Maybe if they offered to change the name on their court to The Donald J Trump International Criminal Court instead? Okay, I am slightly punch drunk this morning, forget that.
His preemptive attack is a giant Times Square flashing neon light sign that says: "I know I am guilty"
Not only for the murders in the Caribbean, but mistreatment, and actual torture of detainees in Florida and other places under the definitions that international bodies and the signatories of member states agreed on. Taking responsibility is as alien to him as a Big Mac without the special sauce.
Ha! Sue...maybe if they offered to rename the entire institution The Donald J. Trump International Criminal Court...he’d suddenly become its biggest supporter.
But here’s the part that actually matters.
A preemptive attack this aggressive is a Times Square–sized neon sign flashing one message:
“I feel exposed."
Not proven guilty.
Not adjudicated guilty.
But acting like someone who sees potential danger on the horizon..and is trying to bulldoze the terrain before anyone else can walk on it.
Because when you step back and look at the pattern...it isn’t subtle.
You don’t demand immunity from an international court...a court that isn’t even moving against you...unless you’re worried about how your past decisions...orders...or operations... might be interpreted by outside bodies who don’t care about your domestic political framing.
And whether we’re talking about actions in the Caribbean…
or treatment of detainees in Florida...or elsewhere…
or any situation that international monitors have already flagged in broader...long-running human-rights discussions…
The through-line is the same:
Trump is trying to wall off any venue he can’t control.
That’s the giveaway.
Because taking responsibility?
Owning consequences?
Adjusting course?
For him...that’s like ordering a Big Mac...without the special sauce...
technically possible...but so far outside his nature...it feels almost mythological.
Whatever comes next...here’s the real takeaway:
You don’t swing this wildly....unless you’re deeply worried...about what might land.
The saddest thing about all of this, to me at least, is the fact that the US has never signed on to the ICC in the first place, but then again neither did Israel, Russia or China.
Which tends to make me believe that they knew that some day, there would be a reckoning.
Mo, you’re exactly right to notice that pattern...because it is a pattern...and a revealing one.
When the U.S....Israel...Russia...and China all refuse to bind themselves to the same international court...it raises the question you’re pointing to:
What future scenarios were they trying to keep off the table?
It doesn’t claim guilt...and it doesn’t prove anything by itself...
but...it does highlight how major powers...consistently reserve the right to avoid external judgment...just in case their actions someday collide with global norms...or scrutiny.
And moments like this ICC flare-up...make that long-ago decision look a lot less abstract… and a lot more intentional.
Thanks Jack. I used to be an innocent “ no one can be allowed to do the type of harm that Hitler did” kind of person, but JFC it has only escalated over my lifetime. Thank you so much for what you point out to us, on a daily basis, as their criminality only increases!
Narcissists hate operating in an arena where they have no control. The fact that Trump is raging against the ICC tells me he is examining his vulnerability if he has to use the escape hatch. Trump controls enough of the machinery on U.S. soil that he feels relatively safe. But if he wants to escape the destruction he has created here he'll be heading elsewhere, perhaps the Gaza Riviera he plans to build, hmmm?
Yep, you’re circling something really important here...people with Trump’s style absolutely hate any arena where they don’t own the refs...the rulebook...and the parking lot.
His behavior tells the story: every time he runs into a system he can’t bully...charm...or stack with loyalists...he goes on offense and tries to discredit the entire thing.
You’re dead-on about the “escape hatch” psychology.
Whether or not he’s literally gaming out an exit route...raging against the ICC fits perfectly with a guy who...trusts the machinery he’s bent to his advantage on U.S. soil...and
gets visibly agitated when he imagines a venue he can’t influence...looking over his shoulder.
And that little “Gaza Riviera” jab? That’s exactly the kind of darkly funny way to underscore the point...that when you’ve made a mess big enough at home...suddenly the fantasy of building some glittering playground...somewhere else...starts to look less like branding… and more like contingency planning.
In March 2023, the ICC issued a warrant for Putin for alleged war crimes centering on the alleged kidnapping of Ukrainian children.
