Trump goes back to “if” on Russian interference

Worth noting that 24 hours before the craziness of the day, Trump reverted to casting doubt on Russian interference. https://t.co/XNOtcO1077

— Philip Bump (@pbump) August 22, 2018

“In an interview with Reuters on Monday, the president dropped just such a shrug about Russia’s efforts in the middle of a loosely connected thought. The investigation into whether anyone associated with his campaign aided the Russian effort, he said, “played right into the Russians’ — if it was Russia — they played right into the Russians’ hands.”

Annul Trump’s presidency?

I wish this was plausible

Impeachment would remedy Trump’s “high crimes and misdemeanors,” but not his unconstitutional presidency. We should also aim for its annulment — his appointments, legislation, rules and executive orders. https://t.co/TUDFqdlZEN

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 25, 2018

This “annul the election and its fruits ” idea, which only the ill-informed we’re pushing before @RBReich just embraced it, is a non-starter under today’s legal framework. Despite its intuitive appeal, it’s impractical & wd turn off even many who’d otherwise support impeachment: https://t.co/IRLGZkNQxX

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) August 25, 2018

Kremlin sources go quiet

The Republican crusade to attack Democrats is making all of us less safe

Pretty chilling NYT story about how Jim Jordan’s crusade to expose Stefan Halper as a confidential source appears to have scared off multiple sources inside Russia who are helping US intelligence community understand Putin’s next steps https://t.co/DPRrkm3wee

— Robert Caruso (@robertcaruso) August 24, 2018

Lock him up!

In a scene you couldn't script, Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is found guilty on eight counts and Trump lawyer Michael Cohen pleads guilty to eight counts within minutes of each other. Trump is on Air Force One flying to a rally in West Virginia.

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) August 21, 2018

Today, in federal court, the President's fixer said the president ***directed him to break campaign law*** to cover up an explosive allegation a few days before an election that the president won by 77,000 votes across three states.

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) August 21, 2018

An admitted felon is "saying that his co-conspirator and/or his aider and abetter was the president of the United States. That is something that I think is basically without precedent in American history" —@JeffreyToobin

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) August 21, 2018

Former Justice Department aide: “If Trump knew about the payments in advance or even agreed to them later, he’s looking at liability as a conspirator for what is now a proven crime.” https://t.co/IqXzdQ2DNT

— Eugene Scott (@Eugene_Scott) August 21, 2018

#MichaelCohen just said he committed felonies in coordination with and at the direction of @realDonaldTrump to violate campaign finance laws. Now we know precisely why Lanny Davis played the audio recording b/t Cohen & Trump AND precisely why Giuliani tried to get ahead of it.

— Laura Coates (@thelauracoates) August 21, 2018

Cohen committed crimes "In co-ordination with, and at the direction of" @realDonaldTrump . Thus, President appears to be co-conspirator and/or aider and abettor of a federal crime.

— Jeffrey Toobin (@JeffreyToobin) August 21, 2018

Whether or not *called* an unindicted co-conspirator, that’s what the sitting president IS as of close of business today, August 21, 2018, a day that will live in legal infamy. That’s the import of two of Michael Cohen’s guilty pleas.

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) August 21, 2018

Just to summarize: Michael Cohen has admitted he paid hush money–at the behest of a "candidate"–to two women whose stories, if they had been fully known, might have changed a few votes in the 2016 election.

— Paul Farhi (@farhip) August 21, 2018

Trump is going to look for someone to go on TV and spin the Cohen allocution about being directed by Trump (described only as a federal candidate). It's…hard to spin.

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 21, 2018

A misleading statement at best. As part of his guilty plea, Michael Cohen says he violated campaign finance laws "in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for federal office." That is, at Trump's direction. Which is an allegation of wrongdoing. https://t.co/zmPQhm4IVT

— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) August 21, 2018

I despise Trump but I doubt the Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal stories would have affected the election if we had known about them. Remember, we already knew about Access Hollywood, Mexicans are criminals, the birther lie, etc. and 62 million people voted for him anyway. We already knew he had been unfaithful in the past.

If Trump can’t be charged while he is president, I want him to be indicted as soon as he leaves office Lock him up!

Trump is back to “if” on Russian interference

This is pathetic. All US intelligence agencies and Congress know Russia interfered in the election. Why does Trump believe Russia?

Analysis: Trump returns to an "if" on Russian interference https://t.co/oamABxf6Rl

— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 21, 2018

Not everyone would take stolen information to help their campaign

The Trump side says everyone would have met with the Russians to get dirt on Clinton. That’s not true.

Here are two examples of similar situations from prior campaigns.

Keep pointing out that Gore 2000 campaign received stolen Bush debate book, which would have helped tremendously in prep. (I had one of few copies; it was well done.) They turned it over to FBI. That stolen info came from Austin, not Russia. What Rudy is saying is so absurd. https://t.co/le6Aj5bvVz

— stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) August 20, 2018

During 1976 Carter campaign, I was in cubicle in Atlanta next to then-foreign-policy-staffer R Holbrooke.

Overheard him getting phone call w tip from foreign source about our opponent, then-Prez Gerald Ford.

RH said, “We’ve got to report this,” went to Zbig Brz to do so. https://t.co/ywRv0Lr3H5

— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) August 19, 2018

That was Tom Downey, who deserves immense credit. https://t.co/nk649QdRDx

— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) August 20, 2018

Who are Trump’s voters?

