Hey guys, welcome to the Lean to the Left podcast.

Today we’re talking politics, and with me are Arthur Hill, from North Carolina, and Robert Thompson, from Georgia. I’m a Maryander transplanted into South Carolina, and together we’re the Dixie Dems.

Arthur is communications chair of the Brunswick County, North Carolina, Democratic party. Robert is based in Atlanta and founded Peach News Now and its opinion podcast, Got Damn Liberals. Me, I do communications work for the Horry County, SC Democratic Party in addition to hosting this podcast and producing the Lean to the Left blog site.

Today, it’s all – or at least mostly – about Georgia and the latest indictment of Donald Trump. Many experts say this could be the most serious of the four separate cases in which Trump has been indicted.

Robert…you’re living the dream in Georgia. Fill us in on what’s happening there. Why is this case, with 13 charges against Trump, perhaps the most serious threat to his freedom compared to the others in which he has been charged. What’s your take on the Fulton County prosecutor, Fani T. Willis?

Because these are state charges, Trump couldn’t pardon himself if elected president. But could he be pardoned by the Georgia governor, the Republican, Brian Kemp?

Former Trump lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said the Georgia charges had “the purpose of framing President Donald Trump and anyone willing to take on the ruling regime.” Another Trump lawyer, Jenna Ellis said “The Democrats and the Fulton County DA are criminalizing the practice of law.”

Then, she added, “I am resolved to trust the Lord and I will simply continue to honor, praise, and serve Him.” That was on X (or Twitter). “The lord will protect you as well as he protects us from gun violence,” responded another Xer. What do you guys think about that?

How are Georgia Republicans responding to all of this? Incredible that polls still have Trump dominating in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. Also incredible that some of Trump’s rivals are echoing his attacks on Prosecutor Willis. DeSantis called the indictment against Trump “an example of this criminalization of politics.”

These characters who supposedly are seeking the GOP presidential nomination, but really are angling to win Trump’s nod for the vice-presidential nomination…don’t they see what happens to people who line up with Trump? For some, it’s been the death knell for their careers; for others, it’s federal prison. You’d think they’d run as far away from this guy as possible.

Seems to me that former Georgia lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan showed some integrity, though, saying that GOP voters should “hit the reset button,” adding, “To think that we are going to stand behind somebody that’s in that level of trouble—times four—is ridiculous,” he said. He was one of the state officials Trump contacted urging them to reverse his Georgia loss.

Did you guys hear about Trump’s new campaign ad attacking the three prosecutors who have charged him with felonies, as well as NY AG Letitia James who sued the Trump family and organization on charges that they engaged in widespread fraud?

More than half the 60-second ad focuses on Willis, and according to Washington Post fact checkers three of the four claims made in the ad are false. Trump has until August 25 to surrender at the Fulton County Jail for booking, and apparently will have his mug shot taken and be fingerprinted. Think about this…it was about a year ago, last June, that Trump was trying to get his image on Mount Rushmore with Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Jefferson. Now, probably the most famous of all Trump photos will be his mug shot, taken as a common criminal.