Boo-hoo Dep't: Trump has been 'deserted,' former federal prosecutor says

[Wicked Blue]

By Matt Arco | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Donald Trump had loyal staffers with him inside the courtroom for the first day of his criminal trial Monday.

But some people were noticeably absent from the room: His family.

“I have rarely seen a defendant facing trial alone with no family, at least one person, in the courtroom for him. It’s a sad commentary for a former president with four grown children & a wife, all of whom seem to have deserted him in the moment,” Joyce Alene, a former U.S. attorney under Barack Obama, posted to X, formerly Twitter.

https://www.nj.com/politics/2024/04/trump-has-been-deserted-former-federal-prosecutor-says.html

(possible paywall)

[underpants]

1. Heh ...heh heh heh

[Arne]

4. Some things are hilarious.

This is.

[usaf-vet]

10. If you didn't catch last Saturday SNL skit go watch it you will really laugh. It was one of the better skit I have....

I've seen it recently. The funny part was the the SNL actors couldn't keep a straight face.

[MontanaMama]

28. The cast crack up was the best! n/t

[usaf-vet]

38. I don't think they told the actress that was interviewing what to expect when she turned around.

[captain queeg]

5. Nevis and Butthead are therefor him

[Wonder Why]

22. I thought the one on the left was Gaetz!

[Dave Bowman]

35. So there ARE family members in the courtroom after all!

[oasis]

44. Beavis and Butthead better

start hustling up more cash for their idiot dad's defense.
Maybe they're out from court doing that.

[Ocelot II]

2. If my husband were on trial for a crime related to his shtupping a porn actress

I wouldn't be there either. Of course, he wouldn't be my husband by that time.

[LiberalFighter]

16. You would think.

[Ocelot II]

24. Yup, I'd have divorced his skanky ass without a second thought.

[Codifer]

39. Plus.....

he would also be a "Soprano" in a different sense.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Not one of his children will stand by him in court.

Sad.

[jcgoldie]

11. If only he had attended their graduation...

karma is a bitch I guess.

[Irish_Dem]

12. Yes it appears he never stood by them.

There is no loyalty or personal feelings.
It is all about money.

[Attilatheblond]

6. Correction: FIVE grown 'children' Barron is officially of age

Jr, and maybe Eric might get disallowed as adults due to behavior.

[AllyCat]

18. He's in school.

He should finish out the year.

[livetohike]

7. What Trump has is not a family. They are Grifters who will

trample each other to death once he kicks the bucket to make sure they get what they think is their share. None of them care for each other.

[Wednesdays]

8. Do you honestly believe TSF would show up at any of THEIR trials

if he's not a co-defendant or is unable to squeeze some money out of it?

[onenote]

9. Its a strategic decision to maintain deniability

If his family members come to court, they will hear the evidence against him. By not coming, they maintain the facade of not knowing the facts and when they deny he did anything wrong, they won't be "lying" because they haven't seen or heard the evidence.

[calimary]

33. Well, there is that.

They’re nothing if not coldly calculating.

[rsdsharp]

13. I remember going to a criminal sentencing where the defendant's family was indeed present.

She was a 76 year old woman on a walker. When she was sentenced (with orders to immediately report for transport to prison) her family stood as one and cheered.

It’d like to see history repeat.

[dmr]

30. Wow! That is some story. 76 years old!!

Any idea why she was there?

She must've been a work of art for her whole family to stand and cheer her demise.

[rsdsharp]

36. I was involved because she had defrauded our client, a bank, out of about $40,000.

She was to be sentenced because she had been found guilty of defrauding a car dealer.

We had been able to freeze most of the bank’s money in a credit bureau where she had deposited it. As our case pended, she began sending letters to our office. They were typed, all caps, with no margins; not top, bottom or left or right. They were nonsensical, but about every third word was “fucken.” She also wrote to the bank president that her devil dogs were going to kill his wife, and bite off his “nut balls.” Eventually, the letters began arriving at our office with multicolored dust, which freaked out the secretarial staff. Not me, though; I just started checking my car for bombs in the morning.

