Nobody Summons MegaTrump!

[Grant]

Cheney:  Then it pleases me to be the first!

Luke Broadwater, Grey Hooker

The Jan. 6 panel votes to subpoena Trump, an aggressive move that will likely be futile. Here’s the latest.
WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol voted unanimously Thursday to issue a subpoena to former President Donald J. Trump to question him about his role in events that led to the violence that consumed Congress.

“He is required to answer for his actions,” said Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi and the chairman of the committee, at the end of what was possibly the panel’s final public session. “He is required to answer to those police officers who put their lives and bodies on the line to defend our democracy.”

The vote emerged after the committee presented a sweeping summation of its case against Mr. Trump, including more details about his state of mind and his central role in the effort to overturn the 2020 election.

Here’s what else you need to know:

The committee played dramatic new behind-the-scenes video of congressional leaders,  including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer, who had been evacuated from the Capitol amid the mayhem. Reacting with disbelief to reports of the violence unfolding inside, they urgently appealed to governors and top administration officials to get the National Guard or other security support. Speaking loudly into a phone during a call with Jeffrey A. Rosen, the acting attorney general, Mr. Schumer is seen asking, “Why don’t you get the president to tell them to leave the Capitol, Mr. Attorney General?”

The committee presented evidence that Tom Fitton, an informal adviser for Mr. Trump who runs the conservative group Judicial Watch, counseled the president days before the election to declare victory strictly on the basis of votes cast on Election Day, effectively asserting that lawfully cast early and absentee ballots should not count. In an Oct. 31 email, Mr. Fitton suggested that Mr. Trump declare: “The ballots counted by the Election Day deadline show the American people have bestowed on me the great honor of re-election to President of the United States — the deadline by which voters in states across the country must choose a president.”

The panel also showed how Mr. Trump repeatedly sought to join the crowd at the Capitol, even after his supporters had turned violent and were attacking police. One national security official, whose identity the committee kept anonymous, told investigators: “The president wanted to lead tens of thousands of people to the Capitol. I think that was enough grounds for us to be alarmed.”

It is still unlikely that the committee will have the chance to question Mr. Trump. He would be all but certain to defy any subpoena, and attempts to enforce one would almost certainly lead to a protracted legal battle.

[Grant]

Sarah Isgur on Twitter :

Trump's Options:

1) Ignored and make DOJ's job easy a la Bannon
2) contest it (but see SCOTUS in Trump v Mazars)
3) plead 5th (can't answer ANY related questions or give substantive opening statements)
or 4) testify before the biggest audience he's had in years

LOL.  I know what his lawyers want him to do. But can he resist?  This is straight out of "A Few Good Men".  I seen this.

[TheDrake]

Bravely bold Sir Robin, he bravely ran away.

[DJQuag]

No way he resists this. In his mind, he's right and has the backing of the angels. His testimony would be a massive publicity stunt. He was upset about Twitter dropping him because he's addicted to being the number one news story. He's going to testify and he's going to make an ass of himself.

[msquared]

But this will be under oath.  He hates doing that.  If he has to tell the truth he has a problem. And if he does testify under oath, his lawyers, if they stay with him, are going to go crazy.

[DJQuag]

But this will be under oath.  He hates doing that.  If he has to tell the truth he has a problem. And if he does testify under oath, his lawyers, if they stay with him, are going to go crazy.

This guy regularly disregards his lawyers to the point he can't get top notch lawyers anymore. Trump is going to tell someone to hold his beer and is going to do the stupidest thing possible.

[msquared]

We can only hope.

[Grant]

But this will be under oath.  He hates doing that.  If he has to tell the truth he has a problem. And if he does testify under oath, his lawyers, if they stay with him, are going to go crazy.

Pffft. I don't really know if he understands what "the truth" is.  I mean, I got genius subjectivists everywhere who question the idea of "truth", not just criminal narcissistic morons. 

I think he'll have no problem putting on his show as a witness.  What are they going to do?  Hit him with perjury?  Fine him?  LOL.  He'll have his psychophantic followers pay his fines in a day.  I'll get another text message.  "President Trump is counting you YOU".   And his followers will eat it up when he stands toe to toe with Cheney.  He can do nothing but make stupid faces and they'll love him.

