Trump recorded by Fruman & Parnas, April 2018:
"Get rid of [Yovanovitch]! Get her out tomorrow. Take her out...Do it."
Not explicitly a threat. But Trump has official powers & channels. Why talk this way to these 2 thugs?
Always troubling. More now.
abcnews.go.com/Politics/recor…
"Get rid of [Yovanovitch]! Get her out tomorrow. Take her out...Do it."
Not explicitly a threat. But Trump has official powers & channels. Why talk this way to these 2 thugs?
Always troubling. More now.
abcnews.go.com/Politics/recor…
Great catch by @carolynEast2 on why timing April 30, 2018:
Mueller & Manafort.
May 2, 2018: "In Ukraine, where officials are wary of offending Trump, [investigation] has been frozen by Ukraine’s chief prosecutor."
And an arms deal.
h/t @tzmaltesemama:
Mueller & Manafort.
May 2, 2018: "In Ukraine, where officials are wary of offending Trump, [investigation] has been frozen by Ukraine’s chief prosecutor."
And an arms deal.
h/t @tzmaltesemama:
@CarolynEast2 @tzmaltesemama Timeline:
Feb 2018: Mueller got Gates in plea deal.
March: reports of Roger Stone direct link between Trump and WikiLeaks
April 9: SDNY raided Cohen.
Huge turning point in Trump investigation.
What if Ukraine helped Mueller?
Or if Ukraine could be bribed/extorted w/ arms?
Feb 2018: Mueller got Gates in plea deal.
March: reports of Roger Stone direct link between Trump and WikiLeaks
April 9: SDNY raided Cohen.
Huge turning point in Trump investigation.
What if Ukraine helped Mueller?
Or if Ukraine could be bribed/extorted w/ arms?
@CarolynEast2 @tzmaltesemama 4/ If Trump had legitimate reasons to remove Yovanovitch in April, he could've used official channels. But there were no public officials in this meeting.
Afraid of Mueller, w/ guilty mindset & intent to cover-up/ obstruction, Trump had to find a "shadow" (criminal) channel.
Afraid of Mueller, w/ guilty mindset & intent to cover-up/ obstruction, Trump had to find a "shadow" (criminal) channel.
@CarolynEast2 @tzmaltesemama 5/ I'm not saying Trump intended "Take her out" as a hint at violence. But there seems to be proof of criminal stalking/hacking/intimidation campaign by Hyde etc.
This is why high crimes don't have to be felonies. When a president abuses his power...
This is why high crimes don't have to be felonies. When a president abuses his power...
...with a shadow foreign policy & shadowier criminals, & a lot of power & money & risk on the line, with the "boss" giving a lot of hints to avoid explicitly getting caught planning crimes...
really bad things can happen.
really bad things can happen.
6/ it’s hard to know, but hard to imagine what Trump was asking them to do wasn’t hinting at something criminal. Not clearly violent, but something so shadow unofficial that his words would lead to crossed lines.
***And again, how can we know unless Senate calls witnesses***
***And again, how can we know unless Senate calls witnesses***
7/ Update: Crucial context.
I hadn't seen that WH official DeStefano was in this conversation. It does point to an alternative reading of an official channel, though too blustery & risky.
I'd seen earlier reporting that there were no fed officials around.
I hadn't seen that WH official DeStefano was in this conversation. It does point to an alternative reading of an official channel, though too blustery & risky.
I'd seen earlier reporting that there were no fed officials around.
H/t @EricColumbus
