Trump Jr./Russian lawyer meeting: Jr. knew info was part of Russian Gov effort

[Santander]

#StandWithTrump #StandWithBannon

[Middle-aged Europe]

#StandWithTrump #StandWithBannon

Kay.

[The_Doctor]

This has the feel of an impending statement that goes, “I, Michael Richard Pence, do solemnly swear I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States…”

You and I both know Trump isn't going to go down willingly.

That's what's gonna make this all the more fun.

[Devout Centrist]

This has the feel of an impending statement that goes, “I, Michael Richard Pence, do solemnly swear I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States…”

Unless Pence is involved too

[Devout Centrist]

#StandWithTrump #StandWithBannon

Stand with them after they've been sentenced to the gallows, chaplain

[Mike Thick]

This has the feel of an impending statement that goes, “I, Michael Richard Pence, do solemnly swear I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States…”

You and I both know Trump isn't going to go down willingly.

In addition, there's a sizable percentage of the country who just doesn't care. Remember that poll saying that 43% of Americans trust Trump more than CNN/the media? That's going to come into play here.

[JohnCA246]

As to why he would release the emails, isn't it pretty certain they would have be subpoenaed anyway, so might as well try to take some initiative towards looking open?

[Blair]

As to why he would release the emails, isn't it pretty certain they would have be subpoenaed anyway, so might as well try to take some initiative towards looking open?

I saw a good joke that this is like OJ saying 'lets get ahead of the story' and then posting pictures from the crime scene

[EnglishPete]

This has the feel of an impending statement that goes, “I, Michael Richard Pence, do solemnly swear I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States…”

You and I both know Trump isn't going to go down willingly.

In addition, there's a sizable percentage of the country who just doesn't care. Remember that poll saying that 43% of Americans trust Trump more than CNN/the media? That's going to come into play here.

That's a big difference between now and the days of Watergate (another set up, but that's another story). When Nixon was President the US had no right wing talk radio to speak of, no Murdoch press, no Washington Times, no Fox News, no Drudge, no Breitbart and of course no right wing social media. The liberal media in the US had an effective monopoly on shaping the narrative .

[Devout Centrist]

This has the feel of an impending statement that goes, “I, Michael Richard Pence, do solemnly swear I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States…”

You and I both know Trump isn't going to go down willingly.

In addition, there's a sizable percentage of the country who just doesn't care. Remember that poll saying that 43% of Americans trust Trump more than CNN/the media? That's going to come into play here.

That's a big difference between now and the days of Watergate (another set up, but that's another story). When Nixon was President the US had no right wing talk radio to speak of, no Murdoch press, no Washington Times, no Fox News, no Drudge, no Breitbart and of course no right wing social media. The liberal media in the US had an effective monopoly on shaping the narrative .

Lol

[EnglishPete]

This has the feel of an impending statement that goes, “I, Michael Richard Pence, do solemnly swear I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States…”

You and I both know Trump isn't going to go down willingly.

In addition, there's a sizable percentage of the country who just doesn't care. Remember that poll saying that 43% of Americans trust Trump more than CNN/the media? That's going to come into play here.

That's a big difference between now and the days of Watergate (another set up, but that's another story). When Nixon was President the US had no right wing talk radio to speak of, no Murdoch press, no Washington Times, no Fox News, no Drudge, no Breitbart and of course no right wing social media. The liberal media in the US had an effective monopoly on shaping the narrative .

Lol

Really? You don't think that that the liberal media's then monopoly on shaping the narrative made a big difference to the way Watergate turned out. If liberal media had had the same monopoly on shaping the public narrative in 2016 as it had had in 1964 Trump would have lost by as big a margin as Goldwater.

[The_Doctor]

As far as this goes, this is the smoking gun or close to it. There's no way Trump Senior didn't know of this meeting and we now have two instances where GOP operatives and the trump campaign attempted to get information from Russian operatives.

This does not even get into the business side of Trump dealings and let's be honest we've barely scratched the surface of all the criminal activities. Basically, this is the average day in Trump land if you take all their activities between 2008 and 2016 as a whole.

