Well that story sort of evolved, didn’t it? A touch surprising - maybe the money is starting to really bite, and the time already spent in prison along with the previous guilty verdicts took the stuffing out of his bravado. Given Manafort’s Russian “friends” and what they do to those who vex them he’s got more to fear than most.
After Donald’s praise for Manafort over not being a flipper and not co-operating we may get an excellent tantrum from Big Baby at least.
Reading some of the breakdowns and law-splainers the general consensus is that it is all on the Special Counsel’s terms. Manafort will have to work very hard if he wants to spend less than 10 years in prison, has agreed to asset forfeiture of around $45 million etc.
A fair point. A crucial 5 months though, got Trump though the issues he was having with the Republican party conference and delegates, chose Pence for his VP. He was at the Trump Tower meeting.
Maybe it won’t mean anything at all in the end, maybe it will. Edit. Maybe it will be about Trump, maybe it will be about flipping on the Russian oligarchs/Russiaphile Ukrainians he worked for and the lobbyists he recruited on their behalf like the Podesta Group, Mercury, Skadden et al (as speculated by the NY Times).
I’m just hoping for the usual tantrum. They are always amusing juxtaposed against the vision of Trump his supporters push.
Manafort’s proven links to Putin and his pattern of interfering in elections is the real reason investigators will want to know what influence he had on the Trump campaign, why he worked for free, why did he push for Pence, and why did he impact the Republican platform including gutting the support for Ukraine in the days before the convention.
A long but really interesting article about some of the political divides in the world right now, with a lot of history and a focus on what is happening in Poland right now as the centre. Although not exactly US politics, much of it speaks to how Trump and the current Republican party (and news networks) are operating. It questions whether or not the acceptance of liberal democracy and its basis (competition and meritocracy) are as universal truths as we like to think, and shows that through history they have generally failed rather than always been accepted.
There is also a lot on the use of the Big Lie, medium lie and conspiracy theories to promote anti-establishment beliefs, and the promotion of loyalty over meritocracy and the rule of law.
General Mattis, the Secretary of Defense, reported to be on the outer with Trump. Possibly out post the mid-terms, which would add to the exodus. McGahn, the WH Chief Counsel, has previously been reported as leaving post mid-terms as well. There has even been speculation about the Iraqi Information Minister herself, Sarah Sanders.
Jeff Sessions too apparently. Republican brass don’t want that to happen until after the mid-terms, to avoid ■■■■■■■ off too many of the southern base.
I hadn’t read that. I was under the impression that the only reason Trump hasn’t fired him so far is that Republican Senate leadership have previously told him that they would not confirm a replacement. The GOP certainly don’t want to do anymore to compound a fairly bleak looking mid-term poll situation
It’s particularly Trumpian that he hates one of his most succesful appointments. Regardless of what you think of the policies or agendas Sessions has been quite effective at implementing them.
Apropros of mid-terms an anecdotal piece of evidence that caught my eye related to the GOP’s efforts to “Get out the vote” of what they regard as a presently slightly apathetic base - one anonymous lady responded to promptings that she needed to vote to avoid Dems making gains in Congress by describing indicators of a strongly motivated Democrat movement as “Fake News”. They might just get hoisted on their own petard thanks to Trump’s training.