***BREAKING NEWS****President Trump personally dictated the misleading statement on Donald Trump Jr.

[HipChick]

Link to tweet

[Kingofalldems]

1. Caught lying once more.

[haveahart]

69. I want to believe this but has this been verified? I think about a set-up for fake news.

[ginnyinWI]

79. it is WaPo. You can rely on it. nt

[imanamerican63]

2. WOOOOOOWWWWZAAAAAAAA!

[greeny2323]

3. Woah

Obstruction of justice charges here we come!

[calimary]

61. Welcome to DU, greeny2323!

I was looking at those tweets in the OP and thinking - "oh pleeeeeeze! Make it so! Make it so!" That's one of my favorite quotes from Captain Jean-Luc Picard - "make it so." I find myself saying that a lot as I read about the consequences of this continuing cavalcade of trump follies.

[niyad]

75. welcome to du

[spanone]

4. just reported on msnbc ....he's so dangerous...anyone who lies with such ease & conviction

[Glimmer of Hope]

6. Yes and he is incredibly stupid to think this statement would pass the smell test:

“primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children” .

[spanone]

9. ...and use adoption of children in his lie...no soul in sight

despicable

[Caliman73]

31. It shows how stupid he is.

The Magnitsky Act was written to punish the Russians who were responsible for the death of Sergei Magnitsky by freezing their assets. It seriously undermined Putin's power with wealthy Russians. In response to that Putin ordered that no healthy Russian children were to be eligible for adoption to Americans and froze out current adoptions.

So yes, we know that Trump has no morals or ethics, or "no soul" as you say. He is also incredibly stupid to think that nobody was going to link discussions of the adoptions back to the Magnitsky Act. Putin does not care about Russian children. Trump does not care about Russian children. It was ultimately a discussion about getting the assets unfrozen so that Putin could save face with his oligarchs. All I can say is thank goodness Trump is so incredibly stupid.

[Blue Owl]

5. Dick-tated

n/t

[skydive forever]

41. What he said.

[htuttle]

7. Two Scoops is involved in all this up to his eyeballs

I wasn't 100% sure whether he was actually behind all the Russian collusion, or just a useful idiot, but i'm sure now.

Trump himself is the one behind it.

[uponit7771]

11. yeap, why would he go to this point in dictating anything. No one in their right mind is going to

... believe him if he says he didn't dictate this memo.

Sounds like Trump is trying to get rid of McMaster ... KGOP is starting to panic and trying to run from the Trump Chit Show

[HipChick]

12. Yup

[malaise]

8. Busted

Rec

[dixiegrrrrl]

82. Don't ya just love the line about his staff:

staff beginning to worry " about legal jeopardy."

[malaise]

84. They should worry yes

Notice how quickly 'family friend of the Duggars' fessed up that he 'weighed in..like any father'.
You'd think Con Jr. was a teenager.

A short while ago the Con was not involved at all.

LOCK THEM UP!

[leftstreet]

10. LOL how's that crackdown on the 'leakers' going?

[HipChick]

13. Lmao!

[Plucketeer]

46. Purrfect!

Time to call out the White House Plumbers again!

[wishstar]

60. Calling Jeff Sessions to investigate and prosecute those leakers

[tanyev]

14. Whoa...Reince's revenge?

[Gothmog]

15. This is evidence of collusion and evidence of guilt

[bettyellen]

25. And that this meeting was no surprise at all to him...

[MyNameIsKhan]

16. Yes Reince is going to take a huge revenge ... Mueller firing is going to happen soon.

[Caliman73]

33. Maybe. The longer he waits and the more information that comes out, the worse it will be for Trump

He can certainly always fire Mueller, but as Graham said, "It will be the beginning of the end for the Trump presidency." The longer he waits and the more that comes out, the worse it will look if he fires Mueller. Trump will probably not care because he is so far up his own ass that he may even believe that he is not guilty of what he is certainly guilty of. His supporters will rationalize it, but the rest of the country will understand what it means that the president coordinated with a foreign government to cheat in an election.

