—
This seemed newsworthy.
So you know … I decided once again … to bring it to you.
You know, just in case you missed it.
DOJ kept investigators from completing probe of Trump ties to Russia: report
The Department of Justice in 2017 narrowed the scope of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, cutting short a probe into President Trump’s business ties to Moscow, The New York Times reported.
[...]
When he installed Mueller as special counsel in May 2017, Rosenstein gave him the mandate of investigating “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government” and the Trump campaign.
In private, however, Rosenstein directed Mueller to limit his investigation to any lawbreaking in connection with Russian election interference, the Times reported, citing former law enforcement officials.
Journalist Jeffrey Toobin, who first reported the conversation for a book, wrote that Rosenstein warned Mueller against a “fishing expedition” similar to Ken Starr's investigation into President Clinton.
And this was in the A Block of the Maddow Show today. Well worth watching if you get the chance:
Trump Apparently Thought He Could Pay Robert Mueller To Drop The Russia Investigation
According to New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt’s new book – from which MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow read on Monday night – Donald Trump seemingly believed he could pay Special Counsel Robert Mueller to drop the Russia investigation if it started to zero in on him.
[...]
Maddow said:
This is amazing. People talk about like, oh, there’s too many lawyers in public service. In this case, maybe a little more lawyer, a little more legal knowledge for this particular public servant might have been– Anyway, this is from page 18: ‘To anyone paying attention, Trump looked like he was in trouble. But he still didn’t seem to get it. Instead of taking a disciplined approach led by experienced Washington white collar defense lawyers, as Bill Clinton had done when he was under investigation, Trump had initially put together a hodgepodge legal team of undisciplined lawyers and television pundits. In the same way that he had used the tabloids in New York, he thought he could use his Twitter account to undercut Robert Mueller. Even as he intuitively sensed the danger Mueller posed to him, he still coped with that danger with bravado and arrogance, the same way he had managed banks, creditors, civil lawsuits and divorce lawyers throughout his public life. At one point as the investigation seemed to be intensifying, Trump told White House counsel Don McGahn that there was nothing to worry about because if it was zeroing in on him, he would simply settle with Mueller.’ He would settle the case as if he were negotiating terms in a law enforcement. Robert Mueller was not suing Donald Trump. Why did he think he could settle the case? He thought he could pay Mueller and that would make the Mueller investigation go away?
[...]
Trump seems to view the presidency as an extension of his time as a crooked New York City real estate mogul and failed businessman, when he would pay off accusers, declare bankruptcies, and move on to his next failure.
Trump seems to view the provocateur help from Vladmir Putin and associates, as an extension of his SuperPacs — the details of which SHALL BE disclosed to no one.
Trump seems to view the American voter, as just another shill, that he has to scare into voting for him — again. You know — to get America out of the Trump ditch. “Only he can fix it.”
Trump seems to view the biggest American protest movement in a generation, as just another “opportunity” for him to stir up chaos and confusion, and ANGER among his gun-toting “supporters.”
—
And on the other end of the ‘safety spectrum’ ...
There is Joe Biden, today [snippets transcribed from The 11th Hour, MSNBC, Aug 31th]:
I want a safe America. Safe from COVID.
Safe from riots and looting … Safe from bad cops.
Let me be crystal clear: Safe from four more years of Donald Trump.
He’s rooting for chaos and violence.
These are not images of some imagined Joe Biden’s America in the future. These are images of Donald Trump’s America — today!
He keeps telling you — if only he was president — this wouldn’t happen.
Well he IS President — Whether he knows it or not. And it is happening.
I prefer it — If only Donald Trump weren’t president.
...
Maybe then, the world could be put back on its science-based, humanity-based axis …
Instead of careening out of control, as Joe Biden so aptly put it:
in “Donald Trump’s America — today!”
— —
If only Donald Trump weren’t president.
