Below is my column in The Hill on the man who lit himself on fire outside of the New York courthouse last week. What does matter may be the reaction to such “demonstrations.”
Here is the column:
The scene outside of the New York courthouse holding the Trump trial has become a microcosm of our deep political divisions and rage this month. Images of citizens screaming at each other from across security barriers have played out nightly on news programs.
But few were prepared for what occurred Friday night, when a man threw flyers in the air, poured a flammable liquid on himself and lit himself on fire.
Some immediately rushed to use the incident to fuel their own rage. On the far left, postings and comments declared MAGA supporters were lighting themselves and “MAGA Terrorist just set himself on fire.”
For many, it seemed a fact too good to check. Even after the police and fire officials explained that the material distributed by the man did not seem to relate to the trial, journalists pushed for a connection to the pro-Trump protesters. Officials reported that the flyers concerned wacky conspiracy theories related to schools and other matters.
Max Azzarello, 37, of Florida worked briefly for Rep. Tom Suozzi (D., N.Y.), but has a criminal record of property offenses that included throwing a glass of wine on a photo of Bill Clinton. We know little of his political views beyond his conspiracy obsessions. However, does it really matter?
What should be clear is that he was a deeply disturbed individual. Yet even self-immolation may no longer be treated as per se evidence of mental illness. In today’s politics, even setting yourself on fire can be rationalized.
An event was held recently at UCLA in which two psychiatrists appeared to rationalize self-immolation in the cause of people in Gaza.
Ragda Izar and Afaf Moustafa were reportedly discussing the self-immolation in front of Israel’s embassy of airman Aaron Bushnell in February to protest Israeli policies. It was referred to as a “revolutionary suicide” on the panel on “Depathologizing Resistance.”
UCLA’s Izar stated that Bushnell “carried a lot of distress…but does that mean that the actions he engaged in are any less valid?” She suggested that it is “normal to be distressed when you’re seeing this level of carnage [in Gaza].”
Moustafa is quoted as saying that “Psychiatry pathologizes non-pathological…reactions to a pathological environment or pathological society. It’s considered illness to choose to die in protest of the violence of war but perfectly sane to choose to die in service of the violence of war.”
There have been a few prominent historical self-immolations in protest, including the famous case of Thich Quang Duc, who burned himself alive to protest the Vietnam War in 1963. However, as lay persons, most of us would hazard to say that it is not “normal” or “valid” to set oneself on fire in a protest.
The dividing line between rage and reason has always been contextual. In my forthcoming book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,” I discuss how we have faced regular periods of rage in our history. How one views rage depends largely on the underlying viewpoint. This country was born in rage with the Boston Tea Party, where a riot with massive property damage is celebrated as a moment of liberation.
Yet even self-immolation may now be viewed as somehow valid when used to oppose Israeli policies or other “distressful” realities. If Azzarello was motivated by his view of a conspiracy among educators or Trump’s trial, would his self-immolation also be viewed as valid?
Relativism has become deeply embedded in our politics, as we see in the continuing efforts to shut down opposing views. A year ago, Stanford University was the scene of a disgraceful shout-down of a federal judge who wanted to share his jurisprudential views.
The university apologized to federal appellate Judge Kyle Duncan, particularly after a dean appeared to blame him at the event for “triggering” students by sharing his opposing views.
The situation did not improve after the response of the university. At the time, I criticized Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Law School Dean Jenny Martinez after they declined to punish any students. Instead, all students were required to watch a widely mocked video on free speech.
One year later, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression released “The Judge Duncan Shoutdown: What Stanford Students Think.” It turns out that 54 percent of Stanford students believe Judge Duncan’s visit should have been canceled by the administration. Seventy-five percent said that “shouting down speakers to prevent them from speaking on campus” is acceptable at least sometimes.
Most chilling, almost 40 percent of the students stated that using physical violence to shut down a campus speaker can at times be acceptable.
Of course, the same students supporting violence to silence opposing views would be triggered and traumatized by others preventing them from hearing their own preferred viewpoints or speakers. For these deluded young people, violence is righteousness when used to silence others, but reprehensible if ever used to silence themselves.
This relativism is taught by many faculty who have publicly discussed “detonating white people,” abolishing white people, calling for Republicans to suffer, strangling police officers, celebrating the death of conservatives, calling for the killing of Trump supporters, supporting the murder of conservative protesters and making other inflammatory statements.
Violent acts against others (or even against oneself in the case of self-immolation) can become “normal” once you accept that others have triggered a response through their conduct or speech. In recent years, we have seen journalists and lawyers throwing Molotov cocktails at police, and some justify it as a form of protest.
What we are losing is a sense of clarity or objectivity. Self-immolation is not normal whether committed by a monk or a madman. Likewise, violence against political opponents is not contextual, but wrong.
The alternative is to come up with excuses about how we must not “pathologize non-pathological…reactions to a pathological environment or pathological society.” That gobbledygook merely rationalizes the irrational and justifies the unjustifiable.
I have no familiarity with either Bushnell or Azzarello, but I know that setting yourself on fire or violently attacking others is indeed “less valid” than alternatives, such as participating in the political system. Before we stretch the spectrum of what is the new normal, we might want to consider the implications of this radical relativism that is taking hold in our political discourse. If you are heading to a rally with matches and a can of accelerant, then you have issues, and they are not political.
Jonathan Turley is the J.B. & Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at the George Washington University Law School.
You believe in that deep state crap.
Sorry Jonathan. That is NOT why Thich Quang Duc set himself on fire. The new President of Vietnam was a Catholic, and declared Vietnam a Christian nation. Thich Quang Duc was a Buddhist Priest. He set himself on fire protesting the president’s proclamation.
Jonathan: Throughout the trial DJT claimed Judge Engoron was “corrupt” and doing the bidding of AG James. Funny thing happened in yesterday’s hearing over the $175 million bond. James had asked Engoron to find the bond invalid. And what happened? Engoron approved the agreement between DJT and AG James to keep the bond in place as long as cash equivalents are maintained and not invested in mutual funds or other instruments.
