A convicted felon is forbidden by law to hold a federal office. So where's the law? How the devil did he con his way around this? Why was he not barred from running for that reason? No, he slides through with an "unconditional release". The country is rotten with traitorous co-conspirators and empty-headed morons determined to see Trump's Fourth Reich come to fruition.
actually, for offices with requirements set by the constitution, a convicted felon CAN hold office, so long as they meet the requirements otherwise--age and place of birth. The 14th Amendment just precludes those who have "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof." Trump's convictions don't rise to that level. They MIGHT have, but the case that would have shown it never got tried to completion.
Of course, now that the Federal Elections Commission is no longer independent, any future "voting" is going to be carefully controlled as to the outcome.
Trump and Co. need to be ousted now, by any means necessary, if democracy is to be America's future.
You are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!! We cannot wait for “Justice” to be served - I am more doubtful than ever that this will come to pass. This of us who are screaming for something to be done seem to be screaming to the wind. How can “something” be accomplished?
A good start would be for average American citizens to decide to heave their butts off their couches and make their voices heard, start some of John Lewis' Good Trouble out in the streets. It may be beginning now. We'll see...
The points made here are clear. This is the best. most specific reasoning of just WHY we are all losing sleep. Personally, I am beside myself with worry for the USA.
We should each do our utmost to educate at least 10 friends,. family and foes by sharing this excellent piece.
Yeah, except, of those 10 friends that need to be educated, probably 8 or 9 of them are perfectly fine with the doomsday scenario laid out here by Harry Litman. I want to be optimistic that the next election and every one that follows will not be fixed and stolen by Trump and the vast apparatus that he now controls, but it’s difficult to find much reason to feel that anything is going to stop them from committing whatever election crimes they want to. Who’s going to stop them? Not the DOJ, Congress, or the Supreme Court.
Thank you, Harry, for this compelling history of what was and extremely disturbing thought of what might be. I’m counting on brilliant people like you to help us regain control.
I disagree with “the military” arresting them. That is not what the military is for and is using the same illegal tactics that this neo-nazi administration is attempting to set up.
Weve never had an autocratic tyrant to deal with before. Make that two autocratic despots. They innovated the new structure. Now, we need to innovate and break whatever norms needed to save the ship.
I’m not willing to give up on the very principles and government I’m fighting so hard for now. We shouldn’t even be thinking that. I’ve worked for the feds and as a contractor, with my own contracts. I know this system well, and I know politics. So I also know that eventually, we will either get smart, lucky or both, and Trump’s actions will take him down. In our house, we have a running bet on how soon Trump will be out of office, due to our actions and his own sins. But I’m hoping my small steady stream of actions added onto those of a thousand others will bring that date up sooner rather than later. We got rid of Nixon, and it was even bipartisan. It can happen again. We just have to work the system we have. Democracy is not for the faint of heart or the weak.
If it helps, just go to sleep tonight and dream of Elon Musk having to testify before a congressional committee investigating DOGE and Trump. With his DOGE minions sitting behind him in the hearing room, getting ready to testify themselves, accompanied by their expensive lawyers they’ll each have to pay for. Or your dream can be set in court. Either way, many will lie and go to jail for that. It’s a very common scene after a major DC scandal. Hope that helps. ;)
This whole exercise is moot ... Trump wanted to continue to be President. He has continued to be President. He got way more (by means of voter suppression and outright fraud, possibly including hacked voting machines) than those 11,780 votes.
So the Coup that started with preparation for January 6, the Warriors arriving, Trump receiving immunity, Trump pardoning his warriors so they can assist him again in Trump 2.0, Heritage foundation lays out the playbook in between elections, and the coup continues.
Republicans, who were complicit on January 6, were never held accountable, nor was Trump and his allies . Now all Republicans are toeing the line and are complicit in part two of the coup against the United States constitution.. laws are being broken.
Article 1 Section 5 - Congress persons can’t be recalled, but they can be Expelled…Correct??
Perhaps Democrats should start expressing and talking about and getting media coverage on this tactic. Perhaps a little fear of accountability would move some.? I fear we have not much time!
Honest people don't vote for a criminal and patriots don't vote for someone who steals our classified documents. The country will be saved by the others, including the courts.
