... to be over the moon that Trump has been found GUILTY on all 34 charges?

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Whoop whoop!

Where’s Kevin Kline when they need him 😁

No, that's never been said because it's not true.

Unfortunately won't make any difference, except that a whole bunch of idiots will donate more to his campaign. Who said crime doesn't pay

Congress spent ages investigating Hunter. The Republicans would love to find a way to tie President Biden into Hunter’s problems.

So far they have failed but you will no doubt be pleased to know that they haven’t given up

He's vile but aren't a lot of US politicians? One of the reasons people perversely seem to like Trump is that they know full well that he's vile and he has been utterly unsuccessful at hiding it. They have such a lack of trust in their political system that they'd prefer the devil they knew (a corrupt, sexist white old man who represents the US capitalist dream of the 1980s).
A weakened United States is a problem for the UK - especially if any (or all) of the current or brewing conflicts escalate - but I can't see how it won't be with the options for their upcoming election. The US is still an experiment and it's struggling - along with a lot of other democracies worryingly.

I think it's brilliant that he's getting his comeuppance but I worry that it will make the fanatics even more fanatic.

Just read the comments on the daily mail. There's a massive cluster of people that think it was rigged. Apparently the forces are out to stop Trump before he exposes their dark secrets. America is crazy.

Don’t understand Why are people rejoicing ?
yes no one is above the law , but in this case it seems it’s very partial and selective going after Trump.

American politics fascinates me. Also, the American voters are so against funding the war in Ukraine anymore, while noting one of the biggest donors to the Democrats is Lockheed Martin who, amongst other things (all military), are a manufacturer of weapons. Lockheed Martins biggest contract is with the Pentagon. It pays a lot of politicians a lot of money in the USA to support wars across the world. Its also why any potential democrat, who has their eye on the Presidency, has to be on board with this. Anyone who isn't is shot down by the higher ups and not given a chance.
Note I am only discussing the Democrats as the money they are sending to Ukraine will lose them a lot of votes. Politics on both sides in the USA is a cesspit.
Rant over lol.
We have our own similar problems over here of course but not half as dramatic 😊

100% true! I live next to a marina and the pathway that runs all the way around is literally next to my bedroom window which is always open. People walk past my window at all hours of the day!

It’s flabbergasting that probably/potentially enough people will still vote for him as president.

It could end up bolstering his chances, with donations and voter anger

It will be interesting to see what happens

Yes but their move was prompted by lockdowns, so it’s not hard to see their trajectory to Trumpism.

Think this has only helped him actually, his supporters believe he is being unfairly targeted and will see this as comparable to the sort of political persecution Putin employs against his rivals - and that it's therefore more important than ever to overthrow the NWO fascists and save democracy before it is too late by voting Trump. I have a horrible feeling this has just secured his victory.

Well they should read up on Project 2025.

I'm a registered democrat and I would most certainly vote for a republican if the D candidate was literally (proudly) drawing up plans to dismantle democracy.

In long form interviews and speeches, Biden is perfectly coherent, while admittedly old. Trump is a rambling, shambling, lying grifter. I would suggest that your friends move away from short clips and single source media to a more varied diet of differing outlets.

Because a lot of what the US Govt (or elements of) got up to over the years has been covert (with some of it being extraordinarily nasty, particularly overseas), but with the surface being given the glossy "Captain America saving the world against evil" spin, it seems very easy for the conspiracy theories to take hold when past events get declassified. Especially in the age of unregulated and inaccurate information being available via social media. All the super powers got to be that way by some very dark actions and humanitarian abuses - the US just has better marketing.

Entirely possible that you could have a legal case that is rigged (not saying that is what has happened here necessarily) as the US justice system is and always has been.... problematic. Unfortunately, people have good reason to not trust it, which leaves it open to bad actors to whip up chaos.

American expat here. MAGAs will continue to support him no matter what. But, more moderate Republicans may hesitate…they won’t vote for Biden, so they may not vote at all. This may be just enough votes to put Biden in the Oval Office again

I hope @verdibird is right here. Although this judgement has obviously riled up his fanatics to new levels, I can’t see it gaining him many moderate, not completely insane voters. Surely the election will be won or lost by how this middle ground votes? His fanatics were always going to back him regardless, and them being 10 times as angry now will not mean that their individual votes somehow carry more weight.

I guess I’m relying on the idea that there can’t be that many completely mental Americans to vote him in after all he’s done, can there?

When the revolutionaries went to war with Britain, they were all "criminals". The omission of that qualification from the constitution is deliberate to prevent tyranny.

Presidents can only pardon for Federal Charges. He was found guilty of State Charges so he can not be pardoned by himself or any other President.

I see that, but surely they could have found a way to put something in the constitution to prevent felons convicted by the US courts from becoming President?

American here, and I am an academic historian. It is a personality cult. History will show you (as you well know) that there have been several demagogues in the past who promise to make things ‘great’ again. People get brainwashed. America can be v. insular; many Americans don’t have passports and don’t know about other cultures/ways of life. Globalisation is threatening to them.

The financial crisis, 9/11, COVID, school shootings/gun culture, opiate crisis, inflation making houses unaffordable, all these things have made people fearful. There is also little social safety net in the States and unbridled capitalism has eaten away at the middle class; huge wealth disparities. I’ve stayed in South Pasadena in affluent neighbourhoods, and see homeless camped out on the lawn of the public library/people living in cars. This has been normalised, and people worry that will happen to them. They are scared.

The American dream is starting to crumble, and because the States is a confluence of all sorts of cultures, and fairly secularised, who do people turn to for comfort? A demagogue who promises everything will be OK if they can be in power.

tbf, the criminal senior also has questionable mental capacity

Takes the Supreme Court to do that, and it has a right wing Republican majority. Won’t happen.

Fair enough. Thank goodness we have a totally separate judiciary here. Long may that last.

@anotherside

Ridiculous how excited people are at this. Trump is supposed to be worst the guy/president ever. And yet, judging him on his record, Trump got 74 million to Biden’s 81 million votes. Not much in it. (You omit that historically Republican voters turn out more than Democrats, not to mention the extensive gerrymandering).That’s because people who live in the US saw there’s really nothing between them on the stuff that matters - economy, foreign policy, jobs etc. In fact on some stuff Trump is preferable. And at least he’s not just a stooge of the system and willing to launch foreign wars at the drop of a hat to benefit US arms manufacturers and big oil. (Did Biden launch any wars? Hes the one who got the troops out of a neverending war in Afghanistan, which Trump didn't. I suppose Trump's 350 billion dollar arms deal with the Saudis also escaped your mind.)

It would be nice if we could at least point to Trump’s personal moral failings - his disrespect for women etc. But even on that front you’ve a choice between Trump’s crude words/humou versus Biden’s horrible touching of young kids and women. (Trump's admission of grabbing them by the pussy and taking bragging about being able to enter the Miss Teen USA pagent dressing room when the contestants are undressed is merely "crude words" to you?) Both unpleasant but if pushed I’ll take the mouthy idiot rather than the kid grabber. (Any proof?, or is it like the pedophiles in Hillary's pizza shop?) It surprises me that any parents would disagree. (It surprises me how anyone who values democracy would disagree that a president who won't concede defeat and tries to incite an insurrection is not a good choice).

Anyway, Trump is still bookmakers favourite to beat Biden - which says it all really.Edited

This post gives a good snapshot of Trump's base way of thinking. "Alternative facts"

He’ll say it was a politically motivated stitch-up, and too many of his followers will believe him.
It beggars belief that they have no law to prevent a convicted felon running for president.