Trump curses Mueller appointment: 'This is the end of my presidency'

[webfact]

Trump curses Mueller appointment: 'This is the end of my presidency'

By Ginger Gibson and Doina Chiacu

 

U.S. President Donald Trump hosts participants of the Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride, after the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 18, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump believed the appointment of a special counsel to take over the federal probe of Russian interference into the 2016 election would spell the end of his presidency, according to the report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

 

When then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions informed Trump of Mueller's appointment in May 2017, the report said, Trump slumped back in his chair and said: "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm fucked."

 

Trump then asked Sessions, whom he had berated for months for recusing himself from the Russia probe: "How could you let this happen, Jeff?" and told Sessions he had let him down.

 

Details of Mueller's investigation were released on Thursday, showing Trump tried to impede the probe, raising questions of whether he committed the crime of obstruction of justice.

 

Sessions, who resigned in November, recalled that Trump said to him, "you were supposed to protect me," the report said.

 

The Republican president had bristled at the investigation since taking office in January 2017, belittling Sessions and calling the probe a witch hunt and a hoax.

 

"Everyone tells me if you get one of these independent counsels it ruins your presidency," Trump said, according to the report. "It takes years and years and I won't be able to do anything. This is the worst thing that ever happened to me."

 

A month after the appointment, in June 2017, Trump tried to get rid of Mueller, according to the report. He called White House counsel Don McGahn at home twice and told him to call Acting Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and say Mueller should be removed because of conflicts of interest, the report said.

 

"You gotta do this. You gotta call Rod," McGahn recalled Trump as saying.

 

"McGahn did not carry out the direction, however, deciding that he would resign rather than trigger what he regarded as a potential Saturday Night Massacre," Mueller's report said, referring to the Watergate-era firing of key law enforcement officials by President Richard Nixon.

 

Two days later, the report said, "the President made another attempt to affect the course of the Russia investigation." He asked former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to tell Sessions he should announce publicly that the investigation was "very unfair" to Trump, that Trump had done nothing wrong and that Mueller may "move forward with investigating election meddling for future elections."

 

(Reporting by Ginger Gibson, Doina Chiacu; editing by Bill Rigby)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-04-19

[quandow]

Trump is one slippery eel. "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm f***ed." One of the few times he told some truth. Gotta give Trump credit, he DID try obstructing, but his underlings knew better than to fall on a sword for the likes of him:

[quandow]

It ain't over til the fat lady sings ...

[neeray]

19 minutes ago, quandow said:

Trump is one slippery eel. "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm f***ed." One of the few times he told some truth. Gotta give Trump credit, he DID try obstructing, but his underlings knew better than to fall on a sword for the likes of him:

First reaction to big news and you called it straight on "quandow".

[Kelsall]

18 minutes ago, quandow said:

It ain't over til the fat lady sings ...

SDNY takes its orders from Barr now.  Trump is in the clear.

[Cryingdick]

Like any of us haven't expressed such things in what we consider a private exchange. I am going to be late for work I am truly <deleted>. lol

[neeray]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

I'm <deleted>

Trump is that alright (above quotation). This investigation, subsequent report, will just add to the most disgraceful legacy any president in the history of the United States of America has ever created for himself.

Finally we see all his dirty tricks and total disregard for the welfare of others AND his total contempt for the rule of law.

 

Add to that, one more (or many) failure. He couldn't even succeed in directing his own staff to break the law. They just ignored the direction from their Commander in Chief.

 

Well done Mueller. You did it with class and dignity; both are sadly lacking in the current administration.

[Cryingdick]

1 minute ago, neeray said:

Trump is that alright (above quotation). This investigation, subsequent report, will just add to the most disgraceful legacy any president in the history of the United States of America has ever created for himself.

Finally we see all his dirty tricks and total disregard for the welfare of others AND his total contempt for the rule of law.

 

Add to that, one more (or many) failure. He couldn't even succeed in directing his own staff to break the law. They just ignored the direction from their Commander in Chief.

 

Well done Mueller. You did it with class and dignity; both are sadly lacking in the current administration.

 

The most disgraceful president to ever be re-elected while being under impeachment. lol

[bristolboy]

11 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

 

The most disgraceful president to ever be re-elected while being under impeachment. lol

This is all you've got. Empty predictions about an upcoming elections.

[Puchaiyank]

This stuff is best left to the sleaze mags...not worthy of serious consideration... 

[Cryingdick]

3 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

This is all you've got. Empty predictions about an upcoming elections.

 

This is even being generous.

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

"Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm <deleted>."

Well, good. This era is about to be over.

 

Will president Pence be able to hold the office until 2020 or will there be a new elections before that?

[Cryingdick]

Just now, oilinki said:

Well, good. This era is about to be over.

 

Will president Pence be able to hold the office until 2020 or will there be a new elections before that?

 

Pence would serve the remainder. You don't seem to realize Trump said that in a supposedly private moment two years ago.

[Guest]

Just now, Cryingdick said:

 

Pence would serve the remainder. You don't seem to realize Trump said that in a supposedly private moment two years ago.

That's bad. Pence is probably going to be even more worse president than Trump is. Pence is a known religious nutter. Trump only loves himself, which is far better for the world. 

