The Trump Investigation(s) Thread

[Zaxxon]

Boy, Mark Meadows is about to bring in the extremely persuasive argument of 'here is a black person that works at the Trump Org, so clearly the President cannot be racist.'

How demeaning.

[naednek]

man, how republicans can keep their head in the sand is amazing.

[ImLawBoy]

Boy, Mark Meadows is about to bring in the extremely persuasive argument of 'here is a black person that works at the Trump Org, so clearly the President cannot be racist.'

How demeaning.

Many of his best employees are black, you know.

[LordMortis]

Boy, Mark Meadows is about to bring in the extremely persuasive argument of 'here is a black person that works at the Trump Org, so clearly the President cannot be racist.'

How demeaning.

Many of his best employees are black, you know.

Aretha Franklin worked for him once and he even tweeted a picture in memorium saying as much as after her death.

[Kurth]

Just read the Cohen statement . . .

[Smoove_B]

The highlight film for this testimony is going to be amazing. The prepared statement is awesome, but Cohen is absolutely slaying the GOP committee members as they try to rattle him.

"I did the same thing you're doing now for the past 10 years, I protected Mr. Trump."

He's not having any of it. Whatever strategy the GOP members were told to use, it's not working.

[naednek]

the stupid poster board pictures tells you all you need to know about the Republicans.

[hepcat]

I know he's a criminal and he defended the orange doofus during his campaign in an oftentime aggressive manner, but to see Trump's pitbull now attacking it's previous owner is something to behold. If anything, the takeaway these last few years is that Trump is incapable of maintaining a friendship with anyone. He will abandon you if he thinks it's in his best interest, unless your immediate family...well, other than Tiffany.

[gilraen]

He's not having any of it. Whatever strategy the GOP members were told to use, it's not working.

As WaPo's Shane Harris noted on Twitter, "GOP members are trying to shame Cohen, which seems futile at this rock-bottom point in his life".

Seriously, this is Cohen unleashed. He speaks and acts like he has actually regained some lost freedom - ironic for a man who's about to start a prison sentence in a couple of months.

[El Guapo]

He's not having any of it. Whatever strategy the GOP members were told to use, it's not working.

As WaPo's Shane Harris noted on Twitter, "GOP members are trying to shame Cohen, which seems futile at this rock-bottom point in his life".

Seriously, this is Cohen unleashed. He speaks and acts like he has actually regained some lost freedom - ironic for a man who's about to start a prison sentence in a couple of months.

It's gotta feel pretty liberating, right? To just put everything out on the table, after 10+ years of lying and criminal activity?

[LordMortis]

I don't know anything about Cohen but I can only imagine that if you aren't a sociopath that the truth has to feel like weights removed in almost a spiritual way. OtOH, if you are sociopath, I don't doubt you can make lies look like the truth feeling like weights removed in almost a spiritual way. That's what evidence is for. Lying about small things has always been soul crushing for me. At the same time, you have Manafort being weasel unto the last, where the claim is his life was ruined by the trial, not his actions or his crimes, the trial.

[Skinypupy]

I'm trying to keep tabs on this circus while standing in lines at Disneyland today, which is alternately fascinating and horrifying. The bits and pieces I'm able to catch are simply surreal.

[Isgrimnur]

I'm trying to keep tabs on this circus while standing in lines at Disneyland today, which is alternately fascinating and horrifying. The bits and pieces I'm able to catch are simply surreal.

Stop sullying the happiest place on earth by watching the coverage of the Heartless.

[GreenGoo]

Boy, Mark Meadows is about to bring in the extremely persuasive argument of 'here is a black person that works at the Trump Org, so clearly the President cannot be racist.'

How demeaning.

Many of his best employees are black, you know.

How strange he didn't bring poster child for this sort of defense, Omarosa, into the discussion. You would think she would be the perfect candidate for this.

How very odd.

[Isgrimnur]

Boy, Mark Meadows is about to bring in the extremely persuasive argument of 'here is a black person that works at the Trump Org, so clearly the President cannot be racist.'

How demeaning.

Many of his best employees are black, you know.

How strange he didn't bring poster child for this sort of defense, Omarosa, into the discussion. You would think she would be the perfect candidate for this.

How very odd.

Or Ben Carson. He hasn't been prayed away yet.

[GreenGoo]

I know he's a criminal and he defended the orange doofus during his campaign in an oftentime aggressive manner, but to see Trump's pitbull now attacking it's previous owner is something to behold. If anything, the takeaway these last few years is that Trump is incapable of maintaining a friendship with anyone. He will abandon you if he thinks it's in his best interest, unless your immediate family...well, other than Tiffany.

