How Republicans will make excuses for Trump

Here’s what Hatch said. I am sure many Trump cult members will echo this. They only care about the law when they think Democrats break it. The hypocrisy is overwhelming. Obviously, people like Hatch would not vote to convict Trump if he was charged by the House.

Hatch dismisses allegations of Trump crimes over hush money.
Asked if he had any concerns, Hatch said: “The Democrats will do anything to hurt this president.” Told it was alleged by SDNY, Hatch told me: “Okay but I don’t care; all I can say is he’s doing a good job as President”

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 10, 2018

Orrin Hatch 2018: I don't care if the President's own DOJ has implicated him in felonies. What is a "crime" anyway?

Orrin Hatch 1999: "crimes of moral turpitude such as perjury and obstruction of justice go to the heart of qualification for public office" pic.twitter.com/8K8NVZSntj

— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) December 10, 2018

Orrin Hatch on Donald Trump directing Michael Cohen to commit a federal crime: “I don’t care.”

Orrin Hatch on Bill Clinton lying under oath about having sex with Monica Lewinsky: “Perjury and obstruct justice … rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors.” https://t.co/vGsWGkTIPO

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) December 10, 2018

More Republican hypocrisy.

McCarthy 2015: "Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee…. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping."

McCarthy 2016: "There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump…. Swear to God." https://t.co/vwjGPQEXqL

— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) December 10, 2018

We see the Republicans’ response to the growing Mueller probe—who cares? “It’s just an FEC violation,” says one Congressman. “Nothing wrong with building a hotel [in Russia],” says Rand Paul. The law & order folks are looking away as the law closes in on Trump.

— Touré (@Toure) December 10, 2018

This is false—there can be little question, after the filing on Friday, that federal prosecutors have significant corroborating evidence above and beyond Cohen’s testimony. https://t.co/BugnbgqWK4

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) December 10, 2018

Is "campaign finance issues" the new polite way of saying "an illegal payment to a porn star to keep her quiet?" https://t.co/aJdcC4SDfS

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) December 10, 2018

Summary of what we know about Trump and Russia

This article is a very comprehensive overview

What we now know about Trump and Russia https://t.co/ilJPsN707v

— Jim VandeHei (@JimVandeHei) December 9, 2018

1. Paul Manafort
2. Rick Gates
3. Michael Flynn
4. Jared Kushner
5. Ivanka Trump
6. Donald Trump Jr.
7. Michael Cohen
8. Jeff Sessions
9. George Papadopoulos
10. Carter Page
11. Roger Stone
12. Erik Prince
13. JD Gordon
14. Avi Berkowitz
15. Michael Caputo
16. Felix Sater https://t.co/wBtymWqZOC

— David P Gelles (@gelles) December 10, 2018

Timeline for the Trump Tower Moscow negotiations and Trump’s comments

This is extremely well done by @MarshallCohen and @talyellin as a timeline of the potential Trump Moscow deal and Trump’s public comments at the time. https://t.co/06mQSKzsq7

— andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) December 3, 2018

Trump appears to obstruct justice

Trump criticizes Cohen for cooperating with law enforcement – Trump is the top law enforcement official in the country. This sure looks like obstruction and the tweets were not a good idea.

Trump is the only guy that would try to describe a jail sentence as GREAT while simultaneously attempting to describe telling the truth about crimes committed as TERRIBLE. https://t.co/sHAqV8Wmdt

— Demitri Dawson (@DemitriDawson) December 3, 2018

Trump’s tweets about Cohen and Stone will be used as exhibits supporting a corrupt intent to obstruct justice and/or tamper with witnesses in Mueller’s report.

— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) December 3, 2018

I’ve never heard a public official speak this way before Trump. This sounds like something the criminals I used to prosecute would say. https://t.co/WVqoz2taVh

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) December 3, 2018

George is right. This is genuinely looking like witness tampering. DOJ (at least with a nonfake AG) prosecutes cases like these all the time. The fact it's done out in the open is no defense. Trump is genuinely melting down, and no good lawyer can represent him under these circs https://t.co/zqFUoQvWTf

— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) December 3, 2018

Bravo to President Trump for calling for judges to throw the book at associates of his who commit crimes. I'm sure he will maintain this consistent position throughout his time in office. https://t.co/SWjQhb2aOJ

— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) December 3, 2018

President Trump incorrectly claimed in a tweet that Michael Cohen's crimes were not related to him, and called for his former personal attorney to serve a "full and complete sentence." https://t.co/WuauJIdh6C

— Axios (@axios) December 3, 2018

Is Donald Trump's Tweet About Roger Stone Witness Tampering? – Lawfare https://t.co/iJLBWypNZk

— Jack Shafer (@jackshafer) December 3, 2018

Highest elected official in the country appears to be trying to interfere in the sentencing of former lawyer who has implicated the president in guilty pleas. https://t.co/5RJWg07M1l

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 3, 2018

Should not be?? It’s one thing to avoid loose talk of impeachment. I’m all for that. But let’s not mince words in describing this crooked president’s witness tampering and attempts to obstruct justice. https://t.co/3BVnTRkSzi

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) December 3, 2018

This one’s hilarious:

Leave me outta this https://t.co/oWt7sh0UGz

— Scott Free (@gbabyflt) December 3, 2018

update 12/3

President Trump publicly praises Roger Stone for having “guts!” to not testify against the president. Is that witness tampering? Experts weigh in.
https://t.co/VRZnzA8HUE

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) December 4, 2018

Happening right in front of us https://t.co/BqB26ltf45

— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) December 4, 2018

Whitaker update – 11/15/18

update 12/4/18

Proud to have signed this. And in case anyone’s wondering, this isn’t normal. DOJ alums regularly signing letters by the hundreds protesting department actions didn’t happen during the Obama admin or in previous admins that I’m aware of. https://t.co/66FhupwXbj

— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) December 4, 2018

How Trump’s appointment of Matthew Whitaker is even more Nixonian than Nixon: https://t.co/bUQ4eCJWWx pic.twitter.com/ppYQPLW8k3

— Slate (@Slate) November 15, 2018

We @CREWcrew are not going to normalize this. A president can't pick his own prosecutor in his own case. Especially a prosecutor who has already prejudged the matter–and has conflicted relationships with those involved. That's corruption, not rule of law: https://t.co/1a5Gn7AyMo

— Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) November 15, 2018

It's as bad as it looks. Trump hired Mark Whitaker at DOJ for exactly the reasons you suspect. https://t.co/kuFCdPqo2u pic.twitter.com/eCvJOS379k

— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) November 15, 2018

Though modestly titled, this is an imposingly comprehensive dissection of the legality of Whitaker’s appointment. I disagree with key parts of it but agree that the 1898 Eaton precedent invoked by OLC actually HURTS Trump’s constitutional case. @jedshug https://t.co/RZkaFTxB5N

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) November 15, 2018

‘He was yelling’: Whitaker pushed back against early fraud complaints about company he advised via @thamburger @CarolLeonnig @PostRoz https://t.co/CTLPQVdlUR

— Brooke Anne Lorenz (@BrookeLorenz) November 15, 2018

Trump has another Lester Holt moment, this one even more explicitly admitting that he swapped out Sessions for Whitaker because he sees the whole Mueller investigation as illegal despite what courts have held. https://t.co/7vlAzyUvTI

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) November 15, 2018

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker is a climate skeptic who thinks investigating Big Oil is unconstitutional: https://t.co/qwEaHphrNz pic.twitter.com/izgpSUKswS

— Slate (@Slate) November 15, 2018

The nation’s top attorney was also no standout lawyer when Bush appointee him US attorney in Iowa: Whitaker cited a personal-injury case and a dispute involving a dry-cleaning business as his most consequential legal work. By @ShawnBoburg and @robertoharrow

— Aaron C. Davis (@byaaroncdavis) November 15, 2018

First time Trump has referred to “inner workings” of Mueller investigation. What has his hatchet man Matt Whitaker told him? Whitaker now probably has full access to the files. https://t.co/G10GSu21QM

— Max Boot (@MaxBoot) November 15, 2018

There is an easy way Whitaker can credibly assure all of us that he won't interfere with the Mueller probe: recuse. https://t.co/KLj7Ouqxfk

— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) November 15, 2018

DOJ also keeps attributing denials to Whitaker. This is what WH staff do when they don’t want false denials/conspiracy theories to blow back on them. https://t.co/n3vDbQrHcq pic.twitter.com/OSfZWZaq9Z

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) November 15, 2018

UPDATE: An earlier version of this article referred to Matthew Whitaker as a football "star." With 200 yards and two touchdowns in three seasons at Iowa, it appears he was an unspectacular player.

