US Politics, October 2019 — I guess statement you could say with thread. I made a thread. The thread was PERFECT.

Lost in that Giuliani lawyer ghosting him is that said lawyer informed Rudy that he needed an attorney with more criminal expertise!

the stand up comedy routine trump is doing at the "values summit" is--predictably--fucking insane

it's hard to be surprised in 2019, but that gives me the chills. he's full-on mad king. it's remarkable how he sounds like every paranoid tyrant ever

it's also disturbing how everything he is saying is met with cheers, laughs and encouragement

the "sir" tell is a definite

stopping at any point in that value summit thing and listening to anything for four minutes betrays his degree of unhingedness
i got some sort of a monologue about beautiful soldiers carrying caskets with wailing sisters on top. it's utterly mad.

Rudy openly defying the subpoena, I guess the whole "laws don't apply to Republicans" thing is really about to get tested

Carried in by sergeant at arms

the windows are being broken from inside the house

Others have noted there was actually a third guy indicted along with those Giuliani cronies, his current whereabouts unknown. Some folks theorizing that he is taking it easy in a nice hotel room right now courtesy the FBI.

Pelosi press conference imminent.

they're gonna have a vote and the GOP's gonna have to suck it

also lol

The federal grand jury in New York is seeking records and other information from Sessions (R-Tex.) on his interactions while in Congress with President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and two Giuliani associates charged last week with a scheme to funnel foreign money to U.S. politicians, according to two people familiar with the investigation.

What the fuck was Mueller doing all that time? Could any of these current goings-on be things he forwarded on to others during the course of his own investigation?

he pretty clearly didn't wanna be the guy

He’s a Republican cop idk if it was smart to put that much faith in him

Mueller was not appointed by Congress, totally different scope of investigation

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Tuesday she will not stage a vote on the House floor to officially launch an impeachment inquiry into President Trump.

Trump and his Republican allies have been pressuring Pelosi to hold a formal vote to begin the investigation — a move they believe would grant them more power and influence in the process, including the ability to call and subpoena their own witnesses.

I'm surprised tbh. This means there's a significant portion of the caucus that didn't want to go on the record as voting for the inquiry, much less impeachment. She doesn't have a solid majority.

or she doesn't want the GOP to hijack the process, drag Biden into it?

hmm

seems dumb to have a press conference to announce something you haven't done and still have no plans to do. looks weak.

especially on the evening of your party's debates

yep, it sure does seem fucking dumb, the entire thing. wtf

Just gives the GOP ammo to continue making an issue out of it

Someone reported that the scuttlebutt is they don't want to make it appear that the White House has any power in determining the course of the investigation.

Stoked for y'all to watch this debate so I can experience it vicariously through you

God help me, I have it on now

Guess prayer really does work, reception's out

poor Pelosi leadership

Is this story on the US news? Naturally Trump seems to have fucked up the meeting by ambushing the parents and thinking he was in some kind of fucking reality show. So, good for them they didn't go along with it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-50064595

Harry Dunn's parents say the "bombshell was dropped" that the woman involved in their son's death was in the room next door to meet them as they met with President Trump.

They've refused to meet Anne Sacoolas unless it's on UK soil.

More here: https://t.co/QdL6dS1IH8 pic.twitter.com/DB1UbhgmbY

— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 16, 2019

'she killed your kid... and she's here tonight! big hand ladies and gentlemen for mrs! Anne! SACOOLAAAAAAAAS!'

Just in: Senior US official confirms what Kurdish sources have been telling me - that Turkey is advancing on the border town of Kobani, which Erdogan promised Trump he would not attack.

— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) October 16, 2019

huh, weird that erdogan would take trump for a fool

Erdogan: “When Trump comes here I will talk to him” Turkey’s president says while snubbing Pence and Pompeohttps://t.co/llurmS1KXJ

— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) October 16, 2019

The bombing starts in 5 min, whoda thunk a dim toolbag like donny was unfit

Ok trying to force a “healing” moment by surprising grieving parents with their son’s killer is... horrendous but sort of funny. You can see what he was picturing, like the mawkish episodes of daytime talk shows where people are reunited with their long-lost relatives or something.

Naturally Trump seems to have fucked up the meeting by ambushing the parents and thinking he was in some kind of fucking reality show. So, good for them they didn't go along with it.

I imagine Trump looking at himself in the mirror saying "I pardon you."

i can't, people might accidentally get the impression that he was being polite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4AIakEoVbw

The Ukrainian prosecutor who compiled the seven-page dossier that accused Hunter Biden of corruption has been indicted three times on corruption charges and accused of bringing politically motivated criminal cases against his opponents, NYT reports.

Checks out.

grim lols at Trump trying his best Dr Phil impersonation

I imagine Trump looking at himself in the mirror saying "I pardon you."

“Pardon me”, he thinks to himself while knocking over a small child. “I would if I could, and maybe someday I’ll try”

wtf, scheme (if i even understand it) is monstrous and never funny for an actual president. it is an acceptable, 90s-era, dystopic, running man style gag imo.

Genuine divide among Hill Dems starting to emerge between those who want to throw fines or even jail at Rudy for defying subpoenas and those who believe—as one aide said—“they already have the Watergate tapes” and don’t need to overreact https://t.co/8l6YefmWfF

Via @sambrodey

— Sam Stein (@samstein) October 16, 2019

lock him up you absolute cowards

Anyone see the ProPublica story about Trump org apparently keeping two sets of books? That's full on tax fraud.

Okay Rudy is a private citizen and could potentially be arrested and detained for contempt of Congress.

I am more concerned with how to get government employees to comply with subpoenas and provide evidence. The guy they work for has ordered them not to cooperate with anything House Democrats ask for. He is making rhe argument that the investigation itself is illegitimate, and so therefore it is right and proper for the Executive Branch to disobey.

So say a House committee finds Pompeo (for example) in contempt, and Pompeo won't budge (because his boss told him not to, and he'll be fired if he cooperates). The Sergeant at Arms goes over to the State Department with a piece of paper saying he's there to arrest the Secretary of State. Armed DoS building security doesn't let him in the building. What then? A shootout between Capitol Police and the Diplomatic Protective Service?

That's why they should probably start with fines or withholding paychecks. But Rudy? Lock him up, at least for being such a loud, arrogant asshole.

Corey Lewendowski should have gotten the smackdown, too.

So say a House committee finds Pompeo (for example) in contempt, and Pompeo won't budge (because his boss told him not to, and he'll be fired if he cooperates). The Sergeant at Arms goes over to the State Department with a piece of paper saying he's there to arrest the Secretary of State. Armed DoS building security doesn't let him in the building. What then? A shootout between Capitol Police and the Diplomatic Protective Service?

it doesn't matter. If they don't comply with subpoenas, that's just one more obstruction of justice charge.

That at-large indicted Rudy buddy just arrested at JFK.

Trump is hoping that stonewalling = everything going to the Supreme Court (where "his guys" will side with him), but Congress has no incentive or requirement to go through the courts. Impeachment is strictly a Congressional process, which means Pelosi is in control.