18 Quick Takes

It's been too long since I checked in with The Rude Pundit. Still having occasional waves of happiness, almost euphoria, over Trump being found GUILTY on ALL 34 counts. Hey! Only 54 more counts to go in the other 3 trials. 

You know the orange barnacle will appeal his conviction. And if denied there, what? Can he take it to the SCOTUS? Even if the SCOTUS does something insane, like strike Trump's convictions somehow, Trump will ALWAYS be a CONVICTED FELON!

The Rude Pundit

Proudly lowering the level of political discourse

5/30/24

18 Quick Takes on 34 Convictions

1. I was at a pub in London when I saw the news that rapist Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. A few beers in and sitting with a couple of other Americans, we let out a cheer and an exhale of relief. If I hadn't already been drunk, I'd've gotten drunk because fuck, yeah.

2. No, this isn't the end of anything. But it's a good damn start. I've long said that Trump being found guilty in one case would signal to other juries that he's not untouchable, that he doesn't get away with everything. Let this start a cascade of consequences. 

3. Again, lots of shit can happen before Trump spends a day in prison (including Judge Merchan not sentencing Trump to prison), but, at this point, the system works. A judicial system that seemed incapable of holding Trump to account for crimes actually worked.

4. If regular people can easily understand the complexities of this case and find him guilty, imagine how easy it's gonna be if, say, the Georgia case or the documents case ever go to trial. That shit's simple. If this was Ulysses, the documents case is the fucking Cat in the Hat. 

5. Give some motherfuckin' respect to Stormy Daniels. She's been put through hell by Trump's goons and his idiot hordes of MAGA fucknuts. She's gonna have to endure that bullshit for the rest of her life. But she sat on that stand and told Trump and his attorney to go fuck themselves. And the jury obviously took a porn star's word over a former president's about whether or not they fucked. Or, more accurately, whether or not Trump fucked her badly.

6. Speaking of Daniels, did Trump have so little juice with NBC that he couldn't have gotten her on The Celebrity Apprentice? Fuckin' Victoria Gotti was a contestant. Daniels wouldn't have been a big swing. Either he was too stupid to realize that he could avoid a whole lot of trouble by casting her or NBC thought he was a little bitch and ignored him. 

7. Michael Cohen is a skeevy son of a bitch and a prick and a half, but he isn't dumb. He wasn't going to lie on the stand again. If anyone involved was a character out of a tragedy, someone worthy of a bit of pity, it was Cohen, who must be relishing this moment with the glee that can only come when you know you're responsible for destroying the person who destroyed you.

8. I'm honestly afraid for Judge Merchan, his family (especially his daughter),  Alvin Bragg, the jurors, and the witnesses because it just takes a couple of Trump's delusional mongrels to get murdery. That's how goddamned low Trump has brought this country.

9. Lemme address the MAGA freaks: have some self-respect, you fucking losers. Go support any of a hundred other Republican dickheads who are as racist and stupid as you are but aren't convicted felons and rapists. Walk the fuck away already.

10. I know you won't because you're such self-hating fucking dumbasses, but I thought I'd suggest it.

11. Seriously, how fucking sorry-ass do you need to be to sit there and think that every single juror, members of the law enforcement, judges, and officials are all in a massive conspiracy, that everything is "rigged," rather than just fucking accepting that the cockscab is a criminal and you've been suckered?

12. Of course, it's also entirely possible they love criminal cockscabs and, well, nothing to be done about that.

13. Yes, let's rub their stupid faces in it. They would have done the same if the verdict had gone differently.

14. As for elected Republicans, don't fucking talk to us about how you're tough on crime when you're going to nominate a convicted felon for president. You're filthy liars and raging hypocrites. Fuck all the way off. And don't fucking talk about how he can appeal. If Joe Biden had been found guilty of speeding, you'd have wanted to impeach him, you craven bitches who are begging for a chance to be Trump's diaper.

