Outside the Beltway

Trump’s Disgrace

The chickens are slowly coming home to roost.

James Joyner
34

Comments

Having just expressed my frustration about journalists and others shoehorning “What about Trump?” into every discussion, I must now discuss him. In a largely paywalled article, Jonathan Last points to Charlie Sykes‘ essay on the former president. The opener is pithy:

As we absorb the news that (1) Donald Trump faces imminent indictment for his attempted coup, and (2) Michigan’s AG has charged 16 fake electors with felonies, let’s take a moment to put all of this in perspective.

The wheels of justice grind exceeding slow, but it now seems likely that within a few weeks, the twice impeached, defeated ex-president will face four separate criminal indictments.

This will be on top of the conviction of the Trump Organizations on 17 felony counts, including tax fraud, and a federal jury finding that the ex-president had raped and defamed E. Jean Carroll.

And, wow, what a zinger:

By any rational measure, Trump’s disgrace is absolute, comprehensive, and about to get far worse. As Tom Nichols noted on our podcast yesterday: “It is a ghastly reality that the only job left that Donald Trump could get in this country is president of the United States.”

It’s crazy but it’s true. Former Presidents don’t take jobs anymore but I can’t imagine who would want him on their corporate board. Or what university* would hire him for a cushy endowed chairmanship. Even in his old line of work, would anyone hire him as an advisor on business or real estate? I don’t think so.

Sykes rightly credits the January 6 Committee for our current state of affairs. I was initially skeptical that it would tell us anything we didn’t already know. I was happily wrong about that.

*UPDATE: Several commenters have offered up some right-leaning universities. While I’m sure some schools would be thrilled to have him ideologically, I can’t imagine any would take on the legal liability of hiring someone who has been found liable for rape in a court of law.

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34 responses to “Trump’s Disgrace”

  1. Tony W Avatar
    Tony W

    It’s a sad state of affairs when a guy who couldn’t get hired to manage a Burger King franchise is still a viable candidate for President of the United States.

    If Trump was hired clean the bathrooms for somebody who held a security clearance, that person’s clearance would be under severe scrutiny.

    5
  2. MarkedMan Avatar
    MarkedMan

    I was happily wrong about that.

    Good on you.

    4
  3. Robert in SF Avatar
    Robert in SF

    I wish Democrats could rally around the term, “illegal electors”, or “criminal electors” and get it into the common usage. Just like the right wing did with “illegal aliens”.

    The phrase “fake electors” or “fraudulent” just doesn’t carry any weight. It doesn’t bring any significance to the situation or the seriousness of the offense.

    13
  4. OzarkHillbilly Avatar
    OzarkHillbilly

    “It is a ghastly reality that the only job left that Donald Trump could get in this country is president of the United States.”

    I know it never occurred to the founders that a convicted felon could be elected to the presidency but here we are. The constitution needs an Amendment setting a few more minimum qualifications to become a president. A 35 yo natural born US citizen who has resided here for at least the past 14 years just ain’t enough.

    5
  5. Kathy Avatar
    Kathy

    Aren’t prisons referred often as schools of crime?

    1
  6. OzarkHillbilly Avatar
    OzarkHillbilly

    @MarkedMan: I was wrong about that too.

  7. MarkedMan Avatar
    MarkedMan

    @Robert in SF: I get your point, but I don’t think these charges are going to be latched onto by the vast majority of electors. Perhaps the best and simplest way to talk about them is that Trump is an election cheat, or that the charges are for attempting to cheat in an election.

  8. Daryl Avatar
    Daryl

    Or what university would hire him for a cushy endowed chairmanship.

    I hear that FL’s New School has openings.

    9
  9. Daryl Avatar
    Daryl

    Even in his old line of work, would anyone hire him as an advisor on business or real estate?

    Well obviously SOMEONE would.
    Trump continues to reap the dividends of handing Khashoggi over to the bone saw wielding Saudi’s.
    https://news.yahoo.com/luxury-project-oman-includes-trump-182140178.html

    3
  10. OzarkHillbilly Avatar
    OzarkHillbilly

    @Daryl: Touche.

