Intro

I've posted many times about the "con-man" tactics and persona of Donald Trump. Perhaps his most egregious "con" is his never-ending "Big Lie" that he actually won the 2020 presidential election because it was "rigged." Another "con" is his past claim that he would end the Ukraine/Russia war in 24 hours.

More recent "cons" include his claim that gasoline is selling for $1.99 a gallon, and that because of his tariffs, the U.S. has already taken in "TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS."

I've said this before but it's worth repeating: Trump's "cons" are a form of gaslighting designed to confuse, distract, and challenge objective reality. Using this tactic, he has convinced millions of otherwise reasonable and rational human beings to vote for him. In my opinion, Trump's "cons" are the major reason we find ourselves in this hyper-political environment, putting our democracy at great risk.

Here's a short list of articles I've previously posted about "con-man" Trump:

• May 4, 2025: "In ABC News Interview Trump Insists Abrego Garcia has the Actual Letters and Numbers 'MS13' Tatooed on his Fingers"
• May 2, 2025: "In Time Interview Trump Claims his Prior Statements about Ending the War in Ukraine on 'Day One' were Said in 'Jest'"
• Feb 22, 2025: "Op-Ed | Trump, MAGA, and the Blurring and Rejection of Objective Reality"
• Aug 8, 2022: "Op-Ed | A Message to Those Who Support Donald Trump and the Ongoing 'Stolen' 2020 Election Narrative: Belief is Not Fact"
• May 27, 2021: "Op-Ed | Continued GOP Support for Donald Trump is a Huge Mistake"
• Aug 24, 2020: "Op-Ed | 2020 U.S. Presidential Election | Trump | What Kind of Person do We Want to Lead Our Country?"
• Mar 17, 2019: "Op-Ed | President Donald Trump | the 'New Normal' Drug"

Now, in his second term as president, Trump has taken his tactics to a new level. Knowing he no longer has to be concerned about running for reelection, he is using extortion in order to pressure various entities into doing what he wants. These entities include:

• Brazil
• Other Countries and Companies
• Law Firms
• Universities
• CBS and Paramount Global
• Sanctuary Cities
• Washington Commanders

The online Cambridge Dictionary defines the word "egregious" as follows:

extremely bad in a way that is very noticeable

extreme; beyond any reasonable degree

The online Cambridge Dictionary defines the word "extortion" as follows:

the act of getting something, especially money, by force or threats

Feb 2, 2026 Update

Today, Trump posted the following on Truth Social:

Strongly Antisemitic Harvard University has been feeding a lot of "nonsense" to The Failing New York Times. Harvard has been, for a long time, behaving very badly! They wanted to do a convoluted job training concept, but it was turned down in that it was wholly inadequate and would not have been, in our opinion, successful. It was merely a way of Harvard getting out of a large cash settlement of more than 500 Million Dollars, a number that should be much higher for the serious and heinous illegalities that they have committed. This should be a Criminal, not Civil, event, and Harvard will have to live with the consequences of their wrongdoings. In any event, this case will continue until justice is served. Dr. Alan Garber, the President of Harvard, has done a terrible job of rectifying a very bad situation for his institution and, more importantly, America, itself. He was hired AFTER the antisemitism charges were brought - I wonder why??? We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University. As The Failing New York Times clearly stated, "Some connected to the University, however, think Harvard has no option but to eventually cut a deal. The Administration has repeatedly attempted to cut off research grants, which would be an untenable crises. Like many major research universities, Harvard relies on federal funding for its financial model." Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Nov 3, 2025 Update

Senate rejects Trump's global tariffs, the final vote in a series of rebukes | Politico

Aug 21, 2025 Update

Today, Trump posted the following on Truth Social:

FREE TINA PETERS, a brave and innocent Patriot who has been tortured by Crooked Colorado politicians, including the big Mail-In Ballot supporting the governor of the State. Let Tina Peters out of jail, RIGHT NOW. She did nothing wrong, except catching the Democrats cheat in the Election. She is an old woman, and very sick. If she is not released, I am going to take harsh measures!!!!