We regret the error. https://t.co/GY9WeYfLMb

— Esquire (@esquire) November 14, 2018

Matthew Whitaker has denied, through a DOJ spokesperson, being aware of World Patent Marketing’s alleged fraud.

Turns out he fought back against such allegations when they appeared on a website. https://t.co/QJaolPVshj

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) November 15, 2018

Did they vet him? At all?https://t.co/XeMbR1wrGE

— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) November 13, 2018

The chief law enforcement officer of the United States was a board member for a company that "wanted to create an entire community around Bigfoot believers called Squatch World, including hosting a celebrity event called 'You Have Been Squatched!'" This is real life. https://t.co/tGy4yuq5OU

— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) November 15, 2018

NEW: Deep scrub of Whitaker shows his shorthand bio – US Atty – is an aberration. He’s an entrepreneur who has over promised and has ended up in court defending his ventures, including a concrete supply business, a trailer manufacturer and day-care center. https://t.co/6jqCaCKx8j

— Aaron C. Davis (@byaaroncdavis) November 15, 2018

The acting attorney general

In case what's missing from your life is a long post from the Lawfare team about the Sessions firing and the rise of Matt Whitaker… https://t.co/afnpDS0SHF

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) November 8, 2018

And here is future United States Attorney General Matthew Whitaker promoting advances in hot tub design for scammers World Patent Marketing: pic.twitter.com/M9i2u2l4ww

— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) November 7, 2018

NEW: Whitaker ran interference for Sessions in 2017 when Sessions took heat over Kislyak conversations https://t.co/C1EbycItsw

— Betsy Woodruff (@woodruffbets) November 8, 2018

Trump's new acting AG said Clinton should've faced prosecution in email probe @CNNPolitics https://t.co/AGdHSgQAZ4

— David P Gelles (@gelles) November 7, 2018

The Whitaker-Clovis journey: both lost Iowa GOP primary; Whitaker chaired Clovis's Treasurer race; Clovis lost again; Clovis became co-chair of Trump's campaign, unqualified USDA pick, Mueller witness; Whitaker criticized Mueller, got hired at DOJ, became attorney general.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) November 8, 2018

NYT: "Whitaker first came to the attention of Mr. Trump because he liked watching Mr. Whitaker express skepticism about aspects of Mr. Mueller’s investigation on television." He was hired as Sessions's COS very shortly after this public Mueller criticism. https://t.co/a4RUZ2nqhx

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) November 8, 2018

NEW: Trump's acting attorney general was a board member of Miami Beach-based company World Patent Marketing, which the FTC called a scam and shut down https://t.co/XjMkkHJmjP

— Brittany Shammas (@britsham) November 7, 2018

Does the Sessions firing affect Mueller?

Bad news for the Mueller investigation. Whitaker has been critical of Mueller.

Democrats call for Sessions’s successor to recuse himself from Russia probe https://t.co/dQ2dxfAVuJ

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 7, 2018

An acting AG can serve for 210 days, though that can be extended if a person is nominated to permanently fill the vacancy and there are some other caveats as well. @tedbarrettcnn

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 7, 2018

Matthew Whitaker in July 2017 lamented how "the Russians are funding the DNC and helping Hillary Clinton — no one's advancing that."https://t.co/hTQdxMyFtG pic.twitter.com/aVnUJiXs5R

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) November 7, 2018

Here's the new acting Attorney General in July 2017 defending Don Jr.'s decision to take the Trump Tower meeting with Russians offering "dirt" on Hillary Clinton: "You would always take that meeting."(via CNN) pic.twitter.com/qFAhnhSSJK

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 7, 2018

Insight on the Sessions firing, nearly instant as usual, by @NatashaBertrand, including:

“Trump’s move could still backfire…. Sessions may now find himself both more vulnerable and more inclined to cooperate with Mueller…”https://t.co/e4PPcxEBwP

— David Priess (@DavidPriess) November 7, 2018

Whaddaya know: Mark Whitaker, now in charge of the Mueller investigation, chaired the 2014 campaign of Sam Clovis, a grand jury witness in that investigation. https://t.co/NzUkgjwOp1

— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) November 7, 2018

Less than a day after the Democratic House takeover might have tempted you to relax a bit, Trump immediately reminded us that he's still a dangerous authoritarian who emboldens white nationalists and is prepared to burn it all down to save himself:https://t.co/XW5mULlAZ3

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) November 7, 2018

Really would have been nice if Congress had passed the bipartisan bill to protect the Mueller Investigation

— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) November 7, 2018

Some more Whitaker criticism of the Mueller team, this one based on a Fox News report that cited an anonymous source. https://t.co/p3yCn0VXn5

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) November 7, 2018

Ohhhhhkkkkayyyyy https://t.co/uet5sENPLF

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) November 7, 2018

It is impossible to read Attorney General Sessions’ firing as anything other than another blatant attempt by @realDonaldTrump to undermine & end Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation.

— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) November 7, 2018

Hours after the polls closed:

1. Trump fired Jeff Sessions

2. Removed Rosenstein from overseeing the Russia investigation

3. Installed Matt Whitaker to replace Sessions and oversee the Russia investigation. Whitaker has publicly stated that Mueller has exceeded his authority

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) November 7, 2018

NEW via @PostRoz @mattzap @CarolLeonnig: Sessions’s ouster throws future of special counsel probe into question https://t.co/VyJ4oS8OnI

— Matea Gold (@mateagold) November 7, 2018

This is the article in which Whitaker said the investigation was crossing a red line if he looked into Trump's finances: https://t.co/kgWk9KlAMM

— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) November 7, 2018

Rosenstein is no longer overseeing the Mueller probe. Acting AG Matt Whitaker has control, per DOJ. https://t.co/TMryDKQNRB

— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) November 7, 2018

A TWEET FOR THE AGES https://t.co/zNWGeuPQ66

— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) November 7, 2018

The next two months are a time of peril for the Mueller investigation.

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) November 7, 2018

Rosenstein will remain in his role as deputy attorney general, but Whitaker will take over supervising special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation https://t.co/V3fyhhPfwM pic.twitter.com/oAjCyw2Np7

— POLITICO (@politico) November 7, 2018

Matt Whitaker last year on Trump Tower meeting:

“You would always take the meeting."https://t.co/T0aR8XvVmk

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) November 7, 2018

THREAD: What should we make of Trump’s firing of Jeff Sessions? https://t.co/jQ9uyzxNO2

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) November 7, 2018

Schumer: “Given his previous comments advocating defunding and imposing limitations on the Mueller investigation, Mr. Whitaker should recuse himself from its oversight for the duration of his time as acting attorney general.”

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 7, 2018

Senate Minority Leader Schumer: "We would hope, if there's a constitutional crisis, that our Republican colleagues would join us in thwarting the president from creating that crisis." https://t.co/V3R9YdpAUU

— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 7, 2018

Are Mueller results coming soon?

I think Trump, Jr. definitely wanted to and tried to collude with Russians. Isn’t that a crime? I hope he gets a cell with Flynn, Jr.

Trump advisers are bracing for Mueller to deliver the results of his investigation as early as Wednesday.

Sources tell VF that besides Trump, Roger Stone and Don Jr. have the most exposure. "I'm very worried about Don Jr.," said an ex-West Wing official.https://t.co/HgXGUpnq87

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 6, 2018

Scheme to discredit Mueller

One of rare times the special counsel’s office has given a public statement at length https://t.co/7GO9WcW3pk

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 30, 2018

A woman who worked as a paralegal with Robert Mueller in the 1970s said someone offered to pay her a significant amount of money if she accused Mueller of sexual misconduct and workplace harassment https://t.co/relG5Ccm4k

— POLITICO (@politico) October 30, 2018

NEW: The Special Counsel's office was made aware of a scheme to pay off women to make up sexual harassment claims against Mueller. It has referred the scheme to the FBI. STORY: https://t.co/LXVGfIgZaj

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) October 30, 2018

New from me + @brandyzadrozny + @tom_winter:

A company called “Surefire Intelligence” has ties to this Mueller smear.