15. However...you have a chance here to ditch him. But you won't because you fear the aforementioned fucknuts. 

16. Don't get me started on Trump's attorneys. Try to get paid from that cheap, vengeful twatmite.

17. It's pretty stupid that Trump will likely not be able to vote in the 2024 election but he can run for and be elected president. That's a big damn hole in the law that needs to be fixed. 

18. God, Trump's gonna be a whiny motherfucker for the rest of his life. His imprisonment would give us all a chance to breathe again and recalibrate our sense of the nation and ourselves. 

I'll have more to say after I'm done celebrating this moment while we can celebrate. Now and forever, Donald Trump is the first president convicted of felonies. Let's get drunk, get high, dance madly, orgasm with abandon, and howl at the skies like wild, strong beasts. Enjoy it while we can. We may get to keep this party going, but if it ends, let's have this.

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GUILTY!!!

On ALL 34 counts!! Happy happy joy joy! I'm feeling relief and happiness. 

Trump is FINALLY facing some accountability for his horrid, evil character. I had thought that Judge Merchan had dismissed the jurors after their second day of deliberation. The wife and I were over in McAllen running some errands, and I figured that Friday they would resume deliberations. But when we got home to the island, we got a text from wify's sister with GUILTY!!! on it. My faith is restored (somewhat) in our system of justice. It can be very slow, and it can seem like the accused gets too many breaks, but overall, it works. Trump is a master at delaying things and wiggling away. I'm sure Trump will appeal, and we know that there are some bad judges here and there (Aileen Cannon, anyone?) who will do Trump's bidding, but I expect this ruling to be upheld.  

So many people had been doubting that Trump would ever be charged with any crimes, but when he got charged, the argument changed to, well, Trump will never be convicted of anything. Now that he has been convicted, I fully expect the doomsayers to say, well, Trump will never serve a day in jail. I'm looking at you, DU!

This link will take you to the New York Times front page of May 30. It's gifted, so you don't need a subscription to read it. Gloat? Sure, why not? We deserve it, after suffering from the Trump effect for far too long. Throw this asshole in jail. Damn the elections. This nation is strong and can deal with it.

Noel Casler

I can't seem to shake the image that Noel Casler put in my brain of Trump, while on the set of The Apprentice, regularly shitting himself, grossing out everyone in the vicinity, especially if he got angry. He even had a guy or two designated to clean him up after he'd crapped his pants. This happened regularly. Imagine him with foreign leaders. Considering Trump's penchant for suing people, Casler has been making these claims for years now, and Trump has never tried to shut him up. Wonder why?

'Don't Be Cruel'

NOEL CASLER MAY 21

The crux of Trumpism right now is: ‘Hey, we might just get away with being absolutely awful people’. 

From former convict and corrupt ex-NYPD Commissioner Bernie Kerik to ex-Hells Angels NYC President Chuck Zito (a frequent guest of ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ after parties; he once mildly threatened me for taking his picture standing with a couple of the bikers in the Museum of Natural History where we shot the last few seasons) to Rudy Giuliani, the former ‘Americas Mayor’ and the one guy who could give Trump a run for his money as the most corrupt man to ever hold office. 

Even drunk old Rudy would fall short in that contest though - as Trump’s grift and avarice is unlike anything we have faced before as a nation.

The GOP stooges, led by Mike Johnson, that are running up to New York City every day to help Trump work around his gag order and genuflect to their orange godhead is nothing short of disgusting in its audacious deviance from our political norms and common decency. They are attacking the rule of law - and the fact that it is being perpetrated by actual ‘lawmakers’ should be a wake-up call for the USA. 

Trump is a thug and he has always surrounded himself with thugs. 

The more intimidating the character, the easier he slips into the Trump orbit. 

From Felix Sater to Fat Tony Salerno, Donald likes mobsters and muscle. 

Keith Schiller and Matty Calamari were his body men and enforcers during the time I worked around the Trump family on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’. 