Source:

Trump, Donald. (August 21, 2025). "Donald J. Trump | Truth Social Post". Truth Social. Retrieved 2025-08-21.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold responded, saying that both Peters and Trump are "election-denying criminals who put their need for power ahead of the American people." She also said that Trump is trying to "rewrite the 2020 election."

Peters is a convicted felon. Last year she was convicted on three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty, and failing to comply with the secretary of state.

Griswold said that because Peters was convicted in state court, there's nothing Trump can do to reverse the jury's decision.

Source:

Aguilar, John. (August 21, 2025). "Jena Griswold fires back after Trump calls — again — for Tina Peters' release and threatens 'harsh measures'". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2025-08-21.

Bort, Ryan; McCann Ramirez, Nikki. (August 21, 2025). "Trump Calls for Another Convicted Felon to Be Set Free". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2025-08-21.

Because Peters was convicted in a state court, Trump has no pardon authority.

Of course, never mind the law when it comes to Trump, because he's a wannabe dictator who thinks he's above the law.

Surely, Trump realizes he has no authority to pardon, so instead he threatens Colorado with "harsh measures!" unless they free Peters.

Extortion and egregious behavior don't get any more blatant than this!

Brazil

On July 9, 2025, Trump posted a letter on Truth Social that he sent to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (read the entire letter in the Appendix at the end of this post).

Trump begins the letter by calling Brazil's prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro an "international disgrace" and a "witch hunt." Trump continues by saying he will impose a 50% tariff on all Brazilian goods starting August 1, 2025. Trump says the reason for the tariffs is Brazil's "insidious attacks on Free Elections" and the "fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans." Trump also says the current trade relationship between the U.S. and Brazil is "very unfair."

On July 18, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the following announcement on X:

.@POTUS made clear that his administration will hold accountable foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States. Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes's political witch hunt against Jair Bolsonaro created a persecution and censorship complex so sweeping that it not only violates basic rights of Brazilians, but also extends beyond Brazil's shores to target Americans. I have therefore ordered visa revocations for Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members effective immediately.

On July 30, 2025, Trump issued an executive order entitled "ADDRESSING THREATS TO THE UNITED STATES BY THE GOVERNMENT OF BRAZIL".

In the executive order Trump declares a "national emergency" stating:

As President of the United States, my highest duty is protecting the national security, foreign policy, and economy of this country. Recent policies, practices, and actions of the Government of Brazil threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. Members of the Government of Brazil have taken actions that interfere with the economy of the United States, infringe the free expression rights of United States persons, violate human rights, and undermine the interest the United States has in protecting its citizens and companies. Members of the Government of Brazil are also politically persecuting a former President of Brazil, which is contributing to the deliberate breakdown in the rule of law in Brazil, to politically motivated intimidation in that country, and to human rights abuses.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that the scope and gravity of the recent policies, practices, and actions of the Government of Brazil constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States, to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and hereby declare a national emergency with respect to that threat.

The executive order also adds an additional 40% tariff on Brazil, bringing the total Brazilian tariff to 50%, and that the 40% increase will begin "7 days after the date of this order."

According to an article published by Reuters entitled "Trump spat leaves Brazil holding world's worst tariff hand":

And, importantly, the impasse is rooted in politics, not economics. Brazil is one of the few major economies with which the United States runs a trade surplus. Indeed, it has done so every year since 2007, with last year's goods surplus clocking in at $6.8 billion on a total trade volume of $91.5 billion, U.S. Census Bureau figures show.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva responded stating:

There's no reason to be afraid. I am worried, obviously, because we have economic interests, political interests, technological interests. But at no point will Brazil negotiate as if it were a small country up against a big country. Brazil will negotiate as a sovereign country.

In politics between two states, the will of neither should prevail. We always need to find the middle ground. This is achieved not by puffing out your chest and shouting about things you can't deliver, nor by bowing your head and simply saying 'amen' to whatever the United States wants.

Brazilians and Americans do not deserve to be victims of politics, if the reason President Trump is imposing this tax on Brazil is because of the case against former President Bolsonaro.

