Thread by @Teri_Kanefield

Hi, @SenJohnKennedy

Allow me to explain how mafia bosses give orders: They take steps to leave no trace.

This gives them deniability.
Law enforcement finds "no direct evidence."

Michael Cohen explained Trump's methods when he testified before the House Oversight Committee.

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https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1227617310673862666

@SenJohnKennedy You can find Cohen's testimony here.

Trump's personal lawyer speaks from experience: He's currently in prison for, among other things, campaign finance crimes that he testified he did on behalf of Trump.

nbcnews.com/politics/polit…

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@SenJohnKennedy 2/ I co-authored this piece with @glennkirschner2 about Trump's tactics. nbcnews.com/think/opinion/…

According to Cohen, Trump doesn’t actually order anyone to lie or commit crimes.

He's more subtle (and sneaky) than that.

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@SenJohnKennedy @glennkirschner2 Cohen gave this example: During the 2016 campaign, while he was negotiating with Russian officials to build Trump Tower Moscow, Trump often asked how the negotiations were going.

Then Trump would look Cohen in the eye and tell a baldfaced lie: "I have no business in Russia."

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@SenJohnKennedy @glennkirschner2 Cohen understood that “no business in Russia” was the lie he was supposed to tell the public.

When Cohen was called to Congress to testify in 2017, Trump let Cohen know that his personal lawyers would review Cohen's statement to Congress.

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@SenJohnKennedy @glennkirschner2 Cohen then understood Trump expected him to repeat this lie about Russia to Congress.

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe tells a similar story.

nbcnews.com/think/opinion/…

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@SenJohnKennedy @glennkirschner2 After Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, Trump summoned McCabe to a meeting. T

rump offered a “gleeful” account of the Comey firing which McCabe knew was untrue.

But McCabe also understood that Trump was signaling him to “adopt” the false narrative.

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@SenJohnKennedy @glennkirschner2 When McCabe refused to "adopt" Trump's lies, he was fired and Trump went after him with a vengeance.

(Remember that, @SenJohnKennedy? Is that, perhaps, why you're scared to cross Trump, and why you jump to cover for him?)

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@SenJohnKennedy @glennkirschner2 You said there was “no evidence,” which means you’re adopting the phony House Republican talking point that “no direct evidence” means “no evidence.”

You’re a lawyer, so you know that crimes are often proven with circumstantial evidence.

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@SenJohnKennedy @glennkirschner2 What you called “problematic” is what courts of law call “circumstantial evidence.”

Unless a defendant confesses or is caught on tape, guilt is proven with circumstantial evidence.

If you need a refresher, I wrote this NBC Op Ed about it:

https://twitter.com/NBCNewsTHINK/status/1197536650374586374

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@SenJohnKennedy @glennkirschner2 Just so we can be clear, @SenJohnKennedy, you are knowingly enabling a mafia-boss, law-breaking, Constitution-shredding president.

You understand Trump's game, and you're covering for him.

We know that you know the game.

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@SenJohnKennedy @glennkirschner2 Oh dear. I left the "T" off Trump in one of these tweets.

I swear it was accidental!

My keyboard gremlins were feeling particularly mischievous this morning.

@SenJohnKennedy @glennkirschner2 I just read the comments on the previous tweet, and I love you all 💕