Trump is prepping for all-out political war
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
As I sat a few feet from President Trump while he ripped special counsel Robert Mueller and warned Democrats he is preparing a devastating counterpunch, the phrase “The Gathering Storm” came to mind. That’s the title of Volume I of Winston Churchill’s masterful history of World War II.
It also describes the president’s mood and the vicious game of blood sport playing out in Washington. While our nation’s political battles are hardly as dramatic as the fight with Nazi Germany and Japan, a storm is gathering in America and 2019 is shaping up as an extremely turbulent year.
Trump is under siege and girding for a political, legal and public-relations war. Though the conflict began the day he took office, the last two years have been skirmishes compared to the climactic battles ahead.
That view was strengthened by the Oval Office interview last week where I, along with Post reporters Nikki Schwab and Marisa Schultz, spent nearly 40 minutes with the president and several aides.
Trump, sitting behind the grand Resolute Desk, made from the timbers of a 19th century British sailing ship, was genial and gracious. No questions were taboo, and he was in a sunny mood.
Yet his answers exposed a furious frustration over the Mueller probe and Dem plans to use control of the House to swamp his administration with subpoenas and investigations.
“Mueller would like it to go for the rest of his life,” Trump said when asked how he saw the probe ending. “It’s a witch hunt at the highest level, it’s McCarthyism.”
After he mentioned Paul Manafort, I asked whether a pardon for his former campaign manager was possible. “It was never discussed, but I wouldn’t take it off the table,” Trump said. “Why would I take it off the table?”
That answer quickly ricocheted around Washington and sharpened the battle lines, with Dems accusing the president of sending a signal to Manafort that he would be protected in exchange for loyalty.
Some 24 hours later, the drums of war were beating even louder as Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a possible Trump building project in Moscow.
The president, in public comments, offered a two-part response, saying Cohen was “weak” and looking to get reduced jail time. He also said that, even if the negotiations ran longer in 2016 than Cohen initially laimed, it didn’t matter because Trump was still a private citizen legally running his business.
Like everything else involving Mueller, the Cohen plea offers lots of smoke, but no sign of fire. It might be a piece of a larger puzzle, but more than two years after the FBI probe began, a clear picture remains maddeningly elusive.
And yet the probe, and the left’s exploitation of it, continue to inflict casualties. The most recent one is that any hopes that divided government might be productive are vanishing.
The day after the midterms, Trump tried to paint a rosy picture of the Dem majority in the House, saying he was eager to work with likely Speaker Nancy Pelosi and would sign key legislation even if most Republicans opposed it.
Now his message is far more stick than carrot. As he said in our interview, the new Dem leaders would be unleashing the furies from hell if they engage in “presidential harassment.”
“I will hit them so hard, they’ve never seen a hit like that,” he said, referring to his power to release secret documents, some of which, he hinted, will be deeply embarrassing to Barack Obama’s administration.
“If they want to play tough, I will do it,” he said. “And they will see how devastating those pages are.”
I believe the president should release any such documents now, regardless of their partisan impact. Excessive secrecy serves only to hide official wrongdoing and the lack of transparency fuels public mistrust.
In theory, Trump agrees. But he is fixated on the war, and understandably so because he is fighting for the survival of his presidency.
His theory on the origins of the war is familiar — and credible: The allegations of Russian collusion were a tissue of lies supported only by the discredited dossier secretly financed by Hillary Clinton. Those lies were given a sheen of credibility by a corrupted FBI investigation that lives on through Mueller.
“I’m sure [fired FBI Director James] Comey had someone above because you know there’s no question that [then CIA-boss] John Brennan was involved,” Trump said. “There’s no question that all of these people you see on television, all of these lightweights were involved, and it’s hard to believe that the president wasn’t involved.
“And the only reason they were doing it was just in case I won.”
As for the dossier, Trump asks: “So why isn’t Mueller looking at that? Russians were paid for the phony dossier. Now it’s been discredited, it’s total baloney, but a lot of money was passed.”
We had stayed long past our allotted time, and as we left, aides handed us six pages listing the administration’s accomplishments. They include the historic low unemployment among Latinos and black Americans, rising wages and the fact that 4.4 million people no longer need food stamps.
Consumer and business confidence are soaring and America is now the world’s largest producer of oil and natural gas. Kim Jong-un is sending flattering letters to Trump instead of firing off missiles, and a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada keeps faith with the vow to fix NAFTA.
Those are some of the highlights of a remarkable two years, but on most days, they are eclipsed by the political war. And the worst is yet to come.
Triumph of faith
After a teacher in New Jersey told first-graders there is no Santa Claus, elves, Easter Bunny or magic of any kind, the kids were heartbroken and their parents furious.
Fortunately, there is a timeless cure for unbelief.
An 1897 editorial in the New York Sun, written to 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon, puts doubt in its place.
“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” writer Francis Church declared.
“Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus,” he writes in one magical passage. “The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor man can see.”
Who knows, Church’s ode to faith in all ages might even revive the spirit of the jaded teacher.
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Is the source of this propaganda the tooth fairy, Santa Claus or the Easter bunny? Trump couldn't handle the recent G8 summit but now you are claiming that he is supposedly ready to wage war political war.
It is obvious that Donald Trump cannot do the job of being president.
a popular final destination in the past for political leaders of trump's caliber
In what world is the president imposing tariffs, then saying he will hold off on imposing more tariffs, a win?
