The Conversation -- May 12, 2024

Jennifer Bahney of Mediaite on Trump's New Jersey rally: "... the event featured some truly bizarre moments....

'Silence of the Lambs. Has anyone ever seen The Silence of the Lambs?' Trump asked the crowd. The late, great Hannibal Lecter is a wonderful man. He oftentimes would have a friend for dinner. Remember the last scene? "Excuse me. I'm about to have a friend for dinner," as this poor doctor walked by. "I'm about to have a friend for dinner." But Hannibal Lecter. Congratulations. The late, great Hannibal Lecter."' There's more. MB: As you no doubt know, Hannibal Lecter is not a wonderful man. He's a fictional cannibal who likes his human liver with a side of fava beans & a nice chianti. Trump is insane.

Léonie Chao-Fong of the Guardian: "Katie Britt, the Republican US senator from Alabama best known for delivering a widely ridiculed State of the Union [rebuttal] speech in March, marked the run-up to Mother's Day on Sunday by introducing a bill to create a federal database to collect data on pregnant people.... Although Britt's communications director said the site would not collect data on pregnant people..., the bill states that users can take an assessment through the website and provide consent to use the user's contact information' which government officials may use 'to conduct outreach via phone or email to follow up with users on additional resources that would be helpful for the users to review'.... The ... act proposes to establish an online government database ... listing resources related to pregnancy..., except for those that provide abortion-related services." Thanks to Jj for the link.

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Luke Broadwater of the New York Times & Paul Kiel of ProPublica: "As [House] Republicans have pressed their [impeachment] case against [President] Biden, Democrats on the Oversight panel -- including an unusually large crop of freshman -- have matched them sound bite for sound bite and stunt for political stunt, establishing themselves as feisty defenders of the president.... Back in January 2023, they selected seven freshmen to sit on the Oversight panel, the most of any committee. The group included lawyers with debate experience and members who had a sense for how to communicate in a way that could catch fire on social media and break through the noise of a highly polarized environment." Among them Dan Goldman (N.Y.), Robert Garcia (Calif.), Jared Moscowitz (Fla.) and Jasmine Crockett (Texas). Leading the effort are Jamie Raskin (Md.) & Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) ~~~

     ~~~ Here Rep. Rep. Garcia channeled his inner "Real Housewife." And Crockett expressed concern last fall about boxes full of national secrets Donald Trump left in a public bathroom (or "shitter," as Rep. Crockett described it) in Mar-a-Lardo:

The only years anybody's ever seen [of Donald Trump's tax returns] showed he didn;t pay any federal income tax. -- Hillary Clinton, September 2016 presidential debate