[C_U_L8R]

17. What an idiot.

[Bleacher Creature]

18. Is that sort of thing frowned upon??

[Brother Buzz]

19. I thought this was reported by the New York Times back when it happened

As Air Force One jetted back from Europe on Saturday, a small cadre of Mr. Trump’s advisers huddled in a cabin helping to craft a statement for the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., to give to The New York Times explaining why he met last summer with a lawyer connected to the Russian government. Participants on the plane and back in the United States debated how transparent to be in the statement, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Ultimately, the people said, the president signed off on a statement from Donald Trump Jr. for The Times that was so incomplete that it required day after day of follow-up statements, each more revealing than the last. It culminated on Tuesday with a release of emails making clear that Mr. Trump’s son believed the Russian lawyer was seeking to meet with him to provide incriminating information about Hillary Clinton as “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/11/us/politics/russia-trump.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=span-ab-top-region

[mr_lebowski]

48. C'mon don't rain on a good DU collective freak-out! WE GOT HIM FINALLY!!1!!

but yeah, you're right ... now that you mention it, that NYT story from 3 weeks ago ... is pretty much the exact story we're getting today in the WaPo. Trump is just described as a bit more directly involved ... but I don't see how that matters. The fact he 'signed off on the excuses' was pretty dang close to what we're hearing today.

And it's not gonna amount to shit unless someone can prove he SENT his guys to the meeting, AND told them to discuss exchanging dropping sanctions for help from Russia to win the election. Which neither today's story (nor this one) in no way ... actually do.

Ergo, seems like much ado about nothing, unless I'm somehow missing something.

[Brother Buzz]

49. In retrospect, the story makes a lot more sense NOW with what the public has learned since then

Perhaps this time the story will grow legs.

[wishstar]

62. New emphasis is that Trump concocted the minimalistic cover-up story, not just "signed off"

Original article made it sound like others worked together drafting a statement that Trump okayed. New article emphasizes that rather than just going along with statement written by others, Trump actually authored the statement and was the originator of the deceptive "adoption" cover story, having decided against advice of others who wanted more complete and accurate disclosure

[Brother Buzz]

68. That's unpossible....

Juniors statement has more than 140 characters!

That being said, thanks for the clarification

I thought that adoption angle was weak sauce from the get-go, then we learned from the Browder testimony, 'adoptions' was really code for Russian sanctions. Follow the money.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

70. Thanks. I thought, I'm sure this is not news to me.

And, it's clear now that it was the exact NYTimes story you reference that I was remembering.

[Initech]

20. So let me get this straight.

The GOP accuses Hillary of selling out her own daughter - which never in a million years would ever possibly happen. But Trump sells out his own son and the fuckers are utterly silent on the issue. God damn them!

[denbot]

21. Adoptions, a childish stupid excuse, from a childish stupid man-child.

He is so stupid he thinks his bullshit would fly, and so childish, he thinks he knows better then his lawyers, advisers, and staff.

[Snake Plissken]

22. After a hard day of treason, it's Mueller time

It's time to call the priest in to give this administration it's last rites, drink it up fellas, it's closing time.

[Ccarmona]

23. "Advisors fear the statement...could put President Trump..in legal jeopardy."

You mean nothing going on up until now alerted the "Advisors" ?
They're either delusional or just plain stupid.

[rainbow4321]

28. My guess..reality has sunk in that THEY are fucked

Because they had knowledge and helped him carry it all out...and are realizing that THEY need to lawyer up without the help of Trump/his family paying their lawyer fees.

I have no sympathy for them. They could have either never gotten on the Trump Train or jumped off a long time ago.

[Boomerproud]

34. I would vote for both "Delusional" and "Just Plain Stupid".

This crowd is so far over its head it is getting too late for a lifeguard. Will it take a catastrophic event for the trumpets to wake up? The rest of us do not deserve to go down with them.

[sandensea]

24. I presume Baby Don kept all the "you idiot" and "numbskull" asides out of his notes.

I once had a class where the TA would read every last word from the professor's material, right down to the "turn page" and "turn projector off."

[DesertRat]

26. K&R

[Turbineguy]

27. A control freak like him?

he's in this up to his lower lip.

[bluestarone]

29. theres no end

to these bastards

[Barack_America]

30. Reince Priebus or the Mooch?

Or Steve Bannon messing with all of them?

[XRubicon]

54. Reince

[Docreed2003]

32. "Ok Junior, ya fuckup...let me tell you exactly what to say...."

Lmao....because of course he did!!! That's the prototypical trump!

