grow from it with minimal long term damage. His resignation pre-election also keep his base from protesting any election loss violently. The best scenario for the US is for him to not make it til 11/3 still on the ballot and whatever undeserved benefit that allows him, so be it in my eyes. Leave karma and the universe to handle him how they so choose.
He won't resign for one simple reason. He is indicted and knows it. Once the safety net of the Oval Office is gone, that's it.
If he gets the pardon from Pence he is free federally, and I'm sure Cuomo would let him off in NY if he agreed to resign. Im not sure NY Governors power but Im confident a deal can be made there
By the way, Agent Orange just did it again. He gave too much info in his denial of the John Kelly story during his presser. He said Kelly was burned out, couldn't handle the job, and badmouthed him, when Kelly wasn't named as a source. He tried to walk it back a little but damage was done.