It’s reckless. It’s dangerous. It’s irresponsible. For anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict.
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JD Wooten: Welcome back to Carolina Democracy! I’m JD Wooten, and this week we’re doing something a little different. I had an interview with Congressman Wiley Nickel teed up to air today, and the primary thing we talked about is a bill he recently introduced to combat partisan gerrymandering. So, as you might image, I think it’s great stuff and I’m excited to share. However, unless you were living under a rock, blindfolded and with noise-cancelling headphones on, you probably noticed that there was some other news last week. And well, it was pretty impactful for democracy, especially at the national and international levels, so despite my reluctance to weigh in before, I’ll dip my toe in now. I’m of course talking about President Biden announcing Israel’s 3-phase plan to wind down the crisis with Palestine. Oh, and yeah, there was the trial too.
On Israeli-Palestinian conflict, let me just say this. The carnage and suffering the world has witnessed is horrific, and I hope everyone can agree that finding the quickest resolution that brings some reasonable level of peace, stability, and security to all involved is paramount. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen, that’s much easier said than done. However, the proposal that President Biden outlined in remarks last Friday has the potential to do just that. It brings an immediate cease-fire. It allows for exceptionally more aid into Palestine almost immediately. It ensures the release and return of hostages. And it addresses forward looking solutions to find a peace than can endure rather than being a temporary stalemate.
Like I said, President Biden shared remarks last Friday outlining this plan, and they weren’t particularly long. I took the audio from those remarks, made some very minor edits to ease listening given that it was a live address, and instead of airing a candidate interview today, that’s what I’ve included in this episode. Again, the remarks on this plan are less than 10 minutes, but I strongly encourage you to listen to them all the way through to understand what this administration has been working towards and is trying to do to achieve a lasting peace. I know a lot of people have had some very strong feelings about the conflict up to this point, and those feelings are valid and justified. I certainly have my own. However, I’ll refrain from commenting on what’s happened up to this point, and for this podcast, just focus on what comes next. Hopefully all the players at the table will see the value of this deal and take it to bring and end to the nightmare so many have endured for so long now.
Now, about that trial. Well, the verdict came back the afternoon before President Biden’s address on the Israel-Palestine negotiations, so he commented on that at the beginning of his remarks. Short, simple, and to the point. I can’t say it much better than he did, so I’ve have of course included that in his remarks as well.
I’m grateful that everyone on the prosecution side and in the current administration tried to treat this like any other criminal trial, as best as possible. It unfortunate and disgraceful that others chose to try to politicize it and make a circus and mockery of our criminal justice system, but I think most people are seeing through that. At least those who weren’t included to follow the former president off a cliff no matter what. That group was never going to believe anything other than this being a witch hunt, but perhaps someday in the future we can all come back to the same page on this one.
The people that really piss me off though are the one’s who know better and are just repeating the lies for political expediency, to curry political favor, and in the hopes of gaining political power. It’s anathema to everything our constitution and system of government stands for and undermines our democracy and the rule of law. I understand and feel great sympathy for those who have been conned. I’m livid at those who do the conning. It’s disgraceful. Or as President Biden put it, it’s reckless, dangerous, and irresponsible.
Make no mistake, this is far from over. As with any other convicted defendant, the former president will have his fair day in court to appeal this verdict. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is certain – 12 average New Yorkers, selected in part by Donald Trump’s own attorneys for their lack of bias, agreed that the former president had participated in an elaborate effort to falsify business records to hide an affair with a porn star from the public on the eve of an election to manipulate that election. Even in the unlikely event that an appellate court overturns the verdict finding that these facts do not support a criminal conviction, those facts remain. Donald Trump did those things, beyond any reasonable doubt, according to a panel of his peers. So even if the jury verdict is overturned on a legal technicality, the fact remains that a jury of his peers and unambiguously said the former president tried to commit election fraud and then cover it up.
While it’s been apparent from the outset that he is fundamentally unfit for public office at any level, let alone the presidency, this is further proof of exactly that. He’s a liar and con-artist who is a danger to our democracy. We must do everything in our power to prevent him from winning this November. The only way to truly defeat the MAGA movement is at the ballot box, because the thing they hate the most is losing. Eventually, they’ll get tired of it and turn on themselves or go home. Either way, then the serious politicians can get on with governing.
Also, before we turn to President Biden’s remarks, a quick plug for a new venture of friend of the podcast and former guest Alex H. Jones. For those who don’t know, Alex has been published in over two dozen newspapers and is starting a new substack to share some of his work. His aim will be to provide serious and well-informed insights on politics at the state and national level. He’s calling it the New Branchhead, a reference to the political supporters of the great liberal Governor Kerr Scott. You can check it out at newbranchhead.substack.com and I’ll leave a link in the show notes to make it easy. I believe he plans to start publishing content soon, perhaps as early as later this week. Regardless, subscribe now so you don’t miss any of his posts.
Ok, now let’s hear from President Biden. Enjoy!
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President Biden’s Remarks, May 31, 2024
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JD Wooten: Thanks again to everyone for listening today. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, send me an email at jd@carolinademocracy.com. And as always, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and share this episode with a friend. Together, we can achieve a better North Carolina for everyone!
