Opinion
By Steve Nicklas, 5-20-24
Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz appeared together in court last week. The two prominent U.S. congressmen from Florida were not on the docket, however.
They came to support Donald Trump, to show solidarity for the Republican frontrunner in his unprecedented criminal trial. The courtroom is in New York City, but should be located down under.
It’s a kangaroo court, you see. Without the marsupials.
The case against former president Trump has a flimsy premise, a comical plot, and a Broadway-like cast – with a convicted felon and a porn star as headlined witnesses. Steven Spielberg couldn’t even concoct this.
“This is a made-up crime,” said the quotable Gaetz. “It’s like the Mr. Potato Head doll of crimes, where they had to stick together a bunch of (charges) that did not belong together.”
Waltz joined Gaetz in a press conference following another day of the long-winded trial. While Gaetz mocked the prosecution, Waltz blasted the blatantly conflicted judge in the case.
“We have a judge whose daughter is making money on what’s happening,” Waltz said. “Any judge worth his salt would have recused himself.”
Anna Paulina Luna, a rising star in the Florida constellation, also attended the trial that day. The U.S. congresswoman boldly voices her opinions, a commendable trait.
“We found out today how swampy, how stacked against the odds, how corrupt this entire Biden trial is,” Luna said, “because that’s really what it is.”
The swamp is as vast as the Everglades. Luna cites a Democrat congressman coaching the top witness in the trial, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen. And the judge’s daughter working for a firm that raises money for Vice President Kamala Harris.
These connections are “incestual,” according to Luna. “We are exposing them for everything, which is a complete sham,” Luna said.
While some Florida congressmen like Jacksonville-based John Rutherford are quiet about Trump’s biased treatment, still others show up and speak out. Florida Sen. Rick Scott has also joined in the public outcry about the banana-republic tactics.
U.S. Congressman Cory Mills attended the trial on another day. Florida’s Mills succinctly summed up his feelings. “This is weaponization against our president,” he said.
Next up was Byron Donalds, a rumored vice-presidential candidate and an emerging leader in the Republican party. Like Gaetz, Donalds does not soften his words, ignoring political correctness.
“Ladies and gentlemen of America, this trial is a joke,” said Donalds, also a U.S. congressman from Florida. “This thing is a farce. There is no crime.”
Meanwhile, back in the home swamp of Washington, D.C., Congresswoman Elise Stefanik raised concerns in a House hearing about Trump’s mistreatment. The New York city “hush money” case is one of four indictments facing Trump. Stefanik is from New York and an ardent Trump supporter.
“These political cases are being used as a weapon of war to damage, defeat or impede political adversaries,” Stefanik said. “Instead of political warfare, it is lawfare, a cancer upon our collective judicial system.”
Similar to Gaetz, Stefanik speaks in a rapid-fire cadence – and she was only getting started. “Political lawfare is, in fact, election interference, and that’s what we’re seeing with the sham Alvin Bragg trial,” Stefanik said, referring to the Manhattan district attorney bringing the case.
“This is one of the reasons that Trump’s polls continue to skyrocket, and is why President Trump will win in 2024,” Stefanik rolled on, “to end the illegal and warped weaponization of the justice system. Because if they can illegally go after Trump, they can go after anyone.”
Steve Nicklas is the managing partner of Nicklas Wealth Management in Fernandina Beach. He is also an award-winning columnist. His columns appear in weekly newspapers in Northeast Florida and in Southeast Georgia, and on his website at www.SteveNicklasMarketplace.com. He has published a book, “All About Money,” of his favorite columns from the past 20 years. The book is available on Amazon. He has also done financial reports for area radio stations and for National Public Radio in Jacksonville. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 904-753-0236.
The popular “Investing in Today’s Financial Markets” series will resume on Wednesday, May 29 at the Nassau County Council on Aging. This class is from noon to 1:30 p.m. and will cover how to invest in bonds. It will explore the types of bonds, how they work, and their role in a financial portfolio. The class is taught by local financial advisor Steve Nicklas. The COA is at 1901 Island Walkway in Fernandina Beach and can be reached at 904-261-0701.
