Michael Cohen and the End Stage of the Trump Presidency

the End Stage of the Trump Presidency

Ha, I'm just reading it now.

[quote]We don’t know the precise path the next few months will take. There will be resistance and denial and counterattacks. But it seems likely that, when we look back on this week, we will see it as a turning point. We are now in the end stages of the Trump Presidency.

Please let this be true!

It's a good article, but I wonder how true it is. I don't think his supporters will turn on him, no matter what. And if he does resign or gets impeached, they won't blame Trump's illegal affairs for it, they will blame the liberals for disclosing them. There is not much more we need to know about his character. There simply isn't. Anything new we learn from Cohen's files will be strictly to determine what is legal and what is not. But his supporters? They have shown unwavering support, and they simply won't care if he launders money, or if he's a fraud. They just won't. Here's hoping there is enough information to get rid of him, anyway. I will gladly take the brunt of his supporters' anger if it meant getting rid of Trump.

Lol Wait 6 more years

Everyone talks about Trump's "deplorable" supporters, but he actually has a lot in the respectable establishment, too

So sick of looking at that chap lipped motherfucker and his dim facial expressions.

The average Trump voter made over $70,000 a year and was college educated. These people just don't care. And they are deplorable, not respectable.

Yawn. Another in a long line of "Trump will be gone any moment now" choristers. If I had a dime for every time some jack ass stated DJT won't last 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months, 3 years, etc, I'd be a very wealthy man.

Give it a rest already. It's old, it's tedious, it's tiresome, it's not productive.

Why are you all so eager for Christian Sharia Pence?

R9 like most Americans thinks crimes are solved in one hour and progress happens to cheers and a triumphant soundtrack.

Pence does not stand a chance in 2020.

Don't misunderstand us, we know we are fucked. The lasting damages of Trump winning will last a generation to correct, but at least Pence is not two steps away from dementia. He won't antagonize our allies that way Trump might do so, plus Pence is not likely to win 2020. We can deal with him for two years with a Democratic House.

How are things in Vladivostok, Comrade R9?

Pence can be controlled by us. Trump can only be controlled by Moscow. Big difference.

I still laugh every time I remember the reference to "Cohen and his strip mall law degree". You just know that made his asshole pucker when he heard that.

Pence is controlled by the Koch Bros, not us.

Pence wouldn't be able to stop himself from triggering the Armageddon. He knows this may as well be their last shot at it.

"How are things in Vladivostok, Comrade [R9]?"

How are Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Sasquatch, R14?

R9 Agreed. It's not unlike Tammy Faye's ex-husband selling beans for the apocalypse on that shit evangelical show he has.

If Trump steps down Pence will pardon him.

Pence can't pardon the New York courts.

There’s nothing in the NY courts

Michael Cohen has a snappy wardrobe. I'll give him that much.

........

Ignore R8's clumsy "statistics." The data on income is partly true, but the "average income" shown is a bogus datum. Education levels of Trump voters were lower than those for Clinton, and the suggestion made in clumsy fashion is untrue. Note, too, Clinton did better among more-educated people than even Obama did. However, her votes dropped with less-educated people.

It is important to be aware at present NOT who voted for Trump, but who still supports him. Personally, I now look at current-Trump supporters as being either ignorant and perhaps intellectually incapable on one hand or the equivalent of Nazi supporters in 1938 on the other. Since no one cares about the large majority of people who are horrified by Trump and his evident criminality, that 15%-20% of the populace still being "I don't care if he's a criminal" types are the worrisome dregs.

R9/R19 is an idiot who refuses to see what’s coming down the road. Davidson is highly regarded as a reporter-this isn’t a wish fulfillment puff piece.

I want Trump out of office more than anyone. As a native NYer my disgust/hatred of him goes back to the 80's. But Trump is a known devil, whereas Pence is an unknown devil. Both are evil. But if we have a choice between a known devil versus an unknown devil, which do you want?

The unknown devil, R28. I have no doubt Pence will destroy any social programs and will help roll back LGBT protection, etc, but whatever he destroys can be fixed fairly quickly with the next administration. What Trump destroys can not be fixed, ever.

Thomas Cooley Western Michigan U, Michael Cohen's alma mater is the worst law school in the country. It ranks last in law schools.

We've had corrupt fundies who behave like adults and survived I.e Reagan, GW.. Trump is something so much more destructive. He is child and a criminal and must be destroyed.

I turned on the radio yesterday at the end of Trump’s remarks on Syria. I didn’t know what he was talking about, but I knew it was a press conference and he was announcing something. My first thought was, he’s resigning. My stomach dipped a little, then my only thought was, no surprise here.

If what they have on them is as bad as the evidence suggests, he will likely quit. His power and position are what invited such scrutiny, and he must know that it’s going to get worse so long as he remains president. He’s also, for all his bluster, a wimp, and will run at some point. I think it will go down like that. We will wake up one morning and he’ll make an announcement, and then he’ll be gone.

The deplorables will only turn on him in retrospect and will find a way to exempt themselves from blame. So long as he serves a purpose, they will live in deflection and denial, just like Trump.

R 13 nailed it. We are not celebrating Pence. He is at least not clinically psychotic like the Drumpf. He is merely Rethuglican psychotic, which is at least "the norm."

Deplorables did not honestly elect the Drumpf. Never again

The Dems will work with Pence. The media will praise him.

Pence will be limited by a Democratic House. He’s not insane. He will appoint and listen to sane foreign policy advisers. Not ideal, but better than the psycho.

Thanks, Miss Cleo.

When I was growing up I worked at a local restaurant. Other kids my own age did, too. They were dishwashers, busboys, assistants to the chef, coat check girls (really), waiters, waitresses. One day one of the newer employees was caught stealing liquor. We were shocked. But the restaurant was owned by locals, we were locals, delivery people were locals, so we actually knew the people who were being robbed.

Today, I hear the thing most young people get fired for is stealing. They steal from everywhere - restaurants, retail stores, auto parts, you name it. They really don’t see it as being serious. They’re just taking something back from the man as far as they’re concerned. Most employers are chain stores, not locals, so they are stealing from someone they don’t know.

I think they figure stealing is fine and Trump is just doing what he has to do in order to be successful. They think, “If you wanna get rich, you have to find a scheme. You have to step on people.” So I think a large percentage of the public doesn’t see thieving, cheating or lying as a problem. They think you have to do it to get on top. They think the odds are stacked against them, so why not get ale what you can get when you can get it?

Are you people delusional ?......Pence is going down with the rest of them......he might not have played an active part in the conspiracy, but he knew about it.....He was the head of the transition team, he publicly lied about Flynn....and lord knows what else.........hes going down

There are folks in his base calling him establishment now after the bombing of Syria and this consideration of TTP. They the the republicans have sucked him and made him thers, when it's the opposite. The republican party has died.

R38 I think you're delusional. It's not that I don't agree about Pence's culpability, and I 'm sure that will be used to smear him and prevent him from be elected. But Going soft on Pence will be the compromise to get the GOP to turn on Trump.

I agree with R40. The FBI will let Pence slide so that it doesn’t look like a “soft coup.”

I wonder if a threat of Ivanka and Don Jr being indicted will matter to Trump? Does he really see them as an extension of himself or will he shrug and keep going?

What was Cohen thinking when he put on that blazer yesterday?

Pic?

This article doesn't make sense. This guy would have us believe that he had special insight into the disaster in Iraq and the financial crisis. But I recall that people widely believed the Occupation in Iraq was a farce as it unfolded. You didn't have to be on the ground in Baghdad to see that. And there was a lot of uncertainty about the economy as well in 2007-2008. Then he shifts gears and says it is obvious that the end of the Trump presidency is unfolding before us. Yes. But what do his other two examples have to do with that?

This is the definition of navel-gazing New York Times magazine-style thinkpiece twaddle.

