Wednesday Trump

[Bernadine]

Might as well get it started.

I'm happy that the Today show is starting with Cohen's testimony, rather than Trump's meeting with Kim Jong un.

[sparrowsong]

It’s 5am and I’m already awake reading twitter. Who would’ve ever thought it’d get up this early for politics, lol.

Trump is so pissed he’s being upstaged both by Cohen and by the Pakistan-India tension.

[curbsideprophet]

I am going to work for a bit then coming home to watch. Pretty sure DH thinks I am crazy.

[bowies]

Linking to a Tweet because it includes pieces of Cohen’s prepared testimony.

Today is going to be 🔥.

[cville]

Here's Cohen's entire written statement

www-m.cnn.com/2019/02/27/politics/cohen-testimony-read/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F

[mssaint]

I need to clear my calendar to watch this.

[Bernadine]

Luckily, I'm working from home today. I'll have it on in the background.

[1yeartogo]

We need a highlights play by play for those of us who have to be at work and can’t watch. I’m so ramped up about this...this has to be a game changer right!?!!

[mskitkat]

I need to find a way to stream the audio while I’m at work.

[georgeglass]

Kind of annoying article in Slate - and really annoying headline

"Michael Cohen’s Claims About Trump and Russia Are Either Currently Unprovable or Inconsistent With Other Evidence"

slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/02/michael-cohen-hearing-collusion-testimony-questionable.html?fbclid=IwAR2JBW7kt7gm4OnehIpqm1RmCPakO8Xea6n2_pAXISVJDFCmkxkQCwaZDdA

[bowies]

Feb 27, 2019 7:37:26 GMT -5 1yeartogo said:

We need a highlights play by play for those of us who have to be at work and can’t watch. I’m so ramped up about this...this has to be a game changer right!?!!

I’m sure someone will start a testimony watch thread. I don’t even know when it’s scheduled to begin!

[CheeringCharm]

I was laughing at Sr's supposed description of Don Jr. It's mean but he's not wrong! lol

[isabel]

Feb 27, 2019 7:57:19 GMT -5 bowies said:

Feb 27, 2019 7:37:26 GMT -5 1yeartogo said:

We need a highlights play by play for those of us who have to be at work and can’t watch. I’m so ramped up about this...this has to be a game changer right!?!!

I’m sure someone will start a testimony watch thread. I don’t even know when it’s scheduled to begin!

10 eastern. Colorado public radio will be airing it live. I plan to stream from their website.

[CheeringCharm]

Is any of this a crime? I don't think Trump has perjured himself about any of this so I don't see how. Is it a crime that Trump knew the campaign was reaching out and coordinating with Wikileaks? 


“In July 2016, days before the Democratic convention, I was in Mr. Trump’s office when his secretary announced that Roger Stone was on the phone. Mr. Trump put Mr. Stone on the speakerphone,” his written remarks say. “Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Mr. Trump responded by stating to the effect of ‘wouldn’t that be great.’”

Mr. Stone, who was recently indicted on charges that include witness tampering and false statements to Congress, has denied to reporters that such a conversation took place. The recent indictment against him made no mention of such a conversation, but it did state that a senior campaign official was directed to contact Mr. Stone around that period of time about what material WikiLeaks had.

And Mr. Cohen will reference a conversation he claims to have observed between the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and his father, which he believes happened around the time of a planned meeting with a Russian lawyer promising “dirt” on Hillary Clinton.

He does not claim to have heard a direct reference to the meeting. Instead, Mr. Cohen will say, he recalled this event after The Times revealed the June 2016 meeting had taken place.

“I recalled Don Jr. leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying, ‘The meeting is all set.’ I remember Mr. Trump saying, “O.K. good … let me know,’” Mr. Cohen will say.

www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/us/politics/michael-cohen-trump-congress.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

[iamlaila]

Feb 27, 2019 8:10:49 GMT -5 CheeringCharm said:

Is any of this a crime? I don't think Trump has perjured himself about any of this so I don't see how. Is it a crime that Trump knew the campaign was reaching out and coordinating with Wikileaks? 


