For the most part, Trump's co-defendants were people living on the edge before Trump, or maybe over the edge and barely hanging on. My sense is all of them told themselves Trump has been much better at the game, and if they tie themselves to Trump, they have a chance to fly in a much higher orbit than they could on their own (more power, more attention, hence more opportunities to grift), and learn how to skate by like Trump had for so many years. They are learning the hard way, ala Michael Cohen, for example, that when you fly too close to the sun (aka, Donald Trump), you will get burned. And most are not smart enough to know this until they are on fire.
Effective leaders attract and find strong people to surround themselves with - Ineffective leaders surround themselves with weaker people, so they can manipulate their team, and can still feel they are superior to their team. Trump, because he was President, initially attracted stronger people because of the lure of the Presidency, most of whom could not stand to stick it out for a full term. Over time, he replaced many of those with more of his (limited quality) people, so the capabilities of his team by the end of his term was severely diminished. God help us if he were given the opportunity to put together a second administration...
Tom Nichols for The Atlantic Daily newsletter today has a roughly similar (truth-be-told, better) take in his column, It's Not Just Trump, The Brass Ring, Pulled Away
I would like to claim great minds travel in the same circles...?
It's not all projection. There is no evidence that Joe Biden committed any crimes. But Hunter surely did, and he also traded shamelessly on the family name for profit. Particularly offensive was Hunter's service on the Burisa board - w/o meaningful credentials- while Joe had a policy portfolio as to Ukraine. Hunter's conduct muddies the water. Between that and Joe's age, he is perhaps the only candidate Trump could beat. I sure wish he'd step aside
I said nothing of the kind. Biden has had a very successful term by my estimation. But that he stands in a statistical tie w/ a notorious criminal indicates he is very vulnerable, and I don't see that changing. He was supposed to be a transitional figure. IMO, it's time for the transition
Biden is in “a statistical tie w/ a notorious criminal” how, exactly? 4 indictments with 91 counts vs what precisely??? Yes, Republicans and their Far Right megaphones on Fox, OAN, Newsmax, etc. are indeed trying to muddy the waters with all of these unfounded implications of illegality by Hunter Biden in order to create the shiny object to distract from 91 SERIOUS charges, but let’s not be fooled by that! It’s blatant “whataboutism” with NO basis in fact, at least any “facts” that they’ve brought forward so far. And the charges currently against Hunter are not related to influence pedaling, but tax evasion and a gun charge that wouldn’t be brought against a regular citizen.
Given the delusion and willful ignorance on the Right, those of us in the center or center-left need to stay focused on being the voice of reason in these conversations...
All fair points. And I have no problem crediting Joe for his accomplishments and understanding the specifics of the issues around Hunter. At the same time, one must account for low info voters, and it remains the case that Hunter's issues and Joe's age present challenges that aren't going away. Thus, it would be my preference for Joe to step aside, but we are where we are and I'm happy to vote for Joe again.
Please consider the source of that information. We live in an incredibly polarized society; I don’t think the trump minions could ever be persuaded to vote for anyone else—so don’t count on them to switch their votes. Other Democrats? I’m not convinced that even 50% of Democratic voters would vote for Harris, Mayor Pete, Bernie (who is older than Biden) or Newsom or any other candidate.
I take your point but differ as to a conclusion. Yes, Trump’s core base will stick with him no matter what. But the race is won in the middle by capturing sane Rs and independents. Too many of those folks are worried about Joe’s age and/or put off by Hunter’s actions. Consider that Whitmer is Michigan won the state by a far bigger margin than Joe.
Wonderfully written analysis of the "Gang of 18" (Trump Henchmen) and their allegiance to their god-king.
I suggest two points:
1. You mention "It’s as though these people [Gang of 18] have no short term memory."
I suggest the opposite. These people only live in the "short-term" to be in the actual physical orbit of "Trump Celebrity," or to work for his ends in hopes that the Defendant-In-Chief would call them, or at least be mentioned by him. They have no "long-term" vision of the consequences of their actions.
2. You state, "Did Trump get all of these people in trouble or were all of these people in various stages of legal trouble before they found themselves affiliated with Trump?"
Let's substitute "ethics/morality" for "legal trouble," to identify the willingness of the Gang of 18 to put aside any sense of ethics/morality they may or may not have.
Many insiders who were pushed by Trump, backed away, refusing to follow his questionable directives. Leaving his employ at the White House or as advisors.
Yet the Gang of 18, who will most likely claim to be good Christians, or religionists during their trial defenses to imply high ethical standards, chose actively to be part of an:
~ unethical,
~ amoral,
~ criminal enterprise
with their eyes wide opened in the short term, not contemplating this new long-term reality thrust upon them.
These henchmen have not been "Pied Pipered" like Trump's MAGA devotees, they showed us who they are with their intentions front and center.
