Trump's loss in 2020 ended up putting big crimp in Russia's expansion plans. Those multiple phone calls between Trump and Putin could have been Trump trying to convince an angry Mr. Putin that he (Trump) had a bulletproof plan to overturn the election and that he (Putin) should go forward with the invasion of Ukraine ~~ which he (Putin) did in February 2022.

I find it hard to believe that Mr. Putin was that gullible but on the other hand, the cooperative planning between Trump and Putin for the invasion was a long time in the making, not to mention wholly dependent on Trump winning re-election ~~ so perhaps, with Russian forces already amassed on the border, it was too late for Mr. Putin to do anything but take Trump's word and go forward.

A serious case of bad judgment on both Trump and Putin.

But all is not lost. If Trump wins in 2024 and cuts off military funding for Ukraine, Mr. Putin, if can hang on just another few months, might finally get his wish.

It's not too early to predict, with a Trump presidency, that the United States will find itself involved in WWIII as Trump joins forces with Russia to expand their invasion into the Baltic states and beyond in Eastern Europe.

GUNSLINGER

Right now Trump is just a (small t) traitor. But if he's elected and ignores NATO (and Congress if necessary) to join forced with an adversary (Russia) he will be officially a (capitol T) Traitor. His only recourse is to be exonerated by the U.S. Supreme Court, an objective already in progress.

On the domestic side . . .

Trump is not smart enough to devise and carry out such a complicated plan. He's basically a follower. The plan itself has been engineered by the Heritage Foundation (Project 2025) in cooperation with the GOP.

Which answers the question of why Trump is going to such drastic (and unlawful) measures to win the election in 2024. Absolutely EVERYTHING is dependent upon it. They're all desperate ~ Trump, Putin, the GOP, the U.S. Supreme Court, the engineers of the project at the Heritage Foundation, J.D. Vance (the GOP's unelected replacement in 2028) and every state governor and every state legislator who has joined forces with Trump to abolish democracy in favor of an autocracy and a one-party rule forever.

DANNI

Trump will make sure his newly appointed Attorney General at the DOJ will not charge him with Treason.

Keep in mind, that if Trump is elected, all of the other felony charges against him will be dropped and disappear into the dustbin of history.

Any State Attorney General with civil indictments or pending charges will also be replaced and the charges dropped.

With the U.S. Supreme Court in his pocket, appeals will be fruitless.

IOW, if Trump wins this election, he will be a free man to retaliate against all his enemies. No one who has ever made a judgment or spoken out against his re-election will be safe from his rampage.

BTW, if Trump is elected, the Free Press will be among the first to go and the media will be replaced with State Run TV along with internet access.

The United States will also have a new Constitution drawn up by the folks at the Heritage Foundation. Trump will be America's first Dictator and there won't be a thing anybody can do about it ~ without being arrested for crimes against the new "establishment."

The United States will be in charge of a madman ~ as most Dictators in history are known to be.

ZED @ #15

"Of course MAGA would support Trump despite his being concretely proven to be a traitor"

Trump won't need that bunch of ragtags any more. As Dictator he'll abolish the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 and have the whole U.S. Military at his disposal. Trump has already told us he plans to fire any general, including the Joint Chief, if they disobey him.

The first thing Dictators guard most against is a mutiny or a military coup.

Remember in Russia when there were rumors of dissent in the Kremlin, Putin broke us the clique.

And also remember what happened to Yevgeny Prigozhin , leader of the Wagner Group, when Putin got the message they were headed for Moscow.

So yeah, Trump will follow the example set his friend, Vladimir Putin.

Trump is very envious of the power Vladimir Putin has in Russia. Trump wants the same for himself in the U.S. at least for as long as he lives.

Then, of course, we have J.D. Vance wearing out his kneepads in hopes the GOP picks him as Trump's successor.

COMMONOTES

Well, there was that "Apprentice" shindig at Mara-a-Lago. I suspect Vance had holes in both his kneepads that were provided by Peter Thiel.