DONARUDO
WEEK 463 / 583 — Catch and Kill
Vol. 7 ·  Chapter 49 — Guilty · Apr 23 – Apr 29, 2024
Manga panel 1 of 5, Week 463 “Catch and Kill”: An old tabloid publisher explains the trade from the stand — catch the story, kill the story, protect the friend — while the defendant glares across the well.
THE FIRST WITNESS EXPLAINS THE TRADE: CATCH THE STORY. KILL THE STORY. PROTECT THE FRIEND.
“HIGHLY CONFLICTED, TO PUT IT MILDLY, JUDGE JUAN MERCHAN, HAS TAKEN AWAY MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH. EVERYBODY IS ALLOWED TO TALK AND LIE ABOUT ME, BUT I AM NOT ALLOWED TO DEFEND MYSELF. THIS IS A KANGAROO COURT, AND THE JUDGE SHOULD RECUSE HIMSELF!”
Manga panel 2 of 5, Week 463 “Catch and Kill”: The People ask the judge to hold him in contempt — ten posts the gag forbade, a thousand dollars each — and he wears his disdain openly at the table.
TUESDAY: THE PEOPLE ASK FOR CONTEMPT — TEN POSTS, A THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH.
The Gag Order imposed on me, a political candidate running for the highest office in the land…
Manga panel 3 of 5, Week 463 “Catch and Kill”: Near midnight the old attorney general he once called weak and lazy endorses him anyway — and he accepts by deleting a single insult from the record.
11 P.M.: THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HE FIRED BY INSULT ENDORSES HIM ANYWAY.
(Wow! Former A.G. Bill Barr, who let a lot of great people down by not investigating Voter Fraud in our Country, has just Endorsed me for President…)
Manga panel 4 of 5, Week 463 “Catch and Kill”: One podium filled, one empty in shadow: the other side says the word debate, and he answers — anywhere, anytime, anyplace.
FRIDAY: THE OTHER SIDE SAYS THE WORD — DEBATE. HE POUNCES.
Crooked Joe Biden just announced that he’s willing to debate! Everyone knows he doesn’t really mean it, but in case he does, I say, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE, an old expression used by Fighters.…
Manga panel 5 of 5, Week 463 “Catch and Kill”: A handshake on a sunlit terrace: peace with the governor he spent a year breaking. The party has one head now.
MONDAY: PEACE WITH THE GOVERNOR HE BROKE. THE PARTY HAS ONE HEAD NOW.
I am very happy to have the full and enthusiastic support of Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida. We had a great meeting yesterday…
TO BE CONTINUED →

This week in the saga

The first witness holds the stand all week: an old tabloid publisher, genially explaining the trade — buy the story to bury it, catch and kill, checkbook journalism in service of a friend. The defendant calls it a kangaroo court by morning and faces a contempt motion by Tuesday for ten posts the gag forbade. Wednesday near midnight the attorney general he once called weak and lazy endorses him anyway, and he accepts by removing one insult from the record. Thursday, four hundred miles south, nine justices spend a morning asking what a president may not do. Friday the other side says the word debate and he pounces; Monday he makes peace with the governor he spent a year breaking.

Readers' Corner

Letters from the readership on Week 463. Pick a pen name — no account needed.

Opening the mailbag…