[Update, to say the least, shall appear Friday morning]
Former special counsel Bob Mueller's lead prosecutor, Andrew Weissman, predicted on Monday that Trump would be indicted by Special Counsel Jack Smith this week.
Yesterday, Mr. Smith's office notified Trump's lawyers that he's an investigative target concerning his post-presidential mishandling of classified documents and obstruction of justice, among other related crimes. Such notifications usually signal an imminent indictment, per Weissman.
First, though, the probable defendant's lawyers are invited to a meeting with prosecutors to beg for unearned mercy and, failing that, tell said prosecutors what a miserable bunch of ruthless, vindictive savages they are. No, really.
That occurred on Monday. On Wednesday, former Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich testified before a federal grand jury in Miami about his knowledge of the documents scandal.
On a lighter, joyful note, The NY Times reports that "Aides and advisers to Mr. Trump spent the day in a state of high tension." No news of ketchup-smeared plates being thrown, but a chewed Mara-a-Lago carpet may need to be replaced.
Meanwhile, conspiracy theorist and facts-omitting "journalist" John Solomon published a piece disclosing that his cult leader was to be indicted at any moment. Trump denied Solomon's claim. "No one has told me I’m being indicted," he scribbled on Truth Social, "and I shouldn’t be because I’ve done NOTHING wrong."
About seven hours later he scrawled in all caps (of course) that — shockingly! — one of Smith's prosecutors at "the Department of Injustice" — oh how I laughed — was "so obsessed" with nailing him that he "tried to bribe & intimidate" one of his lawyers. No Trumpian state of high tension there, no sir.
The Times notes that another matter of recent interest to prosecutors is a draft statement that Trump had his aides draw up just after the story broke about the National Archives having recovered 15 boxes of docs from Trump in January 2022. The statement said that Trump had returned all the documents. "Budowich was Mr. Trump’s spokesman at the time," hence his testimony yesterday.
The draft written — which the prosecutors have — Trump never sent it. He instead issued a statement that excluded mention of his having returned all pertinent government documents. But naturally prosecutors want to know: Why the first, dishonest draft? We know the answer to that — Trump is inexhaustibly dishonest — but federal prosecutors, regrettably, need courtroom proof.
The Times also reports on what it sees as an ambiguity. When Smith's office indicts, "it remains an open question whether [it will] file an indictment in Washington, Miami or both cities." (There is a second grand jury sitting, or perhaps was sitting, in D.C.)
The Washington Post, however, reports unambiguously that Smith's prosecutors "are planning to bring a significant portion of any charges ... at a nearby federal court in South Florida." A good time for a family reunion.
Joyous as well is that the special counsel is simultaneously pursuing Trump concerning his mad-scientist attempts to obliterate the 2020 election's legitimacy. This, the Big Lie and fake electors inquiry, "seems to be lagging somewhat," writes the Times, behind the documents case. But rest assured, adjudication is on the way.
And yet more joy to the world: Trump is already in Manhattan-indicted trouble for having hushed a porn actress, plus he is facing several charges in Georgia, where he also tried to flip his lost election. I suppose that one must give the big buffoon some credit for his little-train-that-could persistence.
Some will say that Trump's chickens are coming home to roost. I'd say that I've never come so close to believing in God, a just God. He's Making America Even Greater Again.