Sam Nunberg obviously does not understand the concept of a federal subpoena; they are not suggestions. One does not simply get to choose to ignore a federal subpoena; they are commands.
A federal subpoena is a call to appear before a grand jury in order to allow said jury to investigate whether or not indictment is to be issued due to probable cause in a case. Special counsel Robert Mueller has subpoenaed Sam Nunberg who was a former staff member of Donald Trump’s campaign. Last Monday, reports circulated of a “media spasm,” where Nunberg struggled publicly with the federal order, switching back and forth between stating he would not appear and stating that he would.
At one point, Nunberg even told CNN’s Gloria Borger, when asked whether or not he would testify in front of a grand jury, “Screw that. … Why do I have to go? Why? For what?” Nunberg also later told CNN’s Jake Tapper, “I’m not cooperating. Arrest me. You want to arrest me? Arrest me.”
The key element to this whole Nunberg affair is not his response to the subpoena; however, it is the story of a man whose life seems to have started falling apart as soon as he got close to Trump. Looking at the history of the relationship between the two, it is easy to identify a familiar pattern.
What Trump does is simple: he lures in unqualified job candidates with the promise of power and opportunity, then humiliates and degrades them when they inevitably fail at their assigned task.
Individual people aren’t the only target of Trump’s cruelty. DREAMers and Parkland survivors are just two examples of groups that have been toyed with by the current President. The pain experienced by these groups, along with many others, is worsened by Trump’s inability to empathize with the common man.
Whether it be dragging his first wife through an ugly divorce or denying healthcare, Trump has demonstrated his heedless way of operation many times through his life. He is comforted by his wealth and power, and surrounded himself with “yes-men” that enable him (while being quick to rid himself of those like Nunberg who don’t quite fit in his master plan). This dynamic is what currently rules the executive branch, and it is easy to recognize that Trump is at best incompetent, and at worst destructive.
Yes, Nunberg has brought this pain upon himself, but this doesn’t mean we can’t at least somewhat empathize with the abuse he has faced. He’s a man who has reached the end of his wits because of Trump; most of us understand what that’s like.