Today is Thursday, August 11, 2022. Since I’ve been away for just one day to celebrate my and Elliot’s eighth anniversary, things have gotten truly intense in Trump World today when Attorney General (AG) Merrick Garland proved he could play hardball with the inveterate liar. All of this intensity stems from the FBI search warrant executed on Mar-a-Largo, Dumpf’s Florida manse on Monday, August 8. Garland decided to strike back at the former liar-in-chief who spread lie after lie after the “raid” on his sprawling golf resort by taking to the airwaves around 3 to offer a dry but hard-hitting rebuttal to baseless accusations hurled at the FBI by those in Trump World, including many disgusting repugnican officials. The attorney general’s address is covered in an online analysis by Chris Cillizza for CNN entitled “Merrick Garland just called Donald Trump’s bluff.”

Since the FBI conducted the search, the former president has spouted any number of claims about what happened and why. He has said that Democrats led the search (how idiotic is this claim?) and raised the possibility that FBI agents might have planted evidence, without providing a scintilla of evidence.

In his brief address to the American public, Garland announced that he had asked a judge to unseal both the search warrant justifying Monday’s search as well as the receipt of what was taken. Remember that Trump and his lawyers have had the particulars of the warrant with them since Monday. And this is what Dumpf could have released at any point between then and now, but he has preferred not to. He would prefer engaging in more lies and whipping up his sick base to attack law enforcement agencies like the FBI (which actually did happen in a related story).

While Garland and his office is overseeing an active investigation into the handling of classified documents by the former president of the United States, Dumpf can do the opposite: mouth off without any proof against law enforcement organizations as often and stridently as he likes. Garland is still bound by long-standing policy not to comment on ongoing investigations. Dumpf can essentially say anything he wants – true or not, backed by proof or not – with impunity.

With his speech to the nation, Garland could be forgiven for thinking that Dumpf’s followers will still not change their mindset when it comes to believing that he is being unfairly targeted (which is all bullshit, as the rest of us know), but he knows he couldn’t just stand idly by in the face of an almost nonstop series of attacks against the Department of Justice (DOJ) and those who work there.

Now Dumpf and his camp have until tomorrow to decide if they want the warrant to be unsealed. How much do you want to bet that this lying instigator will fight to not unseal it. I believe a judge can then decide to unseal it anyway. If Dumpf opposes the unsealing of these documents, it will be very obvious to the rest of us that he’s concealing something nefarious in those documents. Maybe these very classified documents, in my view, were some that Dumpf actually intended to sell to a foreign power. Don’t think this insurrectionist would never stoop to that low bar of treason!

What is extremely disconcerting but not surprising was how fast repugnicans sprang to Dumpf’s defense in the wake of a proper and legal search warrant. One of those rabid supporters was House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy who screamed his support for the embattled ex-president, promising retribution against the “weaponization” of the DOJ if – God forbid! – his party seizes control of the House in November. This is a sickening statement to make on the part of a supposedly repugnican “leader” in the House. He’s more of a sniveling coward than anything else!

Another vile Dumpf lapdog, Ted Cruz, and others used similar language to warn that “they’re coming for you” next once they are done with Dumpf – although why the government would go after citizens who committed crimes is a theory Cruz and his cronies have so far failed to explain.

While Donald Dumpf will want you to believe that this “raid” on Mar-a-Largo just occurred without any provocation, that is not true at all. The former president received subpoenas by the DOJ in June and supposedly certain documents were handed over to the agency. But not all!

In light of this ongoing kerfuffle with the former president, how could anyone in their right mind consider this unhinged man ever qualified to run for public office ever again? Just consider the possibility of this man taking home classified documents when it is definitely inappropriate to do so. Dumpf had been asked time and time again to turn over these documents and he has not complied. Why?

In the wake of Monday’s search of Dumpf’s Florida estate, a burst of violence has already occurred in Cincinnati when an armed suspect attempted to enter that city’s FBI office to do irreparable harm there, but was shot dead by authorities. This late-breaking story is covered in an online CNN article by Josh Campbell, Brynn Gingras, Paul P. Murphy, and Dakin Andone entitled “An armed suspect who tried to enter the FBI’s Cincinnati office is dead after standoff with authorities, officials say.”

After negotiations failed to take the suspect into custody without incident, law enforcement officers tried to apprehend the suspect, but the man raised a gun at authorities and was fatally shot. Now the man was identified as Ricky Shiffer, according to three federal law enforcement officers.

It would clearly seem that this man had ties to right-wing extremism (the suspect would not have been a member of antifa, I guarantee you that) and the Dumpf loyalist tweeted his aim on Dumpf’s Truth (ha, ha) Social site this morning: “Well, I thought I had a way through bullet proof glass, and I didn’t.” This was posted at 9:29 a.m. Authorities say the attack took place at 9:15 a.m. He confessed to his intentions thusly: “If you don’t hear from me, it is true I tried attacking the F.B.I., and it’ll mean either I was taken off the internet, the F.B.I. got me, or they sent the regular cops while.” Here we don’t know what happened to the post, as it ends right after the last word. Maybe the guy had to flee after he failed to get into the office.