That makes me smart. -- Donald Trump, response

I think he ripped off the tax system. -- Walter Schwidetzky, law professor & partnership taxation expert ~~~

~~~ Donald Trump, Super Tax Cheat. Russ Buettner of the New York Times & Paul Kiel of ProPublica: "... Donald J. Trump used a dubious accounting maneuver to claim improper tax breaks* from his troubled Chicago tower, according to an Internal Revenue Service inquiry uncovered by The New York Times and ProPublica. Losing a yearslong audit battle over the claim could mean a tax bill of more than $100 million.... [The project was] a vast money loser. But ... Mr. Trump ... wrote off the same losses twice.... [In his] tax return for 2008..., he claimed that his investment in the condo-hotel tower met the tax code definition of 'worthless,' [and] report[ed] losses as high as $651 million for the year.... But in 2010..., he shifted the company that owned the tower into a new partnership.... Then he used the shift as justification to declare $168 million in additional losses over the next decade.... The Times and ProPublica, in consultation with tax experts, calculated that the revision sought by the I.R.S. would create a new tax bill of more than $100 million, plus interest and potential penalties." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     * The link above is to the ProPublica article. The same New York Times article is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ What if you built a store nobody could get to? MB: In yesterday' Comments, Patrick pointed out this tidbit from the story: "... some 70,000 square feet of retail space [in the Chicago skyscraper] remained vacant because it had been designed without access to foot or vehicle traffic."

Marie: As we know all too well, Donald Trump is currently on trial for creating false records when he (allegedly!) tried to disguise hush-money payments to a porn star as "legal services pursuant to a retainer agreement" paid to Michael Cohen. So how surprising is this?: ~~~

     ~~~ More (Alleged!) Fake "Legal Services." M.L. Nestel of the Raw Story: "Donald Trump's election campaign has been hit with a sex discrimination lawsuit involving fresh accusations that his lawyers violated federal law by attempting to hide settlement payments to women accusers. The Federal Election Commission must investigate whether the campaign illegally attempted to hide settlement payments by routing them through third parties, according to a complaint filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). The allegations of wrongdoing, first reported by The Daily Beast, stem from former Trump campaign employee AJ Delgado who gave a sworn declaration in her pending lawsuit against Trump that she was cut loose based on pregnancy discrimination. Delgado, a former Trump 2016 campaign aide, had grabbed widespread attention by accusing longtime Trump aide Jason Miller of engaging in 'a cycle of sexual coercion, rape, sexual assault, abuse, battery, sexual harassment, and sex trafficking.'"

Presidential Race

Marie: I don't do polls much, but every once in a while, a Reality Chek is in order: ~~~

     ~~~ Steve M.: "... there's a notable disparity between the poll numbers for President Biden and the numbers for vulnerable Democratic senators. In the Real Clear Polling average, Biden trails Donald Trump by 1.2 points in a two-candidate race. Trump's lead is small, but Biden hasn't led since October. What's worse, Biden trails in every swing state -- Trump leads by 5 in Arizona, by 3.8 in Georgia, by 1.2 in Michigan, by 4.5 in Nevada, by 5.4 in North Carolina, by 1.8 in Pennsylvania, and by .5 in Wisconsin. If these numbers are accurate and were to hold up in November, Trump would win a popular-vote squeaker, but he'd win the Electoral College easily." Steve goes on to report the numbers for various Senate Democrats.

Samantha Waldenberg of CNN: "President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump 'clearly unhinged.'... 'It's clear that ... when he lost in 2020, something snapped in him,' Biden told supporters just outside Seattle at a private fundraiser Saturday, according to reporters in the room. 'He's not only obsessed with losing in 2020, he's clearly unhinged....'"

Michael Gold of the New York Times: On Saturday, Donald Trump held "a rally on the beach in Wildwood, N.J., where he largely repeated the same criticisms of President Biden that have characterized his stump speech in recent months.... Though New Jersey has voted for Democratic presidential candidates in every election since 1992, and Mr. Trump lost the state by double-digit margins in both 2016 and 2020, he insisted that he could win there in November." ~~~

     ~~~ Sideshow Barker. Marianne LeVine of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump on Saturday ... [spoke] at a large rally on the Jersey Shore filled with personal attacks, coarse language and vulgar expressions from the former president and his supporters.... [The rally] included many of the same polarizing features ... that critics have voiced alarm over, including attacks on undocumented immigrants, who he accused of staging an 'invasion,' as he vowed to 'stop the plunder, rape, slaughter and destruction of the American suburbs, cities and towns.' He sharply derided his domestic critics and opponents, claiming 'the enemies from within are more dangerous to me than the enemies on the outside' the country. He praised the six Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade. And he engaged in meandering asides, including about conversations he has had with celebrities or world leaders.... He spoke surrounded by a roller coaster and Ferris wheel...." Politico's report is here.

Daniel Dale & Kristen Holmes of CNN: "... Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that his criminal trial in Manhattan has prevented him from campaigning in key swing states.... But a review of his activities over the trial's first four weeks shows that he has done little campaign travel, and held few public campaign events, on days off from court. Instead, he has spent most of his 12 court-free days out of voters' view at his properties in New York, New Jersey and Florida."

Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan of the New York Times: "Paul Manafort, the longtime Republican strategist and chairman of Donald J. Trump's 2016 campaign, who had assumed an unpaid role advising party officials on the nominating convention, stepped aside on Saturday after questions arose about his involvement in the convention's planning process. Mr. Manafort's move came after The New York Times reported that he had been on the ground in Milwaukee last week for planning meetings for the convention, as well as a Washington Post story that said he was involved in work connected to foreign officials and businesses.... Mr. Manafort helped stave off efforts to thwart Mr. Trump's nomination at the 2016 convention, went to prison for various financial crimes and was pardoned by Mr. Trump."

The New York Times' live updates of developments in U.S. college campus protests are here.

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Georgia Election Fraud -- It's Real! Carl Gibson of AlterNet: "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that [Brian] Pritchard was removed from his role as ... vice chairman of the Georgia Republican Party ... after a whopping 86% of the Georgia GOP's state committee supported a motion to oust him. The vote to officially remove Pritchard came after he refused to step down amid revelations that he voted on nine separate occasions despite ... [being] on probation for felony check forgery."

Ohio. Another GOP Senate Candidate with a Fake "Origins" Story. Jonathan Weisman, et al., of the New York Times: Bernie Moreno "is running for the Senate as an immigrant who made good, reaching out to Ohio voters with a stirring, only-in-America bootstraps story: arriving as a child from Colombia, taking a risk on a struggling business, and then turning it into a smashing success and himself into a millionaire 100 times over.... 'We came here with absolutely nothing -- we came here legally -- but we came here, nine of us in a two-bedroom apartment,' Mr. Moreno said in 2023, in what became his signature pitch. His father 'had to leave everything behind,,' he has said.... But there is much more that Mr. Moreno does not say about his background, his upbringing and his very powerful present-day ties in the country where he was born. Mr. Moreno was born into a rich and politically connected family in Bogotá, a city that it never completely left behind, where some members continue to enjoy great wealth and status." Read on.

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Israel/Palestine, et al. CNN's live updates of developments Sunday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "At least 300,000 people have fled the southern Gazan city of Rafah ahead of an Israeli ground offensive, the UN says. In a statement on social media, UNRWA said the 'forced and inhumane displacement of Palestinians continues.' There is growing alarm over the humanitarian situation in Rafah, with the UN saying it could run out of food aid as early as Sunday. Israel's military says it is enabling the flow of aid into the territory. Fighting is raging in other parts of Gaza too. The Israeli military is operating in Jabalya, northern Gaza, as part of efforts to stop Hamas regrouping. Israel earlier this year said it had dismantled Hamas's command structure in northern Gaza. US President Joe Biden said there would be a 'ceasefire tomorrow' if Hamas would release the hostages held in Gaza. Hamas said Israel's rejection of a ceasefire plan submitted at negotiations this week in Cairo sent talks back to 'square one.'" ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates for Sunday are here.

The Conversation -- May 11, 2024

The only years anybody's ever seen [of Donald Trump's tax returns] showed he didn't pay any federal income tax. -- Hillary Clinton, Sept. 2016 presidential debate

That makes me smart. -- Donald Trump, response

I think he ripped off the tax system. -- Walter Schwidetzky, law professor & partnership taxation expert ~~~

