At least a dozen of Trump's "helpers" along the way are now convicted felons, a mark they'll have to live with the rest of their lives, destroying their lives, their careers, their livelihood and their reputations and probably name association of their sons, daughters and grandchildren.

Was it worth it?

In retrospect, probably not, at least not for them.

But Trump got away with nary a scratch.

We neverr had problems like this with the Biden or Obama administrations.

There must be a reason. Probably because they didn't bring all the kooks out of the dung heaps of society.

Ya' think?

LAMP

I forgot to mention that when Trump is President, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is scheduled for the chopping block ASAP). Simply because it bears his name.

I wouldn't be fooled by Trump's apparent friendly conversation with Obama at Jimmy Carter's funeral. Trump always smiles before he stabs them in the back.

LAMP

To the GOP, healthcare should be of no responsibility of the Federal government, with the exception of military personnel and elected ranking members of the party and their dependents, of course. (that means no civil servants)

Their goal is to get the cost of healthcare off their back and pass the buck to somebody else.

At the moment they're drawing a blank. But rest assured, they're working on it.

NERF

"That was before the pod people knocked at his door to make a deal."

And also before his nanny, Peter Thiel, told him to keep his stupid mouth shut.

CATDOG

"Dotard was looking for the collection basket. He needs money, many are saying.

If so, Trump's so cheap he was probably looking to get nine dollars back for a ten spot.

Melania looked bored. I saw the other wives greeting and talking to each other but I didn't see any of them include Melania in their First Lady Clique.

It was a beautiful funeral, well represented by friends, family and politicians who knew about and respected the work for which he never got full credit.

As I watch the procession, complete with full military honors and a flag draped coffin, I wondered if Trump, (known as Cadet Bonespurs) who never served in the military, would have or even deserve, any such military presence at his sendoff.

FOX needn't worry. They'll be Trump's official "State Run Media" soon and be able to lie their asses off with impunity.

It's only a short matter of time before Trump has the FCC licenses of liberal leaning media revoked and "Freedom of the Press" dies on the vine.

HUGHMASS

I think the "sold out" Supreme Court is going to reach much deeper than just this one-off for Trump or "rich people" as you suggest.

They're going to play a major role in the GOP's master plan to turn this country into a fascist state whether it be with Trump on the throne or one of their many chosen successors over their very own thousand year Reich.

"It's a disgrace what it is. Oh and a traitor to the United States of America as well"

Unfortunately, Trump's cultish, uninformed followers don't see it that way, at least at the moment. They're in for a rude awakening when he starts to reduce them to paupers. When he cuts all social programs, cuts social security and they start to get sick and die because they can't afford the cost of private medical insurance. Their news outlets will all be reduced to State Run media, at which they'll be force-fed only what the Imperial Presidency wants you to know.

Too late will come sooner than they think. But by then, Trump will be fully entrenched in his Imperial Presidency with a bobblehead Supreme Court and Congress and there's not a damn thing anybody can do about it. The whole system of checks and balances will already have collapsed. Not to mention that future elections will be a sham. (like in Russia.)

Trump's cult will be crying in their beer if they can afford it.

Eventually, maybe we'll see a mass immigration in the other direction.

I'm late to the blame-game party on this thread and don't have time to scroll through all 62 comments. So I'll just get to the point and suggest that the U.S. Supreme Court did not redeem themself with that 4-5 decision against Trump.

I fully believe they'll end up vacating the sentence on appeal.

Trump is lying again about Gov. Newsom not signing some declaration about water. A declaration, by the way, that doesn't exist.

Scapegoating is Trump's m.o.

Trump is ducking and dodging climate change again so he has to makes up lies to cover his own incompetence.

I think it's safe to say we can raise his lie-o-meter up to 100%.

"Criminal conspiracy"

Well, we know about Trump and some of his co-conspirators.

But I wonder if this report mentions a few that we DON'T know about?

That could open up a whole new can of worms for Trump's new Department of No-Justice to squash.

LAMP @ #88

"One question I do have, though, ... how does Mr Zuckerberg feel about being so, I'll be kind, reduced in stature?"

Probably relieved that his -------- are still attached.

At least until after the inauguration when Trump will probably stab him in the back anyway.

"Pants on Fire"

LOL ~ He wishes! Why doesn't he just "drop trou" like he usually does when he needs money.

LAMP

Should Trump succeed in blocking release of these reports in the U.S., I'd be curious to know if there is any reason why these reports can't be released to any friendly foreign journalism who may have a "vested" interest.

If not, albeit circular, I doubt it would take long for the reports to make their way back into the hands U.S. journalists who have no obligation to disclose their source.

At least not until Trump's gets around to shutting down the Freedom of the Press.

Trump will be a coward all the way to the end.

It's not that he can't cough up the money. He's just afraid the Democrats will make a big show about his conviction and the billions he had to pay for losing his case.

Mainly, Trump hates being called a loser.

Too late for Pence to bend the knee. He's already on Trump's enemies list for disrupting Trump's scheme to overthrow the election on January 6th.

Trump never forgets and never forgives.

Suck it up. Until Trump screws up so bad that the Senate is forced by the public to pull a Goldwater/Nixon on him, American democracy is in for the roughest ride of it's life. Perhaps even terminal.

Definitely a new Constitution or one so heavily amended or redacted by a corrupt U.S. Supreme Court to favor the new fascist imperial regime until the end of time.

This is your tax dollars paying for a political party (GOP) on steroids, ruled by self-serving oligarchs, in conjunction with Russia. (America's new evil stepmother).

Welcome to a new social class called surfdom.

Trump is going to enter office on January 20, 2025 as a convicted felon . . . 34 times.

There oughta be a law.

If this move by the Pope turns into a problem, Trump will just start a rumor on social media (X-formerly Twitter and Trump's own Truth Social) about Father McEloy molesting young boys.

No doubt with some fake testimony and a few photoshops.

Before Trump is through the Catholics in the D.C. area will want to burn Father McElroy at the stake.

That's how Trump rolls. He destroys everything that stands in his way.

Pussycat, Pussycat, where have you been?
I've been to Greenland to visit the King.
Pussycat, Pussycat what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under his chair.

LAMP is right. America is not the land of wide open spaces anymore. Times have changed. Without a system of legal immigration to control the population that the country has the means to integrate, the long range prediction would be disastrous.

America may be the breadbasket to the world but there are limits.

By the same token, Trump's inhumane solution is not the answer either.

My suggestion is to go back to the roots and solve the problem at its origin. Of course, that shouldn't be over-simplified either. It could take the CIA years and a lot of deposing of governments who are either helpless or themselves profiting from corruption.

FEDUP

"Is there a treaty or something that obligates the US to defend Israel?"

Sort of. The agreement has been common knowledge for a long time.

I'm surprised that you have to ask.

Suppose Rudy's son included the rings, or the collateral value of the rings to be sold, in an irrevocable trust fund for a chosen recipient for which the trust fund was established and redeemable at a time certain? Such as to pay for the marriage or collage of a child or grandchild.

An irrevocable trust is untouchable even by a court.

I don't speak for whatever the son did or didn't do but it's what I would do in the same circumstances, especially with Rudy for a father.