A federal law enforcement source told CNN the suspect was believed to be armed with a nail gun and AR-15. This unhinged loyalist to a would-be fascist was unwilling to believe the truth behind the motives behind the search warrant executed against a former president who flouted laws regarding the storage and safekeeping of classified documents. He believed the lies first and foremost.

We return to AG Garland who said this about the threats aimed at those who work in law enforcement agencies like the FBI: “Unfounded attacks on the integrity of the FBI erode respect for the rule of law and are a grave disservice to the men and women who sacrifice so much to protect others.” (Here he should have been directly addressing the clown at Mar-a-Largo for his reckless claims against the FBI.) He added, “Violence and threats against law enforcement, including the FBI, are dangerous and should be deeply concerning to all Americans. I cannot stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked.”

Just heard what the nature of those sensitive documents could now be: would you believe documents related to nuclear weapons, as reported in The Washington Post? This is what agents for the FBI sought to locate among the detritus in Dumpf’s huge compound. Did they find them in a hatbox owned by Melania Dumpf? This information came from sources familiar with the investigation as told to the paper. Oye! Is the former president really in hot water if this allegation is true!!! Let his horrible supporters defend him now if this claim is supported by facts! The situation is very serious for the worst president of the U.S. here.

So yesterday Elliot and I had a lovely day celebrating our eighth anniversary. We left our apartment around 9:40 a.m. to travel into Manhattan to have a delicious breakfast at Friedman’s at the Edison Hotel, which is on 47th Street, not far from TKTS, where we were meeting our friend “Deborah” at 12:30 on line. We intended to see the 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning play A Strange Loop by Michael R. Jackson.

We were able to join the line earlier than expected, so we bought all three tickets while waiting about 40 minutes in the queue. Elliot was able to talk to one or two visitors on the line; one woman was from Australia, I believe. She was eager to see Funny Lady that afternoon.

We did succeed in getting front-row mezzanine seats for the play at 2. We met Deborah about 12:45, as her train was delayed a bit.

So we saw the play at 2 after stopping for coffee at a place on 8th Avenue. Elliot and I seemed to enjoy the play more than Deborah who had some complaints about the language. The play may not be for everyone; it is challenging, but I believe you’ll be rewarded if you see it with an open mind.

The play’s synopsis is that it’s the story of a young, Black man named Usher writing a Broadway musical about a young man named Usher writing a Broadway musical and so on. This excitedly original and creative exploration of a young Black man in his 20s who is trying to define himself in opposition to pervasive influences on his life like his homophobic parents and the image he has of himself as a queer, Black overweight man living in New York. The other characters in the play represent Usher’s own neuroses and self-doubts, and they are introduced as Thoughts 1 through Thought 7. These represent the show’s overall talented ensemble.

How can you not like a mainstream play that demeans Tyler Perry, the very successful one-man creative genius behind movies and other projects, whom Usher finds abhorrent, but his parents wish that he could write gospel musicals for him – which he does toward the end of the play – but not in the way in which his religious parents would approve of.

The play does have some scenes that could be considered offensive in terms of language and suggested sexuality. But the overall effect is magical in my mind; the music and staging are remarkable. For the performance we saw, the title character was played by an understudy with the name of Kyle Lamar Freeman instead of Jacquel Spivey who originated the role. I dare say that Freeman was quite good in the title role, as remarkable as Spivey would have been if he had performed in it yesterday.

We ended on a high note by having dinner at Gallagher’s Steakhouse on West 52nd Street. The service at this venerable restaurant in the heart of the Broadway district was excellent, as well as the food. We all had steak, except for Deborah who preferred shrimp scampi.

We must have sat in the restaurant about 2 hours. Our reservation was at 5 and we left a little after 7. For our anniversary, Elliot and I were provided with a complimentary slice of chocolate cake and with our two waitpersons, Daniel and Gus, singing “Happy anniversary.”

The only down note, if you will, of the day occurred when Elliot and I walked to take the E at 50th Street and 8th Avenue, and we spotted a homeless Black woman defecating on the subway platform. Oh well, this is a New York tableau, wouldn’t you say? We couldn’t believe our eyes, but this was the case. The platform was practically empty except for this woman using the platform as her public toilet.

There were no incidents on the E train to Forest Hills, which was a relief.

I forgot to mention that even the weather yesterday was much less hot and humid. Actually, the weather was quite tolerable. Boy, were we lucky then.

I should mention that I will not be writing my blog tomorrow since I have tickets to see Joan Crawford in Strait-Jacket at the Village East Cinema at 8; the show is being presented by legendary drag queen Hedda Lettuce. I used to see Lettuce at the cinema on West 23rd Street many years ago, and then she parted ways with the theater sometime ago, to do a short stint at the 2nd Avenue cinema, dissolving that relationship a while back. But she’s back! When I received an email some days ago from the Village Cinema announcing her return this Friday, I immediately bought a ticket for myself online. Elliot did not want to go this time, but he might join me on August 26 to see Crawford again in the now-campy Mommie Dearest.

Stay safe and be well. And have a good weekend.