It’s a National Non-Emergency: Trump thread 91

[TheClaws]

Here we are in February 2019 - Trump has declared a National Emergency to funnel the funds for his border wall, he’s just come off a ridiculous SOTU that contained more lies than not, and he’s just tweeted this:

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump 2h2 hours ago
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“These guys, the investigators, ought to be in jail. What they have done, working with the Obama intelligence agencies, is simply unprecedented. This is one of the greatest political hoaxes ever perpetrated on the people of this Country, and Mueller is a coverup.” Rush Limbaugh

But here’s a reminder he’s not one of the sharpest tools in the box.

Natasha Bertrand
‏*@NatashaBertrand*
Great catch by @ScottMStedman: Trump told Mueller in writing that Roger Stone did not tell him about WikiLeaks, per CNN. But Cohen now says Stone told Trump about the impending WikiLeaks release in July 2016. If Mueller can prove Cohen’s story...

edition.cnn.com/2018/11/28/politics/trump-mueller-answers-wikileaks-trump-tower/index.html

AprilDRyan
@AprilDRyan
BREAKING: SOURCES CLOSE TO MICHAEL COHEN contend during todays hearing, Cohen will display a second check signed by Donald Trump, Dated August 1, 2017, worth $35,000 dollars. It is alleged to be another installment of hush money to
@StormyDaniels
.

Argh! DH has a doctor appointment right as testimony starts! It's about his heart so I need to be there.

Thank you for posting his opening statement Lion!

How come he was (allegedly) paying off Clifford in instalments?

And whilst he was president too!

(I think the cheque is one from a company, which he was supposed to be disassociated from to prevent conflicts of interest, though I can't find a source for that now so it might be a fevered imagining.)

Seems Donny Jr may be im Stormy waters too,

Michael Cohen to tell Congress Donald Trump Jr signed Stormy Daniels check
Allegation could put president’s son in legal peril
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/feb/27/donald-trump-jr-stormy-daniels-payment-michael-cohen-testimony-hearing-latest?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

As Trump meets Kim in Vietnam, he’s undermined and distracted by Michael Cohen
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/thousands-of-miles-away-from-washington-trump-takes-aim-at-cohen/2019/02/27/223ae876-3a6a-11e9-b786-d6abcbcd212a_story.html?utm_term=.fa3e7b26f322

... Two hours before opening his high-stakes summit in Hanoi by meeting one on one with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and joining him and a handful of advisers for a social dinner, Trump teed off about Cohen.
“Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately),” Trump wrote on Twitter. “He had other clients also. He was just disbarred by the State Supreme Court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying to reduce his prison time. Using Crooked’s lawyer!”
Cohen’s testimony, which he is scheduled to deliver in person Wednesday on Capitol Hill, was another reminder of Trump’s domestic turmoil and simmering investigative problems just as he began a two-day summit that aides said he scheduled partially to get away from those troubles.
Now, his Vietnam summit is at risk of being overshadowed, as television networks in the United States prepared round-the-clock coverage of Cohen’s testimony and its explosive revelations — an outcome that is likely to enrage the president, observers and advisers said.

... White House officials had hoped Trump would not become distracted overseas by the spectacle of his former attorney and fixer testifying publicly for the first time. But the president’s mind, no matter where he is, often is on domestic issues and his political standing, current and former advisors said.

He'll probably spend the entire summit complaining and explaining Cohen's testimony to KJU who will be sitting there thinking "WTF is the asshole going on about now?".

Last night on ODonnell they were talking about how Scrotus has always used a flattery and charm tactic to get his way. You can see it so clearly with KJU and his 'beautiful beaches' bullshit. Once again, just shows how ignorant he is. He thinks charm is going to work on a hardened dictator. What an idiot. KJU is going to play him like a fiddle using the same tactic. Just like last time. The problem is that it works on Scrotus. .

Within here is the whole of Cohen's opening statement. Dynamite...

hillreporter.com/read-michael-cohens-incredibly-damaging-opening-statement-to-house-committee-released-25859

And of course, this is the stuff that Cohen can document or corroborate and leaves out the other things that are in Mueller's domain.

He's arrived for his session.

The Republicans have taken some time to decorate the chamber.

Wow.

Well I'm glad I'd settled in comfortably with a cup of tea and bowl of porridge to read that.

Obviously Team Trump will continue to trash Cohen as a liar. Some things he can document, some (like Don Jr whispering in daddy's ear about a meeting in Jun 2016), he may well not be able to.

Let's see where this goes...

Meadows trying for postponement ...

I'm watching this on France 24.

Ah found the livestream direct from the senate:

oversight.house.gov

"Every one of us has a duty to serve as an independent check on the executive branch. Ladies and gentlemen, we are in search of the truth. The pres. has made many statements of his own and now the American people have a right to hear the other side." @repjohnlewis

Cummings says will avoid Qs on Russia, at request of Adam Schiff to not interfere with his committee's investigation.

But will still deal with Qs arising from Cohen's testimony (?didn't catch that bit).

Jordan sucking up to Trump bigtime.

Watching - should be fun

Cohen now sworn in.

Now I'm wondering what his scores were ...

Watching too.

I am that Republicans can have huge signs like that attacking the defendant's character. That is seriously weird.

So glad that Trump's vietnam photo op with his new best friend is garnering no interest whatsoever.

These little things might matter more than the big felonious stuff to some people; not paying his debts; trying to hide his college scores; what he says about Vietnam and the military; the lack of love for America ...

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-02-27/michael-cohen-testimony-portrays-president-trump-as-a-grifter