Will Trump be convicted? Guilty or not, he still wins
By: USA TODAY
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Even a jail sentence is a win. What image could better validate Trump's insistence of this being a sham trial run by a kangaroo court than serving time?
Pete SeatOpinion contributor
Made up of a dash of experience, a dollop of knowledge and a scoop of guesswork, political predictions are for suckers and I am no sucker. So instead, I make guarantees. My latest can't-possibly-be-wrong, take-it-to-the-bank guarantee? Donald Trump will win in 2024 and there is nothing you can do to stop him. In fact, he will win twice.
Here's my case: Good news travels fast and bad news travels faster. No one excels at leveraging and manipulating this environment better than Trump. Say it faster than the other side, with more conviction and confidence than Muhammad Ali in his heyday, and half the country will buy what's being sold.
When good news arrives, Trump rallies the faithful 'round the flag and equates his victory to a historical figure or event, say, Nelson Mandela or storming the beach at Normandy. When the news is less than rosy, he pounces like a puma and spits in the face of defeat to spin a self-gratifying tale of victory without shame. Unlike the stock market, past performance does in this case predict future results.
We will next see this play out in the coming days as Trump, whether acquitted or convicted by a jury of his peers in his New York criminal trial, wins in the courtroom.
Trump's verdict is coming.But judge him on the horrible things he's doing right now.
Trump will win, win or lose
The best-case scenario - acquittal - would be portrayed by Trump as sweet, sweet vindication against every harsh word that has ever been said about him. Every accusation, every indictment, all the cases yet to be tried, would be washed away. If this one is wrong, they must all be wrong. Right? No? Maybe?
A conviction, on the other hand, rather than serving as vindication of what has been said about and done to him, would be validation of what he's been saying about others. It would prove, just like he said from behind the court's bike rack twice a day, every day (except Wednesdays) that the judge was conflicted, the jurors tainted by ideology and the outcome preordained by a U.S. Department of Justice weaponizing its prosecutorial authority to damage a political opponent amid a campaign.
Even a jail sentence is a win. What image could better validate Trump's insistence of this being a sham trial run by a kangaroo court than serving time in jail? A jumpsuit did wonders for Martha Stewart and it would do wonders for Trump, too.
His second guaranteed win will come in November. Do I know that Trump will have the most Electoral College votes when the race is called? Not at all. But I do know he's going to win so bigly that I can see it from here in May.
Trump's next win will follow the 2024 election
Like acquittal in court, capturing the Electoral College and re-residing in the White House would be vindication. It would vindicate those who fervently believe Joe Biden is an illegitimate president and Trump has been the rightful president this whole time.
Think that's far-fetched? Why else has Trump's campaign referred to him as "the president" and Joe Biden as simply "Joe Biden" in statements and correspondence?
Trump trial evidence:Trump's hush money trial reveals his sordid, cynical manipulations behind the scenes
The inverse outcome, in which Trump's third Oval Office quest falls short, would to an objective observer be a loss. But not for Trump. This would be a huge win − on par with actually winning − for it brings validation.
Close your eyes and you can hear it now: the process is rigged, our institutions are failing us, the world is out to get Trump and by extension you. Validated. Validated. Validated.
In closing, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, remorse and reflection are the antithesis of the Trump code. He is, after all, a winner and winners never apologize for being winners. They just keep on winning even when they lose.
So when the verdict is read and Trump's face displays a grimace or a grin, know that behind that grimace is a grin and behind that grin a bigger grin because Trump knows he already won.
Pete Seat is a former White House spokesman for President George W. Bush and campaign spokesman for former Director of National Intelligence and U.S. Sen. Dan Coats. Currently, he is a vice president with Bose Public Affairs Group in Indianapolis. He is also an Atlantic Council Millennium Fellow, a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and author of "The War on Millennials."
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We shall see how this comes out.
He lost, by a jury of his peers, on all 34 counts. But the bigger the criminal, the more the GOP loves them.
I hope not, it’s depressing to find 12 more like him in a Manhattan jury pool of 200.
TDS driven moron judge who should have been recused; who did everything in his power to let prosecution witnesses divulge information that had nothing to do with the charges; while stifling the defense witnesses; and didn't sequester the jury. TDS driven moron prosecution that turned misdemeanor charges that the statute of limitations had run out on; that cobbled them together with federal law (the state of New York has no legal authority to prosecute federal law) to turn them into felonies. Brandon sending his number 3 at the DOJ to prosecute the case- I am sure he will be number two; or maybe even the new AG for Brandon's second term. TDS driven jury- what else does anyone expect from the Democrat controlled bastion of stupidity that is New York.
Predetermined outcome achieved!
Must be so proud knowing Democrats just wiped their asses with our Constitution and laws.
The constitution is big enough to wipe all our asses with-not just MAGAs. /s
Convicted by a jury of his peers. Why would his own lawyers pick biased people for the jury? Weird...
BTW?
Bwahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Trump fucking LOST!
Trump devotion syndrome much?
Trump is a cunt, and he's going to prison.
You know his lawyers don't get to pick the jury right?
and you can't possibly believe this trial would result in a conviction in North Dakota, could you? Pick the venue, pick the verdict.
Yes, the lawyers on both sides did screen the jury.
