So what do you think Trump's next moves are? Fire Meuller? Fire Sessions? If he does that (which I think he will, because he's got no patience and long-view), what then?
Honestly depends if one of the more intelligent snakes can get his ear or not. His impulse will certainly be to end the Mueller investigation, and axe anyone who "disobeys" him in getting that to happen. We'll see if he can be convinced to do otherwise.
It won't help him. Politicians will defend a lot of nefarious activities because the president is in their party. They won't stand behind this. In all honestly I think firing Mueller and Sessions would only expedite an impeachment(assuming he's guilty). At the end of the day congress decides whether or not to impeach and Trump can't fire congress. The fact that Trump is much less respected within his own party compared to your average president certainly isn't going to help.
Technically, he can't fire Mueller. At this point only Rosenstein can since Sessions recused himself. Now, he could go the Nixon route and fire Rosenstein, then it would fall to the Deputy Lt Director (I may have that title wrong) and then further down the chain until finally someone complies and fires Mueller. However, the senate has already said that the second he does that, they'll immediately rehire Mueller as the head of a Senate independent investigator to continue immediately where he left off, so really, his options are limited. Which means he'll take the worst possible course of action.
Oh lordy, I hope he does that. Firing Sessions I think will suck for him short term but it ultimately won't move the needle much. Besides, everyone hates Sessions anyway so while it looks bad for trump to do that, they'd also be kinda happy he was gone though too. It'll just give Meuller and them more things to investigate, and CNN more things to talk about. When polls are ranking you as the least-approved president in 70+ years, why do you care where the bottom is? Meuller would be hilarious. Instant impeachment talk, from both sides. Congress will re-instate Meuller just to spite trump (and also because he's, you know, good at his job), then trump will go on a twitter rampage about "these so-called congressmen." Trump is a literal dumpster fire at this point. As much as I don't like him, I've tried to give him the benefit of the doubt so many times just because he is our president. Never ceases to sink to a new low. He's our national embarrassment. Now it's just time to sit back and watch the world burn, and laugh.
What makes the whole thing crazy to me is just how unsubtle it all is. I mean, Jr's email to goldstone was written like it was espionage for dummies. The talking points this whole time were straight from Russian sources. The numerous videos of his family openly talking about their business interests over in Russia. It's just the most stupidly handled political scandal I've ever seen. I mean Jr. literally handed over direct evidence of collusion and thought he was being clever by getting in front of the NYT story.
Trump is bad, and I think he's been on the defensive since coming into office, because well....yeah, there's a lot of blood in the water, so to speak. I also think he'll take the bait and resign. I hope Pence goes down with the ship, because I consider that fucktard more dangerous than Trump. Trump has done nothing but golf and tweet in six months, and while that can't continue, I think Pence wouldn't waste those opportunities. Pence was explicitly selected to ensure if Trump goes down, America is left with a much worse option. Given how things have gone, I am genuinely curious what political capital he has to fight an impeachment proceeding. Who still supports him? Who still believes, 1/8th of the way through, that he can do any of the things he's promised? The more important question is: after Trump is gone, how do we respond to Russia?
You respond by sanctioning them so badly, it forces a regime change. Unfortunately, a lot of their innocent civilians get the brunt of economic collapse. But to have such a thug in charge of a very powerful country is worse for the world.
Sanctioning until regime change? That's a laugh. Iran, North Korea, and Cuba have had sanctions on them for decades. Also is every MSM blarring red BREAKING alert just another piece of rock solid DNA level evidence as to his guilt to you guys? Honest question. I'm waiting for the final report in Mueller's investigation. If watching his temperament these past 6 months has shown me anything it feels like Occam's razor would side on any of his actions simply being the result of spastic ego and personality rather than the Nixonian mastermind the press and left attribute to him. He contridicts his own points of view nearly to the sentence, like this recent healthcare stuff, hard to believe his actions involving his interactions with Russia aren't more of the same.
I kind of agree, Russian oligarchs aren't truly going to be affected by sanctions, and it's not like there's an opportunity for a popular uprising. I think Russia's weakness is in their geographical access, so pressuring Europe to close or restrict their borders/ports will be tremendous. Also, helping convert Europe to renewables (reducing their dependence on Russia for oil/natural gas) will help...I know Western Europe needs little assistance, but Eastern Europe represents the largest opportunity for modernization (we simply apply what we did for South Korea/Japan) to spite Russia's aggression. Also, blackballing Russian oligarchs from travel would go a lot further in preventing this kind of fuckery from taking root. I think Mueller will do his job, and won't fall into the same trap Comey fell into, which was becoming a focal point of the controversy (and shooting his mouth off prematurely). Mueller will go by the book, and it would shock me if he leaked how he takes his coffee before his report is concluded, much less any leanings. However, Trump's actions make him look extremely nervous in light of what Mueller is doing. And firing Mueller (or his boss) or otherwise trying to interfere with his job would be seen as damning admission of guilt, possibly obstruction. Even the layman would recognize firing two people investigating you is too far. I also think that the closer Mueller's report comes to mid-term elections, the better for everyone. It kind of computes: if Trump is indeed tainted, no one wants to be seen championing his nonsense, as they will immediately be just as tainted. If Trump comes out clean, they can double down on him for the mid-terms by professing their undying love and support for his day-glo majesty. But right now, he's kind of a lame duck, and the more he flops around....
Thats wishful thinking, man. He's not going to resign unless there is a federal indictment heading his way. And why would Pence go down with the ship? There has been absolutely nothing implicating him in anything to do with Russia. Personally I'm an independent not a Progressive, so I dont really see Pence as being that bad. I mean I wouldnt vote for him based purely on his stance on Net Neutrality, but hes not the Anti-Christ.
Nothing as concrete as Jr writing emails titled "Subj: Treason. Let's do this shit", but Pence was in charge of the transition and his claims that he had no idea any of the Flynn stuff was going on don't pass the smell test. He was also a Manafort pick, and anything that guy touches is suspicious. None of the following three outcomes would surprise me, but I see #2 as the most likely: Pence is clean on Russia matters, and is just a regular ultra-conservative Republican disaster Pence is dirty on the Russia matters, but nothing can be proven Pence is dirty on the Russia matters and goes down with the ship
Looks like Spicer doesn't have to hide in the bushes anymore. Seems interesting that the guy replacing Spicer is basically Trump's version of Saddam's information minister.
Huh, I respect that he'd voice his opinion in such a DGAF manner. But then so did Romney and we've all seen the dinner picture. What was it that upset Spicer so much? Why am I suddenly getting a Buster Bluth vibe?
I find all this Russia stuff humiliating and disgraceful, but beyond that it's not really high on my concern-o-meter. So I haven't really been paying too much attention beyond what you guys talk about here and some other internet haunts I frequent. That said, I think Trump's active intention with all these allegations fall somewhere in between bumbling idiot and diabolical mastermind.
Just stop and think what's happened within the last 24 hours or so: New York Times interview comes out, in which Trump warns Mueller not to investigate his family's finances We find out Mueller is investigating Trump's family's finances. We find out Trump has been asking his lawyers about how to pardon himself and his family members. His lawyer's spokesperson quits. His lawyer quits. His own spokesperson quits. Spicy quits. Seems like it's not just another day in the White House... something big is going on I'm thinking. Spoiler: snarky shit And yet Trump supporters be like, "everything is fine... nothing to see here..."
Trump is that level 1 video game boss you gotta beat just by running around in circles while he chases you, until he trips over his own feat and falls down the stairs.
That's some pretty good smoke, here's to waiting on the fire to come, at this point it's insane the shit going on. Pardon himself? What an idiot.