Their role to intimidate others and shield the boss from repercussions for his many misdeeds was quite obvious. 

As it was intended to be; nothing in Trump’s world is subtle. 

He has so honed his appeal to the sort of folks that find his ‘strongman’ schtick attractive that it has become extremely effective.

We can argue about the accuracy of the polls right now but given what he has done and who he is a human being there is no reason Donald Trump should be enjoying even a fraction of the leads he now holds in key battleground districts. 

Battle is an apt word for how the Republican party is viewing this election. 

They are quietly (and not so quietly) building an army and broadcasting their intentions to their followers to soften the battlefield. 

To prep them for what is to come and I have no doubt that Trump would enact any means necessary to attempt to steal another election. 

If you think otherwise you are not paying attention. We already came perilously close to losing our democracy on January 6th, 2021; an attempted coup that Trump has not been held at all accountable for and for which he mostly likely will not stand trial before the election. 

It goes without saying if Trump finds himself back in the Oval Office there will be no more trials.

At least not for him: President Biden and anyone else MAGA deems an enemy will have years of legal threats ahead of them, as has been promised by Donald at his rallies and through his surrogates.

Our 2024 presidential election could also come down to a SCOTUS decision. Given Justice Alito’s recent J6 flag revelations and the obvious corruption of Clarence Thomas whose wife Ginni was one of the architects of the January 6th coup attempt, we should not expect anything less than a reinstatement of Trump from the conservative justices. 

You can sense the momentum MAGA feels in this moment; it comes down to their tactics of bullying and Trump’s ability to turn any attention to his favor. Even coverage of his misdeeds helps him and he knows it. 

It becomes irresistible in our attention economy for networks to send their anchors down to the courtroom so they can breathlessly cover every idiotic utterance and then run 24/7 panel discussions on TV every night because it’s cheap and easy and makes the networks a lot of money. 

Donald knows this and he always has: he’s been a manipulator of the media since his ascent as ‘Playboy Billionaire’ in the 80’s. 

Back then it was mostly the tabloids and People Magazine-types that promoted his narcissistic attention-seeking and myriad affairs. 

Now much of modern media is on the level of tabloid journalism, where every other twitter account is ‘an independent news organization’ and folks chase clicks and algorithmic attention over insight and originality.

The circus of Trump’s trial coverage is a great example of this, which isn’t to say it should not be covered by qualified reporters, it should and is in fact historic but do we really need social media influencer style coverage breathlessly tweeting out every moment for fans to ‘follow along’? 

I pay close attention too - and this is not to take the tone of the scold, trust me I get it - folks want to stay informed since the stakes are so unbelievably high. 

But if you are being entertained by your ‘news outlet’ you’re being played. 

We must not lose sight of what is really happening here. 

Trump is using the crimes he committed last time he was in office to disrupt the functioning of the US Congress and by extension the government at large. 

We saw an example of this last week when MTG and Matt Gaetz delayed a scheduled House Oversight Committee ‘impeachment hearing’ for AG Garland (which in and of itself was designed for its chaos effect and as an attack on the rule of law and DOJ - per Trump’s wishes). 

Donald Trump at this point is essentially an outside agitator committing legislative treason. 

Holding up aid for Ukraine and border security funding are but two examples of his actions over the past year that have weakened both the US and our allies and increased human suffering exponentially.

It’s no accident that Putin is very much on the offensive in Ukraine and innocent lives are being lost thanks to GOP’s subservience. 

These are bad men and women - and bullies. 

They purposely invoke fascist iconography because it works. 

The blue suit and red tie that Trump tells his VP candidates and GOP stooges to wear are by intention as emasculating to the individual as they are a sign of fealty to the dear leader. 

It’s a signal that Trump is the only true alpha dog and all power is derived by proximity to him. 

This is sick stuff. 

Trump is the most unwell man I have ever been around. 

He was a pig back in the 90’s; his sexual predation was an open secret around the Trump Organization for decades. 

