Thread by @sethjlevy

1/ Here is an important thread from June 2018. It laid out much of my theories from that time regarding Mueller and DOJ.

This was the first time Trump walked out of the WH to meet the media on the lawn. Why is that significant?

https://twitter.com/sethjlevy/status/1008019682094444544

2/ According to John Dowd by 3/5/18, Mueller told Dowd that Trump wasn’t a target of the investigation. Trump then fired McMaster, hired Bolton, fired Tillerson as SoS, hired Pompeo, hired Giuliani and set up the highly compartmentalized computer put in place to hold transcripts.

3/ By the time Trump stepped out onto the WH lawn in June, which as we now know would become a permanent shift in Trump’s PR strategy, Trump had all his pieces in place. In retrospect it’s clear that by this point Trump was unshackled and engaged in a new phase of his Presidency.

4/ I’m going to acknowledge an incorrect prediction in that thread. I believed Trump would ultimately interview with Mueller. That never materialized. I do think Trump wanted to do it but Weismann was too much of a loose cannon. Either way it never happened.

5/ I’ve been asking the question #WhoTrappedWho as a way of making the point that the Democrats are wrong to think they caught Trump in something. No this Ukraine affair was engineered.

I wrote an article about it.

politicalspeculation.com/who-trapped-who

6/ I’m in the process of writing my next article. I’ll leave you with this.

In the beginning of one of the most consequential quotes to this point from Barr, he states “In the situation of the President who has constitutional authority to supervise proceedings”.

7/ This is enormously consequential. I’ve been speculating for some time that Trump may have been running investigations out of the White House. What other choice did the POTUS have when dealing with a corrupt DOJ/FBI that was targeting him?

https://Twitter.com/sethjlevy/status/1125829910382219265

8/ In the Ukraine affair it seems Trump was now dealing with members of his own NSA that not only opposed his policies in Ukraine but seemed prepared to take actions to stop the POTUS from fulfilling them.

9/ Can POTUS supervise a proceeding that would, in conjunction with a stated DOJ/DNI investigation targeting “Leaks of classified materials threatening national security”, run a sting on those looking to leak his phone conversations with foreign leaders?

justice.gov/opa/pr/attorne…

10/ Can it be argued any longer based on the Schiff interviews that these NSA staff weren’t already concerned and reporting their concerns in advance of the July 25 call?

By the way, those actions preceding the call and reporting inside the chain of command were appropriate.

11/ What wasn’t appropriate? Reacting to the call and the perceived lack of response to their concerns by leaking the call details. That they leaked to a CIA agent isn’t the point. The WB was not authorized to receive this information.

12/ In this context Morrison’s testimony is devistating. Why? Because he makes clear that nothing that happened on the call was illegal. So any exception for the leak on the basis that Trump was hiding a crime is now moot. Whoever leaked was not authorized to do that.

13/ But also, the WB had no right to handle this information. Being confronted with an unauthorized WH leak, the appropriate action is to report the criminal. The leaker. But he didn’t do that.

14/ Instead he attempted to entrap the President, which is clear from his subsequent actions. The first thing the WB does, before he files as a WB, is to file an anonymous complaint with the CIA GC, Ms. Elwood.

nytimes.com/2019/09/26/us/…

15/ By policy, she contacted Eisenberg the WH lawyer who was already aware of concerns about the call. They then contacted DOJ and a review was conducted including Mr. Demers going to the WH to review the transcript. Mr. Benczkowski head of DOJ criminal division was included.

16/ Though Barr was made aware of the review, it was overseen by DAG Rosen. That’s important because it protects the WH from any undue interference.

While this all was happening the WB “grew concerned” after he learned the WH was contacted, according to the NYT. That’s a lie.

17/ The WB would have know the policy specifically said the WH and DOJ would be contacted. So why did he go to CIA GC first, then contact Schiff staff and then file WB?

He wanted to force the WH into obstructing an investigation that he would then force into public view.

18/ Why? Because he and his conspirators assumes Trump would fight to keep the transcript hidden. Just like Nixon fought to hide the tapes. But he didn’t. He immediately had DOJ review the transcript and once WB was public he released it publicly. BECAUSE IT WAS “PERFECT”.

19/ What could Trump mean? Well the call was edgy enough to trigger the leaker and the WB and their conspirators while lacking any criminal act. Trump baited them and then extricated himself from their perceived trap.

20/ So all that’s left is the criminal leak of information. And whatever leak investigation has followed those that used the information to attempt to damage POTUS. Remember Schiff’s staff was notified before there was any WB protection. Did Schiff report a criminal leak? Nope.

21/ Schiff sent Thomas Eager to Ukraine to speak with Bill Taylor. He likely leaked the withholding of military aid story to Politico. In other words he participated in the conspiracy.

22/ At this point what are Democrats hanging their hat on? That Trump went outside normal channels. But Trump has the authority to do that. He’s aware of information these people don’t have. He can deputize people. Like Giuliani. And he doesn’t have to notify NSA or diplomats.

23/ I’ll leave it there for now. Just remember what Trump told the media at the very beginning of this affair, the more they climbed this ladder the further they would fall.

He keeps telling them that there is more to be revealed. But they don’t believe him. They can’t.

/end