LIFE IN THE AFTERMATH - WHAT TO DO?

All is going well in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts yesterday in his New York election interference trial. His supporters, after momentary period of disbelief and upset, have come to recognize and accept the rule of law that undergirds our constitutional democratic republic.

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In fact, things are going about as well as you would expect, with every elected Republican in both House and Senate doing Oscar-worthy imitations of feces-flinging monkeys at the National Zoo (shouldn’t that name be applied to the House of Representatives?). And among Trump’s base? Whoowee!

The show got going shortly after the verdict was announced, when Trump posted a video to social media, using audio from a recent rally set to ominous music: It begins with his voiceover: “This is the final battle,” then goes to the speech:

“With you at my side, we will demolish the deep state. We will expel the warmongers from our government. We will drive out the globalists. We will cast out the communists, Marxists, and fascists. We will throw off the sick political class that hates our country. We will rout the fake news media. And we will liberate America from these villains once and for all.”

Sean Davis at The Federalist wasn’t far behind, tweeting: “In 2016, the presidential race was decided based on candidates releasing lists of potential Supreme Court nominees. In 2024, I want to see lists of which Democrat officials are going to be put in prison. This is what happens when you cross the Rubicon. Biden and Garland should be indicted in Texas tomorrow for their ongoing criminal human trafficking conspiracy across the border and into the state of Texas, in direct contravention of state law.”

Matt Walsh of Daily Wire fame tweeted: “Donald Trump should make and publish a list of ten high ranking Democrat criminals who he will have arrested when he takes office. First on the list should be Joe Biden. Second should be Joe’s crackhead son.”

Pro-Trump attack dog lawyer Mike Davis, who has been floated as a possible pick for attorney general in a second Trump term: “Dear Republicans: If your response to Biden’s Republic-ending lawfare against Trump is: 1. We must respect the process and/or 2. We are too principled to retaliate, please do two things: 1. Fuck off 2. Leave the party. You are too weak, stupid, and dangerous to keep around.”

Fucker Carlson lived down to expectations with his tweet: “Import the Third World, become the Third World. That’s what we just saw. This won’t stop Trump. He’ll win the election if he’s not killed first. But it does mark the end of the fairest justice system in the world. Anyone who defends this verdict is a danger to you and your family.”

The interesting thing about the elected Republicans’ responses was how quickly they came out. Minutes after the verdict, House Speaker (and number 2 in line for the presidency) Mike Johnson tweeted: “Today is a shameful day in American history. The weaponization of our justice system has been a hallmark of the Biden administration, and the decision today is further evidence that Democrats will stop at nothing to silence dissent and crush their political opponents.”

Texas Senator John Cornyn, a leading candidate to take over as Senate GOP leader after Mitch McConnell steps down, said this: “This verdict is a disgrace, and this trial should have never happened. Now more than ever, we need to rally around @realdonaldtrump, take back the White House, and get this country back on track.”

An hour later, Senator John Thune - Cornyn’s top rival - posted “I’ve been on a flight, but I just landed and saw the news. This case was politically motivated from the beginning, and today’s verdict does nothing to absolve the partisan nature of this prosecution. Regardless of outcome, more and more Americans are realizing we cannot survive four more years of Joe Biden.” The interesting thing to note here is that Thune felt he had to lead with “I’ve been on a flight, but I just landed and saw the news.” The real news was that Thune believed he needed to let Trump and his collection of Capo di Tutti Capi know there was a Serious Reason beyond his control for his failure to prostrate himself before Dear Leader as quickly and obsequiously as possible, lest he be thought a RINO.

As it was, Team Trump was patrolling the perimeter fence recently erected around the party last night, prepared to immediately purge anyone who went “off message.”

That anyone turned out to be Larry Hogan, the popular Trump skeptic centrist former governor of Maryland, who happens to be the best hope for Republicans to win a Maryland Senate seat in years, who tweeted: “Regardless of the result, I urge all Americans to respect the verdict and the legal process. At this dangerously divided moment in our history, all leaders—regardless of party—must not pour fuel on the fire with more toxic partisanship. We must reaffirm what has made this nation great: the rule of law.”

The response by Trump Consigliere Chris LaCivita was immediate: “You just ended your campaign.”

Truly, the scenes of mob hysteria and individual groveling was enough to set one up for a night of “bathroom difficulties.” Anyone who thinks the Republicans have or will learn anything from Trump’s conviction has come to the Wong Foo King Political Party.

An excellent example of How Far The Mighty Have Fallen was quickly displayed in the State of Floridumb:

Many have wondered whether Trump would lose his voting rights as a convicted felon. Not to worry! Under the Floridumb constitution, the governor and his cabinet can restore a felon’s voting rights. CFO Jimmy Patronis and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson say they’re ready to grant such clemency to Trump as fast as possible. Governor Ron DeSantis wasn’t available to chime in, he’ll go along with the plan, as will attorney general, Ashley Moody.

Normally, a clemency applicant has to finish the terms of their sentence before they qualify to have their voting rights restored in Florida. However, according to Patronis, Trump’s case is different because of the “weaponization of the courts” against him. He went on to point out thjat the Clemency Board can always change its rules; if there is some statutory problem, the Florida Legislature should hold a special session to fix the problem.

In the histories I have written, the heroes may both seem pre-ordained and unexpected at the same time. That’s the way it is with heroes. But like the Old Navy Chief told me as a young sailor, “When you’re so fucking scared that you’ve pissed your pants and crapped your drawers, and you brain is frozen, if you just manage to do your job - that’s being a hero.”

That’s a good description of us. And a good prescription for what to do about it: “If you just manage to do your job - that’s being a hero.”

Our job is to make certain that, whether or not Trump’s conviction stands on appeal, or the bigger Federal cases find a way to happen and lead to further convictions, that Donald John Trump never sees the inside of the Oval Office ever again.

Trump’s conviction is a battle won, but the war rages on and it’s not clear yet who will win out in the end.

The defeat that matters is his defeat in November. There are lots of jobs available for those who want to make that happen. Do them.

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