Barf.

If Trump is, indeed, going down, why would Ryan not run for reelection, when he could have been the VP, and, possibly, the President, if Pence is also indicted? It makes me think that either there is no way Trump is leaving, or Ryan knows that he might be indicted, as well.

[quote] This is the definition of navel-gazing New York Times magazine-style thinkpiece twaddle.

To say the least.

Is that Michael Cohen or Barry Zuckerkorn?

i think they will let him finish the term. he will not run for re-election.

This article reminds me of the pronouncements of Trump’s inevitable denouement that we’re published in The NY Times Op Ed or in Salon or Time during the election. At the end of the day, it is just clickbait for liberals.

The inevitable fall of Trump won’t solve the problems which led to his election - an archaic republican system, a dysfunctional economic pyramid on the verge of toppling over, an increasingly technologically-driven and alienating society where facts have been replaced by consumer preferences, a parade of endless vulgar flotsam elevated to celebrity status... oh God, where’s the soma when you need it?

Coy Michael Cohen denied onlookers a glimpse of his slim pins whilst flaunting fresh-faced droopies and turning heads in Kajagoogoo sunglasses and a more understated jacket today in the northeast American state of Manhattan.

Ryan is getting out of town to save face....hes going down too.....he too Russian money and distributed it throughout the GOP....they have him on tape.

Ryan can still be appointed as VP by Pence. Right now, the Kochs want Ryan out of the way. They don't want him sullied by this investigation nor do they want him to jeopardize his standing among Republicans by being part of the Impeach Trump moves that will be happening. Ryan has no stomach for a fight. He is cowardly. He is not a leader. So since the Kochs own him and have plans for him, 2024, they are moving him out of the way because things are about to get real dirty and Congress will, of necessity have a role to play.

So who is the person or persons who have been bringing lawsuits to 2000 people over the years on behalf of Trump?

Probably Mark Kasowitscz

I'd say Ryan is pretty much finished with elective politics at this point. Lots of think-tank, talking head pontificating ahead. He resigned rather than lose his seat in November.

Somewhere, I heard that the plan was to put in Romney as Veep, so that Pence could serve for a very short time as acting president to get the former president title off his bucket list, and then leave while the getting is good.

Remember this exchange from last year between Ryan and the person he wants to replace him along with the other Repug in the running:

[quote]“There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump,” McCarthy said, according to Entous, a superb reporter who heard a tape recording of the colloquy. “Swear to God.”

[quote]Dana Rohrabacher is a Republican from California with a peculiar amalgam of views: pro-marijuana, dubious about climate change, pro-torture. For this last position, in 2007, Keith Olbermann awarded him his periodic “Worst Person in the World” award, on his old MSNBC show. Like Trump, Rohrabacher has been highly solicitous of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last year, Politico ran an article on Rohrabacher called “Putin’s Favorite Congressman.”

[quote]In the Post piece, McCarthy’s remark is met with laughter, and Ryan cautions his colleagues, “This is an off the record . . . No leaks! . . . All right?” And then, amid more laughter, Ryan says, “This is how we know we’re a real family here.” “That’s how you know that we’re tight,” Steve Scalise, the House Majority Whip, says. “What’s said in the family stays in the family,” Ryan concludes.

Meh. No matter what trump does - there’ll always be a base percentage that will support him to their dying breath. Anything negative about him will be viewed by them as part of a conspiracy. They’re a lost cause. Stupid. Or personality disorders. Or some other issue. Just ignore them. The vast majority understand he is corrupt and treasonous - along with his vile minions....

Which is why I wonder if pence will survive it all. He’s up to his armpits in muck as well. He at the very least knew of corrupt practices and did nothing - and we know lied - about Flynn and other things.

If he doesn’t go down - it might be part of a wider deal and a need to provide some sort of stability until the worst of the vermin can be thoroughly disposed of. He’ll just be a place holder. And will no doubt be severely limited in his powers as part of the deal - do it our way or spend what remains of your life in prison.

True confessions time: I actually find Cohen oddly atttactive. The rational part of me knows he’s a thug - but I keep looking at his Gomer Pyle-ish face - and can’t help thinking he’s cute. He’s a hot daddy - and love the way he dresses - even that silly plaid number! - and i have real problems reconciling the fuckable goofball with the evil consigliere figure he actually is. I feel like I need a shower. Sigh.

Ryan will be like that other horse’s ass, Newt Gingrich, and show up on cable “news” as a commentator and give speeches to idiots for $

Miss Lindsey still has Presidential ambitions.

DL would never be the same if that happened.

That jacket was way too small and embarrassing.

Newt has made a fortune off these idiots. His “books” print money.

No fool like a republican fool.

I don’t think Pence has been stupid enough to engage in anti-FBI talk, has he?

The world awaits for his Sunday outfit.

I could see them wanting to shove Romney in there.

[quote] Newt has made a fortune off these idiots. His “books” print money.

Ain't it grand!

Trump has made enemies on Capitol Hill, in the Courts, in the IC, in the media, with ex-presidents and their families, et al. He has insulted nearly every group outside of his base. And never forget the shame of PR and Charlottesville. He's toast.

[quote]Miss Lindsey still has Presidential ambitions.

She may still have ambitions, but the Republicans will never pick a gay man as their nominee.

He has his base- but it is not large enough to prevent impeachment proceedings if Congress and the Senate flip. All you young, who don’t vote because they think it makes no difference- vote- it does make a difference.

I hope all that is true...it feels like it is true but I am afraid I will be disappointed.

I doubt Ryan will enter elected politics again. Has there been a precedent of someone of his standing leaving, only to return? My guess it that he probably resigned in exchange for not being prosecuted.

I know this what I'm aboutB to suggest really puts me in highly delusional fantasy land. But is there any way possible for their to be a Special Presidential Election in 2018? If even more evidence is uncovered showing it was NOT a legitimate election, and enough Republicans with power colluded, (in addition to just Trump's campaigners), and there are marches in the street and mass demonstrations with double the amount of people from the Women's March, maybe somehow they could conclude the whole election needs to be redone and we'd have two brand-new presidential candidates. I know it's beyond unprecedented and there's nothing in the Constitution, but there's no way our forefathers could have planned for a constitutional crisis such as this.

Just putting it out there.

Who gives a flying fuck about his base. We outnumber those dimwits 3 to 1. Once Mueller lets loose his evidence, there will be marching in the streets

I am hoping that Pence will be gone but McCarthy is even worse...the name says it all.

Exactly, R72. His base is hugely outnumbered. When this is all over they’ll return to being the voiceless, insignificant nobodies they were before. Only this time they’ll never be allowed to forget what they did.

[quote] I doubt Ryan will enter elected politics again. Has there been a precedent of someone of his standing leaving, only to return? My guess it that he probably resigned in exchange for not being prosecuted.

I agree. There is no other explanation for why he'd bow out at this point.

[quote] R37: ...They think, “If you wanna get rich, you have to find a scheme...

My Deplorable brother in law thinks exactly this way. He has lost so much money over the years, by tax avoidance scams. You wouldn’t think it possible, but it is. He’s a college graduate, with an accounting degree. He claims to be a CPA, but I think that’s actually not possible. I hate liars. It just makes him seem even stupider. I didn’t figure it out until years later. Wouldn’t a CPA do his own taxes? Or know enough to refinance his own house?

He has had all these failed Ralph Cramden get rich quick schemes, but he’s older now. Of course, he took Social Security at age 62, the first possible moment, without consulting a financial planner who could help him and my sister plan their retirement. He’s a lazy racist Deplorable and I really feel sorry for my sister having to support him, her whole working life.

[quote] But is there any way possible for their to be a Special Presidential Election? If even more evidence is uncovered showing it was NOT a legitimate election,

Not by the hairs on our chinny chin chins.

Nixon left politics and then returned, R70. Wait, bad example.....

