What possessed McConnell to advise Trump to release that letter? And....

[LAS14]

... what possessed Trump to take his advice?

Did they honestly think there was nothing wrong???

Or were they convinced it was going to see the light of day anyway?

This has continued to puzzle me for weeks.

tia
las

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. And why would his lawyers allow that synopsis of the call be released?

Given the obvious Quid pro Quo that this document clearly stated. Seems like Trumps lawyers weren't paying attention to the criminal implications of this document....thankfully.

[Kurt V.]

2. the undertaker is an mf but a master politician. he going to cover his own ass with this

in the future.

[atreides1]

3. Simple

It's a test of the loyalty to Trump from the Republicans in Congress...anyone who votes with the Democrats on the impeachment proceedings...is done in politics, and for those who are retiring, they'll remain unemployed and not get positions on boards, etc.

[Buckeyeblue]

5. It was a set up. What does McConnell want from Trump to prevent the Senate from convicting?

[NewJeffCT]

4. Confident that the GOP

could control the media narrative?

[Xolodno]

6. I'm wondering if he actually read it at first.

He probably gets so much shitty stuff, phone calls from Trump, and then you add how he's got to figure out how to respond to Trumps daily insanity tweets and finally, run the Senate....

I wouldn't be surprised if he was tired and just glanced at it and said it looked "fine", never once thinking they could be that stupid.

[peggysue2]

7. I vaguely recall that it was reported that McConnell said something on the order of . . .

'if there's nothing there, release the letter.' Which led me to believe he hadn't read it. Then again, maybe, just maybe he had heard it was 'problematic' and decided to let the Trumpster hang himself.

Whatever.

I think we can all assume McConnell will do what benefits himself in the long run.

[Claritie Pixie]

8. Consider...McConnell knew it would be bad news for him.

It's entirely possible the GOP wants him gone (save a few) and are playing along until the Senate vote to remove him. They know he's out of control.

May not be likely, but it's possible.

[lark]

9. He did it to confuse and obfuscate.

Remember there are only 11 min. detailed meaning around 20 min. is missing. He knew they'd want a transcript so he phonied one up thinking it exonerated him because the text shown he's not pushing. He thinks that makes it ok, because whatever he wants is the way it is, regardless of the actual facts. Guaranteed that the actual transcript would be breathtaking in it's criminality and outright specific threats to Ukraine.

[Bluesaph]

10. He has used Trump for his purposes

Already. Stacked courts. Passed the tax cuts. I suspect he wants to save his own career and Trump is gonna be the sacrificial PIG on a platter.

Romney/Haley ticket will be served next.

[Mr. Ected]

11. He did it because he's on the Russian dole and his handlers forced him to do so

Just like everything else Mitch McConnell has done since Trump took office and even before then.

The entire GOP is under Russian influence, either by commission or by omission. The Republicans have sold us out for cash considerations. They tell their flocks fairy tales and driven by their basic life underpinning being a heavenly fairy tale, they buy it hook line and sinker. They appeal to conspiracy theorists who live in a different kind of fairy tale, the kind where the witch ends up burning the kids, or the wolf gobbles down the young maiden. And that's all the cover the GOP needs in its conspiratorial plan to tie our economy to Russia.

Their handlers think they've got this covered. Admission of guilt to an impeachable offense doesn't seem to concern them.

That concerns me.

[GulfCoast66]

12. He did not know what was in the summary except he was told it was nothing.

I’m thinking he did a huge face palm when he read it.