I only see it as a win if it results in China reducing or eliminating their existing tariffs.
Beijing will "reduce and remove" the 40% tariffs it places on US cars imported into China, US President Donald Trump has said.
That’s right Trump isn’t interested in cars being made in China he wants them made here. His objection is to the Chinese tariffs imposed on cars built here and shipped to China. If he can get the Chinese to drop the 40% tariff on imports that would be a win for him.
China has agreed to reduce and remove tariffs on cars coming into China from the U.S. Currently the tariff is 40%,’ president says
That still does not stop GM, Ford and others from building the cars there.
They can drop the tariff to zero. If no cars are being exported, because they are still being made at the destination, it doesn't mean shit.
Plus it would still be cheaper and more economical for the companies to build in the country they are selling to.
That is of course unless one wants to build so cheaply here that we depress wages and regulations and turn ourselves into a third world country.
Also, nothing like republicans going against one of their supposed values, taking away freedom and making/forcing companies to build where the government wants.
Nothing more than kick the can down the road. This is the same thing that China offered six months ago. Wait....wait.....wait. In the meanwhile, there is no discussion of the theft of intellectual property. It amazes me that people think that Trump is a great negotiator. His greatness seems to always be capitulating to the other side. Maybe that explains all the business bankruptcies that Trump has gone through.
The G2 is a joke.
All you have is a bunch of Aristocrat types patting each other on the back after they make some ludicrous "Proclamations" that further humanity not one bit....and mean not one damn thing !
I agree with Trump.....get us the fuck outa there.
If that's what you think the G20 does you and Trump deserve each other.
Empty threats from an empty head, atop a soon to be empty suit in the white house. The past politics of revenge and retribution from the blowhard in chief beg a congressional response in kind. The express train of karma is headed towards him at full speed and Mueller has the trump crime family tied to the tracks. Due process will be his end process. Any future executive office attempts to stall and subvert the US Constitution will exact a horrific toll in the careers and lives of those judged by the voters to be complicit and to those that have averted their eyes to his criminal activities. The republican party is now the party of trump, and they have gone all in with a bluff hand held by a fool.
What a load of shit. I have not read that much baloney in one piece in a long time.
Is he going to war after his nap?
I'm going to love watching the squirming of these excuse bearing defenders when this psycho resigns in disgrace.
Now that he has friendly eyes and ears in charge of the DOJ, he'll be forewarned of Mueller's impending actions. Unfortunately for his legal team, he won't be able to contain his twitter rage, which will further complicate their efforts to defend him. As soon as the attorneys involved with Manafort's deception are indicted the pool of qualified lawyers willing to risk prison time, in addition to doing their work on an involuntary pro bono basis, will quickly evaporate. Cohen had a habit of taping his phone calls, and trump's immediate crime family were directly involved in the advance work of expanding the trump empire. It's only a matter of time before Mueller has crossed all the T's and dotted all the I's. The 2 major issues now are to make sure that VP Pence as been ensnared and making sure the judicial hammer drops at the most opportune time.
Trump screwed himself thinking he could outsmart Mueller.
This is going to be fun watching this unfold. Nobody knows exactly how much Mueller has, but everyone knows (even the right that won't admit it) he has enough and that's what makes it fun to watch the locals turn themselves inside out in denial.
You'll see the flurry of articles and seeds that will be rattled through with lies until a lefty comes with proof to debunk and they lock the seed/article.
Won't be hard the fake boy scout is in this up to his knees....
Now close your eyes.....and just think of the explosion that will happen the first time "President Pelosi" is joined on the stage with VP Elizabeth "I got your Pocahontas right here" Warren
He's already disgraced.
The resignation will be coming soon.
Or do you think he's going to let his sperm catchers go to prison?
See the Trump foundation has to disolve? See the comment?
"Shocking illegality" of self dealing and the whole family is involved. Which means they can't indict Trump yet but his catchers are fair game.
He'll cut a deal to resign and escape charges for himself and the brats.
In disgrace.
Have fun awesome one.
He called Sean Hannity and the Fox News bimbos about strategy.
He will probably react to war like he did the last time. Develop bone spurs then hide out and make derogatory comments about those that actually fought in a war....
it wouldn't surprise me if trump resigns due to some mysterious medical problem 1 day before all the shit hits the fan.
Wouldn't surprise me either...and pardoning his kids on the way out....
They'll believe that....look how many time Glenn Beck told them he had some disease and they fell for it.
Well...they believe Trump, believed Palin, The Tea Party, Corsi, Limbaugh, Sanders, Huckabee...remember the fake story about the "mob" following Sarahmoo to the other restaurant when she actually went home?
bwah ha ha. traitor trump is threatening to torch the US government if Mueller gets too close.
Is it not time a delegation of senior members of Congress, the Joint Chiefs and Supremes explained how the cow ate the cabbage to Donald Trump? Call it a "Sit Down". Trump understands a good deal when it is explained to him. It is a shame Trump and Co will have to be let off and pardoned for their profligate crimes to cut the deal but that is the price we pay for the national hubris which resulted in the travesty that will forevermore be known as Trumpism. Trump and his broods will make gazillions post Presidency if they are not held accountable so let's move things along now. It is time. Marine One is ready and waiting. Fuel is burning. So, let's go...