At the outset of a trial in one of Trump's lawsuits, Reserve Judge Stephen Simanek says he will not allow anyone to intervene or file friend-of-the-court briefs.

Here are the details on today's case:

Meanwhile, Trump's allies in the state Legislature will hold a hearing today over how the election was conducted. Some background on that hearing is here:

The judge today says he wants the hearing to be efficient and he plans to rule soon. He notes the Electoral College meets on Monday.

Arguments begin with Trump attorney Jim Troupis saying the doctrine of laches does not apply.

Readers are always clamoring for more coverage of arguments about laches.

The Thursday installment of Trump's #ImpeachmentTrial begins with a Baked Alaska clip

Rep. Diana DeGette is using quotes like this to try and establish that rioters were taking orders from Trump

"We were invited here! ... We were invited by the president of the United States"

Donald Trump is leaving the White House within the hour. Re-reading his inaugural speech from four years ago, it’s clear the two words he wanted to define his presidency were “America first.” But the two words that ultimately did were “American carnage.” /1

Even the opening lines are a reminder of what his presidency cost us: “Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power.” That tradition ended on Jan. 6. /2

(He also thanks President and First Lady Obama “for their gracious aid throughout this transition,” which suggests he can recognize grace, but not actually offer it.) /3

The speech was packed with familiar promises about rebuilding the military, bringing back jobs, boosting the economy, building the wall. Trump loved talking about infrastructure even then, though “Infrastructure Week” ended up as a punchline, not a program. /4

The promises were almost all broken. The unemployment rate is 2 points higher than when he took office, the stock market is up but the economy is weak, international alliances are frayed and America’s reputation is in tatters. /5

All right.

We need to talk about how Trump and the GOP are marketing themselves as the Southern Fire-Eaters who spurred secession and the Civil War and how that time bizarrely mirrors our own.

Here's a taste of what I write about in AMERICAN

This ad that's making the rounds by Lauren Boebert, in which she brags about taking her gun to Congress, is not just empty posturing. It reflects a growing tension in our government that seems to be trending toward the societal discord and violence of the Civil War.

2/

The way our history is taught, the Civil War just...kind of happened. Out of nowhere. But there were many forces involved and they reflect what we're going through now.

To understand, we need to look at those forces and the people who benefited and cultivated them.

3/

Prior to the Civil War, Congress erupted into violent chaos. There were massive brawls, duels, assaults, all of it arising from the South's refusal to accept any legislation or development that didn't reflect their desires or empowerment.

4/

Members of the southern Democrats would come armed to sessions to intimidate their rivals, flashed knives and clubs and, if the process got out of control, would use them.

These threats we're seeing now have a very, very similar flavor and should concern people.

5/

The media issue a scathing, well-documented look at how much money US Catholic dioceses raked in under Trump's pandemic relief initiative, and watch the response in Catholic circles, Catholic media, among many Catholic laity. /1

It's a variant of the VERY SAME response used repeatedly by Catholic leaders to exonerate top-level responsibility for priests abusing minors and going unpunished.

The typical gambit now being used to justify the lavish feeding at the Trump trough: /2

Well, maybe dioceses were grabby and did not need all that money — look at the assets they're sitting on already — but poor, struggling parishes needed that money.

As if a parish is somehow disconnected from a diocese …. As if a parish is not integrally tied to a diocese. /3

As I say, this is a variant of the argument often advanced by Catholic leaders to justify doing nothing when a priest is known to be abusing minors: Well, he's only a hired employee on a contract. What does he have to do with us, with the bishop, with the chancellor? /4

The whole Catholic governing system is set up in a way that totally integrates parishes with dioceses. No parish and no parish priest can possibly function with independence from diocesan structures. Let a parish/parish priest try that, and see how quick the reprisal is. /5

Trump tweets about his health remind me of a story my late father-in-law Peter Worthington told about covering the Six Day War in 1967 ... 1/x

Pete was in Cairo on the day the war started. He was awoken early by air raid sirens. He turned on Radio Cairo to listen for news. Time passed until an announcer delivered a bulletin. "The Zionists attacked at dawn. We shot down six of their planes and suffered no losses." 2/x

Pete shaved and prepared to go visit the air ministry for himself. The announcer returned to the air. "Update: we shot down TWELVE Zionist planes and suffered no losses ourselves."

