As Seen on TV!!!
I take a few days off to travel across the country, and look what happens. Sure, there’s the Porn Star, the Playgirl, and the Apprentice contestant; all suing the President for one sex related thing or another. And, of course, there’s the lawsuit filed by several states claiming that the President is violating the emoluments clause of the Constitution by profiting from the office of the Presidency. And then there was the congradulatory (sic) phone call to Vladimir Putin, praising him for rigging the Russian election and killing off his opponents. Oh, and forgetting to mention that Putin used nerve gas to try to kill a former spy in the United Kingdom. And then there’s the $60 Billion trade war with China, and a 700 point drop in the Dow Jones Average.
It’s hard to imagine a worse week for President Trump.
But here we are. Thursday was another crazy day in Trump World. John Dowd, the President’s lead attorney for the Russiagate investigation, resigned. His replacement, already hired in the reverse world of Trump, is Fox Television personality and analyst Joe DiGenova. DiGenova, whose recent law practice consists of going on Fox and claiming that the FBI was plotting against Trump, meets the requirements for the President’s new strategy towards the Mueller investigation.
It seems that Dowd, and his compatriot Ty Cobb, were presenting a defense based on “facts” they believed showed that Trump was innocent of any charges of conspiracy (collusion) with the Russians. Their “innocence strategy” included being cooperative with the investigators, and waiting for Mueller to prove the President’s position.
It doesn’t seem to be happening; Mueller continues to rack up more facts that raise questions about Trump’s involvement, and his vulnerability to influence and blackmail. An “innocence defense” won’t work if the client isn’t innocent. DiGenova represents Trump’s change in strategy: now it won’t be about the “facts,” but about the biased investigators who are trying to “overthrow” the elected government. DiGenova’s employment means that things will get very ugly; it’s Trump’s move to go “to war” against the Mueller team.
It’s likely that Trump will soon move against Mueller, following the “Saturday Night Massacre” example of the Watergate years.
Hard to imagine, but that wasn’t the worst reality TV of the day. Over the past fourteen months, one of the quiet saving graces of the Trump administration was the presence of the “adults” in the room. Secretary of State Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Mattis, Chief of Staff Kelly, and National Security Advisor McMasters were considered the calming forces in the turmoil of Trump World. By Thursday, Tillerson and McMasters were gone (fired, by tweet or phone call.) Replacing Tillerson at State: Mike Pompeo from the CIA, a “hard liner” on issues like Iran and North Korea.
And, as seen on TV, the replacement for McMasters is a real bomb thrower. John Bolton, most recently a Fox Commentator (“we should pre-emptively bomb North Korea”) and chairman of a conservative political action committee (over $1 million from the Mercer’s of Trump-Bannon and Cambridge Analytica fame) is to take the National Security role. McMasters has been the calming voice in the White House, Bolton hasn’t ever found a war he didn’t like. When Trump starts thinking about using his “bigger button,” Bolton is likely to push it for him.
It’s Friday morning. Is Kelly next on the Trump “hit list?” Will Mattis stay? When (not if) will Mueller be fired? And what will Stormy Daniels say or show on “60 Minutes” Sunday evening? It would be a great TV drama, if it wasn’t real.
How long will this go on? The question is really one for Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell. Now that they have passed their omnibus budget (which Trump this morning threatened to veto) will they finally begin to pressure Trump to end the drama? Don’t bet on that outcome, they are in for the entire season of Trump World.
It’s been 37 days since the school shootings at Parkland High School. Tomorrow (Saturday 3/24) students and their supporters across the country will march for change. Their power and dedication is amazing: and the children shall lead!!!
