But "When the president does it, that means it is not illegal": Trump thread LXXXVIII

[lionheart]

Another interesting tweet from the Russian Embassy.

Russian Embassy, UK @RussianEmbassy
25m25 minutes ago
More
British establishment is determined to treat Russia as its main adversary for years to come. On the contrary, Russia has been striving for completely different relations with UK. Unlike many Britons, we have abandoned the “cold war” mentality long ago. www.rusemb.org.uk/fnapr/6715

Unlike many Britons, we have abandoned the “cold war” mentality long ago.

Not sure Putin is aware.

Steve Rosenberg
‏*@BBCSteveR*
Support for Theresa May...from Vladimir Putin: “The (Brexit) referendum took place, she has to fulfill the will of the people. Otherwise, it’s not a referendum.”

Speaking of cold war.
Interesting possibilities for a new iron curtain explored in Berlin Station, season 3, summary in episode 2.

Jennifer Griffin
@JenGriffinFNX
Sr US defense official tells me: The President made the decision to pull out of Syria last Fri Dec 14 after speaking with Turkish President Erdogan, who told Trump Turkish forces were planning to enter Syria to go after the Kurdish PKK and warned US troops to get out of the way.

Trump gave military 30 days to pull out. Pentagon chiefs fear the SDF, who fought with US vs ISIS and Kurdish forces to be slaughtered.
As one senior US defense official put it to me, "no one will ever work or fight with us in the Middle East again."

Marianna Sotomayor
@MariannaNBCNews
BREAKING: The House Intelligence Committee voted unanimously to release documents regarding Roger Stone’s testimony to special counsel Robert Mueller.

MSNBC
‏*@MSNBC*
Acting AG Matt Whitaker does not have to recuse himself from Mueller probe, DOJ says.
www.msnbc.com/hallie-jackson/watch/justice-department-officials-tell-acting-ag-matt-whitaker-he-s-clear-to-oversee-mueller-probe-1403071043834

Kyle Griffin
‏*@kylegriffin1*

Remember that Whitaker:

*Publicly castigated the Mueller probe, calling it "Mueller's lynch mob"

*Suggested Trump fire Sessions so the next AG could cut funding for Mueller

*Is friends with Sam Clovis, a witness in the probe

*Said Trump's biz and finances should be off-limits

[bear in mind also that yesterday McConnell prevented a Mueller protection bill from being voted on again]

CNBC Now
‏Verified account @CNBCnow

Dow drops more than 310 points to session low after White House says Trump does not want to sign government spending bill to avert shutdown unless border security is included in it cnb.cx/2BwNVel

Hmm.

Del Quentin Wilber
‏Verified account @DelWilber

BREAKING. senior DOJ official: Whitaker has not recused from Mueller probe. After extensive review by senior officials, he did not seek formal ruling from ethics office. BUT a senior doj ethics official said it was a "close call" and he should recuse in an "abundance of caution."
9:32 PM - 20 Dec 2018

New conversation
Del Quentin Wilber
‏Verified account @DelWilber
28m28 minutes ago

In cases involving an appearance of conflict of interest versus a real conflict, like having once represented a defendant it is incumbent upon the official to seek an ethics recommendation.
6 replies 68 retweets 240 likes
Del Quentin Wilber
‏Verified account @DelWilber
28m28 minutes ago

Because this was a "close call," senior appointed DOJ officials recommended to whitaker he not recuse. They noted no AG has ever recused for an "appearance" issue in the past. Whitaker yesterday accepted that recommendation.
13 replies 59 retweets 126 likes
Del Quentin Wilber
‏Verified account @DelWilber
28m28 minutes ago

DOJ sending letter to Senate explaining Whitaker's decision.
7 replies 47 retweets 118 likes

End of conversation

Adrienne
‏ <strong>@absinor</strong>
23m23 minutes ago

Replying to @DelWilber

Let’s get a formal ruling, yes?
0 replies 2 retweets 34 likes

steve brown
‏ <strong>@srb39</strong>
16m16 minutes ago

Replying to @DelWilber

Lets have the name of this “senior ethics official “....
0 replies 2 retweets 12 likes

New conversation
Cindy Carpenter
‏ <strong>@CindyCarpenter3</strong>
22m22 minutes ago