Before her sentencing hearing, I checked the court file for the date and time of the hearing. When I opened it, I saw a familiar looking letter. It was addressed to the judge, who was a somewhat stocky Italian American. It began: “Dear Judge Critelli, You fat dago bastard.” After that, she got rude.

She was to be sentenced on two charges. One was a felony, and one was a misdemeanor. Judge Critelli sentenced her to ten years on one, and five years on the other. The county attorney had to remind the judge that the latter charge had a maximum sentence of one year. The judge was a little pissed.

The local paper published a picture of ol’ Lillian entering the courthouse on her walker. My secretary photo reduced it, laminated it, and gave it to me as a gift. I carried it in my wallet for years, as a reminder of one of my first cases.

[dmr]

42. Good grief! She was a doozy, wasn't she?

I wonder how well she did in prison? Did she get along with other inmates? Or the officers?

That was some story. Thank you for writing and explaining. I bet you could've gone on and on, lol.

[Ligyron]

43. What a great story!

Thanks for that entertaining piece of legal history.

Gotta wonder how someone that dumb was able to defraud anyone of 40K though.

[rsdsharp]

45. She wrote to the main branch pretending to be an account holder,

saying she was out of checks and asking for a few while her new order was being processed. The main bank told her she would have to appear in person, so she wrote to a suburban branch, which sent the checks.

Her first check was for something like $15. Then she wrote two for $10,000, and one for $20,000 before the real account holder got his statement and raised hell with the bank.

[BobTheSubgenius]

14. "Sad commentary?" Not the phrase I'd use.

"Predictable." "Fitting." "Rational."

Even "delicious" would be better.

[LudwigPastorius]

15. "I have rarely seen a defendant facing trial alone with no family, at least one person, in the courtroom for him."

Trump's family is only a family in the sense that the mafia is a family.

Just look at this weird-ass statement about Barron's graduation, “I was looking forward to that graduation with his mother and father there".

Trump never went to the graduations of any of his other four kids, because those ceremonies weren't about him. He doesn't give a shit.

[Kid Berwyn]

17. Wonder what Melania's doing these days.

I mean, I should ask, "Who?"

[AllyCat]

21. There is NO WAY Trudeau would stoop to that level.

None.

[keithbvadu2]

34. Contrast

[Raven123]

19. In all fairness, he deserted his family when they needed him

So I guess it’s the norm for them

[wolfie001]

20. Where's the smokey-eyed slovenian?

[rubbersole]

26. A Slovenian village is missing its favorite sex worker.

[wolfie001]

27. Ha ha!

[Trueblue1968]

23. Oh he has no one ... What a bummer. He is hated !!! Theyhatehim.

#trumpishated.

[rubbersole]

25. Well, if the shoe you shit in fits...

...wear it. Hope Hicks will be there eventually. Wonder if he'll give her the stink-eye before or after her testimony 🤔.

[magicarpet]

31. trDUMP will expect Hope Hicks to steam the wrinkles from his suit pants in the courtroom while he is wearing them.

Should she report to testify at his trial.

[calimary]

32. I can't help but suspect he probably hit on her relentlessly.

She probably doesn’t want to be anywhere near him. Ever ever again.

She probably wanted to work in the White House because it’d be a terrific resume credit to have. Unfortunately his White House was the only such opportunity available when she needed it.

[MontanaMama]

29. Every single person is this crime family

is shittier than the one next to them. They're as awful as it gets.

[Warpy]

37. He probably told them not to come

Given the nature of this trial, the last thing the defense wants is to remind everybody he fucked around on Melania while she was recovering from childbirth

[GoodRaisin]

40. Because he's such a mess. It would be embarrassing sitting there listening to him snoring.

[Joinfortmill]

41. He earned it.

[Hassler]

46. Uday Jr is pissed that Don Drowsedale missed his graduation.

Qusay is looking for his keys.