Trump supporters and conspiracy theory - Part 2

[Rick Plant]

Trump ridiculed for pleading the Fifth: 'This is exactly what the AG was hoping to achieve'



Former President Donald Trump pleaded the Fifth in a civil lawsuit looking into the Trump Organization in New York state. It was a revelation that comes after years of Trump claiming that only mobsters plead their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Trump previously stated that only guilty people use their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

“You see the mob takes the Fifth,” Trump said in a speech. “If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?”

During a presidential debate with former Secretary Hillary Clinton, Trump claimed, "When you have your staff taking the Fifth Amendment — taking the Fifth, so they're not prosecuted. When you have the man that set up the illegal server taking the Fifth, I think it's disgraceful."

Speaking to the New York Attorney General on Wednesday morning, however, his opinions changed.

"I recall Donald once stating only criminals plead the fifth. I agree…only criminals plead the fifth!" former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen told Raw Story.

Lawyers Tristan Snell and Andrew Weissmann both noted that because the New York Attorney General is doing a civil case into Trump, the fact that he pleaded the Fifth is a bit of information that the court can use to assume there's liability involved on his part. He said that it was something that Attorney General Letitia James actually was hoping for.

Read Legal Experts Tweets in Link: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-ridiculed-pleading-the-fifth/

[Rick Plant]

Mar-a-Lago has 100 rooms — and the FBI would still be searching if they didn't have an informant: ex-prosecutor

The sprawling logistics at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort are yet another indication that the FBI may have an informant inside his operation.

On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that "someone familiar with the stored papers told investigators there may be still more classified documents at the private club after the National Archives retrieved 15 boxes earlier in the year, people familiar with the matter said."

The 20-acre complex is sprawling.

"It was built in 1927 and had 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms and three bomb shelters," USA Today reported Tuesday. "It also had a 1,800-square-foot living room, 1,500-square-foot dining room, a theater, a 75-foot tower, 36,000 antique Spanish tiles and a nine-hole golf course."

The size of the resort could provide important clues, former federal prosecutor Elie Honig explained on CNN.

"I will tell you the one thing that separates the best cops, law enforcement agents, FBI agents from the rest is how good their informant network is," Honig said. "That's how you learn things, that's how you get inside of these organizations."

"And it's really not a surprise because I saw reporting earlier from Tom Foreman saying that Mar-a-Lago is 100 rooms and these are glitzy rooms with all sorts of chandeliers and closets and all that," Honig noted. "They would still be searching that today -- I mean that not hyperbolically — they would still be searching today if they did not know where to look."

"And so it's not at all surprising they had specific information, 'look here,' got what they needed, and out in a few hours," Honig concluded.

Watch:

Intel expert: Trump will suffer paranoia as he hunts for Mar-a-Lago mole because he has ‘no one to trust’



Donald Trump may have trust issues in his marriage as he seeks to find out the mole who reportedly was instrumental in the FBI search warrant executed at Mar-a-Lago on Monday.

On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that following a June meeting with the FBI at Mar-a-Lago, "someone familiar with the stored papers told investigators there may be still more classified documents at the private club after the National Archives retrieved 15 boxes earlier in the year, people familiar with the matter said."

Following the report, prominent conservative attorney George Conway wondered on Twitter, "Who is CI-1?"

Under standard abbreviation in a federal court filing, "CI-1" would refer to the first "confidential information" mentioned, with subsequent CIs receiving subsequent numbers.

Peter Strzok, who served as deputy assistant FBI director running the counterintelligence division responded to Conway, wondering "And -2? And -3?"

Strzok posted a photo of legendary CIA counterintelligence official James Angelton, who was the top Russian spy hunter for two decades during the cold war.

"So much paranoia in a mole hunt, no one to trust, so much to do, so much to lose, so many walls closing in so fast," Strzok explained.

He noted it also "might be Melanie" Trump, the former president's third wife who spent four years as his first lady.