~~~ Donald Trump, Super Tax Cheat. Russ Buettner of the New York Times & Paul Kiel of ProPublica: "... Donald J. Trump used a dubious accounting maneuver to claim improper tax breaks* from his troubled Chicago tower, according to an Internal Revenue Service inquiry uncovered by The New York Times and ProPublica. Losing a yearslong audit battle over the claim could mean a tax bill of more than $100 million.... [The project was] a vast money loser. But ... Mr. Trump ... wrote off the same losses twice.... [In his] tax return for 2008..., he claimed that his investment in the condo-hotel tower met the tax code definition of 'worthless,' [and] report[ed] losses as high as $651 million for the year.... But in 2010..., he shifted the company that owned the tower into a new partnership.... Then he used the shift as justification to declare $168 million in additional losses over the next decade.... The Times and ProPublica, in consultation with tax experts, calculated that the revision sought by the I.R.S. would create a new tax bill of more than $100 million, plus interest and potential penalties." ~~~

     * The link above is to the ProPublica article. The same New York Times article is here.

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Yesterday we learned that some House Republicans want to impeach President Biden because he has said he would withhold some military aid to Israel if Israeli forces carry out Netanyahu's plan to make a massive attack on the Gaza city of Rafah. Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) has said he has drawn up articles of impeachment. So ~~~

~~~ Impeach Reagan! And Bush I! And Ford! and Ike! Peter Baker of the New York Times: President Ronald "Reagan used the power of American arms several times to influence Israeli war policy, at different points ordering warplanes and cluster munitions to be delayed or withheld.... Dwight D. Eisenhower threatened economic sanctions and an aid cutoff to force Israel to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula after it invaded Egypt in 1956. Gerald R. Ford warned that he would re-evaluate the entire relationship in 1975 over what he considered Israel's recalcitrance during peace talks with Egypt. George H.W. Bush postponed $10 billion in loan guarantees in 1991 in a dispute over settlements in the West Bank." (Also linked yesterday.)

Kevin Freking of the AP: "The independent office that reviews allegations against House members found probable cause that Rep. Troy Nehls [R] of Texas converted campaign funds to personal use, triggering an investigation by the House Ethics Committee, a new disclosure revealed Friday. The recommendation and the full report from the Office of Congressional Ethics were both released Friday, as required under the law.... The office said Nehls declined to cooperate with its investigation.... Nehls, a second-term Republican lawmaker, was a county sheriff for eight years before serving in the House. He's a staunch Donald Trump supporter who attended this year's State of the Union address wearing a T-shirt decorated with Trump's mugshot."

The Trials of Trump & the Trump Mob, Ctd.

Jesse McKinley & Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "In a startling precursor to what could be the most explosive testimony in Donald J. Trump's criminal trial, the judge on Friday told prosecutors that he was personally asking that a key witness [-- Michael Cohen --] stop speaking out against the former president.... 'That comes from the bench,' Justice [Juan] Merchan said.... [During Friday's proceedings, prosecutors] prepared for Mr. Cohen's arrival by calling a round of custodial witnesses, whose testimony allowed the prosecutors to introduce important documents, phone logs, and text and email messages -- much of it relevant to Mr. Cohen.... Between the riveting testimony of the porn star, Stormy Daniels, and Mr. Cohen's looming appearance, Friday's session was a moment of calm, the eye of the storm that is the first criminal trial of an American president." The AP's report is here.

New York Times reporters liveblogged developments yesterday in what may be The Last Criminal Trial of Donald Trump. You can read many of their entries in yesterday's Conversation. Links to transcripts of court proceedings, via the courts, up to & including Thursday, May 9, are here. Links to exhibits are here.

Dan Mangan of CNBC: "A federal appeals court on Friday upheld the criminal contempt of Congress conviction of former Trump White House senior aide Steve Bannon for refusing to testify and provide documents to the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.... The ruling by a three-judge panel on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit makes it more likely that Bannon will soon have to begin serving a sentence of four months in jail for his conviction of two counts of contempt." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times report is here.

Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "Rudolph W. Giuliani was suspended by WABC radio on Friday and his daily talk show was abruptly canceled after the station said he violated its policy by trying to discuss discredited claims about the 2020 presidential election on air. John Catsimatidis, the billionaire Republican businessman who owns the station, said he had made the decision after Mr. Giuliani refused to avoid the topic despite repeated warnings.... Mr. Giuliani's removal from WABC, one of his only current sources of income, is almost certain to add to the mounting legal and financial woes that have engulfed him in the years since. The suspension will deny him one of his last mainstream public platforms.... In a statement, he called WABC's policies 'a clear violation of free speech.'... 'Obviously I was never informed on such a policy, and even if there was one, it was violated so often that it couldn't be taken seriously,' he wrote." The Guardian's report is here. Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. See his commentary below.

     ~~~ Marie: "A clear violation of free speech." Really? Once again, it is not possible to know whether Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, is completely ignorant of the law or is just pretending to be. Within limits, the First Amendment prohibits government entities from curbing speech; it does not prohibit individuals or corporations from refusing to provide platforms for speakers.

Presidential Race

Michael Gold of the New York Times: "Barron Trump..., Donald J. Trump's youngest son who has stayed out of the spotlight since his father entered politics, will not serve as one of Florida's delegates to the Republican National Convention, the office of Melania Trump announced on Friday. In a statement released two days after Barron, 18, was selected to be an at-large delegate by the Florida Republican Party, Mrs. Trump's office said that Barron was 'honored' to be chosen but that he 'regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments.'" A BBC News story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ MEANWHILE, NBC News reports that Donald Trump told Telemundo yesterday that he was "all for" Barron's new role as GOP convention delegate. "'He's pretty young, I will say. He's 17,' Trump said.... 'But if they can do that, I'm all for it.'... [Barron] turned 18 in March." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yes, but what about me? While Don & Melanie may be at odds over critical child-rearing practices, Melanie's decision to pull the boy from the Florida delegation puts a serious strain on me: Yesterday, I announced an update of Reality Chex Policy re: Barron: since he had entered the political realm, it was okay to bash him. Now I don't know whether or not to pick on the kid. He is a legal adult, even if his own father doesn't know it. However, if the young man is going to remain a schoolboy and not become a political player, then I suppose we ought to leave him to his studies.