“When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.”
Absolutely have been thinking the same thing. It’s a cliché to call him a cult leader and it seems hyperbolic. But, how is Trump different than someone like Keith Raniere? Rick Wilson’s ETTD has become a cliché, too. But, it’s obviously true.
Elise Stefanik is my rep and I am so waiting for the Reaper to come for her. Metaphorically, of course.
Daily Beast did a great job on the Georgia 19, too. Sidney Powell was a federal prosecutor? I’m a total junkie when it comes to following this and I didn’t tally it up, but I think over half of them I never heard of. And they’re all looking at at least 20 years with 5 minimum, I believe.
It’s gonna get really interesting when these rats start turning on each other. Bring on the prisoner’s dilemma times 18.
Yeah, I think that's right. These people, who are, generally speaking, on the fringes of political society see in Trump a like mind -- someone who pushes boundaries and doesn't seem to worry or care about the rules. And they are drawn to that.
“Everything Trump Touches Dies” was the first of only a handful of Trump books that I've read (that and Bob Woodward’s masterpieces). Rick Wilson was spot-on from the beginning. This is what a malignant narcissist does to people. We are seeing what happens when a leader is seriously mentally ill. We have no good ways to describe his behavior other than from a mental health perspective.
This morning on CNN, Van Jones marveled at the GOP voters' ability to be unswayed by Trump's legal troubles. His thought was along the lines of "how can you support a guy who actively sought to make sure your vote didn't count...to ignore your vote, just so he could stay in power". I, too, have marveled in the same way. Then, this morning two things occurred to me: 1) your recent reflection on the idea that for Trump's supporters all these indictments have merged together into meaningless background noise; 2) perhaps more importantly, Trump supporters may already feel like their vote was thrown away (because of the loss to Biden, and the lies told since), and they may think of Trump as the guy who has fought tirelessly to make their vote count after all.
And yet he is still a free man, able to do anything he wants, travel anywhere he wants, just like the masses who don't have 4 indictments hanging over their heads. Will anything come of these charges against him? I'm not holding my breath. All I know is that we have 17 months before his possible inauguration and then it will all go away. The clock is ticking.
This has been Trumps MO forever. Never admit anything. Deny. Deny. Deny. Let others take the fall for him. People who have followed him or researched him know it any many saw it and rejected him. However, I do believe that The Apprentice changed all of that. People saw him as an entertainer, a smart businessman, likable, charismatic and drank the Kool Aid. He is worshiped by a large swath of the country. As far as Giuliani, Manafort, et al, I believe Trump has something on all of them. He cuts deals with them so that they follow him and help him, it’s all about power. They get in deep and to leave his orbit, whatever Trump has on them will come out, so they stay. It’s all very sick and twisted.
For many years, anyone associated with Trump has risked paying the price for Trump's sins. Cohen did jail time for doing Trump's dirty work to kill a story that might have hurt his chances in 16. Weisselberg was sentenced for financial crimes that profited Trump and that surely had his approval. Yet, Trump lies about it all; his followers, indeed, most all Rs believe those lies or claim to; and - perversely- he benefits in the polls from his lies and crimes. I hope the criminal justice process can restore some semblance of sanity
He has to attend the criminal trials. Six hours a day of sitting and saying nothing. While all those he thought he controlled testify at length about his crimes.
Sooner or later (the sooner the better), he's going to blow a gasket and sentence himself to capital punishment with his Massive Fatal Myocardial Infarction.
And it's still going on. Look how few elected Republicans -- or candidates -- are willing to criticize him. Quite the contrary, they're at the ramparts defending him.
Study cult leaders and you'll know why. He's, for better or worse, highly charismatic. All cult leaders share charisma and a deep seated distrust/hate of someone or something. Cult Leaders get people to do things for the "causes" that people of sound mind wouldn't normally do. The barking yam is a cross between Jim Jones and David Koresh...
Spot on
For the most part, Trump's co-defendants were people living on the edge before Trump, or maybe over the edge and barely hanging on. My sense is all of them told themselves Trump has been much better at the game, and if they tie themselves to Trump, they have a chance to fly in a much higher orbit than they could on their own (more power, more attention, hence more opportunities to grift), and learn how to skate by like Trump had for so many years. They are learning the hard way, ala Michael Cohen, for example, that when you fly too close to the sun (aka, Donald Trump), you will get burned. And most are not smart enough to know this until they are on fire.
Effective leaders attract and find strong people to surround themselves with - Ineffective leaders surround themselves with weaker people, so they can manipulate their team, and can still feel they are superior to their team. Trump, because he was President, initially attracted stronger people because of the lure of the Presidency, most of whom could not stand to stick it out for a full term. Over time, he replaced many of those with more of his (limited quality) people, so the capabilities of his team by the end of his term was severely diminished. God help us if he were given the opportunity to put together a second administration...