Conway added, "If there's probable cause for a physical search, there could be probable cause to intercept electronic communications and phone calls."

Read More Here:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/fbi-quest-for-trump-documents-started-with-breezy-chats-tour-of-a-crowded-closet-11660169349

[Rick Plant]

Far-Right Extremists Are Violently Threatening the Trump Search-Warrant Judge
https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy73pk/fbi-warrant-judge-reinhart-doxxed


Here's the 'near-identical script' Republicans are using to reframe Trump investigation as a war on America



On Wednesday, People Magazine published an analysis of the "near-identical scripts" of talking points Republicans are using in the wake of the FBI search warrant at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago country club in Palm Beach, Florida — and how it is all designed to deflect any possibility the investigation is legitimate and frame it as tyranny or a war on America.

"A number of talking points are being echoed in far-right groups following news that Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home was visited by FBI agents executing a federal search warrant on Monday," said the report. "Some Republican officials, as well as conservative outlets like Fox News, are offering up near-identical descriptions of the search."

Among the phrases commonly used are "banana republic," used by politicians like Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO); "civil war," used by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and a flood of Trump supporters on social media; "Department of Injustice," also used by Boebert; the idea that the FBI search warrant was a "raid," used by Greene and in fundraising emails by the Republican National Committee; and the idea that the FBI is President Joe Biden's "Gestapo," used by Boebert, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), and Steve Bannon.

In reality, the warrant — part of an investigation into classified documents that were improperly removed as Trump and his allies departed the White House — was independently approved by a federal magistrate judge, and there is no evidence Biden even had knowledge of it.

Trump himself has lashed out at the probe, calling it "political targeting at the highest level" and a "Witch Hunt" — identical language that he used to disparage the Mueller investigation and both impeachment investigations.

Notably, Trump and his officials are also refusing to release a copy of the FBI's warrant, which — while it likely wouldn't reveal all the details of why the FBI is investigating him — would at least give more insight into what the FBI was searching for.

Read More Here:

https://people.com/politics/unpacking-far-right-terminology-aiming-to-discredit-federal-investigation-into-trump/


Trump 'has a snitch in his midst' who led the FBI to the documents: Watergate prosecutor



On Wednesday's edition of MSNBC's "The ReidOut," Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman analyzed the fear among allies of former President Donald Trump that a "snitch" might be cooperating with the FBI.

This comes amid an FBI search warrant being executed at Trump's Mar-a-Lago country club in Palm Beach, Florida — which has led to an explosion of fury from Republican lawmakers and pundits, and has rank and file Trump supporters calling for civil war.

"Nick, one of the things that you're hearing from Trump world is that somebody ratted us out, right? There's a leak," said anchor Jason Johnson. "It means that somebody there is incentivized to tell the FBI hey, look, it's in the kitchen behind the knife, behind, you know, the statue, etcetera, etcetera. do you think the FBI's ability to go in and out fairly quickly and obtain these boxes was because they had a pretty good idea where they were to begin with because they had to get documentation before, or do you really think that somebody in Trump world perhaps under investigation for some other reason gave them this information and said, hey, if you turn left when you go to the second bathroom, I think you'll be interested in what you find under the cover?"

"Oh, I think somebody in Trump's world did give them information," said Akerman. "I mean, not only do you need probable cause that a crime was committed, you need probable cause that the evidence of the crime exists in Mar-a-Lago, and it has to be recent ... you know, this whole business with classified documents, we don't really know if that's what this was all about because the source on all of this are the Donald Trump people who were at Mar-a-Lago. I mean, this is not government sources."

"Certainly there had to be somebody who was an insider that basically directed the FBI agents as to where this was in order for this information not to be stated," continued Akerman. "It's got to be in the last 30 days, so Donald Trump probably does have a snitch in hits midst, and what we really don't know is what exactly they were looking for and what it is they seized. Now, Donald Trump has the ability to clear this up pretty quickly by turning over to the public the search warrant. That would give us the details of what they were looking for and where they were looking for it because where they were looking for it, if they knew it was in the safe. You don't put classified documents you're trying to steal, necessarily, in a safe. There are all kinds of things he could be using, and putting in the safe, and he also has the inventory of everything that was taken."