In March of this year, a five-member panel of Brazil's Supreme Court voted unanimously that former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro should stand trial for allegedly attempting to stage a coup against current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Read more about this in an HWR post entitled "Pro-Bolsonaro Protesters Storm Presidential Offices, Congress and Supreme Court in Brazil" and an ABC News article entitled "What to know about the trial of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro".

Reading the executive order, it's painfully obvious that at least part of the reason Trump imposed an additional 40% tariff on Brazil is because he disagrees with the prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro:

The Government of Brazil has unjustly charged Bolsonaro with multiple crimes related to Bolsonaro's 2022 runoff election, and the Supreme Court of Brazil has misguidedly ruled that Bolsonaro must stand trial for these unjustified criminal charges. Political persecution, through drummed up prosecutions, threatens the orderly development of Brazil's political, administrative, and economic institutions, including undermining the ability of Brazil to hold a free and fair election of the presidency in 2026. The Government of Brazil's treatment of former President Bolsonaro also contributes to the deliberate breakdown in the rule of law in Brazil, to politically motivated intimidation in that country, and to human rights abuses.

Of course, the executive order gives no evidence whatsoever to backup Trump's claims. In other words, it's just his own opinion, which is derived from gross exaggerations, the rejection of objective reality, conspiracy theories, half-truths, his narcissistic and vindictive persona, and his massive, out of control ego.

Trump and Bolsonaro are "two peas in a pod" as far as their political ideology and persona are concerned. They also went through very similar experiences: Bolsonaro during the 2022 presidential election in Brazil, and Trump during the 2024 presidential election in the U.S (which you can read about in an HWR post entitled "Pro-Bolsonaro Protesters Storm Presidential Offices, Congress and Supreme Court in Brazil".

We all know that Trump still feels outraged by the "rigged" 2024 presidential election and his loss to Joe Biden. It's something he still hasn't moved beyond, and he's doing everything in his power to rewrite history and erase anything associated with it. Obviously, Trump sympathizes with Bolsonaro, and that is undoubtedly playing into Trump's inclusion of Bolsonaro into his executive order.

The executive order goes on and on, ad nauseam, about the Brazilian government unjustly targeting American citizens by censoring online platform accounts, blocking the ability to raise money on platforms, changing content moderation policies, changing enforcement practices, changing algorithms in ways that might cause censorship of content and accounts, and providing user account data.

The order also makes claims about Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, stating he has targeted political opponents, shielded corrupt allies, suppressed dissent, authorized politically motivated police raids, arrests, and bank account freezes, authorized the confiscation of passports, jailed individuals without trial for social media posts, opened unprecedented criminal investigations, issued secret censorship orders to U.S. social media companies, imposed substantial fines on U.S., ordered the suspension of U.S. companies, and threatened U.S. company executives with criminal prosecution.

Yeah, that's a lot of "gripes!"

I'm not going to spend precious time investigating each and every Trump claim. What I will say is that I am sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that as always, Trump's claims are exaggerated, based on incomplete and in some cases erroneous information, and potentially just downright lies. I will also say that without a doubt, Trump's claims are heavily influenced by his intense dislike for liberals and his intent to squelch anything that doesn't align with his political beliefs and policies.

As I noted, the United States has run a trade surplus with Brazil since 2007. How does that constitute a "very unfair" trade relationship?

Trump said his order would go into effect in "7 days." Translation: The Brazilian president has seven days to contact Trump, get down on his knees, beg for mercy, and make amends...OR ELSE!

This is extortion.

There is no "national emergency."

Trump is just using his authority to say there is an emergency to justify his 40% tariffs, and to justify whatever else he chooses to impose on Brazil before this pathetic, egregious abuse of power by Trump is done and over with.

Other Countries and Companies

During his second term, Trump has imposed or threatened to impose tariffs on many countries around the world.

On April 2, 2025, Trump announced that a 10% tariff on all imported goods would take effect on April 5, 2025 (what he called "Liberation Day"), and that additional tariffs on dozens of other countries would take effect in four days. In the executive order accompanying his announcement, Trump declared a national emergency created by "foreign trade and economic practices" and "posed by the large and persistent trade deficit," and he cited the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to justify his tariffs.

