Elephants and Jackasses...

But you most certainly can for tax fraud, which the state of New York might have something to say about. And even if Pence pardons him; it would only apply to federal crimes.

 

The Manhattan DA believes so; hence why they've already been repeatedly filing requests to get his tax returns. And during his testimony Michael Cohen on multiple occasions intimated that he had done exactly that by submitting conflicting values of his various properties to both banks to obtain better rates and to the IRS to claim 'losses' and lessen his tax burden.

 

I think the top contenders right now are Schiff, Swalwell, Becerra, Padilla, and Bass. I would add Porter to that list if she had more than just the single term in Congress, but who knows. Schiff might be offered something like DNI, which would take him off the table.

 

Without knowing what the authorities have via their own investigations, the best indication publicly is Cohen's testimony that Trump provided different valuations for the same assets on his taxes vs on his loan applications, which would make it either tax fraud or bank fraud depending on which number is the fake one.

 

I could also see him being offered AG with his extensive prosecutorial background.

 

I see most of the folks in leadership over his antics. He lost, and despite kicking and screaming, but nothing can change that. The GOP leaders risk very real backlash by entertaining this bullshit, and the folks that he brought on are rapidly looking for a ripcord to pull. Right now, most of the GOP leaders are waiting for the door to fully close, and once it does, they will turn their back on Trump.

In short, the bubble of invulnerability has burst.

Also, what judge is going to advance an election fraud case without evidence?

I also don't see him resigning and getting a pardon from Pence for the simple purpose of: pardon him from what? There's not an accusation or an investigation that is in progress that can't wait til January. It's not like Pence can issue a get out of jail free card that applies once he's out of office.

I also think Pence is treading extra carefully here to not fuck up his own ambitions. He'll figure in the GOP 2022 and 2024 plans, and he'll be one of the ones to abandon the bandwagon here pretty soon. Christmas 2022 will have bargain bin copies of Pence's book "I tried to stop it, honestly, Jesus" everywhere.

I think Biden's deal will be pretty simple: as of January, shut the fuck up and go quietly, or we fully investigate everything that happened since 2014. Hatch Act, Emoluments clause, it's all coming out. Those investigations can theoretically include a provision that he can't leave the country. It's one of the reason they immediately announced an investigation, I think. No reason for the feds to lift a finger in the state cases. Biden lawyered up for the election fight, but he could just as easily use that team to focus on finding all of Trump's....indiscretions, and Kamala Harris would gleefully and personally run an inquisition. It'll make the OJ trial look like a fucking snooze fest, and Trump has a lot of dirty laundry that can be aired out. .

Also, think of the legions of folks (FBI, DOJ, State, etc.) that Trump embarrassed, discredited or pissed off. Soon, he will have very little protecting him from their wrath other than whatever deal he can strike with the transition team.

His best hope of keeping any kind of sway is to shut the fuck up and play golf until 2024, when he will have to back someone like Liz Cheney or a robot made out of burnt crosses.

 

I think the people who'd be upset at Democrats seeking to hold Trump inc. accountable, are not the voters they particularly care about.

 

I like this CNN headline, because I imagine it being said in the most literal sense, like a cartoon character realizing they walked into the wrong room.
Sources close to the White House say some officials are beginning to quietly back away from Trump

 

Biden shouldn't waste his time focusing on Trump, but the appropriate officials at the Justice Department, the Manhattan DA's office, god knows how many state AGs, etc, should absolutely tear his life apart and prosecute every unpaid parking ticket.

 

Going back to this, I'm very sure this is the planned outcome. Maybe not 5:00 PM, but call it at least an hour before Biden's 8:00 speech, so people start tuning in.

 

Anybody got the betting odds on whether or not Trump starts ripping out the copper in the White House and covering the walls with his own feces before he's forced to vacate?

 

He’s definitely stealing some shit. I don’t know what though.

 

There's a lot of questions that come to mind for me, regarding just the little factoids regarding the presidency. Will any future president unveil a White House portrait for Trump? Will he ever be invited to state funerals?

Shit like that.

 

There's a part of me that thinks it would be super petty and beneath Biden to have a priest conduct an exorcism before he moves in. Then there's the other part of me that definitely thinks those bedsheets need to be ritually burned.

 

It would have cost you absolutely nothing to not type those words.

 

I'm genuinely curious if there's going to be a delay period before Biden can actually occupy the White House. Not because of all of the reasons we've joked about, but I imagine that the whole place is going to have to be meticulously searched for foreign surveillance bugs and whatnot given Trump's complete lack of caring about national security or vetting of who he took meetings with.