Jackie WoodMar 31, 2023
Dan Gillmor

Journalists, PLEASE put Trump indictment in its proper context:

It wasn't just a payoff to stop something sleazy from becoming public.

The reason they were so keen to keep it secret was to win a presidential election.

That is the issue: This was gross interference with a presidential election -- and it worked.

Mar 30, 2023 at 11:37pmWeb
Show threadnanowizMar 31, 2023

@dangillmor

please remember
#individual1 Lost the popular vote, twice!
#trumpindictment

Show threadDoctor BiobrainMar 31, 2023

@dangillmor By that logic if a candidate hides anything it would be election interference, like telling Twitter to remove links to Hunter Biden’s naughty pictures. And if someone chooses to not talk about a secret affair with a candidate that would be interference.

Sorry, but this was just one part of Trump’s smaller scandals. That’s fine if he’s punished for whatever the crime is, but it’s not that big a deal. If anything, the election interference was Comey’s letter, not stopping this story.

Show threadclacke: exhausted pixie dream boy 🇸🇪🇭🇰💙💛Mar 31, 2023
@biobrain @dangillmor The criminal act is that because it was relevant to the election it was covered by campaign finance law, which he worked around. The he cooked the books further to cover up the coverup.
Show threadDoctor BiobrainMar 31, 2023

@clacke I don’t think we know what the criminal charges are, but I reject the idea that everything relevant to elections is covered by campaign finance laws, since that would mean everything related to a candidate.

So if a candidate thought he could benefit from posting pictures of himself in Hawaii, he can use donor funds to pay for it. And if Trump had convinced Stormy to not say anything without paying money, that’s still election interference.

Show threadSam AdamsMar 31, 2023
@dangillmor Reports say he faces 30 counts related to business fraud.
Show threadDan GillmorMar 31, 2023
@Sameagle That would be great to see, given what a crook he's been for so long...
Show threadMatthew HaugheyMar 31, 2023
@dangillmor also illegally used campaign funds and then tried to hide it, also crimes
Show threadDoug GrinbergsMar 31, 2023
@dangillmor $130K to sway 77K votes in 3 states to swing stupid Electoral College, hijack vanity presidency? ☹️😡 National Popular Vote Interstate Compact NPVIC to neuter unfair EC!
Show threadLisaSoCalMar 31, 2023
@dangillmor which… I mean, I get how aggravating it is. But, is “hiding embarrassing stories” really a crime? To win elections? Seriously? George Santos outright lied about his entire resume to win an election—Apparently not a crime. Catch-n-kill to bury stories that might harm your campaign —- also apparently not a crime. It’s all gross. But, illegal?
Show threadclacke: exhausted pixie dream boy 🇸🇪🇭🇰💙💛Mar 31, 2023

@LisaSoCal @dangillmor LegalEagle goes into all the legal technical issues of the indictment (potential indictment, a few weeks ago):

farside.link/invidious/watch?v…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRbRdE…

Show threadVoronMar 31, 2023
@dangillmor Odds of this call being heeded by major media? <<< Shakes magic eight ball >>>
“Outlook not so good”
Show threadPamelaWaldmanMar 31, 2023
@voron @dangillmor Bingo (mixing metaphors)
Show threadedgeoforever 🍎Mar 31, 2023
@dangillmor also, only a small part of the counts of indictment 😎
Show threadMjMar 31, 2023
@dangillmor though many of his voters would not have cared
Show threadAmy CunninghamMar 31, 2023
@dangillmor exactly
Show threadGATEKEEPERMar 31, 2023
@dangillmor
Trumps not the only one that will fall.
Show threadxs4me2Mar 31, 2023

@dangillmor

The thing is there are a lot more… and GOP keeps on politicizing it.

Simply put, he is a con man and a narcissist with utter disregard for anyone but himself.

The maniac should never ever be allowed near governmental power again!

Show threadGlennMar 31, 2023
@dangillmor Yeah, who does Trump think he is, Ronald Reagan? Ronald Reagan interfered with negotiations over hostages taken in Iran to further his campaign. He later paid the Iranians off with the Iran-Contra deal. When Trump and other Republicans say in connection to Ukraine, "But presidents always use foreign affairs for political purposes" this is what they are talking about. Lawless political behavior is in the GOP DNA.
Show threadmiriam heddyMar 31, 2023
@dangillmor You’re talking to a group of people who are still (by and large) using Elon Musk’s fascist Litter to cover Trump.
Show threadDeelightFullApr 2, 2023

@dangillmor I would like to see a shift in the narrative. Do we have any elected POTUS who did not serve in the military, prior elected position, or a position where they had the public trust?

This indictment is unprecedented because politicians are usually brought down before they win POTUS because of corruption at lower level roles.

Example: Edwin Edwards.

Show threadDeelightFullApr 2, 2023
@dangillmor This should be the narrative. Being a POTUS doesn't make you untouchable. And he has one many bad things that would have stopped anyone before him. But he changed the rules and showed you can just skip everything in between by having no public voting/military record to be held against him in 2016.