In June 2024, the ICC issued warrants for several Russians in their military(Sokolov, Kobylash, Shoigu, and Gerasimov) for directing attacks at civilians.
In November 2024, the ICC issued warrants for two Israelis (Netanyahu and Gallant) allegedly for starvation and crimes against humanity.
I can find no warrants issued by the ICC against any Saudis.
How does the ICC work? Is there a chance the ICC could offer leniency to any of these people for whom warrants have been issued if they agree to testify against Trump?
Great question, Mary... and you’ve got the timeline basically right on the recent warrants.
Big picture on your core question:
The ICC can take cooperation into account...including truth-telling and helping establish responsibility up the chain...when it comes to sentencing and later sentence reviews.
So...yes...in theory...cooperation can lead to some leniency.
But...it doesn’t operate like a U.S. prosecutor flipping mob bosses. Any “deal”...has to sit inside a very formal legal framework...and it has to relate to an actual ICC case that exists.
And that’s the key...there is no ICC case against Trump...and huge jurisdictional and political hurdles would have to be cleared...before there ever could be.
So...cooperation/leniency is real...in the abstract...but the idea of them cutting deals specifically...to testify against Trump...is extremely hypothetical at this point.
Exactly right, Randy...and your #3 hits the bullseye.
When someone threatens...an international court...just for doing its job...they’re not projecting strength.
They’re broadcasting panic. And...yes… it’s the behavior of a man...who knows the evidence isn’t just “damaging”...it’s devastating. That’s why he’s lashing out at Europe, too.
Anyone he can’t control...becomes an enemy.
You’re reading the pattern...exactly the way it’s meant to be read.
More on this in the next deep dive...the tells are getting louder.
I do not think there is a way for Drumpf to put sanctions on the ICC. Logically that does not make sense to me. That would seem to be like putting sanctions on the unsupreme court here in the US. I look forward to the next piece for paid as I am hoping this whole thing just crushes him eventually. I am angry people are dying senselessly in the caribbean and who know how many are dying due to lack of food already occurring here in the us. Next people will be dying due to lack of vaccines and ilack of insurance for medical and medication. The other ones that will bw dying here is lack of maternal and newborn car on all levels. This is not the US I grew up in. My dad and uncle former military are probably rolling over in their graves.
Teri...you’re exactly right...there’s no real mechanism for Trump to “sanction” the ICC.
He can bluster...he can posture...but he can’t bully an international court the way he tries to bully U.S. institutions. It’s theater...not power.
And your anger is justified. What’s happening in the Caribbean...the hunger here at home...the collapse in medical access...maternal care...none of this is abstract.
These are real people paying the price for political cruelty and negligence. This absolutely isn’t the America your father and uncle served.
The next paid piece will dig straight into the legal and strategic pressure points...that are cornering him...not fantasy...not wishes...but the actual forces that can break his grip.
Thank you for speaking with this kind of clarity...and heart.
KPez...you are most welcome. This is a story that won't end here...even if it ceases being talked about in MSM. As a paid subscriber...you'll get the paid article on the deeper aspects of the ICC/Trump debacle. You'll learn a great deal more about this in that article...I'm confident.
Rae...that’s exactly why I tell people not to skim pieces like this...when they’ve already got ten mental tabs open; once you see the pattern...you can’t unsee it. And...suddenly...all the noise turns crystal clear.
What looks “chaotic” or “unhinged”...from the outside is...once you understand the psychology...actually painfully predictable...almost comically so.
The performative swagger...the chest-puffing...the fake dominance displays...it’s the same script every cornered operator runs...when the walls start tightening.
And yes…this next stretch is going to be very interesting to watch.
More to come...and thank YOU... for being sharp enough to track the deeper layers most people miss.
Thank you Jack. As always there’s much you laid out here that I wouldn’t have given a lot of thought to but it all makes perfect sense after observing Trump for years now.
I’ll be interested to read the deep dive. My hope/desire is that the ICC would react but I wouldn’t venture a guess either way. If so, I’m sure it won’t be quickly as I’m sure we’d all like.
Thanks again!
**Used car salesman 🙄
Sorry… Could not ignore that and well, she put it out here.