As slimy a low life as Cohen has been his entire career with drumpf, he's thrown himself under the bus in an attempt to make amends, even without this testimony. It's hard to ignore a man in full contrition. That he's burning drumpf down is just icing. Well, it's not going to matter in the least, but at least he's trying to make right.

[GreenGoo]

I'm trying to keep tabs on this circus while standing in lines at Disneyland today, which is alternately fascinating and horrifying. The bits and pieces I'm able to catch are simply surreal.

Stop sullying the happiest place on earth by watching the coverage of the Heartless.

Something, something, anti-Semitic attractions, something something.

[Skinypupy]

I'm trying to keep tabs on this circus while standing in lines at Disneyland today, which is alternately fascinating and horrifying. The bits and pieces I'm able to catch are simply surreal.

Stop sullying the happiest place on earth by watching the coverage of the Heartless.

Hey, my Wonder Twins just met Sully! He gave them a high five while they were standing in line for the Toy Story ride.

(we bounced over to California Adventures, which is much improved since the last time I was here 10'ish years ago)

[hepcat]

It appears that the main tactic of the republicans facing Cohen right now is trying to establish a conspiracy with rich Dem backers.

[El Guapo]

[GreenGoo]

It appears that the main tactic of the republicans facing Cohen right now is trying to establish a conspiracy with rich Dem backers.

My god, I knew George Soros was behind this!

[stessier]

@Popehat's timeline is pretty entertaining today.

[wonderpug]

I'm trying to keep tabs on this circus while standing in lines at Disneyland today, which is alternately fascinating and horrifying. The bits and pieces I'm able to catch are simply surreal.

Stop sullying the happiest place on earth by watching the coverage of the Heartless.

Hey, my Wonder Twins just met Sully! He gave them a high five while they were standing in line for the Toy Story ride.

(we bounced over to California Adventures, which is much improved since the last time I was here 10'ish years ago)

Did you bring an external battery pack charger for your phone? The big Anker ones can keep your phone full for an entire day of theme park lines.

[gilraen]

Rep. Raskin to Cohen: "Our [colleagues] are not upset because you lied to Congress for the President. They are upset because you stopped lying to Congress for the President".

No shit.

Edit: also, I'd pay money to see Mark Meadows go into a full meltdown on national TV. What a fucking disgrace.

[Zaxxon]

Edit: also, I'd pay money to see Mark Meadows go into a full meltdown on national TV.
What a fucking disgrace.

He's getting close. He'd really like to be the one testifying based on his leading questions. Over. And over. And over again.

[El Guapo]

It also pains me to see Jim Jordan moralizing about anything when, among other things, he obviously covered up sexual abuse allegations at the college that he was a wrestling coach at.

[El Guapo]

Jesus f'ing Christ. Trump obviously committed a charity fraud violation just so he could tweet out that his portrait went for the most money at a charity auction.

[GreenGoo]

@Popehat's timeline is pretty entertaining today.

Assuming that's Fed on the other end, damn his snark is the snarkiest.

[El Guapo]

@Popehat's timeline is pretty entertaining today.

Assuming that's Fed on the other end, damn his snark is the snarkiest.

It really is top notch.

[naednek]

[GreenGoo]

Because that detail is absolutely the crux of his entire testimony.

Case dismissed. Or whatever. Case ignored.

[Blackhawk]

They don't need to discredit him to the courts or to congress. They just need to discredit him to the public.

[GreenGoo]

They don't need to discredit him to the courts or to congress. They just need to discredit him to the public.

Why bother? No one will be swayed by his testimony one way or another. Hell, no one who can affect change is even paying attention. They'll find out what they're supposed to think tonight on the evening news.

[Blackhawk]

They don't need to discredit him to the courts or to congress. They just need to discredit him to the public.

Why bother? No one will be swayed by his testimony one way or another. Hell, no one who can affect change is even paying attention. They'll find out what they're supposed to think tonight on the evening news.

Via all the soundbites that both sides are busy setting up right now. You're right. Nobody will be swayed. This is all largely irrelevant in that regard.

[Kraken]

He doesn't suddenly become credible because he's saying what we want to hear. We already know he's an unreliable narrator.

[Zaxxon]

He doesn't suddenly become credible because he's saying what we want to hear. We already know he's an unreliable narrator.

Indeed. But the receipts sure help.

[hepcat]

We live in a post-truth world. Get used to it.

[LordMortis]

He doesn't suddenly become credible because he's saying what we want to hear. We already know he's an unreliable narrator.

I'm not listening. Is he making allegations or is pointing out buried bodies?

[LawBeefaroni]

[LawBeefaroni]

Also, per Cohen, Trump said about his bone spur deferment, "You think I'm stupid? I wasn't going to Viet Nam."

Now he's in Viet Nam...