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Roland99

(53,342 posts)
Sun Dec 16, 2018, 01:30 PM Dec 2018

Seth Abramson - THE 10 WORST DEFENSES OF TRUMP HIS SUPPORTERS SPREAD ON TWITTER

THE 10 WORST DEFENSES OF TRUMP HIS SUPPORTERS SPREAD ON TWITTER
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1074347714282950657.html

1/ COLLUSION ISN'T A CRIME. Federal courts and statutes explicitly say that collusion can be charged under the "Bribery" and "Conspiracy to Defraud the U.S." statutes. More broadly, collusion is a lay umbrella term for the more than two dozen crimes collusive conduct can lead to.

2/ THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION. Evidence of the 20+ crimes collusive conduct can lead to is everywhere in the Trump-Russia case—in fact what's lacking is *exculpatory* evidence. What Trumpists mean is that they believe there's no public proof *beyond a reasonable doubt* yet.

3/ THERE'S NO PROOF BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT OF COLLUSION. There's proof beyond a reasonable doubt of many crimes collusion leads to—e.g., obstruction, witness tampering, false statements—but as with all cases, prosecutors don't reveal their evidence until the end of their work.

4/ IF THERE WERE PROOF BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, WE'D HAVE HEARD IT ALREADY. Mueller has run such an exemplary, leak-free probe that Trumpists try to use it against him—arguing that no prosecutor could be so honorable and respected by his agents to avoid leaks. Well, Mueller is.

5/ I DON'T CARE IF THERE'S PROOF BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. Every voter has the right to say they think politicians—of their own party only, of course!—can betray America to hostile foreign nations at will. That's not a defense to Trump's conduct—it's *anti-American realpolitik*.

6/ WHATEVER PROOF THERE IS, WHAT ABOUT WHAT HILLARY DID? Unlike the probe into Trump-Russia collusion, the FBI/DOJ investigation into Clinton's conduct has been closed—after a *long* investigative process. Even if it hadn't been, how would that be a *defense* to Trump's conduct?

7/ TRUMP'S CRITICS ARE MOTIVATED BY HATE OR SOUR GRAPES. Evidence exists or doesn't. If anti-Trump feds find weak evidence, it's weak; if anti-Trump feds find strong evidence, it's strong. Our rule of law runs on evidence—plus anyone with a possible Trump bias was long ago fired.

8/ LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE IN 2020. The GOP would never apply this standard to—say—Clinton, but also a fact remains: our rule of law isn't up for a vote. Our laws hold the guilty accountable, whatever voters feel in their hearts. Sentiment can be taken into account at *sentencing*.

9/ WE ALREADY KNEW WHAT TRUMP WAS IN 2016. No—you didn't. You didn't know he had a bought-and-paid-for foreign policy, lied to you daily, was doing secret deals with Russia, was surrounded by aides who lied scores of times about Russia. We knew he was a shitheel—that's different.

10/ DO YOU WANT WAR WITH RUSSIA? This "defense" holds that we can't investigate acts of cyberwar against America—or treachery by our government—as our enemies might be angry if we do. If you argue this, rethink what you think America is. We're a nation—not a Russian vassal state.

BONUS/ [TROLLING]. Maybe the most popular response the right has given us to the biggest political scandal in U.S. history is "owning the libs"—which simply means knowing nothing about the case, not being able to discuss or argue its merits, and acting like a 10 year-old instead.
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Seth Abramson - THE 10 WORST DEFENSES OF TRUMP HIS SUPPORTERS SPREAD ON TWITTER (Original Post) Roland99 Dec 2018 OP
Great summary dalton99a Dec 2018 #1
O. M. G. That's real? Roland99 Dec 2018 #2
Yes. dalton99a Dec 2018 #3
Yikes. If that guy walked by me, I'd be screaming with laughter. n/t LuckyCharms Dec 2018 #5
If that's not blasphemy mountain grammy Dec 2018 #6
that be, specifically, idolatry and idiocy Hermit-The-Prog Dec 2018 #10
At least his owners put a bark collar on him ProudLib72 Dec 2018 #8
Guilty of Aiding and Abetting Roland99 Dec 2018 #4
I lost the place in his feed where he laid out in two tweets... Grasswire2 Dec 2018 #7
This? Roland99 Dec 2018 #9
thanks :-) Grasswire2 Dec 2018 #12
oh wait Grasswire2 Dec 2018 #13
K&R smirkymonkey Dec 2018 #11

Hermit-The-Prog

(33,227 posts)
10. that be, specifically, idolatry and idiocy
Mon Dec 17, 2018, 12:10 AM
Dec 2018

with a heavy dose of insanity.

Stir well and pour into a stupid tee.

Not recommended for humans.
May cause planetary crisis.
Not safe around children or pets.

Grasswire2

(13,565 posts)
7. I lost the place in his feed where he laid out in two tweets...
Sun Dec 16, 2018, 11:53 PM
Dec 2018

....the Trump strategy to avoid prosecution through 2024. Must look for it.

Grasswire2

(13,565 posts)
13. oh wait
Mon Dec 17, 2018, 02:48 AM
Dec 2018

There was more than two points:




3/ Pardoning Papadopoulos, Manafort, and Flynn wouldn't eliminate the utility, of course, of all the info they passed to prosecutors—but if Trump pardons all three on the grounds that the Mueller investigation was a political witch-hunt, he at least has a narrative to work with.
4 replies 70 retweets 362 likes
Seth Abramson
‏Verified account @SethAbramson
14h14 hours ago

4/ The plan would be two-pronged: (1) fight in court and Congress, directly and indirectly, to ensure America never sees the Mueller report and (2) issue pardons that dovetail with a narrative that good public servants were prosecuted over non-Russia crimes for political reasons.
9 replies 77 retweets 339 likes
Seth Abramson
‏Verified account @SethAbramson
14h14 hours ago

5/ If the Mueller Report's release to the public is somehow blocked at the DOJ, SCOTUS, or Congressional levels, Trump can even so release a report using info from public Flynn, Manafort, and Papadopoulos filings (rather than his illicit intel streams) to paint a false narrative.
9 replies 68 retweets 355 likes
Seth Abramson
‏Verified account @SethAbramson
14h14 hours ago

6/ Trump may or may not execute a plan like this, but what Papadopoulos' shenanigans, Flynn's self-defeating jabs at the FBI, and Manafort's withdrawal from his deal all do is *preserve* (a) the chance of a pardon for all, and (b) a false political narrative Trump could turn to.
23 replies 88 retweets 414 likes

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