Engoron’s decision destroys the argument that he is “corrupt” and always rules in favor of James. It also makes a mockery of the claim by John Say on this blog who explained away Engoron’s decision as “either because EnMoron (sic) knows he has no jurisdiction or or is just tired of being a national disgrace”. Sorry, John, it was neither. Engoron still has jurisdiction over the entire case. And Engoron is not a “national disgrace”. He is a respected judge who has always shown he can be fair and balanced!
No, he’s not.
No Dennis, no one cares about the Soviet Union show trial.
What we do care about is the rise of anti-Semitism we are seeing in America. The threats against Jews. These are actual real issues that we do care about.
And yet Democrats are practically silent on it.
The Biden admin gave some mealy mouth, lame press release on it. And still does nothing about it.
Why does the Democrat party side with the pro-Hamas protesters?
America looks more and more like 1930s Germany since Biden became president.
And you want to whine about another lawfare trial?
While we are at it, why is the Democrat party become the party of evil. They are for the hyper-sexualization of children, pornography in elementary schools, child genital mutilation, chemical castration, soft on crime, defund the police, prosecute victims protect criminals, anti-law and order, pro-Hamas and anti-semities.
Why do you support that kind of evil?
“Engoron still has jurisdiction over the entire case.” No, jurisdiction was vested with the appellate court when the notice of appeal was filed and the appellate fee paid. The trial court retains a very limited remaining jurisdiction under CBP 5519(f):
“(f) Proceedings after stay. A stay of enforcement shall not prevent the court of original instance from proceeding in any matter not affected by the judgment or order appealed from or from directing the sale of perishable property.”
Furthermore, your comment is self-refuting. You say that the judge “approved the agreement between DJT and AG James to keep the bond in place[.]” Then you say that this action “disproves that he “always rules in favor of James.” Obviously, if he approved an agreement that she had approved, he is not ruling against her.
Touche!!!
I mean, Touché!!!
Such a garbacg “opinion.” Engoron is thoroughly corrupt. Just because a corrupt judge makes a correct decision every now and then doesn’t make him any less corrupt. Have you every thought that Engoron, knowing his case his total BS and his “opinions” and rulings were totally fraudulent and willl inevitably be overturned, recognized that he better make one correct decision so that morons like you can say, “See, this proves Engoron is not corrupt”? No, you wouldn’t “think” that. That requires intelligence.
Since so many are using this post to comment on Trump’s current trial . . .
The lawfare Left claims that Trump’s “crimes” were falsifying documents. And then that Trump allegedly covered-up those falsifications.
Those are (at worst) *misdemeanor* crimes. The statute of limitations expired on them long ago.
If you claim that the crimes are federal ones, you’re in deep soup. Local DA’s have no jurisdiction over federal crimes.
So what exactly is the theory of the crime?
*Nobody* has clearly articulated that theory. Not the prosecutors. Not the judge. Not the charging documents.
Criminal trials are not supposed to be based on hand-waving.
@AlexBerenson
So:
Trump supposedly engaged in a “conspiracy” to win election.
But he’s NOT charged for the $130,000 Cohen paid Daniels in 2016.
He’s charged for misclassifying the repayments he made to Cohen in 2017 – by which time he’d ALREADY won.
Could this case be a bigger joke?
No election fraud to see here.
https://youtu.be/XK1v5vNuYCs
An online state by state database od successful election fraud prosecutions.
https://www.heritage.org/voterfraud
No there is no election fraud.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-congressman-charged-ballot-stuffing-bribery-and-obstruction
Diversity is communism.
Birds of a feather flock together naturally.
Diversity is unnatural.
Diversity is unconstitutional.
Diversitistas are direct and mortal enemies of the American thesis of Freedom and Self-Reliance, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, actual Americans and America.
So here’s my thoughts on this dude auto-combusting. He’s a nut, and we realize he is a nut, because he lit himself on fire. That, and his various rantings. He was obviously mentally ill. No medical doctor would play into his fantasy, and douse him with petrol, and light him up.
Guess what? The dudes who want to castrate themselves so that they can pretend to be women, are mentally ill, too. Because they are not women, and all they can do is try to disguise themselves as women. Yet, medical doctors will whack off their male parts, and castrate them. And shoot them full of hormones. The same with women, who want to pretend to be men. They are mentally ill, too. Yet, medical doctors will cut their breasts off, and shoot them full of hormones.
The medical doctors will even do this stuff to kids.
So, while we feel sorry for the mentally ill nut, who killed himself, he is a drop in the bucket compared to the large number of other mentally ill nuts who are egged on and exploited by medical doctors and Democrats.
“It turns out that 54 percent of Stanford students believe Judge Duncan’s visit should have been canceled by the administration. Seventy-five percent said that “shouting down speakers to prevent them from speaking on campus” is acceptable at least sometimes.”
******************************************
How in the world is the Hamas-Israel war our business? It’s not unless you are some Chinese whipped up radical hellbent to sow dissention in this country. It’s the work of DEI to admit the least qualified into the universities and to install them as shock troops for the Leftist Revolution. Then the morons who inhabit the managment of our universities just let it happen miraculously discovering the First Amendment after years of turning out conservative voices from their little basecamp for radicals.
Damn them all and let then reap the whirlwind they sowed. I remember a line from the 60s “Burn Baby Burn.” Seems the fires the univesity faculties started in the 60s have blown back in their faces and nobody should call the fire brigade.
Mespo, I will disagree about one point, the Israel Hamas war is our business because Hamas is a terrorist group supported by Iran. DO you recall 9/11? Well we need to eliminate terrorists and their supporters (Iran) and here we have an ally doing it for us. Taking a who cares approach is short-sighted.
