Surrogates on Parade
The cross examination of Michael Cohen in the New York Trump criminal trial has resumed. Members of the Freedom Caucus have shown up today to audition for the New Apprentice (Trump’s second VP). They are Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, Andy Biggs, Anna Paulina Luna, Andy Ogles, and more.
When a reporter asked Trump if he was directing surrogates to speak on his behalf he replied, “I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully and they come from all over Washington.”
Congress is in session and the MAGAs have ditched their duties to fly to New York to defend and campaign for Trump. Trump’s surrogates not only say what he directs them to say, they wear what he tells them to wear — Trump’s signature blue suit and red tie. Four of them dressed the same and did a fundraising video outside of the courtroom Tuesday to deliver this message: “They’re not coming after him, they’re coming after you. Let’s make America great again.” Send money.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, the second in line for the presidency, abandoned his post to misuse his power by inserting himself into a former president’s criminal trial to go against our legal system and call the trial a political sham. Congressional breakdown is complete.
Trump violated his gag order when he got caught by a journalist sitting behind him in court who watched him editing the script that his surrogates were going to say outside the courtroom. The gag order states that he can’t use a third party to attack and harass people.
Senator Tommy Tuberville admitted on Newsmax that one of the reasons he went to New York City was to “overcome this gag order.”
This morning Lauren Boebert posted something about running into Judge Merchan’s daughter while she’s there. That’s a threat.
Junior posted a picture of Judge Merchan’s daughter on Truth Social a few days ago. That’s a threat.
Michael Cohen is keeping his cool and staying on point, even when provoked. One of the first questions Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, asked Cohen was “Isn’t it true that you went on TikTok and called me a crying little bitch?” Cohen said, “Ya that sounds like something I would say.” That was a really poor way to open questioning and since Blanche is (or was) a well respected, experienced attorney Trump had to have insisted he do that because nobody as good as Todd Blanche is would ever do anything that dumb.
Blanche asked Cohen if he ever called Trump a “crying little shit,” a “dictator,” a “douchebag,” and a “Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain.” He admitted he had. He couldn’t remember calling him “a boorish cartoon misogynist,” or “I truly fucking hope this man ends up in prison’” but he did admit that they sounded like things he would say.
Trump’s team showed jurors merch that Michael Cohen sells on his podcast and website, including a shirt of Trump in an orange jumpsuit behind bars. Turns out he didn’t design the merch and he’s not the only one selling it. That exhibit didn’t have the punch they hoped it would. Everybody probably sold out of that shirt after Trump’s lawyers advertised it.
Turns out Trump may owe $100 million in taxes in Chicago for using an accounting maneuver to claim improper tax breaks for theTrump skyscraper in Chicago. The IRS has been digging into this for a long time.
Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign chair from 2016 and convicted felon who sat in jail until Trump pardoned him, has quit his role advising this year’s Republican convention.
Trump crime family fun fact: The day Michael Cohen pleaded guilty in New York in August of 2018 was the same day that a jury found Paul Manafort guilty of 8 felonies.
Biden called Trump’s bluff and challenged him to a duel (debate). He said, “I hear you’re free on Wednesdays.” Trump accepted the dates June 27 and September 10. Biden said, “I’ll bring my plane, too. I plan on keeping it for another four years.”