Susan, you’re exactly right...once you lay out the psychological pattern...it’s almost eerie how cleanly it maps onto everything we’ve watched from Trump for years.
Most people see the surface tantrum. You’re seeing the underlying machinery. That’s...the whole point of these deep dives.
And yes… the ICC question is the billion-dollar wild card.
They move glacially slow...but once they bite...they bite hard. Whether they step in here is going to depend on pressure...precedent...and whether the international community decides this situation crosses their threshold.
I won’t make a premature guess either...but I will break down the realistic scenarios in the deep dive.
(Which is coming. And which will not be subtle.)
Used cars...ha. Yeah.
You...and others...clearly see the bigger picture.
That’s why you’re here.
That’s why we can have these conversations at this level.
More soon, Susan...and thank you for tracking these threads with such clarity.
Thank you, Jack. He is feeling cornered obviously. I am surprised he is enough aware that he could possibly be called to account for his behavior. But his self perceived play for dominance isn't surprising given what you have explained about his "character". Looking forward to the next chapter.
Pamela...that “self-perceived play for dominance” you’re seeing...is exactly what cornered narcissists do when the walls start to close in ...they double down on the performance ...and hope fear buys them more time.
And you’re right...the fact that he even dimly recognizes he could be called to account...is new… and...important!
I’ll dig into that shift...and what it means for the next moves on the board...in the next articles.
I appreciate you tracking the psychology with me this closely. That’s how we stay three steps ahead.... instead of constantly shocked.
Jack were you a used car salesman? Lol. The whole deep dive-"if you pay to subscribe you're smarter than the average reader" paid subscription salesman pitch! Still waiting on the promised deep dive into the "we'll never see the Epstein files".
Joni...if at any point you feel this newsletter just isn’t a good fit for you...I’m always happy to offer a full refund. No hard feelings.
I’d rather people feel good about where their money and attention go than stay here frustrated. As far as I recall, I've only had two comments from you since you've been a paid subscriber. Neither indicated that you were happy, nor that you had learned something from one of the many articles I've written during that time.
On the “used car salesman” jab and the sales pitch: I’m very up front that I will routinely and assertively promote paid subscriptions to free readers. That isn’t a gimmick...it’s the business model.
Paid subscriptions are the lifeblood of any independent newsletter that didn’t start with a TV audience or a network behind it. That’s what allows me to keep writing at this depth and to reach more people each month. I write about how Susbstack prioritizes who they promote most vigorously, often.
When I talk about “deeper dives” for paid readers, it’s not because I think they’re smarter or better than anyone else.
Although many of them are smarter...if only because they have a level of commitment and reading appetite for my material...that they have demonstrated with their paid subscription...and...they will keep becoming even more knowledgeable with each new article they read...that FREE subscribers won't/don't see. That's just a given for the large majority of paid subscribers.
Paid subscribers are, unquestionably, the Inner Circle...and it’s because they’re the ones choosing to underwrite the extra hours of digging...connecting dots...and writing. That’s me respecting their investment, not insulting anyone else.
On the Epstein files deep dive: you’ve asked before, and I’ve answered before...I haven’t forgotten it.
In the real world, stories have a hierarchy of urgency. When something big breaks...it pushes other pieces down the runway for a while. That’s why networks throw out an entire day’s programming when a major story hits...and then build around that instead.
I’ll keep prioritizing based on urgency and impact...even when that means a promised deep dive lands later than either of us would like. And...if after all that you still feel this place isn’t for you...just say the word and I’ll process that refund.
We have a community of people here that get along well, comment on what they learned, ask questions that will stimulate new learning and information for other readers...and who are respectful of each other. That's the way it will stay.
To show just how adult I can be, I did not reply to her next message with the adjectives and nouns that sprung unbidden in my mind. I did block her, however.
Jack, I think too much credit is given to Trump. I do not believe he is capable of strategic thinking. The man has a 200 or fewer word vocabulary and the temperment of a 4 year old. Anxious to see the next chapter.
Pressure is always answered with counter-pressure.
Accusation is answered with escalation.
