T1B

President Donald Trump is acting like he knows something about the Russia investigation that the rest of America has yet to learn.

His Twitter explosion on Thursday targeting special counsel Robert Mueller -- his "thugs" and his "witch hunt" investigation -- came without an apparent immediate cause.

But Trump's temper apparently boiled over after meetings on three successive days between the President and his lawyers as they work out written answers for Mueller about alleged collusion between his campaign and Russia in the 2016 campaign.

The Washington Post reported on Thursday that there are at least two dozen questions about events that took place before the 2016 election.

"There are some that create more issues for us legally than others," Trump's lawyer Rudolph Giuliani told the paper. Some questions were "unnecessary" and others were "possible traps" or might be irrelevant, he said.

Giuliani's striking complaint about a perjury trap appears to raise the question of why he might be worried about such an issue -- if the President were simply to tell the truth, in answers that will be scrubbed by his legal advisers.

The questions resulted from a tortuous negotiation between Trump's lawyers and the White House over the President's testimony. They only relate to the collusion part of the investigation and do not concern allegations that the President obstructed justice in the firing of former FBI Chief James Comey.

Trump's huddles with his lawyers coincided with intense activity around the Mueller investigation, which largely went quiet in the days leading up to the midterm elections earlier this month.

The comings and goings have left Washington on tenterhooks amid mounting speculation that significant action by the special counsel could be imminent.

In the past, the President's tirades about Mueller have sometimes coincided with developments in the special counsel probe.

There are expectations that Mueller, who has not unveiled any indictments since July, could be preparing more. CNN has reported that he has also started writing a final report on his investigation.

All the while, speculation has heated up about the prospect of major staff shakeups in the West Wing, including the departure of high-level officials who previously have worked to constrain Trump's worst impulses.

"In this administration, there are arsonists and there are firefighters. The President is looking to get rid of the firefighters. The more he does, the faster his administration is going to burn down," a senior administration official told CNN's Jake Tapper.

The President's fury sparked questions over whether he has any advance knowledge of any indictments Mueller may be preparing, or has gleaned other insight about the case from his new acting-Attorney General Matthew Whitaker.

Much of Mueller's work is taking place behind closed doors, but the evident bustle suggests plenty of reasons for Trump's dark mood.

Those events included a visit by Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who is facing jail time on tax and fraud charges, to the special counsel's office on Monday.

Attorneys for Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort, who is cooperating with Mueller after his own conviction, were seen at Mueller's office this week.

Jerome Corsi, an associate of former Trump political adviser Roger Stone said on Monday he expects to be indicted for giving false information to Mueller or the grand jury. Corsi later suggested in an interview with Reuters that he's in plea talks with Mueller's team.

Stone, who also appears to be in Mueller's sights, released text messages with an alleged WikiLeaks back channel about "big news" about Hillary Clinton's campaign six days before the site released hacked emails.

Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., has reportedly told friends that he could he could be indicted, possibly over a meeting he and other Trump campaign officials held with a Russian lawyer promising "dirt" on Clinton.

With all that in mind, Trump's Thursday morning tweetstorm appears to reveal a President fuming with resentment about the probe and possibly deeply concerned about what it might reveal.

Mueller's questions likely offered Trump his most explicit sense yet as to where the investigation may be going and could perhaps offer him some hints about what witnesses have told Mueller. And the task of answering the questions, under the risk of perjury, may be a deeply unpleasant experience for him.

"The inner workings of the Mueller investigation are a total mess. They have found no collusion and have gone absolutely nuts," Trump tweeted.

"They are screaming and shouting at people, horribly threatening them to come up with the answers they want," the President said, in a comment that could be interpreted as evidence that he has inside knowledge of the investigation.

"These are Angry People, including the highly conflicted Bob Mueller, who worked for Obama for 8 years. They won't even look at all of the bad acts and crimes on the other side. A TOTAL WITCH HUNT LIKE NO OTHER IN AMERICAN HISTORY!" Trump wrote in one of his most furious attacks on Mueller.

Mueller was actually appointed to head the FBI in 2001 by President George W. Bush, and stayed for the rest of his administration and three years into President Barack Obama's term. Obama later extended his 10-year term for another two years.

Speaking on CNN's "The Situation Room" Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley defended Mueller and his team, adding "if they are going to do something, I suspect it will be rather soon."

"Obviously, the President had a bad week and he doesn't like these questions, so he is lashing out because he is afraid to take responsibility, frankly for anything," Quigley said.

The President also revealed his anger about the Russia probe in an interview with The Daily Caller on Wednesday, which to some observers seemed like an tacit admission that he had appointed Whitaker after firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions in order to rein in the special counsel.

