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Culture War Roundup for the week of August 7, 2023

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I never suggested he was threatening violence. In fact I specifically said the opposite. That's not material - it doesn't become legal or acceptable to threaten retaliation against witnesses just because that retaliation is non-violent.

So I ask again - who was he directing that threat towards, if not the witnesses?

A general we are fighting for our side against our enemies political rallying cry.

If we are going to punish someone for that then Maxine Waters needs years. Everybody does it in politics though in her case it’s led directly to violence.

A general we are fighting for our side against our enemies political rallying cry.

Bull.

That is your opinion. But I’m speaking in good faith. I saw the tweet and was shocked when people made a big deal about it.

That’s why I figured it’s just another political game they are playing.

To me it's like you're staring at the blue sky and telling me it's green. It's so obviously a threat.

Trump has a long history of paying back those he believes have wronged him, twice as hard - he brags about about it. It's what many of his supporters love about him! He attacks them relentlessly. Just look at Liz Cheney, or Jeff Sessions, or Bill Barr, or any of the other million people he has a feud with.

For the most part, that's fair game. Politics is a contact sport, you're allowed to do mean tweets. But the rules are different when there's a criminal proceeding underway. You can't bully and attack people like you can during an impeachment process or whatever.

To me, in the context of the current situation, it seemed like a clear warning to anyone who might be thinking of aiding the prosecution that he would go after them in that same way.

Liz Cheney is a war criminal. She’s never disown who dad who lied to the American public leading many to their death.

What has he done to Bill Barr? He in prison? And besides like I said this is political. Liz Cheney got thrown out of the GOP. That’s not witness intimidation. Exposing people for what they are.

What has he done to Bill Barr?

Like I said, mean tweets. For example.

“I think he’s a coward who didn’t do his job,” Trump said. “He was desperately afraid of being impeached… I said, ‘I got impeached twice and my poll numbers went up, not so bad.’ But unfortunately, he was a coward, and we had to live with that… Bill Barr was a mistake. Too bad, but he was a mistake, but you’ll have some of them… He’s certainly friendly with some bad people.”

Trump also called Barr a “very unpatriotic person” and “very, very bad for the country.”

EDIT:

Liz Cheney got thrown out of the GOP. That’s not witness intimidation.

Correct! Because, and this is important, she was not a witness!

As I’ve repeatedly said this is a political trial. If you like you can call it a criminal trial with political meaning at the highest level.

Mean tweets are just not a reason to ban free speech or witness intimidation. As you just said the people you identified suffered no violence. What they did was exposed to the public. And personally I hate Cheney and greatly respect Barr. Witnesses getting themselves exposed to the public positively or negatively isnt intimidation. And due to the political nature if a prosecutor or witness is doing bad things then they should be exposed and their wrongdoings should face daylight.

Witnesses getting themselves exposed to the public positively or negatively isnt intimidation.

USC 1512(d):

(d)Whoever intentionally harasses another person and thereby hinders, delays, prevents, or dissuades any person from— (1)attending or testifying in an official proceeding; (2)reporting to a law enforcement officer or judge of the United States the commission or possible commission of a Federal offense or a violation of conditions of probation 1 supervised release,,1 parole, or release pending judicial proceedings; (3)arresting or seeking the arrest of another person in connection with a Federal offense; or (4)causing a criminal prosecution, or a parole or probation revocation proceeding, to be sought or instituted, or assisting in such prosecution or proceeding; or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both.

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