Uncertainty is answered with dominance theatre.
Because Trump’s entire political survival strategy is built on short-term dominance cycles:
• overwhelm
• redirect
• escalate
• win today
• deal with tomorrow later"
Once Again, Jack is right on the money. I wrote an article on my Substack where I defined a “Trumpian Response”. This response parallels Trump’s worldview and political survival strategy. Trump uses this every time he is asked a question he doesn’t like. We see it every day.
The Trumpian Response:
Deny the issue
Call the question basis, “fake news”
Shift the question around to something he can answer
Accuse the questioner of promoting “fake news”
Insult the questioner and/or their organization
Immediately shift to the next question or topic or stop the interview
Trump is not the only one who uses this methodology. All his MAGA supporters and sycophants use it. I have seen this used personally. If it wasn’t so cultish, it would be humorous.
It's tRump is the next Henry The 8th. Start a new religion, Make new laws accusing those who call out his crimes. Align with others who have killed for power and control. He no longer hides that he is racist or that he will kill anyone in his way to stay in power.
Yes Jack please refund my subscription. I specifically paid because you said the second article was coming within a few days and I didn't want to miss it. Yes I understand there's new article worthy topics daily in this insanity we're living in. I think you said yourself-- FDT is desperate to distract us from the E files, and as the pressure to release them is amped up, he's going to do more desperate acts. But, I'll not nag. Tons of writers, I'll find a better fit. Thanks.
Maybe if they offered to change the name on their court to The Donald J Trump International Criminal Court instead? Okay, I am slightly punch drunk this morning, forget that.
His preemptive attack is a giant Times Square flashing neon light sign that says: "I know I am guilty"
Not only for the murders in the Caribbean, but mistreatment, and actual torture of detainees in Florida and other places under the definitions that international bodies and the signatories of member states agreed on. Taking responsibility is as alien to him as a Big Mac without the special sauce.
Ha! Sue...maybe if they offered to rename the entire institution The Donald J. Trump International Criminal Court...he’d suddenly become its biggest supporter.
But here’s the part that actually matters.
A preemptive attack this aggressive is a Times Square–sized neon sign flashing one message:
“I feel exposed."
Not proven guilty.
Not adjudicated guilty.
But acting like someone who sees potential danger on the horizon..and is trying to bulldoze the terrain before anyone else can walk on it.
Because when you step back and look at the pattern...it isn’t subtle.
You don’t demand immunity from an international court...a court that isn’t even moving against you...unless you’re worried about how your past decisions...orders...or operations... might be interpreted by outside bodies who don’t care about your domestic political framing.
And whether we’re talking about actions in the Caribbean…
or treatment of detainees in Florida...or elsewhere…
or any situation that international monitors have already flagged in broader...long-running human-rights discussions…
The through-line is the same:
Trump is trying to wall off any venue he can’t control.
That’s the giveaway.
Because taking responsibility?
Owning consequences?
Adjusting course?
For him...that’s like ordering a Big Mac...without the special sauce...
technically possible...but so far outside his nature...it feels almost mythological.
Whatever comes next...here’s the real takeaway:
You don’t swing this wildly....unless you’re deeply worried...about what might land.
-Jack
Pretty sure this is an overt act of war. What is wrong with our military?
https://bsky.app/profile/bnonews.com/post/3m7o3awbc3k2i
The saddest thing about all of this, to me at least, is the fact that the US has never signed on to the ICC in the first place, but then again neither did Israel, Russia or China.
Which tends to make me believe that they knew that some day, there would be a reckoning.
Mo, you’re exactly right to notice that pattern...because it is a pattern...and a revealing one.
When the U.S....Israel...Russia...and China all refuse to bind themselves to the same international court...it raises the question you’re pointing to:
What future scenarios were they trying to keep off the table?
It doesn’t claim guilt...and it doesn’t prove anything by itself...
but...it does highlight how major powers...consistently reserve the right to avoid external judgment...just in case their actions someday collide with global norms...or scrutiny.
And moments like this ICC flare-up...make that long-ago decision look a lot less abstract… and a lot more intentional.