It was enabled by business interests and TV networks because his particular brand of hucksterism left enough meat on the bone for others to get a taste of the profits.

Trump understands the greed that is at the heart of many in the GOP and corporate America - and if one is forced to choose between morality and profit it’s not hard to see where their ‘patriotism’ will end up. 

In the cheap iconography of a budding fascist and the divisive nature of our current climate, it is easy to become disoriented, enraged and confused. 

Many outlets will see that as an opportunity for growth but in essence it is a contraction. 

A regression away from who we are and who we can aspire to be as a nation. 

Trump is the worst among us but he has great appeal to the folks that see government as the problem. 

Which has long been the domain of the simple-minded and second amendment-adjacent Americans that have bought the xenophobic mediocrity pushed in so much of Red State USA. 

They hear it in their church pews and on the TV and echoed in the shops and bars and places where mendacity marinates in its own mediocrity. 

It is a recipe for disaster.

The good news is we have a competent Biden administration currently doing the business of the people despite all the subterfuge and attacks from the right. 

Lets focus on progress and continuing an equitable recovery, affordable education, healthcare and environmental protections, as well as human rights and equal justice for ALL Americans. 

We have the power, for now. 

Vote Blue.

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Louisiana goddamn!

Louisiana (Republican) lawmakers are insisting on keeping a state law that forces even child rape victims to carry the child to term. No abortions. Period. 

This is just madness. Forced pregnancies, even for children? Male insanity. Male ignorance and indifference to the realities of pregnancy. This all springs from their religion, although they don't want to admit it. We have a clear case of a religion warping social and health policy. Religion, probably the source of more sexual abuse of children than any other institution or profession, claims the high ground on these issues and the right to create policy, when they should be kept far away from the halls of power. Some 77% of Louisiana voters favor exceptions for rape or incest. This will not stand for long.

Louisiana lawmakers insist child rape victims must carry their pregnancy to term

JUDD LEGUM

 AND 

TESNIM ZEKERIA

MAY 14, 2024

Former President Donald Trump, now the presumptive Republican nominee, boasts that he "broke Roe v. Wade." In the aftermath, according to Trump, "states are working very brilliantly" to impose various restrictions on abortion and creating "very beautiful harmony."

Over the last few days, this process has played out in Louisiana. Lawmakers in the Pelican State voted to continue to require child rape victims to carry their pregnancy to term. 

After Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, Louisiana, along with 13 other states, imposed a ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy. The only exceptions to Louisiana's ban are when an abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother or in cases of "medically futile" pregnancy, when the fetus has a fatal abnormality. Doctors in the state "who perform illegal abortions can face up to 15 years in prison and steep fines of $10,000 to $200,000."

In February, Louisana Representative Delisha Boyd (D) introduced legislation that proposed exceptions for rape and incest to Louisiana's abortion ban. When it became clear that the proposal would fail, Boyd narrowed her bill to allow persons 16 years old and younger to have an abortion if they were the victim of rape or incest. 

The legislation was grounded in Boyd's personal experience. She was born after her mother was raped by a man when she was 15 years old. Boyd said that her mother suffered years of trauma before dying at 30.

 

Neelima Sukhavasi, an obstetrician from Baton Rouge, urged the members of the Louisiana House Committee on Criminal Justice to approve Boyd's bill. Sukhavasi said that since Louisiana imposed its abortion ban in 2022, "[s]he and her colleagues have delivered babies for pregnant teenagers, including mothers as young as 13." She told the committee, "[o]ne of these teenagers delivered a baby while clutching a Teddy Bear — and that's an image that once you see that, you can't unsee it." According to Sukhavasi, these girls "can experience health complications that affect them for the rest of their lives."

Nevertheless, the committee rejected Boyd's bill last week on a 7 to 4 vote. All seven Republicans on the committee voted against creating the exception for child rape victims. One legislator who voted against creating the exception, Representative Lauren Ventrella (R), said she believed "teenagers who had consensual sex might feign rape or incest in order to get access to abortion service." Another legislator in opposition, Representative Dodie Horton (R), said rape should be punished, but she "cannot condone killing the innocent."