On July 31, 2025, Trump issued an executive order imposing "reciprocal" tariffs ranging from 10% to 41% on a long list of countries.

Targeting Russia, On July 14, 2025 Trump said he could impose "very severe" secondary tariffs on Russia if the war in Ukraine is not ended in 50 days. The secondary tariffs would target countries who purchase oil from Russia. Then, on July 28, 2025 Trump shortened the deadline to 10-12 days. Although Trump's threat is ultimately against Russia (potentially decreasing oil sales), it's other countries who would pay the tariffs.

Targeting India, On July 14, 2025 Trump signed an executive imposing an additional 25% tariff on goods from India (because it continues to buy Russian oil), to take effect in 21 days, bringing total tariffs on India to 50%.

Trump has also used the threat of tariffs against certain business entities by targeting their products.

On May 23, 2025, Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on smartphones (and a 50% tax on all imports from the European Union), unless those products are made in America. This threat, along with the still-undetermined tariff amounts that will be imposed on China, would have a huge impact on the cost of iPhone assembly and it's parent company Apple. This threat was significant enough to cause Apple CEO Tim Cook to announce another $100 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing today (August 6, 2025), in addition to a $500 billion investment announced February 24, 2025.

On May 28, 2025, in response to two different lawsuits claiming that Trump's tariffs exceed his authority, the U.S. Court of International Trade judges ruled against Trump, saying the tariffs lacked "any identifiable limits" and found that the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not "delegate an unbounded tariff authority to the President."

Trump appealed the ruling by the U.S. Court of International Trade, and on July 31, 2025, 11 judges on the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. heard arguments.

So, at present, we don't know what the official, final legal ruling is on Trump's tariff's, and it's possible the lawsuit might end up at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Regardless of the outcome of the legal battle, Trump's tactics amount to extortion.

You can argue that he threatens to impose tariffs only to initiate negotiations, but I think that's missing an integral part of Trump's intent, which is to impose his authority and use his power as president just because he can. In some cases, like Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his intent is blatantly political.

As was the case with Brazil, Trump declared a "national emergency" regarding tariffs on "Liberation Day."

There is no "national emergency." That's just more Trump gaslighting, trying to make us all believe something that isn't true.

Law Firms

On April 22, 2025, I posted an article entitled "Trump Issues Executive Orders Targeting Specific Law Firms". In that post I discuss ten executive orders issued by Trump over the period February 25 through April 9, I list the nine firms that fought back against the orders, and I list the nine firms that capitulated to Trump by coming to some sort of agreement.

By reviewing one of Trump's executive orders in greater detail, it will become crystal clear that the claims and actions stated in the executive order (which are similar to those in Trump's nine other executive orders) amount to extortion.

On March 14, 2025 Trump issued an executive order entitled "ADDRESSING RISKS FROM PAUL WEISS" targeting law firm Paul Weiss specifically.

Here's a generic list of what the order instructs the U.S. government to do:

• Suspend active security clearances for Paul Weiss employees and Mark Pomerantz (a lawyer previously employed at Paul Weiss)
• Stop providing government goods, property, material, and services, provided for the benefit of Paul Weiss
• Require government contractors to disclose any business they do with Paul Weiss
• Terminate government contracts associated with Paul Weiss
• Potentially limit official access to Federal Government buildings to employees of Paul Weiss
• Potentially limit Government employees acting in their official capacity from engaging with Paul Weiss employees
• Refrain from hiring employees of Paul Weiss

An article on the Business Insider website entitled "Here's where all the firms in the Trump-Big Law fight stand" noted that Trump's directive about government building access could also include federal courthouses.

Essentially, Trump's executive order "black lists" Paul Weiss, which, simply by it's issuance could have a detrimental effect on the firms reputation. Obviously, beyond that the actions themselves would have a further detrimental impact on the Paul Weiss law firm. It puts Paul Weiss in a situation where the firm either just accepts what's going to happen, or it capitulates and tries to make some kind of deal with Trump. Practically speaking, the executive order is saying, "make a deal with me, or else." In other words, extortion.

