There's a confluence of factors that may spell certain doom for Trump. We have the Epstein/Trump collaboration on trafficking and raping teens that's re-opened because of a new court determination connected to Labor Secretary Acosta. Their victims will once again be able to tell their stories to the public. This includes Trumpy victims, two of whom had volunteered to give sworn testimony, but were threatened and withdrew on at least two occasions. They may again step forward. Let's remember that Trump is NAMED in Court documents already filed. And we will hear from Cohen next week about Trump's hush money payments to victims, and questions will be asked about Trump's collaborations with Epstein at those hearings, BECAUSE the Acosta crimes are now exposed.

When Trump is accused of sex trafficking (with no statute of limitations) and rape, THAT will be a bridge too far for Senate GOPers. (It won't be a bridge too far for Trump's base. But that's another matter.) OR... it will be the end of the GOP as we know it.

Like the late sixties, the U.S. is now a tinderbox just waiting for a match to set it on fire.

It isn't ideological or issues, Trump devotees have faith in him regardless of his actions. Also, they oppose anyone who opposes their "second coming of Christ" savior.

These are the conditions that led to Civil War in the 1860s---when issues didn't matter and the other side was demonized as opposed to God's laws. Confederates believed they were acting on behalf of their God by killing heathens who did not believe in slavery, something that was mentioned in the Bible.

Same now. "Democrats are baby-killers", so Republicans are just doing God's work as they interpret it.

Fortunately, there was a legacy of PEACE from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and others in the sixties, putting the reins on violence. Now, we have a blubbering idiot as president willing throw a match to America if he has a family clean-up deal for the remaining ashes and debris.

I think, that what ever he is indicted for has not happened or we don't know about it yet.

Just hang in there.

Every day is stranger than the day before.

Amen brother... amen.

Even if they have solid evidence to prove he conspired with Russia and possibly the Saudis to rig the election?

And DOJ guidelines are that the president cannot be indicted. He will not buck those guidelines.

...he murdered someone?

That's quite a strong "policy".

The guidelines are based on their reading if the constitution. Most constitutional lawyers believe that a president is immune to any criminal prosecution while in office.

Ken Starr deposed President Clinton in the Lewinski matter and that partially violated the memo though it didn't culminate in an indictment. It was one of the basis for Impeachment, however. While I don't think it is 50-50 Trump will be indicted I think it is clearly greater than zero.

Because many (including the man who wrote the Special Counsel rules) do not share that belief.

I certainly couldn’t tell you more.

But I won’t tell you yes.

I will tell you, however, that Mueller has never been one to push on established precedent. He is very boring.

And exceptionally useful to the conservative status quo, still.

But it remains the truth.

I do not care enough to try and convince you of it.


Cheers.

In that scenario they would likely be impeached and then they could be indicted once no longer President.

... he'd be breaking state laws, so charges would be brought up in the state where the murder was committed. No need to wait for the federal system to catch up.

will be so egregious, so mind-numbingly horrible, that the GOP will have no choice but to abandon Trump. These crimes will include sex trafficking and rape in collaboration with Jeffrey Epstein, AND his treasonous crimes with Russian intelligence services.

Sometimes I think that the old guard on both sides are waiting for him to die in office or finish his term then die just so they can save the country and the constitution from a general uprising that may result from either an impeachment or a get out of jail free card. He is half dead already.

The GOP is already toast and the left is rising.

The best I think we can hope for is the threat of a post-presidency indictment to be leveraged to gain his early resignation. And even that is an extreme long shot. Most likely it will be up to us, and only us, to evict him in 2020.

would strengthen his desire to stay in office. Perhaps I am misunderstanding your post.
I know Bannon said he was sure that Trump would run for re-election. Well, of course he will. If he leaves office he will be indictable not only by the states but by the feds.

I meant the indictment would be off the table in exchange for his resignation.

And if evidence does show that tRump engaged in rape of underage sex slaves, so to speak, would that not give him a compelling reason (with full GOP complicity) to throw out the constitution and declare himself president* for life? After all, if one is looking down the pike at imminent and unavoidable prosecution for crimes for which there are no statute of limitations, wouldn't that embolden him - and the GOP who prop him up - to let him do it?

I will be pleasantly pleased if he is led out of the White House in leg irons though.

There is certainly enough to impeach him, but the republicans are cowards.

With all of the potential crimes that rump and associates have or will be charged with, why not test this theory now by charging rump w/ a crime, e.g., obstruction of justice or lying? Get a 'test' case going and see. But I grew up during the Nixon years and Nixon was named as a co-conspirator, but was not indicted.

I know that by the time that such action, if ever, results in something happening, it'll be years down the road...rump will be out of office by then (voted out in overwhelming numbers).

IMHO, the whole political process in this country seems to go overboard in thou must prove again and again and again that a crime has been committed before any political leader is ever indicted or put on trial.
It does seems like they have some special powers, above and beyond what the rest of us have (except the billionaires of course, e.g., in FL...if you got money, then justice will be different!).

for committing a State crime? What about American Indian and Alaska Native governments?

set the stage this past Friday. Read the Language used by the Legal Staff for their filings.

As Empty Wheel has stated,there will be a complete Cleansing of Government of Corruption when this is complete. Know more Nixon get out of Jail Free Cards coming.

To each and every one of us equally then they don't apply to anyone...

