Perhaps Trump's Potted Plant Defense Is About Showing Dominance Over GOP

[TomCADem]

Watching the poor performance of Trump's counsel during the impeachment trial, you have to wonder whether the goal is just to demonstrate dominance over the GOP.

In other words, we know that Republicans are going to acquit Trump anyways, so Trump does not really need to mount a defense. Indeed, rather than mount a defense, Trump wanted to double down and argue that inciting a riot was justified because the election was fraudulent. Republicans were at least able to talk Trump down from taking that position.

But, since Trump really has nothing to gain, since Republicans are going to give him a free pass, what is the point of mounting a defense? The answer is simple: To give Republican senators a pretext for voting to acquit Trump so they can save face.

However, Trump is still pissed that Republicans did not support his insurrection and false claims for election fraud. So, rather than do them a favor and provide a reasonable sounding defense, Trump effectively produced a potted plant as his defense counsel to demonstrate that Republicans are in his pocket no matter what in a demonstration of dominance over his party.

[underpants]

1. Two takes on this

Yes this does seem like a”kiss the ring” monent for Trump.

The Dem argument seems as directed AT Trump as anyone else. What many saw as either Trump just running his mouth OR a grift, they are depicting as a masterful deeply constructed plan. Trump is the stable genius he always claimed to be. By voting NO Senators are saying that he is not the mastermind the Dems are portraying him as.

[Laelth]

2. That's a nearly-sane, almost-reasonable strategy.

And that’s why it’s also highly unlikely, coming from Trump.

It wasn’t his fellow Republicans who “talked him down” from arguing that the insurrection was justified because the election was stolen. His legal team simply refused to make that argument, so Trump fired them. Then he hired a couple of new lawyers who ALSO refused to make that argument, so he gave up on it, and here we are.

I have no doubt that Trump is plotting out all the ways he can turn the current situation to his advantage. He’s good at exploiting the present, but he stinks at planning for the future. That’s why I doubt that the poor performance of his current attorneys is part of some master plan. Trump doesn’t really DO plans.



-Laelth

[empedocles]

3. 'trump doesn't really DO plans' - Quite right, to the tremendous benefit of

non-trumpers

[Laelth]

4. Well, yes and no.

We could have used a comprehensive, effective, Federal COVID-19 response plan. That was beyond Trump’s abilities.

-Laelth

[unblock]

5. You're thinking of a plan to fight *against* covid-19.

[TomCADem]

6. Trump Fired The Legal Team Recommended By Lindsey Graham

Lindsey Graham recommended the firm with the strategy of giving Republicans some CYA to acquit Trump on weak technical grounds.

I am sure that Trump tried to the hire other Republican attorneys, and with Rudy and John Eastman, he should have been able to find a couple. However, Republicans were probably making clear to any attorney that considered defending Trump based on election fraud arguments that the attorney would be blacklisted for making such an argument and further embarassing Republican Senators.

Yet, what is Trump's MO? It is to force his allies to engage in increasing extreme acts of fealty to demonstrate their loyalty as well as paint them into a corner so that they cannot exercise independence. In other words, by making your allies co-conspirators, you ensure that they will not throw you under the bus.

[Laelth]

7. You're right. That is Trump's MO.

Like all people with Cluster B personality disorders, Trump is a control freak.



-Laelth

[unblock]

8. Makes sense. More generally, everything about him exemplifies and glorifies privilege

The incompetence and ignorance and offensive statements and blatant lies and lack of talent and ethics all play into that. He constantly does things that would get anyone else fired or imprisoned or have any number of bad things happened to.

He gets away with it because of privilege of being rich, white, male, Christian, etc.

For everyone else with privilege, the situation is muddled. Bill gates stinks of privilege, but there's also no denying that he put in a lot of hard work and smarts in addition to his father's millions.

Donnie removes all that and strips it down to privilege. There's nothing he brings to the table other than privilege.

His supported love him because he helps create a world in which white skin is more valuable.


This trial fits right into that. He created a coup attempt that nearly overthrew our government and severss as l people died, including police.

And he'll face basically no consequence. Republicans in the senate won't even say basically, please don't do that again.

Because, privilege.