-Jack
Thanks Jack. I used to be an innocent “ no one can be allowed to do the type of harm that Hitler did” kind of person, but JFC it has only escalated over my lifetime. Thank you so much for what you point out to us, on a daily basis, as their criminality only increases!
Narcissists hate operating in an arena where they have no control. The fact that Trump is raging against the ICC tells me he is examining his vulnerability if he has to use the escape hatch. Trump controls enough of the machinery on U.S. soil that he feels relatively safe. But if he wants to escape the destruction he has created here he'll be heading elsewhere, perhaps the Gaza Riviera he plans to build, hmmm?
Yep, you’re circling something really important here...people with Trump’s style absolutely hate any arena where they don’t own the refs...the rulebook...and the parking lot.
His behavior tells the story: every time he runs into a system he can’t bully...charm...or stack with loyalists...he goes on offense and tries to discredit the entire thing.
You’re dead-on about the “escape hatch” psychology.
Whether or not he’s literally gaming out an exit route...raging against the ICC fits perfectly with a guy who...trusts the machinery he’s bent to his advantage on U.S. soil...and
gets visibly agitated when he imagines a venue he can’t influence...looking over his shoulder.
And that little “Gaza Riviera” jab? That’s exactly the kind of darkly funny way to underscore the point...that when you’ve made a mess big enough at home...suddenly the fantasy of building some glittering playground...somewhere else...starts to look less like branding… and more like contingency planning.
-Jack
In March 2023, the ICC issued a warrant for Putin for alleged war crimes centering on the alleged kidnapping of Ukrainian children.
In June 2024, the ICC issued warrants for several Russians in their military(Sokolov, Kobylash, Shoigu, and Gerasimov) for directing attacks at civilians.
In November 2024, the ICC issued warrants for two Israelis (Netanyahu and Gallant) allegedly for starvation and crimes against humanity.
I can find no warrants issued by the ICC against any Saudis.
How does the ICC work? Is there a chance the ICC could offer leniency to any of these people for whom warrants have been issued if they agree to testify against Trump?
Thank you, Jack.
Great question, Mary... and you’ve got the timeline basically right on the recent warrants.
Big picture on your core question:
The ICC can take cooperation into account...including truth-telling and helping establish responsibility up the chain...when it comes to sentencing and later sentence reviews.
So...yes...in theory...cooperation can lead to some leniency.
But...it doesn’t operate like a U.S. prosecutor flipping mob bosses. Any “deal”...has to sit inside a very formal legal framework...and it has to relate to an actual ICC case that exists.
And that’s the key...there is no ICC case against Trump...and huge jurisdictional and political hurdles would have to be cleared...before there ever could be.
So...cooperation/leniency is real...in the abstract...but the idea of them cutting deals specifically...to testify against Trump...is extremely hypothetical at this point.
-Jack
Jack, thank you.
They need to hold him accountable! #HOLDFAST
That sums it up nicely, Mary Lockhart. YES...they do.
-Jack
“Threatening sanctions against the ICC unless it agrees not to prosecute him tells us two things simultaneously”
I’ll add a #3 (in case anyone missed it): guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Like, 34x. No wonder he’s also after Europe in general.
Exactly right, Randy...and your #3 hits the bullseye.
When someone threatens...an international court...just for doing its job...they’re not projecting strength.
They’re broadcasting panic. And...yes… it’s the behavior of a man...who knows the evidence isn’t just “damaging”...it’s devastating. That’s why he’s lashing out at Europe, too.
Anyone he can’t control...becomes an enemy.
You’re reading the pattern...exactly the way it’s meant to be read.
More on this in the next deep dive...the tells are getting louder.
#HoldFast
~Jack
I do not think there is a way for Drumpf to put sanctions on the ICC. Logically that does not make sense to me. That would seem to be like putting sanctions on the unsupreme court here in the US. I look forward to the next piece for paid as I am hoping this whole thing just crushes him eventually. I am angry people are dying senselessly in the caribbean and who know how many are dying due to lack of food already occurring here in the us. Next people will be dying due to lack of vaccines and ilack of insurance for medical and medication. The other ones that will bw dying here is lack of maternal and newborn car on all levels. This is not the US I grew up in. My dad and uncle former military are probably rolling over in their graves.
