Some folks just have to learn the hard way
For just a moment, let’s pretend that Donald Trump did nothing wrong as he has repeatedly said (in all his cases). With respect to the espionage case, Trump’s defense is that he was entitled to the classified documents he took to his home in Florida because they were his “personal documents.” If that was the case, why did he spend so much time and effort trying to conceal the documents from NARA, the DOJ, and the FBI? After all, if they were his personal property, there would have been no need to hide them. Even more damning is the report out of CNN that Trump’s valet and co-defendant Walt Nauta was told that he would be pardoned if he was charged with lying. Seriously? Personal records don’t need to be lied about. Trump has chosen the hard way to learn.
Trump’s behaviors in this case are telling. According to Axios, an unnamed “associate” of Trump’s told him to return the documents almost a year before his home was searched. This person is identified in filings as “person 16,” and his testimony is that he told Trump: “Whatever you have, give everything back. Let them come here and get everything. Don’t give them a noble reason to indict you because they will.” Whoever person 16 is, he was psychic, but perhaps he better understands. Trump, of course, used his overblown ego to tell himself that he would never be indicted. Surprise. Person 16 testified that Trump “seemed unphased.” The FBI apparently agreed to maintain person 16’s identity, but according to released documents, he/she was “someone with a security clearance and daily access to the Oval Office.” This revelation brings us back to Walt Nauta, as person 16 recalls conversations regarding promises made to Nauta.
The ego of Donald Trump is endless. It is said that he told Nauta that if he were charged with lying to the FBI, Trump “would pardon him when he won a second term in 2024.” What makes this man so confident that he’s going to win? According to Newsweek, he has all but lost the independent vote. His minions aren’t going to be enough to get him back into office, and anyone who votes for him is a fool. Nauta was ultimately charged with lying to the FBI, and all he can do now is hope Trump was right because if Trump doesn’t win, Nauta is going down with him.
Instead of finding a plausible way to get out of his troubles, Trump claims the prosecutions are politically motivated and are being driven by President Joe Biden. This is the kind of person who can look at himself in the mirror and believe his own lies. It doesn’t help when people like Bill Barr-after criticizing Trump mercilessly-still plan to vote for him, and Lindsey Graham going on national TV to credit Trump for the funding bill that recently passed. We don’t know what these people will do when Trump loses since he seems to be their lives, but we do know that the rest of us will let out a huge sigh of relief.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years