Trump Gets Tangled Up in the Russian Plot
Published in La Vanguardia
(Spain) on 28 July 2018
by Francesc Peirón (link to original)
His former lawyer claims that the president knew about the meetings in Manhattan.
Sex, lies and audiotapes are causing the White House to put to shame the most whimsical of Hollywood’s screenwriters.
A new installment of “Mission: Impossible” premiered yesterday. The indestructible Tom Cruise comes out unscathed from all kinds of blows and acrobatics that go beyond common sense. There are things President Donald Trump says and does which also transcend reason. Despite being hailed as great action cinema, Cruise is by no means able to outshine the unfolding of the “Russiagate” soap opera — with stellar cameos, like Russia’s President Vladimir Putin — and its spinoffs.
It is claimed that Trump had a strange reaction, a cross between disappointment and an outburst of rage that leads to throwing things, when he learned that Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, his righter of wrongs – the counterpart to “Pulp Fiction’s” Mr. Wolf (Harvey Keitel) – had recorded him while they negotiated how to pay for the silence of a Playgirl model. Karen McDougal, as she is known, fell in love with the magnate and even voted for him; but that does not change the fact that she agreed to keep quiet in exchange for $150,000.
There was no disappointment, only rage and concern, seeing that Cohen dared to hand over the recording to CNN, in which a voice very similar to Trump’s can be heard saying, “pay with cash.”
Special Counsel Robert Mueller Is Examining the President’s Tweets, In Case There Was Pressure or Intimidation
Whereas the president admitted not long ago that Cohen was a good, honest man, and a friend, he is now but a phony in the hands of the Democratic conspiracy. According to CNN – again! – Cohen alleges that the then-candidate knew in advance about the meeting that took place in June of 2016 in Manhattan’s Trump Tower, in the hopes that the Russian envoys would provide “dirt” [no source found] on Hillary Clinton.
The former lawyer was willing to explain this to Special Counsel Mueller in his investigation into the Kremlin’s alleged support for the Trump campaign.
This version contradicts what was said by Trump, by his son, Donald Trump Jr. – who got the offer and set up the meeting — and the president’s lawyers. They have always asserted that he was unaware of it, until The New York Times asked about it in the summer of 2017. The president himself dictated the statement arguing that the get-together took place in order to discuss “adoptions,” an excuse which soon fell apart.
Apparently, there are no tape recordings of all this. However, Cohen would have insisted that Trump sanctioned the meeting about searching for compromising material, which would imply clear foreign interference and that there are witnesses. Many have recalled one statement by Trump on June 7, 2016 – coinciding with the Russians’ visit to his headquarters – in which he promised that he would give a speech “in a couple of days” with fresh material about his rival’s dirty laundry.
Yesterday, the president reaffirmed his denial on Twitter. “I did NOT know of the meeting with my son, Don Jr. Sounds to me like someone is trying to make up stories in order to get himself out of an unrelated jam,” he wrote. He noted that Cohen is involved in a conflict with the taxi industry about a possible scam, and that “[h]e even retained Bill (Clinton) and Crooked Hillary’s lawyer,” in reference to Lanny Davis, Cohen’s attorney.
Rudy Giuliani, another of Trump’s lawyers, intervened as well, supporting the view that Cohen is a “pathological liar.” According to Giuliani, Cohen has “been lying all week, he’s been lying for years … I don’t see how he has any credibility.” He blurted it out spontaneously, despite the fact that if Cohen did lie, he did so for the Trump Organization, his employer.
It remains to be seen whether what he says is true. He has quite a career behind him. But the clash attests to the escalation between the president and his “fixer.” It is a potential threat. For instance, the main component in debunking the famous British spy report – which describes the salacious material that Russia has in order to blackmail Trump – revolves around the former lawyer. Cohen has denied at all times that he traveled to Prague to meet up with Russian envoys, and this was offered as evidence that the document was fake.
The Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Trump Organization Called To Testify
“[T]he only Collusion with Russia was with the Democrats, so now they are looking at my Tweets (along with 53 million other people) - the rigged Witch Hunt continues!” Trump tweeted.
That is a different battle front. The New York Times reported on Thursday that Special Counsel Mueller is in the midst of going through the president’s tweets and his remarks in which he discredits Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former FBI director James Comey. His inquiries are likely to focus on considering whether those texts are an attempt to obstruct justice, both through witness intimidation and pressuring intelligence officers to close the “Russiagate” case. Mueller wants to question the president about his tweets, another pillar supporting the possible crime of obstruction.
Moreover, Allen Weisselberg, vice president and chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, has been called to testify as a witness.
However, Trump understands nothing about making amends. After the Helsinki show, in which he slighted his intelligence agencies and sided with Vladimir Putin, he doubled down on his challenge by inviting his Russian counterpart to Washington. He then postponed it, given how much it upset Republicans, who are anxious in light of projections concerning the midterm elections this fall.
Putin, aware of the sidestep, offered his colleague a visit to Moscow for their second meeting. And, according to the White House, Trump was happy. “President Trump looks forward to having President Putin to Washington after the first of the year, and he is open to visiting Moscow upon receiving a formal invitation.”
