Not a headline story
The best way to ascertain if a place has become a banana republic is not to look at the news headlines, rather you should focus on what doesn’t make the headlines. Consider:
1. The leading candidate for a party’s presidential nomination is arrested for stealing secret documents, and refusing to turn them over when asked.
2. He publicly denies they were classified, suggesting that he had declassified the documents.
3. According to that leftist rag the National Review, he then goes on Fox News and admits that the documents were in fact classified. He also admits that he refused to turn them over when asked. In other words, he admits that the federal charges are . . . true.
And yet this bombshell story didn’t even make the front page of the NYT. (Where the headline reported that Hunter Biden admitted guilt in a tax case.) That’s how you spot a banana republic.
To be clear, I don’t think Trump would be convicted by a Florida jury if he shot someone in broad daylight in the middle of Calle Ocho. Nor would he lose a single vote in the GOP primary. Don’t worry Trumpistas, your guy is safe. Don’t waste your time defending him in the comment section—I agree that he will be found innocent by jurors and voters.
But here’s what I find so amusing. Everyone who tries to help Trump gets screwed. Political allies like Pence are called traitors. His lawyers and campaign aides get sent to jail. And now he turns on his voters. In thousands of bars across America, Trumpistas have insisted that Trump had declassified the documents, because he told them so. And now he stabs his supporters in the back by admitting the documents were not declassified.
When I told you back in 2016 that America had become a banana republic, you thought I was hysterical. When I told you the day after the election that Trump would be back you told me he was finished. Now even sober news outlets like The Economist are coming around to my view:
All of which means that you should take seriously the possibility that America’s next president will be someone who would divide the West and delight Vladimir Putin; who accepts the results of elections only if he wins; who calls the thugs who broke into the Capitol on January 6th 2021 martyrs and wants to pardon them; who has proposed defaulting on the national debt to spite Mr Biden; and who is under multiple investigations for breaking criminal law, to add to his civil-law rap sheet for sexual assault.
The next 18 months will be great entertainment. Only one thing could make it even crazier—Trump running against this guy.
PS. This FT essay by Janan Ganesh (my favorite columnist) is about Boris Johnson, but it’s one of the best explanations of Trumpism that I’ve read:
Back in 2016, some of us had to sit through sermons about the need to “listen” to “legitimate grievances” against “broken capitalism”. Perhaps, at one stage, populism really was a howl for a fairer economy. That passed a while ago. It is now a tribalist game.
In retrospect, Johnson and Trump should never have been bunched with Putin and Erdoğan under the “strongman” tag. They converge on tactics — rule-breaking, institutional subversion — but the difference in substance is unbridgeable. The eastern demagogues are nationalists. If the western ones have an -ism, it is nihilism.
And what a mercy that is. Better a chancer than a zealot. Better Johnson than Orbán. Better, in the end, politics as team sport than politics as something all too thoughtful.
Read the whole thing.
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27. June 2023 at 12:34
you should focus on what doesn’t make the headlines
Other than some right rags, is this common knowledge?
The FBI knew RussiaGate was a lie — but hid that truth
https://nypost.com/2022/06/11/the-fbi-knew-russiagate-was-a-lie-but-hid-that-truth/
FBI knew the Hunter Biden laptop was real in 2019, IRS whistleblowers say
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/fbi-verified-hunter-biden-laptop-2019-irs-limited-contents-whistleblowers-say
CDC Director knew COVID vax did not prevent infection
https://hotair.com/david-strom/2023/06/20/cdc-director-knew-covid-vax-did-not-prevent-infection-n559242
27. June 2023 at 15:09
Steve, What excellent news sources you have!
27. June 2023 at 15:53
I dunno. Trump read a “classified” document about lunatic plans to invade Iran to someone.
And thus your national security was threatened.
Really?
I am not a Trump supporter.
But obviously, there are long knives out for Trump.
27. June 2023 at 16:07
If you liked those sources, you’re gonna LOVE the next one:
Obviously you’re gonna say this is a complete crank conspiracy theory, but Kyle Seraphin is an actual person acting under actual Federal Whistleblower statutes. You’d think someone would at least debunk these allegations instead of pretending they don’t exist, right?
He’s alleging that the Jan 6 pipe bomber used a Metrorail card purchased by a Federal Government security contractor. Weird, huh?