You know... Trump is surrounded by criminals and incompetents yet it seems like his is completely untouchable and everyone gets taken down, except Trump. Even Billy Bush, of all people, took a fall while that orange idiot still stands. How much more patient do I have to be?

Agree, R37. One guy I know wants to start a business and cheat on his taxes "just for the first few years.". Right. He's going to cheat until he gets caught.

We need a societal renewal of probity

Ryan could return in a run for Senator. Look at Romney. He returned to run for President. Then he returned 6 more years later to run for Senate.

I think this was the narrative of people who knew Trump. Why would this man risk his life for something like this? All of his dirt. All of it would come to light. I believe he let his kids do all the dirty work knowing he could pardon them if he won. I hope and pray all of this is true and he goes up in a ball of smoke. Pence....no matter what could not recover and if the 2018 elections turn the tides of GOP control it would be the beginning of the end of the GOP.

As someone said Michael Cohen is a hot Semitic daddy. And I love the jacket.

All of his dirt should have come to the light the minute he announced his candidacy. But the media was having fun.

R82 - "knowing he could pardon them if he won"

No he can't. What don't you understand about that. There's a separate investigation on a state level in NY that Trump can't touch with pardons!

And where is the RNC? Is that 40% Trump base that powerful? You would think they would be doing something to get rid of Trump before he costs them Congress and more State Legislatures and Governors.

[quote] There's a separate investigation on a state level in NY that Trump can't touch with pardons!

You have not been paying attention. It's a FEDERAL court in NY, not a state court, that is overseeing the Cohen case.

No, r87. There are also state charges in play. It was reported yesterday.

What charges and in what court?

[quote]You have not been paying attention. It's a FEDERAL court in NY, not a state court, that is overseeing the Cohen case.

The Attorney General of New York could take over the case, if he hasn't already. Trump is fucked because Virginia and New York already have the evidence on state level.

The NYS AG hasn't taken over the case.

It could, and it will if it has to, that's the bottom line. Trump is not getting out of this one on the state level.

The state troll is pushing it.

[quote]Why are you all so eager for Christian Sharia Pence?

Because it's only THE coolest name since Jermichael Decorean Finley and Fabian Assman.

This is probably what's eating Trump, not so much that Mueller can be fired or not, but that if he does it would trigger the states to go ahead with investigations. Trump is practically toast. It just a matter of how he is going to step away without incurring too much damage to his capital.

It wouldn't surprise me if he actually bargains his exit by saying "let me walk off or I'll destroy our international relations."

Trump cant pardon co-conspirators....thats why the inner circle hasnt been charged yet.....if Trump is named a co-conspirator, theyre all fucked.

I don't know what charges and what court. I only noticed its mention in the papers (probably a New York local one) because of the state charges trolls on DL. I assumed that one or twelve people would link to it yesterday. I'm not going to go find it now.

There aren't any state charges

The charges are the SDNY...thats federal court....not state.

[quote] One problem for Cohen — who is known to be very loyal to the president — is that the rap against him may include state charges, meaning that a presidential pardon wouldn’t necessarily help his case.

This is the link. Obviously there are not state charges yet. It's pretty clear the guy is fucked.

I think the gist of the article is - just like Iraq, just like the financial crisis - everyone on the ground can see it is a shit show about to explode and no one can stop it.

Usually if the feds take a case, the state doesnt get involved and vice versa....in this case, the state is the backup plan.....Trump tries any shit at the federal level and the state will swoop in.

I am looking forward to reading it.

From the headline though, I think decades of materialism and consumerism will prevent any meaningful action from the electorate.

The entrenchment of a totally corroded Political system will support apathy and inaction.

I will be pleasantly surprised if America pulls through. It will at long last confirm the belief of my youth in the American genius.

Let us see. Astonish me.

Nobody I know, who made it to the top, who became "successful" in business is a "nice" guy, every one of them is an asshole and have cheated and stabbed people in the back, schemed, to get what they got. That's why so many "successful" people love Trump. He's just as evil as them.

R66 nailed it. Charlottesville and PR, sealed the deal for Trump. He’s too dumb to see his base isn’t big enough to help in any election in ‘18. Every candidate he has supported since Charlottesville has lost.

A lot of people who wanted to give Trump a chance were stunned by Charlottesville. He has done nothing to reach out to any group besides his smaller and smaller base, and he will pay in ‘18. He is possibly the dumbest, laziest person to hold any office.

remember Fitzmas?

For you, r83.

Saw an interview with Pence and he looks like shit - remember, he was Manafort’s guy.

The expression in the photo accompanying the article looks like Chris Hansen just showed up and said “Mr. Cohen, why don’t you have a seat?”

R57, you're entitled, but Cohen is one ugly fucker. Reminiscent of Tramp mentor Roy Cohn. Cruel mouths.

Is it 2024 already?

I think politics are going to be very ugly from now on, past 2024

get into birdwatching

Trump can not pardon himself...will he go to prison alone? I don't think so...I think Jared, Ivanka, Junior and plenty of others will be in prison.

He isn’t going anywhere. He’s the leader Americans deserve. We’re awful people.

If Trump colluded and committed crimes, then Pence should not ascend the throne based on those crimes.

What is on those tapes? I want to listen but I need a guide for the names I won't know.

[quote]A lot of people who wanted to give Trump a chance were stunned by Charlottesville.

Does anyone remember Charlottesville?

Trump has done so many things since then that people may have forgotten.

How do you know it will have any impact?

R116, what's so hard to understand about "we make pee pee now!"?

I love how bottom of the barrel Cohen is. Trump only hires the very "best" people. Translation: Trump only hires the most crafty sleazebags.

R59 - sorry to get in late! - but really, The Senatrice is a woman with a history - and one of the reasons she’s been easy on the Cheeto in so many ways - is that they have kompromat on her. And she knows it. She’ll be lucky to make it out of this mess with dignity intact - cos you just know when shit finally goes down - Trump will spill the dirt on all of those sanctimonious GOP bitches as well - he ain’t gonna protect any of their asses and will love spilling the beans on where the bodies are buried...

Ditto Ryan. Ain’t gonna be president. Ain’t gonna be a senator. Ain’t gonna be a pundit. Eddie Munster will more than likely end up pumping iron in prison. He’s clearly corrupt himself - and had knowledge of what went down. The only way he’ll escape much time is if He cuts a deal and cooperates with Mueller et al - in order to really implicate soneone up higher in the Food chain.

And it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Hope the fucking tool rots in a jail cell with trump and all his minions.... (preferably the same cell! Can you imagine how banal trump conversation is? Urgh,)

"Trump will spill the dirt on all of those. ..GOP bitches..."

A blow by blow account?

Excellent article, OP. Thank you for taking the time to share.

Maybe that's why all the repubs are afraid of Trump - they know of all of his connections and they're afraid. They're afraid they'll be castigated by all the tabloids that people read in the supermarket aisle. They're afraid of the Russian mob. They're afraid of Roger Stone. They're afraid of goon Michael Cohen. They're afraid of Wikileaks. They've all got skeletons in their closets. Lobbyists have hookers working for them; all these ugly fuckers partake of the hookers and bunnies. Look at the guy who gave $1.6M to the playboy model he knocked up. You think she willingly slept with that guy, not thinking about a payoff? Ha!

Thats what happens when you normalize whores....politicians do it, celebrities do it, the wealthy do it.....a whores a whores a whore.....its all about the payday.

No one who supports Trump is respectable, no one. A respectable person could never be stupid enough to support trump. You would have to have no morals and how can a person with no morals be respectable?

" Trump will spill the dirt on all of those sanctimonious GOP bitches as well "

They way he did with Hillary? He will talk shit about all of them, but what makes you think he actually has any information? The man can't see beyond his gut.

