Bernstein: Trump ‘is boxed in by Mueller’

[danarhea]

Last I heard it wasn't about 'Russian collusion' but 2 instances where private money was used for hush money for affairs.
Let me know if real evidence of Russian collusion is substantiated, not if some journalist with an axe to grind claims anything.

Not even certain, at this point, it would appear, that there were campaign finance violations, and if so, hasn't the standard been paying a fine?

Collusion is not even defined in the US code, but conspiracy and obstruction are. Of course there is no collusion. But there sure is conspiracy and obstruction, and that is exactly what those around Trump will be going down for. Mueller began showing his cards on Friday, and it looks like a royal flush.

 

[danarhea]

If I were the editor at Fox I'd be talking nonstop about Hillary Clinton right now...

Pravda on the Potomac.

 

[Cardinal]

Perhaps, but you'll notice the term 'hints' used.

That said, Pence has a long history of lying, publicly, about numerous critical things in the Trump campaign/Mueller investigation, like whether or not they were in contact and working with Wikileaks, or what the reason was behind the firing of Comey when he had apparently been read Trump's initial screed before McGahn rejected it, among other things. He's publicly called for the probe to be ended. He knew about Flynn from a letter from Cummings and lied about, too. It just keeps adding up.

That, given what we now know to be the laughable, unparalleled incompetency of the Trump admin and campaign/transition teams, the likelihood that he remains aloof and apart from what we're now finding more out about w/every passing day seems very small.

Pence is an old school corrupt politician: he knows precisely how scummy he can be and still avoid legal jeopardy along the way. That said, those who enter into Trump's radius invariably turn into the worst possible versions of themselves, so if he has been a bad boy in the last two years I wouldn't be terribly surprised.

But considering what we know right now, there is no indication that if Trump stepped down right now there would be anything stopping Pence from replacing him.

 

[Tanngrisnir]

Pence is an old school corrupt politician: he knows precisely how scummy he can be and still avoid legal jeopardy along the way. That said, those who enter into Trump's radius invariably turn into the worst possible versions of themselves, so if he has been a bad boy in the last two years I wouldn't be terribly surprised.

But considering what we know right now, there is no indication that if Trump stepped down right now there would be anything stopping Pence from replacing him.

While that's quite true, it wouldn't end the Mueller investigations, so I imagine everything would come to light, if there were anything there.

 

[eohrnberger]

If the Presidential candidate wasn't aware of the campaign finance violations and didn't order someone to carry them out, then yes, a simple fine is likely how this would have ended.

Fair enough, if that's what is determined to have transpired, OK.

 

[eohrnberger]

That's precisely where the "Moscow Trump Tower" investigation is going.

Trump would have made hundreds of millions of dollars. Putin would have gained political leverage over Mr. Trump.

The project never materialized for Mr. Trump. But since candidate/president Trump hushed up all talk of the MTT negotiations extending past February 2016, Putin still maintained his political leverage.

But now it was political leverage over a US president rather than over a greedy US businessman.

If the business deal had gone through, then, yes, there would have been leverage over Trump. Since it didn't :shrug: What leverage is there?

 

[Desert Storm]

You Liberals gotta stop getting so excited over this because nothing serious will happen to Trump.

First of all there's nothing illegal with Trump getting information on Hillary through wikileaks.
Second of all, if he did pay off Stormy with campaign funds at worst he can get an SEC fine. Its not really an impeachable offence.
Last but not least, in the remote possibility Dems do move for impeachment it will never gets past the Republican controlled Senate.

So in other words, this will all go nowhere

 

[Desert Storm]

Collusion is not even defined in the US code, but conspiracy and obstruction are. Of course there is no collusion. But there sure is conspiracy and obstruction, and that is exactly what those around Trump will be going down for

There cannot be obstruction of justice if no crime was committed (by Trump)

 

[danarhea]

There cannot be obstruction of justice if no crime was committed (by Trump)

Looks like you haven't read Mueller's Friday release. Donald Trump is "individual 1" in the documents pertaining to both Cohen and Manafort.

