BREAKING: Dark Garland arises
Well, howdy everyone! We interrupt Trevor's excellent piece for a recap of today's Merrick Garland news.
The Attorney General gave a short statement on the search warrant executed at Donald Trump's residence on Monday. He gave an impassioned defense of the work of Department of Justice and FBI employees. They are now in the crosshairs of deranged individuals being goaded on by Trump and his enablers. We saw this just today in Cincinnati, where the FBI office was attacked by a lone gunman, who is now penned in by local police.
His defense was to be expected. But the big news, if you missed it, was this: he has filed a motion to release the warrant and property receipt.
For days, Trump's sycophants have been chanting that the government must release both pieces of information. And AG Garland gave them what they wanted. But, he did so with a twist.
He offered Trump the opportunity to contest the release of the warrant. In popular parlance, this is what's known as a gangsta move.
Trump could have released his copy of the documents himself any time since Monday. But he played the card that it was up to Justice, not him, to do so. AG Garland has called his bluff. He's willing to release the warrant and property list. But, going by the book, he's giving Trump the chance to object. After all, the release could contain prejudicial information in any future trial.
Trump now finds himself in a pickle. Agree to the release, and his criminality will be there for all to see. Refuse and delay, and the stench of both his fear and his coverup will reach to Olympus. Also, if he objects, it will quite clearly make all the protestations of his defenders as ash. AG Garland is willing to release the information, but Trump will be the one scuppering it. Oh, what a pretty pickle he's in.
The court, meanwhile, isn't giving Trump any time. By 3pm on Friday, August 12, the department must tell it whether or not Trump objects. Keeping the pressure on him is how you treat a criminal. It's all falling apart at lightspeed for him.
AG Garland personally ordered that a warrant be applied for. That's only done for the most exigent of cases. This is as serious as it gets. And what we know of him is that he's very methodical. Non-cultists will trust him over the Orange Caesar. And if Trump runs scared and objects to its release, then he'll lose even more support. No one likes a coward.
Post-script
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, according to 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.
We sent the Rosenbergs to the electric chair for less. Just saying.