No, Trump Is Not the Teflon Don. Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "In the folk wisdom of recent American politics, Donald Trump is a figure of herculean invulnerability to traditional scandal.... Let's look at the situation as it stands. Despite his best efforts, Trump has not been able to summon the grass-roots activity that signals political strength. There are no febrile crowds demanding justice for him at the courthouse door, no mob poised to wreak havoc in his name -- not that he didn't try to make one appear. And the broader public does not appear to have a problem with either the trial or the prospect of jail time for the former president.... On Tuesday, nearly 22 percent of Republican primary voters in Indiana pulled the proverbial lever for Nikki Haley, who left the race in March.... It is bad, for his political prospects, that Trump is on trial. It hurts him, with voters, to face allegations of criminal wrongdoing and sexual misconduct in a court of law." (Also linked yesterday.)

Everybody's Picking on Clarence & Ginni. Abbie VanSickle of the New York Times: "Justice Clarence Thomas denounced on Friday 'the nastiness and the lies' that have shadowed him in recent years as public scrutiny has mounted over his wife's efforts to subvert the 2020 election and luxury gifts he has accepted from billionaire friends. 'My wife and I, the last two or three years, just the nastiness and the lies,' said Justice Thomas, who did not specify what he was referring to in addressing a full ballroom of lawyers and judges gathered for a judicial conference in Alabama. 'There's certainly been a lot of negativity in our lives, my wife and I, over the last few years, but we choose not to focus on it.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, shame on me! It turns out all these reports about Thomas' many corrupt acts were out fault. Why, even the Pulitzer committee is in on it. Seriously, Thomas' reaction to reports & commentary exposing his corruption is typical: it was not his crimes that were egregious; it was the reports and criticism of his crimes. Remember, this is how Thomas got on the Supreme Court: pretending he was the victim, not the criminal. Nothing has changed.

Ed Pilkington of the Guardian: "Police moved in to disband several pro-Palestinian student encampments on US campuses on Friday morning as the tumult over protests against academic ties with Israel stemming from the war in Gaza continued to roil academia. Tent encampments at the University of Pennsylvania, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Arizona, Tucson, were all dismantled in early morning raids that saw cordons of police sweep in and clear the makeshift protest settlements. In Tucson teargas was used, and demonstrators responded by throwing bottles at officers."

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Virginia. Nicole Chavez of CNN: "School board members in Virginia's Shenandoah County voted early Friday to restore the names of two schools that previously honored Confederate leaders -- four years after those names had been removed. The 5-1 vote came after hours of public comment during a meeting that began Thursday evening from people speaking on both sides of the issue.... The schools had been named after Confederate Gens. Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Turner Ashby." (Also linked yesterday.)

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Israel/Palestine, et al.

CNN's live updates of developments Saturday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Israel's military on Saturday ordered the immediate evacuation of several more neighborhoods in Rafah, where it has been stepping up operations ahead of an anticipated ground offensive. At least 110,000 people have already fled. The Biden administration said Friday it is 'reasonable to assess' that US weapons have been used by Israeli forces in Gaza in ways that are inconsistent with international humanitarian law -- but the highly anticipated report stopped short of officially saying Israel violated the law. Also on Friday, the White House said a CNN report on alleged systematic abuse at an Israeli prison was 'deeply concerning' and that the US is reaching out to Israeli officials for answers. CNN spoke to three Israeli whistleblowers who revealed how prisoners are blindfolded, handcuffed and forced to wear diapers. Elsewhere, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling on the Security Council to reconsider Palestinian membership in the UN, a significant but ultimately symbolic move that the US is expected to veto."

Philip Nieto of Mediaite: "Hillary Clinton faced criticism after she slammed student protesters by claiming young people 'don't know very much' about the Middle East. On Thursday, the former secretary of state joined Morning Joe where she shared her views on the nationwide student protests over U.S. support for Israel amid the war in Gaza. She noted that young people are ignorant of Middle Eastern history but also 'many areas of the world, including in our own country.'... Her comments drew criticism from the left who accused Clinton of having 'overwhelming contempt' for 'anyone who isn't her.' Others slammed Clinton for lacking 'basic humanity' regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hillary Clinton has burdened herself with two Achilles' heels. One of them is telling impolitic truths. Not only does she think she is better than the rest of us, she says so. And the inconvenient truth is that she's right, at least most of the time. She was right in 1992 to suggest that she was too accomplished to stay home and bake cookies. She was right about "the vast right-wing conspiracy" in 1998. She was right in 2008 when she said the civil rights movement would not have advanced as it did without Lyndon Johnson. She was right in 2016 to slam Trump supporters as "deplorables." And in 2024 she's right about Americans not knowing much about Middle East history -- or at least not nearly as much as she knows. I suppose if she were a man, she might have got away with remarks like these.

But then there's her other Achilles' heel: she thinks that because she is better, brighter, more accomplished that most of the rest of us, she is also above abiding by the rules that govern us. So insider trading in cattle futures was okay if she did it. Whitewatergate was okay. Travelgate was okay. The dodgy Clinton Foundation is okay. The private computer server was okay. And that combination of acting as if you're better than everyone else and then saying so, too, just doesn't work for most politicians. Or most people.

The Conversation -- May 10, 2024

Impeach Reagan! And Bush I! And Ford! and Ike! Peter Baker of the New York Times: President Ronald "Reagan used the power of American arms several times to influence Israeli war policy, at different points ordering warplanes and cluster munitions to be delayed or withheld.... Dwight D. Eisenhower threatened economic sanctions and an aid cutoff to force Israel to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula after it invaded Egypt in 1956. Gerald R. Ford warned that he would re-evaluate the entire relationship in 1975 over what he considered Israel's recalcitrance during peace talks with Egypt. George H.W. Bush postponed $10 billion in loan guarantees in 1991 in a dispute over settlements in the West Bank."

Virginia. Nicole Chavez of CNN: "School board members in Virginia's Shenandoah County voted early Friday to restore the names of two schools that previously honored Confederate leaders -- four years after those names had been removed. The 5-1 vote came after hours of public comment during a meeting that began Thursday evening from people speaking on both sides of the issue.... The schools had been named after Confederate Gens. Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Turner Ashby."

Dan Mangan of CNBC: "A federal appeals court on Friday upheld the criminal contempt of Congress conviction of former Trump White House senior aide Steve Bannon for refusing to testify and provide documents to the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.... The ruling by a three-judge panel on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit makes it more likely that Bannon will soon have to begin serving a sentence of four months in jail for his conviction of two counts of contempt."

No, Trump Is Not the Teflon Don. Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "In the folk wisdom of recent American politics, Donald Trump is a figure of herculean invulnerability to traditional scandal.... Despite his best efforts, Trump has not been able to summon the grass-roots activity that signals political strength. There are no febrile crowds demanding justice for him at the courthouse door, no mob poised to wreak havoc in his name -- not that he didn't try to make one appear. And the broader public does not appear to have a problem with either the trial or the prospect of jail time for the former president.... On Tuesday, nearly 22 percent of Republican primary voters in Indiana pulled the proverbial lever for Nikki Haley, who left the race in March.... It is bad, for his political prospects, that Trump is on trial. It hurts him, with voters, to face allegations of criminal wrongdoing and sexual misconduct in a court of law."

