HARVEY AND DONALD, TWIN OGRES

Harvey Weinstein and Donald Trump have a lot in common. They are both serial sexual abusers of women. Both have used lies related to prospective employment to gain sexual favors. 

The Trump/Weinstein facts are not in dispute. In each case, the defendant was a man of great power in the entertainment industry and held out the prospect of theatrical employment. In each case, the defendant suggested  a “business” meeting in his hotel room. And in each case, the defendant used the meeting to gain sexual favors from the female employment-seeker. The similarity of approach is undeniable.

I found the testimony in the current criminal case fascinating. Stormy Daniels’s report of how she came to be Trump's victim was straightforward. She arrived for a business meeting (in Trump’s hotel bedroom of course!) and found the powerful billionaire and entertainment magnate dressed in silk pajamas! Weinstein used similar tactics, setting up business meetings in his hotel room and then seeking massages which led to sexual abuse.

(The Weinstein conviction was reversed because four of the seven appellate judges thought that the testimony of three women who were not complainants on the trial was prejudicial because they just proved Weinstein’s propensity for criminality. That kind of proof is deemed unlawfully prejudicial unless there is some connection to the case on trial. In Weinstein, the prosecutors argued that the defendant’s traditional set-up showed his intent to commit the sexual crime, and that intent overcame his defense of consent. It was a close question and appellate courts in many states, and in federal court, might well have reached a different result. He will be tried again in New York, while California is waiting to get its hands on him.  He has been sentenced there to 16 years.)

 But my point is that Trump used the same manipulative process that Weinstein did to satisfy his sexual demands. Stormy Daniels’ interest in the meeting with Trump was because he dangled the possibility that he could get her a spot on his tv show “The Apprentice.” It was the classic "casting couch" lure and it worked for both disgusting slugs.

The Stormy Daniels testimony made it very clear what happened in Trump’s hotel room. And that testimony was before the jury, under oath, and subject to cross-examination. On the other hand, Trump has denied the affair in tweets and statements to the press. And his lawyer has done so in his opening statement to the jury.,  But so far, the only legitimate trial evidence is the Stormy testimony that the sexual encounter occurred. 

Trump, of course, will have, the opportunity to testify, and repeat his denials under oath and subject to cross-examination. Will he take that opportunity? Not a chance. 

Nope. Trump will limit himself to sitting in court and shaking his head at unflattering testimony, and then walking out of court, and making unsworn denials via tweets and unsworn statements to the television cameras.

On one occasion, he actually said that he was barred from taking the stand because he was under a court-imposed gag order. That was an outright lie. He has every right to take the stand and say his piece. Hah. he will never do so. For good reason. He risks being exposed before the jury as a liar, and in addition to losing the case, he risks an enhanced sentence for perjury.

Bottom line, if the jury follows the judge’s instructions, it must conclude the sexual encounter occurred. 

Whether or not all of this proves Trump guilty of falsifying business documents is a different question and not the subject of this piece. What I suggest is that the Stormy Daniels testimony (along with the Karen MacDougal “Catch and Kill story) was highly injurious to Trump’s political fortunes whether the jury convicts, acquits, or hangs.

We have already seen that Supreme Court decision in Dobbs resulted in a significant swing away from Republicans, who, for the most part, supported the decision and who supported a ban on women's freedom of choice when it came to their personal reproductive decisions. Trump took credit for appointing the three justices who overturned Roe. When he saw the backlash, he modified his position by proposing a 15-week ban. That of course is a continued interference with freedom of choice. 

If the ‘’Me Too’ movement means anything it means serial sex abusers like Weinstein and Trump are to be exposed as trash and should be treated accordingly.

Bottom line, I conclude that the women of this country will not tolerate Donald Trump. The case on trial has already made it clear, (whether he is convicted or not,) that he is an adulterous serial abuser of women. Taken together with his position on abortion, it is difficult for me to see how any self-respecting woman could vote for Donald Trump, or indeed how any man who respects women could do so. 

I realize that is hyperbole. I do not expect 100% of women to vote against Trump because he is a slug, but I do believe the current trial re-emphasizes his character, and that re-focus will peel away enough votes so that, whether he admits it or not, he will lose the election. When you come down to it, this trial accomplishes the exposure that Trump feared in 2016 and paid hush money to Stormy to avoid.

Conclusion: What has been described as the weakest trial of the four pending criminal indictments of Trump may prove to be the one that assures a Biden victory in November.

(I confess I also predicted Trumps' election loss in 2016. But this time I think I have it right!)

A bientot.

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