TWGB: The Detroit Deceit

 

Once again, Trump is in the news because we have tapes--a story in The Detroit News from Craig Mauger uncovers that a phone call between Wayne County election canvassers, Donald Trump and Ronna McDaniel reveals a little offering for their service in not certifying the election for Biden, which is a kind of back-handed bribe: we'll get you attorneys!

I mean, I love this for the obvious reason: they knew it was shady, they knew that the canvassers knew it was shady. Sure, it's probably illegal! But we will get you lawyers. You'll be fucked if you do this but we'll make sure it's with lube!

Is that just me? 

So of course, I go back through the TWGB archives, and huh. When one of the recipients of this phone call got asked about it back when, she just said Trump was concerned about her wellbeing. Well, yeah. Hence the lawyers. The other canvasser isn't available at the moment for further comment. He doesn't need lawyers at this time.  It's also pretty interesting to me that this call was followed up by an invite to the White House for certain Michigan officials. (I wonder if a similar call to PA officials occurred...wait, I don't!) I think this reinforces the Georgia RICO case by establishing a pattern of leaning on election officials. 

I can talk about the violence of 1/6 and the way Trump encouraged it then and still encourages violence, but the subversion of others' sense of duty and fidelity to their oaths of office is the key to the damage that Trump offers. Through coaxing and threatening, he undermines the idea that government isn't about duty or a higher purpose, it just become gross transactionalism. 

I like to think this opens up Trump for a new set of indictments in Michigan. And some for Ronna McDaniel too. (The Michigan GOP has its own terrible troubles right now.) 

In other news, Jack Smith would very much like the Supreme Court to rapidly determine whether they are going to let Trump claim immunity regarding 1/6 or not, and also, Trump still wants to claim he's got immunity from being liable for defaming E. Jean Carroll while he's still defaming her as a post-president. And Ken Paxton, who seems to have some serious boundary issues, wants to weigh in on this whole immunity thing, too. It really feels like TrumpWorld worries about their day in court without immunity--almost like Trump would most definitely be liable for so, so much without it. 

I don't think Trump subverted Paxton: now, this is a just a cruddy human being from all I can tell, and he just chooses to orient his cruddiness towards Trump, I guess because game recognizes game? But what about that Supreme Court? 

If they punted, I would not mind, but I would actually feel my faith in institutions restored if they firmly rejected the idea that once and "future" presidents got a permanent get out of stuff he doesn't like card. That sense of hope is probably toxic, so I try not to sit with it for too long. Just a nice broad decision that no, presidents can leave their civil personal bullshit and campaign bullshit the hell out of their list of presidential duties would make me so, so, satisfied. I feel surer about breaking even on my next purchase of lotto scratchers, though. 

Anyway, government depends on the consent of the governed and that consent relies on faith that the people in office will do the right things, and when we look at the history of Trump--he does not do the right things, and even asks people to do wrong things, all the time. That's not going to change in a second term--it will only get worse. 

People who are heartened and approving of Trump's doubling down on Hitler-like rhetoric, for example, don't seem to connect that it doesn't stop at rhetoric. They think somehow he will be good to or for them. He can't be. This is the activity of someone out for himself. He uses terms like "fight for our country" but simultaneously believes "L'etat c'est moi." 

This country existed for many years before Trump. It will be fine without him, too.