Trump's Cronies Now Officially Taking Political Prisoners
Rep. LaMonica McIver is the first but not the last.
Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver from New Jersey was hit this week with literally trumped-up charges by the MAGA Department of Justice. (Badly) Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba charged McIver with “assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement,” after a confrontation with officers when the congresswoman visited the Immigration and Customs Enforcement center in Newark.
Because the world is absurd, Habba is the same shyster who was sanctioned along with Trump and fined almost $1 million for filing a bogus suit against Hillary Clinton. She defended Trump in E. Jean Carroll’s second defamation suit, during which the presiding judge repeatedly rebuked her from the bench and offered her impromptu lectures on basic law. (It didn’t take.)
Habba’s formal indictment against McIver should qualify as exhibit A in a disbarment proceeding. It’s more a partisan press release than a legal document, and it’s littered with hyperbolic phrases, such as “SLAMMED her forearm,” “FORCBILY GRABBING him,” “FORCIBLY STRIKE,” that contradict the actual video. (Watch below.)
This is just the latest escalation in Donald Trump’s ongoing assault on democracy. “If I'm gonna be charged with a crime for doing my job, it just speaks to where we’re headed in this country,” McIver told CNN on Tuesday. Unfortunately, we’re not “headed” anywhere. We’ve already arrived in the authoritarian police state.
McIver, along with other members of Congress and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, were all within the legal rights to tour the ICE facility, unlike the January 6 rioters who stormed the Capitol, beat up cops, and received pardons from Trump.
Law enforcement attempted to arrest Mayor Baraka, as he tried to enter the facility with the Congress members. This quickly became physical, with the cops treating elected officials like student protesters. There was pushing and shouting before Baraka was taken away in handcuffs and detained for several hours. Habba dropped the trespassing charges against Baraka, but she’s smacked McIver with actual felony charges.
The video shows McIver pushing past federal agents to reach Baraka. If Habba thinks that constitutes assault, she should prosecute pretty much everyone who attends this year’s Black Friday sales.
Trump commented on the charges against McIver during a visit Tuesday at the Capitol, where he’s actually free to enter. (Not even Camus could’ve handled this level of absurdity.)
“I have no idea who she is,” Trump told reporters, although that’s true of almost everyone given his current mental condition. “That woman was out of control. She was shoving federal agents. She was out of control. The days of that crap are over in this country. We’re going to have law and order.”
Trump pardoned his droogs who attacked the Capitol and did far more than “shove” law enforcement. It’s not as if he wants you to forget this happened. He’s governing like Peru's General Óscar Benavides: “For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law.” (Watch below.)
Again with the strongly worded letters
Democratic House leadership responded with a strongly worded joint statement, signed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, Vice Chair Ted Lieu, and Assistant Leader Joe Neguse.
“The criminal charge against Congresswoman LaMonica McIver is extreme, morally bankrupt and lacks any basis in law or fact,” it read. Then were some more words before they finally got down to business:
“The proceeding initiated by the so-called U.S. Attorney in New Jersey is a blatant attempt by the Trump administration to intimidate Congress and interfere with our ability to serve as a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch. House Democrats will not be intimidated by the Trump administration. Not today. Not ever.
”Everyone responsible for this illegitimate abuse of power is going to be held accountable for their actions. An attack on one of us is an attack on the American people. House Democrats will respond vigorously in the days to come at a time, place and manner of our choosing.”
Whenever Democrats make empty threats against this mobbed-up administration, I’m reminded of this moment from the Eddie Murphy concert film Raw: Murphy mentions how his manager told him that Michael Jackson was angry about the jokes he’d made at his expense. Murphy’s response is to shrug and say, “So?” (Watch below.)
Democrats are like mid-1980s Michael Jackson but without the dance moves and Grammys. No Republican, least of all Trump, is afraid of them. There’s no evidence that House Democrats believe a permanent line has been crossed. They haven’t vowed to halt the business of Congress, even as their Republican colleagues gleefully discuss stripping McIver of her committee assignments. Nancy Mace even filed a motion to expel her from Congress, which she managed to fit into her busy schedule of bullying trans people and sharing nude photos of herself during a House hearing.
More importantly, there’s zero evidence that they will actually hold accountable those responsible for McIver’s persecution. House Democratic leadership has actively rejected efforts to impeach Trump.
“Impeachment is, at times, a tool that can be used. This president is no stranger to that; he’s been impeached twice,” House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar told reporters earlier this month. “But we don’t have any confidence that House and Senate Republicans would do their jobs. And so this is not an exercise that we’re willing to undertake.”
Aguilar’s wording reflects the major issue with Democratic leadership: House and Senate Republicans are doing their jobs, because they are willing agents in Trump’s criminal enterprise. Democrats are effectively surrendering to Republicans when they expect them to help hold Trump accountable.
Democratic leadership seemingly considers impeachment a big distraction from standing around for a while until the 2026 midterms, when an expected Blue Wave will usher Democrats back into power. Then House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries can release strongly worded joint statements with Chuck Schumer as Trump’s thugs continue locking up Democrats who get in their way.
The FBI under the leadership of Kash Patel arrested Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, charging her with helping an undocumented immigrant evade U.S. immigration authorities. MAGA’s public demonstration of intimidating force is the whole point, so Dugan was carted off in handcuffs in broad daylight — a sharp contrast with Trump’s white glove treatment when he was indicted for serious felonies, including an attempted coup and stealing classified documents..
The state Supreme Court has suspended Dugan from the bench, and she faces up to six years in prison if convicted in her travesty of a mockery of a sham trial that begins on July 21. The Trump administration has publicly threatened to arrest Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Democratic House Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for “crimes” that include exercising their own constitutional rights. Trump and his goons have charged, opened investigations, or threatened to investigate a political enemies list including Letitia James, Andrew Cuomo, Kamala Harris, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Bono, Oprah Winfrey, James Comey, the Kennedy Center, the city of Chicago, and some “treasonous” Biden aides he hasn’t yet identified.
McIver and Democratic leadership remain confident that if Habba succeeds in getting an indictment against her, she’ll prevail in court. I wish I could share their optimism. A sitting Congress member’s unjust arrest should have finally convinced Democrats that this is no longer business as usual. When the enemy opens fire at you, you need to respond with more than stern letters.
“House Democrats will respond vigorously in the days to come at a time, place and manner of our choosing.” Is this a concept of a plan?
I am certain these charges are going to be dropped like Mayor Baraka's were, because puff adders know more about the law than Habba does. There's video evidence. Of course if there is a fascist-friendly Aileen Cannon-style judge, all bets are off (though if it goes to jury trial I can't see a jury convicting, because again video evidence).
Nevertheless, Habba feels comfortable doing this because Americans gladly gave the keys of the Executive Branch (what does your law enforcement) to a transnational racist, ethnonationalist criminal syndicate. Coupled with Murc's Law it's hard to imagine her feeling any pressure whatsoever as really all that can happen to her are sanctions...*maybe.* She knows that many Americans will prioritize their privilege, prejudice and even Internet clout.