Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Trial Winding Down

Alvin Bragg's New York style trial of Donald Trump on some 34 felony charges yet to be actually explained is grinding to a close, with Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and disgraced perjurer finishing his testimony yesterday, presumably the end of the prosecution's case. It's unclear how many witness the defense will call; they may just be content to discredit the prosecutions "star" witnesses, Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen. From Breitbart, Donald Trump Starts 4th Week of Trial: ‘I Should Be Out Campaigning … Election Interference’.  At NewsMax, Turley: Michael Cohen Offers No New Evidence. At Da Caller Harold Hutchinson explains how Jonathan Turley Lays Out How Prosecutors Could Be Using Michael Cohen To Avoid Swift Defeat "George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said Monday that prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office could be using former attorney Michael Cohen to avoid a “directed verdict” in the case against former President Donald Trump."

 

Matt Margolis at PJM, Michael Cohen Just Blew Up Bragg’s Case Against Trump. Althouse cites the NYT,  "Michael Cohen is now explicitly testifying that the invoices he was sending, which he has sought to tie to Trump, were false documents," and "This is all so unbelievable. It seems like a big joke. But the damage being done to America is a tragedy," "Writes Juan Williams in "Get ready to see Trump go to jail" (The Hill)." and "Perhaps Judge Juan Merchan has been sobered by the defense mistrial motion he prompted last week." ""The judge foolishly allowed Manhattan prosecutors to elicit graphic testimony from porn star Stormy Daniels about a 2006 sexual encounter she claims to have had with Donald Trump. That testimony was irrelevant to the sole question in the trial, which is whether Trump fraudulently falsified his financial records in 2017. On that matter, Daniels has no knowledge; thus, her testimony was offered solely to inflame the jury against the defendant. Whatever the reason, the latest ploy by District Attorney Alvin Bragg was too much, even for the complaisant Merchan...." Writes Andrew C. McCarthy in "Alvin Bragg again tries an underhanded tactic against Trump" (NY Post)." Vicky Taft at PJM, Cohen Made Huge Admission in NYC Trump Case and Now the Tumblers Begin to Fall in Place and The Space-Time Continuum You Must Live in to Believe NYC Trump Prosecutors – PJ Media. At the Independent, Michael Cohen reveals last message from Trump before being abandoned to face charges alone: ‘Everything’s going to be OK.’ John Solomon at JTN, Michael Cohen’s ex-lawyer to nuke Cohen's tale before Congress: ‘Habitual liar, totally unreliable’ "A former federal prosecutor, Robert Costello's testimony and contemporaneous documents directly conflict with Alvin Bragg's case against Trump." At Am Spec Dave Catron thinks NY Judge May Get Trump Elected. "Judge Merchan’s animosity toward Trump and his inability to ensure a fair trial is not lost on voters." Nicole Silvero at Da Caller watches. Reality Dawn On ‘The View’ As They Realize Bragg Trial May Actually Help Trump: ‘I Blame The Media’. Twitchy, And BOOM: Mollie Hemingway's Post Tearing Media a NEW One Belongs in the Make-'Em-All-CRY Hall of Fame. Da Wire hears ‘SHAM’: House Speaker Johnson Condemns Trial of Trump as ‘Politically Motivated’. Larry at Hat Hair, Republicans Unite to Witness Democrat Witch Hunt Against Trump Go Down In Flames. Ace, Shock: Corrupt Partisan "Judge" Merchan's Democrat Operative Daughter Worked on the Campaign to Get Trump Kicked Off the Colorado Ballot. "This judge has allowed a ton of unduly prejudicial "prior bad acts" falsified testimony from Sloppy Daniels, and allowed the prosecution to proffer "Choose Your Own Adventure" charges against Trump, with three different and contradictory legal theories. The judge said, that's fine. But he's not biased" and CNN: Polls Show Americans Don't Care About the Left's Lawfare Campaign Against Trump "They don't have a Plan B. This is what they've got. This is it. This is the only thing they have in the cupboard. And it's crapping out."

From TNP, Anti-Trump Grand Jury Went ‘Rogue’ with Aggressive Indictments, Lied to Witnesses. 

