The Plan To Beat Trump at His Own Game!
The best-laid plans of mice and clowns often go awry
As Donald Trump prepares for his second term in office, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is pivoting its strategy to navigate the legal and political complexities of shutting down its prosecution of a soon-to-be sitting president.
Special Counsel Jack Smith, tasked with investigating Trump’s alleged criminal behavior, has filed motions to suspend cases and is reportedly preparing to resign before Trump’s inauguration.
While Trump and his allies are gearing up to weaponize congressional hearings to discredit the DOJ and its investigations, Smith and Attorney General Merrick Garland may have their own plan to counteract this playbook: a final, transparent report exposing the truth.
This report, required under DOJ regulations, could reveal the full scope of Trump’s actions to the public, setting the narrative before Republican-led efforts to rewrite history take hold.
Here’s how the DOJ may be positioning itself to beat Trump and his allies at their own game.
The Role of the Special Counsel’s Final Report
Under DOJ regulations, Smith must submit a final report to Garland before resigning or concluding his investigation.
This report will detail the evidence collected, the rationale behind key prosecutorial decisions, and the scope of Trump’s alleged wrongdoing.
Unlike Robert Mueller’s report, which focused on past actions related to Russian election interference and obstruction of justice, Smith’s report will address ongoing threats to democratic norms.
It is expected to include:
Evidence of Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
Findings related to the January 6 insurrection and his role in inciting it.
Details on the mishandling of classified documents, even as the Florida case faces challenges.
The final report is not merely procedural; it serves as a critical tool to preserve the truth, offering a factual baseline that could counteract Trump’s narrative and serve as a record for future accountability.
Timing: The Key to Outmaneuvering the GOP
Smith’s decision to resign and submit his final report appears to be strategically timed. By stepping down before Trump’s inauguration, Smith’s timing ensures that the report is completed and submitted to Garland while the DOJ remains independent of Trump’s influence.
Garland, in turn, has the discretion to release the report to the public. By doing so before the new Congress is sworn in, he could preempt Republican-led efforts to distort the findings through partisan hearings.
Transparency is critical here; an early release would allow the public to digest the facts directly from the DOJ rather than filtered through the lens of congressional committees intent on exonerating Trump.
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The Republican Playbook: Rewriting the Narrative
Even before taking office, key Republican lawmakers are preparing to discredit Smith and his investigation.
Recent preservation requests for DOJ documents signal their intent to scrutinize every decision Smith and his team made, with the goal of cherry-picking evidence that can be spun to support Trump’s claims of victimhood.
Republican-led congressional hearings would likely focus on:
Alleging bias in the DOJ’s investigations.
Amplifying claims of a “deep state” conspiracy against Trump.
Highlighting procedural missteps to undermine the credibility of Smith’s findings.
This playbook is familiar; it mirrors the GOP’s response to the Mueller report, where selective framing diluted the impact of Mueller’s evidence and conclusions.
The DOJ’s Counterplay: Controlling the Narrative
The DOJ appears to have learned from the Mueller report’s rollout and Bill Barr’s preemptive misrepresentation of its findings. By releasing Smith’s report directly to the public, Garland can avoid the pitfalls of delay and distortion.
Key elements of this strategy might include:
Clear and Accessible Language: The report must be written in a straightforward manner, avoiding dense legal jargon that could obscure its key findings.
Broad Accessibility: Publishing the report online and coupling it with a DOJ press conference or public statement would ensure it reaches a wide audience.
Proactive Framing: By emphasizing the evidence and transparency, Garland can leave little room for GOP-aligned media to reframe the findings.
Transparency is a powerful tool. If the public has access to the full scope of evidence before partisan hearings begin, attempts to discredit the DOJ will face an uphill battle.
Why This Report Matters
Even if Trump cannot be prosecuted during his second term, the release of a detailed and evidence-backed report serves several critical purposes:
Preserving Accountability: The report creates a historical record of Trump’s actions, ensuring they cannot be erased or rewritten.
Educating the Public: By making the evidence accessible, the DOJ can empower citizens to understand the stakes and stay vigilant against future abuses of power.
Laying the Foundation for Future Prosecutions: When Trump and his minions leave office in 2029, the report could serve as a roadmap for renewed legal action.
Most importantly, the report underscores the principle that no one—regardless of their position—is above the law.
The GOP’s Weak Hand
While Republicans may dominate the upcoming congressional hearings, their ability to reshape the narrative has limits:
Overreach Risks Backlash: Aggressive attempts to smear the DOJ could alienate moderate voters and reinforce the perception of a cover-up.
Erosion of Credibility: Evidence presented in Smith’s report could resonate with independent voters and swing districts, making it harder for the GOP to unify public opinion around Trump’s exoneration.
Legal Constraints: While hearings can create noise, they cannot erase documented evidence or shield Trump from eventual legal accountability.
Conclusion
The DOJ’s approach to releasing Jack Smith’s final report could be a decisive move in countering Trump’s attempts to rewrite history.
By prioritizing transparency and timing, Garland and Smith have the opportunity to ensure the public understands the truth before partisan distortions take hold.
As the clock ticks down to Trump’s second term, the DOJ’s plan demonstrates that even in the face of political adversity, the pursuit of justice remains a powerful and enduring force.
The public deserves to know the facts, and Jack Smith’s final report may be the key to preserving accountability in an era of unprecedented challenges to the rule of law.
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