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Ocelot II

(127,269 posts)
Sun Sep 21, 2025, 09:36 PM 16 hrs ago

Trump might be losing his race against time.

President Donald Trump is worried that Attorney General Pam Bondi is moving too slowly to prosecute his political adversaries on fake charges. Trump has good reason to be concerned. He is carrying out his project to consolidate authoritarian power against the trend of declining public support for his administration and himself. He is like a man trying to race upward on a downward-moving escalator. If he loses the race, he will be pulled ever deeper below—and the escalator keeps moving faster against him.

Autocracies are headed by one man but require the cooperation of many others. Some collaborators may sincerely share the autocrat’s goals, but opportunists provide a crucial margin of support. In the United States, such people now have to make a difficult calculation: Do the present benefits of submitting to Trump’s will outweigh the future hazards?

As Bondi makes her daily decisions about whether to abuse her powers to please Trump, she has to begin with one big political assessment: Will Trump ultimately retain the power to reward and punish her? It’s not just about keeping her present job. On the one hand, people in Trump’s favor can make a lot of money from their proximity to power. On the other, Richard Nixon’s attorney general, John Mitchell, served 19 months in prison for his crimes during Watergate. If Trump’s hold on power loosens, Bondi could share Mitchell’s fate. ....

Trump has a shrewd instinct for survival. He must sense that if he does not act now to prevent free and fair elections in 2026, he will lose much of his power—and all of his impunity. That’s why he is squeezing Bondi. But for her, the thought process must be very different. Trump is hoping to offload culpability for his misconduct onto her. She’s the one most directly at risk if she gives orders later shown to be unethical or illegal....

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/09/trump-bondi-edva/684292/
https://archive.is/LeQwp
18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Trump might be losing his race against time. (Original Post) Ocelot II 16 hrs ago OP
It's surreal to think of our country's survival... ananda 16 hrs ago #1
He is always being chased by the specter of another Klarkashton 16 hrs ago #2
He hires FALL GUYS. Period. It's just a matter of Scaramucci's. usonian 15 hrs ago #3
The victim was thirteen years old... Joinfortmill 14 hrs ago #6
She's only one of them... I'd bet plenty there are more... MANY more. liberalla 13 hrs ago #11
I read about that a while back. There's a court record of the charges. usonian 13 hrs ago #12
I surmise you've not researched that case much ... it has a LOT of "hoax" red flags AZJonnie 9 hrs ago #16
I wasn't able to access the article from VOX, but here's one from PBS.... Joinfortmill 4 hrs ago #17
Lisa may have also been taken in by the hoax AZJonnie 46 min ago #18
Excellent analogy! liberalla 13 hrs ago #9
She deserves whatever ills befall her once she is no longer under his umbrella. Marie Marie 14 hrs ago #4
They're in a state of denial.They know he is only alfredo 14 hrs ago #7
when one of these Trump whores resigns and spills the beans I will care what they think Skittles 14 hrs ago #5
Their lives would become a living hell if alfredo 14 hrs ago #8
you'd think ONE of them would get tired of the daily humiliation Skittles 13 hrs ago #10
Yes, I've been sensing real desperation as the walls are closing in and the time is running out. liberalla 13 hrs ago #13
Think about it. It took forever to even indict TSF with Garland in charge. no_hypocrisy 12 hrs ago #14
Thank for this canetoad 12 hrs ago #15

ananda

(33,207 posts)
1. It's surreal to think of our country's survival...
Sun Sep 21, 2025, 09:39 PM
16 hrs ago

as a matter of risk calculation instead of a matter
of honor and a sense of right and wrong.

Klarkashton

(4,037 posts)
2. He is always being chased by the specter of another
Sun Sep 21, 2025, 09:39 PM
16 hrs ago

Impeachment and or going to prison.

It's his ultimate motivation.

usonian

(20,623 posts)
3. He hires FALL GUYS. Period. It's just a matter of Scaramucci's.
Sun Sep 21, 2025, 10:34 PM
15 hrs ago

Last edited Mon Sep 22, 2025, 12:24 AM - Edit history (1)

Watch “Goodfellas”, “Casino”, “Donnie Brasco” for the mafia mindset (Godfather is long, but also the point)

It’s for the money, and what also takes money is blackmail.

The dirt must be so incredibly horrific (and, yes, it’s what you’re thinking right now) that he would be torn to pieces by a mob.

The “Epstein Event Horizon” is approaching rapidly, and his band of incompetent sycophants can’t stop it.

Everything you see is to cover that up. Crimes? He has the system rigged to dismiss all of them, except the unspeakable.

Joinfortmill

(18,957 posts)
6. The victim was thirteen years old...
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 12:18 AM
14 hrs ago

She withdrew her charges against him because she feared for her life. There may be tapes.

usonian

(20,623 posts)
12. I read about that a while back. There's a court record of the charges.
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 12:45 AM
13 hrs ago

Between Epstein and Putin, you KNOW they recorded stuff. That’s what pervs and blackmailers do.

My guess is that any “tapes” have been digitized and encrypted, so not an easy find.

While there may be few actual custodians, the number of clients and their “status” can’t be hidden forever.

Keep up the pressure and rightly so.

