Well, folks, a miracle has occurred: One of the infamous October surprises has finally gone the way of the Democrats. This morning, the New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN reported that Donald Trump has spoken to Vladimir Putin on the phone as many as seven times since Trump left office. The information comes from an advance copy of “War,” a new book by Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward.
I've always had the feeling that some of those classified documents went into Putin's hands. Don's a grifter from bottom up, inside out. In any other country, he would have been stood against a firing wall on January 7, 2021. (Looking at you, Merrick Garland.)
Of course, the revelation Trump and Putin have been "sharing thoughts" on the future of democracy and our relationship with a murdering despotic war crimimal should be enough to disqualify Trump but with the brain dead MAGA crowd it will not be.
What made this aritcle even more interesting and condemning is the concurrent "outreach" Trumphad with Bibi through an 'aide" he sent to Israel. Why it is as if Trump was runninga shadow government trying to undercut the duly elected President by conducting his own foreign policy.
This double dealing behind the back of our duly electected President should be seen for what it is. Treason. Who knows what Trump has promised both Vlad and Bibi. One thing you can count on is whatever it is will not be in the best interests of Ukraine and our NATO allies or the Palestnian people who have been living under the assumption/;promise of a two state solution.
That's exactly what the orange traitor is doing. It is illegal, yet the AG does nothing.
Netanyahu is doing exactly to Israel what the orange traitor would do to the U.S....screwing over it's citizens and holding his own vendetta using hezbola and hamas as an excuse, when all he really wants is to stay out of prison.
Richard, I do not think any of us are excusing the brutality and war crimes of these organizations only pointing out that Bibi in particular is hiding behind what occurred on October 7 as an open ended justification to conduct his own version of war crime. One can argue Hamas brought it on the people of Gaza by embedding itself in the community, literally, but the zeal with which Bibi has prosecuted revenge on Gaza is way over the top. One could argue not since Dresden has a nation so willingly committed an atrocity under the cover of an act of war.
It's revenge on HAMAS, not Gaza - all of the war crimes against Gaza are on Hamas, ineluctably connected to Hamas' strategy of deploying their own civilians as human sacrifices and child soldiers.
The IDF even warns the Gazan civilians to relocate so as to lessen casualties, it sends through food convoys to feed them etc., but while Hamas is shooting missiles at civilians in Israel and staging raids like October 7, 2023, defensive measures against them are not only not "war crimes," they are models of how to deal with a terrorist army embedded in civilian territory, territory on Israel's own border.
If any terrorist group the size of Hamas was based in Canada or Mexico and shooting missiles at the US, how "zealous" or half-hearted would you expect the response to be? The Oct. 7 death toll adjusted for population would be over 40,000 dead Americans in ONE DAY. Little wonder the Israelis want "revenge" on the perps!
And in general, entirely legal under the law of armed conflict. In particular cases, sure, all the armies and terrorists commit war crimes, but Israel will prosecute IDF perps, not declare them "martyrs" and honor them.
We shall see on your last point about prosecuting war criminals. Several reported incidents on the West Bank of IDF soldiers using Palestinian settlers for target practice. I am taking the under.
To me lately all wars are war crimes... Netanyahu is dogsh!t along with trump IMO I can't believe they say trump has a fifty pct chance of winning. Richard, like a lot of folks has a bit of a blind spot when it comes to Gaza. It's gonna be mostly tents and rubble if it isn't already, but we gotta keep fighting gotta eradicate hamas
Just shows that White Supremacists are gonna support the White Supremacist even if he does not ride at night with a white sheet, but is out in the open as a hater and criminal.
The Neutrality Act of 1794 and the Neutrality Act of 1817 were repealed and replaced by the Neutrality Act of 1818.[13] The Neutrality Act of 1794 was repealed, reenacted, and amended several times since and its successor remains in force as 18 U.S.C. § 960.[4]
Whoever, within the United States, knowingly begins or sets on foot or provides or prepares a means for or furnishes the money for, or takes part in, any military or naval expedition or enterprise to be carried on from thence against the territory or dominion of any foreign prince or state, or of any colony, district, or people with whom the United States is at peace, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
The Logan Act is a US federal law that makes it illegal for US citizens to engage in unauthorized diplomacy with foreign countries. The law was passed in 1799 to prevent unauthorized negotiations from undermining the US government's position.