Exploring Trump's deeper reasons for issuing this executive order, you might recall that during the 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference Trump said:

I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.

In the first section of the executive order Trump states:

In 2021, a Paul Weiss partner and former leading prosecutor in the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller brought a pro bono suit against individuals alleged to have participated in the events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, on behalf of the District of Columbia Attorney General.

In 2022, Paul Weiss hired unethical attorney Mark Pomerantz, who had previously left Paul Weiss to join the Manhattan District Attorney's office solely to manufacture a prosecution against me and who, according to his co-workers, unethically led witnesses in ways designed to implicate me.

Obviously, and blatantly, this order is about retribution. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just another Trump sycophant, living in Trump's make-believe world where he is always the victim and never does anything wrong.

Any way you slice it, Trump's executive order is extortion, based on retribution.

Universities

The Trump administration has targeted a long list U.S. colleges and universities, threatening to suspend billions of dollars in federal funding and research grants, alleging civil rights violations related to antisemitism and affirmative action.

Those institutions include Columbia University, Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, Duke University, Princeton University, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Minnesota, Portland State University, and most recently the University of California, Los Angeles.

On July 29, 2025, UCLA reached a $6 million settlement with three Jewish students and a Jewish professor who sued the university, claiming it violated their civil rights by allowing pro-Palestinian protesters in 2024 to block their access to classes and other areas on campus.

That same day, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to Dr. Michael Drake, president of the University of California, part of which states:

Based on our investigation, we have found that UCLA's response to its students' complaints of antisemitism on UCLA's campus violated its obligations under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Having determined that UCLA was deliberately indifferent to the hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students created by the protest encampment, the Department now seeks to enter into a voluntary resolution agreement with the University to ensure that the hostile environment is eliminated and reasonable steps are taken to prevent its recurrence.

On August 6, 2025, UCLA announced that $584 million of federal funds had been frozen.

On August 8, 2025, the Trump administration targeted the University of California-Los Angeles, seeking $1 billion as part of a sweeping settlement agreement that would resolve alleged civil rights violations, and $172 million for Jewish students and other individuals affected by the alleged violations.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he would sue the Trump administration:

He [Trump] has threatened us through extortion with a billion-dollar fine, unless we do his bidding. We will not be complicit in this kind of attack on academic freedom on this extraordinary public institution.

Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education said:

UCLA is not a random selection. The administration has had issues with California, with the governor, for some time. This is part of a larger battle between the administration and the state of California.

UCLA acted in good faith and had reached a settlement, but that wasn't enough for the Trump administration. The administration chose, based on a long description of events in the July 29, 2025 DOJ letter, much of which is related to the Pro-Palestinian encampment which took place on the UCLA campus in the spring of 2024, to further punish UCLA by assessing an exorbitant fee.

Gavin Newsom said it. This is extortion, blatant extortion. And, as Trump has said, this is "retribution."

CBS and Paramount Global

On July 1, 2025, Paramount Global (the parent company of CBS) announced it had reached a $16 million settlement with Trump over a lawsuit filed by Trump last October. The lawsuit claimed that CBS News deceptively edited comments made by then presidential candidate Kamala Harris on its "60 Minutes" program in favor of Democrats.

Trump originally sought $10 billion in damages when he filed the lawsuit, then later increased that amount to $20 billion in February of this year, adding a federal claim alleging false advertising and unfair competition.

Paramount said the settlement does not include a statement of apology or regret.

The FCC (U.S. Federal Communications Commission) was in the process of reviewing Paramount's planned merger with Skydance Media. As president, Trump had the power to keep that merger from approval.

Source:

(July 2, 2025). "Paramount, President Trump reach $16 million settlement over '60 Minutes' lawsuit". CBS News. Retrieved 2025-08-04.

Glynn, Paul. (July 2, 2025). "Paramount to pay Trump $16m to settle 60 Minutes lawsuit". BBC. Retrieved 2025-08-04.

