NEW YORK TIMES: "The presumption in Mr. Trump’s circle is that Mr. Manafort...could threaten Mr. Trump."
That's a stunning sentence. It suggests that Trump's circle knows he committed crimes and knows that Paul Manafort knows about those crimes.
And Manafort is likely to flip.
That's a stunning sentence. It suggests that Trump's circle knows he committed crimes and knows that Paul Manafort knows about those crimes.
And Manafort is likely to flip.
2/ Keep in mind NBC previously reported Trump had told friends that Manafort could threaten him. But NBC also reported Trump was "confident" Manafort would *not* flip, which confidence makes no sense given the severity of Manafort's legal situation. Seems likely Trump got to him.
3/ Also remember that Steve Bannon, who supposedly would have had no special insight whatsoever into Trump's private finances, said that Trump would go down on money laundering.
Somehow people in Trump's circle knew or strongly suspected what was going down with him and Russia.
Somehow people in Trump's circle knew or strongly suspected what was going down with him and Russia.
4/ So Manafort is a money launderer, Bannon says Trump will go down for money laundering, Trump (and Trump's friends) say Manafort is the one who knows what Trump did, and somehow POLITICO and @NRO agree Trump will be fine and be reelected in 2020. Uh, what are they *thinking*?
5/ And don't forget that the Steele Dossier, which Trump has expressed an existential dread about (see "consciousness of guilt") ever since it was published in January 2017 by Buzzfeed, alleges that Trump's coordination with Russia centered around (wait for it) money laundering.
6/ So maybe it's time for "We all see where this is going" essays, rather than "I'm a Russiagate skeptic" essays.
(And maybe it's time to make note of who's always been a skeptic on Trump crimes—whatever the evidence—and who's seen from Day 1 there was no reason for skepticism.)
(And maybe it's time to make note of who's always been a skeptic on Trump crimes—whatever the evidence—and who's seen from Day 1 there was no reason for skepticism.)