Jacob Wohl denied having ties to Surefire.

Surefire’s official phone number redirects to a voicemail box registered to Jacob's mom.https://t.co/aVPzVDjGR4

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) October 30, 2018

So when I suggested that Trump was vapor-waring the 14th amendment to distract from healthcare/stock market declines/gun massacre … I overlooked that Trump might be distracting from key supporters being investigated for major crimes against the Mueller investigation

— David Frum (@davidfrum) October 30, 2018

This will implode. I can already hear this hitjob lobbyist’s attorney standing on the front steps of the courthouse insisting his client will be cleared of all charges…. https://t.co/CLuhndL9AF

— J🎃sh Campbell (@joshscampbell) October 30, 2018

They did. https://t.co/7y3YvssaJK

— Ronan Farrow (@RonanFarrow) October 31, 2018

What happens to the Mueller investigation if Rosenstein is fired or resigns?

If Rod Rosenstein leaves, don’t expect Congress to step in to protect the Russia probe

Quoted with ⁦@AshaRangappa_⁩ & ⁦@HarrySandick⁩ https://t.co/l3dwdLE3Gr

— Mimi Rocah (@Mimirocah1) September 25, 2018

If @realDonaldTrump is ready to force out Rod Rosenstein, how much longer until he goes after Special Counsel Mueller? Every resignation and firing brings us one step closer to a constitutional crisis. Congress must immediately pass the bipartisan bill to protect Mueller.

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 24, 2018

Under no circumstances should Rod Rosenstein resign. This would place the Mueller investigation in even greater jeopardy. Rosenstein should continue to do his job, protect the independence of the DOJ, and if the President intends to obstruct justice, force Trump to fire him.

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) September 24, 2018

Rod Rosenstein's dismissal would bring new uncertainty to the Mueller investigation https://t.co/9Kx77ccRl6

— POLITICO (@politico) September 25, 2018

What happens to Mueller's Russia investigation if Rosenstein loses his job after Thursday’s meeting with Trump? https://t.co/vq5aukkDwO

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 25, 2018

The reason they don’t want to bring the Mueller bill to the Senate floor is they know it would pass and they are afraid of the President. Seriously.

— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) September 25, 2018

There's a possibility that the Mueller report will never make it to Congress. That’s exactly why @realDonaldTrump wants to fire both Rosenstein and Sessions. And why we need to pass bipartisan legislation to #ProtectMueller. Deliver full transparency and justice! pic.twitter.com/SsaUz2hcoI

— Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) September 25, 2018

Bottom line – If @realDonaldTrump fires Rod Rosenstein for the purpose of protecting himself from the Mueller investigation, that would represent high crimes and misdemeanors.

— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) September 25, 2018

Video: How Rosenstein protects Mueller from Trump https://t.co/cMUkvNOSA6

— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 25, 2018

"Why President Trump couldn’t really stop the Mueller investigation — even if he fired Rosenstein" https://t.co/cBla8vyhl0

— TIME (@TIME) September 25, 2018

Meet the unethical Trump loyalist who’ll oversee the Mueller probe if Rod Rosenstein is ousted: https://t.co/KZ9FTPAzt7 pic.twitter.com/TL5Ghnttw6

— Slate (@Slate) September 25, 2018

The White House won’t guarantee that Mueller’s investigation will continue if Rod Rosenstein leaves the Justice Department. If Trump forces Rosenstein’s exit to halt Mueller, that’s obstruction of justice.https://t.co/ml37CgYLlK

— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) September 25, 2018

Sen. Klobuchar on Deputy AG Rosenstein's future: "I'm very concerned. This is a man that is No. 2 in the Justice Dept. overseeing a national security investigation, the Mueller investigation about whether a foreign country cyber-attacked our own country." https://t.co/7x4ZTCJX0u pic.twitter.com/EBwm6jxkGf

— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 25, 2018