How long do you think the Venezuela distraction will last?

[goaded]

I think we should be talking about Jack Smith's sworn testimony that Trump was guilty as hell (paraphrasing) in both the stolen and mishandled documents case and the attempt to defraud the American people of their duly elected president in 2020/21.

The fraud case:

"There is no historical analog for what President Trump did in this case. As we said in the indictment, he was free to say that he thought he won the election. He was even free to say falsely that he won the election.
But what he was not free to do was violate Federal law and use knowing -- knowingly false statements about election fraud to target a lawful government function. That he was not allowed to do. And that differentiates this case from any past history."

"Our case was built on, frankly, Republicans who put their allegiance to the country before the party."

The documents case:

"... July 21st of 2021 Trump gave an interview -- and this was when he was no longer President -- at Bedminster. Two members of his staff were there. And the interview was audio recorded with his knowledge and consent.

Before the interview, media had published reports that at the end of Trump's term as President a senior military official purportedly feared that Trump might order an attack on Country A, and the senior military official advised Trump against doing so. Paragraph 35 says: "Upon greeting the writer, publisher, and his staff members, Trump stated," and I quote, "'Look what I found, this was [the Senior Military Official's] plan of attack, read it, and just show... it's interesting."

And then following that there are additional statements that Donald Trump made regarding the document that he was showing and what other people in the room said."

"The PAC Representative did not have a security clearance or any need-to-know classified information about the military operation."

https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/2025-12/Smith-Depo-Transcript_Redacted-w-Errata.pdf

Updates

6 mo

In the meantime, Trump's frozen child care funds to EVERY state. Millions of people trapped, because a J6er wrote a tweet about something that had been being prosecuted since 2022.

Also, the health care insurance rates have rocketed up for millions more Americans, often the same people.

Updates

6 mo

files.mastodon.online/.../46078cba4f16d098.jpg

[msc545]

It may last a lot longer than you think, although MAGA on here is saying that it's already been won by the US. That, of course, is bullshit.

[BonzoInBitburg]

This will escalate and last years. Venezuela has a lot more allies than the US has right now.

[goaded]

If they're smart, they'll ask for a UN peacekeeping force and election monitors. The alternative is Trump invading.

[BonzoInBitburg]

To be honest, I think they're ok with Trump invading. The way to defeat a US invasion is to make enough IEDs to send some soldiers home in body bags. The whole world knows that the US public doesn't have the stomach to sacrifice its people for unjustified wars.

[msc545]

I think he might have already done that.

[msc545]

The U. S. has a long and sad history of losing wars to guerrilla forces.

[BonzoInBitburg]

Guerrilla troupes from all over Central and South America will flood into Venezuela and cause as much havoc as possible so that their own countries aren't next. Fully funded by China

[goaded]

So, just like America did to Soviet Russia in Afghanistan.

[DryGermanGuy]

Not longer than the midterm elections, when the DEMs take control of the House.

[msc545]

I think I will repeat this for posterity. You heard it here first. There aren't going to be any midterm elections because Trump will find a reason to cancel them, probably due to a fake national security incident.

[DryGermanGuy]

I think they will rather try to rig the election legally, instead of outright cancelling it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wto9TnTBstw

[msc545]

Because of the mathematics involved, elections are really difficult to rig effectively or convincingly. You would have to have an awful lot of people willing to assist in this effort, and it's just difficult to get that many people to agree on anything.

[goaded]

@msc545 It's also difficult to stop states running their federal elections if they want to.

If Texas doesn't want any federal representation, that's up to them.

[msc545]

I suppose that's probably true, since I don't know anything to the contrary. But in this political climate, I imagine that states— at least some states— will want the federal government to run their elections. Others will not want that, but Trump will force them to if he can.

[Shiprex]

As long as they can keep the Epstien files hidden

[goaded]

They've broken that law again yesterday.

[Shiprex]

Not a surprise, the Trump regime is criminal all the way up

[NewtoTheSouth]

I mean, using that logic everything Trump does is just a "distraction." When he does X, Y and Z they are all "distractions." But for better or worse, Trump does have an agenda as president that he seeks to advance. Not everything is just a "distraction," as your question suggests.

[goaded]

His "agenda" is to stay out of prison. His approach is to let the authors of Project 2025 get on with it.

"Trump illegally attacks Venezuela, killing dozens"
"Under oath, Jack Smith says Trump was guilty in both federal cases"
"Department of Justice break the Epstein Files law, again"
"As Americans lose health insurance, Trump considers marble for his ballroom"
"Trump forces coal power stations to stay open, despite better alternatives"

[NathanDavis]

not long enough for what they really want, which is to cover up for those E-files

they will try for more and more or... maybe they will just say what they always say

"we lost the files and the backups too, oops"

[OneViewpoint]

Given our invasion overnight along with the regime change, this is another forever war for oil. Expect US involvement for the next 50 years.

[DryGermanGuy]

I don't think for the majority it works any longer like that - see Iraq and Afghanistan.

[OneViewpoint]

@DryGermanGuy ,

We were in Iraq or on their border from 1990 til 2011, that's 21 years. We were in Afghanistan for 20 years. We still have US troops in IRAQ and Syria by the way. Our naval operations in the Gulf region continue to this day. And we are currently provoking the Iranians.

Venezuela is a smaller country right in the USA's backyard. It will be easier for the USA to dominate them and almost impossible for any other world power to intervene. The US oil industry is camped out for the long haul. The prize is too big. We won't let go.

[Kelly6]

@goaded Forever , as it's oil is stolen so economy is doomed

[goaded]

Trump claims the US is going to run a country it doesn't even have a toehold in. It might not be that easy to steal the oil.

[In_Trance]

a couple of weeks

[goaded]

That long? I mean, the guy's in custody, apparently indicted, there's nothing more there until the trial.

Maybe the casualty list from Venezuela.

[Daytoday79]

A while, I think

[goaded]

It's a shame webpages just don't have enough room for more than one story at a time, isn't it?

"Trump illegally attacks Venezuela, killing dozens"
"Under oath, Jack Smith says Trump was guilty in both federal cases"
"Department of Justice break the Epstein Files law, again"
"As Americans lose health insurance, Trump considers marble for his ballroom"
"Trump forces coal power stations to stay open, despite better alternatives"