Feb. 23, 2024

I wrote this post three years ago today! Three years ago!! How long will it take to drive a stake through the heart of this Trump nonsense? The only thing I got wrong when I wrote this was the statement, “another run for political office is not in the cards for Trump.” I naively thought Trump would be so busy fighting legal battles he wouldn’t have the time or inclination to run for office. Of course, that was before I realized the only way he can escape accountability for his actions is to re-occupy the White House. “Raise the shields, Scotty!” (for those of you who remember Star Trek!). It is a very sad commentary on this country that it has taken this long to even begin to hold Trump accountable for his actions, let along the fact that he is the Republican front-runner for the nomination. The real question we should all be asking is, “Where will we be three years hence?” It’s a very scary prospect! Enjoy the trip down memory lane. “The ‘Big Lie’ won’t die! You have to ask yourself why this widely debunked myth of ‘widespread voter fraud’ won’t die. Multiple courts, both Republican and Democratic election officials in all 50 states and even the DOJ have stated that there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud. So why won’t this big lie fade away? The sad fact is, it’s useful for those that continue to propagate it, although some will find out that it does have a cost. Trump continues to push this big conspiracy theory for two main reasons. There is, of course, his fragile ego that won’t allow him to admit any kind of defeat – ever! However, and probably more importantly, he has found that it is a very useful fundraising mechanism.  Trump will be speaking at the CPAC (Conservative Action Political Convention) this weekend and he will certainly continue to propagate this lie. He will even tease about a potential run for the 2024 election, even though I think he has no intention of actually doing it. The fact is, he needs the money and, as long as he can perpetuate ‘the big lie’ and a new lie about a potential presidential run in 2024, people will continue to fill his piggy bank. It was P.T. Barnum who is alleged to have said, “Many people are gullible, and we can expect that to continue.”  Trump has proven he is one of Barnum’s biggest disciples. What I was having a really hard time understanding for a while was why a lot of other Republicans continue to push ‘the big lie,’ as well.  And then it dawned on me. As long as the Republicans can get people to believe the big lie, i.e., that there was widespread voter fraud, the easier it will be to pass laws to restrict voter access in the name of ‘voter security.’ There are currently multiple efforts in multiple states to pass laws to ‘enhance voter security’ which are really designed to restrict voter access. And these laws will, in many instances, disproportionately affect people of color. This is not a coincidence. This is by design. If the Republicans admitted that the election was conducted legitimately and there was virtually no evidence of widespread voter fraud, then it would make zero sense for them to be passing the laws they are passing. However, as long as they keep ‘the big lie’ alive, they can justify what they are doing in the name of ‘election security,’ even though it really has nothing whatsoever to do with election security. It is, quite frankly, a fraud being perpetrated on the American voting public. And speaking of fraud, it seems like the emperor might soon be looking for something to wear. Yesterday the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s last bid to keep his tax returns and associated documents from being turned over to the Manhattan District Attorney in his ongoing probe of Trump and the Trump organization. If Trump has nothing to hide, one has to wonder why he has spent the last four years desperately trying to keep these documents hidden. I doubt we will have to wonder for much longer. I suspect several things will ultimately be revealed. I think it is a near certainty that Trump is not nearly as wealthy as he has claimed to be. I think that he could very well be the first ex-president indicted for financial crimes such as – tax evasion, bank fraud, and potentially even money laundering. He has already been named as an ‘unindicted co-conspirator’ in the crimes for which his former attorney, Michael Cohen, went to prison. He will probably be named now. He is going to be paying a lot of money in legal fees to defend himself against the numerous legal actions headed his way. These include: 1. The New York attorney general’s office is looking into how the Trump organization valued its assets. 2. Defamation lawsuits from E. Jean Carroll and Summer Zervos. 3. A fraud lawsuit filed by Trump niece Mary Trump. 4. A possible charge of incitement by the DC attorney general for Trump’s role in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. 5. Two investigations into Trump’s attempts to pressure Georgia elected officials to overturn the state’s election results.¹ Since Trump can no longer use the presidency as a legal shield, I believe that his retirement is going to get very complicated very quickly and which is why I think another run for political office is not in the cards for Trump. Not only will Trump be busy fighting a lot of legal ‘alligators’ but some of his most ardent and dedicated supporters will also be donating large sums of money to their legal counsels. Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and now, Mike Lindell (My Pillow guy) has all been slapped with $1.3 billion lawsuits by Dominion, the company that manufactures voting machines. Giuliani, Powell, and Lindell were among the most vocal propagators of ‘the big lie,’ and now they will be paying a price. Do you think that Trump will use some of the millions of dollars he has received via his leadership PAC to be used to help these supporters with their own legal bills? Fat chance. They will join the long list of former Trump supporters who have either been cut loose and disavowed or are viewing the world from under the bus.  In Trump world, loyalty is a one-way street. While the Trump presidency wasn’t very good for America in general, when you look at all of the people around Trump and Trump himself, it has been a huge boon to the legal profession.  I wonder how much money has been spent by Trump and all his corrupt cohorts on legal fees during the last five years. I’m sure the number would be mindboggling. What a legacy and what a waste.