Louisiana politics has long been dominated by anti-abortion advocates. But, on this issue, the legislature is out of step with their constituents. A 2023 survey found that 77% of Louisiana voters supported an abortion exception for rape and incest. A survey this year by The Times-Picayune found a majority of Louisiana voters also support allowing abortion for any reason up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. 

Louisiana legislators push to classify abortion pills as controlled dangerous substances

Anti-abortion lawmakers in Louisiana are also pushing a bill that would classify abortion medication as Schedule IV drugs, the same treatment as opioids. If the bill becomes law, Louisiana would be the first state in the country to classify mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled dangerous substances.

Under Senate Bill 276, anyone who possesses mifepristone or misoprostol – the two pills used in a medication abortion – without a valid prescription could face up to “five years in prison and $5,000 in fines.” The bill includes an exemption for pregnant women who use the drugs for their “own consumption.” But it still makes acquiring abortion drugs for future use – a practice known as advanced provision – effectively illegal.

 

The proposed law also “appears to target people who might obtain abortion medications in order to distribute them to pregnant people,” WWNO New Orleans Public Radio notes. In Louisiana, distributing or manufacturing controlled substances is a punishable offense “with up to 10 years in prison and $15,000 in fines.” According to the bill’s author, State Senator Thomas Pressly (R), the aim is to take the pills “away from people who are stockpiling these drugs for whatever reason.” The bill, which was written in collaboration with Louisiana Right to Life, also seeks to “create a new crime of ‘coerced criminal abortion by means of fraud,’” Pressly said in a press release. More than 240 Louisiana doctors said the proposed classification is “not scientifically based” and wrote that it could result in “unjustified mistrust by patients and fear of the medication.”

Critics also warn that the new penalties could discourage health providers from prescribing mifepristone and misoprostol and make pharmacies reluctant to fill out those prescriptions. Abortion medication is currently the most popular method of ending a pregnancy. The drugs targeted by Pressly’s bill also have uses outside of abortions: mifepristone is used to treat Cushing’s syndrome, a hormonal disorder, and given for miscarriage treatment. Meanwhile, misoprostol is prescribed to treat ulcers and is sometimes used to help patients give birth.

The state of maternal care in Louisiana 

Louisiana's limited exceptions for the life of the patient and "medically futile" pregnancies are both extremely narrow and poorly defined. But the state's anti-abortion officials have promised to prosecute doctors for any perceived violations. A recent report by Physicians for Human Rights and other reproductive rights advocates concluded that Louisiana's abortion ban violates "federal law meant to protect patient access to emergency care, disregard[s] evidence-based public health guidance, degrade[s] long-standing medical ethical standards, and, worst of all, den[ies] basic human rights to Louisianans seeking reproductive health care in their state."

Specifically, "initial prenatal care in Louisiana is being pushed deeper into pregnancy, often beyond the first trimester when miscarriage is more common—purposely delayed to avoid the risk of miscarriage care being misconstrued as an abortion in violation of the bans." As a result, pregnant women are "struggling to access time-sensitive, appropriate care for early pregnancy and miscarriages."

Louisiana is already "among the U.S. states with the lowest number of employed obstetricians and gynecologists (OB-GYNs) in the country with the majority of its parishes having less than two per 100,000 residents." This shortage is unlikely to dissipate as obstetricians and gynecologists in the state put themselves at risk of prosecution for providing basic prenatal care. 

Louisiana's House Committee on Criminal Justice also considered legislation last week to "insulate physicians and other health care providers from facing abortion-related charges if they were only trying to treat a pregnant person’s unavoidable miscarriage or troubled pregnancy." At the hearing, Louisiana doctors testified that they were afraid of being thrown in jail for treating pregnant patients. The legislation was rejected by the committee. 

 

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