It is, thankfully, the last Trumpity Doo-Dah Day of the week, and New York Times reporters are liveblogging developments in the what may be The Last Criminal Trial of Donald Trump. ~~~

Jonah Bromwich: "Madeleine Westerhout is back on the stand. Susan Necheles, one of Trump's lawyers -- whose day ended yesterday with the judge harshly criticizing her performance, saying she did not object as she should have to some of Stormy Daniels's testimony -- is back questioning this witness, who worked for Trump in the White House.... Necheles ... just sought to use Madeleine Westerhout's testimony to suggest that Trump and Allen Weisselberg may not have spoken much in 2017, when the alleged falsification of business records occurred. Prosecutors say that Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, designed the specific way that Michael Cohen would be reimbursed for the hush-money payment he made to Stormy Daniels. Weisselberg worked in coordination with Trump, prosecutors say. Necheles is trying to cast doubt on that."

Susanne Craig: "We are starting to see the 'blame it on Allen Weisselberg' defense emerging."

[MB: The reporters notice that Trump is toting a stack of printouts of news clippings & social media post, so several of them discuss Natalie Harp's job, which is to follow Trump around with a portable printer & run off favorable articles & posts to cheer him up. Some of Trump's staff call poor Natalie "the human printer" on account of her horrible, demeaning job. As for Trump himself, he is our own Pantalone, and the commedia we deserve will not forget to attach Natalie to him in every scene. Akhilleus has mentioned her in Comments.]

Jonathan Swan: "Through a long line of questions, the defense lawyer Susan Necheles is steering the witness, Madeleine Westerhout, toward describing the mailing arrangement for Trump in the White House as a system that was set up merely to get mail to him quickly. She is seeking to suggest that there was nothing nefarious about it."

Bromwich: "Necheles asked if Trump brought up his family in relation to Daniels's claims, but Westerhout said that he did not.... This is important because the defense is seeking to suggest that Trump was motivated to pay hush money because of concerns about his family, not his electoral chances. Westerhout seemed as if she'd be a perfect witness for that.... But here, she did not play along, hurting the defendant she used to work for and still admires."

Swan: Under re-direct examination by prosecutor Becky Mangold, "Westerhout admits that she spoke to the defense lawyer Susan Necheles two nights ago. Another indication that she is trying to be a helpful witness to the defense."

Bromwich: "Briefly, as she concluded re-direct, Mangold sought to show the jury that Westerhout was a Republican loyalist, noting that her current boss, too, is a veteran of the Trump administration.... The next witness, Daniel Dixon, is from Florida. He will be questioned by the prosecutor Christopher Conroy. Dixon testifies that he is an AT&T employee, and that he is a lead compliance analyst at the company."

Kate Christobek: "Daniel Dixon's role while testifying, which he was compelled to do by subpoena, was purely to authenticate phone records...."

Bromwich: "After a brief cross-examination, Dixon is done.... The new witness's name is Jennie Tomalin. She works for Verizon."

Craig: "Jennie Tomalin mentioned the names of two people who factor into the case: Weisselberg ... and Keith Davidson, Stormy Daniels's former lawyer."

Wesley Parnell: "Before our break, the defense sought to exclude an interview with Larry King from 1999 where Trump apparently said he had extensive knowledge of campaign finance law. Emil Bove, one of Trump's lawyers, said finance law had changed since that interview. Becky Mangold, one of the prosecutors, argued that the 'defendant's admission that he had extensive knowledge of campaign finance law is relevant.'"

Bromwich: "Justice Merchan just sided with the defense, and barred this piece of evidence.... Georgia Longstreet, a paralegal at the Manhattan district attorney's office who reviews social media posts as part of her role, is on the stand. This explains [Manhattan D.A.] Alvin Bragg's presence in the courtroom. Longstreet testified about Trump's social media posts once during this trial already.... Georgia Longstreet is reading a series of tweets from Trump, many of them attacks on Michael Cohen. She just read a post in which Trump unfavorably compared Cohen -- who made the hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels and is expected to testify starting Monday -- to Paul Manafort, who pleaded guilty to crimes and was sentenced to seven years in prison but was pardoned by Trump while he was still in office....

"Georgia Longstreet is now guiding the courtroom through a series of texts from 2016 between Dylan Howard, who was the editor of The National Enquirer, and Gina Rodriguez, who was Stormy Daniels's manager. The texts -- between two figures jurors are not expected to hear from directly -- show that representatives for The National Enquirer and Rodriguez were in conversation for months about Daniels's account. This suggests that The Enquirer was monitoring the story, as its publisher, David Pecker, said he had promised to do."

Christobek: "In these texts, Rodriguez tells Howard that Daniels had sex with Trump/ It is another piece of evidence presented by the prosecutors that matches Daniels's story -- a story that Trump denies."

Bromwich: :The text exchange delved deeply into the amounts that Daniels's representatives were asking for. Gina Rodriguez, her manager, originally asked for $250,000 for the story but was bargained down slowly."

Haberman: "Todd Blanche[, Trump's lawyer,] asks Georgia Longstreet about Michael Cohen's use of TikTok, which defense lawyers have been furious about because he's used it to comment on the case."

Bromwich: "Jaden Jarmel-Schneider is expected to be our final witness of the day. Like Longstreet, he is a paralegal at the Manhattan district attorney's office.... Having explained his work, the witness is now certifying specific exhibits: calls between various key witnesses, including Michael Cohen and Trump. They are then offered into evidence, and are accepted."

Parnell: "We are looking at a comprehensive chart that the district attorney's office compiled of the 34 business records that prosecutors say Trump falsified. In total, there are 11 invoices, 11 vouchers and 12 checks, all relating to the reimbursement of Michael Cohen. This is the first time we've seen all of the documents laid out on a single screen."

[MB: Testimony has ended for the week.]

Bromwich: "... the lawyers have been arguing about whether or not evidence should be allowed in that relates to Allen Weisselberg..., who is currently on Rikers Island after pleading guilty to perjury. The evidence, Weisselberg's severance agreement, would show that he is still waiting to be paid his full severance by the Trump Organization. The judge is suggesting that prosecutors should, in fact, call Weisselberg as a witness, which appears as if it would be a major shift in their plan....

"We've ended the fourth week of the trial with the judge asking prosecutors to keep Michael Cohen from attacking Trump. Cohen, Trump's former fixer, is expected to begin his testimony Monday.... Joshua Steinglass, a prosecutor, says they have repeatedly asked witnesses, including Cohen, to remain silent but have little control over them."

The New York Times is liveblogging developments in U.S. university campus protests against the conduct of the Israel/Hamas war.

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We all know, intuitively, that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections.... This legislation ... will prevent that from happening.... We'll have a mechanism to prove whether they are or not. -- House Speaker Mike Johnson, Wednesday ~~~