"Matthew Whitaker is a very respected man. He's -- and he's, very importantly, he's respected within DOJ," Trump told the conservative website.

"You know, look, as far as I'm concerned this is an investigation that should have never been brought. It should have never been had," he said. "It's something that should have never been brought. It's an illegal investigation."

Democrats have warned that Whitaker, who is on record with fierce criticisms of the Mueller probe, and now oversees it, is nothing but a political henchman inserted into the top Justice Department job to rein in Mueller.

His appointment has added fresh urgency to an effort on Capitol Hill to protect Mueller. Republican Sen. Jeff Flake warned he would not vote to advance judicial nominees unless a bill shielding the special counsel got a floor vote.

Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a vote on Wednesday on the measure, which would allow any decision by Trump to fire the special counsel to be challenged in court.

88 wrote:How did Cortez make the group photo?

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Cohen pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia.

88 wrote:How did Cortez make the group photo?

skyscreamer wrote:The walls are closing in and he knows it. He's desperate and lashing out and it's only going to get worse as the Democrats start giving him the deep dicking he deserves.

Sirfindafold wrote:

skyscreamer wrote:The walls are closing in and he knows it. He's desperate and lashing out and it's only going to get worse as the Democrats start giving him the deep dicking he deserves.

sin,

March 2017

smackaholic wrote:There is a difference between in and with.

smackaholic wrote:There is a difference between in and with.

In means just what it says.

With means he’s done business directly with the government, you know, kinda like Willie getting a half mil speaking fee.


Sent from my iPhone using Tardtalk

Papa Willie wrote:

Jsc810 wrote:Cohen pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump's deals in Russia.

But I'm shocked, SHOCKED at this development. Trump told us that ‘I have nothing to do with Russia - no deals, no loans, no nothing’.

Cohen must be now lying about lying, so this still doesn't harm Trump at all!!!!! MAGA baby!!!!!!!!! Or some stupid bullshit like that.

Mikey wrote:https://www.bustle.com/p/this-study-on- ... s-13224192

Jsc810 wrote:Nothing to see here, move along centipedes.

Jsc810 wrote:Nice little scheme they were planning.

Cohen thought giving the Trump Tower’s most luxurious apartment, a $50 million penthouse, to Putin would entice other wealthy buyers to purchase their own. “In Russia, the oligarchs would bend over backwards to live in the same building as Vladimir Putin,” Sater told BuzzFeed News. “My idea was to give a $50 million penthouse to Putin and charge $250 million more for the rest of the units. All the oligarchs would line up to live in the same building as Putin.”

One small problem, that little scheme probably violates the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. And in an amazing coincidence, Trump has criticized the Act in the past.

And in yet another amazing coincidence, today Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein spoke at the American Conference Institute's 35th International Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Nothing to see here, move along centipedes.

Smackie Chan wrote:

Jsc810 wrote:Nothing to see here, move along centipedes.

While there may be something to see, nothing will come of it. There will be no legal action against Trump. There will be no impeachment. There will be minimal impact at the polls. He will be re-elected.

Derron wrote:the POTUS who exhibits leadership qualities

Smackie Chan wrote:

Jsc810 wrote:Nothing to see here, move along centipedes.

While there may be something to see, nothing will come of it. There will be no legal action against Trump. There will be no impeachment. There will be minimal impact at the polls. He will be re-elected.

Softball Bat wrote:

Derron wrote:the POTUS who exhibits leadership qualities

rotf...



No really...

You are dumber than a potted plant.

Jsc810 wrote: I respectfully disagree, my friend.

Jsc810 wrote:

Smackie Chan wrote:There will be no legal action against Trump.

I respectfully disagree, my friend.

Mueller's dream team of lawyers didn't quit their jobs to simply get charges of lying to Congress against the henchmen. Mueller took down John Gotti, Manuel Noriega, and the Lockerbie Bomber, and he got the Enron executives by first charging their wives with crimes. He's going to get Trump.

Queerland wrote: It’s fucking amazing he is allowed to vote.

Kierland wrote:Minimal like 40 more Blue House seats?
...

Jsc810 wrote:

Smackie Chan wrote:There will be no legal action against Trump.

I respectfully disagree, my friend.

Mueller's dream team of lawyers didn't quit their jobs to simply get charges of lying to Congress against the henchmen.

Smackie Chan wrote:

Kierland wrote:Minimal like 40 more Blue House seats?
...

I was talking about his re-election bid, but we'll see about how many red seats flip. A lot tends to happen in the last two years of a Presidential term.

Kierland wrote:Do remember Florida is in play for 2020 due to new felon voting law.
How happy is Ohio?