An ill wind blows from lower Manhattan.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks at a press conference after the arraignment of former president Donald Trump in New York on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. (AP Photo – FILE/John Minchillo)
EDITOR’S NOTE: This post was revised from its original version based on breaking news.
For the simple reason that Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s prosecution of Donald Trump marks the first time in American history that a former president has faced a felony prosecution, we have been subjected to a massive volume of commentary.
That volume increased by an order of magnitude earlier this week when the case against Trump was placed in the hands of the jury. The jury has now rendered its verdict.
For the first time in American history, a former president stands as a convicted felon.
Much – let’s say most – of what has been written and said about this case revolves around the legal intricacies. Read and listen all you want. I promise you will not be able to explain in a simple declarative sentence Bragg’s case against Donald Trump. His theory was so arcane and so tortured that it defies simple explanation.
That isn’t normal in criminal cases.
Criminal cases almost by their nature must be straightforward if they are to be tried before a jury of laypeople. “The defendant murdered his wife,” is easily understood.
Bragg’s case wasn’t. Among the pundit class, only the lawyers understood Bragg’s theory as to why he believes Donald Trump should be incarcerated as a felon. Even so, when I hear them explain it, I find myself nodding in understanding only to say two minutes later, “Wait, what?”
Against this backdrop, one of the most insightful pieces of commentary comes from FOX News contributor Guy Benson. Trump has been convicted by a partisan Manhattan jury in the courtroom of an openly and unapologetically partisan judge and that conviction has almost zero chance of surviving on appeal.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump was astonishingly flimsy. The Department of Justice and the Federal Election Commission looked at the same set of facts that Bragg had and declined to take any action against Trump.
So, with Trump convicted anyway – as I and many people always believed that he would be – the conviction will be temporary. Bragg’s prosecution of Trump is a sieve. It reeks of reversible error. Trump’s conviction is going to shrivel in an appellate court.
But that’s OK by Bragg, and by the Biden campaign, and by radical leftist billionaire George Soros who funded Bragg’s campaign for Manhattan district attorney, and by all those on the left who despise Donald Trump. They only need a Trump conviction to stand until the morning of November 6. That way an enfeebled Biden can use the words, “convicted felon” in every campaign ad.
But, as FOX’s Guy Benson points out, the words “convicted felon” temporarily tattooed on Trump’s forehead could be just enough. Those words could move a small – but sufficient – number of votes to give Biden the thinnest edge in one or more of Michigan, Wisconsin or Philadelphia to squeak out a win in the Electoral College.
And thus, we have a third world-worthy example of election interference thanks to a legal system that is losing the respect of ordinary Americans every day.
It all bodes very ill for the health of the republic.
I can see Harris and Travis counties becoming a problem .
They are already deep blue. Nothing will change.
Along with Bexar, Dallas and might as well include Tarrant counties. We’re surrounded. Need to circle the wagons.
The leftist idiots have almost destroyed this country, and it isn’t up to Trump, Republicans, or any one particular group to save it. The courts are the last chance for democracy to survive. If we allow this to stand we have lost any chance to maintain some sort of control over anarchy. If you can actually call yourself an American, it is up to you to save the country. If you can’t see where we are going because of this, or if you agree with it, you don’t care about America. And if all Americans allow Biden to be reelected, the republic is doomed, indeed. Study your world history if you don’t believe me.
Darrell, thank you. You wrote the truth and we that love our country and Texas understand. I’m sorry, but short of civil war I see no way to change the direction our country is heading.
The best action we can take is to ensure Texas stays conservative and red. We cannot control what those idiotic states do; but we can here. Boycott the deep blue states; zero money to them. I am not spending one cent on them; to the extent I am researching where certain products might come from (outside of China, Mexico, Indochina) and if it smacks of these states; not going to buy it (that includes California wines). If enough of us do this; they will feel it. That is a small part of warfare against them; but it is a start. Stay on your Federal Representative and Senators as well. Demand they step up and take action unrelentingly batter the Dems with every oratory, legislative, whatever they can come up with action against these Marxist. The Republicans MUST fight fire with fire. Take care of Texas first and foremost.
As someone who has been in President Trump’s shoes. I can tell you it is not fun being found guilty of something you didn’t do. When I was going to be in the 4th grade, my mother decided to move to the city. Of course this was going to be a huge change for me as I had friends where we were leaving. Here I knew no one. The kids in this school were very snobbish and made fun of me. One day we were turned out for recess and since my room was on the second floor we had to go down some stairs. Course, when we were turned out it was like a cattle stampede. I hung back so would not be trampled in the rush. All of a sudden heard a loud crash so I ran down to where it happened. No one was around but the window that was there was gone. Someone had pushed it out and it was laying on the ground. As I looked out to see if anyone was hurt on the ground several kids yelled SHE DID IT and pointed to me. A teacher came running and the kids who pointed at me told the teacher they SAW me do it. I was taken to the principals office where they called my mother. The principal told my mother that some kids had seen me do it and she will have to pay for the window. Being a single mother, she was furious. Would not listen when I told people I DID NOT DO IT. This went on for about a week when a boy in my class fessed up to pushing on the window when it fell. When I came down and looked out the window other kids yelled that I did it but it was actually him who did. The boy who did it told me he was sorry but the princial and my mother never did. Now I know this doesn’t seem world ending to most, but it was to me.
The reason I am telling this story is because no matter WHO you are or how old you are…YOU could be next charged with something you DID NOT DO! Now I know that no one is going to come forth and say they did this to President Trump, but I think that the actual people who DID will have a nice toasty place on the front row down below.
Very well put my friend. I am fortunate to live in Smith County, where intelligent and thoughtful people like you are here. Keep up the good work sir.
I heard that President Trump left court and then went to a fund raiser. I heard 39 million dollars. I believe he will be re-elected!! He definitely has my household’s vote!
This case stunk anyway you look at it and anyone who says he was convicted by a jury of his peers has to be a complete dimwit. Finding a jury of his peers in Manhattan is a joke. The whole case was a joke. I’m not a big fan of Trump but I voted for him when Cruz was not available in 2016 and voted for him again in 2020. We went on vacation in 2020 all through the area of the country that supposedly cost him the election and I could probably count the number of Biden/Harris signs we saw on my hands. Everywhere we went we saw Trump signs, even in Northern Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York. The election was a sham just as this trial. I saw where Rep. Dean Phillips is encouraging the governor of New York to pardon Trump, but hope she doesn’t as I feel the verdict in New York will propel him back to the White House no matter what kind of crooked tricks the left tries..