Thread by @TheLastRefuge2

IMHO Mueller and Rosenstein are much more sinister than people realize (even now). They both knew there was no Trump-Russia conspiracy "there" there. Obstruction was always the impeachment long game and their political plan needed the House to work.

Rosenstein pressured Trump not to declassify the underlying SpyGate/FISA documents because it would have undermined the Russia narrative, and worse.... it might have upended the goal of winning the House (a key part of their long-term plan).

Everything Mueller and Rosenstein were doing in 2018 was intended to Drag-Out the Russia conspiracy narrative as long as possible. Including all of the extensions and delays in the Flynn case. They were working throughout with that mid-term election House changeover in mind.

The entire Mueller team were working to goad Trump into something Mueller could then colorably construe as obstruction, opening House impeachment grounds. Mueller and Rosenstein had to keep the 'Muh Russia" narrative going hoping Dems won the House in 2018.

Once the entire Mueller team had the House goal accomplished (Dec '18), then they set about enhancing the impeachment narrative with stronger provocations. The unnecessary postponement of Flynn sentencing is just one example.

CC: @JosephJFlynn1 , @BarbaraRedgate @GenFlynn

The outrageous arrest of Roger Stone is another example. The scale of this, and the publicity to enlist a media ally for the purpose of broadcasting the outrageous nature of the arrest, was by design. Mueller and Rosenstein were intentionally trying to provoke a response.

All of this was done to goad and bait President @realDonaldTrump into a response. None of this was happenstance. The goal of structuring the obstruction case and impeachment was designed into each event. [This includes how Cohen and Manafort were treated].

When you realize that a Trump-Russia collusion/conspiracy was known by all the players to be demonstrably ridiculous in mid-2018 (no 'there' there); and the Mueller/Rosenstein goal was always to establish an obstruction/impeachment result; then everything starts to make sense.

Correction: should be *mid-2017*

It probably hurt President @realDonaldTrump to watch what was happening; watching people go through hell; knowing the abusive motives of Mueller and Rosenstein were designed to make Trump react.

Hence at last night's rally in Michigan, and to Hannity: "‘many people badly hurt— must never happen again" etc.

The scale of overall abuse by Mueller and Rosenstein is one of the reasons why I'm cautiously optimistic @realDonaldTrump 's current frame of reference is VENGEANCE, of the cold anger variety.

/END

ADDENDUM: The need to keep up the "Muh Russia" appearances is why Mueller and Rosenstein had to pause every few months and throw out a few phony, structurally silly, Russia indictments.

Mueller, Weissmann and Rosenstein knew the people they accused would never show up to defend themselves. The indictments were for appearances only.

And always came with the disclaimer....

The Mueller/Rosenstein gig, likely would have continued.... There was no pressure on their effort to stop..... EXCEPT all of a sudden an unplanned wildcard entered the picture, AG William Barr showed up.

The entire plan could only continue if their personal buddy, William Barr, agreed to join the operation. That must have been a remarkable revelation for Barr all things considered.

Then again, that framework likely explains exactly this:

.... AND THIS:

.... AND ALSO THIS: