Sneaker Heads ✡️🌻✡️🌻✡️🌻

Presidents Day: On Friday Trump, the Republican’s likely candidate, was ordered by NY Judge Arthur Engoron to pay $355 million in penalties plus another $95 million or so in interest, for committing fraud.  Engoron called Trump out as borderline pathological for his complete lack of contrition. As expected, Trump was livid, he attacked the judge, the process, and New York’s Attorney General Tish James.  He then headed to Philadelphia’s Sneaker Con where he sold 1000 pairs of gaudy, overpriced sneakers asserting that his sneaker plan had long been in the works and that the timing of the sale while opportune wasn’t planned. Trump will appeal Engoron’s decision but unfortunately for him, NY law requires him to post the full penalty amount plus a cushion to do so. Trump can choose to cover his obligation by forking over cash or by providing a costly appeals bond, assuming he can find an entity willing to risk lending to him, a risk heightened by the complications that would arise if a bond provider ever had to sue a sitting president for payment. The good news for Trump is that his garish gold sneakers sold out quickly, the bad news is that even together with the $415,111 that 8400 fanatical fools have contributed to a GoFundMe page set up by the wife of a wealthy Florida real estate maven, absent another far more substantial windfall, he’ll have to tap into his own resources to cover the lion’s share of what he owes.  According to Forbes Trump is currently worth $2.6 billion, an amount that includes $870 million from his golf clubs and resorts, $690 million from NY properties, $190 from other properties outside NY, $190 million from his social media and brand businesses, and $640 in personal assets which includes $426 million in cash and liquid assets. To the extent that Forbes is correct, Trump has the resources to pay the NY fraud penalty as well as the additional sums he owes E Jean Carroll, but he might have to sell some real estate to do so because he still needs funds to support his lifestyle.  That said, the possibility that some combination of right-wing billionaires, foreign autocrats, Political Action Committees and the Republican National Committee will help minimize or even eradicate the need for him to fork over more than pocket change shouldn’t be ruled out.  As to foreign autocrats, its notable that Trump has remained silent about last week’s murder of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny at the hands of Putin, who is reportedly worth $200 billion.

Navalny Aftermath:  The Russian party line is that Alexei Navalny died of sudden death syndrome, a malady like defenestration that seems to disproportionately affect Russian dissidents. Everyone knows that Putin and his Russian mouthpieces are lying.  It’s far more likely that Putin who doesn’t need much to justify murdering foes, feels emboldened these days what with the US Congress doing its best to starve Ukraine of needed military resources. It’s hard to ignore that former Fox guy Tucker Carlson “pre-justified” the murder during an interview he gave shortly before Navalny’s death when he said that “every leader kills people.”  A few prominent Republicans like VP wannabee JD Vance and New York’s one-time gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin have even gone so far as to compare the murder of Navalny to the “witch hunt” against Trump, an incredibly sickening comparison from two educated veterans who know better.  A few others, like South Carolina’s Lindsay Graham are calling for stronger sanctions against Russia but remain unwilling to fully support any aid for Ukraine that doesn’t include some amendments that aren’t going to happen.  As to Speaker for now Mike Johnson he and his House are conveniently on vacation right now and while he’s probably feeling some pressure to act, he’s so fearful of infuriating Trump and surrogates Margie Q and Matt Gaetz and their threats to vacate him ala Kevin McCarthy that he’s playing ostrich.

Fani-ng the Flames:  Fulton County DA Fani Willis didn’t return to the stand on Friday, but her impressive father did. He testified that he doesn’t get to see his daughter as much as he’d like to anymore because of the many death threats against her.  He also explained the family’s preference for paying with cash by relaying how there have been times when his American Express card, VISA card, and even American Express travelers checks (Venmo before Venmo) have been refused because charging while Black is never a sure thing. Those experiences combined with him telling Fani that she should always have cash reserves on hand and should always be prepared to pay for herself because as she put it “a man is not a plan” have left an impression on Fani and go far to explaining her affinity for cash. Former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes further bolstered Wallis’ hiring decisions by testifying that in 2021 before she offered the position to Nathan Wade, Willis asked him if he would consider serving as special prosecutor but that he turned the opportunity down because he “had mouths to feed” and was concerned about threats of violence. One of Wade’s former law partners also testified for the RICO defendants, but his testimony was turned on its head by his admission that he’d been fired from Wade’s law firm over allegations that he’d engaged in sexual harassment of associates and clients.  Now, it’s up to Judge Scott McAfee to rule, and though the majority of legal pundits don’t believe that Willis will be disqualified, we won’t know for sure until he opines.  

Political Shenanigans: West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin has announced that he’s not running for the presidency, but the No Labels crowd is still looking for a candidate to disrupt things.  Rashida Tlaib, the D’s counterpart to Margie Q and Lauren Boebert, who was the only Congressperson to not support a House resolution to condemn Hama’s sexual crimes is telling Michigan primary voters to vote uncommitted in the Michigan Democratic presidential primary to protest Bidens’ actions vis a vis Israel and Gaza.  Though her “advice” probably won’t affect the outcome of the primary, it could have an impact on the general election because Michigan is a swing state and Biden needs the voters she’s likely to influence to cast ballots for him in November.  It’s probably not a coincidence that Congresswoman AOC has taken to the talk shows to boost Biden because she appreciates the value of winning and also knows how to count. 

#BringThemAllHomeNow