It's a Trap!
I don’t like making predictions because I am wrong so often. But in thinking about yesterday’s post on the Mar-a-Lago seizure and how it might play out between Former President Trump and Attorney General Merrick Garland, I ran some scenarios in my mind this morning and quickly wrote them up. Not surprisingly, a couple of my regular outlets declined to publish it, perhaps because it’s fresh for only a few hours. Or maybe because it’s dumb. Regardless, I’m posting it here just because I can! And if I’m wrong, it’s a good thing.
It’s a Trap!
Unless you have been hidden under a huge rock, you know the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago under a Federal warrant on Monday, seizing materials as part of an ongoing investigation into Trump's potentially unlawful removal of classified White House documents.
Many Republican Congress members called for transparency from the Justice Department, and there were demands to release the warrant. Some of the more radical members of Congress called for the abolishment of the FBI and the Department of Justice. There were also cries for civil war and violence. Yesterday an armed man was killed during his attack on an FBI building in Ohio.
Thursday, the New York Times and Washington Post reported that among the documents sought by investigators were some about nuclear and “special access programs.”
After much criticism of the seizure, Attorney General Merrick Garland offered to release the warrant to the public but left the decision ultimately to Trump. Trump has until 3:00 pm ET today to decide. Multiple media outlets reported that Garland had called Trump’s “bluff.”
Then, shortly before midnight last night, Trump doubled down.
“Not only will I not oppose the release of documents related to the unAmerican, unwarranted, and unnecessary raid and break-in of my home in Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago, I am going a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents… Release the documents now!”
This is a trap. Assuming there was something to the seizure, there are two likely possibilities of how Trump will respond.
First, whatever the damning evidence is, Trump trivializes it. With the help of conservative media, this could well work, as it has worked countless times during his administration, including everything related to his role in the insurrection and the attack on January 6.
The second scenario is even worse. Trump may say the Department of Justice planted any damning evidence. He and congressional Republican leaders have already set the stage for undermining the agency’s authority. Such an accusation by Trump would provoke outrage from the right like we have never seen. Trump has to prove nothing. All he has to do is say the evidence was planted.
It’s a trap.
On another planet, my friend Marcel Harmon and I have a piece on immigration and Republican theater in the Kansas City Star this morning!
Before you go, check out Julie Gammack’s “Iowa Writers Collaborative,” and please subscribe to it and the individual authors listed. Julie is doing amazing things and bringing together some great Iowa writers, and I’m honored she invited me to be in their company.
I continue to be astounded with anything and everything surrounding Trump. Or maybe a better word would be dumbfounded. When did our country go so badly off the rails?
The second scenario has already occured, right? Is there anything he could do or not do that would turn his supporters off? He's way beyond Teflon.