The only thing that makes any sense is getting him to admit that he wanted the mob to halt the acceptance of the electoral votes.  To get him to admit under oath that he was aiding the mob.  Because he's a blowhard.  Same as the movie.  Get him riled up and angry and watch him say something that can get him immediately charged by the DOJ and have him arrested on the spot, on national TV. 

I think he's scared enough of the possibility to not testify.  But it's going to be the hammer dropping on him for that.  The refrain will always be that L'Orange was afraid to testify.  That at the end of the day, he was scared of Cheney.  Clinton faced Gowdy, but he couldn't face Cheney.

I'd like to say it will be the final move to stalemate, with the Mental Declassifier's political power broken.  But Jeez, I've been wrong about that guy's political prospects before.  He makes cockroaches look fragile.  The ability to lie and create some new insane "narrative" is astounding.  Just look at the crazy *censored* coming from normally intelligent people. I'm not talking about full on cult members.  I'm talking people who think there is some kind of brilliance in the insanity.  Darth Vader was always on the side of light, he was just setting up the Emperor.  He was responsible for the destruction of the Death Star.  Etc. 

[Grant]

Georgia Crazy Space Lazer on Twitter:

President Trump loves the idea of testifying to the @January6thCmte because he did nothing wrong. 

He didn't ignore the intelligence reports like @SpeakerPelosi did.  He requested the National Guard and she refused his requests. 

Pelosi is to blame.

This is truly something else.  The greatest collection of BS in the history of the world.  This BS was put out by Hannity back in June. No documentation to prove any of it, on top of the concept that the Speaker of the House has no authority over the Nasty Guard when it comes to a the authority of the CinC. 

Will they just talk trash until he refuses and then make up some excuse and back him after BSing all this time?  Wouldn't that backfire? 

[Grant]

So yesterday, the leader of the T-Men, Declassifier (with his mind!), responded to the summons by Congress in a 14 page epistle. 

I can't even pull it up on my work computer, had to get it on the phone and email it to myself.  Restricted site. 

I honestly don't know where to begin. 

Donald J. Trump
October 13, 2022

“PEACEFULLY AND PATRIOTICALLY”

The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson
Chairperson
The Select Committee
 to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol
Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Thompson,

THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2020 WAS RIGGED AND STOLEN!

That's one hell of a start.  I feel this is the political equivalent of the Martingale Betting System.  Just keep doubling down in the hopes you'll eventually win.  On the second page he quotes a Time Magazine article as proof of the "shadow campaign" to rig the election.  A quote that quotes himself saying it was strange.  The whole two first pages are on the election being rigged. 

Page 3:

In addition, the Unselect Committee has willfully ignored the fact that days before
January 6, 2021, I recommended and authorized thousands of troops to be
deployed to ensure that there was peace, safety, and security at the Capitol and
throughout Washington, D.C. on January 6th because I knew, just based on instinct
and what I was hearing, that the crowd coming to listen to my speech, and various
others, would be a very big one, far bigger than anyone thought possible. As it
turns out, it was indeed one of the largest crowds I have ever spoken before, a very
wide swath stretching all the way back to the Washington Monument. The
massive size of this crowd, and its meaning, has never been a subject of your
Committee, nor has it been discussed by the Fake News Media that absolutely
refuses to acknowledge, in any way, shape or form, the magnitude of what was
taking place. In fact, for such a historic event, there are very few pictures that
accurately show the event, or how many people were really there. Incredibly, it
seems that pictures showing the size of the event were perhaps cancelled,
scrubbed, deleted or, in any event, not available, but we still have some—as
attached.

The bold added by myself.

What is with this guy and crowd sizes? 

The appendix to the letter is 10 pages of pictures of his mob and then a state by state reiteration of everything that has been thrown out of every single court in the country when it comes to the election. 

The whole thing is a big Red Herring.  It's an attempt to change the subject and shift the blame instead of actually answering the charges. 