[JDC]

35. Good thing that Preibus ousted - so the leaks can stop

[uponit7771]

56. +1

[neeksgeek]

36. I'm no expert on politics.

But when I initially read the article in the Washington Post, I actually blurted out, "holy s**t!" So could this be the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back?"

[bpositive]

37. Okay, what does

This mean from a legal standpoint? Was a law broken? Will someone be going to jail? Impeachable offense?

Also- a leak like this would have come from a inner circle of power? Right? Any dibs on who released this?

[Juliusseizure]

44. Obstruction of Justice

Besides that, circumstantial evidence of knowledge but issue is when and how.

[Juliusseizure]

47. The business deals likely the focus

Not collusion, which may not be a federal crime depending on case. Russian gov. covers its tracks. It's murky and technically complex.

Trump controlled the business deals and he's very sloppy. Trump University was a slam dunk. School wasn't even accredited.
Trump has a long history of white collar criminal behavior. He just hasn't been charged due to NY connections w/prosecutors (he pays for their and politicians campaigns, sister was a federal judge). Those crimes are a lot more familiar to attorneys. They know what to look for.

[femmocrat]

38. And another week is climbing up the roller coaster. nt

[Achilleaze]

39. Americans are sick of the endless republican lies

[ouija]

40. Just Doing Treason

Just doing treason...move along nothing to see here.

[W T F]

42. Does he still claim that he knew nothing about the meeting??????????

[mr_lebowski]

45. Not sure that this news speaks to 'when he knew' ...

This is describing events immediately after the article hit the news. So it's possible Trump crafted these excuses after hearing (for the first time, at that time) what the meeting was about, what was discussed, etc.

I mean *I THINK* he knew back at the time of the damn meeting ... but this particular news doesn't establish any proof of that.

[Barack_America]

58. The leaker may know.

If Trump was informed of the NYT article and came up with the idea of the statement without having spoken to Jr. or Jared...

Alternatively, it would be surprising if some country's intel service did not have more information on those "secret" meetings he had with Putin at the G20, just before this all came out.

Funny, isn't it? You've got Trump trying to sneak around alone with Putin just before this story breaks. What a coincidence.

[gratuitous]

50. According to the WaPo article, it's still unclear

But that sets up a bit of a conundrum: If Daddy didn't know anything about the meeting, why did everyone go along with his statement of the meeting? If Daddy did know about the meeting, then why didn't he make a clean breast* of that, instead drafting a misleading diversionary statement that shaded the truth about six ways from Sunday?

First Rule of Holes: When you find yourself in one, stop digging. Instead, Trump goes and gets a backhoe.

*Oh, grow up.

[rainbow4321]

43. Hmmm..WaPo journalist: Multiple sources, from different walks of life

Interesting phrase to use. This should add to drumf's paranoia...

The WaPo journalist on TV when asked how many sources they have for the breaking news.

[mr_lebowski]

51. What's disturbing about how the story is being told is that the 'adoption story' Trump wanted

told has somehow become 'the misleading statement' ... as if anybody is ACTUALLY SURE that this is not EXACTLY WHAT was really discussed!?!

Don't they realize 'The Dirt On Hillary Story' can SIMULTANEOUSLY be TRUE, because that part of the story is about what DTJ was told BEFORE the meeting re: what it would be about? Both can be 100% truthful, in actuality.

Anyone asserting 'dirt on Hillary is what was really discussed in the meeting' and suggesting that, therefore 'adoptions' were NOT ... I am highly suspect of their actual motives.

The 'adoption' story is actually EQUALLY incriminating, once you understand it's pertinence and relation to Magnisky Act & Sanctions.

[mcar]

52. What's the over/under on Kelly lasting the week?

[uponit7771]

57. I give him a couple of days before he finds out he's COSINO, Chief Of Staff In Name Only ... stupipd

... ass'd Benedict Donald doesn't listen in the end.

There's no one to keep Benedict Donald from doing what he wants

[C_U_L8R]

53. Trump becomes a dictator

and fucks that up too

[Angry Dragon]

55. Trump did say he was going to drain the swamp

he just did not think he was talking about himself

[asiliveandbreathe]

59. All the lies and cover up - as a refresher, here is the link

to the original emails..and at the end dtrump jr's Dad's dictated response..re adoption....

Adoptions?? - doesn't even fit the narrative of the original subject line..

