{"id":159371,"date":"2026-08-03T13:45:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T21:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/08\/03\/counting-trumps-many-victories\/"},"modified":"2026-08-03T13:45:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T21:45:15","slug":"counting-trumps-many-victories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/08\/03\/counting-trumps-many-victories\/","title":{"rendered":"Counting Trump\u2019s Many Victories"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
(Photo by Win McNamee\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Conservative commentators howled about the specter of Dr. Anthony Fauci invoking the Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself more than 100 times during his Congressional testimony last Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Disgraceful!<\/p>\n

And then I remembered that Donald Trump had invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 400 times while testifying in a deposition in the New York attorney general\u2019s civil case against him.<\/p>\n

Trump took the Fifth four times as often as Fauci? Fauci\u2019s a piker.<\/p>\n

And Fauci\u2019s an evil piker.\u00a0As\u00a0Trump said<\/a>, a decade ago,\u00a0\u201cThe mob takes the Fifth. If you\u2019re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?\u201d\u00a0Sen. Josh Hawley<\/a>\u00a0echoed Trump\u2019s point after Fauci testified: \u201c[N]o honest person pleads the Fifth.\u201d\u00a0Maybe these politicians are onto something.<\/p>\n

I was reading about how David Brouillette, the ICE agent who killed an asylum seeker in Maine a couple of weeks ago, had previously been found \u201cnot credible\u201d by a state court judge in a child support hearing.\u00a0Apparently, the finding that Brouillette had lied under oath would\u00a0hurt his credibility<\/a>\u00a0in any future legal proceedings.<\/p>\n

And then I remembered that state court judge Arthur Engoron had found Trump \u201cnot credible<\/a>\u201d when Trump testified about his violations of a gag order during the New York civil fraud trial against him.\u00a0I bet the finding that Trump had lied under oath will hurt his credibility when he speaks in the future.<\/p>\n

I read that there were sexual assault allegations against Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for senator in Maine.\u00a0Platner withdrew from the race.<\/p>\n

And then I remembered that a New York jury had found (and an appellate court affirmed) that Trump committed an act of sexual assault that the trial judge described as constituting rape, in the common use of the word.\u00a0Hmmm.\u00a0An actual court adjudication of rape must be worse than mere allegations of assault, right?<\/p>\n

I read that Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s\u00a02005 affair<\/a>\u00a0with Ruby Rippey had lasted about 10 months, which might cripple Newsom\u2019s presidential aspirations.<\/p>\n

And then I remembered that\u00a0former Playboy model<\/a>\u00a0Karen MacDougal described her 2006 affair with Trump as lasting about nine or 10 months.\u00a0Of course, Newsom had separated from his wife and filed for divorce before his affair; Trump didn\u2019t bother with those technicalities.<\/p>\n

I read that New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez resigned from office after he was convicted of corruption charges.<\/p>\n

And then I remembered that Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 felonies by a New York jury.\u00a0 Thirty-four counts, huh?\u00a0 That beats Menendez\u2019s mere 16 felony convictions.<\/p>\n

The more I read, the more I realize that Trump\u2019s right:\u00a0He always wins.<\/p>\n

Data centers are an environmental disaster.\u00a0They\u2019re estimated to have used\u00a0100 billion<\/a>\u00a0gallons of water in 2023.<\/p>\n

But golf courses used nearly\u00a0550 billion<\/a>\u00a0gallons of water in 2020.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thank goodness Trump never developed golf courses for a living.<\/p>\n

Speaking of golf, in 2014, Trump was outraged that President Barack Obama enjoyed playing golf while he was president.\u00a0Trump tweeted<\/a>:\u00a0\u00a0\u201cCan you believe that, with all of the problems and difficulties facing the U.S., President Obama spent the day playing golf. Worse than Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes.\u00a0Much worse than Carter.<\/p>\n

Obama played\u00a0333 rounds<\/a>\u00a0of golf during his two terms in office.\u00a0Trump was at nearly\u00a0300<\/a>\u00a0during his first term alone.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trump had to ask Elon Musk to cut government spending because our country is wallowing in debt. Foreign aid went into the wood chipper.\u00a0Head Start and homeless assistance programs were far too expensive for us.<\/p>\n

But the place where Trump is living?\u00a0The Presidential Walk of Fame (with the insulting plaques) in the West Colonnade of the White House, the newly paved Rose Garden, the $600 million ballroom?\u00a0Trump\u2019s house must be beautiful, even if it\u2019s at your expense.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And Obama played most of his golf at military bases near Washington, D.C.\u00a0Trump chooses to jet off to Mar-a-Lago or Bedminster, again at your expense.<\/p>\n

Pick a contest:\u00a0Trump never loses.<\/p>\n

(But please don\u2019t pick the war with Iran.\u00a0That war is not over yet.<\/p>\n

Yes it is<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n

No it isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Yes it is<\/a>.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>inhouse@abovethelaw.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