Whatever comes out now will be because of Mueller and the various investigations. Co-conspirators may turn on each other and on Trump. But Trump himself is no font of information, just mis-information.

Meanwhile, Trump is obviously not keeping it together. With each passing day he looks worse and given what he had to start with, he'll wind up making Steve Bannon look hot.

STICK A FORK IN THE ORANGE TURKEY

I have a feeling that when tRump is finished, the decision will be very swift. The news will come out without build up or extended drama, and the event will be definite and final. The country will feel a similar (although lesser) shock of unexpected as when he won on Nov 8.

Of course, when the end happens it will have been a result of massive work happening away from the public life.

I think that it will be anticlimactic. Trump will simply say that family issues or similar are leading him to resign, and that will be that.

Trump won't live to see his presidency end. Plane crash.

It would be hilarious if Trump resigned and Pence refused to pardon him. He could say, I’m praying for him instead.

It’s precisely because of the zombie-like nature of Trump’s supporters that he needs to be shown no mercy. He needs to stand trial and be humiliated pubically at least as much as Clinton was - for every charge against him. The rule of law must be asserted so they can see what a shitbag he is.

If they haven't seen it already...

You know Nixon had people advising him who thought he needed to resign. But there is no one comparable for Trump. And while we are certainly picking up speed, we aren't "there" yet. Trump is surrounded by bottomfeeders. The number of sleazy, third rate "friends" he talks to, people who are as crazy as he is, is staggering. People in Trump's circle all see advantages to him being POTUS in terms of their personal agendas. whether it's pardoning Scooter Libby or Sean Hannity believing he's a shadow president. In which lifetime did Sean Hannity ever see himself as a key adviser to a POTUS? So there is some real scum invested in Trump being President and they're propping him up. Now as bad and ugly as Michael Cohen is, he is someone I could see telling Trump to cut his losses and walk away. I can see Jared telling him that too. But it's a real short list.

I don't think we're quite in the end stages yet. I think If Trump is cancer, we are at Stage 3 heading into 4. End stage would mean turning off the oxygen. Not quite there yet.

“The narrative that will become widely understood is that Donald Trump did not sit atop a global empire. He was not an intuitive genius and tough guy who created billions of dollars of wealth through fearlessness. He had a small, sad operation, mostly run by his two oldest children and Michael Cohen, a lousy lawyer who barely keeps up the pretenses of lawyering and who now faces an avalanche of charges, from taxicab-backed bank fraud to money laundering and campaign-finance violations.”

***^^^ THIS ^^^***

R136 while that is true and most of us are already realizing it, the Trump cultist will never accept that reality. It's human nature that when confronted by the facts that prove them wrong, some people become even more insistent in their wrong opinions. The im "Your fired!" guy from TV whose name is plastered on Manhattan skyscrapers will remain their image and their impression.

Hillary aside, the coming decades will see more and more women winning national (and very soon Presidential) elections as they will be the only scandal-free nominees.

^^^^^^^Rosie O'donnell^^^^^^^

The process is simple:

the investigations will culminate in some form with enough evidence to charge Trump, but without charges.

the charges will be presented to him, along with the option to resign and a pre-charge pardon like Nixon got, from President Pence.

Pence knows his inability to run for president again is established with the pardon but that's the price the Lord asks him to pay to preserve the party and prevent criminal trials.

I am sure that the complexities are too much for Trump to understand. Here are some:

If someone accepts a pardon, they must acknowledge guilt, and they cannot thereafter take the fifth, therefore a pardoned associate may be more of a threat than one who is cooperating in hopes of a reduced sentence.

A pardon applies only to Federal charges. Once accepted and guilt admitted, that fact may be used to further press related state charges.

Then there are claims of “executive privilege” and “attorney-client privilege” to wade through.

None of all this is easy and Trump doesn’t seem to have the intellect to understand any of it.

Mueller, though, is a smart man and it is his line of work. So, there is hope.

I secretly think that is what Trump is banking on....it gives him an appellate defense for ineffective assistance of counsel.

Trump isn't gonna listen to Jared, another crook who should be locked up. I really hope he goes to Jail with his brother. FUCKING CUNTS!

Trump needs to stand trial for the sake of the nation. Once he resigns they should not sweep this all under the rug, please don't let that happen!

R141 Thanks for those clarifications.

Pence will not pardon Trump for Trump’s sake. It would only be to protect other washing dc republican pols. And maybe not that. We all know that Ford lost re-election the day he pardoned Nixon. Pence won’t make that mistake.

I want Ryan to be prosecuted fir obstruction. God! He has done a horrible job ...he was led around by the moron, Nunes.

Sometimes it bothers me that the FBI or CIA has not assassinated this vile piece of shit.

Putin is THE (or one of the) world's richest and most powerful men with an estimated net worth of $70 to $200 billion. Dump's bromance with Putin is fueled by ego and greed to run in those circles and expand his own real estate wealth in "Russher". Soon it will be revealed what Michael Cohen was "fixing" to try to make those deals, including the election, happen.

I wouldn't trust Michael Cohen with even fifty cents, but is it so wrong that I find him hot as hell? Those big brown eyes draw me in. I will admit right up front that some of the stupidest mistakes I've made in my life have been associated somehow with big brown eyes.

[quote]We all know that Ford lost re-election the day he pardoned Nixon. Pence won’t make that mistake.

He will be forced to, implicitly or explicitly.

The party will not want to endure criminal proceedings. He'll take one for the team or it's every man for himself and even Pence will be further tarnished by that.

In any event, he wouldn't be assuming the presidency untarnished. He was privy to it all. No one will believe his denials, which will be a new level of origami, just as no one will excuse his claims of ignorance if he goes that path. He's a constitutional necessity, not a real president or a future president.

One more point: this is a far bigger mess than Nixon. Too many people too close. Trump's disaster will touch far far more people than Nixon's did. Watergate looks neat and clean compared to what is coming with Trump.

More on Michael Cohen's long history with the Russian Mafiya:

Mueller wants to squeeze him til he squeals. Cohen's participation will be the end of Trump.

R45 Ryan abandoned the sinking ship to go be with his teenage children., or so he says. He is cutting himself from the Trump debacle, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him show up again in a few years to run for prez in 2020. In the meantime he will make tons of money being a bullshit consultant. I don't think we've seen the last on Paul Ryan.

Nancy Pelosi will be the next President of the United States

What delicious irony that would be. The GOP hates her with the white hot passion of a million suns, R156.

Based on the seriousness of the crimes, Pence will NOT pardon Trump.....if he is guilty of paying off hookers, or simply lying, then maybe....but for crimes against the US and/or possibly treason....no way in hell will Trump get a pardon. He will need to be made an example of the rule of law.....and of patriotism.

[quote]Nancy Pelosi will be the next President of the United States [quote]—You heard it here first!

I'm sure it's also the last place I'll hear it.

michael cohen isn't even worried, he probably has funds stashed in overseas for this kind of situation. I mean, if I was a crook, I would make sure I would have money stashed in a safe place for when the world ends.

The article (which is in the New Yorker, not the NY Times, as a few people suggested up-thread), is accurate. This is the beginning of the end. Trump may believe that he can control the investigation, but, in fact, he cannot. He is well and truly fucked.

1. Trump could fire Rosenstein, and replace him with someone who would shut down the investigation. That would be very difficult to do because if the FBI and the grand jury have evidence of crimes that have been committed, then the new Acting Deputy AG is not going to be able to stop indictments from being handed down by the grand jury without it looking as if he or she is also compromised and part of a conspiracy to obstruct justice. The same applies if he tries to fire Mueller.