Subject: Re: Russia - Clinton - private and confidential

Oh, as we know now..adoption=Magnitsky Act=remove sanctions...hey, goes along with the RNC sanction platform being watered down...

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/07/11/us/politics/donald-trump-jr-email-text.html

The Wash Post article is excellent - and I am sure journalists are going to be all over this....the puzzle pieces start to fit, and the Russian/trump connection becomes more clear...they are all in it up to their eyeballs...what lawyer is even going to defend this shit!! There is NO defense....

And let's not forget Manafort wanted Pense for VP and made the trump/pense meeting happen...pathetic..

[bagimin]

63. k&r

[orangecrush]

64. ...

It was just a matter of time...

[Enoki33]

65. Worth asking again: What is it that he is really so scared of?.

It has got to be more than money laundering and tax evasion.

[HipChick]

67. What is worst than money laundering and tax evasion?

[D_Master81]

66. I have a feeling

I have a feeling, it being only Monday, that there is something else to drop later this week. Who knows what it will be, but I remember when the news of this meeting broke it was on the weekend and the story kept evolving as the week went along.

[D23MIURG23]

71. Once again, it's amateur hour in the Trump whitehouse.

You'd think ass-cheeto would try to cover his tracks and maintain plausible deniability, but he's so arrogant that he doesn't see the need. It should be fun watching the shithammer finally fall on him. The look on his face when it hits ought to be priceless.

[neohippie]

72. The real story behind this meeting is not getting the attention it deserves

The fact that this meeting between Trump's campaign and the Russian attorney who represented Prevezon in the Russian money laundering case that was mysteriously settled before going to trial should be very suspect and investigated further.

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump, who acts as his senior White House adviser, secured a multimillion-dollar Manhattan real estate deal with a Soviet-born oligarch whose company was cited in a major New York money laundering case now being investigated by members of Congress.


Trump not convinced Russian meddling took place, communications chief says
Read more
A Guardian investigation has established a series of overlapping ties and relationships involving alleged Russian money laundering, New York real estate deals and members of Trump’s inner circle. They include a 2015 sale of part of the old New York Times building in Manhattan involving Kushner and a billionaire real estate tycoon and diamond mogul, Lev Leviev.

The ties between Trump family real estate deals and Russian money interests are attracting growing interest from the justice department’s special counsel, Robert Mueller, as he seeks to determine whether the Trump campaign collaborated with Russia to distort the outcome of the 2016 race. Mueller has reportedly expanded his inquiry to look at real estate deals involving the Trump Organization, as well as Kushner’s financing.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/24/jared-kushner-new-york-russia-money-laundering








http://www.businessinsider.com/us-v-prevezon-case-settlement-russia-money-laundering-2017-5


.

A major money-laundering case set to go to trial last week in New York was suddenly settled three days earlier, with both the US government and the defendant, the Russian firm Prevezon Holdings, claiming victory.

The asset-forfeiture and money-laundering case was scheduled to begin last Monday, but it was unexpectedly settled for close to $6 million, a little under half of the amount sought by the government at the time the case was settled. The US attorney's office characterized the settlement as a win for anti-corruption efforts in a statement issued late Friday.

[mr_lebowski]

74. First time I ever saw the US Gov. was only seeking $12M in penalties ... over a 230M theft?

So they were going after a 5% penalty, and settled for 2.5%?

Who says crime doesn't pay? Sheesh ... that's fucking RIDICULOUS.

If this were a regular plebe, it'd be $230M in restitution + more in penalties + 50 years in jail ... what a fucking joke.

[Achilleaze]

76. k & r

[VaBchTgerLily]

73. Now isn't this obstruction of justice?!?!!!

He and all his minions should go to jail

[SHRED]

77. Commisar Bone Spur is lying again.

[sarcasmo]

78. Lying all the time.

[workinclasszero]

80. Does this fall under "high crimes and misdemeanors"?

What are the grounds for impeachment of the president?

The Constitution sets specific grounds for impeachment. They are “treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors.” To be impeached and removed from office, the House and Senate must find that the official committed one of these acts.

[Mr.Bill]

81. As long as republicans control Congress,

there are no grounds for impeachment. Trump could stand at the podium at a rally in front of 10,000 people and cut the head off a baby and they would not impeach him.

[workinclasszero]

85. Sad but true

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

83. So the leader of the "Fake News" movement, is, in fact;

an originator of fake news! It's all so clear to me now