Maybe the crazy guy had a point. The “US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES” [allegedly] just appropriated many tens of billions for:
1. A FAILED WAR IN UKRAINE in which the proxy is completely assured to lose
2. MORE MONEY FOR ISRAEL which is also a poor investment than ill serves the donor
3. tons of money for.,.. REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT NGOS IN AMERICA- the same agents of the billionaire class helping elect a new American population from teeming millions of poor foreigners who are less uppity than we are
THIS was also engineered by a false patriot the smarmy Speaker of the House
Republican leaders are contemptible. The only good ones voted against it. No Democrats did, which tells you something. The Dmeocrat party is broken, completely captured by the donor class. At least there’s some fight left inside the Republican party
By the way. Rand Paul is exposing the evidence that FAUCI and the CIA violated former president Obama’s wise XO banning gain of function research, and intentionally sneaked the research and funding from onshore over to Wuhan, there to cook up the Covid virus, and who knows whether the release was intentional or not, but the evidence has piled up against the zoonotic origin hypothesis, and weights heavily in favor of the lab-made hypothesis now. Fauci buried that however, to conceal his own criminal involvement. The crime- CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES. Him and his CIA handlers should go to jail?
They locked us up and we can lock them up. You can feel it, coming in the air tonight—!
Saloth Sar
And by the way. Who cares about Taiwan. Another stupid proxy war idea that will collapse very quickly by comparison to Ukraine. At least they held out a few years. Taiwain won’t hold out a few months if the Chicoms invade, look it up, you will see, the military force disparity is massive., Another total waste of money. Just let it go already! The enemies are here, forget about the ones on the other side of the planet!
by the way, Newsweek, a mass media rag, at least had the cleverness to report on the largesse to the migants in the bill, see here
https://www.newsweek.com/refugees-would-get-millions-housing-under-new-bill-1891520
Sal Sar
It’s a target-rich environment.
So let Russia take Ukraine, Iran take Israel and China take Taiwan is your foreign policy platform? Yup, the world will be much safer with China-Russia-Iran growing stronger and stronger.
Time to Wake Up – It’s not all the US’s Shadow State Domestic Swamp Problems.
The International Stage is in motion, “history is inevitably moving forward” … “the unipolar world is ending.” (Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov)
The US Deep State has Over-Cooked it’s Goose.
Poland Confirms Absurd Desire to Host US Nuclear Weapons – in Violation of NATO Pledges
Moscow has denounced the “invitation” from Polish president Andrzej Duda for US nuclear weapons to be deployed in his country. But the dangerous trend has been there since 2015, challenging all laws and agreements.
By: Dmitry Babich ~ Apr. 22nd, 2024
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240422/poland-confirms-absurd-desire-to-host-us-nuclear-weapons—in-violation-of-nato-pledges-1118062179.html
Russia’s Lavrov Discusses Security With Nicaragua’s Presidential Envoy – Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW, (Sputnik) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has discussed issues pertaining to security with Laureano Ortega Murillo, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s Special Representative for Cooperation with Russia, according to a transcript of the conversation published by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
By: Sputnikglobe.com ~ Apr. 22nd, 2024
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240422/russias-lavrov-discusses-security-with-nicaraguas-presidential-envoy—foreign-ministry-1118066515.html
Jonathan: DJT has become angrier, more isolated and vengeful in his Truth Social posts in the past week. He continues to attack all his perceived enemies. It’s a page out of one of Shakespeare’s tragedies. But DJT had some nice things to say about you. In a post on April 2 DJT said: “Thank you to professor Jonathan Turley for exposing the horrendous decision made by a corrupt New York State Judge, Arthur Engoron,…”. DJT is desperate for any support he can find–even though it is at the fringes of “legal” opinion.
The alternate reality DJT has created for himself over the decades is now crumbing before his eyes in his first criminal trial. He no longer has control of the process–manufacturing a fantasy world that only he inhabits. Now, Justice Merchan controls his every move–whether he can travel and how far and for how long. That’s the new reality DJT faces and he doesn’t like it. So he strikes out like a wounded lion.
In the current criminal trial we see the old adage playing out–the coverup is always worse than the crime. The “Three Stooges”, DJT, Michael Cohen and David Pecker, couldn’t come up with the perfect crime. Smart Mob bosses would have paid off Stormy Daniels in cash to keep her mouth shut. Or they would have had her whacked. Instead, DJT left a long paper trail–a series of checks that he tried to disguise as reimbursements for “legal expenses”. You would never see a Mob boss do that!
But in a way DJT does think like a Mafia Don. In 2018 when he learned David Pecker had squealed on him to DA Bragg DJT told Cohen in a recorded call: “Wouldn’t it be nice if Pecker got hit by a truck”. The difference between DJT and a real Mafia boss is he doesn’t have the cajones to do what any mob boss would be prepared to do to protect his interests. Now, Pecker is the lead off witness for Alvin Bragg. His testimony will sink DJT. So now DJT has to live with all the mistakes he made in not committing the perfect crime!
Dennis what is the crime covered by todays testimony?
“The difference between DJT and a real Mafia boss is he doesn’t have the cajones to do what any mob boss would be prepared to do to protect his interests.” So, you think the difference between hoping someone dies and actually killing him is a small difference?
Do not make the mistake of assuming that Dennis’s claim is true.
Hoe many times have we heard Trump said X only to find that was not true.
I googled Dennis alleged statement and found no reporting on it.
Frankly what is coming out at this trial is that the case is WEAKER than it previously appeared.
Hey dum dum Dennis, how did Lu teesh uh fair in court today?
I thought i heard something about trumps bond being gtg.
Lmao at you douche. You just keep losing.
Dennis – words have meaning – what specifically in Trump’s posts has been Vengeful ?
Of course Trump is angry – so are the rest of us.
I just reviews a from the courthouse live blog of Obama/Biden/James/Brag lawyer Micheal Coangello’s opening against Trump.
First Coangello has conceded that Daniels approached Trump – not the other way arround. She did so AFTER the access hollywood tape, looking for a payday. Further it has been exposed in court filings that Daniels has changed her story 3 separate times.
Regardless, Coengello’s opening posited a conspiracy – that is NOT charged to influence the 2016 election. Which is perfectly legal.
While much of what Coangello claims is fact is disputed, even if Coangello’s entire opening – less spin and incorrect legal claims was true,
the prosecution claims that over the course of the next 6 weeks they will prove that Trump worked hard to beat Hillary Clinton – which is NOT a crime.