2. The SDNY USAO now has an important piece of this case -- Cohen. But, it turns out they were looking into Cohen even before Monday's raid. The interim U.S. Attorney for the SDNY, Geoffrey Berman, recused himself from the Cohen raid. So, he's not going to be able to just jump back in in the hope of shutting down the investigation, which, in all likelihood, is being overseen by a career federal prosecutor. Any attempt by anyone to end, overtake, or "transfer" this active investigation will result in howls of protest out of SDNY -- and those folks are very, very good at protecting their turf. They will not be able to shut down the Cohen investigation.

3. Trump could try and pardon everyone involved -- except himself. And this is where the evidence sharing agreement with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman comes into play. It is doubtful that the NY AG's office is preparing to bring charges at this point, but they have information that Mueller has shared with them, and are likely ready to jump into place with state charges the minute anyone compromises the federal probe. Will it carry the same weight as federal charges? Who knows. But really who care, because in the end it will have the same effect.

Trump is finished. The only question is how long this drama is going to take to play out.

Well, you'd think with all of that money, he'd buy some chapstick

Pence will do what he's told. The Kochs own him like they own Ryan. IMO it was the Kochs who pushed Ryan out of the way, because things are about to g et messy and they want him out of the line of fire. They don't want him to burn bridges with the Republican base by having to vote on a Trump impeachment, and they don't want him in any leadership role if that posibility draws closer. Pence may or may not pardon Trump. My guess is he will, because it is what the GOP base would want. But in doing it he will destroy his possibilitiy as a potential nominee. Either way it's not important. Pence has been pretty invisible the past month or so. It doesn't matter. He can distance himself all he wants, but nothing will ever change the fact that he served as a willing VP to President Shithole.

R161 great summary. The problem as I See it, is that Trump is being "advised" by his bullshit friends and armchair quarterbacks to "fight." What I cannot figure out is why his kids don't tell him he is losing money and he needs to cut his losses. OTOH, his kids are so corrupt they are probably counting on Daddy pardoning them. The real irony is maybe Mueller will hand in a report and the Grand Jury will indict Trump AND his kids on the same day. If we can keep him from doing reckless shit with the military, I could watch this soap opera play out for months. I think Rachel and some of the other reporters a re ready to have a nervous breakdown, though so it's hard on everyone.

You know, after reading all these articles, IMO the most despicable thing about Trump is how he has involved his kids in his corruption. OK. He's a filthy, mobbed up real estate developer from Queens, and he has some money but you'd think he would have at least shielded his kids.

[quote]What I cannot figure out is why his kids don't tell him he is losing money and he needs to cut his losses. OTOH, his kids are so corrupt they are probably counting on Daddy pardoning them.

You answered your own question. His daughter may have moderate politics, comparatively speaking, but they've all been on the inside of how the Trump Organization is run so they either don't get it or they are up to their necks in it. But plainly seeing things clearly is not something they can do.

It’s possible the kids simply think this is how business is done. Trump’s never suffered from all the chaos he brings to the rest of the world. He’s never been indicted on criminal charges. Look at Trump Soho - they had emails proving Ivanka and Jr were engaging in fraud. What happened? Cy Vance got a $25,000 contribution from the Trumps and the investigation went away. This has been going on for 35 years and not only has daddy never been convicted of anything (he paid a fine for money laundering), he became a tv star and then president.

As far as 5he kids are concerned, it’s all been business as usual.

[quote]What I cannot figure out is why his kids don't tell him he is losing money and he needs to cut his losses. OTOH, his kids are so corrupt they are probably counting on Daddy pardoning them.

Because as babies, their first words were "Chapter 11"

R167 If they bring back "2 Broke Girls", Ivanka is a shoe-in for Caroline Channing!

TRUMP WILL RESIGN LIKE NIXON. Don't be surprised if President Pence pardons him.

I think Trump's handlers will privately explain to him that he either has to face the music for many of his crimes and lies, IN PUBLIC COURT, or resign the presidency.

Trump will resign before allowing his dirty laundry to go public.

These six months are going to drag like nothing has ever dragged before. We're literally one Supreme away from the Handmaid's Tale right now. At the minimum, because they have even worse things than that on their sick minds.

I don't understand how Pence would benefit from pardoning Trump. Or for that matter, how the Republican party would benefit.

I would think at this point they'd all be happiest to distance themselves from Trump for ever after. How does pardoning Trump save face for any of them?

Can anyone explain this to me? I'm sure it must be far more complicated than I realize.....

"Trump will resign before allowing h"is dirty laundry to go public."

Most people seem to think this, but at every point he has doubled down instead. The problem is this: (which everyone should know by now) ... Unlike Nixon, Trump has supporters behind him that still hold a tremendous power base: Fox News. People like Hannity are continuing to feed false information while NOT reporting stories crucial to the public's understanding. 33% or more still only believe what they hear from this group and block out everybody else. They'll be convinced sooner that Mueller and Comey and the rest of the FBI are lying criminals all in a conspiracy to set up Trump. Even when/ if Trump takes the witness stand!

Pence will pardon him to limit the damage. It's Sophie's choice, Hobson's choice, every hard choice where one alternative was barely better than the other.

Pence cannot assume the presidency as anything but a placeholder. That's how damaged Trump will leave the office and the Republican Party.

And in an odd way we can thank him for that.

I can see Trump dragging Pence down with him. Pence may be dumb enough to refuse to pardon Trump, on order to make himself look saintly and pure.

No doubt there will be hundreds of lawsuits once Cheetolini gets dragged out of office for whatever reason. If Pence Pardons Trump, that means in the ensuing pile on, he cannot claim the fifth in those lawsuits and no doubt there will be plenty of state level lawsuits. He won't be able to retire to Mara Lago and gold all day. There will also be leaks like you never saw before. He's created so many enemies, no one will think twice about releasing classified docs on him.

Trump thinks he is invincible. He really is the smartest, savviest, richest superhero in the world...in his mind. I don’t know if anything can penetrate that hubris. I don’t see him resigning.

Where have Jared & Ivanka bern lately? I haven’t seen any photos with Jared’s shiny, sweaty face peeling out of the background in the Oval Office in a while.

R165 - They are adults and they know what they are doing. If they didn't want to be involved, they would have gotten out right away.

There is no way Trump is going to resign and NOT face criminal charges....hes fucked....and unlike Nixon, Trump committed TREASON.......uge, bigly difference. Hes not getting away with this one.......

The Rolling Stone article at the link R153 is a shocker. If you haven’t read it, you need to. Sater sent an email to Cohen saying

[bold] Michael, I arranged for Ivanka to sit in Putins private chair at his desk and office in the Kremlin," Sater emailed Cohen in November 2015. "I will get Putin on this program and we will get Donald elected. We both know no one else knows how to pull this off without stupidity or greed getting in the way. I know how to play it and we will get this done. Buddy our boy can become President of the USA and we can engineer. I will get all of Putins team to buy in on this." [/bold]

R161, Berman’s Interim appointment expires in early May. His recusal may mean he could get approved by the Senate if he is formally nominated, but it also makes Trump unlikely to nominate him. If no one is confirmed when his appointment expires, a panel of Federal Judges in the district will appoint the US Attorney.

[quote] If no one is confirmed when his appointment expires, a panel of Federal Judges in the district will appoint the US Attorney.

The duty falls to the Chief Judge of the US District Court for the SDNY -- who may or may not decide to consult with the other judges on the Court regarding the appointment. Usually they do, and likely Judge Colleen McMahon (an appointee of Bill Clinton) would consult especially considering the stakes involved.. And generally, the Court's appointee is someone who has been recommended by the Attorney General for the Court's consideration. [I used to handle this for DOJ in a different administration.] Occasionally, a judge would want to appoint his or her own person, but that was a rarity. Whoever it is, they are not going to torpedo this investigation. The magnitude of this is so large that it can no longer be contained.

I suspect that Sessions would just have the Court continue Berman's appointment if there is no one else in place. If the White House tries to block the AG from recommending that the Court appoint him, that becomes problematic in and of itself.