Yeah, but this is no time to give up, jibal. That's what he wants, and not what he's going to get. Unlike, say Russia, or Hungary, or Turkey, this country has 250 years of evolving democracy under its belt. Meaning, a whole, whole lot of us are not sheep, or, more kindly, unused to thinking and acting for ourselves, and not bowing down to a despot.
We may not be sheep but citizens are ruthlessly being stripped of their rights and power. Now the administration is going after the lawyers who defend that power. The firm that gave pro bono legal advice to Jack Smith are being threatened with the inability to defend anyone and anything that undermines the administration. And that administration gleefully reports that there are many more lawyers in their sites. Of course this is occurring just as our side is winning in <honest> courts with honest judges. Although once They decide to ignore court rulings they don’t like, there is very little peaceful alternative to check these madmen.
Yeah, if we just don't act like sheep and bow down then all is fine. /s
It's such a stupid sheltered elitist victim blaming attitude. "The Jews entered the cattle cars like sheep!" -- this smug view sickens me. But people won't have it for long.
It's no time to be stupid and dishonest and in denial, saying nonsense like what Toni did. Over 70 million people DID vote for a criminal who stole our classified documents -- she writes as if this were before the election, thus my Rip Van Winkle reference. And no, it's not true that "The country will be saved by the others, including the courts" -- as long as people believe that, they will be complacent and won't do what needs to be done. As for "this country has 250 years of evolving democracy under its belt" -- I believe it was HCR who explained that there are 5 major categories of democracy that have been advanced in the last 200 years and Kevin Roberts/Trump/Musk and their many accomplices are SUCCESSFULLY wiping them out. We will not be saved by democracy or any other institution.
" Meaning, a whole, whole lot of us are not sheep, or, more kindly, unused to thinking and acting for ourselves, and not bowing down to a despot."
Sorry but this is a silly elitist fantasy and a form of victim blaming. People are SUFFERING. People are DYING. And there will be much more of that. It has nothing to do with bowing down or being sheep. You are going to find out personally about the misery that many of your compatriots have been living.
We’re already in the middle of it. Fighting in court, fighting up the food chain in the department, writing to congressmen, sending research to reporters to help clarify things for them, developing ideas for actions that can be done in the House, etc., etc. It helps having worked at all those places. I know there are ways through this tunnel. I also know that it will take an enormous amount of work to get this done. I’m unwilling to let anyone who hates what’s happening but doesn’t know this system like I and many others do, to accept giving up. If you don’t know how to fight back, ask someone who does what you can do to help.
I know people are suffering. I spoke to my daughter tonight; she counsels veterans dealing with PTSD at the VA. She tells me their clients at several VA hospitals in her state can’t even get the counseling they need because there aren’t enough rooms to handle their appointments. She says many end up seeing their psychologist just once a month! That’s not nearly enough for someone struggling each day with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
When I hear these stories I don’t quit. I fight back. And you should, too.
And it has been for a long time. We are way past shutting down the magical thinking that allows folks to sit back and "hope and pray". This is what that behavior bought you.
This was all predictable, and in fact was widely discussed on political subreddits before and after the election. The professional pundit class was very shy indeed to say any of this out loud, but huge swaths of amateurs who were engaged with US politics clearly saw that he would weaponize the DOJ and take control of the election process in order to steal future elections. Why would he not?
And that, in turn, is why your defense of Garland is so inappropriate. Slow walking Trump's prosecution has very likely ended our democracy. Treating him as an ordinary (rich!) suspect and taking years to carefully, prudently gather evidence and follow every norm and dot every i let Trump off the hook.
He should have been charged within six months, the way other J6 defendants were. He should have been on trial within nine months. After he was found to have lied about stealing and hiding top secret documents he should have been locked up. Seriously, locked up in a federal prison. Treat him like a criminal, run him through the courts. A core part of his power is his constant assertion that he's above the law. We had a chance to show that he was in fact not above the law, and that chance was flubbed in an epic, historic fail.
Garland was too timid to do his job, and here we are.
It won't change anything, but the least we can do is tell the truth about what happened. Biden's AG flinched, was afraid to do his job, and as a direct result we have very likely lost our democracy and are headed down the path paved by Russia and Hungary.
But hey! Congrats to the professional political punditry for catching up to r/politics, months later. Great job.
When you've sold your soul, what do you have left? Bove and Blanche will be able to tell us. Along with Bondi, Martin, and Clark. Lots of work for the Bar Association if they choose to remain relevant.