But Coangello standing up in court proves precisely What Trump has been saying – this is a DEMOCRAT conspiracy to rig an election.
One that originates with Pres. Biden and Pres. Obama.
That is ACTUALLY illegal. Democrats CAN do must anything they want to thwart Trump’s election – as Democrats.
They MAY NOT does so as part of the government.
Bill Clinton had an entire war room dedicated to thwarting so called “bimbo erruptions” in his campaign.
NO ONE has called that a crime. Edwards had a donor pay off the campaign staffer he got pregnant while his wife was dying of cancer.
None other than Jack Smith prosecuted edwards and lost – because the FEC has repeatedly said thi sis NOT a FEC violation.
It appears that Pecker is going to testify that he supported Trump in 2016. That the NAtional equirer ran stories favorable to Trump and unfavorable to opponents and killed stories unfavorable to Trump.
Is there anyone ever that has expected ehtical journalism from the NAtionl Equirerer ?
Regardless that is not illegal when NE does it, it is not illegal when the Biden campaign asks social media to kill the Hunter Biden laptop story.
It is not illegal when the New York Times – at the direction of Clinton Suregate Sydney Bluementhal runs a story with the intention of getting Joe Biden to drop out of the 2016 race.
For the entirety of US history newspapers far more reputable than the National Enquirer, have run stories favorable to candidates they supported, unfavorable to those they did not, and killed stories unfavorable to candidates they supported.
In fact we had much the same thing in politics involving Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Aaron Burr.
News papers trying to influence political contests and working with politicians is neither unusual or illegal.
Going to the FBI with manufactured allegations of criminal conduct in order to target a political enemy during a campaign – that is both unusual and illegal.
DHS, FBI, CIA coercing social media to kill unfavorable stories related to a candidate – that is unusual and illegal.
Though there is todate no consequential evidence that Russia tried to influence the 2016 election – that would both not be illegal and not possible to stop if they had done so. There is actual evidence that Ukraine sought to influence the 2016 election – with letters attacking Trump posted on Ukraines US embassy web site. Further there is evidence that the Clinton campaign worked with the Ukraine ambassador to accomplish that.
ANY private actor seeking to influence US elections is perfectly legal.
Opening arguments when pretty badly for Bragg. While Judge Merchan went out of his way to help, the gist of The prosecutions claim for THEIR OWN CASE, is that Trump was not allowed to try to win the 2016 Election.
This is especially odd given that Hillary engaged in all kinds of dirty tricks to try to win in 2016 she planted news stories to Drive Biden out of the race, and she sold a hoax to the FBI in the hopes of creating news stories that the FBI was investigating Trump for colluding with Russia.
Those you seem to be OK with. But a Porn star blackmailing a candidate over an incident that we still have no independent corroboration actually occurred, and that while certainly damaging Trump’s relationship with Melania, had at best speculative bearing on the election – as it actually appeals to many Trump supporters that Trump allegedly bedded a porn star.
You are correct – Trump did not commit the perfect crime.
Because he did not commit ANY crime.
Your ranting that Trump is purportedly vengeful.
Did Trump actually “lock her up” ?
Your alleging Trump wanted Pecker dead – is he dead ?
Myriads of people have betrayed Trump, lied about Trump, gone after Trump.
Has Trump ever actually gone after any of them ?
Your correct – Trump is NOT a mafia don.
But Bragg, Willis, James, Smith Coangello are most certainly the Consiglieries of the Democrat la coas nostra.
Coangello’s opening was just another Democrat version of the sour grapes whining that Trump won the 2016 election.
That MUST be because Trump “cheated” – it could not possibly be because people were tired of 8 years of Obama, Because Hillary is a despicable human being, and actually is the Mafia Don you paint Trump as, that she ran a piss poor campaign believing she would coast to victory.
Coangello was pleading with Jurors to correct the mistake that voters made and convict Trump for defeating Clinton.
Which he must have conspired to do illegally, because there is just no way Clinton could have actually lost ?
Over and over Coangello talked of a criminal conspiracy – one that was NOT charged, and was NOT a crime.
In his entire opening he mentioned the actual charges ONCE without bothering to mention anything about being able to prove them.
Trump legitimately beat Hillary.
He beat Biden too. But instead of an honest election, they brazenly stole 2020 to install their puppet Biden.
Now Biden is losing everywhere, including swing states. Because he is illegitimate. He never got 81 million votes. Biden sucks. His policies suck. His family sucks. THEY are the criminals. And people know it. Biden is despised because he is despicable human being.
So what do they do? Lawfare. Propaganda. Lies.
Now in this bogus case they have the unmitigated gall to accuse Trump of election fraud.
Democrats STOLE the election and are now accusing Trump of what they did. It’s outrageous.
Democrats are now the party of Communist thugs and authoritarians.
They are completely lawless.
Pray for the country. Pray for Trump.
Marxist thugs are in power. And no one is going to stop them from burning it all down. It’s happening.
While you have the FACTS wrong – Daniels sought out money for her story,
A reporter from Slate has confirmed that he had the story but that Daniels refused to let him run with it, because she wanted money for the story. Daniels did not appear anywhere until after the Access Hollywood tape. Coangello is correct that it is important – but not about Why.
The access hollywood tape is WHY Stormy Daniels thought she could extort money from Trump.
Cohen paid Daniels – not Trump.
The NDA was between Daniels and Cohen – not Trump. The payments from Trump to Cohen were a fixed monthly retainer for almost half a million dollars. Cohen’s payment to Daniels was for $130K.
But lets assume the entirety of Your and Coangello’s opening were ALL true.
You STILL do not have a crime. Daniels can demand money of Trump, Trump can seek out Daniels to pay for he silence,
It is not illegal to pay to cover up an affair. It is illegal to pay to coverup a crime.
Trump’a alleged affair with Daniels – which is looking more dubious by the minute, is NOT a crime. Covering it up whether true or false is NOT a crime. Coangello stupidly brought in the 30K to a doorman at Trump tower over the illegitimate love child – something that has long ago been debunked – Trump DID pay the doorman, But there was no love child. No affair.
