BRAGGIN' RIGHTS — The Weekly Opine

A long time coming

May 30, 2024, a date that will live in glorious truth. The day the chickens of justice finally came home to roost. The day a former U.S. president, Donald J. Trump, was convicted on 34 of a possible 34 felony counts. For the sports-minded, that’s a 34-0 shutout. A no-hitter. The Manhattan jury handed Trump a goose egg. Prosecutors ran the table.

The Republican Party now faces a decision they faced in 2015, when the Access Hollywood video surfaced that featured Trump bragging about casually sexually assaulting women. Back then, Republicans, including fake Christians like vice presidential nominee Mike Pence, made the horrible, ungodly decision to stick with the unapologetic serial assaulter (credibly alleged by 20+ women).

In a bygone era, it would not even be a question, i.e., will the party of America’s greatest president, Abraham Lincoln, continue to support their presumptive nominee, now a convicted felon?

As a convicted felon Trump might not be eligible to vote in his home state of Florida. (However, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who makes it difficult for people of color to vote, would surely clear the way for Trump.) More bad news for NRA-loving Trump; felons cannot purchase firearms.

And while presidential nominees from the party not occupying the White House are privy to classified intelligence updates during the campaign, felons are not allowed to see this sensitive information. Throw in the fact Trump has already been indicted for stealing classified documents and the case can easily be made to keep Trump away from the nation’s top secrets.

This Manhattan courthouse played host to a history-defining moment. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

In case Trump wants to try his hand at police work, well, felons cannot be police officers. Nor can felons serve on corporate boards or be CEOs. One wonders, then, how is it possible a convicted felon, who committed fraud related to an election crime, can continue running for president?

Trump cries everything is rigged, that the system is out to get him. Yet, when given the opportunity to defend himself – inside a courtroom – he refuses. Remember the Mueller probe regarding Russian interference? Trump refused Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s invitation to clear his name by testifying before the grand jury.

During the E. Jean Carroll civil trials, one of which resulted in Trump being found guilty of sexual assault (rape) by a jury, Trump threatened to take the stand but chickened out. Same as in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case. Big talk, no action. (I think Stormy Daniels said that about Trump, but I digress.)

In the New York election interference/hush money case Trump talked big game outside the courtroom but fell silent inside, despite continued musings that he would testify to prove his innocence.

In another oddity that you probably won’t hear from hosts on Fox News, Trump’s defense team only objected to the seating of one of the 12 jurors in the Manhattan trial. You would think that if the defense team believed it was rigged, they would have argued against more than just one juror.

Of course, MAGAs downplay the felonies Trump’s been convicted of as just run-of-the-mill petty crimes. Truth is, Trump was likely elected president in 2016 because he paid hush money to hide from the American electorate that he had sex with a pornography actress. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg calls it a scheme to corrupt the election.

A big question is, how will Democrats react? Yesterday, Democrats issued perfunctory statements extolling that no one is above the law, justice prevailed, yada, yada, yada. Not the aggressiveness the moment calls for. Dems should display no reticence about unleashing tenacious attacks on Trump, and all local, statewide and national Republican candidates who steadfastly cling to a 34x convicted felon.

Did somebody say, “Big Man on Campus?” (Photo credit MSNBC screenshot)

Lock him up!

July will be interesting. Trump’s sentencing is scheduled on July 11. Four days later, on July 15, the Republican National Convention will start the process of nominating Trump as their presidential nominee. Based on post-conviction, full-throated social media responses from GOP lawmakers, Trump is still their man.

Regarding sentencing, Judge Juan Merchan has a lot to consider. Trump has shown zero remorse. He displays a penchant for recidivism, 10 times acting in contempt while violating the judge’s gag order. Trump’s social media posts are tantamount to invitations for his looney followers to harm the judge and jury. Trump and his defense team disrespected Judge Merchan showing up late to the courtroom. Reporting says Trump invited shady characters to sit near the defense table, apparently trying to intimidate the judge and jury.

While Judge Merchan has sentencing leeway ranging from probation to up to 20 years in prison, he was stout when imploring the jury to treat Trump the same as any other defendant. If he follows his mantra to the jury, Judge Merchan will send Trump to prison.

Recall that Trump’s Department of Justice sent Michael Cohen to prison for committing the same crime Trump was just found guilty of; a scheme to corrupt the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Cohen cooperated with the DOJ and still received a 3-year prison term. If the underling goes to prison, shouldn’t the ringmaster also be sentenced to hard time?

For the felon Trump, it will likely get darker before it gets lighter. (Photos credit MSNBC screenshot; The Weekly Opine)

D.A. Bragg caught heat from all corners (including from me) for taking so much time before indicting Trump. After yesterday’s guilty verdict Bragg, who also won a tax fraud conviction against the Trump Foundation, simply said, “I did my job.” No trash talk, no flipping his bat or spiking the ball in the end zone.

In Manhattan, Trump faced criminal music he’s evaded elsewhere. In Washington, D.C., a corrupt U.S. Supreme Court prevents his Jan. 6 insurrection trial from getting underway. In South Florida, a Trump-appointed toady judge, Aileen Cannon, blocks the stolen classified documents trial from going forward. Down in Georgia, state Republicans strive to further delay the start of Trump’s RICO election conspiracy trial.

Thankfully, New York is a Democrat-controlled state, making it impossible for corrupt Republicans (e.g., Rep. Elise Stefanik) or the corrupt U.S. Supreme Court to interfere in D.A. Bragg’s case.

Hopefully, the media will demonstrate restraint and not chase down the identities of the Manhattan jurors. Journalistic instinct, to aggressively pursue information that scoops the competition, should be tempered in the interest of safety. The jury should not be placed at risk of suffering the same harassment and threats of violence - or worse - that Atlanta election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss have been subjected to.

At home, my American flag is always displayed right side up. Today, the flag sways in the gentle breeze with more pride now that Trump has a newly minted title; convicted felon. Go ahead, say it again because it just rolls off the tongue. Trump is a felon.

Good day.