  11. Modulo Myself Avatar
    Modulo Myself

    If he gets reelected, pardons himself, and then proceeds with mass firings of government employees, I suspect he will probably not be feeling much like a disgrace. And if they hire whatever trash and rejects the conservative affirmative action system puts out, it’s possible that many of us will start finding it difficult to be hired.

    The only good thing is that he’s lazy and surrounded by dumb and unimaginative people.

    2
  12. Daryl Avatar
    Daryl

    @Modulo Myself:

    If he gets reelected…

    Seriously, that’s a huge IF.
    As I am sure you are aware, he’s never won a popular vote and, in addition to the White House, he lost both the House and the Senate.
    I fail to see how a May ’24 Trial for Espionage Act violations is going to help him.
    He’ll get the nomination and that should be the death knell for MAGA.

    1
  13. gVOR10 Avatar
    gVOR10

    @Modulo Myself: Maggie Haberman said Trump’s advisors are telling him to win the election to ensure he doesn’t go to jail.

    Kind of seems like something the public should know. I wonder if she’s planning to tell NYT readers or save it for book.

    6
  14. steve Avatar
    steve

    ” Or what university would hire him for a cushy endowed chairmanship. ”

    Besides New College in Florida, many others would love to have him. The new Austin school for conservatives would love to have him. Liberty University would tea him in a second. Probably grant him a chair on Christian ethics. Really, almost any of the very conservative religious schools would be happy to have him. Heck, they would probably even be OK if he grabbed the female chairs by the pussy!

    Steve

    4
  15. Jen Avatar
    Jen

    He is such a horrible businessman. He could have taken his show on the rubber chicken circuit, charging speaking fees to his idiot minions and actually made some money. But no, he has to push the Election Grievance (TM) shtick, and, thinking his only way to wiggle out of his legal problems is to get elected again, go on campaigning.

    Truly, a moron for the ages.

    6
  16. CSK Avatar
    CSK

    @Jen:

    Speaking of which, the docs trial is set for next May 20.

    2
  17. Modulo Myself Avatar
    Modulo Myself

    @Daryl:

    The election more may come down to the Supreme Court and how much the RW majority and its owners think they can get away with. He has a huge chance of losing the EC. But the GOP is all-in on overturning this loss. Renominating him is sending no other message. The voters either want this or do not care one whit if he takes a power in a coup. That’s 48% of American voters right there.

    2
  18. gVOR10 Avatar
    gVOR10

    @steve: Don’t leave out Bari Weiss’s University of Austin. They’d be overjoyed to have Trump. And I’d be happy for them to get him. ETTD.

    2
  19. gVOR10 Avatar
    gVOR10

    @Modulo Myself:

    The election going to the Supremes is a fascinating hypothetical. Koch’s money is opposing Trump. Or at least they say it is. The Federalist Puppy Farm justices’ loyalty, ensured by fishing trips etc., is to the Kochtopus, not to Trump. They want Trump gone.

    But if push came to shove, I suspect their desire for those tasty GOP tax cuts would outweigh their distaste for Trump. Overturning the election would destroy any last shred of the legitimacy Robert’s claims to be so concerned about. It would also destroy democracy in the U. S. Neither of those points would, I suspect, much concern them.

    2
  20. gVOR10 Avatar
    gVOR10

    @CSK: So Judge Loose Cannon set the docs trial for May. I haven’t yet seen any explanation for the date. DOJ wants this December. Trump wants next December. I suppose it’s May because June would too obviously have been just splitting the difference.

    Ah well, in the meantime Smith’s guys can look into criminal electors and the Willard Hotel command center, and maybe spend a little more quality time with Giuliani and Meadows. A shame Garland took so long to get started though.

    2
  21. James Joyner Avatar
    James Joyner

    @Daryl: @gVOR10: @steve: As I’ve noted in an update to the OP, the issue is that he’s been found civilly liable for rape. No school, no matter how right wing, is going to take on that legal liability.

    1
  22. CSK Avatar
    CSK

    @gVOR10:

    It’s my understanding that Cannon ruled that December was too soon for defense preparations to be made, but waiting till after the election was unacceptable. In any case, by next May, Trump will be the de facto Rep. candidate.

    1
  23. CSK Avatar
    CSK

    Trump’s going to be indicted on racketeering charges in Georgia next month.