 

 

[Cryingdick]

1 minute ago, oilinki said:

That's bad. Pence is probably going to be even more worse president than Trump is. Pence is a known religious nutter. Trump only loves himself, which is far better for the world. 

 

 

 

Pence is never going to be the president.

[neeray]

26 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

 

The most disgraceful president to ever be re-elected while being under impeachment. lol

You're a bit premature to be talking about "re-elected" in the past tense. The only past tense I expect to see is POTUS himself.

[bristolboy]

17 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

 

This is even being generous.

 

Yes. You're being too kind to Trump. 2 can play this silly game.

 

 

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

 

Pence is never going to be the president.

What are you saying?

[Lucius verus]

Highly unlikely Democrats would try and impeach Trump with election campaign already underway.

The Teflon Don survives yet again.

Good chance he' ll win in 2020.

Who will beat him ?

Those two money hungry publicity seeking girls Cortez and Omar???

555555555

[candide]

1 hour ago, Kelsall said:

SDNY takes its orders from Barr now.  Trump is in the clear.

In the context of the current fuss about justice obstruction? ????

 

From reading the Mueller report, officials (starting with Barr) know that the best way to save their head is to refuse to obey Trump's attempts to obstruct justice.

 

[quandow]

1 hour ago, Kelsall said:

SDNY takes its orders from Barr now.  Trump is in the clear.

We've had this discussion before, you were wrong then and you're wrong now. Barr can offer guidance or suggestions, but it is the SOVEREIGN District of New York. And your tag line is STILL a lie, Barr never said that. Water seeks its own level and liars gather.

[Cryingdick]

5 minutes ago, candide said:

In the context of the current fuss about justice obstruction? ????

 

From reading the Mueller report, officials (starting with Barr) know that the best way to save their head is to refuse to obey Trump's attempts to obstruct justice.

 

 

It also went to intent. Trump probably wasn't aware enough to know what the consequences of what he was saying would ultimately be. Although you do have to add in there that the obstruction accusations were to do with an underlying crime that didn't ever exist.

[Benmart]

2 hours ago, quandow said:

Trump is one slippery eel. "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm f***ed." One of the few times he told some truth. Gotta give Trump credit, he DID try obstructing, but his underlings knew better than to fall on a sword for the likes of him:

I wasn't there to hear his comments, and perhaps you were not either. His is still the President and you are not. His sword seems to be in his scabbard, whilst your tiny dagger is making ineffective jabs at the illusive credibility monster. 

[Cryingdick]

1 hour ago, bristolboy said:

Yes. You're being too kind to Trump. 2 can play this silly game.

 

 

Then you obviously know it is much closer than you purport to think it is. I don't think it is going to be close at all. To stay on topic Trump after the report has as many or more votes. 

 

He also already won the states that I gave away. MI, PA, WI. You can give two away and he still wins. 

[Jingthing]

The comment clearly shows perception of guilt. He was not exonerated. Mueller intended to send the mountain of evidence to congress to let them decide as the justice department can't indict a tweeting president.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Kelsall]

10 minutes ago, quandow said:

We've had this discussion before, you were wrong then and you're wrong now. Barr can offer guidance or suggestions, but it is the SOVEREIGN District of New York. And your tag line is STILL a lie, Barr never said that. Water seeks its own level and liars gather.

Southern and again I'm right.  Not literally, but in so many words, Barr telegraphed my sig line.

It's all in automatic now.  Nothing anyone can do about it since the new sheriff is going to do the right thing.

[bendejo]

59 minutes ago, oilinki said:

That's bad. Pence is probably going to be even more worse president than Trump is. Pence is a known religious nutter. Trump only loves himself, which is far better for the world. 

 

 

I've been saying this all along: it could be worse, DT is not an idealist.  Well, not unless you include narcissism.  Somebody like Paul Ryan or Marco Rubio who talked about adhering to the Conservative philosophy, with a catechism to follow, that kind of crap scares me, and of course they can twist it any way they see fit. 

The saying is, re candidates, that "Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line."  (notice that the GOP never has to be concerned of a circular firing squad) Somewhere there is someone taking notes about what this administration did right in marshaling the not-too-educated voters and in the near future we may see someone with the same appeal and is smart enough to pull off a Christian-Fascist-Corporative government.

 

Sometimes I'm glad I'm old.

 

 

[Kelsall]

20 minutes ago, candide said:

In the context of the current fuss about justice obstruction? ????

 

From reading the Mueller report, officials (starting with Barr) know that the best way to save their head is to refuse to obey Trump's attempts to obstruct justice.

 

In the context that the perpetrators of the attempted coup will be brought to justice.

[candide]

6 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

 

It also went to intent. Trump probably wasn't aware enough to know what the consequences of what he was saying would ultimately be. Although you do have to add in there that the obstruction accusations were to do with an underlying crime that didn't ever exist.

You mean that he was not aware that ordering his aides to fire Mueller can be considered as obstrution of justice? Well, in this perspective we agree at least on one point: that he is incompetent! ????

[Cryingdick]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

The comment clearly shows perception of guilt. He was not exonerated. Mueller intended to send the mountain of evidence to congress to let them decide as the justice department can't indict a tweeting president.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

It isn't actionable through anything other than a fair election. I bet you have said the same thing on a bad day. Oh, F life sucks!