~~~ Scott Wong, et al., of NBC News: "Some of the conservative leaders of the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election gathered in front of the Capitol on Wednesday and called on Congress to pass an 'election integrity' bill to stop noncitizens from voting. Leading the group, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., acknowledged that undocumented immigrants voting in elections is already illegal under federal law.... But he argued that people know 'intuitively' that noncitizens are voting, even though he could not provide estimates of how many. Multiple studies have shown that noncitizen voting is extremely rare in federal elections." Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. See also his commentary in yesterday's thread. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So. Intuition in search of a "mechanism." Why do I think that Mike's proposed mechanism is going to involve accusatory interrogations of every voter whose skin tone isn't as pink as Mike's ass or whose name "sounds foreign"? (Where"sounds foreign" is not Drumpf but is Hernandez?

The Trials of Trump, Ctd.

Jonah Bromwich, et al., of the New York Times: "During Thursday’s grueling cross-examination, [Donald] Trump's lawyers sought to discredit [Stormy] Daniels as a money-grubbing extortionist who used a passing proximity to Mr. Trump to attain fame and riches.... After a shaky performance on the stand earlier in the week, Ms. Daniels on Thursday conceded almost nothing.... The more the defense assailed her self-promoting merchandise and online screeds, the more Ms. Daniels resembled the man she was testifying against: a master of marketing, a savant of social-media scorn. 'Not unlike Mr. Trump,' she said on the stand, though unlike him, she did it without the power and platform of the presidency.... When [Trump attorney Susan] Necheles suggested that the porn star had experience with 'phony stories about sex,' Ms. Daniels responded that the sex in her films was 'very much real, just like what happened to me in that room.' And when Ms. Necheles implied that her experience producing films showed that she knew how to spin fiction, Ms. Daniels replied, 'I would have written it to be a lot better.'... [At the end of the day], the judge, Juan M. Merchan, rejected the [defense's] request [for a mistrial] and rebuked defense lawyers, noting that their decision to deny that the tryst had even occurred had opened the door for much of her explicit testimony....

