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A wag once said the best thing about living at the Jersey Shore is that youre so close to New York City you feel like you never need to go there.

I agree. We get our fill of the New York experience from the New Yorkers who come here.

Donald Trump for example.

Long before he went to Washington, The Donald went to Atlantic City.

There, he ripped off and shortchanged virtually everyone he did business with.

Back when Trump first flirted with a White House run in 2011, I interviewed some of the locals. They knew what to expect when The Donald moved his hustle from A.C. to D.C.

Everybody down here is rooting for him, one said. They figure hell screw the Chinese the way he screwed us. Hell probably screw some Arabs, too.

That was Seth Grossman, a lawyer who heads a conservative group called Liberty and prosperity.

Grossman liked most of what Trump did while in office. But as a strict constructionist of the Constitution, he opposed the stunt Trump tried to pull on Jan. 6 .

Any American who calls him or herself a conservative must understand and respect our Constitution, Grossman said in a post at the time. Vice-President Pence did what the Twelfth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution required him to do.

What it required him to do was count the votes, not certify them. The certification was done by the states a month earlier.

Trump couldnt change that. All he could do is give the Democrats a talking point theyll be milking for decades to come.

I keep saying Trump walked into every trap the Democrats set for him, Grossman said when I called him last week. People say he exposed those traps. Well if a soldier steps on every land mine the enemy puts out for him, hes exposing the land mines.

Which is what Trump did. Till The Donalds Jan. 6 debacle, it was the opposition that was responsible for those riots in places like Portland.

But when it comes to rioting, nothing tops the video of that mob carrying Trump banners as they knocked that policewoman unconscious while storming the Capitol. That Hang Mike Pence chant will be hard to top as well.

And theres plenty more where that came from. The Democrats will be releasing it piece by piece over the coming weeks.

They certainly dont have much else to talk about as we go into the November elections. Inflation? Gas prices? Immigration?

Trump gave them the gift that keeps on giving.

But he screwed his own followers. Trump couldnt have picked a worse jurisdiction to have his crowd go crazy, Grossman says.

The last thing youd want to do is go to Manhattan or D.C., he said. He takes his most loyal supporters and puts them at the mercy of his worst enemies in law enforcement.

Trump hasnt made a lot of friends in Georgia either. But he might need some if the Fulton County prosecutor decides to indict him.

Thats a real possibility according to lawyer Norm Eisen of the Brookings Institution.

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Eisen co-authored a 100-page study of a possible prosecution of Trump and his demand that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger find 11,780 votes, which would have made The Donald the winner by one vote.

We conclude that Trumps post-election conduct in Georgia leaves him at substantial risk of possible state charges predicated on multiple crimes, the study stated. These charges potentially include criminal solicitation to commit election fraud; intentional interference with performance of election duties; conspiracy to commit election fraud; criminal solicitation; and state RICO violations.

In a tweet on Friday, Eisen said, Lots saying last nights hearing ultimately had an audience of 1: AG Garland. NO! It was an audience of 2. Fulton Cty. DA Fani Willis was also watching, she will likely be the first to prosecute Trump, & Liz Cheney knew it.

Ironically, the only thing that could save Trump from a state indictment might be a federal indictment by Attorney General Merrick Garland. After that hearing, theres plenty of material if Garland decides to get frisky.

A lot of Republicans would profess to be appalled if that were to happen.

But if Trump were hauled off to the hoosegow, that would clear the way for some other Republican to run for president in 2024.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is the favorite of most Republicans I know.

Unlike Trump, hes young and has a clean resume. (Not like The Donald) Also unlike Trump, hes won every race hes ever run in.

Best of all, hes not from New York City.

One president from there will be quite sufficient.

ADD - EVEN HIS HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER HAS TURNED ON TRUMP

In an editorial, the New York Post says what Ive been saying for months: Donald Trump is doing more for Democrats than Republicans. Heres an excerpt::

Trump has become a prisoner of his own ego. He cant admit his tweeting and narcissism turned off millions. He wont stop insisting that 2020 was stolen even though hes offered no proof that its true.

Respected officials like former Attorney General Bill Barr call his rants nonsense. This isnt just about Liz Cheney. Mitch McConnell, Betsy DeVos, Mark Meadows they all knew Trump was delusional. His own daughter and son-in-law testified it was bull.

Trumps response? He insults Barr, and dismisses Ivanka as checked out. He clings to more fantastical theories, such as Dinesh DSouzas debunked 2,000 Mules, even as recounts in Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin confirm Trump lost.

More: Recent Paul Mulshine columns

Paul Mulshine may be reached at pmulshine@starledger.com.

Follow him on Twitter @Mulshine. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook and on Twitter.

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Donald Trumps New York City hustle is finally catching up with him | Mulshine - NJ.com