“In July 2016, days before the Democratic convention, I was in Mr. Trump’s office when his secretary announced that Roger Stone was on the phone. Mr. Trump put Mr. Stone on the speakerphone,” his written remarks say. “Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Mr. Trump responded by stating to the effect of ‘wouldn’t that be great.’”

Mr. Stone, who was recently indicted on charges that include witness tampering and false statements to Congress, has denied to reporters that such a conversation took place. The recent indictment against him made no mention of such a conversation, but it did state that a senior campaign official was directed to contact Mr. Stone around that period of time about what material WikiLeaks had.

And Mr. Cohen will reference a conversation he claims to have observed between the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and his father, which he believes happened around the time of a planned meeting with a Russian lawyer promising “dirt” on Hillary Clinton.

He does not claim to have heard a direct reference to the meeting. Instead, Mr. Cohen will say, he recalled this event after The Times revealed the June 2016 meeting had taken place.

“I recalled Don Jr. leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying, ‘The meeting is all set.’ I remember Mr. Trump saying, “O.K. good … let me know,’” Mr. Cohen will say.

www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/us/politics/michael-cohen-trump-congress.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

My understanding is that this is in conflict with what Trump answered in writing under oath to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office. So, yes, that is a crime.

[raangoli]

Feb 27, 2019 7:08:05 GMT -5 sparrowsong said:

It’s 5am and I’m already awake reading twitter. Who would’ve ever thought it’d get up this early for politics, lol.

Trump is so pissed he’s being upstaged both by Cohen and by the Pakistan-India tension.

I woke up to a news alert that Pakistan shot down two Indian fighter jets. It makes me really nervous that they are going to end up in a war. (I know this is a Trump thread, but I had to share my nervousness.)

[bowies]

Aiding and abetting/coordinating computer crimes and receiving stolen goods (hacked emails) are also crimes. So is coordination with a foreign entity in election activities and receiving monetary donations from foreign entities (those emails are considered gifts of monetary worth).

Also the activities around the hush money payouts are illegal.

[klee23]

I am a little cautious about Cohen's statement. He's saying what we ask want to hear, about things we have read and speculated over the past few years. Is there any incentive to framing his testimony this way? I think sentencing guidelines have been released but has be been sentenced himself?

I want what he's saying to be true but his truthfulness is lacking. And I'm sure the R's on the committee are going to say if he was willing to lie before he can be lying now

[Pom]

I looked for this, but didn’t see it posted. Seems like good news.
www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsweek.com/robert-mueller-donald-trump-obstruction-justice-1344593%3famp=1

“According to a report published by the New York Times, Annie Donaldson, chief of staff to former White House counsel Don McGahn, handed over detailed notes concerning Donald Trump’s conduct as President, one of many “jewels” obtained by Mueller’s team. Donaldson handed her notes to former Time Magazine reporter Andrew Goldstein, now a lead prosecutor for Mueller’s investigation. Goldstein, 44, functioned as “a repository of conversations that Mr. Trump had with lawyers, advisers and top law enforcement officials from early 2017 on,” according to the article.”

[aurora]

Feb 27, 2019 8:29:25 GMT -5 klee23 said:

I am a little cautious about Cohen's statement. He's saying what we ask want to hear, about things we have read and speculated over the past few years. Is there any incentive to framing his testimony this way? I think sentencing guidelines have been released but has be been sentenced himself?

I want what he's saying to be true but his truthfulness is lacking. And I'm sure the R's on the committee are going to say if he was willing to lie before he can be lying now

It's always smart to take it with a grain of salt. He's claiming to have hard evidence of some of it, so I suspect some is true.

I think the bigger issue is whether his (45's) enablers will do anything even if presented with hard evidence.

[hopecounts]

Feb 27, 2019 8:29:25 GMT -5 klee23 said:

I am a little cautious about Cohen's statement. He's saying what we ask want to hear, about things we have read and speculated over the past few years. Is there any incentive to framing his testimony this way? I think sentencing guidelines have been released but has be been sentenced himself?

I want what he's saying to be true but his truthfulness is lacking. And I'm sure the R's on the committee are going to say if he was willing to lie before he can be lying now

If he lies his plea agreement gets invalidated and he gets resentenced to longer.

If it’s true how he says it doesn’t matter much

[pixy0stix]

Mueller will know if he lies. He’s already going to jail for lying. He knows the consequences.

[miniroller]

Feb 27, 2019 8:48:37 GMT -5 aurora said:

It's always smart to take it with a grain of salt. He's claiming to have hard evidence of some of it, so I suspect some is true.

I think the bigger issue is whether his enablers will do anything even if presented with hard evidence.

Absolutely agree. Just wanted to (hypothetically?) answer your last question IRT Matt Gaetz- NOPE. And I’m very fearful many (most?) will “loyally” follow suit.

Also wanted to share a snapshot from just a bit ago of #45 dining with his murderous dictator buddy, who’s elbow he’s fondly touching/ nudging while beaming, as if they’re joking around. (When compared to body language with Trudeau, I feel squeamish)

[carmenere]

Feb 27, 2019 7:37:26 GMT -5 1yeartogo said:

We need a highlights play by play for those of us who have to be at work and can’t watch. I’m so ramped up about this...this has to be a game changer right!?!!

I wish it would be a game changer, but I’m not hopeful. After everything that’s come out in the past couple years I can’t see the GOP doing anything more than shrugging their shoulders.

[TR]

Feb 27, 2019 8:48:37 GMT -5 aurora said:

Feb 27, 2019 8:29:25 GMT -5 klee23 said:

I am a little cautious about Cohen's statement. He's saying what we ask want to hear, about things we have read and speculated over the past few years. Is there any incentive to framing his testimony this way? I think sentencing guidelines have been released but has be been sentenced himself?

I want what he's saying to be true but his truthfulness is lacking. And I'm sure the R's on the committee are going to say if he was willing to lie before he can be lying now

I think the bigger issue is whether his (45's) enablers will do anything even if presented with hard evidence.

Spoiler Alert: No.

[calamity]

Feb 27, 2019 9:01:27 GMT -5 TR said:

Feb 27, 2019 8:48:37 GMT -5 aurora said:

I think the bigger issue is whether his (45's) enablers will do anything even if presented with hard evidence.

Spoiler Alert: No.

[katieinthecity]

I don't know how reliable Dworkin is, but the idea of this being true made me cackle with glee.

Tweet:
Scott Dworkin
@funder
BREAKING: A GOP lobbyist just told me @realdonaldtrump is in “complete disarray” and that he was “blindsided” by Cohen’s opening statement. Trump feels “betrayed” & is “absolutely furious.” Says Trump even wanted to fly back to US, and also didn’t know Cohen could bring evidence.

[calamity]

I would laugh so hard if Cohen comes in with boxes and boxes of evidence, I don't even care if they are empty!

[robinsbff]

bars in DC are opening early and serving drink specials all day. i kinda wish i had taken off to be a part of it all. lol.

[mbcdefg]

Feb 27, 2019 8:20:53 GMT -5 raangoli said:

Feb 27, 2019 7:08:05 GMT -5 sparrowsong said:

It’s 5am and I’m already awake reading twitter. Who would’ve ever thought it’d get up this early for politics, lol.

Trump is so pissed he’s being upstaged both by Cohen and by the Pakistan-India tension.

I woke up to a news alert that Pakistan shot down two Indian fighter jets. It makes me really nervous that they are going to end up in a war. (I know this is a Trump thread, but I had to share my nervousness.)

This really is scary, and I feel awful for all the civilians caught in the middle of this.