[View here as a Twitter thread]
3/ You’d expect Trump’s legal team to be busy preparing a legal defense. Instead Trump keeps changing his story, right there in public. First he denies everything (“I had nothing to do with Russians”) then “nothing is wrong with dealing with Russians,” etc.
4/ Everyone knows that people who constantly change their stories are not credible witnesses. Moreover, Trump keeps obstructing justice (a crime) right there in plain sight. washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/w… You can’t prepare a legal defense while you’re committing crimes.
5/ Trump’s critics conclude that Trump’s losing it & his lawyers are asleep at the switch. Perhaps they are wrong. Perhaps there’s a method in the madness. Consider that Trump campaigned on a promise to torpedo rules and norms, and to attack the establishment.
6/ On April 29, he told an audience in MI that, “all our laws are so corrupt and stupid” mlive.com/expo/erry-2018… He came right out and said that he intends to“fight back” against the Mueller probe (obstruct justice):
7/ It seems to me Trump and his lawyers have a non-traditional 4-part plan to beat the Mueller probe. Part 1: Cultivate a Cult of Leadership. From Paxton: In a cult of leadership, the followers believe the leader’s instincts are better than the logic used by elites . . .
8/ The followers are willing to give up their individuality and freedom in exchange for the Leader’s “protection.” A Dear Leader doesn’t follow laws. He embodies the mythical destiny of the nation. He is the law.
9/ Part #2: Create a world in which facts don’t matter, because if facts don’t matter, court verdicts have no meaning. How do you torpedo facts? By flooding the zone with nonsense:
10/ And by telling outrageous lies, and insisting that everyone else is lying (or presenting “fake” news.) And by changing your story multiple times and having your media wing act like it’s normal.
11/ From Snyder: Eventually people conclude that the truth is unknowable, and they give up. It’s the ultimate skepticism and relativism. Part #3: Persuade people that ALL politicians cheat and lie, particularly political opponents (HRC, Obama, etc.) Also called Whataboutism.
12/ If people believe all politicians are corrupt, going after Trump becomes political persecution. This is a variation of the “Deep State” defense. It’s not the person on trial who is guilty. It’s the court.
13/ Part #4: Torpedo the laws themselves by saying they’re all stupid and corrupt, and so defying them is perfectly fine. Consider this: The very act of preparing a legal defense would be to acknowledge Rule of Law, and that Trump has to obey laws.
14/ Once Trump acknowledges that he is NOT above the law and he can’t create his own facts, the cult of leadership dissolves. When people say things like “Trump knows he’s about to get caught,” they are speaking from within a world in which laws and facts reign supreme.
15/ Trump and his followers don’t live in that world. I am not saying Trump will win. But I think we should recognize that the fight is not a normal fight between law enforcement and a defendant. The fight is between Rule of law and Cult of Leadership.
