What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Barrister]

Thankfully, Biden can pick up the Obama briefing and the US can try to carry on despite these lost years.

I dunno, a thing or two has changed since 2016...

But yeah, it is an asset that Biden was VP just 4 years ago and knows his way around the Presidency.

[crazy canuck]

Thankfully, Biden can pick up the Obama briefing and the US can try to carry on despite these lost years.

I dunno, a thing or two has changed since 2016...

But yeah, it is an asset that Biden was VP just 4 years ago and knows his way around the Presidency.

Yeah, but all those things need to be changed back.  So not much is lost - except all the incriminating evidence.

[Syt]

Whenever a responsible person takes office again, I assume a large part of their work will be to get the government machine up and running again, and filling a lot of empty chairs in a lot of departments.

[The Brain]

What about vacant stares?

[Eddie Teach]

What about vacant stares?

Don't worry. It's just a mirror.

[The Brain]

What about vacant stares?

Don't worry. It's just a mirror.

Thanks.

[grumbler]

It's interesting that the usual suspects are back to their "federal officials will gladly break the law and lose their jobs/go to prison because TRUMP!!!"

Federal records retention laws exist, along with penalties for violating them.  Any massive destruction of records would mean lots of people sacrificing at least their pensions, if not (because of some massive pardon-granting) their liberty.

Remember of these same suspects were sure that Trump would get the USPS to curtail services so mail-in ballots would be late, and then the head f the USPS completely backtracked when faced with the institutional forces of the government?  I remember that, too, and it still makes me giggle that our usual suspects were so desperate to believe that the sky was falling.

[Barrister]

It's interesting that the usual suspects are back to their "federal officials will gladly break the law and lose their jobs/go to prison because TRUMP!!!"

Federal records retention laws exist, along with penalties for violating them.  Any massive destruction of records would mean lots of people sacrificing at least their pensions, if not (because of some massive pardon-granting) their liberty.

Remember of these same suspects were sure that Trump would get the USPS to curtail services so mail-in ballots would be late, and then the head f the USPS completely backtracked when faced with the institutional forces of the government?  I remember that, too, and it still makes me giggle that our usual suspects were so desperate to believe that the sky was falling.

Well the Hatch Act is a law too.  It prohibits using public property for partisan political purposes.  Yet we still had this "because TRUMP"

We absolutely have seen people inside the US Government refuse to break the law on behalf of Trump.  But we've seen others who have not.

[Sheilbh]

Also we've generally seen a lack of consequences for that. From what I remember of the poll here, but also just what I see online, it feels like it's unlikely that there'll be prosecutions after Trump leaves office.

[Barrister]

Also we've generally seen a lack of consequences for that. From what I remember of the poll here, but also just what I see online, it feels like it's unlikely that there'll be prosecutions after Trump leaves office.

Heard a little aside on a political podcast.  Biden's going to have an interesting choice when he comes into office.  He's coming into power after an incredibly law-breaking administration, and presiding over an increasingly politically divided nation.

He can choose to prosecute Trump as his ilk, but that risks deepening the political divide and sets a precedent for the next Administration.

Or he can choose to try and be a unified and heal the divides, but that too sets a precedent for what the next Administration can get away with.

[The Brain]

The great success of healing after the ACW suggests that letting bygones be bygones is the correct choice. OR you kill the sons of Brutus.

[The Minsky Moment]

I assume Biden will appoint a normal AG who will defer prosecutorial recommendations to US Attorney offices like normal.

Right now Trump's most significant liability is in NY State where the President has no role.

[Barrister]

I assume Biden will appoint a normal AG who will defer prosecutorial recommendations to US Attorney offices like normal.

Right now Trump's most significant liability is in NY State where the President has no role.

The image of independence of the DOJ has taken a pretty big hit these last few years...

[Sheilbh]

Heard a little aside on a political podcast.  Biden's going to have an interesting choice when he comes into office.  He's coming into power after an incredibly law-breaking administration, and presiding over an increasingly politically divided nation.

He can choose to prosecute Trump as his ilk, but that risks deepening the political divide and sets a precedent for the next Administration.

Or he can choose to try and be a unified and heal the divides, but that too sets a precedent for what the next Administration can get away with.

Yep. I mean if the US had any widely respect, independent figures or positions I'd probably think a Truth and Reconciliation style investigation would be best. But there's no option that would achieve buy-in from Republicans.

I've said before Trump doesn't worry me too much but he is flagging a lot of weaknesses for a clever authoritarian - like Erdogan or Orban.

I wonder how much of this is a sort of consequence of the very limited consequences for torture by the Bush administration

[Razgovory]

It's interesting that the usual suspects are back to their "federal officials will gladly break the law and lose their jobs/go to prison because TRUMP!!!"

Federal records retention laws exist, along with penalties for violating them.  Any massive destruction of records would mean lots of people sacrificing at least their pensions, if not (because of some massive pardon-granting) their liberty.

Remember of these same suspects were sure that Trump would get the USPS to curtail services so mail-in ballots would be late, and then the head f the USPS completely backtracked when faced with the institutional forces of the government?  I remember that, too, and it still makes me giggle that our usual suspects were so desperate to believe that the sky was falling.

But they did slow the down the mail.  We don't know if the ballots will arrive in time.