Especially since the Feds also have the license plate number for the pipe bomber but somehow looking up a license plate is beyond the scope of Fed capabilities. AND the Feds managed to corrupt all the geofencing data from the DNC and couldn’t replace it from primary or backup sources even though the geofencing data for the Capitol is just fine. They really really really don’t want to know who the Jan 6 pipe bomber was.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/may/24/lawmakers-demand-fbi-explain-slow-pace-investigati/
Mr. Seraphin also explained that another individual bought the Metrorail SmarTrip card one year before the pipe bomber suspect used it on Jan. 5, 2021.
The FBI had surveillance video that showed the person entering a car with a visible license plate after exiting a Metro stop in Northern Virginia.
“The card had never been used before. It was bought a year prior by a retired chief master sergeant in the Air Force, and he was a security contractor. So he held a security clearance,” Mr. Seraphin said.
27. June 2023 at 19:31
I agree with almost everything in this post, but I maintain that Trump is unlikely to win a general election, if he even gets that far. Yes, he’s the most popular candidate, by far, among Republicans, but he might not even make it to the general election before being convicted of felonies.
I know these demagogues tend to escape legal consequences, a la Burlesconi, who also faced too many charges to name, but never spent a day in jail. But, that said, I have more faith in American juries than you do, though I am concerned about the judge in the documents case.
As serious as the recently revealed charges are, there are potentially many even more serious charges coming, both from the state of Georgia and from the federal special prosecutor. And Trump’s charges are more serious than any of those Burlesconi faced. A President can’t issue a pardon for a state convictiom, if I’m not mistaken.
But, even if Trump gets to the general election, which may be likely at this point, I don’t see how he gains voters. Many Biden voters would have to stay home, and if Trump’s running, I don’t see that happening. I do acknowledge though that the election would be much, much closer than it ever should be and that no one should relax.
If polls are any indication, and we know how problematic they can be in situations like this, a pretty solid majority of Americans both think Trump is guilty and that at least some of the charges are serious. That seemingly will matter, especially as the charges likely continue to come in.
27. June 2023 at 19:45
Solon, As always, you completely missed the point. Stick to the topic.
Steve, Unlike you, I find crackpot conspiracy theories to be boring.
Michael, I agree that the future charges (especially Georgia) are more serious.
With the documents, it’s not the “crime” (which is trivial), it’s the cover-up. But most voters are like commenter Solon above, these distinctions go right over their heads.
27. June 2023 at 21:02
Notice that whenever one provides evidence, Sumner attacks the “sources”. He doesn’t argue the substance of the article. He just dismisses it offhand because it’s published by an outlet he doesn’t like.
In other words, regardless of the what the article says it’s misinformation, malformation and disinformation. And don’t you ever forget it, says our King Sumner. Don’t ask questions. Don’t look at the text messages. Don’t look at the photos, or listen to his ex business partner’s testimony, or read anything from any of these “conspiracy outlets”.
Notice, too, that Sumner calls moderates “Trumpistas.” In other words if you defend Trump, like Dershowitz or Cruz does, then you are no longer a moderate democrat or moderate republican, but you are now an imbecile, an anti-scientist, the reincarnation of Hitler, and a Putin-lover. It sounds funny, but these are the ad hominem attacks he repeats over and over, like a broken record. And sadly, there not even his. He just repeats the ad hominem attacks he hears on T.V., which makes it even more pathetic.
I mean the attacks fly in all directions, as he heaves and paces before us, like a neolithic neanderthal.
In regards to the actual case: Sumner is not an attorney. The precedent in the Clinton sock case makes it almost impossible — if one applies the same standard — to convict Trump. Either one convicts both, or one convicts neither, and since there was no conviction in Clinton’s case there will most likely be no conviction in this case. It’s not even clear what he was waiving around either, which is the real substance of the case. He claims it was just a newspaper article.
Note, too, that Sumner did not have the same concerns about the jury in NY. He didn’t mention anything about the jury being overwhelmingly democrat. He had no concerns over a fair Trial in anti-trump country. But now that the jury is in Florida, which is to say in a more moderate state, Sumner suddenly has concerns.
I hope he can see the bias here, but I won’t hold my breath? Either you criticize both, or none. One has to try and be logically consistent.
