On Trump

[Trell]

One of the main features of MAGA-world is its purported support for law & order and the police. The depth of cognitive dissonance and mental gymnastics required to hold this view, while also supporting a man for whom a law means nothing if it's broken in his service.

It's the same with 80%+ White "Christian" Evangelicals, incidentally very much pro law & order, supporting Trump for nearly a decade. They either knows very well what Trump stands for or they’re wilfully ignorant, but they showed what they are either way.

 

[mtrycrafts]

That seems like a 5th grade explanation after 'the class' but technically, it's true. They could have mentioned XX and XY chromosomes, but I'm not sure enough of the population would have understood.

And the other XXX or XYY? Just disregard them.

 

[Mr._Clark]

This is one example of how a pardon is not the same as commuting a prison sentence.

>>>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday barred Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes from entering Washington, D.C., without the court’s approval after President Donald Trump commuted the extremist group leader’s 18-year prison sentence in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. . . . While Trump pardoned most of the defendants, he only commuted the prison sentences of Rhodes and 13 others. That means they remain on supervised release and have to follow certain restrictions set by the court under the supervision of a probation officer.<<<

Oath Keepers founder Rhodes is barred from entering Washington or Capitol without court's permission

A federal judge has barred Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes from entering Washington, D.C., without the court’s approval after President Donald Trump commuted the extremist group leader’s 18-year prison sentence in the Jan. 6 U.S.

apnews.com

Rhodes would be free of all restrictions if he had received a full pardon.

Rhodes might challenge the new restriction, but I give him precisely zero chance of success.

 

[mtrycrafts]

This is one example of how a pardon is not the same as commuting a prison sentence.

>>>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday barred Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes from entering Washington, D.C., without the court’s approval after President Donald Trump commuted the extremist group leader’s 18-year prison sentence in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. . . . While Trump pardoned most of the defendants, he only commuted the prison sentences of Rhodes and 13 others. That means they remain on supervised release and have to follow certain restrictions set by the court under the supervision of a probation officer.<<<

Oath Keepers founder Rhodes is barred from entering Washington or Capitol without court's permission

A federal judge has barred Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes from entering Washington, D.C., without the court’s approval after President Donald Trump commuted the extremist group leader’s 18-year prison sentence in the Jan. 6 U.S.

apnews.com

Rhodes would be free of all restrictions if he had received a full pardon.

Rhodes might challenge the new restriction, but I give him precisely zero chance of success.

So, does this also mean that he cannot have any weapons?
Who are the others with commuted sentences?

 

[Trell]

If anyone is puzzled as to why I - a Canadian - would feel so compelled to comment on American affairs, well, I'd really prefer it if I was celebrating our relationship and the longest undefended border in the world. I'd prefer it if we were committing more of our collective energy in confronting countries like Russia and China.

It's only puzzling to the hobgoblins of small minds as to why you post about this. Like you I've had multiple posts from the xenophobic far right AH members that foreigners should not post anything about USA, unless it's essentially butt-licking.

We should be addressing the democratic backsliding of countries like India and Hungary. Instead, we now have to deal with it happening in the home of modern democracy. The Trump administration presents an existential threat to liberal democracy in the western world. It's friggin' disgraceful!

There is for sure a backsliding to authoritarianism mostly seen (as in power) in Eastern Europe that was under the Soviet Union oppression for decades. Hungary is most known, but there is also Poland and Slovakia. Thankfully Poland elected a new government and kicked out Law and Justice (PiS) party.

 

[Trell]

So, does this also mean that he cannot have any weapons?
Who are the others with commuted sentences?

Commuted means that he gets out of prison early (like, say, for good behaviour otherwise) but other restrictions remains in place for a convicted felon. It's for sure not a pardon, and I wonder why Trump did not give it. Perhaps as a incitament to commit new violent crimes knowing that Trump will pardon him?

 

[Mr._Clark]

So, does this also mean that he cannot have any weapons?
Who are the others with commuted sentences?

Simplifying for purposes of discussion, a pardon causes a criminal conviction to legally disappear as if never happened. Commuting a sentence basically says “you’re still a convict but you don’t need to serve jail time.”

In theory it might be possible for a president to commute a sentence and grant a partial pardon that would lift restrictions on ownership of firearms. I can’t imagine it happened for the 14 J6 convicts with commuted sentences but I haven’t looked at the legal documents to confirm that this is the case

Off hand I don’t remember the names of all J6 convicts who received commuted sentences. I seem to recall all or most of them were Oath Keepers and Proud Boys who were convicted of Seditious Conspiracy.

 

[davidscott]

Congressman Andy Ogles proposes 22nd amendment to allow Trump a 3rd term

Welcome to Germany in the early 1930s. It appears that's where we are now.

 

[Mr._Clark]

It's for sure not a pardon, and I wonder why Trump did not give it. Perhaps as a incitament to commit new violent crimes knowing that Trump will pardon him?

I’m not sure I understand your point.

I don’t think Trump has explained why he didn’t grant everyone a full pardon and I’m not sure anyone besides Trump really knows.

This is just a guess on my part but I wonder if Trump was worried that the seditious conspiracy crew would return to the capitol and open fire on congress if he gave them a full pardon. That might be a bridge too far even for Trump.

 

[davidscott]

I’m not sure I understand your point.

I don’t think Trump has explained why he didn’t grant everyone a full pardon and I’m not sure anyone besides Trump really knows.

This is just a guess on my part but I wonder if Trump was worried that the seditious conspiracy crew would return to the capitol and open fire on congress if he gave them a full pardon. That might be a bridge too far even for Trump.

It seems no bridge is too far for Trump.

 

[Trell]

I’m not sure I understand your point.

I don’t think Trump has explained why he didn’t grant everyone a full pardon and I’m not sure anyone besides Trump really knows.

This is just a guess on my part but I wonder if Trump was worried that the seditious conspiracy crew would return to the capitol and open fire on congress if he gave them a full pardon. That might be a bridge too far even for Trump.

I was wearing my TDS hat when I wrote the latter part of that post.

I for sure don't know why he didn't give them a pardon and just a commutation, but I don't think any bridge is too far for Trump if he believes he can get away with it. Perhaps some advisor lipstickle got through to him of the optics of giving them pardon while trying to implement his policies as that could hinder the implementation. There is also the midterms for him to think about.

 

[Mr._Clark]

It looks like the hiring freeze and return to work order will severely disrupt operation of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

>>>Donald Trump’s many executive actions on day one of his presidency included implementing a hiring freeze across the federal government. . . . The USPTO began its telework program in 1997. As of 2023, nearly 13,000 of the USPTO’s approximately 14,000 employees worked remotely.<<<

https://ipwatchdog.com/2025/01/23/trump-hiring-freeze-leaves-uspto-backlog-attack-plan-limbo/id=185341/

In addition to the hiring freeze, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) apparently just ordered all employees to "return to the office."

As far as I know, the USPTO does not have offices for the vast majority of the 13,000 remote employees. They can't return to an office that doesn't exist.

USPTO operations are fully funded by the fees it collects for patent and trademark applications. Shutting it down would not save any taxpayer dollars.

I fail to see any logic in this, especially given that Trump was pro-IP rights during his first term. Biden was much more anti-IP (full disclosure: I generally agreed with Trump's IP positions more than Biden's).

With apologies to John Lennon:

There's Nazis in the bathroom just below the stairs

Strange days indeed

There's UFOs over New York, and I aint too surprised

Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Strange days indeed
Most peculiar mama, roll!