The soundtrack would feature Los Manolos and their “Amigos Para Siempre” (“Friends For Always”).
Like Cohen and others?
Sex, lies and audiotapes are causing the White House to put to shame the most whimsical of Hollywood’s screenwriters.
A new installment of “Mission: Impossible” premiered yesterday. The indestructible Tom Cruise comes out unscathed from all kinds of blows and acrobatics that go beyond common sense. There are things President Donald Trump says and does which also transcend reason. Despite being hailed as great action cinema, Cruise is by no means able to outshine the unfolding of the “Russiagate” soap opera — with stellar cameos, like Russia’s President Vladimir Putin — and its spinoffs.
It is claimed that Trump had a strange reaction, a cross between disappointment and an outburst of rage that leads to throwing things, when he learned that Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, his righter of wrongs – the counterpart to “Pulp Fiction’s” Mr. Wolf (Harvey Keitel) – had recorded him while they negotiated how to pay for the silence of a Playgirl model. Karen McDougal, as she is known, fell in love with the magnate and even voted for him; but that does not change the fact that she agreed to keep quiet in exchange for $150,000.
There was no disappointment, only rage and concern, seeing that Cohen dared to hand over the recording to CNN, in which a voice very similar to Trump’s can be heard saying, “pay with cash.”
Special Counsel Robert Mueller Is Examining the President’s Tweets, In Case There Was Pressure or Intimidation
Whereas the president admitted not long ago that Cohen was a good, honest man, and a friend, he is now but a phony in the hands of the Democratic conspiracy. According to CNN – again! – Cohen alleges that the then-candidate knew in advance about the meeting that took place in June of 2016 in Manhattan’s Trump Tower, in the hopes that the Russian envoys would provide “dirt” [no source found] on Hillary Clinton.
The former lawyer was willing to explain this to Special Counsel Mueller in his investigation into the Kremlin’s alleged support for the Trump campaign.
This version contradicts what was said by Trump, by his son, Donald Trump Jr. – who got the offer and set up the meeting — and the president’s lawyers. They have always asserted that he was unaware of it, until The New York Times asked about it in the summer of 2017. The president himself dictated the statement arguing that the get-together took place in order to discuss “adoptions,” an excuse which soon fell apart.
Apparently, there are no tape recordings of all this. However, Cohen would have insisted that Trump sanctioned the meeting about searching for compromising material, which would imply clear foreign interference and that there are witnesses. Many have recalled one statement by Trump on June 7, 2016 – coinciding with the Russians’ visit to his headquarters – in which he promised that he would give a speech “in a couple of days” with fresh material about his rival’s dirty laundry.
Yesterday, the president reaffirmed his denial on Twitter. “I did NOT know of the meeting with my son, Don Jr. Sounds to me like someone is trying to make up stories in order to get himself out of an unrelated jam,” he wrote. He noted that Cohen is involved in a conflict with the taxi industry about a possible scam, and that “[h]e even retained Bill (Clinton) and Crooked Hillary’s lawyer,” in reference to Lanny Davis, Cohen’s attorney.
Rudy Giuliani, another of Trump’s lawyers, intervened as well, supporting the view that Cohen is a “pathological liar.” According to Giuliani, Cohen has “been lying all week, he’s been lying for years … I don’t see how he has any credibility.” He blurted it out spontaneously, despite the fact that if Cohen did lie, he did so for the Trump Organization, his employer.
It remains to be seen whether what he says is true. He has quite a career behind him. But the clash attests to the escalation between the president and his “fixer.” It is a potential threat. For instance, the main component in debunking the famous British spy report – which describes the salacious material that Russia has in order to blackmail Trump – revolves around the former lawyer. Cohen has denied at all times that he traveled to Prague to meet up with Russian envoys, and this was offered as evidence that the document was fake.
The Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Trump Organization Called To Testify
“[T]he only Collusion with Russia was with the Democrats, so now they are looking at my Tweets (along with 53 million other people) - the rigged Witch Hunt continues!” Trump tweeted.
That is a different battle front. The New York Times reported on Thursday that Special Counsel Mueller is in the midst of going through the president’s tweets and his remarks in which he discredits Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former FBI director James Comey. His inquiries are likely to focus on considering whether those texts are an attempt to obstruct justice, both through witness intimidation and pressuring intelligence officers to close the “Russiagate” case. Mueller wants to question the president about his tweets, another pillar supporting the possible crime of obstruction.
Moreover, Allen Weisselberg, vice president and chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, has been called to testify as a witness.
However, Trump understands nothing about making amends. After the Helsinki show, in which he slighted his intelligence agencies and sided with Vladimir Putin, he doubled down on his challenge by inviting his Russian counterpart to Washington. He then postponed it, given how much it upset Republicans, who are anxious in light of projections concerning the midterm elections this fall.
Putin, aware of the sidestep, offered his colleague a visit to Moscow for their second meeting. And, according to the White House, Trump was happy. “President Trump looks forward to having President Putin to Washington after the first of the year, and he is open to visiting Moscow upon receiving a formal invitation.”
The soundtrack would feature Los Manolos and their “Amigos Para Siempre” (“Friends For Always”).
Like Cohen and others?
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