The bottom line is that Sumner is not interested in the facts of the case. Indeed, he doesn’t even know the facts. It’s apparent he hasn’t read the case.
27. June 2023 at 21:14
Sara, is on fire.
I totally agree. I will just add one thing.
Dershowitz says Trump cannot even get a first rate attorney because the radical left threatens to disbar anyone that represents him. If Sumner was worried about a fair trial, you’d think he might mention that. But nope. He just wants to convict, convict, convict. His eyes are bulging out of his skull.
Lock him up for ever. Lock his children up. Lock everyone he knows up. Lock the 70M people who voted for him up. Everyone is a terrorist except for Sumner and his band of radicals.
27. June 2023 at 21:24
Ricardo, Billionaire Trump cannot find an attorney? Hmm, I wonder why? Might it be because he repeatedly lies to his attorneys, and then they accidentally pass on false information to authorities? Might it be because he asks his lawyers to participate in cover-ups and his previous attorneys have gone to prison? Or because he admits guilt to the crimes on cable news networks? Inquiring minds wish to know. I would have thought a billionaire could find someone to represent him. Don’t lawyers like money?
27. June 2023 at 21:49
I think Dershowitz explains it well.
https://dersh.substack.com/p/donald-trump-and-the-case-of-the
We’ll see what happens, but in my view the public should decide our next president, not the courts.
And yeah, Sumner is a weird. He’s probably going to die from TDS. It’s even worse than Pelosi and Cheney’s TDS.
Sumner would swim the Atlantic if it meant putting Trump in jail. He’d wrestle a grizzly bear, or smell Putin’s armpits. Desperate men do desperate things.
27. June 2023 at 22:33
Actually, there might be someone suffering from TDS even more than Sumner.
A Rhode Island state senator named Joshua Miller vandalized a car with a “I hate Biden” bumper sticker. When arrested he declared to the officer that as a democrat he was triggered by the sticker, and thought the person in the car was a gun nut….whatever that means.
These people are mental..
28. June 2023 at 07:23
To add on to Scott’s points about why Trump has trouble finding attorneys, and hence sometimes uses attorneys that don’t even specialize in the applicable areas of law, Trump has also reportedly refused to pay some attorneys in the past.
28. June 2023 at 07:29
Solon of the East,
Insecurely storing and sharing classified documents hurts US national security in a number of ways.
1. It can scuttle plans, or contingency plans that are considered optimal, given the loss of secrecy.
2. It can expose US intelligence assets to discovery, and possibly even prison or death.
3. It can cause a loss of trust in allies and overseas assets sharing intelligence with the USm while harming the reputation of the US more generally.
4. It can reveal national security vulnerabilities that enemies can exploit.
Even a moment’s thought on your part should make it obvious why what Trump admits to doing was dangerous for national security.
28. June 2023 at 07:30
Honestly, this post is just outright false. If you go to CNNs website right now, the Hunter-Biden story is mentioned one time, the Trump Tape is mentioned 5 times.
The NYTs front webpage doesn’t even have an article even referencing the Hunter Biden story and they have two directed at the Trump tape.
Anyone who thinks the media covers the Hunter-Biden story more than the Trump Tape story is either lying or biased.
Also, if you think the Trump Tape story is a more important story than the Hunter-Biden story, you are just clearly biased, these political oriented posts are so weak. Just imagine if the shoe were on the other foot, Scott you’d be furiously sweating at your keyboard writing post after post about the corruption in the Trump family (even more so than now).
28. June 2023 at 12:10
Tom, I was discussing the NYT headline the day after the story broke, which was at least a week ago. There was nothing on Trump and a headline on Hunter Biden.
28. June 2023 at 13:13
Scott – Doesn’t that feel like cherry picking?
You picked the day the Hunter Biden story broke… yes on that day, it was more news worthy to put that on the front page of the paper, than one of the 30 articles the times has written about Trump.
And if you don’t think its newsworthy that the current sitting President’s Son was essentially extorting people around the world for bags of cash, seemingly with his father’s knowledge, you’re crazy.
If this had been any of Trump’s kids, this story would never die.
29. June 2023 at 05:22
Scott: the reason people will still vote for Trump (I might or might not, we’ll see when we get there) is that a Democrat seems just as horrendous.