Trump won't enjoy it if the federal judiciary makes the appointment. At least one of them has already demonstrated that they do not consider Trump or those around him to be above the law. Equally, if he chooses to nominate someone other than Berman, he will struggle to get someone else approved. I bet he is cross.

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Punk'd!

[quote]

TRUMP WILL RESIGN LIKE NIXON. Don't be surprised if President Pence pardons him.

I think Trump's handlers will privately explain to him that he either has to face the music for many of his crimes and lies, IN PUBLIC COURT, or resign the presidency.

Trump will resign before allowing his dirty laundry to go public.

R170, why do you think Trump will have any choice? If he has committed crimes, why would he not have to face the music for them as well resign?

Sorry I screwed up my post in quoting r170.

What an engrossing thread. Hats off to r84, r125, r128, r161 and r173.

I've been here at the DL since shortly after 2001 ; back to the days when "Gossip" and "Politics" were segregated(unsuccessfully) in their own forums. Repeatedly, I've walked away promising never to come back to Datalounge and the reason I always do is because of threads like this.

Nowhere else on the "internets" do I get the informed, smart, correct dope like I do here.

Anyway, Trump's cultists, The Trump Rabidians, are going to LOSE. THEIR. SHIT if Trump is forced from office.

I almost hate to disclose this, but, for oppo research and to keep up with what right wingers are saying, I've taken to, if I'm driving, listening to Mark Levin. He's, along with Hannity, the main shoveler of the "Deep State" crap that holds that this is all a massive conspiracy to take down Trump.

I truly believe his listeners are capable of violence if Trump is forced from office.

Has anybody mentioned that Cohen's cigar smoking buddies in the pictures from Friday happen to be several Russian mobsters and a Deutsche Bank executive?

[quote]I truly believe his listeners are capable of violence if Trump is forced from office.

Well the deplorables do happen to own 300 million guns, so yeah.

The minute any hard evidence is presented against Trump, the majority of right wing talking heads will turn on him in an instant....or risk their careers for supporting a traitor.......

Yes, it would be good if he resigned because then his deplorables can’t say it was a coup. He wouldn’t resign if he wasn’t guilty of something.

But Trump always fights, even when it hurts him. He’s a destroyer. I do worry about him deciding to take the whole world with him by using nukes.

You could show Trump pickpocketing a homeless woman and he would call it fake news. He’d make an excuse, he’d call everyone names...but he’d never admit he pickpocketed. He just doesn’t do that. He’s never guilty of anything. It’s always somebody else’s fault. He’s always the victim. So I can’t see him ever resigning.

Exactly. All of those rhetorical revolutionaries will drop him like a dirty rag when their paymasters are ready to cut Trump loose.

who were those "friends" of his? hanging outside the hotel with him? you know what they say about birds of a feather...

I just walked by the hotel where he is staying and there are like 6 cop cars outside and i peaked into the hotel lobby, there are many cops in the lobby( you can see through the glass door, without going into the hotel). Also a few paps outside waiting in the cold.

Pence is a dominionist and that makes him even more fucked up than Trump the immoral con-man.

I think Pence and Trump are equally fucked up. Trump may not be a dominionist himself, but since he does their bidding as if he is, I see no advantage to having Trump over Pence.

R180 More on Felix Sater's role in all of this:

[quote] I see no advantage to having Trump over Pence.

The separation of church over state is more at risk with true believer fundy Pence.

Why all the police? If Cohen gets offed, we still have his tapes.

Only Trump and this buffoon can turn consentual sex between adults into a felony.

[quote] R155: Ryan abandoned the sinking ship to go be with his teenage children.,

Has anyone told Ryan that this is precisely when kids want their parents to give them some space?

Stormy will be at his hearing tomorrow. That should be amusing.

My God, that's my pron star.

I lurk around Trump sites and have noticed that many of them have given up on Trump. Many are upset with Trump, especially over Syria. They are turning against Trump saying this was the last straw and that he betrayed them. He has definitely lost supporters. Some are essentially admitting Trump is not one of them and on their side. One die-hard Trumpster said accepting that he is a deceiver and liar was a hard pill to swallow. So I don't get why his approval rating still stands at 40% the past 2 days and today as well, and is actually up a few points from a month ago before they turned on him. Although that's a low approval rating, how could his approval rating be that high? Something isn't right here. Or am I missing something?

What's Alexis got to do, got to with it?

Along with several others in this thread, I strongly encourage reading the Rolling Stone article at R153. All of that money Cohen has invested in real estate and taxi medallions? That seems to have come from his father-in-law, who is a straight-up gangster and possible investment partner of Trump.

[quote]I wouldn't be surprised to see him show up again in a few years to run for prez in 2020.

Ryan is unlikely to run in 2020. The campaigning for 2020 will start at the end of this year, after the 2018 Midterms.

There won't be enough time for Ryan to get ready for 2020. He would barely be out of office before he had to start running again.

Anyone else think the quote mentioned in (r180) "I arranged for Ivanka to sit in Putins private chair at his desk and office in the Kremlin" is code for Ivanka had a gangbang with Putin and oligarchs?

[quote] I wouldn't trust Michael Cohen with even fifty cents, but is it so wrong that I find him hot as hell?

I can't quite explain it, but he has one of those faces that I just know has bad breath. Halitosis Face.

As for Ryan, if there's any truth to his explanation about wanting to spend time with his kids, and they're in their teens, it could be they're approaching the age of political awareness and look down on dear old Dad and his party.

Has anybody mentioned that Cohen's cigar smoking buddies in the pictures from Friday happen to be several Russian mobsters and a Deutsche Bank executive?

Isn't it amazing that those guys came out to commune with Cohen publicly? It's just no nervy! They don't seem to be worried in the least. They were sending some kind of message, but I'm not sure what?

R161 State prisons have much worse conditions than some Federal country clubs. Let Trump try to pardon people; a pardon doesn't apply to crimes against a state (and there are at least 2 or 3 states easily that could press charges).

Sounds like Cohen will get indicted tomorrow.

i think the russian mobsters are there to send a message to michael, hey, we have the goods on you. Don't you forget it.

I don't understand why the fuck does that whore gotta be there? fucking cow. and her lawyer. can't stand him either. i hate all lawyers.

G-d forbid a President Pence picking Paul Ryan as a VP! That might give Ryan some cred if he ran for President some years later. But Pence hopefully like Ford would lose if he ran for President again, and Pence has been in the room when many things like memos have been written and other shenanigans. It's just he's generally quiet and such an ass-kisser that his participation hasn't made him as much of a target as others who tweet and are on tv all the time. Pence could be removed. How lovely if the timing was so that Nancy Pelosi or another Democrat Speaker of the House could be sworn in as President!

R210 -

He might not get indicted tomorrow, but when he appears in court the judge is going to grill him like a slab of ribs.....if anything, tomorrow will be entertaining.

Even if Pence approached Ryan, and he remains unindicted, he will never accept.....the stench of Trump is too strong and is going to get worse.....

R181 I think Trump so disregards details that when he hears Berman is "recusing himself" in the SDNY that he will latch onto his hatred of Jeff Sessions for "recusing himself" that he will pull his support for Berman's appointment. He'll think he's another traitor to him.

Onward and upward!

No Republican should have won the Presidency after Dubya’s massive screw-ups. Domestic and foreign, it was! But we got Trump, and we need an exceedingly brilliant Democrat to defend against the argument that “I’m not him” (meaning his Republican predecessor.), when the next Republican uses it. We need someone to start emphasizing the importance of party. And re-encouraging people to vote “straight party”.

“Straignt” voting was denegrated when I was young, as if you weren’t thinking for yourself. But as an elder voter, now I vote a straight ticket unless there is an unusual situation. I’ve learned we need Dems at all levels and the Republicans have demonstrated they are awful.

R150, it's not wrong, just a bit sad.

