Today, I promise you, Donald Trump's mind is reeling from authoritarian retribution fantasies about his enemies to quiet questions to himself about whether he should quit and what kind of deal he could cut were he to do so.— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) January 12, 2019
His lawyer is Rudy Giuliani, who is very likely right now washing down handfuls of fentanyl with warm boxed wine right from the plastic tap, laughing madly like a comic book villain, and writing out checks made payable to the porn industry. https://t.co/HbV6dRWDuG— Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) January 12, 2019
Stepping back for a minute: If no other reporting existed on Trump/Russia, the fact that the FBI started a CI investigation to determine whether or not the sitting president of the US was either comprised by or an agent of Russia, it would be the biggest political story...ever. https://t.co/RRenfxbgmH— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) January 12, 2019
When is one fat, lonely, confused, anxious, mildly disoriented, old man wandering the empty halls of a presidential residence on a cold Winter morning a perfect insight into the chaos afflicting an entire nation? https://t.co/IYiXKjwykh— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) January 12, 2019
NARRATOR: As this tweet was being written, aides were chasing a nude Trump through the White House. https://t.co/oI0H6Pmb0T— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) January 12, 2019
Yeah, this is the kind of tweet that totally convinces people there's no chaos at the White House.— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 12, 2019
This is the part where the smarter people at the New Year's Eve party start heading for the exits and commandeering jeeps to the airport. https://t.co/5w6aLg2PSt
And finally, for now at least, ponder this thread:
Holy cow. This NY Times story is just littered with seismic earth-shakers sure to rattle the windows at the White House.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
Yowza. My very quick first-blush take on the meaty nuggets...
First, here’s the link:
Let’s dive in!
1/
In the days after Comey’s firing, the FBI opened a COUNTERINTELLIGENCE investigation of Trump himself.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
WOW!
Unlike the initial Trump-Russia investigation (which was looking primarily at events in 2016), the counterintel investigation was basically surveillance in 2017+.
2/ pic.twitter.com/ICaUmNulFa
Naturally, deciding to basically turn your national security and intelligence magnifying glasses on the President of the United States is a BIG DEAL.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
The FBI didn’t enter into it lightly.
3/ pic.twitter.com/292DrPDNAS
But then Trump fired Comey... AND... did two more things that raised red flags.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
The first: he wrote a letter on Comey’s firing and mentioned Russia.
The subtle Easter egg there: the FBI had the draft of the unsent letter.
4/ pic.twitter.com/rWL8DM0C6S
Now, tie that together with the fact that this story was broken by Mike Schmidt of the NYT.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
As I’ve said often in the past, I am of the belief that former White House Counsel Don McGahn is Schmidt’s source for these big bombshells.
5/
If that is indeed the case, McGahn may very well have been working with Mueller months earlier than we ever knew.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
Somehow, the FBI had a draft of an unsent letter immediately.
If not McGahn, it could well have been turned over by Rosenstein.
Regardless, the FBI was on it.
6/
Moving right along, the implications of this are potentially enooooormous.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
Mueller didn’t just inherit ONE investigation focused on what happened before.
He also inherited a second which was actively tracking Trump’s actions AS THEY WERE UNFOLDING.
7/ pic.twitter.com/7Xqc7D3c0v
That counterintelligence investigation would have required approval at the DOJ.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
I can’t see how that would have been possible without Jeff Sessions’ buy-in, or at minimum, awareness.
I’d be shocked if that all went down without Sessions even hearing about it.
8/
Maybe Rosenstein parlayed Sessions’ recusal into keeping all this a secret.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
If that’s the case, expect Trump to be looking for Rosenstein’s head on a platter any minute now.
If he goes off on Rosenstein, Rod knew. Jefferson Beauregard didn’t.
9/
Anyway, I digress.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
Another doozy of this now-revealed real-time counterintel probe of Trump itself:
It basically served as a safety net the entire time we sat fretting about Trump firing Mueller.
10/ pic.twitter.com/CT8yJ3lXEg
The FBI was investigating potential crimes... while also monitoring the chief potential criminal in case he tried to interfere with their work.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
Think about that... the FBI’s counterintel resources were trained on the guy who had a “private chat” w Putin in Helsinki.
11/ pic.twitter.com/NSrDpfvlIk
We don’t know what actions that investigation took.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
It is fair to assume it included mining ongoing intel from our own resources at the NSA, etc., as well as from allies.
That would have the effect of putting relevant work-product of any ally’s spying in Mueller’s hands.
12/
Meaning, even if we weren’t eavesdropping on Trump’s convo w Putin, his late-night phone calls, his admin’s back-channel contacts with Russians, etc... someone was.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
Whether it was the UK, Germany, Estonia, Spain, Israel, Australia or whomever, EVERYONE spies on Russia...
13/
...and Mueller had an open folder just waiting to be filled with whatever tasty nuggets those eyes and ears happened to pass our way.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
Think: A real-time Steele dossier with updates baked fresh daily.
14/
Bringing it down out of Tom Clancy “Hunt for Orange October” territory to a more modest, conservative takeaway, we can count on at least this much:— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
The counterintel investigation makes it highly likely Mueller has obstruction charges nailed six ways to Sunday.
15/
Why? The CI work was essentially spying or tracking from Comey’s firing foreward.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
At minimum, it would have provided intel on the obstruction effort as it unfolded... and, at minimum, that would have guided Mueller’s interviews.
16/
Remember all those witnesses who came out of meetings w Mueller saying he knew EVERYTHING?— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
He did.
Erik Prince, Stone, Corsi, McGahn, et al.
He knew everything when they walked in. He had people paying attention after they walked out.
17/
Okay, I’m spinning like a top here so let me bring this in for a landing:— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
Trump has spent the last two years trying to obstruct an investigation into 2016 events...
...and little did he know, his biggest problem would prove to be what he was doing in 2017-2018.
18/
I think we now better understand why Mueller never called in Kushner or Junior. They were caught up in a live counterintel sweep. Questioning them would have given that away.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
That earth-shaker is about to sink in for them.
Their problems just got 10x bigger.
19/
Last comment. Sry for rambling.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 12, 2019
Knowing all of this, I virtually guarantee Mueller turned an insider or two. Flipped informants. Not just witnesses. Informants.
Don McGahn is a prime candidate.
Mueller likely turned someone in the Admin itself.
I’d bet many beers on it.
//
Sunday morning update. Just say No?
Trump for some reason refuses to give a direct answer to question whether he is a Russian asset or works for the government of Russia. pic.twitter.com/GyjGvVEWXo— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) January 13, 2019
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