I'm sorry, but I can't imagine that red-states can clear a defendant just because he bats for the home team. That would be a reason to doubt the rule of law in ND. Rigged.
You know they had as much a part in it as the prosecution did, right?
The crimes were committed in NY, not North Dakota.
If the glove don’t fit, you must acquit.
And let's not forget the 22 witnesses that were all clearly liberals.
/s
Looks like the glove fit just fine.
There is no crime in North Dakota /s. Not many people either.
Maybe you missed the point in 1.1.7
Manhattan is about 1/2,000 th the size of North Dakota and has twice as many people.
I have to laugh at all the idiots who keep parroting that Trump can’t possibly get a fair trial in his home town. A “celebrity” in his home town that can’t get a fair trial? That just screams how infamous he is for shitting where he eats and cheating hard working people out their hard earned money. How many celebrities, much less former commander in chiefs, are so openly despised in their home town? Trump is a despicable human being, and it is unfathomable how his cult of supporters can’t see it.
Lol. that's your dodge?
I though this was too obvious to have to spell out, but the assumption underlying the hypothetical is this all happened in North Dakota, including the "crimes."
I hope the hundreds of people Trump didnt pay for services rendered at least feel a little poetic justice was enacted.
What a cynical comment.
I believe that citizens residing in North Dakota performing their civic duty as jurors are equally as capable of upholding the law and determining criminality as Americans living in any other state.
I absolutely believe they are too, which is why they would have undoubtedly voted to acquit Trump.
The idea that this nonsense would fly anywhere but in a few very politicized blue jurisdictions is laughable.
Your contention that a jury in North Dakota would act differently than the jury in Trump's case did is totally unfounded.
The idea that a jury anywhere would convict someone of 34 felony counts based on "nonsense" is not just laughable, it's ludicrous.
Reactionary propagandists are, of course, going to decry today's result, but if it was a Democratic candidate convicted under the same circumstances they would be extolling the result as a marvel of jurisprudence.
For how many lifetimes would you allow Trump to flaunt and trash the law ? Inquiring minds want to know.
No, I believe they would perform their civic duty and uphold the law. Your contention that they wouldn't is totally unfounded.
a jury anywhere would convict someone of 34 felony counts based on "nonsense" is not just laughable
Of course they would, especially with a judge leading them to that conclusion.
It's cute you think a bookkeeping error that resulted in a fine for Clinton is now "flaunting and trashing the law".
He should be in trouble for mishandling classified information, but of course Clinton and Biden were allowed to walk for the same thing so it's ridiculous he's being prosecuted for that.
At this point, obstruction is the only legitimate charge against him.
Trump has been flaunting the law basically all his life. In 2019 the New York Times proved, with documentation , that Trump and his parents had engaged in tax fraud. They were never charged when the crimes were committed because of lax enforcement by the IRS. White collar crime indictments is not really a "thing" in the US. I read articles in 2015 about Trump cheating people that had worked for him. He also cheated investors in his casinos, paying himself extravagant bonuses while he was declaring bankruptcy and losing money for his investors.
The idea that Trump has ever been a victim is ludicrous.
This would be a good time for everyone of good faith to get off the Trump train. Time is running out.
No matter how much you might try you can't possibly twist anything in my comment to mean what you now falsely claim I said. You've lost the argument. Resorting to pretending people have said things they haven't is truly disreputable.
Have a wonderful night.
Did they? Why wasn't he indicted for that then? That's a legitimate crime if it can be proven that people not named Hunter Biden go to jail for.
Which is how you started this discussion. Hopefully, you learn from this
If you want to stop participating in the utter embarrassment of the Republican Party, just stop all this and urge the Republicans to go in another direction thanTrump.
There you go again.
How I started this discussion:
The above is true.
Continuing:
A non-cynical statement of opinion.
You:
I've learned about you.
I wish they would have nominated pretty much anyone other than Trump. And if the democrats hadn't gone bat shit crazy i'd happily vote for a non rapey Bill Clinton type Democrat. But that's not the world we live in, and Republicans are never going to reward Democrats for their bad behavior by dumping Trump.
Maybe you don't understand how written communication works. That response implied that I believed the opposite.
I've learned more about you.
That you are posting on this site and it's not October yet taught me all I needed to know about you.
'Brazen partisanship.' Without any rhyme or reason. Just 'want.' That is, some conservatives want Donald. Why? Because he is the 'purest' model of a dispassionate, transactional 'leader' they have found. Somebody who won't have any mercy on their (liberal) enemies. It's what MAGAs want: Liberal destruction in policy and in life we should take what they give us (second best/class status).
Wow. Even liberal judges can't pass "Donald muster.' MAGA's do not respect liberals. They simply don't and won't.
Trump haters could not get/stay on the jury pool. But project away, nevertheless.
Your comment implied that you believe the opposite.
It is telling that a commenter would write for all to read that a North Dakota court would 'peek' out from under its objective 'blindfold' to see if a conservative is being tried in order to decide favorably a case for him or her. Shocking!
There is is; there you have it in writing @1.1.6. See the 'man' . . .the expression goes.
It was rigged, kangaroo trial, liberal bias!!!!!! Shame trial!!!!!!!
Juror #2 said their only source of news was Truth Social and even THEY voted "guilty"!