Do you really think this is going to change anyone's mind though? If people haven't figured out how terrible he is by now, I don't see anything affecting them.
Only the small fragment of "undecided likely voters in swing states" who are routinely too damn busy until after Labor Day to pay much attention to the two candidates, and of that subset, who remain persuadable that one or the other is vastly worse.
I'm not sure if pollsters can find many of them, a kind of pollsters "Holy Grail & Rosetta Stone" indicating votes that are still winnable so late.
I am a ballot clerk in my tiny town and yesterday we held the THIRD (yes, third) vote on a school budget (some controversial issues are causing 4 of the 8 towns in the school district to balk at passing the budget--BIG fight upcoming-- but in the meanwhile, bus drivers, maintenance personnel, cafeteria employees, etc., are all working with no paychecks. It's a disgrace)
Anyway, the other ballot clerk with whom I was working aired her personal opinion (in the breakroom--not in the area where the budget vote was ongoing) that Mr. Vance was a brilliant handsome young man who would go far. I knew she was a registered Repub, but that "opinion" dang near felled me. "On what do you base your opinion?" I inquired as politely as I could. She repeated some nonsense that she had probably gotten from Fox Noise, but mostly on the fact that he was a Yale graduate. Evidently she was from a family who revered Ivy League degrees--regardless of the clear evidence that Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Dartmouth and all the rest of the supposedly elite edifices of higher education turn out hundreds of pompous stiffs, social climbers, privileged brats and other clueless dimwits with as much frequency as other colleges and universities--perhaps even more so.
I decided that trying to change her mind (she was in her late 70's and I later learned that her darling long-departed Daddy was a Yalie) was probably a bootless endeavor. But how ANYONE, even an elderly Republican Mainer, could look at Vance's opportunistic curriculum vitae, and hear his plain-as-day confession of lying to and about his own constituents (hurtful, scurrilous lies, at that) and would still conclude that Vance was a "brilliant and honorable young man", just boggles the mind. I don't know how much more boggling my poor brain can take!
Vance is an idiot. His wife, not so much. She has a great deal of influence over him. She's uber ambitious, seeks money, and power. She just goes about it a bit more cleverly than JD.
Looks like, sounds like and smells like treason to me. There has to be a law on the books that he has violated. No official act here. He is simply a citizen.
The Logan Act (1 Stat. 613, 18 U.S.C. § 953, enacted January 30, 1799) is a United States federal law that criminalizes the negotiation of a dispute between the United States and a foreign government by an unauthorized American citizen. The intent behind the Act is to prevent unauthorized negotiations from undermining the government's position.[2] The Act was passed following George Logan's unauthorized negotiations with France in 1798, and was signed into law by President John Adams on January 30, 1799. The Act was amended in 1994, changing the penalty for violation from "fined $5,000" to "fined under this title"; this appears to be the only amendment to the Act.[2] Violation of the Logan Act is a felony, punishable with imprisonment for up to three years.
Only two people have ever been indicted on charges of violating the Act,[3] one in 1802 and the other in 1852.[4] Neither was convicted.[4]
Good article and great analysis, Mr. Truscott! The fact that Trump has and is continuing to hold "private" conversations with a leader of a country that is an adversary/enemy of the United States is truly appalling and horrifying. In a way, because of the sickness pervading American politics, it does not shock me. These actions speak to the sold-out and compromised nature of Donald Trump, and I know I am tired of having Vladimir Putin take actions to select the American president.
Hey, Cal, who are you betting on? My bet's on Musk--he's younger and in better shape. Putin's getting old, but he and Orban are both in better shape than Trump.
What have they been talking about? The conquest of Ukraine. Subversion of the 2024 election. Prices for various stolen classified documents. Political asylum after Trump loses the election.
If you're saying that T***p doesn't remember T***p Tower Moscow, I believe you're mistaken. Erecting tall buildings with his name emblazoned on them practicaly screams for all of them to be graffitied FREUD WAS HERE.