Take the $42.5B internet plan, which will supposedly connect 8.5M people – 2% of the population – at $5000 per connection, who mostly live in rural AK and MT. WTH are they using for communication now? They don’t have a cell phone? No Starlink or satellite? How the hell do they get their electricity? If Starlink isn’t there now, it will be soon enough.
About 10yrs ago in WA state there was a court case called “McCleary”. The issue was the schools in McCleary WA, an old logging town decimated by environmentalism, where the schools were falling apart. Funding for schools declined precipitously with the loss of the economic activity from logging, which was the town’s only primary industry. A resident sued the state claiming it was the state’s responsbility to fund the schools. Eventually, the resident won. You see the problem: if there’s no jobs WHY THE HELL IS ANYONE THERE??? The lack of funding for the schools is a signal for people to move to places where they can support themselves! Instead now the state has to support every loser community that produces nothing.
That’s exactly what’s going on with this internet bill. It’s reducing the incentive for people to go where they can get the things they need.
Everyone wonders why Americans no longer move as frequently to take advantage of opportunities: it’s because Democrats keep throwing money at them to stay and live where they are unproductive. IOW, this is just draining the country’s productivity.
So, to me, while I wouldn’t support Trump in the primaries, despite his long record of complete idiocy, he will stop this kind of stupid crap, and depending on how things shake out I could well still vote for him.
2016: feared trump crazy, voted hilary
2016-2020: trump shows no signs of pressing the nuke button
2020: cast no vote for president
2020-2024: biden continues to drag the US down the shithole
2024: vote for trump?
29. June 2023 at 06:22
When I comment, Scott likes to say I cannot read. Might be right. I used to be able to follow him clearly ——but I now often have trouble understanding what he is talking about. I think we might agree that the Fed is a joke, that the commentary on what is happening in the economy appears illiterate, etc. But my primary view is we don’t know anything.
————-
Sumner is obsessed with Trump. It is impossible to have any rational discussion with him about the obvious absurdity of Trump hate——if I did not find it so incredibly boring, I would discuss that any thing he is accused of, Biden/Clinton and many other Dems could be accused of. He likes to say he criticizes Biden—-he probably has—-but what turns him on is Trump. Maybe I agree with Scott on one thing—-we are very similar to a Banana Republic———but for him, it’s still all about Trump.
I am amazed that he does not write about our voting procedures——-which increases the ability for cheating. The GOP has said it will start playing the same game as the Democrats. That is funny. Because they don’t know how.
29. June 2023 at 07:24
Scott:
Oh! Also: while 8.5M ppl might be without internet, how many actual connections / households is that? half or quarter the amount of people without internet? So really the subsidy is closer to a whopping $10-20K per household!
What gives there? Where is that money going? Surely it’s being expended on all kinds of other Democrat prios like day care for cable stringers’ kids, ESG in hiring ppl to string the cable, a huge environmental research goodie bag for BigGreen.Org, subsidies for cable stringers to buy electric vehicles yada yada yada.
Scott: that’s absolutely insane. It’s literally throwing money away.
Mean time there are productive uses for $42.5B, believe it or not. Much of our interior is unusable due to the lack of water. Why not provide it, restock aquifers, cool people off, and reduce sea level rise all at the same time??
We need desal plants at Bellingham, WA and a pipe to the Yellowstone River with diversions to the upper Columbia, upper Snake and Green Rivers; and a solar-powered desal plant on the Gulf of Cali, pumping to Pheonix & Tuscon and Mexican cities.
While these projects fully implemented would cost closer to $42.5T, at least they would generate growth and solve *actual* problems instead of pouring good money after bad.
29. June 2023 at 09:52
Tom, You said:
“If this had been any of Trump’s kids, this story would never die.”
Trump’s kids do the same thing, but with much larger amounts of money. Recall the Saudi deal?
And yes, I’d say when the GOP’s leading candidate admits to a felony it is a bigger story than when the president’s son admits to tax evasion. But then we now live in a banana republic, so what do I know?
Kangaroo, One of the two candidates tried to abolish democracy in America and make himself dictator and you are focused on internet plans?
