Donald Trump has ignored good advice and flown into West Virginia for an evening rally. Reports coming out of the White House indicate that Team Trump did not get the day they were expecting. Trump had been assured that former campaign manager Paul Manafort’s trial was going to end with either a mistrial or an acquittal, either of which Trump intended to use to attack special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump surrogates were on high alert to go on the attack as Manafort celebrated.
Except … Manafort was found guilty on eight counts. And to everyone’s surprise, that turned out to be only the second-biggest piece of news to emerge from a federal court house on Tuesday as Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen marched in to turn himself over to the FBI, plead guilty to eight charges including campaign finance violations, and in the process name Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator.
All of which put something of a damper on Trump’s press statements. Trump pointedly ignored reporters’ shouted questions on his way out of D.C., and appeared ready to feign a sudden loss of hearing on his arrival in Charleston. But at the last moment, Trump did respond to a question about Manafort’s conviction.
Trump’s tune on Manafort had barely changed a note: It was sad. Manafort “worked for Ronald Reagan,” Manafort is a “good man.” Manfort’s conviction had “nothing to do with Russian collusion.” And of course, Mueller’s investigation continues to be “a witch hunt.” In fact, Trump seemed singularly subdued. Almost as if, for once, he was really sad. About the only person made un-sad by Trump’s statements had to be Manafort, because it wasn’t hard to hear the sound of Trump’s scrawling his signa-scribble on a pardon.
When it came to Michael Cohen, Trump said … nothing at all. But he’ll get another chance when he takes the stage tonight. For once, this might be a Trump rally worth covering.