Malankazooie, on 20 January 2021 - 03:05 AM, said:
Another ominous coincidence: I'll find out today (Wednesday since it's after midnight now) whether my elderly cat is (almost certainly) terminally ill.
'Huddled for a lengthy meeting with his legal advisers, Trump was warned the pardons he once hoped to bestow upon his family and even himself would place him in a legally perilous position, convey the appearance of guilt and potentially make him more vulnerable to reprisals.
So, too, was Trump warned that pardons for Republican lawmakers who had sought them for their role in the Capitol insurrection would anger the very Senate Republicans who will determine his fate in an upcoming impeachment trial.
[....]
Trump continued to bring the matter up in the ensuing days, even after officials believed the issue was resolved. But the sobering meeting on Saturday evening at the White House seemed to put the idea to rest.
While Trump often discards advice he doesn't agree with -- particularly coming from Cipollone, with whom he has a fractured relationship -- the message Saturday resonated. The conversation spooked Trump in a way few others have[...]
Trump could still change his mind, and retains his sweeping clemency powers until noon on Wednesday. The President continues to bring up pardons that aides once thought were off the table, including for former strategist Steve Bannon, leading to general uncertainty about whether Trump will continue adhering to his lawyers' advice.
[...]
There is a frantic scramble happening behind the scenes on whether to grant Bannon a pardon. One concern is Bannon's possible connection to the January 6 riot of Trump supporters at the US Capitol, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
Trump has continued to go back and forth on Bannon's pardon into Tuesday night[...]
Trump is less worried about being barred from running from office again, and more concerned with the optics of being convicted by the Senate, people familiar with the matter said.'
https://www.cnn.com/...ning/index.html
'But the fact that seems to be troubling [Trump] most at this chaotic moment in time? That President-elect Joe Biden's team has managed to persuade a bunch of A-listers to perform at his inauguration on Wednesday. According to The Washington Post, Trump is "particularly upset" [they ...] have agreed to take part in the celebrations tomorrow, because celebrities shunned his inauguration four years ago. Trump is said to be spending his last days in office frothing about being treated unfairly by almost everyone'
https://www.thedaily...report?ref=home
'Trump Insists "the Movement" Is "Just Beginning" in Bizarre Video Farewell to Presidency
"We built the greatest political movement in the history of this country," he said in classic Trump hyperbole. "The movement we started is only just beginning...We achieved more than anyone thought possible." [...] "We did what we came here to do and so much more," he said of his administration's efforts to "make America great again,"'
https://www.thedaily...idency?ref=home
[Edit:
'Trump has decided to pardon his former chief strategist Steve Bannon, in a last-minute decision made only hours before he is scheduled to depart the White House for a final time.
Officials cautioned CNN that Trump's decision was not final until he signed the paperwork.'
https://www.cnn.com/...rump/index.html
]
This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 20 January 2021 - 05:57 AM