He understood the Egyptians had suffered a bad defeat. 3/x

He finished dressing, knotted his tie, and the announcer was back.

"Update again. We shot down FIFTY Zionist planes and suffered no losses ourselves."

That's when he realized that the entire Egyptian air force had been wiped out.

4/x

(NB I may have the figures wrong in the anecdote, I'm telling the story from memory, but you get the idea.)

5/x

The NYT amazing report on Trump's post-election insanity helps explain why he has so many almost-certainly-illegal projects around the world.

Over the past 25 years, there has been an astonishing amount of illegal money flowing out of former Soviet Union and...

1/

other highly corrupt economies. Trillions of dollars. Broadly called money-laundering.

The sophisticated oligarchs used top law- and accounting-firms, banks, and big hotels to clean their money.

But there were many hack oligarchs.

2/

Who were too blatantly corrupt, too tied to terror or other bad actors, to use the "legitimate" forms of money-laundering.

Consider Azerbaijan's Anar Mammadov. He spent years and millions of dollars trying to get someone, anyone, in the US to work with him.

3/

Or Indonesia's Hary Tanoe, a man shockingly corrupt and crude even in a shockingly corrupt country.

Or the Tiah family in Malaysia. Or his partner's in Toronto, Panama, etc, etc.

These were very rich losers. They had too much risk to cross over to the legit economy.

4/

Until they met Trump.

The Trump Org, like the White House, did have some good lawyers. They wouldn't touch these deals.

So, Trump brought in Michael Cohen--who is less of a lawyer than Rudy, Lin, Sidney, and Ellis--from a taxi dispatch office in Brooklyn.

5/

💥✅ Situation Update, Dec. 2nd – Trump readies martial law option for defending the republic:

💥✅ Highlights to date

1. Joe Biden now photographed in a “medical boot,” while reporters prohibited from observing his arrival at the doctor’s office.
[M. Adams]

There is one card left to play to save America; but it is a trump card. President Trump, as a private citizen is the most powerful man in America. He retains a committed following of 74 million patriots; who are also 74 million consumers. On his word, they will do whatever he

Trumps Amtsenthebung II: Auch dieses Mal wird der abgewählte Präsident nicht seines Amtes enthoben, so wie genau vor einem Jahr. Und zwar schon heute. Aber was ist da heute passiert?

1) Offene Fragen: Immer mehr Details zur Kommunikation zwischen Trump & im Kapitol befindlichen

RepublikanerInnen während des Kapitol-Sturms werden bekannt. So soll Trump in einem Telefonat mit engen Verbündeten die Bitte aktiv verneint haben, den Mob über Social Media zurückzupfeifen - "die Leute sind offenbar wütender als ihr über das, was da passiert ist", soll er laut

einer Republikanerin gesagt worden, der vom Anruf erzählt wurde. Und in den heutigen späten Nachmittagsstunden sind Gerüchte über weitere Kommunikation zwischen Trump und im Kapitol befindlichen RepublikanerInnen laut geworden. Das alles genau nachzuforschen, war auch der Plan

der demokratischen AnklägerInnen aus dem RepräsentantInnenhaus, die dafür für viele überraschend eine kurzfristige Abstimmung anberaumten und die ebenso überraschend deutlich mit 55:45 gewannen.

2) Der Deal: Dann muss es zwischen demokratischer und republikanischer Führung des

Senats zu einem Deal gekommen sein, der viele Trump-GegnerInnen erzürnt: Anstatt ZeugInnen vorzuladen und damit den Prozess gegen Trump zu intensivieren und zu verlängern, wurde vereinbart, die mediale Aussage der Republikanerin über das Telefonat einfach zu Protokoll zu nehmen

(THREAD)
1/18 Why did Trump really create Space Force? Why is Trump promoting vaccines?
Let’s start with the Globalist white hats and the Globalist black hats. As a young man, Trump has long been an informant for the white hat world leaders to gather enough evidence from

2/18 corrupt democrats & rino republicans who plan to lead the world with Globalist black hatters.
Trump works with the Globalist white hatters whom some has awarded him w/ the Nobel Peace Prize. Biden works with the Globalist black hatters.

3/18 For years, scientists have worked w/ world leaders in finding the best route to reducing the population on Earth. Whether you like it or not, Trump and Biden are BOTH in agreement with world leaders to reduce the population of Earth.

4/18 But Trump knows the Obama & Biden administration are corrupt and evil. The problem is that the left has been working for years with vaccine companies to create vaccines that can slowly kill off humans overtime in order to depopulate the world.

5/18 Trump, knowing this, has been in thorough investigation with vaccine companies. For years, he has been investigating which vaccine companies are working with the left to further their evil agenda. He is in the know of which ones have good intentions.

❗️[POTUS] UPDATE 🏰👑💥👀🌎🦅🌫

Hold the line for 30 days.

Several new entries below.

Donald Trump appears to be continuing to use military aircraft suggesting he is still de facto Commander in Chief.

Clarity emerges in two weeks.

Patriots are urged to stay off the streets and away from State Capitols — False Flag events intended to discredit patriots are known to be planned. NON-VIOLENCE is VITAL. Obey the law, allow events to play out.

Monkey Werx BitChute pending, we refuse to post YouTubes.

Monkey Werx tracks where he thinks Trump is and why he thinks it. Trump still keeping military travel, wouldn’t if he weren’t still president.

4:37 “temporary air restriction is lifted” meaning “Trump is on this aircraft. From FLA up to DC, parks for an hour, back to Charleston. Time on ground, 56 min, 6 seconds = 5+6+6 = 17.

At 8:30 PM last night, “Pentagon requested another 26,000 troops to come into DC.” Some have left, number not defined. Sean: I don’t think it’s large because yesterday Monkey Werx said he wasn’t seeing ships that would take NG back to their home state.

The Pardon Clause prohibits using the pardon power to obstruct impeachments. Trump repeatedly opined—rightly—that Mueller's probe could lead to a referral for possible impeachment (which it did). The pardons he just gave are the ones he dangled to obstruct Mueller. See the issue?

Those who say the pardon power is unreviewable aren't just wrong, they *know* they're wrong. The Pardon Clause makes explicit that Congress has standing and a cause of action if the power is used to obstruct an impeachment. So the power is definitionally reviewable by the courts.

Moreover, if the grant of a pardon is itself a high crime or misdemeanor, it creates an irresolvable conflict between the Impeachment Clause and the Pardon Clause that only a federal court can resolve—making a pardon reviewable in that scenario too. That's the situation we're in.

Moreover, if a pardon constituting an abuse of power is issued so late in a presidential term it can't be remedied via the normal means—impeachment—it becomes impermissibly non-justiciable, and thus immediately reviewable by a court. That also happens to be the current situation.

Moreover, if a pardon constitutes the actus reus in an ongoing crime, the pardon itself can't pardon the ongoing crime—and therefore becomes legally inert and inoperative, as the pardoned party can still be prosecuted. That also happens to be the situation we're in right now.

THREAD: I went down a rabbit hole with a Trump supporter this morning to try to get an idea of why they think the way they do. I didn’t really learn anything, but you might find it interesting. She’s a 60-year old grandmother who seems very nice, by the way. @atrupar

2/ (it started when she jumped into a convo I was having with a crazy Trumper named Tank)

3/

4/

5/

Think about it logically.
Trump decides randomly one day to run for president.
Then Trump wins.
Then this mysterious "Q" poster, claiming to be military intelligence, comes out of no where and starts leading people down a rabbit hole suggesting the world is essentially run by a

Trump was a very specific kind of disaster: a chaos agent, who lacked the wit, patience and executive function to recruit the powerful institutions of the US military-industrial complex to fight his corner.

1/

The kind of guy who demands the impossible and then fires and publicly humiliates any allies who fail to deliver - or dare to contradict him - is not the kind of guy who can build new, enduring, evil institutions.

2/

The best he can hope for is to get some trumpalike goblins into positions of power (where they will replicate his chaos, but without the broad impunity of the presidential office, resulting in a series of resignations and prosecutions), back by executive orders.

3/

The last months of the Trump admin were an orgy of executive branch rulemakings that dismantled public safety, health, labor, anticorruption and (especially) environmental protections.

4/

Trump is a debt kingpin. His MO is running across a river on the backs of alligators, hoping to move so fast that none of them takes a leg: borrow, refinance, restructure, borrow, blow town, borrow, restructure, bribe, blow town.

5/

1.
01/13/2021 Trump orders U.S. Space Command to leave Colorado

The permanent headquarters of U.S. Space Command will now be located in Alabama at the Huntsville’s Redstone