No way Ryan runs in 2020 but 2024 would be a possibility.

In regard to Mortimer Snerd (yes, old), didn't he make a big profit selling a stock after meeting with the head of the company and basically getting insider trading info? Is that illegal only for "civilians"?

But will Paul Ryan still look fetching in a polo shirt in 2024?

Doubtful, since he doesn't look fetching now.

Maybe he'll take up beer and pizza.

As that article posited I too agree Trump will lose most of his base as the seedy info starts coming together to paint a clear picture showing that Trump played them all.

I believe this was the main message of the article in fact. Like Iraq and Wall Street then more has to be revealed before the masses grasp the severity of Trump's WH now.

[quote]As that article posited I too agree Trump will lose most of his base

I don't think Trump's base will ever abandon him.

I encounter them on Twitter every day and they are insanely devoted to him.

Who are his main advisers. Yes he goes off on his own but hes not an educated man and someone must be talking to him about things like Syria, TPP, Israel, etc.

Hotline to Stormy. Her next cinematic oeuvre will be entitled "Hole to the Chief."

Oral Office

Or Oval Orifice

[quote] R226: I encounter them on Twitter every day and they are insanely devoted to him.

Trump and Fox are a cult. Don’t expect them to be sane.

lol, you win, r230.

R226 Not the ones I have known from lurking on their sites. Some of these sites were not politically oriented until Trump decided to run for President. So I knew these members from before Trump became President and they of course still use the same screen name and I can tell you that they have pretty much abandoned him. The collective agreement seems to be "Trump turned on us, this (Syria) attack is the last straw."

Their position is that we have no business in other countries, getting involved with their crises. They are angry that Trump stated that in his campaign, promising we would not get involved, and now has done the opposite. That was why I said in my R202 post that I can't figure out how his approval rating is at 40%. These posters on Twitter could be anyone. The people on these various (connected) sites are long-time members of a non-political site with screen names going back years ago, before they ever heard of Trump.

When Trump won the election there were posting wars and all of the Hillary supporters were either bullied out or left the site (or maybe were banned) even though the site is not a political one. I stopped posting too, but continued to lurk around there. So I know the comments are real. I also saw it leading up to this, especially over the past few weeks, meaning their disapproval of Trump. No, Trump has lost many supporters. Something is not right about the 40% approval rating.

I have a conservative friend who says money can't buy happiness, but is first to point out that she has more money in her check now because of Trump and she likes that.

Tell your friend that won’t last, R234. The tax cut is going to screw all of us except for the 1%.

I really want to see Stormy Daniels as guest host on Saturday Night Live.

OOOOOO....Im sure that extra $20 per month will help when her tax bill goes up and people start getting laid off because the economy colapses

Yeah, I can only imagine how much more this woman is getting. And what percentage increase it is.

When does it start though

[quote]I have a conservative friend who says money can't buy happiness, but is first to point out that she has more money in her check now because of Trump and she likes that.

Ask her if she knows that her taxes will increase again, to more than they were before, in just a few years. Ask her if she's also happy with trillion-dollar deficits.

[quote]who were those "friends" of his? hanging outside the hotel with him? you know what they say about birds of a feather...

Russian mobsters, and a Deutsche Bank executive.

No, really.

That photo of Cohen and his mob buddies and the Deustch Bank guy lighting up stogies and smiling WHILE his trial is going on and the judge is asking where is the client is a BIG TELL. That's a message. Either from Putin to Trump, saying you better hand tough cuz my buddies are watching you or a message to Putin, saying please don't kill me. Seriously, why would that photo happen at that time? And Donald spoke with Cohen earlier in the day.

Dont worry....the judge is going to open up his asshole and shove her gavel up it tomorrow......its going to be delicious......in fact, I wouldnt put it past her to put him in custody when he refuses to answer her questions or pulls his "who says" bullshit.

R242 that was a deliberate in your face "Fuck you!" from Michael Cohen. He is also letting his contacts in Russia, and the mob networks he interacts with know he is OK.

Tomorrow will be a must see news day.....Donnie 2 Scoops will be shitting bricks.

Putin isn't the real big boss...Semion Mogilevich is. He's the one that should have them all really crapping in their pants.

Cohen is totally fucked either way. If he flips, he's going to have a very unfortunate "accident." If he doesn't, he's never getting out of this.

Ain't it great?

listen Michael Cohen is exactly what he acts and looks like. A thug. A gangster. He is mobbed up. He is a fixer, a deal maker and has probably had people killed, beaten etc. He is probably guilty of bribery, extortion, and thanks to him and Donald Trump the man he worked for and reported to, treason. When Felix Slater was talking about getting Putin and his friends on board to help Trump be POTUS, in 2015, he probably had no idea the Putin and his friends were already on board with it as early as 2011 or even before thanks in part to Cohen and his relationship with the mobsters who were laundering their money through the Trump organization. Slater was probably anxious to be on board and claim some credit for advising and helping to set up the Trump win. Nailing Cohen is huge. It's as close as you can get to Trump at this point. And it's pretty damned clear that Trump knew the Russians wanted him too be President, were willing to help make that happen. He knew. Cohen knew. Slater knew. Manafort knew, and eventually Bannon, Flynn, and his family knew.

I skimmed the thread and didn't see this. It cracked me up and it's quite amazing the cojones these people have.

I hope Cohen had to surrender his passport.

Trump has had Cohen's lawyer request that the judge let Trump review the documents seized from Cohen. Did you ever....?

Remember when Comey said he made the memo public because the FBI agents in NYC were pro/Trump and were going to leak it if he didn't?

Are those FBI agents the ones who did the raid on Cohen?

Cohen has always been dirty. I guess that’s what brought him and Trump together.

R235, R237, I'm with you guys 100%.

My conservative pal has stuck by me through horrific times. She says don't look for trouble till it gets here.

My own personal successes have never matched what the country goes through. I got a HUGE break work-wise a year or two after the bust of 2007.

When things crash I'll say to her, so what now?

It'll be interesting to see what she has to say then.

Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, says he gave legal advice to three clients in the past year, including the president and Elliott Broidy, former deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Cohen declined to identify the third client in a filing in Manhattan federal court. "The third legal client directed Mr. Cohen to not to reveal the identity publicly," Cohen’s lawyers wrote.

Is he Russian ?

Interesting, R254. Could one of the US legal bods following this thread tell us whether attorney-client privilege covers even identifying the name of the client, or can Cohen be compelled to provide that information?

Donald Trump Jr?

yes he can be compelled.....hes not disclosing any work done between them.

R256, generally speaking, client identity is not protected by the privilege. So basically Cohen is defying a federal judge's order without offering a legal justification for doing so, thereby further impressing upon the judge that he cannot be trusted.

I'm clearly not healthy but there's something sexy about a thug.

R260, raise your standards. Not criticizing you for being attracted to thugs, but this guy is n asshole with absolutely no style. And I don't mean fashion sense. He just looks like a fucking hick. A farmer. He looks like he lilterally just got off the boat. No taste at all.

He also has a cruel sneering look about him. Way too coarse.

[quote] He just looks like a fucking hick. A farmer. He looks like he lilterally just got off the boat. No taste at all.

Someone on twitter called them spray-tanned, blow-dried cafones.

Thanks, R258 and R259!

I may be a simple, country hyper-chicken, but it seems to me that an attorney who displeases a federal judge without very good (and legally justifiable) reasons is opening himself to a whole world of unhappiness. Sad.

Apparently he was The Fixer for the out-of-control Trump boys' cocks.

He behaves as if he is protected. After the reading of done this week, the Russian mob is deeply embedded in American politics. Look at all the Russian mobsters who walked away from charges of money laundering by paying a fine.

Cohen may know something we don't.

This is s great excuse to get rid of citizen's united. A thinly veiled coup that allows global oligarchs to control America through their billions of dollars, rubles, etc.