It does not matter whether the Doorman or Daniels or McDougal’s claims are true of not. They are NOT crimes, and paying money in return for silence is perfectly legal.
It is also NOT a campaign finance law violation – something established by the courts decades before Trump descended the escallator.
And Coangello’s thesis that Trump paid it rather than Cohen – only makes the claim that it was a crime – even more false.
Candidates can spend as much of their personal money on their political campaigns as they please.
Federal campaign finance laws DO NOT APPLY to money candidates spend on their own campaign.
If they did they would be unconstitutional – the supreme court resolved that something like 40 years ago.
I would further note that Campaign Finance laws do not apply UNLESS a candidate accepts federal matching funds.
I do not beleive that is applicable to this case. But like many things that the federal govenrment has done that are outside its constitutional powers. the supreme court has usually allowed the federal government to exceed its constitutional limits of power when it does so as a condition for money that it provides. We have discussed free speech issues regarding colleges and universities.
Colleges and universities are free to censor as they please – so long as they do NOT accept federal funds.
A substantial portion of federal election law only applies to campaigns that take federal funds.
Of course – Why are we debating this – This trial is in a New York State court. Not a federal court.
Everything related to the election and campaign financing is inadmissible absent a federal conviction.
David Pecker is a multimillionaire. Morons do not manage to make millions.
You can like Pecker or not. So far his testimony is not damaging, nor is what Coangello claimed he would testify to.
What we are asking after Coengello’s opening – is why hasn’t this case been dismissed.
Coangello spent 45 minutes talking about proving things that are not in the indictment – not crimes, and not within NY jurisdiction even if they were.
Why hasn’t the case been dismissed? LOL
Because Merchan is in on it. He’s a corrupt judge working with Biden DOJ to railroad Trump.
That’s why Merchan has not been pressured to recuse.
That’s why the case has not been dismissed.
Merchan’s payoff is gonna be huge if he manages to hang a conviction around Trump’s neck.
This is all about dirtying up Trump before the election.
Trump’s defense is being gagged by a dirty judge.
It’s grotesque corruption. A miscarriage of justice.
But no one cares. Do we hear GOP political leaders railing about the injustice? Not a peep.
Even the disgusting fake news media are treating it like a legitimate trial.
How did your bond nonsense go before Judge EnMoron today ?
Things were slow – because Trump attorney’s had to explain repeatedly that 175M in CASH is 175M in CASH.
That it does not “fluctuate” with the market.
Regardless, Either because EnMoron knows he has no jurisdiction or is just tired of being a national disgrace,
he killed James motion.
@StephenM
Many may not appreciate that we don’t actually have trials in Democrat courts — only show trials. Democrat judges bar the defense from actually arguing the case. Trump is on show trial for a fake crime that doesn’t even exist and his lawyers are gagged from arguing the truth.
@tomemmer
Matthew Colangelo was the #3 official at the Biden DOJ. He was sent from Biden’s DOJ to Alvin Bragg’s office to prosecute @realDonaldTrump. Now Trump and his lawyers are gagged from talking about this crooked connection. This trial is a total sham orchestrated by the Biden Admin.
“Democrat judges bar the defense from actually arguing the case.”
Look at what the DC judge did to Dr. Peter Navarro before he sent him off to prison for a misdemeanor. He stripped him of all his defenses.
When he was arrested, Navarro got the full perp walk, like they did to journalist Steve Baker. Not treated as innocent until proven guilty.
They are perp walking J6 grandmas, MAGA Trump people: SWAT’d, shackled, leg irons, belly chains, strip searched — stripping them of their due process rights, railroaded by the “justice system.” This is happening because corrupt partisan judges are all in on it and they believe the fake news narratives and lies re J6. And yes, the J6 defendants are political prisoners.
Look at what they did to John Eastman, and others.
We have no rule of law. The American “justice” system is no better than a third world banana republic – thanks to corrupt, lawless Democrats. Where is the fake news media reporting? Where are GOP lawmakers? The criminals are in charge. The silence is deafening.
Of course Trump is more isolated – you have trapped him in Manhattan
But this is backfiring.
7 out of 10 people beleive this is a political trial.
6 out of 10 beleive that Joe Biden is behind this.
Worse still – the largest single demographic that is deeply disturbed by this is hispanics.
The lived under or have relatives who lived under regimes where they saw this all the time.
We are seeing Judges in Brazil using government power to punish anyone that stands up to them.
You say Trump is vengeful ? The evidence is that he is not. It is Hillary that is steeped in vengence. It is Biden.
It is democrats as a whole who are terrified that Trump will come after them with a vengence if he is elected.
Atleast one pollster is saying the outcome of this trial is irrelevant. That you can discard prior polls claiming a swing if Trump is convicted of something. While voters are not paying attention to the same extent as posters here – they are aware of what is going on.
Anyone who was going to be persauded by this trial to vote against Trump already has.
Maybe the polls are wrong. Democrats sure better hope so.
You also sure better hope that you are Wrong that Trump is vengeful.
Though I would suggest to you that it is NOT Trump that you need to fear it is Trump supporters – especially those with the least little bit of political power.
Donald Trump may not seek revenge – but Democrats have legitimized the weaponize of political and criminal lawfare – against their enemies.
It is unlikely that the majority of Republicans prosecutors are going to turn int Bragg or Willis or that the majority of republican judges will turn into CHutckan or EnMoran or Kaplan. But SOME will. I do not beleive the majroity of democrats judges are this politically corrupt, or that the majority of democrat prosecutors are this politically corrupt. What we have is the confluence of politically corrupt lawless prosecutors, judges and juries all in a small number of places.
That is just as possible for Republicans.
I would note the Trump Trial exactly as it is could trivially be repeated against Biden – or clinton though she has probably passed the felony statute of limitations.
Nor by the oddball legal theory that Bragg is using can Biden Pardon himself out of legal jeophardy.
Trump is being prosecuted in a state court for a deeply warped application of a federal crime, that is being magically used to prove guilt of a state offense.
The Biden campaign contacted All Social Media to block the NY Post Hunter Biden laptop story.