The post Counting Trump\u2019s Many Victories<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
(Photo by Win McNamee\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Conservative commentators howled about the specter of Dr. Anthony Fauci invoking the Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself more than 100 times during his Congressional testimony last Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Disgraceful!<\/p>\n

And then I remembered that Donald Trump had invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 400 times while testifying in a deposition in the New York attorney general\u2019s civil case against him.<\/p>\n

Trump took the Fifth four times as often as Fauci? Fauci\u2019s a piker.<\/p>\n

And Fauci\u2019s an evil piker.\u00a0As\u00a0Trump said<\/a>, a decade ago,\u00a0\u201cThe mob takes the Fifth. If you\u2019re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?\u201d\u00a0Sen. Josh Hawley<\/a>\u00a0echoed Trump\u2019s point after Fauci testified: \u201c[N]o honest person pleads the Fifth.\u201d\u00a0Maybe these politicians are onto something.<\/p>\n

I was reading about how David Brouillette, the ICE agent who killed an asylum seeker in Maine a couple of weeks ago, had previously been found \u201cnot credible\u201d by a state court judge in a child support hearing.\u00a0Apparently, the finding that Brouillette had lied under oath would\u00a0hurt his credibility<\/a>\u00a0in any future legal proceedings.<\/p>\n

And then I remembered that state court judge Arthur Engoron had found Trump \u201cnot credible<\/a>\u201d when Trump testified about his violations of a gag order during the New York civil fraud trial against him.\u00a0I bet the finding that Trump had lied under oath will hurt his credibility when he speaks in the future.<\/p>\n

I read that there were sexual assault allegations against Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for senator in Maine.\u00a0Platner withdrew from the race.<\/p>\n

And then I remembered that a New York jury had found (and an appellate court affirmed) that Trump committed an act of sexual assault that the trial judge described as constituting rape, in the common use of the word.\u00a0Hmmm.\u00a0An actual court adjudication of rape must be worse than mere allegations of assault, right?<\/p>\n

I read that Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s\u00a02005 affair<\/a>\u00a0with Ruby Rippey had lasted about 10 months, which might cripple Newsom\u2019s presidential aspirations.<\/p>\n

And then I remembered that\u00a0former Playboy model<\/a>\u00a0Karen MacDougal described her 2006 affair with Trump as lasting about nine or 10 months.\u00a0Of course, Newsom had separated from his wife and filed for divorce before his affair; Trump didn\u2019t bother with those technicalities.<\/p>\n

I read that New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez resigned from office after he was convicted of corruption charges.<\/p>\n

And then I remembered that Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 felonies by a New York jury.\u00a0 Thirty-four counts, huh?\u00a0 That beats Menendez\u2019s mere 16 felony convictions.<\/p>\n

The more I read, the more I realize that Trump\u2019s right:\u00a0He always wins.<\/p>\n

Data centers are an environmental disaster.\u00a0They\u2019re estimated to have used\u00a0100 billion<\/a>\u00a0gallons of water in 2023.<\/p>\n

But golf courses used nearly\u00a0550 billion<\/a>\u00a0gallons of water in 2020.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thank goodness Trump never developed golf courses for a living.<\/p>\n

Speaking of golf, in 2014, Trump was outraged that President Barack Obama enjoyed playing golf while he was president.\u00a0Trump tweeted<\/a>:\u00a0\u00a0\u201cCan you believe that, with all of the problems and difficulties facing the U.S., President Obama spent the day playing golf. Worse than Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes.\u00a0Much worse than Carter.<\/p>\n

Obama played\u00a0333 rounds<\/a>\u00a0of golf during his two terms in office.\u00a0Trump was at nearly\u00a0300<\/a>\u00a0during his first term alone.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trump had to ask Elon Musk to cut government spending because our country is wallowing in debt. Foreign aid went into the wood chipper.\u00a0Head Start and homeless assistance programs were far too expensive for us.<\/p>\n

But the place where Trump is living?\u00a0The Presidential Walk of Fame (with the insulting plaques) in the West Colonnade of the White House, the newly paved Rose Garden, the $600 million ballroom?\u00a0Trump\u2019s house must be beautiful, even if it\u2019s at your expense.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And Obama played most of his golf at military bases near Washington, D.C.\u00a0Trump chooses to jet off to Mar-a-Lago or Bedminster, again at your expense.<\/p>\n

Pick a contest:\u00a0Trump never loses.<\/p>\n

(But please don\u2019t pick the war with Iran.\u00a0That war is not over yet.<\/p>\n

Yes it is<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n

No it isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Yes it is<\/a>.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>inhouse@abovethelaw.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

The post Counting Trump\u2019s Many Victories<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Photo by Win McNamee\/Getty Images) Conservative commentators howled about the specter of Dr. Anthony Fauci invoking the Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself more than 100 times during his Congressional testimony last Wednesday. Disgraceful! And then I remembered that Donald Trump had invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 400 times while testifying in a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":159372,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-159371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/donald-trump-GettyImages-1152627372-xwenpb.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159371\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}