 

[danarhea]

There cannot be obstruction of justice if no crime was committed (by Trump)

If no crime was committed by Trump, but Trump attempted to cover it up, there sure the hell IS obstruction. In fact, what was revealed by Mueller on Friday is the definition of obstruction. About the payments to Stormy Daniels? There has to be intent on his part, so we don't know. Only Mueller does. But the coverup (obstruction) is a lead pipe cinch, and Mueller revealed it.

 

[Desert Storm]

If no crime was committed by Trump, but Trump attempted to cover it up, there sure the hell IS obstruction

How the heck you can cover up a crime that never existed in the first place??!

Looks like you haven't read Mueller's Friday release. Donald Trump is "individual 1" in the documents pertaining to both Cohen and Manafort

How do you know for sure he is Individual 1?? That could be anyone

 

[upsideguy]

And Nixon knew nothing about the Watergate break in too.

You trumpsters really must hate Mike Pence. If trump leaves office, Pence will become President. But you trumpsters DON'T WANT PENCE.

Kinda funny cos Pence has the sort of far right conservative values that you republicans supposedly cherish. For eg. I can't recall Pence ever committing adultery or porking a porn star and paying her $130K to keep quiet about it.

If the Republicans were smart (not much evidence of that, but lets run with the thought), they would throw Trump under the bus (negotiate an impeachment deal with the Dems) and set Pence up to run as incumbent. Trump is politically toxic. He is going bring the Senate down with him should he be on the ballot in 2020.

Depending on how scathing the Mueller report actually is, the Republican leadership may well turn on Trump as a matter of self-preservation.

 

[Deuce]

If the Republicans were smart (not much evidence of that, but lets run with the thought), they would throw Trump under the bus (negotiate an impeachment deal with the Dems) and set Pence up to run as incumbent. Trump is politically toxic. He is going bring the Senate down with him should he be on the ballot in 2020.

Depending on how scathing the Mueller report actually is, the Republican leadership may well turn on Trump as a matter of self-preservation.

I don't agree. Their base would riot. (many literally) They've invested too much. The rhetoric has gone too far. A decade of "evil democrat liars socialist communist marxists coming to destroy America." Eight years of "Obama is the devil." Two years of "witch hunt." The base is too far gone. "Sorry guys we were wrong, the Democrats were right, Trump is literally a felon" is not something they can survive.

And being the incumbent former-VP in place of a president that got removed kicking and screaming from office? Yeah, not a strong 2020 candidate. The three-way genetic hybrid of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Chairman Mao would beat Pence after that.

Nah, I think they're tactically better off just doing what they've been doing: keep their frothing dip**** masses in high gear by existing in a different reality.

 

[danarhea]

How the heck you can cover up a crime that never existed in the first place??!


How do you know for sure he is Individual 1?? That could be anyone

Keep thinking that fantasy. I want to savor the look on your face when the crap hits the fan. LOL.

The crime happened, as Mueller has revealed. Trump didn't commit the crime. Someone else did. Trump helped to cover it up, which is also a crime.

Get it? No, I didn't think so. LOL.

 

[Desert Storm]

The crime happened, as Mueller has revealed. Trump didn't commit the crime. Someone else did. Trump helped to cover it up, which is also a crime

Please tell me, what crime was it Trump helped cover up?? Can you be more specific

 

[Phys251]

And Nixon knew nothing about the Watergate break in too.

You trumpsters really must hate Mike Pence. If trump leaves office, Pence will become President. But you trumpsters DON'T WANT PENCE.

Kinda funny cos Pence has the sort of far right conservative values that you republicans supposedly cherish. For eg. I can't recall Pence ever committing adultery or porking a porn star and paying her $130K to keep quiet about it.

That's one of the few things I don't get about Republicans. Mike Pence is about as hard-right as it gets and they don't want him as president?