I am worried because the corruption among repubs is legendary

Commit torture and other assorted crimes against humanity, never held accountable and actually have people think fondly of you a few years later?

That's some sick shit going on in the minds of people.

I have pretty much given up on the "system" and a shit-ton of people.

Justice is just a word, nothing more, at this point. "No one is above the law" is pure fiction - as well as a comforting lie people tell themselves and politicians use to sound like they give a fuck.

Bush/Cheney and now trump. The rich and powerful seem to be totally above the law.

they are above the law.

Justice can only be dispensed from a position of power by those in power

You see why I'm a wee bit jaded.

It seems that the dems don’t have any control on this or don’t care. I sure hope the gop pay a price. But reading today that trumps approval ratings going up and higher with Hispanics that he disparaged

Think about it. What Hispanics? Why Hispanics? Because he!s so good to them suddenly?

Distrust of the system is the underlying factor that brought him political success.

And tRump would never be proud of me.

country has never seen before. I will be pissed.

Mueller's not the only one investigating him. State charges can put a person in jail for a long, long time and the current NY AG isn't sitting quietly twiddling her thumbs.

If a Repug votes to impeach 45 and his vp, 45 and the GOP and the base will turn against them. If they vote to keep 45 and his vp then their undecideds and will turn against them.
We all know undecideds are about 1/3 of voters.

Oh yeah, that's called "between a rock and a hard place".

The hard right just thinks they have a supernatural power and a supernatural ideology on their side. So they just keep pushing stupid.

They've committed , then we haven't got a fair and equal system of justice in our country. If they are allowed to escape justice because of the power he has, and his position , we're screwed and it'll only get much worse. All involved in crimes against our country should receive justice just like everyone, and not given a free pass . If they just thought the Mid Terms was a disaster for them, wait until 2020 election.

From the start, when it became apparent that Russian troll farms had lists of voters they were targeting with fake Facebook stories in unison with Trump's campaign message I said this would have taken daily meetings. This apparatus has yet to be detailed, but there had to be unknown campaign staffers whose job it was to coordinate daily with the Russians. You had a level of cohesiveness between Trump's campaign message and the Russians that could not be coincidence or just intuition from the Russians. You'd have fake stories coming out hours before rallies where Trump would echo them or vice versa. Sometimes at the very time trump was speaking at a rally and putting forth new stories, the Russians were posting Facebook and Twitter stories backing up whatever new delusion trump was going with.

You do not accomplish this without daily meetings, there are too many moving parts. Some people on the campaign had jobs to hold daily meetings in secret with Russians, that's the only explanation. One of these people has to be uncovered and deposed to fully get the picture of how closely Trump was working with a foreign enemy.

It’s like we’re all in some kind of permeating fog of confusion about moral values. Everything seems to have taken on the propeties of a bizarre dreamscape, shifting and distorting basic norms.

There isn’t even a new normal to settle on.

Nixon got away with treason and Water gate, reagan & HW Bush got away with Iran Contra, treasonous acts with Iran & the cover up which barr helped orchestrate, the same guy who in in charge of the JD now. I have no faith in this system.

It needs settling. Reliance on an untested "policy" is not good enough now. Even the premise of the "policy" is simply a matter of opinion.

Our current experience demands the settling of that and some other matters, and a review of the extreme powers of the presidency, some of which are simply too broad to put in the hands of one person. Tariffs. Treaties. Unsupervised, unrecorded meetings with foreign adversary heads of state. Etc. Perhaps a commission should be formed, with a deadline of a year.

It's time for us to stop living in assumed hope that the center will hold simply because it has to date on good faith of leadership.

I really hope you are right.

If Trump WAS indicted, or even impeached and resigned in office, you may have millions of deplorables marching (with guns!).

How many will march on our side if Trump DOESN'T get impeached? Or how many will want to stay home so they don't miss The Voice knock out round, or some other such drivel?

After Watergate, Ford pardoned Nixon and Democrats tried to move forward.
After Reagan’s October surprise, and after Iran-Contra, Democrats tried to move forward.
After GWB’s stolen 2000 election, and after the disastrous Iraq War-on-a-lie, Democrats tried to move forward.

We MUST NOT let these criminals off the hook. We must investigate. We need to reckon with our history. All that’s happened in the past is emboldenening further Republican criminal and anti-democratic acts.

Those who sold out our country must face the music. Those who sold our our principles must face the music. Those who suppressed votes and bought politicians and funded rightwing hate media must face the music.

When you pick a Dem primary candidate, please pick one who is going to be tough and effective and make the offenders pay.

"..... And justice for all' bs

it won't just be a US crisis, it will be a global crisis. The ramifications would be far reaching.

I was never confident about the future of our country being in the hands of a bunch of republican FBI people.

Mueller was a member at one of Trump's country clubs. He is more like Trump than he is like us.


I hope I'm wrong.

... regardless of the winner?

But I hear what you’re saying, SHRED. There is a prevailing feeling that the rule of law is America’s last best hope against plunging into eternal darkness.

Step 1: Resign the presidency
Step 2: Mike Pence is now president.
Step 3: Pence pardons Trump.
Step 4: Pence names a new V.P. who must be approved by both Houses.
Step 5: Pence doesn't run in 2020 and the now pardoned Trump does run.
Step 6: Trump names Pence as his running mate.