Defendant Trump announced on Truth Social this morning that his lawyers received a letter from the Department of Justice informing him that he is a target of the Special Counsel’s investigation of his attempts to overturn the presidential election of 2020. A target letter means that prosecutors have gathered what they believe is enough evidence to indict someone — in this case, the Bard of Bedminster — for committing a crime or crimes. Usually, the target letter also includes an invitation to testify before the grand jury investigating the subject. The target letter does not mean that the subject will be indicted, but just between you and me, you don’t want to be the recipient of one.

It would be a criminal offense as a writer to say that Defendant Trump merely lost it on Truth Social in the “Statement by the 45th President of the United States.” It’s so much worse than that. His post was incoherent, unhinged from any semblance of reality, and was obviously written without the counsel of his lawyers. Here is just a small taste. (All capitalization and usage by You Know Who.)

"Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before, or even close," Defendant Trump wrote, without mentioning what the phrase, “or even close” referred to — was it “our country,” “this,” “before,” or “happened”? Only the Bard knows. The rest of the “statement” is a lasagna of words folded in on themselves, slathered with self-pity, and covered by a sauce of grievance.

They illegally spied on my Campaign, attacked me with a totally fake "Dossier'" that was funded by Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the DNC, impeached me twice (I won!), they failed on the Mueller Witch Hunt (No Collusion!"), they failed on the Russia Russia Russia Hoax, the 51 “Intelligence” Agents fraud, the FBI/Twitter files, the DOJ/Facebook censorship, and every other scam imaginable. But on top of that, they have now effectively indicted me three times (The DOJ staffed and runs the D.A.’s office in Manhattan), with a possible fourth coming from Atlanta, where the DOJ are in strict and possibly illegal coordination with the District Attorney, whose record on murder and other violent crime is abysmal. THIS WITCH HUNT IS ALL ABOUT ELECTION INTERFERENCE AND A COMPLETE AND TOTAL WEAPONIZATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT! It is a very sad and dark period for our nation!”

About which he should know more than anyone, having inaugurated the “sad and dark period” eight long years ago when he came down the escalator in Trump Tower on June 16, 2015 and announced he was running for president by accusing Mexico of “sending” rapists and other criminals to the United States.

Another indictment is coming, followed by yet another, and he knows it, and he is running scared.

Lucian K. Truscott IV, a graduate of West Point, has had a 50-year career as a journalist, novelist, and screenwriter. He has covered Watergate, the Stonewall riots, and wars in Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He is also the author of five bestselling novels. You can subscribe to his daily columns at luciantruscott.substack.com and follow him on Twitter @LucianKTruscott and on Facebook at Lucian K. Truscott IV.

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