"After Ms. Daniels left the stand, prosecutors called witnesses more directly related to the records. They questioned Rebecca Manochio, a junior bookkeeper at the Trump Organization, who described mailing Mr. Cohen's checks, his reimbursements for payments to Ms. Daniels, to Washington for Mr. Trump to sign during his presidency. They also called Madeleine Westerhout, one of Mr. Trump's most trusted aides in the early White House years. She sat at a desk right outside the Oval Office and coordinated many of his communications, including a crucial meeting with [Michael] Cohen just weeks into his term."

Marie: Alex Wagner of MSNBC described Susan Necheles' cross as nothing less than an attempt at "slut-shaming." Chris Hayes & Harry Litman called it the "nuts and sluts defense." Based on the Times' report of the Q&A, that all sounds about right to me. Although that tactic might work well enough in some communities, my sense is that at least some Manhattan jurors would be more offended than favorably impressed with their attempt to shame and defame a female witness because she works in a sex industry. ~~~

~~~ Jessica Bennett of the New York Times: Stormy "Daniels has largely been unflappable in the face of combative questioning. But that did not stop the defense from pursuing what is perhaps the oldest trope in the book: harping on her sexual history.... The idea that Daniels's pornography career could be equated with making up a story -- or used to undermine it -- might have been convincing in a pre-#MeToo world. But the public perception of sex work has changed a lot since Daniels's initial accusation, as has the way the public understands trauma. Daniels, for her part, was unapologetic: She is a woman who proudly makes pornography for a living and doesn't believe it hurts her credibility one bit."

Kate Christobek & Jesse McKinley of the New York Times report five takeaways from Thursday's proceedings.

Marianne LeVine of the Washington Post: "New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan blamed Donald Trump's attorney Susan Necheles in court Thursday for not sufficiently objecting in real time to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels's detailed testimony this week -- and again said Daniels's testimony does not warrant a mistrial.... In ruling against the defense's motion for a mistrial, Merchan said that prosecutors had the right to 'rehabilitate' Daniels's credibility to the jury, given that Trump's team denies a sexual encounter ever took place. He also criticized the cross-examination for going into 'ad nauseam' details about Daniels's testimony."

Kyle Cheney of Politico: "Justice Juan Merchan's gag order forbids Trump from verbally attacking the prosecutors working for District Attorney Alvin Bragg. It also bars Trump from commenting on the judge's family. But that hasn't stopped some close allies from unleashing rhetoric that Trump himself cannot. Today, that role was filled by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who attended a portion of the trial proceedings and accompanied Trump into the courtroom. Scott went to a Fox News TV camera to mount the very criticisms that Trump is legally barred from making. He suggested the case against Trump is unfair because one of the prosecutors, Matthew Colangelo, used to work in the Justice Department. And he called Merchan's adult daughter a 'political operative,' noting that she has raised money for Democrats. He also swiped at the 'lead prosecutor's wife,' whom he described as a Democratic donor. Those criticisms were then amplified by a Trump-aligned super PAC. Under the gag order, Trump is prohibited from 'making or directing others to make' the forbidden categories of statements." Emphasis added. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: If I were the prosecution, I certainly would call Rick Scott's courtroom-steps performance to Merchan's attention. And good luck, Trump lawyers, with arguing that Trump doesn't control U.S. senators. That's his M.O.

New York Times reporters were there to guide us through yesterday's testimony. See yesterday's Conversation for many of their live entries. (The liveblog also was linked yesterday.)

Links to the transcripts of the New York criminal trial of Donald Trump -- up through Tuesday -- are here. Links to the prosecution and defense exhibits start here. For instance, the crucial prosecutors' (people's) exhibits Nos. 35 and 36 and here and here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Josh Gerstein of Politico: "... the wave of prosecutions [of Donald Trump] don't seem destined to deliver the kind of legal accountability that Trump's investigators promised -- or the devastating political blow to Trump's presidential prospects that has animated his detractors since the cases were announced with great fanfare over a five-month span last year. That's because Trump has benefited enormously from a pileup of postponements. After a pair of delays this week in Georgia and Florida, the most likely scenario for 2024 is that the only trial that Trump will face before the election is the ongoing one in Manhattan: the hush money case, which many lawyers view as the least serious of the four, both in terms of the severity of the alleged wrongdoing and the prospect of prison time." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Let us acknowledge that the vast right-wing conspiracy is a thing. And it works.

Presidential Race

** Josh Dawsey & Maxine Joselow of the Washington Post: During a meeting with top oil executives last month at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump told them, "You all are wealthy enough ... that you should raise $1 billion to return me to the White House. At the dinner [held in a room overlooking the ocean], he vowed to immediately reverse dozens of President Biden's environmental rules and policies and stop new ones from being enacted, according to people with knowledge of the meeting.... Giving $1 billion would be a 'deal,' Trump said, because of the taxation and regulation they would avoid thanks to him.... The contrast between the two candidates on climate policy could not be more stark.... Despite the oil industry's complaints about Biden's policies, the United States is now producing more oil than any country ever has, pumping nearly 13 million barrels per day on average last year." A Guardian story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: And may the seas rise and flood Mar-a-Lago while Trump is in the basement counting out his money beautiful boxes. P.S. As with all Trump deals, no matter how vile, reckless and corrupt, there's usually a farcical element. In this case, the oil execs think Trump is too incompetent to perform his part of the deal: ~~~