It doesn't take a college degree to read between the lines on this one. We know how vindictive and ruthless Trump is. Surely he would have had the FCC throw a "monkey-wrench" into Paramount's planned merger if Paramount had not agreed to settle the lawsuit.

You can say this was just Trump using "leverage" to get what he wants, but that's B.S.

This was extortion.

Sanctuary Cities

On November 17, 2017, during Trump's first term as president, federal Judge William Orrick blocked an executive order issued by Trump that would withhold federal money from local governments (sanctuary cities) for their noncompliance with immigration authorities. Orrick said that the order was "unduly coercive" and that it violated the separation of powers by instructing government officials to enact a defunding provision, which only the U.S. Congress has the authority to do. In September of 2017, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber issued a similar ruling.

On April 28, 2025, during his second term as president, Trump issued an executive order entitled "PROTECTING AMERICAN COMMUNITIES FROM CRIMINAL ALIENS". The accompanying Fact Sheet with the order states that "Sanctuary jurisdictions that do not comply with federal law may lose federal funding."

After the issuance of that executive order, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed several lawsuits against "sanctuary jurisdictions" seeking to compel compliance with federal law. On July 24, 2025, the DOJ filed a lawsuit against New York City.

On August 6, 2025, the DOJ published a list of states, cities, and counties "identified as having policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws."

Learn more about sanctuary cities in an article entitled "Can Sanctuary Cities Survive the Second Trump Administration?"

The Trump administration is trying to coerce sanctuary cities to comply by threatening to withhold federal funds, the same way it has threatened universities.

This is extortion.

Washington Commanders

On July 20, 2025, Donald Trump posted the following on Truth Social (bold added for emphasis):

My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way. I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original "Washington Redskins," and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, "Washington Commanders," I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone. Cleveland should do the same with the Cleveland Indians. The Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change. What he doesn't understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election. Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!

Source:

Trump, Donald. (July 20, 2025). "Donald J. Trump | Truth Social Post". Truth Social. Retrieved 2025-08-02.

To be clear, this is blatant extortion. This is "God-King" Trump using his position as president to pressure the Washington Commanders to change their team name back to the Washington Redskins. It's an egregious abuse of power.

Read more about this in an ESPN article entitled "Trump threatens stadium deal over Commanders' name."

Final Thoughts

In addition to being a "con-man" and an extortionist, Donald Trump is also a convicted criminal.

A jury of his peers found him guilty of sexual abuse and defamation in a lawsuit brought by E. Jean Carroll.

A jury of his peers found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in a lawsuit brought by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

After leaving the courtroom on the day his verdict was announced, Trump said:

This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people. They know what happened, and everyone knows what happened here.

In typical Trump fashion, just like he did with his loss in the 2020 presidential election, he dismissed his Manhattan verdict by claiming it was "rigged," and by trying to gaslight the public by claiming that everyone knows it was "rigged." Of course Trump had no evidence suggesting there was malfeasance. His claims fly in the face of the fact that his own lawyers participated in the jury selection process. In terms of gaslighting, this one is about as egregious as it can get.

How do you think Trump and MAGA, Republicans in Congress, and right-wing media would have responded if Joe Biden had been convicted of these same crimes? The outrage would have been 100 times worse and non-stop, and a move for impeachment would have proceeded at lightning speed. But, like Trump himself, his supporters attribute Trump's convictions to political motivation and simply dismiss them as if they never happened.

That Trump, a convicted criminal, would be elected for a second term is way, way beyond unconscionable.

Trump is a vindictive, power-hungry ego-manic. His desire for approval, power, and retribution is insatiable.

Trump, by way of his constant, never-ending vilification of Democrats and liberals, has divided America in a way it's never been divided before.

The SCOTUS decision (all three liberal justices voting against) granting immunity to a sitting president has had a profound and highly detrimental effect. It has enabled Trump to act with impunity during his second term, and it is now, as we speak, helping to contribute to the breakdown of American democracy.

We've only seen the "tip of the iceberg" during Trump's second term.

What's yet to come is most disturbing.

Appendix