I suspect Mueller is sitting on far worse on than this.

In short, get ready for Pence if he's innocent; if he's complicit, get ready for Ryan.

[The_Doctor]

One major reason GOP operatives will not let Trump stay in power past 2019: they don't want the 2020 election being litigated over Trump's activities with Russia and any other nefarious activity. Every GOP operative knows that the 2020 election cannot be about Russian collusion and the failure of the trump administration to do anything meaningful.

Basically, Pence is going to need to be the one salvaging this sinking Titanic. The whole "return to normalcy" thing.

[Gass3268]

One major reason GOP operatives will not let Trump stay in power past 2019: they don't want the 2020 election being litigated over Trump's activities with Russia and any other nefarious activity. Every GOP operative knows that the 2020 election cannot be about Russian collusion and the failure of the trump administration to do anything meaningful.

Basically, Pence is going to need to be the one salvaging this sinking Titanic. The whole "return to normalcy" thing.

Unless Pence knew.

[The_Doctor]

This has the feel of an impending statement that goes, “I, Michael Richard Pence, do solemnly swear I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States…”

You and I both know Trump isn't going to go down willingly.

In addition, there's a sizable percentage of the country who just doesn't care. Remember that poll saying that 43% of Americans trust Trump more than CNN/the media? That's going to come into play here.

Not enough to win a Presidential election. Pence will be President. The gop knows the math.

[Crumpets]

This has the feel of an impending statement that goes, “I, Michael Richard Pence, do solemnly swear I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States…”

You and I both know Trump isn't going to go down willingly.

In addition, there's a sizable percentage of the country who just doesn't care. Remember that poll saying that 43% of Americans trust Trump more than CNN/the media? That's going to come into play here.

That's a big difference between now and the days of Watergate (another set up, but that's another story). When Nixon was President the US had no right wing talk radio to speak of, no Murdoch press, no Washington Times, no Fox News, no Drudge, no Breitbart and of course no right wing social media. The liberal media in the US had an effective monopoly on shaping the narrative .

Lol

Really? You don't think that that the liberal media's then monopoly on shaping the narrative made a big difference to the way Watergate turned out. If liberal media had had the same monopoly on shaping the public narrative in 2016 as it had had in 1964 Trump would have lost by as big a margin as Goldwater.

You know Bob Woodward was and is a Republican, right?

[The_Doctor]

One major reason GOP operatives will not let Trump stay in power past 2019: they don't want the 2020 election being litigated over Trump's activities with Russia and any other nefarious activity. Every GOP operative knows that the 2020 election cannot be about Russian collusion and the failure of the trump administration to do anything meaningful.

Basically, Pence is going to need to be the one salvaging this sinking Titanic. The whole "return to normalcy" thing.

Unless Pence knew.

Then we move down to Paulie boy. If we have to move beyond Paulie, then the entire party should just make Hillary PPT and be done with it because if we are looking at Orrin Hatch as our national salvation, the GOP is doomed.

but I think Pence was kept 'clean' just in case. The strange thing to remember about Pence, Manafort picked Pence. So ... we might have to actively start looking at Ryan.

[Brittain33]

One major reason GOP operatives will not let Trump stay in power past 2019...

But what can they do about it? Unless Trump's base abandons him, impeachment will be a bloodbath where Trump fights them every step of the way, and he isn't stepping down on his own from the most powerful position in the country.

[Devout Centrist]

As far as this goes, this is the smoking gun or close to it. There's no way Trump Senior didn't know of this meeting and we now have two instances where GOP operatives and the trump campaign attempted to get information from Russian operatives.

This does not even get into the business side of Trump dealings and let's be honest we've barely scratched the surface of all the criminal activities. Basically, this is the average day in Trump land if you take all their activities between 2008 and 2016 as a whole.

I suspect Mueller is sitting on far worse on than this.

In short, get ready for Pence if he's innocent; if he's complicit, get ready for Ryan.

Ryan may only be a caretaker, he will be hated by so many if he becomes President. May appoint someone VP, then step down.

