This is all falling apart for Donald Trump in real time
Donald Trump was charged with thirty-four felonies today, and that may not actually be the worst thing that happened to him today. We all knew going into today that Trump would be arrested, charged, and arraigned. The real story may have been just how poorly everything else went for Trump today.
All those hordes of Trump supporters that were supposed to show up and take over the courthouse today? They were barely existent. The grandstanding speeches outside the courthouse by Trump allies Marjorie Taylor Greene and George Santos? They basically got booed off stage. Trump’s supposed show of defiance during his arraignment today? He meekly mumbled a total of nine words during the entire hearing.
Nor does Trump appear capable of behaving. After the judge sternly warned him about a potential gag order, Trump immediately began running his mouth – online and in public – in ways that arguably violate the judge’s rules. Trump’s best hope of surviving this was if he was able to control himself, remained on his best behavior, stayed on the judge’s good side, and kept all his pretrial privileges. Trump’s need to run his mouth is the worst thing he has going for him as a criminal defendant, and he appears to be giving in to that already.
Then there’s the fact that the Manhattan DA’s indictment text reveals that Donald Trump was hoping to delay his hush money payments until after the election in the hope he’d end up not having to pay at all – which completely blows up his planned legal defense that he was only covering the whole thing up in order to protect his wife.
Then there’s the fact that the U.S. Court of Appeals denied Donald Trump’s request for an emergency stay today, clearing the way for Mark Meadows and others to be forced to testify to the DOJ grand jury by the end of the week. Best anyone can tell, Jack Smith is just waiting for Mike Pence’s appeal to fail, and he’ll have all his witnesses in place. The Fulton County indictment is also coming. Trump could soon be looking back on the good old days when he was only under criminal indictment in one jurisdiction. Tick tock.