Coming to grips with Russia’s agenda and their talking points. Those now emanate from the seat of U.S. power, the White House. Our President acts very suspiciously. Is he fully compromised? Things were clear in my mind, as I wrote in this post. I have little doubt. https://bit.ly/4heWKvb
Reading this takes my breath away. If knowledge is power-which I believe it is-I’m puzzled how to use this power. Wonder how to wake up our elected in congress. Open to ideas and will keep knocking on their doors.
BTW-any chance you could make a graphic-a family tree of sorts-albeit a dysfunctional one. That would be helpful.
Congress? The Republican majority is fully awake ... they have want they want. It's you folks who need to wake up and grow up. Trump doesn't need 11,780 votes or alternate electors ...
More likely that Putin is paying you than me. (No, I don't actually think anyone is paying you; *I* am not that stupid.) Blocked for such a ridiculous attack when you could have made an effort to actually read and understand what I wrote and grasp that I--a lifelong democratic socialist--am on your side
Just for your information--I am not in that group--sad to say--I see all of this. However, one piece of my responsibility is to continue to provoke those who have a different kind of power than I. We must address this from all angles.
I still cannot believe he’s in the White House and not locked up for the rest of his life!
A convicted felon is forbidden by law to hold a federal office. So where's the law? How the devil did he con his way around this? Why was he not barred from running for that reason? No, he slides through with an "unconditional release". The country is rotten with traitorous co-conspirators and empty-headed morons determined to see Trump's Fourth Reich come to fruition.
actually, for offices with requirements set by the constitution, a convicted felon CAN hold office, so long as they meet the requirements otherwise--age and place of birth. The 14th Amendment just precludes those who have "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof." Trump's convictions don't rise to that level. They MIGHT have, but the case that would have shown it never got tried to completion.
Musk the parasite paid for it.
Impeach. Feathers of Hope. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/p/remove-impeach-impeach
Of course, now that the Federal Elections Commission is no longer independent, any future "voting" is going to be carefully controlled as to the outcome.
Trump and Co. need to be ousted now, by any means necessary, if democracy is to be America's future.
You are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!! We cannot wait for “Justice” to be served - I am more doubtful than ever that this will come to pass. This of us who are screaming for something to be done seem to be screaming to the wind. How can “something” be accomplished?
A good start would be for average American citizens to decide to heave their butts off their couches and make their voices heard, start some of John Lewis' Good Trouble out in the streets. It may be beginning now. We'll see...
YOU ARE ENTIRELY CORRECT!!!
...By Any Means Necessary... This should be the battle cry in the war against the lawless corruption we are now facing.
Nothing really a thought experiment. More like confirmation of our current reality.
The points made here are clear. This is the best. most specific reasoning of just WHY we are all losing sleep. Personally, I am beside myself with worry for the USA.
We should each do our utmost to educate at least 10 friends,. family and foes by sharing this excellent piece.
Think about doing that right here on Substack, at least as one part of your efforts, Jane. That's what I'm doing.
OK good suggestion...
Yeah, except, of those 10 friends that need to be educated, probably 8 or 9 of them are perfectly fine with the doomsday scenario laid out here by Harry Litman. I want to be optimistic that the next election and every one that follows will not be fixed and stolen by Trump and the vast apparatus that he now controls, but it’s difficult to find much reason to feel that anything is going to stop them from committing whatever election crimes they want to. Who’s going to stop them? Not the DOJ, Congress, or the Supreme Court.
Thank you, Harry, for this compelling history of what was and extremely disturbing thought of what might be. I’m counting on brilliant people like you to help us regain control.
It needs to be done right now, and it needs to involve the military arresting every one of them. The longer we wait, the more in jeopardy.
I do not think the soft Dem leadership will do this.
I disagree with “the military” arresting them. That is not what the military is for and is using the same illegal tactics that this neo-nazi administration is attempting to set up.
Weve never had an autocratic tyrant to deal with before. Make that two autocratic despots. They innovated the new structure. Now, we need to innovate and break whatever norms needed to save the ship.
I’m not willing to give up on the very principles and government I’m fighting so hard for now. We shouldn’t even be thinking that. I’ve worked for the feds and as a contractor, with my own contracts. I know this system well, and I know politics. So I also know that eventually, we will either get smart, lucky or both, and Trump’s actions will take him down. In our house, we have a running bet on how soon Trump will be out of office, due to our actions and his own sins. But I’m hoping my small steady stream of actions added onto those of a thousand others will bring that date up sooner rather than later. We got rid of Nixon, and it was even bipartisan. It can happen again. We just have to work the system we have. Democracy is not for the faint of heart or the weak.