That is a conspiracy to influence the election. That is a political effort to supress the truth.
If this nonsense involving Daniels or AMI is a campaign contribution – then so is Social Media companies suppressing the NY Post story.
Further as Taibbi and Shellenberger have written – there was coercion used in the Social Media supression – actual threat.
The claim against Trump is that he offered people money. They were not threatened.
I am sure some creative prosecutor in some deep red Town with an equally red collection of judges who is willing to say “Turn about is fair play” can find a creative interpretation of state law to go after Biden, and then leverage in the faux federal election law violations.
Yes, Sir you should better hope not just that Trump is not looking for Vengeance – but that the half the republicans in the country are not itching for it.
Trump is likely the least of your concerns.
It has been your Wet dream that some Trump supporter may do something stupid.
And you could well prove right. But it is not likely to be a political bombing or mass shooting.
It is far more likely to be following your lead.
We have seen for over a decade Democrats keep violating norms. Each time that happens, there is no putting the Jeannie back in the bottle.
“. . . the coverup is always worse . . .”
What exactly is the “crime” that Trump allegedly covered-up? Please don’t say a “federal crime.” Local DA’s have no jurisdiction over federal crimes. And if you claim that he covered-up the state misdemeanors, you’re in trouble. The bell tolled on those a long time ago.
For that matter: What, precisely and objectively, is the prosecution’s theory of the alleged crime? If you can articulate it, you’re doing better than the prosecutors, judge, and legal scholars.
I guess you could say Trump Fired him..
Taylor Greene Immolates
Rightwing Media Lets Her Burn!
Three weeks ago, Greene appeared on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast and parroted Putin’s nonsense that Ukraine was waging a “war against Christianity” and Russia is “protecting the religion.” She even falsely claimed the Ukrainian government was executing priests.
In fact, it’s Russia that’s been torturing, kidnapping and killing scores of Ukrainian religious leaders.
And in a House Oversight Committee hearing last week, Taylor Greene repeated more Putin claptrap that Ukraine is overrun by Nazis — only to be corrected by eminent historian Timothy Snyder, who pointed out that no far-right party has ever won more than 3% support in Ukrainian elections, whereas the Russian army “includes openly Nazi formations” and “the government itself is fascist in character, and it is carrying out a war which includes deportation of children by the tens of thousands, the open intention of destroying a state, as well as mass torture.”
Snyder concluded: “So if there is anyone who is sincerely concerned about halting fascism or racism, you would wish to halt Russia.”
Taylor Greene is sadly too dumb or delusional to understand this, but fortunately, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) isn’t, and got the $95 billion foreign aid bill passed on Saturday in a bipartisan deal with Democrats.
https://nypost.com/2024/04/22/opinion/marjorie-taylor-greene-is-putins-useful-idiot-and-the-real-betrayer-of-america/
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This is from The New York Post which is owned by Rupert Murdoch. The front page features a satirical picture of “Moscow Marjorie” wearing the hat of a Russian soldier. And last week, Liz Peek of Fox News ran a column calling Taylor an idiot.
It really goes to show that even Republicans will eventually recognize an idiot in their ranks.
One should note that Greene’s Russian propaganda had been parroted on these comment threads far too many times. The idea that a Jewish president like Zelensky would front a ‘Nazi’ government is strictly for idiots!
Lies. Zelensky has attacked the Ukrainian Orthodox church which is friendly with the Russian Orthodox Church. The Catholic Church in Ukraine has favor with the pro Western government, and the Ukrainian government has cooked up a state sponsored Ukrainian orthodox alternative. To dispute this is falsehood.
As for the Jewish Zelensky making alliance with “right sector” and using the neonazi azov batallion, that’s also factual.
He might not like it, but they are motivated heavy hitters, and political alliances often make strange bedfellows
Floyd, the Ukrainians have been distancing themselves from the Russian Orthodox church for years because it’s leader is a Putin lackey.
What’s zelensky doing anything on that account, he’s Jewish. Right? It’s naked religious discrimination against Orthodox.
Our Nation is $38T in debt and operating with a $2T deficit each year. We are borrowing and printing money to give away Billions to foreign countries. We have record inflation with fuel and groceries at all time highs. Biden has flooded our Nation burdening every tax based program that exists. 40M illegals here, getting a social security check, putting their kids in our schools, taking jobs Americans could do, using our hospitals for healthcare. I
think Marjorie Taylor Greene is spot on, Ukraine has lost the war, it is not winnable. We should be negotiating peace not funding the grifter Zelensky.
Traveler, the United States is co-signer of a MoU guarateeing Ukraine’s 1991 borders.
We should honor our commitments, don’t you agree?
Im not him, but I’ll take the question
The US violated Ukraine Sovereignty by interfering in its internal politics via sponsorship and funding and co-organizing the Maidan putsch against Yanukovich
the Budapest Memo principle the US violated was to:
“Respect the signatory’s independence and sovereignty in the existing borders”
The US made the mess in Ukraine with predictable results.
Today’s head of the CIA, Burns, wrote about it a couple decades ago, essentially predicting the reaction the Russians eventually had, would happen, just as it has
Nony Mouse, I usually ignore the Nony Mice. However, I don’t believe that the United States “sponsored, funded and co-organized” Maiden. Read the history with greatee care and understanding.
I did. You’re wrong. Remember MCain handout out cookies ? Remember Vicky nuland saying who should win the next election in her intercepted phone call ? You’re fake Benson
Not before our own borders, Americans pay federal taxes for a government that operates a balanced budget. We’re broke, time to figure it out. The next war America engages in will be here.
Traveler, I fail to see how the word of the United States is contingent.
Furthermore, “we” are far from “broke”. Read competent economists such as Paul Krugman.
Wow, Krugman. Decades ago he was knowledgeable. Well the debt soon come due. Watch the interest rates keep going up on the Treasury auctions and see.
