Law Day 2024

May 1, 2024: Happy Law Day. This day is celebrated around the world as Labor Day (or even Labour Day!), but in the USA we think that’s just for commies who don’t know Labor Day is in September, when last year’s cars go on sale and men burn meat over charcoal outdoors in gratitude.

The 34th president, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, officially established May 1st as Law Day in 1958, and the 45th, former Republican president and felony defendent Donald J. Trump, is celebrating it in 2024 by spending the day in a New York courtroom. Citizen Trump is accused of disguising hush money payments to a porn star and to others through the National Enquirer as legal expenses when they were undeclared campaign expenses, designed to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. From what we know of the Trump Organization, maybe he claimed the adulterous payoffs as business expenses on his tax returns, too.

Donald Trump claims he is as innocent as Jesus Christ and Alphonse Capone, two of his idols.

More:

“Trump’s ‘Hush Money’ Payment Isn’t Illegal In Itself—Here’s Why He’s Actually On Trial,” Alison Durkee, Forbes

“How a hush money scandal turned into a criminal case: The whirlwind history of People v. Trump,” Erica Orden, Politico

Related:

“Trump’s Lawyer Claims the President Is Above the Law,” Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine

“Above the Law,” written by Betty Wright and Angelo Morris, recorded by The O’Jays, 2018.

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Pentagon May Solicit Funds For Trump’s Military Parade

President Trump has ordered a military parade in Washington DC on Veteran’s Day, one with “lots of military flyovers.” Since such a diversion of troops and equipment will cost up to $30 million that isn’t in the defense budget, the Pentagon is considering shaking down soliciting donations from patriotic citizens like, you know, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and  Northrop Grumman.

More:

“Trump directs Pentagon to schedule military parade for Veterans Day,” Eliana Johnson, Politico

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Trump Wants His Own Parade

President Donald Trump (Capt., New York Military Academy High School, retired), who calls the U.S. military leadership “my generals,” has given those leaders their “marching orders.” He wants a parade. A big, magnificent military parade, bigger than the one in Paris on Bastille Day, with thousands of marching troops, flags and bands and military pomp, cannons and missiles and fighter jet overflights, with humvees and tanks and stuff. The parade would go down Pennsylvania Avenue, right past the Trump International Hotel (reserve your room now!), on July 4th. Or Memorial Day. Or maybe Veteran’s Day. It would honor our troops, our president, U.S. military might, our president, America’s proud military tradition, and our brilliant commander-in chief.

A Big League parade. Bigger than Macron’s. Bigger than Eisenhower’s. Bigger than Kim Jong-Un’s. Bigger than Putin’s, or Erdogan’s, or Mao’s, or Mussolini’s or that other guy’s. Oh sure, it would take U.S. troops out of training and take equipment off-line and cost tens of millions of dollars, and the tank treads would chew up DC pavement, but what a grand spectacle!

Donald Trump: Above the Law?

John Dowd, one of President Trump’s lawyers, told Mike Allen of Axios that the president cannot be charged with obstruction of justice:

“The ‘President cannot obstruct justice because he is the chief law enforcement officer under [the Constitution’s Article II] and has every right to express his view of any case.'”

“The Articles of Impeachment against Nixon began by saying he ‘obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice.'”

— “Trump lawyer claims the ‘President cannot obstruct justice,'” Mike Allen, Axios

Presidents can’t obstruct justice? Attorney General Jeff Sessions disagrees. Back in 1999, as an Alabama senator, he said “The facts are disturbing and compelling on the President’s intent to obstruct justice,” he said, referring to Bill Clinton.

“Sessions isn’t alone. More than 40 current GOP members of Congress voted for the impeachment or removal of Clinton from office for obstruction of justice. They include Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell – who mounted his own passionate appeal to remove Clinton from office for obstruction of justice – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, who was a House member at the time. In all, 17 sitting senators supported the obstruction of justice charge against Clinton in 1998 and 1999.”

— “Sessions argued in Clinton impeachment that presidents can obstruct justice,” Kyle Cheney, Politico

More:

“Trump’s Lawyer Claims the President Is Above the Law,” Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine

“Donald Trump’s I-am-the-law defense on the Russia investigation,” Chris Cillizza, CNN

“A bold new legal defense for Trump: Presidents cannot obstruct justice,” Sari Horwitz and Philip Rucker, Washington Post

“19 Times President Trump May Have Obstructed Justice,” Margaret Hartmann, New York Magazine

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Shocker: Violence at Trump Rallies

There are reports of violence at political rallies for reality TV star and billionaire authoritarian thug Donald J. Trump. Who would think that a supporter of  the man who said he’d like to punch protesters in the face would punch a protester in the face? What could drive the campaign manager of a man who has threatened reporters to rough up a reporter?

When little Donny Trump was in second grade, he punched his music teacher in the face. He was so incorrigible that his family finally sent him to military school. Sounds like it’s time for him to re-enroll.

More:

“Donald Trump gives supporters permission to be violent at rallies: ‘I’ll defend you in court,’” Kellan Howell, Washington Times

“Cheers, a punch, a slur. What it’s like in the crowd at a Donald Trump rally.” Stephanie McCrummen, Washington Post

“Why All the Violence at Donald Trump Rallies?” Tom Jacobs, Pacific Standard

“Breitbart reporter is latest victim of the wild media environment created by Donald Trump’s campaign,” Callum Borchers, Washington Post

“Donald Trump and the press, a few notable scuffles,” Cox Media via KRMG