That's a good selection of topics, but I think prices of documents is probably at the top of Trump's list, if he hasn't already sold them. Political asylum is another biggie. Putin, of course, is more interested in Ukraine, but I wonder if Trump can remember that most of the time.
Yeah, but Willkie didn't have eyes-only national security documents stacked in his bathroom. The fact djt talked repeatedly with Putin while in possession of those secrets *should* be enough all by itself to sink his prospects..
He is a traitor and we’ve always wondered why he wouldn’t return the documents. No one else would ever do such a thing. But Republicans will be silent about this and continue to enable him.
It’s interesting how while we have questioned how votes are tabulated and what is a valid ballot - Gore/Bush in 2000 - when the decision was made Gore accepted it and moved on. Trump continues to whine about this day after day. If that’s his strategy to have his base thinking that they feel like they’ve been screwed, even though he knows it’s not true, he’s destroying the democratic process and dividing our country. This alone makes him unfit to lead our country. Just a despicable human being
Keep reporting the truth. Perhaps the mainstream media will finally pay attention to the traitor who is running to be the North American Dictator. Putin's pen pal.
As the months have rolled by, Trump's characteristics and overt acts match up with all the main "Insanity Defense" criteria!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insanity_defense The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (March 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Criminal defenses
Part of the common law series
Actual innocenceImmunityMental disorder (Insanity)Diminished responsibilityIntoxicationInfancyAutomatismAlibiConsentMistakeDuressAgeNecessityProvocationSelf-defenseFalse confessionEntrapment
The insanity defense, also known as the mental disorder defense, is an affirmative defense by excuse in a criminal case, arguing that the defendant is not responsible for their actions due to a psychiatric disease at the time of the criminal act. This is contrasted with an excuse of provocation, in which the defendant is responsible, but the responsibility is lessened due to a temporary mental state.[1]: 613 It is also contrasted with the justification of self defense or with the mitigation of imperfect self-defense. The insanity defense is also contrasted with a finding that a defendant cannot stand trial in a criminal case because a mental disease prevents them from effectively assisting counsel, from a civil finding in trusts and estates where a will is nullified because it was made when a mental disorder prevented a testator from recognizing the natural objects of their bounty, and from involuntary civil commitment to a mental institution, when anyone is found to be gravely disabled or to be a danger to themself or to others.[1]: 613
Legal definitions of insanity or mental disorder are varied, and include the M'Naghten Rule, the Durham rule, the 1953 British Royal Commission on Capital Punishment report, the ALI rule (American Legal Institute Model Penal Code rule), and other provisions, often relating to a lack of mens rea ("guilty mind").[1]: 613–635 [2] In the criminal laws of Australia and Canada, statutory legislation enshrines the M'Naghten Rules, with the terms defense of mental disorder, defense of mental illness or not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder employed. Being incapable of distinguishing right from wrong is one basis for being found to be legally insane as a criminal defense.[1] It originated in the M'Naghten Rule, and has been reinterpreted and modernized through more recent cases, such as People v. Serravo.[1]: 615–625
How does Putin manage to understand him? I can't understand Trump and I have a college degree from a better school than he went to. I'm sure he must tape his phone calls with Trump, so he can make sense out of them. Those tapes of Trump speaking to crowds are just incredibly garbled. How can his staff stand to work for him?
His staff: True believers. Grifters like their boss. Ideologues and conspiracists. Power-seekers. Religious extremists. Flunkies of their Real bosses, the wealthy right-wingers funding Trump.
It is a mismatch of Herculean proportions whenever dumbass DonOld deals with Putin. Putin is wily, cunning, a former KGB operative. Trump is a conniving egotist ingnoramus who is easily manipulated.
Bob Woodward is famous for keeping crucial info quiet 'until the book comes out'. He did that during COVID, when it cost Americans their lives. He can put his books where the sun don't shine.
And the orange traitor has probably given putin all the info from the documents he stole when he left our White House. And charged him for it.
From the great General and President Eisenhower we have descended to Donald Trump as a former President and possibly a re-instated one. We'll know what sort of country we are very soon.
After reading through all the comments speculating about calls that may or may not have happened, then speculating as to what was said on calls that may or may not have happened, then speculating what was in closed banker-boxes, then zeroing in on what imaginary docs said what, while on the opposing side the weirdness and bullchit is so enoromous it requires being a bulldozer to advance it all, it's a nation w/o shame. Don't need another election to affirm it. The race to the bottom already has, good man.
He’s a traitor, treating this country as another company he gets to bankrupt imo.
After raiding it first.
And killing how many more of us?
I've always had the feeling that some of those classified documents went into Putin's hands. Don's a grifter from bottom up, inside out. In any other country, he would have been stood against a firing wall on January 7, 2021. (Looking at you, Merrick Garland.)
When Harris wins, she needs to choose an AG with teeth who will hold that orange traitor accountable for his treason.
And ovaries...How abut a Black woman!
How about a dynamic duo of Stacey Abrams and Letitia James.
I LOVE that idea.
Love it!
👍
What a terrific suggestion!
Just a feeling? I'm sure Putin probably got most of the originals, and Trump may have kept some copies.
Incredibly and disturbingly unbelievable that such a straightforward case should be under water.
Still time...
Of course, the revelation Trump and Putin have been "sharing thoughts" on the future of democracy and our relationship with a murdering despotic war crimimal should be enough to disqualify Trump but with the brain dead MAGA crowd it will not be.
What made this aritcle even more interesting and condemning is the concurrent "outreach" Trumphad with Bibi through an 'aide" he sent to Israel. Why it is as if Trump was runninga shadow government trying to undercut the duly elected President by conducting his own foreign policy.
This double dealing behind the back of our duly electected President should be seen for what it is. Treason. Who knows what Trump has promised both Vlad and Bibi. One thing you can count on is whatever it is will not be in the best interests of Ukraine and our NATO allies or the Palestnian people who have been living under the assumption/;promise of a two state solution.
Treason, pure and simple.
That's exactly what the orange traitor is doing. It is illegal, yet the AG does nothing.
Netanyahu is doing exactly to Israel what the orange traitor would do to the U.S....screwing over it's citizens and holding his own vendetta using hezbola and hamas as an excuse, when all he really wants is to stay out of prison.
Trump, Bibi, and Putin should all be lined up in front of the same firing squad.
LOL, Netanyahu but no mention of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Hizbollah. Get serious.
Richard, I do not think any of us are excusing the brutality and war crimes of these organizations only pointing out that Bibi in particular is hiding behind what occurred on October 7 as an open ended justification to conduct his own version of war crime. One can argue Hamas brought it on the people of Gaza by embedding itself in the community, literally, but the zeal with which Bibi has prosecuted revenge on Gaza is way over the top. One could argue not since Dresden has a nation so willingly committed an atrocity under the cover of an act of war.
It's revenge on HAMAS, not Gaza - all of the war crimes against Gaza are on Hamas, ineluctably connected to Hamas' strategy of deploying their own civilians as human sacrifices and child soldiers.
The IDF even warns the Gazan civilians to relocate so as to lessen casualties, it sends through food convoys to feed them etc., but while Hamas is shooting missiles at civilians in Israel and staging raids like October 7, 2023, defensive measures against them are not only not "war crimes," they are models of how to deal with a terrorist army embedded in civilian territory, territory on Israel's own border.
If any terrorist group the size of Hamas was based in Canada or Mexico and shooting missiles at the US, how "zealous" or half-hearted would you expect the response to be? The Oct. 7 death toll adjusted for population would be over 40,000 dead Americans in ONE DAY. Little wonder the Israelis want "revenge" on the perps!
And in general, entirely legal under the law of armed conflict. In particular cases, sure, all the armies and terrorists commit war crimes, but Israel will prosecute IDF perps, not declare them "martyrs" and honor them.
We shall see on your last point about prosecuting war criminals. Several reported incidents on the West Bank of IDF soldiers using Palestinian settlers for target practice. I am taking the under.
