TWGB: Surrender, But Don't Give Yourself Away

 

I really felt underwhelmed by the speculation about what Trump's mugshot would look like and the "tale of the tape" regarding his height and weight. I mean, is it not enough that he's now standing at four indictments and 91 charges? No other president measures up to that, I can tell you!

But what anyone could also tell you is that he would use the mugshot to fundraise off of his situation. And of course he is, ironically using the slogan "Never surrender" when he Just. Surrendered. Himself. To. The Jailhouse. For. Processing.  His "Kubrick stare" into the Fulton County camera is supposed to show defiance. 

Eh. To me it looks like he's using "MySpace angles" to plausibly make his face look like he could theoretically stand 6'3" and 215 lbs. This is not me making a ding against his vanity (his bulletproof vanity!) but the credulity that we'd get an honest reckoning. This wasn't his physician's weigh in (Ronny Jackson only dared to tell us he was 239 lbs.) or the hype before a heavyweight bout. This is Trump's charitable best guess that he must have at least lost that much weight in sweat since his Manhattan indictment. 

Trump knows his marks. They still haven't figured out his fundraising is a top to bottom fraud. 

What's fascinating to me is that he came back to Twitter (it's X to me when I'm an X-user), largely I think because Truth Social is dead and his fundraising link there wasn't getting enough engagement. Another fascinating data point: he used a bail bond company. 

When Rudy Giuliani does it, no one bats an eyelash--he's supposed to be broke! But is Donald Trump in a little trouble, here? Is he unable (probably just unwilling, being notoriously cheap) to pony up the amount himself. Are there laws that restrict his PAC paying for the bond the way they pay his legal fees? 

And is he still thinking of going on the lam? (Be on the lookout for a tall, white male who may be going by the name David Dennison, John Barron or ...)

All I know is, it looks like he signed Mar-A-Lago over to Don Jr., and that sort of feels like a man putting some affairs in order. Maybe Florida Man wants to make Bedminster permanent to be closer to his ex-wife? Who knows? 

I used my own version of a more suitable mugshot for Trump. I think his actual mugshot sort of looks bad. It is bad, that the former president is merchandising it is bad, and that he has the gall to use running again as a part of his defense strategy is bad.  That his party still supports him is an affront to decency and sense. 

Do they realize this is a problem? If so, they aren't giving it away.

UPDATE:  People are saying...

Zillow reports ⁦@realDonaldTrump⁩ sold Mar-a-Lago to Don Jr for $422 million before the old man’s latest arrest
The price seems greatly inflated. Trump bought it, furniture & all, with an unrecorded $10 million mortgage.
There’s a tax story, and maybe a tax crime in this. pic.twitter.com/sbul784amD

— David Cay Johnston (@DavidCayJ) August 25, 2023

Could be a fraudulent transfer? Overvalued? Tax fraud? It's clearly a dodge for asset forfeiture, but if I've learned anything about TrumpWorld, it's that there's no reason to limit yourself to thinking of only one crime in any given transaction. Like the Truth Social merger--also a little money laundering as well as a little SEC fraud had to be investigated.  It keeps things interesting. 

Or the story could be fake. Who knows?