29. June 2023 at 11:20
@Scott
I don’t know what to tell you. Your comment is about how we live in a Banana Republic because the media seemingly didn’t cover the Trump story AS MUCH as they did the Hunter Biden story, on the day the Hunter Biden story broke. You’re just objectively wrong, you can do a very quick review of major news publications history of coverage over these two stories and it is OVERWHELMINGLY covering the Trump Tape, it’s not even close.
The Saudi Deal, I assume you’re talking about is the Kushner deal? Where they bought into his PE fund after Trump had left office? The Kushner family, has been involved in PE for decades. IS it sketchy, yes – but all of politics is. But Hunter Biden literally threatened foreign actors to basically pay him cash for access to his dad. If you think these are the same, theres no point arguing with you.
29. June 2023 at 11:28
Like come on, you’re a bright guy – put aside the bias for one second and just objectively look at the Biden family and tell me you don’t think this should be a massive story?
The active President, who is clearly in cognitive decline, was seemingly working with his son on wildly corrupt dealings. Biden can’t even sleep by himself anymore, apparently Hunter has to be there given his poor health. This is just a complete clown show.
29. June 2023 at 15:27
It is interesting how Trump supporters don’t realize how comically ridiculous they are. Kushner had zero experience or formal education in foreign policy, yet was appointed to manage US foreign policy in the Middle East by his Father-in-Law. Kushner gets close with the Saudis and then gets a $2 billion private equity investment shortly after leaving office.
Biden has a corrupt, drug-addict son, who traded on his father’s name to make some money, though nowhere near $2 billion, and has been convicted of crimes. There’s zero evidence thus far that Joe Biden had anything to do with his son’s corruption.
30. June 2023 at 05:20
Scott: Yesterday once again I was thankful that – as the Dems say – Trump and Republicans “violated norms” regarding SCOTUS selection procedures and prevented Garland’s ascension to the SCOTUS.
The US is not a “mob rules” democracy. It is a **constitutional democracy**, in which principles that were agree at the outset overrule the popular vote. Violating those principles is every bit as much a violation of democracy as trump’s idiotic efforts to overturn the election, yet Democrats have been doing it for decades in the court system. It’s every bit as criminal as Trump’s behavior. Millions and millions of people have been robbed of their rights and the financial benefits of their labor through both environmental and discriminatory social policy established in the courts due to Democrats’ relentless efforts to stock the courts with left-wing ideologues.
As long as I’m able, I’ll vote to end that.
30. June 2023 at 05:27
Scott, I’ll never forget one of my last days listening to NPR. The reporter breathlessly claimed that Trump believed “Obama founded ISIS”.
In the same way that “Obama founded ISIS”, Democrats have “founded Trumpism” with their relentless pursuit of egregious and reckless discriminatory policies. Until they moderate, Trump has to stay on the table. Trump is to Democrats what Regan’s “peace keepers” were to the Soviets.
30. June 2023 at 05:39
@Michael
1) The Kushner family and Jared himself, does have a background in massive PE ventures – a $2B commitment isn’t even that substantial considering the family’s wealth.
2) I never said that it wasn’t sketchy – but nothing there is illegal. Private Equity is an incredibly sketchy industry to begin with. Still far less sketchy than the Clinton Foundation or any of the recent Biden dealings. If you wanted to point at corruption in the Trump family, point to the fact that Trump did not relinquish his personal holdings on his companies – THAT is sketchy.
3) You saying “There is zero evidence thus far that Joe Biden had anything to do with his son’s corruption” is absolutely insane.
– Hunter’s business partner offered to testify in front of a grand jury to having direct knowledge of Joe Biden’s involvement.
– There are text messages from Hunter to foreign actors confirming Joe’s involvement. Literally said “sitting here with my dad…” AND there is confirmation that the two were together when those messages were sent.
– Joe Biden has a $5.2 MM unexplained income on his return the same year where Hunter indicated saving $5.0 for “the Big Guy”, who is clearly meant to be Joe Biden.
There is so much evidence of corruption, that they tried to push through this plea deal to shut everything down, which is so clearly what happened. At least I can be consistent, all of this corruption should be investigated – I said I thought the Kushner deal was sketchy. The problem with people like Scott & you is that you have no consistent standards which makes it impossible for you to be objective.
“Zero Experience or Formal Education in Foreign Policy” – Ben Rhodes was Deputy National Security Advisor under Obama so I mean lol. Kushner also helped broker arguably one of the most important ME peace deals in the last 50 years.