Remember when America was afraid of the Japanese taking over in the 80s? Wasn't that quaint?

Someone this weekend tweeted that, if nothing else, Manafort, Cohen and the like prove that there's a ton of white-collar crime that doesn't get prosecuted in this country. If they hadn't been caught up in the Trump investigation, they'd live out the rest of their lives making illegal millions.

Meanwhile, two black guys get arrested in a Starbucks for not buying a latté.

R266, I agree. And yeah, he definitely acts like someone who has connections, or is protected by the Russian mobsters. But I have a question ad I need to hear from someone who is well read or knowledgeable in this regard: If I'm not mistaken it seems as if Cohen and his family, uncles, in-laws, etc. all these corrupt mobsters are Russian Jews. I have the impression that while their tasks may intersect now and then, the Russian Oligarchs who run around with Putin are a separate and much higher level of corruption than the Russian mobsters and organized crime figures like the Cohen family, in America. Not saying they don't so well for themselves as apparently the Cohen and Cohen adjacent family has done well in real estate money laundering extortion, etc. and they may even do some "work" on behalf of the Oligarchs when muscle is needed, but I just get the impression Michael Cohen comes from serious lowlifes and bottom feeders. Which also puts me in mind of human trafficking.

[quote] if nothing else, Manafort, Cohen and the like prove that there's a ton of white-collar crime that doesn't get prosecuted in this country. If they hadn't been caught up in the Trump investigation,

Or

It proves a prosecutor with unlimited time and resrouces can find crimes on any target should he so choose.

[quote] By design, the law is built up over time by court decisions, statutes and regulations. Sometimes even criminal laws are left vague, to be defined case by case. Technology exacerbates the problem of laws so open and vague that they are hard to abide by, to the point that we have all become potential criminals.

[quote] Boston civil-liberties lawyer Harvey Silverglate calls his new book "Three Felonies a Day," referring to the number of crimes he estimates the average American now unwittingly commits because of vague laws. New technology adds its own complexity, making innocent activity potentially criminal.

Trump asks judge to block feds from reviewing documents seized in Cohen raid.

He's doing all he can to interfere and protect Cohen. I don't think the judge will allow this.

Steve Vladeck:

[quote]You can take @realDonaldTrump’s word for it, [bold]or[/bold] read the brief that the SDNY U.S. Attorney’s Office filed Friday setting out why they did what they did, how they followed procedures to protect the privilege, and why @MichaelCohen212 isn’t any old lawyer:

There is nothing "vague" about the crimes Manfort is alleged to have committed, R269. I suspect it will be the same for Cohen.

Trump commits more than three obvious crimes a day, knowingly with his lies.

The order from: UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

They clearly state why the raided Cohen and Trump will find it difficult to change it.

The real reason why Trumpito hates Comey...

Kellyanne Cuntway :

[qoute]“The president is very confounded that this person is always [bold]able to divert the spotlight to him[/bold]”

No one upstages Trump damn it!

[quote]“The president is very confounded that this person is always able to divert the spotlight to him”

Trumpy need have no concern about lack of attention. It just won't be the attention he thinks he merits. The disinfectant of sunlight will make him writhe like a vast white salted slug.

That whole Syria bombing thing sure changed the conversation didn't it???

At his press thing today he introduced John Bolton, who got a big round of applause (well, it was Florida...) and then Trumpy says something like is he getting more credit than me? You know what happens to his job if that happens...

He's not such a tough guy now in court with Avenatti and Miss Stormy breathing down his neck.

I was terribly to see Stormy arrive at court hatless.

Does anyone still wear…a hat?

This Michael Cohen nutter is going to be disbarred for the threat(s) and pay-off. How does trump and his goons turn consensual sex into felonies?

So are reporters now in the courtroom?

The third is Hannity!

Bwhahahaha.......r284

And Ill up you one....Cohens brother is married to a Russian mobsters daughter....and has made millions from that association.

Oops. If that seemed random it’s because I meant to post in the “treason” thread, where there was speculation about the third client.

National attention has turned back to comey and Cohen from Syria. Darn, sorry Syria you got bombed for nothing.

Trumps at Mar-A-lago right now.....wanna bet Michael Cohen shows up there tonight ?

Nope, R288. I think Trump is out there because he is going to talk to Sean Hannity and a few other "advisers" and then start firing people. He could actually get rid of Rosenstein and Sessions this week. Maybe Kelly or Pruitt too. I read that the WH staff dreads these times in Mar a Lago because he talks to all kinds of assholes who advise him, plus he watches way too uch TV and he has meltdowns.

Judge Kimba Wood... The Republicans tried to torpedo her career in the early 90s under Clinton with Nannygate. How lovely that she's able to help bring this whole sordid mess down 25 years later.

R290, that's right and I'm counting down the seconds until the GOP starts attacking her for being a Clinton appointed Judge.

Except that she was appointed by Reagan.

Kimba Wood isn't a Clinton appointed judge.

She's a Ronald Reagan appointed judge.

Dropped the libel case against Buzzfeed. Is this because they have proof of the Prague trip?

Its so he wont have to testify under oath so it can be used against him r294

His testimony from a civil case can be used in a criminal case

Betcha the guy in the sketch that Stormi revealed works for Cohen and his Ruskie legbreakers.

[quote]Dropped the libel case against Buzzfeed. Is this because they have proof of the Prague trip?

Oh, you meant THAT Prague.

The one thing that would make Trump's head explode is to show his tax returns and reveal he is leveraged and not nearly as wealthy as he wants us to believe.

Someone on Twitter said that the video of Cohen meeting his Russkie friends shows a cellphone on the bench when Cohen sits down that seems to be missing when he stands up. As in, he picks up a cellphone that could be a burner or could be a smartphone containing instructions .

I’m not so sure the phone hasn’t just been pushed further down the bench.

R300, video of which bring? Prague?

I think he's dropped these civil suits because he has to. He and his associates are all thugs.

When everyone on his side of the case takes the stand and pleads the Fifth, there will be no evidence with which to even hope to win.

They will out turn on each other (and Trump.) Gates, Manafort, Cohen. It's not like they're going to take a stand on principal.

No honor among thieves!

^^^Turn on each other, not turn out. ^^^

R299 One of the reasons Trump won't reveal his tax returns is that it will show that he is not a billionaire as he claims to be.

Trumps already turning......."Michael Cohen wont flip, but if he does hes lying".....what innocent person says something like that ?

It has nothing to do with guilt or innocence, R306. Trump is simply attacking what is circulating in the media. There is no particular substance beyond that short-term goal. The Washington media never seem to understand that. Trump has a good idea of what might have been seized by the FBI, but that 'might have been sezied' is still awfully broad and non-specific. When charges begin to be made, then Trump can begin to address guilt and innocence.

It is being reported that Cohen will flip, so Trump responds that Cohen will not flip. He ALWAYS opposes anything negative said about him. He always has. That opposition slows the momentum of the initial argument, it clouds the issue and it creates dispute where there was only accusation. Then, Trump goes further on the attack to begin discrediting Cohen, so that if he does flip, it will be seen by Trump's base as a fraud perpetrated by law enforcement.

Oppose. Discredit. His life long practice.

I saw a program on CNN this weekend. Some Trump apologist went on and on about how Cohen would never flip, and I thought, flip about what? That’s your defense, Trump is guilty as sin but Cohen will conceal his crimes? That’s a Trumper’s defense for Trump?

Mueller already knew what was going on before he ever got that search warrant, and was able to prove it to a judge. Then he got the evidence in his custody. Even if Cohen never talks, Mueller’s got him.

trumptards don't GAF about facts. They only believe what Fux noise or the orange fool tells them is true.

They don't need no stinking facts!

R309 Republicans have always had their own facts which usually have nothing to do with reality. It's part of their delusion and the only way they can make their narrative work.