Replying to @DelWilber @djrothkopf

What the fresh hell is this? So he didn't even get the ethics review at all?
3 replies 10 retweets 83 likes

1 more reply

RainyMyth
‏ <strong>@RainyMyth</strong>
26m26 minutes ago

Replying to @DelWilber @maddow

What!!??!!?? There was NO ethics review??
0 replies 3 retweets 15 likes

niinosh
‏ <strong>@niinoshdelsarto</strong>
18m18 minutes ago

Replying to @DelWilber

It’s not even a call if the ethics office wasn’t involved.
0 replies 0 retweets 7 likes

Pete J. King

Kyle Griffin
Kyle Griffin
@kylegriffin1
Russian agents sought secret Treasury records on Clinton backers during the 2016 campaign, weeks before the Trump Tower meeting, according to BuzzFeed.

Whistleblowers said Treasury officials were using a Gmail back channel with the Russian government.

www.buzzfeednews.com/article/anthonycormier/russian-agents-sought-us-treasury-records-on-clinton-backers

www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/us/politics/barr-whitaker-mueller-trump.html

Sen Dianne Feinstein
‏
Verified account

@SenFeinstein

'We need answers as to why William Barr proactively drafted a memo against Special Counsel Mueller's investigation. There’s no reason for a lawyer in private practice to do this unless he was attempting to curry favor with President Trump.'

Palmer Report
‏
Verified account

@PalmerReport

'Trump isn’t just demanding a wall. His oddly specific demands about steel slats are clearly from a proposal that some company pitched him. We must find this company and figure out how it’s bribing him. The “wall” has always been about Trump getting paid. It always is with him.'

www.buzzfeednews.com/article/anthonycormier/russian-agents-sought-us-treasury-records-on-clinton-backers

maplight.org/story/tax-return-shows-mercer-family-fueled-climate-skeptics-last-year-with-more-than-4-million/

'A controversial family credited with helping Donald Trump win the White House spent $4.4 million last year to finance climate change deniers, according to its foundation’s latest tax return.

The Mercer Family Foundation, led by Rebekah Mercer and funded by her billionaire father, donated almost $4 million in 2016 to organizations that reject the scientific consensus regarding man-made climate change or oppose more regulations on carbon emissions, according to BuzzFeed News.'

Darren Samuelsohn
@dsamuelsohn
NEW - The company owned by "Country A" just filed a 3,931-word sealed motion with the US Court of Appeals in the mystery Mueller subpoena case we're tracking
@politico
(link: ow.ly/jIRJ30n3YYT )

Ooh.

And then this:

Matthew Miller (MSNBC)
‏
Verified account

@matthewamiller
3h3 hours ago

'This is turning into an enormous scandal. Ethics officials told Whitaker they would recommend recusal, so he set up a different group of officials (probably political appointees, but unclear) to make a different recommendation. What in the hell is going on at DOJ?'

My there’s a strong smell in here.

Jake Tapper
@jaketapper
Breaking: Officials throughout the Trump administration are bracing themselves for the president to make a similar announcement as he did about Syria except this time about US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan — though they caution the president has not yet made a final decision.

Multiple administration sources tell CNN they are concerned and convinced that the president may make a similar announcement about US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, and soon.

'Oh, no': The day Trump learned to tweet

Trump's first social media adviser reveals the full inside story of how he guided his ex-boss from Luddite to Twitter addict.
www.politico.com/story/2018/12/20/oh-no-the-day-trump-learned-to-tweet-1070789

"The moment I found out Trump could tweet himself was comparable to the moment in 'Jurassic Park' when Dr. Grant realized that velociraptors could open doors," recalled McConney, who was the Trump Organization’s director of social media from 2011 to 2017. "I was like, 'Oh no.'"

Defence secretary Mattis to quit at the end of February:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46640114

BREAKING: Pres Trump tweets that DefSec Mattis to retire at end of February.

Cross-post - sorry!

www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/world/middleeast/isis-syria-prisoner-release-trump.html

Here's Mattis's resignation letter. He's not retiring, he's resigning, over conflict in views about supporting allies rather than authoritarian nations. He hints that Trump disrespects our allies and is a danger to the US.

There is no doubt he is resigning in protest. Let's hope he knows 'stuff' and will be talking to Mueller.