~~~ Ben Lefebvre of Politico: "The U.S. oil industry is drawing up ready-to-sign executive orders for Donald Trump aimed at pushing natural gas exports, cutting drilling costs and increasing offshore oil leases in case he wins a second term, according to energy executives with direct knowledge of the work. The effort stems from the industry's skepticism that the Trump campaign will be able to focus on energy issues as Election Day draws closer -- and worries that the former president is too distracted to prepare a quick reversal of the Biden administration's green policies. Oil executives also worry that a second Trump administration won't attract staff skillful enough to roll back President Joe Biden's regulations or craft new ones favoring the industry, these people added."

Jessica Schulberg of the Huffington Post: Donald Trump "has openly fantasized about executing drug dealers and human traffickers. He reportedly suggested that officials who leak information to the press should be executed, too. And behind the scenes, there's a team of pro-Trump conservatives who are pushing for a second Trump term that involves even more state-sponsored killing than the first. Last year, a coalition effort by conservative groups known as Project 2025 released an 887-page document that lays out policy goals and recommendations for each part of the federal government. Buried on page 554 is a directive to execute every remaining federal death row prisoner -- and to persuade the Supreme Court to expand the types of crimes that can be punished with death sentences." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: In case you are repulsed by this blood lust, I wish to inform you that in this matter the Project 2025 report is a model of fastidious expression. It's not that they're hanging, poisoning or electrocuting criminals; rather they are "obtaining finality." The Bowdler family would be pleased.

Marshall Cohen of CNN: "Hunter Biden's latest attempts to throw out his federal gun case were rejected in back-to-back rulings Thursday, teeing up a high-stakes criminal trial next month in Delaware. The president's son had asked the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals to dismiss the charges by overturning prior decisions from the trial judge that let the case move forward. But the appellate panel instead rejected Hunter Biden's appeals, which related to his defunct plea deal and his claims that the case was tainted by political bias. Hours later, the trial judge, Maryellen Noreika, rejected Hunter Biden's remaining motion to dismiss the case based on Second Amendment grounds." MB: Noreika is a Trump appointee, as is the prosecutor David Weiss, although Merrick Garland gave Weiss his current job as special counsel in order to broaden Weiss's authority over Hunter Biden's activities.

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Julie Rovner & Rachana Pradhan of NPR: "According to new statistics from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), for the second year in a row, students graduating from U.S. medical schools this year were less likely to apply for residency positions in states with abortion bans and other significant abortion restrictions.... The organization tracked a larger decrease in interest in residencies in states with abortion restrictions not only among those in specialties most likely to treat pregnant patients, like OB-GYNs and emergency room doctors, but also among aspiring doctors in other specialties.... 'People don't want to go to a place where evidence-based practice and human rights in general are curtailed,' said Beverly Gray, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University School of Medicine."

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Israel/Palestine, et al.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Friday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is prepared to 'stand alone' against its enemies, after President Biden warned that he would halt the flow of certain weapons should Israel invade the city of Rafah. Cease-fire talks aimed at pausing the fighting and freeing hostages still held by Hamas have stalled, as the latest round of negotiations in Cairo ended without a breakthrough.... In a later interview on U.S. television, Netanyahu said he hoped that he and Biden could overcome their disagreements. The Israeli prime minister also said that in his vision of a post-Hamas Gaza there would need to be 'continuous demilitarization' in the Strip, with a civilian government that is not committed to Israel's destruction.... Hamas said it was sending its delegation back to the Qatari capital, Doha, and remained committed to the cease-fire proposal it received last week, The Washington Post reported. Israel has said the proposal Hamas agreed to differed from the version it reviewed. An Israeli official ... said the Israeli team left Cairo on Thursday evening." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates Friday are here.

Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times: "Republican U.S. Rep. Cory Mills (Fla.) says he is going to file articles of impeachment against Joe Biden over the president's decision to withhold munitions from Israel.... '(Biden is) threatening our ally Israel after funding approvals in Congress if they do not stop operations to target Hamas,' Mills posted to X Wednesday. 'These types of actions are what President Trump was accused of and impeached over by Democrats. They called it "Quid Pro Quo."' Mills added that perhaps the phrase should be renamed 'Quid Pro Joe.'" Thanks to Bobby Lee for the lead. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I have no idea if Mills is just plain stupid or is pretending to be just plain stupid. Trump was not impeached for a policy decision arising out of altered circumstances. He was impeached for soliciting foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election and for inciting an insurrection. Anyhow, nice try, Cory, you lying (or maybe just stupid) SOS.

News Ledes

Friday Night Lights. Washington Post: "Multiple outbursts from the sun could trigger magnificent auroras in many parts of the United States this weekend. A severe geomagnetic storm is expected to hit Earth on Friday, triggering colorful nighttime auroras, or the northern lights. People in the United States could see moderate to strong geomagnetic activity starting around 11 p.m. and lasting through Saturday."

Washington Post: "Jack Quinn, a high-powered lobbyist and lawyer who served as White House counsel under President Bill Clinton and later represented Marc Rich, the fugitive financier who received a controversial pardon during Clinton's final hours in office, died May 8 at his home in Washington. He was 74."