The American Intelligence Community, Robert Mueller’s Report and the Federal Bureau of Investigation ALL have strongly reported that actors FOR the Russian Government DID do things to help Donald Trump become the 45th United States President…
For the last 3 years Trump has tried to change that….
His efforts has included firing people, constantly denying the findings, lying and now trying to reward those who helped him get his job…
But it is Trump who is trying to have the last word.
Seven months after Mueller’s marathon testimony brought finality to the Russia investigation, Trump is actively seeking to rewrite the narrative that had been meticulously documented by federal law enforcement and intelligence officials, both for immediate political gain and for history.
Turbocharged by his acquittal in the Senate’s impeachment trial and confident that he has acquired the fealty of nearly every Republican in Congress, Trump is claiming vindication and exoneration not only over his conduct with Ukraine — for which the House voted to impeach him — but also from the other investigations that have dogged his presidency.
This includes lawsuits filed against Trump by the state of New York over his finances as well as alleged misuse of charity funds by his nonprofit foundation. Trump sought last week to turn the page on these probes, declaring on Twitter ahead of a White House meeting with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) that “New York must stop all of its unnecessary lawsuits & harrassment.”
Still, Russia is foremost on Trump’s mind. Since even before he was sworn in as president, Trump has viewed the FBI’s Russia investigation as a dark cloud over his administration that threatened to delegitimize his claim on the office. And more than three years in, Trump remains haunted by all things Russia, according to advisers and allies, and continues to nurse a profound and unabated sense of persecution.
As his reelection campaign intensifies, Trump is using the powers of his office to manipulate the facts and settle the score. Advisers say the president is determined to protect his associates ensnared in the expansive Russia investigation, punish the prosecutors and investigators he believes betrayed him, and convince the public that the probe was exactly as he sees it: an illegal witch hunt…
What is unclear (at least to my limited mind) is whether Trump would have won without Russian aid.
My working assumption has been that he probably could still have carried the Electoral College (perhaps more narrowly) without their help — in which case some Democrats who have blamed their 2016 loss wholly on Russia have been using Russia as an excuse for their own failures.
But if that Russian aid was an essential element of Trump’s win, it brings up some terrifying scenarios.
To me?
He probably would NOT have…
I say ‘probably’…
He won by about 70,000 votes out of roughly 130M
The Wikileaks stuff, supplied by the Russians (Roger Stone), WAS a BIG reason she was hurt with some voters…
As requires constant reiteration here…
Such a narrow victory can be attributed to anything one wants…
Hillary’s crummy campaign?Poor minority outreach?The weather?Russians?
Take your pick!
Nate Silver
The post-NH polls, though a weird/eclectic bunch, don’t seem to show many bounces from NH. Bernie hasn’t risen much further. Biden, following a big decline after IA, hasn’t fallen much further. Buttigieg and Klobuchar may be gaining, but it’s a fairly slow pace.
I kinda knew THIS was coming this week with the Nevada problems and now a crazy assed poll with Sanders THIRD….
Nate Silver
Biden probably does have an easier path and perhaps a much easier path. People overrate the importance of *trends* and underrate the importance of *levels*. Being at 17% (down from 25%) is generally still much much better than being at 7% (up from 4%)….
…
Jim Getaghty
@jmgeraythy
It’s easier to picture Biden finishing second in Nevada, then first in SC, then doing well on Super Tuesday than, say, Amy Klobuchar jumping from her current less than 5% nationally to the nomination.
It depends–if you are at 17% down from 25% and still free falling there won’t be much time before you are at that 7%.
Yup!
But the thing is ?
If Nevada IS inconclusive ?
SC AND Super Tuesday COULD , as I have pushed, could get Joe Biden on the way….
The poll just hit Politicalwire….
With the caution that polll size is around 225 people ….
And extremely small sample size with a large MOE….
Has ‘outlier’ written all over it🙄?