"If we had that information, we'd have a much better idea of what is going on, what was taken, why the search was done and what the purpose of it was," said Akerman. "I mean, all of this other stuff is exactly what the Trump people have been doing over the last year about claiming that the elect was stolen. It's the same nonsense that we've been listening to for the last four years."

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

Donald Trump once said "I have the best words" but when given the opportunity to use them yesterday, he pleaded the fifth more than four hundred times.

[Rick Plant]

Merrick Garland announces DOJ will seek to unseal search warrant of Trump's Mar-a-Lago — and he personally approved it



WASHINGTON, D.C. — Attorney General Merrick Garland delivered remarks on Thursday afternoon days after the FBI conducted a search warrant at President Donald Trump's Florida home at Mar-a-Lago.

"Since I became attorney general, I have made clear that the Department of Justice will speak through its court filings and its work," Garland began. "Just now the justice Department has filed a motion in the southern district of florida to unseal a search warrant and property receipt relating to a court-approved search that the FBI conducted earlier this week. that search was a premises located in Florida belonging to the former president. The department did not make any public statements on the day of the search. The former president publicly confirmed the search that evening, as is his right."

The motion to unseal the search warrant doesn't give any details, however.

President Donald Trump and his lawyers were given the search warrant, but he said that he wouldn't make it public. The judge who signed off on it, however, asked the Justice Department to consider it.

"Where possible, it is standard practice to seek less intrusive means as an alternative to a search and to narrowly scope any search that is undertaken," Garland also said. This is a confirmation that the DOJ had been working with Trump to obtain the documents through other means prior to the search warrant. The New York Times reported Thursday morning that they had subpoenaed the information from Trump earlier this spring.

Garland revealed that he personally signed off on the act and went on to emphatically chastise those attacking the Justice Department and the FBI implying improper behavior.

"Let me address recent unfounded attacks on the professionalism of the FBI and Justice Department agents and prosecutors. I will not stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked," he said. "The men and women of the FBI and the Justice Department are dedicated, patriotic public servants. Every day they protect the American people from violent crime, terrorism, and other threats to their safety while safeguarding our civil rights. They do so at great personal sacrifice and risk to themselves. I am honored to work alongside them."

AFP


Merrick Garland called Donald Trump’s bluff: legal expert



Attorney General Merrick Garland held a press conference on Thursday revealing the Department of Justice has moved to unseal the Mar-a-Lago search warrant and redacted property receipt listing the items seized.

Following the press conference, former federal prosecutor Elie Honig offered his analysis during a CNN interview.

"We essentially saw Merrick Garland call Donald Trump's bluff," Honig said. "So essentially Merrick garland said, 'Okay, Donald Trump, you're not going to release them, we're going to do it, we're going to put those documents in front of the American public.'"

Honig also explained what he's looking for if the documents are unsealed.

"The warrant typically will list logistical information, place to be searched, usually a general description of items to be searched for, the name of the judge, a deadline by which DOJ has to execute the search," Honig said.

"But it also sometimes has what we call an attachment," he explained. "That attachment typically will list the statutes, the laws that DOJ believes it has probable cause to believe were violated. So that's going to be the first thing I look for. I'm going to look right at that attachment and say do they list the statutes, that's going to tell us what laws could be at play here."

The motion to unseal the documents asks the judge to unseal the search warrant "including Attachments A and B."

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

FBI searched Mar-a-Lago for classified ‘nuclear weapons’ documents: report



Explosive new information is coming out about the focus of the FBI search warrant executed at Mar-a-Lago on Monday.

"Classified documents relating to nuclear weapons were among the items FBI agents sought in a search of former president Donald Trump’s Florida residence on Monday," The Washington Post reported, citing "people familiar with the investigation."