Everyone should read this. I wish I had said it as well.
Tom Nichols for The Atlantic Daily newsletter today has a roughly similar (truth-be-told, better) take in his column, It's Not Just Trump, The Brass Ring, Pulled Away
I would like to claim great minds travel in the same circles...?
Tom is great
So the mafia Don and his minions have been indicted for racketeering.
My rep is Stefanik and babbles about the Biden Crime Family like a parrot with Tourette’s. It’s always projection with the MAGA Party.
The MAGA Republican Party with no serious policies - pointing to Trump and muttering "Yeah, what he said."
The party of "Projectionists," "Whataboutists," and Squirrelists" (see the clip)
https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=the+movike+up+Squirrel&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:18a0ae98,vid:SSUXXzN26zg
Their current Squirrel is Hunter Biden --- the heir apparent to the notorious "Biden Crime Family"
It's not all projection. There is no evidence that Joe Biden committed any crimes. But Hunter surely did, and he also traded shamelessly on the family name for profit. Particularly offensive was Hunter's service on the Burisa board - w/o meaningful credentials- while Joe had a policy portfolio as to Ukraine. Hunter's conduct muddies the water. Between that and Joe's age, he is perhaps the only candidate Trump could beat. I sure wish he'd step aside
OK. Now do Jared Kushner, Ivanka Kushner, etc., etc., etc....
You seem to be ignoring his numerous achievements .
I said nothing of the kind. Biden has had a very successful term by my estimation. But that he stands in a statistical tie w/ a notorious criminal indicates he is very vulnerable, and I don't see that changing. He was supposed to be a transitional figure. IMO, it's time for the transition
Biden is in “a statistical tie w/ a notorious criminal” how, exactly? 4 indictments with 91 counts vs what precisely??? Yes, Republicans and their Far Right megaphones on Fox, OAN, Newsmax, etc. are indeed trying to muddy the waters with all of these unfounded implications of illegality by Hunter Biden in order to create the shiny object to distract from 91 SERIOUS charges, but let’s not be fooled by that! It’s blatant “whataboutism” with NO basis in fact, at least any “facts” that they’ve brought forward so far. And the charges currently against Hunter are not related to influence pedaling, but tax evasion and a gun charge that wouldn’t be brought against a regular citizen.
Given the delusion and willful ignorance on the Right, those of us in the center or center-left need to stay focused on being the voice of reason in these conversations...
All fair points. And I have no problem crediting Joe for his accomplishments and understanding the specifics of the issues around Hunter. At the same time, one must account for low info voters, and it remains the case that Hunter's issues and Joe's age present challenges that aren't going away. Thus, it would be my preference for Joe to step aside, but we are where we are and I'm happy to vote for Joe again.
Please consider the source of that information. We live in an incredibly polarized society; I don’t think the trump minions could ever be persuaded to vote for anyone else—so don’t count on them to switch their votes. Other Democrats? I’m not convinced that even 50% of Democratic voters would vote for Harris, Mayor Pete, Bernie (who is older than Biden) or Newsom or any other candidate.
I take your point but differ as to a conclusion. Yes, Trump’s core base will stick with him no matter what. But the race is won in the middle by capturing sane Rs and independents. Too many of those folks are worried about Joe’s age and/or put off by Hunter’s actions. Consider that Whitmer is Michigan won the state by a far bigger margin than Joe.
You really, really need to reconsider that decision not to take the remedial class in reading comprehension.
Thanks for the insult on a forum that should be reserved for respectful discourse. But in any event, I have no idea of your putative point
The adage that 'power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely' has never been more apropos.
Chris,
Wonderfully written analysis of the "Gang of 18" (Trump Henchmen) and their allegiance to their god-king.
I suggest two points:
1. You mention "It’s as though these people [Gang of 18] have no short term memory."
I suggest the opposite. These people only live in the "short-term" to be in the actual physical orbit of "Trump Celebrity," or to work for his ends in hopes that the Defendant-In-Chief would call them, or at least be mentioned by him. They have no "long-term" vision of the consequences of their actions.
2. You state, "Did Trump get all of these people in trouble or were all of these people in various stages of legal trouble before they found themselves affiliated with Trump?"
Let's substitute "ethics/morality" for "legal trouble," to identify the willingness of the Gang of 18 to put aside any sense of ethics/morality they may or may not have.
Many insiders who were pushed by Trump, backed away, refusing to follow his questionable directives. Leaving his employ at the White House or as advisors.
Yet the Gang of 18, who will most likely claim to be good Christians, or religionists during their trial defenses to imply high ethical standards, chose actively to be part of an:
~ unethical,
~ amoral,
~ criminal enterprise
with their eyes wide opened in the short term, not contemplating this new long-term reality thrust upon them.
These henchmen have not been "Pied Pipered" like Trump's MAGA devotees, they showed us who they are with their intentions front and center.
“When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.”
~ Maya Angelou
Absolutely have been thinking the same thing. It’s a cliché to call him a cult leader and it seems hyperbolic. But, how is Trump different than someone like Keith Raniere? Rick Wilson’s ETTD has become a cliché, too. But, it’s obviously true.
Elise Stefanik is my rep and I am so waiting for the Reaper to come for her. Metaphorically, of course.
Daily Beast did a great job on the Georgia 19, too. Sidney Powell was a federal prosecutor? I’m a total junkie when it comes to following this and I didn’t tally it up, but I think over half of them I never heard of. And they’re all looking at at least 20 years with 5 minimum, I believe.
It’s gonna get really interesting when these rats start turning on each other. Bring on the prisoner’s dilemma times 18.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/everyone-indicted-with-donald-trump-in-georgia-from-rudy-giuliani-to-mark-meadows?via=newsletter&source=DDMorning&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=230815-am-digest&utm_term=F%20List%20Daily%20Beast%20Newsletter%20AM
Birds of a feather....
Yeah, I think that's right. These people, who are, generally speaking, on the fringes of political society see in Trump a like mind -- someone who pushes boundaries and doesn't seem to worry or care about the rules. And they are drawn to that.
“Everything Trump Touches Dies” was the first of only a handful of Trump books that I've read (that and Bob Woodward’s masterpieces). Rick Wilson was spot-on from the beginning. This is what a malignant narcissist does to people. We are seeing what happens when a leader is seriously mentally ill. We have no good ways to describe his behavior other than from a mental health perspective.
This morning on CNN, Van Jones marveled at the GOP voters' ability to be unswayed by Trump's legal troubles. His thought was along the lines of "how can you support a guy who actively sought to make sure your vote didn't count...to ignore your vote, just so he could stay in power". I, too, have marveled in the same way. Then, this morning two things occurred to me: 1) your recent reflection on the idea that for Trump's supporters all these indictments have merged together into meaningless background noise; 2) perhaps more importantly, Trump supporters may already feel like their vote was thrown away (because of the loss to Biden, and the lies told since), and they may think of Trump as the guy who has fought tirelessly to make their vote count after all.
And yet he is still a free man, able to do anything he wants, travel anywhere he wants, just like the masses who don't have 4 indictments hanging over their heads. Will anything come of these charges against him? I'm not holding my breath. All I know is that we have 17 months before his possible inauguration and then it will all go away. The clock is ticking.
This has been Trumps MO forever. Never admit anything. Deny. Deny. Deny. Let others take the fall for him. People who have followed him or researched him know it any many saw it and rejected him. However, I do believe that The Apprentice changed all of that. People saw him as an entertainer, a smart businessman, likable, charismatic and drank the Kool Aid. He is worshiped by a large swath of the country. As far as Giuliani, Manafort, et al, I believe Trump has something on all of them. He cuts deals with them so that they follow him and help him, it’s all about power. They get in deep and to leave his orbit, whatever Trump has on them will come out, so they stay. It’s all very sick and twisted.
For many years, anyone associated with Trump has risked paying the price for Trump's sins. Cohen did jail time for doing Trump's dirty work to kill a story that might have hurt his chances in 16. Weisselberg was sentenced for financial crimes that profited Trump and that surely had his approval. Yet, Trump lies about it all; his followers, indeed, most all Rs believe those lies or claim to; and - perversely- he benefits in the polls from his lies and crimes. I hope the criminal justice process can restore some semblance of sanity
It's crazy, right? The willingness to do Trump's dirty work astounds me.
He has to attend the criminal trials. Six hours a day of sitting and saying nothing. While all those he thought he controlled testify at length about his crimes.
Sooner or later (the sooner the better), he's going to blow a gasket and sentence himself to capital punishment with his Massive Fatal Myocardial Infarction.
Best line I’ve heard so far: Trump has now been indicted in every National League East city except for Philadelphia.
And it's still going on. Look how few elected Republicans -- or candidates -- are willing to criticize him. Quite the contrary, they're at the ramparts defending him.
Totally true. It's baffling to me -- especially given his lack of success electorally since 2016!
C.
They are terrified of their base electorate attacking them verbally or physically. Their only choice is to remain mum or decide to go back a real job.
One heck of a lot of unindicted co-conspirators as well....
30!!!
Everything for Him. The devotion is infinite.
But I don't understand why!?!
Study cult leaders and you'll know why. He's, for better or worse, highly charismatic. All cult leaders share charisma and a deep seated distrust/hate of someone or something. Cult Leaders get people to do things for the "causes" that people of sound mind wouldn't normally do. The barking yam is a cross between Jim Jones and David Koresh...