New data is challenging the popular portrait of Trump voters https://t.co/579606JlAp

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 10, 2018

91% of Democrats, 41% of Republicans consider Russian 2016 interference to be an attack on the US democratic process

The Russian attack was an attack on all of us. Too bad many Republicans don’t understand that. It will happen to them sometime.

ICYMI
Do you consider the Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election to be an attack on the democratic process of the US?
ALL
Yes 67%
No 24%
REP.
Yes 41%
No 46%
DEM.
Yes 91%
No 7%
IND.
Yes 69%
No 24%
(Quinnipiac U, RV, 7/18-23/18)
more: https://t.co/y7sFCxMUS3

— PollingReport.com (@pollreport) August 5, 2018

Trump Tower meeting – Trump’s new tweet

Trump now claims that the Trump Tower meeting was legal. I don’t think so – the Trump campaign should have reported the Russians to the FBI. Trump and his associates repeatedly lied about the meeting before the admission that it was about getting dirt on Clinton. I think Trump, Jr. is in legal trouble so Trump just tries to fight back on Twitter to distract us.

Analysis: Trump just made 2 problematic admissions about the Trump Tower meeting https://t.co/cdxQTTGjBm

— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 5, 2018

Misinformation. Remember the kicker on this meeting – Don Jr. lied about it. https://t.co/S4JvKYgCSG

— Sam Vinograd (@sam_vinograd) August 5, 2018

Trump just admitted that the statement he helped dictate about this meeting was all a lie. https://t.co/BvywIiJFHb

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) August 5, 2018

Once again the president confirms news reporting —that this was to get dirt on his opponent—that his administration originally said was false. Who’s spreading the fake news? https://t.co/S05o98BlDp

— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) August 5, 2018

The President seems to be developing a new narrative. Collusion is not a crime, but if it is, Don Jr. is the only one who broke the law. Don Jr., meet bus.

This was inevitable.

Up next? Don Jr. was under the control of Melania, a foreigner who was brainwashed by watching CNN. https://t.co/kbRh0sFTOR

— Larry Noble (@LarryNoble_DC) August 5, 2018

Recall that original explanation for this meeting, in statement from Don Jr that POTUS helped write was that this was "a short introductory meeting…primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children…" 1/ https://t.co/166X7pdHNA

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 5, 2018

Haha. It was totally legal but also “I didn’t know about it” just in case it wasn’t! https://t.co/XLvJa3Tr1S

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) August 5, 2018

I worked on the Obama campaign and we would never, ever, have held a meeting with a foreign power to "get information on an opponent." It doesn't happen "all the time in politics" – it's immoral, unpatriotic and part of a broader effort that was illegal. https://t.co/qKz8NcgwkB

— Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) August 5, 2018

Reporter lists possible laws Trump broke after Trump lawyer asks how Trump Tower meeting could be illegal https://t.co/NM44it4b9A pic.twitter.com/t6Vh0ZeDcE

— The Hill (@thehill) August 5, 2018

As the assault on the press continues, remember why statements and stories from those in power continue to shift. It’s not because our leaders have suddenly embraced transparency. It’s because intrepid reporters are doing their jobs and uncovering lies. https://t.co/a8C668JD0d

— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) August 5, 2018

Sorry, DJT. Not totally legal. Not done all the time in politics. 52 USC 30121 and implementing regulations ban knowingly soliciting, accepting or receiving things of value from foreign nationals on behalf of a federal campaign. “Dirt” on Hillary=of value. https://t.co/dQPjRbZ9RO

— Kim Wehle (@kim_wehle) August 5, 2018

Our story on what this tweet means — and just what Trump seems to be acknowledging about the controversial June 2016 Trump Tower meeting. https://t.co/w5Trzgacax https://t.co/KxrB2QSkga

— Ashley Parker (@AshleyRParker) August 5, 2018

The Russians offered damaging info on your opponent. Your campaign accepted. And the Russians delivered.

You then misled the country about the purpose of the Trump Tower meeting when it became public.

Now you say you didn’t know in advance. None of this is normal or credible. https://t.co/AEDYiIbXyY

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) August 5, 2018

Um. This is not normal. Getting “dirt”on an American political opponent from a person connected to a hostile, foreign country is clearly not done. Who wouldn’t know that? Or at least think twice? https://t.co/xrcnJE6ei8

— Carol Costello (@CarolHLN) August 5, 2018

I’ve worked on 5 presidential races & the idea of talking to Russians who claim to have dirt on former SOS is unimaginable. You get an offer like that & your next call is to campaign lawyer who calls the FBI. It’s as simple as calling cops if somebody asks you to help rob a bank. https://t.co/grkz9jNKYE

— stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) July 31, 2018

Donald Trump is twisting himself in knots trying to explain the Trump Tower meetinghttps://t.co/ZU0r2cpbDs pic.twitter.com/O2lptvcKKd

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) August 5, 2018

Timeline

so innocent that Pence, insisting there were no contacts between Trump campaign and Russians, said: “To suggest that is to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors around the candidacy. a distraction to delegitimize the election. The American people see right through it” https://t.co/U7IZ4YJQpN

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) August 5, 2018

Trump’s voting commission was a sham

This really isn’t news. It was obvious from the start.

“I see that it wasn’t just a matter of investigating President Trump’s claims that 3 to 5 million people voted illegally, but the goal of the commission seems to have been to validate those claims.” https://t.co/FgOrBmT8nt

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 4, 2018