Nony Mouse — You watch for us:
https://www.macrotrends.net/2016/10-year-treasury-bond-rate-yield-chart
David, most of the US Budget is allocated for welfare programs which will be insolvent in twenty years
Health insurance: 24%
Social Security: 21%
Defense : 13%
Economic security programs: 8%
Benefits for veterans and federal retirees: 8%
Interest on debt: 10%
https://www.cbpp.org/research/policy-basics-where-do-our-federal-tax-dollars-go
the above comment was from me
In 1999, as a member of the UN Security Council, the US approved UNSCR 1244, which recognized Kosovo as a province within Serbia (as it was in the former Yugoslavia).
In 2008, the US recognized Kosovo as a sovereign state.
Was it wrong of the US to recognize Kosovo’s sovereignty?
Yes
No we shouldnt.
You’re a douche.
I didnt commit to jack shit. And neither did any other taxpayer.
40M illegals here, getting a social security check, putting their kids in our schools, taking jobs Americans could do, using our hospitals for healthcare.
Traveler, they receive no social security check but you likely do. I provide medical care for those immigrants at clinics funded by religious organizations. They have their kids in religious schools. They take jobs that Americans do not want. Here in Richmond the city water system that goes to residences and businesses, travels through pipes that are hundreds of years old. The streets are closed, workers are digging up old water lines and replacing them with new pipes, new water meters to residences, new fire hydrants, new street asphalt, etc. All jobs are deeply challenging, aggressive, heavy duty labor. The workers in my sector of the city that just knocked on my door recently: all Hispanic. They attend my Catholic Church. Some I see at clinic. They are the honorable, humble, friendly kind whom I would invite into my home. As for burdening our hospitals, 2/3 of Americans are overweight / obese, with attendant chronic medical comorbidities. These individuals are the biggest burden to our healthcare system by far consuming the majority of limited resources
Get to know the people in your locale doing the menial jobs. They are likely Hispanics while the Americans who dont want these menial jobs, gather in parks, street corners, sit outside package stores to smoke and complain about their poverty, self imposed as it is
That’s the biggest pile I’ve read in a while Estovir. Illegals do receive SS benefits and disability as well as welfare as they qualify under the provisions for the specific program. They are eligible to receive benefits after a short few years and often at better benefits rates than citizens that have far more time vested.
Their children attend Catholic schools, you obviously haven’t been to a public school recently in a border State or wherever they end up. Illegal immigration is not limited just to hispanics, it seems you may be biased here. As for our healthcare, you read your response? 2/3 of Americans are all morbidly obese with chronic ailments and by the way don’t want? I am not even going to waste time on that one but my next question to you is, if so what percentage of your 2/3 number have PRIVATE healthcare insurance, not insurance subsidized by MY tax dollars? How much do Americans pay every year to guard our borders? It’s billions and billions more will go in the future as unfunded liabilities as all those tax liabilities retire with their federally funded pensions. Illegal labor has depressed the fair wages in trades for decades destroying fair compensation for citizen workers while maximizing profits for the corporations. I could give 2 chits whether they’re nice people or not, they are in my country illegally using MY tax dollars that could be better spent to help CITIZENS, they are taking jobs that should be going to our own citizens instead of welfare state programs for tax funded giveaways to citizens that are less fortunate. You want to come, come legally or don’t come at all.
Hard to argue against Weekend at Bernies! Is Biden a dead man walking?
Does a bear sh** in the woods or a drag queen wear falsies?
🤣
Democrats are using an infirm 81-year-old Joe Biden to defraud the electorate
Most Americans agree that the “Weekend at Bernie’s” presidency has not turned out well.
It’s not just Biden’s sepulchral presentation, but his administration’s increasingly unpopular policies covering the economy, the border, foreign affairs and a raft of fringe social engineering projects, such as Friday’s rewriting of Title IX, which effectively abolishes the distinction between women and men.
The nation was not exactly crying out for this Orwellian policy, but it’s part of the curious tapestry of bespoke pandering that constitutes Biden’s re-election platform.
Pretending you’ve stopped inflation, pretending you need Congress to shut the border, pretending that your uncle was eaten by cannibals: These are not vote-winners for Biden.
Whether he’s walking “like a toothpick,” as Donald Trump describes the president’s stiff gait, falling over, garbling teleprompter scripts, or breaking into sudden angry yelling, in the normal political calculus, such a candidate should be heading for a car crash.
Even worse, the backup plan is Kamala Harris, who doesn’t even have the benefit of the vapor trail of Honest Joe’s self-mythology that has fooled America for 50 years.
With Harris, what you see is what you get: a complete phony spouting condescending claptrap.
The polls reflect the Democrats’ problem.
You could sense their heads exploding Sunday as they watched NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where a new poll showed Trump smashing Biden by between 4 and 22 points on “Handling a crisis” (46% to 42%), “Strong record as president” (46% to 39%), “Dealing with inflation and cost of living” (52% to 30%) and “Necessary mental and physical health” (45% to 26%).
The ouchiest of all was Trump’s 9-point edge on Biden over who was “Competent and effective” (47% to 36%), a category where Biden had a 10-point edge over Trump in 2020.
There were more head explosions for the Dems over at CNN, where voters in the battleground states of Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin viewed Trump more favorably than Biden by 4 points, 47% to 43%. In 2020, the situation was flipped, with Biden ahead 50% to 45%.
“Donald Trump is, in fact, better liked than he was four years ago — and is better liked than Joe Biden is right now,” declared CNN polling analyst Harry Enten. Double ouch.
As if to emphasize Biden’s disconnect from the voters, his campaign rolled him out three days in a row last week in Pennsylvania, the state that pollsters say he cannot lose.
The motto was “Scranton v. Mar-a-Lago: Making the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share,” as if Biden doesn’t live a billionaire’s lifestyle in a bespoke mansion he built on a lakefront estate in chateau country in one of the ritziest parts of the country, and as if his son isn’t facing tax fraud charges in California over the family influence-peddling operation.
The folksy “Working Class Joe” schtick appears to have worn thin, judging from the lackluster reception he received from regular folk when he made supposedly “unscheduled” campaign stops at eating establishments to pick up food.
The true purpose of these stilted interludes seems to be so the campaign videographer can obtain footage of the president interacting with real people. But you really don’t want to look too hard at how the sausage is made.
