Trump's Fascistic Meltdown And His Legal Problems

There was so much to wade through on this morning's totally unhinged rant by unindicted con man Donald "Rump" Trump on his favorite show "Fox and Friends." Spoiler alert: his bellicose ranting got so deranged that even his loyal sycophants on the show felt compelled to cut the "interview" short. New York Magazine's Adam Raymond's summary tells the story:

"Instead of limiting his remarks to self-aggrandizement and exaggerated claims of his success, Trump treated the American public to the type of angry rant we’re used to hearing about secondhand from 'sources.' Even when the hosts tried to steer him toward lighter topics, such as Kanye West’s recent embrace of MAGA, Trump insisted on rehashing grievances about James Comey and the Department of Justice. He also may have done something he’s done before: create legal problems by running his mouth." (emphasis added)

Create legal problems for himself? Go on:

"On Thursday, lawyers representing Trump will be in court to explain how they plan to quickly and efficiently review documents seized from Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal lawyer, in order to identify those protected by attorney-client privilege. Trump made their jobs harder Thursday morning when he attempted to distance himself from Cohen by claiming that the lawyer performs only 'a tiny, tiny little fraction' of his legal work. 
Prosecutors with the Southern District of New York are already using those words against him, arguing that Trump’s claim about Cohen means that it’s unlikely that many of the lawyer’s documents are privileged." (emphasis added)

And more on the Stormy front:

"Three weeks after denying all knowledge of Cohen’s $130,000 hush payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels, Trump appeared to change his story Thursday when he admitted that Cohen represents him 'with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal.'" (emphasis added)

Aside from these shots that Rump fired into his foot, he issued a very ominous threat that should have every decent person who cares about our country ready to rise up. At the end of the rant, Rump threatened to seize control of the Justice Department to prosecute his enemies and to shut down the investigations looking into his connections with Russia and his (likely overlapping) sketchy business dealings. Jonathan Chait observes:

"Trump is making his intentions perfectly clear. He wants the Department of Justice to lock up his political onents and witnesses to his misbehavior. And he wants it to stop investigating his own misdeeds."

The existential danger to the United States and its institutions posed by Rump and his cult cannot be overstated. After running his shady business as an absolute monarch, he sees no problem in applying his warped and unconstitutional view on America and its institutions, as an authoritarian dictator would do. Gutless Rethuglicans won't stop him; we have to at the ballot box and with our voices in the streets.