To me lately all wars are war crimes... Netanyahu is dogsh!t along with trump IMO I can't believe they say trump has a fifty pct chance of winning. Richard, like a lot of folks has a bit of a blind spot when it comes to Gaza. It's gonna be mostly tents and rubble if it isn't already, but we gotta keep fighting gotta eradicate hamas
You mentioned something we're not really talking about. How did we get all these MAGA believers? Lucian, a column, please.
Start with Trump's Obama birth certificate lie from years ago...I assume every MAGAT is a racist!
Or go back even further to the Central Park Five.
You can count on it, Leigh!!
There could be a line drawn to John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate...
Just shows that White Supremacists are gonna support the White Supremacist even if he does not ride at night with a white sheet, but is out in the open as a hater and criminal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrality_Act_of_1794
The Neutrality Act of 1794 and the Neutrality Act of 1817 were repealed and replaced by the Neutrality Act of 1818.[13] The Neutrality Act of 1794 was repealed, reenacted, and amended several times since and its successor remains in force as 18 U.S.C. § 960.[4]
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/960
Whoever, within the United States, knowingly begins or sets on foot or provides or prepares a means for or furnishes the money for, or takes part in, any military or naval expedition or enterprise to be carried on from thence against the territory or dominion of any foreign prince or state, or of any colony, district, or people with whom the United States is at peace, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 745; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(J), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
I was hoping to find enough for Neutrality Act felonies but it doesn't look like the right approach.
Definitely not in the best interest of us or US.
Why is this not enforced?
The Logan Act is a US federal law that makes it illegal for US citizens to engage in unauthorized diplomacy with foreign countries. The law was passed in 1799 to prevent unauthorized negotiations from undermining the US government's position.
Do you really think this is going to change anyone's mind though? If people haven't figured out how terrible he is by now, I don't see anything affecting them.
Only the small fragment of "undecided likely voters in swing states" who are routinely too damn busy until after Labor Day to pay much attention to the two candidates, and of that subset, who remain persuadable that one or the other is vastly worse.
I'm not sure if pollsters can find many of them, a kind of pollsters "Holy Grail & Rosetta Stone" indicating votes that are still winnable so late.
And even if they become convinced to dislike Trump, what about Vance? Vance is just as dangerous. But will they think that?
Vance is this generation's Eddie Haskell...smarmy and slithery...
I am a ballot clerk in my tiny town and yesterday we held the THIRD (yes, third) vote on a school budget (some controversial issues are causing 4 of the 8 towns in the school district to balk at passing the budget--BIG fight upcoming-- but in the meanwhile, bus drivers, maintenance personnel, cafeteria employees, etc., are all working with no paychecks. It's a disgrace)
Anyway, the other ballot clerk with whom I was working aired her personal opinion (in the breakroom--not in the area where the budget vote was ongoing) that Mr. Vance was a brilliant handsome young man who would go far. I knew she was a registered Repub, but that "opinion" dang near felled me. "On what do you base your opinion?" I inquired as politely as I could. She repeated some nonsense that she had probably gotten from Fox Noise, but mostly on the fact that he was a Yale graduate. Evidently she was from a family who revered Ivy League degrees--regardless of the clear evidence that Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Dartmouth and all the rest of the supposedly elite edifices of higher education turn out hundreds of pompous stiffs, social climbers, privileged brats and other clueless dimwits with as much frequency as other colleges and universities--perhaps even more so.
I decided that trying to change her mind (she was in her late 70's and I later learned that her darling long-departed Daddy was a Yalie) was probably a bootless endeavor. But how ANYONE, even an elderly Republican Mainer, could look at Vance's opportunistic curriculum vitae, and hear his plain-as-day confession of lying to and about his own constituents (hurtful, scurrilous lies, at that) and would still conclude that Vance was a "brilliant and honorable young man", just boggles the mind. I don't know how much more boggling my poor brain can take!
Perfect description!
Vance is an idiot. His wife, not so much. She has a great deal of influence over him. She's uber ambitious, seeks money, and power. She just goes about it a bit more cleverly than JD.
Not in my MAGAt crowd. All these former cops are all in for fpotus.
Guns make their lives and work so dangerous. You'd think they'd want to get rid of guns.
Garden variety racists, no surprise here, sad to say
So much for respect for the rule of law.
UGH
Louder.Lucian. Send this to everyone at WaPo and Graywater Ladle.
YES, LOUDER and OFTEN and NATIOWIDE, if not WORLDWIDE.
They didn't even cover the comment about sending your kids off to school and having them return a different sex.
Looks like, sounds like and smells like treason to me. There has to be a law on the books that he has violated. No official act here. He is simply a citizen.
The Logan Act. But Drumpf operates with impunity and dares anyone to stop him. Always has.
He does right now during this election period. But come Jan/Feb with a new AG that my abruptly change.
The Logan Act (1 Stat. 613, 18 U.S.C. § 953, enacted January 30, 1799) is a United States federal law that criminalizes the negotiation of a dispute between the United States and a foreign government by an unauthorized American citizen. The intent behind the Act is to prevent unauthorized negotiations from undermining the government's position.[2] The Act was passed following George Logan's unauthorized negotiations with France in 1798, and was signed into law by President John Adams on January 30, 1799. The Act was amended in 1994, changing the penalty for violation from "fined $5,000" to "fined under this title"; this appears to be the only amendment to the Act.[2] Violation of the Logan Act is a felony, punishable with imprisonment for up to three years.
Only two people have ever been indicted on charges of violating the Act,[3] one in 1802 and the other in 1852.[4] Neither was convicted.[4]
It’s time to charge Shitler with violating the Logan Act. Why should he be immune?
Thanks!
And Mike Flynn, I think?
Good article and great analysis, Mr. Truscott! The fact that Trump has and is continuing to hold "private" conversations with a leader of a country that is an adversary/enemy of the United States is truly appalling and horrifying. In a way, because of the sickness pervading American politics, it does not shock me. These actions speak to the sold-out and compromised nature of Donald Trump, and I know I am tired of having Vladimir Putin take actions to select the American president.
Those who would be King
Putin, Orban, Trump and Musk.
Hey, Cal, who are you betting on? My bet's on Musk--he's younger and in better shape. Putin's getting old, but he and Orban are both in better shape than Trump.
Musk has the ability to take out the old boys.
That's why I've been
just saying,
Elon is currently the planets most dangerous dude.
And wants to repeat it on Mars.
Plus Putin, Orban and Trump are more vulnerable to Assassination from within their on ranks.
Just wanted to make sure we are on the same page.
We wouldn't really know that. Putin and Orban's health is a state secret....literally.
What have they been talking about? The conquest of Ukraine. Subversion of the 2024 election. Prices for various stolen classified documents. Political asylum after Trump loses the election.
Plus (a big one) confirming that Trump Tower Moscow will be built.
Yes, how could we have forgotten, but I'll bet Trump doesn't remember.
If you're saying that T***p doesn't remember T***p Tower Moscow, I believe you're mistaken. Erecting tall buildings with his name emblazoned on them practicaly screams for all of them to be graffitied FREUD WAS HERE.
That's a good selection of topics, but I think prices of documents is probably at the top of Trump's list, if he hasn't already sold them. Political asylum is another biggie. Putin, of course, is more interested in Ukraine, but I wonder if Trump can remember that most of the time.
Yeah, but Willkie didn't have eyes-only national security documents stacked in his bathroom. The fact djt talked repeatedly with Putin while in possession of those secrets *should* be enough all by itself to sink his prospects..
He is a traitor and we’ve always wondered why he wouldn’t return the documents. No one else would ever do such a thing. But Republicans will be silent about this and continue to enable him.
It’s interesting how while we have questioned how votes are tabulated and what is a valid ballot - Gore/Bush in 2000 - when the decision was made Gore accepted it and moved on. Trump continues to whine about this day after day. If that’s his strategy to have his base thinking that they feel like they’ve been screwed, even though he knows it’s not true, he’s destroying the democratic process and dividing our country. This alone makes him unfit to lead our country. Just a despicable human being
Gore got fucked
Oh definitely. But as I said he didn’t whine or complain for 4 years. Acted like adult, not like Trump the child
Child needs severe spanking...STAT!