When he entered a Sheetz gas station mart in Pittsburgh, for instance, Biden never took off his trademark aviators. Video footage shows him standing in front of a woman and a little girl, gawping at them wordlessly, before he moved through the store, not interacting with a soul until he reached the counter, where the shop assistant was primed to ask for a selfie.
Biden posed, and then woodenly exited stage left. Reporters tried to call out questions: “Are you concerned the new steel tariffs will hurt your relationship with Xi Jinping?”
“No!” said Biden, pausing in the doorway before delivering his inexplicable and well-worn riposte: “Don’t jump!”
The comparison with Trump’s crowd-engagement charisma is inescapable.
Fan favorite
The former president was mobbed in Harlem last week when he took a post-courtroom opportunity to visit the bodega where Jose Alba fatally stabbed an ex-con in self-defense and then was unjustly charged with murder. Unlike Biden’s random campaign pit stops, there was a point to Trump’s visit.
He wanted to highlight the skewed priorities of an unjust justice system, which has been weaponized to neutralize him as Biden’s opponent.
At one point in Pittsburgh, a reporter pointed out the obvious to Biden: “When you drive around the area, you see a lot of Trump signs, not very many Biden signs. Do you feel like you’re in trouble here?”
That didn’t go down well with the president, who is only animated by anger.
“Well, you haven’t been driving in the right places, pal,” he snapped.
Snarling denials of reality probably aren’t a recipe for electoral success. But these days, that isn’t the only way to win elections, and turnout will be key this year as voter enthusiasm sinks to all-time lows.
Even if Biden is a dead man walking, you can bet Democrats have plenty of dirty tricks up their sleeves.
https://nypost.com/2024/04/21/opinion/democrats-are-using-an-infirm-81-year-old-joe-biden-to-defraud-the-electorate/
Oh look, Floyd had to post the whole article. Some smarmy liberal must have posted something below that Floyd had to bury. It’s a shame that liberals keep abusing free speech.
If any of you commentators are bored, then a vacation trip to Chile might suffice.
Judge Duncan And New Rules At HHS
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule Monday blocking the disclosure of protected health information to aid in the investigation or litigation of patients or providers involved in legal reproductive health care.
Both the out-of-state provider and the patient’s in-state provider who did not provide the reproductive health services but may have these records will be protected under this rule and can refuse requests to disclose the information.
If a person travels out-of-state to receive care that is not legal in their home state, the final rule includes a presumption for providers that services their patients received out-of-state were legal.
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4611566-white-house-moves-to-protect-patient-abortion-records/
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Described above is the 21st Century version of Dred Scott courtesy of the Supreme Court’s Federalist majority and crusaders like Judge Kyle Duncan; who formerly worked at the Beckett Fund For Religious Liberty.
No wonder Stanford students think Duncan’s a creep! Like we really want women to feel like escaped slaves when traveling from their red states for reproductive care?
One should note that Duncan was the lead counsel on the infamous Hobby Lobby case before the Supreme Court.
That case resulted in a ruling that allows employers to exclude contraceptive coverage on employer sponsored heath plans. Never mind that ‘the pill’ has common applications aside from only birth control.
So for just Hobby Lobby alone, Stanford students might feel perfectly justified for heckling Judge Duncan.
Leftists have no problem in justifying to themselves a right to silence other people. That is the problem.
As for Hobby Lobby, why should employers, who are American citizens, be denied the right to provide the kind of “medical” coverage they want to?
The troll to whom you are replying has made his career of whining, complaining, acting like a complete and total bore on this forum if not for the sheer laughter and snark he has generated amongst the readers.
Professor Turley is incorrect where he says that “We know little of his [Max Azzarello’s] political views beyond his conspiracy obsessions. However, does it really matter?”
We know a lot about Azzarello’s politics. He’s a far Leftist, and he’s been photographed several times wearing a Bernie Sanders t-shit.
And Azzarello’s means of “communicating”, taking “smoke signals” to a whole new level, is typically Leftist as he sought to shut down all other speech so that his own would be the center of discussion.
This is really no different than what Alvin Bragg, Letitia James, et al. have been doing: shutting down the free speech of opposing views to focus on their own warped political positions and setting the rule of law on fire just as Azzarello did with his own body.
Our free speech jurisprudence now is warped by almost a century of expansionist judicial interpretations.
These theories made sense, but facts have overtaken theory.
For example,. Citizens United, makes sense. And yet what is the outcome? Disaster!
its implementation has been a disaster for the 99% of the population that doesn’t control the financial resources that 99% does. And see what their ilk like George Soros does with it! Destroys our culture and institutions, that’s what. And turns the Democrat party into a bunch of racketeers, basically destroying one of the foundational elements of our system, a sincere bipartisan contest in elections. There’s never been a more captive version of either party as the Democrats are now, in complete hock to the billionaire financiers and military industrial complex .
So Citizens United has gotta go. There’s a lot of other over-extension of the First amendment that gotta go too. Eventually. Clearly it all went too far, mistakes were made. The jurisprudence needs to be dialed back to where it was about a century ago. Seriously.
Let the forces of censorship work. They can’t defeat a sufficiently organized and motivated people. And when we take the reins, we will certainly know how to use them.
And if we are not sufficiently organized and motivated, like now, we’re not gonna win anything, anyways.
Look at the whole Israel Palestine thing. Trust me, both sides use censorship. the Pals do, with brute force, and don’t have media anyways. But they have crude methods. The Israelis have a bureau of censorship – its called הצנזורה הצבאית apparently
America has CIA, doing Operation Mockinbird, and then on top of that, the billionaires “censor” all their privately owned media to suit themselves. Everyone’s a censor, the Enlightment notion of a free marketplace of ideas is utter nonsense, a fever dream most of the world has forgotten. Don’t get caught up in it like the good Professor Turley. I totally respect him as a sincere liberal but it’s clear the notion of the government as a neutral arbiter is long done and gone, over. Let’s not try to restore a failed dream, lets make a better vision instead
Saloth Sar