Thread by @maxbergmann

A personal thread. We @moscow_project have been at this a while. (We've basically been giving the same presentation on Trump/Russia since March 17!) Yet I'd begun to doubt the public outrage over Trump's obvious collusion w/ Russia w/d ever emerge. 1/ nowthisnews.com/videos/news/th…

But then Monday happened...

In real time, I have to admit. I wasn't shocked by the press conference. I was actually relieved. Of course it was outrageous, treasonous, and collusion in plain sight. But I also thought it was par for the course. 2/

Trump had said all of this before and had said explicitly he wanted a lovefest w/ Putin at the press conference. I was relieved that at least he didn't seem to agree on any tangible policy changes on NATO, Ukraine, Syria, etc. 3/

I assumed national reaction w/d be mild. Nothing to really move the needle. But I was dead wrong.

So what do I think changed. What caused a huge national outrage? 4/

First, it was a main event. Watching Putin and Trump together was must see TV. The public tuned in looking to see if it seemed nefarious. And it did. 5/

Second, the collusion was so visceral. Trump looked owned by Putin. In press conferences at NATO and UK, Trump was an arrogant alpha male, attacking allies. Suddenly he looked sheepish, like he was Putin's underling. 6/

Third, the indictments on Friday made it clear Russia's attack was very real. And then he refused to confront Putin on it. 7/

Fourth, I think for the WH press corps in Helsinki the light bulb went off. There was no other explanation for Trump's behavior and posturing than Putin had something on him. Their instant reaction was total shock. 8/
axios.com/trump-putin-ru…

Lastly, the national reaction had been building toward acknowledging the obvious. The national discussion of Trump had been akin to saying 'Trump looks like a duck, talks like a duck... but its crazy to say Trump's a duck.' 9/

The press conference made it okay to say he's a duck - he colluded, he's treasonous, betrayed the country, or was compromised by Putin. 10/

So while before Monday I feared the country, the press, had become numb to this outrage. Today, it's clear I was wrong.

And this has huge implications for Mueller's investigation. 11/

If Mueller finds the President is part of a conspiracy vs. the US, the public and press will make Trump's position untenable.

That was not a given before Monday. 12/