COMMENTARY: Trump, The O.J. of the Republican Party

one of the 319 respondents in this MAGA category — said (Trump) had committed serious federal crimes,” wrote Nate Cohn, the Times chief political analyst. “A mere 2% said he “did something wrong” in his handling of classified documents. More than 90% said Republicans need to stand behind him in the face of the investigations.” to make him right. I’ll be with my guy against your guy regardless. And so that’s where we are.”

Stand by your alleged criminal?

That the MAGATS are mostly white should concern us. And they’re persuading others who may know Trump’s wrong but that’s OK with them. It’s as if the more Trump amasses legal entanglements, the more they like him. He’s their badass.

One concerning thing is how Black voters fit in the mix.

Attorney General Rob Bonta. File photo.

By Emil Guillermo

Is Donald Trump the White

O.J.?

The question must be asked with each twist and turn in the ongoing narrative of the Donald’s trampling of American democracy.

No man is above the law, yes, we know. But only Trump can still be considered the leading Republican candidate to lead the nation after an avalanche of criminal charges.

There’s a criminal indictment in New York for falsifying documents. There’s a second federal indictment in Florida for mishandling of classified documents and obstruction of justice; and there’s an impending third indictment for his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection and the attempts to block the results of the 2020 election.

If that’s not enough, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis now says she’s “ready to go” with a fourth indictment over Trump’s attempt to steal the election in Georgia.

On top of that, Trump’s been deemed liable for sexual assault in the civil case filed by E. Jean Carroll, where the judge has said unequivocally that Trump is “a rapist.”

Sometimes we just have to revisit the litany of criminality to remind us how unfair the system is when we all know someone who has served serious time for a few ounces of weed.

And yet, for Trump, the criminal charges have buoyed him to where he is the preferred presidential candidate by 54% of Republican voters, 43 points in front of his nearest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who can only muster 17%, according to the latest New York Times/Siena Poll.

Everyone else has but a fraction: Mike Pence, 3%; Tim Scott, 3%; Nikki Haley, 3%; Vivek Ramaswamy, 2%; Chris Christie, 2%.

Maybe they should try a little criminality?

The fact that Republicans can’t quit Trump should shock everyone. We are supposed to run away from the bad guys.

So what gives?

A look within the poll shows how the MAGA-base, the mostly white minority of “Make America Great Again” die-hards, controls the fate of Republicans and maybe even the nation.

That MAGA base is 37% of the Republican electorate and they don’t just support Trump, they believe he walks on water.

“Zero percent — not a single

Combine the 37% of the MAGAs with the 37% of so-called “persuadable” Republicans, (those who just want to win, no matter if Trump’s an indicted candidate), and it’s hard to see Trump not winning the nomination, based on this pre-polling 15 months before the election.

Consider how the 2024 campaign will mostly take place in court where the nominee for president is also an alleged criminal.

How does that happen in the world’s leading democracy?

Once again, it was Van Jones who uttered this idea on one of the passing CNN panels last week.

“It reminds me of O.J. Simpson back in the ’90s,” Jones said on CNN, referring to the athlete/ media star who was accused of killing his wife. “The Black community, we weren’t big fans of O.J. We knew he had done something wrong, but the people who were going after O.J. was the LAPD, and we thought the LAPD was even worse.”

I went to O.J.’s junior high in San Francisco, so I know how he was revered in the community.

What the MAGATs (Make America Great Again Trumpers) are displaying is a “tribalism,” said Jones. “In other words, I know my guy is wrong, but you’re not going

In a second Times/Sienna poll out this week, if Trump and Biden ran today, they’d be tied at 43% each. That’s surprising but look at the Black vote.

The Times put Black support for Biden at just 71%, with 12% for Trump.

The Black anti-Trump vote has traditionally been in the 80-90% range. Does Biden’s 71% indicate a growing conservatism in the Black community? What would happen if Trump picked Tim Scott, the African American senator from South Carolina, as his running mate? Or even millionaire candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, the Asian American Trump?

I know we, in California, especially the Bay Area, feel immune to all this national stuff. Trump couldn’t win here, right? There are more spotted owls in Northern California than Republicans.

But I live in the red part of the Blue state and see Trump 2024 signs daily. And with every new indictment, no one takes them down. People just won’t quit him. To them, the gloves will never fit.

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. See his one-man show, Aug. 12, 17, 19 at the San Francisco Fringe. Go to amok. com for details.

Attorney Gen. Robert Bonta Announces Support for Federal Bill Benefitting Black WWII Veterans and Their Families

By California Black Media

California Attorney General

Rob Bonta joined a bipartisan coalition of 24 state attorneys general in submitting a letter to Congress in support of H.R. 1255, the “Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023.’

The bill was named after two Black World War II veterans who were denied benefits under the GI Bill.

Authored by Congressmembers Seth Moulton (D-MA-6) and James Clyburn (D-SC-6), the legislation would extend eligibility for certain housing and educational benefits to Black World War II veterans and their families.

“Exactly 75 years ago, President Harry S. Truman mandated the desegregation of our Armed

End Poverty in California legislative caucus is not going to foster a serious discussion about helping Californians climb the economic ladder. Rather, EPIC promotes

Forces. Today, we cannot lose sight of a harsh reality: Black World War II veterans and their families were systematically denied the GI benefits they had rightfully earned,” said Bonta. “H.R. 1255 would fix that terrible injustice.”

If passed, H.R. 1255 would also extend access to the VA Loan Guaranty Program to surviving spouses and certain direct descendants of Black World War II veterans and to the Post-911 GI Bill educational assistance benefits to surviving spouses and certain direct descendants of Black World War II veterans.

Additionally, it would establish a panel of experts to make recommendations on addressing inequitable access to benefits for female and minority members of the Armed Forces.

Although poverty, overall, in California has decreased over the last four years, the numbers are still dire. About 28% of state residents (4.5 million people) are poor