Reckless but not criminal
Mike Pence tries to split the difference:
Former Vice President Mike Pence said on Monday that he hoped the Department of Justice would not bring charges against Donald J. Trump, calling the former president ’s conduct “reckless” but not criminal.
It’s not criminal to try to overturn an election in order to steal a second term? It’s not criminal to incite a mob to attack the legislature and then watch them do it on tv for hours before gently urging them to back off for now?
I kind of think Pence might be wrong about that.
Asked about facing potential criminal indictments that could stem from the House investigation into the Capitol riot, Donald J. Trump suggested he had little to fear because of a social media message he posted hours later urging the mob to stop the violence and return home.
His problem is that it’s well known via multiple witnesses what he was doing during those hours. He wasn’t doing his job, he wasn’t reading vital reports, he wasn’t packing his bags, he wasn’t even stealing more classified documents to take to Marlago – he was watching his fans smash up the Capitol on tv.
In a radio interview on Monday, Mr. Trump said that House investigators skimmed past his “fantastic” Twitter post, and also failed to consider why thousands had attended his speech just before the riot.
Ooh ooh I know this one – it’s because he told them to, and because they wanted to help him steal the election by doing an insurrection. I think the House investigators did consider that, quite intensely.
Reckless driving is a criminal offence. This is because a driver has influence over the lives of others, and hence a responsibility to minimise the risk to others. Disregarding this responsibility puts others at risk.
It is hard to think of a position with higher influence over the lives of others than leading a nation; obviously then reckless presidenting can easily rise to criminality.
What is it with him and language? He uses bizarre adjectives, like his “fantastic twitter post” or his “perfect telephone call”. It’s like he only knows about ten, and just uses them for everything.
How fantastic is that.? I mean, how much of a fantastic fantasy salesman does the guy have to get to be to satisfy some people.? He sold all that crowd a remarkable make believe story. He should be working for Disney Studios, on something like say ‘Stormy Daniels and the Seven Pussies.’
The man is a true artist, and will surely go down in history beside the likes of da Vinci, Bellini, Mussolini and the rest of that artistic gang.
Trump didn’t mean to break the law, it was an accident. You can’t expect someone like that to know any better, after all he’s just… Oh wait, he was the POTUS at the time.
This is just the start, we’ll see how much of of it sticks to the greasy weasel. If you think Pence is soft pedaling, wait until Trump’s legal team gets going — the spin is going to be dizzying. Good thing his last minute grifts sold out, he’s got lawyers to pay.
James @ 2 – I know this one! What it is with him and language is NOTHING. He doesn’t have any. He has the vocabulary of a below-average toddler.
@4: To quote Saint Nixon, “Well, when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.”
Not an exact quote I think…
Heather Cox Richardson has a Truth Social account so we don’t have to. Here’s an excerpt she shared yesterday from TFG’s post in Dear Leader’s media company:
So, he can use other adjectives besides “beautiful” and “perfect,’ but like Johnny Dangerously he doesn’t know the difference between and adjective and an adverb.
Mike Pence is in a tough position if he really wants to run for preznit. He has to toady up to the supporters of the man who wanted him dead for not going along with the scheme, indeed the people who put up a scaffold with his name on it.
Mike @8: My thought exactly. Pence made his bed, lit it on fire, and now he has to lie in it. If he wanted to stay clean (if he ever was), he should have stayed away from the outhouse.