I had the Bogus Defense Bingo card ready for tomorrow, when the news about Bolton broke, which raises the question: Will this change the defense strategy?
Trump told Bolton in August he wanted to hold the security assistance until Ukraine officials helped with investigations in to the Bidens. There you go, Senate Republicans: another first hand witness.
And Lordy there are notes:
There you go, @SenateGOP. Documentary evidence. No surprise, Trump ordered Bolton “and other key officials with first hand knowledge of Trump’s dealings not to cooperate.”
OK, so. Trump orders first hand witnesses not to testify. Trump’s defense lawyers say, “there is no first hand evidence.”
Bolton said there are other “senior cabinet officials” who know more than they’re telling:
More first hand witnesses!
Bolton will testify that Barr lied about how soon he knew about Operation Ukraine Shakedown:
It’s starting to look like the GOP is blocking witnesses to hide how deep the corruption goes. (I typed that is the “ironic understatement” font.)
He has some interesting things to say about Giuliani, too. He has evidence (or will testify that) Giuliani wanted Yovanovitch fired because her fight against corruption was hurting his clients:
Okay, wait. These are the people saying Joe and Hunter Biden are corrupt?
Here’s where things get really crazy.
Wait, what? Trump didn’t want to send assistance to Ukraine until they “turned over all materials they had about the Russian investigation that related to Mr. Biden and supporters of Mrs. Clinton in Ukraine”?
Calling this a ‘conspiracy theory’ is inadequate. This is delusional. I keep thinking of Shakespeare. Trump is like King Lear and Othello rolled into one. And Giuliani is Iago and the jealous sisters stirring the king to madness. Why is Bolton leaking this now?
Apparently the White House knew about the contents of this book for a month, which raises the question of whether Trump’s lawyers stood in the Senate chamber and knowingly told bald-faced lies.
(OK, we knew they were lying. But here’s proof.)
If the Republican Party was anywhere near normal, they’d be planning Trump’s exit strategy. Bolton isn’t the only person with relevant evidence. What was behind all those redactions?
Here’s the thing about these right wing responses:
None of it goes to the question of Trump’s guilt or innocence. Silly that they think “everyone hates Trump” is a defense. People can hate him and he can be guilty, particularly because he governs by bullying and cheating.
I get it: A hallmark of right wing fascism is that they believe they are victims. So “everyone hates Trump,” resonates on the far right wing. Jason Stanley and other scholars who write about fascism explain why they feel victimized. They believe nature forms a hierarchy, and that they belong at the top of the hierarchy. When anyone questions their right to grab whatever they want, and do whatever they want, they feel victimized, like they’re losing something they’re entitled to.
Oh, and here’s the card for tomorrow:
You can get yours here.
