Trump really thinks the Attorney General is his personal lawyer and should shield him from legal troubles. Now he says picking Jeff Sessions was a mistake
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-wish-picked-different-lawyer-attorney-general
More: https://www.salon.com/2018/05/30/trumps-contempt-for-the-rule-of-law-its-deeply-troubling-and-getting-worse/
Trump’s contempt for the rule of law: It’s deeply troubling, and getting worse
Rudy goes off message, again
https://politicalwire.com/2018/05/30/giuliani-might-have-recused-himself-too/
“Rudy Giuliani said that he can fully understand why Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from investigations related to Russia and the presidential election and that he might have done the same, had he accepted that job, as Trump wanted” . . . “Giuliani said he would have had the same conflict of interest as Sessions because they were both major players in Trump’s campaign. . . .”
The obstruction case grows
https://politicalwire.com/2018/05/30/fbi-official-secret-memo-on-comey-firing/
Former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe wrote a confidential memo last spring recounting a conversation that offered significant behind-the-scenes details on the firing of James Comey, the New York Times reports. “In the document, whose contents have not been previously reported, Mr. McCabe described a conversation at the Justice Department with the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, in the chaotic days last May after Mr. Comey’s abrupt firing. Mr. Rosenstein played a key role in the dismissal, writing a memo that rebuked Mr. Comey over his handling of an investigation into Hillary Clinton.” “But in the meeting at the Justice Department, Mr. Rosenstein added a new detail: He said the president had originally asked him to reference Russia in his memo, the people familiar with the conversation said. Mr. Rosenstein did not elaborate on what Mr. Trump had wanted him to say. To Mr. McCabe, that seemed like possible evidence that Mr. Comey’s firing was actually related to the F.B.I.’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, and that Mr. Rosenstein helped provide a cover story by writing about the Clinton investigation.”
[NB: Which helps to explain the absurdity at the time that Trump would fire Comey because he had hurt Clinton in the election. Of course, later Trump himself confirmed that it was actually because of Russia.]
Trump and Giuliani have done us the favor of making their impeachment strategy explicit
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/05/donald-trump-no-longer-hiding-impeachment-strategy-robert-mueller
Watch how Trump's lawyers have constantly moved the goal posts for conditions before he will testify
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/giuliani-makes-new-demands-ahead-possible-trump-mueller-interview
What do viewers in Fox World think when credible Republicans tell them that "Spygate" is a bunch of nonsense?
https://thinkprogress.org/trey-gowdy-andrew-napolitano-spygate-trump-debunk-fox-news-2d6e925aca97
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1767984
More: https://politicalwire.com/2018/05/30/trumps-spygate-defense-crumbles/
President Trump’s “claim that the FBI embedded a spy in his campaign for political purposes began to crumble Wednesday after a prominent Republican, as well as defenders of the president, said he might have the story wrong” . . .
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/30/trump-spygate-gowdy-fbi-615196
Trump ‘spygate’ offensive loses steam
Putin must be having a grand old time -- he helped elect a president who is damaging this country, undermining our democratic institutions, and alienating us from allies around the world
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018/05/30/why-putin-should-be-thrilled-with-trumps-performance/
In other news . . .
There are recordings of Trump and Cohen -- and Michael Avenatti wants them
https://crooksandliars.com/2018/05/michael-avenatti-calls-immediate-release
Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels, confirmed on Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s voice could be heard on tapes recorded by his personal attorney, Michael Cohen.. . .
I hate this man
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-leads-crowd-booing-mccain
After Aide’s Morbid Joke, Trump Leads Nashville Crowd In Booing John McCain
https://crooksandliars.com/2018/05/trump-smears-nancy-pelosi-ms-13-lover
Trump Smears Nancy Pelosi As 'The MS-13' Lover During TN Rally
Did I say "man"? I meant "child" https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-abc-apologized-jarrett-not-me
Trump: ABC Apologized To Jarrett, But Not For ‘HORRIBLE’ Things About Me!
[NB: So the guy who has never apologized to anyone, ever, is all pouty because someone hasn't apologized to him.]
Hiring John Bolton is one of Trump's worst decisions -- and that's saying something
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/bolton-pick-nsc-cos-vp-of-hate-group
Bolton’s New NSC Chief Of Staff Served As VP Of Anti-Muslim Hate Group
Once again, a debate over whether to call Trump's lies "lies"
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/5/30/17404840/trump-lies-demonstrable-falsehoods
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018/05/30/what-if-trump-isnt-intentionally-lying/
In another weird "defense," Trump advisor says people don't care about his corruption
https://thinkprogress.org/peter-navarro-dismisses-trump-family-conflicts-of-interest-corruption-npr-b6dd98e49af7/
Despute all the scams, Trump's businesses are in decline
https://politicalwire.com/2018/05/31/trumps-net-worth-slides/
Oooh, The Princess wants to be a policy player, but doesn't want to accept the consequences of being publicly accountable
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ivanka-dodges-reporter-questions-by-leaving-conference-call
Ivanka Leaves Call With Reporters To Avoid Uncomfortable Questions
The man who wants Paul Ryan's job
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/05/the-man-who-would-be-speaker/561467/
Partisanship is so bad that the Repubs want to punish a Dem for voting with them
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/30/trump-heitkamp-democrats-midterms-dakota-611563
I have colleagues who can't start a sentence without saying, "I am concerned . . ." to be followed by a disingenuous and passive/aggressive accusation. Turns out there's a name for that: "concern trolling"
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018/05/30/jonathan-turley-provides-a-master-class-in-concern-trolling/
The stories covered in Fox World, and the ones ignored
GOP candidates pin their hopes on immigration
https://politicalwire.com/2018/05/30/immigration-dominates-gop-ads-across-the-country/
More: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1768238
More: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1768238
Trump hammers home nativist fear-mongering as the GOP's ultimate—and really only—midterm message
https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/5/30/17408566/roseanne-barr-ambien-tweets
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