Of course
Well said! Thank you!
Keep reporting the truth. Perhaps the mainstream media will finally pay attention to the traitor who is running to be the North American Dictator. Putin's pen pal.
Although Trump may plead mental incompetence by the time he's brought it trial.
As the months have rolled by, Trump's characteristics and overt acts match up with all the main "Insanity Defense" criteria!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insanity_defense The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (March 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Criminal defenses
Part of the common law series
Actual innocenceImmunityMental disorder (Insanity)Diminished responsibilityIntoxicationInfancyAutomatismAlibiConsentMistakeDuressAgeNecessityProvocationSelf-defenseFalse confessionEntrapment
See also
Criminal law and procedure
Other common law areas
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The insanity defense, also known as the mental disorder defense, is an affirmative defense by excuse in a criminal case, arguing that the defendant is not responsible for their actions due to a psychiatric disease at the time of the criminal act. This is contrasted with an excuse of provocation, in which the defendant is responsible, but the responsibility is lessened due to a temporary mental state.[1]: 613 It is also contrasted with the justification of self defense or with the mitigation of imperfect self-defense. The insanity defense is also contrasted with a finding that a defendant cannot stand trial in a criminal case because a mental disease prevents them from effectively assisting counsel, from a civil finding in trusts and estates where a will is nullified because it was made when a mental disorder prevented a testator from recognizing the natural objects of their bounty, and from involuntary civil commitment to a mental institution, when anyone is found to be gravely disabled or to be a danger to themself or to others.[1]: 613
Legal definitions of insanity or mental disorder are varied, and include the M'Naghten Rule, the Durham rule, the 1953 British Royal Commission on Capital Punishment report, the ALI rule (American Legal Institute Model Penal Code rule), and other provisions, often relating to a lack of mens rea ("guilty mind").[1]: 613–635 [2] In the criminal laws of Australia and Canada, statutory legislation enshrines the M'Naghten Rules, with the terms defense of mental disorder, defense of mental illness or not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder employed. Being incapable of distinguishing right from wrong is one basis for being found to be legally insane as a criminal defense.[1] It originated in the M'Naghten Rule, and has been reinterpreted and modernized through more recent cases, such as People v. Serravo.[1]: 615–625
How does Putin manage to understand him? I can't understand Trump and I have a college degree from a better school than he went to. I'm sure he must tape his phone calls with Trump, so he can make sense out of them. Those tapes of Trump speaking to crowds are just incredibly garbled. How can his staff stand to work for him?
His staff: True believers. Grifters like their boss. Ideologues and conspiracists. Power-seekers. Religious extremists. Flunkies of their Real bosses, the wealthy right-wingers funding Trump.
oh God how did we ever go so wrong...I can't read anymore...
The question is whether the Trumplican Candidate understood Putin. It was probably a one-way conversation.
It is a mismatch of Herculean proportions whenever dumbass DonOld deals with Putin. Putin is wily, cunning, a former KGB operative. Trump is a conniving egotist ingnoramus who is easily manipulated.
Putin knows he's an idiot, but he's his useful idiot!
Why did French nobility line up to empty the Kings chamberpot?
Bob Woodward is famous for keeping crucial info quiet 'until the book comes out'. He did that during COVID, when it cost Americans their lives. He can put his books where the sun don't shine.
And the orange traitor has probably given putin all the info from the documents he stole when he left our White House. And charged him for it.
From the great General and President Eisenhower we have descended to Donald Trump as a former President and possibly a re-instated one. We'll know what sort of country we are very soon.
After reading through all the comments speculating about calls that may or may not have happened, then speculating as to what was said on calls that may or may not have happened, then speculating what was in closed banker-boxes, then zeroing in on what imaginary docs said what, while on the opposing side the weirdness and bullchit is so enoromous it requires being a bulldozer to advance it all, it's a nation w/o shame. Don't need another election to affirm it. The race to the bottom already has, good man.
Sad, but true.
Logan Act, anyone? Punishable by 3 years in prison. Charge and interrogate.