From CNN! Fact check: Biden again falsely claims inflation was 9% when he became president. John Sexton at Hat Hair comments "The White House claimed Biden was discussing the "factors that caused inflation" which is nonsense. How many times is he going to say this? Does he know this is false and repeats it anyway or does he actually believe what he's saying? I'm leaning toward the latter at this point which seems worse." I'm pretty sure he believes it, and he's stuck on it. John Klar at Am Think thinks about When Gasoline is $100 per Gallon. I saw it go from $0.19 to $5.00 (in California), so don't discount it. Nick Arama at RedState watches Biden's Brain Break at APAICS Gala, Make Creepy Comment About Woman, Add New 'Origin Story' "On this occasion, he noted how he was "raised" by the late Sen. Danny Inouye (D-HI) when he came to the Senate. He also mentioned he was friends with former Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta, so I guess that all makes him Asian too. Add that to the long list of all the things Biden is." At Hat Hair VIP John Sexton reports Hunter Biden's Lawyers Once Again Tried to Delay His Gun Trial But the Judge Said No. Hat Hair's KT says Ashley Biden's Diary Content Is Real and That's Very Bad for Pedo Joe. 

NYPo wonders why isn’t this a bigger story? — An illegal border crosser – probably Jordanian – tried to force his way onto a US Marine base. Breitbart sees Illegal Immigration Overload: Border Town’s Criminal Prosecutions Explode by 5,000% on Biden’s Watch and has a Report that More Than Half of Immigrants in U.S. Are Unemployed. Mary Chastain at LI is amused when NYC Mayor Adams Thinks Illegal Aliens Could Be Lifeguards Since ‘They’re Excellent Swimmers’ "“How do we have a large body of people that are in our city, our country, that are excellent swimmers and at the same time we need lifeguards.”" Then why do so many drown crossing the Rio Grande? Anxious anxiously claims an Exclusive: Texas nonprofit got massive border contract after hiring Biden official. Plenty good money to be made! Beege Welborn at Hat Hair adds Nothing to see here and "DO YOU WANT US TO TAKE CARE OF THE BORDER OR NOT!??!" old man yells at clouds.

The Times of Israel, The US aims to wrap up Gaza war. How does that square with its goal of toppling Hamas? "Biden officials envision substantially weakened Hamas remaining in Gaza, but aim to marginalize it further with an Arab-backed PA that can out-govern the terror group." Beege Welborn retitles it Is the Biden Admin Actually Floating the Idea of Leaving Enough of Hamas Standing to Share Power in Gaza? "YGTBFKM." Duane Patterson at Hat Hair VIP, After Biden's Threats Don't Work, Administration Compounds Failed Policy on Israel. At Am Think, Allan J. Feifer thinks about The Biden Anti-American Legacy. Althouse, "[V]arious ax-grinders want to use Biden’s struggles to push the party toward their positions. Critics of Israel have fixated..." "... on the problems created by encampments at elite universities. And it is true that the news media’s intense coverage of an issue that splits the Democratic coalition and unites the Republican coalition hurts Biden and helps Trump."

From the Free Bacon, Joe Biden Says China's EV Dominance Is a Problem. His Son Hunter Helped Beijing Gain a Foothold in the Industry. At Reason Eric Boehm thinks Biden's Tariffs Are a Bad Idea. "Bad for consumers, bad for American industry, bad for his administration's own environmental goals, and bad for an increasingly irrational executive branch." I think tariffs should be fair. Alfredo Ortiz at Am Great reports Entrepreneurs Face Major Headwinds Due to Big Government Policies. "Biden and Democrats are waging a war on small businesses that won't end until they've been voted out of office." VodkaPundit at PJM thinks The Latest Government Gimmick Will Infuriate You "BLS uses a "basket of goods" regular people buy to calculate the inflation rate. The problem is, that they keep taking things out of the basket. The latest to go is coffee. If BLS still used the same basket of goods it used in 1980, the rate would have peaked last year at about 18% instead of the official 10% figure. Even now it would probably be somewhere around 8% instead of March's official 3.5% annual rate."

Breitbart is ecstatic with NYT Poll: Trump Continues to Dominate Swing States; Soars with Hispanic, Black, Young Voters. Jason Cohen at Da Caller, ‘My God’: CNN Data Guru Says Sun Belt Polling Is ‘Absolute Disaster’ For Joe Biden. From Behind the Black, The left begins recognizing Biden is going to lose. At HE, Kenny Cody claims Trump will restore the conservative vision of America, which is kind of weird, since Trump isn't all that conservative. At Da Fed, Brianna Lyman warns RNC Has Few Operatives On The Ground In Swing States, Local GOP Leaders Say. Is this their plan to wrest defeat from the jaws of victory? Fuzzy Slippers at LI, sees Democrats Eating Their Own: Democrats May Move August Convention Semi-Online To Avoid Pro-Hamas Riots From Base. "“President Joe Biden’s top advisers are all too aware the ghosts of 1968 may haunt their convention here.” Well, that's no fun!

MD Kittle at Da Fed reports Controversial Wisconsin Clerk Admits To Violating Election Law, Claims She Doesn’t Understand It. She had one job. Crossing the streams, Tyler O'Neal at Da Signal reports the NPR Reporter Assigned to Cover Posters Urging Illegals to Vote for Biden Won’t Answer Whether Aliens Voting Bothers Her.