Teri...you’re exactly right...there’s no real mechanism for Trump to “sanction” the ICC.
He can bluster...he can posture...but he can’t bully an international court the way he tries to bully U.S. institutions. It’s theater...not power.
And your anger is justified. What’s happening in the Caribbean...the hunger here at home...the collapse in medical access...maternal care...none of this is abstract.
These are real people paying the price for political cruelty and negligence. This absolutely isn’t the America your father and uncle served.
The next paid piece will dig straight into the legal and strategic pressure points...that are cornering him...not fantasy...not wishes...but the actual forces that can break his grip.
Thank you for speaking with this kind of clarity...and heart.
#HoldFast
~Jack
Thank you for your attention to this.
I hope you’ll be forecasting precisely the pressure needed to start to put out this fire.
KPez...you are most welcome. This is a story that won't end here...even if it ceases being talked about in MSM. As a paid subscriber...you'll get the paid article on the deeper aspects of the ICC/Trump debacle. You'll learn a great deal more about this in that article...I'm confident.
-Jack
Whooooa, man! That makes perfect sense. I sat down to read this earlier, but I had too many wheels already turning to really focus.
And I knew I would require focus. Glad I waited.
It strikes me as almost laughable it’s so obvious, and so performative.
This is going to be interesting to watch.
#HoldFast
📎🖇️
Rae...that’s exactly why I tell people not to skim pieces like this...when they’ve already got ten mental tabs open; once you see the pattern...you can’t unsee it. And...suddenly...all the noise turns crystal clear.
What looks “chaotic” or “unhinged”...from the outside is...once you understand the psychology...actually painfully predictable...almost comically so.
The performative swagger...the chest-puffing...the fake dominance displays...it’s the same script every cornered operator runs...when the walls start tightening.
And yes…this next stretch is going to be very interesting to watch.
More to come...and thank YOU... for being sharp enough to track the deeper layers most people miss.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Thank you Jack. As always there’s much you laid out here that I wouldn’t have given a lot of thought to but it all makes perfect sense after observing Trump for years now.
I’ll be interested to read the deep dive. My hope/desire is that the ICC would react but I wouldn’t venture a guess either way. If so, I’m sure it won’t be quickly as I’m sure we’d all like.
Thanks again!
**Used car salesman 🙄
Sorry… Could not ignore that and well, she put it out here.
#HOLDFAST
~Susan
Susan, you’re exactly right...once you lay out the psychological pattern...it’s almost eerie how cleanly it maps onto everything we’ve watched from Trump for years.
Most people see the surface tantrum. You’re seeing the underlying machinery. That’s...the whole point of these deep dives.
And yes… the ICC question is the billion-dollar wild card.
They move glacially slow...but once they bite...they bite hard. Whether they step in here is going to depend on pressure...precedent...and whether the international community decides this situation crosses their threshold.
I won’t make a premature guess either...but I will break down the realistic scenarios in the deep dive.
(Which is coming. And which will not be subtle.)
Used cars...ha. Yeah.
You...and others...clearly see the bigger picture.
That’s why you’re here.
That’s why we can have these conversations at this level.
More soon, Susan...and thank you for tracking these threads with such clarity.
#HoldFast
~Jack
Thank you, Jack. He is feeling cornered obviously. I am surprised he is enough aware that he could possibly be called to account for his behavior. But his self perceived play for dominance isn't surprising given what you have explained about his "character". Looking forward to the next chapter.
Pamela...that “self-perceived play for dominance” you’re seeing...is exactly what cornered narcissists do when the walls start to close in ...they double down on the performance ...and hope fear buys them more time.
And you’re right...the fact that he even dimly recognizes he could be called to account...is new… and...important!
I’ll dig into that shift...and what it means for the next moves on the board...in the next articles.
I appreciate you tracking the psychology with me this closely. That’s how we stay three steps ahead.... instead of constantly shocked.