If it helps, just go to sleep tonight and dream of Elon Musk having to testify before a congressional committee investigating DOGE and Trump. With his DOGE minions sitting behind him in the hearing room, getting ready to testify themselves, accompanied by their expensive lawyers they’ll each have to pay for. Or your dream can be set in court. Either way, many will lie and go to jail for that. It’s a very common scene after a major DC scandal. Hope that helps. ;)
I like it, beats counting sheeple. Good input. Thank you.
Need a scapegoat much? They’re in the minority. It’s us, the voters.
IF we ever get to vote again - or if only a lesser % of us are deemed "eligible" to vote, if we ever get to vote again.
Who orders the military? The President.
Unless there is a military coup, that hasn't happened yet.
Im waiting.
This whole exercise is moot ... Trump wanted to continue to be President. He has continued to be President. He got way more (by means of voter suppression and outright fraud, possibly including hacked voting machines) than those 11,780 votes.
So the Coup that started with preparation for January 6, the Warriors arriving, Trump receiving immunity, Trump pardoning his warriors so they can assist him again in Trump 2.0, Heritage foundation lays out the playbook in between elections, and the coup continues.
Republicans, who were complicit on January 6, were never held accountable, nor was Trump and his allies . Now all Republicans are toeing the line and are complicit in part two of the coup against the United States constitution.. laws are being broken.
Article 1 Section 5 - Congress persons can’t be recalled, but they can be Expelled…Correct??
Perhaps Democrats should start expressing and talking about and getting media coverage on this tactic. Perhaps a little fear of accountability would move some.? I fear we have not much time!
Honest people don't vote for a criminal and patriots don't vote for someone who steals our classified documents. The country will be saved by the others, including the courts.
Seriously, Rip Van Winkle? The country has already been lost. There are no white knights to save us ... Trump/Musk are simply ignoring court orders.
Yeah, but this is no time to give up, jibal. That's what he wants, and not what he's going to get. Unlike, say Russia, or Hungary, or Turkey, this country has 250 years of evolving democracy under its belt. Meaning, a whole, whole lot of us are not sheep, or, more kindly, unused to thinking and acting for ourselves, and not bowing down to a despot.
We may not be sheep but citizens are ruthlessly being stripped of their rights and power. Now the administration is going after the lawyers who defend that power. The firm that gave pro bono legal advice to Jack Smith are being threatened with the inability to defend anyone and anything that undermines the administration. And that administration gleefully reports that there are many more lawyers in their sites. Of course this is occurring just as our side is winning in <honest> courts with honest judges. Although once They decide to ignore court rulings they don’t like, there is very little peaceful alternative to check these madmen.
Yeah, if we just don't act like sheep and bow down then all is fine. /s
It's such a stupid sheltered elitist victim blaming attitude. "The Jews entered the cattle cars like sheep!" -- this smug view sickens me. But people won't have it for long.
It's no time to be stupid and dishonest and in denial, saying nonsense like what Toni did. Over 70 million people DID vote for a criminal who stole our classified documents -- she writes as if this were before the election, thus my Rip Van Winkle reference. And no, it's not true that "The country will be saved by the others, including the courts" -- as long as people believe that, they will be complacent and won't do what needs to be done. As for "this country has 250 years of evolving democracy under its belt" -- I believe it was HCR who explained that there are 5 major categories of democracy that have been advanced in the last 200 years and Kevin Roberts/Trump/Musk and their many accomplices are SUCCESSFULLY wiping them out. We will not be saved by democracy or any other institution.
" Meaning, a whole, whole lot of us are not sheep, or, more kindly, unused to thinking and acting for ourselves, and not bowing down to a despot."
Sorry but this is a silly elitist fantasy and a form of victim blaming. People are SUFFERING. People are DYING. And there will be much more of that. It has nothing to do with bowing down or being sheep. You are going to find out personally about the misery that many of your compatriots have been living.