Stacy McCain reiterates Houston Psycho Tranny Killer Proves Yet Again That Crazy People Are Dangerous. At TNP, West Virginia Town May Get Transgender Mayor. Wheeling, a college town, of course. From Da Caller, Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves Signs Bill Banning Men From Women’s Bathrooms and Gender Doctor Calls Genital Surgery An ‘Adventure’ For Young People While Describing Grisly Complications. “There could be delays because of complications — definitely there will be complications. Either it’s stenosis, fistulas, or partial necrosis, wound healing delays and stuff like that.” Hat Hair's Dave Strom says Sports Illustrated Hates You ""We didn't care. We thought that the right reader would come along with us and the wrong ones we didn't want." Let's call it the "Bud Light Strategy," in which a company decides they don't like their customers, so they send them packing."

From Da Wire, How Race And Sex-Based Affinity Groups Drive DEI Throughout The Federal Government. Tom Jackson at Hat Hair VIP, Florida Decides to Leave Decorating With Rainbows to the Almighty; Alphabet Mob Hardest Hit.  Insty, CHANGE: "Two Virginia universities scrap DEI requirements after Youngkin audit. Related: UNC Diverts DEI Funds Toward Campus Police: Report. Plus . . ." Christopher F. Rufo@realchrisrufo, "Every month, we are reducing the perceived risk of abolishing DEI departments. By the end of the year, most red states will have abolished DEI in their public universities. Then we will move on to the next campaign." The Free Bacon reports MIT Hired Six New Diversity Deans. Two of Them Are Serial Plagiarists, Complaint Alleges. "In dissertation titled 'Cite a Sista,' Tracie Jones-Barrett stole an entire passage on 'ethical considerations' from her classmate." I keep telling you nobody every expected anybody to read that shit!

Rabbi Fischer at Da Spec says To Stop the Campus Riots, Abolish Faculty Tenure, "Full-time professors will have no choice but to teach wisdom, not Hate America poison." Chris Rufo at CJ, Riot Tactics Redux "A veteran officer explains how police should incorporate lessons from 2020 in responding to pro-Hamas campus unrest." From the Free Bacon, Idiots Against Israel: These Student Protesters Misspelled 'Palestine'. To be fair, there's an excellent chance they weren't students or Palestinians. Chalk doesn't have spellcheck. John Sexton at Hat Hair, Repairs to Portland State University Library Could Cost $750,000. Protestors Learn the Hard Way That Hunger Strikes Leave You…Hungry

Mary Chastain, Anti-Israel Columbia Graduates Tear Up Diplomas, Flash Palestinian Flags. Jewish News of NorCal, Threatening incidents surround Berkeley middle-school walkout for Palestinians, well, Berserkley. Libs of TikTok@libsoftiktok "NEW: The pro-Palestine protester who told @bourne_beth2345 “put a gun in your mouth you piece of sh*t” has been identified as @ucdavis Professor Seeta Chaganti. I wonder what @ucdavis thinks of their professor telling people to kiII themselves and behaving like this." Bob Spencer at PJM, Florida Dentist Calls for ‘Annihilation’ of Jews, Could Lose His License. From NYPo, Fire Alarm Rep. Jamaal Bowman says ‘From the river to the sea’ chant isn’t hate speech during debate. Lincoln Brown at PJM, Justice Alito Has a Stark Warning for College Grads. At Power Line Steve Hayward considers the question Can Our Universities Be Fixed? "There aren’t a lot of Churchills among our university leadership class these days, but I do get the sense that some people in university leadership are starting to understand that the appeasement of the campus left needs to stop." Volokh at the Volokh Report asks Can Nonprofits That Help Organize Protests Lose Their Tax Exemptions? "Not because of the viewpoints they express—but yes if they engage in systematic illegal conduct." Pete Van Buren at Am Con, notes Free Speech Still Applies at Universities, "Bad or hateful opinions aren’t against the law." But Dan Greenfield at Front Page decries The Double Standard on Campus Speech. "Free speech for Hamas supporters. None for anyone else." At Hat Hair, Jerry Seinfeld to Duke Graduates: Let's Talk About This 'Privilege' Everyone Hates So Much These Days. Matt Margolis says Jerry Seinfeld Is the Hero We Need Right Now. 

And a brief update on the Key Bridge via Da Balmer Sun, Ship that collapsed Key Bridge lost power twice the day before crash, report finds. I suspect that means their chances of getting off the hook just substantially declined. Mural artist shapes pain and grief into shrine to Baltimore bridge workers. Grifters gonna grift. 

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves ready and awaiting your attention at The Other McCain.