    2
  24. Kathy Avatar
    Kathy

    @gVOR10:

    It might be simple scheduling common sense. Benito already is booked for a March 2024 trial in New York. So setting up the documents trial in February or April might conflict with that.

    Charges in DC for -let’s be honest, attempted electoral fraud, perhaps will drop before the end of the month. Fani Willis in Georgia seems ready to indict also later this month or early in August. There just may not be enough months in one year for so many high profile trials.

    1
  25. Lounsbury Avatar
    Lounsbury

    @gVOR10: this is some kind of revelation because…?

  26. Argon Avatar
    Argon

    By any rational measure, Trump’s disgrace is absolute, comprehensive, and about to get far worse

    As goes the GOP as well.

    2
  27. gVOR10 Avatar
    gVOR10

    @gVOR10: @CSK: @Kathy: A commenter at WAPO did the arithmetic. Exactly splitting the difference would put the trial on Memorial Day, so she split the difference, then backed up two weeks to avoid the holiday.

    1
  28. Lounsbury Avatar
    Lounsbury

    @Kathy: It is worth noting that rational legal observers with experience in this area had opined that the Prosecutor’s proposition for December was quite aggressive and no matter than judge was not likely to have held as such.

    Even in his old line of work, would anyone hire him as an advisor on business or real estate? I don’t think so.

    His real line of work, the only place where he actually made money (and showed some actual skill) is marketing of real estate: for that in fact internationally he could have had some decent plays notably in the Gulf but in other places as well – the whole façade of Trump glitz for the nouveau riche with a certain taste for the lazy pretend Poujadiste quasi fascist. Perfectly plausible way for him to generate nice cash flows. Both on the books and off-the-books.

    Trump Dubai Palace. Trump Riyadh, etc.

    1
  29. Just nutha ignint cracker Avatar
    Just nutha ignint cracker

    @Lounsbury:

    Trump Dubai Palace. Trump Riyadh, etc.

    And yet, there seem to be no plans to exploit this opportunity by either failfather or failsons. hmmmmm…

    2
  30. JohnSF Avatar
    JohnSF

    The chickens are slowly coming home to roost.

    How fast do chickens normally come home to roost?
    Is there a scientific study?
    How do they compare to, say, turkeys?

    2
  31. steve Avatar
    steve

    James- Neither the schools nor the people who would have their kids matriculate there will consider that a valid trial. It was in NYC and was persecution not prosecution.

    Steve

    1
  32. Kathy Avatar
    Kathy

    @steve:

    I’d be fine if they also want to count the time Benito spends behind bar as not valid imprisonment.

    What’s in a name? Would that which we call a trump by any other name be less repulsive?

    It would be persecution if Brag, Willis, and Smith, presented no evidence, and merely insisted on a conviction upon their say so, and then got several judges and juries to agree. As is, Benito is in a privileged position (so what else is new?). Neither he nor his lawyers need to prove anything, not even his presumed innocence. All they have to do is create reasonable doubt.

    Of course, that’s hard to do when confronted with hard, conclusive evidence and testimony, perhaps even the Cheeto’s own statements. But not as hard as gathering, assembling, analyzing, and presenting all the evidence. That’s why investigations take so long to complete.

    Nor is Benito some poor schmoe with a two-bit shyster, or an overextended and overworked public defender. He has the kind of lawyers serious donor and PAC money can buy (what? you though he was paying them out of his own pocket?)

    I wonder if non compos mentis is a valid defense. It would at least be an honest one.

    2
  33. Mister Bluster Avatar
    Mister Bluster

    @JohnSF:..The chickens are slowly coming home to roost.

    I’m just glad that they do or there would be no chicken fried rice.

    1
  34. Jax Avatar
    Jax

    @JohnSF: I’m not sure where that “slowly” part came from, my chickens are roosting by the time the sun goes down, unless one of my kids left the motion light on. THEN they try to argue with me…..”but SEE!!! It’s the artificial sun! Still daylight, not go in, peck for bugs attracted to the light! Yum yum!” 😛

    On that note, if you’ve never seen a chicken jumping straight up at a swarm of moths attracted to a 1 billion lumens motion light, you haven’t really lived. 😛 😛 😛

    1

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