We’re already in the middle of it. Fighting in court, fighting up the food chain in the department, writing to congressmen, sending research to reporters to help clarify things for them, developing ideas for actions that can be done in the House, etc., etc. It helps having worked at all those places. I know there are ways through this tunnel. I also know that it will take an enormous amount of work to get this done. I’m unwilling to let anyone who hates what’s happening but doesn’t know this system like I and many others do, to accept giving up. If you don’t know how to fight back, ask someone who does what you can do to help.
I know people are suffering. I spoke to my daughter tonight; she counsels veterans dealing with PTSD at the VA. She tells me their clients at several VA hospitals in her state can’t even get the counseling they need because there aren’t enough rooms to handle their appointments. She says many end up seeing their psychologist just once a month! That’s not nearly enough for someone struggling each day with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
When I hear these stories I don’t quit. I fight back. And you should, too.
Utter nonsense. And who are you trying to convince?
https://theintellectualist.com/black-saturday-us-constitutional-crisis-2025/
People who are worried only about the price of eggs vote for a criminal.
One can only hope…
No, only hoping is guaranteed failure. You have to do much more.
We have passed the breaking point 😢
So what will be the tipping point where people will turn to mass demonstrations?
This is terrifying
And it has been for a long time. We are way past shutting down the magical thinking that allows folks to sit back and "hope and pray". This is what that behavior bought you.
We either remember how America deals with fascists or we continue to be soft and compliant.
I'm not ready to give up.
Me neither
Damn skippy!
This was all predictable, and in fact was widely discussed on political subreddits before and after the election. The professional pundit class was very shy indeed to say any of this out loud, but huge swaths of amateurs who were engaged with US politics clearly saw that he would weaponize the DOJ and take control of the election process in order to steal future elections. Why would he not?
And that, in turn, is why your defense of Garland is so inappropriate. Slow walking Trump's prosecution has very likely ended our democracy. Treating him as an ordinary (rich!) suspect and taking years to carefully, prudently gather evidence and follow every norm and dot every i let Trump off the hook.
He should have been charged within six months, the way other J6 defendants were. He should have been on trial within nine months. After he was found to have lied about stealing and hiding top secret documents he should have been locked up. Seriously, locked up in a federal prison. Treat him like a criminal, run him through the courts. A core part of his power is his constant assertion that he's above the law. We had a chance to show that he was in fact not above the law, and that chance was flubbed in an epic, historic fail.
Garland was too timid to do his job, and here we are.
It won't change anything, but the least we can do is tell the truth about what happened. Biden's AG flinched, was afraid to do his job, and as a direct result we have very likely lost our democracy and are headed down the path paved by Russia and Hungary.
But hey! Congrats to the professional political punditry for catching up to r/politics, months later. Great job.
All of this is leading up to dictatorship
Ya think?!
When you've sold your soul, what do you have left? Bove and Blanche will be able to tell us. Along with Bondi, Martin, and Clark. Lots of work for the Bar Association if they choose to remain relevant.
Bar Association doesn't seem to care about relevance. Already been protecting other Trump lawyers.
To say nothing of the sins of the Federalist Society
The Bar Association is not really known for its bravery.
Coming to grips with Russia’s agenda and their talking points. Those now emanate from the seat of U.S. power, the White House. Our President acts very suspiciously. Is he fully compromised? Things were clear in my mind, as I wrote in this post. I have little doubt. https://bit.ly/4heWKvb
Reading this takes my breath away. If knowledge is power-which I believe it is-I’m puzzled how to use this power. Wonder how to wake up our elected in congress. Open to ideas and will keep knocking on their doors.
BTW-any chance you could make a graphic-a family tree of sorts-albeit a dysfunctional one. That would be helpful.
Congress? The Republican majority is fully awake ... they have want they want. It's you folks who need to wake up and grow up. Trump doesn't need 11,780 votes or alternate electors ...
Jibal, for whom are you trolling? Under what direction are you commenting? Your own, or your organization's? I'm Just curious.
More likely that Putin is paying you than me. (No, I don't actually think anyone is paying you; *I* am not that stupid.) Blocked for such a ridiculous attack when you could have made an effort to actually read and understand what I wrote and grasp that I--a lifelong democratic socialist--am on your side
Who do you mean by “you folks?”
People who think that Congress is asleep and waking them up will fix things. People in such denial about our fascist reality.
Just for your information--I am not in that group--sad to say--I see all of this. However, one piece of my responsibility is to continue to provoke those who have a different kind of power than I. We must address this from all angles.