Mueller Has a Lot to Gnaw On

If there's one thing that marks the Trump administration it's their favourite pastime, lying. That and the erratic ramblings of the Cheeto Benito.

It's getting tough for Trump's handmaidens. A controversy looms. They all caucus to formulate a teflon response. Then they go out to spread their gospel to the waiting scribes. Then, the next day, Trump himself goes out, contradicts them and admits the rumours were true.

Isn't it curious? These people - Conway, Spicer, Huckabee Sanders, the lot - speak on behalf of the president. They're his people, his staff, the face of his administration. They're the people you see on the 6 o'clock news and the Sunday talk shows. Yet here they say one thing and the next day the president hisself essentially says they were lying. Of course, unless he's lying. They're either making a liar out of Trump or Trump is making a liar out of them. No matter - wash, rinse, repeat - it just keeps on coming.

Now a sane president who values his integrity and reputation might have to deal with this problem, the incessant lying by his staff. Surely he would have fired the lot of them by now. And yet that's not the way it works in the Trump White House.

Then there's this deepening Flynn business. After his confirmation as National Security Advisor rumours surfaced of Flynn's dealings with the Russians. Veep Pence went public saying (lying) that Flynn had done no such thing. 18 days later, more or less, a paper reports details of Flynn's dealings. He's promptly sacked by Trump for lying to Pence only Trump blames the newspaper that broke the story, not Flynn. Conspiracy theory Mike takes one for the team and leaves. Later he seeks an immunity deal. Why, because he had dealings with the Russians?

Now it emerges that Flynn disclosed his Russia dealings long before the inauguration. He wasn't hiding anything - at least not from Trump. So how could he later have lied to Pence about something he'd already disclosed? And how could Trump claim to have been betrayed by Flynn, or some newspaper, or someone, something, anything? Why lie about this at all? One thing is certain. This whole, elaborate yet clumsy lie wasn't about protecting ex-general Michael Flynn.

And there's this business about contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. Now it emerges there were 18-more meetings and calls that were not, until now, revealed.  It's difficult to make sense of this. How many contacts did Trump and his aides have with, say, the Chinese, or the Swedes, or French officials? Why so many and why the Russians? Why all the denials and obfuscation?

These are the sorts of things that a seasoned counsel can sink his teeth into - all the contradictions, the lies, the inexplicable stuff. It's there. It's on record. A lot of the good stuff comes straight from Trump's mouth. As liars go, Trump is incredibly sloppy and ill-disciplined.