[msquared]

So odds on Trump actually showing up and testifying before the committee?

If he listens to his lawyers I say 0%. He may bluster about wanting to tell his side, but that is a lie and we all know it. If the Dems somehow retain control of the House after the mid terms and the committee stays together, I expect a long legal battle, that Trump loses, before he shows up and pleads the 5th about 500 times.

If, somehow, he actually talks to the committee, I would expect Liz Cheney to be the main person to question him (because we all know how Trump really feels about women) and that she will get  him to have a Queeg/Jessup scene and admits to everything publicly before a live TV audience of 50 million.

[DJQuag]

I am willing to bet Trump shows up and testifies.

Again, he is addicted to being the number one news story, and he won't be able to resist.

I wasn't joking before when I said he can't get good lawyers anymore. He had some good lawyers, he ignored them and did Trumpy stuff. The legal community took note of that and now his lawyers are basically clowns, being laughed at by both the judges and other legal observers.

[Grant]

I am willing to bet Trump shows up and testifies.

I'll take that bet, as it stands now.  He never shows up himself to testify.  He always sends in some written statement.  Either his lawyers know him well enough or he knows himself.  He might talk like he will, but he won't as it stands now.  He might send some more letters or a video or appear on Fox or Newsmax or whatever.  But he won't testify.  It would be the absolute worst situation for him. 

That being said, I don't think it's impossible for him to be goaded into testifying, though it would take a lot and have to be done quickly before his lawyers and his entire family is able to intervene.  Pelosi or Cheney saying he is afraid, or whatever.  If the bandwidth is high enough, I'm unsure if he could resist. 

[msquared]

I figure he will way he will go but will fight the subpoena. He will claim that they are being unfair to him by asking to do something like testify under oath.

[Grant]

I figure he will way he will go but will fight the subpoena. He will claim that they are being unfair to him by asking to do something like testify under oath.

All he has to do is delay until next January.  New Congress will drop the matter.  The DOJ might not but Congress will. 

[rightleft22]

No way he resists this. In his mind, he's right and has the backing of the angels. His testimony would be a massive publicity stunt. He was upset about Twitter dropping him because he's addicted to being the number one news story. He's going to testify and he's going to make an ass of himself.

I think he delays, and if he testifies will refuse to answer anything.
Its clear now that he knows he lost and planed to lie about it. He knows  that his 'truthful hyperbole' art of the deal is 95% bull*censored*. 

[Wayward Son]

Electoral Vote.com found a good reason Trump might not want to simply ignore the subpoena.

3. Ignore the Subpoena: At first glance, this seems the likeliest choice. But it might also be another foolhardy option. There isn't enough time for the Committee to enforce its subpoena if Trump fights it in court. But there is time enough for them to find him in contempt of Congress if he ignores them, and to refer the matter to the Department of Justice for prosecution. At that point, the underlying crime would not go away just because the subpoena did. And it would be legally impossible for the DoJ to look the other way; they went after Steve Bannon, and Trump's testimony is clearly more relevant than Bannon's. And AG Merrick Garland cannot allow the message to be sent that former presidents are above the law.

(Itallics mine.)

Of course, the other options aren't that great for him, either.

1. Show up and Testify: This would seem to be absolutely foolhardy, for both legal and political reasons. And Trump's lawyers, whoever they are now, would surely advise against it. ...

2. Fight the Subpoena in Court: This is generally Trump's default position, and would be the wisest choice. He would be able to run out the clock on the current session of Congress and, assuming the Republicans regain the House in November, that would be the end of the subpoena and he could quietly withdraw the now-moot lawsuit. But doing this would be akin to playing the game on the Committee's terms (and, in particular on Rep. Liz Cheney's, R-WY, terms). It would imply that the Committee and its subpoena are at least somewhat legitimate. And Trump would hate to send that message.

The wisest course of action is for him to quietly eat crow.  But when did Trump follow the wisest course?

[yossarian22c]

Trump will fight the subpoena in court while continuing to claim in public the committee is not valid and a witch hunt. It’s clear he has no problem making separate public and legal claims at the same time.