30. June 2023 at 16:23
Tom, If you are trying to convince me that Hunter Biden is corrupt, you are preaching to the converted. I just don’t see it as a big story, not right after Trump’s admission.
Put it this way:
1. Trump is leading for the GOP nomination in 2024.
2. Hunter isn’t even running for president.
There’s no comparison—sorry you can’t see that.
Kangaroo, You said:
“The US is not a “mob rules” democracy.”
Tell that to Trump, and the Trump voters.
“Until they moderate, Trump has to stay on the table.”
Trump has made the Democrats much stronger. He literally gave them the presidency and Congress. If I were a Republican, I’d want anyone other than Trump. The betting markets also say Trump is the GOP’s weakest candidate.
“Violating those principles is every bit as much a violation of democracy as trump’s idiotic efforts to overturn the election, yet Democrats have been doing it for decades in the court system.”
If you wish to be taken seriously here, don’t spout this nonsense.
30. June 2023 at 16:28
Tom, You said:
“The problem with people like Scott & you is that you have no consistent standards which makes it impossible for you to be objective.”
Just the opposite, I’m one of the few who will criticize both parties. I want all corrupt people investigated and punished.
It’s the Trumpistas that have a double standard. The things you accuse Hunter of doing are the same things that Trump has also done, like threatening foreign governments for personal gain. And he’s going to be the GOP candidate. When Hunter starts leading in the 2024 polls I’ll give him equal time.
When Joe Biden is shown to be corrupt, impeach and convict him, and I’ll be there cheering. Biden’s a terrible president.
30. June 2023 at 17:39
@Scott
That’s because the story isn’t that Hunter is corrupt, the story is that Joe is corrupt. The sitting President and likely next president (assuming his health holds up).
That’s why it’s a story… I feel like that shouldn’t have to be explained?
If you have consistent standards, where are your posts calling for investigations into the Biden WH coordination w/ the DOJ to cover this up? Where was your call to investigate the FBI and Clinton campaign for coordinating a campaign to lie to the American people to launder a fake story into the News media? Where is your call to look into Joe Biden’s specific dealings with Foreign actors? Obama working with the Russian ambassador and government to promise flexibility in dealings post-election? The Obama administration using the IRS to intentionally target right-wing political groups? I’ve never seen a post of yours discussing any of these issues.
Maybe you think all of that should be looked into, but it would be difficult to tell. Remember “Not a headline story”… what doesn’t make the headlines on your blog is literally all of those things.
When it comes out that Joe had first had knowledge, of most of these business dealings – I look forward to seeing your posts calling for his impeachment at a minimum.
1. July 2023 at 08:17
Tom M,
Where’s your evidence that any of Hunter’s crimes lead to Biden?
1. July 2023 at 08:26
And by the way, if Biden was as corrupt as you seem to claim, why wouldn’t he just pardon his son? Bill Clinton did it.
Biden could have reached out to the justice department to let them know he’d pardon his son, and it might have meant they dropped the case.
To be clear, I think we should take pardon powers away from Presidents.
3. July 2023 at 06:19
@ Michael
Pretty sure I just outlined the evidence above…not sure if you read the post or not.
Because impeachments and all of this is politics, not justice. The American public can stomach some corruption, but if Biden pardoned his son (and himself/other members of his family), that would obviously be politically unpalatable… Clearly this is the most politically viable option because Hunter himself is so clearly corrupt it would be impossible to argue otherwise.
Now they get to slap him on the wrist, call him a bad boy, tell the American public the case is closed and try to move on. Like this shouldn’t need t be explained?
Joe Biden (or members of the White House at a minimum) worked with the DOJ to coordinate this, even whistleblowers at the IRS and DOJ are coming forward to say so. Merrick Garland now looks like he lied about his oversight in this investigation as well – not a good look for someone on the short list to have been a Supreme Court justice.
5. July 2023 at 18:28
Trumpistas are a lot like deadbeat dads that quit working to spite their ex wife, even though it harms their own children and themselves.
They foam at the mouth over liberals to such an extent that they would rather bring down democracy in America than have some sleepy run of the mill liberal in power for 4 years.
Trump would send any of them to the gulags for life without thinking twice if it made him a buck. This guy is not your friend lol.