-Jack
Jack were you a used car salesman? Lol. The whole deep dive-"if you pay to subscribe you're smarter than the average reader" paid subscription salesman pitch! Still waiting on the promised deep dive into the "we'll never see the Epstein files".
Joni...if at any point you feel this newsletter just isn’t a good fit for you...I’m always happy to offer a full refund. No hard feelings.
I’d rather people feel good about where their money and attention go than stay here frustrated. As far as I recall, I've only had two comments from you since you've been a paid subscriber. Neither indicated that you were happy, nor that you had learned something from one of the many articles I've written during that time.
On the “used car salesman” jab and the sales pitch: I’m very up front that I will routinely and assertively promote paid subscriptions to free readers. That isn’t a gimmick...it’s the business model.
Paid subscriptions are the lifeblood of any independent newsletter that didn’t start with a TV audience or a network behind it. That’s what allows me to keep writing at this depth and to reach more people each month. I write about how Susbstack prioritizes who they promote most vigorously, often.
When I talk about “deeper dives” for paid readers, it’s not because I think they’re smarter or better than anyone else.
Although many of them are smarter...if only because they have a level of commitment and reading appetite for my material...that they have demonstrated with their paid subscription...and...they will keep becoming even more knowledgeable with each new article they read...that FREE subscribers won't/don't see. That's just a given for the large majority of paid subscribers.
Paid subscribers are, unquestionably, the Inner Circle...and it’s because they’re the ones choosing to underwrite the extra hours of digging...connecting dots...and writing. That’s me respecting their investment, not insulting anyone else.
On the Epstein files deep dive: you’ve asked before, and I’ve answered before...I haven’t forgotten it.
In the real world, stories have a hierarchy of urgency. When something big breaks...it pushes other pieces down the runway for a while. That’s why networks throw out an entire day’s programming when a major story hits...and then build around that instead.
I’ll keep prioritizing based on urgency and impact...even when that means a promised deep dive lands later than either of us would like. And...if after all that you still feel this place isn’t for you...just say the word and I’ll process that refund.
We have a community of people here that get along well, comment on what they learned, ask questions that will stimulate new learning and information for other readers...and who are respectful of each other. That's the way it will stay.
👏🏻👏🏻 Well said Jack.
Agree
To show just how adult I can be, I did not reply to her next message with the adjectives and nouns that sprung unbidden in my mind. I did block her, however.
Sue
Joni- go watch Fox News.
Jack, I think too much credit is given to Trump. I do not believe he is capable of strategic thinking. The man has a 200 or fewer word vocabulary and the temperment of a 4 year old. Anxious to see the next chapter.
From Jacks Article:
"This is a master key to Trump’s worldview:
Pressure is always answered with counter-pressure.
Accusation is answered with escalation.
Uncertainty is answered with dominance theatre.
Because Trump’s entire political survival strategy is built on short-term dominance cycles:
• overwhelm
• redirect
• escalate
• win today
• deal with tomorrow later"
Once Again, Jack is right on the money. I wrote an article on my Substack where I defined a “Trumpian Response”. This response parallels Trump’s worldview and political survival strategy. Trump uses this every time he is asked a question he doesn’t like. We see it every day.
The Trumpian Response:
Deny the issue
Call the question basis, “fake news”
Shift the question around to something he can answer
Accuse the questioner of promoting “fake news”
Insult the questioner and/or their organization
Immediately shift to the next question or topic or stop the interview
Trump is not the only one who uses this methodology. All his MAGA supporters and sycophants use it. I have seen this used personally. If it wasn’t so cultish, it would be humorous.
It's tRump is the next Henry The 8th. Start a new religion, Make new laws accusing those who call out his crimes. Align with others who have killed for power and control. He no longer hides that he is racist or that he will kill anyone in his way to stay in power.
Yes Jack please refund my subscription. I specifically paid because you said the second article was coming within a few days and I didn't want to miss it. Yes I understand there's new article worthy topics daily in this insanity we're living in. I think you said yourself-- FDT is desperate to distract us from the E files, and as the pressure to release them is amped up, he's going to do more desperate acts. But, I'll not nag. Tons of writers, I'll find a better fit. Thanks.