[ApatheticAustrian]

pence may be a liar, a cynical prick and an arch conservative but i pray every day to see him as president till 2020.

[The_Doctor]

Basically, the game is now about "Can Trump reach 51%"? and better yet, can "House Republicans reach 45%" of the popular vote in 2018? If McConnell believes this will doom his bid to gain a supermajority or Ryan now believes that the GOP is so endangered in 2018 that cutting Trump loose is better than riding into the midterms with him, the leadership will make the calculation that Pence is acceptable enough to the base.

The cold calculations is going to be about if Trumpy can get them to 219 seats in the seats. if it looks like this might hand Pelosi the gavel on the issue alone, Ryan will turn on trump.

The party strategists will also be doing numbers for 2020 and if they believe this staggering amount of negative news is going to hurt their ability to consolidate the 2016 Trumpers + the GOP never trumpers + other people open to Trump, which is what they need for '20, they will be go basically "eff trump, time for pence."

[The_Doctor]

One major reason GOP operatives will not let Trump stay in power past 2019...

But what can they do about it? Unless Trump's base abandons him, impeachment will be a bloodbath where Trump fights them every step of the way, and he isn't stepping down on his own from the most powerful position in the country.

something tells me Trump does not want this to be a bitter junta like fight. The GOP leadership has ways to signal to the base this is over and start turning on trump and indicating this is no longer a viable situation.

also, new question - are we really sure the base wants to die on this hill? My suspicion, if Ryan starts validating the NYT, if McConnell, and a bunch of GOP high profile people start validating, the base starts wavering, and starts wondering who to listen to, the man in the White House or the other validators? Remember, the GOP united front si essential to telling the base what to think ...

Trump will go if there is a way for him to go peacefully without his family being indicted and tried for crimes. He won't care if Manafort and Flynn go to jail. He will care if it's Jared and Don Jr. I think ironically now would be the best time to issue a pardon and resign. The crimes are still "light' enough.

But it's really getting to the point where the implications and the crimes are really getting to the point where even Pence doesn't have the power to pardon without severe blowback. I don't think at this point with Don Jr's revelations that there is no longer a debate on whether collusion was attempted or not. Collusion most definitely was attempted.

Functionally, politically, it's the working definition of treason.

[EnglishPete]

This has the feel of an impending statement that goes, “I, Michael Richard Pence, do solemnly swear I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States…”

You and I both know Trump isn't going to go down willingly.

In addition, there's a sizable percentage of the country who just doesn't care. Remember that poll saying that 43% of Americans trust Trump more than CNN/the media? That's going to come into play here.

That's a big difference between now and the days of Watergate (another set up, but that's another story). When Nixon was President the US had no right wing talk radio to speak of, no Murdoch press, no Washington Times, no Fox News, no Drudge, no Breitbart and of course no right wing social media. The liberal media in the US had an effective monopoly on shaping the narrative .

Lol

Really? You don't think that that the liberal media's then monopoly on shaping the narrative made a big difference to the way Watergate turned out. If liberal media had had the same monopoly on shaping the public narrative in 2016 as it had had in 1964 Trump would have lost by as big a margin as Goldwater.

You know Bob Woodward was and is a Republican, right?

Doesn't seem to stop him being a shill for the liberal media does it.

[Ebsy]

Has EnglishPete pulled any muscles bending over backwards to defend grown men who have no need of some foreigner to uselessly carry water for them? Good thing his physical therapy will be covered by the NHS.

[Mike Thick]

This has the feel of an impending statement that goes, “I, Michael Richard Pence, do solemnly swear I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States…”

You and I both know Trump isn't going to go down willingly.

In addition, there's a sizable percentage of the country who just doesn't care. Remember that poll saying that 43% of Americans trust Trump more than CNN/the media? That's going to come into play here.

Not enough to win a Presidential election. Pence will be President. The gop knows the math.

It isn't enough to win, but it's enough to make the risk arguably greater than the reward unless bigger shoes drop (which, to be fair, I do expect).