At first they adamantly denied there was any quid pro quo to Trump holding up $400 million in military aid to Ukraine while asking the Ukrainians to dig up dirt on Joe Biden. That, after all, could be a ground for impeachment.
Only, this time, Trump White House insiders began singing like canaries to the House Intelligence Committee. Trump's denials? All lies.
The White House stands exposed as a criminal enterprise. What to do, what to do?
For Trump the playbook is clear. When you're caught red-handed, and lying your way out is no longer an option, accuse the accusers. The first step was for Trump to call on the House, Republican and Democrat congressmen, to censure House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff.
But that's not the best part. Trump's acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney orchestrated the shake down of the Ukranian president. What's he to do? Admit everything, including the quid pro quo element, tell the press you do this stuff all the time and then tell them to "get over it."
Trump and his allies have for the past month insisted no quid pro quo took place regarding Ukraine. House Democrats opened an impeachment inquiry into the president after a whistleblower filed a complaint over Trump's July 25 phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and the administration's subsequent response.
In a White House summary of the call, Trump asked Zelenskiy for a "favor" shortly after the latter discussed U.S. military aid. That favor included asking Zelesnkiy to probe a baseless conspiracy theory about a Democratic National Committee email server being in Ukraine, as well as former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who is spearheading the impeachment inquiry, reacted to Mulvaney's Thursday comments by saying that the situation has "gone from very, very bad to much, much worse."Seemingly out of the blue, chief of staff Mulvaney, admitted everything.
Then weird turned absolutely bonkers as, just hours after his damning admissions, the acting White House chief of staff released a statement flat out denying everything he had just admitted.
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney on Thursday walked back comments he made earlier in the day suggesting that President Donald Trump held up military aid to Ukraine until it moved to investigate a conspiracy involving the 2016 U.S election.
"There was absolutely no quid pro quo between Ukrainian military aid and any investigation into the 2016 election," he said in a statement contradicting remarks he made during an earlier press briefing.When I watched the video of Mulvaney's press conference, one name came to mind, Nathan Thurm.
"The president never told me to withhold any money until the Ukrainians did anything related to the server. The only reasons we were holding the money was because of concern about lack of support from other nations and concerns over corruption," he added.
I can see this new approach working out well for him.
ReplyDeleteG7 leaders: Why are we meeting at your bedbug-ridden Miami golf club in the June hurricane season?
Trump: Get over it!
Cap
ReplyDeleteHi, Cap. I just updated the post to include two things - Mulvaney's initial admissions to the White House press corps and then his statement, released just hours after admitting everything, denying what he had just admitted.
"Yes, Donald Trump ate that baby. We eat babies all the time. Get over it." And then, an hour or so later, "What baby? No, there was no baby. Where did you get such a silly idea?"
Is the whole gawddamned administration melting down? Are they into the crystal meth?
Looks like Trump threw a fit after Mulvaney's torrent of confessions and made him walk them back. Should be fun times when the House subpoenas Mulvaney's butt.
ReplyDeleteCap
What's he to do? Admit everything, including the quid pro quo element, tell the press you do this stuff all the time and then tell them to "get over it."
ReplyDeleteNo shit Sherlock!!
At last an honest remark from the US administration.
TB
I'm getting the sense that there have been plenty of honesty coming from administration insiders who are defying Trump to testify before Schiff's committee.
ReplyDeleteWhat will be the next stage of the meltdown that's been happening in Deplorable Nation ever since Mr. Pus-for-Guts rode down his escalator?
ReplyDelete"See you at the polls."
ReplyDeleteJohn, that's the problem with someone as erratic and impulsive with an ugly mean streak as this president. He's a sick puppy.
Were I a top congressional Republican the option of an Article 25 removal, a way to avoid an impeachment bloodletting, would be looking awfully attractive.
"See you at the polls."
ReplyDeleteIndeed, and at the electoral college.