Accountability matters.

AZJonnie

(1,571 posts)
16. I surmise you've not researched that case much ... it has a LOT of "hoax" red flags
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 04:49 AM
9 hrs ago
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/3/13501364/trump-rape-13-year-old-lawsuit-katie-johnson-allegation

The 1 reporter that this alleged victim spoke to (I assume via phone call or video chat) came away doubting whether the person constructed in the complaint even existed IRL. And the allegations are so over-the-top they seriously strain credibility, and they changed from one version of the lawsuit to the next (it was filed twice at least). It's all in the above article, and a lot more is sketchy than just those things.

My assessment is that there's a "conspiracy" around this person, but it's not the one you're thinking



Joinfortmill

(18,957 posts)
17. I wasn't able to access the article from VOX, but here's one from PBS....
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 10:15 AM
4 hrs ago
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/assault-allegations-donald-trump-recapped

My words: There appears to be a corroberating witness to 'Katie Johnson's' testimony. At some point, very soon I believe, the entire sordid mess will be revealed to the public and we will all know the truth. My opinion is that neither Lisa Bloom or her mother, Gloria Alred would ever represent someone bringing a false accusation.

AZJonnie

(1,571 posts)
18. Lisa may have also been taken in by the hoax
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 01:40 PM
46 min ago
Lisa Bloom arranged a press conference for "Jane Doe" in November 2016, but the accuser canceled due to fear from threats and did not appear. Lisa Bloom spoke on her behalf to the press and posted updates on social media regarding the lawsuit's withdrawal. Several news outlets confirm Bloom's role as the attorney conducting media outreach and providing public statements for the plaintiff.


Keep in mind here "would never represent someone bringing a false accusation" inherently involves the word "knowingly". There remains a possibility that not only did the events not happen, but also that the PERSON "Katie Johnson" (as described in the complaint) might not even exist. Bloom may have never met her if all her involvement was is media communications.

I wish you could read the Vox article. The whole situation was sketchy as heck. You probably ran into same issue as me, limit on Vox articles per month. Next time your free article count refreshes, you should check it out. Somebody withdrawing their case just before going to trial, claiming they did so because they feared for their life could be for real, or it also could be because it's a convenient excuse for backing out of a hoax w/o having to prove anything.

"the entire sordid mess will be revealed to the public and we will all know the truth"

Maybe. But I bet it won't involve "Katie Johnson". And then if it does all come out, nothing will happen to Trump except for embarrassment, just like nothing has happened to anyone else but Epstein and Maxwell. Trump is by far the most protected of any of them. If something were going to happen to IQ47 over it, it would have been during the 4 years of Biden, IMHO.

And I think at least ONE of the 15 or so victims we've heard from so far would have named Trump at some point. But none ever have, and Virginia Guiffre, who was practically their concubine when she was 17-18 yo, said under oath she'd never seen Trump with Epstein, nor talked to any other girl who'd ever seen Trump. Remember this case goes back well before 2015 when Trump announced

My own guess is that what Trump is worried about is damage to his reputation because not only did he know what Epstein was up to and said nothing, he'd tried to blackmail Epstein over it because Epstein was also aware of Trump's money-laundering for Russians and didn't want Epstein to expose him. I speculate that's what the "beautiful secrets" birthday note was i.e. a blackmail threat. Let's be "pals" who keep each others "secrets". I think he's obviously worried over the Epstein case, but I don't think it's because he was partaking himself. MHO.

Marie Marie

(10,543 posts)
4. She deserves whatever ills befall her once she is no longer under his umbrella.
Sun Sep 21, 2025, 11:28 PM
14 hrs ago

If she couldn't see what happens to Trump's Loyalists once he tires of them then she really is too stupid to be our AG.

Skittles

(167,527 posts)
5. when one of these Trump whores resigns and spills the beans I will care what they think
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 12:01 AM
14 hrs ago

until then they can all go FUCK THEMSELVES because they are daily helping to FUCK America

alfredo

(60,225 posts)
8. Their lives would become a living hell if
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 12:21 AM
14 hrs ago

they dare show no reverence for the god emperor

Skittles

(167,527 posts)
10. you'd think ONE of them would get tired of the daily humiliation
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 12:38 AM
13 hrs ago

isn't there even a tiny sliver of real patriotism in ANY of these fucking whores, don't they give a fuck about the America their CHILDREN and GRANDKIDS will grow up in, UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

liberalla

(10,687 posts)
13. Yes, I've been sensing real desperation as the walls are closing in and the time is running out.
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 12:47 AM
13 hrs ago

I've also been feeling almost giddy with anticipation.


Let's go!

no_hypocrisy

(53,093 posts)
14. Think about it. It took forever to even indict TSF with Garland in charge.
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 02:12 AM
12 hrs ago

We didn't even get to the trial stage before he was re-elected.

He's inane and stupid, but he knows how to read a calendar. He knows how slow the judicial system is.

canetoad

(19,489 posts)
15. Thank for this
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 02:16 AM
12 hrs ago

Good article. Interesting that the topic of 2026 being a "free and fair" election arose. I assume that it will be rigged by tsf and his cohorts in their attempts to cling to power.

What can be done to stop them?

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