"Experts in classified information said the unusual search underscores deep concern among government officials about the types of information they thought could be located at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club and potentially in danger of falling into the wrong hands," the newspaper reported. "Material about nuclear weapons is especially sensitive and usually restricted to a small number of government officials, experts said. Publicizing details about U.S. weapons could provide an intelligence road map to adversaries seeking to build ways of countering those systems. And other countries might view exposing their nuclear secrets as a threat, experts said."

David Laufman, the former head of the Justice Department’s counterintelligence section, explained the significance if the report is true.

"If that is true, it would suggest that material residing unlawfully at Mar-a-Lago may have been classified at the highest classification level,” Laufman said. “If the FBI and the Department of Justice believed there were top secret materials still at Mar-a-Lago, that would lend itself to greater ‘hair-on-fire’ motivation to recover that material as quickly as possible.”

Trumpland was reportedly "caught off guard" by Attorney General Merrick Garland's call to unseal the search warrant so the public would learn more details.

Read the full report: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/08/11/garland-trump-mar-a-lago/

[Rick Plant]

‘Signals intel’ at Mar-a-Lago makes Trump’s scandal look so much worse: experts



While the world was shocked after The Washington Post dropped the bombshell report that the FBI was searching Mar-a-Lago for nuclear weapons documents, some national security experts were also shocked that "signals intelligence" was recovered from Donald Trump's Florida home.

"Former senior intelligence officials said in interviews that during the Trump administration, highly classified intelligence about sensitive topics, including about intelligence-gathering on Iran, was routinely mishandled," the newspaper reported. "One former official said the most highly classified information often ended up in the hands of personnel who didn’t appear to have a need to possess it or weren’t authorized to read it. That former official also said signals intelligence — intercepted electronic communications like emails and phone calls of foreign leaders — was among the type of information that often ended up with unauthorized personnel. Such intercepts are among the most closely guarded secrets because of what they can reveal about how the United States has penetrated foreign governments."

That pattern may not have ended when Trump left the White House after losing the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden.

"A person familiar with the inventory of 15 boxes taken from Mar-a-Lago in January indicated that signals intelligence material was included in them," the newspaper reported. "The precise nature of the information was unclear."

Former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal tweeted, "Signals intelligence (like electronic intercepts) are some of the most sensitive and secretive material in the US."

"There are a host of special markings and protections on every such document," Katyal noted.

The fact signals intelligence was reportedly recovered at Mar-a-Lago shocked national security professionals.

Retired USAF Gen. Michael Hayden, who served as director of the NSA and CIA, simply tweeted, "Jesus Christ."

Bill Kristol, who served as Vice President Dan Quayle's chief of staff, offered his analysis.

"It’s been a while since I was in government, but signals intelligence—man, you are really not supposed to mess around with that," he wrote.

He wondered if it might be connected to Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

"People ask why Trump would keep docs," he added. "Plenty of possible reasons. E.g.—and this example is pure speculation: Signals intel on MBS and [Jamal] Khashoggi, or on Saudi nukes, are the kind of docs you’d want in case you had to remind the Saudis to keep the $ coming."

Historian Claire Potter wrote, "If it was you or I who, and not Trump, who were in possession of top secret documents about nuclear weapons, or signals intel--well, you or I would be in handcuffs in a very bright room with glam rock playing in our ears. Yet he plays the victim."

Journalist Kurt Eichenwald wrote, "I never thought there was anything left that Trump could do that could shock me. But THIS? He took nuclear weapons and signals intel documents to his g*dd**n golf resort? Ok, I will finally say it. Lock him up."

Former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes was asked about the reporting during an interview with MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell.

Rhodes said, "I keep coming back to the fact that — how unusual, how remarkably unusual it would be for anybody to be keeping this information, frankly even like while you are in the White House. It's not like you need to keep records of the stuff if you are the president of the United States."

Watch: